Chapter 74: Life in the World
Rumble, rumble.
The equipment enhancement machine operated at high speed, its noise astonishing.
Su Xiao stood before the equipment enhancement machine, waiting. Two minutes felt unbearably long.
Crack!
A crisp sound came from within the equipment enhancement machine.
"It exploded, after all, he was pushing for +10."
Hearing that crisp sound, the contractors behind Su Xiao shook their heads in regret, and quite a few were gloating.
"Brother, don't lose heart, this is just normal."
A bearded older brother spoke up to console him. Though he was offering comfort, the smile at the corner of his mouth was quite irritating. However, judging by the equipment fragments in his hand, he had just blown up a piece of equipment himself.
Pssht～
The tray of the equipment enhancement machine ejected. The Realm Severing Thread lay intact on the tray, beside it the fragments of the Phantom Demon Stone.
[Realm Severing Thread (Dark Purple) +9 Failed. Protected by Phantom Demon Stone (Dark Purple), equipment undamaged. Enhancement level retained.]
The Realm Severing Thread had failed its attempt at +10. Su Xiao silently lit a cigarette. He was no invincible general. Having been tempered through one derivative world after another, though his mood was downcast, he didn't show it.
Although the Phantom Demon Stone was very precious, its purpose was to protect equipment during enhancement. This meant it was bound to shatter one day.
Moreover, the Phantom Demon Stone had its limits. It was only a Dark Purple item. If it were a high-level enhancement of +12 or above, once it failed, not even a Phantom Demon Stone could guarantee the equipment remained intact.
"Give it up. I know +10 enhancement brings a qualitative change, but the risk is too high."
That bearded older brother spoke up to advise again. Su Xiao handed him a cigarette. The bearded man smiled and took it, but didn't light it. Accepting the cigarette was politeness; not lighting it was caution.
"My luck is sometimes good, sometimes bad. And in Reincarnation Paradise, you either charge to the peak or stay in place waiting for death."
Su Xiao chose to continue enhancing. Bare enhancement!
So what if the Realm Severing Thread shattered? Life is full of one 'gamble' after another. Win, and you soar to greatness. Lose, and take it as a lesson learned.
This wasn't recklessness, but fearlessness. Even if he died in battle one day in a derivative world, Su Xiao could accept it, let alone blowing up a piece of equipment.
Rumble, rumble.
The equipment enhancement machine started operating again. A smile appeared on Su Xiao's face. Enhancing equipment without the protection of a Phantom Demon Stone felt completely different from before.
Success or failure hung by a thread. Once successful, the joy and excitement were beyond words.
Pssht～
White steam burst forth. The tray of the equipment enhancement machine extended out.
[Realm Severing Thread (Dark Purple) +10 Successful.]
The Realm Severing Thread on the tray emitted a cyan glow. Just one look gave a feeling of sharpness and toughness.
"If something gets tangled up in this, even a second-rank boss can only howl in vain, right?"
The surrounding contractors crowded forward. They really wanted to see the attributes of the Realm Severing Thread, but unfortunately, only Su Xiao had that right.
Under the envious gazes of those contractors, Su Xiao picked up the Realm Severing Thread and examined its attributes alone.
[Realm Severing Thread +10]
Origin: Akame ga Kill!
Quality: Dark Purple
Category: Equipment Accessory (Can be loaded onto wrist guards, bracers, gauntlets, and other hand equipment)
Durability: 230/230 (Increased by 40 points)
Length: 200 meters
Strength: 34 (Increased by 20 points)
Sharpness: 12 (Increased by 5 points)
+5 Additional Effect: Sharpness +1
+8 Additional Effect: Concealment +10
+10 Additional Effect: Durability +50
Rating: 260+
Description: As long as your strength is sufficient, you can use it to fish for Dragon-Eyed Whales in the Void River. Rest assured, it won't break. The first thing to be torn off will definitely be your arm.
Price: 52,000 Paradise Coins.
Su Xiao wrapped the Realm Severing Thread around his left hand, holding the spool in his right hand. He gradually exerted force with both arms.
