Back inside the vehicle, Su Shuang’er leaned against the back seat, her brow remaining furrowed.
The words spoken by the Traveling Merchant had left her deeply worried.
The Price of Luck.
She obtained high-quality items every time she used the gacha. What kind of price would such extraordinary luck eventually demand?
‘Will it end up harming Little White Night…’
White Night was also contemplating this issue.
The two of them sat with their own concerns, and the silence inside the carriage became somewhat stifling.
Mu Yingying looked back at Su Shuang’er on her left and then at White Night on her right. Both of them wore identical expressions of misery.
She leaned over, raised her hand, and slapped White Night’s back seat with a bit of force.
Slap slap.
White Night jolted from the impact.
“Auntie Ying, what are you doing?”
“Dammit, Yingying, do you want to taste my fist?” Su Shuang’er also glared over with an unfriendly gaze.
“Of course I don’t.”
Mu Yingying leaned back into her seat and crossed her arms, her tone becoming uncharacteristically serious.
“I just want you two to stop worrying about the past and future. You’ve already used the good luck. The consequences are unknown, and you’ll find out eventually anyway. Now that you know, just don’t use it anymore. It’s as simple as that.”
She actually made sense.
The events had already occurred, and no amount of thinking would provide a clear answer.
The two remained silent for a moment before nodding in unison.
“I’ll listen to Auntie Ying,” White Night said softly.
“It’s rare for you to speak like a human being.” Su Shuang’er’s words were sharp, but her brow finally relaxed a little.
“What do you mean ‘rare’? When do I ever not speak like a human?”
“Are you really that oblivious?”
“In my heart, there’s only you two—the big-butt Su Shuang’er and the little bike White Night.”
“Shut up!”
At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the window.
Wang Ziming was walking toward them.
The injury on his forehead from where he had kowtowed remained untreated. The bloodstains left by the gravel embedded in his skin had already dried, forming dark red scabs.
Mu Yingying and Su Shuang’er were somewhat surprised to see him in this state. They hadn’t expected someone like Wang Ziming to have such moments.
He walked to the window and knocked.
Mu Yingying rolled down the window but didn’t speak, waiting for him to initiate the conversation.
“Do you know the senior from just now?”
Wang Ziming’s tone was as calm as possible, but the urgency in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.
“We don’t know him.”
Mu Yingying shook her head with a casual tone.
“He just found us and chatted for a bit. Maybe he saw how beautiful our Shuang’er is and wanted to strike up a conversation.”
Su Shuang’er also shook her head.
“It was just small talk. We didn’t buy any of his goods.”
Wang Ziming’s gaze lingered on their faces for a few seconds as if he were judging their honesty.
Naturally, he didn’t believe them.
An existence capable of Shrinking Distance wouldn’t just engage in “small talk” with them for no reason. They definitely had secrets.
But if they wouldn’t talk, there was nothing he could do. Now was not the time to drop all pretenses and turn hostile.
“If you encounter such an expert again, please allow me to meet him as well.”
When he spoke, his tone was very low, bordering on a plea.
Ever since the Weird Apocalypse descended, resurrecting his lover had become his obsession. Since Weirdness existed and miraculous Awakened Abilities existed, then his lover could surely be brought back to life. He simply lacked the current ability and power to do so.
“Fine,” Mu Yingying and Su Shuang’er both nodded.
“It’s getting late, and we need to rest.” Mu Yingying didn’t want to waste more words on Wang Ziming. “You should also do your best to find the Weirdness hidden in the convoy.”
“Alright.”
Wang Ziming nodded and turned to leave.
As his footsteps faded into the distance, both parties had said “alright,” yet neither had any sincere intention of following through on the other’s request. It was a mutual understanding of hollow pleasantries.
Mu Yingying watched Wang Ziming’s departing back and lowered her voice.
“We need to break away from this convoy soon. This guy wants to resurrect the dead; his mind is too far gone. When a madman loses it, he’ll do anything. He’s more dangerous than before.”
“Mhm.” Su Shuang’er agreed.
White Night felt the same way. A person who would strike at anyone to fulfill an obsession was far more terrifying than a pure egoist.
“We definitely need to stay away from him.”
As White Night spoke, she thought about the Ghost Crystals in her possession again.
‘I obtained quite a few Ghost Crystals this time. Maybe after upgrading, I’ll gain the ability to discern safe directions. Then I won’t have to rely on Wang Ziming anymore.’
White Night summoned the System panel in her mind.
Eighty-eight Ghost Crystals. The quality of those given by the Traveling Merchant was excellent, with a conversion rate of one to three.
This meant the 88 Ghost Crystals converted into a total of 264 RV Points.
Looking at this number, White Night’s very soul seemed to glow. This was the largest sum of Points she had ever possessed.
She didn’t rush to spend them but issued a command to the System in her mind.
‘I need a route exploration function.’
[Exploration functions require an RV upgrade.]
‘Then search for the RV upgrade path and give me the optimal plan.’
The System was silent for two seconds before a long panel popped up.
[RV System Upgrade Path Investigation — Current Level: Level 1 (Rusty Bicycle)]
[Recommended Cost-Effective Upgrade Plan — Level 2 RV System Upgrade: Carbon Fiber Bicycle. Cost: 180 Points.]
[Upgrade Content: Frame material replaced with high-strength carbon fiber composite material. Weight reduced by 40%, strength increased by 300%. Entire vehicle refurbished. Tires upgraded to puncture-proof solid tires. Chain upgraded to a maintenance-free chain. Bonus functional component: Compass Navigator × 1.]
‘So expensive…’
According to the normal drop rate and conversion ratio of Ghost Crystals, how many Weirdnesses would she have to kill to save up enough? Currently, she only had 264 Points in total, barely covering the cost.
Fortunately, the quality of the crystals from the Traveling Merchant was superb. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to afford the Level 2 upgrade.
White Night sighed, accepting reality. She had to take it one step at a time, upgrading the vehicle level by level.
She would secure Level 2 first.
She selected the Level 2 upgrade plan and confirmed.
A faint light emanated from the vehicle body, lasting for about fifteen seconds.
Once the light dissipated, the original rusty, mottled old bicycle had vanished. In its place stood a brand-new bicycle with sleek lines and a completely black finish.
The carbon fiber frame gave off a low-profile matte texture under the moonlight. It felt cold and smooth to the touch, like a piece of polished obsidian.
The tires had been replaced with thick, puncture-proof solid tires with deep treads, showing significantly better grip than before.
The chain was sealed within a streamlined guard, moving silently.
In the center of the handlebars, a delicate, small compass had appeared.
The brass surface of the compass was engraved with fine scales. The needle was spinning gently, seemingly sensing something.
[Compass Navigator: Can detect Weirdness energy fluctuations. The direction the needle deviates toward is the direction of the danger source. When there is no danger nearby, the needle will automatically point toward the nearest safe zone.]
Seeing this functional description, White Night felt much more secure. With this, they no longer had to rely on Wang Ziming to determine their direction.
After the upgrade, eighty-four Points remained. She had to use them sparingly.
The moment the upgrade was completed, Su Shuang’er and Mu Yingying both felt the change.
Su Shuang’er’s hand, which had been resting on the seat, suddenly felt a completely different texture. It was no longer the rough, peeling old cushion from before, but a smooth, firm, brand-new material. The tactile sensation was so good that she subconsciously stroked it twice.
Mu Yingying was more direct. She leaned over to inspect it up and down, her eyes widening more and more.
“Holy crap.”
She circled White Night, flicking the carbon fiber frame with her finger, which produced a crisp sound.
“Little White Night… have you undergone a complete transformation?”
White Night nodded.
“Yes. A Level 2 System upgrade. Carbon fiber material—lighter, harder, and stronger.”
“It also added a compass that can detect dangerous directions and safe zones.”
“A compass?” Su Shuang’er’s attention was immediately drawn to it. She leaned in to look at the exquisite small disc on the handlebars. “Does that mean we can distinguish directions on our own from now on?”
“Yes. We don’t have to follow Wang Ziming anymore.”
Su Shuang’er and Mu Yingying looked at each other, their eyes reflecting the same thought: they could finally escape.
“But…”
“I thought the bicycle would turn into a motorcycle. In the end, it’s just the old little car turning into… a new little car?”
White Night: “…”
“Even if it’s still a little car, it’s small and cute. This carbon fiber texture is actually pretty nice.” Mu Yingying squatted down and touched the frame again. Then she stood up, clapped her hands, and looked at White Night with a beaming smile. “Auntie loves riding little cars too.”
She hopped out of the vehicle, led the bicycle down, and straddled the seat. She gripped the handlebars with both hands and wiggled her hips on the cushion to find a comfortable position.
“How about Auntie takes it for a test ride now? I’ll take Little White Night for a spin and see how smooth she is.”
White Night’s soul instantly flushed a bright pink.
“Auntie Ying, can you please use normal words?”
“What’s not normal about ‘smooth’? I’m talking about whether the riding experience is smooth or not. What were you thinking, Little White Night?”
“I wasn’t thinking about anything.”
“Your face is red.”
“Soul bodies don’t blush.”
“Then why did you turn pink?”
“…That’s just the lighting from the Red Moon.”
Su Shuang’er leaned against the car, watching the scene as her face darkened.
“Dammit, Yingying, don’t go riding in the middle of the night. Wait until tomorrow.”
“Fine, fine. Boss Shuang’er is the bossiest of them all.”
Mu Yingying jumped off the bike and patted White Night’s back seat with a look of reluctance.