Staking Out

"Are you... ready to start learning the martial arts?"

Tao Yu approached Smith just as the dojo's lesson was ending, leaving Smith utterly bewildered.

He figured Tao Yu would need three days to get up to speed. How much Wish Power did he use? Is he that rich?

Wish Power acceleration is a great thing, but the faster you go, the less cost-effective it becomes...

"I want to learn all five martial arts before heading to the Abyss, to maximize my chances of survival," Tao Yu stated plainly. Smith was taken aback for a moment, then sighed.

"I know you got the hang of the stance training in just three tries; your talent is truly exceptional. But since they even created a simplified introductory skill for the five martial arts, you can tell how difficult they are. With your talent, learning one or two in a month should be fine, but five is pushing it."

"I want to try," Tao Yu insisted.

He knew Smith meant well. His junior fellow disciple, Scarface, had mentioned that at least Lv4 in all five martial arts was required before attempting to fuse them to control Blood Essence. Even if he rushed through learning all five, the actual benefit wouldn't be as great as specializing in one. Skills that required a simplified precursor would naturally consume more Wish Power when accelerated.

But Tao Yu had the Deification ability. Regardless of the cost, he wanted to get the skills first...

"Alright, I'll let you try. You'll change your mind later. It's too late today, so we'll start tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you, Senior Brother Smith."

Zhang Wei and the others nearby, exhausted themselves, looked on with envy. They couldn't afford Qi Replenishing Soup; it was too extravagant. They were already worn out, and Tao Yu, not only had he mastered the stance training but was also accelerating with Qi Replenishing Soup, and now he was about to learn martial arts? The gap was just too vast...

If he were from the Inner City, it wouldn't be strange for him to surpass the peak of an Outer City resident from the start. The sheer amount of accumulated resources was there; they could buy their way to the top. But they were all Outer City residents. This disparity was quite significant...

"The dojo is quite generous, giving out free uniforms with the free slots." Tao Yu looked at the gray training uniform in his hand and sighed inwardly. The material was rough; it might even be uncomfortable against the skin, but it was durable. Even so, this was the best clothing Tao Yu had ever owned. Who knew how uncomfortable the fabric of his underwear had been for the past eighteen years; it had practically become calloused.

They had written down their height and weight during registration, and by the time they left to go home, everyone had received a set. The efficiency was quite high. However, a second set would cost money, 10 units of Wish Power. The prices at this training ground were indeed very high for the Outer City, but the cost-effectiveness of each item was actually quite good. The Qi Replenishing Soup and ointment were both like that.

Tao Yu also bought two jars of ointment. This stuff really had a blood-activating effect when applied, and he could use it during practice. His Deified auxiliary skills also gave him a basic understanding of the ointment.

I don't know the ingredients. If I could learn the alchemy craft too, I'd make a fortune.

Thanks to his Deified auxiliary skills, Tao Yu had a general idea of the Qi Replenishing Soup and the ointment. The soup was likely a medicinal porridge, made by simmering the internal organs of a certain creature, herbs, and staple food in a specific ratio. It might be from a Wish Power creature raised by a company settlement. The ointment was probably made similarly to horse liniment, also likely from some kind of Wish Power creature. With the development of company settlements, all sorts of supporting systems were mature, so having various industries wasn't surprising.

But he wasn't sure about the new settlement...

Uh, maybe they'll raise Xenomorphs? Tao Yu mused. The Xenomorph's parasitic nature and rapid reproduction were indeed quite suitable for being farmed. Even though, excluding their skill value, each one was only worth twenty units of Wish Power, their sheer numbers would make up for it. However, it was predictable that even if they did raise Xenomorphs and their numbers increased, the company would definitely control the circulation of the skills, preferring to convert excess ones directly into pure Wish Power rather than devaluing their own prices.

