"The final category is Immunity Strength, which is also quite important. If your immunity is strong enough, it could prevent you from being infected by viruses in horror scenarios like a biological crisis."

Zhang Jie shared his experience with the other three, continuing, "Those are essentially the main areas for enhancement. Next is item exchange. First, I advise you two not to exchange for any items right now. Instead, use all the Reward Points you earned this time to enhance the four core attributes: Cell Vitality, Nerve Reaction Speed, Muscle Tissue Strength, and Immunity Strength. You must prioritize Nerve Reaction Speed and Muscle Tissue Strength; otherwise, given your current physical condition, another long run would completely exhaust you."

Then Zhang Jie turned to Zheng Zha, "It's your turn now. You have a B-level Subplot and 500 Reward Points. Therefore, I suggest you go ahead and exchange for a Body Mutation Enhancement. Which specific enhancement you choose is up to you. Then, you can use the remaining Reward Points partly to enhance physical attributes and partly to exchange for weapons. In short, in the upcoming horror movies, you should be the strongest among us. Ideally, you should exchange for a weapon from the Magic Legend series."

Zheng Zha nodded, "That's what I was thinking too. Because, in all the horror movies I’ve seen, the ones with the highest real possibility of death are the supernatural, unexplainable ones, like Ju-On. Your first horror movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, can also be categorized this way, Zhang Jie. So, I plan to exchange for a weapon capable of killing these kinds of ghosts, though I wonder if it will be very expensive."

Zhang Jie chuckled, "What are we waiting for? Let's go check it out now! When we get back, I'll have Na'er cook you all a delicious meal, haha, let's go."

All four of them walked toward the sphere of light in the center of the plaza with a degree of excitement. Especially for the three, this was their first time exchanging for enhancements; from this moment on, they had surpassed ordinary mortals. Zheng Zha, in particular, was slated for a much greater degree of enhancement than the others. Regardless of who it was, facing the moment of surpassing normal human limits, mere excitement was insufficient to express the elation in their hearts.

Zheng Zha stood beneath the sphere of light and calmed his mind. As he closed his eyes, he felt the familiar connection with the 'Main God,' and the exchange platform with its four major categories materialized in his mind.

"First, let's see what body enhancements are available for exchange."

With a flicker of thought, Zheng Zha swiftly browsed the auxiliary list, and all the body enhancement attributes appeared before him. He paused, selecting only the B-level and C-level body enhancements. However, even these two categories contained dozens of different enhancement options, instantly causing Zheng Zha's eyes to blur.

"Spider-Man Gene Mutation Bloodline, Rating 83 points. Suitable for horror movies requiring high agility. Skill: Spider Silk can be used in all situations. Requires one B-level horror movie Subplot and two thousand Reward Points."

"Advanced Qigong Enhancement, Rating 87 points. Suitable for horror movies requiring close combat. Skill: Advanced Inner Energy Circulation Route, which can greatly strengthen one's internal energy and temporarily boost physical capabilities significantly. Requires one B-level horror movie Subplot and two thousand five hundred Reward Points, plus Intermediate Qigong Enhancement."

"Advanced Werewolf Mutation Bloodline, Rating 88 points. Suitable for most horror movies. Skill: Werewolf Transformation allows physical metamorphosis, temporarily maximizing physical capabilities, strengthening bodily hardness and regenerative ability. As a mutated bloodline, the exchangee will not be controlled by the inherent instincts of the werewolf lineage. Requires one B-level horror movie Subplot and two thousand seven hundred Reward Points, plus Primitive Werewolf Bloodline."

"Vampire Count Mutation Bloodline, Rating 90 points. Suitable for most horror movies. Skill: Vampire Energy allows the use of certain vampire abilities; Count-level vitality is greatly increased. Life can endlessly regenerate as long as the brain and heart remain undamaged. Since it is a mutated bloodline, the exchangee will not fear sunlight, silver, etc. Requires one B-level horror movie Subplot and three thousand Reward Points, plus Vampire Viscount Mutation Bloodline."

"High Radiation Mutation Gene…" Zheng Zha finally understood Zhang Jie’s earlier amusement. These body mutation enhancements were truly bizarre; they even included werewolves and vampires, along with Qigong enhancements. Heaven knew what other strange things might appear.

Lost in thought, he suddenly had an idea and hastily checked the A-level body enhancement list. Indeed, top-tier Qigong, Werewolf Bloodline, and Vampire Bloodline enhancements were present, all requiring the corresponding enhancements from the B-level list as prerequisites.

