INHA Chapter 37

However, within a few seconds, Zhang Wu sent another message.

【Zhang Wu (8th Squad)】: Is the talisman you drew a Level 1 or Level 2?

【Li Dong (Team Eight)】: It’s a Level 1.

The lowest grade of talismans is Level 1, and the highest is Level 5. However, even within these levels, there are different qualities. Some Level 1 talismans are of such high quality that they can almost rival Level 2 talismans and may even be more expensive than low-quality Level 2 talismans.

The reason is simple: the higher the talisman level, the more spiritual energy it requires to activate. Many newcomers and veterans who are adept at flexible combat prefer high-quality Level 1 talismans because they consume less spiritual energy and are only slightly less effective than low-quality Level 2 talismans.

Especially on dangerous missions, conserving most of their spiritual energy is a basic survival requirement for all veterans, enabling them to adapt to various crises at any time.

Xu Dongyou didn’t understand why, but he knew that one should always start learning from the simplest things and gradually increase the difficulty.

The patterns of Level 1 and Level 2 talismans are different. Even if someone doesn’t know how to draw them, they can tell at a glance which level a talisman is.

However, only the person who draws the talisman knows its quality because, when the last stroke is completed, the talisman will flicker.

This flickering indicates that the talisman has been successfully created, and the number of times it flickers represents its quality level.

A single flicker indicates low quality, two flickers indicate medium quality, and three flickers indicate high quality. The Level 1 talisman Xu Dongyou bought was of high quality, the best kind.

【Zhang Wu (Team Eight)】: How many times did the talisman flicker when you finished drawing it?

【Li Dong (Team Eight)】: It flickered five times.

Xu Dongyou remembered clearly, so he responded quickly. However, Zhang Wu’s first reaction was disbelief—absolutely impossible.

Because the highest quality level only has three grades.

No, wait.

Zhang Wu suddenly stood up. There are actually more than three quality levels for talismans, though the last two levels rarely appear in Level 1 talismans. Over time, everyone just assumed there were only three.

Zhang Wu, excited, quickly confirmed with Xu Dongyou again. After receiving Xu Dongyou’s confident response, he was eager to immediately go and see this super high-quality talisman.

That’s right.

A super high-quality talisman, something that has almost never been seen in the branch or even the main headquarters.

Besides the low, medium, and high qualities, there are also medium-high and super-high qualities.

Zhang Wu was particularly curious whether such a super high-quality Level 1 talisman could rival a high-quality Level 2 talisman in power.

The more he thought about it, the more restless he became. However, his rationality told him that it was not a suitable time to go out, not only for himself but also because Xu Dongyou had been very tired these past few days and needed a good rest.

Zhang Wu could only force himself to sit down and contact Xu Dongyou again.

【Zhang Wu (Team Eight)】: Let’s find a place to meet tomorrow afternoon. I’ll also bring the captain.

Xu Dongyou was taken aback. Could this have something to do with Zhang Wu’s earlier question about how many times the talisman flickered?

Xu Dongyou agreed and then carefully examined the talisman he had drawn.

A few minutes later, Xu Dongyou carefully put away the talisman and spread out a new blank talisman paper, picking up a brush to start drawing again.

This time, however, Xu Dongyou did not activate his five senses. He had done so yesterday, and now his nose was already feeling uncomfortable. If he activated them again, it might develop into a cough or fever.

More importantly, he wanted to see if he could successfully draw a talisman without activating his five senses.

Xu Dongyou meticulously drew each stroke, feeling the spiritual energy being absorbed by the brush and mixed with the ink to form the patterns on the paper.

It’s hard to describe the feeling.

Without his five senses activated, Xu Dongyou could clearly feel that he had lost that previously divine guidance in his drawing. When he reached more complex parts, it felt as if the brush was encountering an invisible force, making it difficult to move forward.

Xu Dongyou had to increase the input of spiritual energy just to barely continue. It wasn’t until he passed the complex pattern that he felt somewhat relieved.

However, there was still a small part left unfinished. Xu Dongyou didn’t dare relax at all, his long eyelashes drooping, his mouth slightly pursed, and his eyes fixed on the talisman paper without blinking.

When he reached the last few strokes, the most difficult part of the entire pattern, Xu Dongyou had to increase the input of spiritual energy again. It took quite a while to overcome this hurdle and complete the final stroke.

The patterns on the talisman flickered three times before settling.

Was this considered a success?

Xu Dongyou was surprised. As he relaxed, he realized his forehead was covered in sweat, and even his palms were sweaty. Over twenty minutes had passed.

Just drawing the talisman took more than twenty minutes, much more difficult than he had imagined. However, Xu Dongyou was also surprised that he succeeded.

Especially since he hadn’t activated his five senses this time.

Pride welled up in Xu Dongyou’s heart, but he quickly suppressed it. He reminded himself not to be arrogant over a small achievement and to stay grounded.

Xu Dongyou forced himself to remain calm as he happily put away the second talisman. Feeling that he still had enough spiritual energy, he decided to draw another one.

After stretching his slightly sore fingers, he picked up the brush and began drawing the third talisman.

Perhaps due to the practice from the previous two attempts, Xu Dongyou completed the third talisman in just eighteen minutes. This time, the talisman flickered twice.

Xu Dongyou was thoughtful.

Could it be that the more times the talisman flickers, the higher the quality?

The talisman drawn with the five senses activated flickered five times, indicating it was of a higher quality than the other two talismans, but the exact quality was unknown.

Unfortunately, it was too late to bother Zhang Wu, and Xu Dongyou was almost out of spiritual energy. So, he decided to wash up and go to sleep.

