The story of the black silk female knight

Chapter 43 Revisit the Dimensional Hardware Store

"Simply put, it's a job similar to what I do now, which involves handling various commissioned documents and intelligence files in the office."

Melina shrugged:

"However, the Royal Capital Adventurers' Guild is much larger than the Sergin Town branch. These tasks cannot be completed by a single supervisor; a team is required... In fact, almost all members of this team are branch supervisors transferred from various places to the Royal Capital."

"Oh...that's good too. I don't have to deal with those adventurers at the front desk. Those adventurers love to flirt with the front desk ladies all the time."

Valensa breathed a sigh of relief:

"As for those office workers... they're generally all talk and no action. Even if they're really captivated by Melina's beauty, they'll just be sycophants at best..."

But Melina, you absolutely mustn't be soft-hearted towards them! You're mine, and you absolutely can't let those sleazy men steal you away!

"Yes, yes, yes... I promise I won't talk to other men casually except for work-related reasons. Are you satisfied now, Miss?" Melina rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Yes, that's best!" Valensa nodded seriously.

After chatting for a few more minutes, the two finalized their itinerary.

Valensa will stay in Clara City for three more days to participate in a treasure hunt and search for the prized possession that Nora Merchant Guild had stolen from the Phantom Thief.

If they can find it, great. If they haven't found it after three days, or if someone else beats them to it, the two will return to Sergin Town, say goodbye to their friends in town, and then come to Klar City.

Melina will travel to the capital via the Radiant Path of the Church of the Sun, and Valensa will also embark on the path of the War Academy's entrance examination from here.

Melina was left to wait at the Adventurers' Guild in Klar City, and Valensa soon joined the treasure hunt as well.

She first went to the lobby on the first floor. Almost effortlessly, with just a casual smile, a man took the initiative to strike up a conversation and revealed all the information he knew.

After gently inquiring about the current situation with a smile, Valensa immediately reverted to her aloof demeanor, completely ignoring the several secretly excited men, and strode away.

The situation was pretty much as she had guessed... How could the treasure hidden by the phantom thief be found in just one night? There were still no clues, and everyone was just trying their luck like headless flies.

Valensa wasn't in a hurry to join in the fun. She already had an idea in mind, but she lacked the strength to put it into practice, so she had to strengthen herself first.

The leg-ring-shaped dimensional hardware store membership terminal was activated, and Valensa immediately saw an interface that looked like an AR game.

This time, however, she wasn't focusing on the number of blind box draws in the bottom right corner, nor was she trying to find out if a pretty girl liked her; instead, she was using the mini-map navigation in the top left corner.

The owner of the Dimensional Hardware Store once said that every human settlement with a total population of over 500 will have an entrance to the Dimensional Hardware Store, but it will be relatively hidden.

A city as large as Klar must have an entrance.

And indeed, following the directions on the mini-map, Valensa quickly arrived at the foot of a five-story tower in the east of the city.

This is a watchtower, mainly used to observe the movements of monsters in the Misty Mountains to the east.

Although the monsters there mostly keep to themselves and humans, occasionally a few will try to approach the city. In those cases, the watchtowers will issue warnings so that adventurers can leave the city to fight them.

The entrance to the Dimensional Hardware Store in Klar City is located at the top of this watchtower, but Valensa encountered a slight difficulty in figuring out how to get into the watchtower.

"I really just went in to take a look, I won't do anything else..."

"I'm actually an adventurer. I suspect that the painting that Red Fox Mask stole from the Nora Merchant Guild is hidden in this watchtower, and I want to go in and look for it..."

"I'm a nobleman from the capital! You understand what a nobleman from the capital is? You can't... Hey!"

The guards stationed at the watchtower entrance were fearless, and no matter what excuse Valensa used or even pressured them using her noble status, they simply wouldn't let her in.

Valensa was so angry that she wanted to knock this idiot unconscious several times, but even though she was a noblewoman, it would be troublesome to knock out a member of the regular guard in broad daylight, so she could only hold back.

Fortunately, the guards on the watchtower couldn't always be the same person. Valensa waited for almost half a day at a bubble tea shop in a nearby neighborhood before the simpleton finally got his turn.

