The Purpose of Points

"Why are you all here?" Fang Yu asked in surprise. He knew Bai Chen, Xia Yao, and the others had already arrived at the Primordial Star, but he hadn't expected them to be waiting right here, as if anticipating his exact arrival. "Haha, Fang Yu, the moment you created your Civilization Warrior profile and applied to join our squad, we knew you'd be arriving soon," Bai Chen said with a laugh. "By base convention, rooms for the same martial artist squad are assigned close together. There were still vacant rooms on this floor, so it was easy enough to guess your approximate arrival time." "That's why I called everyone over to my room," Bai Chen added, smiling. Fang Yu came to an understanding. "We only arrived two hours ago ourselves," Xia Yao chimed in beside them, beaming. "All right, welcome ceremony over," Bai Chen chuckled. "Fang Yu, Xia Yao will show you around and help you get settled into your room. This afternoon, she'll take you to the Safe Zone for combat practice, and tomorrow we'll drill our team coordination..." "That won't be necessary; I can get settled on my own," Fang Yu instinctively declined. "Fang Yu, that's where you're wrong." Xia Yao's smile faded, replaced by a solemn expression. "I'm the support. This is my job, and you're new... If I help you, it will save you a lot of time and energy, which benefits the entire squad." Fang Yu froze slightly upon hearing that. "Xia Yao is right." "Fang Yu, you need to get used to Xia Yao being around," Bai Chen said seriously. "A martial artist squad is built on a division of labor. Xia Yao's combat abilities are on the weaker side, which means she needs to take charge of non-combat duties." "It's fine while we're at the base." "Once we venture out into the Wilderness Zone, we must pay special attention to this. Combat personnel need to rest as much as possible so they can unleash their full strength when it counts, while the support handles non-combat matters as much as possible... Each to their own role." "Remember." "When Xia Yao carries out her duties, don't treat her like a girl who needs to be coddled. She's a member of this squad," Bai Chen stated solemnly. "She has to fulfill her responsibilities." "If you keep her from doing what she's supposed to do, how can Xia Yao maintain her standing in the squad in the long run?" Bai Chen looked at Fang Yu. "You wouldn't be looking out for her—you'd be hurting her." Qin Yang's expression remained calm. Xiong Meng nodded in firm agreement. "I was wrong, Captain." Fang Yu realized his mistake. He had fallen back on old habits, thinking he should avoid inconveniencing others. However, things were different in a martial artist squad... As warriors risking life and death against ferocious beasts, every single member was vital and had to pull their own weight. Anyone who served no purpose didn't belong in the team. ... Soon, Bai Chen and the others took their leave one by one, leaving only Fang Yu and Xia Yao. Pushing the door open, they entered Fang Yu's assigned quarters. The room was spacious, spanning over a hundred square meters, but other than a bed, a desk, chairs, a refrigerator, and an attached bathroom, it was almost completely bare. The most eye-catching feature was a computer with an extraordinarily large monitor. "Fang Yu, don't hold the captain's bluntness against him," Xia Yao said with a smile. Dressed in light, breezy clothes that showed off her long, pale legs, she continued, "You're plenty strong, but having received a junior college education, you're used to the orderly life of the cities... Out on the Primordial Star, if you cross paths with other martial artist squads or alien powerhouses," "Never let down your guard just because they look like women or children. That's a fatal mistake." "Sometimes, the ones who seem the weakest turn out to be the deadliest," Xia Yao said. "Rule number one of the Wilderness Zone: never place absolute trust in anyone except yourself." "Understood," Fang Yu said, nodding. "As a newcomer, you'll need to take out a loan first to buy two basic sets of gear," Xia Yao explained. "Especially weapons... Once your equipment arrives, I'll accompany you to the Safe Zone this afternoon for combat training." As she spoke, she powered on the computer. "This computer can access the Blue Star network to contact Blue Star, but the latency is terrible. If you send a message, it might take half an hour for the other side to receive it," Xia Yao said. "Its more important function is logging into the Primordial Net." "Enter your Civilization Warrior credentials to verify your identity." Once Fang Yu logged into his account, *whoosh!