Chapter 18 Weapons

Bai Xiao originally didn't plan on going out again today; she wanted to isolate herself for a few days and devote her entire being to the Close-Quarters Combat training course.

However, the fog outside was thickening. If things continued to develop this way, it would likely affect car travel entirely, and there might not be many more opportunities to venture far.

She wanted to take advantage of being able to go out now to restock her supplies. Although her storage slots were full, her home was empty and could still hold a lot of things.

It was the perfect time to clear out the storage slot holding ready-to-eat bags and replace them with the fresh food she bought today. Anyway, many of those ready-to-eat products had a shelf life of at least two years, so there was no need to worry about them spoiling.

Furthermore, she wanted to buy a weapon. Since she didn't have points to buy a weapon from the mall, she could only settle for the next best thing and purchase one from real life. If it could truly be brought into the game, it might significantly improve her defense and survival rate.

weapons weren't something you could find just anywhere; one had to go to a specialized workshop. Fortunately, in a big city, one could find a sales channel for almost anything. Bai Xiao quickly located a Weapon Workshop, though it was a bit far—about twenty kilometers away.

Under normal circumstances, this distance might take thirty to forty minutes to drive, but with the heavy fog, it would take at least twice as long.

Fewer people worked on Saturdays, and those who didn't were still dreaming at this hour, so the roads weren't too congested.

It was too early for large Supermarkets to open, but the morning markets and farmers' markets had been open for a long time by now.

She didn't have much money left. Between her bank card, WeChat, and Alipay, her total balance was just over 130,000 yuan. Bai Xiao planned to set aside 20,000 for emergencies and use the rest to buy supplies.

The farmers' market wasn't far, about five kilometers away. After parking her car, Bai Xiao got out and first bought a savory crêpe from a stall at the entrance. It smelled so good! These past few days had been such a rush that eating was just a way to fill her stomach; she hadn't even tasted anything.

Today's procurement task wasn't specific; she could just buy whatever she felt like eating. With her mind at ease, even a savory crêpe tasted like a gourmet feast.

Bai Xiao browsed while she ate, which gave her an idea. Since the state of items in the storage slots remained constant, could she buy some hot food to put inside? Life and the game were so bitter; she had to treat herself.

Youtiao, Doufunaou, Soy Milk, Xiaolongbao, Scallion Pancakes, savory crêpe, and Roujiamo—Bai Xiao found several stalls she frequently visited and bought a hundred portions of each breakfast item she liked.

After buying breakfast, Bai Xiao pulled out her phone and found the contact information for restaurants she liked. She ordered 50 portions of every dish she enjoyed from various cuisines—Shandong, Sichuan, Hunan, and Cantonese—and also ordered a lot of ready-made rice, steamed buns, and noodle soup.

She left her original apartment address and paid. Because there were many varieties and the total quantity was large, they couldn't be delivered by noon, so they agreed on a unified delivery time of 5:00 PM.

Of the remaining 130,000, she only had 70,000 left. Excluding the emergency fund, her active funds were down to only 50,000.

With limited funds, Bai Xiao didn't stay long at the farmers' market. Following the list she had made at the Supermarket yesterday, she picked out and bought things she liked to eat.

She spent about 20,000 at the farmers' market and kept 30,000 for herself to buy weapons. She had never bought cold weapons before and didn't know the market rates, so she tried to set aside as much money as possible in case it wasn't enough.

When she saw live poultry at the farmers' market, Bai Xiao thought about buying one to see if the game's storage slots could hold living creatures. But on second thought, even if they could, she wasn't good at slaughtering and processing them, so she decided against it.

After she finished shopping, the stall owners helped her load everything into the car. It was getting late, nearly noon, so Bai Xiao hurriedly drove toward the Weapon Workshop.

The road conditions were poor, so Bai Xiao drove very slowly the whole way. It was already past 1:00 PM when she arrived at the workshop.

This was a comprehensive cold Weapon Workshop that sold everything. As soon as she entered, she saw short knives, long knives, longswords, crossbows, spears, and some weapons she couldn't even name.