The newly arrived guards were noticeably older and much more slick.

After Valensa revealed her noble status, she secretly slipped him a gold coin, and he immediately put Valensa inside without even asking why she wanted to go in.

After finally entering the watchtower, the dimensional hardware store membership terminal that looked like a leg ring under her skirt started vibrating again.

Upon opening the interface, a pop-up window appeared in the center, containing specific instructions on how to enter the Dimensional Hardware Store inside the Watchtower.

"This is... tsk."

After reading and noting down the instructions, Valensa pursed her lips, seemingly wanting to complain, but in the end, she could only follow the prompts in the pop-up window.

She first rushed up to the fourth floor of the watchtower in one breath, then jumped towards the inside of the circular staircase, from the fourth floor to the second floor.

Then, without stopping, he rushed up to the third floor, jumped down to the first floor, and finally rushed up to the fifth floor.

Upon reaching the top of the watchtower, there was a member of the guard who looked completely bewildered, not understanding why this noble young lady was jumping around like that.

Valensa didn't even bother to pay him any attention and jumped off the top of the watchtower, landing on her bottom.

Then, just like when she jumped down from the tree in Sergintown, the scenery around her changed while she was in mid-air, and she found herself outside the Dimensional Hardware Store located in the rift between worlds.

The guard at the top of the watchtower then realized what was happening and quickly leaned out to look in the direction where Valensa had jumped, but he could no longer see her.

"Good guy..."

He scratched his head, showing no sign of panic, but couldn't help but sigh:

"What a pity... She's a very beautiful noble lady, and so agile, but she doesn't seem to be very bright?"

Valensa had no idea that her actions had made her seem like a fool. She was shopping with the extravagance of a nouveau riche, pulling out a dozen cards and slamming them on the table as soon as she entered the Dimensional Hardware Store.

"Boss, upgrade!"

"Welcome, Miss Valensa."

The owner of the Dimensional Hardware Store quickly came over and welcomed Valensa, a soybean smiley face appearing on his old-fashioned block monitor-like head.

Chapter 44 Strengthening Mental Power

"I'm here to strengthen myself!"

Having been a customer for over three years and already possessing a membership terminal, Valensa didn't mince words and directly stated her purpose:

"Boss, you said before that my physical potential has been developed to its limit for the time being, and I can't use enhancement cards until I make a breakthrough... But if I get new power, I can, right?"

"Is that so... Miss Valencia, it seems you've gained new powers?"

The shop owner nodded in approval, and the smiling face on the square monitor's head transformed into a mechanical eye, scrutinizing Valensa from head to toe.

"Oh? It's mental power? Miss Valensa, you're quite interesting... I thought it would be negative energy or holy light."

"Negative energy or the power of holy light?"

Valensa's heart skipped a beat; she didn't think the shop owner would talk nonsense.

"Boss, what do you mean by this? Do you mean I have these talents? I know about the power of holy light; that's what the paladins and priests of the Church of the Sun use. But what is negative energy?"

"Well... hahahaha."

The shop owner seemed to realize he had let something slip, and the image on the square monitor's head changed to a sweaty soybean emoji.

"I just said it offhand based on big data... Miss Valensa, please don't mind. Let's talk about strengthening mental power... Are you sure you want to use all the enhancement cards?"

"...Is there a problem? Is there a limit to the enhancement of mental power?"

Valensa pursed her lips at the shop owner's attempt to change the subject, but her experience over the past three years had taught her that the shop owner would never say what he didn't want to say, so she had no choice but to give up.

"Theoretically, there are no restrictions on the enhancement of mental power, but..."

The shop owner glanced at the dozen or so enhancement cards on the table, then at Valensa, and extended a tentacle-like mechanical arm to pick up three of the cards and return them to Valensa:

"If your mental power is much stronger than your physical strength, there will be side effects... Do you want to be in a daze like an alcoholic every day, or do you want to be crazy like a lunatic every day?"

"Well... okay, then we'll do it your way, boss."

Valensa accepted the suggestion without much hesitation and put the three enhancement cards away.

