Chapter 9: The Reckless and Scatterbrained Woman
[Montelaya Ore]
Quality: Special
Type: Rare Consumable Ore
Effect: When added during equipment enhancement, 'Montelaya Ore' significantly reduces the damage caused to the equipment upon failure. If added for enhancements up to +10, the equipment will not be destroyed upon failure.
Rating: None
Description: A unique ore from the planet Kara. The Karans added this ore to the cores of their spaceships, making them sturdy and durable, capable of continuous use for over 1,500 years.
...
Su Xiao tossed the obsidian-like ore in his hand, then carefully stored it away.
This haul was substantial. Su Xiao had long since realized the scarcity of Soul Crystals. In the Trade Market, there were simply no Soul Crystals for sale; they could only be purchased at high prices.
Soul Crystals (Small) ranged from 20,000 to 50,000 Paradise Coins, with demand far exceeding supply.
As for Soul Crystals (Medium), they were simply unobtainable. Any Contractor capable of acquiring them would use them for themselves; no one would sell them unless they were in dire need of Paradise Coins at a life-or-death moment.
As for the 'Montelaya Ore,' it was unique to this battlefield and unobtainable through any other channel. Moreover, it was exclusive to the 'Parasite' battlefield.
Su Xiao had been hesitant to enhance Dragon-Slaying Flash any further. If the enhancement to +7 failed, the enhancement level would reset to zero. Each enhancement cost 3,000 Paradise Coins, meaning a loss of 21,000 Paradise Coins—a devastating blow.
If the enhancement to +8 failed and Dragon-Slaying Flash shattered... Su Xiao couldn't afford that loss; it would drastically reduce his combat power.
'Montelaya Ore' could solve this problem. It ensured that if the enhancement to +8 failed, the equipment wouldn't be destroyed. One 'Montelaya Ore' could only be used once, disappearing after use, regardless of whether the enhancement succeeded or failed.
While Su Xiao's harvest was bountiful, the Contractors were locked in a bitter struggle.
The chaotic battle had been raging for several hours, with Contractors suffering casualties from time to time, yet the Parasite's assault showed no signs of weakening.
[Coordinate Deployment Successful. Remaining Time: 6 hours 03 minutes.]
On the battlefield.
Divine Emperor was mechanically swinging his greatsword, cleaving off a Parasite's head with each strike. Blood splattered all over him, turning him into a blood-soaked figure. He had lost count of how many Parasites he had cut down. A mountain of corpses had formed around the battlefield's perimeter.
The appearance of the corpse mountain forced the Contractors' formation to retreat; otherwise, they would face the Parasites' high-ground advantage.
The Parasites surged like a tidal wave, and the Contractors' defensive line was like a dam. The 'river' crashed against the 'dam,' sending up sprays of foam—foam that was blood-red.
All Contractors were fighting until their hands grew weak. The Parasites' assault was too relentless. If these Contractors hadn't been tempered by countless derivative worlds, they would have already suffered mental breakdowns.
Everywhere they looked, there were Parasites, attacking without pause, hell-bent on taking their lives. What a hopeless situation.
"Ah! These mindless beasts!"
The main tank of the Divine Emperor Adventure Group erupted. His eyes bloodshot, he used his shield to batter the nearby Parasites, but the Parasites immediately seized the opening to attack him.
Pfft.
A strangely shaped weapon struck the main tank. For an ordinary Contractor, this blow would have been a severe injury, but this main tank only suffered a minor wound.
"Calm down!"
Divine Emperor barked. The healers in the rear immediately applied buffs to the main tank, stabilizing his mental state.
The main tank calmed down, the redness fading from his eyes.
This scene played out frequently on the battlefield. Contractors were flesh-and-blood humans, not killing machines.
After another hour of tenacious defense, the Contractors noticed a clear weakening in the Parasites' assault.
"Hahaha, we're about to win!"
"Kill them all!"
Laughter and curses rang out one after another as the Contractors vented their pent-up oppression.
Compared to these Parasites, Divine Emperor and Adam were more worried about something else.
If only the Parasites were attacking, it would be manageable. But if a stronger creature appeared, the defensive line would be in jeopardy.
This was an overthinking on the Contractors' part. The Asian continent was the territory of the Human Alliance, and the Karans were currently at a disadvantage.
