A Heart That Craves Power

After Su Xiao pierced through both men with a single blade strike, he immediately noticed a pale red health bar appear above the head of Brandon Oka.

Needless to say, this must be Brandon Oka's remaining health. His strike had pierced Brandon Oka's spine, leaving the man in a state of suspended animation rather than killing him outright.

So-called suspended animation meant the body had lost the ability to resist, but the brain was still alive.

This was the first time Su Xiao had seen a health bar; when he killed the Black Market Merchant earlier, he had blown the man's head off with a single shot, and no health bar had appeared at all.

The health bar was undoubtedly a benefit of the semi-digitized nature of this world, allowing him to judge whether an enemy was dead and estimate their remaining health.

Brandon Oka now had about 5% of his health left, placing him on the verge of death.

Pulling his long blade from the back of Brandon Oka's head, Su Xiao gripped the hilt with one hand, switching from a reverse grip to a standard one, and slashed at Brandon Oka's neck.

"Splurt."

Blood sprayed several meters high, and a few drops splattered onto Su Xiao's cheek, making him look exceptionally cold.

After this strike, Brandon Oka's head flew off, and his health bar instantly emptied.

[You have killed the Guard Captain Brandon Oka.]

[Brandon Oka was an official of the Goa Kingdom. You have gained 3.6% of the World's Source. You now have a total of 5.7% of the World's Source.]

[Your talent 'Spirit Eater' has activated, permanently increasing your mana by 10 points. Current mana: 75 points.]

[Your talent 'Spirit Eater' has activated, permanently increasing your mana by 1 point. Current mana: 76 points.]

Su Xiao only gave the successive notifications a cursory glance.

The fact that killing Brandon Oka could grant World's Source was somewhat unexpected; if he killed stronger enemies, the amount of World's Source gained would likely increase accordingly.

If he were to kill someone like the Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku or one of the Four Emperors like Red Hair, the amount of World's Source gained would surely be an astronomical figure.

But that was just wishful thinking for now. Su Xiao couldn't even meet powerhouses of that caliber, and even if he did, he wouldn't dare make a move, as that would be a death wish.

The function of the World's Source was still unclear. Reincarnation Paradise had only hinted that it was related to the rewards he would receive upon completing his mission and leaving the One Piece World.

These so-called rewards were likely the key to him becoming stronger.

The One Piece World certainly had many ways to grow stronger, but they all required time. He only had seventy-two hours in total, and now there were only sixty-something hours left. It would be a stroke of luck just to complete the mission within the time limit; Su Xiao had no time to consider anything else.

As for heaven-defying items like Devil Fruit, Su Xiao didn't even dare to think about them. Without a certain foundation of strength, he had no qualifications to search for or seize a Devil Fruit.

He was merely an ordinary person with slightly stronger physical fitness, and there was a fundamental gap between him and the powerhouses of the One Piece World.

Under normal circumstances, Su Xiao's first world could never be a high-risk world like One Piece; this was all due to his status as a Hunter.

The current situation was like throwing a level 1 novice into a high-level map. The mobs in this map were like bosses to Su Xiao.

That Su Xiao had managed to reach this point was already far beyond the average person. If it were an ordinary contractor, they would likely have died at the Terminal Station outside the Royal Capital.

Setting aside the World's Source for now, the mana he had gained left Su Xiao feeling confused.

He had no ability to consume mana, so even having a large amount was meaningless and of no help in combat.

Every beginning is hard, and he still had to rely on himself.

A white Treasure Chest floated above Brandon Oka's corpse, identical to the one he had opened previously.

Su Xiao picked up the Treasure Chest, placed it directly into his storage space, and then quickly left the scene.

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

Moreover, if the fact that he had killed the Guard Captain Brandon Oka were to be discovered by outsiders, he would become a fugitive of the Goa Kingdom.

By then, let alone completing his mission, simply avoiding the pursuit of the Goa Kingdom soldiers would leave Su Xiao overwhelmed.

The cool night breeze blew through Su Xiao's black hair, gradually diluting the scent of blood on his body.

Returning to the residential house where he had bathed during the day, Su Xiao checked the warning devices he had set up earlier—a short tree branch and a few strands of hair. No one had been there; it was safe.

After entering the house, Su Xiao didn't turn on the lights. Instead, he sat in the pitch-black bedroom and took out the Treasure Chest he had obtained from killing Brandon Oka.

