**Chapter 36: Thoughts and Prayer**
**Inside Kris's Room**
"Alright, let's start with Yanwei, since she has the least points." Kris began, glancing at Tengyi. "Tengyi, Am I right in assuming you have gained some ranked rewards in the past mission."
"You bet, boss," Tengyi replied with a confident grin. "I snagged a C-rank reward and earned a solid amount of points, plus the mission completion bonus."
"Good work," Kris said with a nod before shifting his focus to Yanwei. "Now, Yanwei, let me ask you this: are you still planning to stick with archery?"
Yanwei hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly. "It's what I know best. Even if... I hate the person who taught me, it's still a skill I can rely on."
Kris studied her for a moment, then spoke. "Alright. If that's your choice, I'd recommend the half-elf genetic mutation. I can't say for sure it's the absolute best option for you—I haven't explored every aspect of the God's Exchange system yet—but it's a strong match for your skillset. Plus, it offers natural resistance to mind tampering and similar threats."
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Half-Elf Genetic Mutation
Rating: 85
Applicable to missions involving magic. Boosts the effects of magic spells and spiritual energy. Grants superior vision in dark and dim conditions, resistance to being charmed or mind-controlled, and immunity to sleep-inducing magic. Costs 900 points and requires a D-rank reward.
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"I'll provide the D-rank reward," Kris continued, "and I can arrange for a weapon to complement your upgraded abilities. But ultimately, it's up to you. If you want, I could also ask Biscuit to unlock your Nen. That path has potential but comes with risks—and it takes a lot of training before you'll see results."
Yanwei frowned slightly, weighing her options. Finally, she spoke. "I'll take the genetic mutation, but don't get me a weapon just yet. I'll stick with a regular composite bow for now. After the upgrade, I'll need to test how much weight I can handle before deciding on my final bow."
Kris nodded, clearly impressed with Yanwei's decision. "Good, the half-elf genetic mutation should enhance your abilities significantly. As for the bow, I'll make sure to get one that fits your needs for now, and you can upgrade later when you're ready."
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"Now, Tengyi, since you've gained a good amount of points and a ranked reward, we have more options for you to choose from," Kris began, his tone calm but inquisitive. "Before I show them to you, I need to know—what role do you see yourself filling in the group?"
Tengyi scratched the back of his head, thinking. "Uh, I was hoping to be some kind of magic support, maybe with tools or a summon. I don't want to be a glass cannon or anything like that. I want to be able to defend myself in a pinch but also have some utility—something like that, boss."
"Alright," Kris said with a nod. "I've got just the thing for you. It's called the Shaman Power Enhancement. This will allow you to use supernatural abilities unique to shamans, like seeing spirits, communing with ghosts, and even making contracts with them. On top of that, if you pair it with Spirit Assimilation, you can temporarily gain the skills and knowledge of spirits or ghosts that you allow to possess your body. But—" Kris raised a finger in warning, "this comes with risks, so be very careful about the spirits you choose to work with."
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Low-Level Shaman Power Enhancement
Rating: 65
Applicable to missions involving the supernatural. Grants the ability to contact spirits and elementals, make contracts with them, and use Soul Energy. Requires 900 points and a D-rank reward.
Spirit Assimilation
Rating: 42
Allows the user to temporarily possess themselves with a spirit, gaining its skills and knowledge. Requires 2,000 points, a D-rank reward, Low-Level Shaman Power, and a willing spirit.
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"You should also get *Find Spirit Familiar* this won't allow you to deal great damage but it can utilize your abilities real well."
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Find Spirit Familiar
Raiting:32
You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, Lizard, Octopus, owl, Poisonous Snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, Sea Horse, Spider, or Weasel. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range. Cost 500 points
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"Keep your other D-rank reward for now," Kris advised, "and use your remaining points to upgrade your stats. Make sure to leave some points in reserve for healing or emergencies."
"Got it, boss," Tengyi said with a determined nod. "This upgrade feels perfect for me. As an appraiser, I've come across items people claimed had ghosts attached to them. Honestly, I never believed it—at least, not until the last mission. Now, I'll finally have a way to deal with them."
"Good," Kris said with a satisfied smile. "With this, you'll bring a lot more versatility to the team. Let's get everything set up for everyone."