A war that had lasted two years had just ended. The Karans were stunned by the weapons developed by humans and were recuperating, not daring to set foot on the Asian continent easily.
These Parasites were all riskily airdropped by the Karans.
It had to be said that Reincarnation Paradise's timing for starting the war was very shrewd—right when the Karans were weak and humanity had just risen.
The Karans knew of Reincarnation Paradise's existence, but the Human Alliance did not. This was a species difference.
Once the Karans were defeated, deploying World Coordinates would not be so easy. The Human Alliance would develop rapidly, and conquering this derivative world would become significantly more difficult.
After half an hour of fighting, the Parasites left behind several thousand corpses and retreated. The Contractors, ignoring the blood on the ground, lay down and gasped for air.
Some Contractors, with trembling hands, pulled out blood-stained cigarettes, lit them, and took a long, satisfying drag.
[Coordinate Deployment Successful. Remaining Time: 4 hours 37 minutes. Contractor Casualties: 259/289.]
Nearly one-tenth of the Contractors had been killed or wounded. The number didn't seem significant, but if one were on the battlefield, they would see the mangled corpses.
War was no joke. It was a meat grinder that chewed up all living beings, and the survivors were the victors.
Divine Emperor struggled to his feet, having already seen the prompt in the war channel.
"Our Divine Emperor Adventure Group can send two people."
"The Brotherhood agrees as well."
"Flash Gold disagrees!"
Seeing the prompt in the war channel, Su Xiao was taken aback. That scatterbrained woman from the Flash Gold Adventure Group was at it again.
Su Xiao had already gained a basic understanding of the three group leaders' personalities. Divine Emperor was steady and pragmatic, willing to sacrifice an individual for the greater good—a true warlord.
Adam was very loyal. Once someone joined his group, they were brothers, and he would never abandon any member.
Flash Silver, on the other hand, was a scatterbrained woman with intermittent bouts of insanity, her train of thought so erratic it was jaw-dropping.
During a previous lull in the battle, Flash Silver had actually composed a riddle in the war channel for Su Xiao to solve.
This act of 'flirting' with the Arbiter nearly scared Divine Emperor and Adam out of their wits. They spent five minutes lecturing Flash Silver before she stopped her creative antics.
It wasn't just Flash Silver who loved to court death; her vice-captain, Gold Ghost, was also a seasoned enthusiast. After entering the war channel, he even attempted to bribe Su Xiao, ultimately getting muted by Reincarnation Paradise for half an hour.
The Flash Gold Adventure Group was a peculiarity in the war, but they also livened up the battlefield atmosphere.
"Sister Flash Silver, you..."
Divine Emperor sounded quite helpless.
"This benefits all of us. I suggest Flash Silver reconsider."
Adam's tone was also helpless.
"No, I'm not refusing the requisition. I have a different idea." Flash Silver's crisp voice came through.
"Lord Arbiter, our group has some special circumstances. I can't disclose the specific reasons, but I want to send two Charm Attribute specialists. Both have Charm over 25 points. They're twin sisters, and they're capable fighters who don't need anyone's protection.
So, our Flash Gold Adventure Group wants to send two Charm specialists. Does the Lord Arbiter agree?"
This was an unexpected pleasant surprise. If Divine Emperor or Adam had made this suggestion, Su Xiao would have accepted without a second thought. But Flash Silver, that scatterbrained woman...
"..."
Su Xiao's reply in the war channel was blank. He made no statement. He didn't want to waste a valuable opportunity on such a matter.
Saying nothing could mean rejection or tacit approval—it depended on Flash Silver's intelligence.
"Thank you, Lord Arbiter."
In the fourth war zone, Flash Silver chuckled softly, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
"This Lord Arbiter... doesn't seem very fair. But I like this unfairness."
Flash Silver bit her thumbnail and continued muttering softly.
"Divine Emperor was nearly scared out of his wits by that riddle earlier. That shows the Arbiter must not be provoked. Now, releasing information that benefits us... If it's as I imagine... then this battlefield isn't necessarily a death sentence."
Flash Silver wasn't the reckless character she appeared to be on the surface. She had actually been testing Su Xiao's attitude all along, using a seemingly chaotic method.
Su Xiao had long noticed this. It was best if Flash Silver could figure it out. He couldn't possibly say something like 'I'll help you win' in the war channel. If he did, his Arbiter status would be stripped, and he would be punished.