"And the Blood Orchid. Li Le probably has a way to find people. I also sold some to Shopkeeper Liu. Once things stabilize, I'll probably turn the valley into a cultivation ground." Although the Blood Orchid likely couldn't be cultivated artificially and could only be harvested periodically with long intervals between harvests, its effects were undeniable. Even if they figured out its growth habits, they wouldn't give up...

As Tao Yu happily pondered, he left the stronghold and turned into a narrow alley. It was more like a gap between two hastily built structures outside the stronghold, trying to take advantage of the high tower's artillery for protection. Sewage flowed freely on the ground. As soon as he entered the alley, Tao Yu suddenly accelerated and started running, weaving through the messy houses of the Outer City. His speed, surpassing Bolt's, caused a few passersby to exclaim in surprise.

"Ugh~, you're trying to kill me! You kicked shit onto my face, ugh~"

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to run me over..."

"..."

The Outer City's already dirty and chaotic environment immediately drew complaints after Tao Yu fled.

If Tao Yu hadn't been so fast and clearly not someone to mess with, the people who were wronged might have already made a move.

The Outer City had some basic rules, but the Security Team wouldn't intervene for minor issues. Order in many areas was even maintained by gangs.

After Tao Yu's wild, rapid escape, the two figures who had been waiting at the stronghold's entrance quickly followed. Though not as fast as Tao Yu, they weren't much slower!

However, they had been outpaced from the start and reacted a beat late. Coupled with their inferior speed, they chased for a bit but lost track and spat curses fiercely.

"Damn it, running so fast?"

"Looks like he wasn't lying about eating all those flowers. It's the only explanation."

Both men were dressed like ordinary Outer City residents, but their bursts of speed were indeed impressive.

After glaring fiercely at the suspicious onlookers around them, the two quickly left the area to avoid any sneak attacks.

But after they left, from the shadows of an alley behind them, Tao Yu slowly emerged. He watched their retreating figures with a deep gaze.

"Just as I suspected, they showed up the next day. So eager."

He had arrived at Hound Stronghold early this morning, sold some things, and learned some skills.

These two had stayed outside the stronghold without entering, meaning they likely had weapons on them.

No matter who they were, they were definitely related to the Blood Orchids. There was a small chance they were connected to Shopkeeper Liu, but it was more probable they were connected to Li Le, or someone Li Le had contacted.

However, their surveillance was completely transparent to his Dynamic Vision. The way they glanced at him from the corner of their eyes, and the subtle changes in their facial expressions, were all too obvious to Tao Yu.

"It's not the Security Team. That's much better than the worst-case scenario."

Tao Yu mused inwardly.

If they had enough power to crush him openly, with the Security Team breathing down his neck in broad daylight, Tao Yu would have no choice but to cooperate obediently, play nice, and give them whatever they wanted, unless he wanted to become a fugitive in the Gray Mist.

Surviving was the priority! He wouldn't hesitate to endure humiliation and act like a dog if it meant staying alive!

But this method of surveillance suggested things weren't that dire.

Perhaps they were considering his connection with Uncle Hu, or perhaps Li Le's reach was limited.

Tao Yu even suspected they had no idea he had already submitted the information to the Recycling Station.

Tsk~

One channel wasn't entirely secure. He should have also sent free information to the dojo. His planning wasn't thorough enough.

"I'm still small and weak right now. Uncle Hu's influence isn't strong enough either. I can only leverage what I can."

Tao Yu didn't consider himself a genius, but he'd seen enough to understand basic principles. In the age of information, many truths were quite straightforward.

When individual strength is insufficient, one must shift the balance of consequences as much as possible.

If one Recycling Station wasn't enough, then the dojo should be included.

After all, the information was free, and it could also earn him some goodwill...

He looked up at the sky. Although it was always overcast, it was clearly darkening, signaling the approach of night. Tao Yu quickened his pace.

He hoped there wouldn't be any surprise attacks tonight.

His remaining ten thousand-plus Wish Power was valuable, and he'd prefer not to waste it on recovery