Chapter 2: Demon Mark (Passive Skill)
After leaving the Skill Upgrade Hall, Su Xiao returned to his exclusive room. He sat cross-legged on the bed, his gaze fixed on the personal attribute panel floating before him.
The panel displayed his current status:
Contractor: Su Xiao (Eighth Rank)
Title: Blade Grandmaster
Race: Human
Strength: 85 points
Agility: 82 points
Endurance: 78 points
Intelligence: 60 points
Perception: 75 points
Charm: 5 points
Luck: 12 points
Skill Points: 0
True Attribute Points: 0
Golden Skill Points: 1
Skills:
Blade Path: Azure Demon (Active Skill) - Lv.50
Blade Path Sword: Time (Active Skill) - Lv.42
Blade Path Sword: Extreme (Active Skill) - Lv.38
Cyan Steel Shadow Energy (Passive Skill) - Lv.60
Shadow of Law Destruction (Passive Skill) - Lv.55
Demon Mark (Passive Skill) - Lv.1 (New)
Su Xiao's gaze locked onto the newly acquired skill, Demon Mark. This was a passive skill obtained after using the Golden Skill Point. The skill description was simple yet carried a heavy weight.
Demon Mark (Passive Skill): Lv.1
Skill Effect: Permanently increases all attributes by 3 points. Upon entering combat, activates "Demonization" state, increasing damage dealt by 15% and reducing damage taken by 10%. Duration: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Note: This skill is a derivative of the Abyss power. Prolonged use may trigger the "Abyss Erosion" effect.
Su Xiao's brow furrowed slightly. The skill's effect was powerful, but the side effects were equally obvious. Abyss Erosion—this was not a good thing. In the Reincarnation Paradise, any power related to the Abyss carried risks. However, the immediate boost was undeniable.
He pondered for a moment, then decided to first test the skill's actual effect. Standing up, he walked to the training dummy in the corner of the room. This was a standard training device provided by the Reincarnation Paradise, capable of simulating various combat scenarios.
Su Xiao took a deep breath, his mind focusing. The next moment, a faint black-blue smoke began to emanate from his body. These smokes swirled around him, forming a strange pattern on his skin—a mark resembling a demon's eye.
"Demonization."
As the words left his mouth, Su Xiao's aura suddenly changed. His eyes flickered with a dark red light, and a powerful pressure radiated from him. The training dummy before him began to tremble slightly, as if sensing the danger.
Su Xiao raised his right hand, his palm forming a blade. Without any fancy moves, he simply slashed down.
Whoosh!
A sharp blade aura tore through the air, striking the training dummy. With a loud crack, the dummy—made of special alloy—was split in two. The cut was smooth, as if cut by a hot knife through butter.
Su Xiao withdrew his hand, the black-blue smoke on his body quickly dissipating, and his aura returned to normal. He looked at the destroyed training dummy, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"The damage increase is real. But the duration is too short, only 30 seconds. And the cooldown is 10 minutes, which means it can only be used once in a single battle."
He muttered to himself, analyzing the skill's pros and cons. Although the Demon Mark was powerful, it was clearly not a skill that could be relied upon for sustained combat. It was more suitable as a trump card, used at critical moments to turn the tide.
Just then, a prompt from the Reincarnation Paradise appeared before him.
[Tip: Detected that the contractor has acquired a new skill. It is recommended to go to the Skill Upgrade Hall for further enhancement.]
Su Xiao nodded slightly. He did have plans to upgrade the Demon Mark, but that would require a large number of Paradise Coins and skill points. Currently, his skill points were all used up, and he would need to accumulate more through completing tasks or hunting.
"Let's go check the trade market first."
Su Xiao decided to head to the trade market to see if there were any good items for sale. After all, he had just completed a world quest and had a decent amount of Paradise Coins in hand.
Leaving the exclusive room, Su Xiao made his way to the trade market. The market was bustling with contractors from various worlds, setting up stalls or browsing for goods. The air was filled with the shouts of vendors and the clinking of coins.
Su Xiao walked through the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the stalls. Suddenly, he stopped in front of a stall.
The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a scar on his face, looking quite fierce. On the stall were several items, including a dark red crystal and a yellowed parchment.
"Brother, interested in something?" the stall owner asked with a grin.
Su Xiao pointed at the dark red crystal. "What's this?"
"Oh, this is a 'Blood Soul Crystal,' a rare material dropped by high-level monsters. It can be used to craft equipment or refine potions. If you want it, I can give you a discount," the stall owner said enthusiastically.
Su Xiao picked up the Blood Soul Crystal and examined it carefully. It was warm to the touch, and a faint bloody scent emanated from within. It was indeed a good item, but the price was a bit steep—5000 Paradise Coins.
"How much?" Su Xiao asked.
"Originally 6000, but since we hit it off, I'll give it to you for 5500," the stall owner said, pretending to be generous.
Su Xiao shook his head. "Too expensive. 4000."
