Perfect Item

"Name: Paradise Island Couples' Vacation Voucher"

"Type: Item"

"Quality: Perfect"

"Effect: After use, you will travel to Paradise Island for a fifteen-day paid vacation. You may bring one companion."

"Remark: Once you have been to Paradise Island, everywhere else becomes hell."

"Can be taken out of the instance: No"

Liu Zheng looked thoughtfully at the colorful ticket in his hand.

"System, do the fifteen days on Paradise Island count toward survival time?"

he asked.

"Yes."

The system's answer was brief and to the point.

Fifteen days meant 360 hours, five times the clearance requirement.

Even if the clearance rating required a comprehensive evaluation, it should at least reach A-rank or above.

In other words, he had already boarded the express train to clearing the instance.

A faint smile appeared on Liu Zheng's lips.

But he immediately realized he was celebrating too soon.

"Paradise Island Couples' Vacation Voucher!"

Cow-Horse's huge head leaned over, hot breath blasting from their nostrils.

"Holy shit, the clearance reward is actually this?!"

Their voice was filled with delight.

"You really want this thing?"

Liu Zheng asked tentatively.

"Obviously. Do you know how long it's been since I last took a vacation?"

Cow-Horse answered without hesitation.

"Besides, it's a couples' voucher. My wife and I haven't seen each other in half a year. Fifteen days is enough for us to make a little Cow-Horse."

they said excitedly.

Hearing that, Liu Zheng recalled the photo of Cow-Horse in a maid outfit.

"Cow-Horse, our deal may have to be canceled."

he said after hesitating for a moment.

"What do you mean?!"

Cow-Horse's eyes widened, and the breath they exhaled grew even hotter.

"I really need this vacation voucher."

"I need it too. We had a deal. You brat dare go back on your word, and I'll kill you."

Cow-Horse lowered their head and aimed their sharp horns at Liu Zheng.

Their four thick hooves pawed at the ground, and the muscles across their Flesh rippled like waves.

Liu Zheng had no doubt that they could skewer both him and the wall in one blow.

Yet he showed no fear and stared Cow-Horse down without yielding.

Liu Zheng was gambling that Cow-Horse could not simply take his things by force.

In any case, he had an immortal body. If he lost the bet, he could always surrender and cut his losses.

"I'm not trying to welch on the deal. I just want a fair trade."

Liu Zheng said.

Setting aside the fact that the voucher guaranteed a clear, it was itself a Perfect-grade item.

A mere bottle of Heavenward Moutai was clearly not enough for the trade.

"Then what do you want?"

Cow-Horse snorted heavily.

"You know its value, and you understand my situation. What I need is for you to decide."

Liu Zheng said.

"You're the craftiest, boldest, luckiest human I've ever seen. Wait here."

Cow-Horse stared at him for a full two minutes before finally speaking.

After saying that, they rammed the door open and left.

They did not return to the lounge until half an hour later.

"Take it."

Cow-Horse placed the box they had been carrying in their mouth before Liu Zheng.

They looked utterly miserable. Both horns had been reduced to half their length, and their nose had been completely caved in.

Their body was covered in wounds and bruises. One hind leg dangled in the air, with a section of stark white bone protruding from it.

There was even a dinner knife embedded in their chest, and it appeared to be silver.

"Boss, what happened to you?"

Liu Zheng asked casually.

"None of your damn business. Check the goods already. Hiss—"

Cow-Horse sucked in a sharp breath from the pain.

"Okay."

He opened the packaging and found a bottle of red wine inside.

It was the most ordinary glass bottle, without decoration or a label. The stopper was not cork, but a miniature skull.

"Name: Vlad III Limited Edition"

"Type: Item"

"Quality: Perfect"

"Effect: Strength and Constitution +15, Perception +20. High chance of awakening vampire bloodline, low chance of awakening the special bloodline Dracula's Descendant. Drinking it with the blood of other extraordinary creatures can increase the chances."

"Remark: Fine wine brewed with the heart's blood shed after the Impaler was impaled, using a secret recipe. Even in Bloodstained Restaurant, it is among the finest drinks."

"Can be taken out of the instance: Yes"

It increased all attributes and could even awaken a bloodline. It truly deserved to be called a Perfect-grade item.

Liu Zheng swirled the bottle, and the wine shimmered with a ruby-like luster.

"Give this to that tree, and it'll sell you even its roots."

Cow-Horse said smugly.

"What's the best thing it has?"

he asked.

"How would I know? But it has to be something good. That guy's self-employed, far richer than workers like us."

Cow-Horse said with a trace of envy.

"Fine."

Liu Zheng put away the red wine and handed the vacation voucher to Cow-Horse.

"I thought you'd demand that bottle of Heavenward Moutai too."

Cow-Horse said in surprise.

"Would you give it to me?"

"I'd give your grandmother my hoof."

Cow-Horse spat on the floor.

"But since you know what's what, I can wait a week before going on vacation."

they said, turning their head aside.

"That really is good news."

Liu Zheng smiled.

With Cow-Horse, this newbie guide NPC, around, he did feel much more at ease.

With the trade complete, Cow-Horse lay off to one side and repeatedly admired the vacation voucher.

"Come to think of it, what exactly is Paradise Island?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"It's an artificial island built by City Hall, specifically for outstanding talents from all walks of life to vacation on. It has the most advanced entertainment facilities, the most beautiful scenery, the richest food, and the most professional attendants. Most importantly, all of it is free."

Cow-Horse said longingly.

"That really does sound like paradise."

The pitch sounded strangely familiar to him.

"Of course. Otherwise, why would it be called Paradise Island? As long as you get to go once, it'd be worth it even if you got fired the next day."

Cow-Horse said excitedly.

"Uh, Boss, there's a story. Want to hear it?"

Since Cow-Horse had helped him quite a bit, Liu Zheng decided to give them a warning.

"If you've got something to say, spit it out."

Cow-Horse said impatiently.

"Once upon a time, there was a closed underground city. The people inside worked under surveillance every day, and their lives were dull and boring. But every so often, a lucky person would be selected to go to the legendary Paradise Island. From then on, they would never have to work again and could enjoy life."

"But in truth, those people were all clones. Going to Paradise Island supposedly meant being sent there for vacation, but they were actually dissected so their organs could be transplanted into their originals."

That was the plot of The Island. Liu Zheng had found it quite shocking when he first watched it.

"Interesting. Where did you hear that?"

Cow-Horse asked.

"I just made it up."

"Pretty vivid imagination. Too bad Paradise Island really exists. One of my relatives went there."

Cow-Horse licked their nose.

"How did he get that opportunity?"

"He spent his entire life savings buying a scalper's ticket. After he came back, he killed himself."

Cow-Horse said.

"Why?"

"Because he knew he'd never get another chance to go."

Cow-Horse said calmly.

"Then what about you, Boss?"

"I'm different from him. He was a widower, while I have a wife. Besides, I'm still young, and I'm an outstanding delivery worker at Bloodstained Restaurant."

"Even if I hadn't traded with you, another ten-odd years of saving would be enough for me to buy a scalper's ticket."

Cow-Horse said proudly.

"Impressive, impressive."

Liu Zheng gave them a thumbs-up.

"Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."

"Just asking, Boss, are your injuries serious?"

he suddenly asked.

"I've got just enough breath left to beat you to death."

Cow-Horse replied with a smile on their face but none in their Flesh.

"Heh."

"Heh."