Volume Two: Embarking on the Journey Chapter 3: Preparing for Departure

"Still over twenty million left..."

Wang Jue looked at his account balance, suddenly feeling a bit distressed. What was he to do if he didn't have enough money? Waiting online, it was quite urgent!

He opened the backpack page and took a closer look, realizing that the prices weren't exactly cheap either.

[Level 1 Folding Backpack, 100-catty capacity, price: 1 million.]
[Level 2 Folding Backpack, 500-catty capacity, price: 5 million.]
[Level 3 Folding Backpack, 1,000-catty capacity, price: 10 million.]
[Level 4 Folding Backpack, 2,000-catty capacity, price: 20 million.]
...

Wang Jue hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided against buying a backpack. For a martial artist surviving in the wild or fighting against star beasts, the backpack they carry is specialized equipment. First, the quality must be high; second, it must not hinder the martial artist's movements during combat. He planned to see if there were storage rings, bracelets, or necklaces available. Such specialized storage gear was practically an essential for any martial artist on the move.

"I've looked at weapons, combat suits, shields, and backpacks." Wang Jue had already made up his mind. Rather than wearing a backpack that would impede his agility, he would choose storage gear that wouldn't. "Other than the weapon, I can't really afford anything else, so I'll use the remaining money to look at storage equipment."

He navigated to the special items page and clicked to open it.

[Primary Storage Necklace, 1 cubic meter, price: 20 million.]
[Intermediate Storage Necklace, 5 cubic meters, price: 200 million.]
[Advanced Storage Necklace, 10 cubic meters, price: 2 billion.]
(The same pricing applied to bracelets and rings.)

"Damn, is it really that expensive?!" Wang Jue was completely stunned. A primary one with only one cubic meter cost twenty million? An intermediate one with five cubic meters was two hundred million, and an advanced one with ten cubic meters was two billion?

A cubic meter is a space one meter long, one meter wide, and one meter high. The problem was, such a small space couldn't hold much in the way of star beast materials, though it would be fine for smaller valuables. Twenty million was a price point that martial artists could accept.

Wang Jue did the math. For the same twenty million, a Level 4 backpack could hold two thousand catties of weight. A primary storage ring with one cubic meter of space might seem small, but in reality, it could hold the same amount. For example, most people know that a cubic meter of water weighs one ton. One ton equals one thousand kilograms, which is two thousand catties. In other words, the storage ring's limit was also two thousand catties. Of course, items aren't water, and their density varies, but carrying two thousand catties on one's back would inevitably affect a martial artist's performance. Storage gear was different; one wouldn't feel the weight of the items inside.

"No need to hesitate. Between a backpack and storage gear, I'm definitely choosing the storage gear." Wang Jue had decided. He figured that whether it was a necklace, bracelet, or ring, they were all small, unobtrusive, and wouldn't interfere with his combat movements at all. While they couldn't hold a massive amount of loot, they were perfect for keeping valuables safe.

He chose the ring. "Oh well, twenty million it is." He had thought twenty million was a lot, but now he realized how absurdly expensive equipment was. While he wanted a full set of gear, he had only managed to buy a longsword and the storage ring. The combat suit, shield, and backpack would have to wait; he didn't have enough money.

In reality, Wang Jue didn't know that these prices weren't actually unreasonable. Martial artists spent a lot on gear, but once they started hunting high-level star beasts, their earning potential was immense. Unfortunately, Wang Jue hadn't started earning yet.

A prompt appeared on the screen: [Please confirm: purchase Primary Storage Ring for 20 million credits?]
"Confirm!" Wang Jue clicked.
[Please verify via fingerprint.]
"Beep!" He pressed his finger against the scanner.
[Fingerprint verified. Purchase successful! Payment deducted!]
[The Primary Storage Ring will be delivered to your home within 24 hours, along with your previously purchased Bloodthirsty Sword.]

The next day, his items arrived. A man in a black suit and sunglasses stood at his door and rang the bell. Wang Jue, who was home alone while his parents and sister were at the noodle shop, hurried to open the door.

"Mr. Wang Jue?" The man held a rectangular box about one and a half meters long, with a small five-centimeter square box on top.
"That's me," Wang Jue nodded.
"These are your items. You can open them with your fingerprint."

Wang Jue took the sealed alloy boxes and slid his finger over the sensors. "Beep, beep..." A synthesized voice announced, "Fingerprint verified!" The small box popped open, revealing a simple, dark ring. He closed it and checked the long box containing the weapon. Everything was correct. After signing the delivery receipt, the courier left.

Wang Jue brought the boxes into his room and opened the ring case. It wasn't the ornate piece he had imagined; it was entirely black, matte, and lacked any markings—it looked just like a plain iron band. It was incredibly ordinary.

"Are you serious? This is it?" He turned it over and over, but it remained plain. He realized he was overthinking it. "How do I use this thing?" He frowned, wondering if he needed to "bind it with a drop of blood." He pushed that thought aside and gritted his teeth, "Let's try channeling star energy."

It worked. As he channeled his energy into the ring, his consciousness entered a dark, one-cubic-meter space. Thrilled, he played with it like a child with a new toy, making his pillow disappear and reappear at will. He then placed the jade box he had been hiding under his pillow into the ring for safekeeping.

Time flew by, and soon it was the day to meet the Hurricane Squad. That morning, he ate breakfast with his family. His parents were worried but kept it to themselves.

"By the way, Mom and Dad, I transferred some money to the family account. Use it if you need anything," Wang Jue said after finishing his meal. His father nodded, "Alright, we'll see to it."

After breakfast, he stood up. His parents walked him to the door, their many unspoken concerns manifesting in a single request: "Little Jue, stay safe. Come back to us!"

Wang Jue took a taxi to the Martial Arts Association. When he arrived, the four members of the Hurricane Squad were already waiting. Compared to them, his gear was "minimalist"—or rather, non-existent. He wore his regular clothes, and his longsword was strapped to his back. He didn't look like he was going on a dangerous mission at all. The others were loaded with packs and cases—he later learned they were full of ammunition.

He glanced at Jiang Yunyan, who wore a form-fitting combat suit and carried a heavy, rugged-looking tech-gun. She radiated a wild, striking beauty. Who said only men could use guns? Guns and beauty were a perfect match. He then looked at Shen Feng, who carried a battle-axe larger than himself—a true powerhouse. The other two, Su Yu and Jiang Yunxin, carried a blade and a sword, respectively, exuding a sharp, professional aura.

They were all eyeing Wang Jue too. They were surprised to see him carry nothing but his sword, though they didn't ask. However, when they noticed the sword on his back was a Grade 5 weapon, they were struck dumb, their faces betraying a mix of shock and awkwardness. A martial artist at the Spirit Gathering stage using a Grade 5 weapon? Was he trying to be extravagant?

"Ahem," Shen Feng cleared his throat and waved his hand. "Alright, since everyone is here, let's move out!"

They gathered their gear and headed to the entrance, boarding a massive, armored, steel beast of a vehicle, and drove off into the distance.