Despite the eventful holiday, Qin Yu's life soon returned to its peaceful rhythm.
She continued working and learning under Ningguang's guidance while earning Points through affectionate touches.
Eventually, her accumulated Points reached a staggering total:
Eight hundred thousand!
Eight hundred thousand... a number she could never have imagined at the start.
But, Qin Yu thought, the main reason I've accumulated so many Points is those two SSS-tier Evaluations I received.
And to get those Evaluations, it's probably because of that...
Kissing.
The mere thought made Qin Yu blush deeply, and she couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
What kind of Affectionate Touch System is this? How far does it expect us to go?!
If kissing only gets you SSS-, what comes next? SSS? SSS+? Do you have to sleep with someone?!
But once you achieve an SSS-tier Evaluation, the Points surge dramatically.
If she could repeat that a few more times, surpassing even a million Points would be no problem.
If I kissed her a few more times...
Wait, what am I thinking?! This is practically selling my body! I'm not that kind of frivolous woman!
But what if it wasn't intentional? What if it happened naturally?
No. That's still wrong.
Better not dwell on this.
With 800,000 Points, she could max out nearly all early- to mid-game skills from other specializations. But that would be a waste; it was better to invest her Points into her current, nearly complete build.
"My Teacher wants me to live well, and living well starts with staying safe."
And only she could protect herself; relying on others was futile.
Qin Yu gazed thoughtfully at the panel.
Upgrading my existing skills should be my priority. I can temporarily neglect my attributes; I might not have enough Points anyway.
First, she opened the Skill Tree.
Firearm Proficiency upgraded to Level 4.
Fast Reload upgraded to Level 5.
Human Transformation upgraded to Level 3.
Human Transformation (Level 3): Your body has undergone advanced modifications and upgrades. The Smart Core device now enhances your movements while providing a wireless interface, significantly reducing the energy consumption of all skills and abilities. Permanently increases your physical capabilities: +20 to all attributes except Sensitivity. Grants the auxiliary active skill Overclock, with further enhanced effects.
Overclock: An auxiliary skill from Human Transformation. Upon activation, you enter a slow-motion state while dramatically boosting your physical capabilities for a brief period. Duration: 16 seconds. Upon completion, you enter a 4-second period of near-paralysis. Consumes significant energy.
The most crucial upgrades were for passive skills.
A stronger physique remained the best path to survival.
With significantly reduced side effects from Overclocking, combined with the Celestial System's Force Field Shield, it could now be reliably deployed even in standard combat situations!
It was time to upgrade the Armament Platform—my ultimate move.
However, instead of directly upgrading the core skill, I decided to unlock its auxiliary skills first.
[Armament Key: Rifle] - An auxiliary skill of the Armament Platform. When the Armament Platform is activated, this skill automatically activates, adding the Armament Key: Rifle item to your inventory.
[Armament Platform: Rifle] - A special mode loaded via the Armament Key, transforming the platform into a high-damage, high-precision rifle with a single-round capacity and heavy recoil. Bullets possess armor-piercing capabilities, potentially penetrating even through cloud layers.
Excellent! My combat capabilities had been significantly enhanced once again.
Since I still have points remaining, let's check out the weapons.
The pistol doesn't need upgrading—it's sufficient for now.
The assault rifle can wait; the shotgun and sniper rifle take priority.
One is still a Double-Barreled Shotgun, while the other is just an Anesthetic Rifle.
While the Double-Barreled Shotgun was effective, its limited ammunition capacity made an upgrade necessary. The Anesthetic Rifle, meanwhile, was incapable of inflicting damage, only incapacitating enemies. Qin Yu needed lethal firepower.
Upgrade the Double-Barreled Shotgun!
Semi-Automatic Shotgun—A standard weapon firing multiple projectiles with high lethality, short range, and moderate accuracy. It holds 7 rounds, accepts various ammunition types, and can fire continuously. A classic weapon of destruction.
The Anesthetic Rifle didn't need upgrading—a new one would suffice.
Excalibur—A specialized weapon powered by energy cells, switchable between "sword/rifle" modes. Sword mode: high power, excellent maneuverability, but heavy. Rifle mode: high lethality, long range, high accuracy, 4-round magazine, 0.5-second recharge between shots, and homing bullets. It's not the Excalibur, but just as cool.
Qin Yu wanted this sword-sniper rifle in case she needed a melee weapon in the future.
Though she preferred avoiding close-quarters engagements, she couldn't rule out the possibility.
The Semi-Automatic Shotgun was the model Qin Yu was most familiar with, a staple in virtually every shooting game she'd played.
So beautiful, Qin Yu murmured, her fingers tracing the cold, metallic surface of the shotgun.
Next, she summoned Excalibur.
Despite its legendary name, the sword defied expectations with its strikingly futuristic design. It felt like a legendary blade reimagined in a distant, technologically advanced era.
In sword mode, it was a longsword with runes glowing with electronic light. In rifle mode, the blade shattered into fragments that coalesced around the exposed barrel to form the gun's body, while the hilt transformed into a pistol grip.
The mode transition was instantaneous.
Qin Yu was immensely satisfied with this weapon, which combined sleek design with formidable power. Apart from its staggering 100,000-point cost, it seemed flawless.
Or, if one insisted, there was one flaw.
The flaw lay within herself.
I don't even know how to use a sword.
She swung it haphazardly, with no technique whatsoever, relying solely on her enhanced physical abilities to swing the blade like a primitive man wielding a club. Her strikes resembled clumsy strikes rather than precise cuts.
Well, guess I'll have to invest in another Skill.
She immediately leveled up Swordsmanship Proficiency to Level 3.
That should do the trick! After all, she wouldn't be using the sword most of the time; she just needed to avoid embarrassing herself when necessary.
But she had very few Points left.
Qin Yu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. These Points really don't last long; they're gone in a flash! And after this, I'll have to keep working hard, getting more Affectionate Touches to earn more.
If only there were a way to earn Points faster...
Qin Yu unconsciously touched her lips, then snapped back to reality, shaking her head vigorously.
Better keep my feet on the ground!
An SSS-rank Evaluation would be nice to get naturally, probably. But she couldn't go out of her way to pursue it, as it required even more intimate "Affectionate Touch."
Originally, Qin Yu had planned to earn Points and then act as the target's close friend.
What kind of close friends kiss, let alone do more?