Chapter Eleven: The Reward for the Mission

Suddenly, Su Hao’s vision was engulfed by a profound darkness, as if an invisible giant hand was dragging him into an unknown abyss.

During this long, shadowy transfer, his spirit burned like a candle flame, fixed intently on the mission rewards floating in the void, a surge of uncontrollable excitement and anticipation swelling within him.

He began to meticulously replay the mission in his mind, striving to catch every detail, fearing any oversight that might lead to failure or regret.

Yet at that moment, an unexpected change tightened his chest.

He realized he was gradually forgetting the language of the mission planet—a strange yet precious memory slipping away like grains of sand in an hourglass.

Su Hao knew well that one must never easily give up what is already within grasp.

He forced himself to immerse in those words and phrases, exerting every effort to sketch them in his mind’s eye, as if racing against time to reclaim every fraction of memory.

Miraculously, his efforts bore fruit: the fading knowledge of the language firmly re-rooted itself within his consciousness.

Just as he exhaled in relief, preparing to rest briefly, the scene before him shifted abruptly, as if he had passed through a rift in time and space, arriving in a brand-new realm—his personal chamber.

Yet confusingly, the room was not as bright or clear as he had hoped; it remained shrouded in a misty white fog, like a dreamlike fairyland veiled in haze, where everything blurred indistinctly.

Frowning, Su Hao felt a surge of puzzlement: “Where does this fog come from? And why does it linger in my own room?”

At that moment, a cold, emotionless voice sounded beside his ear, answering his question:

“[Reserve Cleaner, since your first mission remains officially incomplete, your room is equipped with a concealment function. This veil will only lift once you have fully completed the mission and received your rewards. Currently, your rewards are being calculated; please remain patient.]”

Though reluctant, Su Hao accepted this and resolved to wait patiently.

“[Reserve Cleaner, mission recovery items—Cosmic Cleansing Stones—have been detected in your storage space. The Cosmic Environmental Protection Unit will automatically reclaim these for reward exchange.]”

He immediately checked his storage, where eighteen translucent cleansing stones lay quietly, emitting a faint glow. With a prompt, all eighteen stones vanished.

Four treasure chests remained, each white in quality but holding different secrets.

One chest marked “Hughes” was especially eye-catching, while the other three were sinister chests radiating an unsettling aura.

Reflecting on the mission, Su Hao silently thanked his luck for completing it using only one vial of Life Serum No. 1. The other potions for restoring mana and vitality were still intact, waiting quietly in storage for future need.

He gently tapped the red vial of Life Source Potion; its name appeared slowly, revealing it could fully heal a contract holder’s wounds within three minutes, akin to Life Serum No. 1.

Next, he tapped the blue Mana Source Potion; its name also appeared clearly.

This was a miraculous potion capable of instantly replenishing 100% of a contract holder’s mana.

Su Hao understood that in battle, once mana was depleted, it was like losing wings to fight. This potion offered a lifeline, a chance to revive his strength from the brink.

He imagined being in a desperate fight, mana drained dry—just one potion could instantly restore full power, a recovery so remarkable it was almost unbelievable.

Lost in thought about these two potions, the cold voice interrupted again:

“[Reserve Cleaner, Cosmic Cleansing Stones reclaimed. Mission accounting complete; reward distribution will commence shortly. You have successfully completed two missions, both main and side quests, achieving a perfect 100% completion rate.]”

“You have earned 40 attribute points, 5 Cosmic Particles, and 10 Cosmic Particle Fragments.”

“These Cosmic Particles and Fragments can be exchanged for Cosmic Credits for trading or directly swapped for other precious items.”

“The exchange rate is one Cosmic Particle equals 10,000 Cosmic Credits; one Cosmic Particle Fragment equals 100 Cosmic Credits.]”

Hearing this, Su Hao’s heart stirred, and without hesitation, he decided: “I choose to exchange everything.”

As his words fell, the wealth bar in his mark instantly updated, dazzling numbers flashing before his eyes—51,000 Cosmic Credits.

This was more than mere numbers; it was the crystallization of his toil and wisdom, a solid foundation for ascending to higher levels in this vast universe.

Only now did he notice the fog had completely vanished from the room. The bright chamber spanned about 100 square meters, empty except for a device resembling an automated vending machine, with no furniture in sight.

