Heading out to the sea on Chicken Island, Qin Fu lounged on Gu Gu's back, idly fiddling with a white treasure chest.
The chest opened with a dull click, revealing its contents. Qin Fu's face immediately darkened.
"Cheat daddy! Is my 2 o'clock luck fake?"
Inside were 8,000 paradise coins. Plenty of them, yes, but completely underwhelming. He frowned at the chest, muttering in frustration. White treasure chests always felt like a scam. His gaze naturally drifted toward the green and blue chests, but he reminded himself of the last reason for restraint: the [Box of Miracles] at the end of this world could increase his luck by one point, making it far more worthwhile to save it for now.
Checking its durability—1/1—he put the [Miracle Box] away carefully. Better to experiment with it back in the park. If something went wrong, the park's assistance would be his safety net.
Turning his attention back to Zhu Guo, Qin Fu swallowed the fruit in two or three bites. Immediately, a warm current spread through his body. It was as if he were lying on a huge, heated bed, every muscle melting into comfort.
Anyone witnessing him would have seen a red-hot prawn-like figure, steam rising off his body in thin wisps. The effect lasted a full fifteen minutes.
When it ended, Qin Fu opened his eyes to a foul stench. Glancing down, he saw his body coated in black mud, smelling strange and pungent. Without hesitation, he stripped and plunged into the sea.
Gu Gu tilted his head, watching Qin Fu's antics with mild confusion.
After washing off the mud and rubbing his clothes dry, Qin Fu returned to Gu Gu's back. Even though he had considered using the power of the void to break down the water, he admitted defeat—some things were better left alone for now.
He decided to check his personal information:
Personal Information:
Contractor No.: 13159
Name: Qin Fu (Hunter)
Level: 2
Health: 100%
Mana: 495 (Intelligence x10, current recovery 5.5 points per hour)
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Stamina: 12
Intelligence: 18
Charm: 10
Lucky: 2
Killing Talent: Void Devourer
Effect 1: Killing a target grants 1 Intelligence and 1–15 Mana. Max per world: 3 Intelligence, 150 Mana.
Effect 2: Devour an enemy's soul to gain a small amount of soul power.
Satisfied with his growth attributes, Qin Fu resolved that upon reaching Chicken Island, he would investigate the miracle doctor's house—there might be unexpected gains waiting.
Just as he pondered his next move, a figure streaked through the air.
"Gu Gu! Stop!!" Qin Fu shouted.
Confused but obedient, Gu Gu halted mid-flight.
Qin Fu compressed space, teleporting directly above the intruding figure. It was Prince Stir, caught off guard. Without hesitation, Qin Fu used the power of the void to dismantle all the mecha on his body.
With the prince subdued, Qin Fu returned to Gu Gu's back, ready to continue his Chicken Island expedition.
And the prince only felt that his eyes were ice-cold as Qin Fu appeared atop Gu Gu's broad back.
Just as he raised his hand, ready to fire an energy cannon, he realized in shock that all the mecha on his body had vanished—only a pair of small pants remained.
Immediately, he clutched his vital points and demanded,
"Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? And what was that ability just now—is it supernatural or martial art?"
Qin Fu shook his head helplessly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"You don't need to know who I am. What you do need to know is that your life is now in my hands."
Injecting the power of the void into his body, Qin Fu said with a vicious calm,
"I only need your country to cooperate with some research. Be honest, or…"
He held up a piece of wood and, with a casual flick, turned it instantly into powder.
"…you'll disappear. Just like this."
The prince of Strex, expressionless as ever, spoke like a machine, his voice devoid of fear.
"I will cooperate. I can mobilize the country's entire scientific research resources for your experiments. But if you want to study my energy… its nature and potential far exceed what you can imagine."
"If you refuse, then do as you wish. My brain has already been uploaded to the database. This body is expendable."
Qin Fu blinked for a moment, unsure whether the prince truly did not fear death.
With the same expressionless calm, he took out a pill, forcing it into the prince's mouth, sneering as he said,
"You reminded me. Fine. Let's see if your soul can survive this time. If not, it disappears with you."
The prince frowned slightly, weighing Qin Fu's words. He didn't know if the threat was real, but ultimately, he chose to cooperate.
There was no choice—the soul-extraction instruments had already failed. What had been uploaded was nothing more than a highly advanced artificial intelligence. Gambling with it was pointless.
Seeing the prince concede, Qin Fu let out a quiet sigh of relief. Charm, it seemed, wasn't just for boosting favorability—it worked perfectly in negotiations and high-stakes games.
