Free Web NovelChapter 41: The Miscellaneous Store
Ever since Leo woke up from his nap, he had been acting calm and composed.
His composure hadn’t cracked even in the presence of the Colonel, a man leagues above him.
But the moment his eyes fell on the object that had just brushed against his foot, a crack appeared in the facade he had been maintaining.
It was neither a life-threatening weapon nor a priceless treasure.
It was simply a bunny doll.
Leo had obtained the bunny doll from a card before gifting it to Lily.
It was because of that small gift that Lily had gradually warmed up to him during their journey together.
As he stared at the doll, all the memories he had been desperately trying to bury deep within his heart came rushing back, one after another.
"Fuck... Fuck... Fuck..."
Leo finally snapped.
Screaming curses, he lashed out wildly, punching and kicking everything within reach.
THUD! CRASH! SMASH!
Every object or tool that entered his line of sight was reduced to shattered pieces.
The truck shook violently as Leo rampaged inside it.
Earlier, a few desperate survivors had noticed Leo’s truck. They had approached it hoping to ask him for some supplies, but after hearing the furious screams and the sounds of objects shattering from within, they quietly decided that this was not the right time to bother the madman inside.
Leo’s rampage continued until the system’s warning echoed inside his head.
[Warning! Warning! The truck has sustained damage. Host, the system advises you to stop if you do not wish for your truck to become scrap.]
The warning finally snapped Leo back to his senses. His chest rose and fell violently as ragged breaths escaped his lungs.
He didn’t argue with the system. Instead, he staggered over to the freezer and pulled out a bottle of alcohol he had obtained earlier.
Twisting off the cap, he tipped the bottle back and emptied it in a single gulp.
It wasn’t enough.
He immediately bought three more bottles of alcohol from the system store, spending 9 nucleus crystals.
One bottle after another disappeared down his throat.
Eventually, the alcohol overwhelmed him. Without even realizing it, sleep claimed him, and he collapsed onto the floor of the truck.
It was already the afternoon of the following day when Leo finally regained consciousness.
The haze clouding his vision gradually faded until everything came back into focus.
He rose to his feet, stretched his stiff limbs, and instinctively checked the condition of his body. He had sustained several injuries during yesterday’s battle, but none of them had been life-threatening.
To his surprise, every wound had vanished without a trace.
"So that Rare Regeneration Skill does have its uses," he muttered, his voice echoing softly through the truck.
His gaze swept across the compartment. Only then did he truly take in the aftermath of his outburst from the previous night. Broken equipment and scattered debris littered the floor, silently reminding him of how thoroughly he had trashed the truck.
Shaking his head, he let out a self-deprecating laugh.
’What’s the point of throwing a tantrum when you haven’t even shed a single tear over what happened?’
He slapped himself tightly on the cheek.
"Alright, let’s get down to business. Moping around isn’t going to change anything."
Calling out to the system, he asked,
"System, update me on the situation."
[Since the host has finally managed to calm down, let us get down to business.]
[Host, you have reached LVL 10. The system is now ready to upgrade.]
"Is there a reward for completing the upgrade?"
[The system gets to be upgraded. Isn’t that rewarding enough for you?]
Leo felt a flicker of irritation but decided not to snap at the system again.
In a cold tone, he asked,
"Is there anything I should be concerned about while you’re upgrading yourself?"
[The upgrade process will take three days to complete. During this period, the host will be unable to access any of the system’s features.]
[However, the host can still kill monsters and obtain cards as usual.]
"Can I use the Upgrade Cards or repair the truck while you’re upgrading?"
[Unfortunately, the host cannot use the Upgrade Cards without the system’s assistance. However, the truck is an independent entity. As long as the host has sufficient nucleus crystals, it can still be repaired.]
Having received the answers to all his questions, Leo summoned the Origin Card and walked over to the box containing the nucleus crystals.
Placing the card on top of the box, he willed it to absorb 1,000 crystals.
A faint glow spread across the card as it released a thin ray of light onto the box. The crystal count displayed on the card began rising steadily. When it reached exactly 1,749, the light faded, and the absorption came to a stop.
"System, get me a box of grenades from the store."
[Host, one box of grenades will cost 30 nucleus crystals.]
"Do it."
An orange card materialized in his hand.
Using the Origin Card, Leo opened the system store.
From the weapons section, he purchased a gauntlet fitted with a concealed blade. Although he had accumulated plenty of food over the past few days, he still bought enough rations to last two more days. With the system about to become unavailable, he preferred to prepare for every possibility.
Leo also made it a habit to browse the miscellaneous section of the system store every two days.
Today happened to be the day it refreshed.
As he scanned through the newly stocked items, two of them immediately caught his attention.
(Rare Item – Basic Mastery of Essence)
(Uncommon Item – Train and Know Your Body)
Although the descriptions were frustratingly vague, Leo instinctively felt that both items would prove invaluable.
When his eyes fell upon their prices, that feeling only grew stronger.
Each of them cost 650 nucleus crystals.
Without hesitating any further, Leo purchased both items.
Moments later, two cards materialized in his hands.
Leo checked his remaining crystal balance and let out a heavy sigh.
The crystals he had earned only yesterday had vanished in the blink of an eye.
There were still 1,000 crystals left inside the box, but those were reserved for the system’s upgrade.
Although he wanted to continue browsing the system store, he simply didn’t have the resources to keep spending.
Closing the store interface, he absorbed another 800 crystals into the Origin Card.
He spent a few moments thinking carefully, trying to recall if there was anything else he needed to ask the system. Once he was certain he had no more immediate questions, he nodded to himself.
"Alright, System. You can initiate the upgrade."
[Host, the system is now initiating the upgrade.]
[The system wishes the host good luck and advises you not to be reckless. The system hopes the host will strive to survive during its absence.]
A bitter smile appeared on Leo’s face.
"You don’t need to worry about me. I value my life more than you could ever imagine." freewebnovёl.ƈom
[Host, the system is not worried. The system simply does not wish to go through the hassle of finding a new host.]
With that, the system fell completely silent.
For the first time since yesterday, a genuine smile appeared on Leo’s face.
The system’s twisted way of showing concern had somehow touched him after everything he had gone through.
Shaking his head, he looked at the two cards in his hand and willed them into reality.
Both cards dissolved into countless particles of light before gathering together once again. Moments later, two ancient-looking books materialized in his hands. freewebnovel.cσ๓
The covers were made of dark brown leather, cracked with age, while strange silver symbols were engraved across their surfaces. They looked as though they had survived hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Leo lay down on his bed and casually opened the first book.
The pages felt unusually rough beneath his fingertips. They resembled parchment made from the hide of some unknown beast, yet despite their age, they were remarkably tough. He doubted he could tear a single page even if he tried.
The first book, Basic Mastery of Essence, was filled with unfamiliar theories and concepts. Leo skimmed through it from beginning to end, memorizing what he could, but most of its contents remained vague and difficult to comprehend.
Compared to it, the second book, Train and Know Your Body, immediately captured his interest.
Although Leo already possessed extensive knowledge of human anatomy from his years as an assassin, the book revealed countless details he had never encountered before. It explained the body from an entirely different perspective, describing the hidden potential of muscles, bones, tendons, breathing, balance, and countless subtle movements that ordinary people would never notice.
The more he read, the more absorbed he became.
Without realizing it, more than three hours slipped by.
He only snapped out of his concentration when a loud growl echoed from his stomach.
Leo sighed when he realised that he had not eaten anything for almost a day .
" Seems like it’s time to put something in my stomach "
