Chapter 21: The Bargain of Skills and Arms

The trader paused at the sound; he had assumed Yenir would need some gear or supplies, but he hadn’t expected a request for skill books.

Usually, skill books come with a hefty price tag, and hardly anyone parts with top-notch skills. High-level skills are typically circulated within the Military or major factions.

With professional acumen, he quickly mulled it over in his head.

“Hello, we do have skill books.”

“But for a specific type…”

After a brief hesitation, the trader quickly tapped his communicator and murmured a few words.

After half a minute, he returned with an awkward smile and a respectful tone:

“Dear guest, we also have sword skill books, but they might be of a lower level.”

“Currently, there are only three D-Rank skills available in the Tianfeng Security Zone. Would that work for you?”

As he spoke, the trader quickly activated a screen in front of Yenir, displaying the available stock of skill books.

“Skill books are an unusual item, and rarely do people buy them.”

“They come at a high price. Most awakened individuals trade them via the exchange channels.”

After explaining in a low tone to Yenir, the trader anxiously awaited his response.

For awakened individuals, skills are crucial for boosting combat power.

D-Rank skill books are pretty much at the lowest level.

However, due to their unique nature, these items are expensive, and the skills typically sold aren’t very effective.

For now, there was no reply; Yenir simply lowered his eyes to carefully examine the screen.

The rank of the skill meant little to him; he cared only about its type.

“D-Rank Skill: Angry Slash – Sword Skill.”

“Effect: Consumes some stamina and mental power to launch a charged attack forward, dealing 1.2 times physical damage based on strength.”

“D-Rank Skill: Draw and Slash – Sword Skill.”

“Effect: After consuming some stamina, it hastens your strike speed, and the first hit deals 1.2 times agility-based damage.”

“D-Rank Skill: Flurry Slash – Sword Skill.”

“Effect: Uses a high amount of stamina and mental power to deliver three swift slashes, each dealing 0.6 times strength damage, with a chance to inflict additional bleeding.”

After swiftly scanning through the skill details, Yenir’s eyes narrowed in thought as he considered which one to buy.

Even at the lowest tier, each of these three skills was priced at 600 credit points—it wasn’t cheap.

It was clear that, as the trader had mentioned, these skills were pretty much useless.

Apart from Flurry Slash offering a special effect, the other two merely provided a slight damage boost.

As Yenir pondered, the trader seemed to read his mind and spoke softly:

“Dear guest, if you’re not in a hurry, we could source skill books from other Safe Zones.”

“If you’re willing to pay a fee, we could even get a C-Rank skill for you.”

“If you’re not set on sword skills, we also have B-Rank options.”

Yenir shook his head slightly, gesturing that he didn’t need any.

His hesitation wasn’t about the skills’ quality, but rather about what their upgraded effects might be.

He wasn’t concerned about power; he was curious to see how these skills would evolve once upgraded to SSS rank.

Take the initial Thrust skill, for example—it began as a quick forward charge with a slight sword breath that breached armor and split foes.

After being enhanced by the Sword God System, it evolved into Sword Breath Torrent, unleashing massive area damage.

Clearly, the upgraded skill still retained ties to its original form.

A few seconds later, Yenir tapped on the Draw and Slash option.

“I’ll take this one—buy it now.”

He looked up at the trader with a calm voice.

Although Flurry Slash was clearly the best among the three and not so useless, after some thought Yenir was more eager to see how Draw and Slash would evolve.

After using Sword Breath Torrent twice in quick succession, Yenir realized that while the SSS skill was tremendously powerful, it had a brief delay upon activation and its vast range made it unwieldy. In future battles, if he encountered high-level mutants, the gap created by Sword Breath Torrent might allow them to strike first.

“Alright, I’ll fetch that for you right away.”

The trader paused in surprise and then said nothing more, merely signaling for an employee to retrieve the skill book from the warehouse.

His gaze toward Yenir held a hint of strangeness.

What an odd awakened individual.

How could someone capable of selling top-tier mutant materials opt for the most inferior D-Rank skill?

If it were him, he would never part with it.

