Farewell Feast

"SS-rank? Tian Gong Kai Wu?"

My mind went blank. The first-place reward for this Region Task was indeed ruthless, actually giving an SS-rank skill. It was almost identical to the highest reward from Undercurrent Death Mine, "Bio-Electromagnetic Pulse"!

I hurriedly opened my Dimensional Storage Space. In a corner of the space, a golden skill tome lay quietly. As I took it out and held it in my palm, a faint warmth spread through me. After a brief glance, its detailed description floated before my eyes.

[Tian Gong Kai Wu] (SS-rank Skill Tome): Condenses a large amount of Essence into a wisp of golden penetration, infusing it into the target's body. Deals up to 300% damage while simultaneously reducing the target's armor by 40%. Armor penetration effect increases by 2% every second, lasting for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Cost: 20 Essence. Cannot be learned with Armor Break Strike. Requires Profession: Super Weapon Master. Requires Level: 20.

"Whoa..."

Looking at the skill description, I couldn't help but take a deep breath.

The primary function of this skill appeared to be an attack skill, but in reality, it was a powerful debuff skill. The 300% damage value was insignificant compared to its effect!

The armor penetration effect lasted for 10 seconds, and the longer it lasted, the stronger the armor penetration became, reaching an astonishing 60% at its peak!

In Star Abyss's system, the damage formula wasn't as simple as "Attack Power - Target Defense." It was an extremely complex function. The higher your attack power and the lower the target's defense, the greater the damage dealt!

For example, 100 attack power hitting 10 armor would result in vastly different damage compared to hitting 50 armor, potentially a geometric difference, perhaps even several times higher! Therefore, a skill like Tian Gong Kai Wu, which could reduce a target's defense by up to 60%, was absolutely a divine skill, even in the later stages of the game!

Furthermore, Tian Gong Kai Wu was a replacement skill for the Super Weapon Master's Tier 2 general skill, "Armor Break Attack." You could only learn one or the other. If I remembered correctly, Armor Break Attack reduced the target's armor by 30% for 7 seconds. The powerful effect of Tian Gong Kai Wu was worlds apart from it!

Indeed, the 20,000 yuan I borrowed from Lu Xiaobei was well worth it. Trading 10,000 bullets for a skill like Tian Gong Kai Wu was an incredible deal!

"Hoo..."

Taking a deep breath, I spent 1 skill point and learned Tian Gong Kai Wu. Instantly, the skill tome transformed into a golden light and merged into my skill panel. The skill icon was an animation of a golden armor slowly cracking, just as described in Tian Gong Kai Wu's introduction.

I input skill experience and leveled it up to 10 first!

In the blink of an eye, Tian Gong Kai Wu's suffix changed to "lv10," and during the process, it granted me a total of 6 points of Strength.

'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. Instantly, 20 points of Essence in my body burned fiercely, transforming into a wisp of golden energy that surged into my right arm. Immediately after, a wisp of golden penetration condensed and struck the electric kettle.

"Sizzle sizzle~~~"

The electric kettle protested. It trembled violently, but then nothing happened.

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

I couldn't help but smile. This skill was too powerful. If I combined it with my current skills, Dragon Blade, Ground Spike Slash, and Bloodthirsty Assault, it would absolutely deliver a fatal blow to the target!

The downside was the high Essence consumption. Using it once cost 20 Essence, which most players couldn't afford. Fortunately, my SS-rank Essence Furnace had a super-fast recovery rate. Using it once every so often should be fine.

Now, I could finally sleep peacefully!

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock and got up to wash.

Just as I finished washing my face, I saw the door to the next room open. Milo, with his eyes half-closed from sleep, walked out, likely woken up by the urge to pee.

"You're up?"

"Yeah."

I nodded.

"How did the Region Task turn out yesterday? 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!"

"Do you want to eat breakfast? I can go downstairs and buy some," I asked.

"No, I'll sleep a bit longer."

Milo said, "There's one more thing. I'm leaving Stream City tonight. My train is at 10 PM. Should we invite Lu Xiaobei to have a meal together? Consider it a farewell dinner for me?"

"Sure, let's set it for tonight. I'll send you the location for the meal."

"Okay!"

Milo pointed to the guitar hanging on the living room wall. "I'll leave this old friend to you as a memento. When you miss your bro, just play and sing 'My Good Brother' for yourself."

"Alright, that's so cheesy. It's not like we're parting forever."

"Hahahaha~~~"

Morning, internet cafe.

After his shift ended, Zhao Yihang quickly left. Lu Xiaobei then came over with breakfast, having bought me some steamed buns and tea eggs.

"Lu Xiaobei, don't go yet. I have something to tell you."

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

"Milo is leaving Stream City tonight on the 10 PM train. He's officially going to Beijing to pursue his musical dream. Let's treat him to a meal as a farewell, okay?"

"Okay."

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

"No, you'll have to pay for the meal."

