Chapter 31: Treasure Hunting (Fourth Update, Monthly Ticket Bonus)
Time slipped through the fingers, and the five-day stay in Reincarnation Paradise passed in the blink of an eye. Su Xiao returned to the Real World.
Lying in the bathtub, Su Xiao tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
This time, returning to the Real World, he planned to do something. With his current strength, he could now infiltrate "that place."
Picking up the phone beside him, Su Xiao dialed a number. He needed to confirm the truth of a certain matter. Although he could also contact the "Scavengers"—those contractors serving the nation—Su Xiao decided against it. Those people weren't entirely trustworthy; the two sides maintained a "well water doesn't mix with river water" relationship.
This number hadn't been dialed in a long time, but Su Xiao knew the call would go through. The person on the other end wouldn't easily change their number.
Beep... Beep...
After waiting for a while, the call was picked up.
"Is it... Su Xiao? Such a strange number."
A woman's voice came through the phone. Her tone was somewhat lazy, as if nothing could rouse her spirits, yet there was a hint of assertiveness in that laziness—aggressive despite the languor.
"It's me."
Silence fell on the other end.
"Contacting me... means you've finally decided to go to 'that place,' doesn't it? That kind of place has no laws or rules. We should use the weapon of the law..."
The woman seemed to know Su Xiao's identity and his past.
"The weapon of the law only works in this country. The people there don't care about laws; they only believe in bullets, armored vehicles, and tanks."
Su Xiao's words left the woman on the other end silent.
This woman had once been Su Xiao's lawyer, named Mu Yun. She had extensive connections in the capital and had helped Su Xiao handle his parents' case. Unfortunately, the case was too complex, involving too many people.
A small number of those involved were arrested, but most were acquitted on various legitimate grounds. Or rather, there was no concrete evidence proving their guilt, yet they were truly guilty.
Those people had no connection to Su Xiao's parents, which was something Su Xiao had never understood.
His parents were ordinary people, running a small shop to make a living. But one day, they were suddenly killed—highly suspicious.
The police naturally wouldn't ignore such a murder case. Several fleeing criminals were arrested, and by now, those criminals were long dead.
Under normal circumstances, the case would have been closed, and Su Xiao wouldn't have become an avenger.
Perhaps under the pressure of death, one of those fleeing criminals mentioned a name during interrogation—a businessman's name.
After investigation, the businessman was indeed a suspect, but only a suspect.
A couple brutally murdered in their own home—the police wouldn't let any clue slip. As the businessman came under scrutiny, things grew more complex, and more people became involved.
One day, the police investigation suddenly stopped, as if it could only go that far.
Even now, Su Xiao remembered the helpless look on the police captain's face.
He was a rigid but righteous officer. He grabbed Su Xiao's arm and said just five words:
"I'm sorry... I... I'm sorry."
That hesitant expression—Su Xiao, still young and naive at the time, only vaguely understood it. But now, he fully comprehended.
It rained that day. A heavy rain, so heavy he couldn't see his parents' tombstones or the smiles on them.
From that day on, Su Xiao understood one thing: justice might exist, but it wouldn't enforce itself. And "justice always prevails" was utter nonsense. The definition of justice itself was vague; everyone had a different version of justice in their hearts.
Su Xiao snapped out of his memories. The call with Mu Yun was still ongoing.
"Hey, are you listening to me? Hey."
"I'm listening."
Mu Yun fell silent again for some reason.
Inside a law firm in the capital, a mature woman nearing thirty sat in her office, holding the latest smartphone. She was Mu Yun.
Dressed in business attire, wearing red-rimmed glasses, her sensual lips parted several times as if she wanted to say something.
"I..."
Mu Yun started again, but was interrupted by Su Xiao's voice on the phone.
"I called this time just to confirm the authenticity of those documents from back then."
Su Xiao lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
Mu Yun didn't answer Su Xiao's question. Instead, she asked:
"It's been a few years. The businessmen and lawyers involved in that case are all dead. Was it... you who did it?"
Mu Yun's throat felt dry as she asked. If it was what she imagined, the person she was speaking to was no longer that naive boy but a cunning and brutal criminal.
"Maybe it's karma. Who knows? But thanks for the information you gave me. It seems those documents are real."
Su Xiao hung up the phone. On the other end, Mu Yun looked bewildered. She hadn't said anything.
