Chapter 26 Return, C-Rank Weapon

"Choosing a weapon now."

Lu Xian didn't think twice and directly chose a weapon.

In the Survival World.

Weapons were useful for everything.

Other items relied on luck.

Encountering other survival missions, they were either god-tier or useless.

As for the 20 free attribute Points, Lu Xian distributed them evenly among the three branches: [Soul 7], [Constitution 7], [Qi 6].

{Congratulations, you have obtained a permanent c-rank weapon item—bone-shattering flying hammer *1.}

"Bone-shattering hammer?"

[bone-shattering flying hammer: c-rank weapon. One strike is guaranteed to leave debris. Can be thrown and retrieved within ten meters. Attacks carry pulverizing and stunning effects.]

A silver, cuboid hammer with a half-meter-long black handle and a 40-centimeter-thick head appeared in Lu Xian's hand.

"This..."

Lu Xian looked at this domineering long hammer with an astonished expression.

One strike from this.

Forget shattering bones; even ghosts would steer clear of it.

{Would you like to return? You may stay in Challenger City for 30 minutes.}

"Go to Challenger City."

Lu Xian said.

Challenger City was an exclusive trading place for Survival Challengers.

There, one could use Rating Points to purchase items, mission dungeons, and more.

Whoosh~

In the originally white space, a large gate appeared out of thin air.

The scene behind the gate was a magnificent sky island, floating and standing tall above the earth.

Challenger City was located on the sky island.

After Lu Xian stepped through the gate, he was directly teleported into Challenger City.

"D-rank honeymoon survival dungeon with the Slit-Mouthed Woman! Only 20 million!"

"Volcano bath survival 7-day dungeon, looking for one more to complete a party~ D-rank only, no girls, leader can crossdress (✺ω✺)~"

"Seeking C-rank ghost-exorcising items, price negotiable!"

...

A clamor of voices suddenly reached his ears.

Though called Challenger City, it was more like a single market street.

Lu Xian glanced around.

The people here were mostly setting up small stalls, while some just stood there shouting for customers.

Some people appeared out of thin air, while others vanished on the spot.

However, Lu Xian noticed a problem: there weren't many people here, roughly two thousand.

Moreover, most of their faces were obscured, and some even had cat ears or beast tails, with various body shapes.

There were mages in a magical style and cultivators in a cultivation style; Challenger City was like a melting pot of myriad worlds.

Lu Xian didn't think much of it and headed straight for the landmark building of Challenger City.

An 18-story giant tower.

The Myriad Worlds Tower.

Lu Xian entered the tower.

The interior of the first floor of the Myriad Worlds Tower was a massive space of a hundred thousand meters, with a visually stunning silver giant tree hundreds of meters in diameter piercing through to the second floor.

"I need to exchange for a D-rank skill."

Lu Xian found an NPC named [Merchant].

After all, he had read the walkthroughs for Survival Challengers.

A D-rank skill cost 50 Points.

A C-rank skill cost 100 Points.

A B-rank skill cost 200 Points.

Furthermore, these purchased skills could only be used in the next survival challenge; they weren't permanent.

However, they could be used indefinitely in the personal survival space and on Earth without expiring.

"Hello, please pay 50 Points."

The Merchant replied with a slight smile.

The Points used to buy skills were Rating Points.

Lu Xian's Rating Points were 90, so he had 90 Points.

"Alright."

Lu Xian said after a moment's thought.

Points were meant to be used.

Moreover, Rating Points had an expiration date; they would expire after five survival challenges.

In the Survival World, only survival space development channel keys, Survival Talents, and physical attributes were the most valuable.

Subsequently.

Lu Xian briskly spent 50 Points to exchange for a D-rank skill.

As for what the specific skill was.

Lu Xian wasn't sure yet.

This skill would take effect in the next survival challenge, appearing alongside his Survival Talent.

Only then would he know.

Using a D-rank skill for a rookie promotion was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Lu Xian planned to save the remaining 40 Points.

If he was lucky, he could exchange them for a C-rank skill next time.

After the exchange.

Lu Xian walked out of the Myriad Worlds Tower and took a stroll around the Challenger City market.

There were many good things; not only were the prices sky-high, but sellers often wouldn't even sell them for money, only accepting barters.

The currency used between challengers was the tip amount from livestream room viewers.

Spending here was basically calculated in tens of thousands or hundreds of millions.

Therefore, 'money' here wasn't worth much; many transactions were barters.

"Should I buy something?"

Lu Xian checked his livestream room gift balance. After ten days of streaming, with a peak viewership of a million, he had received as much as 48 million in gifts!

There was 1 Rank 8 Noble, 11 Rank 7 Nobles, and as many as 150 Rank 6 Nobles. As for other noble ranks, they started at four digits.

This was even with him limiting the gift amounts; otherwise, the audience would have been even more frenzied.

Finally, Lu Xian spent 40 million to buy a one-cubic-meter dimensional pouch, which he could take into the Survival World to store things.

"Brother, is that hammer for sale?"

