Supreme Devil Lord: I Can Refine All Energy-Chapter 51: Buying a Physique Refinement Technique
[Vajra Body Art (Basic)]
[Hundred Tempering Body Refinement Art (Basic)]
Eric first focused on the [Vajra Body Art].
[Vajra Body Art (Basic)]
[Description: A beginner physique refinement technique that makes your body as tough as Vajra, giving you a very strong defense. Once practiced to perfection, immune to most attacks below the Adept realm.]
[Price: 10 Shop Points]
Eric’s eyes lit up when he read the description of <Vajra Body Art>. Having a body that was immune to all attack within the Novice realm sounded very good to him.
’Until I can learn to properly fight, I think it’ll be for the best if I have a high defense so I won’t get injured.’ He thought, feeling it was suitable for him. But since there was another technique available, he checked it too.
[Hundred Tempering Body Refinement Art (Basic)]
[Description: A beginner physique refinement technique that tempers your body from the inside out for a total of a hundred times. Strengthen base physique and help create a better foundation. Note: Need a powerful stimulus for tempering.]
[Price: 11 Shop Points]
’Hmm?’ He raised his brows upon reading the description. It didn’t promise high defense, needed a powerful stimulus to work, and was more expensive than <Vajra Body Art>, but he felt it was better for him as it did what he needed right now, strengthening his body and creating a better foundation, eliminating his disadvantages. Still, though, he chose to ask the system’s opinion.
’Which one do you think is more suitable for me?’
[Host, you should choose Hundred Tempering Body Refinement Art. Unlike the Vajra Body Art, which only targets the outer body, skin, muscles, and, to some extent, bones, it tempers the entirety of one’s body and creates a firm foundation. And, with the system’s refined energy, the host doesn’t need to go out of his way to find any tempering stimulant. Moreover, the host will be able to choose a different physique refinement technique in the future if you choose this.] The system responded.
Eric sighed in relief when he heard the refined energy could work as the stimulant, but the latter part prompted him to ask.
’I won’t be able to cultivate a different technique in the future if I choose <Vajra Body Art>?’
[The Vajra Body Art fixes the path one can take in the physique refinement to some extent. So, even though the host will be able to cultivate a different technique if you so wish, you will face some difficulties and most likely would need to undo the Vajra Body Art’s effects. This, however, doesn’t mean this technique isn’t good. Those who had chosen to walk the path of Vajra Body Cultivation have some of the strongest physiques in the history of the universe.]
’I understand.’ Eric nodded before ordering the system, ’Buy the Hundred Tempering Body Refinement Art.’
[As you wish, host.] The system responded, and in the next moment, 110 units of refined energy vanished from his reserve, and another notification flickered on the system screen.
[Transaction successful! The Hundred Tempering Tempering Body Refinement Art has been bought and stored in the system inventory.]
Eric nodded in satisfaction, but when he looked at the remaining refined energy, he sighed, feeling helpless.
[Refined Energy: 124—>14]
He accessed the inventory and took out a gray scroll.
Just before opening it, he asked the system, ’Can’t you transfer its contents to my mind like you did with the cultivation technique?’
[Unfortunately, no, host. The system can only transfer the skills and techniques that the system rewards you through the quest rewards.]
Eric nodded, feeling it was a pity, but then he thought, ’Well, at least Mom and Riya will have easy access to it.’
If the system had transferred the contents to his mind, he would have had to first learn the technique properly before he would have been able to teach it to them. Moreover, it would have taken quite a bit of time, not to mention how inconvenient it would have been. With the physical scroll, though, they could just pick it up whenever and learn it.
Thinking this, he remembered something. ’Right, I need to help them become cultivators too. They can’t remain weak.’
Though he wouldn’t mind and would be more than happy to protect them for his entire life, it was better if they became stronger too and were able to protect themselves. After all, he couldn’t be with them all the time. Moreover, since the cultivators had longer lifespans compared to ordinary people, if they didn’t become cultivators...
