Chapter 4

The sound of gunfire gradually subsided, and the cries of the wounded could be heard.

Suxiao, who had been observing from the shadows, felt that the time was ripe. The burly man Toby's side had already driven back the enemy's ragtag group.

The ragtag group's fighting was completely unstrategic. After a round of random shooting, they began to chase aimlessly.

Climbing out of a house, Suxiao landed steadily but immediately crouched down.

What met his eyes was a continuous mountain of garbage, with smoke rising from it, and a putrid smell assaulting his nose.

Suxiao paid no attention to this, his eyes fixed on a gun lying on the ground in the distance. It was a short-barreled flintlock, somewhat worn but still a deadly weapon.

The owner of the flintlock was already dead, half his throat blown away by a stray bullet, a gruesome sight.

Perhaps because the location of his death was relatively hidden, Toby's gang had not discovered the gun. Otherwise, in the weapon-scarce "Scrap Terminal," they would never have left this "short-barreled flintlock" behind.

Crouching low, Suxiao began to move toward the gun.

But at that moment, a thin ragtag member had already rushed to the "short-barreled flintlock," his dirty hand reaching for it.

Suxiao's brows furrowed, not because the other had beaten him to it, but because he feared the other would draw the attention of the two factions.

Picking up a fist-sized rock, Suxiao threw it with all his might.

The rock, carrying immense force, struck the ragtag member's arm hard.

"Bang."

The ragtag member stumbled and let out a painful cry.

Suxiao rushed to the other's back, his body leaning to the side, and his knee slammed into the ragtag member's spine.

The ragtag member's body arched forward, spitting out a mouthful of acid, but even after such a severe blow, he only staggered forward a couple of steps without falling.

Suxiao's pupils constricted. The physical condition of humans in the pirate world was truly formidable, and this was just one of the weakest ragtag members.

But there was no time to dwell on that. Suxiao noticed that the ragtag member's eyes were now filled with a fierce light, like a wild animal that had been provoked, his yellow teeth clenched, and his jaw muscles protruding.

This terrifying appearance would have made an ordinary person instinctively retreat, but Suxiao was different. He had combat experience and knew that if he fled now, his exposed back would be shot.

Fists clenched, Suxiao struck the ragtag member's chin with a powerful punch before the other could recover.

The human jaw is rich in blood vessels, and a sudden heavy blow can cause a lack of blood flow to the brain, leading to a lack of oxygen and a brief loss of consciousness.

"Bang." A few blood-stained yellow teeth flew far away.

After being hit by Suxiao's full-strength punch, the ragtag member fell backward, like a fallen log.

An ordinary person would be unconscious for several seconds after being hit in the chin, but the natives of the pirate world had mysteriously strong constitutions. So, Suxiao flipped the ragtag member over and aimed another punch at the back of his neck.

With a dull thud, the ragtag member's condition was unknown.

Suxiao picked up the "short-barreled flintlock" from the ground, and a line of text appeared before his eyes.

Before Suxiao could check it, a large group of people ran over from a distance, the failed pursuers of Toby's gang.

Suxiao felt a chill. If he were discovered at this moment, he might not even have the chance to speak, as these people were already bloodthirsty.

Looking around, Suxiao's expression turned grim. He was surrounded by towering garbage mountains, which formed a ring, blocking his view.

Suxiao dared not climb the unstable garbage mountains, as they could collapse at any moment, and who knew what was buried in them. If he were unlucky enough to be pierced by a sharp object, he would die from infection in this harsh environment, even if he didn't bleed to death.

So, Suxiao could only hide in the dilapidated house. The girl named Mia was looking at him with fear.

This time, without Suxiao's prompting, Mia spoke up.

"I won't speak."

Realizing she had already spoken, Mia quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes glancing at the "short-barreled flintlock" in Suxiao's hand.

Soon after Suxiao entered the house, loud noises came from outside.

After a round of angry curses, the outside gradually quieted down. It seemed that these people had returned to loot, but the angry voices indicated that their haul was not good.

Suxiao let out a sigh of relief and began to check the prompt that had appeared.

[Obtained: Worn Flintlock (White)]

Worn Flintlock (White)

Origin: Pirate King, Leopold Workshop

Durability: 6/30

Ammunition: 4/6 (Rapid-fire flintlocks are a unique technology in the Pirate King world)

Attack Power: 2~13 (based on distance)

Requirements: 1 Strength to use, 3 Strength to use proficiently

Rating: 3 (Note: White equipment is rated from 1 to 10. A rating of 10 for white equipment is marked as "Rare" and has special attributes.)

Description: This is a poorly maintained flintlock, which has reduced its rating from 9 to 3. Use it with caution, as the next shot might be its last and possibly your last.

Price: 150 Paradise Coins (This item is a probability drop and cannot be taken out of the Pirate King world.)

...

[Hunter's first equipment acquisition, starting equipment grade introduction]

[Equipment is divided into White, Green, Blue... Insufficient rank to access further information. Hunters must explore on their own.]

[Hunter's first contact with Paradise Coins, starting Paradise Coin explanation.]

[Paradise Coins can be used to trade with the Cycle Paradise or other contractors. This is the only universal currency in the Cycle Paradise.]

[Warning: Use each Paradise Coin with caution, as it is the capital for your survival and strength.]

...

Suxiao nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that the Cycle Paradise had strict regulations, not only labeling the performance of various weapons but also having a complete currency system.

Although Suxiao knew he would face many dangers ahead, he felt a sense of anticipation, hoping that the Cycle Paradise would make him stronger.

Although he was not yet clear on how to become stronger, the "Cycle Paradise" must have a method, or he would not be able to complete more difficult tasks in the future.

Carefully inspecting the [Worn Flintlock] in his hand, Suxiao smiled.

Finally, he had a weapon. Without one, he would find it hard to feel at ease in this dangerous world.

However, compared to firearms, Suxiao preferred cold weapons, such as swords, especially long, narrow, and extremely sharp blades.

If his sword were with him, Suxiao's combat power would increase by at least fifty percent.

Suxiao had a basic understanding of the situation and now needed to prepare to complete the mission. The mission's time limit was only seventy-two hours.

Suxiao did not want to experience what would happen if he failed the mission, so he had to devote himself entirely to completing it.

Assassinating a country's king was no easy task and would require other methods, at least to get close to the king.

The idea of secretly infiltrating the palace had never crossed Suxiao's mind, as in the pirate world, there was something called Haki of Observation.

According to Suxiao's memory, this king was likely associated with the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons. It was not impossible for experts skilled in Haki of Observation to be around him.

Otherwise, with Suxiao's assassination skills, the difficulty of killing a king would not be level 3.

In the real world, which was full of surveillance equipment, Suxiao had managed to carry out his revenge plan. How much more so in the technologically backward pirate world?

But it was too early to think about these things. The first priority was to understand his current location. The "Cycle Paradise" did not have a map function, and everything had to be explored on his own.

Suxiao's gaze fell on the girl hiding in the corner. She lived in the "Scrap Terminal" and must know the area well.

Noticing Suxiao's gaze, the girl, Mia, curled up.

"What are you going to do?"

The girl's voice trembled, with a hint of crying. She had always hidden her gender because being a woman in the Scrap Terminal was very dangerous.

"Are you hungry?"

Suxiao squatted in front of the girl, his face showing a gentle smile, but his eyes were cold.

He was not a kind person; hatred had long erased the kindness in his heart.