Chapter 28: The One the Death House Awaits
Beside the long corridor, Anna stood quietly, dressed in a black long dress, her face pale, and her hands bound at her lower abdomen.
Anna had clearly seen the short blade in Su Xiao's hand, but she said nothing, merely waiting in silence.
At this moment, Su Xiao and Anna stood facing each other. The short blade in his hand was meant to kill the master of the Death House.
The [Execution Blade] could not be completely destroyed. If the Execution Blade in Su Xiao's hand were destroyed, a new one would appear before long. It was not forged by anyone but generated by the Death House itself.
It was for this reason that the Execution Blade was not particularly sturdy. It was not meant for combat but to maintain balance, preventing the successive masters of the Death House from acting recklessly, like Alice in the Demon Castle, who wantonly broke the game rules and decided winners and losers based on her own whims.
Su Xiao obtaining this Execution Blade was no coincidence. The hunchbacked old woman in the black mist had likely competed with Anna for ownership of the Death House and ultimately lost.
Do not be fooled by Anna's frail, sickly appearance, as if she might drop dead at any moment. The fact that she had defeated the hunchbacked old woman already spoke volumes about her strength and ability.
As for the hunchbacked old woman seeking him out, Su Xiao felt it was not luck or because he was some chosen one, but because he possessed the Shadow Stone, which allowed him to obtain the Execution Blade from the Saint through it. Nothing more.
As the master of the Death House, whether Anna could steadfastly uphold her mission and maintain the fairness of the death game was something no one could know.
As for judging this, no one had more authority than the participants of the death game itself.
As for using the Execution Blade to kill Anna for a reward, that was completely impossible. This short blade was meant to restrain Anna. Even if one obtained it, killing Anna without reason would mean never leaving the Death House.
Anna was not always a mere observer. She actually participated in the death game as well, facing the risk of losing her life. This also made her grow stronger over time. When the day came that the Death House no longer generated the Execution Blade, Anna would have fully mastered the Death House.
The Death House was waiting for such a person to appear, and Anna was moving toward that goal. As for the hunchbacked old woman, she was actually the true observer, the Silent One of the Death House.
The Silent One could not be judged by good or evil. Her earlier guidance to Su Xiao was meant to free the Saint, and giving Su Xiao the opportunity to obtain the Execution Blade was, first, because the rules of the death game dictated it, and second, because she was tempting Su Xiao to kill Anna.
The known important figures within the Death House were: Anna, the Silent One, and the Mist Guardian.
Apart from these three, there were also the Dragon-Hunting Spider (Anyou's Throat) at the entrance, the Poet (the main body of the Splitter) in the maze, and the Axe Brothers in the Gray Mist Zone.
"Are you going to use it to kill me?"
Anna spoke in a gentle voice, but before Su Xiao could answer, she continued, "If it's not to kill me, then you want to use it to trade something with me."
Anna's will to survive was not weak. She was not far from fully mastering the Death House. If she were killed now, she would lose everything.
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing, just staring at Anna.
"Even if you stare at me like that, I won't... interact with you? To use the terminology of your Reincarnation Paradise, your 1 point of Charm Attribute doesn't allow me to do so."
Anna smiled and quietly took a small step back.
"..."
Su Xiao's gaze clearly turned unfriendly.
"Tell me what you want. If it's a collection in the Final Place, I can give it to you. It's your reward for obtaining this."
"Navigation Compass."
"Com... pass?"
Anna looked slightly puzzled. Clearly, there was no such collection in the Final Place.
"It's Mopi's Compass."
"That is Mopi's personal property..."
Anna shook her head, indicating she would not go to the Hardcore Believer Mopi to snatch the compass.
"It's not anymore."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, Anna immediately understood what had happened. She knew about the grudge between the Mist Guardian and Mopi.
"Wait a moment."
Anna walked toward the small wooden door across the corridor. In about half a minute, Anna emerged from the small wooden door, her hands covered in blood, with some splattered bloodstains on her face.
Drip～
Blood dripped from Anna's fingertips. She gently closed the wooden door. Before it shut completely, Su Xiao caught a glimpse of the scene inside.
At that moment, the Mist Guardian was kneeling on the ground, his forehead pressed against the floor. Most of his torso was gone, the wound at the edge of his body jagged, as if torn away by some force. Nearby, there was blood and fragments of broken organs.
"Forgive me, I'm sorry, I won't dare again. No, no, no, this will never happen again, I swear, I swear..."
The Mist Guardian muttered repeatedly in a low voice, all traces of his earlier arrogance gone.
The wooden door closed tightly. Anna returned to the corridor, raising her hand. The lanyard of the Navigation Compass was looped around her index finger.
"It's yours now."
As Anna spoke, a drop of blood dripped from the Navigation Compass. The item was not large, square-shaped, about two-thirds the size of a cigarette pack. It was a flip-top design, and only when opened could one see the compass markings inside.
Su Xiao lightly tossed the short blade, caught it by the spine, and turned the handle toward Anna. Seeing this, Anna placed the Navigation Compass in Su Xiao's hand.
[You have obtained the Navigation Compass.]
[Navigation Compass]
Origin: Wind Sea Continent · White Hoof Port
Quality: Holy Spirit Rank
Category: Prop/Special Equipment
Durability: 18/50
Equipment Requirements: Sea Dependent Race, 151 or more True Charm Attribute points.
Equipment Effect 1: Equipment prerequisites not met (Sea Dependent Race), unable to activate this equipment.
Equipment Effect 2: Equipment prerequisites not met (Sea Dependent Race), unable to activate this equipment.
Special Attached Effect: Forcible Seizure (Active). The original owner of this compass was a pirate captain. After the compass gained a supernatural nature, it inherited its owner's trait, allowing it to be forcibly used regardless of equipment requirements.
Forcible Seizure (Active): After forcibly using this compass, the compass needle will point toward what the user desires in their heart.
Tip: After activating the Forcible Seizure (Active) ability, this compass will be permanently damaged, cannot be repaired, and its selling price will be reduced by 50%.
Equipment Rating: 815 points (Holy Spirit Rank equipment rating is 700 to 1000 points)
Prop Rating: 999 points (Holy Spirit Rank item rating is 700 to 1000 points)
Introduction: Even as a pirate, one must have faith.
Price: Soul Coins (Seventh Rank) x 26.
...
Seeing the attributes of the [Navigation Compass], Su Xiao found it quite interesting. As equipment, it was not impressive, at least in Su Xiao's view.
Not to mention the 151 points of True Charm Attribute, just the prerequisite of being a Sea Dependent Race made it impossible for Su Xiao to equip it.
But as a one-time prop, it could be decisive. The compass needle would point toward what the user desired in their heart. What a convenient and powerful ability.
If it could be used more than once, this item would be akin to a "divine artifact." From now on, Su Xiao would never have to worry about tasks. He could think of the task target, open the compass, find the target, and cut them down.
Putting away the Navigation Compass, Su Xiao looked at Anna. At that moment, the Execution Blade floated in front of her. Starting from the tip, the blade gradually transformed into a stream of black energy, coalescing into a wisp that was absorbed by the black long dress Anna wore.
In truth, none of the past masters of the Death House had ever been able to fully control it. The Death House was not an inanimate object; it had consciousness, and it was waiting for the one who could fully master it. For this, it had waited countless years.