Chapter 88: The Mall

Zhao Kuo had initially planned to continue upgrading his ​Super Potential Focus, but the system indicated that it couldn't be upgraded further.

This left him feeling somewhat frustrated.

The powerful effects of ​Super Potential Focus were undeniable. After upgrading it, it had repeatedly helped Zhao Kuo escape dangerous situations and played a crucial role in his growth.

Was it because he had already used an upgrade card on it, making it impossible to upgrade again?

Zhao Kuo shook his head and turned his attention to his other skills.

Aside from ​Super Potential Focus, he had three professional skills: ​Lucky Magic Missile, ​Lucky Aura, and ​Lucky Choice, as well as some auxiliary skills like ​Pet Feed Crafting, ​Yin Talisman Crafting, and ​Evolution Potion Crafting.

The skills ​Pet Feed Crafting, ​Yin Talisman Crafting, and ​Evolution Potion Crafting could be largely ignored.

After all, they were only supplementary and didn't contribute much to enhancing his combat strength.

Lucky Aura could temporarily boost his luck, but Zhao Kuo already had the ​Luck System, so increasing his luck further seemed redundant.

This left him with two options: ​Lucky Magic Missile and ​Lucky Choice.

Lucky Magic Missile was Zhao Kuo's core offensive skill, capable of dealing damage to both corpse-type and spirit-type enemies. Its application range was quite broad.

As for ​Lucky Choice, Zhao Kuo hadn't used it since it leveled up, but based on its description, it could synergize with his ​Lucky Number 6 talent, so it shouldn't be too bad.

Upgrading either skill would significantly boost his combat power.

Just then, Tang Yingying, who was sitting nearby, suddenly spoke up, "Not sure which skill to upgrade? Want me to give you some advice?"

This girl had advice to offer?

Zhao Kuo chuckled with interest, "Alright, what's your suggestion?"

Tang Yingying said, "My advice is to upgrade ​Lucky Choice. You haven't used it yet, so you might not know, but the higher the tier of a skill, the stronger it becomes. That's an unspoken rule in the subway world. While ​Lucky Magic Missile can deal damage to spirits, ​Lucky Choice can do the same. If it were me, I'd definitely choose the higher-tier skill."

"But you could also save it and use it when you reach Tier 4. The effect would be even better."

Listening to Tang Yingying's advice, Zhao Kuo nodded.

He had overlooked this point. Since he hadn't used ​Lucky Choice, he didn't have a clear comparison of its destructive power versus ​Lucky Magic Missile.

Tang Yingying's words gave him a new perspective, though he didn't pay much attention to her last sentence.

In his view, the unpredictability of the subway world didn't allow him to wait for future possibilities. If there was a way to enhance his strength now, he should take it.

He didn't want to end up dead with unused items still in his possession.

Without further hesitation, Zhao Kuo used the ​Skill Upgrade Card to upgrade ​Lucky Choice.

In an instant, it felt as if some energy had been injected into his body, and the description of ​Lucky Choice quietly changed.

[Lucky Choice: Select up to 5 + (Spirit x 10%, rounded) targets. Each target draws a card. Damage is dealt based on the card's number. If a Joker is drawn, it deals massive damage and reduces all the target's attributes by 30%.]

Looking at the upgraded ​Lucky Choice, Zhao Kuo smiled sincerely.

With his ​Spirit at 53, the 10% increase meant ​Lucky Choice now targeted 10 enemies instead of 5. Additionally, the special effect of drawing a Joker, combined with his ​Luck System, made it a lethal combo!

Not bad, not bad. Sometimes Tang Yingying's advice was quite reliable.

Feeling pleased, Zhao Kuo reached out and patted Tang Yingying's head, only to quickly retract his hand when he saw her stunned expression.

Oops, got carried away. Was his cool and aloof persona about to crumble?

Tang Yingying rolled her eyes at him and went back to reading her novel. Zhao Kuo peeked at the title and frowned.

Robinson Crusoe? Wasn't this girl into those domineering CEO romance novels? When did she start reading world classics?

But that had nothing to do with him. Zhao Kuo lay down on the recliner, ready to take a break.

Just as he was about to relax, he noticed a strange building near the tracks. It had a large screen displaying various advertisements.

On the screen were four big characters: ​Yida Plaza.

Zhao Kuo rubbed his eyes and quickly went to control the train, stopping it in front of this mysterious building.

Tang Yingying was also shocked by the sight of the mall. It looked like a completely modern shopping center. Through the glass doors, they could even see people coming and going inside.

The two exchanged a glance.

Zhao Kuo didn't act rashly. He first sent Xiao Bai and Nash to scout the surroundings and confirm there was no danger before getting off the train.

For some reason, he felt a bit nervous.

They walked up to the mall entrance, and Zhao Kuo reached out to push open the glass doors.

Instantly, the noise of the crowd hit their ears. The bright lights of the mall and the bustling crowd made Zhao Kuo feel a sense of disorientation.

It felt like they had returned to the real world.

Not just him—even Tang Yingying, a reincarnator, was breathing heavily.

"I'm going to buy some milk tea!" Tang Yingying exclaimed, rushing toward the ​Nayuki store by the entrance. But she came out almost immediately, looking crestfallen, "I forgot—I don't have any money! Waaah, subway coins aren't accepted here!"

"Is this a real-world mall?" Tang Yingying asked.

Zhao Kuo shook his head, "I don't know. Stay alert."

As soon as he finished speaking, a couple walked past them, arm in arm, and pushed open the door to leave.

Zhao Kuo turned around abruptly, only to see that outside the door wasn't the subway tunnel but the bright, clean streets of the real world!

His heart skipped a beat.

Had he returned to reality? Even though he knew it might not be real, the feeling of joy exploded in his chest like fireworks in the deep sea.

Without hesitation, Zhao Kuo pushed open the door and rushed outside.

But in front of him was still the dark subway tunnel. There was no brightness, no reality.

Behind him, Tang Yingying stared at his back in a daze. Zhao Kuo forced a bitter smile and turned around, saying to her, "See? Sometimes I'm just that naive."

Tang Yingying also forced a smile, "I had the same thought just now. I just wasn't as quick as you."

Zhao Kuo walked into the brightly lit mall. Unfortunately, the mall was fully enclosed, so he couldn't see the sun.

"The mall seems to be some kind of projection of the real world. I wonder if the things we buy here can be taken out. Let's figure out a way to get some money," Zhao Kuo said.

"Alright," Tang Yingying agreed without hesitation and summoned her puppet bunny.

Half a day later, she squatted on the ground in frustration, her cheeks puffed up as she grumbled, "Ugh, damn mobile payments!"