GAMMT - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: S1
What was this thing? Fu Chuan was very familiar with it.
"The 1st Sequence Gene Chain Crystal Key S1. In the early stages for players, this thing could be auctioned for three thousand green coins, but it was always in demand and rarely available. Its price on the black market was entirely determined by need. With good luck, you could get it for a few thousand green coins. If there was competition and someone was desperate, the price would soar."
The currency system in Arcane Throne was vast but orderly. The official market circulated five tiers of currency: copper, green, blue, purple, and orange, with an exchange rate of 10,000 to 1 from left to right.
Based on Xie Keli's current assets of ten million copper coins, it would convert to just over a thousand green coins—not even enough to buy this single bead.
And according to the gold-farming speed of players in her reality, any player with a bit of foresight would hoard their early-game funds just to get their hands on one. It would take half a month of grinding resources.
That was why the 1st Sequence Gene Chain Crystal Key S1 was also known as "the source of instant noodles for new players" in the game world. One had to scrimp and save, cutting back on other cultivation resources, just to afford a single S1. Of course, if you were skilled enough to clear elite dungeons, defeat elite bosses, and get ridiculously lucky with a drop, or if you opened a treasure chest and found one, that was another story entirely.
You were either a top expert or a supremely lucky player.
So, why was this little bead so expensive?
The reason was simple. This item was a key prop for advancing the gene system sequence in Arcane Throne. Every person's genes were fixed in a given environment and state; they wouldn't change with growth unless stimulated by an external force to achieve a breakthrough. Starting from the 1st Sequence, one could unlock the Gene Tree, continuously breaking through barriers and lighting up its branches until it became a Gene Tree full of starlight. The Gene Tree had seven pages in total, each representing a new sequence.
Therefore, the 1st Sequence Gene Chain Crystal Key was an entry-level item, a strategic resource that created a significant gap between expert and ordinary players in the early stages.
But when considering the noble class, Fu Chuan felt this wasn't a treasure that would require a head of the family to go to such lengths to retrieve.
Unless the family itself wasn't particularly powerful.
"At best, they're Green Blood Nobles, not even reaching the level of Blue Blood. Besides, S1 is a core resource distributed periodically to the children of noble families. As an illegitimate son, it's not strange that he received one, but now they're in a hurry to take it back."
From this, Fu Chuan made a rough judgment: this cheap noble father saw some value in his illegitimate son, Xie Keli, and was considering bringing him home. However, he had no intention of cultivating him. In fact, it would be better if he were a good-for-nothing, completely devoid of any Arcane cultivation aptitude.
Strange.
Suspicion rose in Fu Chuan's heart, but obtaining this item was still incredibly exciting for someone who had just been handed the role of a slave upon arrival. She quickly suppressed her feelings, carefully tidied up the traces again, and was about to seal the container when she remembered that a guard had lifted this gas canister that day. And tomorrow, when she sold off this "scrap," those people would likely inspect it closely. So… after wiping away fingerprints and other traces, she removed the love letter from the box and stuffed in some checks and jewelry of equivalent weight. It was just enough to offset the weight of the mahjong tiles and the letter she had taken, worth a total of several hundred thousand copper coins.
It pained her wallet, but there was no other way. She had to let them find something, or they would never stop.
After arranging everything, she checked it repeatedly, then took the love letter and the S1.
These items couldn't be hidden at home; those people would likely search again.
So, keep it on her person? Or use it now?
Lying in her quilt, Fu Chuan weighed the S1 in her hand and pondered.
All characters in the game had attributes and skills. What about her now? Did the leader and his men have attributes and skills too?
But she couldn't feel a thing right now. Perhaps she would awaken them after unlocking her gene chain.
Holding the S1, Fu Chuan felt a strong impulse to use it immediately. As this will combined with her grip on the item… text suddenly popped up in her vision, floating above the S1.
"Item identified: 1st Sequence Gene Chain Crystal Key S1. Confirm use? (Note: S1 is a dangerous item. Breaking through the gene chain barrier will cause drastic modifications to the body's tissues and carries a certain degree of risk. Please ensure your constitution attribute is 10 or higher, or have related items to assist. Otherwise, proceed with caution.)"
Fu Chuan felt a slight headache, as if some of her mental power had been drained, but she quickly understood. Was it the same as the game?
Was it just her, or was it like this for everyone? Unfortunately, the mercenaries at the tavern were purely physical fighters, not Arcanists, so she had no access to this world's true power system. But she had certainly never heard them mention any game-like pop-ups. It seemed more like a real world to them, and they were unaware that it was a game—at least, one completely different from the games in their world.
