Chapter 49: Close the Door and Release Bubu
[Special Mission: Kaiser's Crisis]
Difficulty Level: Lv.23
Mission Brief: In the name of Nicholas Kaiser, help Carlos eliminate the unknown energy within his body.
Mission Info: The unknown energy within Carlos has formed a low-level symbiosis with him.
Mission Time Limit: 3 natural days
Mission Reward: Kaiser's Gratitude
Mission Penalty: Kaiser's Favorability reset to zero, Carlos's Favorability -1000 (Mortal Enemy).
...
Su Xiao triggered a mission of unclear nature. If he had triggered a mission from another plot character, Su Xiao might have been in a good mood. But from Kaiser...
Su Xiao glanced at Kaiser. This guy was grinning foolishly, showing his yellow teeth. Kaiser's intention was obvious: to drag Su Xiao onto his sinking ship.
"Kaiser, there's a limit to getting something for nothing."
After some time interacting with him, Su Xiao had some understanding of Kaiser's character.
This mission had many traps. First, Su Xiao had to help treat Carlos in Kaiser's name. That meant even if he successfully cleared that energy from Carlos, Carlos likely wouldn't thank him but would instead owe the favor to Kaiser. After all, Su Xiao was just an assistant Kaiser had brought in. So this "in the name of Nicholas Kaiser" was very problematic.
Second, regarding the reward, "Kaiser's Gratitude" as a reward was highly suspicious. Given Kaiser's character, his gratitude would likely be something "bizarre," like a broken bowl with a chipped edge, a bowl of soup, or even just a verbal thank you.
Don't think this is absurd. With Kaiser's thick skin, there's over a 70% chance of this happening. Even if Kaiser had a sudden change of heart, that so-called gratitude would be heavily watered down.
"My dear friend, what are you saying? How could Kaiser..."
Before Kaiser could finish, Su Xiao spoke: "Bubu, bite him!"
The simple-minded Bubu Wang didn't care what kind of special plot character Kaiser was. In Bubu Wang's eyes, Kaiser was just a short green-skinned guy, so he went right in and bit.
"Wait, you stupid dog, we're friends, how can you bear to bite me... Ouch!"
Kaiser screamed as Bubu Wang bit him on the butt, swinging his dog head back and forth. To help Su Xiao deal with Kaiser, Bubu Wang temporarily set aside his dignity.
"Stop, stop, stop. Let me show you something good."
Hearing Kaiser's words, Su Xiao raised his hand, and Bubu Wang let go. This policy of closing the door and releasing the dog clearly made the stingy Kaiser somewhat helpless.
"I got that thing by chance, a few years ago."
Kaiser walked into the bedroom, and the sound of rummaging came from inside. After a long while, Kaiser emerged from the bedroom holding a black brooch.
This brooch looked somewhat like a nameplate, small in size. If worn on the collar, it wouldn't attract attention.
The brooch emitted a dark purple light, deep and profound, as if it had been enhanced several times in Reincarnation Paradise.
"Help me solve the current trouble, and this thing is yours. Though I don't know its function, my intuition tells me this thing I got from a corpse is good."
Kaiser only knew the item in his hand was an accessory, and to him, it was completely useless. He couldn't use it at all.
When Su Xiao touched the black brooch, his body stiffened for a moment. This was the equipment he had been searching for!
[Hunting Demon's Proof (Set 1/3)]
Origin: Any world above Lv.20.
Quality: Dark Purple (Set)
Category: Brooch-style Nameplate (Extremely Rare)
Durability: 37/37
Equipment Requirement: Strength 40, Agility 40.
Equipment Effect: Unyielding (Passive): When HP falls below 10%, delay entering a dying state by 10 seconds.
Note: Unyielding (Passive) cooldown is 48 hours.
Rating: 260
Description: Part of the Demon Hunter Set. Collecting all three pieces will activate the set effect.
Set Effect 1: Demon Hunter (Passive), Strength +15, Agility +10, Stamina +10.
Set Effect 2: Melee Expert (Passive), Melee damage increased by 40%, Max HP +20%.
Set Effect 3: (Invisible)
Price: 73,000 Paradise Coins.
...
Su Xiao remained calm, though he was excited inside. One of the Demon Hunter Set pieces he had been searching for so long was right before him.
