Chapter 112: The Deep Sea Compass

The snow had stopped.

The morning sun rose from the east, casting its light over the snow-covered city.

After waking, Chen Qi snapped his fingers and changed the “weather background” inside the Traveler’s Box, softening the light a bit.

A snowy day backdrop.

Then Chen Qi looked around the cluttered space—piles of materials, books, and food were scattered on the floor, all unorganized.

“It’s time to tidy up.”

He tapped his cheeks to refresh himself.

After confirming there was nothing urgent in the New Day game or forum, he fetched some wooden boxes and bookshelves to place inside the Traveler’s Box.

Chen Qi sorted items into five categories: equipment, potions, materials, books, and others, then subdivided them further.

Finally, he placed each item carefully in its designated spot.

He gently arranged the potion bottles on the shelves.

True to its name, the Traveler’s Box was a specially crafted space for travelers, warm and comfortable within.

All items inside the box could be summoned to Earth with a single thought.

Soon after...

Chen Qi finished tidying and surveyed the interior of his Traveler’s Box.

The bookshelves and boxes were neatly arranged, with a floating book hovering in the center. Beside it stood his rocking chair for rest.

Though much tidier now, the space still lacked the feeling of home.

If he planned to travel to other parts of the world, he would live inside the Traveler’s Box and could spend time decorating it.

After some thought, Chen Qi set about gathering furniture.

Chairs, a desk, and a single bed.

He placed a black pet house beside his desk, made cozy with various soft cushions.

“It could be livelier.”

He then summoned his little donkey into the Traveler’s Box to add some vitality to his small home.

The little donkey looked around the room in surprise—so comfortable here—but upon seeing the sleeping Shadow Fox, it quickly hid behind Chen Qi.

With the Traveler’s Box, the little donkey could almost retire.

After arranging the furniture, the Traveler’s Box now exuded a warm, homely atmosphere.

And this home could move anywhere—no longer confined underground! It could be relocated anytime!

“Not bad.”

Chen Qi clapped his hands with satisfaction, admiring his new home with a sense of accomplishment.

Then, he softly called out:

“Little Fox.”

The Shadow Fox wagged its tail, opened its sleepy eyes, and hopped up eagerly:

“Master, at your service!”

Chen Qi took out the “Shadow Cannon Learning Scroll” and slowly unfurled it.

The scroll floated in the air, the text shimmering as it drifted before the little Shadow Fox.

The fox stepped back slightly, startled by the floating scroll.

Chen Qi reassured it:

“Little Fox, don’t be afraid. This is a learning scroll—it will help you become stronger!”

Stronger... The Shadow Fox blinked its big eyes. As the bloodline of the Great Calamity Beast, beyond its beloved master, food, and travel, what it desired most was power and growth!

In its mind, the majestic figure of the “Shadow King,” its birthplace, appeared. The fox longed to one day become as mighty as the Shadow King.

Under Chen Qi’s guidance, the little Shadow Fox carefully reached out its paw to touch the scroll.

Upon contact, some characters appeared on its paw, and the fox opened its mouth wide, feeling the power of knowledge!

The Shadow Fox wagged its fluffy tail excitedly:

“Master, this scroll holds mysterious power!”

“Yes, it will help you learn a new shadow technique.”

This type of scroll was specially developed by players in District 6 of New City. It floated beside pets, assisting them in learning new skills.

Chen Qi fed the Shadow Fox some shadow-related items:

“Keep it up, Little Fox. I’m stepping out for a while. If you feel tired, you can play with the little donkey.”

“Okay.”

The little Shadow Fox wagged its tail, eating while practicing the new skill.

The little donkey watched Chen Qi leave with reluctant eyes, then glanced nervously at the fox, trembling as it silently lay down.

...

Chen Qi stepped out of the Traveler’s Box and walked to the window, gazing into the distance.

Outside, the snow had stopped; snowplows cleared the streets.

At that moment, a message popped up on the forum.

Chen Qi looked at his phone excitedly—his points had arrived.

Time to act!

Without hesitation, he opened the forum and entered the exchange interface.

On the forum, rewards were divided into multiple tiers.

With the public beta underway, many top-tier players had added premium items to the exchange forum.

His points were enough to redeem an item from the highest tier, with some points left over.

Seabird had mentioned that a top-tier player investigator had also put an item up for exchange.

Chen Qi flipped through the pages until one item caught his attention.

Each item showed equipment requirements and a basic description.

[Deep Sea Compass]

[Equipment Requirements: Shadow attribute ≥ 5 points, Inspiration > 30, Level 10 or above]

[Description: The compass once used by a captain of the Lightless Sea. In the end, even when all crew had vanished, this compass still guided the ship home.

Effect: When equipped, your spiritual vision is enhanced (does not stack with other equipment).

You will see more detailed information on your status panel and can view enemy panels up to level 10.

When at sea, the compass points you toward land.]

This was an item only wearable by shadow attribute players.

Enhanced spiritual vision, more detailed panel info, and the ability to view enemy panels up to level 10!

Chen Qi examined these three effects—these were very useful.

He wondered just how detailed the additional information might be.

He quickly checked other highest-tier attribute-specific items.

Most of the blade attribute exclusive tools were weapons, but none seemed better than the Debt Collector’s Longsword.

