Chapter 53: Reunion
Among the four types of rewards, aside from reward A, there wasn't a single one Su Xiao didn't fancy. If he could choose, he'd want to take them all.
In the past, for attribute rewards, any reward with the word "Shadow" in it stood out head and shoulders above the rest, a no-brainer choice. But this time, Shadow didn't seem quite as tempting.
Heavenly Echoing Shadow was certainly strong. Once control was negated, it immediately formed an aura illusion to confuse enemies. The aura illusion was hard to distinguish from reality, and if used properly, it was a formidable ability.
However, compared to "Heavenly Echoing Shadow," "Perfect Counter" and "Proud Walk" were no less powerful. "Proud Walk" could greatly enhance survivability, and combined with Su Xiao's already high health, it would grant him survivability comparable to a seventh-rank tank.
"Perfect Counter" also suited Su Xiao. He often used his blade to parry enemy attacks. Since the enemies he faced were all very strong, and he developed four attributes, encountering enemies with higher strength attributes than his was perfectly normal. In such situations, relying on technique-based parrying wasn't so reliable anymore. Even if he parried with his blade, he would still suffer shock damage.
"Perfect Counter" solved this problem. With Su Xiao's swordsmanship and neural reflex speed, parrying enemy attacks wasn't difficult. After parrying, reducing shock damage by 83% was also a very rare ability.
More importantly, as long as the difference in strength attributes with the enemy didn't exceed 20 points, parrying an enemy's attack would create a force rebound. Each rebound reduced the enemy's strength attribute by 5 points, stacking up to three times, meaning it could reduce the enemy's true strength attribute by a maximum of 15 points, lasting for 24 minutes.
If he encountered a fierce melee fighter, after Su Xiao parried a few times, the enemy's strength attribute would be on par with his own. At that point, the enemy wouldn't be far from death.
A 20-point difference in strength attributes was already enough to create a crushing advantage. After mastering the "Perfect Counter" ability, Su Xiao would have the qualifications to fight such enemies.
Having to choose one of the three abilities, if Su Xiao weren't a technique-type, he would definitely choose "Proud Walk" or "Heavenly Echoing Shadow."
After weighing the pros and cons, Su Xiao decided to choose "Perfect Counter." This would prevent him from being crushed by strength. After all, developing four attributes simultaneously had many benefits but also required more comprehensive consideration.
A surge of energy entered Su Xiao's arms, then flowed through his arms into his torso. He didn't notice any obvious changes, but he had a feeling that as long as he held his blade, he could block everything and then slay.
After Su Xiao finished choosing the strength attribute reward, the agility attribute reward appeared.
[True Agility Attribute (Unarmored) has reached 150 points. The Hunter may choose one of the following rewards.]
A. Dark Form: Slaughter: If in a stealth state, the next attack will deal True Damage equal to Agility Attribute × 3.6 + 10% of the enemy's maximum health as defense-ignoring damage. This ability has no cooldown.
B. Wind God's Departure: For every 4 points of Agility Attribute gained, this ability triggers, permanently increasing Agility Attribute by 1 point.
C. Basic Potential (Rare Reward): Each point of Agility Attribute will additionally increase Basic Neural Reflex Speed by 0.5 points and Basic Dynamic Vision by 0.5 points (originally, each point of Agility Attribute increased Basic Neural Reflex Speed by 0.5 points and Basic Dynamic Vision by 0.5 points).
Reward A was ignored directly. Su Xiao wasn't an assassin. With his overwhelming blood energy, trying to stealthily approach an enemy was less reliable than just charging head-on. So no matter how strong reward A was, it had nothing to do with him. What suited him was the best.
Reward B was suitable for long-term development, and Su Xiao also ignored it because reward C suited him better. His Blade Grandmaster ability increased neural reflex speed by a percentage. If the foundation wasn't strong enough, a high percentage was meaningless.
Su Xiao chose reward C. Subtle changes occurred throughout his body. It felt as if some kind of latent potential within him had been enhanced.
Su Xiao opened his eyes and immediately felt that his surroundings had changed. Everything seemed slower. After choosing reward C, his Basic Neural Reflex Speed and Basic Dynamic Vision had immediately increased by 75 points. Coupled with the high percentage bonuses in these two areas, the experience was quite intense.
Inside the Attribute Enhancement Pod, Su Xiao gently rubbed his temples with one hand, trying to adapt to the new sensation as much as possible. After a long while, the world around him returned to normal. He now finally understood why the difference between the sixth and seventh ranks was so vast. This was only after two attribute rewards, and his strength had already increased significantly.
After choosing the agility reward, the endurance attribute reward appeared immediately.
[True Endurance Attribute is the Hunter's main attribute. True Endurance Attribute (Unarmored) has reached 150 points. The Hunter may choose one of the following rewards.]
A. Child of the Earth: Body defense rank +1 (initial body defense rank is 2).
B. Endless Vitality: The recovery effect from receiving treatment, consuming potions, etc., is increased by 20%. When subjected to treatment effect suppression, 45% of this suppression effect is negated.
C. Life Guardian (Rare Reward): If damage taken within 5 seconds exceeds 30% of own health, a Life Shield is immediately formed. This shield's durability is equal to Maximum Health × 0.3. After the Life Shield is broken, a slow recovery effect is gained. This ability has no cooldown.
D. Ferocious Beast: Fei (Rare Reward): Health permanently increased by 15000 points (originally increased by 5000 points). Abnormal Resistance permanently increased by 30% (originally increased by 12%).
Warning: Fei is a ferocious beast within the Void, fond of devouring souls, extremely violent. It once competed with the Blade Demon for the Black Maple Tree and lost, heavily wounding the Blade Demon before disappearing without a trace. Choosing reward D carries extremely high risk!
