Chapter 10: Strength and Luck
A hand wrapped in a crystal layer emerged from the river water, grabbing the stone blocks on the bank. The crystal layer shattered.
Soaking wet, Su Xiao stepped onto the paved path beside the shore. Behind him, steam rose from the river surface; that section of the water was boiling.
In the nearby shadows, prying gazes appeared. After all, this was the territory of the Magic Association.
Several masked figures walked out from a narrow alley diagonally across. They all wore leather jackets, with metal collars around their necks. Embedded around the collars were glass tubes containing floating iron-sand-like substances.
"Mr. White Night of the Black Tower, the current time is..." The leading man raised his hand, looking at his own palm. Embedded in his palm was a watch face with hour and minute hands.
Judging by his voice, the masked man was likely a middle-aged Secret Art Mage. His aura was strong, comparable to Hugh Xiro.
One could only say that Smoke City was a place where, if nothing else, there were plenty of powerful individuals. If a mid-tier Seventh Rank contractor came here, they might not even be able to defeat a minor leader, let alone elite units or leader-class beings.
"It is now 12:19 PM. There are 5 hours and 41 minutes remaining until the 6 PM lifting of the restriction. According to the treaty between the Magic Association and the Black Tower, you have no right to enter this area before 6 PM."
As the masked man spoke, the three people behind him slowly stepped back, already preparing for battle.
"Our Magic Association is an organization that understands tolerance. Please take this. This is a special permit. With it, you can access most locations in Districts 4 through 9 at any time."
The masked man took out a small diary. He tapped his temple with his index finger, and a rod-like object protruded from his ear. He then pulled a pen from his ear and began writing and drawing rapidly on the notebook, his hand becoming a blur.
With a tearing sound, the masked man ripped a page from the notebook and handed it to Su Xiao.
After Su Xiao took it, he found that the front of the paper was as neat as if printed by a printer.
His name, origin, height, and even a picture of his upper body were all on it. Strangely enough, this hand-drawn picture was actually full-color, drawn based on his current appearance, even clearly depicting the water droplets on his hair tips.
Baha also saw the special permit. It suspected that the masked man opposite must have been a printer in his past life.
"White Night, if you have time, you can visit the Magic Association branch in District 4. We welcome members of the Black Tower."
The human-shaped full-color printer, the masked man, glanced at Hugh Xiro nearby and the large cloth sack on his shoulder, seemingly unconcerned that his organization's female Secret Art Mage had been captured.
"Secret Art Mage, tell your president, Logesh, that someone is 'thinking of him.'"
"I shall comply with your wishes."
The masked man slightly bowed, but in the next instant, Hugh Xiro appeared before him, kicking him in the lowered face, angered by his respectful attitude.
With a bang, the masked man was sent flying into the building behind him, smashing through several walls in succession.
The three Secret Art Mages who had been standing behind the masked man all raised their hands. Several finger-thick water spikes shot out, instantly surrounding Hugh Xiro, about to pierce him through.
"Stop!"
The masked man's voice came from the hole in the building, and the three Secret Art Mages immediately withdrew.
The masked man walked out of the hole in the wall, his head tilted. As he walked, he used both hands to correct his head's position.
"My apologies."
Hearing the masked man's words, Hugh Xiro raised his hand.
"You... want to die that badly, don't you?"
A soul seal, invisible to outsiders, appeared beside Hugh Xiro.
"Not yet. I haven't seen the final battle between you and that lord. How could I die?"
The masked man bowed to Hugh Xiro again.
"I wish you well, Lord Hugh Xiro."
Leaving these words, the masked man led the three Secret Art Mages away.
"White Night, give me a cigarette. I don't know how you managed to get cigarettes in the Western Continent, but give me one."
Hugh Xiro sat on a stone pillar by the shore. After catching the cigarette and metal lighter Su Xiao tossed him, he lit it.
"This thing is not bad. The more I look at it, the more I like it. There are even words on it. This is truly... an extraordinary item."
Hugh Xiro tossed the metal lighter back to Su Xiao. Exhaling smoke, he said, "Curious, aren't you? Since that's the case, I'll tell you a story..."
"I'm not curious."
Su Xiao walked along the riverbank. He planned to find a hotel to stay in temporarily in District 17. District 17 was located in the central belt of Smoke City. No matter where the node appeared, he could get there as quickly as possible.