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After Kris finalized the arrangements for their upgrades, he gestured toward a door just to the side of the living room. "Alright, let's get you both ready. The training room is through there. It's linked to the system, so you can test your new abilities right away."
Tengyi and Yanwei exchanged glances before following Kris. The door opened with a faint hum, revealing a vast, high-tech chamber that seemed far too large to fit inside the confines of Kris's room. The walls shimmered faintly, lined with glowing runes and embedded panels that hummed with energy. The space adjusted itself as they walked in, shifting from an empty expanse to a multi-terrain simulation—an open field merging into a dense forest, with targets and obstacles scattered throughout.
"Whoa," Tengyi breathed, his eyes darting around. "This is insane. Is this room enchanted or something?"
"Something like that," Kris said with a smirk. "It's connected to god's Exchange system. Most of it is just cosmetic, though; the system just gives you what you need, and that's it. I made it look like this to spice things up. You can adjust the settings for different scenarios, whether you want to practice combat, survival skills, or even just test your new powers in a controlled environment. But first, let's get you upgraded."
He guided them to a pair of circular platforms at the center of the room. Each was engraved with glowing sigils and pulsed faintly as they approached. "Step onto these. The system will handle the rest."
Yanwei moved first, her movements steady but tense. As she stood on the platform, a shimmering field of light surrounded her, and faint tendrils of energy spiraled upward, wrapping around her body. She closed her eyes, letting the process take hold. Moments later, the energy dissipated, leaving her standing taller, her eyes sharper, almost glowing with a faint green hue.
Tengyi stepped onto the other platform, grinning nervously. "Alright, here goes nothing." The process repeated, but this time, faint whispers filled the air as the platform glowed, a spectral aura forming around him. He flinched as a surge of energy coursed through his body, his vision flickering briefly. When it was over, he exhaled deeply, looking at his hands as if expecting them to glow. "Whoa... I feel different. Stronger."
"Good," Kris said, stepping back. "Now, let's see what you can do."
Yanwei drew a basic composite bow from her side and nocked an arrow, her movements more fluid than before. She aimed at a distant target, the enhanced muscles in her arms pulling the string back with ease. Releasing the arrow, it flew through the air with incredible speed, splitting the target cleanly in two. She stared at her hands, a mix of wonder and satisfaction crossing her face.
Tengyi, meanwhile, closed his eyes and concentrated. A faint spectral figure appeared beside him—a glowing wolf with ethereal fur. It growled softly, looking up at him as if awaiting instructions. "So, this is what it feels like," Tengyi muttered, his voice tinged with awe. "It's like... I can sense everything around me through it."
"Not bad," Kris said, nodding approvingly. "Tengyi, try communicating with it and use it to scout the forest section. Yanwei, test your endurance with the moving targets over there. You'll both need to get used to your new capabilities fast. We've got another mission coming up soon."
The two nodded and moved to their respective sections, their excitement tempered by focus. Kris watched from the edge of the room, arms crossed. "Not bad," he murmured to himself. "If they keep this up, Scream will be a breeze for them."
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While Tengyi and Yanwei were testing out their new upgrades, Kris connected to the system to check on an upgrade he had been saving up for.
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Focused State of Mind
Rating: 79
Suitable for users with strong power but weak willpower, as well as for most missions. While the ability is active, the user will enter a highly focused state, greatly increasing awareness. The user will remain calm and cautious, immune to control by any Psyche Force ability. Passively reforms the mind. Each use of the ability gradually changes the user's mentality. Long-term use can permanently enhance concentration and calmness. Requires 2,500 points and a B-rank reward.
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"Kris gritted his teeth, still not convinced that it was time to get this upgrade, mainly because it might not help him out in the movie he was about to be in. He didn't feel comfortable with the change it might bring to his mind, especially after experiencing one mind scramble. He was not too keen on going through another one."
"Man, I was really too confident when I thought I could delay the team battles, but I have to power through this somehow. No, I won't be taking this upgrade yet."
"Time to get my babies. They were too expensive last time, so I had to hold myself back, but not this time."
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Thoughts and Prayer
Rating: 90
A pair of twin knuckle dusters, each molded from the same type of metal. While Thoughts is almost fully black in color, Prayer is almost white. Each can be used independently of the other, but they are more powerful when used together.
