Chapter 79

Chapter 079: Life Fruit

On the other side.

Inside the cozy and warm wooden cabin.

Yan Cang took a satisfying bite of a plump, juicy fruit.

The sweet, clear juice burst in his mouth, carrying an indescribable freshness, as if the essence of sunlight and life had been concentrated within the flesh.

A fragrant aroma also lingered on his palate.

"Mmm... not bad at all."

He squinted his eyes in contentment, feeling the gentle energy dissolve within him, seeping into his limbs and bones, causing every cell in his body to tremble with delight.

The fruit cultivated by Teacher Qiao Yue was called the "Life Fruit."

Its effect was exactly as she had described—it could weakly enhance the [Essence] attribute.

For Yan Cang, what mattered most at the moment was the taste.

Sweet, juicy, refreshing, with a lingering aftertaste.

Of course, getting stronger while enjoying good food was even better.

As he ate, he glanced at the Fate Net interface.

The newly updated Designated Transaction feature was specifically designed to make it easier for Qiao Yue to send him fruits.

Otherwise, she would have to list them in the Trading Zone every time and immediately notify him to snipe the purchase—too much trouble.

"Besides, if I list them in the public trading zone, someone else might snatch them up, and that would be a huge loss."

"But during the Fate Net update, Sister Qiao didn't say a word and just started using Designated Transactions directly. That's clearly an unspoken understanding."

"Still, the price she set is way too cheap—only ten Fate Points each. In public trading, they'd go for dozens or even hundreds."

"Well... I'll make it up to her by giving her a Treasure Chest later."

Thinking this, Yan Cang kept chewing, gulping down several Life Fruits in a row.

It wasn't until a loud "burp" escaped him that he stopped the motion of bringing another Life Fruit to his mouth.

Feeling the abundant life energy surging through his body and the lightness and strength in his muscles,

Yan Cang couldn't help but glance at the Attribute Panel.

[Essence: 0.99 (+0.04)]

The attribute enhancement effect was quite noticeable, and the life energy within him was still taking effect.

In just the short moment he looked at the panel, the [Essence] attribute had officially broken through 1 point.

He expected even more improvement afterward.

Satisfied, he closed the Attribute Panel.

"Sister Qiao was being modest—what weak effect? This effect is pretty obvious!"

This thought flashed through Yan Cang's mind.

If Qiao Yue knew what he was thinking at that moment, she would definitely complain—given the dozens of fruits he'd just devoured, their actual value was tens of thousands of Fate Points. Of course, the effect would be significant!

Looking at the remaining dozen or so Life Fruits, Yan Cang stretched, and his talent, "As You Wish Body," naturally activated.

His slightly bulging stomach flattened, though the life energy within him remained overflowing.

"I'll save the rest of the fruit for dessert. Time to eat my main meal now!"

With that thought, Yan Cang mentally tapped into the Food Zone and placed an order at that Anhui cuisine restaurant.

Then, he retrieved today's lunch from his Fate Net Space.

One by one, he opened the meal boxes, and the steaming, rich aroma immediately filled the air.

Anhui cuisine was known for its mountain and sea delicacies, braised and stewed dishes, with heavy oil and rich color.

The dishes, needless to say, were naturally abundant.

There were classic and famous items like stinky mandarin fish, hairy tofu, Hu Shi's one-pot dish, and ham-braised softshell turtle...

Yan Cang spotted the large softshell turtle at a glance.

Putting on gloves, he grabbed the shell and brought it to his mouth. The gelatinous edges, rich with collagen, made him squint with satisfaction.

Soft, sticky, and smooth, with a slight chewiness that clung to his lips.

The flavor was incredibly fragrant!

Unlike the satisfaction brought by Life Fruit, this kind of taste bud pleasure was also a delight.

As he savored the food, he glanced at the Fate Net Forum.

Now, with his Spirit attribute at over two points, it wasn't enough to let him multitask perfectly, controlling sword energy to precisely kill creatures in the forest like before.

But handling two things at once was still a breeze.

At that moment.

On the Fate Net Forum, discussions about using Good Fortune Coins to open chests were heating up.

After opening chests at noon, a large number of users were sharing their hauls.

"Auspicious Fortune Coin, Black Iron Chest, got a decent woodcutter's knife. Just what I needed, not bad, not bad!"