The owner looked up when he heard the door and was momentarily puzzled to see a beautiful girl. Girls were rarely seen in this place; could she have found the wrong place?

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"I want to buy a Dagger suitable for wilderness survival with self-defense capabilities, or you can recommend other suitable weapons to me." Bai Xiao met the owner's eyes and explained her purpose.

The owner suppressed his doubts. Business was business, and there was no reason to turn it away, so he began showing her around.

It wasn't as simple as Bai Xiao had thought. There were many types of Daggers: Small Fixed Blades, Medium Fixed Blades, folding knives, hybrid knives, and more. Different types of knives had different uses. For example, some fixed blades were also called survival knives, suitable as auxiliary tools for wilderness survival. Folding knives had more varied uses, such as for rescue or cutting rope, and their most important attribute was that they could be folded into a smaller volume.

Listening to the owner's explanation, Bai Xiao hadn't expected choosing a Dagger to be so complicated.

She had no use for those with many auxiliary functions; her main goal for a weapon was portability, for use in an unexpected counterattack when threatened.

Looking them over, a Small Fixed Blade was more suitable for concealment. The blade was only ten centimeters long, with a handle slightly longer than the blade, balancing basic survival and defense. A Medium Fixed Blade had stronger defensive performance.

Following the owner's recommendation, Bai Xiao also selected a knife belt and a leg strap.

The Small Fixed Blade was suitable for a knife belt; it could be hung at the side of the waist for the easiest access, but it was even better hung at the back of the waist, where it wouldn't hinder movement while squatting or running and wouldn't take up space. Once her clothes were down, it could be completely hidden.

There was no need to hide the Medium Fixed Blade. Its blade and handle were longer, making it suitable for direct combat but less concealable; it could simply be carried in a leg strap.

She asked about the prices, which ranged from a few hundred to several thousand. Ultimately, Bai Xiao chose the more sturdy and durable ones made of better materials. The more expensive ones had collectible value, which she didn't need; she only cared about practicality. In the end, she chose two Small Fixed Blades with six knife belts, and one Medium Fixed Blade with three leg straps.

It cost over five thousand in total, which left plenty of her 30,000-yuan budget.

Since it wasn't easy to make the trip, Bai Xiao planned to see what other weapons she might need.

She walked to the long knife and longsword area. There were so many beautiful blades. Because of the heavy fog today, there were no other people in the shop, and seeing her interest, the owner began to explain enthusiastically.

There were straight-bladed, long Tang Heng knives; slightly curved Zhanma knives; Yanling knives with slightly upturned tips; slender Miao knives with long handles; as well as ring-pommel knives, oxtail knives, Tang Swords, Qing Swords, and Han Swords. There was a huge variety.

Unfortunately, she didn't know how to use long weapons, but she figured it might be good to have one just in case. She'd buy it first regardless of whether she could use it.

Looking around, many of the powerful-looking blades required a foundation in martial arts and significant arm strength.

Ultimately, Bai Xiao chose a Single-Handed Knife and a Short Sword. Both weapons were lightweight and more suitable for her.

The Single-Handed Knife was straight and slender, with a blade about the length of an arm. The head of the blade widened slightly, and the back of the blade curved down slightly at the widest point to meet the edge and form the tip. This knife could both slash and thrust, making its performance quite comprehensive.

The Short Sword was only about the length of a lower leg. The blade was straight without any curve, making it perfect for thrusting and very flexible to use.

Finally, Bai Xiao also chose a Compound Bow capable of rapid fire. The advantage of a Compound Bow was that it was suitable for long-range attacks and didn't require great arm strength to draw. The disadvantages were its own weight, which made it unsuitable for running attacks, and the need for a certain level of accuracy.

Therefore, Bai Xiao bought extra arrows and targets for daily practice.

Less than 10,000 of her 30,000 yuan remained, but her sense of security had surged. Bai Xiao contentedly packed everything into her car for the return journey.