After Su Xiao pierced through the two people with his knife, he immediately noticed a faint red health bar appearing above Oka's head. It was clear that this was Oka's remaining life points. Su Xiao's strike had gone through Oka's spine, putting him in a state of false death, not complete death.
False death means the body can no longer fight back, but the brain is still alive. This was the first time Su Xiao had seen a health bar. When he killed the black market merchant before, he had shot him in the head, and there was no health bar at all.
The health bar was undoubtedly a semi-data feature that allowed him to judge whether an enemy was dead and to estimate their life points. Currently, Oka had about 5% of his life left, already on the brink of death.
Pulling the long knife out of Oka's skull, Su Xiao switched his grip and slashed down at Oka's neck.
"Thud."
Blood sprayed several meters high, splattering a few drops on Su Xiao's face, making him look particularly cold. After this strike, Oka's head flew off, and the health bar instantly emptied.
[You have killed the guard captain, Brandon Oka.]
[Brandon Oka was an official of the Goya Kingdom. You have gained 3.6% of the World Source, now totaling 5.7%.]
[Your talent 'Soul Devourer' has activated, permanently increasing your mana by 10 points. You now have 75 mana points.]
[Your talent 'Soul Devourer' has activated, permanently increasing your mana by 1 point. You now have 76 mana points.]
With a series of notifications, Su Xiao just took a quick look. He was surprised to find that killing Oka could earn him World Source. If he killed stronger enemies, the amount of World Source he could gain would likely increase.
If he were to kill someone like Fleet Admiral Sengoku from the pirate world or one of the Four Emperors like Red-Haired Shanks, the amount of World Source would be an exaggerated number. But for now, it was just a thought; Su Xiao couldn't even imagine meeting such powerful figures. Even if he did, they wouldn't attack him, as that would be suicidal.
The role of the World Source was still unclear. Previously, the Reincarnation Paradise had only hinted that it was related to the rewards he would receive after completing tasks and leaving the pirate world. This so-called reward was likely the key to him becoming stronger.
There were indeed many ways to become stronger in the pirate world, but they all required time. He had only seventy-two hours, and now just over sixty hours left. It was already a stroke of luck to complete his tasks within the time limit; Su Xiao had no time to think about anything else.
As for the Devil Fruits, which were incredibly powerful, Su Xiao hadn't even considered them. Without a solid foundation of strength, he had no right to seek or snatch a Devil Fruit. He was just an ordinary person with slightly better physical abilities, and there was a fundamental gap between him and the strong in the pirate world.
Under normal circumstances, Su Xiao's first world would never be a high-risk world like One Piece, all because of his identity as a hunter. The current situation felt like tossing a level 1 newbie into a high-level map, where even the small monsters were like bosses to him.
Su Xiao had already surpassed what ordinary people could achieve. If it were an average contractor, there was a good chance they would die at the junkyard outside the royal capital.
Putting aside the World Source he had gained, the increase in mana left Su Xiao confused. He had no ability to consume mana, so having more mana was meaningless and wouldn't help in battle.
Everything was difficult at the beginning, and he had to rely on himself.
A white treasure chest floated above Oka's corpse, the same as the one he had opened before. Su Xiao picked up the chest and quickly stored it in his storage space before leaving the scene.
He was currently a guard, and this identity was very important to him. If others found out he had killed the guard captain Oka, he would become a fugitive in the Goya Kingdom. At that point, he wouldn't even be able to complete his tasks, let alone escape from the pursuit of Goya Kingdom soldiers.
The cool night breeze blew through Su Xiao's black hair, gradually washing away the smell of blood on him.
Returning to the house where he had bathed during the day, Su Xiao checked the warning devices he had set up earlier—a short twig and a few strands of hair. No one had come, so it was safe.
Once inside the house, Su Xiao didn't turn on the lights but sat in the dark bedroom and took out the treasure chest he had obtained from killing Oka.
[Treasure Chest (White), Yes/No to Open]
He opened the chest, and a necklace appeared in his hand.
