Chapter 41: Gulu, Just You Wait...
Su Xiao wasn't curious about Umbrella Brother's predicament, but he was very interested in killing Naloy. Unfortunately, Naloy looked at Su Xiao as if she'd seen a ghost, clearly with little opportunity.
After returning to his exclusive room, Su Xiao checked his mana recovery rate before starting to produce Ancient Secret Medicine. This type of recovery item naturally needed proper reserves. After spending 100,000 Paradise Coins to create ten bottles of Ancient Secret Medicine, he decided not to use the remaining 64,800 Paradise Coins, keeping them for emergencies.
With nothing else to do, Su Xiao didn't plan to enter the arena. He was currently ranked 116th. To earn rewards, he'd need to break into the top five. Forget top five—he had the strength to reach first place, but time was insufficient.
Climbing from 116th to first place wouldn't be a short process. Since he had already broken through the 99-point attribute barrier and reached Level 40, his next world would definitely be the Fifth Rank promotion assessment world.
[Universal World Key]
Quality: No Grade (Special Item)
Type: Invitation Letter / World Key
Effect: After using this item, you can enter any derivative world of the same rank or any open world.
This was the reward Su Xiao obtained in the Crow World. His original plan was to enter the One Piece world to complete his promotion mission and participate in the Paramount War. After all, that was a famous event in Reincarnation Paradise. Though dangerous, with countless powerful beings, the rewards were exceptionally generous. Nearly all contractors with sufficient strength would actively participate in the Paramount War.
Unfortunately, Reincarnation Paradise's notification shattered Su Xiao's plan to complete his promotion in the One Piece world. The Paramount War event was incompatible with promotion missions.
Not only promotion missions, but even talent awakening-type missions were incompatible with the Paramount War event. To participate in the Paramount War, the only main mission was the One Piece world's main mission. Su Xiao didn't fully understand the specifics yet.
Although he couldn't go now, Su Xiao planned to participate in the Paramount War after advancing to Fifth Rank. If his rank got any higher, it might reduce the Paramount War's rewards. Being too weak would also mean just coasting along in the Paramount War. Su Xiao intended to use the [Universal World Key] immediately after advancing to Fifth Rank to participate in the Paramount War and maximize his gains.
Su Xiao left his exclusive room, wandered around, and arrived at the Trial Grounds. Not only could he summon mirror images here, but Sha also lived here.
Entering the Trial Grounds, Su Xiao activated [Sha's Medal]. A teleportation sensation appeared, and he entered a palace—yes, a palace. This was now Sha's residence.
Whoosh~
A sound of breaking wind came. Su Xiao raised his hand and caught the flying object—a metal chair, the kind that could kill someone.
Faced with Sha's "enthusiastic" greeting, Su Xiao was somewhat surprised. In his judgment, Sha, this tomboy, didn't seem like the type to repay kindness with enmity.
"Tell me, what unexpected thing happened without my knowledge?"
Su Xiao sat on the metal chair, while Sha sat up from her crystal bathtub. This level of "benefit" wasn't the first time. The tomboy Sha didn't care at all. Compared to when she underwent Su Xiao's surgery, this wasn't even considered indecent exposure.
"What the hell did you use to teleport me back then?"
Thinking of that embarrassing scene, Sha became furious. She had been so scared her legs went weak.
"A Life Flower... a rare plant. Certified by Reincarnation Paradise, safe and reliable."
Was that really the case? Of course not. Although the Life Flower contained World Force, this damn thing wasn't even recycled by Reincarnation Paradise. Its safety was questionable.
"Safe and reliable? Do you know where I was teleported? The deepest layer of the Black Abyss! The Sea of Life Flowers! The Blade Demon was at most 20 meters away from me, just staring at me like that. If I hadn't clenched tight, I would have pissed myself!"
Mentioning this, Sha trembled with anger. Understandably so. She was promised help reaching Reincarnation Paradise, and while the result was the same, the process was way too damn thrilling.
"Judging by your current situation, that was just a minor accident."
Su Xiao roughly understood what happened. He silently decided never to personally use a Life Flower. And next time he saw Gulu, even if it wasn't to the death, he would beat her until she knelt and sang "Conquer." If she didn't submit, he'd strip her naked and hang her from a tree until she did.
"Minor accident... If the result hadn't been the same, I wouldn't have let you in."
Sha stood up from the water, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around herself. A moment later, she changed into loose white clothing.
"Let's begin."
"..."
Looking at Sha's attire, Su Xiao suddenly felt like he was here for a "happy ending" massage.
Seven hours later, inside the Trial Grounds dojo.
Bang!
Su Xiao's back of his head made zero-distance contact with the floor. Wood chips and gravel flew.
After being dazed for a few seconds, Su Xiao sat up from the ground. Sha stood nearby with her arms crossed, her expression describable with one word: satisfaction!
"Continue."
"Next... time."
Su Xiao raised his hand and took a deep breath.
"That won't do. To gain powerful close-combat ability, you need to put in unimaginable effort. As a Blade Grandmaster, you should know this, right?"
Sha looked like she was disappointed in him, but in reality, beating up Su Xiao who had tricked her made her extremely happy.
"If we continue, I might die."
Su Xiao wiped the blood from his chin as he spoke.
"Eh... fine, okay."
Sha felt a bit awkward, so she directly teleported out of the dojo.
Although Su Xiao was nearly beaten to death by Sha's "little fists," his close-combat ability had significantly improved. His Close Combat Mastery had reached Level 50. He had a feeling this ability might advance to Grandmaster level. Sha's teaching method was brutal, but it was effective quickly.
Back in his exclusive room, Su Xiao spent 8,700 Paradise Coins to heal his injuries. A notification appeared.
[The Hunter's stay time in Reincarnation Paradise has reached its limit...]
...
Accessory Shop, Second Floor.
After lying in bed for half an hour, Su Xiao lazily got up and went downstairs. Returning to the relatively safe real world, he acted like he had a lazy attack. This was his way of relaxing.
This state not only helped Su Xiao quickly relax his tense nerves but also suppressed his blood aura. Otherwise, no one would live within several hundred meters of him.
That noon, the shop door was pushed open. A pure-looking young girl walked into the accessory shop.
"I'm here again."
The visitor was Li Murui, a chuunibyou girl who desperately longed for mysterious powers. She came from a significant family background. Once, when Su Xiao helped the Scavengers kill a few Indians, Li Murui was a witness. Her grandfather managed to protect her from the Scavengers, showing this chuunibyou girl's background.
However, Su Xiao didn't care. What he cared about was why she came again. And... she vaguely gave him a familiar feeling. Yes, a sense of familiarity, as if they had just met recently.
"Hey~"
Li Murui's pure face leaned over the counter.
"Daddy."
"!"
This familiar "daddy" made Su Xiao look up. If he remembered correctly, Li Murui was 17 years old. That mentally handicapped young girl contractor who called him "daddy" in the Trade Market should be around 12 or 13. But immediately, Su Xiao understood what was going on—a special disguise mechanism.
"That half-hour of calling you daddy wasn't a loss."
Li Murui squinted and smiled. The next moment, her smile froze. A dark gun muzzle appeared in front of her face.
"Even as a contractor, you still don't know the rules."
Su Xiao released the safety on the pistol and slowly pulled the trigger.
"I've checked. Third Rank contractors aren't afraid of exposing their identities, let alone you who's likely a Fourth or Fifth Rank contractor. Killing me is meaningless. Besides, I can provide you with..."
Before Li Murui could finish, Su Xiao pulled the trigger.