Chen Rui was deeply moved. Knowing that Pagliu wasn't one for sentimental talk, he chuckled. "Since we're partners, what's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine. I'll take care of all the treasures in Gloomy Night Wetland for you! If you have a beautiful dragoness younger sister, I'd even offer myself to her. We could become even closer family..."
When dealing with stubborn people, you had to be even more stubborn than they were.
"Pah! You're getting carried away!" The Poison Dragon looked disgusted. "If you ask me, you and that madwoman Lola would make a fine pair. I hope she takes a liking to you when you meet someday!"
Chen Rui remembered Pagliu's description of Lola as a mad scientist and shuddered. That wasn't a blessing at all—it was clearly a curse.
The Poison Dragon stopped joking and said, "Actually, you're right. This is a great opportunity to train. You have the power of the Grandmaster Inheritance within you. Every time you make it through a trial, your awakened strength will increase by a big step. Maybe in two months, you'll really be able to defeat that High-Rank Demon. Then you'll be one step closer to your goal in Gloomy Night Wetland..."
Chen Rui knew Pagliu had always believed deeply in the Grandmaster Inheritance. That was a big part of why he had faith in Chen Rui, so Chen Rui didn't point it out.
Then the Poison Dragon gave a sinister smile. "If you can't reach the strength to stand up to that guy in two months, come to Blue Wave Lake. When that Greater Devil uses the War Contract to track you down, I'll deal with him! I may only have the power of a Great Devil King right now, but killing a High-Rank Demon is no problem. Besides, I didn't earn the name 'Poison' Dragon for nothing!"
"So that's the plan you meant. 'Cunning' is a better word for you," Chen Rui thought, even more certain of his guess. "But I won't think about that until then. I need to give my all in a real fight and not count on any stroke of luck. The fewer ways out I have, the more it'll bring out my potential."
"Looks like you got a lot out of that fight. First, think about how to deal with Swift Wolf Jess," the Poison Dragon said with a satisfied nod. "Going by his nickname, he should specialize in speed. Those guys are the hardest to deal with. They're quick on both offense and defense. Your stamina and recovery are excellent, so you should be a natural counter to a speed fighter. But your defense isn't strong enough, especially since he's stronger than you. Otherwise, you could try to wear him down."
"What if... I could keep up with his speed?"
"That's too difficult," the Poison Dragon replied at once. "The most effective way to train speed is to exercise with weights, but you only have ten days. There isn't enough time. And he's the strongest speed fighter in the middle stage."
Chen Rui thought of the gravity rules in the Super System's Training Ground and gave a mysterious smile. "Maybe I have a way to improve my speed dramatically in a short time."
"That would be ideal, of course." The Poison Dragon knew his partner had a mysterious inheritance, so he didn't press him for details. "But even if you can keep up with him, you can't ignore the difference in strength. You're not in good shape right now. Go back, recover, and train. Come here five nights from now. I'll try to keep my strength at the middle stage of the Mid-tier Demon level, then speed up so you can get used to it in advance."
"Good!" Chen Rui didn't waste time and immediately climbed onto the Wyvern.
Before he left, Pagliu reminded him, "Whatever happens, be careful. If you can't handle it, run over here. This lord hasn't had enough of life yet!"
Chen Rui chuckled. The Wyvern spread its wings and took off, disappearing into the night in an instant.
He got up early the next morning. Master Alaux's reputation as a potion master was well deserved. The previous night, Chen Rui had deliberately downed two bottles of master-grade healing potion. Combined with the properties of his Star Body, his broken ribs had mostly healed overnight, and his serious external injuries had completely recovered.
The first place Chen Rui went after getting up was the Cloak Society, of course, in his human identity as a clerk.
Because of Agulie's instructions the day before, the old goblin Didi treated Chen Rui with utmost respect when he saw him.
"Didi, Agulie has something very important for you to do." Chen Rui's words immediately made the old goblin prick up his ears. "Gather information on all the fighters taking part in the arena matches as quickly as possible. Skip the low-rank fighters; I want information on Mid-tier Demons and High-Rank Demons, especially someone named Swift Wolf Jess."
You had to look down on your enemy strategically, with the confidence and courage to win, but take your enemy seriously tactically. Knowing yourself and your enemy was the way to win every battle.
"I happen to have a dossier here. I put it together back when I was betting on arena fights. Please wait a moment, sir." As soon as the old goblin heard what this was about, he went into the back room and quickly returned with a thin booklet. Its corners were badly worn, as if it had been studied often.
Chen Rui flipped through it. It did indeed contain detailed information on the leading fighters at each rank. Agulie had only entered the arena the day before, so he wasn't included. The entry on Blood Hand Langke read: "Langke, Horned Demon, nicknamed 'Blood Hand.' A powerful early-stage Mid-tier Demon. His attacks are fierce, and his methods are cruel and flamboyant. He has the Berserk talent."
Chen Rui had fought Langke the previous day and thought the description was quite accurate.
Jess's entry read: "Jess, Dark Elf, nicknamed 'Swift Wolf.' The strongest middle-stage Mid-tier Demon. Extremely fast, skilled with daggers and close-quarters combat, and possesses the Afterimage skill. Excellent at seizing the right moment; opponents are often killed with a single strike."
