Chapter 321: Wanted Poster and Death Note
Kaito Shirogane's injuries weren't considered severe. Utilizing the characteristics of [Yokai of the Wind], he had basically dodged the most powerful phase of that terrifying magic, only suffering from the shockwave.
Lee Chae-rin, however, had nowhere to hide. After delivering that slash, she used [Godspeed] to run nearly a kilometer away, yet her body, hardened by Armament Haki, was still hit.
Although she survived, over 70% of her body was carbonized. In the real world, this injury would be basically incurable.
But in the Nexus, injuries of this magnitude could be fully healed for less than three thousand Dimensional Points.
Her robe had been completely burned away in the high heat. Now repaired, her body was fully exposed. Lee Chae-rin subconsciously covered her vital areas, but in the next moment, Kaito roughly pulled her hands away.
Lee Chae-rin was considered tall among ordinary people, but Kaito still grabbed her like a ragdoll.
"You finally look a bit like a Reincarnator, woman."
Kaito's hand roamed over her neck. Lee Chae-rin trembled all over, but within that humiliation, there was inexplicably a trace of joy.
She immediately stopped that thought, forcibly suppressing the burning pain in her nerves and cursing Kaito in her heart, finally dispelling that eerie emotion.
Lee Chae-rin knew very well that this was likely a manifestation of Stockholm Syndrome resulting from the high-pressure environment and a series of tortures. The recovery of her strength and the subsequent recognition from Kaito had caused her continuously low mood to soar.
This was a very dangerous sign.
Kaito observed the woman's expression, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He didn't intervene further. Green fruits always need the tempering of wind, rain, and sunshine to gradually ripen.
Kaito's fingers slid across the woman's tender skin. Only after the [Sin of Lust] synchronization rate rose by another two points did he turn the doorknob of the Private Space, preparing to leave.
"You performed well this time. Consider that Crimson Drop Card your reward. Go exchange it for a sword tough enough."
Just as Lee Chae-rin took out her personal clothes from her backpack and put them on, she saw a Crimson Drop Card appear in front of her.
She couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment. As a slave, she wasn't even qualified to claim spoils of war. When they acted together, she had killed two people, but the distribution rights of the Crimson Drop Cards still belonged to Kaito.
Seeing him leave the Space, Lee Chae-rin relaxed slightly and crushed the Crimson Drop Card in her hand. If she guessed correctly, this should belong to that weakest black-clothed Reincarnator. His ability seemed to be something called [Martial Soul], originating from a certain web novel in Touka.
But regardless, since he promised this Drop Card as her reward, it meant she could freely dispose of this portion of resources!
Lee Chae-rin had opened quite a few Crimson Drop Cards and possessed vast resources before, but this one brought her exceptional joy. It was the first time since becoming a slave that she had disposable resources again.
She had had enough of her blades being snapped by brute force. Even if she couldn't obtain silver plot equipment like the [Black Blade · Yoru] again, she had to acquire a weapon tough enough.
...
Kaito turned the doorknob but didn't enter the Public Space. instead, with a flash of light, he arrived at a place resembling a medieval town. This was the Gathering Space of [Crimson Lotus], to which he currently belonged.
The gathering had quite a few team facilities; it could actually be considered a very suitable place for Reincarnators to train and rest.
However, compared to the lively scene when he last visited, this town now seemed somewhat empty.
A woman in a red dress leaned against the stone monument in the center of the earth-yellow square, firelight flickering on the hem of her dress.
"Miss Luo Xi (Crimson Magus), contacting me urgently... do you have news about the other manuals of the [Three-Part Divine Finger]?"
Kaito wore a smile, as if blind to her predicament.
Previously, during the trade with Crazy Potter, the Reincarnator from [Black Beast] had hinted to Crazy Potter and Kaito that [Crimson Magus · Luo Xi] wasn't in a good situation. Seeing her now, it was more than just 'not good'—she looked miserable, as if nearing her end.
Luo Xi turned around. Seeing Mercenary Tao appear as promised, wearing that ugly avatar, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
A gathering was actually just a rather loose alliance. When Rose Tiger invited Mercenary Tao to join, he was just a somewhat famous '凶人' (fierce person). At that time, Luo Xi sensed that her liege, [Silent Fate], held the advantage, so she didn't impose any harsh contracts on Mercenary Tao.
However, the situation of Reincarnators changed rapidly. Forced to withdraw from the resource scramble in the [Primal World], [The Final Day] established [The Final Empire] in the real world.
This move created terrifying momentum. A large number of Reincarnators acknowledged [The Final Day]'s ideology and sided with him.
This caused the forces under [Silent Fate], who originally held the advantage, to be suppressed instead.
Including [Crimson Lotus], many groups were attacked.
In her last mission world, her team was jointly attacked by more than three Title Level Reincarnator teams. They suffered heavy losses, and she almost perished in that mission world.
When she returned to the gathering, news of [Crimson Magus]'s defeat had already spread. The Reincarnators who had joined this gathering to follow her scattered and fled, giving her a sense of disillusionment.
"Heh, Mercenary Tao, you really can't read the room, can you~"
There wasn't much of the imposing aura of a Title Level Reincarnator in the woman's voice, nor was there the unbridled spirit in her eyes like Momiji's.
