Chapter 32: A New Derivative World

Tick tock, tick tock~.

The sound of a clock echoed in the quiet living room.

Su Xiao sat cross-legged on the sofa, placing his blade atop his thighs as he meditated.

This meditation was not the kind practiced by mages, but a method taught to Su Xiao by Geng Sijiang, allowing him to perceive himself more clearly.

Practicing swordsmanship isn’t just about slashing and chopping—it’s also a process of strengthening body and mind; while others might find it tedious, Su Xiao thoroughly enjoyed it.

The degree of one’s passion for something determines how high they can rise; if you lack even basic enthusiasm, it’s better to give up—especially when training in swordsmanship.

“Huh~.”

Su Xiao exhaled deeply, ending his meditation; though he hadn’t exercised, he felt ravenously hungry.

Picking up his phone, Su Xiao ordered eight portions of takeout—his current appetite made normal portions insufficient even for a snack.

Half an hour later, someone knocked on his door.

Seeing the delivery guy drenched in sweat, Su Xiao smiled wryly; carrying eight meals up the stairs was no easy task.

“Click.”

The door across the hall opened, and a man wearing sunglasses stepped out, his expression stern.

The man in sunglasses glanced at Su Xiao and the delivery boy; upon seeing Su Xiao, he grew visibly alert, since Su Xiao lived directly across from him.

“New tenant?”

“New tenant.”

After the brief exchange, the man in sunglasses descended the stairs.

After a hearty meal, Su Xiao reflected on the man in sunglasses—his steps were strong, his stance stable; he was no ordinary person, but Su Xiao wouldn’t investigate his background—that would be meddling.

Having only stayed in the real world for a few days, Su Xiao felt inexplicably restless.

Tajuranpoqiexiangjinrulunhuileyuanmaoxian ， Zherangtakuxiaoyisheng ， Huoxutashenglaijiubushianfenderen 。

【 Di ， Xindeyanshengshijiejijiangkaiqi ， Lieshazhejiangfanhuilunhuileyuan ， Qingquebaoshenbianmeiyoumujizhe 。】

[Transferring… Transfer complete.]

Su Xiao felt his consciousness blur, his ears buzzing; when everything cleared, he was already inside his personal room.

A new derivative world has arrived, and Su Xiao couldn’t help but feel anticipation—what world would he enter this time? If it’s another nightmare-level world like One Piece, things will get difficult.

Zhecijinruyanshengshijie ， Suxiaobujinhuijiedaolunhuileyuandezhuxianrenwu ， Tongshiyehuijiedaoliesharenwu 。

If the derivative world’s difficulty is too high, his chances of successfully completing the hunt are slim.

“Paradise, what derivative world will I enter?”

[Hunter Level: Lv.2. You will receive notification ten minutes before entering the derivative world. Hunters will enter the derivative world in one hour. Please wait patiently.]

Su Xiao understood—he could learn in advance which derivative world he’d enter, but only if he reached a certain level; the higher the level, the earlier the notice, meaning more preparation time.

Currently, he only got ten minutes’ notice—not short, but not long enough to prepare thoroughly.

Leaving his personal space, Su Xiao headed toward a trading market.

Nashiyichuyuanxingguangchang ， Suiranlunhuileyuangechudouyourenshoumaiwupin ， Dannaliderenzuiduo ， Qizhongbufayouhaohuo 。

The green firearm Su Xiao had seen earlier was purchased at this trading plaza.

“Comprehensive Skill Materials, Four-Month Established Shop.”

“That’s way too expensive—700? Why don’t you just rob a bank?”

“Buying goods produced in derivative worlds—fair prices.”

“Don’t miss out! Specialized recovery items on sale!”

The crowd buzzed with chatter, haggling, and calls from vendors.

Su Xiao had 2,827 Paradise Coins left—this was money he deliberately saved for the upcoming derivative world.

He paused before a stall selling recovery items, where several Contractees stood hesitantly.

Su Xiao had seen this stall before; its owner was likely a Staff Member, frequently setting up here.

Compared to Contractee stalls, Su Xiao trusted Staff Member stalls more.

Many contractees treat items they obtain in derivative worlds as treasures and set absurdly high prices.

Kezhigongzhebutong ， Tamenchangnianhunjizaijiaoyishichang ， Duilunhuileyuandewujiafeichangliaojie 。

If many Contractees enter worlds infested with dark creatures, prices for light-affinity items will rise noticeably.

