The summer sun blazed, the scorching heat unbearable. All the more so here in the desert-a sea of sand with "scorching" in its very name.
Fortunately, Lin Xiaoran had gained Madara's level of chakra reserves. With that energy, she could resist the intense ultraviolet rays from the sun overhead to some extent. It also made her steps and movements lighter, sparing her considerable physical exertion.
As for Madara beside her, that went without saying. As a body brought back through Impure World Reincarnation, he could not even feel pain, let alone the current heat.
After walking for a little over ten minutes, Lin Xiaoran suddenly stopped.
Madara turned toward her in puzzlement.
"Didn't you sense it?" Lin Xiaoran asked.
"Hm?" Madara had been thinking about his plans the whole way and had paid little attention to their surroundings.
After all, whatever happened, he could handle it.
Only now that Lin Xiaoran mentioned it did he carefully sense their surroundings, then lower his gaze toward the sand not far away.
"Just a little bug," Madara said dismissively. "If you want me to deal with it, trade me some information."
"Heh, as if it were that easy." Lin Xiaoran sneered and took out the Gravity Radiation Gun.
Since this gun was a weapon Lin Xiaoran had obtained from an A-rank treasure chest, it had automatically bound itself to her. Even stored in the spatial backpack inside the Silver Ring, it would not disappear along with the basic supplies when the game ended.
Holding the Gravity Radiation Gun, Lin Xiaoran pulled the trigger at the sand ten meters away.
Boom!
A red light flashed, and the sand ahead erupted in a violent explosion! Several blasts followed in succession!
Lin Xiaoran hurriedly retreated several meters to avoid being buried alive by the flying sand.
Tch, that was too close. Next time, I'll have to fire from farther away! Lin Xiaoran thought, still somewhat shaken.
Ahead, once the explosions stopped, a large crater appeared before them, along with an announcement.
[Announcement: Challenger Master Lin Xiaoran from Country L has successfully claimed the first kill of an E-rank ferocious beast, obtaining one E-rank treasure chest! Points +10!]
The E-rank ferocious beast Lin Xiaoran had sensed with Observation Haki had been killed beneath the sand before it could even show its head, leaving not a scrap of its corpse behind.
Oh, not quite. At least there was an E-rank treasure chest.
Lin Xiaoran walked over and picked it up.
Beside her, Madara Uchiha looked astonished as he asked, "What kind of weapon is that?"
The instant Lin Xiaoran fired just now, he had actually sensed danger!
It was a powerful instinct that even if he activated Susanoo, he would not be able to block that shot!
Susanoo was the ultimate power of the Mangekyō Sharingan, the power of a god! Its most prized and most praised feature was its defense!
Susanoo's formidable defense was enough to contend with a Tailed Beast!
Yet just now, he had discovered to his shock that the defense he took such immense pride in could actually be breached by this gun! Pierced clean through!
It was simply unbelievable!
At that moment, Madara suddenly no longer dared underestimate this Master. At the very least, although she had no chakra power or ocular techniques, the technological development of this world was already enough to threaten a ninja as powerful as him.
The same would hold true even for Hashirama Senju.
"Want to know? That counts as information too, you know~" Lin Xiaoran turned and winked.
"Hmph! A mere weapon!" Madara turned away with a snort, as though he had not been the one startled just now.
[Weird, why does this Madara seem a little odd?]
[Wasn't he supposed to be really arrogant?]
[A little... tsundere?]
[Tsundere is for describing girls, right? Madara, a tsundere?]
[I think you must have seen it wrong too. One look at Madara tells you he's the incredibly powerful, domineering type!]
[Uh, uh, then maybe I did see it wrong!]
[Hehe, Lin Xiaoran's picking up bad habits too~ I like it!]
[Everyone likes it, not just you!]
Inside the game, Lin Xiaoran had already opened the treasure chest.
[Congratulations to challenger Lin Xiaoran for opening an E-rank treasure chest and obtaining one E-rank sun umbrella!] [E-rank sun umbrella: Effectively blocks ultraviolet rays, rain, and more, and is also bulletproof. An essential quality item for home and travel!] [Ten-thousandfold supply return: Ten thousand E-rank sun umbrellas have been randomly distributed among all residents of Country L!]
