Chapter 64: True Power: Plunder
Su Xiao did not immediately head to the nearby stall selling passive skill scrolls. Instead, he sat behind his own stall, opened his skill list, and reviewed his current abilities.
He had a total of 18 skills. At first glance, this seemed like a lot, but after categorizing them into three types, it didn't appear so numerous.
Among all the abilities he had mastered, Su Xiao divided them into four major categories: Combat Passive, Combat Active, Utility Passive, and Special Active.
There were 10 types of Combat Passive skills, which were:
Blade Grandmaster · Lv.46
Melee Combat Grandmaster · Lv.22
Firearms Mastery · Lv.36
Instinct · Lv.45
Demon's Mark · Lv.31
Soul Threads · X, Soul Reaping Scythe · X, Slaughter Shadow · X, Absolute Magic Resistance · X, Spirit Shadow Constitution · X.
...
Among these 10 Combat Passive skills, only Blade Grandmaster actually required resources to develop.
There were two types of Buff Passive abilities: Heart Meditation (one of the core abilities) and Goddess's Favor.
There were three types of Combat Active abilities: Azure Steel Shadow, Dragon Shadow Flash, and Aura Release.
There were two types of Special Active abilities: Devouring Core and Supreme Blade.
There was one Ultimate ability: Azure Shadow King.
The combination of these abilities formed Su Xiao's unique combat system. Because the Blade Dao required so many resources in the early stages, most of his passive abilities were obtained through the inheritance of the Shadow of Law Destruction.
Melee Combat Grandmaster was improved through opportunities and could have resources allocated to it appropriately. Demon's Mark would not receive resources for now; Su Xiao did not have a demonic constitution, so the resources invested would not be proportional to the ability's improvement.
The 'Instinct' ability could not be improved by investing resources either; it could only be honed through combat. Aura Release could not be improved for the time being due to the influence of blood energy.
As for the X abilities, Golden Skill Points had to be used to upgrade Azure Shadow King, so these X abilities would not have resources allocated to them in the short term.
As of today, the only abilities that truly needed resource investment were the Blade Dao and Azure Steel Shadow abilities. This simplified things a lot.
Calculating this way, although Su Xiao had 10 types of Combat Passives, the only one that could be developed through resources was the Blade Dao. Therefore, he decided to master 1-2 more passive abilities to enhance his combat power.
As for active skills, he was not following the path of spamming skills. Moreover, the Blade Dao techniques he developed were more suitable for him than the active abilities mastered through skill scrolls.
After deciding on his development path, Su Xiao stood up and walked towards the nearby stall selling skill scrolls.
At a small stall, a figure shrouded in black mist, with an indistinguishable gender, sat behind it.
Su Xiao crouched in front of the stall, his hands resting on his knees. The first thing he saw was an active skill.
[Space Hunting]
Type: Skill Scroll · Active
Prerequisite: True Strength 185 points, True Agility 199 points, Space System Basic Ability Lv.50 or above, Assassination Grandmaster Lv.50 or above.
Skill Effect: Conceal yourself within the spatial crevice for ultra-high-speed movement. The next attack will deal Strength Attribute × 3.8 + Agility Attribute × 9.8 + 1050 points of Penetration Damage + 200 to 470 points of Bleeding Damage.
Note: If the target is killed within 5 seconds of using this ability, this ability will immediately reset, and the user will re-conceal themselves within the spatial crevice. Control effects are ignored during this period.
Price: 2950 Soul Coins.
...
This was a fairly powerful ability, practically the ultimate move for spatial assassination. After killing someone, you could instantly disengage, hide within the spatial crevice, and either look for the next prey or immediately retreat.
Seeing this ability, Su Xiao was even a bit tempted. Unfortunately, the two prerequisites—Space System Basic Ability Lv.50 or above and Assassination Grandmaster Lv.50 or above—blocked him.
Ignoring this powerful skill scroll, Su Xiao picked up a passive scroll from the stall. Just as he was about to examine it, he was attracted by another skill scroll. He put down his original target and picked up a scroll from the stall that surged with golden flowing light.
Just a few seconds ago, this scroll hadn't been on display. It was brought over by someone beside the stall owner.
[True Power: Plunder]
Type: Skill Scroll · Authority Class · Passive Skill
Prerequisite: Reincarnation Brand Level Lv.60 or above, with no abnormal records.
Skill Effect: After killing a Lord or Overlord-level unit, during the world settlement, you can obtain an additional 1 True Skill Point.
Note: The following information is only visible to Hunters and Arbiters.
Prerequisite: Reincarnation Brand Level Lv.50 or above, and successfully eliminated more than 15 Violators (conditions met).