"Sell it to me, sell it to me! We can talk about the price!"

"Brother, that hammer of yours is clearly a good item. How about I trade you a rookie-level survival space key for it?"

Since he had nothing to store the bone-shattering flying hammer in, Lu Xian simply carried it while buying the dimensional pouch.

He hadn't expected to be targeted by a crowd after just a short walk.

Lu Xian ignored them completely and put the bone-shattering flying hammer into his dimensional pouch.

Then, he chose to return to Earth.

Whoosh~

In the blink of an eye, Lu Xian vanished.

"Damn, he just ran off?"

"Dammit, that thing was definitely a c-rank weapon!"

Seeing Lu Xian disappear, the onlookers dispersed while grumbling.

South City.

South Sky Garden Villa District.

Inside a luxurious two-and-a-half-story villa with a floor area of four hundred square meters.

Lu Xian's figure appeared out of thin air on a dining chair in his home.

He returned exactly the same way he had disappeared ten days ago.

He scanned his surroundings.

The furniture was clean and tidy, and the air inside emitted a faint fragrance.

It was clear the house was cleaned frequently.

This was indeed the case, and Lu Xian knew why.

If no one had cleaned, the meal he hadn't finished ten days ago would probably still be on the table, rotting and covered in mold.

Lu Xian didn't think much of it and went straight to the bathroom to soak in the tub.

"So comfortable~"

Soaking in the tub, Lu Xian pressed a red button nearby.

A woman's voice soon responded through the speaker above the button:

"Boss?"

"Yes, I'm back. Did you find my phone?"

"Mhm. After you went to the Survival World, your phone wasn't teleported. I put it in your bedroom. It's turned off and fully charged."

"Bring it to the second-floor bathroom for me. Where are you now?"

Lu Xian said.

The woman responded:

"I'm in the living room on the first floor. I'll be right there."

Soon.

A girl with a slender figure, a fair and delicate face, and the look of a curvy "big sister" type appeared in the bathroom.

She wore a loose pink casual shirt that covered the base of her thighs, revealing her fair and long legs.

Wang Xue, 25 years old, a great beauty. She was the full-time housekeeper Lu Xian had hired, usually responsible for laundry, cooking, and cleaning, and occasionally helping him collect rent.

"Boss, you're finally back."

Wang Xue looked relieved and let out a sigh.

She wasn't overly shy or evasive; she skillfully hung up Lu Xian's clothes and stepped forward to hand him his phone.

"Did many people come looking for me?"

Lu Xian smiled and turned on the phone.

"Yes, people from those corporations and clubs came. They want you to join them."

"But many also want to cooperate."

Meanwhile, Lu Xian had just turned on his phone.

Calls and text messages instantly hit 99+, with continuous notification pop-ups.

Unsurprisingly, most of these messages were related to him becoming a Survival Challenger.

Lu Xian took a cursory glance.

Ninety percent were from unknown numbers, including messages from his classmates, friends, and tenants.

He didn't pay much attention.

Then he dialed a number.

"Hello? Sister Nan?"

"Hmm? Young Master Lu? Hello boss, hello boss! I watched the livestream. Congratulations, boss!"

"Drop that. How's the company been these past few days?" Lu Xian inquired.

Jiang Nan replied: "Everything's fine, all normal. We're just doing the Q2 work summary these past two days."

"Also, quite a few big bosses left messages saying they want to invite you to dinner."

Lu Xian shook his head and smiled. "Forget it, just politely decline."

"Also, expand the company's business a bit to focus on cooperation related to the Survival World. I'll give you a heads-up so you know what's going on: I have a development channel key, but don't tell anyone yet."

"Oh, okay. You're amazing, boss~"

After chatting briefly with Jiang Nan, Lu Xian hung up.

Jiang Nan was a gold-medal manager specifically responsible for company operations.

Lu Xian was the boss behind the scenes.

He didn't need to do many things himself; he had a team of business "enforcers."

As for why he was so rich in his early twenties?

One could only say he was very good at being born.

After becoming an adult, he inherited a lot of family property.

Currently, he was all alone.

"Go hire a few security guards to guard the gate. Preferably ones who have received training in the cultivation civilizations of the Survival World."

Lu Xian put down his phone and said to Wang Xue.

"Okay."

"Should we install a few more cameras?" Wang Xue asked.

(Already translated in s150)

"You can install them outside, but no need for inside."

Lu Xian shook his head. "Installing too many cameras is like giving others eyes."

"Hire the people first..."

Just as he finished speaking.

Lu Xian's phone rang again.

An incoming call from an unknown number.

It was identified and marked as: [Otherworld Survival Challenger Management Bureau].

Abbreviated as the OCAB.

Lu Xian frowned and then answered.

Instantly, he heard a woman's voice:

"Is this Mr. Lu Xian?"

"Hello, it is," Lu Xian replied.

"Hello, we are from the Otherworld Survival Challenger Management Bureau. Since you became Survival Challenger No. 74066 ten days ago, we are calling to register and inquire. I wonder if it's convenient for you right now?"

