Furina didn't dwell on the question any longer.
In any case, having an extra layer of mental protection was definitely a good thing.
She turned her attention back to the Equipment Belt and asked, "Now I can fully unleash the power of the Giant White Bear plushie, right?"
"Of course." Lu Heng nodded in confirmation, then seemed to remember something and added, "But you should still be careful."
"Huh?"
Furina tilted her head in confusion, looking adorable as she waited for him to continue. But considering her reckless nature, Lu Heng felt it was necessary to remind her.
After all, this was the same fool who, upon receiving her Vision, had immediately gone to challenge a local legend—only to return in utter defeat.
"Its power is immense. If you want to test it, you should find a very remote, open area," Lu Heng said.
"Don't worry!"
Furina thought it was something serious.
Even without Lu Heng's reminder, she would have chosen a secluded place to experiment.
But she wasn't in a hurry just yet.
Furina still had three thousand draws left, so she continued pulling cards.
Luck seemed to be on her side this time—Purple Cards appeared frequently.
"You have the Eye of Insight, so you can try appraising them yourself. But because of your Equipment Belt's limitations… you should appraise the Purple Cards on your own," Lu Heng said, sipping his tea.
"You just want to slack off, don't you?"
Furina huffed but soon became engrossed in appraising the cards herself. Moments later, she dejectedly dismantled one of the Purple Cards.
"Could it be… my luck is really that bad?"
"No way! That was probably just a coincidence!"
Regaining her confidence, Furina continued.
…
4:00 AM.
"Sigh."
Furina let out a long sigh.
Life was hard, and getting good pulls was even harder.
Out of the last three thousand draws, she had gotten five Purple Cards—enough to make her jump for joy.
But the results were disappointing. Four were useless, and the only decent one was:
[Swift Cape]
[Tier]: 4th-tier · Purple
[Type]: [External Card]
[Effect]: [Equipment]
[Description]: When equipped, the wearer gains heightened agility and becomes immune to all damage below the 4th-tier. Damage at the 4th-tier is partially mitigated. Also grants minor stealth capabilities.
The cape was a deep blue, matching her outfit perfectly, and its effects were excellent. This was the one bright spot in Furina's otherwise unlucky streak.
Immediately, she took off her black cloak and replaced it with the Swift Cape.
Next—
Lu Heng watched as a blue blur zipped around the shop.
"Woo~"
"The movement speed boost is insane~!"
Lu Heng massaged his temples. "Are you treating my shop like a track field? Here for a morning jog?"
Furina abruptly stopped, standing still with an embarrassed laugh.
She began sorting through the remaining cards.
Instead of dismantling all of them, she picked out a few to keep.
Now that she could freely swap cards and had nine slots available, it made sense to hold onto some as backups.
After sorting, she dismantled the rest—the ones she had no use for.
Unfortunately, the experience bar only inched forward slightly. Upgrading was still a distant goal.
Going from the beginner Equipment Belt to the first tier had been easy, but the higher the tier, the more experience was needed—an astronomical amount.
Furina didn't expect to reach the fifth tier immediately. For now, her current power was more than enough.
With a fourth-tier Equipment Belt, [Elemental Resonance], [Super Giant White Bear], [Eye of Insight], and [Swift Cape], Furina felt unstoppable!
"How big is the gap between me and an Archon now?"
She didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.
"Your arsenal is still limited, and your life essence isn't on par with an Archon's. But your potential is high. Once you upgrade your Equipment Belt to the fifth tier and master [Elemental Resonance], most Archons would be no match for you. Though the original Seven might still be a challenge," Lu Heng said.
"I get it!"
Furina grinned. "The Eye of Insight doesn't boost combat power much, but it's incredibly versatile! Know yourself and your enemy, and you'll never lose—I have the intel advantage!"
"Then, in terms of combat, I only have one Gold Card… but that's enough to put me on par with a standard Archon… But! What if I had two Gold Cards?!"
"Then you'd be the leader of the Seven," Lu Heng said.
"What if I had three Gold Cards focused on combat?!" Furina raised her voice.
"Then you could challenge the Four Shades."
"Five Gold Cards!"
"The Heavenly Principles would hand the throne to you."
"Nine Gold Cards!"
"Alright, enough fantasizing. You think you can pull nine?"
Lu Heng shook his head.
Furina, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago, deflated like a punctured balloon.
Lu Heng's words were like a cold dagger to her dreams.
Though he had shattered her delusions, he wasn't a bad guy. She could forgive him—just this once.
Furina rubbed her stomach. "I'm kinda hungry."
"There are baked pastries over there. Help yourself—just pay for them," Lu Heng said, pointing.
"Are you hungry too?" Furina asked as she walked over.
"I'm fine."
"My treat!"
Furina quickly grabbed some pastries and brought them over.
She handed one to Lu Heng. "Don't be shy!"
Lu Heng felt something was off but couldn't place it.
After filling her stomach, Furina plopped onto the Giant White Bear's soft belly, letting out a yawn.
"Today felt like a dream…"
She had gained immense power, and all it had cost was Mora—something that barely even counted as a price. Now, she had the confidence to face whatever the future held.
If this is a dream… I hope I never wake up…
She murmured the words softly.
"Sleepy?"
"Mhm…"
"I'll just rest for a bit."
Furina pulled a corner of the Swift Cape over her face to block out the light.
"You really trust me that much? Not even a hint of caution?"
"If you really wanted to do something, even going back to the Palais Mermonia wouldn't stop you, right?"
"Besides… I believe in you…"
Her voice trailed off as sleep took over.
Lu Heng chuckled helplessly.
It was likely due to the [Perfect Physique] effect of the Equipment Belt.
This was a unique attribute—it brought his body to a theoretical state of perfection, even incorporating traits akin to a cultivator's Dao Body.
No matter where he was, he never seemed out of place. His demeanor was always composed, and combined with these effects, it naturally made people trust him instinctively.
"Trusting a member of the opposite sex you've known for less than a day is a great way to get scammed… but you just happened to trust the right person."
Lu Heng stood up.
The Giant White Bear watched as he fetched a blanket.
Protecting its master was one of the plushie's core directives—despite its limited intelligence.
As Lu Heng approached, the bear's button-like eyes locked onto him, full of vigilance.
Lu Heng glanced at it.
Instantly, the bear's gaze turned vacant, as if it had suddenly found the ceiling fascinating.
Only after Lu Heng draped the blanket over Furina did the bear resume its duty of guarding its master.
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T/N:
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