Now that he had secured his target, Qin Fu finally knew the direction of the plot. There was still some time before Chiya arrived—ample time to showcase his skills in the country.
The thought made him quietly excited, his mind already spinning with plans.
Gu Gu, following the prince's instructions, turned and soared toward the country of Strex.
High above the country, Qin Fu scanned the troops lining the streets, their guns raised in tense defiance. His expression darkened.
"Prince Stre, you'd better tell them to step aside, as agreed between us. Otherwise…"
His voice cut cold and sharp through the air.
"Three… Two… Step back!!"
The prince finally intervened, motioning for the soldiers to retreat.
As they complied, Qin Fu demonstrated the raw power of the void—breaking mountains, splitting waves, and standing unyielding in the face of their firepower.
"This is your savior—lower your weapons!"
At his command, the soldiers finally sheathed their firearms.
Gu Gu shrank and landed on Qin Fu's shoulder, ready to follow him.
One by one, the birds fell into step behind the prince of Strex, leading Qin Fu deeper into the heart of the country.
Five days later.
Qin Fu stood before a massive instrument, his eyes fixed through the lens as he observed the intricate fluctuations of the power of the void.
These past five days had been unexpectedly comfortable, thanks to the careful arrangements of the prince of Strex. Life in the country had been surprisingly smooth, providing him ample time to experiment and study.
As he had anticipated, the country's technology was more than sufficient for his current research. Of course, part of this advantage stemmed from his own lack of magical knowledge; with less arcane reliance, he had turned to science to push the limits of the void.
Watching the power of the void crackle within the [Energy Analyzer], Qin Fu's gaze grew almost obsessive. Days of sleepless nights and skipped meals had culminated in this moment of clarity.
Previously, his rapid mobilization of the power of the void had blurred the line between mana and void energy. The flow appeared shadow-like, almost untouchable. He had often struggled to distinguish one from the other.
But after days of meticulous experimentation, he had discovered something crucial: every time he condensed the void using his mana, a transformation process occurred—subtle but present. The speed of this conversion depended on elemental affinity: the strength of elemental connections and the sensitivity of elemental perception as recorded in the world of super god mechanics.
His astonishing speed? That had been the result of Logier's half-month experiment. Though it cost him control over other elements, it had elevated his spatial perception to an unprecedented level. Later, a natural talent mutation further refined his control over space elements.
And now, after continuous testing, Qin Fu had finally succeeded in reproducing a rune. This rune allowed him to mobilize the void far more efficiently than brute-force channeling. No longer was he a wild-road mage smashing directly with raw power; he had become a strategist, a scholar of destruction.
Rubbing his temples gently, Qin Fu felt the weight of his ignorance. He still knew too little about magic. Once he returned to Paradise, he would need to collect books on magical theory—and revisit the basics of physics and chemistry. Reincarnation had given him another chance, yet here he was, learning all over again.
The past few days had been an immersion in both science and experimentation. He finally stopped the [Energy Analyzer] and moved to the [Elemental Wave Detector] nearby. The country's technology had exceeded his expectations: building such instruments was no small feat.
Research completed, Qin Fu disconnected both devices, entering them into standby mode and reclaiming storage space.
Notably, an artificial intelligence had been integrated with these instruments—but Prince Strex had installed wiretapping devices within it, interfering with Qin Fu's experiments. He made a mental note: once back in Paradise, he would decide whether to retain or destroy it.
Exiting the lab, he headed toward Prince Strex's personal workshop.
Inside, he found the prince tinkering with a mecha that could have been plucked straight from a Gundam blueprint. Qin Fu froze, a wave of déjà vu washing over him.
"What are you doing here? Research done already?" he asked.
Prince Strex looked up, expressionless. "Done. We can leave for Chicken Island. If you don't go, I'm leaving."
Hearing the mention of Chicken Island, Qin Fu's eyes sharpened. He watched as the mecha, massive and intricate, folded into a tiny, compact square with an almost impossible spatial compression.
"No matter how many times I study this, your space compression technology feels buggy—completely inconsistent with spatial laws. I've analyzed it endlessly and have barely scratched the surface of what you've done," Qin Fu complained.
Prince Strex remained calm. "If you consult Chapter 5, Section 14 of Mechanics and Science, you'll realize it isn't a bug."
Qin Fu thought of the towering tome in the corner, and a tingling sensation shot through his head—a prelude to yet another wave of discovery.