"What's next? Should we use that machine again, just like we did with the body enhancement before?"

“Yes, Miss Valencia, please come with me.”

As the shop owner spoke, he turned around, and the small tracked chassis under his legs started up, driving towards the side of the hardware store. He then used the square display head on the wall to scan the code for authentication and opened the hidden door.

Valensa was clearly not a stranger to this secret door; she wasn't surprised at all and confidently strode into the doorway with her long, black-stockinged legs.

The space behind the door was not small, about the same size as her high school classroom in her previous life. There were futuristic devices in the four corners, and a metal capsule shaped like a coffin in the middle.

That metal pod is the enhancement device from the Dimensional Hardware Store. Valensa has been inside it several times. It's like soaking in a hot spring; she becomes stronger comfortably.

This time, she opened the metal capsule with practiced ease and tried to lie down, but the shop owner stopped her with his tentacle-like mechanical arm.

“I must remind you first, Miss Valensa.”

The shop owner said earnestly:

"The processes for strengthening the body and strengthening the body's energy are different, and the sensations will also be different... especially mental power, where you will experience a strong sense of stimulation, so please be mentally prepared."

"A very strong sense of stimulation?"

Valensa frowned:

"Could this enhancement be very painful?"

"No, it doesn't hurt... It's a different feeling, a feeling that only mammals have, and I'm sorry I can't describe it."

The shop owner replied:

In short, please be mentally prepared.

"A thrill that only mammals can experience... tsk, I guess I guessed it."

Valensa clicked her tongue, but still lay down in the metal capsule without hesitation:

"Let's get started quickly, I'm in a hurry."

"..."

Several dots appeared above the shop owner's square monitor head, as if he wanted to say something but ultimately said nothing, only nodding.

"Then so be it, Miss Valensa."

Snap.

The metal chamber lid closed quickly, and the entire device began to operate.

Several restraint straps suddenly popped out from inside the cabin, quickly binding Valensa's wrists, ankles, waist, and other areas tightly, rendering her unable to move.

When Valensa first underwent the enhancement, she was a little panicked... wondering if she had been scammed by a shady business and ended up as the heroine of some strange comic.

She eventually got used to it. The restraints were probably similar to car seat belts, designed to prevent the person being restrained from moving around and getting injured after being stimulated.

Based on Valensa's previous experience with body enhancement, the next step should be a purple light illuminating her entire body from inside the metal chamber, making her feel like she's soaking in a hot spring.

The shop owner said that the purple light was a kind of primordial cosmic ray that could continuously strengthen the body of any living being until it reached its current limit.

Valensa thought she would be exposed to some strange light again, but she wasn't.

The cabin was completely dark, with no lights on. Valensa suddenly felt a numbness and pain in the back of both legs at the same time, probably from being pierced by some kind of needle.

Immediately afterwards, a warm current entered Valensa's body from the puncture point on her left leg and flowed out from the puncture point on her right leg, forming a circulation within Valensa's body like alternating current.

This must be the strengthening process... Valensa calmed herself down and could clearly see that the pool of water symbolizing mental power deep within her was growing larger.

It started out as small as a washbasin, but now it's grown several sizes bigger and can barely be used for bathing.

As for the thrill the shop owner mentioned...

Yes, a tingling sensation did indeed spread throughout Valensa's body with the warm current, making her skin feel hot and her breathing rapid, similar to the feeling when rewarding herself.

But...

That's it?

Valensa inwardly scoffed.

This is considered a strong stimulus? You need to be mentally prepared? Haha, that's hilarious… It seems the shop owner really is just a machine, completely clueless about human desires!

How could this feeling be so stimulating and unbearable? I almost wanted to moan out in pleasure!

Then Valencia paid the price for her arrogance.

The initial stimulation may not seem like much, but it gradually intensifies.

Like a frog being slowly boiled in water... by the time Valensa realized something was wrong, it was too late.

As the warm current that strengthened her mental power continued to circulate within her body, the tingling sensation swept through every nerve like an increasingly powerful electric current.

"Hmm?~~"

Valensa quickly lost her arrogance and even couldn't help but beg for mercy: