"A science fiction weapon?"
Bu Shiyi entered some inputs into the weapon system. In the next instant, countless lines of information flooded the display, illuminating her face in the soft glow of text and diagrams.
She blinked, confused.
Most of the names meant nothing to her. Strange symbols, alien terms—none of it resembled the spiritual weapons she was familiar with.
And yet… something about them stirred a strange sense of awe and familiarity.
After a moment's hesitation, Bu Shiyi tapped on the weapon ranked at the very top.
Railgun.
"Activate Mirror Challenge," she said quietly, taking a deep breath.
A mechanical voice responded, calm and emotionless.
"Mirror Challenge initiated. Please prepare."
Before her, an image shimmered into existence—a perfect mirror copy of herself, calm and composed.
Following the tutorial from the weapon store, Bu Shiyi pressed the red activation button in her hand.
Then, something extraordinary happened.
Above her, in the air, a device of gleaming silver-white metal slowly materialized. At its front was a long, hollow barrel, connected to a massive dark blue crystal via a network of gleaming tubes.
The crystal pulsed—softly at first, then with increasing intensity. The energy gathering within it was terrifying, radiating a presence that seemed to warp the very space around it.
Bu Shiyi's pupils shrank.
This energy... I wouldn't survive even a graze!
A thin blue beam erupted from the barrel.
It shot forward with a silent brilliance, slicing through the air, and struck the mirror image squarely.
There was no explosion. No rumble. Just destruction.
The mirror image disintegrated instantly. The surrounding space rippled and shattered, as if the laws that governed this illusory world had been torn apart, unable to bear the sheer force.
And then… it hit her too.
Though it was only the aftershock, it was enough. Bu Shiyi's consciousness flickered out, her figure collapsing like shattered glass.
The arena wasn't like the weapon store's reinforced simulation space. It didn't suppress power output.
The railgun's strength came through at full force—undiluted and absolute.
Moments later, Bu Shiyi's form re-materialized.
Her eyes were wide, shimmering with disbelief and shock.
"That power..." she murmured. "That was... devastating."
She stood there for a long moment, then slowly opened the weapon store again.
A spark of excitement danced in her gaze.
So many weapons. So much destructive potential... and none of them require spiritual energy?
Why hadn't I discovered this earlier?
She remembered now—the Weapon Mall within the Tower of Trials always seemed filled with spiritual weapons, which felt completely logical for life on the Azure Continent.
But this...
This was something else entirely.
Weapons that worked without any spiritual power.
What if these were introduced into the real world? What would happen to the balance of power?
For the rest of the three-hour session in the virtual device, Bu Shiyi immersed herself in testing weapon after weapon. Plasma cannons, gauss rifles, electromagnetic blades...
Each one shattered her understanding of combat.
Her worldview—once limited to colored glazed swords and spiritual talismans—was being utterly redefined.
And with it, a question kept echoing in her mind:
"How do these weapons function without spiritual power?"
It was her first true glimpse into what Luo Chuan had once casually referred to as technology.
And now, that word wasn't just a curiosity.
It had become a seed of transformation.
A seed that had been dormant.
Until now.
Later that day, a familiar group of mercenaries arrived at Origin Mall.
Wei Qingzhu, Zhou Hu, and the rest stepped through the doors, glancing around expectantly. Clearly, they were among the many who visited daily just to check if the store had reopened.
Their timing was impeccable.
As soon as they entered, Wei Qingzhu spotted Luo Chuan and immediately stormed over, his tone a strange blend of complaint and celebration.
"Boss! You finally opened the shop!"
He looked genuinely frustrated—but also overjoyed.
"Do you have any idea how long we've been standing outside for days without a single notice? You just vanished!"
Luo Chuan gave him a faint, nonchalant smile. "Was the door locked?"
"…No," Wei Qingzhu admitted begrudgingly. "But still!"
In the background, Zhou Hu laughed. The two mercenary groups seemed to have formed a decent friendship recently. It hadn't escaped Luo Chuan's notice.
Hmm. Maybe I could play matchmaker.
He suddenly thought of another couple.
I wonder how Ying Wuji and Murong Haitang are doing these days…