Industry

Listen quietly to this gift from the abyss...

……

The contract is complete; what you desire awaits you outside the door.

……

Inside a pure white space.

Feeling the energy of the wish, Shi Mo chose to upgrade his skills once again.

The light of "weak hypnosis" shifted, upgrading from Grade C to Grade B. Its effect was further enhanced; it could now apply relatively clear hypnotic suggestions to individuals with average mental resistance, and even guide them to execute some relatively simple commands without resistance.

……

Going back to reality.

[Successfully cleared the B-rank dungeon [Abandoned Hospital]. Basic reward: 20 attribute points.]

[Hidden Quest [Unveiling the Truth] Completion: Perfect. Bonus Reward: 5 Attribute Points.]

[Currently available attribute points: 25.]

"Host, how do you plan to allocate your attribute points?" the system asked.

"Wait a minute." Shi Mo's attention was focused on the lottery. He had saved up 13 draws before entering the dungeon, which lasted for seven days, once a day, giving him 20 draw chances. "Lottery, ten draws, two draws."

[Yes, host! Activate ten-pull mode!]

The magnificent roulette wheel turned for the first time.

[Ding! Ten-pull complete! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: B-grade item [High-Efficiency Repair Potion] x1!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Rank B item [High-Efficiency Repair Potion] x1!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 1 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 3 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Rank B item [High-Efficiency Repair Potion] x1!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 3 attribute points!]

[(Bonus 10-pull reward) Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Attribute Points x2!]

My first 10-pull yielded three Grade B healing potions and 18 attribute points.

[The second 10-pull begins!]

The roulette wheel spun again.

[Ding! Ten-pull complete! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: A-grade item [Life Restoration Potion] x1!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Special potion [Source of Power] x1!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 1 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: C-grade item [Appearance Charm] x1!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 3 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 2 attribute points!]

[(Bonus 10-pull reward) Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Attribute Points x2!]

The second ten-pull yielded a bottle of A-grade potion, the [Life Restoration Potion], radiating a rich life force (it is said to be able to heal flesh and bones and revive the dead), a bottle of [Power Fountain] glowing with a red light (permanently increases strength attribute by 5 points), a [Appearance Talisman] that can cleanse the body and repair clothing, and 16 attribute points.

[Host, this harvest is incredibly bountiful!] The system reported excitedly, [A-grade potions are life-saving wonders! The [Source of Power] can directly boost basic attributes; it's extremely rare! And there are so many attribute points!]

Shi Mo looked at the bottle of [Source of Power] but did not use it immediately. He added the newly acquired attribute points (18+16=34 points) to the previous 25 points, for a total of 59 attribute points, and invested them all into his mental attribute.

A surge of warmth, almost solidified, frantically nourished his sea of ​​consciousness. His spiritual power surged and condensed at an unprecedented speed.

Attribute panel updated:

[Host Attribute Panel]

Strength: 18

Agility: 12

Physical condition: 9

Spirit: 77

His mental attribute has directly broken through the 70 mark!

Shi Mo felt that his mind was clearer than ever before, his perception range had expanded several times, and his control over his own strength and skills had reached a new level.

[Host, why did you allocate all your points to Spirit?] The system seemed puzzled. [Strength and Constitution are also important.]

"Yanluo's power is too taxing." Shi Mo felt the dormant mark deep in his soul. "Improving my spirit can extend its usage time or reduce the backlash. Other things can be done slowly." He had his own plan.

Just as he was about to leave the pure white space, his gaze inadvertently swept across the system panel and discovered a category that had never appeared before—[Industry].

Click on [Industries], and you'll see only one lonely name: [Abandoned Hospital].

Shi Mo raised an eyebrow: "What is this?"

【Ah! This!】The system seemed to have just remembered.

[Host, in the [Abandoned Hospital] instance, didn't you use that Underworld Black Card... uh, to 'acquire' that hospital? According to the rules, you are now the nominal owner of that abandoned hospital! Therefore, it is recorded as your 'property'!]

"Industry?" Shi Mo found it intriguing. "May I go in?"

"Yes!" the system replied affirmatively.

You can enter your property territory at any time through the system portal. However, you can only move within the property's own boundaries; you cannot enter other areas of the instance through your property, nor can you freely travel to other worlds.

"You can only operate within your own properties..." Shi Mo repeated the sentence, a glint of light flashing in his heterochromatic eyes. "Does that mean that if I 'acquire' all the dungeons, I can freely switch between different dungeon worlds through my properties?"

The system paused for a moment, seemingly calculating the possibility, before giving an affirmative answer: [Theoretically... yes. If you possess 'ownership' of all the copies, you essentially hold the 'key' to connecting them, allowing free movement within your industrial network.]

Shi Mo fell silent.

The system cautiously asked, "Host, what's wrong? Isn't this a good thing?"

Shi Mo raised his head, looking at the pure white, empty space, his tone carrying an extremely complex, almost absurd, meaning: "But..." he slowly said, "aren't these copies, these so-called 'industries,' originally... my property?"

system:【……】

"I'm spending my own money," Shi Mo said, a hint of exasperation in his voice, "to buy my own things?"

The system felt its code was almost tangled with embarrassment: [This… host… you must understand, you are currently under the constraints of the 'game rules.' Most of your original power and authority are sealed. Therefore… therefore, these worlds that originally belonged to you now require you to 'acquire' them step by step according to the 'game' rules… I… I have no choice…]

Shi Mo let out a long, helpless sigh.

It feels like the world's richest man being thrown into a primitive tribe and told that to get back his assets scattered all over the world, he must use the only gold coin he has left to play rock-paper-scissors with the natives.

"Never mind." He rubbed his temples, comforting himself, "It's fine, I have plenty of money anyway. The card I gave to that dean is just one of countless supplementary cards I have."

Spending your own money, buying your own things, and still having to follow other people's rules... This experience is truly unprecedented and novel.

He stopped dwelling on this absurd fact and focused his attention back on the immediate gains.

The 59-point boost to his Spirit attribute is a real improvement, and the items he drew are also very useful. As for the [Source of Power] potion, he doesn't plan to use it for now; he'll save it for a more suitable opportunity.

His strength soared once again, and he inexplicably acquired an additional "industry," even though this industry originally belonged to him.

He seems to have found a new direction for how to play this "game." Perhaps, besides clearing levels and looting, becoming a "dungeon landlord" is also a good option?