Chapter 7

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Next, he looked at close-combat weapons. Chu Ge had a hard time deciding which weapons to choose because he did not have much experience with melee weapons, and he also did not know which type of weapon was suitable for him.

Then he decided, why not get more weapons instead? It would be easier if he tried every weapon to find what was suitable and comfortable for him. Hence, he started browsing the website and soon decided on eight or nine weapons.

The katana, saber, Tang sword, ring pommel sword, spear, and all dagger looked pretty good, so Chu Ge was considering whether to buy them all.

However, after taking a closer look, Chu Ge found a problem. The weapons that could be purchased online were all not sharpened. That was a bit of an issue.

Chu Ge had no time to sharpen the weapons himself. At last, he could only contact a sword factory to put in his request for a sharpened sword. He had finally purchased a sharpened sword and even bought five types of weapons from them.

They were:

A one-handed Tang sword made of well-tempered steel, weighing 1.5 kg, was 85 cm long, and cost $3,900.

A double-handed zanbato made of high-carbon steel, weighing 2.3 kg, was 113 cm long, and cost $4,600.

A hunter knife made of pattern-welded steel, weighing weighed 0.6 kg, was 38 cm long, and cost $1,980.

A close combat battle-ax that cost $699.

A detachable spear that cost $890.

Next, Chu Ge looked at the bow options. Chu Ge had some knowledge of bows because he had gotten hooked on archery. He had spent nearly a year of his time on the bow, although he had given up in the end, his archery foundation was still there. His hit percentage within the 30-meter range was around 80%. As for which ring target he could hit, that would be based on pure luck. Besides, Chu Ge only had experience with a fixed target. He had never shot at a moving target.

However, because the Kobolds were not very active or quick, in a way, they could be considered a fixed target. So, Chu Ge was somewhat confident in his archery skills.

There were many types of bow—longbow, recurve bow, compound bow, and traditional bow. Looking at the options, Chu Ge was undecided with which bow he would choose.

When he had gotten into archery, he was only doing it out of curiosity, so he did not invest in a good bow. The bow he had bought then, was the cheapest 36-pound longbow on the market. It had cost him only about $200. Adding on the target, arrows, and additional equipment, he had forked out a total of about $700. It couldn’t be helped, because it was only a hobby. He didn’t want to spend too much on it.

However, there was no need to skimp and save this time. With his previous experience and considering the differences between each bow, Chu Ge finally decided on a $1,599 40-pound hunter recurve bow that’s used for training and a 60-pound modern compound bow with a night scope that cost $6,688.

Besides, he also added on trilobate arrowheads and arrow shafts that were used for hunting, as well as finger protectors and other equipment. The bow and arrow purchase had set him back a total of close to ten grand.

Chu Ge mentally calculated. Some $20,000 he got from selling the gold nugget had been primarily spent already. But it did not matter. As long as he was well equipped when entering the Instance Dungeon, money would no longer be an issue in the future.

Now, all he needed to do was wait. If he had the means, Chu Ge also wanted to train in the melee weapon arts. But there were just too few people who knew how to fight with such weapons. It was just too much of a hassle trying to find someone to learn from. Also, Chu Ge was very anxious to make progress with the Instance Dungeon now. With a treasure trove dangling in front of him, it was very unrealistic for Chu Ge to spend ten days to half a month learning how to fight.

So, while waiting for his equipment, he took the opportunity to look at videos online. He practiced moving along with the movements on the videos and also did some basic bodybuilding.

He went to explore the Multi-universe Instance Dungeon System again.

The Multi-universe Instance Dungeon had a system similar to artificial intelligence (AI). It could provide simple answers to questions, and based on the information he gathered through interacting with the system these couple of days, Chu Ge got a clear idea of the system.

First, the system can create new Instance Dungeons continuously. However, there can only be one Instance Dungeon created at any time. Only when the previous Instance Dungeon has been cleared, can a new Instance Dungeon be created.

The characteristics of the Instance Dungeon created is entirely random. However, keywords could be used to adjust and pinpoint the Instance Dungeon type. For example, if ‘orc’ was input as a keyword, the Instance Dungeon created would most probably be related to orcs. If ‘magic’ was input as a keyword, then the system would likely generate an Instance Dungeon with monsters that could use magic. Furthermore, if a keyword was vague and broad, the DKP cost would be lower, and the more detailed a keyword was, the DKP cost would be higher.

