Chapter 682 - 438: Authority

When his vision cleared, he felt solid ground beneath his feet.

Hu Qi looked around.

It was a pure white space, as empty as a blank scroll.

In the distance, a circular curtain shimmering with starlight hung silently in the air, resembling a portal to another world.

Upon seeing this, he was just about to act when the mechanical voice sounded again.

"DING! Trial novel world [Shadow of the End] completed. Mission settlement complete. Rewards distributed.

Status changed from Intern Reader to Official Reader.

Mission reward detected: Authority Level increased by one.

Official Reader status has been updated to Bronze Reader.

Bronze Reader ID: 1051

The Exchange function is now unlocked. To make exchanges or view your personal information, please go to the Book Spirit in the center of the plaza outside the Reincarnation Bookstore."

The voice cut off abruptly.

However, a flood of new information surged into Hu Qi’s mind.

It was all information regarding the mysterious Reincarnation Bookstore.

After digesting all the information, Hu Qi glanced around.

With a mere thought, the pure white space around him rippled like water.

The next moment, the scenery blurred and then re-formed.

In an instant, the cold void was replaced by a warm, tangible reality.

He was now standing in a spacious hotel suite.

Beneath his feet lay a thick, gray wool carpet, its soft pile cushioning the soles of his shoes.

Overhead, an exquisite crystal chandelier cast a soft glow.

To one side, a wide bed was made with snow-white linens, and a lamp of simple design sat on the nightstand.

To his left was a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Beyond the transparent glass, the night was black as ink.

In the distance, the city lights flickered, their neon glow painting a hazy blur of colors on the glass.

The silhouettes of skyscrapers loomed faintly in the dark, while streams of traffic flowed like rivers of light along the streets below.

Hu Qi approached the window, gazing out at the nightscape below.

His blurred reflection stared back from the glass, as if separated from reality by an illusory veil.

Hu Qi knew well that everything before him was an illusion.

He was still trapped within the Reincarnation Bookstore. He had not stepped into the outside world.

This scene was, in fact, a product of the Reincarnation Bookstore’s rules.

The space he now occupied was a Reader’s exclusive, private area. It could change its appearance at will, conforming to the Reader’s thoughts.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely an illusion.

Everything in the room was real and tangible. Every object and every detail was solid and present.

Only the bustling city outside the window was nothing more than a mirage—a beautiful, yet illusory, image.

Here, he possessed the power to reshape this space at any time—no, to be more accurate, it was an authority.

With a single thought, this small world could transform in an instant.

One moment it could be a luxurious hotel suite.

The next, it might become a sun-drenched beach, or an unforgettable scene from the depths of his memory.

In addition, he held out his palm.

Instantly, a bottle of mineral water appeared out of thin air, covered in beads of condensation as if just taken from the fridge.

He deftly unscrewed the cap and took a long drink.

The cool, sweet liquid bloomed on his tongue before sliding down his throat.

This was another authority the Reincarnation Bookstore granted to its Official Readers: the ability to manifest items at will within their exclusive space.

Whether it was a gourmet meal from a high-end restaurant or the latest haute couture from a top fashion week, a mere thought could make it appear instantly.

Of course, this ability also had its limits.

First, the created items had to be ordinary, containing no Extraordinary properties.

Second, this authority was only effective within his exclusive space.

’An application of the Mind Realm and reality?’

Hu Qi’s gaze shifted.

This kind of ability... for his true self, it was nothing special. He could accomplish the same thing with the Twisted Light.

However, this private space was quite useful for some Official Readers.

Take, for example, special Extraordinary paths, like the one involving the Yin Energy from [Shadow of the End].

It required Cultivation in a special environment.

A Reader could transform this place into an environment saturated with Yin Energy.

Of course, creating an environment suitable for Cultivation, unlike changing it into an ordinary one, wasn’t free. It involved the Extraordinary.

Depending on the requirements, a payment of royalties was required.

Pushing these thoughts aside, he recalled the last words of the mechanical voice—the Book Spirit of the Reincarnation Bookstore.

He turned and walked toward a large door on one side of the room.

CLICK!

The door swung open.

Instantly, a vast, boundless, starry cosmos opened up before him.

Beneath Hu Qi’s feet was a huge black platform.

He felt as if he were standing in the middle of the cosmos.

Occasionally, a beam of light like a shooting star would streak across the distant void.

Bronze doors were arranged neatly around the platform’s perimeter. They seemed to be set directly into the void, with no buildings behind them—just solitary, freestanding doors.

These doors had different numbers on them.

The numbers on the three doors closest to him were [1050], [1049], and [1048].

Hu Qi instinctively glanced back, his eyes landing on the number on his own door.

[1051]

Recalling the information the Reincarnation Bookstore had fed into his mind, he instantly understood. This number wasn’t just his Reader ID.

It was also the unique number for this door.

Furthermore, it seemed to be the highest number here.

He scanned the area but found no door marked [1052].

Although he didn’t know exactly how many Official Readers were in the Reincarnation Bookstore, he was certain there couldn’t be just over a thousand.