Chapter 47

"Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"That lone bandit 'Exterminator,' who's been running wild in our Western Wasteland for years, finally bit off more than he could chew and is on the run."

"Huh? That guy is a top-tier ruthless bastard. Back when he had a feud with the smugglers from the Iron Sand Chamber of Commerce, they sent assassins after him, but he didn't just kill the assassins—he went back and wiped out the entire Chamber of Commerce... If even a monster like that is running away, who on earth did he offend?"

"He offended two enemies. One isn't particularly strong, and the other is terrifying. Which one do you want to hear about first?"

"Let's start with the one that isn't particularly strong."

"Black Axe."

"...Black Axe?! You mean that group of professional criminals who worship the Poisonous Battle Axe? You're calling them 'not particularly strong'? You must be joking!"

"Who's joking with you! 'Exterminator' put up thirty thousand gold coins and four pieces of magic equipment as a deposit to hire one hundred and fifty elites from Black Axe to help him attack the temple of the Cruel Hunter. Black Axe did the job and went to collect the balance, but they couldn't find him anywhere."

"Tsk! Typical 'Exterminator'! He's got guts! To think he'd dare scam Black Axe! So, who's the other enemy? Don't tell me it's some Majesty."

"You guessed it. The other enemy is His Majesty, the Cruel Hunter."

"...It's just attacking a temple. That's not exactly rare in our Western Wasteland. Is it really worth provoking the deity behind the temple? You're pulling my leg again!"

"Who's pulling your leg! That guy killed the temple's high priest and desecrated the idol. The Cruel Hunter has already issued a divine decree: any believer who kills him gets a reserved spot in the Divine Kingdom! If a non-believer kills him, they get a piece of legendary equipment as a reward!"

"...Is it too late for me to convert?"

"Wash up and go to sleep. Even if you convert, can you find 'Exterminator'? And even if you did find him, it's not guaranteed that you'd be the one doing the killing!"

"...I wouldn't be able to beat him without a big enough reward, but just thinking about such a prize, maybe I'd tap into my hidden potential and smash him to death with one hammer blow!"

"Keep dreaming! If you've got so much spirit, go polish that rusty hammer of yours. We're going to hunt Black Giant Lizards tomorrow—dare you?"

"Of course I dare! If you aren't afraid of dying, why should I be?"

Similar conversations were taking place in almost every tavern in the region of the Wilderness Empire bordering the Great Gobi. Adventurers were truly in awe of Mr. "Exterminator," who had vanished after causing such a massive disaster. There are many people in this world who court death, but few can do it with such style, variety, and sheer level of commitment!

Naturally, there were no shortage of people scouring the streets like hungry wolves, eyes peeled, searching for him. But no matter how they looked—even digging three feet deep into the sewers, climbing high mountains to scan the horizon, or grabbing everyone wearing a hooded cloak to beat them and strip off their outer garments—they could not find a trace of the lone bandit who once haunted these lands.

It wasn't for lack of trying; some had hired powerful spellcasters to use divination magic to track his location, but the results were always a chaotic blur, as if shrouded in thick mist.

Perhaps the guy was already dead?

People speculated, but no one could be sure.

Could that audacious and cunning man have really died silently in some forgotten corner, without even a soul to claim his corpse for the reward?

"Ah!" A scream echoed across the wilderness.

"If you're a man, grit your teeth! What's with all this sniveling?" Sui Xiong scolded the spineless fellow.

As he spoke, the tentacle holding the large wooden club rose again and smashed down onto Lei's face.

Blood splattered, tendons snapped, and bones cracked.

Lei couldn't help but scream loudly again, but Sui Xiong remained unmoved. He cast a healing spell to restore Lei's vitality, then brought the club down once more.

After repeating this cycle of beating and healing several times, the muscles and bones in Lei's face were finally completely reshaped. Now, even if his own relatives and friends (assuming he had any) were standing right in front of him, they wouldn't be able to recognize him.

"See? Isn't the plastic surgery I did for you amazing?" Once Lei finally caught his breath, Sui Xiong conjured an ice mirror in front of him to show his new appearance. "Now you can walk the streets with peace of mind; no one will ever recognize you again."

"Your Majesty Void Mask, your plastic surgery is truly a world-class wonder. Next time you run into some of my 'good brothers,' please be sure to give them a makeover too!" Lei said through gritted teeth. "I'm sure they'd be eternally grateful to you..."

"Gratitude isn't necessary. To be honest, I don't like you, a blood-soaked evildoer, and I don't want to waste time on your 'good brothers.' I only helped you with this surgery to avoid potential trouble on the road." Sui Xiong said, shifting his form into a small, foot-wide jellyfish that landed on Lei's head like a hat. "Let's go; we have a long way to go."

Lei sighed helplessly, carrying the terrifying, dangerous object on his head as he trekked over mountains and through ridges, heading south.

After walking for a while, Sui Xiong couldn't help but ask, "Tell me... I've hit you so many times, have you had any spark of inspiration? Any sign of breaking through a long-standing bottleneck, like you're about to achieve some ultimate martial art?"

