Chapter 45: Void Girl
[Warning: The Hunter has been eroded by the blood aura of the ancient battlefield, suffering multiple fractures, severe internal bleeding, and trace amounts of blood residue mixed into his aura. Pay Paradise Coins to recover?]
"Pay."
Su Xiao clenched his fist, feeling the surging killing intent in his chest. This sensation drove him to want to shatter anything within his sight.
[Tip: Removing blood aura erosion requires 21,500 Paradise Coins.]
[Tip: Treating multiple fractures and severe internal bleeding requires 1,700 Paradise Coins.]
[Tip: Purifying blood residue from the aura requires 57,200 Paradise Coins.]
[Paradise Coins paid. Beginning repairs.]
...
A few minutes later, Su Xiao sat on the ground, panting heavily. Enhancing Aura Release had only cost 50,000 Paradise Coins, but the subsequent body recovery consumed 80,400 Paradise Coins.
Regardless, he hadn't encountered any mishaps while absorbing the blood aura, which made him ponder the hidden circumstances. However, before that, he needed to know how much Aura Release had improved.
[Aura Release Lv.25 (Active/Passive)]
Skill Effect (Active/Passive): Continuously release aura within a 38-meter range. All enemy units in this area undergo a Willpower check. If the enemy fails the check, they enter a state of terror, which can be dispelled by mental purification skills.
Tip: If an enemy enters a state of terror, Stamina consumption +30%, physical defense -18, and there is a 9% chance of skill release failure.
Tip: Enhancing this skill also increases aura intensity and slightly boosts Willpower.
Tip: Due to absorbing a large amount of pure blood aura, Willpower +15.
Tip: Due to absorbing a large amount of pure blood aura, Willpower check rank +1.
...
Aura Release had undergone significant changes. Its overall attributes had improved, but its damage effect had disappeared, replaced by a check against enemies.
Previously, Aura Release only worked if the enemy's Willpower was lower than Su Xiao's. Now, with the "Willpower check rank +1" bonus, even if Su Xiao's Willpower was lower than the enemy's, this ability might still take effect.
Although it had lost its lethality, Aura Release had achieved a qualitative leap. If before it was only useful against weaklings, now it was effective against Boss-level targets as well.
A 30% increase in enemy Stamina consumption and an 18-point reduction in physical defense—this level of debuff could not be ignored by any enemy.
What was even more satisfying was that Aura Release was essentially an attribute-growth skill. Enhancing it would also boost Su Xiao's Willpower attribute, which, notably, could not be strengthened through attribute points.
Su Xiao didn't immediately continue enhancing Aura Release. Instead, he waited for his Mana to recover. The blood aura giant hand from the ancient battlefield had vanished without a trace. He planned to go all out this time. Earlier, he had only used 1,000 Mana to create a simplified version of the Devouring Core. This time, he intended to consume 7,000 Mana to form a sturdier, more durable simplified Devouring Core.
After waiting for some time, Su Xiao's Mana fully recovered. He reactivated the Skill Upgrade Pod.
[Selection complete. To enhance 'Aura Release Lv.25', you need to pay 80,000 Paradise Coins + Soul Crystal (Medium) ×3. Pay?]
Su Xiao decisively paid. He once again appeared on that ancient battlefield.
...
The blood-red ground, the overcast sky, and the endless corpses as far as the eye could see. Blood aura whirlpools churned. In an environment that wouldn't even appear in a horror movie, Su Xiao sat cross-legged beneath a blood-red whirlpool. Above his head floated a fist-sized simplified Devouring Core, which stood out conspicuously in the ancient battlefield.
Three energy lines connected to Su Xiao's arm. He had already stayed in the ancient battlefield for nearly an hour. To his surprise, nothing unexpected happened. There were only corpses everywhere—not even a trace of the white-haired monster, let alone any other figures.
Su Xiao looked up at the simplified Devouring Core above him. It could last at most another half hour.
Undoubtedly, the ancient battlefield was an excellent place to enhance Aura Release, but it wasn't without limits. If Su Xiao's blood aura increased too drastically, it might exceed his control limit, rendering him unable to use Aura Release at all.
He needed at least one world's interval between each enhancement of Aura Release; otherwise, the aura might become uncontrollable. No matter how powerful an ability was, if it became uncontrollable, Su Xiao considered it garbage. This was also why he never purchased abilities related to explosive power.
Just as Su Xiao was about to dismantle the soon-to-break simplified Devouring Core, a short figure came hopping and skipping from a distance, looking... very cheerful?
"Baraja jaja~ (Void language, seemingly humming a song)."
A figure about 1.2 meters tall, wearing a silver protective suit, approached Su Xiao. Judging by the build, it was likely a humanoid race. The slight protrusion on the chest indicated it was female.
This lively Void girl carried an alloy shovel and a metal box on her back. From her appearance, she seemed to come from a high-tech civilization. As for her purpose on the ancient battlefield, it was probably treasure hunting. There were many such wandering treasure hunters in the Void.
The Void girl's expression under her protective mask was relaxed because she knew this ancient battlefield wasn't too dangerous. As long as she took precautions and didn't touch the corpses, the guardians wouldn't bother her. Perhaps in their eyes, she was just a little ant foraging for food.
The Void girl was in a good mood because, a few minutes ago, she had spotted a blood aura whirlpool. When this happened, it usually meant something nearby was absorbing the battlefield's blood aura—likely some ancient battlefield plant bearing fruit. She couldn't dig up the plant, but she could pick the fruit. The guardians wouldn't interfere with that level of gain.
"La la la."
The Void girl hopped over to the blood-red whirlpool. But soon, she sensed something was wrong. Beneath the whirlpool sat a "corpse." And in the next moment, that corpse stood up!
Gulp. The Void girl swallowed hard. Her slender legs began to tremble, and her scalp tingled as if an electric current was passing through it.
"Ugh~"
A trembling, indistinct sound escaped the Void girl's mouth, carrying a hint of tears. Because that corpse was staring at her—just staring at her.
Su Xiao was currently observing this unknown race that had appeared on the ancient battlefield. Surrounded by blood aura, he couldn't extend his perception. However, judging by the trembling body of the creature, it seemed to be afraid? Or was it about to use some ability?
Boom!
A wave of blood-colored air burst forth. Surging blood aura spread from Su Xiao as the center point, distorting the air itself. His aura had become so powerful it was visible to the naked eye, no longer as ethereal as before, faintly discernible.
Seeing Su Xiao releasing dense blood aura, the Void girl let out a shriek, hurled her alloy shovel with all her might, turned around, and fled. As she ran, she muttered something, her voice tinged with sobs.
In truth, this was understandable. On an ancient battlefield filled with the corpses of powerful beings, a "living corpse" with a blue crystal ball floating above its head and a blood aura whirlpool above that—it was only natural for the Void girl to be terrified. The fact that she had the courage to throw her alloy shovel in retaliation and then run away was already commendable.
Su Xiao was soon enveloped by spatial energy and teleported back to Reincarnation Paradise.