Thoughts passively protects you from psychic influence or damage. All damage dealt by using Thoughts adds additional psychic damage. Additionally, Thoughts contains six charges. You can expend two or more charges to use one of two skills: Dissonant Whispers (costing three charges) or Vicious Mockery (costing two charges). Thoughts regains expended charges daily at dawn.
Prayer passively heals your wounds every 6 seconds. All damage dealt by using Prayer adds additional holy damage. Additionally, Prayer contains six charges. You can expend two or more charges to use one of two skills: Wall of Light (costing three charges) or Guiding Bolt (costing two charges). Prayer regains expended charges daily at dawn.
Cost: CC rank rewards and 4000 points.
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Kris only found this weapon after a long, arduous delve into the magic section of the God's exchange list.
Now, I need to give Biscuit something too—something she will definitely like. Hehehe, sometimes a disciple needs to pay respect to his master.
Kris dug deep once more through the exchange system and found what he was looking for: the Xorian Marble of Psychic Shielding. This was one of the countermeasures he planned to use against Jie but decided it would unnecessarily raise suspicion if they were seen wearing it. But since all bets were off at the moment… it was the perfect time to get it.
And since it's sort of a gem, maybe they won't notice Biscuit having it. She's a stone hunter, after all.
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Xorian Marble of Psychic Shielding
Rating: 50
An orb of shielding, a polished, spherical chunk of crystal or stone aligned to one of the planes of existence. The orb can be used as a spellcasting focus. While the orb is in your possession, when you take damage of the type associated with the orb's material (Xorian Marble Psychic), it negates a portion of the damage. The orb also lessens the influence of psychic intrusions by a small amount.
Cost: 500 points
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Lastly Kris bought the next *Rokushiki* technique he wants to learn *Soru* this would give him the footwork technique he sorely last and may be he could learn to combine *Geppo* and *Soru* to create *Kamisori*.
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Soru
Rating: 62
allows the users to move at extremely high speeds in order to avoid attacks, as well as to attack at higher speeds and with greater power. It was revealed that the principle of this move was to kick off the ground at least ten times in the blink of an eye. Cost D rank reward and 500 points.
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Kris finalized the exchange, and the room seemed to pulse with energy. The system hummed to life, sending a wave of sensation through his body. A golden ring of energy surrounded him, its edges sharp and radiant. His mind immediately felt clearer, as if a fog had lifted.
As the energy faded, Kris opened his eyes and glanced at his hands. There he saw his new partners, Thoughts and Prayer. Their influence on him was subtle, but he could feel it: a deep sense of calm. His body wasn't different, but his mind? It had already begun to clear up. He hadn't realized that Jie's abilities could still linger at the back of his mind like that.
Soon enough, when I complete all my upgrades, I'll be nearly impossible to kill. But before that, I've got to make sure the others are ready.
Kris turned his attention to the task at hand. He reached for a neatly organized packet, sealed with a wax stamp, and handed it to Tengyi. "Here," he said, his voice authoritative but warm. "I asked Biscuit to organize this for you. It contains everything we've collected on voodoo—books, scrolls, notes. Should be useful for a shaman like you. Just don't go summoning anything you can't handle."
Tengyi's eyes widened as he took the packet. "This is amazing! Thanks, boss." He grinned sheepishly, flipping through the papers. "I've always been curious about voodoo. Guess this'll help me make a real impression."
Kris chuckled softly. "Keep it together, Tengyi. You're a shaman now, not a circus act." He paused, giving him a serious look. "And you'll be taking Bishop with you. He's a great asset for this kind of mission. You'll need him."
Bishop, who had been quietly observing from the corner, nodded silently. His broad frame and stoic demeanor spoke volumes, even if his words didn't. He was the team's silent protector, always ready to step in when needed.
"Understood," Tengyi said, his grin faltering for a moment. "I'll take good care of him."
"Good," Kris replied. "We'll see you back here when the mission's done."
As the team gathered in the center of the training room, Kris's voice grew serious. "This mission isn't going to be easy. From what we have experience so far, it may involve some interference from god. That's why the upgrades were necessary. Stick together, keep Bishop close, and trust your instincts. We'll be waiting here when it's over."
"Everyone ready?! Let's go!" Kris called, his tone laced with authority.