For example, if the keyword used was ‘monster,’ it would only cost about 10 DKP because there would be monsters in almost all Instance Dungeons. However, if the keyword was ‘Female Orc Archer,’ then it would cost about 100 DKP because it would be hard to find an Instance Dungeon that fulfills such a requirement.

DKP, the acronym for Dungeon Kill Points, could be obtained through clearing the Instance Dungeon. Every time an Instance Dungeon is cleared, the system would calculate and reward the Adventurer some DKP based on his performance. That includes the number of Bosses killed, the time taken to clear the Instance Dungeon, and if the Adventurer had found any hidden aspects of the Instance Dungeon. All of the above would affect the amount of DKP awarded by the system.

The more he delved deeper into understanding the Multi-universe Instance Dungeon System, the more surprised Chu Ge felt. He wondered who the great person was who invented such an amazing and awesome thing. Was there really a god that existed in the universe? Or was there a higher dimension of life? What kind of experience did his uncle encounter?

However, it was impossible to get the answers to these questions now. The only thing Chu Ge could do was wait.

Finally, on the third day, the weapons and equipment that Chu Ge had ordered all arrived.

Looking at the array of swords, knives, armor, and bows laid out on the floor, Chu Ge was brimming with excitement. He picked each one up, one by one, fiddling with them with enthusiasm. He had to admit that weapons were truly a man’s best friend.

Chu Ge thought as he picked up a Tang sword. He drew the sword from its sheath. The white and brightly shining sword surface that glinted under the fluorescent light gave off cold air. Swinging it twice, the feeling of the sword was alright in his hands. At least, it was much better than the Frostmourne.

Then, he picked up the zanbato and tried swinging it. The weight of the zanbato was slightly heavier, but if he used both hands, it was still smooth to use. It felt very powerful, and he was confident that with one swing, he would be able to slice the Kobold into two.

Chu Ge tested the weapons he bought one by one. They all felt convenient and easy to use. From their appearance, it was hard for Chu Ge to judge which weapon was good or bad, or if it was suitable and easy for his use. He could only tell after trying them all out in battle.

In the end, he chose the double-handed zanbato as his main weapon. The one-handed Tang sword, accompanied by the bomb shield, would be his back-up weapon. The hunter knife would be his last defense weapon. As for the battle-ax and spear, although they had their pluses—one could be used to break past the enemy’s defense, the other could be used to attack an opponent from a safe distance—because the enemy was just a group of Kobolds, they temporarily had to wait their turn for action.

Next up was the bows. The two bows he bought recently, compared to the one Chu Ge purchased in the past, was way better. However, between the two, there were still some differences. The recurve bow used for hunting had a subpar appearance. Besides having a stronger force, and the advantage of flexibility, the recurve bow’s feel was very similar to the longbow that Chu Ge had used previously. As a whole, the bow was easy to use, and the weight was easy for a beginner to pick up and get used to.

As for the compound bow with a night scope, it was very different. The appearance was much more complicated. The metallic body of the bow had a bit of a sci-fi feel. The cam on both edges increased the power of the bow and lowered the amount of strength needed to draw the bow. Although the draw weight of the bow was 60-pounds, it was not difficult for Chu Ge to draw the bow. Undoubtedly, with weapons, you pay for what you get. Be it accuracy, power, or ease of use, the compound bow beat the recurve bow hands down. But the compound bow had its downsides too. The greatest disadvantage of the bow was that it took too long to release an arrow. Because of the complicated structure of the bow, and due to its higher draw weight, the time taken to draw and release the arrow would be longer. Since that was the case, if he needed to attack with a single arrow, he would be better to use the compound bow, and its power would be undoubtedly mind-blowing. But if he needed to attack repeatedly and fast, then he had to use the recurve bow.

Then, Chu Ge tested the defense of the bomb suit again. The defense ability of the bomb suit was much better than he had imagined. The hardened resin of the armor did not chip, even if he used a kitchen knife to hack at it. Even if he used the melee weapons he bought online, unless Chu Ge put all his strength into his attack, the armor would not be pierced through. Considering the feeble battle strength and miserable weapon of the Kobold, Chu Ge suddenly felt like he was indestructible after putting on the bomb suit.

Having equipped himself with the bomb suit, he stuck the hunter knife at his waist. On his back was the recurve bow with a quiver that contained about 50 arrows. On his hands, was the zanbato. Fully decked out in armor, Chu Ge stepped forward, heading towards and into the curtain of light of the Instance Dungeon.