Glass shards flew everywhere as Su Xiao dashed into the hallway. He adjusted his stance mid-air and swung his knife towards the king of the Goya Kingdom, who was facing away from him and completely unaware of the danger behind him. The king wore a look of shock on his face.
The shining blade cut through the air, illuminated by the moonlight, creating a hauntingly beautiful scene as it sliced through the air with a soft whimpering sound.
"Thud."
Su Xiao's blade struck the king at the waist, blood spraying up and forming droplets that burst upon hitting the ground or walls. The blow had severed the king in half.
In mid-air, the king looked bewildered, staring at his own legs on the ground, suddenly feeling a strange familiarity with them.
With a thud, the king's upper body fell to the ground, and an intense pain began to consume him. His mouth opened wide as he tried to scream, but Su Xiao was already upon him with a second strike.
Once again, it was fast, precise, and ruthless. The blade swept past, and the king's head rolled away.
"Mission accomplished."
With a flick of his wrist, Su Xiao cleaned the blood off his blade. He had single-handedly assassinated a king without a scratch on him in a world filled with 'monsters.' It took both courage and bravery to achieve this.
[You have killed the king of the Goya Kingdom, Philip Herbert.]
[Philip Herbert was the mission target. You cannot obtain the World Source. Current World Source: 8.9%.]
[Your talent 'Soul Devourer' has activated, permanently increasing your mana by 2 points. Current mana: 93 points.]
After the king's death, a white treasure chest floated above his body. Having opened several white chests before, Su Xiao chose to open this one directly.
[You have opened a treasure chest (white) and obtained the following items:]
[You have received the World Tree Ring.]
A ring appeared in Su Xiao's hand. It was completely transparent, as if made of some kind of crystal.
[World Tree Ring]
Quality: White ~ ???
Rating: ???
Description: This is a ring made from Adam Wood. Don't underestimate it, as its material comes from the core of the Adam Tree, which is also known as the World Tree, the pivot of the pirate world.
This ring had no attributes, and its quality was white, with a vague description. Su Xiao tossed it into his storage space for later study.
"Ah~~~!"
A sharp scream broke the silence. It was the queen.
Su Xiao frowned; the scream would attract other enemies. He quickly rushed forward and silenced her with a swift cut to the throat.
Being merciful to enemies was an extremely foolish act, and Su Xiao understood this well. Once someone was marked as an enemy, he wouldn't hold back.
Those who are indecisive are not fit for battle, especially not in the Reincarnation Paradise.
[The Hunter has completed the main mission: Assassinate the 'Goya Kingdom' King.]
[Main mission difficulty: Lv.3, World difficulty: Lv.6. Hunter's exclusive trial successful.]
[Hunter identity officially unlocked. Hunting missions will be issued in the next world.]
[Main mission completed. The Hunter will leave this world in 30 seconds and return to the Reincarnation Paradise. Please prepare in advance.]
It was over. After enduring many hardships, Su Xiao had finally completed his mission. In just thirty seconds, he would be able to leave the pirate world.
Although the Reincarnation Paradise wasn't completely safe, it shouldn’t be dangerous either. Unless they wanted to harm him, they wouldn’t keep throwing him into dangerous situations.
"Boom."
A loud noise came from below, and the entire castle began to tilt. This was likely due to the king's guards fighting with Klic.
"So, humans can really become this strong."
Su Xiao didn't fear their strength; instead, a smile crept onto his face. He had a feeling he might return to the pirate world, but next time, it wouldn’t just be to complete a task in a small kingdom.
Perhaps he would participate in the great battles? Or join in the struggle for supremacy at sea? All of this depended on him becoming strong enough.
As the thirty seconds passed, Su Xiao felt darkness envelop him, as if he had been hit on the head, and he became dizzy.
In his hazy state, he sensed he was wrapped in a transparent film, moving quickly through a space filled with blurry stars.
"Thud."
During the transmission, he felt a jolt, and his awareness sharpened.
"So this is the Reincarnation Paradise? What a joke."
Su Xiao looked around in confusion, seeing nothing but darkness.
"Zing."
A sword aura shot through the darkness, and bolts of lightning spread out from it. The lightning seemed capable of devouring all matter, even the surrounding darkness, as it surged toward Su Xiao.
"Human? How can there be humans in the void? Interesting. This power of time and space is quite strong. That consciousness, come out! Let’s fight!"
A voice laced with bloodlust echoed, and Su Xiao could feel its strength, even if he couldn't see the source.
Standing in the darkness, he turned to face the voice.
[Warning! Transmission interrupted by an unknown powerful creature. Extremely dangerous creature suspected: Void Swordsman. Repairing...]
[Repairing, zzz~ Repair complete. Transmission continues.]
Once again, darkness enveloped Su Xiao, and he returned to the previous sensation.
In the void stood a man wielding a long sword, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.
"Did he escape? How boring. I was hoping for a fight. Forget it, that bald guy named Qian was decent enough. I’ll go find him for a match."
The void was filled with unknowns and dangers, and Su Xiao was unfortunate to encounter such peril.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a strange room.
The room was odd, with completely sealed walls and no windows or doors. The ceiling emitted a soft glow, making the room bright and comfortable, without feeling stifling.
As Su Xiao surveyed his surroundings, the Reincarnation Paradise's prompt appeared:
[Transmission complete. The Hunter has returned to the exclusive room.]
[The exclusive room is an absolute safe point. No one can enter without the Hunter's permission.]
[The Hunter has returned to the Reincarnation Paradise and will begin calculating mission rewards.]
Derived World: One Piece.
Difficulty: Lv.6 (Purgatory).
World Source obtained: 8.9%.
Number of tasks completed: 2. (Main mission: Assassinate the 'Goya Kingdom', Side mission: Left Minister's Collection.)
Overall evaluation: A-. (Note: Rating ranges from E- to S+. Overall evaluation is calculated based on the total World Source obtained and the number of tasks completed.)
Due to the world level exceeding the Hunter's level Lv.5, it is classified as Nightmare difficulty, and rewards are doubled.
Beginning to collect World Source...
Collection complete, starting to send rewards.
Rewards obtained: 4 attribute points, 10,000 Paradise Coins. (This reward is the doubled value.)
With an overall evaluation of A-, the Hunter's level increased by 1, upgrading to Lv.2. (Level increases according to the rating. Since this world is a trial world, the maximum increase is LV.1.)
Settlement complete. Rewards have been automatically stored in the Hunter's imprint.
Su Xiao quickly opened the imprint to check what the attribute points were.
"Just as I hoped, this is the hope for becoming stronger."
A smile appeared on Su Xiao's face because the attribute points could enhance any attribute except luck.
As long as he could get stronger, he didn't mind risking his life.
In fact, the most despairing thing wasn't being in danger but having no chance to take risks at all.
Su Xiao wanted to use the attribute points immediately, but the Reincarnation Paradise reminded him that they could only be used in the Attribute Enhancement Hall, a facility within the Reincarnation Paradise.
Now that the settlement was over, Su Xiao looked around in confusion.
The walls were tightly sealed. How was he supposed to get out?
At that moment, a strange prompt appeared before him.
[Yes/No to sell the World Tree Ring. Selling price: 50,000 Paradise Coins.]
The World Tree Ring was something Su Xiao obtained after killing the king, and now the Reincarnation Paradise was actively offering to let him sell it.
Given the current situation, if he refused to sell, the Reincarnation Paradise would likely keep him locked in the exclusive room indefinitely.
After hesitating for a moment, Su Xiao chose 'No.' He was ready to take a big risk.
(End of Chapter)