Chapter 32: Bubu, You Seem to Be Making Me Laugh
Su Xiao moved at full speed across the snowfield, quickly leaving the forest area behind.
After killing Kizuki Zangetsu, several notifications appeared from Reincarnation Paradise. Su Xiao hadn't had time to check them earlier, but now he finally could.
[You have killed Kizuki Zangetsu.]
[Kizuki Zangetsu is a special plot character from Kirigakure. Obtained World Source 9.7%. Total World Source obtained: 27.7%.]
[Your talent 'Soul Devourer' has activated. Permanently increased Mana by 30 points. Current maximum Mana: 3616 points.]
[Treasure Chest obtained (Gold).]
...
Kizuki Zangetsu's strength was by no means inferior to the Raikage's, but after killing him, the World Source obtained was slightly lower than the Raikage's. This was mainly because Kizuki Zangetsu wasn't very famous.
Kizuki Zangetsu had always carried out missions in Kirigakure's assassination squad. Other ninja villages knew such a person existed and that he was from the Kizuki clan, but they didn't know his specific name.
Kirigakure's assassination squad had considerable renown in the ninja world, a reputation built by Kizuki Zangetsu and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Kizuki Zangetsu didn't care about his own fame. He had only one belief: the Mizukage ordered, and he executed. It was that simple.
Just as Su Xiao was striding quickly across the snowfield, he suddenly stopped, clutching his chest with one hand as his breathing became rapid.
"Internal organs endured too high a temperature."
Su Xiao's breathing was somewhat erratic. Stabbing pains came from various parts of his body, most noticeably in his lungs and lower leg.
The lung injury was from Kizuki Zangetsu. Although their battle had only lasted five minutes, the killing power Kizuki Zangetsu unleashed was enough to kill a Kage-level ninja. If not for Su Xiao's high survivability, he would have already died under the attack of Steam Explosion Might.
As for the lower leg, that was an injury from close combat with the Raikage. That kick from the Raikage was simply too heavy, and the Raikage's attacks carried lightning attribute damage, making the injury difficult to heal.
Although Su Xiao's strength was much greater than before, in just two hours, he had consecutively fought two Kage-level opponents. Even with recovery potions supporting him, his body had its limits.
Su Xiao took out a crystal vial. This was the [Eternal Crystal Vial], containing the spring water of Eternal Spring. It could be drunk three times in total, each time restoring 450 Health Points and 300 Mana Points.
Pulling out the stopper, Su Xiao took a small sip of the spring water. The Eternal Spring water was sweet on the tongue, and after entering his body, the rich life force was refreshing.
The cool spring water entered his stomach, and the burning sensation inside receded.
"Hoo~"
Su Xiao crouched down, panting for a few seconds. His eyes opened, once again sharp and focused.
"Not good."
Su Xiao was well aware of his condition. His plan had deviated. According to his plan, he should have been fighting Terumi Mei by now. After settling the grudge with Terumi Mei, he would have had a chance to rest for a while.
But things didn't go as expected. Among Terumi Mei's guards, there was someone even stronger than her.
If comparing Kizuki Zangetsu to Terumi Mei, Kizuki Zangetsu was naturally more troublesome. His Steam Explosion Might could launch high-temperature attacks over a 200-meter range. This attack was pervasive, and the high temperature could ignore most defensive abilities.
Terumi Mei's strengths were at most her Lava Release and Boil Release. Lava Release was just countered by Su Xiao's Counter Shield, and Boil Release was easier to handle. As long as he didn't give Terumi Mei the chance to form a sealed room with magma, the power of Boil Release could only manifest at close range. With Su Xiao's Instinct reaction speed, Terumi Mei couldn't do anything to him.
Su Xiao would rather fight two Terumi Meis than fight one Kizuki Zangetsu. Aside from his weak physical body, Kizuki Zangetsu's abilities were almost unsolvable.
Su Xiao stood up and continued toward the battlefield where Bubu Wang and Amu were. Given his current state, whether he could defeat Terumi Mei was still unknown. If his injuries flared up during close combat with Terumi Mei, it would be bad.
Even so, Su Xiao wouldn't back down. His condition was indeed poor, but that didn't mean he was incapable of fighting Terumi Mei.
About a few dozen seconds later, Su Xiao arrived at a snow-covered hilltop.
Black rocks were exposed on the hilltop, and cooled black-red magma could be seen everywhere, with wisps of steam rising.
"Bubu?"
No one was fighting nearby. From the traces, it seemed the battle had just ended.
As soon as Su Xiao spoke, he heard the sound of snow being dug below.
Snow flew up, and a dog head burst out of the snow, quite abruptly. A moment later, a bull head also emerged from the snow. It was Amu. At this moment, Amu's head was severely burned, with large patches of bone exposed.
"Where's that woman Terumi Mei?"
Su Xiao felt something was wrong. If Terumi Mei and Chojuro had made a strategic retreat, there was no need for Bubu Wang and Amu to hide in the snow.
Bubu Wang crawled out of the snow, shook off the fur, and Su Xiao noticed that the fur on its tail was clearly missing a patch, with scorch marks. It seemed Bubu Wang had also joined the fight.
Bubu Wang's dog face showed some helplessness. It began using eye contact and body movements to describe what had happened to Su Xiao.
Bubu Wang crossed its two dog paws in an X shape and made strange sounds from its mouth.
"Biu, biu, biu..."
Bubu Wang seemed to be describing something.
Su Xiao: "?"
Even Su Xiao couldn't understand what Bubu Wang was expressing this time.
Bubu Wang seemed to realize that what it was expressing was rather bizarre, so it simply took out a tablet computer, started typing, and held the tablet up to Su Xiao.
"Terumi Mei was rescued by Ultraman!"
"Huh?"
Su Xiao stood frozen in place as snowflakes drifted around him. He finally understood what Bubu Wang meant by crossing its paws in an X shape and making 'biu, biu, biu' sounds.
Su Xiao's first thought was that Bubu Wang had taken a heavy blow to the head and was hallucinating. But thinking carefully, if it was a contractor, disguising as Ultraman wasn't out of the question.
From Bubu Wang's typed description, Su Xiao learned what had happened. Terumi Mei had been rescued by a contractor wearing an Ultraman mask.
"Out of range for aura tracking?"
Su Xiao was about to have Bubu Wang track Terumi Mei's aura, but Bubu Wang shook its head, indicating that Terumi Mei was already beyond the 5-kilometer range.
From the time Su Xiao received Bubu Wang's message to arriving here, it had taken 1 minute and 6 seconds. That meant the person who rescued Terumi Mei had covered at least 5 kilometers in just 1 minute and 6 seconds.
If it was their own speed, that would be about 77 meters per second, and that was while carrying both Chojuro and Terumi Mei.
If someone had that kind of speed and could maintain it for 5 kilometers, there was no reason for them to flee. But they wore a mask when rescuing Terumi Mei, clearly afraid of being seen by Bubu Wang to avoid future retaliation.
Extremely fast, only rescuing without daring to harm—this made Su Xiao think of one possibility: the person had used some kind of item to cover five kilometers in a short time, or perhaps even farther.
Contractors had motives for doing this. Terumi Mei was the Mizukage. Those weaker contractors would be eager to negotiate with powerful plot characters like Terumi Mei to gain benefits.
Rescuing Terumi Mei was undoubtedly a significant favor. It would easily build personal affinity with Terumi Mei, unlocking Kirigakure's faction system, contribution shops, and so on, bringing many benefits.
"She got away."
Su Xiao stomped his foot, sending snow flying.
"Cough!"
Su Xiao let out a dry cough, coughing up a few drops of blood.