18: Chapter 18 Two Basic Skills

The clearing mission in the mezzanine ruins was over. Zhen Lu stood on the pure white plaza of the Realm of Holy Light, looking at the purple starry sky that flowed eternally above his head, his expression calm.

The Basic Force Application that had just finished precipitating still retained clear physical memory—bending, lifting, leveraging, pushing—this structured and labor-saving way of applying force had completely integrated into his daily posture.

He did not pause and called up the mission panel again.

Compared to tasks that were more time-consuming and had cumbersome processes, Zhen Lu now preferred to accept short, simple Temporary Summoning tasks.

The panel scrolled, and two suitable Temporary Summoning tasks appeared in succession.

The first one, World: Wind-Wave Pier. The task was simple: players collected supplies on a cross-sea pier. The bridge deck was bumpy and undulating all year round, and the sea winds were fierce; locals had long since rarely approached. The Summoning Master did not want to waste time adapting to the bumpy environment, so he simply consumed treasures to issue a summon, hiring temporary workers to assist in stabilizing the supplies.

The task duration was very short, and it came with the skill: Basic Balance. The reward was 300 credits.

Zhen Lu casually confirmed and entered.

The entire mission was uneventful.

On the bumpy, swaying wooden pier and the undulating waves of the sea, he only needed to assist in stabilizing the stacked supplies to ensure they would not fall.

The Basic Balance skill integrated into his body imperceptibly, allowing him to automatically lock his center of gravity on the shaking, tilted, and unstable ground, plant his feet firmly, keep his posture steady, and avoid swaying or losing balance.

In less than an hour, the task ended.

The moment he returned to the Realm of Holy Light, the second task followed.

World: Scattered Rooftop Building Complex.

The rooftops in this area were crisscrossed and connected, with many fine and varied height differences. The Summoning Master needed to shuttle back and forth to collect props, frequently requiring climbing, stepping, and small leaps; repeating these fine physical movements was extremely mentally draining.

He was too lazy to repeatedly adjust his body posture, so he directly issued a Temporary Summoning.

The task requirements were only to assist with movement, regulate actions, and avoid bumps, with the attached skill: Basic Coordination. The reward was also 300 credits.

It was still the most standard case of a high-level player spending money to save trouble.

Zhen Lu quickly accepted, entered, and finished the work.

Basic Coordination took effect upon landing. There were no exaggerated changes, only an optimization of his full-body limb coordination.

The coordination of his hands and feet, the connection of his torso, and the control of subtle movements all became smooth and structured, eliminating stiffness, disconnection, and loss of balance, filling in the last subtle short board in his limb control.

Both missions were finished with a stroke of a pen—no twists, no risks, purely steady basic labor accumulation.

After two consecutive tasks were completed, system prompts sounded in succession.

"Summoning task completed, reward of 300 credits has been issued."

"Summoning task completed, reward of 300 credits has been issued."

A total increase of 600 credits.

Zhen Lu opened his personal panel, and the latest data was clearly displayed.

[Player: Zhen Lu]

[Strength: 6]

[Agility: 6]

[Constitution: 5]

[Spirit: 5]

[Rank: F]

[Assets: 46,603 credits]

[Skills: Basic Spear Technique, Basic Combat, Basic Formation, Proficiency in vehicle repair, Pain Suppression, Basic Reconnaissance, Basic Force Application, Basic Balance 17/100, Basic Coordination 15/100]

Two brand-new basic skills lay quietly at the end of the skill bar.

Basic Force Application, controlling force.

Basic Balance, stabilizing the center of gravity.

Basic Coordination, fluid limbs.

The three physical foundations complemented each other, combined with the perception ability of Basic Reconnaissance. After just a few Temporary Summoning sessions, his foundation had been polished to be increasingly solid and complete.

Zhen Lu looked at the panel and nodded slightly.

Fundamental skills, while seemingly inconspicuous, were the foundation of standing tall.

He did not continue to accept tasks. After several labor tasks in a row, he had accumulated enough and did not need to be overly greedy.

With a thought, he confirmed to exit the Realm of Holy Light.

A flash of white light, and he returned to his real-world room.

The daylight outside the window had completely faded; the sunset was gone, and gray twilight pressed between the buildings. The electronic clock on the wall ticked, freezing at 6:22 PM.

It was late, just in time for dinner.

Zhen Lu raised his eyes to look at the darkening night outside the window, understanding in his heart. He had been soaked in the Realm of Holy Light all day, repeatedly working and precipitating skills, his spirit constantly taut; it was just right to relax in the evening.

He took out his phone and sent a contact message to Brother Wei.

"Brother Wei, are you out yet? The sky is just right now. If you're free, come out and chat for a while. I'll treat you to dinner at the old restaurant."

Less than half a minute after the message was sent, the other party replied directly.

"Sure, I'm just idling at home. See you at the restaurant."

Zhen Lu tidied up a bit, changed into casual clothes, locked the door, and went downstairs.

He went straight to the restaurant from yesterday. Brother Wei was waiting at the door, seemingly having just arrived as well.

"Didn't you go online this afternoon? Why are you out?" Brother Wei asked casually when he saw him.

"Yeah, I went online and played for a while," Zhen Lu nodded. "Staying in the room all the time is stifling. I came out to get some fresh air, have dinner, and invite you to sit for a while."

The two were familiar and casual, not wasting words, and walked into the restaurant side by side.

It was a home-style restaurant, not big, but it had been open for many years. The food was good, cost-effective, and most of the surrounding residents loved to eat here.

This time was the peak of dinner, and the shop was noisy and full of the atmosphere of life.

After entering, the two sat back at their usual table by the window.

The owner walked over and smiled.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Just some home-style dishes, you arrange it," Zhen Lu waved his hand.

While waiting for the food to be served, the night outside the window grew thicker, and the streetlights all lit up.

The two leaned back in their chairs, chatting slowly.

Most of it was trivial daily life—recent news in the neighborhood, miscellaneous matters around, and plain, trivial gossip.

No games, no pressure, unlike the Realm of Holy Light where every moment was about labor accumulation and secret precipitation.

The reality of the evening was relaxed, plain, and stable.

The dishes were soon served, steaming hot.

The two ate and chatted, the rhythm slow and relaxed. They ate dinner without rushing, chatting in a relaxed and comfortable manner.

After the meal, Zhen Lu paid the bill, and the two walked back to the residential area along the evening breeze.

The cool evening wind swept through the corridor, blowing away the cold and fatigue.

Saying goodbye downstairs.

Brother Wei remembered something and asked Zhen Lu,

"I'm going to a city world with some friends tonight to participate in a competition. Are you going?"

"Competition? What kind of competition?" Zhen Lu asked curiously.

"There's a rich kid who has quite a bit of influence in that world. This time, he organized a mountain bike downhill race. The prize money is quite high. If a non-native wins, it can be exchanged for credits and taken out."

"I haven't ridden a mountain bike before. Wouldn't I just be watching the fun if I go?"

"No, this time, that kid wanted to make it lively and have people play with him, so he brought out several Skill Scrolls. As long as you enter as a team, everyone can share them, and you'll all know how to ride."

"The first prize is 100,000 credits. Are you going?"

Zhen Lu thought for a moment,

"I'll go. See you online."

"Alright, I'll find you when I get online."

Zhen Lu went upstairs alone, opened the door, returned to the room, and closed the door behind him.

The room quieted down, isolating the noise of the outside world.

He sat back on the bed, his gaze calm.