Chapter 156 - 156 138 Friends and Blessings

156: Chapter 138 Friends and Blessings 156: Chapter 138 Friends and Blessings “So, the investment has failed again, hasn’t it?” As always, there was no response to his investment in the Fusang tree seeds. It seems that he still lacks the ability to interfere with the “third-tier” level of pollution. After pondering for a moment, he throws the seed to the “Garden” Seed Warehouse for storage. If he plants it now, it might really die. “…I hope I can succeed in investing after reaching 2-tier.” Lu Ping’an isn’t sure if he’ll be able to successfully invest in the third-tier after reaching the second-tier. After all, the concept of tiers is an artificial construct, and using it can be quite subtle. Moreover, if his estimations are correct, the Fusang tree may not even meet the normal third-tier standard. His primary goal remains to advance in tier. The advancement of professionals usually takes years. Polishing professional skills requires both learning and practical experience, filling pollution to increase “energy intensity” requires trials and understanding abnormal abilities require inspiration and luck. All of these ultimately rely on time. Considering what Lu Ping’an lacks, it’s quite normal to get stuck for three or four years under normal circumstances. The most challenging part, in fact, is not the many LVs of professional skills that he lacks, but the “abnormal abilities” that demand inspiration. First, you need to meet the conditions for awakening, and then gain inspiration after practicing and polishing. Even though most abnormal abilities have a certain professional skill as a base, the chances of acquiring the particular abnormal ability you want still aren’t very high, even if you have accurate intelligence. Honestly, obtaining an abnormal ability is somewhat like “opening a blind box.” Opening it ten times, ten times getting nothing but blanks, and when a crit finally comes with rainbow light, it might not be the one you wanted. And what’s even more frustrating is that this process consumes the accumulated “pollution,” making it possible that after one or two awakenings, you’ll be stuck waiting for the third awakening, unable to obtain the core abnormal ability for the next step, and inexplicably stuck. If no one helps guide you, you might not even know where the problem lies… This is also the reason why Lei once rated Lu Ping’an’s ability (to enhance inspiration and breakthrough) so highly. Sometimes, missing just a little, you never know how long it’ll take you to get there, or else the people who can guide the way with “rule systems” wouldn’t be so valuable. Given the cat’s initial hardware conditions, it could have qualified for the common “Shrink Land” ability, let alone meeting the basic conditions for “Spider Walk.” But she was stuck, unable to awaken Shrink Land until Lu Ping’an helped her breakthrough forcefully. Are there traditional breakthrough methods? Of course, through hard practice and reckless killing – as long as you don’t die, you’ll naturally break through forcibly. Breaking through in secret realms is generally easier than in the outside world. Enduring round after round is simple enough but quite effective, even if it’s a bit too challenging… “Lei and I have both reached the third-tier. If conditions permit, both official and reserve members can consider breaking through in the short term.” During the journey, Lu Ping’an saw this message in the “Special Service Team Three Web-chat Room.” Is this good news? Amid a sea of congratulations, Lu Ping’an only saw anxiety and unease in the faces of the captain and deputy captain. In a situation where everything is shrouded in darkness and no direction can be discerned, improving one’s strength is obviously an appropriate choice, but that’s all it is – “not wrong.” “It seems that their search for clues has been interrupted again, did they startle the snake in the grass…” With a helpless sigh, some things were simply unavoidable. Lei Huoren’s investigation of the cemetery had certainly alerted the other party. At the same time, a few small pieces of news had spread within the special service team’s internal network. The Special Service Team had clashed with the Sophist, and someone from Lin Nu’s Church had also taken action. However, before he could be caught, he was rescued by someone. “They don’t know who rescued him?” “…One street was covered in rotten flesh, perhaps it was a Life system cultist.” Hearing this answer, Lu Ping’an’s expression became even more subtle, as it was practically the same as not hearing anything. The only good news was the information about the Fishman had been found, and another highest-level wanted order had been issued in the city. “Jia Yi, a half-Fishman member of a certain Evil God’s Family Clan, at least a fifth-tier Beast Tamer, without a title.” The description was quite simple, suggesting that this person was the low-key type. Truth be told, it’s not possible to be anything but low-key, given