"Auspicious Fortune Coin, Bronze Chest, got a Refined Iron Long Axe. The same item on the Trading House costs over five hundred Fate Points. Huge profit!"

"Constant Fortune Coin, Black Iron Chest, but I got a set of clothes. Not a Bronze Chest, but I was just short of a change of clothes. Satisfied!"

"Constant Fortune Coin, Black Iron Chest, got three packs of instant noodles! Hahaha, finally I can eat some noodles."

Unlike the sporadic lucky posts from a few days ago, today's forum had turned into a massive treasure-showing event.

And it was clear that most people had indeed gotten what they needed.

On the Trading House, prices for various supplies dropped accordingly.

Items like meat, tools, and clothing, which had been painfully expensive before, were now much more affordable.

Some who usually hesitated to spend were taking advantage of the low prices to stock up, treating themselves to a decent meal.

"Finally willing to buy meat, so touching."

"Bought a small hammer today for just over thirty Fate Points! I saw the same model for over a hundred before!"

"Prices dropping is great, feels like my standard of living just shot up."

"Good Fortune Coins are amazing. From now on, I'll exchange for at least one Constant Fortune Coin every day. Can't lose on that."

Amid the lively discussions, Yan Cang opened the class group for the first time in a while.

As soon as he entered, a tempting picture caught his eye:

Three dishes and a soup, a mix of meat and vegetables, looking well-prepared—clearly carefully cooked.

A classmate: "Hehe, today's lunch! Three dishes and a soup, went all out!"

The group was quickly flooded with replies:

"Damn! Big shot!"

"Let me cling to your leg!"

"How many Fate Points did this meal cost? Looks so good!"

The poster humbly replied, "Oh, it's nothing, just barely caught up to Yan Cang's level from a few days ago."

Seeing this message, Yan Cang couldn't help but look down at the large table of State Banquet-level lunch in front of him, full of color, aroma, and taste.

After confirming, it was far from catching up.

But he didn't want to spoil the mood, so he went along with the vibe and typed in the group: "Impressive, big shot!"

The group immediately erupted in mutual praise like "You're amazing too" and "You're all big shots," creating a light and cheerful atmosphere.

At the same time, that classmate seemed to think it wasn't enough and excitedly posted on the forum:

"A Simple Lunch, with Picture."

The post was exactly the same as the one in the class group, and the attached image was the same photo of three dishes and a soup.

Soon, the comments section became lively:

"This is simple???"

"Prices have dropped, but this meal must have cost at least a few dozen Fate Points, right?"

"OP is rich!"

The classmate smugly replied, "This is just catching up to what one of my classmates was eating a few days ago. How is that not simple?"

Someone in the comments questioned, "A few days ago? Prices hadn't dropped yet then, had they? Is your classmate that wealthy?"

"Bragging, right?"

"Impossible. A meal like that a few days ago would have cost at least two or three hundred Fate Points."

"Definitely impossible! Spending hundreds of Fate Points on one meal? Who does he think he is?"

The classmate had only posted on a whim, and seeing the comments full of skepticism, he couldn't be bothered to respond.

If nothing unexpected happened, the post would quickly sink into obscurity.

However, over half an hour later, Guo Xiaolin from the official Information Team found the post.

Sensing its value, he asked curiously:

"OP, what's your classmate's name?"

When his comment went unanswered for a while, Guo Xiaolin directly sent a private message to the poster to inquire.

Only then did he get a reply:

"You probably won't believe this, but my classmate has the same name as the Chief!"

Guo Xiaolin's pupils contracted: "Is it possible that your classmate... is actually the Chief himself?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! There are so many people with the same name online!"

"My classmate grew up in an orphanage. He probably learned some hunting skills, so he was eating roasted rabbit on the first day in the Trial Ground. It's only natural he ate even better later on!"

Natural? How was any of this natural?

Which orphanage teaches people hunting?

Besides, the Yan surname is so rare that very few people are actually named that.

The reason there are so many people with the same name on the Fate Net is almost entirely due to impersonation.

They wouldn't dare impersonate the Chief himself, but plenty of people pretend to be his friends or relatives to gain attention.

Guo Xiaolin deeply despised these liars who greatly increased his workload.

However, there was no need to explain to this former student the fact that people with the same name were extremely rare.

"This time, it shouldn't be an impersonation!"

Guo Xiaolin thought with some surprise, ready to report directly to his team.

But the next moment, the thought inexplicably faded away.