Chapter 16: The Big Level-Up Surprise
Chapter 16: The Big Level-Up Surprise
The Bronze Anchor leveled up.
Gao Jing had expected this, having sensed it clearly during the day.
Yet the surprise still hit him instantly and caught him completely off guard!
This wondrous object seemed reborn, just like Gao Jing himself. It shed its dull outer shell and glowed with a brand-new radiance.
Gao Jing actually saw light.
When he focused his thoughts entirely on the Bronze Anchor, his mind naturally sank into it.
He immediately discovered the changes after the anchor’s upgrade.
It now held a space inside.
An empty, borderless space that felt bounded, swirling in chaos!
As he sensed the space’s existence, the anchor silently sent some kind of message to Gao Jing.
It was indescribable—deeply mysterious!
Gao Jing’s heart skipped. He reached out and grabbed the second-hand phone lying by his pillow.
The next second, the phone instantly vanished from his hand.
It appeared inside the Copper Anchor Storage Space!
With another thought from him, the phone returned to his grasp!!
Gao Jing couldn’t help but take a deep, long breath.
He stored the phone in the Copper Anchor Space again and repeated the entire process.
He confirmed it wasn’t an illusion.
His feelings instantly exploded with excitement!
A Storage Space!!!
If Gao Jing’s nerves weren’t already tough and his mental strength greatly increased, he might’ve shouted out loud right then.
It was insanely exciting!
Forcing down his inner thrill, Gao Jing—like a big kid with a new toy—tested the storage function repeatedly.
His phone, lamp, computer, desk, and even the single bed he slept on became test objects.
So much fun.
Besides its new internal storage, the upgraded Bronze Anchor felt like shifting from a small pond to a vast, deep pool.
A thin layer of water covered the bottom of the deep pool.
Raindrops fell often, but filling this pool would clearly need way more Power of Faith.
At least ten times more!
Leveling up again wasn’t realistic yet, so Gao Jing focused on exploring the Bronze Anchor’s new power.
Through repeated tests, he found the Copper Anchor Storage Space was about 100 cubic meters.
Its shape wasn’t fixed; it changed with Gao Jing’s thoughts—stretching long, wide, or round easily.
No matter the shape, the space held the same volume and accepted any material.
But the Storage Space couldn’t hold living things.
Gao Jing just tried storing the white-faced cellar spider hiding in his closet’s corner—it had shared his space for years.
It failed.
But Gao Jing’s happiness stayed sky-high regardless.
Only when he found storing or fetching items from the Copper Anchor Space used Power of Faith did he reluctantly stop testing.
Also, the upgraded Bronze Anchor still had only 7 Silver Scales.
No more, no less.
That meant the trips Gao Jing could make to the Great World stayed unchanged.
Actually, during this time, Gao Jing had tried “charging” the anchor.
He left it under fierce sunbeams and even baked it over flames, but nothing changed.
He also considered plugging it in.
But the anchor had no plug—how could it charge?
Worried about safety risks, he gave up exploring charging methods for now.
Over the next few days, Gao Jing fully prepared for his next trip to the Great World.
Thanks to the huge marathon prize money, he paid off Huabei and his loans while upgrading his gear.
Through Uncle Fang, he bought two more Hunting Crossbows.
His old Sagittarius C Hunting Crossbow was left behind in the Great World.
These two new crossbows stayed loaded and ready inside the Copper Anchor Storage Space.
If needed, a single thought would summon either one instantly by his hand.
This was far quicker than grabbing one from his pack before, boosting his combat reaction speed massively.
Gao Jing also bought a new stab-proof vest, a military shovel, high-powered binoculars…
Scouring specialized forums, he got two cracked Mavic2 drones.
His old hiking watch was ruined, swapped for a better model.
Lastly, he filled the Copper Anchor Storage Space with vast supplies.
This let him explore the Great World way longer.
The prize money flowed like water, arming Gao Jing to the teeth!
Six mornings after the Yuncheng Summer International Marathon ended, he left for the Great World again.