The next day, Xu Dongyou’s spiritual energy had recovered by at least half. He quickly packed his things but didn’t check out of his room and headed straight to the place where he had arranged to meet Zhang Wu.

It was an old restaurant. Despite its modest decor compared to the elegant and upscale place across the street, the food was incredibly authentic, and many people came to pack it up to eat at home.

As soon as Xu Dongyou entered, the previously lively restaurant gradually quieted down. The people in front turned around curiously, following suit and staring intently at Xu Dongyou.

Although Xu Dongyou was used to being stared at because of his striking appearance, he felt a bit embarrassed this time, with his ears slightly reddened.

This was because Zhang Wu and Captain Tian Ze were sitting at a booth opposite, looking at him with teasing eyes.

Xu Dongyou tried to stay calm as he walked over and sat down, greeting the two opposite him in a soft, gentle voice like flowing water.

Xu Dongyou had a beautiful appearance, and appearing unexpectedly in such a down-to-earth place created a striking contrast.

Everyone suddenly quieted down, lowered their voices, lined up orderly to order and pack their food, and then reluctantly left.

The three of them quickly ate in this atmosphere and then left, leaving the restaurant owner feeling a bit wistful. In just those few minutes, the business seemed much better than usual.

Xu Dongyou put on a hood to cover most of his face, and the group found a quiet spot to sit, where they could enjoy the shade under a tree.

Even though it wasn’t summer yet, the weather was stuffy and made people sweat, but Xu Dongyou remained fresh and dry. His pretty face, even without a smile, was pleasing to the eye, and passersby seemed to feel uplifted just by looking at him.

Tian Ze and Zhang Wu were fully focused on the talisman. Zhang Wu, in particular, couldn’t wait any longer. “Li Dong, did you bring that talisman?”

Xu Dongyou nodded and took out the talismans he had made, all of which were strength talismans.

Tian Ze and Zhang Wu were instantly drawn to one of the talismans. Zhang Wu pointed to it, “Is this the one that flickered five times?”

Xu Dongyou responded, “Huh?”

The three talismans looked almost identical from the outside. Even Xu Dongyou, as the creator, found it hard to tell them apart.

Zhang Wu seemed to notice Xu Dongyou’s confusion and explained, “This talisman’s pattern looks more forceful and smoother than the other two.”

He paused and continued, “It’s a subtle feeling. Once you’ve drawn enough talismans, you’ll start to notice it immediately.”

Xu Dongyou thought deeply.

It’s probably like becoming skilled with practice, like someone cutting meat who, over time, can cut it precisely by feel, with almost zero error in weight.

For someone with spiritual energy, they naturally have a faster learning ability than ordinary people.

Xu Dongyou took the opportunity to ask Zhang Wu, “What does it mean when it flickers five times?”

Zhang Wu immediately explained in detail and then said, “A super high-quality talisman is very rare. It can rival a high-quality Level 2 talisman and can even be sold at a higher price!”

Xu Dongyou was puzzled and quietly asked, “But aren’t Level 2 talismans better?”

After all, no matter how good the super high-quality talisman was, it couldn’t change the fact that it was still a Level 1 talisman, and it didn’t have the same effect as a high-quality Level 2 talisman.

Zhang Wu, with an experienced look, said mysteriously, “You probably don’t know this, but although a super high-quality Level 1 talisman and a high-quality Level 2 talisman have similar power, anyone can use a Level 1 talisman, while a Level 2 talisman is not necessarily usable by everyone.”

Xu Dongyou suddenly realized and thought he had discovered a path to wealth. If he could draw a few more super high-quality talismans, he could easily earn several points by selling them, which could then be converted into RMB, possibly enough to buy a house outright.

But the most important problem remained unsolved.

How could he reasonably explain this income to his parents?

This seemed difficult.

Xu Dongyou felt troubled and became downcast. Zhang Wu, expecting Xu Dongyou to be happy, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xu Dongyou looked up, thinking that Zhang Wu might have a good idea. He shared his dilemma and then asked how Zhang Wu and Tian Ze explained their situation to their families.

Zhang Wu said, “Oh, I just told them I work in a special department. I have a special police badge, don’t I? Once they saw it, they believed me. Besides, the badge is real, so they don’t dare tell others about my job. It’s a win-win.”

Xu Dongyou widened his eyes in surprise. Could it really be that simple?

As for Captain Tian Ze, he said, “Well, I also showed my family the special police badge. Once they saw what kind of work I was doing, they didn’t ask much more.”

Xu Dongyou was tempted but quickly dismissed the idea, worrying that his parents would still be concerned about him if they knew.

Xu Dongyou decided to put this problem aside for now and asked Tian Ze for advice, “If I sell this super high-quality talisman, will there be any issues?”

Zhang Wu immediately jumped up, “Are you really going to sell it? Sell it to me! At market price.”

Xu Dongyou was puzzled, and Zhang Wu explained, “If I observe this super high-quality talisman, I might be able to figure out how to draw one myself.”

Xu Dongyou handed the talisman to Zhang Wu, “Then you can borrow it. Just return it to me once you’ve studied it.”

He could always draw another one. If the talisman could help Zhang Wu, it was better to lend it to him. This way, Zhang Wu wouldn’t have to spend money.

Zhang Wu was overjoyed and exclaimed excitedly, “Li Dong! I’m so grateful to you! I’ll definitely stick with you from now on!”

Tian Ze thought to himself; it’s not just a leg to cling to, it’s more like a bird’s leg!

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