Chapter 88: Intelligence
Translator: 549690339
‘With over three hundred experience points, I could upgrade my fighting skills or my item creation abilities… or my spirit oppression.’
The faux-sleeping Su Lu studied the skill category in his attribute bar, pondered quickly: ‘Upgrading item creation abilities requires 150 points, and upgrading fighting skills requires 160 points, but fighting skills add attributes. Spirit oppression can wait… it’s not urgent right now.’
Truth be told, Su Lu was greatly interested in the abilities to craft magical items.
But the crux was, he lacked the materials; even possessing a high level wouldn’t be of any use.
Although fighting skills doesn’t increase spirit, the boost to other attributes was rather considerable.
Castors were susceptible to close combat. If Su Lu remedied this weakness, anyone who dared to try and behead him would find their face smeared with blood!
‘It’s quite a dilemma…’
Su Lu felt pain in his teeth.
After advancing to the second professional rank, the gain in experience points sharply decreased. It seemed necessary to retain some experience points on hand in case of an emergency.
Anyway, on-the-spot upgrades are always possible, there are never any wastages.
The train thundered into the station.
Su Lu, carrying his suitcase, stepped off the train, stared at the somewhat familiar, yet somewhat unfamiliar Nia City, remained silent for a while, sighed deeply and didn’t say anything, merely left the station.
Having spent four years there for his studies, this place felt like his real ‘hometown’ after traveling between worlds, yet everything disappeared, the moment he finished university.
Well, he did get a shop after all, but that was essentially Rod’s.
He didn’t go to the shop, nor to the abandoned factory.
According to what Rod had taught, these two ‘locations’ had already been exposed, they weren’t covert anymore.
Even though he wasn’t a wanted criminal, completely exposing his whereabouts to the observation of the Eleventh Bureau wasn’t a pleasant thing either.
At night.
Su Lu flagged a carriage and arrived at Zoro Street, inside an underground boxing ring.
The liking to watch blood battles seemed to be an inherent dark tendency of humans. Every city in the Federation almost had an underground boxing ring or similar prohibited places. Apparently, they drew good business and formed a huge scale.
You would never know, which of those men and women on the stands, shouting hysterically, waving betting tickets and tearing each other’s collars, were well-dressed gentlemen or solemn ladies in broad daylight.
After uttering the secret code and entering the boxing ring, a horrifying wave of sound swept over.
The competition had already begun. Inside the iron cage, a short boxer was already engaged in a fight with a bear-like muscular man.
At a glance, Su Lu knew this was unrestricted combat, except for no weapons, there was no ban, and there weren’t any weight class divisions.
When they really started fighting, it would be fists to flesh, kicks to blood, the entertainment value was extremely high.
“Kill that dwarf!”
“Black Bear! I’m betting on you!”
“Shortie, do not lose, I’m betting on you!”
Outside the iron cage, the spectators shouted crazily, waving betting tickets, a string of obscene language coming one after another.
Su Lu felt like he had entered a modern heavy metal bar, the massive sound caused his heart to tremble, he knitted his eyebrows and told a guard beside him: “I’m looking for Old Dog!”
Old Dog was the manager of this underground boxing ring. Of course, he was only the face that was presented to the public.
Hence, he also ran a lot of grey area businesses under the guise of his role and the protection offered, maintaining a pretty good reputation.
According to Rod, ‘Those in this line of work, though very greedy, would have been killed long ago if their reputation wasn’t good.’
As he had followed Rod to replenish some materials on a few occasions before, this guard actually recognized him, didn’t ask many questions, and led him to an office behind the boxing ring.
After closing the office door, the noise levels decreased significantly.
“Hey! Isn’t this Rod’s little brother?”
Sitting behind the desk was a fat merchant, with a half-bald shiny head, always a trace of a smile on his face. However, it wasn’t sincere at all, rather it resembled a fox’s grin.
Seeing Su Lu, Old Dog stood up: “Haven’t seen you for a while, what are you here to buy? Materials? Firearms? Or information? I’ll give you a discount!”
He was vaguely aware of the ‘Inner World’, affording a good amount of respect to Rod and Su Lu.
“I’m here for the letter! And I also want to buy some information!” Su Lu utterly ignored the discount.
If he believed this crooked merchant’s words, then he’s a fool!
The fact that the other party doesn’t sell to him at a higher price was already tolerable.
Even if he was in awe of transcendent powers, it wouldn’t change the merchant nature of the other party.
“Oh, right, the letter!”
Old Dog opened a drawer, rummaged inside, and took out three letters: “These were sent via special channels, absolutely not been read before, you can check!”
“Three?”
Su Lu received them and checked the wax seals.
Actually, it wasn’t really necessary, because his means of communicating with Rod was usually coded language.
“Three letters, three Silver Hawks, even the Stephen ones would do!”
Old Dog smiled with narrowed eyes.
Su Lu directly tossed a Golden Dragon coin over: “Did anything special happen in Nia City recently? Since the art gallery incident?”
“If you put it like that, there is indeed something! Need a drink?”
Old Dog picked up a glass of beer filled with hops.
Su Lu gave him a disdainful look, inside the glass, the white beer hops almost occupied two-thirds of the volume: “Thank you, I don’t need it!”
“Alas… young man…”
Old Dog took a sip of the beer: “Bill Abbot is dead!”
“Bill? That coal merchant?” Su Lu’s recalled an image of a groveling merchant:
“How did he die?”
“Suicide! Jumped from the roof of his own company building during peak office hours, it even made the headlines! Caused a massive uproar… after all, his business was good, life was in order, there was no reason for it.” Old Dog replied.
Bill was a survivor from the art gallery incident, saved by him and Rod.
‘I didn’t expect… the curse to be revived so soon?’
A chill ran through Su Lu’s heart: ‘Could it be that the seal from last time…
didn’t work at all?’
“And the others? You know what I’m referring to, more eerie, weird events!” He continued to ask.
“The others…” Old Dog revealed a toothy grin: “In a redwood forest in the west suburbs, hunters have reported sightings of humanoid beasts…”
“In Nisper Lake, it’s rumored that a water monster has appeared… but that’s been around for several years now, there’s only a fuzzy photo as evidence.”
“Other than that, it’s a peculiar trend that’s risen in the upper-class circles, a strange rumor…”
Old Dog’s smile grew wider, showing his black and yellow teeth: “This one needs extra payment!” “What rumor?”
Su Lu nodded in agreement.
“Regarding… a painting, allegedly those who view it will be cursed. This caused much distress among many gentlemen and ladies. It also boosted my business significantly.”
Old Dog polished off his beer.
‘As expected… the horror has spread.’
Su Lu’s countenance turned grave: ‘Are the local Goddess Church of Light and the Federal Eleventh Bureau all useless?’