A navy-blue straight-shaft umbrella without a hooked handle appeared in Lin Xiaoran's hand. When she opened it, whether it was her imagination or not, the ultraviolet rays really were completely blocked, and the sun no longer felt so harsh. It suited the current setting quite well.
Moreover, although the umbrella's canopy looked thin, it could stop bullets, making it a defensive weapon of sorts.
For that reason, this ten-thousandfold supply return was not designated for delivery to the national fortune analysis department.
[Thank you, Lin Xiaoran! I won!]
[Me too! From now on, I'm bringing it whenever I go out, rain or shine!]
[An umbrella matching Lin Xiaoran's-a must-have collectible!]
[Hey, am I the only one wondering how Lin Xiaoran knew there was a ferocious beast under the sand?]
[And before her Heroic Spirit noticed it, too!]
[Isn't that Uncle Issho's sensing ability? How does Lin Xiaoran have it too?]
[Do you think it's possible Uncle Issho taught it to Lin Xiaoran? After all, the livestream shuts off at night, so we can't see anything.]
[Wow! That makes a lot of sense!]
[I just wonder if Uncle Issho taught Lin Xiaoran anything else. If she could summon meteors too, that would be great!]
Inside the National Fortune Bureau, Xu Shuiyun and Jiang Zhixue, who were watching the livestream, looked up at the same time and exchanged a glance. "You saw that comment too?" Xu Shuiyun asked.
Jiang Zhixue said, "Yes, I saw it. Do you think Lin Xiaoran..."
Clearly, both of them had recalled the scene in the elevator yesterday, when Lin Xiaoran had said, "If only a meteor really could fall on their heads."
They had not taken it to heart at the time. After all, Lin Xiaoran was not the Heroic Spirit Issho, so how could she have supernatural powers?
But looking at it now, what if this kind of supernatural power could be taught to others? Had Lin Xiaoran really learned it?!
If that was true, it would be wonderful!
Although the idea was far too fantastical, it was not necessarily impossible. Xu Shuiyun remained hopeful. "Let's keep watching!"
"Yes!" Jiang Zhixue thought the same.
"Let's keep moving!" With the umbrella up, Lin Xiaoran felt much more comfortable now.
Madara silently followed beside her, his mind full of questions, but he was unwilling to swallow his pride and ask first, so he quietly waited for an opportunity.
Meanwhile.
On the other side of the desert.
Boom!
An enormous fist slammed down, smashing an F-rank ferocious beast scorpion into the sand and successfully killing it.
[Announcement: Challenger Master Sophia from Country Y and her Heroic Spirit Stone Giant have successfully killed an F-rank ferocious beast. Points +5!]
"The first kill wasn't mine!? Ah! I was so close!"
Dressed in a flax-colored long dress, Sophia was terribly upset when she saw that she had killed her ferocious beast only a minute or two later than that Lin Xiaoran!
If the first kill had been hers, she could have obtained a treasure chest!
For once, her Heroic Spirit was very powerful. Sophia also wanted to follow Lin Xiaoran's example from the previous round, earning as many points as possible to raise the upper limit of the national fortune rewards.
But her luck had been just a little worse. Although she had encountered a ferocious beast at the same time as Lin Xiaoran, Lin Xiaoran had clearly acted a little faster. In particular, she had anticipated it, instantly killing the beast before it even emerged.
"Hmph! Just you wait, Lin Xiaoran. I'll definitely be the final winner of this round!"
Sophia lifted her little face, brimming with confidence.
"Stone Giant!" Sophia looked up and called toward him above.
Then the giant, a full thirty meters tall and made entirely of stone, crouched slightly and extended his right hand onto the ground.
Sophia stepped onto it. "Let's go!"
The Stone Giant seemed unable to speak. He simply nodded, stood up, and walked forward.
With his heavy body, every step sank the Stone Giant's legs into the sand, but it did not affect his speed in the slightest.
[Haha! Amazing! Sophia's awesome! She actually summoned such a powerful Heroic Spirit!]
[Victory's in sight!]
[Don't get too excited. There's still Lin Xiaoran from Country L!]
[What's there to fear! Even if her Heroic Spirit this time is stronger than the last one, does that mean Sophia's Heroic Spirit isn't strong? This has only just started. He definitely has other abilities he hasn't shown yet!]
[Don't forget, with Lin Xiaoran as their greatest opponent, the challengers will definitely join forces! As long as they get rid of her, our chances will be even better!]
[You can do it, Sophia!]