Chapter 23: Risks and Rewards

Yu Yan spoke gently, unfolding the common knowledge of the replica world for Tang Yan, one point at a time. When she finished, she asked, “Now that you understand the most basic information, I’m curious—what do you envision for your own future?”

Tang Yan fell silent.

“I need some time alone to think it over,” he replied.

Yu Yan nodded, not pressing him for an answer. She appreciated his attitude—he hadn’t lost his sense over the enormous opportunity suddenly presented to him, and he knew to weigh his options before responding to her.

Yu Yan lowered her gaze to Cloud Duo, “Duo Duo, you’ve already been enhanced as a Plant Spirit user.”

“But if you absorb and refine a spirit item of Earth rank or higher, you can gain an additional special ability.”

“What kind of power would you like?”

“If I have it myself, I can give it to you directly. If I don’t, I’ll find a way to obtain it for you…”

“No need, Mom. Just tell me what you have on hand, and I’ll choose from those.”

While Yu Yan explained the replica world’s common knowledge, the two children, Cloud Duo and Tang Siqi, listened intently. Cloud Duo had realized that her mother could no longer easily go in and out of high-level replicas as she had in the previous days. The ease and confidence from before were gone.

Now Cloud Duo finally understood why her mother had risked everything in those high-level replicas—because after those few days, she wouldn’t have the chance to acquire so many rare treasures at once. Even so, these materials had been won with her mother’s blood and pain over countless battles.

Cloud Duo couldn’t bear to see her mother injured again, especially for her sake. That kind of pain would hurt so deeply she’d rather die than feel it.

“Mom, didn’t we visit a replica full of thunder-type creatures?”

“I remember you said the creatures there were powerful—tough-skinned and hard to kill.”

“You went through so much, and finally managed to slay one. Jin Jin absorbed its blood, which gave his attacks a paralyzing thunder effect. Why not give me a piece of its meat? It should be an Earth-rank creature, right?”

Cloud Duo was referring to the One-Horned Rhinobeast, found in the S-rank replica “Mountain of Divine Wrath.” The advanced creatures of that mountain were nearly all thunder-type, their destructive power unmatched. The One-Horned Rhinobeast was a rare earth-and-thunder dual-type monster, with the lowest grade at seventh-tier Earth rank. Unfortunately, the one Yu Yan had slain didn’t yield a blood crystal.

Yu Yan nodded, “It is Earth rank, but Duo Duo, fire-type energies are known for their fierce and untamable nature.”

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“Yet few realize thunder is even fiercer than fire. If refining fire-type energy causes a level of harm, thunder triples that risk. You are only a fifth-tier bloodline enhancer; refining an Earth-rank spirit item is already dangerous.”

“Are you sure you want to become a thunder-type special ability user?”

“Mom, risk and reward go hand in hand,” Cloud Duo declared steadfastly. “If becoming a thunder-type user means enduring greater pain, doesn’t that also mean their power is much stronger than others?”

If so, then as long as she worked hard enough, her mother wouldn’t have to get hurt again. What was a little pain compared to that? She never wanted to be just a useless support healer. Watching her mother wounded, unable to help, was unbearable.

“Duo Duo…”

Yu Yan opened her mouth, uncertain how to dissuade her. Having lived again, she never intended to shelter Cloud Duo in sterile perfection. No one could guard another perfectly, twenty-four hours a day. There would always be times when exhaustion or distraction left one vulnerable, and then Cloud Duo would need her own means of self-preservation.

That was why Yu Yan always took her daughter into replicas to battle.

But that didn’t mean she could bear to let Cloud Duo refine the thunder-type meat of the One-Horned Rhinobeast.

Spirit items of Earth rank and above already possessed a hint of spiritual resonance. If their attribute was gentle, it was less of a problem. But fire or thunder resonance was ruled by destruction. Even the tiniest thread of thunder resonance could torment Cloud Duo’s soul nearly to death.

How could Yu Yan endure seeing her precious girl suffer so?

And if Cloud Duo couldn’t endure and had to give up, the violent thunder aura would destroy every meridian in her body capable of storing spiritual energy. That would mean she could never again become a special ability user, and her identity as a Plant Spirit enhancer would become meaningless.

She’d be unable to use Plant Spirit techniques, unless one day her Plant Spirit grew strong enough to fight independently. Otherwise, the mark on her forehead would be nothing but decoration.

Such consequences were terrifying.

Yu Yan paused, then carefully explained every danger to Cloud Duo. But Cloud Duo waved her hand, “Mom, did you really think I hadn’t considered these things? Your Duo Duo isn’t foolish. Reward and cost are always proportional.”

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“Duo Duo is already a Plant Spirit enhancer, but she’s not satisfied—she wants to become a powerful special ability user. That naturally demands a much greater price.”

“Mom, I’m ready. Give me the meat from that monster.”

“…Alright.”

Yu Yan drew a deep breath. If her daughter had the courage, how could she, as a mother, shrink back? If Cloud Duo failed to refine the One-Horned Rhinobeast meat, then she would simply let her daughter live as an ordinary person.

She would recruit more loyal subordinates, train them well, and build a strong enough team. Whenever they went out, she’d leave her daughter in the care of the fiercest bodyguards.

With so many treasures in her spatial vault, Yu Yan refused to believe she couldn’t produce some top experts of the replica world.

However, “Mom agrees in principle to let you refine the One-Horned Rhinobeast meat, but not right now.”

“Refining an Earth-rank thunder-type spirit item is extremely dangerous.”

“A sealed C-rank replica usually poses no threat to us, but once you start refining the meat, all bets are off. When we leave this replica, we’ll find someplace absolutely safe before you begin.”

“Tang Yan, have you decided what kind of person you want to be?”

Yu Yan had intended to give Tang Yan more time.

But when a person must face a terrifying event with unknown outcome, the best solution is to turn it into the past—make it happen, and move forward. Whether Cloud Duo succeeded or failed in refining the One-Horned Rhinobeast meat, Yu Yan could accept either result.

What she couldn’t accept was the process itself.

Just imagining her daughter writhing in agony made Yu Yan’s heart twist painfully. Even waiting a little longer, she feared she’d lose her resolve.

No… In truth, she was already close to giving up. If not for the three years in the replica world, which had shaped her extraordinary self-control, Yu Yan would have stopped Cloud Duo by any means necessary.

The simplest way would have been to deny Cloud Duo any chance to touch the One-Horned Rhinobeast meat.

Even if it meant upsetting her—perhaps earning her hatred…