Hugh Xiro sat alone on the stone pillar by the riverbank, looking up at the dim sky.
"Cold as hell, but a guy you can't bring yourself to hate. Yeah, everyone has their secrets."
Looking up with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, Hugh Xiro chuckled. A raindrop landed on his face. He wiped it away with his finger, but an instant later, his eyes suddenly widened as he stared at the black residue left on his index finger.
"This... this is, Black Tide Rain!"
Hugh Xiro immediately put on his hood, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and walked forward with his head down. A raindrop landed on the glass window beside the paved path, the water stain trickling down the glass without showing any black color.
Half an hour later, in a guest room on the second floor of a hotel in District 17, the air outside the window was thick with moisture.
"Baha, where did Hugh Xiro go?"
Su Xiao used a towel to wipe the rainwater from his hair. On the way to District 17, a heavy downpour had suddenly started, but it only lasted for about ten seconds before stopping. After the rain, the floating gray-black dust particles in the sky dispersed, and Smoke City was bathed in sunlight for the first time in a long while.
"Went to District 18. Said he was going to find an old flame. Also told us not to go to District 5 recently."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't pay much attention to Hugh Xiro going to District 18 to find an old flame. The next node wouldn't appear for a few more hours. What he most wanted to do now was find a way to leave the Western Continent.
Between the Eastern Continent and the Western Continent lay a sea. Going by boat was impossible. It would require a travel permit from the Magic Association and about a month of sailing to reach the Eastern Continent.
Crossing the sea on his own was also unreliable. Who knew how many supernatural creatures lived in this world's oceans? These sea beasts had absorbed the primordial soul energy dissolved in the seawater, making them all enormous in size. Moreover, their numbers were too great. Without the special steel giant ships built by the Steam Alliance, it was impossible to evade these sea beasts.
Maritime transport was controlled by the Steam Alliance, but the organization that obtained the most resources from the Western Continent was the Magic Association.
In the Western Continent, neither the Steam Alliance nor the Magic Association could be judged as good or bad. They weren't good things, but the refugees couldn't do without them either.
The Magic Association played the role of a villain here, not even bothering to pretend. They blockaded the Western Continent, using the black crystals produced here to supply the commoners of the Eastern Continent. Of course, the Eastern Continent commoners had to pay in Gulan to buy them. Gulan was the currency issued by the Magic Association.
As for the Steam Alliance, while they set up secret experiments in the Western Continent, they also established huge factories, forcing the Western Continent refugees to work for meager wages.
Not only that, but the Steam Alliance also controlled maritime shipping. They manufactured daily necessities in the Eastern Continent, shipped them to the Western Continent, and sold them at high prices.
The only ones who truly cared about the refugees of the Western Continent were the Holy Domain Church.
They stationed themselves in Districts 1 to 3 solely to minimize refugee casualties during the Black Tide outbreaks, then seal off the outbreak zones, not participating in the struggle for primordial soul energy.
Using soul energy to overcome soul energy was the only response they could choose when they had no other options.
Because of this, Districts 1 to 3, where the Healing Church was stationed, were the most stable. The refugees weren't stupid. When they were in despair, it was the Healing Church that extended a helping hand, pulling them out of the mire. The iron law of Smoke City was: anyone who dares to cause trouble in Districts 1 to 3 will die without a complete corpse.
The Steam Alliance controlled maritime shipping. The Magic Association tacitly accepted this and never showed any covetous intent. Was the Magic Association generous? No. The Magic Association likely controlled other transportation routes.
Compared to daily necessities, the profit from transporting black crystals from the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent was dozens, even hundreds of times greater. The black crystals in this world were similar to petroleum resources in the real world. No, this was a higher-grade man-made energy source.
Su Xiao felt that the Magic Association's method of transporting black crystals was the key to his reaching the Eastern Continent. Other methods were not very feasible.
The two previous battles had earned Su Xiao a total of 13 Reincarnation Paradise Merits and 33 Scarlet Medals.
10 Scarlet Medals could be exchanged for a Blood Weapon with the lowest rating. With 33, exchanging for a Blood Weapon with a mid-to-low rating should be no problem.
Su Xiao opened the exchange list. He wanted to see what was different about Blood Weapons.
[You have activated the Blood Weapon and Special Item Exchange List. Current Scarlet Medals: 33.]