Chapter 85: The Veil of Mystery Slowly Lifts
Blood slid down the blade, and a red gleam flashed across the crimson edge. This was a weapon that had once been stained with blood, and now, after drinking again, it seemed to awaken.
"This..."
Stassen's mouth hung slightly open, the cigar between his fingers dropping. His only thought now was how the other had managed to break in without a sound.
Su Xiao scanned the two people in the room—one Black, one White. The Black man was Samuel, whose photo he had seen. As for the White man, he was likely Samuel's collaborator.
"Do you know what you're doing? I am—"
Before the White man could finish, Su Xiao drew his pistol and fired a shot directly at his head.
Bang. Brains splattered, and the White man collapsed.
Samuel watched the fallen White man and sighed.
"If I'm not mistaken, your surname is Su, right?"
Samuel's Chinese was very standard. Among the castle's occupants, two understood Chinese, and he was one of them.
"Yes. It seems you are indeed connected to what happened back then."
Su Xiao tossed aside his gun and walked toward Samuel, blade in hand. The other was just an ordinary person. Because the situation was too complex, Su Xiao had once considered the possibility that Samuel was a contractor, but now it seemed he wasn't.
"Connected, but only as a minor player."
Samuel remained seated, unmoving.
"If I remember correctly, your name is Su Xiao."
"Yes."
With his enemy right before him, Su Xiao's grip on the blade tightened.
"What if I told you that the ones who killed your parents weren't the people you've seen?"
"What do you mean?"
Su Xiao halted his steps.
Samuel tore open his shirt, revealing a crisscross of scars on his upper body.
"Your father left these. From half a kilometer away. If he had wanted to kill me, I definitely wouldn't have survived."
Su Xiao froze. The scars on Samuel's body were dense and numerous. Such wounds could only have been caused by cold weapons.
"Impossible. My father was just an ordinary person."
Samuel laughed—a mocking smile.
"Ordinary? He was only ordinary in your eyes, a kind father. Blood Eagle being ordinary is the funniest thing I've ever heard.
The son of Blood Eagle and Poison Orchid—we should have killed you back then. Unfortunately, we were eventually driven out. Compared to those two, you are far too weak now. Too weak to even deserve to hear their names."
Black blood trickled from the corner of Samuel's mouth, but his face was full of smiles.
"I'll be waiting for you in hell. I'm just a messenger, a very small link. Go investigate, investigate as you please. What awaits you is despair. You actually dared to leave the country—you're asking for death."
Samuel's head tilted to the side as he lost all signs of life. From start to finish, he hadn't tried to escape. Su Xiao's ability to find this place meant that those people had already abandoned him.
Su Xiao confirmed Samuel's death, but he still delivered a finishing blow.
Quickly leaving the castle, Su Xiao mounted Bubuteni and headed for the airport.
He had confirmed one thing: his parents might not have been ordinary people. If they weren't ordinary, then the implications were clear.
He had investigated in the real world for many years, but the trail ended here. Yet he wasn't discouraged. The veil of mystery had lifted somewhat, but continuing to investigate in the real world was meaningless. The place where he could find clues was likely Reincarnation Paradise!
Blood Eagle, Poison Orchid—strange yet familiar names. Weren't these exactly the aliases used in Reincarnation Paradise? No one in the real world would use such aliases.
Become stronger. He was still not strong enough.
Bubuteni ran swiftly as Su Xiao gradually calmed down. Samuel had died by swallowing poison, which showed he wasn't afraid of death.
Thinking about it this way, what Samuel said was likely true. What Su Xiao needed to do was raise his rank within Reincarnation Paradise, constantly growing stronger. Then, the enemies who killed his parents would draw closer and closer.
He couldn't rush. He couldn't expose himself further. He had to handle everything with composure.
Bubuteni was fast, and soon they returned to the airport. The expected attack didn't come, suggesting that Samuel's words might have been exaggerated.
However, Samuel had revealed one piece of information: it was safe within the country, but dangerous to go abroad.
Whether the other's words were true or false, Su Xiao couldn't ignore them.
Boarding the plane, Su Xiao returned to his home country a day later.
...
Back at the seaside villa, Su Xiao leaned against the sofa.
"Things are getting more and more complicated, but the direction is clear."
If the enemy was within Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao had no fear. No matter how powerful they were, he would catch up. If others put in ten times the effort, he would put in a hundred times.
Compared to finding a virtuous woman in the real world, growing old, and dying, he would rather fight and kill in Reincarnation Paradise. Whether this was innate or acquired, he didn't know.
He now understood why he had been chosen as a Hunter—it was because of his innate ability, "Soul Devourer."
As for the origin of Soul Devourer, Su Xiao had gained the right to inquire after the War World ended. Innate abilities weren't hereditary; they resulted from multiple factors.
Not only were innate abilities not hereditary, but if his parents had possessed such abilities, his chances of obtaining one would have been even smaller.
Su Xiao becoming a Hunter had absolutely nothing to do with his parents. He believed that his parents would not have wanted him to become a contractor and would have tried their best to prevent it. Reincarnation Paradise was a place where the weak were prey to the strong.
...
A few days later, Su Xiao adjusted his mindset back to normal. He was ready to face the next derivative world.
The next derivative world was very important—it was a promotion world. In this derivative world, Reincarnation Paradise would test him.
If he passed the test, Su Xiao would be promoted to a Second Rank Hunter, and his level could break through 10.
Corresponding to the level was the difficulty of the derivative world. If his level wasn't high enough, he couldn't enter higher-rank derivative worlds, and his rate of growth would slow down more and more.
If he failed the promotion world test three times, Su Xiao would be classified as a Worker, and from then on, strength would be beyond his reach.
[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.]
Su Xiao returned to his Exclusive Room. He immediately opened his Alchemy skill, preparing to craft [Low-Grade Alchemy Secret Medicine].
After paying 800 Paradise Coins, light flickered in Su Xiao's hand. Two minutes later, a bottle of potion appeared in his hand.
[Low-Grade Alchemy Secret Medicine]
Origin: Reincarnation Paradise
Quality: White
Type: Recovery Item
Effect: Restores 19% of Health Points after consumption.
Rating: 9
Introduction: A product of Alchemy, certified by Reincarnation Paradise, of decent quality.
...
Seeing the attributes of [Low-Grade Alchemy Secret Medicine], Su Xiao nodded. His Alchemy Pharmaceutics was only Level 1, so being able to produce this was already good.
To improve Alchemy Pharmaceutics, he couldn't rely solely on crafting potions himself. He needed the support of major forces within derivative worlds, just like with Alchemy Bomb Crafting.
Su Xiao crafted some Alchemy Bombs, keeping his Mana Points above 60%, which was enough to handle emergencies.
With over 4,000 Paradise Coins remaining, Su Xiao went to the Trade Market to stock up on recovery items. Just as he finished purchasing, a notification from Reincarnation Paradise appeared.
[The Hunter will enter the derivative world in ten minutes: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.]