Chapter 10: The Desire for Power
After Su Xiao’s blade pierced through both men, he immediately noticed a faint red health bar appear above Oka’s head.
Needless to say, this was Oka’s remaining health. His strike had severed Oka’s spine, putting him in a state of suspended animation rather than outright death.
So-called suspended animation meant the body had lost the ability to resist, but the brain was still alive.
This was the first time Su Xiao had seen a health bar. When he killed the black market merchant earlier, the man had been shot in the head, and no health bar had appeared.
The health bar was undoubtedly one of the benefits of semi-datafication, allowing him to determine whether an enemy was dead and roughly gauge their remaining health.
Oka’s health was now at about 5%, teetering on the brink of death.
Pulling the long blade from the back of Oka’s head, Su Xiao switched his grip from reverse to forward and slashed at Oka’s neck.
“Pfft.”
Blood sprayed several meters into the air, splattering a few drops across Su Xiao’s cheek, making him look exceptionally cold.
After this strike, Oka’s head flew off, and the health bar instantly emptied.
[You have killed the Guard Captain Brandon Oka.]
[Brandon Oka is an official of the Goa Kingdom. Obtained 3.6% World Source. Total World Source obtained: 5.7%.]
[Your talent ‘Soul Devourer’ has activated. Permanently increased Mana by 10 points. Current Mana: 75 points.]
[Your talent ‘Soul Devourer’ has activated. Permanently increased Mana by 1 point. Current Mana: 76 points.]
A series of prompts appeared, and Su Xiao only glanced over them briefly.
Killing Oka actually yielded World Source, which caught Su Xiao off guard. If he killed stronger enemies, the amount of World Source obtained would increase accordingly.
If he killed the Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku or one of the Four Emperors like Red Hair from the One Piece world, the amount of World Source gained would be an absurd number.
But for now, that was just wishful thinking. Su Xiao couldn’t even get close to that level of power, and even if he did, he wouldn’t make a move—it would be suicide.
The exact function of World Source was still unclear. Previously, Reincarnation Paradise had only indicated that World Source would affect his rewards upon leaving the One Piece world after completing the mission.
These so-called rewards were likely the key to his growth.
There were indeed many ways to grow stronger in the One Piece world, but all of them required time. He only had seventy-two hours in total, and now only sixty-something remained. Completing the mission within the time limit would already be a stroke of luck. Su Xiao simply had no time to consider anything else.
As for a heaven-defying treasure like a Demon Fruit, Su Xiao didn’t even entertain the thought. Without a certain level of strength, he had no right to seek out or fight for a Demon Fruit.
He was just an ordinary person with slightly above-average physical fitness, fundamentally different from the powerhouses of the One Piece world.
Under normal circumstances, Su Xiao’s first world shouldn’t have been a high-risk world like One Piece. This was all due to his identity as a Hunter.
It was like throwing a level 1 newbie into a high-level map, where even the mobs were like bosses to Su Xiao.
The fact that Su Xiao had made it this far was already extraordinary. If it were an ordinary Contractor, they would most likely have died at the Final Waste Station outside the royal capital.
Setting aside the World Source for now, the Mana gain left Su Xiao even more confused.
He had no ability to consume Mana. No matter how much Mana he had, it was useless and offered no help in combat.
Everything was difficult at the start, and he had to rely on himself.
A white treasure chest floated up from Oka’s corpse, identical to the one he had opened earlier.
Su Xiao picked up the chest and stored it directly in his inventory, then quickly left the scene.
He was currently a guard, and this identity was crucial to him.
Moreover, if anyone found out he had killed the Guard Captain Oka, he would become a fugitive of the Goa Kingdom.
In that case, forget about completing the mission—just evading the pursuit of the Goa Kingdom’s soldiers would be a headache.
The night breeze stirred Su Xiao’s black hair, gradually dissipating the smell of blood on him.
Returning to the civilian house where he had bathed during the day, Su Xiao checked the warning traps he had set earlier—a short branch and a few strands of hair. No one had been there; it was safe.
Entering the house, Su Xiao didn’t turn on the lights. Instead, he sat in the dark bedroom and took out the chest he had obtained from killing Oka.
