Farewell Dinner

"SS-rank? Tian Gong Kai Wu?"

My mind went blank in an instant. The first-place reward for this Region Task was indeed brutal—it actually gave an SS-rank skill. It was almost identical to the top reward from Dark Tide's Death Mine, the "Bio-Electromagnetic Pulse"!

I hurriedly opened the Dimensional Storage Space. In a corner of the space lay a glittering golden Skill Tome. When I took it out and held it in my palm, a faint warmth spread through my hand. After my gaze lingered on it for a moment, its detailed description floated into view.

[Tian Gong Kai Wu] (SS-rank Skill Tome): Condenses a wisp of Midas energy from a large amount of Essence and infuses it into the target's body, dealing up to 300% damage while reducing the target's armor by 40%. The Armor Penetration effect increases by 2% every second for 10 seconds. Recovery time: 30 seconds. Cost: 20 Essence Points. Cannot be learned together with Armor Penetration Strike. Required Class: Super Weapon Master. Required Level: 20.

"Holy shit..."

Looking at the skill description, I couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.

At first glance, this skill seemed like an offensive skill, but in truth, it was an incredibly powerful debuff BUFF. That 300% damage multiplier was practically insignificant compared to its effect!

It lasted ten seconds, and the longer those ten seconds went on, the stronger its armor-breaking effect became. At its highest, it could reach an outrageous 60%!

In the settings of Star Abyss, the damage formula was not as simple as "attack power minus target defense." It was an extremely complex function. The higher one's own attack power and the lower the target's defense power, the more damage one could inflict!

For example, if 100 attack power struck armor worth 10 points versus armor worth 50 points, the damage dealt by the two could differ geometrically, perhaps by several times or more! Therefore, a skill like Tian Gong Kai Wu that could reduce a target's defense by up to 60% was absolutely a god-tier skill. Even in the late game, it would still be god-tier!

Furthermore, Tian Gong Kai Wu was an alternative to the Super Weapon Master's second-tier universal skill, "Armor Penetration Attack." Learning one meant being unable to learn the other. If I remembered correctly, Armor Penetration Attack reduced the target's armor by 30% for seven seconds. Compared to Tian Gong Kai Wu, the difference in power was like heaven and earth!

Sure enough, the twenty thousand yuan I had borrowed from Lu Xiaobei had been well worth it. Trading ten thousand bullets for a skill like Tian Gong Kai Wu was an absolute steal!

"Phew..."

After taking a deep breath, I spent one skill point to learn Tian Gong Kai Wu. The Skill Tome instantly flashed into a streak of golden light and seeped into my skill panel. Its icon showed a suit of golden armor slowly cracking apart, exactly as described.

Time to put in Skill Experience and raise it to level 10 first!

In the blink of an eye, Tian Gong Kai Wu's suffix became "lv10," and the process granted me a total increase of six Strength points.

Should I try it?

I hesitated for a moment, then locked onto the electric kettle in front of me and activated Tian Gong Kai Wu. Twenty Essence Points inside my body immediately blazed, transforming into a streak of golden energy that surged into my right arm. Then, it condensed into a wisp of Midas energy and struck the kettle.

"Zzzzz~~~"

The electric kettle began protesting. It shook violently for a moment, and then nothing happened.

Tian Gong Kai Wu was meant for hitting people. Naturally, it had no effect on an electric kettle.

I couldn't help smiling. This skill was simply too powerful. If I used it in combination with the skills I currently possessed—Dragon Blade, Ground Spike Slash, and Bloodthirsty Assault—it would definitely deliver a fatal round of attacks to any target!

Its drawback was that it consumed too many Essence Points. Each use cost 20 points, something ordinary players might not be able to sustain. Fortunately, my SS-rank Essence Furnace recovered Essence at an extremely fast rate, so using it once every so often should not be a problem.

Now, I could finally sleep peacefully!

Early the next morning, I woke up to the alarm clock ringtone and got up to wash up.

I had just finished washing my face when the door to the neighboring room opened. Milo came out with his eyes half-closed, probably awakened by the need to pee.

"You're up?"

"Mm."

I nodded.

"How did yesterday's Region Task turn out? Did you get first place?"

"What do you think?" I smiled faintly.

He immediately gave me a thumbs-up and chuckled. "As expected of my brother, Milo's brother!"

"Want breakfast? I can go downstairs and buy some," I asked.

"No, I'm going back to sleep for a while."

Milo said, "There's one more thing. I'm leaving Creek City tonight. My bus is at ten. Want to call Lu Xiaobei and have dinner together? Consider it a farewell dinner for me?"

"Sure. Let's do it tonight. I'll message you the restaurant."

"Alright!"

Milo pointed to the guitar hanging on the living room wall. "I'm leaving this old buddy with you. Keep it as a memento. Whenever you miss me in the future, play and sing 'My Good Brother' by yourself."

"Enough, that's disgusting. It's not like we're being separated by life and death."

"Hahahaha~~~"

Morning, internet cafe.

After the shift change, Zhao Yihang vanished in a flash. Lu Xiaobei came over carrying breakfast and bought me several buns and tea eggs.

"Lu Xiaobei, don't leave yet. I have something to say."

"What is it?" She leaned over the counter and looked at me.

"Milo's bus leaves Creek City at ten tonight. He's officially starting his life as a drifter in the north to pursue his music dream. How about the two of us treat him to dinner as a farewell?"

"Sure."

Lu Xiaobei said, "So, do you have money now?"

"No. You'll have to pay for dinner."