He had searched the Trade Market countless times for this item, but found no clues. It seemed that aside from the "Demon Hunter Ring," the other two pieces of the Demon Hunter Set simply didn't exist.
Today, Su Xiao finally found one of the Demon Hunter Set components—a brooch.
In truth, the individual attributes of the three Demon Hunter Set pieces weren't very strong. What was powerful was the set effect activated by collecting all three: Strength +15, Agility +10, Stamina +10, Melee damage increased by 40%, Max HP +20%.
What did this mean? For any melee fighter, these were dream enhancements.
However, the Demon Hunter Set was too rare. Su Xiao had killed many powerful enemies and completed many hidden missions in previous derivative worlds, but he hadn't even gotten a clue about the Demon Hunter Set.
Now, a piece of the Demon Hunter Set appeared before him. He suspected another contractor had died in this world and dropped it, and Kaiser had gotten hold of it.
The origin of this equipment didn't matter. What mattered was how to get his hands on it.
Forcibly take it? Obviously not. Black Earth Fortress was garrisoned by over a hundred thousand troops, and Kaiser had an unusual relationship with Carlos. Forcible seizure was the stupidest method.
And judging by Kaiser's attitude, this was clearly the reward for treating Carlos.
"What does this thing do?"
Su Xiao deliberately asked this. If Kaiser sensed his eagerness, given Kaiser's personality, getting this item would become extremely difficult.
"Hmm~ This thing, uh~ that~"
Kaiser was momentarily at a loss for words.
"The craftsmanship is fairly fine. No alchemical fluctuations. Is this a magical artifact?"
Su Xiao examined the [Hunting Demon's Proof], his gaze critical.
"Ahem~ That's right, it's a magical artifact. My dear friend, as long as you help Kaiser solve his current trouble, this thing is yours."
Kaiser actually had no idea what this thing was. He just felt it had some value, something that was neither useful nor worth discarding.
"Well..."
Su Xiao took the [Hunting Demon's Proof], but unfortunately, he didn't gain ownership of it.
"If this is the reward, it's not impossible, but..."
"Deal!"
Kaiser shouted urgently, sensing that Su Xiao wanted him to add more benefits.
"..."
Su Xiao stared at Kaiser, who wore an expression of "I'm already dead, do your worst."
"My dear friend, the deal is done. Let's start quickly."
Kaiser snatched the [Hunting Demon's Proof] from Su Xiao's hands. Su Xiao showed no trace of regret.
"After this is done, I want to be a Battalion Commander."
Su Xiao's meaning was clear: promotion and rank. Of course, this was just a smokescreen. The contractor free-for-all was about to begin, and at that point, official positions wouldn't be very useful to Su Xiao. He wasn't skilled in leading troops or winning people over.
"Battalion Commander..."
Kaiser rubbed his chin, seemingly hesitant, but inwardly pleased he didn't have to give anything else.
"Deal. After this is done, you'll wear this brooch and become a Battalion Commander."
"Deal."
Su Xiao accepted the special mission. The mission reward had changed to: [Hunting Demon's Proof] + Battalion Commander position.
Bubu Wang quietly turned his head and sighed, his little eyes seeming to say: "Master, your acting skills are truly impressive."
Su Xiao breathed a sigh of relief internally. The [Hunting Demon's Proof] couldn't be lost. Using a Battalion Commander position that Carlos could freely grant as cover was perfect. As for getting Kaiser to add more benefits, Su Xiao hadn't even considered it. Given Kaiser's stinginess, producing the [Hunting Demon's Proof] was already his limit.
If Su Xiao had agreed too readily, it would have made things very troublesome. Kaiser wasn't easy to deal with. If he sensed something was wrong, he would immediately put away the [Hunting Demon's Proof] and raise the price. Fortunately, Su Xiao was calm and meticulous enough not to let Kaiser notice anything unusual.
Now, it was time to test Su Xiao's "alchemy skills." However, Su Xiao's method for helping Carlos clear the unknown energy wasn't alchemy—that was just a front.
If handled properly, Su Xiao could also gain a considerable profit, perhaps no less than the [Hunting Demon's Proof]. That was actually what he had initially wanted to gain. The [Hunting Demon's Proof] was an unexpected bonus.
Success depends on heaven, planning depends on man. Su Xiao had done his best to handle everything as well as possible.