So she was a special case?
Regarding the S1, new players generally waited until level 10 to use it because they didn't have enough attribute points before then; their constitution points wouldn't reach the safety threshold.
That meant she couldn't use it now. Firstly, a sudden change in her physical condition would be noticed by that leader. Secondly, her constitution was likely not up to par; otherwise, the system wouldn't have specifically identified and warned her.
Fu Chuan stroked the S1. She did have items, she thought. Blue Star Grass and Silver Root Water could both reduce the physical damage caused by gene items. After all, the Devouring Scroll was in the same category. These Blue Star herbs and materials had cost her a month's worth of tips, saved up after being groped on her chest and butt. Though there wasn't much left, it should be enough for her.
After all, she was only lighting up the first branch of the 1st Sequence Gene Tree. It was the lowest level, so the difficulty shouldn't be too high.
So… use it, or hide it?
Fu Chuan clutched the S1, her eyes flickering.
The next morning, the leader stared at the color in the reaction agent, his expression slightly complicated.
The others sighed as well.
"Looks like he really is the master's son. That makes him the Young Master."
"A son like this will probably be a nuisance if we take him back. The thought of taking orders from such a good-for-nothing is really… uncomfortable."
The men were clearly disappointed, not out of any sense of justice for the woman Xie Keli had assaulted and killed, but purely because they looked down on him, and deep down, they were jealous.
They'd been through fire and water, yet it was nothing compared to being born into the right family.
"Enough!" the leader's face was grim. He snapped, and the others fell silent. He then contacted his master and reported the results. The master didn't seem too surprised, but regarding the missing item…
The leader spared no effort in subtly bad-mouthing him. "It's hard to say if he hid the item. He seems quite clever. But since we don't know what it is, we might not find it even if he did hide it."
The other end was silent for a moment before replying, "Before you left, didn't the butler give you something? He told you to wait for orders to use it. X5 Garbage Star is a small enterprise under the Li Corporation. Given their family's habit of controlling the medical field, they should have a medical station on the garbage star, using those lowlifes as a free source of blood and experimental materials. So, they definitely have his old physical data on file. I'll contact them and get a copy. You can compare it tomorrow."
The leader was stunned.
Early in the morning, the building where Xie Keli and his mother lived was bustling with activity. Servants and scrap merchants came and went, quickly selling off everything, including the gas canister. When neighbors asked, Fu Chuan, channeling Xie Keli's temper, impatiently brushed them off before holing up back at home. Behind her, the neighbors wore looks of disgust and pointed fingers, but they were also intensely curious.
News couldn't be kept secret in this small place. Everyone knew what the scumbag had done. But who were those mysterious guards, the ones even the company's inspection team treated with such deference?
While they speculated, the scrap was loaded onto a beat-up truck… Twenty minutes later, it arrived at a small courtyard. After unloading and payment, the leader and his men emerged from the house. They began a more thorough search, pulverizing every single item to inspect it.
When it was the gas canister's turn, the leader suddenly felt that its model was off.
It was too old.
"Protective measures," the leader said. The others stepped back and summoned their respective mechanical warhorses. The beasts galloped over, detaching metal plates from their abdomens that quickly assembled into a gleaming composite metal shield.
Clang!
Several men took cover behind the shield, but the leader didn't need such a hassle. He tapped his wrist device, which released a bead-sized droplet of liquid matter. As it popped out, he cupped it in his hands and muttered an incantation.
This was the Arcane art, Liquid Steel Will, assisted by a prop and an incantation.
In fact, a higher-level Arcanist wouldn't even need the liquid from the wrist device; they could summon the elements and cast the spell on their own, though that would consume more mental power.
As the Arcane incantation was cast, the liquid substance automatically formed an oval shield in front of his body. One end was linked to the runic pattern on his wrist device, allowing the shield to move with a flick of his wrist. Its weight remained unchanged, meaning it was more flexible and lighter.
Therein lay the power of the Arcane.
Bang! The gas canister was forced open, and the men realized all their impressive protective measures were for nothing.
There was no dangerous gas inside the canister, just a pile of scattered items.
A box!
The leader and his men were overjoyed. They picked up the box to inspect it, only to find copper bills and jewelry inside.
Was the item the master wanted among this jewelry?
The men were confused, but the leader already knew the item was a cultivation resource, definitely not jewelry. This meant they still hadn't found it.
"Boss? What now?"
"Let's go find our young master."
The leader touched the item in his pocket. Twenty minutes later, they appeared in front of the Xie residence.
