456: Chapter 456 is seriously addictive!

Chen You stared at the "Anti-Break Talisman" on the interface, his eye twitching violently twice.

One thousand gold coins—you couldn't call it fair and honest; it was just a total rip-off.

"Xier." Chen You took a deep breath and dragged the yuhuang sword out of the enhancement slot. "This lousy system, what's the maximum enhancement level?"

Xier smoothed her temples, her face still maintaining an impeccable professional smile. "Theoretically, there is no upper limit to the enhancement level."

"But the highest stage currently opened by the system is +99."

"+99?" Chen You laughed in spite of his anger and pointed at the anvil icon. "Do you think I'm playing a game for the first time?"

"With this mechanism of diminishing success rates, let alone +99, it would take a miracle for anyone to even reach +20."

"Give me the bottom line: what's the highest enhancement level among all the top players on the server right now?"

Xier tapped her fingertips lightly on the counter, bringing up a semi-transparent data panel.

"As of now, the player with the highest enhancement level on the server is Salos, the guild leader of the Titan Temple."

"His main weapon's enhancement level is +13."

Chen You was stunned.

Salos, the fierce powerhouse ranked first on the leaderboard.

A guild tycoon who controls the top resources of a major region, exhausting the entire guild's power, only managed to reach +13?

You set this system to +99—is it meant for Pangu to create the world?

Chen You's mind raced.

This enhancement system was absolutely a massive pit.

And more importantly, his greatest reliance was not the equipment stats in the game, but the solid cultivation realm that was also effective in reality.

The spiritual power cultivated from the Nine Revolutions Primordial Chaos Art was carved into his very bones.

The gold coins thrown into this enhancement system only increased the attack power on the equipment panel.

Once he returned to reality, whether the +99 on the yuhuang sword would have any effect remained an unknown.

He didn't intend to bang his head against this bottomless pit.

However, the newbie protection period was about to end soon.

In twenty-something hours, the people at the top of the leaderboard could beat him every time they saw him, if they wanted to.

If he wanted to gain a foothold here, not enhancing anything at all definitely wouldn't work.

"Let's test the waters with the weapon first."

Chen You made up his mind and placed the yuhuang sword back into the enhancement slot.

Through various previous activities, killing monsters, and lucky draws, he had accumulated quite a few enhancement stones in his bag.

He still had over a hundred thousand gold coins, which was enough for a little enhancement.

"Enhance +1." Chen You pressed the button.

A flash of fire sparked on the anvil, and a crisp clanging sound rang out.

[Ding! Enhancement successful. yuhuang sword current enhancement level: +1.]

[Attack power +1%]

Chen You felt no ripples in his heart; after all, it was a 100% success rate.

He continued to click.

[Ding! Enhancement successful. yuhuang sword current enhancement level: +2.]

[Ding! Enhancement successful. yuhuang sword current enhancement level: +3.]

...

[Ding! Enhancement successful. yuhuang sword current enhancement level: +5.]

Five successes in a row.

The surface of the yuhuang sword's blade now had a layer of faint flowing light, and the originally simple blade appeared even sharper.

Chen You raised an eyebrow. "It's that simple?"

The success rate from +2 to +5 was 90%, and he got them all in one go.

"Isn't this just like a handout?" His finger hovered over the button.

[Enhance to +6 requires: 100 gold coins, 16 enhancement stones.]

[Success rate: 80%]

An 80% probability.

This was no different from a sure thing.

He pressed it decisively.

A burst of dazzling red light erupted from the anvil.

A crisp "crack" sound rang out.

The screen instantly turned gray.

[Ding! Enhancement failed.]

[yuhuang sword enhancement level decreased. Current level: +4.]

The smile on Chen You's face froze.

He stared at that glaring "+4" for a full three seconds.

"It downgraded?" Chen You suddenly looked up at Xier. "An 80% success rate, and you're telling me it downgraded?"

Xier shrugged, her tone devoid of emotion. "It's a matter of probability, Boss."

"An 80% success rate means there is a 20% failure rate. Who can say for sure when it comes to luck?"

As she spoke, she conjured a golden, shimmering talisman paper from under the counter like a magic trick and pushed it in front of Chen You.

"Anti-Break Talisman, one thousand gold coins per sheet."

"As long as you attach it, failure won't cause a downgrade or break the equipment. Buy some peace of mind, buy some insurance."

Chen You looked at that talisman paper, his teeth grinding together with a clicking sound.

A setup!

It's all a setup!

First, they give you a taste of sweetness to make you feel at ease; then, when you let your guard down, they hammer you back to your original state, and then naturally sell you insurance.

"Buy it!" Chen You gritted his teeth.

He still had tens of thousands of gold coins in his bag; if he didn't smash this sword to +10 today, he wouldn't be able to swallow this frustration.

[Purchased Anti-Break Talisman x10, consumed 10,000 gold coins.]

It's +4 now, so he wouldn't use the Anti-Break Talisman yet.

He pressed enhance again.

[Ding! Enhancement successful. yuhuang sword current enhancement level: +5.]

Back to +5.

He applied the Anti-Break Talisman and continued to +6.

[Ding! Enhancement failed. Anti-Break Talisman has taken effect, enhancement level remains unchanged.]

Chen You's eyelid twitched.

He clicked again.

[Ding! Enhancement failed. Anti-Break Talisman has taken effect...]

Three consecutive failures!

Chen You's breathing became heavy.

An 80% success rate, and it failed three times in a row? Was this probability learned from a PE teacher?

"Did your system secretly change the probabilities?" Chen You slapped the counter.

Xier pointed overhead. "The system operates under the highest rules and is absolutely fair and just."

"Boss, keep a steady mindset. The biggest taboo in enhancement is getting hot-headed."

Chen You took two deep breaths, closed his eyes, and stabbed his finger hard at the button.

[Ding! Enhancement successful. yuhuang sword current enhancement level: +6.]

Finally, it succeeded.

Chen You wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He continued to look down.

[Enhance to +7 requires: 100 gold coins, 32 enhancement stones.]

[Success rate: 60%]

The success rate dropped off a cliff.

For the next ten minutes, the monotonous sound of hammering echoed through the hall of the Supreme Tower.

The firelight flickered alternately.

Chen You's complexion changed from rosy to livid, then back to bright red.

He clicked four times to go from +6 to +7.

He clicked eleven times to go from +7 to +8.

With every click, hundreds or thousands of gold coins were thrown into the water.

The Anti-Break Talismans were consumed like waste paper.

When the yuhuang sword's enhancement level stopped at +8, Chen You stopped.

He glanced at the interface.

[Enhance to +9 requires: 100 gold coins, 128 enhancement stones.]

[Success rate: 30%]

30%.

Less than a one-third chance.

Chen You's hand hung in mid-air, his fingertips trembling slightly.

He suddenly understood why a big shot like Salos could only keep his weapon at +13.

This wasn't a game for humans to play at all.

This is a money shredder.

"Boss, are you continuing?" Xier handed over a cup of hot tea at the right moment, her tone revealing a hint of pleasure at watching the spectacle.

Chen You stared at the 30% figure, the eyes of Zhang Yunhai and Director Li Guoan full of trust flashing through his mind.

The country was backing him.

He couldn't chicken out.

"Continue." Chen You's voice was hoarse, and bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes.

He put in the enhancement stones and the Anti-Break Talisman.

He didn't look at the screen, but turned his head, watching the streets of Cangxing City outside the hall door.

He clicked his finger.

"Ding—"

A crisp notification sound rang out.

Unlike any of the previous times, this sound carried an ethereal metallic vibration.