He didn't need her to say anything. He had already gleaned the information he wanted from her words. Compared to those cunning plot characters, Mu Yun was... no match.
Mu Yun picked up the coffee beside her, moistening her dry throat. A memory surfaced in her mind—the police officer investigating the case had once said:
"I don't know if those businessmen are guilty, but that boy will definitely commit a crime in the future. That look in his eyes is already close to a killer's gaze."
Mu Yun's fair hand began to tremble for some reason. If it was what she imagined, the man she had just spoken to was a serial killer.
Thinking of this, Mu Yun grew even more frightened. She took several sips of coffee.
"He... won't come looking for me, will he..."
...
Su Xiao lay silently in the bathtub. He needed to leave this place, go to a war-torn country, and kill someone he had never been able to get close to before.
"Heh~, letting you live for so many years. Now it's time to pay your debts. Blood for blood—it's only natural."
A red gleam appeared in Su Xiao's pupils. He needed to prepare before acting.
Su Xiao began to plan his next steps. In the Real World, without equipment bonuses, he could only rely on his personal attributes and passive skills to fight.
Traveling to that country would take time. Su Xiao didn't think he could complete his revenge within seven days. It would take at least the intervals of two to three derivative worlds.
Su Xiao didn't need to buy thermal weapons. Taking a knife out of the country was enough. With the temporary storage function of the storage space, it wasn't difficult.
Besides the knife, he needed one more thing: money. In that place, money could buy anything—even a tank.
Walking out of the villa he had lived in for a while, Su Xiao suddenly felt a bit reluctant.
He had interacted with the neighbors here. An elderly couple left a deep impression on him. The old man sometimes played chess with Su Xiao by the seaside.
After revenge, he would return here. This place gave him a sense of peace, suitable for relaxing.
Three days passed quickly in preparation. Just as Su Xiao was about to head to the airport, an unexpected notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.
[Tip: Due to the Hunter's participation in a War World, the timing of entering derivative worlds with other contractors has deviated. This time, entry into a new derivative world will be advanced to maintain timeline consistency.]
Su Xiao wasn't surprised by this notification. The stay time in the Real World wasn't fixed—sometimes a week, sometimes ten days.
[A new derivative world is about to open. The Hunter will return to Reincarnation Paradise. Please ensure there are no witnesses nearby.]
[Teleporting... Teleportation complete.]
When his consciousness returned, Su Xiao was already in his Exclusive Room.
The revenge plan was temporarily halted due to the unexpected event. Su Xiao wasn't discouraged. Going through one more derivative world would make him stronger, making the revenge plan more secure.
Checking his remaining Paradise Coins, he had 13,200 in total. He planned to use these to buy some recovery items.
Arriving at the Trade Market, it was bustling. Since the timelines had been unified, contractors were also entering derivative worlds at this time.
A large number of Workers were setting up stalls, and some contractors were among them.
After wandering around a few times, Su Xiao bought two bottles of medicine.
[Strawberry Juice]
Origin: Toriko
Quality: Green
Type: Recovery Item
Effect: Drinking it quickly restores 21% of Health Points.
Rating: 15
Description: Open the cap—maybe you'll get another one?
...
[Strawberry Juice] cost 2,600 Paradise Coins per bottle. It could be consumed consecutively. Su Xiao bought two bottles.
Just as he was about to continue purchasing recovery items, a stall caught his eye. On it was a tattered blueprint, partially burned, with most of it charred.
Checking the blueprint's attributes, Su Xiao's pupils contracted sharply.
"This thing... I'll take it for 6,000 Paradise Coins."
The stall owner was shrouded in black mist—a feature of setting up stalls. Few people enabled it, mostly newcomers.
"No way. At least 7,000 Paradise Coins."
The stall owner was firm, refusing to budge.
Su Xiao didn't haggle further and bought it directly for 7,000 Paradise Coins. The stall owner was visibly stunned.
This item was extremely rare. Although its quality wasn't high, if sold to an adventure group, it could easily fetch over 20,000 Paradise Coins.
This item had only one function: it allowed someone to enter a specific derivative world.
Or rather, it was a consumable. After using it, the derivative world Su Xiao was about to enter would be designated. However, the entry process was the same—entering the derivative world normally, with all tasks included.
"With my current strength, I'm qualified to explore this derivative world."
PS: (Recommending a friend's book 'Super Dimension', and also asking for monthly tickets at the start of the month.)