Chapter 72: Breakthrough, Breakthrough
After hesitating for a long time, Su Xiao ultimately chose option A, 8 attribute points. The reason was simple: compared to the other options, he needed attribute points more.
Developing all four attributes simultaneously was difficult. Su Xiao had to seize every opportunity to gain attribute points. While a strong physique didn't guarantee power, it was the foundation of strength. A frail body couldn't bear powerful abilities—a lesson learned through countless bloody experiences.
[Detected that the Hunter has sustained multiple injuries. Initiate recovery function?]
"Initiate."
As soon as he spoke, Su Xiao floated in midair, and a green light appeared in the exclusive room.
The restoration began. The tightness and stabbing pain in his chest gradually faded. Half an hour later, the recovery was complete, costing a whopping 8,000 Paradise Coins! Su Xiao felt a pang of heartache.
This showed just how severe his previous injuries had been.
He rolled his shoulders. The fractured shoulder blade had perfectly healed, the V-shaped broken ribs were mended, and his internal organs felt noticeably more vigorous after repair.
He took a deep breath. It was a simple action, but one he couldn't have managed before—a rib had been deeply embedded in his lung, causing him to cough up blood constantly.
With his body restored, Su Xiao took a shower, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Just as he was about to head to the Attribute Enhancement Hall, a wave of dizziness hit him. He then remembered he hadn't rested properly in three days.
Semi-consciousness wasn't the same as sleep. In that half-awake state, his brain hadn't gotten proper rest.
Su Xiao collapsed onto the bed, ignoring everything else. He needed a solid sleep first.
After sleeping for over ten hours, Su Xiao got up to relieve himself freely, then went back to sleep. He hadn't rested well during the ten-day trial.
He didn't know how long he'd slept when a dog's barking woke him.
Su Xiao sat up, looking groggy.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang was clearly unhappy, his gaze seeming to say: 'Master, are you trying to starve me to death?'
Just as Su Xiao was about to lie back down, Bubu Wang pounced on him, using a husky-style wake-up call.
"Oh~"
Su Xiao was jolted awake by Bubu Wang's paws.
"Stupid dog, I was sleeping soundly."
"Woof woof."
Bubu Wang barked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. Su Xiao picked up the customized timer—it was actually a countdown device. Every time he returned to Reincarnation Paradise, he set it to 72 hours, the duration of his stay.
The timer showed 22 hours and 39 minutes, meaning Su Xiao had slept nearly a full day and night.
He got up, washed up, and headed straight to Xia's restaurant with Bubu Wang. Xia was still the same—business barely surviving, but stubbornly refusing to move, more obstinate than a donkey.
After a hearty meal, Su Xiao went directly to the Attribute Enhancement Hall.
[Welcome to the Attribute Enhancement Pod. Your unarmored attributes are as follows:]
Strength: 43
Agility: 43
Endurance: 42
Intelligence: 43
Charm: 5
Luck: 1
[Hunter has 22 free attribute points to allocate.]
[Detected that the Hunter's primary attributes are Strength, Agility, and Intelligence. Please prioritize enhancing these three primary attributes.]
Twenty-two attribute points were a substantial sum. Su Xiao pondered, recalling something.
To unlock a new ability of Azure Steel Shadow, he needed all three primary attributes to reach 50 points. He could achieve that now—22 points were enough to raise Strength, Agility, and Intelligence all to 50.
After a moment's hesitation, Su Xiao allocated: Strength +7, Agility +7, Intelligence +7, Endurance +1.
Just as he confirmed the enhancement, a prompt appeared.
[Unable to simultaneously enhance all three attributes to 50 points. The Hunter cannot withstand this enhancement.]
Su Xiao was stunned. What did this mean? Couldn't he raise all three attributes above 50?
He quickly dismissed that thought. It was more likely another reason: he couldn't enhance all three to 50 at once, or his body wouldn't be able to handle it. He needed to do it in three separate sessions.
He allocated 7 attribute points to Strength, and the enhancement began.
A bone-deep, excruciating pain suddenly struck. Su Xiao nearly blacked out.
Crack, crack, crack~
Su Xiao gritted his teeth so hard they ground together. Veins bulged all over his body as his muscles and bones underwent some kind of transformation.
If before it was a change in quantity, reaching 50 points was a qualitative shift—a threshold. An ordinary human body couldn't be strengthened to this degree.
A full hour later, a completely drained Su Xiao leaned back in the enhancement pod, his skin flushed red.
He had nearly died just from enhancing one attribute. Yes, nearly died.
If he had tried to push all three attributes past 50 at once, there was no doubt—he would have died.
[Strength attribute is an affinity attribute of the Shadow of Law Destruction. Unarmored Strength has reached 50 points. The Hunter may choose one of the following rewards:]
A. Divine Power: Strength +10.
B. Muscle Conversion: Increases physical defense.
C. Brutality: When making a Strength check against an enemy, temporarily gain +12 correction. (When an enemy is subjected to Su Xiao's Strength-checking skills, the check is increased by +12.)
D. Proud Lord: Nullify control skills from Strength attributes below 60 points. 50% chance to nullify control skills from Strength attributes below 65 points. 30% chance to nullify control skills from Strength attributes below 70 points.
...
Somewhat exhausted, Su Xiao smiled. As he had expected, the reward for reaching 50 points was impressive.
He found himself torn between options A and D. After a long deliberation, he finally chose D.
He could obtain attribute points later, but the chance to gain control skill immunity was only available now.
Su Xiao made his choice, and the enhancement pod resumed operation.
After a while, Su Xiao opened his eyes. An instinctive intuition told him that control-type skills based on Strength checks would have a greatly reduced effect on him. To a certain extent, he could ignore such control skills.
With Strength enhanced, Su Xiao gritted his teeth and moved on to Agility. He used another 7 attribute points to raise Agility to 50.
An unbearable itching sensation spread through his body. The agonizing feeling made him grimace and grind his teeth.
Compared to this sensation, he would have preferred the earlier searing pain. Fortunately, it didn't last long.
[Agility attribute is an affinity attribute of the Shadow of Law Destruction. Unarmored Agility has reached 50 points. The Hunter may choose one of the following rewards:]
A. Blue Phantom: Increases attack speed by 20%.
B. Chimera: Increases dynamic vision by 8%.
C. Super Reflex: Increases nerve reaction speed by 7%.
...
Su Xiao was once again caught in a dilemma. 'Dynamic Vision' and 'Nerve Reaction Speed' were both golden attributes for melee combat. Now he faced a choice between the two.
After thinking it over, he chose C. He was committed to going all the way. Future enemies would only grow stronger and faster. Whether his eyes could even track them was questionable. Nerve reaction speed was more important.
After making his choice, Su Xiao's nerve reaction speed increased further, making him more responsive to sudden situations.
The function of nerve reaction speed was as follows: if an enemy swung a blade, with fast enough nerve reaction speed, he could not only track the attack in time but also immediately counter.
Deflecting a hail of bullets was the ultimate test of nerve reaction speed. Su Xiao could deflect sniper rifle rounds thanks to his strong physique, high blade skill level, and, crucially, his nerve reaction speed.
Two attributes had now reached 50 points. Only Intelligence remained.
Su Xiao frowned deeply. "I won't... die from this enhancement, will I?"