[Treasure Chest (White). Open? Yes/No.]
Opening the chest, a necklace appeared directly in Su Xiao’s hand.
[You have opened the Treasure Chest (White) and obtained the following items.]
[Obtained 300 Paradise Coins.]
[Obtained the Late Wife’s Pendant.]
Late Wife’s Pendant (White)
Origin: One Piece, Garrett Jewelry Company
Type: Accessory (Accessory-type equipment is rare.)
Durability: None. (Accessory-type equipment has no durability and requires no repair.)
Equip Requirement: Anyone can wear it.
Equip Effect: Strength +1.
Rating: 8. (Note: White equipment ratings range from 1 to 10. A rating of 10 will be marked as ‘Rare’ and have additional special attributes.)
Description: I love you, just like you love those little lovers of yours—Oka’s suicidal wife.
Price: 1,600 Paradise Coins.
…
Gripping the necklace tightly, a smile appeared on Su Xiao’s face.
Finally, he had finally found a way to grow stronger. This gemstone necklace could actually increase his Strength.
Letting out a long breath, Su Xiao calmed down and put the [Late Wife’s Pendant] around his neck.
Checking his personal information again, his original Strength of 6 had become 7.
A surge of warmth flowed into his body, and Su Xiao clearly sensed that his strength had increased significantly.
Raising Strength to 7 didn’t mean his power had increased by one-sixth; it had grown by a large margin.
This meant that every point increase in an attribute brought about a massive change, far from a simple 1+1 equation.
“Reincarnation Paradise… what a mysterious place.”
Su Xiao clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking. Surging power coursed through his body.
This sudden feeling of becoming stronger was intoxicating, but it didn’t cloud his judgment.
Su Xiao clearly understood that the necklace only provided an external boost to his Strength. His own inherent strength hadn’t increased. If he lost the necklace, his Strength attribute would decrease.
The joy of gaining Strength didn’t overwhelm Su Xiao’s senses.
He immediately realized that this pendant had belonged to Oka and might be recognized by others. If that happened, things would get troublesome.
Just as Su Xiao was worrying, he suddenly noticed a tiny line of text in his vision, barely perceptible.
[Enable hidden equipment function? This function costs 100 Paradise Coins and is a permanent ability.]
Su Xiao didn’t yet know the purchasing power of 100 Paradise Coins, but the coins he had were earned with his life and were very precious.
However, this function was also very practical. Su Xiao decisively activated it.
[You have enabled the equipment hiding function. You can freely hide equipped items. Weapon-type equipment cannot be hidden.]
The pendant around his neck gradually disappeared, but the Strength bonus remained. Su Xiao was very satisfied; the 100 Paradise Coins were well spent.
When he first entered Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao had harbored some doubts about the purpose of this unknown and powerful entity.
From the current situation, as long as he completed his mission, Reincarnation Paradise would reward him.
As for whether Reincarnation Paradise would harm him, Su Xiao wasn’t too concerned about that now.
The fact that it could heal his fatal injuries and transport him to the One Piece world demonstrated Reincarnation Paradise’s immense power.
Su Xiao wasn’t one to borrow trouble. If Reincarnation Paradise wanted to harm him, why would it bother to save him?
Even if it was a transactional relationship, Su Xiao could still benefit from it—benefits he could never obtain in the real world: the chance to grow stronger.
Perhaps after completing his first mission, he would understand more about Reincarnation Paradise. For now, getting stronger was the key.
Weakness is the original sin. Su Xiao understood this deeply. If he had been strong enough back then, he could have prevented that tragedy.
The blood-stained white floor, the shattered remains, and that…
Su Xiao forcibly cut off the memory, his pitch-black eyes wide open in the darkness.
Lying in bed without a trace of sleepiness, Su Xiao forced himself to rest. There was much to do tomorrow, and necessary rest would keep him more energetic.
The situation had opened up. If everything went smoothly, Su Xiao was confident he could kill the king of the Goa Kingdom.
Not only kill him, but also escape unscathed. He was executing a mission, not acting as Reincarnation Paradise’s assassin. There was an essential difference.
An assassin was merely a disposable pawn, while Su Xiao had a clear goal.