Though lacking flashy skills, the longsword was solid and reliable—a quietly powerful tool.

Among these items, the Deep Sea Compass was quite a remarkable treasure.

After much thought, Chen Qi decided to purchase the Deep Sea Compass.

Redemption successful!

These items were confidentially delivered by the White Dove Inn and should arrive in a few days.

Next, Chen Qi entered the internal forum of the Beasts Guild.

This internal forum specialized in pet-exclusive items, which were much more expensive on the public forum.

Chen Qi noted how, as players progressed, they formed their own systems and exclusive forums.

He used his remaining points to buy two pet learning scrolls: one increased the Shadow Fox’s inspiration and taught it Danger Perception to sense surrounding killing intent.

The other increased agility and taught the fox a sprinting skill.

He also purchased two bottles of pet-specific inspiration potions to speed up the fox’s learning.

Chen Qi rubbed his hands together, using up all his points just perfectly.

The deliveries should arrive by afternoon.

Then he opened the New Day Game mutual assistance chat group.

Chen Qi wanted to gather information on the Textile Train—the invitation shouldn’t go to waste.

He scanned the group members.

Surprisingly, there was someone named “Space Investigator” in the chat!

But like him, this person was an ultimate diver who, in Chen Qi’s memory, had never spoken, so he had never noticed them.

Chen Qi tried adding them as a friend but received no response.

The New Day Game help chat was alive with talk about newcomers.

Ten new players had joined the group recently.

Calamity Diviner: “Why, why is it that when I finally muster the courage to post a recruitment thread on the forum, no one responds? I can do free divinations, which is much better than the heavy equipment from the God Guild. As expected, a slack guild attracts no one.”

Fishing Guy: “Calamity Diviner, recruiting requires skill. Your post is wrong. You should write: ‘All who join will receive a divination of their future fate.’”

Calamity Diviner: “Thanks for the advice, but divining fate drains my life force too much.”

Fishing Guy: “Shocked.jpg—you really can divine fate?”

Calamity Diviner: “No, I’m just fishing for you.”

“...”

Chen Qi looked at the group; the New Day Game chat was still full of cheerful energy.

Watchdog: “Brothers, ever since revealing my player identity, my followers have increased tenfold. Thanks to my efforts in-game, I’ve changed jobs and gotten a super-strong weapon with a 100-meter range. I’m no longer just a watchdog!”

Gem Girl: “You’re so bold. I just changed jobs too. What’s your new class?”

Watchdog: “What’s to fear! I’m now a Great Hound! Not a little puppy, but a Great Hound!”

Gem Girl: “Still a dog? Watchdog, does this profession really have a future?”

Watchdog: “I can tell you it does. Many newcomers are impressed by my looks and muscles.”

“...”

With the public test heating up, chat activity increased noticeably.

Chen Qi typed:

Night Wanderer: “Long time no see, everyone. Does anyone know about special dungeons in the Dim Light Region? I have some questions.”

Watchdog: “Night Wanderer, long time no see! How’s your progress with Scourge Messenger? By the way, Scourge Messenger still hasn’t accepted my friend request.”

As fellow newcomers, Watchdog was curious about their level. The more he played, the more he realized his start was unusual.

Night Wanderer: “Hmm... my progress is okay.”

Scourge Messenger: “Curious.jpg—how okay?”

Gem Girl: “Elaborate.”

Chen Qi paused—he had just stumbled upon a diver named “Scourge Messenger.”

Night Wanderer: “Pretty okay. Someone here probably knows about the Dim Light Region.”

The Dim Light Region was a broad term for the thinly lit ring outside New City’s core.

Any player not born in the inner city would be familiar with the Dim Light Region.

Gem Girl: “Dungeon info in the Dim Light Region? Only shadow attribute players like to explore there. Try asking that diving world investigator—I remember he loves wandering those places—or maybe the Windrunner. Hmm... both are divers.”

“...”

Chen Qi was stunned. He had joined this group because he couldn’t contact that top-tier investigator.

Luo Qing: “I’m quite familiar with it. What do you want to ask?”

The knowledgeable deputy group leader?

Having played a while, Chen Qi knew some small game strategies, though they might overlap.

Night Wanderer: “I do know some strategies, but they may be repetitive.”

Luo Qing: “That’s fine. Repetition is normal. Knowledge exchange rarely matches perfectly. Our last trade wasn’t equal either. Consider this compensation.”

...

Chen Qi thought it over—indeed, he could trade some knowledge.

He typed, offering some common tips in exchange for the Textile Train strategy.

Luo Qing immediately sent a document.

The document was titled “Investigator’s Organized Textile Train Strategy.”

Another investigator! This one seemed to focus on exploring the Dim Light Region.

Chen Qi was surprised; this was the document from that investigator.

Most likely, the investigator had exchanged this document with Luo Qing.

Luo Qing: “This is a player-composed strategy. It should be useful.”

This strategy was probably Luo Qing’s trade with the investigator.

Chen Qi clicked his tongue—such is the power of knowledge middlemen...

But getting it so simply was still good.

According to Seabird, trading with investigators for strategies cost a lot and required signing a Spirit Contract.

Chen Qi exhaled and returned to his Traveler’s Box, opening the investigator’s Textile Train strategy.

(End of chapter)