Chapter 106: News of a New Card
Hiss!
A powerful wave of ki condensed at Kaito Shirogane's fingertip. This mass of energy, drawn from his body and highly compressed, began to glow with a dangerous light.
Kaito held his hand up, aimed at the Kaku Kaioh puppet dozens of meters away, and then thrust his finger forward.
Fzzt!
Kaku Kaioh froze. The golden beam of light, carrying the ball of intense ki, had already struck him in the face.
BOOM!
An explosion erupted, and the puppet's body fell to the ground. The [Dodon Ray] was an ability that completely transcended the realm of mere physical technique; it was impossible to dissipate with stances or muscle control.
With a thought, Kaito dismissed the regenerating puppet.
[Divine Finger Technique (Dodon Ray) (A+) Lv1: Guides the body's ki to be intensely focused at the fingertip, then fires it as an explosive attack. Its power is directly correlated with the user's ki strength and is greatly amplified.]
[Martial Arts Aptitude Lv5 (Pre-Initiative Specialization): You have entered the inner sanctum of martial arts. You can channel your power as you wish and unleash it from almost any stance, bypassing an opponent's surface defenses. You can strike before the enemy initiates, or strike first after the enemy has moved.]
Kaito looked at his Dimensional Points. He had just burned through nearly 6,000 points. This meant he had been in the [Training Hall] for less than two hours. In that time, by training with Kaku Kaioh, he had successfully broken through to the next level of his Martial Arts Aptitude, and had even chosen the [Pre-Initiative] specialization.
The Nexus's [Training Hall] was, without a doubt, a terrifying money sink, but its effectiveness was on a level that no real-world training ground could ever hope to match. At the very least, in the real world, a Reincarnator with a normal human lineage couldn't just ignore injuries and experience all those different types of power flowing through their body.
Of course, a normal Reincarnator wouldn't have Kaito's terrifying learning speed. His anomalous talent, which was akin to a Sharingan's ability to copy movements, was the reason for his rapid progress.
Kaito pushed open the door. His strength had once again taken a significant leap.
Kaito, in his pink robe, was no longer an unknown face in the public space. His "deeds" had been widely spread by the gossips and info-brokers of the Stall District. Even the other three Sectors had begun to hear the name [Mercenary Tao].
He gave a smile to the other Reincarnators. Several of them reflexively covered their eyes and looked away.
Kaito left the [Training Hall] and turned left, entering the [Rank Management Office].
"Yo, Knight-chan. We meet again."
He offered a worthless greeting. The knight-NPC, who was busy polishing a greatsword, looked up and gave him an energetic smile. "Congratulations, Reincarnator, on your triumphant return from the abyss of slaughter."
Kaito nodded. This NPC's high popularity was probably because she knew exactly what Reincarnators wanted to hear.
Knight-chan suddenly looked up, studying him closely, and spoke. "You are shining with a golden light. It is a miracle that will allow you to further fuse your own being."
After Kaito had received his S-rank evaluation, he'd seen the note: [Reincarnators with an S-rank evaluation may inquire about hidden services at major Nexus facilities]. He had already connected this to the hint Knight-chan had given him after his advancement.
His guess had been correct. The "opportunity for more fusions" was the hidden service of this office, and an S-rank was the key to triggering it.
Knight-chan held out her hand, which was glowing faintly. "Only by prevailing in a hundred battles, by overcoming the most terrible adversity, can one transcend the masses and be crowned a king. That power is the very reason for your kingship."
[You have unlocked the opportunity to open a Mortal-tier Hidden Trait Fusion Slot.]
(A Mortal-tier Reincarnator can fuse a maximum of 3 traits.)
[Would you like to exchange for this opportunity?]
Kaito clicked his tongue. This Infinite Space was really determined to squeeze every last drop out of its Reincarnators. An S-rank evaluation was, itself, being treated as a special currency that had to be spent to unlock a chance at a hidden service.
He could predict that not just this office, but the [Training Hall], [Alchemy Workshop], and [Appraisal Office] all had their own high-tier hidden services that required an S-rank evaluation to unlock.
