The Talent Passive Warning Said Yes

"How about it? What's your talent? If it can't be detected, go for a deep assessment. Keep at it until it's identified."

Xu Kai pondered for a moment. To be safe, his fake talent had to be similar to the real one, but of a lower grade.

"My talent is Passive Warning. I can sense danger one second in advance."

"Oh?"

Weird Duke grew a little interested when he heard that. He casually tore the window off and said to Xu Kai:

"Next, am I going to smash your left side or your right?"

"You're going to the left... No, no! You're going to smash me to death. Even if I rock the chair, it'll be the same whether I go left or right."

Xu Kai's expression suddenly changed. As if he had experienced despair, his eyes dimmed, and in the end, he closed them and waited for death.

In fact, Xu Kai was pretending. He had already died here no fewer than ten times. He had tried ten times by testing every possibility, and only by pretending like this could he satisfy Weird Duke's twisted tastes and stay alive.

Sure enough, Weird Duke's eyes flickered, and his mouth split into a smile.

"Hehe, an interesting talent, but unfortunately it doesn't even qualify as C-grade. Just an ordinary D-grade, and only a support talent at that. You forgot how you died, so you lost your chance to enhance your talent. You really are discarded material."

Weird Duke looked at Xu Kai with contempt, as though he were trash. But because of that, he also abandoned the idea of killing Xu Kai and tossed the window aside with a dull thud.

[Task complete. Reward: one portion of Source Weird Qi]

[Obtained three portions of Source Weird Qi. Qualified to become a Weird]

The instant the task was completed, an icy aura rushed into Xu Kai's body. But instead of pain, his body felt a soothing sense of satisfaction.

Sure enough, he was no longer human.

Weird Duke had issued the task, so as long as Xu Kai fooled him, he would clear it.

Xu Kai breathed a deep sigh of relief, though he still had some doubts.

The task came from Weird Duke, so had the reward he received come from him too?

Xu Kai was about to ponder it when he suddenly heard a door open.

Creak.

The ward door opened again. The guest Weird Duke had invited earlier had arrived: a burly man.

The man walked in, his feet planted firmly against the floor and his footsteps heavy. When he stepped on the broken window, it made a crisp sound.

Weird Duke turned his head to look at the man.

The man had bluish skin, thick eyebrows, large eyes with reddened sockets, thick, broad hands, and a large build. The dangerous aura about him was no weaker than Weird Duke's.

"Ah, Stone Statue Weird. The last time you came was just yesterday, wasn't it?"

"The material didn't last. Didn't even make it through a day. I'm not counting on it anymore. Got any untrained material? Something cheaper. Just give me that."

"Hehehehe, talk about good timing. I happen to have an untrained one right here."

Weird Duke pointed at Xu Kai as though he were pointing at a piece of merchandise.

"This one? He's good-looking, at least. Good for fooling female players. This is good material. You're willing to give him to me? You'd better not be cheating me."

"You still don't trust the material I sell? We've known each other so long. Ten City Coins will do."

"Ten City Coins? That's nearly what I earn from one dungeon. There's definitely something wrong with this material. Five City Coins at most!"

"Hehe, deal. No taking it back!"

"..."

Stone Statue Weird held his head in frustration. He realized he had offered too much; Weird Duke hadn't even haggled.

As a result, his gaze was full of resentment when he looked at Xu Kai.

"Hmph! Untie him. I'm taking him."

"Of course, of course."

Weird Duke waved his hand, and the weight on Xu Kai's body lifted, allowing him to stand up from the chair.

Immediately afterward, Weird Duke put away the blood-colored rope on the chair at lightning speed.

Stone Statue Weird also rushed forward, trying to grab Weird Duke's hand, but Weird Duke was too fast, and Stone Statue Weird grabbed nothing.

"Heh, Weird Duke, you're as greedy as ever! Material fished out of the Sea of the Dead costs you nothing. I paid that money for the rope. What's the meaning of this?"

"No cost? Stone Statue Weird, don't talk nonsense when you've never been to the Sea of the Dead. I barely escaped there with my life! Besides, I've always done business fairly and honestly. Though this material hasn't been trained, his talent is astonishing, and he's good-looking too. He's well worth five City Coins!"

"Fair and honest business? I haven't been running a dungeon for long, and you've already ripped me off twice!"

With that, the two glared at each other. Immediately afterward, two Weird auras erupted and clashed in midair. Standing to the side, Xu Kai watched the dense Weird Energy, which had almost taken physical form.

Bang!

After the tremendous noise, both sides took a step back, neither seeming to have gained the upper hand. Stone Statue Weird shot Weird Duke a wary look, spat, and said:

"Hmph, fine. I'll let it go out of respect for you, Weird Duke, and the higher-ups."

"Ahem, Stone Statue Weird, I've always told the truth. It's hard to make money doing business in the Sea of the Dead! Where else can you find material for five City Coins? Only here!"

"Hmph..."

Stone Statue Weird sounded angry, but his actions were honest. He knew Weird Duke was telling the truth, so he quickly raised his hand and used Weird Energy to send Weird Duke a trade request.

In less than a minute, the Weird Energy vanished, and Xu Kai heard the game's voice.

[Identity changed. Now affiliated with Stone Statue Weird's dungeon]

...Just like that, I've been traded?

After hearing the game's voice, Xu Kai felt a little dazed.

It felt like going to a food market, except he was the food.

Xu Kai felt this world's deep malice, as well as his own lack of control.

He had been an ordinary university student on Blue Star in the twenty-first century. Living in the sunlight, he had only seen bloody, violent, and dark things in the news. Now, he had finally experienced such darkness firsthand.

He had been sold, and he could die at any moment.

Without Death Rewind, he had already died twenty-three times.

Such was the sorrow of the weak! Even their lives were not their own.

Even with Death Rewind, if he lacked strength, he could only sink forever.

He had to grow stronger. Only by growing stronger could he live freely, without being controlled by others.

Xu Kai lowered his head, shadows covering his face. His fingers dug into his thigh, breaking the skin, and a sharp pain traveled to his brain, clearing his head a little.

He resolved to become the strongest and never again be bound by others!

So he raised his head and used this life to say:

"Weird Duke, Stone Statue Weird, let me ask you something. I haven't agreed yet. What are you two assholes planning to do with your daddy?"

"Courting death! Stone Statue Weird, forget the material. I'll give you ten City Coins!"

Weird Duke tossed out ten City Coins and crushed Xu Kai underfoot. Xu Kai instantly fell into a baby-like sleep.

After venting, Xu Kai returned for the twenty-fifth time to the moment the trade was completed. He finally learned exactly what he was to be used for.

As material, Xu Kai would follow the Instance Boss, Stone Statue Weird, into the game, play a random role assigned by the game, and complete the tasks Stone Statue Weird arranged.

The game assessed and granted task rewards, but the amount varied by location. The ward Xu Kai was in was located in the "city" of Survival Among the Weird, so the game's reward assessment was the highest. After completing Weird Duke's task, Xu Kai had directly received one portion of Source Weird Qi.

Unfortunately, he would no longer have access to such conditions. Stone Statue Weird would take him to his game dungeon, and in Stone Statue Weird's view, Xu Kai, a consumable, wouldn't survive a day.