Chapter 33: An Invitation from No. 7 Middle School

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: An Invitation from No. 7 Middle School

In the time that followed, Li Heng and Bai Shasha encountered ten ordinary Secret Realm Creatures—Snow Leopards. They didn’t run into any more soul beasts, but they did obtain a piece of Snow Leopard meat, a Snow Leopard Fang, and a snow leopard hide tunic.

Name: Leopard Hide Tunic

Category: Soul Energy Equipment

Value: Common

Effects:

1. Wearer’s Spirit +1, Agility -1.

2. Cold Resistance +1.

[Consume 10 Soul Energy to upgrade this equipment?]

This Leopard Hide Tunic was very small, too small for Li Heng to wear. Besides, he hadn’t felt cold to begin with, and now with the Ice Feather Ring, he felt the cold even less.

Since Bai Shasha had been feeling a bit cold, the Leopard Hide Tunic ultimately went to her.

As for the original Snow Leopard hide she had been using for warmth, Bai Shasha turned it in as the fee for the gathering place after checking with Li Heng.

After all, the Snow Leopard hide was rather bulky and took up space.

However, after getting the Leopard Hide Tunic, Bai Shasha didn’t put it on right away. Instead, just as she had with the Snow Leopard hide, she kept it wrapped under her school uniform during the day and hugged it to rest at night.

Bai Shasha didn’t offer an explanation, and Li Heng didn’t press her for one.

On the second day, although there were fewer people in the gathering place than on the first, the atmosphere was livelier.

Because people had started setting up stalls!

After turning in the mandatory daily fee, some people had acquired extra Soul Energy Items and Soul Energy Equipment. Since they had no immediate use for these and didn’t want to carry them back into the Icefield, they decided to "trade."

After all, this mock college entrance exam was a form of "special training." There was no so-called scoring system, the City Combat Hall staff wouldn’t purchase the items and equipment students obtained, and Alliance Coins couldn’t even be used inside the Secret Realm.

Thus, a system of bartering emerged among the students from the fifteen middle schools.

Li Heng: Soul Apprentice

Soul Energy: 1217

Strength: 17 (+4, +3)

Agility: 17 (+2, +3, +2)

Spirit: 11 (-1, +2)

Soul Energy Skills: Wolf Walk Technique Lv. 2 (Rare)

Soul Energy Pet: None

Soul Energy Equipment: Cyan Blade Longsword (Uncommon), Blood Wolf Fang Bracelet (Uncommon), Ice Feather Ring (Uncommon)

Soul Energy Items: Space Stone (Uncommon), Ten-Year Wolf Blood Grass x2 (Uncommon), Wolf Soul Blood Crystal (Rare), etc...

Skills: Basic Swordsmanship (Lv. 5), Basic Body Technique (Lv. 4), Crude Sword Intent (Passive)

Looking at his stats, Li Heng felt that he didn’t particularly need anything at the moment—he was just lacking a Swordsmanship technique.

As for the Swordsmanship technique, Li Heng’s original plan had been to check the Soul Energy Store after getting out.

In any case, now that he had participated in the mock college entrance exam, he had a new excuse for the origin of some of his Soul Energy items. The risk of attracting attention or suspicion was much lower.

Although Li Heng wasn’t particularly interested in the current "trading fair," he still decided to go take a look with Bai Shasha. It was still early, after all—not yet time to rest—so it was a good way to pass the time.

The trading was started by students from Maple City’s First Middle School. It was the middle school that received a disproportionate amount of the city’s educational resources and also had the most students entering the Secret Realm this time.

As the students from First Middle School began "setting up stalls," students from other schools who had extra items they didn’t need also started setting up stalls or began to trade.

The entire gathering place was now incredibly lively. Although there were voices raised in debate, it clearly wasn’t out of conflict, but rather people discussing the value of certain items or simply haggling.

Li Heng saw a few things as he walked, but most were just materials from Snow Leopards. He still had materials from wild wolves in his Space Stone, so he wasn’t particularly interested.

Bai Shasha was rather interested at first, but as they browsed, she started to feel bored because most of the items for sale were just Snow Leopard materials.

Among the many materials from Snow Leopards, the hides were the most popular, as they provided some warmth in the Fallen Jiao Icefield.

Just in the time Li Heng had been watching, three Snow Leopard hides were successfully traded. One was even exchanged for two pieces of Snow Leopard meat.

Just when he thought the trading fair would end on such a boring note, a small incident occurred that made everyone pay attention.

Two staff members from the City Combat Hall walked out of a tent and joined the trading fair. Furthermore, everything they displayed was clearly priced!

The two staff members also announced that these items would be available for trade in their tent at any time until the exam ended.

Among the items the two staff members laid out were various types of Soul Energy Equipment, as well as elixirs that could restore stamina, increase endurance, and stop bleeding.

Ten materials from a Snow Leopard could be exchanged for one piece of Soul Energy Equipment, and five materials for a bottle of elixirs. A soul beast corpse could be traded for one Soul Energy Item.

Li Heng gave the items a quick glance. The Soul Energy Equipment could be freely taken out of this Secret Realm and wasn’t restricted to any particular one, but their value was very mediocre. They were practically no different from the common Longsword Li Heng had bought in the Soul Energy Store.

Using ten Snow Leopard materials to trade for such a piece of equipment was not a profitable exchange.

But for most of the students, who were still using the standard-issue exam weapons, this trade wasn’t a loss.

"Students from Thirteenth Middle School, hello! Do you have a moment to talk?"

Just as Li Heng finished looking over the items brought out by the Combat Hall staff, a boy suddenly approached him and Bai Shasha. He had a smile on his face and extended his right hand toward Li Heng.

"Hello. What can I do for you?"

Li Heng saw that the newcomer was wearing the uniform of one of the other schools; he seemed vaguely familiar, as if he’d seen him earlier in the day. He reached out, shook the boy’s hand, and then asked his purpose.

Bai Shasha didn’t say anything, her attention simply shifting from the equipment and elixirs to the boy who had suddenly approached them.

"Let me introduce myself. Zheng Zhuoran, from Seventh Middle School! We actually met today, but when you two had that unpleasant encounter with Fifth Middle School, I was just watching from the side, so you probably don’t have much of an impression of me."

After Zheng Zhuoran finished his introduction, Li Heng finally recalled where he had seen the boy that day. He responded, and Bai Shasha followed suit.

"Li Heng, Thirteenth Middle School!"

"Bai Shasha, Thirteenth Middle School!"

Sensing that neither of them was pushing him away, the smile on Zheng Zhuoran’s face grew wider. He then said, "A few friends and I want to go check out the Wind Snow Area, and I was wondering if you two might be interested. If you are... how about we find a less crowded place to discuss the details? If not, then I won’t bother you any further."