Chapter 12: News
Walking along the bustling streets of Yorknew City, Su Xiao still had three days to decide how to participate in the auction, which was plenty of time.
The auction was the main theme of this derivative world, or at least the theme of the second stage of the main quest.
Whether there was a third stage of the main quest was unknown, but it seemed unlikely. Based on the plot development, if the main quest had a third part, it would likely involve the Chimera Ant incident.
That stage of the Hunter world was very dangerous, not something ordinary second-rank contractors could handle.
Judging from past experiences, this derivative world was probably centered around the auction.
Su Xiao crouched in front of a street stall filled with various accessories.
"Sir, these are treasures excavated from the 'Akkona Ruins,' over 1,700 years old. Would you like to pick one?"
The stall owner was enthusiastic but also cunning.
"Ruins from 1,700 years ago?"
Su Xiao picked up a bracelet.
"Genuine goods, this bracelet is 100,000 Jenny."
"Is that so? They had glass products 1,700 years ago?"
Su Xiao dropped the bracelet, and the stall owner chuckled, unembarrassed by being exposed.
"Then how about 500 Jenny? This craft is very exquisite, sir, take a look..."
From 100,000 to 500 in an instant—even the street stalls in Yorknew had deep waters.
Su Xiao got up and left; he had no interest in fakes.
Don't underestimate these street stalls in Yorknew. Before entering the Hunter world, he had received intelligence that if you had good luck and sharp eyes, you could buy equipment from these stalls. A contractor had once bought a light-gold quality weapon for 200,000 Jenny at the Yorknew market, so wandering around Yorknew City might lead to encounters with other contractors.
Just as Su Xiao was considering which faction to join, he noticed something unusual about the derivative world contact platform—it was too active.
Mr. A: "Let me share another piece of news. A powerful creature has been discovered in a valley 15 kilometers east of Yorknew City."
Mighty Poison: "Mr. A's information is accurate. A small adventure group has already been wiped out there."
Blazing Sun: "Don't go if you don't want to die. Someone was chased to a dead end and used a random summon scroll to summon a monster from the Dark Continent. If the Chimera Ant King's rank in the Dark Continent is B, then the monster outside Yorknew City is around C rank."
Maggie: "A very strong monster? If we manage to kill it, wouldn't it drop a high-quality chest?"
J. Morton: "Of course, conservatively estimated to be a light-gold chest, maybe even higher."
...
The discussion on the derivative world contact platform continued for a long time. Most contractors were on the fence, while some were eager to seize this opportunity.
Mr. A: "I have confirmed information. Here are some details about the monster."
Name: Cyclops Giant (Lord-level Creature!)
Category: Giant-like
Health: 100%
Mana: ?? (Information hidden)
Strength: 70
Agility: ?? (Information hidden)
Stamina: ?? (Information hidden)
Intelligence: ?? (Information hidden)
Charm: -4
Skill 1: Lord Creature (Passive), Health +3000 points, Strength +13, Agility +15, Stamina +10.
Skill 2: Unyielding (Passive) (Information hidden)
Skill 3: Dark Creature (Passive) (Information hidden)
Skill 4: (Information hidden)
Skill 5: (Information hidden)
...
As soon as this data was released, the derivative world contact platform erupted in uproar. The 70-point Strength attribute was astonishing.
Mr. A: "I have mastered the Cyclops Giant's weakness and plan to attempt its elimination. Due to a shortage of manpower, I am recruiting reliable contractors. Interested parties can gather at Old Neck's Restaurant (Yorknew City)."
Seeing this message, Su Xiao fell into thought.
Lord-level creatures were generally not to be trifled with, but if killed, the rewards were tempting.
Su Xiao had once encountered a Overlord-level creature, which was a rank higher than Lord-level.
Facing that Overlord-level creature, Su Xiao felt powerless for the first time. Against such a being, let alone fighting, a single casual attack could kill him.
"A Lord-level creature, contractors gathering together. Interesting."
Su Xiao was intrigued by this matter. He still had three days to choose a faction, so before that, joining in the fun wasn't a bad idea. He couldn't always work in isolation; scouting out the average strength of contractors was also worthwhile.
He decided to head to Old Neck's Restaurant to check the situation. Mr. A probably had complete intelligence on the Lord-level creature. The '???' in the earlier data wasn't unknowable but deliberately hidden by Mr. A.
Mr. A's intention was clear: only those who joined his temporary team would get the information. As for the Cyclops Giant's weakness, that too could only be learned by joining Mr. A's group.
Su Xiao felt this matter was very interesting—it was definitely not as simple as contractors teaming up to kill a 'boss.'
But that didn't matter. As long as one had enough strength, they could handle unexpected situations. Undoubtedly, this was an opportunity.
Su Xiao felt his strength was decent, at least not weaker than most second-rank contractors.
With that in mind, it was even more worth participating. After all, in the Naruto world, the highest-quality chest Su Xiao had obtained was only light-gold. If he had a chance to get the Cyclops Giant's chest, it would be a considerable gain.
Su Xiao didn't hesitate. After asking a passerby for directions to 'Old Neck's Restaurant,' he headed straight there.
Half an hour later, inside Old Neck's Restaurant.
Old Neck's Restaurant wasn't large, with only a dozen or so tables. By now, it was fully packed, and the owner, Neck, was sweating profusely from the busy work.
Su Xiao sat at a table. The table's surface was shiny and blackened, as if polished, but it was actually from grease repeatedly dripping onto it and being wiped clean with a cloth—countless cycles had created this color.
Old Neck's Restaurant's signature dishes were secret-recipe sausages and crispy chicken. Su Xiao ordered a large table full of food.
Cutting into the secret-recipe sausage with a knife, the cross-section revealed lean meat and white fat.
Taking a bite, Su Xiao raised an eyebrow. The ratio of fat to lean was just right, the rich garlic flavor balanced the meat's greasiness, and there was a faint sweetness from some plant.
He picked up the thick soup beside him and took a sip, letting out a warm breath. This was the adventure of Reincarnation Paradise—it couldn't lack good food.
Su Xiao and Bubu Wang began to feast. If he looked around, he would notice that everyone else in the restaurant was warily scanning their surroundings.
"Everyone."
A neatly dressed man with gold-rimmed glasses stood up. He was around thirty years old, with a calm and experienced demeanor in both his gestures and speech.
"I am Mr. A."
As soon as Mr. A spoke, the restaurant's door slammed shut.
With a crash, a large number of chairs toppled over. Nearly all the 'diners' in the restaurant stood up, producing various weapons—swords, spears, axes, halberds—everything was present. Only in a corner, one person and one dog were eating with great enjoyment.
"Everyone, calm down. I mean no harm. It's better to keep our identities confidential, so discussing matters behind closed doors is more appropriate."
Mr. A pressed his hands down, signaling the contractors present to stay calm.
"Get to the point. From that data, it's clear you're not straightforward at all."
A burly man holding a war hammer snorted disdainfully.
"This brother is joking. Look at that friend over there—he's very calm."
Mr. A pointed toward Su Xiao's direction, where the one person and one dog were still eating.