"..."

She rolled her eyes and said, "I'll book the restaurant, you just wait for a feast."

"You got it!"

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 6 PM.

When I forwarded this message to Milo, he surprisingly hadn't gone to sleep and exclaimed, "Whoa... such high standards?"

"I haven't been to this restaurant before. Is it that high-class?" I asked.

"Yeah, very high!"

Milo said, "Stream City No. 1 specializes in seafood and Cantonese cuisine. The average per-person cost is estimated to be over 400. It's one of the highest-class restaurants in Stream City. Did you book it?"

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

"That's true. Alright, I'm going back to sleep. See you tonight."

"Okay!"

So, I stopped playing on my phone and started repairing a machine that had malfunctioned yesterday. It wasn't a big problem; just needed a part replaced, and it would work fine again.

Evening, around 5 PM.

Lu Xiaobei and I set off from Feiyang Internet Cafe. She had changed into a woolen coat over a beautiful sweater, making her look rosy and radiant. Even without makeup, she was stunningly beautiful.

We hailed a three-wheeled electric vehicle to our destination. The driver glanced at Lu Xiaobei, then gave me a meaningful look, as if to say, "Your girlfriend is so beautiful, and you're letting her ride this thing in this cold weather?"

I remained silent. A poor person doesn't need much pride. Besides, Lu Xiaobei is my boss, not my girlfriend, so there's no point in indulging in such fantasies.

Upon 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. Milo was already there and had started ordering food.

"Want a drink?" he suggested.

"No thanks."

I shook my head, lacking confidence in my alcohol tolerance. "You guys drink, I'll have a soda."

"You're such a party pooper."

Milo said, "Based on my observations, your alcohol tolerance is about three bottles of beer. How about this: you drink two bottles, and then switch to soda?"

"Deal!"

A short while later, the three of us raised our glasses.

"Milo, I wish you success in your journey to Beijing and that you become famous in BH City!"

Lu Xiaobei was in high spirits. "I really like the songs you write, and your singing voice is excellent. With your talent, you're bound to become popular. By the time we meet again, you might already be a big star."

"Thanks for the good wishes!"

Milo raised his glass and smiled. "Xiaobei, Ding Han, I also wish you both happiness every day in Stream City. Furthermore, I wish our internet cafe's business booms. We'll open a branch, then two, then four, then eight. After eight, we'll go public, raise capital, then play the stock market, and then list separately. By then, just the dividends will make us incredibly rich!"

I burst out laughing. Milo gave me a knowing look.

Lu Xiaobei was also very pleased and drank her wine in one gulp, then urged me to start eating.

I have to admit, the food at Stream City No. 1 was indeed excellent. They used a combination of individual dishes and hot pot. A waiter helped us cook the ingredients, and with the uniquely flavored dipping sauces, the taste was truly superb.

Before I knew it, I had finished my two bottles of wine, and Milo and Lu Xiaobei had also had a bit more to drink.

"Luo'er, drink a little less. You have to catch your bus in two hours."

"Okay, got it."

"Ding Han, shall we walk him to the station?" Lu Xiaobei suggested.

"Sure!"

So, after finishing dinner, we returned to our place to take Milo to the bus station.

He was carrying a large suitcase, a guitar slung over his back, with earphones hanging around his neck. Coupled with his slightly long hair and stubble...

Lu Xiaobei remarked, "Ding Han, look at Milo, he's the picture of a bohemian youth. Then look at you. You play guitar and sing too, but you don't have any of that vibe..."

"He doesn't have any vibe at all..."

I walked along the raised tactile paving and chuckled. "Just carrying a guitar and wearing earphones makes him bohemian? Xiaobei, don't be fooled by appearances. It's true that such people are popular with women, but in our eyes as men, this kind of attire is mostly for picking up girls. We wouldn't call him a 'wenqing' (literary youth), but a 'biching' (pretentious youth)!"

"What does 'biching' mean?" Lu Xiaobei asked.

"A pretentious youth who is excessively flashy and uninhibited..."

"Hahahaha~~~"

Up ahead, Milo couldn't help but laugh out loud. He turned around and gave me a thumbs-up. "You're amazing, you can even come up with words like that."

I also laughed heartily.

The three of us didn't take a taxi and walked to the bus station. By the time we arrived, it was 9:30 PM, and Milo was about to board his bus.

He placed his suitcase down, with his guitar and earphones on top. Then he turned around, opened his arms, and said, "Bro, give me a hug..."

I nodded and stepped forward, giving the "biching" a firm hug.

"Be well... you and Xiaobei both need to be well..."

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

For some reason, he felt a bit sad.

"Mhm!"

I released him and patted his shoulder firmly, saying, "Work hard to chase your dreams. I believe you can do it, you have the strength!"

"Definitely!"

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

Lu Xiaobei waved back blankly, her eyes already misting over. She really couldn't handle this kind of atmosphere.