Chapter 22: Return and Rewards
Glass shards flew as Su Xiao charged into the corridor, adjusting his center of gravity midair before slashing at the King of the Goa Kingdom before him.
The king had his back to Su Xiao, completely unaware of the presence behind him, his face still frozen in shock.
A gleaming blade arc swept through, rendered eerily beautiful by the moonlight. The sharp edge cut through the air, emitting a series of sobbing whistles.
"Pfft."
Su Xiao's blade sliced through the king's waist. Blood splattered, forming droplets midair that shattered upon contact with the ground or walls.
This single strike had directly bisected the king. The king's legs remained standing in place, but his upper body and severed arms had already flown into the air.
Midair, the king's face was filled with bewilderment as he stared at the two legs on the ground.
Suddenly, the king felt a strange familiarity with those legs.
Plop~ The king's upper body hit the ground, and the ensuing agony threatened to consume him.
His mouth wide open, the king was about to scream when Su Xiao's second strike arrived.
It was just as fast, precise, and ruthless. The blade edge swept past, and the head rolled away.
"Mission, complete."
Flicking the blood off his blade, Su Xiao had single-handedly assassinated a king without a scratch, all within a world full of "monsters."
Achieving this required both courage and nerve.
After the king's death, a white treasure chest floated up from the corpse.
Having already opened several white chests, Su Xiao chose to open it directly.
A ring appeared in Su Xiao's hand. It was entirely transparent, as if crafted from some kind of crystal.
Quality: White
Rating: ???
Description: This is a ring forged from Adam Wood. Do not underestimate it, for its material comes from the core of the Adam Wood, and the Adam Tree can also be called the World Tree, the fulcrum of the One Piece world.
...
The ring had no attributes and was white in quality, with a vague description. Su Xiao tossed it into his storage space, planning to study it later.
"Ah~~~!"
A scream rang out—it was the queen.
Su Xiao frowned. The scream would attract other enemies.
He dashed forward quickly, then slashed her throat in one stroke. The scream cut off abruptly.
Mercy toward an enemy is an act of extreme stupidity. Su Xiao understood this well.
Once someone was marked as an enemy, he would not show leniency.
Those who waver are unfit for battle, let alone for navigating the Reincarnation Paradise.
...
It was over. After enduring countless dangers, Su Xiao had finally completed his mission.
In just thirty more seconds, he would leave the One Piece world.
While the Reincarnation Paradise wasn't entirely safe, it shouldn't be dangerous either—unless the Reincarnation Paradise wanted him dead, it wouldn't keep throwing him into peril.
"Boom."
A deafening crash came from below. With that sound, the entire castle began to tilt to one side.
This was likely caused by the king's guards fighting Kreig.
"So, humans really can become this strong."
Su Xiao wasn't afraid of their power; instead, a smile crept onto his lips.
He had a feeling he might return to the One Piece world, but next time, he wouldn't be stuck completing a mission in a small kingdom.
Perhaps he'd join the Summit War? Or participate in the struggle for dominance on the seas.
All of that depended on him becoming strong enough.
When the thirty seconds were up, Su Xiao felt his vision go black, as if struck by a hammer, leaving him dazed and groggy.
In his hazy state, he vaguely sensed being wrapped in a transparent membrane, hurtling at high speed through what seemed like blurred stars around him.
"Thud."
During the transmission, Su Xiao felt a jolt around him, and his consciousness cleared.
"This is the Reincarnation Paradise? What a joke."
Su Xiao looked around in confusion. What greeted his eyes was a vast expanse of darkness.
"Clang."
A sky-piercing sword aura cut through the darkness. Within the dark, bolts of lightning spread out.
Those lightning bolts seemed to devour all matter, even consuming the surrounding darkness as they crept toward Su Xiao.
"A human? How can a human be in the void? Interesting.
This space-time power is quite strong. Hey, that consciousness, come out! Fight me!"
A voice tinged with the scent of blood rang out—yes, the scent of blood.
Though Su Xiao couldn't see what entity it was, he felt its overwhelming power.
Standing up in the darkness, Su Xiao looked toward the source of the voice.
His vision went black again, returning to the previous sensation.
In the void, a man wielding a long sword stared sharply, sensing his surroundings.
"Escaped? How boring. I wanted a fight. Oh well, that bald guy named Saitama or something was passable. I'll go find him for a match instead."
-------------------
The void was full of unknowns and dangers, and Su Xiao had been unlucky enough to encounter such peril.
When Su Xiao regained consciousness, he found himself in a room.
The room was strange—four completely sealed walls with no windows or doors. The ceiling emitted a faint glow, keeping the room bright and at a comfortable temperature, with no sense of stuffiness.
Just as Su Xiao was surveying his surroundings, the Reincarnation Paradise's notification appeared.
Derivative World: One Piece.
Difficulty: 6 (Nightmare).
World Source Obtained: 9%.
Completed Missions: (Main Mission: Assassinate the 'Goa Kingdom', Side Mission: The Left Minister's Collection.)
Comprehensive Evaluation: A-. (Note: Evaluation ranges from E- to S+. Comprehensive evaluation is calculated based on total World Source obtained and number of missions completed.)
Due to the world level exceeding the Hunter's level by 5, being Nightmare difficulty, rewards are doubled.
Beginning World Source collection...
World Source collection complete. Starting reward distribution.
Rewards Obtained: 4 Attribute Points, 10,000 Paradise Coins. (These values are after doubling.)
Comprehensive Evaluation: A-. Hunter level +1, upgraded to Level 2. (Level increase is based on evaluation score. As this world was a trial world, the increase cap is 1.)
Settlement complete. Rewards have been automatically deposited into the Hunter's Mark.
...
Su Xiao immediately opened his mark to check what attribute points were.
"Just as I hoped—this is the key to getting stronger."
A smile curled at the corner of Su Xiao's mouth. Attribute points could increase any attribute except luck.
If it meant becoming stronger, what did it matter if he risked his life?
The most despairing thing wasn't being in danger, but having no chance to take risks at all.
Su Xiao wanted to use the attribute points immediately, but the Reincarnation Paradise indicated they could only be used in the Attribute Enhancement Hall, a facility within the Reincarnation Paradise.
With the settlement over, Su Xiao looked around blankly.
The walls were airtight on all sides—how was he supposed to get out?
Just then, a somewhat strange notification appeared before him.
It was about the item he had obtained after killing the king. Now, the Reincarnation Paradise was actively asking him to sell it.
Given the current situation, if he refused to sell, the Reincarnation Paradise wouldn't let him out, keeping him locked in the exclusive room.
After a moment of hesitation, Su Xiao chose "No." He was about to take a big risk.
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