Within moments, escorted by a few awakened individuals, a skill book encased in a metal box was presented before Yenir.

Gazing at the skill book in hand, a glimmer of anticipation flashed in Yenir’s eyes; without a word, he concluded the transaction and left immediately.

…….

Inside a modestly furnished lounge, Yenir exhaled deeply and stared intently at the skill book in his hand.

After spending 3 points to get a room, he was eager to learn a new skill.

Without hesitation, he reached for the skill book with both hands. As a flash of white light appeared, a system notification sounded instantly:

“Beep! Successfully learned the D-Rank Skill Book: Draw and Slash!”

“Current Skill Slots: 2/4”

The next second, as the system message ended, a hidden yet terrifying aura erupted within Yenir’s body.

“Hummm”

Momentarily dazed, he noticed a brand-new SSS-level skill appearing on his skill panel.

“Sky Rift Radiance (Draw and Slash) – SSS Level.”

“Effect: Consumes 4000 spirit energy to execute an instant slash. During this attack, you gain a 600% boost to strength and agility for 1 second. Additionally, the strike unleashes a devastating sword aura that shatters the first target’s limbs per regulated standards, with a chance to trigger an instant kill!”

Just as expected!

Staring at the SSS skill Sky Rift Radiance radiating subtle authority, a calculating smile flickered across Yenir’s face—he was certain it would be just as he imagined!

Exactly as he had predicted, the Sword God System enhances a skill in line with its original characteristics!

Licking his lips and restraining his urge to test it immediately, Yenir stepped out of the lounge.

He had gained an SSS-level skill.

Thanks to the second function of the Sword God System, he could now use it once more without cost!

If he mastered all 4 skills, it would mean slashing his downtime from 48 hours to just 12 hours!

It was hard to imagine how rapid his upgrades would be, given that his attack power was already on par with a third-tier fighter!

Perhaps in just a month, he might ascend to third tier!?

Without hesitation.

After glancing at his little over 100 credit points remaining, Yenir headed straight for the supplies market, intending to buy some firearms, ammunition, and vehicles before immediately heading to another mutant hotspot for leveling.

Or rather, to enter an outdoor instance?

With Sky Rift Radiance at his disposal, taking down a second-tier mutant in a second wouldn’t be too much, right!?

…….

Outer City Supplies Market.

Spanning over ten thousand square meters, the market was teeming with people.

The noise was deafening.

Tens of thousands of survivors bustled about, while countless awakened individuals in eccentric gear loudly bartered for military supplies.

Across well-organized zones, many vendors stood atop vehicles, shouting their wares.

“7.62 Heavy Machine Gun! Only 60 credit points each, with 100 bonus bullets! Top quality—discount for bulk orders!”

“Hand grenades for sale! High-explosive grenades! Trigger-style individual landmines! The perfect choice for taking down mutants outdoors—one grenade can easily blast ten zombies!”

“Dongfeng Off-Roaders! Toyota Prado armored vehicles—everything you need! Latest deals for only 200 credit points. Get your blast-proof armored ride and dominate the undead!”

“White equipment clearance! Crossbows and bows! Starting at just 500 credit points, with enchanted arrows also for sale!”

“Elite mercenaries! All retired special forces soldiers with top tactical skills and unwavering loyalty! Only 6 credit points per day per person!”

….

Cutting through the bustling supply area, Yenir headed straight for a stall selling compound crossbows.

Surveying the exquisitely crafted crossbows and bows on display, he immediately selected a repeating crossbow with concealed bolts.

“How much for this one?”

From behind the stall, a reticent, well-dressed man glanced up at Yenir and replied in a low tone:

“20 credit points—and it comes with 10 crossbow bolts. All made of special steel.”

The man’s words were curt; after speaking, he bowed his head and resumed polishing an alloy crossbow.

Not minding the boss’s attitude, Yenir was unfazed.

Seeing that familiar face, a hint of sentiment crossed his mind.

In fact, ever since leaving the training camp in his previous life, he had dealt with this very boss multiple times.

