Chapter 54

Xiao Dong's curiosity was truly piqued by the young salesgirl's introduction. The Whirlwind Set was one thing, merely highlighting the characteristics of the material itself. But the Agile Set could actually enhance jumping ability?! This was like becoming the world high jump champion just by wearing a piece of clothing!

It wasn't until later that Xiao Dong gradually understood what equipment meant in this world. Equipment was divided into external and internal types. The Whirlwind and Agile Sets belonged to the category of external equipment. Equipment was ranked, similar to the classification of warriors. The Whirlwind and Agile Sets were first-tier external equipment.

Due to the different materials used in their production, external equipment could also have different abilities and characteristics.

The two of them walked to the leather armor counter. Since the Whirlwind and Agile Sets were two new products of the Defective Hand, they naturally became the main products of this counter, displayed in a very prominent place. Even without the salesgirl's introduction, Xiao Dong could already see the appearance of these two sets.

The Whirlwind Set included arm guards, leg guards, and a chest plate. Made from the fur of red-eyed wind wolves, each part of the set emitted a pale blue color. Xiao Dong observed carefully; this set was indeed one of the main products. The fur was shiny and flawless, and even when worn on a mannequin, it exuded a fierce aura. One could imagine how intimidating it would be to wear it.

As for the Agile Set, its material was the fur of a mountain antelope. This rare animal's fur was a delicate sandy yellow, and the camouflage patterns on its surface were perfectly preserved. Under the designer's hand, this armor was indeed as agile as its name suggested. Xiao Dong couldn't help but imagine how agile and swift he would look in this equipment—indeed, every introverted loser had a dream of becoming a rich and handsome man.

The more he looked, the more he liked it, and the more he felt an unbearable itch in his heart.

The young salesgirl had been paying close attention to Xiao Dong's expression and was overjoyed to see his reaction. If she could sell this set, she would earn a nice commission.

This young salesgirl had been working at the Defective Hand for a long time, not only developing a keen eye but also a smooth tongue. She couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire: "Sir, although the Whirlwind and Agile Sets are the latest leather external equipment in the store, due to the recent decrease in material sources, there are only a few sets left. It's first come, first served. What you see in front of you are the last two sets."

Xiao Dong knew this was a sales tactic, and the sets might not be the last two, but he couldn't help but breathe a little faster, feeling a surge of dominance. He almost shouted in the tone of a Chinese aunt shopping at a luxury store on the Champs-Élysées: "I'll take both sets, wrap them up for me!"

However, reason prevailed. He estimated that these two sets would be far above his budget. So he patiently waited for the salesgirl to quote the price.

The salesgirl said seriously, "The price of the Whirlwind and Agile Sets is 104 gold coins each. If you buy both sets, I can offer a discount... 200 gold coins."

104 gold coins?! That's 1,040,000 RMB! 1,040,000 RMB could equip an ordinary citizen with the gear of a U.S. Marine!

The salesgirl knew that such a price was hard to accept. To encourage Xiao Dong to make a decision, she couldn't resist leaning in and whispering, "I heard that a four-star Awakened appeared in this adventurer's test, and he is very powerful! This test is much more intense than previous ones. Sir, you should know better than I do how important a good set of armor can be."

At that moment, a voice as warm and bright as the morning sun came from the side, "Hello, I like these two sets. Please wrap them up for me, thank you."

Xiao Dong turned his head to look, and even though he was a man, he couldn't help but feel his eyes dazzled by the newcomer's handsomeness. The young man was about the same age as him, exuding youth and vitality. He had long, golden hair tied in a ponytail, a handsome and well-proportioned face, and a perfect physique. Even his attire was elegant and appropriate...

Looking at him, Xiao Dong couldn't help but think of Greek statues.

The key was that although the young man was handsome, he gave off a bad vibe. He had a tall, beautiful woman on his left and a busty girl on his right, drinking heavily and behaving wildly!

This handsome young man suddenly said he wanted the sets wrapped up, then started flirting with the two women, spouting nonsense that made them giggle.

The salesgirl gestured to Xiao Dong, nodding toward the equipment, "Sir, I'm not joking, there are only the last two sets left!"