Kaito just smiled. This woman codenamed Luo Xi, although a Title Level Reincarnator, had a rather non-aggressive personality.
Perhaps this was why she was so popular among low-to-mid-tier Reincarnators, with many hoping to follow her?
But at the same time, this 'weak' personality couldn't control a large force. The miserable state of this gathering right now illustrated the problem.
Luo Xi didn't know the person in front of her was silently criticizing her. With a flash of light in her hand, a scroll appeared again.
Kaito guessed that Luo Xi, or rather Crimson Lotus, likely possessed the ability to stably anchor to the Feng Yun world or similar derivative worlds.
"Sorry, Mercenary Tao. That scroll of [Cloud-Part Palm] was snatched by someone else. And after this, I might not have much chance to help you retrieve it."
There was hidden meaning in Luo Xi's words, but Kaito didn't bite. He didn't mind doing some dirty work of killing and looting for others, provided he could profit from the transaction.
Although he had gained synchronization rate in the Sin of Lust, he absolutely wasn't the type to simp just because Luo Xi had a good figure and appearance.
Ultimately, he was selfish, always thinking from his own perspective.
Seeing Mercenary Tao stay silent, Luo Xi sighed, knowing this guy was indeed completely different from idiots like Rose Tiger.
Although she suffered heavy losses this time, her connections remained.
With a thought, a beam of light lit up above the stone monument behind her, projecting into the air out of nowhere.
It was a huge wanted poster with a photo of Mercenary Tao's avatar. It even captured the essence of that cruel smile perfectly.
This didn't look like a candid photo taken in the Space, but rather an effect reproduced by some ability. Kaito believed no one could take such a close-up photo in front of him without him noticing. Even with Heart Demon's concealment ability, she would only hide behind him to erase her tracks.
[Final Wanted Poster · Mercenary Tao (3-Star) — Dead or Alive. Bounty: A-Grade Singularity x1 or item of equivalent value]
"There were quite a few Reincarnators who acted against The Final Empire this time, but few are remembered by [The Final Day] and put on a wanted poster. What did you do?"
Luo Xi took out a cigarette. She didn't continue talking about her losses or the [Cloud-Part Palm] manual. She didn't even hand over the [Frost-Part Fist] in her hand to Kaito directly.
Instead, she turned to talk about matters outside the Space.
Kaito shook his head and smiled indifferently.
"Tsk. His Crown the Supreme Being lacks magnanimity. I just killed a few of his incompetent subordinates, yet he hangs me up in a place like this. How unkind."
Crimson flames ignited on Luo Xi's finger, lighting the cigarette. She took a drag, knowing that if it were just ordinary Reincarnators being killed, [The Final Day] wouldn't bother.
Being put on a bounty and broadcast to various gatherings in the Space meant Mercenary Tao must have killed Reincarnators of some weight under [The Final Day].
Luo Xi realized that compared to Rose Tiger—no, compared to herself—this Mercenary Tao might be of greater value. His style was exactly the same as those truly powerful guys in her memory.
"Mercenary Tao, want to make a deal with me?"
Kaito nodded, but his mouth spoke evasive words lacking sincerity.
"Heh, Miss Luo Xi is the leader of our gathering. If you have any orders, feel free to speak."
Luo Xi understood Mercenary Tao's personality better now. She knew that if she asked him to do dangerous work without offering payment upfront, he would likely hold a grudge and might even plot to eliminate her in secret.
Luo Xi didn't fear the current Mercenary Tao, but she respected the future Mercenary Tao.
"I want you to kill a person, or rather a team, for me in the next mission world."
"I will give you all their intelligence. I will also ensure they track you into the mission world. Naturally, everything you get from killing them will be yours."
"In addition, I will seek protection for you from His Crown [Silent Fate], so you won't be hunted by numerous teams because of this wanted poster. How about it?"
Kaito shook his head. Although the condition of letting him hunt others seemed nice, since Luo Xi said she had a way to make them track him into the mission world, rather than him tracking them...
That meant that team might already have some connection with him. There existed the possibility of hunting that team without relying on her intelligence.
"I don't care about being hunted. Give me some more tangible benefits, Miss Luo Xi."
Luo Xi tossed the manual in her hand with annoyance. This was actually the trading condition she had prepared from the start. However, as a negotiation tactic, she first offered a price Mercenary Tao couldn't possibly accept, then threw out the normal offer.
[You obtained item: Manual · Frost-Part Fist (Rare)]
"This manual serves as a deposit. After you kill them, I will find a way to get you the [Cloud-Part Palm] and the [Three-Part Divine Finger] which combines the three ultimates."
Kaito accepted the manual, then asked:
"Do you mind telling me their identity? To make Miss Luo Xi so angry."
The woman lowered her eyelids, flames burning fiercely on her dress hem.
"You've met her. A woman, [Fleur]."
Kaito nodded. That woman had bid against her own captain, Rose Tiger, wanting a large amount of Compound V, which ultimately allowed him to obtain [Shun Goku Satsu] and [Satsui no Hado].
"She killed Rose Tiger and joined [The Final Day]'s subordinate team [Chaos]. I hope you can kill her and reduce that team's numbers as much as possible."
"For every veteran member you kill, I will give you an extra B-Grade Singularity. If you can make their leader die in that world, I will beg a special item from His Crown [Silent Fate] for you—a fragment of the [Death Note]!"
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