016: Official Temporary Worker; A Perfect Day for Treasure Hunting

When Su Yi made his request, Aolong looked troubled.

He had the authority to apply for exoskeletons and employee IDs.

But he would have to put his salary and career on the line to guarantee those applications.

One KG-S1001 exoskeleton cost 200 Void Abyss Coins.

Four would cost 800—twenty months of his wages!

Seeing Aolong hesitate, Su Yi lowered his voice. "Boss, heroes have always had to take risks to achieve great things."

"A man of your caliber must know this investment is nothing compared to what you'll earn in the future."

"Think of your bright future after your promotion. A beautiful secretary leaning over your desk, an elegant actress beckoning to you from your bed!"

"All your old enemies beneath your feet!"

Aolong's eyes began to redden.

He was only an ordinary company employee. How could he withstand the sweet talk of an old fox like Su Yi?

The next moment, Aolong said, "Fine! I'll apply now. They can be delivered tomorrow!"

Then Aolong turned and took something resembling a card reader from the safe.

"I can issue five temporary IDs here. I'll get yours done now."

Aolong had always been able to issue these IDs, but if anything went wrong with one he issued, he would be held responsible.

Before, when he had given up on everything, he had no interest in taking on extra risk.

But things were different now. Su Yi had painted him a bright future!

After all, he was a hero!

Su Yi took out his identification, and after a few quick steps from Aolong, he received a card resembling an employee badge.

It bore his personal information and a photograph.

Most prominent were the words: "Black Sun Group Temporary Staff."

Su Yi was delighted to receive it.

This ID was the key to overcoming obstacles ahead, especially the border patrol officers.

Afterward, Su Yi went downstairs to find Alton and the other two.

The thugs who had refused to submit earlier had been dealt with by the three of them. They stood pale-faced, heads lowered and silent.

Scissors's face was so swollen he could barely open his eyes.

"Alton, you three go upstairs," Su Yi said. "The boss is issuing you temporary staff IDs."

The three of them were overjoyed. "Yes, boss!"

A temporary staff ID! Even Mad Dog had never received that kind of official recognition!

With it, they would still be temporary workers without the benefits enjoyed by permanent company staff.

But to outsiders, they were company employees!

At the very least, those hateful patrol officers and members of other gangs would no longer dare to hassle them on a whim.

The thugs nearby stared, wide-eyed.

Temporary staff IDs!

That was what they had been working toward all this time!

"Boss Horus! Sir! We were wrong!"

"Boss! I was blind before. Mad Dog forced us to do it!"

"Boss, we'll be loyal to you from now on, no matter what!"

The group dropped to their knees before Su Yi, pleading loudly and swearing their loyalty.

Su Yi naturally didn't believe a word of it.

He had no interest in them. He wanted to build up people of his own.

So he smiled and said, "It's fine. Since you all accept me as your boss, we're on the same side."

"Take the rest of today off. We'll get back to work tomorrow!"

Surprised that Su Yi was so easygoing, the men thanked him profusely and left without causing trouble.

Scissors slipped away in the confusion, full of resentment and anger.

Ten minutes later, the three men emerged with their temporary IDs, their faces glowing with excitement.

After the four left the company, Rijia exclaimed, "Boss, you're a god to us!"

In just a few days, the three men had seen their status, wealth, and dignity transformed.

Rijia had no interest in violence, but being feared and respected felt incredible!

Mota rapped him on the head. "Go play with your Goddess's Hand!"

Then Mota pulled a strange-smelling package from his coat.

"Boss, I saw you were injured. I mixed up this special healing ointment over the past two days."

He gave an awkward smile. "It doesn't smell great, but I promise it works."

"Put it on your skin. It's especially good for burns."

Alton added, "Give it a try, boss. It really does work."

Mota had been an orphan since childhood, taken in by a deeply reclusive pharmacist.

The pharmacist had forced him to swallow all sorts of strange medicines growing up, but had also taught him a great deal about medicine.

After the pharmacist died, Mota inherited his collection of remedies.

Su Yi felt a flicker of warmth. Smiling, he said, "Don't worry."

"I'll accept anything you give me, as long as it isn't shit."

"Hahaha!"

Alton and Rijia burst out laughing.

Pills that smelled like shit had become Mota's trademark.

Mota was used to it. "Just use it. You'll be speechless at how well it works."

After taking the ointment, Su Yi said, "These past few days have worn us out. Take today off and spend some time with your families."

None of the three objected. They had gained so much in the past few days that they couldn't wait to show off to their families and friends.

After work, Su Yi returned home. He first activated his innate skill to heal one of his burns, then spread the pitch-black ointment over his three remaining wounds.

It stank, but it felt cool and soothing on his skin.

Even the pain in his wounds had nearly vanished.

Once he had tended to them, Su Yi sat on his bed, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

Today was April 4, the day the Void Abyss tide receded.

It was a good day to level up—and a good day to hunt for treasure.

In this game, the human body had limits.

The highest level a person could normally reach through physical training was level 10.

To advance beyond level 10, they had to undergo modification or train their Void Abyss Projection.

Experience, at its core, was the process of adapting to the Void Abyss.

Not even Players could avoid that process.

Experience from ordinary quests and killing monsters could only take Players to level 20. After that, they had to find their own way.

Closing his eyes, Su Yi linked his mind to his Void Abyss Projection.

After a violent wave of distortion and dizziness, Su Yi came to his senses and found that he had become a pitch-black eye.

The eye was about a meter across, its surface gleaming like obsidian.

At its center was a blood-red pupil that burned like magma.

This was the mark of Su Yi's true god bloodline: the Dark Matter Eye, coveted by countless Players and even the gods.

The eye held the potential to deconstruct and reshape everything in the material world.

Through it, Su Yi saw a purple world twisted beyond measure.

The world looked dreamlike, defying all common sense.

Through the warped purple tides and thin mist, he could make out points of light resembling stars.

Each point of light was someone's Void Abyss Projection.

The way to level up here was simple. Traces left by countless gods lay scattered throughout the Void Abyss.

Find and absorb those traces, and the standing of one's Void Abyss Projection would rise.

Looking into the Void Abyss through the Dark Matter Eye, Su Yi could see far more than a player could.

So this is a boss-level Void Abyss Projection? This feels amazing!

Excitement surged through Su Yi as he began searching for his target.

The Void Abyss was utterly distorted, a realm without spatial or temporal dimensions.

Or rather, it was a higher-dimensional realm that people could not yet comprehend.

That meant it could be used not only to level up, but also for communication across star systems.

Void Abyss Projections could not fight one another, but they could communicate through special methods.

And since space and time had no meaning here, anyone who knew how could let two people separated by more than a thousand light-years speak instantly.

But Su Yi had no interest in talking to anyone right now.

He had come here today to find a treasure first.

With it, he could level up quickly.

It was also the key to qualifying for a major promotion within the company: the Ember Branch.