Chapter 56: Installation Complete

Chapter 56: Installation Complete "Phew..." After some time, Xu Tao let out a long sigh. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but when he noticed how his surroundings had gone silent, he was already done writing what he needed to write. "Ah, Master, you’re finally done?" Henrietta asked from right beside him as soon as he seemed finished. "You were so focused on what you were doing I felt I shouldn’t interrupt you, but... could you please take out the VR Pod now? The workers will install it for you." "Oh, is it that time already?" Xu Tao smiled, putting away his desk and writing utensils, leaving only the scroll with him. He pulled a string of his Qi, turning it into a golden tassel, and wrapped it around the scroll, sealing it. "Here, take this," he said, pushing the item into Henrietta’s hand. "I recorded everything you need to learn in here. For the next 24 hours, focus on learning as much as possible from the first five verses." "This... is?" Henrietta tilted her head in confusion, but still accepted the scroll. "Is it... that legendary cultivation technique scroll?!" Xu Tao, however, was shocked by her words. "Legendary what? No, this is just basic cultivation and martial arts combined. I made it easy to understand for you and adjusted it for your constitution, so it should be easier to learn." Despite hearing Xu Tao say it was just "basic," Henrietta’s eyes glowed like two bright headlights. Her mood quickly reversed—from nervousness and slight depression to thankfulness and hope. "Master! I’ll work on mastering your teachings immediately, so please excuse me!" And just like that, she ran out of Xu Tao’s soon-to-be room, heading somewhere far away. Although he wanted to help her understand the first two verses at least, Henrietta’s drive made him think it was better to let her try understanding it by herself. Language barrier? No such thing existed. The scroll that Xu Tao made wasn’t for reading, anyway, but for guidance. It was a beacon—one which would point someone toward the right path. The user wouldn’t need to read its contents, as the scroll itself would relay everything to them. Right... what Xu Tao made wasn’t a simple scroll, but rather, a sentient treasure! After seeing Henrietta’s figure vanish around the corner, Xu Tao shook his head with a wry smile. "Well, with her talent, I think she should be able to understand the first five verses in an hour. But mastering it should still take her some time..." "Uhmm... Master Xu?" "Hmm?" Just as he was lost in thought, a man began talking to him. Looking closer, he was the leader of the construction specialists working on the room’s renovations. Xu Tao raised a hand, stopping him from speaking. "Ah, no need to tell me. The Vee Arr Pod, is it?" He quickly took out the item from his Storage Ring. Almost like a magic trick, a large pod appeared out of thin air and thumped gently against the carpeted floor. "WOAH!" The foreman, however, fell on his arse from the surprise. "T-This is...!" He gasped, shocked by Xu Tao’s ability to take things in and out of thin air—though it wasn’t his ability per se, but rather, that of his treasures. Still, they were professionals. They quickly pushed aside their mysticism and shock and began to work. "Upsy daisy... Alright, men! Move this thing into position carefully! Don’t you dare damage it...!" "Yes, chief!" To move the pod, five people had to work together in tandem. Although the VR Pod looked small and hollow, the entire thing actually weighed at least 500 kg. It was as heavy as a small car, as large as a one-person bed, and contained even more complicated internal components than a quantum computer. To add, this one pod that Xu Tao "procured" from the Happy Lucky VR Cabin Café actually cost over 1 million yuan. It was, after all, one of the highest-accuracy, latest VR Pod models available. Though it was a mystery why—or how—the Lost System was resting inside of it. "A bit to the right! No, no, my right! Argh! Can’t you tell left from right, you idiots!!!" "Hey, be careful! Don’t you dare drop that machine even by mistake!" "Wrong side again! Move it about three inches to the left! Left! My LEFT!" "..." But watching the men move such a heavy item with difficulty, Xu Tao couldn’t help but sigh. He refused to simply watch any longer. He waved his hand, fingers in the usual Sword Gesture hand sign, and—used sword manipulation to telekinetically lift the pod. "WOAH!" The men who were having a hard time carrying the heavy pod raised cries in concert, shocked by the sudden loss of weight. They were scared shitless, thinking that one of them had failed and dropped the machine by accident. "Where should I put it?" But Xu Tao’s casual question made them realize... the Pod was floating by itself! A mystic—and fearful—sight at the same time. Especially for them, who weren’t accustomed to the eccentricities of a real cultivator. "O-Over here, please..." The foreman said, trying to hold back his fear and surprise while telling Xu Tao where to put it down. Xu Tao followed his words with accuracy, without a millimeter of deviation from the foreman’s wishes. He nailed the position so perfectly the man thought his mind was being read! But now that the pod was in place, the setup could finally begin. They began connecting the LAN cable, plugging it into the outlet, and setting up a few more wires here and there—safeties that were more or less ignored when it was still set up in the VR Café. After the physical setup, the workers began setting up the virtual side. One of them, an expert in the field, entered the pod and began the optimization, setting basic network protections, firewalls, and activating safeties. After ten minutes of work, all setup was completed. "Well then, Master Xu. The setup is done, and the VR Pod can be used now," the foreman said, bowing respectfully. "If you don’t have any other questions, we shall take our leave." "No worries. You did great work." Xu Tao smiled, blinking at them instead of bowing—the most respect he could give to someone who wasn’t even a cultivator. Although he might seem snobbish, the people before him were already overjoyed by his reply alone. After all, it was rare for their clients to praise them. In Henrietta’s case, sometimes they even got thrown out as soon as they were done. Xu Tao’s appreciation made them feel like real people—people who worked with blood and sweat to the best of their capabilities. After everyone left with smiles on their faces, Xu Tao was left alone in his room. Curiously, he moved toward the VR Pod and patted its glass lid. "...As expected, I can still feel the trace of True Heavenly Qi inside it," he muttered to himself. That trace was, without a doubt, a part of the Lost System. He was worried that it would disappear now that he moved the pod’s location, but thankfully, his worst fears didn’t come to pass. "..." With nothing better to do, he decided to do a "test ride." Xu Tao carefully entered the pod, recalling the memory of how to use it, and gently closed the lid. He laid down on the soft cushion, feeling like he was lying among the clouds, and closed his eyes. A second passed... Two... and by the third second, he opened his eyes. "I’m back..." Xu Tao muttered, seeing the familiar space. The space inside the VR Pod’s "lobby"—the place where his adventure began.