Return × Settlement (First Update)

Derivative World: The Outcast

World Difficulty: LV3~??

World Origin Obtained: 22.1%

Missions Completed: 8 (Main Missions ×2, Hunting Mission ×1, Hidden Mission 1: Choice; Hidden Mission 2: Allegiance; Hidden Mission 3: Breakthrough; Side Mission 1: President's Investment; Side Mission 2: Feng Shayan's Battle)

Overall Evaluation: S- (Note: Ratings range from E- to S+)

World Origin collection complete. Beginning reward tally.

Rewards Obtained: 12 Attribute Points (including those obtained in the world), 15,800 Paradise Coins.

Evaluation: S-. Hunter level +3, upgraded to LV5 (based on overall evaluation).

Hunter level has reached LV5. Storage space expanded to 5 cubic meters.

Settlement complete. Rewards have automatically been deposited into the Hunter's brand.

Hunter has completed a Hunting Mission and obtained a Bronze Medal. Honor Shop unlocked.

Location: Hunter's private room. Hunter may explore at their discretion.

Sitting on the floor, he reviewed the rewards from his settlement in The Outcast derivative world.

[Prompt: Hunter's vital signs are unhealthy. Would you like to be healed?]

He confirmed the healing and paid the Paradise Coins. In a warm glow, the scrapes on his body and internal bleeding rapidly healed.

[Prompt: Hunter's body has been repaired. 1,400 Paradise Coins deducted.]

He sprang up from the floor and turned toward the screen embedded in the wall.

[Prompt: Welcome to the Honor Shop, Hunter.]

[Prompt: As this is the Hunter's first time using the Honor Shop, please read the following terms.]

1. Items in the Honor Shop can only be exchanged for Honor Medals.

2. Items exchanged in the Honor Shop are bound and cannot be traded with other Contractors.

3. Hunters are forbidden from revealing any information about the Honor Shop to other Contractors. Any violation will result in execution by Cycle Paradise.

4. All items in the Honor Shop are available in limited quantities.

5. No refunds or exchanges after redemption.

He nodded. In other words, it was an exchange system that used its own currency, which meant its items were rare and hard to come by.

After pondering for a moment, he focused his thoughts and continued browsing the Honor Shop.

[Prompt: The Hunter only possesses a Bronze Medal and may redeem the following items.]

Soul Crystal (Small) ×1

Price: One Bronze Medal

Honor Recovery Potion

Effect: Restores 100% of your health immediately upon use.

Price: One Bronze Medal

Deep Brain Repair Potion

Effect: Repairs and activates the deeper regions of the brain.

Price: One Bronze Medal

There were only three items, but all of them were undeniably useful.

Soul Crystals were essential for unlocking and upgrading class skills. Their importance went without saying.

The Honor Recovery Potion's strength lay in the word "immediately." With one of these, having it in a derivative world was like having an extra life!

But to him, restorative items like this weren't especially precious. After all, he had Life Extraction, and Life Essence was also quite effective at restoring him.

The Deep Brain Repair Potion repaired cells, which would be extremely beneficial to a Contractor, especially one with an Intelligence-focused build like him.

After considering his options, he selected the Soul Crystal. As the Bronze Medal vanished from his space, a gem filled with the essence of a soul appeared in his hand.

His parents' deaths, the grudge for his attempted murder, the hatred over his family's destruction—he had yet to avenge any of them.

Long-term gains weren't part of his plans.

His central goal right now was revenge. As for his future in Cycle Paradise, he could only start planning after avenging his parents!

After completing the exchange, he immediately asked Paradise to upgrade his skill.

[Prompt: Upgrading 'Life Force' requires 1,000 Paradise Coins and Soul Crystal ×1. Pay?]

[Prompt: Your Life Force has been upgraded to LV2.]

Life Force, Level 2

Requirements: Consume 100 Life Force. (185/205)

Skill Effect: Enhances your next nature-type skill, increasing its effect by 100% and reducing its cooldown by 50%. When using a class skill, it will receive a second enhancement. No cooldown.

Prompt: Life Force cannot recover automatically. Absorbing something containing Life Origin can restore it.

After reading the upgrade effects of [Life Force], he was delighted. The 100-point increase to his maximum didn't just give him another way to unleash a burst of power.

More importantly, he could build up an extra 100 Life Force outside of combat!

The improvement was comprehensive. After resting for a while, Wang Changle looked at the 15,410 Paradise Coins and 12 Attribute Points he had left.

This time, he would make good use of his gains and strengthen himself as much as possible. After getting organized, he started tallying what he had obtained in The Outcast:

[Iron Head Skill Book] ×1, obtained by killing Liao Tietou.

[Phantom Sound Wave Skill Book] ×1, obtained by killing Luo Wei.

[Black Iron] ×2, one from the Tianxia Association and one from a Scarlet Card.

[Mysterious Turtle Shell] ×1, obtained from the Tianxia Association.

[Book of Eibon (Fragment)] ×1, obtained by opening a Scarlet Treasure Chest.

[Ring of the Prophet], equipped, obtained by opening a Scarlet Card.

[Nagini's Ring], equipped, obtained by opening a Scarlet Card.

[Characteristic Card: Fusion] ×1, obtained from a Snakefolk Priest, granted by his talent.

[Giant Snake's Tooth] ×1, obtained by opening a Treasure Chest.