Price fluctuations are determined by contractees’ demand—this is an unbreakable rule; vendors dare not inflate prices, as they too enter derivative worlds and could face retaliation.

At the recovery item stall, Su Xiao found several useful recovery items.

[Salt Rice Ball]

Origin: Gourmet Rabbit

Quality: White

Type: Recovery Item

Effect: Consuming restores 10% of maximum HP slowly.

Rating: 3 (Note: White items are rated 1–10; rating reflects item value.)

Description: A rice ball. A magical rice ball. A rice ball that slowly heals wounds.

……

[Golden Fried Rice]

Origin: Food Wars!

Quality: White

Type: Recovery Item

Effect: Consuming restores 40% of maximum HP slowly. (This item requires prolonged consumption; HP restored depends on quantity eaten, ranging from 1% to 40%.)

Rating: 5 (Note: White items are rated 1–10; rating reflects item value.)

Description: It’s not just a recovery item—it’s delicious too. A dish that doesn’t make you strip is no good dish.

……。

[XT-12 Vitality Serum]

Chandi ： Lunhuileyuan ， Huiguangyaojisanhaoshengchanxian 。

Quality: White

Type: Recovery Item

Effect: Drinking restores 15% of maximum HP in a short time.

Rating: 8 (Note: White items are rated 1–10; rating reflects item value.)

Jianjie ： Youzhigongzhezhizao ， Jinglunhuileyuanshenhe ： Anquan 。

……

Of these three recovery items, while [Golden Fried Rice] restores the most HP, it requires full consumption and acts slowly.

[Salt Rice Ball] is similar but consumed much faster—Su Xiao estimated he could finish it in two bites, and even swallow it whole in emergencies.

The most valuable was the [XT-12 Vitality Serum]; though it only restores 15% HP, it can be sipped during brief lulls in battle.

Lunhuileyuankemeiyouzhijieshiyongyaojidegongneng ， Xuyaotazixingshiyong 。

In intense combat, consuming recovery items is difficult, but they’re still valuable for restoring HP after battle.

“What’s your price for these three?”

The Staff Member sensed Su Xiao’s intent to buy; unlike the hesitant Contractees beside him, Su Xiao was focused.

“[Salt Rice Ball] 100 Paradise Coins, [Golden Fried Rice] 200, [XT-12 Vitality Serum] 700—total 1,000. Friend, I can tell you’re serious, and I’m serious too—this is the best price. I’m Yao Guan—let’s be friends.”

The first two items were reasonably priced, but the serum alone cost 700 Paradise Coins.

The first two food recovery items were inexpensive, but the potion cost a staggering 700 Paradise Coins.

Imagine a Contractee on death’s door—this one vial could save their life.

Imagine a dying Contractee who might be saved by just one bottle.

After haggling, Su Xiao purchased one [XT-12 Vitality Serum], two [Golden Fried Rice], and five [Salt Rice Balls] for a total of 1,500 Paradise Coins.

After haggling, Su Xiao bought one [XT-12 Life Vitality Potion], two [Golden Fried Rice], and five [Salted Rice Balls] for a total of 1500 Paradise Coins.

Yaoguandangranshijiaming ， Jiuxiangsuxiaodebaiyeyiyang ， Zailunhuileyuanzhongyongzhenmingdeqiyuezhe ， Bidaxiongmaohaihanjian 。

The vial was obviously a pseudonym, just like Su Xiao’s White Night—Contractees using their real names in the Lunhui Paradise were rarer than giant pandas.

Recovery items have no cooldown, but consuming them repeatedly in quick succession reduces their effectiveness until they no longer restore HP.

Recovery items had no cooldown period, but consuming them repeatedly in a short time reduced their efficacy until they lost all restorative effect.

Yao Guan waved at Su Xiao with a genuine smile.

Staff Members differ from Contractees—they’ve experienced far less brutality; most have never even killed anyone.

Staffers differed from Contractees; they had not endured much cruelty, and most had never killed a person.

Suxiaozaijiaoyishichangxianguangyihuihou ， Shoudaolunhuileyuandetishi 。

[Hunter will enter the derivative world: Tokyo Ghoul in ten minutes.]

The Hunter will enter the derivative world: Tokyo Ghoul in ten minutes.