"Not very convenient, but we can talk."

Lu Xian said.

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation. May I ask..."

A series of simple procedural questions followed: name, age, and background.

They also asked about his general feelings and situation on the Deserted Island, and whether he had discovered resources, transcendent creatures, or spectral substances.

"I'm not too sure."

Lu Xian said.

He had already said what needed to be said about the basic things.

Besides, the OCAB would investigate and verify the situation regardless.

Just like his identity information; even if he didn't say anything, it had already been thoroughly investigated.

They had even come to his door before this.

"Is it convenient for you to disclose your final rating and rewards? We can provide you with corresponding resources."

"Sorry, it's not convenient."

Lu Xian said flatly.

What a joke.

You want me to tell you what my rewards are?

This would undoubtedly expose his secrets to others for them to study.

If someone deliberately targeted him.

He could definitely die a miserable death.

Lu Xian knew this well, so he didn't give a truthful account of his Survival Talent or his own attributes, just making things up on the fly.

As for whether they believed him or not, that wasn't Lu Xian's concern.

"Alright, Mr. Lu, we won't disturb you any longer. We wish you a happy life. Goodbye."

Beep beep~

"Boss, people from the OCAB came by twice before."

Wang Xue reminded him at the right time.

Lu Xian nodded and said nothing.

"Then I'll head out. Let me know if you need anything, boss," Wang Xue reminded.

"Prepare some food for me."

"Okay."

After Wang Xue went out.

Lu Xian washed up, put on a bathrobe, and walked toward the gym inside the villa.

He went straight to a dynamometer.

The data recorded on the display stayed at 125kg.

This was tested before entering the Survival World.

"I added 7 Points to my Constitution attribute. I wonder how much it's improved."

Lu Xian thought to himself.

Then he raised his hand and delivered a focused strike to the dynamometer's sandbag.

Bang~

A sudden, violent explosion of sound.

The numbers on the display skyrocketed.

Rising rapidly: three digits, four digits...

Finally, the number stopped at 1800kg.

"3600 jin, a 14-fold increase."

Seeing this data, Lu Xian smiled with satisfaction.

This was the terrifying thing about Survival Challengers in the real world.

7 Points of Constitution couldn't possibly provide a 14-fold increase in the Survival World; at most, physical strength would increase by 700 jin.

But in reality, it could.

Even the other aspects, [Soul] and [Qi], could similarly manifest transcendent abilities.

It was just that he didn't have the guidance of related skills and couldn't release them precisely.

"The next survival challenge is in seven days."

"I can train hard for a few days..."

Just as he thought of this, he took out the bone-shattering flying hammer.

A giant hammer with a handle 1.2 meters long and a silver head emitting a dazzling light appeared in his hand.

The bone-shattering flying hammer's appearance had changed greatly in the real world; its form looked even more domineering, and its power seemed to have received an even more terrifying boost.

"It's twice as heavy."

Lu Xian weighed the giant hammer in his hand and thought.

Hum~

He lifted the hammer with one hand and lightly tapped the silver head against a 50kg barbell plate.

Bang~

Crack, crack, crack~

The thick, upright iron plate, as if subjected to tons of pressure, actually deformed and was driven into the floor.

Wang Xue, busy in the kitchen downstairs, heard a loud bang, as if some heavy object had crashed upstairs.

"What is the boss doing upstairs again?"

Wang Xue muttered.

Meanwhile.

Lu Xian crouched down and looked at the bent iron plate covered in explosive cracks, his expression a mix of disbelief and pleasant surprise.

"Even iron can be hammered to the point of cracking?"

This was the terrifying effect that came with a c-rank weapon!

If it were bone, it would probably have been crushed to powder by now.

"As expected, things from the Survival World can turn the mundane into the miraculous on Earth, increasing in power several times over."

Lu Xian remarked with emotion.

And this hammer was a permanent c-rank weapon!

In terms of long-term utility, it wasn't something temporary items or skills could compare to.

The phone he had set aside suddenly rang.

A string of unknown numbers.

Lu Xian walked over and picked up the phone, his brow furrowing again, but he didn't hang up immediately.

He just answered, his smile fading.

"Hello? You're back?"

The voice from the speaker was another woman's, somewhat crisp and pleasant.

"Can you hear me? ...Is it Lu Xian? Or the little housekeeper?"

"What is it?" Lu Xian finally spoke slowly.

"Someone wants you to come back."

The other party said directly.

Lu Xian said flatly, "Was that what was said at the beginning? If it's not good news, don't call me again."

"Your brother..."

Beep beep~

Lu Xian hung up without thinking and then turned off the phone.

"Unlucky."

Afterward, Lu Xian changed into gym clothes and vented wildly in the gym, a far cry from the image the people in the livestream room had of him.

It was as if there was an unknown story in his heart.

Seven days later.

After Lu Xian arranged everything, he disappeared again, teleported to the Survival World.

Starting a new round of survival challenges.