[Treasure Chest (White), Yes/No to open?]

As he opened the Treasure Chest, a necklace appeared directly in Su Xiao's hand.

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

[Obtained 300 Paradise Coins.]

[Obtained Late Wife's Pendant.]

Late Wife's Pendant (White)

Origin: One Piece, Garrett Gem Company

Category: Jewelry (Jewelry-type equipment is rare)

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

Equipment Requirements: Can be worn by anyone.

Equipment Effect: Strength +1.

Rating: 8 (Note: White equipment is rated from 1 to 10. White equipment with a rating of 10 will be marked as 'Rare' and have special attributes attached.)

Description: I love you, just as you love those little mistresses of yours — Oka's suicidal wife.

Price: 1600 Paradise Coins.

Clutching the necklace tightly in his hand, a smile appeared on Su Xiao's face.

He had finally, finally found a way to become stronger; this gemstone necklace in his hand could actually increase his Strength.

Exhaling a long breath, Su Xiao calmed down and fastened the Late Wife's Pendant around his neck.

Checking his personal profile again, his original 6 points of Strength had become 7.

A surge of heat flowed into his body, and Su Xiao clearly sensed that his strength had increased by a significant margin.

Increasing Strength to 7 points did not mean his strength had increased by one-sixth; rather, it had grown by a substantial amount.

This meant that every point of attribute gained would bring about a massive change, and it was by no means as simple as 1+1.

"Reincarnation Paradise, what a truly miraculous place."

Su Xiao clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking as surging power rushed through his body.

This feeling of sudden empowerment made him somewhat intoxicated, yet he remained clear-headed.

Su Xiao knew full well that the Strength gained from the necklace was external; his own base strength had not increased, and if he lost the necklace, his Strength attribute would decrease.

The joy of increased Strength did not cloud Su Xiao's judgment.

He immediately realized that this pendant belonged to Ogre and could potentially be recognized by others; if that happened, things would become troublesome.

Just as Su Xiao was feeling troubled, he suddenly noticed a line of tiny text in his field of vision, which was very difficult to detect.

[Yes/No: Activate Hidden Equipment function? This function costs 100 Paradise Coins and is a permanent ability.]

Su Xiao did not yet understand the purchasing power of 100 Paradise Coins, but the coins in his hand were all obtained by risking his life, making them extremely precious.

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

[You have activated the equipment hiding function. You may freely hide equipped items; weapon-type equipment cannot be hidden.]

The pendant around his neck gradually vanished, yet the Strength bonus remained, which left Su Xiao very satisfied; those 100 Paradise Coins were well spent.

When he first entered Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao had felt some suspicion regarding the purpose of this unknown and powerful entity.

Judging by the current situation, as long as he completed his missions, Reincarnation Paradise would grant him rewards.

As for whether Reincarnation Paradise would harm him, Su Xiao was not particularly concerned about that question right now.

The ability to heal his fatal wounds and transport him to the One Piece world were all testaments to the power of Reincarnation Paradise.

Su Xiao did not have the habit of worrying unnecessarily; if Reincarnation Paradise wanted to harm him, why would it have saved him in the first place?

Even if it were a relationship of utility, Su Xiao could still gain benefits from it—benefits he could never obtain in the real world, namely, becoming stronger.

Perhaps, after he completed his first mission, he would understand more about Reincarnation Paradise, but for now, becoming stronger was the key.

Weakness is the original sin; Su Xiao understood this deeply. If he had been strong enough back then, he could have prevented that tragedy from occurring.

The white ground stained with blood, the shattered remains, and that...

Su Xiao forcibly cut off the memory, his pitch-black eyes wide open in the darkness.

Lying on the bed without a hint of sleepiness, Su Xiao forced himself to rest; there were many things to do tomorrow, and necessary rest would allow him to be more energetic.

The situation had opened up, and if everything proceeded smoothly, Su Xiao was confident he could kill the king of the Goa Kingdom.

Not only did he need to kill him, but he also had to retreat safely; he was merely executing a mission, not a suicide assassin for Reincarnation Paradise, and there was a fundamental difference between the two.

Assassins were merely expendable pawns, whereas Su Xiao had clear objectives.

Trust Fei Wen, it won't be long before things get very satisfying. By the way, the contract is signed, so don't be shy if you want to tip!