So he really was a speed fighter. No wonder he was called Swift Wolf. Chen Rui frowned and flipped to the last page, where he found Alaux's name. "Alaux, Greater Devil, High-Rank Demon. Exact level of strength unknown. In his most recent challenge, four months ago, he cut a middle-stage High-Rank Demon challenger in half within ten minutes."
Chen Rui was shocked. Alaux had killed an opponent of the "same rank" with ease. His strength was probably beyond the middle stage and might have reached the peak of the High-Rank Demon level. At the very least, he was among the strongest in the stable middle stage.
The dossier was indeed quite useful. Chen Rui put it away and handed the old goblin a money pouch. "There are fifty Black Crystal Coins here. Agulie asked me to give them to you. He didn't bring enough money yesterday, so he only gave you two. There's also a list of the magic materials he needs in the pouch. You can use these Black Crystal Coins to earn money while trying to get the materials. Choose high-quality ones if possible, especially Fluorescent Shadow Stone."
"Fifty Black Crystal Coins?" The old goblin took the leather pouch with trembling hands. He opened it and confirmed that they were Black Crystal Coins, not Purple Crystal Coins. He was stunned; he had never touched so much money in his life.
The goblin race was weak in battle, weaker even than Lesser Devils, and wasn't qualified to go to war. They lived at the very bottom of the Demon Realm, enduring constant mistreatment. Except for the rare genius who reached the peak of some specialized field and became a master, most had no chance of making something of themselves. Yet this temporary master he served hadn't even made him sign a Master-Servant Contract, and had casually entrusted him with a huge sum to use as he pleased. What an incredible level of trust!
The old goblin's eyes grew moist. He looked up and said, "Please tell my master that Didi swears by the ancestors of the Dark Goblins that he will never betray his trust!"
For a Dark Goblin, that was a very solemn oath. Just then, a small figure rushed in, shouting excitedly, "Uncle Didi! I did it! I did it!"
"Kaka, you little rascal!" The old goblin flew into a rage at the reckless goblin. "Can't you see that Lord Chen Rui is here? You have no manners! If you disrespect him again, I'll kick you out of the Cloak Society!"
Kaka jumped in fright. He still feared the human clerk who had once captured him, deep down. He quickly bowed. "Sorry, Lord Chen Rui. I was rude."
"It's all right." Chen Rui noticed what Kaka was holding and asked curiously, "Is that a Lala Potato?"
"Yes, sir. It's my improved Lala Potato." Kaka looked proud as soon as he mentioned it.
The old goblin snorted. "You're always wasting time on useless things instead of doing proper work. You should be making more knockout powder!"
Chen Rui understood. Apparently, to the old goblin, proper work meant making knockout powder to scam people.
Kaka mumbled an apology, then eagerly started showing off his results to Chen Rui. "Sir, regular Lala Potatoes ripen once every six months. This kind can ripen once a month, and the yield has doubled. The only problem is that it makes you fart more."
Whether from excitement or the effects of the improved Lala Potato, Kaka let out a tremendous fart as soon as he finished speaking. The stench was especially strong, and Chen Rui hurriedly covered his nose.
He remembered how he had pranked Alaux at the Grandmaster Challenge and used Ten-Mile Fragrance to kill Sandru. Now he was getting a small taste of his own medicine.
The old goblin's eyes nearly bulged. "Get out! You rude little brat!"
Kaka stuck out his tongue and ran. As he passed the doorway, he let out an even louder fart. The old goblin was so embarrassed in front of Chen Rui that he wished he could rush over and beat the kid senseless, but his old arms and legs couldn't keep up with his nephew.
The old goblin gave an awkward, sheepish laugh. "Kaka lost his parents when he was young, so he wasn't properly raised. He loves tinkering with plants. Please don't take offense at his rudeness, sir."
Chen Rui remembered the Rosemary Flower powder Kaka had used when they first met and nodded. "It's all right. Just do a good job on the three things Agulie asked you to handle. He and I both believe in your abilities."
The words moved the old goblin once again. Chen Rui didn't linger at the Cloak Society and headed straight for the palace.
In the Council Hall, Shea was discussing matters with the old Gauss. She looked a little surprised that Chen Rui had come to work early and said, "Chen Rui, you came at just the right time. I've just received word that Joseph has returned to Chiyou Territory. The failure at the Aerial Competition angered the Imperial Capital. His younger brother, Kanita, seized the opportunity to use it against him and suggested that Joseph be stripped of his right to come to Dark Moon. Joseph and Kanita are now using every means at their disposal to fight each other openly and behind the scenes. He probably won't be returning to Dark Moon anytime soon."
Old Gauss spoke up. "I think this is a great opportunity for us. Chen Rui, what do you think?"
After working with him for a while and hearing about some of his plans from the Eldest Princess, old Gauss, who prided himself on his own strategic intelligence, had come to take the new human clerk very seriously.
Chen Rui looked thoughtful. He had now found his place in the Demon Realm. As Chen Rui, he was a strategist who planned ahead and devised schemes. As Agulie, he was a warrior who pursued strength at any cost.
Until the day he possessed enough power to truly control his own fate.
Before you continue