Tip: The Hunter has extremely high compatibility with reward D and is recognized by the Ferocious Beast: Fei. Choosing this reward carries no risk.
There was no need to choose among the endurance attribute rewards. Except for [Divine Judgment] combined with a very high soul strength, Su Xiao had never seen a reward that permanently increased health by over 10,000 points in one go.
Moreover, Divine Judgment was equipment, while this was a permanent self-enhancement. The two were very different. Last time he went to the Death House, Su Xiao's equipment was temporarily sealed. Although this situation was rare, it had occurred.
Su Xiao knew what the Ferocious Beast: Fei was. His second talent, Blood Beast, was in the form of Fei.
As soon as Su Xiao chose reward D, a red light appeared in his eyes. A blood beast materialized behind him. Its appearance was ferocious, its mouth full of sharp fangs.
The Ferocious Beast: Fei's nose twitched slightly, and wisps of blood energy seeped from the gaps between its fangs. The next moment, the blood beast dissipated. The Ferocious Beast: Fei had recognized Su Xiao back when he awakened his second talent. The reason was that Su Xiao's blood energy was essentially no weaker than that of the Ferocious Beast: Fei. His blood energy came from ancient battlefields, filtered and purified through his Devouring Core, and then claimed as his own.
The blood energy produced by the dissipation of the Ferocious Beast: Fei surged towards Su Xiao, and he absorbed it with ease.
[Your Health has permanently increased by 15720 points.]
[Your Abnormal Resistance has permanently increased by 31.2%.]
Su Xiao felt this change even more clearly this time. The increase in health directly fed back into his life force, and the activity of his internal organs had noticeably improved.
[True Intelligence Attribute (Unarmored) has reached 150 points. The Hunter may choose one of the following rewards.]
A. Sacred Heart (Rare Reward): Permanently increases True Intelligence Attribute by 5 points. Permanently increases Mana Points by 20%.
B. Perception Tremor (Rare Reward): Emits a perception wave far above the user's own rank. Can perform a Perception Tremor on a single enemy unit, causing permanent damage to their perception and having a chance to permanently reduce their Soul Strength or Willpower Attribute.
C. Elemental Affinity (Rare Reward): Elemental Affinity permanently increased by 10 points (current Elemental Affinity is 625 points).
D. Heart Meditation: Soul Resonance (Unique Reward): During meditation, Soul Strength will provide a bonus effect to the meditation's results.
Among the four intelligence attribute rewards, reward B was directly excluded. This was a reward that perception-type contractors would choose. It had to be said that although perception-types were weak in the early stages, they became a very fearsome category of people in the mid-to-late stages. They had various abilities that caused permanent damage, especially in terms of spirit and perception.
As for reward C, Elemental Affinity, Su Xiao naturally looked down on it. The Elemental Affinity of Law Destroyers was something even the spellcasters of Arcane Eternal Star envied and resented. It was precisely because they didn't enslave or drive natural elements that their Elemental Affinity was high. From reward C, one could see how difficult it was to increase Elemental Affinity. A reward for reaching 150 points only increased it by 10 points.
After becoming a Law Destroyer, Su Xiao's Elemental Affinity had been continuously increasing, now reaching an astonishing 625 points. If the mages saw this, they would probably die of anger on the spot.
Every time Su Xiao activated his Elemental Perception, he felt that all kinds of elements were annoyingly persistent, often surrounding him. Especially fire and light; one was hot, the other glaring, yet they had no self-awareness.
The rewards were very good. Increasing Intelligence Attribute and Mana Points was certainly fine, but Su Xiao leaned more towards "Heart Meditation: Soul Resonance." Choosing this reward would take a long time to see results, but it was worth it.
After finishing the attribute reward selections, Su Xiao sat cross-legged for a moment before beginning to allocate the remaining 39 attribute points. The allocation was: Strength +10, Agility +10, Endurance +10, Intelligence +9.
The Attribute Enhancement Pod activated again. Su Xiao's skin all over his body began to redden. Over half an hour later, the attribute enhancement was complete. The discomfort caused by the massive increase in Neural Reflex Speed and Dynamic Vision had completely disappeared. Only when the body was strong enough could it bear these two things.
Su Xiao checked his current personal information. The data was as follows:
Contractor 13013 (False ID)
Name: Su Xiao (Hunter)
Level: LV.60, (Sixth Rank, can advance to Seventh Rank at any time)
Health: 100%.
Mana Points: 17616
Strength: 160
Agility: 160
Endurance: 160
Intelligence: 159
Charm: 1 (This attribute is about to drop!)
Luck: 14
Soul Strength: 230 points
Kill Talent: Soul Devourer (SSS Grade)
Growth Talent: Blood Beast (SSS Grade)
Standing up from the ground, after opening the door of the Enhancement Pod, Su Xiao's pace was not fast. The magnitude of this enhancement was too great. He needed to slowly adapt to it, to avoid ending up like that one time, crashing into and knocking over low-rank contractors.
[Tip: The Hunter has met all conditions for advancing to Seventh Rank. Yes/No to advance? If declined, before entering the next world, the Hunter will be defaulted to a Seventh Rank Contractor.]
Su Xiao chose to advance. He felt a burning sensation in the Reincarnation Paradise mark on his arm. It was always like this when advancing ranks.
[The Hunter has advanced to Seventh Rank.]
[Tree Arena has been unlocked. Remaining Arena attempts for the Hunter: 5 times.]
[Trade Street permission has been activated, not yet opened. Checking if the Hunter is qualified to open this permission...]