Chapter 8 Spatial Ring
Six golden cards, with four of them being top-tier while the 'Food Card' and 'Biologist' are temporarily useless. Among these, the four remaining cards are truly exceptional, with t0-level talents, especially 'Danger Sense,' which can further ensure survival and reduce the chances of being ambushed.
"I wonder what the legendary rainbow card will offer..."
Henry flipped over one of the rainbow cards, and as he read the description, his pupils contracted.
[Talent – Qi Mastery]: Grants the user the ability to manipulate [spiritual energy]. [Usage Requirement: Eight Meridians Unlocked]
"This is definitely a god-tier talent among rainbow cards, but the conditions are a bit harsh; I can't learn it yet..."
Henry felt both excitement and a bit of frustration.
The so-called 'Eight Meridians Unlocked' means that before learning Qi Mastery, one must first acquire four golden card talents, specifically: the Ren and Du meridians, the Chong and Dai meridians, the Yang Wei and Yin Wei meridians, and the Yang Qiao and Yin Qiao meridians.
If the difficulty of learning this talent were the only issue, Henry wouldn't be so frustrated. His real frustration came from the fact that Qi Mastery, as a god-tier talent, was definitely a slow-growth type. Even if he mastered it, its early-stage performance would be far less practical than golden card talents like Heavy Punch Fighter, Martial Artist, or Sanda Champion. It only reached its full potential later, requiring continuous enhancement through golden and rainbow cards to unleash its strongest combat power. It was a talent that built up slowly but became more powerful over time.
In his memories, there were indeed a few people in his previous life who had learned Qi Mastery, but those who reached higher levels were extremely rare. Once someone did master it, however, they would inevitably become a dominant force.
'No point in thinking about it if I can't learn it," Henry muttered, putting away the [Qi Mastery] card, and then flipped over the second rainbow card. When he saw its contents, he couldn't hold back a burst of laughter.
'Great, great, great, so that's what you've given me, huh?"
Henry's face lit up with joy, practically beaming.
It wasn't that he lacked composure; it was just that this gift was so unexpectedly good.
[Armor – Electronic Protective Bracelet]: As long as there's electricity, you won't die easily.
A simple yet brutally effective description.
It echoed the famous saying from his past life: the less detailed the description, the stronger the item.
Henry had seen the Electronic Protective Bracelet in use before. It was a device that required a "Silver Battery Card" to charge.
When fully charged, it could withstand three lethal attacks or several ordinary attacks, depending on the damage dealt by the opponent. Of course, the prerequisite was that the attack must not exceed the bracelet's protection threshold; otherwise, it would fail. Essentially, it functioned as a passively activated super shield.
Without hesitation, Henry immediately retrieved the bracelet from the card and put it on his wrist. Then, he took out three silver battery cards from his tactical vest.
Henry had already categorized cards above the blue level in his spare time, so finding what he needed wasn't troublesome; he was well aware of what he had and what he didn't.
As the three green energy bars on the bracelet filled up, he suddenly felt a surge of security. After a moment of thought, he handed his pistol to Annie.
Annie was taken aback. "I don't know how to use it."
People from Hualong Nation, having grown up in a time of peace, rarely had the chance to handle a real firearm.
"I'll teach you. Do it like this, and then like this..."
Annie was a quick learner, and Henry only had to show her once before she got the hang of it. However, what Henry said next left her utterly speechless.
"Shoot me."
Henry pointed to his forehead.
Annie looked at him in disbelief. "What?"
Henry replied, "Don't worry, I just want to test the bracelet's protective abilities. I wouldn't joke around with my life. Go ahead and shoot."
Seeing Henry's insistence, Annie could only grit her teeth and pull the trigger.
"Bang!"
The bullet was absorbed by a protective barrier the moment it neared Henry's forehead, disappearing without a trace. Looking at the bracelet, he noticed that one of the energy bars had indeed depleted.
"I wonder how much energy it would use if I were shot somewhere else. But I don't have many Silver Battery Cards—only about ten—so I can't afford to waste them."
Henry muttered to himself, then glanced at Annie. Her face showed not only shock but also a lot of pain.
After learning the reason, Henry couldn't help but laugh—it turned out the recoil from the gun was too strong, and it had dislocated her wrist.
"You're really quite fragile," he remarked.
Henry helped Annie over to the dining area and reset her wrist. "It seems like this kind of firearm isn't suitable for you. You'd be better off using a bow and crossbow."
Before obtaining the protective bracelet, Henry had no intention of letting Annie fight, mainly because he was worried that if he gave her a weapon, she might turn it against him. Now, with the bracelet providing protection, he had no such concerns.
Having Annie shoot at him wasn't just about testing or showing off; it was a form of intimidation.