He shook his head, not even wanting to think about that possibility.
Just then, the system’s screen flickered before returning to normal, which made Eric raise his brows and ask, ’What was that?’
The system, however, didn’t respond, which made him frown.
All of a sudden, he had a bad feeling.
’It acted just when I was thinking about helping Mom and Riya become cultivators...’
His expression hardening, he said in a deep voice, ’I order you to tell me what that was. You were about to tell me something, weren’t you?’
[Host, you should upgrade the skill {Inspect}.]
’Hmm?’ He raised his brows in confusion. ’Why?’
The system, however, didn’t respond even when he tried ordering it again to explain itself.
Because he could tell it was something related to Elena and Riya, he felt unsettled and asked, ’How much refined energy will it cost me to upgrade it?’
The system screen flickered, but to his surprise, the system didn’t answer his question and instead...
[Ding! A quest has been issued.] 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
[Quest: Confess your true feelings directly.]
[Quest Description: Host loves Lady Elena and Riya and desires to make them his women. Confess your feelings clearly and directly and leave no room for confusion.]
[Time limit: None.]
[Reward: 1 Skill Upgrade Token.]
"..."
Eric stared at the screen dumbly, his heart racing.
Ba-Dum! Ba-Dum!
Just earlier, it took all he had to make that vague promise/confession, but the system was telling him to confess for real.
Gulp!
He gulped from nervous anticipation.
"It’s good there is no time limit." He muttered. He needed time to gather enough courage to confess to them because they weren’t like Elsa.
’By the way, system, aren’t you supposed to focus on helping me cultivate and become stronger? Why are you interfering with my personal life?’ He said in dissatisfaction.
[Host, everything is part of cultivation. This, you shall understand in the future. The system responded.
Eric clicked his tongue and then said, ’Alright. Use the remaining SP and buy me the spirit stones.’
[Transaction successful! The spirit stones have been stored in the system inventory.]
Since just 14 RE units would have been nowhere near enough for him to temper his body enough, and he would have to worry about earning credits again, he decided to use the 10 RE units—1 SP—to buy the spirit stones and go sell them.
He willed the spirit stones to be brought out, and three white-gray stones, the size of a newborn child’s palm, appeared in his outstretched hand.
He felt them in his hand. They were smooth like crystal and were cool to touch. He couldn’t help but stare at them in fascination. Just a day before, he wouldn’t have believed he would have a spirit stone in his hand the next day, much less three.
’Now, how am I supposed to sell them? I can’t just go to a shop and say I want to sell spirit stones.’ He thought before raising his brows, ’Maybe I can. Since I only have three, they shouldn’t become suspicious.’
A while later, he left the room after storing the bag of now gray dust in his inventory and found Vivian cleaning the house.
Seeing him, she looked at him curiously and asked, "You didn’t start cultivating?"
"No." Eric calmly shook his head before saying, "I need some better clothes and something to cover my face."
"Oh! Okay." Vivian didn’t ask why he needed them and directly led him to Frankie’s room.
...
A short while later, Eric, now dressed in white, expensive silk robes and with half of his face covered with a white cloth that didn’t look too much out of place, walked out of the house and once again headed to the market.
On the way, he dumped the bag filled with gray dust into a trash can after checking no one was watching, and an hour later, he arrived at the market.
...
In the slums, Luke was staring at the unconscious man lying some distance away from Eric’s house with a middle-aged man, his expression ugly.
"Is this the guy who you had watch the house?" The middle-aged man asked,
"Yes." Luke said through gritted teeth before kicking the man in gut, "Wake up bastard."
Argh!
The man jolted awake, clutching his abdomen, and shouted, "Which bastard-"
Bang!
Luke kicked him again, and thundered, "Shut up!"
The man grunted in pain. When he saw Luke, he recalled what happened last night and his expression turned dark.
