Chapter 77: Choice
The reward derived from True Strength reaching 200 points, Su Xiao made no hesitation and chose D reward, "Immortal Shadow."
Immortal Shadow was an attribute reward based on the Spirit Shadow Constitution. The effect of the Spirit Shadow Constitution was to integrate mana into various parts of the body, achieving resonance with the body, thereby increasing health points equal to the mana value.
Immortal Shadow underwent a secondary derivation on this basis. When Su Xiao consumed a certain amount of mana, the vitality within his body would become highly active, thereby increasing the health recovery rate. That is, for every 10% of mana consumed, 10% of health would be restored within the subsequent 5 seconds.
Of course, this was not a restoration from nothing. It consumed his cellular energy. When the cellular energy was depleted, he would become weak. Su Xiao could accept this.
On a chaotic battlefield, each time he killed an enemy of the same rank, he could use the Azure Shadow King's trait to forcibly absorb the soul energy of the dying enemy, converting the active soul energy into mana to restore himself. Combined with the Immortal Shadow ability, this meant Su Xiao could fight until he died from exhaustion.
As soon as Su Xiao completed his choice, he felt the vitality within him continuously increase, which placed a considerable burden on his body. This process lasted for over ten minutes before subsiding, and his body returned to normal everywhere.
[True Agility has reached 200 points without equipment. The Hunter may choose one of the following rewards.]
A. Shadow Walker: All stealth-related abilities rank +1.
B. Basic Potential Activation: Lightning Trait (Rare Reward): Permanently bestows lightning characteristics upon the body.
C. Basic Potential Activation: Swift Trait (Rare Reward): For every 1 point of True Agility increased, the additional body speed growth will be increased by 20%.
...
Reward A was ignored. Rewards B and C were somewhat difficult to choose between. Reward B was easy to understand. Reward C was relatively more complex. When Su Xiao increased his Agility attribute, his body coordination, body speed, etc., would all improve.
If he chose Reward C, when increasing True Agility, on top of the original improvement, there would be an additional 20% growth in body speed. Simply put, it enhanced the growth potential of body speed.
The lightning ability suited Su Xiao's combat style, but there was one point. If he truly chose to obtain the lightning trait, he would first need to acquire a basic lightning-type skill, similar to the basic ability of Blade Grandmaster, so that the lightning ability could grow.
Obtaining a lightning ability without cultivating it was completely useless. The initial lightning intensity would be equivalent to hitting an enemy hard with a stun baton. 'Basic Potential Activation: Lightning Trait' was a seed. How strong it could be cultivated depended on the person who mastered it.
Overall, cultivating the lightning ability was very worthwhile. Once it reached the level of his blade techniques, it would become a major asset for Su Xiao. The only problem was the lack of resources.
Blade Grandmaster, Melee Grandmaster, Skill Sublimation, and other abilities were still waiting for Su Xiao to improve. Plus, the 'Basic Passive: Body Soul' he needed to master later. With so many abilities clamoring for resources, where would he find the resources to develop the lightning ability?
If he obtained it but didn't cultivate it, it would be better not to have it. In comparison, Reward B was stronger than Reward C, but Su Xiao unhesitatingly chose Reward C. The reason was that 'Basic Potential Activation: Swift Trait' required no resources at all; he just needed to increase his True Agility attribute.
Su Xiao sensed the changes within his body but felt nothing. This was normal. Potential-type improvements were very subtle and would be gradually felt later.
[True Stamina has reached 200 points without equipment. The Hunter may choose one of the following rewards.]
A. Child of the Earth Vein: While standing on the ground, control effects received are greatly reduced. Physical control time is reduced by 30% to 85%. Mental/Mind/Charm control time is reduced by 20% to 53%.
B. Overload Treatment: After receiving treatment or consuming potions, if health reaches 100%, the body will store a certain amount of healing effect. When health is lost, the stored healing effect will take effect.
Tip: The body can store 1 to 5 minutes of healing effect. The upper limit of stored healing effect depends on the Stamina attribute.
Tip: Stored healing effect carries a certain risk and may cause vitality to run wild.
C. Bedrock: Permanently gains the blessing of Bedrock Force. If more than 65% of health is lost within 1 second, the body's physical defense will immediately increase by 1.7 times. For every subsequent 1% of health lost, an additional 2 points of physical defense will be added. This effect lasts for 120 seconds, after which it will end with a feeling of weakness due to stamina depletion.
Warning: After entering this weak phase, all attributes are reduced by 15%.
D. Space-Adaptive Constitution (Rare Reward): When performing spatial jumps, spatial shuttles, or spatial penetration, this process can be accelerated or slowed down.
Acceleration: Activation speed of spatial jumps, spatial shuttles, and spatial penetration increased by 25%.
