Chapter Twenty: The Market
After completing the extraction, Chen Qi was swiftly transported back to his personal chamber.
He pressed his hand to his chest—there was nothing there, yet he could distinctly sense that something new had taken root within his soul. For some inexplicable reason, the Soviet March echoed in his mind, though that tune belonged to the Americans and the Russians. The enhancement of all his attributes filled him with the confidence that he could take down an Andre with a single punch.
At the thought of Andre, Chen Qi’s mood dipped a little. He wasn’t sure whether that world had been real or not, but he knew he had to keep moving forward.
Snapping back to himself, he recalled the “Sprout Contract” in his storage space. The sooner he used it, the sooner he could enjoy its benefits. Chen Qi quickly focused his mind on it.
[Use item: Sprout Contract (Tier 1): Yes/No]
Selecting “Yes,” Chen Qi immediately noticed his general points plummet, leaving him with just over 3,000.
[You have used the item: Sprout Contract (Tier 1)]
The violet contract quickly burst into sparks and vanished in a puff of ash.
“That’s it?”
The dazzling lights and VIP treatment he had imagined did not materialize. His vision remained calm and unchanged—there was no prompt, nothing at all.
Chen Qi waited for ten seconds before his patience wore thin. He addressed the space itself:
“With my current general points, what should I buy?”
Fortunately, the contract he had signed was no fake. The space soon responded with a prompt.
[Scanning the body of the chosen individual]
[According to 99% of the experiences of previous chosen and contractors, you should select a basic proficiency in a primary weapon.]
[Recommended: Basic Firearms, Basic Throwing, Basic Swordsmanship, Basic Blade Technique...]
“That’s it?”
Contrary to his expectation that the space would devise a personalized growth plan, it offered only a generic answer.
Chen Qi then asked a question that had always puzzled him:
“What is a Chosen? What exactly is the difference between a Chosen and a Contractor?”
The “Sprout Space” soon provided an answer.
[Compared to Contractors, Chosen refers to those who joined the Sprout Space while still living; Contractors are beings granted life by the Sprout Space, who fight for it.]
[There are very few Chosen, who receive higher treatment. Typically, Chosen possess something special, making them more likely to become powerful, though there are many exceptions. (This information is considered general knowledge of the Sprout Space and does not count against your Sprout Contract responses.)]
“How come that sounds like a hint?”
Flashing a middle finger at the Sprout Space, Chen Qi left his private room—he wanted to check out the market prices.
Outside, the same bustling street was lined with buildings that ranged from high-tech to classical, and even thatched huts—each revealing that their owners hailed from different civilizations.
Chen Qi surveyed the entire Sprout Space at a glance and found it vast—so vast that its end was nowhere in sight.
The ground beneath his feet was a solid, gel-like substance unlike anything found on Earth. He walked toward the sparser part of the district.
His clueless appearance quickly caught the attention of some opportunists.
At that moment, a burly man wielding a hand axe approached. He wore a vest cut from animal pelts, his chest thickly furred and exposed.
The man gave Chen Qi a guileless grin and said, “You’re new, right? Give me 300 general points for a meal and I’ll show you around the Sprout Space.”
Chen Qi considered for a moment. Three hundred points weren’t much to him, and what mattered most was to get a quick grasp of the space, especially since he didn’t know how long he could stay.
He agreed without hesitation.
“But how do we make the transaction? What if you trick me?” Chen Qi asked.
The burly man grinned even more broadly and sent Chen Qi a contract.
[Bruster has sent you a contract. Please check it.]
Chen Qi scanned the contract: Party A would pay 300 general points, and Party B would give Party A a general introduction to the Sprout Space.
Seeing nothing amiss, Chen Qi promptly paid the points.
The man’s smile grew even more genuine. He happily led Chen Qi a short distance to the market.
The so-called market of the Sprout Space was a huge plaza, with several buildings at one end.
Escorting Chen Qi—who was still gawking at the crowd—the man stopped beneath the buildings and pointed them out.
“There are three buildings here. The one on the left is the Attribute Enhancement Hall, the one in the middle is the Weapon Enhancement Hall, and the one on the right is the Auction House.”
“But the Auction House is only open to those of Tier Two or higher. Well, thanks for your patronage—see you around.”
With that, the man left the still-bewildered Chen Qi behind, flashed him one last simple smile, and turned to disappear into the crowd.
“Ah!”
Before Chen Qi could react, the space prompted him:
[Contract completed. General points have been transferred to the other party.]
Now Chen Qi truly understood what “a general introduction” meant. He spun around, intent on finding trouble with the burly man, but saw that Bruster had long since melted into the crowd, nowhere to be seen—clearly wary of any attempt at retribution.
“Just wait till I run into you in a mission world,” Chen Qi silently vowed, biting his lip and making a mental note of the name “Bruster” before heading back into the market.
All manner of people stood, sat, or even sprawled in the market. Chen Qi saw those in mage robes, leather armor, plate armor, and others in futuristic combat suits like his own.
A sultry young woman in tight leather armor caught his eye. Her slender figure was accentuated by the outfit, making her curves alluring—he had the urge to reach out and touch.
Sensing his gaze, the woman shot him a cold glare. Embarrassed, Chen Qi quickly looked away.
He finally turned his attention to the calls of the market vendors.
“Silver Scale Breastplate, only 1,000 points! Anyone interested?”
“Come on, that’s just a thin iron plate of white quality.”
“White-quality spear with a rating of five, anyone want it? Spears have always been the weapon of miracles!”
“Get lost!”
Such exchanges filled the air, with some disputes escalating into outright shouting matches.
Chen Qi kept walking—he needed to buy a basic proficiency manual.
Fun and games aside, flipping off the Sprout Space aside, he still intended to heed its advice.
Thinking of a certain blade-wielding cultivator, he quipped to himself, “Best if it’s basic blade technique.”
“Cloudshade Trading Guild’s potions, 20% off—only 100 bottles available!”
A distant shout caught Chen Qi’s attention. Because there were no permanent stalls in the square, most contractors simply set up shop wherever they pleased.
Where the shout came from, he saw five or six women in matching uniforms occupying a large area, working in perfect order.
Their uniforms were adorned with pale green cloud motifs, accentuating their graceful figures.
One of the women was both hawking her wares and demonstrating the properties and prices of the potions to the gathering crowd.
Curious, Chen Qi joined the spectators for a closer look.