The burly man wasn’t much of a businessman, but his forging skills were exceptional. It was said that his innate talent lay in crafting gear.

After selecting two repeating crossbows, Yenir got straight to the point:

“And add 60 short bolts and 200 pellets.”

“How many credit points? You do the math.”

Fiddling with the chosen crossbow, Yenir deftly strapped the stock to his arm.

For him, modern weapons were unnecessary when facing zombies and mutants.

Purchasing a crossbow was purely a tactic to avoid attracting zombie attention during urban combat. Firearms are effective, but they’re too loud.

“49 credit points.”

After a brief moment of silence, the taciturn burly man set down his bolts and quietly responded:

Seeing Yenir’s large order, he silently slid over a small box of premium concealed bolts as a bonus.

With a slight smile, Yenir accepted the bonus without haggling and handed over 60 credit points.

In his previous life, this burly man had always been like this—quiet, yet utterly honest. During his toughest times, the man had helped him out by selling equipment at a bargain.

“Beep—60 credit points have been transferred.”

Upon hearing the confirmation, the dark-skinned burly man was taken aback, glancing at Yenir in surprise.

“You overpaid; I’ll refund you the excess.”

But Yenir simply smiled and walked away:

“Consider the extra as a tip.”

“Brother Wang Kun, take care of yourself—stop overexerting. You’ll surely manage your daughter’s medical expenses.”

“Hmm?”

Wang Kun was startled by the comment, and when he snapped back, he realized that Yenir had already left.

…….

Fengxing Vehicles.

“Dear customer, what can I get for you?”

“The latest diesel motorcycle! Top speed of 340! Even a first-tier mutant wouldn’t be able to catch you!”

Inside a garage-like shop, a grinning shop owner rubbed his hands and hurried over to Yenir.

With keen eyes, he immediately noticed Yenir’s newly purchased crossbow and the military combat uniform he wore.

He looked so young, dressed in high-ranking military gear—it seemed like he might be a privileged second-generation officer who had just awakened.

What a soft target!

“A mountain bike motorcycle—with a silent motor.”

Without further ado, Yenir scanned the shop, bypassing the showy motorcycles and vehicles and zeroed in on a few understated mountain bikes.

Outside, the vehicles on display were merely flashy—the majority belonged to survivors who lacked real ability but bought them for show.

Just like pre-apocalypse sports cars, they were pretty useless.

Noticing Yenir’s specific request, the short, stout owner raised an eyebrow, instantly realizing that Yenir was not as simple as he appeared.

His smile faltered briefly as he cleared his throat with a nervous chuckle:

“Sir, it’s clear you know quality when you see it.”

“For a silent motor, we have models priced at 100, 120, or 200! Which one do you prefer?”

“You know, motors are getting harder to come by these days. My stock is all sourced at high prices from military factories—guaranteed to work flawlessly!”

Yenir furrowed his brow, a wry smile playing on his lips as he glanced at the owner.

“95—bring me the second-tier model.”

“Don’t overcharge—how do you even get these motors? Do you expect me to reveal your source?”

The stout man froze, a flash of panic crossing his eyes.

Damn, who is this kid? How does he even know what I’m selling!?

Though he claimed externally that the motors were purchased at high prices from military factories, in truth many were smuggled out from within the Military.

Such matters were known only to his contacts; no one else knew a thing.

Suppressing his shock, the boss forced a smile and grabbed Yenir.

“Sir, you must be joking—we are all about honest business here.”

“Or, how about this: 100 credit points will get you a brand-new one.”

There was a hint of regret on his face.

Losing 20 credit points in one go—it was enough to treat a woman to a few rounds at an inner-city club!

With a soft chuckle, after glancing at the boss, Yenir chose not to haggle any further.

“Deal!”

…….

Half an hour later, outside the Safe Zone.

Like a bolt of lightning on a black motorcycle, Yenir sped along the highway leading to the city.

Looking at the latest map he had purchased, his eyes gleamed as memories of his past life rushed back.

He recalled that in the outskirts of Tianfeng City, there was a blue piece of equipment—worth a fortune—that had never been discovered!