Xiao Dong hesitated for a moment and finally decided to give up. The salesgirl showed a slight look of regret but continued to introduce other products enthusiastically. In the end, Xiao Dong spent 20 gold coins on a set of external equipment. This set had only two features: flexibility and lightness. Xiao Dong believed his strength lay in speed, so he naturally preferred light and convenient equipment.

For this purchase, the salesgirl would earn at least one gold coin in commission, which made her very happy.

Wearing a carefully selected set of equipment, Xiao Dong's appearance was instantly transformed. His physique was well-proportioned, neither overly muscular nor too thin, just right. Combined with his not unattractive face, the equipment made him look very dashing.

The salesgirl waited outside the fitting room and couldn't help but be impressed when Xiao Dong came out. She showered him with flattery, more than he had ever heard before, which made him very happy. He even tipped her a silver coin.

Xiao Dong originally planned to go to the second floor, but was told that he needed a corresponding identity card to enter. As for how to obtain the identity card and what qualifications were required, even the salesgirl didn't know. He could only regretfully miss the chance to observe the internal equipment up close.

Before leaving, the salesgirl respectfully handed him a palm-sized card, "Sir, this is your shopping voucher. Please keep it, or you won't be able to leave."

Xiao Dong examined the card, which looked like ordinary wooden fiber, or bark. But when he touched it, it felt soft like muscle. Curious, he used his Insight skill.

Name: Door Token

Level: Unranked

Material: Bark of a mature first-tier Divine Power Tree

Description: Each Divine Power Tree is unique. The same tree can distinguish its own branches, bark, and fruit through bio-information. Many merchants use this characteristic to design door tokens and entry/exit points.

Wow! How amazing! Xiao Dong marveled. It was like a barcode and infrared sensor in a large mall. He saw the names of his equipment carved in fine, clear letters on the token.

Thus, the door token could serve as a receipt after a purchase.

Xiao Dong couldn't help but think darkly, if the salesgirl didn't give him this token after receiving payment and he didn't notice, wouldn't he lose both his money and the equipment? Even worse, if the guards, who were Awakened, thought he was a thief, they might beat him up and throw him out, and if he was seriously injured or even disabled, he would be devastated.

At that moment, a buzzing sound suddenly appeared in his mind. This familiar feeling, how could Xiao Dong forget? It was the precursor to a mission!

Sure enough, the next second, a message appeared.

Given that the selected individual's Insight skill has reached 100% proficiency, it will now enter the mission acquisition state. In this state, the selected individual will randomly receive a specialized skill upgrade mission. The state will last for 30 minutes. Please maintain mental focus...

Xiao Dong was first surprised, then confused. What was the mission system up to? Was it just messing with him? A random specialized skill upgrade mission? What if he got a mission that was too difficult and couldn't complete it?

Wait... Xiao Dong's mind stirred. He suddenly noticed two key points in the message. One was "specialized," and the other was "random." He paused for a moment, then couldn't help but feel lucky. He quickly deduced a series of clues.

Since it was a specialized mission for the Insight skill, the final goal of the mission would inevitably be related to the Insight skill. On the other hand, since he was in a store selling equipment, the mission would likely be related to buying and selling.

In other words, the message was giving him a clear hint, not to run around aimlessly to get a skill upgrade mission, but to stay focused and not miss any events in the store, as this could be an excellent opportunity to get a relatively simple upgrade mission.

The entire thought process seemed long, but it actually took only a few seconds. Xiao Dong's expression changed from surprise to calm and composed. His focused attention made his eyes seem to emit a piercing light. The salesgirl beside him felt it most deeply, shivering involuntarily, not understanding what was happening.

Since Xiao Dong had understood the secret of the message, he naturally didn't plan to go back empty-handed!

In fact, within just ten minutes, he had already noticed three potential mission opportunities. If not for the principle that the more effort you put in, the more you gain, he would have immediately chosen the simplest one to try.

As time ticked away, with only two minutes left before the state ended, Xiao Dong began to feel anxious.

Just then, a piercing scream echoed through the store, so sharp it made his eardrums ache.