"..."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll pick the restaurant. You just wait to eat a feast."

"Alright!"

Not long after, Lu Xiaobei sent me a WeChat message. The dinner location was set at a place called "Stream City No. 1," and the time was six in the evening.

When I forwarded the message to Milo, he was surprisingly still awake. He said in astonishment, "Holy shit... such high-end treatment?"

"I've never been to this restaurant. Is it that upscale?" I asked.

"Mm, very upscale!"

Milo said, "Stream City No. 1 specializes in seafood and Cantonese cuisine. The average spending per person is probably over 400. It's one of the highest-end restaurants in Creek City. You picked it?"

"Lu Xiaobei picked it. How would I know about such an awesome restaurant? I can't afford to eat there."

"True enough. Alright, I'm going back to sleep. See you tonight."

"Alright!"

So I stopped playing on my phone and began repairing one of the machines that had malfunctioned yesterday. It wasn't a major problem. After replacing one part, it was immediately back to normal.

Around five in the evening.

Lu Xiaobei and I set off from Feiyang Internet Cafe. She had changed into a wool coat with a lovely sweater underneath. She looked soft and adorable all over. Even without makeup, she was still unbelievably beautiful.

We hailed an electric tricycle to our destination. The middle-aged driver glanced at Lu Xiaobei, then gave me a meaningful look, as though he were saying, "Your girlfriend is this pretty, and you're making her ride this in such cold weather?"

I silently said nothing. A poor bastard did not need much pride. Besides, Lu Xiaobei was my boss, not my girlfriend. There was no need to indulge in wishful thinking about something like that.

After arriving at Stream City No. 1, it indeed looked like a rather high-end establishment. We went up to the second floor. Lu Xiaobei had booked a small private room, and Milo was already there, even starting to order dishes.

"Want a drink?" he suggested.

"No."

I shook my head. I really had no confidence in my alcohol tolerance. "You two drink. I'll keep you company with something else."

"You're such a buzzkill."

Milo said, "Based on my observations, your limit is three bottles of beer. How about this? Drink two bottles, then switch to drinks afterward?"

"Works for me!"

Before long, the three of us raised our glasses.

"Milo, I wish you success in the north. May you become famous overnight as a singer in BH City!"

Lu Xiaobei was in high spirits. "I think the songs you write are really good, and your singing voice is especially great too. With your talent, you'll definitely become popular. By the next time we meet, maybe you'll already be a huge star."

"I'll take those good wishes!"

Milo raised his glass with a smile. "Xiao Bei, Ding Han, I also wish the two of you happiness every day in Creek City. And I hope our internet cafe's business keeps booming. In the future, we'll open branches—one becomes two, two become four, four become eight. After eight, we'll go public. Then we'll raise funds, trade stocks, split up and go public again. By then, just collecting dividends will make us filthy rich!"

I burst out laughing, while Milo gave me a look that said, "You know what I mean."

Lu Xiaobei was also delighted by his words. She drained her glass in one go, then urged me to hurry up and eat.

I had to admit, the food at Stream City No. 1 was truly excellent. They served both plated dishes and hot pot, with waiters helping us cook the food. Combined with their uniquely flavored dipping sauce, the taste was absolutely incredible.

Before I knew it, I had finished my two bottles of beer, while Milo and Lu Xiaobei had both drunk a little too much as well.

"Luo, drink less. You still have to catch your bus in two hours."

"Mm, alright."

"Ding Han, shall we go see him off together?" Lu Xiaobei suggested.

"Sure!"

So after dinner ended, we returned to the apartment to send Milo to the bus station.

He carried an enormous suitcase, had a guitar slung over his back, and wore headphones around his neck. Along with his slightly long hair and the stubbly beard on his face...

Lu Xiaobei said, "Ding Han, look at Milo. He really has that artsy young man vibe. Then look at you. You can play guitar and sing too, but you don't have even the slightest bit of that temperament..."

"What temperament does he have..."

I stepped along the raised line of the tactile paving and laughed. "Just because he carries a guitar and wears headphones, he's artsy? Xiao Bei, don't be fooled by appearances. It's true that people like him are popular with women, but in the eyes of us men, that kind of outfit is mostly for picking up girls. We'd never call him an artsy youth. We call him a 'pretentious youth'!"

"What does 'pretentious youth' mean?" Lu Xiaobei asked.

"A young man who puts on a flashy act without restraint..."

"Hahahaha~~~"

Up ahead, even Milo couldn't hold back his laughter. He turned around and gave me a thumbs-up. "You're amazing. You actually came up with that term."

I laughed too.

None of the three of us took a taxi. We simply walked to the bus station, arriving at half past nine. Milo was about to go through ticket inspection and board.

He placed down his suitcase, set his guitar and headphones on top of it, then turned around and opened his arms. "Brother, give me a hug..."

I nodded and stepped forward, tightly hugging this pretentious youth.

"Take care of yourselves... You and Xiao Bei both need to take care of yourselves..."

Milo said in a low voice, "Honestly, you two are my only friends here. I truly cherish both of you from the bottom of my heart..."

For no reason at all, I felt a little sad.

"Mm!"

I let go of him, patted his shoulder hard, and said, "Go chase your dream with everything you have. I believe you can do it. You have what it takes!"

"Definitely!"

Milo clenched his fist and raised it, then waved at Lu Xiaobei. "Xiao Bei, goodbye~~~"

Lu Xiaobei waved back blankly, but a mist had already formed in her eyes. She truly could not handle this kind of atmosphere.