Creak, creak, creak～
A harsh sound of force being applied came through. The contractors nearby twitched their mouths upon hearing this sound. It was the noise made when an extremely terrifying force was pulling on an object.
Su Xiao gradually increased the force in his hands, from thirty percent to fifty percent. The Realm Severing Thread showed no reaction at all. He simply used full force.
The muscles in Su Xiao's arms bulged slightly. He had used all his strength. Aside from being pulled taut and straight, the Realm Severing Thread had no other reaction. He gradually released the force.
Back in the Holy Grail World, the Orphan of Resentment, Hughes, had once broken free from the Realm Severing Thread. If the Realm Severing Thread had its current strength, even if the Orphan of Resentment, Hughes, were given a strength amplification buff, he could only howl in vain and would be unable to break free.
Although the Realm Severing Thread's sharpness wasn't low, it couldn't compare to the Dragon-Slaying Flash. Its strength lay in its toughness.
With 280 points of durability + 34 points of strength, let alone the Orphan of Resentment, even if some third-rank boss-level creature got entangled, it could only resign itself to fate.
Furthermore, the additional effect of +8 was Concealment +10, making the Realm Severing Thread even harder to detect, making it the perfect choice for setting traps.
After enhancing the Realm Severing Thread, Su Xiao had 8,000 Paradise Coins left. He walked out of the Equipment Enhancement Hall.
He removed the bracer from his left arm and fixed the spool with the Realm Severing Thread wrapped around it beneath the wrist of the bracer. This spool set had cost him nearly 10,000 Paradise Coins to craft and had been enhanced to +10 along with the Realm Severing Thread.
Although the strength of this spool was far inferior to the Realm Severing Thread, when the Realm Severing Thread entangled an enemy, Su Xiao would grip the thread with all his might. Therefore, the spool basically bore no force. With the metal bracer protecting his palm, the Realm Severing Thread wouldn't accidentally cut his hand. For this reason, he generally chose metal bracers.
After fixing an ultra-small grappling hook to the tip of the Realm Severing Thread, Su Xiao extended his left arm horizontally.
Ding～
The Realm Severing Thread shot out. The spool beneath Su Xiao's wrist spun at high speed. When the Realm Severing Thread had shot out several tens of meters, he moved his wrist. The direction of the spool's rotation changed, and the Realm Severing Thread was wound back onto the spool.
"Not bad."
Although Su Xiao only had 8,000 Paradise Coins left, the spent Paradise Coins had been converted into combat power.
Su Xiao walked along the edge of the Trade Market, preparing to return to his Exclusive Room. However, as he passed by a stall, his pace slowed down.
The stall owner behind the stall had his head lowered, his gaze somewhat vacant. His waist was bulging, suggesting he was carrying a gun.
"This thing..."
"Ah!"
Just as Su Xiao spoke, that stall owner with the vacant gaze was startled. His hands instinctively blocked in front of his face. The vacant look in his eyes faded, replaced by a kind of hysteria on the verge of mental breakdown.
From this panicked reaction and extremely unstable mental state, Su Xiao could determine that this guy had experienced no more than two derivative worlds, or had even just experienced one derivative world and barely survived as a newcomer.
"What's wrong?"
The stall owner realized his loss of composure. He had just recalled the nightmare he had experienced in the derivative world. Those monsters that were originally on the monitor screen had appeared vividly before him, wanting to tear him apart.
Among first-rank contractors, 70% of newcomers couldn't survive their first derivative world. They hadn't yet transitioned between the peaceful real life and the cruel Reincarnation Paradise. Only after completing this transition would the survival rate of newcomers increase somewhat.
"This thing is pretty good."
Su Xiao picked up an item from the stall.
"No bargaining. I got this with my life!"
Before Su Xiao could even haggle, the stall owner had already flatly refused. This was a common flaw among most newcomers, treating everything they obtained as a treasure.
However, this time, the stall owner wasn't wrong. There was indeed a decent item on his stall.