[Blue Treasure Chest], obtained by killing Yuan Tao; [Green Treasure Chest], obtained by killing Han Dan'er; [White Treasure Chest], obtained by killing Zhu Tian (Vermilion Palm).

He planned to find a Staff Member skilled in forging and have them make him a melee weapon from the materials.

This derivative world had made him realize just how lacking his offensive options were.

He'd struggled badly just to kill Han Dan'er. He'd emptied a magazine from his pistol, and then used the Treant's attack and vines to pin him down.

Even then, he hadn't managed to kill Han Dan'er right away. Fortunately, Lu Jin held Yuan Tao off. Wang Changle doubled back, emptied another magazine, and finally killed him with a thrust of his steel saber.

If he hadn't been so well prepared, the assassination would have failed. If it had, his plan would have taken a serious hit. He didn't want to take that kind of risk again!

So he needed a melee weapon—one that was at least green quality!

His melee skills could be weak, but he couldn't have none at all. Shoring up his weaknesses was another way to boost his fighting strength, and would help him survive in Paradise.

As for the ticket, he planned to wait a while. He'd deal with it after avenging himself and spending his Attribute Points!

The ticket was an opportunity, and a choice, but it wasn't something he absolutely needed now—or something he absolutely had to have later!

Once he'd decided what to do with everything, he turned his attention to the three Treasure Chests. Whether he could earn some extra money this time depended on them.

[You opened a White Treasure Chest.]

[You obtained Iron Sand ×1.]

Iron Sand

Origin: The Outcast

White: 4

Description: Fine iron sand of excellent quality. Can be used for forging or smelting, or to aid in practicing Vermilion Palm.

Price: 200 Paradise Coins.

Looking at the large bag of Iron Sand in his hand, he smacked his lips. He'd thought he'd get at least a copy of Vermilion Palm. Who would have guessed he'd get a practice aid instead?

Oh, well. He'd just use it as forging material!

[You opened a Green Treasure Chest.]

[You obtained Han Dan'er's Grandmother's Ashes ×1.]

[You obtained Swift Rabbit ×1.]

The chest opened, dropping a gray cloth pouch first. Then, amid a gentle green glow, a pair of pink-and-white bunny-head slippers appeared on the floor.

[Han Dan'er's Grandmother's Ashes]

Origin: The Outcast

White: 1

Description: Contains Han Dan'er's longing for his grandmother. Carrying it will incur Han Dan'er's hatred.

Price: 10 Paradise Coins.

"You had to die. But if I succeed in getting my revenge, I'll find your grandmother a good place to rest."

Wang Changle looked at the bag of ashes in his hand and sighed.

For a moment, he couldn't help thinking of his own parents. He still didn't know where their ashes were, or what had become of them.

He didn't feel guilty about killing Han Dan'er.

Without killing Han Dan'er, killing Yuan Tao would have been nearly impossible. And without killing Yuan Tao, he couldn't earn Lu Jin's trust. Without Lu Jin's trust, there was no way to break the deadlock. So killing Han Dan'er had been inevitable.

In Cycle Paradise, nobody was innocent, and nothing was beyond sacrifice. Only by paying a price could you gain something greater!

[Swift Rabbit]

Origin: The Outcast

Green: 29

Defense: 3

Active: Dash: After performing the corresponding action, movement speed increases by 30% for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 1 hour)

Description: Made by Han Dan'er to resemble his grandmother's cloth shoes.

Price: 3,000 Paradise Coins.

Rubbing the fluffy pink slippers in his hands, Wang Changle glanced at his own feet. Putting these on would take an incredible amount of willpower. If he had to perform the matching action, he'd die of embarrassment!

Besides, he was wearing Armor of Toughness now, so he had no use for them. He might as well sell them!

[You opened a Blue Treasure Chest.]

[You obtained 1,000 Paradise Coins.]

[You obtained Forging Blueprint: Nine Dragon Sons ×1.]

[Forging Blueprint: Nine Dragon Sons]

Origin: The Outcast

Blue: 70

Requirements: At least Level 10 in either forging or artifact refining.

Effect: Use the blueprint to learn how to forge the Nine Dragon Sons.

Prompt: The Nine Dragon Sons consist of nine pieces of equipment.

Prompt: Equipping the Nine Dragon Sons will occupy all nine of the Contractor's equipment slots.

Description: Forged by Yuan Tao using his life's work, based on the Nine Dragon Illusion Formation.

Price: 10,000 Paradise Coins.

..

He couldn't help licking his lips. He'd experienced the power of the Nine Dragon Sons firsthand. They were incredibly strong!

They could attack or defend, with strong defenses and useful support abilities. They were truly versatile.

When Yuan Tao fought Zhang Lingyu, he only used Pulao, Suo Ni, Morning Wind, Baxia, and Chiwen, yet he was already certain to win. Even against Lu Jin, he held his own after bringing out all seven beads!

If Wang Changle hadn't killed Han Dan'er first, sending Yuan Tao into a rage and making him eager to kill Wang Changle,

and if Lu Jin hadn't disabled Chiwen afterward, with Zhang Lingyu providing support from the sidelines, Wang Changle could never have killed Yuan Tao on his own.

After looking over the blueprint, he narrowed his eyes and began tapping his fingers against the wall.

"Tap, tap~"