The cold, mechanical voice sounded once again beside him, like a stern mentor guiding his next steps:

“[Reserve Cleaner, you may now proceed to the Attribute Upgrade Hall. Use the 40 attribute points earned to enhance your abilities. Note that 40 points represent the highest reward attainable from a single mission—truly rare.]”

Su Hao’s eyes widened in disbelief, shining with excitement.

He had expected, at best, a minor increase of around ten points, perhaps from bending the rules slightly.

Never had he imagined receiving a full forty points—an unexpected delight that filled him with indescribable joy and exhilaration.

He knew from past missions that attribute points were scarce; even five points was considered substantial, but this time, the reward was eight times greater.

Such a gain undoubtedly bolstered his confidence in this unknown cosmos.

Brimming with happiness, Su Hao first visited the furniture store.

After careful selection, he ordered a spacious, comfortable bed, a soft and delicate sofa, an elegant rustic coffee table, and a broad, bright writing desk.

He also chose a bookshelf filled with books and a desk lamp emitting a gentle glow.

The store offered home delivery, saving him considerable trouble.

Soon, the furniture arrived in his private room, and Su Hao directed the movers to arrange everything neatly.

As he admired the brand-new furnishings, satisfaction swelled within him, though it was quickly tempered by the sting of seeing his wealth diminish rapidly.

The furniture cost a total of 5,880 Cosmic Credits—more than a tenth of his fortune—vanishing in the blink of an eye, transformed into tangible possessions.

Yet even with these additions, the room still felt spacious and somewhat cold, as if something was missing.

But Su Hao knew this was temporary; as he advanced through this world, his room would gradually become fuller and warmer.

He then set out for the Attribute Upgrade Hall.

Not far from his chamber, a fifteen-minute walk brought him to his destination.

Though he had previously inquired about its location, arriving in person still overwhelmed him.

The magnificent hall resembled a colossal palace, its vast interior lined with rows of attribute upgrade pods, arranged like soldiers awaiting inspection.

Visitors came and went in endless streams, some hurried, others leisurely, forming moving scenes within the spacious hall.

Su Hao observed carefully: pods in use glowed red, while unoccupied ones shone green, like signal lights guiding the way.

He silently mused that the name “Attribute Upgrade Hall” was well deserved; its scale and grandeur inspired awe.

Here, he would begin a new chapter in strengthening himself.

Choosing an unoccupied upgrade pod, he entered and touched the interface:

“[Using the attribute upgrade pod requires a fee of 200 Cosmic Credits per session. Confirm use?]”

He confirmed, and 200 Credits were automatically deducted. The pod’s door opened, and once inside, it closed behind him.

He examined his base attributes:

“Constitution: 5 points

Intelligence: 21 points

Agility: 5 points

Strength: 5 points

Luck: 1 point

Charisma: 1 point”

After careful thought, Su Hao made his decision:

He would no longer invest precious points into Intelligence. Instead, he raised Constitution, Strength, and Agility by eight points each, aiming to enhance his survivability and mobility in combat.

At the same time, he did not neglect Luck and Charisma—seemingly intangible but deeply influential attributes—adding eight points to each, hoping for more fortune and social leverage in unknown adventures ahead.

Having allocated all points, Su Hao took a deep breath and gently pressed the upgrade button, as if setting fate’s wheels in motion.

In that instant, indescribable waves of energy surged through his body—sometimes scorching like molten lava, threatening to consume him entirely; other times piercingly cold like deep-sea ice, seeking to freeze his very soul.

This mingling of fire and ice raged within, delivering an unprecedented, extreme sensation.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely during those three minutes. Su Hao felt himself simultaneously engulfed in blazing flames and freezing waters—scorched and submerged at once.

Strangely, beneath his skin, countless tiny creatures seemed to crawl—sometimes coiling like snakes, sometimes gnawing like mice.

The sensation was both eerie and complex, forcing him to grit his teeth and fiercely maintain his consciousness.

He feared that losing awareness would bring unknown peril.

Finally, after a torturous fifteen-minute ordeal, Su Hao’s body gradually recovered from the intense stimulation.

Sweat fell like fine rain, soaking his clothes, yet his heart brimmed with unprecedented satisfaction and joy.

Immersed in this warm, comforting feeling, he sensed his body had grown several times stronger than before, savoring the profound pleasure that came with the upgrade.