Chapter Nine: Countdown Begins (Seeking Recommendations)

Chu Fan made his way to the trading grounds.

“Don’t miss out as you pass by! I’ve got the finest red and blue potions here, ready to save your life at a critical moment.”

“Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy—master it and you’ll be making money in no time!”

“Skill Foundations—every strong one must start with the basics. For the lowest price, let me set you on the path to greatness.”

Unlike the leisurely food court, this place was bustling with people coming and going.

Surveying the trading area, Chu Fan noticed that many were selling blue potions. Inferior mana potions started at two hundred and fifty Chosen Coins, while regular mana potions began at four hundred.

That merchant who’d sold him the blue potion hadn’t completely swindled him. Unfortunately, being unfamiliar with the market, Chu Fan’s earlier choices had been overly cautious.

He missed the chance to buy several more bottles for just a hundred coins each from that vendor.

But that potion seller had probably already moved on to the next derived world.

So Chu Fan didn’t dwell on it, and instead turned his attention to the array of beginner skill stalls.

There were guides for all sorts of magic and weapon proficiencies, all far cheaper than what Chosen Paradise offered.

He even saw skills envied in common derived worlds.

For example, an introduction to the Navy Six Styles from the world of One Piece, though priced at five thousand Chosen Coins.

That price required at least a third-level world and an A+ rating to clear—a sum just enough to purchase it.

If used skillfully, it would significantly boost one’s attack, defense, speed, and overall combat abilities. The price, then, wasn’t entirely outrageous.

As for Chu Fan, the Navy Six Styles could be useful, but with his Elemental Rule Body LV.MAX from the Avatar of Extremes and the Origin of Fusion, he was set on mastering multi-elemental magic. Thus, the Navy Six Styles would only serve as a transitional skill, not something to rely on long-term; it could easily become obsolete.

Besides, if he ever got the chance to enter the One Piece world, sneaking into the Navy ranks might allow him to learn the Six Styles directly.

Spending five thousand Chosen Coins outright seemed wasteful to him.

He scanned the stalls for a while more, then continued searching for meditation skills suitable for mages.

His offensive capabilities were currently sufficient, but his mana reserves were severely lacking, which greatly restricted both his magical performance and the pace of his training.

Relying on blue potions would burn through any amount of Chosen Coins, so naturally, his top priority was to find a meditation skill.

Before leaving his private room, Chu Fan had already checked the prices offered by Chosen Paradise.

Basic Meditation cost a thousand Chosen Coins, Intermediate Meditation two thousand, and Advanced Meditation four thousand.

The main effect of meditation was to accelerate the restoration of mana and stamina.

It quickened energy and strength recovery, not wound healing, so for many combat styles, the benefits were outweighed by the drawbacks.

The effectiveness of meditation depended not only on the skill’s level but also on one’s mental strength. Without sufficient spirit, meditation was practically useless.

Most would only consider purchasing it after their overall strength had grown and their spirit attribute was balanced.

But Chu Fan was different—his spirit was already at sixteen and would only continue to rise.

So meditation was essential for him.

He came to the trading grounds hoping to find a cheaper meditation skill.

If the next world weren’t confirmed to be Demon Slayer but something even more dangerous, Chu Fan would have prioritized buying all-round enhancement skills like the Navy Six Styles or other abilities and equipment to bolster his survival.

But for Demon Slayer, his current abilities were sufficient, so he prioritized growth-oriented skills.

Still, after making several rounds, Chu Fan found stalls full of close-combat skills, theft, and stealth techniques, as well as plenty of introductory mage skills, but not a single meditation skill.

Left with no choice, he considered buying directly from Chosen Paradise.

If he did, he’d go straight for Advanced Meditation to save time spent leveling up the skill.

This would leave him with 1,170 Chosen Coins.

With just over a thousand coins left, he couldn’t afford much from the dazzling array before him, so he left the market and returned to his private room.

Once there, he had Chosen Paradise reclaim the cursed notebook, bringing his coin total to 5,170.

Chu Fan opened the magic exchange interface:

[Basic Meditation]: Increases mana recovery speed in proportion to spirit at a 1:0.2 ratio, 1,000 Chosen Coins.

[Intermediate Meditation]: Increases mana recovery speed in proportion to spirit at a 1:0.4 ratio, 2,000 Chosen Coins.

[Advanced Meditation]: Increases mana recovery speed in proportion to spirit at a 1:1 ratio, 4,000 Chosen Coins.

Chu Fan exchanged for Advanced Meditation, leaving him with just 1,170 coins.

A book appeared in his pack, and as he took it out, options popped up: Use, Trade, Gift.

He selected Use, and suddenly, a flood of knowledge unfamiliar to him surged into his mind.

With the remaining 1,170 coins, he bought four high-powered ultraviolet flashlights (fifty coins apiece) and ten spare batteries (ten coins each).

According to his memory, demons in Demon Slayer had one fatal weakness: sunlight.

Though the danger in this world was relatively lower compared to others, the likes of the Upper Moons and Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji were still world-class threats.

Without sufficient strength, even with UV flashlights, approaching them could mean instant death.

Still, Chu Fan believed that with his current power, if he chose his moment wisely, he could claim victory.

With 930 coins left, he went back to the trading grounds and bought a Swordsmanship Basics manual for 500 coins.

In Chosen Space, the same manual cost 1,000 coins, and recycling it only got you a miserable 300.

With the remaining 400-plus coins, he bought a mana potion for 250, another UV flashlight, and four more batteries.

With the last few coins, he picked up ten kinds of instant noodles and a case of soda.

These instant noodles, needing only hot water, would let him occasionally enjoy a change of taste in the Demon Slayer world.

Having spent every last coin, Chu Fan returned to his private room and began meditating, recovering the mana he had yet to fully replenish.

With Advanced Meditation and natural mana recovery, Chu Fan could now restore 30 points of mana per hour.

He had a total of 170 mana, so even if it was completely depleted, he’d be fully recovered in six hours at most.

As time passed, the moment for Chu Fan to enter the next derived world finally arrived.

[Ten seconds remain before the Chosen enters the next derived world: Demon Slayer.]

[Demon Slayer]: In a world infested with demons, a fierce contest between demons and demon slayers unfolds.

Chu Fan opened his eyes, listening silently to the countdown from Chosen Paradise.

Then, everything went black before his eyes, and his body vanished from the private room.