Chapter 27: Contract with Little Tear and the Skill Shop

Zhang Fan found himself bewildered by the unexpected behavior of Little Tear and Little Tong in recent days. Despite his confusion, they persisted in their ways: Little Tear often playfully tempted him while Little Tong acted as if nothing had changed, treating him with even more care and tenderness than before. It was as if the two women had reached some sort of agreement.

Though Zhang Fan found their attention enjoyable, it also struck him as odd and left him feeling uneasy. Was this a test of some sort? He couldn't fathom their intentions.

In these three days, aside from the interactions with Little Tear and Little Tong, Zhang Fan achieved a lot. His primary achievement was forming a contract with Little Tear. The process was simple: a beam of golden light signified the sealing of their pact, officially making Little Tear his subordinate deity.

Upon becoming Zhang Fan's subordinate deity, Little Tear transferred all her game points to him, which surprised him. Apparently, subordinate deities couldn't use game points, making Zhang Fan feel somewhat indebted to her.

"It's okay, Zhang Fan. I don't need them anyway. If I need anything, you can exchange it for me," Little Tear said, taking a pragmatic approach. Despite earning a total of 3500 points, she hadn't spent any, unsure of what to buy.

With this, Zhang Fan didn't dwell on it further. After signing the contract, Little Tear gained the ability to level up infinitely. Therefore, he decided to use the points to strengthen both their abilities.

Together, they had 7500 points: 3500 from Little Tear and 4000 earned by Zhang Fan. The cost to upgrade from a junior to an intermediate servant was 500 points, and to a senior servant, 1000 points. Thus, upgrading both Little Tear and himself to senior servants would cost 2500 points.

Zhang Fan didn't hesitate to spend these points, especially since Little Tear found leveling up challenging. This upgrade would be a boon for her. She adapted quickly to her new powers as an intermediate servant and even reached a level comparable to level_3, making her elated with the rapid progress.

Seeing Little Tear so happy made Zhang Fan glad too, but this was just the beginning. The leap to levels 5 and 6 would be much tougher, possibly requiring them to spend all their resources.

As for Zhang Fan, he too reached the strength of a senior servant, feeling an enhancement in his physical abilities, even producing a whooshing sound with his punches.

After upgrading, they chose not to level up further. Though they had enough points, they decided to familiarize themselves with their current abilities first, laying a solid foundation.

Now, regarding the skill shop that opened after completing their mission, it offered skill books, not skills. There were eight books to choose from: Huashan's "Breaking Jade Fist," Emei's "Marrow Cleansing Method," Shaolin's "Damo Heart Method," Wudang's "Cotton Palm," Hero Gate's "Heavenly Sun Jue," Beggar's Sect's "Long Fist," Demon Sect's "Demonization Heart Method," and Taiyi Sect's "Void Heart Method." These names were unfamiliar to Zhang Fan, and he wondered about their origins.

Looking at the shop, he noticed a title, "Wulin Legend Long Yin Sword," honorably produced. Apparently, these were skills from a game he had never played, leaving him unsure which would be the best choice.

Suddenly, a voice addressed his confusion, and a figure appeared before him – a girl with fox ears and a tail, exuding a cute charm rather than sultriness. 

"Who are you?" Zhang Fan asked cautiously, despite the girl's adorable appearance.

Sighing, the girl revealed herself as the system, the very entity behind the "Ascension Game." To Zhang Fan's astonishment, the system he had thought of as a mere AI turned out to be much more – a sentient being named Xū Cǎi, capable of resolving any player's issues. Her pride was evident as she awaited his admiration.

Understanding dawned on Zhang Fan, but his calm reaction left Xū Cǎi feeling underappreciated. Nevertheless, she was ready to assist him in choosing the right skills for his journey ahead.