Zheng Zha pondered for a moment and then mentally inquired, "Main God, I have a question: Can I choose two bloodlines simultaneously, or two different gene mutations at once?" After a brief wait, a voice responded, "You can, but unpredictable consequences may arise. Two different genes might result in a process of consumption or proliferation. There is a seventy-odd percent chance you will become a non-human entity."

Meaning, potentially turning into a monster? Zheng Zha nodded. He had decided on his enhancement direction. First, he converted his B-level Subplot into three C-level Subplots, keeping two C-level ones and converting one C-level into three D-levels. This way, he could perform four enhancements: one D-level exchange for Primitive Qigong Enhancement, one D-level for Vampire Baron Mutation Bloodline Enhancement, followed by one C-level for Intermediate Qigong Enhancement, and one C-level for Vampire Viscount Mutation Bloodline Enhancement. This left him with exactly one D-level Subplot exchange remaining unused.

"Primitive Qigong costs 500 Reward Points, Vampire Baron costs 800 Reward Points, Intermediate Qigong costs 1200 Reward Points, and Vampire Viscount costs 1500 Reward Points. That's—that's damn expensive."

Zheng Zha calculated: this sequence of enhancements would consume 4000 Reward Points. Good heavens, he only had 502 total Reward Points, which he’d barely scraped together by desperately completing one Subplot. This single set of upgrades would use up the vast majority. Gritting his teeth, he transmitted his enhancement intent to the 'Main God.' Instantly, he felt as if he were submerged in warm water; a comforting warmth spread through his entire body. One current of energy sank down into his lower abdomen, while another rose toward his head. Unknowingly, he grew drowsy, on the verge of falling asleep.

The three people around him, however, were stunned. Before them, a pillar of light shot down from the 'Main God,' enveloping Zheng Zha entirely. Then, Zheng Zha began to float, suspended several meters above the ground. Countless minute particles continuously streamed from the light pillar into his body. This state lasted for several minutes.

Zhang Jie shouted in disbelief, "Wife, come out and see God!" Li Xiaoyi mumbled dumbly, "He's—he's ascending again. Wait, why did I say 'again'?" Compared to the bewilderment of the two men, Zhan Lan appeared much calmer. She suddenly asked Zhang Jie, "Will our physical attribute enhancements be this dramatic?" Zhang Jie also regained his composure, "No. When you select the attribute points you want enhanced, some particles will fall onto you from the 'Main God,' and then you will clearly feel the strengthening of your body's power, speed, and so on. Seeing Zheng Zha looking this exaggerated, the body enhancement he chose must be incredibly powerful."

Several more minutes passed before Zheng Zha slowly drifted back to the ground. The three surrounding him felt a peculiar sensation when they looked at him. While Zheng Zha's appearance had always been handsome, it was an ordinary handsomeness. But now, they saw a beauty bordering on the ethereal on his face. Though not overwhelmingly obvious, they all perceived this change.

Zheng Zha finally felt the warm energy recede. He quickly checked his physical stats: Intelligence 187, Spirit 232, Cell Vitality 321, Nerve Reaction Speed 287, Muscle Tissue Strength 302, Immunity Strength 331. These statistics startled him; he hadn't expected such a massive boost from exchanging for several low-level physical enhancements. His physical attributes had nearly tripled those of an ordinary person.

He immediately checked the special skills granted by the two body enhancements: Inner Energy and Vampire Energy. Inner Energy was explained as the body's life force generated between meridians, which automatically recovers and strengthens as it circulates. As Inner Energy grows stronger, physical attributes slowly improve. Vampire Energy was explained as the unique bio-energy of the vampire race, centered around a 'Blood Core' in the brain, allowing the use of certain vampire skills.

Zheng Zha finally opened his eyes. The first thing he saw were the three people standing beside him, all looking at him with a strange expression.

"What is it? Have I changed?" Zheng Zha nervously touched his face and examined his body closely. He had feared that the inherited bloodline or genes might have turned him into a monster. Fortunately, upon inspection, he found nothing overtly abnormal, so he demanded loudly, "What are you looking at me like that for? Don't you know it's terrifying?" The three offered awkward smiles. Zhang Jie quickly asked with vigor, "How is it? How is it? Tell us what enhancement you chose! What are your current physical stats?" Zheng Zha smiled, "I converted the B-level Subplot into C-levels and D-levels, then enhanced with Primitive Qigong and Intermediate Qigong. Additionally, I chose the Vampire Mutation Bloodline enhancement, reaching the Viscount level."

