Chapter Three: Shui Linglong's Introduction

The young appraiser rolled his eyes at Shen Ce. “How should I know? I’m just an ordinary appraiser, not some master dwarf craftsman. Judging by how damaged it is, I’d say full restoration is impossible. Do you still want it appraised?”

Shen Ce’s brows furrowed slightly, his deep, dark eyes shifting with uncertainty. After a moment’s thought, however, he nodded and handed the young appraiser one hundred gold coins. After all, this was a gift from the old priest. Surely it was worth at least the appraisal fee?

The appraiser grinned, pocketed the coins, and immediately cast a mid-tier appraisal spell on the ring.

Shen Ce focused his attention on the ring, but found it unchanged. The appraiser’s heart raced—he quickly spoke up before Shen Ce could say anything. “Sorry, the appraisal failed just now, but don’t worry, a mere ring won’t stump me.”

Shen Ce felt a subtle curiosity. He was a regular customer here, and he had never seen the young appraiser fail before. Could there really be something unusual about this ring?

Wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, the appraiser tried again, casting another mid-tier appraisal spell on the ring, but it remained inert. With a guilty glance at Shen Ce, the appraiser lowered his gaze and mumbled, “Let me try it once more—think of it as me practicing my appraisal technique! We’ve known each other for so long; if it still doesn’t work, I’ll refund your one hundred coins in full.” After a pause, he added, “And if I somehow ruin the appraisal, I’ll pay you an extra hundred coins on top of that, how about it?”

In "Dominion of the Sky," all equipment has a durability stat, and unidentified items consume durability especially quickly; after three or four failed appraisals, an item might be ruined entirely.

Shen Ce’s gaze lingered on the ring. He hesitated, as if about to speak.

The young appraiser watched him nervously, afraid Shen Ce would refuse. Appraising this ring was important to him. Though he’d only tried twice, his appraisal skill experience had already increased by twenty percent—he was just a step away from advancing to a senior appraiser. If he succeeded, he’d no longer be stuck behind the counter every day. Of course, this little ambition was something he’d never reveal to Shen Ce.

“I trust you.”

The words were cold and distant, drifting past his ear. The appraiser was startled for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he studied the priest in white before him, noting the familiar, sharp lines of his profile. The appraiser shed his usual nonchalance, took a deep breath, and faced the ring with the solemnity of meeting a formidable adversary.

He cast another mid-tier appraisal spell. The shop remained silent. But two or three seconds later, a cold, jet-black light suddenly flashed atop the ring, spreading in tendrils over its surface, forming vine-like black patterns that wound across the silver band—strange and sinister to behold.

A second or two later, the glow faded at last, but the appraiser’s eyes remained riveted to the ring, his lips trembling slightly. “No level requirement?”

Shen Ce noticed the appraiser’s odd expression and grew suspicious. He was about to ask when the young man waved him off, looking weary. “You’re a cleric. Whether you use the ring or not, that’s up to you.” With that, he handed the ring back.

Ring of Souls Cursed by the Devil: Magic Amplification +10%, Mana Recovery Speed +10%, Magic Resistance +10%, Charisma +1, Luck –2, Cannot be stolen, Cannot be traded, Unique item, No level requirement, Cannot be removed once equipped.

Shen Ce was immediately drawn to the long list of attributes. It was the first time he’d seen equipment that could alter both Charisma and Luck—and could not be removed once worn. Since Charisma and Luck were hidden stats in "Dominion of the Sky," Shen Ce had no idea what his own values were.

Even so, he didn’t hesitate. He slid the ring onto the index finger of his left hand, not even considering selling it for a fortune or worrying about the –2 Luck. Honestly, this early in the game, an item with such powerful attributes could fetch a sky-high price among players. For clerics and mages who relied on magic, it was invaluable—especially the bonus to mana recovery, which Shen Ce had never seen granted by equipment before.

Suddenly, a sharp system prompt rang in his ears: “This item cannot be removed once equipped. Please consider carefully. Do you wish to equip it?”

Shen Ce didn’t hesitate. “Confirm,” he said.

Ding—Congratulations! You have successfully equipped the ‘Ring of Souls Cursed by the Devil.’ This item cannot be traded or removed.

The moment he agreed to wear the ring, Shen Ce felt a strange current flicker through his mind, vanishing so quickly he could not grasp it. He lowered his gaze, shadows gathering beneath his lashes. On a whim, he tried to pull the ring from his finger and found, as the description promised, it could not be removed.

For some reason, Shen Ce felt something was off as soon as the ring was on his hand. Was it the –2 Luck? He hadn’t time to ponder when a series of rapid “thump-thump-thump” sounds came from his message panel.

Your friend [Water Luster] requests a private chat: “Zero, I’ve sold that batch of equipment from last time, and the prices were good. As for the skill book you wanted, the player who bought the helmet has one and is willing to sell, but he’d like to meet you. Are you interested?”

Shen Ce pressed his lips together. It was the first time he’d heard of someone wanting to meet the source of an item, but he’d been searching for that skill book for ages with no luck. His thoughts shifted, and he quickly replied, “Agreed.”

[Water Luster]: “Zero, are you free now? That player hasn’t gone far. I can arrange for you to meet at the Treasure Pavilion in half an hour, and I’ll give you the money from the equipment sale then.”

Shen Ce sent a quick “Okay,” then closed the message panel. The Treasure Pavilion was a shop that he and Water Luster co-owned. Outwardly, Water Luster managed everything, and almost no one knew that Shen Ce held a fifty percent stake.

In "Dominion of the Sky," Shen Ce’s character was called “Zero.” He and Water Luster weren’t friends in real life; they’d met in their previous game "Quest for Immortality" two years before, and, since money was involved, both knew each other well.

As a professional player, selling gear for profit was routine, but Shen Ce disliked unnecessary interaction. At first, he used the black market, though its 10% transaction fee made the process less profitable. After meeting Water Luster, he entrusted her with all his sales, from which she took a 5% cut. Water Luster seemed to have a vast network, always securing better-than-expected prices, and her reputation was impeccable. She also respected Shen Ce’s wishes, and their partnership continued smoothly.

When Shen Ce announced he was quitting "Quest for Immortality" for "Dominion of the Sky," Water Luster checked out the new game and, impressed by its 98% realism, joined immediately. She’d managed to sell Shen Ce’s top-tier Taoist set from the previous game for a fortune, a fifth of which went to buying an advanced nutrient pod for "Dominion of the Sky." In the end, Shen Ce pocketed 400,000 Huaguo credits—a substantial sum.

Closing the message, Shen Ce headed toward the Treasure Pavilion on the east side of Ling Shui City. The moment he entered, he saw a beautiful human woman with a gentle, charming smile. She had the classic features of Eastern beauty, wore a flowing teal gown, and her figure was graceful and slender—this was Water Luster. What surprised Shen Ce most was that, aside from her attire and hairstyle, she looked almost exactly as she had in "Quest for Immortality." He wondered if she looked the same in real life. Most people didn’t use their real appearance in games; Shen Ce himself had chosen a 20% facial alteration in "Dominion of the Sky," and hadn’t recognized himself at first.

At that moment, Water Luster noticed Shen Ce. Her enchanting eyes brightened, and she greeted him with a warm, alluring smile. “Zero, you’re here! Let me introduce someone—this is Han Qisha.”

As soon as he heard the name “Qisha,” Shen Ce felt a sense of foreboding. Behind Water Luster, someone slowly raised his head.