"Brother, that's too low. At least 5000," the stall owner said with a pained expression.
"4500, take it or leave it," Su Xiao said calmly.
The stall owner hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Alright, 4500 it is. Deal."
Su Xiao paid the Paradise Coins and took the Blood Soul Crystal. He planned to use it later to refine a potion to enhance his physical abilities.
After leaving the stall, Su Xiao continued browsing the market. He found some interesting items, but none were essential. Just as he was about to leave, a voice called out to him.
"Hey, White Night!"
Su Xiao turned around and saw a familiar face—it was Mawen Hua'erzi, a contractor he had worked with before.
"Waltz? What brings you here?" Su Xiao asked.
Mawen Hua'erzi walked over with a smile. "I was just looking for you. I heard you got a Golden Skill Point and unlocked a new skill. How about a sparring match?"
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow. "You want to spar?"
"Yeah, I recently got a new skill too and want to test it out. What do you say?" Mawen Hua'erzi said, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.
Su Xiao thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let's go to the arena."
The two soon arrived at the arena, a special space provided by the Reincarnation Paradise for contractors to spar. The arena was vast, with a sturdy barrier surrounding it to prevent energy from leaking out.
The two stood opposite each other, about 50 meters apart.
"Ready?" Mawen Hua'erzi asked, drawing a longsword.
Su Xiao nodded, his right hand resting on the hilt of the Dragon-Slaying Flash at his waist.
"Begin!"
As the countdown ended, Mawen Hua'erzi moved first. His figure flickered, instantly appearing in front of Su Xiao, the longsword in his hand slashing down with a sharp whistling sound.
Su Xiao's expression remained calm. He sidestepped, narrowly dodging the sword strike. At the same time, he drew the Dragon-Slaying Flash and countered with a slash.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the two weapons clashed. Su Xiao felt a powerful force coming from the sword, and his arm went slightly numb.
"Not bad, your strength has increased," Su Xiao said.
"Heh, you too," Mawen Hua'erzi replied with a grin, then pressed the attack.
The two engaged in a fierce battle on the arena. Sword lights flickered, and blade auras crisscrossed. Su Xiao gradually gained the upper hand, his attacks sharp and precise, forcing Mawen Hua'erzi to retreat step by step.
"Demonization!"
Su Xiao suddenly activated the Demon Mark. Black-blue smoke rose from his body, and his aura surged. His speed and strength both increased significantly.
"Here it comes!" Mawen Hua'erzi's expression turned serious. He knew this was Su Xiao's new skill.
Su Xiao's figure flickered, instantly appearing in front of Mawen Hua'erzi. The Dragon-Slaying Flash in his hand transformed into a streak of cold light, slashing straight at his opponent's neck.
Mawen Hua'erzi hurriedly raised his sword to block, but the force was too great. With a loud crack, his longsword was sent flying, and he staggered back several steps.
"I lose," Mawen Hua'erzi said, spreading his hands helplessly.
Su Xiao withdrew his blade, the black-blue smoke on his body dissipating. "Your new skill isn't bad either. If I hadn't used Demonization, it would have been hard to say who would win."
"Heh, you're flattering me. Your Demon Mark is the real deal. That damage increase is terrifying," Mawen Hua'erzi said enviously.
The two chatted for a while before parting ways. Su Xiao returned to his exclusive room, ready to refine the Blood Soul Crystal into a potion.
He took out the alchemy tools and began the refining process. The Blood Soul Crystal emitted a faint red glow in his hand, and a bloody scent filled the air. Su Xiao focused, carefully controlling the flame's temperature.
After about half an hour, a bottle of crimson potion was successfully refined.
[Tip: You have successfully refined "Blood Soul Potion (High Grade)". Effect: Permanently increases Endurance by 2 points.]
Su Xiao nodded in satisfaction. He downed the potion in one gulp, feeling a warm current spread through his body, and his muscles seemed to become stronger.
Looking at the attribute panel, his Endurance had indeed increased from 78 to 80 points.
"Not bad, I need to find more materials like this."
Su Xiao put away the alchemy tools and began planning his next move. The Demon Mark skill still needed upgrading, and he also needed to gather more resources to enhance his strength.
Just then, a prompt from the Reincarnation Paradise appeared again.
[Tip: A new world quest has been generated. Do you want to check it?]
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow and opened the quest panel.
[World Quest: Abyss Passage]
Quest Difficulty: Lv.75
Quest Content: Enter the Abyss Passage, clear out the Abyss Spawn within, and obtain the "Abyss Core."
Quest Reward: 50,000 Paradise Coins, 5 True Attribute Points, 1 Golden Skill Point.
Quest Penalty: Deduct 10,000 Paradise Coins.
Su Xiao's eyes lit up. The quest reward was generous, especially the Golden Skill Point, which was exactly what he needed.
"Accepted."
He confirmed the quest, and a portal appeared before him, leading to the Abyss Passage.
Su Xiao took a deep breath, stepped into the portal, and his figure disappeared into the light.