Chapter 64

Feeling the power of the Black Tortoise, Zhao Futu immediately sensed a warm current flowing into his body through his middle finger.

Silver-grade equipment and deep blue-grade equipment were on completely different levels. The eight-point increase in stamina made him feel as if his body was brimming with energy! The feeling was such that he could run for over ten kilometers without even panting. The mental state brought about by the attribute boost was tangible. While ordinary people's daily mental states varied, the attribute boost after being quantified stabilized at a peak level.

2 points in strength, 8 points in stamina.

Zhao Futu estimated that even if he encountered a giant werewolf, he could at least run away if he couldn't fight it off.

He sheathed the fine steel longsword and then walked toward his tent. He was now a minor commander in the Yellow Turban Army, and the camp where the army was stationed was specifically divided, not far from Zhang Jue's main camp. Currently, there weren't many commanders in the Yellow Turban Army. Zhang Jue commanded 120,000 troops, Zhang Bao led 50,000 troops to defend Quyang, and Zhang Liang led 30,000 troops to defend Guangzong. The Yellow Turban Army in Ji Province now had a total of over 200,000 troops.

Upon returning to the camp, Zhao Futu immediately took out the silver-grade key. Although the contractors here dared not act rashly with Zhang Jue present, he felt it was necessary to immediately enhance his strength.

The silver-grade key could be exchanged for a large number of survival points and soul crystals. Although Zhao Futu already had basic melee skills, he still lacked many basic skills to improve, such as basic ranged attacks, basic footwork, basic endurance, basic meditation, basic forging, and basic enchanting. The Nightmare Space offered a wide range of basic skills, and if contractors were willing, they could even exchange for basic music, basic chess, basic musical theory, and basic painting!

Isn't that incredible?

In fact, everything in the space was so magical!

As long as contractors were willing to spend survival points, they could become a master of Chinese painting, a music master, or a chess master in just one day. Although the price for non-combat basic skills was cheaper, it wasn't much cheaper. If one wanted to become a world-class scholar proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, it would require a large number of survival points!

Don't underestimate these skills. Although they don't directly contribute to combat, their effects are significant.

In the space missions that contractors experienced, the characters also had their own hobbies. Many seemingly useless abilities often had unexpected effects. It was said that some auxiliary skills, when enhanced to a certain level, would passively boost the contractor's basic attributes. Some auxiliary skills were particularly effective in building rapport with characters. Unfortunately, most contractors had limited funds and had to choose a specific area to specialize in. Even Zhao Futu couldn't do otherwise, as there were too many basic skills to learn.

Very few people had the extra funds to enhance secondary skills.

Everyone felt that survival points were insufficient for enhancing main combat skills, so how many would be willing to enhance non-combat skills? The Nightmare Space encouraged team cooperation, and most contractors who enhanced such secondary skills were those with high charisma in large teams. Only large teams had the extra funds to cultivate contractors specifically for building rapport with characters.

Zhao Futu wanted to develop balanced skills, so he needed to enhance a wide range of basic skills, which required far more survival points than others.

This was why he preferred survival points over equipment.

Perhaps it was a personal preference?

Compared to enhancing skills and obtaining equipment, Zhao Futu preferred enhancing skills. Instinctively, he felt that relying too much on equipment for strength was not as effective as using survival points to enhance skills. Equipment, after all, was an external object, but the enhanced skills were tangible. He could clearly feel the improvement in his abilities in the real world after enhancing them in the space.

Whether it was swordsmanship or grappling, he felt much more proficient in the real world.

This was also why Zhao Futu often thought about selling the key. He wanted to comprehensively enhance his main combat skills after returning from this battlefield mission. Whether it was basic ranged attacks, basic footwork, basic endurance, or basic meditation, he should enhance them to some extent. Otherwise, he would have obvious weaknesses. He had already discovered that enhancing skills could boost attributes when he was enhancing basic melee skills. In this regard, the effect might not be worse than deep blue-grade equipment, though it might be slightly inferior to silver-grade equipment with special skills.

For him, it was best not to rely on external objects!

...

Zhao Futu took a deep breath, muttered a prayer for good luck, and slowly opened the silver-grade key. An item appeared before his eyes:

"Cloud Swallowing Boots." (Condition: Good)

"Origin: Middle Earth."

"Rarity: Silver-grade."

"Material: Rhinoceros leather, ice silk."

"Weight: 3000 grams. (The weight of the item affects the wearing requirements.)"

"Equipment Slot: Feet."

"Effect: Strength +1, Agility +4."

"Additional Skill [Snow Traceless Step]: When activated, increases the contractor's movement speed by 100%, and adds the effect of Feather Fall lv1, reducing the contractor's weight by 100 kilograms. Duration: 10 seconds, Cooldown: 1 hour."

"Requirements: None."

"Description: It is said that this is a pair of boots that can leave no trace on snow."

...

Undoubtedly, this silver-grade equipment was not as high-grade as the two items Ling had given him, as it had fewer attributes and skills. However, for Zhao Futu, the effect of this equipment was exactly what he had been dreaming of! The 100% increase in movement speed, though only for 10 seconds, could be a powerful tool for escaping or pursuing if used well!

In 10 seconds, at the speed of an Olympic champion, one could create a distance of nearly 100 meters.

With the 30,000 survival points he obtained from Ling, Zhao Futu no longer needed to rack his brains to sell equipment. The strength boost from equipment in the space was more noticeable than from skills, as the attribute values added by equipment were more significant. Selling equipment might be easy, but buying it back would not be. A contractor could use over 10 types of non-conflicting equipment, not counting some special equipment.

The further along, the more different the focus of contractors' enhancements became!

Those who valued equipment would have much higher attribute points, as a set of equipment added more attribute points than skill enhancements. Those who valued skills would have terrifying damage output when they burst, such as Zhao Futu's current path: basic melee — basic swordsmanship — Silver Cross Swordsmanship, basic melee — grappling — Mountain Lean. These skills were progressively enhanced, and the damage from similar skills could be stacked!

The space clearly did not intend to cultivate contractors of a single type.

It was like opening a door, allowing contractors to find their own suitable paths.

...

Thinking of this, Zhao Futu suddenly seemed to have an epiphany.