his crimes – even among the cultists, many don’t approve of his actions. Here, the Evil Gods and their cultists are, in fact, divided into several categories. Some are merely unapproved Proper Gods, others are underground churches in their growth period. Many of their followers turn a blind eye to the careers of the Secret Keepers. Many of the believers who join them do so out of self-interest for their own livelihoods and benefits. The truly depraved ones are only a minority. Some evil gods and cultists are inherently anti-human, anti-social, and even anti-intellectual. Da Mao’s church could be considered somewhere in between. However, this Jia guy hasn’t died yet, even when his “avatar BOSS” has been defeated countless times, proving he’s no ordinary person. “A Beast Tamer can’t instantly corrupt a whole street, right?” “A fourth-tier Healer with a plague ability could do it.” Da Mao was very calm, but this also meant that there were at least three cultists lurking around. “Believe me, it’s a good thing. There was news about a dormitory with six people being home to seven small teams, constantly fighting with each other. My church is like that, too. When there are more than three, they will infight.” Da Mao said with great pride, while Lu Ping’an really didn’t know what she was proud of. “… Save me …” The sudden voice made Lu Ping’an frown. “Is it again? Can I shut this thing off…” This was not a hallucination of Lu Ping’an, but the “Brass Blessing” he had obtained before. [Sound of Redemption Blessing (Brass Tier) of the Redemption Hand: Makes the blessed person’s mind clear and his senses acute, with a chance to hear the ‘cries for help’ within a radius of three kilometers. Duration: 30 days and 22 hours.] This ability allows Lu Ping’an to hear cries for help and screams within a certain distance around him. As a temporary abnormal ability with a limited duration, it has a wide range and strong effects. It’s not useless, and it’ll probably make Brother Guan and others ecstatic. However, it’s pretty awkward for Lu Ping’an to use… “… This time, I only scored 70 points. My mom is going to beat me to death! Someone save me…” When Lu Ping’an tried to listen carefully, he was indeed greeted with this awkward and in-depth content. There were various “cries for help” along the main roads, villages, and urban areas. Along the way, Lu Ping’an heard many incidents of children fighting, a couple of domestic disputes, countless trivial matters, and lots of dog fights… That’s right, this thing could even pick up animals’ cries for help. After listening carefully, Lu Ping’an decided to mind his own business… Except for helping a clumsy cat down from a tree. However, it was not entirely useless, considering his upcoming scope of work. Lu Ping’an didn’t blame the Hand of Redemption for future needs. “…Alright, it’s settled. I’ll practice more on ‘Shock Life’ and the basic abilities of magic plants in the next few days…” With some abnormal abilities, one month without use would be insufficient. The normal growth of dividends, already could not meet Lu Ping’an’s growing urgent needs. Before parting with Brother Guan, he handed over the VIP card to him, hoping that he could help make up for the things Lu Ping’an lacked. “… Right, I’ll practice painting, too. My foundation is too poor. If I have some basics, it’ll be easier to get started…” Lu Ping’an shamelessly asked for help. To him, “choice” was more important than “effort.” The most lacking Gardener profession should be prioritized, but having some foundation in “level 4 painting” would be great, especially if he could find a suitable Gardener teacher… “It’s a small matter. I also need a few days to regroup. With your BUFF, my progress will be faster. If you need anything else, just tell me.” Brother Guan was easy to get along with, so Lu Ping’an didn’t hesitate to ask. “… Can you also practice the Scholar abilities?” Lu Ping’an smiled as he asked for more. However, in the end, it seemed that he felt a little guilty, and Lu Ping’an hesitated to ask another question. “Why are you so…” Faced with kindness, Lu Ping’an was somewhat hesitant. “Friendly?” Hearing this, Brother Guan laughed. Lu Ping’an nodded, swallowing the words “good at coaxing” back into his stomach. Brother Guan didn’t answer, but just tapped Lu Ping’an’s chest, the emblem of the Administration Bureau Secret Keeper uniform. We belong to the same camp, maintaining social order is beneficial to both of us… This simple reality was displayed in front of Lu Ping’an in such a straightforward manner. Lu Ping’an smiled and said nothing more. “Goodbye.” For Lu Ping’an, every day was extremely important, and he must quickly catch up on his shortcomings. As soon as he returned to the ancient city, Lu Ping’an met with Miss Lululu, took several magic potions, and immediately went to the Knights’ Secret Realm. “… Try to reach 2-tier within a week.” These extremely arrogant words, spoken calmly as if they were a part of daily life, came from his mouth.