He then recited his physical statistics.

The three listened, filled with envy and desire. Zhan Lan suddenly touched her forehead, "Actually, I've been pondering a question: Do you think those legendary figures—immortals, ghosts, vampires, werewolves—might have actually existed? Perhaps they are people who successfully exited this space. Maybe this space has existed since ancient times. Back then, there might not have been 'horror movies,' but there were certainly terrifying legends or scary stories. Those people would enter, complete scenarios, enhance themselves, and eventually perhaps leave."

The three men listened intently as Zhan Lan continued, "Because whether it's immortals, ghosts, or even bloodlines like vampires and werewolves, or even gods—the first generation is usually the strongest. Perhaps the very first generation to leave this space passed their power to their descendants, but subsequent generations became weaker as the power diminished. Do you think that's possible?" Li Xiaoyi suddenly asked, "Then how did this space come to be? It can even grant bloodlines like those of gods. Who is the creator of this space?" Zhan Lan waved her hand, "Perhaps a true God, perhaps some demon—who knows? The origin of this space is a mystery. Oh, right, Zheng Zha, did you gain any skills from your body enhancements?" Zheng Zha replied, "Yes, I gained Inner Energy and Vampire Energy, but I don't quite understand what they are yet. It feels like a warm mass in my lower abdomen, and when I concentrate, something feels like it's about to burst in my mind. What about you? Are your physical attributes enhanced yet?" Zhan Lan and Li Xiaoyi exchanged a smile. Li Xiaoyi suddenly leaped up almost two meters high, landing with excitement, "I feel like my body is filled with power, and everything around me looks incredibly clear. Zheng Zha, what about you?" Prompted by this, Zheng Zha realized his surroundings seemed washed clean and transparent; he could even see the key marks on the handle of the distant door. Following his impulse, he suddenly leaped up, soaring more than three meters high. Then, planting his feet upon landing, he shot forward like an arrow toward Zhang Jie and the others. He weaved through the three of them and returned to his original spot. Only Zhang Jie among the three could follow his movement with his vision.

"Amazing, truly amazing!" Zhan Lan and Li Xiaoyi sighed simultaneously. Zhang Jie, however, laughed heartily, "Excellent! Quickly test out your two skills! After all, you used Subplot exchanges for them! Right, go check out those high-tech weapons. A single D-level Subplot can get you excellent weaponry, yet you used two C-levels and two D-levels for enhancements. Your two skills must be incredibly potent."

Hearing this, Zheng Zha connected to the 'Main God' once more and began browsing the technological weapons. Indeed, there was a dazzling variety, ranging from bows, shields, and long swords to machine guns, bombs, and rocket launchers. Even more advanced items included laser swords, plasma guns, and energy cannons. Most outrageously, Zheng Zha spotted piloted combat robots, which required twenty thousand Attribute Points plus one A-level Subplot.

Better stick to something more practical. Zheng Zha carefully examined modern weaponry. Weapons with limited ammunition were very cheap—a small shoulder-mounted anti-air missile cost only fifty Reward Points. However, the infinite-ammunition version of the same weapon required two thousand Reward Points. Once a weapon became infinite-ammo, the exchange cost was at least twenty times higher than the conventional weapon, but the benefit was perpetual use without worrying about resupply.

Then Zheng Zha looked at the Magic Legend weapons. He was not unfamiliar with this category, having played similar fantasy games. Consumable items like magic scrolls only needed to be torn to be activated and were quite cheap—only about double the price of a hand grenade. A Thunder Scroll cost thirty Reward Points; an Ice Chain Scroll cost only fifty Reward Points. Most other weapons were melee types, such as a faintly glowing longsword named 'Light of Purification,' priced at one thousand Reward Points, or the 'Exorcism Peachwood Sword' at one thousand two hundred Reward Points.

Zheng Zha had indeed considered what weapon he should use. He felt that as a person's physical attributes grew stronger, their reliance on projectile technology weapons would weaken. For instance, if his physical prowess allowed him to move faster than a bullet and his muscles were tough enough to stop bullets, with strength great enough to pierce an enemy with a single finger, using a dagger would certainly be more effective than using a pistol.