Not long after they knocked, Fu Chuan came to open the door.
Unbeknownst to them, on the sixth floor of a building a street away, a young man was watching Fu Chuan and the leader through a pair of binoculars.
Through the binoculars, he saw a trembling Xie Keli lead the men inside. But he turned to his side and said, "Master, are you sure I'll get merit points for killing him? The system says I can get one hundred points, enough to exchange for an S1 or an Arcane Missile skill book."
If anyone else had been there, they would have thought he was insane, because there was no one beside him.
But what he saw was a white-haired old man.
The old man said, "Yes. This person is a super scum. Killing him is like eliminating a pest for the people. Don't you want to?"
The young man gritted his teeth. "He caused Fu Chuan's death. Of course I want to. But he has experts around him. I've only just started learning the Arcane. I'm no match for that captain alone."
"Don't worry, I'll help you."
Inside the house, Fu Chuan had been waiting for the leader and his men to show up, but she feigned shock and terror.
"You… is there anything else you need?"
"Because of what happened between you and Fu Chuan that day, we suspect someone might be trying to harm you. So, we're here to give you a physical examination, Mr. Xie."
Fu Chuan had known he would collect this body's blood for a DNA test, and she knew she would pass that test. She had expected him to ask about the gas canister, but she hadn't anticipated that he would demand a physical examination right away.
Not just checking her clothes, her home, and everything on her person, but also testing her physical constitution.
If this test revealed that her constitution was far superior to the data on file for Xie Keli in the medical system, then… it would be a dead giveaway.
Fu Chuan had no way to refuse. Her face paled slightly, but the leader and his men, unsure of this young master's worth, were reasonably polite.
When it came to stripping, he could keep his underwear on.
The weak have no dignity. Fu Chuan feigned shame and anger, but inwardly she was calm. After all, she had risen from the grassroots before, and she'd kicked the bucket before even fully rising, so she wasn't proud enough to resist. She complied, stripping down for the examination. Then, the leader took out a device, something like a palm-sized magnetic disk, and placed it on her chest, which still bore the marks of bloodstains.
"This is a device to check if you've been poisoned by someone with ill intentions. Don't be nervous."
Poison?
Poison my ass! It's for checking my body's stats, isn't it.
Fu Chuan's heart tightened slightly. After emitting some heat, the disk's display beeped, and the data was instantly calculated.
The first thing the leader saw was his heart rate. So nervous? Was something amiss?
The men watched with some anticipation, hoping to see this scumbag fall.
But the next second…
"Strength 1, Constitution 3, Agility 2. Subject is a male with low-level, sub-par health and a frail constitution. Also exhibits symptoms of mild prostatitis. Please exercise regularly and take medication in a timely manner."
Technology itself has officially declared you frail and unwell, young man.
Although she was prepared and knew this body's condition was poor, Fu Chuan was genuinely embarrassed this time; she didn't even have to act. For the leader and his men, it was an anticlimax. This was just a good-for-nothing. He hadn't hidden the treasure and used it to enhance his constitution.
Remembering his master's instructions, the leader stepped forward and knelt on one knee before Fu Chuan, who stood there in her underwear.
"Young Master Keli, you are a descendant of the Xie Clan of Jingyang City, Beluke Province. Your biological father is the current Clan Head, Xie An. He has instructed us to bring you home."
"But to ensure secrecy and your safety, we needed to conduct a series of tests. Please forgive us for any offense."
Their acting was superb, their emotions on point. They probably believed it themselves—loyal and remorseful, with no trace of the disdain and jealousy they felt for her in private.
Acting is something that requires cooperation.
Fu Chuan's face also showed an expression of shock and wild joy. "The Xie Clan? Which Xie? The 'xie' in 'thank you (xièxie)'? Are they nobles? How much money will I get a month? Oh my god… I'm a noble young master?"
"Can I put my pants on now? It's a little cold."
The leader and his men were speechless, their mouths twitching.
Now that her identity was confirmed, they had to leave. But Fu Chuan knew the journey might not be safe. The Xie Clan's attitude was too strange, making her vaguely uneasy.
That being the case, she needed to make more preparations to be safe.
Fu Chuan accurately gauged the leader's fear that she would hold a grudge. After getting dressed, she immediately slipped into the persona of an ill-tempered, profligate young master. With a cold sneer, she began ordering them around, telling them to prepare her luggage to return to the Xie Clan. But before that, she had things to do.
