Chapter 45: Netherworld Crops, Eerie Flame Nuts

After waiting for a while, a notification sounded.

【Congratulations on successful hybridization! You have obtained a new plant: Phantom Fire Nut】

In his mind, an image slowly appeared—a nut crowned with blue flames burning atop its shell.

Information about it also surfaced.

【Plant Name: Phantom Fire Nut
Description: A new plant formed by combining the Phantom Fire from an unknown dungeon with a nut. Frankly speaking, this system is quite skeptical about calling something aflame on its head a "nut."
Ability: Peas entering a ten-meter radius of the Phantom Fire Nut will be ignited by the phantom flames, transforming into Phantom Fire Peas. Their power doubles, and each time they hit a target, they apply one layer of Phantom Fire. Accumulating ten layers triggers a Phantom Fire explosion.
Sunlight Consumption: Moderate】

Bai Wan looked at his comrade, who had donned a stylish new skin, and felt pleasantly surprised.

Phantom Fire Nut—such a peculiar and sinister plant indeed.

It could turn peas into Phantom Fire Peas. How fierce.

Even more powerful, it could stack ten layers of Phantom Fire before triggering a blast.

Imagining a swarm of eerie creatures being blown sky-high, Bai Wan felt an inexplicable thrill.

Unfortunately, the sunlight consumption was moderate, and after the previous battles, their sunlight reserves were nearly depleted. It seemed unlikely they could summon more plants in this dungeon.

Having purchased what he wanted, Bai Wan picked up a cheap, ordinary eerie item—a Phantom Hand—for just 100 eerie coins. He had to admit, it was quite a bargain.

Su Yue Ning also selected an eerie item she liked.

It was a Blood-tier item costing 200 eerie coins, clearly a good deal.

“Finally, I have my own eerie item...” Su Yue Ning said happily.

“Your relative is a mid-level craftsman, right? Shouldn’t they have bought you an eerie item already? Why haven’t you gotten one?” Bai Wan asked, puzzled by her joyful expression.

Su Yue Ning rolled her eyes and explained, “Even the strongest newcomer is still a newcomer, lacking common sense. You wouldn’t think anyone can just use any eerie item, right? It’s not that simple.

“If you use eerie items you didn’t personally earn by clearing the dungeon, you’ll suffer an eerie curse. Not only will your eerie coin consumption double, but it will also harm you. After your first run, you should have a black six-pointed star on your arm, right?”

“Yeah, I do,” Bai Wan recalled the mysterious six-pointed star that appeared after his initial clearance.

Su Yue Ning continued, “That star represents our level. Every dungeon you clear adds another black six-pointed star. When you accumulate enough, you can resist eerie curses. Experienced players can use other people’s eerie items safely because the stars protect them.”

“Newcomers like us can’t, but honestly, the top players are so strong they don’t even need to buy others’ eerie items,” she added.

Only now did Bai Wan understand: to use an eerie item, you must have personally earned it by clearing the dungeon; otherwise, the curse will afflict you. Only seasoned players with enough six-pointed stars can resist it.

This rendered any attempt to profit by reselling eerie items pointless.

The store grew dimmer.

Since Bai Wan had taken the Phantom Fire Nut, all the shelves darkened. The once grand department store instantly became a struggling corner shop on the verge of closure.

Seeing this, Bai Wan fell into thought.

Though the Phantom Fire Nut was excellent, it was his good friend, the Skeleton Brother, who had painstakingly obtained it from elsewhere. Would it be unfair to take it without paying?

Even though getting it for zero eerie coins was a skill of his own.

But sometimes, reality and human relations cannot be so neatly separated.

Bai Wan’s father had once said, “Don’t be too calculative with friends; sometimes enduring a little loss is worth the friendship.”

He thought his father was right. He and Skeleton Brother had a good relationship, and letting a small matter like this come between them would be unfortunate.

In life, one must understand social graces.

With that in mind, Bai Wan tossed one eerie coin onto the shelf and began searching for new items, hoping to find something else worth buying.

After another round, Su Yue Ning discovered a pure white shard tucked away in a corner.

“It’s... a Potential Awakening Crystal Shard!? What a cleverly hidden system!” she exclaimed.

The shard was so well concealed that it might have gone unnoticed without careful inspection.

“Potential Awakening Crystal Shard? What’s that?” Bai Wan asked, impressed by Su Yue Ning’s broader knowledge.

She looked at the crystal, her eyes shining, and said, “If you collect four of these, you can awaken your potential and gain an incredibly powerful character skill. You know our character skills are pretty weak... well, except for yours. But with the Potential Awakening Crystals, you can unlock an awakening skill.”

Bai Wan nodded. “So, basically, it’s an ultimate skill.”

“Exactly. I’ve only heard about it from my sister. They’re very rare. I didn’t expect to find one here. The crystals can’t be transferred; once purchased, they immediately merge into your body. Players who collect all four can at least become deputy captains of an S-rank squad,” Su Yue Ning said, clearly excited.

Bai Wan glanced at the price—100 eerie coins. He could afford it.

The description said each person could only buy one.

Su Yue Ning bought a Potential Awakening Crystal Shard first. The shard then flew to her and merged into her body.

In that instant, her mind went blank, then she saw a vision.

It was a city.

An elderly woman was under eerie attack, and Su Yue Ning saw herself within the city.

The city’s Su Yue Ning radiated dazzling blue light, which shone directly on the elderly woman.

The blue light connected the two.

Suddenly, her form flickered, and she instantly appeared beside the old woman.

Eerie creatures reached out to grab them, but another blue light linked to another person needing rescue.

Su Yue Ning transported herself and the elderly woman to the new person’s side, evading the eerie attacks.

Many people needed help, each one marked by Su Yue Ning’s spatial coordinates. She flickered among them, making it impossible for the eerie creatures to catch her.

Then the vision faded.

Su Yue Ning was immersed in her awakened potential skill, only opening her eyes after a long while.

“This is my potential awakening skill?” she said, her face full of desire.

Being able to teleport instantly to those needing rescue—and take them along—is a strong and practical skill!

Four shards were needed to unlock it; she still needed three more.

“Apparently, absorbing the shards also shows you a glimpse of your future awakened skill. Bai Wan, you should check yours too,” Su Yue Ning said curiously.

This extraordinarily powerful newcomer already had overpowered skills. What about after awakening?

Hearing this, Bai Wan also bought a Potential Awakening Crystal Shard and absorbed it.

A vision appeared in his mind.

It was a city—one already fallen.

The city was overrun by eerie creatures, and Bai Wan stood alone on the street.

They surrounded him, and then Bai Wan in the vision moved…