"No."

"Then, have you had any sudden realization? Any desire to turn over a new leaf? To let the past die and be reborn today? Like, 'I didn't have a choice before, but now I want to be a good person'—that sort of thing?"

"No."

"...Truly, you are rotten wood that cannot be carved!"

After walking a bit further, Sui Xiong still couldn't help himself. "Lei, I have a very powerful technique that can help people abandon evil and follow the path of good, to reform themselves. Even if they can't get into heaven, they can at least earn a chance at redemption and avoid hell. Are you interested?"

"I'm doing just fine as I am. I have no intention of changing."

"If you stay like this, you'll definitely go to hell when you die!"

"If I go to hell, it's what I deserve. If a villain like me could avoid hell, then there would be something wrong with this world!"

Sui Xiong paused, then clicked his tongue in amazement. "I never would have guessed! So you're an angry young man after all! You think there's something wrong with this world, too? I think so as well! Who would have thought we'd have so much in common!"

"...Sorry, I don't want to have anything in common with a jellyfish!"

"Hey, I'm a deity! Isn't it a good thing to have something in common with a deity?"

"Oh, then let me correct myself: I don't want to have anything in common with a deity who looks like a jellyfish and is currently perched on my head disguised as a hat." Lei replied expressionlessly. "Please go talk to your believers about such topics; I'm sure they would agree with you unconditionally."

"...Lei, has anyone ever told you that you're very boring?"

"Yes, many people."

"Then add me to that list!"

After traveling for a while longer, they had left the Great Gobi and the Western Wasteland far behind, entering the depths of the Gray Stone Mountains.

The Gray Stone Mountains were famous for their abundant gray stone mines. In the eyes of Sui Xiong, this so-called gray stone was something akin to limestone. It was not particularly sturdy, but it had the advantage of being easy to mine. Furthermore, after being burned, it turned into powder; when mixed with water and mud, it could solidify once again. While it didn't harden as much as rock, it was no less durable than ordinary bricks. Considering the costs of production and transport, it was an extremely suitable building material.

For this reason, there were many quarries on both sides of the Gray Stone Mountains. The Gold Coin Federation to the west, the Wilderness Empire to the east, and the Eagle Kingdom to the south all had many roads and houses built with gray stone mortar, which could be considered a unique tapestry that these mountains bestowed upon the world.

However, the interior of the Gray Stone Mountains was quite dangerous. Various perilous Magic Beasts roamed here, and even more ferocious, special races resided within. Adventurers generally did not venture deep into the mountains, fearing conflicts with them and the unnecessary risks that would entail.

The most common dangerous creatures in these mountains were a variant species known as "Fierce Goblins." They stood about half the height of an average adult human, but their muscles were exceptionally well-developed, and they possessed a variety of innate spellcasting abilities.

For instance, "Stone Skin," a spell that required a certain level of mastery for a mage to learn, was something every one of them could cast. This spell formed a protective layer as hard as rock around the caster's body, capable of blocking many attacks and making these Fierce Goblins—who otherwise lacked armor due to their primitive technology—comparable to fully armed warriors.

Beyond that, Fierce Goblins also possessed "Bloodthirst" and "Berserk" abilities. The former allowed them to grow stronger the longer they fought, absorbing the life force of the fallen to rapidly recover from wounds and restore stamina. The latter allowed them to gain astonishing strength and speed for a short time; some particularly strong Fierce Goblins could even go head-to-head with Magic Beasts while in a berserk state. Given their size, this hellish, monstrous strength was practically cheating!

If ordinary Fierce Goblins were already this powerful, it went without saying that they also possessed their own civilization, various potent special powers, and even their own guardian deities. Therefore, when adventurers spotted their tracks in the mountains and forests, they would mostly choose to give them a wide berth rather than engage in conflict.

But this certainly did not include Sui Xiong.

"You say Fierce Goblins are very ferocious, brutal, combative, and unreasonable?" The floating jellyfish drifting through the air waved its tentacles and said skeptically, "That's completely wrong! Look, aren't they very reasonable and hospitable?"

Lei looked at the Fierce Goblins surrounding them—who had painted their bodies in colorful patterns, were dancing around, and kept bowing and saluting Sui Xiong—and couldn't help but roll his eyes, his heart filled with helplessness.

Where is your brutality! Where is your berserk nature! Where is your savagery! Where is your unreasonableness! Just because you met a deity willing to get along with you, you've thrown all your integrity away!

Where has your dignity and pride as a savage race gone! Are you not afraid of the wrath of your gods in heaven by so blatantly sucking up to an outsider!

You are clearly undermining me! Do you know I was just bragging about you a moment ago! Do you know I was just talking about how brave and fierce you were! Do you know I had already prepared myself for a bloody battle or even to die here!

Brothers, we're all just trying to make a living out here; you're being so uncooperative that my heart is exhausted...

Thanks to readers "Xuan Bo," "Ye An Ruo Shui," "Xiao Zhu Kuai Pao," and "Mu Ji" for their enthusiastic tips. Everyone's support is the motivation for my updates!