Chapter 2: Mandatory Measures
After wandering around the trade market for a while, Su Xiao spotted a familiar figure—it was Xia.
Xia's stall was quite bizarre, with lobster, beef, cabbage, and a few cucumbers laid out on it.
This made Su Xiao find it both amusing and exasperating. Xia had turned the trade market into a vegetable market.
"What's this, closed your restaurant and switched to selling groceries?"
Su Xiao crouched in front of Xia's stall. Xia sat behind the stall, looking listless.
"Oh~, Bai Ye! Don't tell me you've been conscripted..."
Xia stopped mid-sentence and let out a long sigh.
"Yeah, just participating in a war. It was expected. What's the deal with your stall? Even if you sold all this stuff, it wouldn't cover the stall fee."
Xia looked utterly helpless and cast a resentful glance at Su Xiao.
"I'm desperate too. This is a mandatory requirement from Reincarnation Paradise. All workers have to set up stalls, and the value of the items displayed is determined by the items in their storage space. My quota is low, so just some ingredients will do. Go check out the street over there—there's someone selling shoes, and the weirdest one is selling adult products~. Stalls in Reincarnation Paradise are free to use now."
Su Xiao grasped the general situation. With war imminent, no one could stay out of it. The luckiest were the weaker contractors, who could still remain in the real world.
"Talk later. I need to buy some recovery items."
Su Xiao stood up to leave. Before he had taken a few steps, Xia shouted from behind the stall, "Take care! Hope you come back safe. I'll give you a free meal next time."
After bidding farewell to Xia, Su Xiao checked the recovery items in his storage space. What he had left was:
[Alchemy Elixir] ×1, quickly restores 18% health.
[Delicious Chocolate] ×3, slowly restores 60% health.
[Royal Secret Medicine] ×1, quickly restores 80% health. After drinking, Strength +3, Agility +2, Endurance +10 for five minutes, and minor recovery of bodily function damage.
...
Although these recovery items were plentiful, to be safe, Su Xiao decided to buy another potion that quickly restored health.
In the trade market, stalls were packed side by side. Workers didn't have purchasing rights, which prevented some workers from hoarding supplies at low prices.
As a Hunter, Su Xiao naturally had the right to buy these items. He quickly found something he liked.
[Victory Potion]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise
Quality: Blue
Type: Recovery Item
Effect: Instantly restores 70% health and removes poison and curse effects (maximum level of abnormal status removal: Rating 60 (Note: Blue items have ratings from 31 to 70).
Introduction: Victory is within sight. Drink it and fight to the death.
...
This blue-quality potion was priced at 6,000 Paradise Coins. Su Xiao thought he had misread it.
This potion not only restored 70% health but also removed poison and curse effects. Normally, it would cost at least 10,000 Paradise Coins.
After Su Xiao bought the potion, he saw the stall owner's look of utter despair.
There was also a blue-quality firearm on the stall, now priced at 25,000 Paradise Coins, with a rating as high as 63.
"This gun isn't bad."
As soon as Su Xiao spoke, the stall owner's gaze grew even more desperate.
"Too bad I don't have enough Paradise Coins."
The stall owner let out a long sigh of relief.
Such good deals were rare, only appearing before a space war began. Space wars were unpredictable; no one knew when they would happen.
From these perks alone, Su Xiao could vaguely sense the danger level of the space battlefield. It would be a living hell.
Su Xiao couldn't help but feel curious about what responsibilities his "neutral class" actually entailed.
He headed toward the edge of Reincarnation Paradise, where the "Space Shuttle" was docked.
Along the way, Su Xiao encountered some contractors. They were all heading in different directions, which suggested that there was more than one "Space Shuttle."
The workers were all setting up stalls, making the contractors stand out.
Arriving at the edge, Su Xiao saw many stalls here as well. The Space Shuttle was right ahead.
It was a spaceship several hundred meters in diameter, with an iron-black hull. The ship's surface was loaded with various never-before-seen weapons, and at the rear was a large row of engine-like structures, giving it a highly technological feel.
This massive ship was like a steel beast, with visible scars on its surface. Its material wasn't steel but a rare metal.
The Space Shuttle's hatch was wide open, and around a hundred contractors could be seen near it.
These contractors were dressed in four different styles, each with different colors, and their backs bore the emblems of their respective adventure groups.
One type of emblem was particularly eye-catching, somewhat similar to the Reincarnation Mark. These were all independent contractors.
As Su Xiao approached the Space Shuttle, a set of clothing automatically formed on him—the attire of an independent contractor.
"An independent has arrived. It's our Divine Emperor's turn this time. No objections, you two?"
A middle-aged man in golden armor spoke. He had a sturdy build and a small beard on his chin. His tone suggested he was someone accustomed to being in a position of authority.
"No objections from me."
A blonde, blue-eyed Caucasian man spoke, but when he saw Su Xiao's face, the corner of his eye twitched.
"Bai Ye."
Hearing someone call his name, Su Xiao was startled and looked at the man.
"Adam."
The blonde, blue-eyed Caucasian was Adam from the Brotherhood. It seemed the Brotherhood had been conscripted into the space battlefield.
The Brotherhood Adventure Group had dozens of members, so being conscripted wasn't surprising.
"You two know each other?"
The middle-aged man in golden armor spoke, and Adam nodded.
"Divine Emperor, you've hit the jackpot this time. A real powerhouse has arrived."
Adam's heart was actually in his throat. This was a god of slaughter with a rather bad temper.
"Oh?"
Divine Emperor paused, then his expression returned to calm. He spoke, "Hello, I'm Divine Emperor, the leader of the Divine Emperor Adventure Group. Meeting is fate, especially on the space battlefield."
Su Xiao shook the hand Divine Emperor extended.
"My name is Bai Ye."
The situation on the space battlefield was still unknown. These adventure groups might know something.
"I don't suppose you're interested in joining the Divine Emperor Adventure Group?"
Su Xiao understood why the leaders of the three adventure groups were waiting here for independent contractors—they wanted to recruit members.
Contractors qualified to participate in the space battlefield were all strong. This was a golden opportunity to recruit members.
"I don't have that intention for now."
Su Xiao politely declined. Divine Emperor just smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.
Near the spaceship, contractors gathered in small groups, chatting idly. Su Xiao sat on the ship's ladder playing a puzzle game. He had already put away Bubuteni.
More and more contractors gathered. Members of adventure groups who had gone out to buy supplies returned one after another, and all the independent contractors had arrived.
An hour later, a notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.
[All contractors, enter the 'Space Shuttle.' The hatch will close in ten minutes. Space jump is expected in fifteen minutes.]
[The 'Space Shuttle' is a safe zone. Contractors are prohibited from attacking each other.]
Hum~.
The 'Space Shuttle's' engines started, rumbling. The contractors filed into the 'Space Shuttle.'
Su Xiao put away his tablet, stood up, and walked into the cabin.
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