Apocalyptic Sequence

Chapter 9 Purchasing Training Supplies

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Jingle Bell!

Lu Fan's phone rang beside his bed; it was the alarm he had set.

The alarm clock rang at six o'clock in the morning. After all, there were only two days left until the apocalypse, and Lu Fan had to seize every moment to improve his strength.

Without delay.

After getting up and washing up, Lu Fan immediately picked up his phone and found the contact "COS Costume Shop Owner" in his contacts.

He planned to buy training equipment and a fencing outfit.

Fortunately, Lu Fan knew an anime shop owner who specialized in selling cosplay costumes.

The reason they got to know each other stemmed from the freshman orientation performance. At that time, the girls in their class organized a cosplay show and rented cosplay costumes from an anime store owner.

Of course, in return, we should thank the anime store for their support at the end of the performance and give them a free "GG" (a type of virtual gift) on stage during the freshman orientation performance.

After the performance, Lu Fan, as a logistics staff member, was responsible for returning the clothes to the anime store owner.

After a while, the two got to know each other.

The anime shop owner often boasts that if you want to buy cosplay props, or even custom-made real swords, you can order them from him, and regular customers can get a 20% discount.

Just then, Lu Fan was preparing to buy a real Tang Dynasty sword, so he went to the anime store owner.

The message has been sent, but the other party has not responded yet; they must be sleeping in.

Lu Fan wasn't in a hurry. He went downstairs and had a hot breakfast before returning to the apartment.

I glanced at my phone; there was still no reply to the chat messages.

Lu Fan then picked up a clothesline pole and, simulating the training at the knife-wielding gym, began to swing his 'knife'.

This time, he did not release his sword energy; it was purely a simulation training exercise.

After practicing for about an hour, Lu Fan opened the character panel and glanced at the experience bar.

Black Tiger Blade Technique Lv.8 (1/200)

The experience bar has increased slightly. Compared to gaining experience through completing tasks, progress through training alone is extremely slow.

"As expected, I'll have to rely on quests to improve my swordsmanship..."

Lu Fan made up his mind that after buying the knives, he would wander around the entire city along the Jinling subway line, trying to trigger new missions and gain experience rewards.

Just as I was thinking this, my phone vibrated; there was a new chat message.

Lu Fan hurriedly opened his phone and saw the anime shop owner's reply:

"Seriously, buddy, you're planning to buy a real Tang-style sword and fencing uniform?"

"These two items are not cheap, especially the latter; a fencing outfit with a mask costs over a thousand."

"A genuine Tang dynasty sword from Kaifeng isn't cheap either; it costs at least several hundred yuan."

"The two combined cost around two thousand."

"That's probably a month's living expenses for you, right?"

The anime shop owner was somewhat skeptical of his purchasing power, but Lu Fan decisively replied, "I don't plan to buy an ordinary Tang sword. I want one made of a high-hardness alloy. Money is not a problem."

"I am an apprentice at Fuling Knife School, learning knife skills, and I need a set of genuine knives."

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the anime shop owner immediately dispelled his doubts: "An apprentice at Fukurei Knife Shop? That's no cheap fee! My goodness, I didn't realize you were such a rich guy!"

"No problem, leave this to me."

A few minutes later, the anime store owner sent me a phone number:

"Contact this person; he's a notorious hoodlum in the area, mainly dealing in genuine swords and knives."

Lu Fan sent an "OK" emoji and then copied the number.

I added this number on WeChat, and sure enough, the other party used "Doraemon" as their profile picture.

Even layabouts need to eat, so they often seek out unconventional jobs.

For example, genuine swords that only scratch the surface of their market value are sold to collectors.

After adding each other on WeChat, before Lu Fan could even state his purpose, the other party sent a question:

"Hey bro, getting ready to buy some goods? I guarantee the quality of my stuff is up to standard. Just come to this address."

After saying that, the other party sent a map coordinate.

Lu Fan immediately set off, leaving the apartment and hailing a Didi ride-hailing car downstairs.

Half an hour later, Lu Fan arrived at a detached house in the suburbs of Jinling City.

Downstairs, there are small shops, barbershops, restaurants, and even adult product stores, making it a mixed bag.

This situation is somewhat similar to Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong in the last century.

Using the map coordinates, Lu Fan quickly located the other party.

The other person was dozing off against the shop door. When he saw Lu Fan arrive, he stretched sleepily.

