Chapter Twenty-Three: The Mushrooms Have Been Sold

After obtaining a wealth of information from the bartender, Wang Ling left the tavern. Naturally, before leaving, he gave Johnson a nod of thanks—after all, he had spent five currency points of the man’s money, and such courtesy was only proper.

In the entertainment district, these Dreamers seemed to have shed their burdens, and there was no clear distinction between the strong and the weak—so different from the cold, indifferent expressions of those coming and going on the central plaza. Wang Ling thought that, if he had the time, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stroll around here. At the very least, the service staff here were all veterans who had completed ten mainline missions, and for a modest price, one could acquire some practical intelligence.

He next visited the casino’s exchange counter, the arena, and the training hall. After familiarizing himself with the public areas of the beginner zone, he returned to his private quarters.

Now he had a solid sense of the value of the Life Mushroom. Since the highest offer among Dreamers had reached thirty-five thousand currency points, he estimated that the mushroom could fetch forty to fifty thousand. With such proceeds, he would have more than enough to cover the cost of upgrading his skills.

Although it was possible to improve skills through training in the gym, the process was excruciatingly slow—a week’s effort might only raise a basic skill by a level or two. Wang Ling intended to upgrade all three of his main skills, including Accelerated Sprint, to level four before the next mission arrived, so spending both currency and skill points was a necessity.

With this expected income, Wang Ling grew generous, spending the remaining 1,598 currency points entirely on his private room.

What had once been a bare ten-square-meter chamber had now been transformed into three rooms: a bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom. Each room was floored with sky-blue tiles, the walls freshly painted, and the bathroom outfitted with a full-length mirror and a complete set of bathing equipment.

Naturally, essentials such as a bed, sofa, and coffee table were not neglected, and fortunately, these items were quite inexpensive. It was a pity there was no television, game console, or computer—perhaps that explained why the entertainment district was always so crowded.

After transforming his private quarters into a true “home,” Wang Ling still had over forty points left, which he promptly spent. He plastered the walls of every room with posters of anime beauties, exchanged for a pile of collectible figurines and decorative items, and acquired two life-sized cotton body pillows: one featuring Shiori Fujisaki in a swimsuit from “Tokimeki Memorial,” and another of Belldandy in an apron from “Oh My Goddess.”

Actually, aside from the body pillows, the mainframe’s terminal also offered limited-edition inflatable dolls, but Wang Ling’s tastes did not run so extreme—nor did he consider the artificial human system, which could create a humanoid that existed only within the private room and obeyed all commands. Wang Ling did consider producing a private maid, but the price was prohibitive—a staggering twenty thousand currency points, far beyond his means.

After completing the mainline mission and then busily exploring the public areas, Wang Ling was now thoroughly exhausted. He soaked in a hot bath, then, clad in nothing but boxer shorts, floated onto the soft bed, lying atop Belldandy and hugging Shiori Fujisaki, and slept soundly.

Upon waking, feeling refreshed and revitalized, Wang Ling took out some packaged food he had exchanged for at the mainframe terminal the day before, ate a quick meal, and set off for the Free Market.

Upon arrival, he saw that quite a few people were already waiting. However, when he appeared, only one person came forward. This man had deliberately disabled the Dream Space’s facial concealing function, so there was no mist veiling his features—everyone could see his face clearly.

Judging by the fearful expressions the surrounding Dreamers cast at him, this must be an immensely powerful individual.

The tall, burly man strode up to Wang Ling and stared coldly at him. “You’re the one selling the anti-erasure item?”

Wang Ling did not waste words. He simply displayed the Life Mushroom’s data for him. After examining it, the man frowned. “This is the weakest of the anti-erasure items. How much do you want for it?”

“One hundred thousand currency points,” Wang Ling replied coolly, naming an outrageous price.

A flicker of murderous intent passed through the man’s eyes as he sneered. “You must have no idea who I am, do you? You dare extort me? I’m from the Intermediate District—Henry the Headhunter of the Butcher Team, ranked fifth in the Intermediate District! Kid, if you want money, you should make sure you live long enough to spend it.”

Wang Ling immediately understood—this was a powerhouse who had spent resources to cross districts, and from the name, clearly a ferocious character. No wonder the others here were so afraid. He asked calmly, “How much are you willing to offer?”

“Twenty thousand. If you agree, the Butcher Team will look after you when you reach the Intermediate District. If you dare refuse, heh heh heh…” Henry cracked his knuckles, a cruel smile twisting his face.

Wang Ling’s expression remained impassive. “Oh? Are you finished? If so, then get lost. Don’t stand here wasting my time.”

“What did you say?” Henry rubbed his ears, thinking he must have misheard. Only after Wang Ling politely repeated himself did Henry fl