* His basic information appeared across the large monitor: Civilization Warrior: Fang Yu Rank: Trainee Affiliated Civilization: Blue Moon Current Base: Iron Wall (Secondary Base No. 12) Primordial Points: 200 Remaining Primordial Points Loan Limit: 100 ... "Where did you get two hundred Primordial Points?" Xia Yao gasped in astonishment. "Could your loan limit be three hundred Primordial Points?" "No, it's just a hundred," Fang Yu said, shaking his head. "These two hundred were a gift from Martial Uncle Jiang Wei." On the way to his quarters, Fang Yu had already added Jiang Wei's Civilization Warrior code. Even so, he hadn't expected Jiang Wei to transfer the two hundred Primordial Points so quickly. "Fang Yu, Teacher Jiang really treats you well," Xia Yao couldn't help but remark. "If you traded that for Star Coins, it would fetch two hundred thousand Star Coins!" "And if you wanted to buy Primordial Points with Star Coins, you'd need two million Star Coins!" Xia Yao sighed with emotion. "Yeah," Fang Yu nodded in agreement. Primordial Points. They were the exclusive currency used on the Primordial Star. Everything from ordinary goods to rare treasures could only be bought with Primordial Points here. Primordial Points could be exchanged for Star Coins, with one Primordial Point yielding one thousand Star Coins. However, if one wished to convert Star Coins into Primordial Points, it cost ten thousand Star Coins for just one Primordial Point. What's more, there appeared to be an exchange ceiling, beyond which Star Coins were no longer accepted. Consequently, under normal circumstances, no martial artist would ever exchange their Primordial Points for Star Coins. "When we venture out into the Wilderness Zone, we'll be fighting ferocious beasts, so equipment like weapons, combat suits, helmets, and combat boots must be exceptionally durable," Xia Yao explained. "To prepare for potential damage, people usually buy a spare set as well, along with specialized medicines." "All of that has to be purchased with Primordial Points." "Ordinary martial artists start out with zero points, so they have no choice but to take out loans," Xia Yao smiled. "The annual interest is twenty percent. Borrow one hundred Primordial Points this year, and you have to repay one hundred and twenty within a year." "That's sheer highway robbery!" Fang Yu couldn't help exclaiming. Even standard bank loans never charged interest that high. Meanwhile, with a few clicks from Xia Yao, various categories appeared on the monitor: Weapon Sets, Individual Weapons, Medicines and Elixirs, Cultivation Aids, Tech Items, Cultivation Legacies, Special Items, and more. Since Fang Yu was only a Trainee Warrior, most of the categories were grayed out. Only Weapon Sets and Individual Weapons were accessible. Xia Yao clicked into Individual Weapons, revealing dozens of subcategories such as combat sabers, spears, shields, and combat suits, with an overwhelming array of gear on display. "Can't we bring these weapons and equipment directly from Blue Star?" Fang Yu asked with a frown. "No." "Weapons acquired on the Primordial Star can be taken back to Blue Star... but most cold weapons produced on Blue Star aren't permitted here on the Primordial Star," Xia Yao said, shrugging. "I don't know the exact reason; that's just the rule." "Remember, don't try to test your luck. If you get caught breaking the rules, the penalties are severe." "As for medicines and high-energy rations, there's no ban on those. That's why I bought a batch back at school ahead of time. If you get poisoned in the Wilderness Zone and need treatment... we can settle the cost after you use them," Xia Yao said with a laugh. "Don't worry, I won't charge you any extra fees." Ten minutes later, guided by Xia Yao, Fang Yu spent 75 Primordial Points on an Intermediate Martial Artist quality set, followed by another 30 points on a standard set, selecting combat sabers as his weapons and entering his physical measurements. "Starting out with nothing, buying a complete set is the best option." "Combat suits, weapons, and everything else are all bundled together." "With an Intermediate Martial Artist quality set, even when you reach Level 30 as an Advanced Martial Artist, the combat suit can still suffice in a pinch," Xia Yao smiled. "Most newcomers, like myself back then, don't dare to borrow too much and can only afford standard sets, where the suit and boots don't perform quite as well." "At crucial moments, a suit's defensive performance can make the difference between minor injuries and severe trauma." "You'll wear the quality set and keep the standard set as a spare," Xia Yao said. "Once the month-long practical combat training is over, all this gear can be resold to the space base. Unopened items can be returned for full price, while used items only incur a deduction for wear and tear, provided they aren't completely wrecked." "I see." Fang Yu smiled faintly. His primary concern had been that purchased equipment couldn't be returned. As long as it could, he didn't have to worry about wasting points. ... Barely an hour later, Fang Yu's purchased equipment was delivered straight to his room by a robot. He immediately unpacked the Intermediate Martial Artist quality set. He put on the combat suit, helmet, and boots; everything fit perfectly. Fang Yu then strapped on the shield and saber. The entire set was a sleek blackish teal. At a glance, Fang Yu looked like a dark, formidable warrior. "Good gear really makes a difference!" Xia Yao remarked, her eyes lighting up as she came over. "You look seriously sharp! Come on, let's grab some food first, then leave the base and head into the Safe Zone."