Furina still had over twenty thousand draws left unused.
Her hands were starting to feel stiff, so she decided to do something else—like dismantling cards.
In front of the card dismantling machine, Furina placed her Equipment Belt, which had already been upgraded to first-tier Black Iron.
Then, she directed the giant white bear to use its massive, fan-like paws to scoop up handfuls of unused cards and feed them into the dismantler.
*Crunch, crunch…*
One after another, the cards were broken down, their energy flowing into the Equipment Belt.
A simple, easy-to-understand experience bar appeared on the display.
In just two seconds, Furina tapped the upgrade button.
Like a weapon leveling up in a game, the Equipment Belt flashed with light, instantly transforming from Black Iron to Bronze.
At the same time, as the owner of the Equipment Belt, Furina could feel the effects of the upgrade.
"The special effect of the first-tier Black Iron Equipment Belt was enhancing physical attributes. What about the second tier?"
While asking, Furina focused on sensing the changes in her body.
"It significantly boosts physical attributes, heals hidden ailments, and extends lifespan by an additional twenty years. Assuming the human body's theoretical limit is a hundred years, but due to organ aging, cellular deterioration, and other factors, the average lifespan is around eighty. The second-tier Equipment Belt solves this, allowing one to live to the theoretical limit of a hundred, plus an extra twenty—so one hundred and twenty years."
"Generally speaking, the second-tier Equipment Belt brings the body to an excellent state in all aspects," Lu Heng explained.
However, these were just the additional effects of the Equipment Belt. Its true power lay in its enhancement of the cards.
To put it simply, a low-tier Equipment Belt paired with high-tier cards was like a child wielding a sharp greatsword—it could cut, but the results were unpredictable.
But when the cards and the Equipment Belt were properly matched, it was like a seasoned warrior wielding a finely crafted blade.
Right now, Furina was in the situation of using high-tier cards with a low-tier Equipment Belt.
"If you want to fully unleash the potential of these cards, keep upgrading your Equipment Belt," Lu Heng said with a grin.
Furina couldn't help but feel that Lu Heng's smile was a little strange.
It gave off a strong vibe of *"Want to get stronger? Just keep spending!"*
The more she thought about it, the more it felt like that!
But let's be honest—getting stronger just by spending money was something only available here!
Take the **[Elemental Resonance]** card, for example. It directly granted Furina mastery over the nine elements that composed Teyvat!
Could that even be measured in Mora?
Forget 300 million—even 300 million times 300 million wouldn't be enough to trade for it!
And yet, Furina had gotten it for just 300 million Mora, with 20,000 draws (equivalent to 200 million Mora) still left.
*Was this even reasonable?!*
"Are you… running a charity in Teyvat?" Furina couldn't help but ask.
"Yep."
Lu Heng grinned and nodded. "What, starting to feel my greatness?"
"I am," Furina said seriously.
"Then shouldn't you show some actual respect for it?" Lu Heng teased.
"Huh?"
Furina scratched her head. "How?"
"Spend more."
"…?"
Furina blinked. "*That's it?!*"
"Of course. I *am* a merchant," Lu Heng said with a laugh.
"Maybe later!"
Furina waved him off. She still had 20,000 draws to use—no need to rush into spending more now.
While they chatted, the experience bar filled up again.
Furina casually tapped the upgrade button.
The Equipment Belt transformed from Bronze to Silver, gleaming softly under the light. It finally looked like a proper high-tier item.
Compared to the crude "newbie" version and the underwhelming first and second tiers, the third-tier Silver version was a massive improvement.
Now, the entire belt was silver, adorned with intricate card-like patterns everywhere except the center.
Before Furina could ask, Lu Heng proactively explained:
"Third-tier Silver. The card slot limit is increased to seven. Aside from further extending lifespan by thirty years, the key feature is the ability to freely swap cards."
"No cooldown. Change your deck at will, even in the heat of battle—instantaneous switching with zero impact on combat efficiency."
Furina was *very* satisfied.
The Equipment Belt had two functions: **Card Slots** and **Storage**.
The **Card Slots** were self-explanatory, while **Storage** worked like a Vision's subspace inventory.
Now, with just a thought, the cards equipped on the belt could be rearranged however she wished.
More importantly—there were *no special effects* when swapping cards!
That meant no one could tell whether she had changed her setup. The stealth factor was maxed out!
Since no one could inspect her Storage, who would know she had **[Elemental Resonance]**?
If she needed to play the role of the Hydro Archon, she could just quietly equip it.
If someone got suspicious, she could unequip it just as easily.
And if someone demanded she reveal her Card Slots while using Hydro Archon powers—
How many fifth-tier Gold Cards do you have to dare talk to me like this?!
So this is what it feels like to have real confidence!
Furina clenched her fists, her face flushed with excitement.
"Feels good, doesn't it?"
"Yes!"
"Does getting stronger feel addictive?"
"Absolutely!"
"Do you want to get even stronger?"
Furina snapped out of it.
"…You're just trying to get me to draw more cards, aren't you?!"
"Well, obviously."
Lu Heng shrugged. "It's already midnight—way past business hours."
At this, Furina's face turned slightly red. This wasn't even part of Lu Heng's operating time!
"Ah… sorry for taking up so much of your time," she said apologetically.
"It's fine."
Lu Heng smiled and handed her a can of cola. "Honestly, compared to time, I'd much rather watch someone stomp their feet and wail after getting terrible draws."
"…?"
Furina clenched her fists and glared at him.
*He was absolutely mocking her!*
Remembering how she had stomped in frustration earlier after failing to pull anything good—
He must have been laughing at her the whole time!
Furina gritted her teeth, her competitive spirit flaring up.
"Fine! Break time's over—I'll pull a Gold Card and dazzle you!"
One Gold Card wasn't enough.
Ideally, she'd fill all seven slots with Gold Cards!
Furina steeled herself, sitting back at the counter on the high stool.
After taking a sip of cola and a deep breath, she put on a serious expression.
Lu Heng glanced at the clock. It was 12:05 AM.
By 12:10, Furina's expression had darkened.
By 12:30, she was biting her lip, still refusing to give up.
At 12:45, the giant white bear patted her head, offering emotional support to soothe her wounded pride.
At 12:50, Furina happened to look up and saw Lu Heng struggling to hold back laughter.
Furina instantly boiled with rage.
"This is definitely not my fault!!"
She said it with absolute conviction.
"Mhm, mhm." Lu Heng nodded repeatedly, his face the picture of agreement.
But the more he played along, the more irritated Furina became.
"Aaaaah—"
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T/N:
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