"Not at all! Compared with your generous gift, this is just a little trifle. If it saves you some time, my old bones will be more than pleased!"
People were always generous with compliments when they stood to benefit. Compared with Gao Xu's intelligence about the Red Ghost King, the Ink Mystery Juice really was nothing.
And Mr. Yi had another important reason for being so accommodating: he had never let his guard down around Gao Xu. Though courtesy now made it impossible to force him back into the Main God Space, Mr. Yi still didn't want him lingering in Heishui Town.
So when he learned that Gao Xu's mission objective was the Ink Mystery Juice, Mr. Yi's smile was even wider than Gao Xu's. He immediately picked out a bottle of the finest quality and brought it over.
As it turned out, Mr. Yi had more than one bottle of Ink Mystery Juice. He had prepared a great many, because, as he'd mentioned earlier, it was the very item that could protect people from the miasma inside General's Tomb. No wonder he'd called it "using local resources"!
This unexpected stroke of luck delighted Gao Xu. He'd gone from nearly being forced back into the Main God Space and failing his mission, to completing it ahead of schedule with hardly any effort. The road had taken a sudden turn, and darkness had given way to light.
Mr. Yi had produced a bottle of Ink Mystery Juice with barely a fuss, but he'd been preparing supplies for a long time. Combined with the goods circulating in the space market, that was how he'd managed to acquire this unique medicinal ingredient from before Heishui Town was corrupted. If Gao Xu had tried to find it himself, even tracking down the clues would probably have taken quite some time.
Lin Tiannan's sword energy was terrifyingly sharp. Before they left the previous day, Doctor Han had told them that every minute they delayed would worsen Su Mei's internal injuries. Gao Xu had slept for only a few hours the night before, then hurried to Heishui Town first thing that morning, hoping to get there as soon as possible.
So what seemed like a small favor to Mr. Yi was a tremendous help to Gao Xu. Both sides were pleased, and they wasted no time in saying goodbye.
Before leaving, Gao Xu said mysteriously, "You may well have a benefactor waiting to help you on this journey, sir. I wish you smooth sailing and a triumphant return!"
"I'll take your good wishes to heart, my young friend. Haha!" Mr. Yi laughed heartily and waved goodbye. At the very back of the group walked the imposing giant. He stared fixedly at Gao Xu and asked, "My name is Shang Yan. Can you tell me how you fooled the space's level-five permission scan?"
Gao Xu felt mischievous and sighed. "If I told you I really was a brand-new rookie, would you believe me?"
Shang Yan turned and walked away, raising his right hand high and giving Gao Xu a big middle finger.
After watching the group disappear, Gao Xu and Lin Yueru headed back the way they'd come. Along the way, he answered the young lady's many questions, managing to muddle through them at last. When he looked up, Doctor Han's apricot tree was already visible in the distance.
When Gao Xu handed the last medicinal ingredient to Han Mengci and waited for nearly an hour, the Emblem in his palm suddenly vibrated. Several messages that filled him with joy entered his mind:
"Reincarnator No. 1897 has completed the A-rank hidden mission: Treating Su Mei. Mission duration: 15 hours 23 minutes. Ingredient quality: High. Overall completion: Perfect. Rewards: 2,000 points, 3 random attribute points, and increased favorability with the story character Su Mei. Current favorability: 100/100." "Story character Su Mei's favorability has reached the maximum. Special reward unlocked:" "Please choose two of the following rewards:" "First: 1 free attribute point." "Second: 1,500 points." "Third: Skill Scroll—Low Howl × 1." "Fourth: Recruit Su Mei as a Spirit Pet. She will be bound to Reincarnator No. 1897 and can be taken out of the Chinese Paladin world and summoned in other story worlds." "Note: Su Mei is a Spirit Pet capable of growth, with exceptionally high intelligence. If you choose her as a Spirit Pet, you must fulfill her greatest wish: rescue the Snake Demon and Fox Demon trapped in the Demon Locking Tower. This mission is extremely difficult. Please consider carefully!"
"She can actually become a Spirit Pet? This little fox is incredible!" Even Gao Xu, with all his experience, nearly cried out in surprise.
Story characters from any world could be brought out. By completing a series of missions, increasing their favorability, and fulfilling their destined roles, there was a chance to make them companions or followers who could face the trials of the Main God Space alongside you.
Countless Reincarnators had once dreamed of bringing powerful figures like Demon Lord Chonglou or Grand Preceptor Yuwen Tuo with them to roam the space. But they all discovered that it was a pipe dream, with not the slightest chance of success.
For starters, the basic requirement of maxing out a character's favorability eliminated ninety-nine percent of Reincarnators. Even increasing the favorability of Dongmei, a maid with barely a walk-on role, required completing a challenging side mission. One could imagine what kind of missions it would take to win over the protagonists and powerful supporting characters.
And fulfilling a character's destined role was even harder than maxing out their favorability. A character's destined role meant what they had done in the original story. Completing it—or changing it completely—could affect a vast area. Take the popular character Zhao Ling'er, for example. She would have to return to the Miao Frontier, put an end to the conflict between the Black and White Miao, fulfill her duty as a Descendant of Nuwa, and subdue the Water Demon Beast!
A Reincarnator would have to accompany Zhao Ling'er through all of this and ensure she survived the final battle before they could take her out of the Chinese Paladin world.
Whether Li Xiaoyao would agree or try to stop them by then was another story~~
Su Mei had no destined role to fulfill in Chinese Paladin 1, and her favorability was already maxed out. Even so, the space hadn't offered her as an official companion. Because of her demon heritage, it had made her a Spirit Pet instead—and attached an extremely difficult follow-up mission!
That alone showed how difficult it was to recruit story characters as companions!
Gao Xu excitedly chose the first and fourth rewards, then followed the instructions into the house. As soon as he opened the door, Su Mei's bright eyes met his. The little fox leaped into his arms, bared her fangs, and gently bit his neck. After a brief sting, Gao Xu felt a close bond form between him and the little creature before him. A Spirit Pet option had also appeared on his character panel.
"Su Mei: Spirit Pet. Strength: 8; Agility: 10; Constitution: 10; Spirit: 15; Insight: 11. Health: 100; Defense: 5; Growth: 87; Loyalty: 0. Skill 1: Poison Smoke—Release a wisp of smoke that poisons a single enemy, reducing its health by 3 points per second for 15 seconds. Skill 2: Low Howl—Stun enemies within a 4-yard radius for 1–3 seconds." "Spirit Pet Space unlocked. When the Spirit Pet is within 100 yards of its master, the master can send it into the space, or it can return to the space by itself. However, staying in the Spirit Pet Space for too long will lower its loyalty. Please arrange its time there wisely."
After their bond was established, Su Mei and Gao Xu became even closer. Her fluffy body nestled against him as she said something that left him both amused and exasperated:
"Big brother, I belong to you now. You have to treat me well~"
******
The first little loli had been acquired. The raising plan officially began~
What, you're asking about Lin Yueru? Find out in the next chapter!
As for Zhao Ling'er, recruiting her is too difficult. But no matter how high the mountain, we've got to climb it, right? Heh heh. That one will take a little longer...
Before you continue