“Here I go!”
Just like before, the anchor teleported Gao Jing in a blink.
But this time, his nerves were tense to breaking. He gripped a loaded Hunting Crossbow, immediately ready to shoot.
And get back home fast.
When Gao Jing arrived in the Great World, he lay in tall grass.
His old Sagittarius C Hunting Crossbow lay brushed beside him.
Thump!
A muffled blow sounded. The terrifying giant red snake crashed down from above, slamming hard onto the soil.
Its tail tip stopped just half a meter from Gao Jing!
No hesitation—Gao Jing leaped up and scrambled backward fast, putting distance between them.
Then he aimed straight at the serpent’s fallen body and squeezed the crossbow trigger.
Strike while the snake’s weak!
Thwack!
The sharp bolt shot out and struck the red snake brutally right on target.
To Gao Jing’s surprise, the crossbow bolt didn’t pierce the snake. Instead, it bounced off its scales.
Not even leaving a tiny scratch!
What was happening?
Gao Jing froze for a moment.
He immediately stored away his crossbow and pulled out a second one from his Storage Space.
This time, Gao Jing aimed for the crimson snake’s head.
Thanks to constant practice over recent weeks, he handled the crossbow expertly now. The laser sight helped too, and his shot hit the target right on mark.
This time, the metal bolt didn’t bounce back.
Its arrowhead just snapped clean off!
Gao Jing was speechless.
Last time, one bolt had seriously injured the snake. Why was it useless now?
Unyielding, he snatched up the Sagittarius C-type Hunting Crossbow dropped earlier, swiftly reloading it.
But Gao Jing didn’t fire a third bolt.
He quickly noticed the giant snake ahead had stopped moving entirely. After a few weak twitches on the ground, it fell completely still.
Dark red snake blood gushed from the bolt-pierced wound, pooling silently on the earth.
A sweet, coppery scent hung thick in the air.
Gao Jing sniffed.
His eyes locked onto the dead snake. Almost unconsciously, he wet his lips.
An overwhelming craving stirred deep within him.
Every cell in his body seemed to scream in hunger. As if enchanted, he found himself shuffling forward.
Ignoring the danger that the snake could be feigning death, Gao Jing crouched beside the carcass.
Right then, he saw it. Earlier, the bolt that delivered the lethal shot to the crimson snake had struck not its head, but a spot half a meter along its body.
A patch of dark-gold snake skin!
This skin patch was only the size of a ping-pong ball. Strangely, no scales protected it.
The realization hit Gao Jing instantly.
Killing this huge snake had been pure luck.
Panicked back then, he’d discharged his Hunting Crossbow. Miraculously, the bolt had hit the crimson snake’s one vulnerable spot!
Thinking back, the odds felt like winning a huge lottery with a cheap ticket.
Sheer, incredible luck!
Yet, relief quickly dissolved into raw desire.
After crouching for a moment, Gao Jing couldn’t resist the impulse any longer. He grabbed the bolt embedded in the serpent’s flesh and pulled it free with a hard tug.
He pressed close, shoving his mouth right against the torn open wound.
He sucked greedily, gulping mouthfuls of scalding snake blood!
Foul, cloying blood flooded his stomach. Instantly absorbed and digested, it made every cell in his body shout with joy.
It was wonderful! Exhilarating!
He couldn’t stop!!
Like a starving baby, Gao Jing lay pressed against the snake, feeding for a full ten minutes.
He only stopped when not a single drop of blood flowed.
Urp~
He let out a quiet burp.
A river of heat spread through Gao Jing’s body, flowing to every limb and organ.
A cozy, comfortable warmth enveloped him.
He stood up. The bones in his body crackled softly. Muscle fibres twitched visibly. Waves of searing heat radiated from every pore.
In that instant, Gao Jing felt a power he’d never known before!
The constant, gnawing hunger – both physical and spiritual – that had plagued him for weeks vanished completely.
Gao Jing hadn’t undergone a grand metamorphosis.
But he knew. His life’s ascension was finally, truly complete.