In truth, Henry was being overly cautious, suspecting betrayal where there was none. Annie had never once thought of betraying him. She was fully aware that she was just a powerless little actress, and there was no way she could survive in the apocalypse alone. Finding someone as strong as Henry was like finding a lifeline, and she intended to cling to it tightly—betrayal was out of the question.
But Henry couldn't really be blamed for his mindset. After all, he had lived through five years of the apocalypse and had seen countless betrayals, which had shaped his thinking, making him view everyone with suspicion.
"I actually trained with a mechanical bow for a while when I was filming. Do you have one?" Annie asked, her expression a bit strange as she gently rubbed her wrist.
When Henry had reset her wrist, she felt a strange emotion well up inside her, though she couldn't quite figure out what it was.
"Of course, I do. I've got plenty," Henry replied, taking out the Silver Card. There were a total of six mechanical bows in the Silver Card set, all identical in function and power, with the only difference being their color coatings.
Unsurprisingly, Annie chose the mechanical bow with a pink finish.
Yes, the pinker it is, the harder it hits.
Makes sense.
"..."
"Try shooting that utility pole and see how you do," Henry said, pointing to the pole not far away.
"Okay! I'm really good at this!" Annie stood up straight and expertly drew the bow. With a "whoosh," the arrow flew out like a streak of light—only to land precisely in a trash can three meters away from the utility pole...
"Impressive," Henry said, giving her a thumbs-up.
Annie's face turned bright red with embarrassment. "I... it's been a long time since I practiced! Let me try again!"
"Don't rush. Use these cards first and then try again," Henry said, handing her a few Silver Cards he had sorted earlier. They were: [Talent – Archery Mastery], [Talent – Precision], [Talent – Long-Range Shooting (Bow)], and [Skill – Sharpshooter (Bow)].
"Are all these for me?" Annie asked, in disbelief.
"Yes, the monsters we'll encounter are going to get stronger and stronger, so I need a partner. Besides, you've been helping me all along; you deserve this."
Flattering words didn't cost a thing, but they could make someone feel good, and Henry didn't mind saying a few more.
Annie's cheeks flushed, and she was too embarrassed to look directly at Henry. She knew very well what she had actually done in the past two days: three things—sorting cards, sorting cards, and sorting cards again...
But the thought of fighting alongside Henry filled her with joy. "Thank you for trusting me."
"I've always trusted you. I just hadn't decided which path to put you on," Henry replied, sounding perfectly serious.
Annie pouted slightly, thinking, Do you really mean that? But, of course, I understand you.
With the boost from the Silver Card talents, Annie's accuracy and arrow power improved several times over. Her hit rate on stationary targets was as high as 95%, and on moving targets, it was 77%. Unfortunately, the nearby blood corpses had already been cleared out; otherwise, Henry would have liked to see how she performed in actual combat.
Unbeknownst to them, dusk had fallen, but inside the RV, it was as bright as day.
To celebrate the day's great harvest, Henry tore open a Silver Card for food: [Sichuan-Chongqing Hot Pot Set]—a full table of premium beef and lamb, along with various vegetables, making up more than thirty dishes in total.
"Wow! This is so lavish. Will I get fat if I eat all this?" Annie drooled in anticipation.
"The more talents you master, the greater your energy consumption. Don't worry, just eat," Henry said, shaking his head. Is that something people normally worry about? While others struggled to find enough to eat, she was worried about gaining weight.
"Bang, bang bang!"
Just as the two were indulging in the feast, there was a sudden knocking on the RV door.
Henry glanced at the dashcam, expecting to see blood corpses, but instead, a middle-aged couple stood at the door, the woman holding a three- or four-year-old boy in her arms.
"Please, help us. We haven't had any water for two days. Could you spare some water and food?" The man pleaded, his face full of anxiety.
"Please, I'm begging you," the woman cried out, her voice breaking.
Henry hesitated for a moment before opening the door.
He sized up the family of three. The couple looked extremely haggard, with dry, cracked lips. Compared to them, the little boy seemed in relatively good condition; aside from looking a bit malnourished, he didn't show signs of dehydration. It was clear the couple had used whatever water resources they had on the child.
"Annie, bring over a few water cards and food cards," Henry instructed. Annie quickly fetched a small stack of white water cards and food cards from the cabinet and handed them to the middle-aged couple.
The couple dropped to their knees in gratitude. "Thank you, thank you!!"
"Mm." Henry nodded. "It's not safe at night. You should head back." With that, he prepared to close the door.
"Wait, please wait," the middle-aged man said.
Henry, not giving him a chance to argue, replied, "If you're thinking about getting on the RV, I can tell you right now, that's not going to happen."
The man froze, looking a bit embarrassed. "You've already given us water and food, and we're very grateful. We wouldn't dare ask for that."
"Oh, then what is it?" Henry asked.
"My son... he's three years old. It's so dangerous out here. Could you possibly..."