Chapter 3: Chapter Three: The Lone Walker

Personal information as follows:

Contractee No. 13013. (To protect the Hunter, this is a false number; no method can locate the Hunter.)

Name: Su Xiao (Hunter)

Level: lv.1. (Stage 1. Every 10 levels equal one stage; level increases grant no stat bonuses—they correspond only to the Hunter’s permissions within the ‘Paradise’ and match world difficulty, mission difficulty, etc.)

Health: 100%. (This stat cannot be fully quantified; it changes according to injury severity.)

Mana: 60. (Intelligence × 10; current mana recovery rate: 3 points per hour.)

Strength: 6 (affects attack power, carrying capacity, etc.)

Agility: 7 (affects movement speed, attack speed, etc.)

Stamina: 5 (affects health, defense, resistance to status effects, etc.)

Intelligence: 6 (affects spell damage, mana, perception, etc.)

Charm: 3 (affects social interactions, summoning, etc.)

Luck: 1 (affects item opening, crafting, etc.; this stat is extremely difficult to raise—Hunter, cherish your upgrade opportunities.)

Note: The standard stats for an adult male are 5 points; luck is 1 point.

Killing Talent: Soul Eater—upon killing a target, permanently steal 1–15 mana points.

This talent can steal a maximum of 100 mana points per world.

{Personal stats are provided for the Hunter’s self-assessment and bear no direct relation to actual combat power. Stat values influence physical condition, but combat is not determined solely by physical attributes—Hunter, proceed with caution.}

……

After carefully reviewing several times, Su Xiao memorized his personal stats.

His current level is lv.1; the function of level need not be explained—it represents his permissions within the ‘Cycle Paradise.’

The One Piece world he entered has a difficulty level of lv.6, yet his own level is only lv.1, meaning he is in extreme danger within this world.

Under normal circumstances, the ‘Cycle Paradise’ would not transport a Contractee to a world more than five levels higher—this is entirely due to his identity as a Hunter.

He still does not know the benefits of this so-called ‘Hunter’ identity, but the drawbacks are clear: danger.

Entering a lv.6 world and then accepting a lv.3 mission, while being only lv.1—this ‘game’ seems unusually difficult.

Moreover, according to the ‘Cycle Paradise’’s description, in future worlds he must help eliminate certain ‘abnormal’ Contractees.

This essentially means he is inherently hostile to most Contractees; even if Su Xiao agreed to cooperate, others would never consent.

Once his identity is discovered, they will all attack him at once.

Who can be sure that none of their own numbers appear on Su Xiao’s Hunter targets?

As for the protection measures listed at the top, Su Xiao trusts the ‘Cycle Paradise’ little to begin with—how much less would he trust its so-called protections?

But there is good news: his stats exceed those of ordinary people—this is the result of his rigorous training.

Although such physical attributes mean little in the One Piece world, they give him a higher starting point.

Su Xiao’s strength is not reflected solely in these stats—he possesses another advantage: he knows how to fight, and he dares to fight.

He lacks the wisdom to see through all things, but he possesses a heart unafraid of injury or death—not because he is completely fearless, but because his courage far surpasses that of ordinary people, allowing him to undertake dangerous acts.

This is Su Xiao’s true capital in the ‘Cycle Paradise.’

Sometimes, a brave heart matters far more than a powerful body.

“Then let me see just how dangerous this One Piece world truly is.”

Su Xiao sprinted forward several steps, stepped on the corner of the windowsill, leapt upward, extended his arms, and gripped the roof’s eave; then, with a powerful pull, he hauled his entire body upward, his upper torso emerging through the hole in the ceiling.

Just as Su Xiao prepared to observe the outside, a sharp sound rang out.

“Bang.”

Gunfire—muffled, but unmistakable, Su Xiao immediately judged.

He pulled his body back against the wall, clasped the eave tightly with both hands, and slowly raised his head to survey the scene outside.

“Bang, bang, bang…”

A rapid staccato of gunfire erupted outside; after observing, Su Xiao concluded this was a firefight between two factions at the ‘Waste End Station.’

Each side had dozens of men, engaged in mid-range gunfighting.

Su Xiao noticed both groups wore tattered clothing and were yellow-skinned and emaciated—they were clearly refugees of the ‘Waste End Station.’

“Toby, this territory belongs to us. What’s your meaning? We’re all poor scavengers—do you intend to wipe us out?”

As gunfire subsided, the two sides began shouting at each other.

“Your territory? I’ve got over a dozen guns now—this place is mine from now on. Once I save enough Beli, I’ll take my men to sea and become a pirate.”

“Rogil, drop your weapon—I’ll give you a chance to join me…”

Before Toby finished speaking, a gunshot cut him off—he ducked back behind the pile of trash.

Inside the dilapidated house, Su Xiao could clearly see the speaker—a bearded, muscular man standing triumphantly behind a mound of garbage. He had no intention of accepting surrender—he meant to exterminate them.

This bearded giant, Toby, differed from the emaciated refugees—he was tall, his body thick with dense muscle.

Su Xiao sighed inwardly—he finally understood just how dangerous a lv.6 world truly was.

Had he rushed out earlier, he would have been riddled with bullets. And this was only the beginning—things would grow even more dangerous.

As Su Xiao waited for the two factions to disperse, a nimble figure suddenly leapt from the roof into the room he occupied.

“Phew~… That was close. Finally found a safe…”

The newcomer’s words broke off as she spotted Su Xiao clinging to the wall.

“Uh—”

Before she could speak further, Su Xiao released his grip on the eave and dropped freely.

Upon landing, he crouched low, kicked off the ground, sending several dry leaves flying—he lunged at her like a swift hunting leopard.

She opened her mouth to explain, but it was too late.

Su Xiao struck her abdomen with a punch—he felt the soft flesh indent sharply under the impact.

The woman doubled over in pain, about to scream—but Su Xiao’s palm clamped over her mouth and nose, muffling only a choked gasp.

That wasn’t enough. One hand still covered her mouth, his other hand extended flat—his fingers, like blades, stabbed hard into her chest.

“Thud.” The distinctive dull thump of a heavy blow to the chest echoed.

Su Xiao felt her body go limp, her eyes wide with terror as she collapsed, emitting only faint whispers.

As his fingers struck her heart, he felt an unmistakably soft texture.

“Woman?”

He did this because he could not determine if she was friend or foe—subduing her first was safer.

“N-no… don’t hurt me.”

A whisper, faint as a mosquito’s buzz, reached him. Su Xiao scanned her from head to toe.

Her black hair was uneven, her face caked in grime—but the skin not covered by dirt was strikingly pale. Her linen clothes hung loosely, revealing a frail, youthful frame.

“Who are you?”

Su Xiao could guess her intent—she was seeking refuge.

“I’m Mia. I mean no harm—please don’t hurt me.” Mia’s voice was barely audible.

Having taken a blow to the heart, Mia had not fainted—her constitution was unusually strong; for now, she could not move freely.

“Don’t make a sound, or I’ll kill you.”

If his life were threatened, Su Xiao would kill—he still had blood debts to settle.

“Gulp.”

Mia, only fifteen or sixteen, swallowed hard.

“Okay… I just want to hide. I won’t make a sound.”

Mia suddenly realized—being with this man was no safer than being outside.

The gunfire outside gradually ceased—the brawl would end soon.

Su Xiao waited. Once the fighting ended, he would leave immediately. Though dangerous, it was also an opportunity—he needed weapons badly.

At the start, his hands were empty—not even a decent weapon, let alone a single stick of wood, lay near him.