"Oh, a distinguished guest has arrived!"

"My name is Yu Han, you can just call me Brother Han."

Yu Han took the initiative to introduce himself, and then he lifted the black cloth on the wall of the shop to show Lu Fan several swords and knives.

"This is a high-hardness sword made of titanium alloy with a colored surface treatment. The blade uses an ultra-high-hardness tungsten carbide process, which is not only corrosion-resistant but also extremely difficult to wear. The blade is lightweight and sturdy, and feels excellent in the hand..." Yu Han introduced the sword to Lu Fan with great familiarity.

Lu Fan glanced at them a few times and quickly took a liking to a knife shaped like a Tang dynasty horizontal sword.

"I'll choose this one!"

"Young man, you have a good eye! This is my shop's prized possession!"

Yu Han casually made up a story, took the knife off the wall, and handed it to Lu Fan for inspection. He then added, "Since you're an acquaintance introduced by Little Li (the anime shop owner), I won't rip you off. This Tang sword will cost you 10,000 Federal Dollars. And you want to buy a fencing uniform? That'll be 5,000 Yuan for the uniform, making it a total of 15,000 Yuan."

"Fifteen thousand yuan?"

Lu Fan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the price. According to market prices, even if the two items were expensive, the total price would not exceed five thousand yuan. The other party had tripled the price, clearly trying to rip him off.

Seeing Lu Fan frown, Yu Han's lips curled up in a smug smile:

"If you don't have the money, we can sign an online loan agreement, and you'll owe me an online loan."

As they were talking, tattooed thugs nearby gradually approached.

The group subtly surrounded Lu Fan, clearly intending to force him into a sale.

Seeing this, Lu Fan gripped the Tang sword in his hand. Although he didn't mind spending more than 10,000 yuan on a Tang sword and fencing uniform, being treated like a fool and ripped off was not his habit.

So the next second, Lu Fan suddenly drew his sword.

— Clang!

The blade energy, like a dragon unsheathed, instantly slashed past Yu Han's side, cutting off several strands of his hair. At the same time, the blade energy struck the utility pole beside him, causing the entire pole to shake violently, creating a terrifying sight.

"A sword... sword energy?!"

Yu Han turned pale with fright. As a seasoned hoodlum, he had certainly seen real sword energy before, but that was a secret technique that only top martial arts masters could use. He never imagined that he would see sword energy on a mere kid!

The thugs next to him were also terrified, standing there dumbfounded as they watched Lu Fan slowly sheathe his knife.

"I am a formal disciple of the Fuling Knife School."

"I think this deal is a bit too expensive. How about we buy the Tang sword and fencing uniform for five thousand yuan?" Lu Fan slowly stated his plan, which was his suggestion to the other party based on the market price.

"Okay...okay, no, five thousand yuan is too much!"

Yu Han quickly changed his tune, his expression becoming obsequious: "I'll only take four thousand yuan from you, just enough for my hard work. Please forgive my previous offense!"

"OK."

Lu Fan stopped arguing and nodded in agreement with the other party's proposal.

Upon opening his phone, Lu Fan immediately transferred four thousand yuan to Yu Han. Yu Han, in turn, changed his previous attitude and became extremely attentive to Lu Fan. After all, those of them in the underworld highly valued martial arts masters.

In Yu Han's eyes, Lu Fan was a master from the Fuling Sword Pavilion. He was able to master sword energy at a young age and was definitely the core of the core disciples, a legitimate successor of the orthodox lineage.

You should never offend this kind of person, because you never know when you might need their help.

Thus, with Yu Han and others seeing him off, Lu Fan, carrying a Tang sword and fencing uniform, easily left the unfinished building area.

I took another ride-hailing service and returned to my studio apartment.

Putting the Tang sword and fencing uniform into the wardrobe, Lu Fan was now even more prepared for the apocalypse.

The fencing suit is made of a special fabric that can effectively prevent knife wounds and bites from creatures, and it is also very lightweight, making it very suitable as protective clothing for walking in the post-apocalyptic world.

As for the Tang sword, its sharpness was astonishing.

With the addition of his sword energy, Lu Fan was confident he could easily defeat non-high-level zombies.

Everything is ready.

The only thing that's still lacking is that his Black Tiger Blade Technique is two levels below.

If he could reach Lv.10, Lu Fan had a premonition that his swordsmanship would come with extremely powerful abilities.

At that time, my strength will be able to reach a new level.