Considering his persistent fear of supernatural horror scenarios, he decided to focus his weapon choice on the Magic Legend category, selecting a melee weapon capable of eliminating spirits and ghosts.

As Zheng Zha searched carefully, a ring caught his attention. Its name was Na—just one character, Na—and it was this peculiar one-character name that drew Zheng Zha in.

Its description read: A spirit artifact manufactured using Cultivation technology. It can contain approximately 1.5 cubic meters of matter. It can be activated by four types of energy: Inner Energy, True Essence, Immortal Spirit Energy, or Divine Contract Energy. Once activated, it generates an energy layer a few centimeters outside the fist, which inflicts extreme damage upon ethereal beings.

Zheng Zha’s heart skipped a beat. This was tailor-made for him: melee combat, an energy layer, and it could be activated by Inner Energy. There was an added bonus: the capacity to store 1.5 cubic meters of items, allowing him to carry extra food and medicine in case of emergencies in the horror movies.

"This is it, this is what I want, even if it's a bit expensive..." One thousand five hundred Reward Points plus one D-level Subplot. In the end, Zheng Zha retained zero D-level Subplot exchanges, leaving him feeling an inexplicable emptiness.

When he opened his eyes, an ancient-looking ring lay before him—a brass ring. Aside from a barely discernible dragon carving on its surface, the entire body of the ring had no other ornamentation or peculiarity; it looked dull and unremarkable.

The other three gathered around. Zhang Jie asked curiously, "Zheng Zha, did you exchange for something in the entertainment category? Planning to give it to that woman? Non-consumable items like that can be created directly in the house; why bother exchanging for it?"

Zheng Zha chuckled without answering. He picked up the ring and slipped it onto his right middle finger. The moment it settled, the warm mass in his lower abdomen surged, flowing through his internal meridians to the ring. He instantly felt as if the ring were physically connected to the flesh of his right hand; with just a slight thought, he could 'see' the 1.5 cubic meter space appear in his mind. This was also his first true experience in circulating and using Inner Energy—it felt as natural as a part of his body, and using it wasn't as difficult as he had imagined.

"Feel it."

Zheng Zha smiled and extended his right hand toward the three. Zhang Jie and the others exchanged strange looks before reaching out to touch his ring. They immediately recoiled as if shocked, clutching their fingers and looking at him with pained expressions.

"Is that an electric shock ring?" Zhan Lan asked curiously.

Zheng Zha touched the ring and laughed heartily, "No, this is a spirit artifact made using Cultivation technology—the technology of the ancient Chinese cultivators! It looks pretty good too. This ring is called Na, and it can hold 1.5 cubic meters of stuff! It can also attack soul forms. In other words, we are no longer helpless when facing those supernatural horror movies, haha!"

The three looked at him with a mixture of longing and envy. Zheng Zha knew that all this was the result of great luck, something anyone would be jealous of. Therefore, he immediately declared that the remaining one thousand Reward Points would be used to purchase auxiliary items like healing serums and antidotes. Since his ring could hold many small objects, all four of them could receive treatment if injured. This eased the feelings of the other three somewhat.

Zhang Jie smiled, "There’s no rush to exchange right now. Alright, bring your women, come over to my place for dinner cooked by your sister-in-law! She’s a master chef, haha! The 'Main God' has never been stingy regarding food; you can create almost anything you want in the kitchen. Let's go, let's go. Starting this afternoon, you’ll begin training with me."

"Training?" the three asked in unison, confused.

"Yes," Zhang Jie continued walking and speaking, "training. In reality, a person's attribute points constantly shift based on how much they exert themselves. From my observations, those special forces personnel who undergo super-intensive training have physical capabilities that are only slightly inferior to Zheng Zha’s—they merely lack internal energy and that infernal vampire energy. However, when it comes to their combat skills and endurance, if they were to fight Zheng Zha, it's quite possible Zheng Zha might be the one to die."

"I have been training diligently during the rest periods between these four horror films; my neural reaction speed and muscle tissue strength are continuously improving. Moreover, besides refining these two aspects of physical conditioning, you all must also master things like firearms shooting and various other skills. Rest assured, I have an enormous shooting range built in the basement of my home. For the next horror film, every single one of us must strive with everything we have."

"Not for the next horror film," Zheng Zha told himself internally, "but for survival." Regardless of the cost, he desperately wanted to live, to leave this place with the woman he cherished! To return to the real world together! Jump to