Slowing down: During spatial jumps, spatial shuttles, and spatial penetration, this state can be maintained for an additional 0.5 to 1 second.
E. Arrival of Fei (Unique Reward): Can use one's own aura to summon the fierce beast Fei to provide a blessing to oneself.
...
The rewards from the Stamina attribute were as numerous as ever. Except for Reward A, all others were useful.
First, exclude Rewards B and C. It wasn't that these two rewards weren't powerful enough; each had its own characteristics, but there were better ones.
Reward D, 'Space-Adaptive Constitution,' was what Su Xiao needed most. He had the Dragon Shadow Flash ability, which allowed him to penetrate space. 'Space-Adaptive Constitution' had two traits: increasing the activation speed of spatial penetration and extending the duration of spatial penetration.
The former needed no explanation; the latter was the most important. Su Xiao often used the spatial penetration state to evade enemy attacks.
The advantage of spatial penetration was that it couldn't be interrupted. Baha's Demon Hawk Domain was ineffective against Su Xiao. He wasn't moving within space; he was forcefully penetrating through it. Even if space was sealed, he could still forcefully penetrate.
The disadvantage of Dragon Shadow Flash was its uncontrollability. It wasn't that the movement position was uncontrollable, but the penetration process was. At most, for 1 second, Su Xiao would end the spatial penetration. This was a characteristic of the ability, not something he could control.
If he had 'Space-Adaptive Constitution,' Su Xiao could maintain the spatial penetration state for 2 seconds. During this time, all physical attacks, energy attacks, etc., from enemies would be ineffective, passing through his body because he was located in the spatial gap.
Enduring attacks was never Su Xiao's style. He wasn't a tank-type; he was a technique-type. Swiftness, sharpness, ferocity, and striking vital points with his blade were his combat style.
As for Reward E, 'Arrival of Fei,' Su Xiao didn't consider it at all. He had resolved the Demon Blade energy long ago. Now, would he actively invite the fierce beast Fei? That was very unwise.
After Su Xiao made his choice, the surrounding space fluctuated, and his body entered the spatial penetration state. This feeling was already familiar, but this time the duration of spatial penetration was doubled.
After ending the spatial penetration, Su Xiao found that he was gradually adapting to his much stronger body. It wouldn't take long to fully adapt.
[True Intelligence has reached 200 points without equipment. The Hunter may choose one of the following rewards.]
A. Elemental Body: Elemental affinity permanently increased by 25 points (current elemental affinity is 769 points).
B. Super Sense (Rare Reward): Greatly increases perception sensitivity, enhancing the perception's ability to capture attacks.
C. Heart Meditation: World Resonance (Rare Reward): After entering a meditative state, can resonate with the surrounding environment, greatly enhancing the meditation effect.
...
This time it was hard to choose. Su Xiao had been accumulating bonuses related to meditation for a long time. Long-term meditation had taught him one thing: although meditation could improve his blade techniques, it was a very long process.
Don't think meditation was useless. Su Xiao's persistent meditation made his heart more steadfast. For example, when facing a powerful enemy, even if he was in a desperate situation, he could calm himself down, judge the current situation, and seek a glimmer of hope.
Apart from this, a steadfast heart had many other benefits. Su Xiao could completely control his own blood energy and wouldn't go on a killing spree to the point of inner madness on a brutal battlefield, all because of his daily meditation.
If it were the past, choosing Reward C would be correct. But this time, Reward B's Super Sense was too suitable for Su Xiao. He was a melee combatant. The higher his perception sensitivity, the faster his perception circle could capture attacks.
Su Xiao's faster body speed, Dragon Shadow Flash ability, crystal layer, and other evasive or defensive abilities all required higher perception sensitivity.
After weighing the options, Su Xiao decided to choose Reward B, 'Super Sense.' First, ensure he survived in battle. He wouldn't lack opportunities to accumulate meditation effects later. If he died in battle, no matter how strong his meditation ability was, it would be useless. A corpse couldn't meditate.
All attribute rewards were selected. Su Xiao felt that after completing the subsequent improvements, he would reach the strength level of the upper echelon of the Eighth Rank. This was the result of accumulated effort.
The enhancement pod opened, and Su Xiao walked towards the main entrance of the Enhancement Hall. He hadn't taken many steps when he received an email. It was from the undead girl he had encountered last time when returning to Reincarnation Paradise. The content of her email was:
'Are you still buying World Core (Fragments)? 600 Soul Coins per piece? Is that okay? If not, then... 550 Soul Coins per piece?'
Seeing this email, Su Xiao recalled the undead girl's aura and her several permanent summons. Undoubtedly, the undead girl was at the very top of the Eighth Rank. In combat, she displayed power and death, her undead army trampling everything, tearing apart enemies with overwhelming force.
But when it came to Soul Coins, this undead girl was inexplicably humble.