The Myriad Worlds Marketplace
Of course, Li Chuan knew he couldn’t convert all 300 IQ points into Heavenworld Credits—doing so would leave him an imbecile. No amount of wealth could make up for a hollowed-out mind.
Still, thinking that he effectively owned a third of a gold mine lifted his spirits.
He was eager to see what kind of treasures 30,000 credits could buy, but the Myriad Worlds Ring only displayed his basic profile. Every other tab remained locked.
Jiang Changming chuckled, “Judging from your expression, I take it you can exchange for some pretty good stuff from the ring?”
Li Chuan had just started to nod when Teacher Jiang raised a hand to stop him and said seriously, “Don’t tell me anything. This is your secret. Even once you arrive in Heavenworld, don’t reveal your abilities lightly.
“There are more than just humans in Heavenworld. Lifeforms from other realms are everywhere. Even within the Human Main City, spies from other worlds hide in plain sight. Be cautious, always.”
“Thank you, Teacher Jiang,” Li Chuan said gratefully.
Jiang Changming had always looked after him over the years. These heartfelt words weren’t something just any teacher would bother with. Only someone who cared like family would be this earnest.
Jiang continued, “The ring’s full functions are only unlocked in Heavenworld. Here in the Human Realm, it only gives you limited access.”
“Then… I’m going now,” Li Chuan said.
Teacher Jiang nodded.
With effort, Li Chuan managed to say goodbye. “Goodbye, Teacher.”
With a thought, the snow-white ring on his wrist disintegrated into a stream of silvery data. In the blink of an eye, Li Chuan was wrapped in the stream and vanished.
Teacher Jiang stared at the now-empty hospital bed and murmured, “I hope Li Chuan finds a cure for his body. I hope he makes it to the Ascension Academy office without trouble. I just hope… nothing goes wrong.”
Usually, students traveled in groups of ten, supporting each other along the way. Li Chuan had to go early and alone due to his condition. His health was still poor, and Teacher Jiang truly worried.
But he was gone now. All of Teacher Jiang’s concern could only turn into a single sigh.
On the other side, Li Chuan emerged from a wave of dizziness into a void. It was likely the dimensional corridor Jiang had mentioned.
He immediately checked the Myriad Worlds Ring. Sure enough, more interfaces were now unlocked.
He noticed a new note below his knowledge value:
Knowledge 300 = Innate Intelligence 150 + Acquired Knowledge 150
Reading that, he instantly understood which parts could be converted into Heavenworld Credits and which couldn’t.
The innate portion formed the foundation: it was untouchable. As long as it remained intact, he could continue acquiring knowledge, and his total knowledge value would keep rising.
No wonder the ring rated his potential as “unlimited.” Theoretically, the knowledge across all worlds was boundless, so his acquired knowledge could grow without limit.
Just as he was thinking this, he saw his knowledge value tick up from 300 to 305—an increase of 5 points, all in acquired knowledge.
But he hadn’t done anything. Why had it gone up?
After a moment’s thought, the answer came to him:
He’d gained new knowledge. Specifically, the ring’s assessment of his abilities. That evaluation itself counted.
Just this little realization had boosted his value by 500 Heavenworld Credits. Li Chuan was thrilled. He could already see a brighter future calling to him.
But the thought had barely formed when a splitting headache hit him. The Myriad Worlds ring started flashing red.
[ALERT: User Li Chuan’s brain is overloaded. Vegetative state imminent. Ring unbinding in 10… 9…]
“!!!” Li Chuan froze.
He had just bound the ring, was it really going to unbind now? No wonder it said his lifespan was like a fleeting shadow.
But why? He’d just finished hormone therapy. He should’ve had a few more days.
As the countdown hit 6, he realized something—the overload came after he gained the 5 points in acquired knowledge.
Up to that point, both his innate intelligence and acquired knowledge had been at 150. But once the latter exceeded the former, the ring triggered the self-destruct protocol.
He understood instantly: innate intelligence was like a container. The moment acquired knowledge surpassed that container’s limit, the brain became overloaded—destroyed.
To survive, he had two options: increase his innate intelligence or shed acquired knowledge fast.
At that moment, the ring dumped another 3 points of acquired knowledge into him. His head felt like it had doubled in size—his brain pulsed like it was about to explode.
Countdown: “3…”
In a panic, Li Chuan mentally shouted,
“Calculus, linear algebra, probability, statistics, electromagnetism, mechanics, optics, atomic physics, organic chemistry—convert all of it into credits!”
The ring barely whispered the start of “1” before pausing.
[Conversion successful. User Li Chuan has traded in 30 points of acquired knowledge. Current knowledge: 278. Heavenworld Credits: 3000.]
The pain disappeared instantly.
Not only that—his mind felt clearer than ever. A strange lightness filled his head. For the first time since his illness began, he felt truly unburdened.
He now knew that his original innate intelligence must’ve been below 150. The onset of his illness at age fifteen likely happened when his acquired knowledge reached his brain’s limit.
He’d survived until now only by forcefully expanding his brain with hormone treatments, raising his innate capacity enough to hold new knowledge.
But there was a cost. The body’s energy was finite. Every inch of expanded brain robbed nutrients from the rest of the body, weakening it more and more.
That was why his health had deteriorated so badly.
Now the pressure had eased, but his physical state remained poor.
With his mind freed up, he could think more clearly—and quickly came up with a treatment plan.
The ring’s marketplace function had unlocked thanks to his credits. He could now purchase items using Heavenworld Credits. The ring would take 10% from both buyer and seller as a transaction fee.
So, buying an item worth 1000 credits would actually cost him 1100. The seller would lose 100 credits too. The ring pocketed 200.
“What a scam,” Li Chuan muttered.
He’d learned these rules in Ascension Academy. Basic knowledge.
Heavenworld stood at the junction of all realms, maintaining cosmic order—and all of that took energy.
Part came from the worlds themselves. The rest came from marketplace fees.
As long as the worlds kept exploring, Heavenworld would always have fuel—always have stability.
Most items in the marketplace couldn’t be browsed freely. You had to pay a 1000-credit deposit and search for a specific type of item.
If you searched but didn’t buy, the deposit was forfeited—because every item’s information had value in Heavenworld.
Li Chuan paid the 1000 deposit and searched for items that could enhance physical health. The ring, using his potential rating, showed him three options.
Item One: Nanobot Serum
Value: 5000 Heavenworld Credits
Origin: High-Tech World
Function: Pale blue suspension. Upon injection, nanobots restructure the body. Full transformation in 72 hours. Final physique comparable to silicon-based life.
Side Effects: Drastic change in appearance. Emits low-level radiation. Nearby lifeforms may mutate slightly.
Item Two: Some Kind of Active Protein
Value: 5000 Heavenworld Credits
Origin: Microlife World
Function: Parasitic bio-agent. Implant in spine. Secretes centipede-like tendrils throughout the body. Enhances physical strength. May grant supernatural abilities.
Side Effects: Loss of memory, lapses in consciousness, occasional split personality.
After reading both, Li Chuan twitched at the corners of his mouth.
What the hell were these items?
The first one turned you from carbon-based to silicon-based—and made you radioactive.
The second was practically a Microlife World citizen just waiting to move in and take over your body.
No wonder Ascension Academy always warned students: beware of the Heavenworld marketplace. Lifeforms from other realms had no moral compass—one moment of carelessness, and you could get tricked or hijacked.
Li Chuan deleted both from his list and checked the third item.
Item Three: Earth-Dragon Marrow Elixir
Value: 10,000 Heavenworld Credits
Origin: World of Gods and Demons
Function: Extracted from a sub-draconic beast marrow. Causes intense full-body burning sensation upon injection. Ashy-gray metabolic waste sheds from skin. Final result: 10–20x human physical strength, high heat resistance (up to 500°C).
Side Effects: Cannot be combined with avian-based extracts. Doing so triggers a violent internal clash until one formula prevails.
For now, this third item looked like the best fit.
As long as he didn’t take any bird-based potions, the side effects were basically nonexistent.
If there was a downside—it was the price.
10,000 credits for the item, plus a 10% fee—11,000 credits total.
Li Chuan needed to preserve 150 innate intelligence points and retain some knowledge for basic survival. He also needed to buy items to expand his brain capacity—ideally something that could back up his memory, so he could restore it later.
He had thought being worth a third of a gold mine made him rich. But now it seemed like the things he could afford were severely limited.
That wanted criminal who once exchanged an entire mine for 100,000 credits probably didn’t walk away with anything too extraordinary either.
Li Chuan added the “Earth-Dragon Marrow Elixir” to his cart and continued searching for brain-enhancing and memory-backup items.