"I have to deal with my assets here. Damn the laws of X5 Star, they don't allow off-world property disposal. I have to sell everything here. This is a mining company under the Li Corporation, so I'll just sell it to them. The acquisition price will be a bit lower than the market rate, but… by the way, can I have Father negotiate the price with them?"
What kind of person was this, asking a dignified Clan Head to haggle? Over a fluctuating price of a few hundred thousand copper coins?
The leader and his men didn't know what to say, silently cursing him for being a country bumpkin.
Fu Chuan then added, "And there's one more thing."
She gave them a long list of tasks, treating them purely as errand boys. The guards were furious but didn't dare to speak out, so they could only obey. When they heard he had more to do, the leader lowered his head and asked.
Fu Chuan put on a fake, melodramatic expression of pity. "Next, of course, is to get justice for my beloved Fu Chuan."
The leader: "?"
After the leader and his men went out to prepare, Fu Chuan walked to the memorial portrait of Xie Keli's mother and bowed, her mouth full of filial piety, as if she really were Xie Keli. In reality, her hand reached for the urn.
Click. The lid opened.
This was a place the leader and his men would never dare to search. After all, this was the master's woman; one does not disrespect the venerable.
And the very thing they were looking for was hidden inside.
Last night, she didn't have the means to use it, and she was afraid the leader and his men would detect it, so she had given up and chosen to hide it instead.
The required materials like Blue Star Grass were at the tavern. It would be suspicious to suddenly go and buy them. It was best to get them from the tavern.
Fifteen minutes later, a squadron of mechanical warhorse cavalry thundered through half the town, arriving in front of the tavern. Then… iron hooves trampled, smashing through the main doors. Amidst the screams and cries of the mercenaries and Madam Miley's family, more than twenty bruised and bloodied people were thrown or dragged out of the tavern.
When Madam Miley and her husband were dragged out by their hair and forced to the ground, their faces were unrecognizable, their bodies a mess.
As they looked up, they saw a towering mechanical warhorse slowly step out, its iron hooves clanking.
Looking higher, they saw the infamous scumbag Xie Keli sitting atop it, looking down on them from above.
Madam Miley sensed something was wrong. Just as she was about to scream a threat at Xie Keli, her mouth was covered.
A large crowd of onlookers had gathered, surrounding them three layers deep. They all saw this scumbag, a man they had long envied and hated, speak in a hypocritical tone that stoked their fury even more: "You probably don't know this, but Fu Chuan and I were in love for many years. I knew your family was bleeding her dry and abusing her. To help her, I gave your family so much money, a full two hundred thousand copper coins! But what did you do? Not only did you continue to treat her poorly, you even drugged her! If the drug hadn't taken effect, preventing her from escaping when the fire started, would I, Xie Keli, have lost my beloved?!"
"Therefore!"
She leaped down, walked over… and in front of the terrified Madam Miley and her husband, she suddenly reached out and grabbed their terrified, miserable young son, seizing his head and slamming it against the doorpost… CRACK!!!
Just as he, being bigger and stronger as a child, had repeatedly grabbed the original owner's head and smashed it against pillars and beds, bullied her, even spied on her while she bathed and put cockroaches in her clean underwear—all of it—she now grabbed the snot-nosed boy's head… Thud, thud, thud!
She slammed it viciously seven or eight times in a row.
Slammed it until Madam Miley and her husband screamed in agony, until the onlookers' hearts pounded with fear.
Finally, she shook the blood from her hand and walked through the tavern door, tossing two sentences over her shoulder as she passed the leader and his men.
Arrogant and vicious.
"Break all of their arms and legs."
"All of them!"
This trash that groped my chest and ass for a month!
Break every last one of their limbs!
Once inside the tavern, Fu Chuan, concealed in the half-shadows, watched coldly as the leader and his men, without any psychological burden, viciously broke the family's arms and legs. Crack, crack. The sound of snapping bones and screams turned the scene into a vision of hell.
The company wouldn't care. No one had died, they were all lowlifes, and the other party was a noble. Everyone understood how things worked.
This was X5 Garbage Star. The number of corpses carried out of the mines every day was in the triple digits. What was this in comparison?
Besides, no one was dead. Hadn't they seen? After a word was put in, the inspection team turned a blind eye and never even showed up.
This was the reality of the world of Arcane Throne.
At this moment, what Fu Chuan thought of was the opening prologue of the game Arcane Throne.
It went like this.
"This is a world of power, a world of authority. It is a paradise for killers and a hell for the weak. When you raise your staff, the Arcane is the only light in the darkness. It will guide you to survive the wars of power and walk toward the final throne."
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