Skill Effect (Special Authority): After killing a Lord or Overlord-level unit, during the world settlement, you can obtain 1 to 3 Golden Skill Points.
Price: 7800 Soul Coins.
...
Just a moment ago, Su Xiao hadn't seen this scroll. His original target was a passive ability that enhanced 'nerve reaction speed' and 'dynamic vision'. But plans couldn't keep up with changes. Since entering Reincarnation Paradise, he had never encountered a situation like this.
A stroke of luck? It barely counted, but this luck required money and strength. A full 7800 Soul Coins. Su Xiao had only obtained 2400 Soul Coins after clearing an entire world.
This was the most special ability Su Xiao had ever seen, bar none. As for the price, it was more expensive than the Origin Stone.
"This thing, 2400 Soul Coins, plus..."
"Cough, cough, cough~"
The black mist stall owner behind the stall coughed dryly a few times, as if choking.
"Brother, with this price cut of yours, I don't even know how to counter-offer."
The black mist stall owner smiled and shook his head, then continued drinking his cold beverage, saying nothing more. He was waiting, waiting for more Contractors to gather. Before that, he wouldn't sell this item. The price of 7800 Soul Coins was actually a bidding price; it couldn't be bought directly.
Su Xiao knew that occasionally, you could encounter items that blew your mind on Trade Street. After all, Origin Stones were available for purchase. But this ability, which was both a skill and an authority, made Su Xiao determined to obtain it. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough Soul Coins on hand. No matter the time, Soul Coins were always in short supply.
Just as Su Xiao was pondering, a young man stopped beside him. He seemed to be a regular customer of this stall. After scanning the items on display, his gaze locked onto the [True Power: Plunder] scroll.
The young man blinked, perhaps thinking he had misread. After scrutinizing the scroll's attributes for a moment, his gaze shifted to Su Xiao. Their eyes met.
'Hunter, the other party is a Hunter.' This thought appeared in the minds of both Su Xiao and the young man simultaneously.
"Damn it!"
The young man turned and ran. Was he wary of Su Xiao's aura? Not exactly. This guy was going to find a friend to borrow money. Worried that his friend wouldn't see the message, he chose to find them in person as quickly as possible, then return as fast as he could to secure [True Power: Plunder]. For him, who could see the scroll's true capabilities, the price of 7800 Soul Coins was not expensive at all; it was a huge bargain.
In just over ten seconds, Contractors crowded around Su Xiao. For ordinary Contractors, this scroll also had a fatal attraction. One True Skill Point per world, accumulated over time. They could probably obtain about 5-6 True Skill Points per world, which was nearly a 20% increase. Unfortunately, they couldn't afford it, so they could only feast their eyes.
Before long, the area around the stall was packed to the brim. The black mist stall owner sat calmly behind the stall. He had acquired this item, and its origin was quite interesting.
A rookie Contractor, by a stroke of luck, had found a World Core in a Trial World. A core without any special traits that could be integrated into other worlds. In the black mist stall owner's view, that kind of World Core was priceless.
So, Reincarnation Paradise rewarded that lucky person with many benefits. [True Power: Plunder] was one of them. Unfortunately, before the lucky person could rise to prominence, they were backstabbed by their teammate the very next second.
Another coincidence occurred. That 'good teammate,' when opening the Scarlet Card, managed to get this item through sheer luck. However, the usage requirements for [True Power: Plunder] had skyrocketed, making it an item that the rookie could see but not use.
Even more interestingly, that 'good teammate' was also a rookie. Through a combination of coaxing and intimidation by the black mist stall owner's boss, they managed to trade [True Power: Plunder] for an Epic-grade piece of equipment.
That's right, [True Power: Plunder] was obtained in exchange for an Epic-grade piece of equipment. Now, with a selling price of 7800 Soul Coins, it was surrounded by a group of Seventh Rank big shots. This bloody fact illustrated that to possess a treasure, you needed the corresponding strength; otherwise, it was a calamity.
Among the people present, those who could afford [True Power: Plunder] were all Seventh Rank big daddies. These were the ones with the strength to seize the treasure.
"I'll offer 6000 Soul Coins. I'm selling everything I have, that's all I've got."
"6500!"
"7000!"
A young woman with a face full of scars spoke up. Based on her aura, she was definitely in the top tier of the Seventh Rank.
Su Xiao stood in front of the stall, not bidding. He was consolidating his resources, determined to secure this item. The undeveloped Azure Shadow King couldn't display its extremely powerful might. The abilities of the Law Destroyers were all like this: weak in the early stages, strong in the mid-to-late stages. As long as Azure Shadow King was upgraded to Lv.10, it would undergo its first qualitative change. And the upgrade of Azure Shadow King required too many Golden Skill Points. This unexpected opportunity was the turning point.