Chapter 10

After Su Xiao's blade pierced through both of them, he immediately noticed a pale red health bar appearing above Ouka's head.

Without a doubt, this must be Ouka's remaining health. This strike had pierced through Ouka's spine, putting him in a state of pseudo-death, not complete death.

Pseudo-death means the body has lost its ability to resist, 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, the other party was shot in the head, and no health bar appeared.

The health bar was undoubtedly a benefit of semi-datafication, allowing him to determine whether the enemy was dead and estimate the enemy's health.

Ouka's health was now down to about 5%, on the brink of death.

Pulling the long blade out from the back of Ouka's head, Su Xiao held the blade with one hand, switching from a reverse grip to a forward grip, and slashed at Ouka's neck.

"Thud."

Fresh blood spurted several meters high, splashing a few drops on Su Xiao's cheeks, making him look especially cold.

After this strike, Ouka's head flew off, and the health bar instantly cleared.

[You have killed the Guard Captain Brandon Ouka.]

[Brandon Ouka is an official of the Goaya Kingdom, granting 3.6% of the World's Origin. You now have a total of 5.7% of the World's Origin.]

[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.]

Su Xiao only glanced at the consecutive prompts.

Killing Ouka actually granted him the World's Origin, which was unexpected. If he killed a stronger enemy, the amount of the World's Origin he would obtain would also increase accordingly.

If he killed the Marine Admiral Garp or one of the Four Emperors like Red-Haired Shanks, the amount of the World's Origin he would obtain would be an astronomical number.

But for now, it was just a thought. Su Xiao had no chance of encountering such powerful beings, and even if he did, he wouldn't dare to act, as it would be a suicidal move.

The current use of the World's Origin was still unclear. Previously, the Cycle Paradise only hinted that the World's Origin was related to the reward he would receive upon completing his task and leaving the Pirate World.

This reward was likely the key to his strength.

The Pirate World indeed had many ways to become stronger, but all required time. He only had 72 hours in total, and now only 60 hours remained. Completing the task within the time limit was already a stroke of luck, and Su Xiao had no time to consider anything else.

As for Devil Fruits, such miraculous items, Su Xiao had never even thought about them. Without a solid foundation, he had no right to seek or seize Devil Fruits.

He was just a physically strong ordinary person, fundamentally different from the powerful beings in the Pirate World.

Under normal circumstances, Su Xiao's first world would never be a high-risk world like the Pirate King's. This was all due to his identity as a hunter.

The current situation was like throwing a level 1 newbie into a high-level map, where even the small monsters were boss-level to Su Xiao.

Reaching this level was already far beyond the norm. If it were a regular contractor, they would likely have died at the scrapyard outside the capital.

Leaving aside the World's Origin he obtained, the mana points he gained left Su Xiao even more puzzled.

He had no way to consume mana points, and even if he had more, it would be meaningless and offer no help in battle.

Everything is difficult at the beginning, and he had to rely on himself.

A white treasure chest floated above Ouka's corpse, similar to the one he had opened before.

Su Xiao picked up the chest and put it directly into his storage space, then quickly left the scene.

He was now a guard, and this identity was very important to him.

If the fact that he killed the Guard Captain Ouka became known, he would become a fugitive of the Goaya Kingdom.

At that time, not only would completing the task be impossible, but evading the pursuit of Goaya Kingdom's soldiers would be a nightmare for Su Xiao.

The cool night breeze blew through Su Xiao's black hair, gradually dissipating the bloodstains on his body.

Returning to the civilian house where he had bathed during the day, Su Xiao checked the warning devices he had set up—a short branch and a few strands of hair. No one had come, and the place was safe.

Entering 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 Ouka.

[Treasure Chest (White), Open/Do Not Open]

Opening the chest, a necklace appeared directly in Su Xiao's hand.

[You have opened the Treasure Chest (White) and obtained the following items]

[300 Paradise Coins]

[Obtained the Pendant of the Deceased Wife]

Pendant of the Deceased Wife (White)

Origin: Pirate King, Garret Gem Company

Category: Jewelry (Jewelry equipment is a rare item)

Durability: None (Jewelry equipment has no durability and does not require repair)

Requirements: Anyone can wear it.

Effect: Strength +1

Rating: 8 (Note: White equipment ratings range from 1 to 10. A rating of 10 for white equipment is marked as 'Rare' and has special attributes.)

Description: I love you, just as you love those little mistresses—Ouka's wife who committed suicide.

Price: 1600 Paradise Coins.

...

Holding the necklace in his hand, Su Xiao's face broke into a smile.

He had finally found a way to become stronger. The gemstone necklace in his hand could actually increase his strength.

Taking a deep breath, Su Xiao calmed down and put the [Pendant of the Deceased Wife] around his neck.

Checking his personal stats again, his original 6 points of strength had increased to 7 points.

A warm current flowed into his body, and Su Xiao clearly felt that his strength had increased significantly.

Increasing his strength to 7 points did not mean his strength had increased by one-sixth, but rather by a significant amount.

This meant that each point of attribute increase brought a significant change, not a simple 1+1.

"The Cycle Paradise, truly a wondrous place."

Su Xiao clenched his fists, the joints cracking, and a surging power surged within him.

The sudden feeling of becoming stronger made him a bit intoxicated, but not confused.

Su Xiao clearly knew that the strength increase from the necklace was external, and his own strength had not improved. If he lost the necklace, his strength attribute would decrease.

The joy of the strength increase did not cloud Su Xiao's mind.

He immediately thought that this pendant belonged to Ouka and could be recognized by others, which would complicate matters.

As Su Xiao was troubled, he suddenly noticed a small line of text in his field of vision, which was very hard to notice.

[Open/Do Not Open the Hidden Equipment Function. This function costs 100 Paradise Coins and is a permanent ability.]

Su Xiao was not yet familiar with the purchasing power of 100 Paradise Coins, but the Paradise Coins he had were hard-earned and very precious.

However, this function was very practical, and Su Xiao decisively activated it.

[You have activated the Equipment Concealment Function. You can freely conceal worn equipment, but weapon-type equipment cannot be concealed.]

The pendant around his neck gradually disappeared, but the strength bonus remained, which greatly satisfied Su Xiao. The 100 Paradise Coins were well spent.

When he first entered the Cycle Paradise, Su Xiao had some doubts about this unknown and powerful existence and its purpose.

From the current situation, as long as he completed the task, the Cycle Paradise would reward him.

As for whether the Cycle Paradise would harm him, Su Xiao was not too concerned about this issue.

The Cycle Paradise had not only healed his fatal injuries but also transported him to the Pirate World, demonstrating its power.

Su Xiao did not have the habit of worrying needlessly. If the Cycle Paradise wanted to harm him, why would it save him?

Even if it was using him, Su Xiao could still benefit from it, gaining strength that he could never achieve in the real world.

Perhaps after completing his first task, he would understand the Cycle Paradise better. For now, becoming stronger was the key.

Weakness is a sin, and Su Xiao deeply understood this. If he had been strong enough at the time, he could have avoided that tragedy.

The pristine ground stained with blood, the fragmented corpses, and that...

Su Xiao forcibly cut off his memories, his dark eyes wide open in the darkness.

Lying in bed without any sleep, Su Xiao forced himself to rest. He had many things to do tomorrow, and necessary rest would make him more energetic.

The situation was now open. If everything went smoothly, Su Xiao was confident he could kill the king of the Goaya Kingdom.

Not only kill him, but also escape unscathed. He was just executing a task, not an assassin of the Cycle Paradise, which was a fundamental difference.

An assassin is just a disposable tool, but Su Xiao had a clear goal.