[You have opened the Treasure Chest (White) and obtained the following items:]
[You have gained 300 Paradise Coins.]
[You have obtained the Pendant of the Deceased Wife.]
Pendant of the Deceased Wife (White)
Origin: One Piece, Garrett Gem Company
Category: Jewelry (Jewelry is a rare item)
Durability: None. (Jewelry has no durability and does not require repair.)
Equipment Requirement: Anyone can wear it.
Equipment Effect: Strength +1.
Rating: 8. (Note: White equipment ratings range from 1 to 10; a rating of 10 will be marked as 'Rare' and have special attributes.)
Description: I love you, just as you love those little lovers—Oka's wife who committed suicide.
Price: 1600 Paradise Coins.
Holding the necklace tightly, a smile appeared on Su Xiao's face.
He had finally found a way to become stronger; this gemstone necklace could actually increase his strength.
Letting out a long breath, Su Xiao calmed down and put the Pendant of the Deceased Wife around his neck.
Checking his personal stats again, his original strength of 6 points had increased to 7 points.
A warm current flowed into his body, and Su Xiao clearly felt that his strength had increased significantly.
The increase to 7 points of strength didn't just mean a one-sixth increase; it was a substantial growth.
This meant that every point of attribute increase would bring about a huge change, not just a simple 1+1.
"Reincarnation Paradise, what a magical place."
Su Xiao clenched his fists, the joints cracking, as a surge of power rushed through him.
This sudden feeling of becoming stronger made him a bit intoxicated, but he wasn't confused.
Su Xiao knew that the strength boost from the necklace was just external; his own strength hadn’t really increased. If he lost the necklace, his strength attribute would decrease.
The joy of the strength increase didn't cloud Su Xiao's mind.
He quickly thought that this pendant belonged to Oka and could be recognized by others. If that happened, things would get troublesome.
Just as Su Xiao was feeling troubled, he suddenly noticed a line of tiny text appear in his vision, very hard to detect.
[Yes/No to activate the hidden equipment function. This function requires 100 Paradise Coins and is a permanent ability.]
Su Xiao didn't yet understand the purchasing power of 100 Paradise Coins, but the coins he had were hard-earned and very precious.
However, this function was also very useful, so Su Xiao decisively activated it.
[You have activated the equipment hiding function; you can now freely hide equipped items. Weapon-type equipment cannot be hidden.]
The pendant around his neck gradually disappeared, but the strength boost remained, which made Su Xiao very satisfied. Spending those 100 Paradise Coins was worth it.
When he first entered the Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao had some doubts about what this unknown and powerful existence was really after.
From the current situation, as long as he completed his tasks, the Reincarnation Paradise would reward him.
As for whether the Reincarnation Paradise would harm him, Su Xiao wasn't too concerned about that right now.
It had restored his life-threatening injuries and transported him to the world of One Piece, which showed the power of the Reincarnation Paradise.
Su Xiao didn't have the habit of worrying unnecessarily. If the Reincarnation Paradise wanted to harm him, why would it need to save him?
Even if it was using him, Su Xiao could still benefit from it—benefits he could never gain in the real world, which was becoming stronger.
Perhaps after completing his first task, he would understand more about the Reincarnation Paradise. For now, becoming stronger was the key.
Being weak is a sin, and Su Xiao deeply understood this. If he had been strong enough back then, he could have avoided that tragedy.
The blood-stained white ground, the shattered remains, and that...
Su Xiao forcibly cut off the memories, his dark eyes wide open in the darkness.
Lying in bed without any sleepiness, Su Xiao forced himself to rest. He had many things to do tomorrow, and necessary rest would make him more energetic.
The situation had opened up; if everything went smoothly, Su Xiao was confident he could kill the king of the Goya Kingdom.
Not only to kill but to retreat safely. He was just carrying out a task, not acting as an assassin for the Reincarnation Paradise, which was a fundamental difference.
Assassins are just pawns, while Su Xiao had a clear goal.
(End of Chapter)