Kaito didn't have a suitable head on him right now, and he had no intention of using Douma's "Heartless" head as his second fused trait. Douma's head wasn't bad, but for Kaito, who already possessed a special constitution, the upgrade was insufficient. A Reincarnator could only fuse 3 traits at the [Mortal] tier. This meant that every single choice had to be carefully selected to maximize his power.
"When you are ready, you are welcome to visit again at any time." Knight-chan waved goodbye to Kaito, showing none of the Goddess's greed.
Kaito inquired at the other three facilities. The [Training Hall]'s hidden service allowed you to create a special training space for a specific ability—for example, a room with high-density magic particles for training magic, though the DP cost was astronomical. The [Alchemy Workshop] unlocked [Item Fusion], the ability to transfer a special effect from one item to another. In Kaito's opinion, this was an incredibly powerful function. A player with enough strong equipment could forge their own unique item, one that might not be inferior to a [God-Forged Armament], granting them immense power. The [Appraisal Office] offered the ability to [Distort Item], which would fundamentally change an unidentified item's properties. The fairy master, Lucia, had boasted that she had once turned a "worthless old ring" into a "Magic Ring" that could summon a [Ringwraith].
Unfortunately, all of these high-tier services came with an equally high price.
Kaito checked his remaining Dwell Time. He still had a decent amount left. He decided to go take care of the offers on his stall. Now that he knew how to unlock new trait-fusion slots, there was no need to hoard the head for information. Trading it for items or resources was a much better idea.
"Mercenary Tao. We meet again."
A man in a black tailcoat, the very picture of a perfect butler, was leaning against a wall. This info-broker, codenamed [Black Butler], was the most famous one Kaito had yet encountered. While other brokers were just scraping by, this man had carved out a new path, using information to build connections with numerous teams. He could even pass messages to the infamously destructive [Great Fiend]. He was a true [Middleman].
Kaito squinted, smiling at him. "What is it? Want to sell my information?"
He knew that [Black Butler], from their previous conversation, had likely deduced the fact that he was a new Reincarnator. But that didn't matter. [White Mask] had already spread the news of him defeating [The Fifth Element], which was a fact. Telling people he was a "rookie" now would only make [White Mask] look like a fool.
[Black Butler] was not afraid of his "uniquely featured" face. He was always cautious. That was how he, an info-broker, had survived so long without being "doxxed" and killed. He had never left a single flaw.
"Would you mind?" the broker asked. "There are several teams very interested in you right now. If I add the fact that you're a newcomer, I imagine the price will be quite high."
He was frank. He knew that Reincarnators were all strong-willed individuals, and the ones who made a name for themselves were all anomalies. They weren't necessarily afraid of having their information exposed, but they would hold a grudge if you sold it without their permission. An info-broker could make a profit, but not by making enemies. So, he always "consulted" his targets first.
Kaito was starting to appreciate this [Black Butler]. He had exceptional skill and psychological fortitude.
"Sell it. You can sell all of it," Kaito said. "But, in exchange, I should get a cut. Perhaps… 70/30, in my favor. That sounds fair." He didn't care if he was being targeted. He already had [White Mask] and the remnants of [The Fifth Element] wanting him dead. What was a little more debt? He wasn't afraid of unknown dangers; he found them exciting.
[Black Butler] knew his guess had been correct. [Mercenary Tao] was indeed that type of wild, unrestrained Reincarnator. These types either rose to become warlords, or... they died fast.
He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "My information network is the key factor that gives this info its price. I will not give you the larger share. However… I can give you a piece of information that I am certain you will be interested in, as payment for the right to sell your story."
An info-broker's greatest skill was trading information for even more valuable information.
"Hoh?" Kaito's interest was piqued. "And what kind of information would that be?"
[Black Butler] looked at Kaito's dangerous eyes, his own expression perfectly calm. He held up one finger.
"A Card."
"Recently, a team known as [9527] was confirmed by multiple sources to have attempted a special trial in a mission world. The trial was interrupted. Subsequently, [9527] was hunted by multiple teams. Their leader and several main members are confirmed dead. Only three members are left. That [Card] is almost certainly on one of those three. And those three have already disbanded their team and are undertaking missions separately, clearly trying to escape the hunt."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. News of another [Card]. The value of that information was undeniable.
Kaito tilted his head, and suddenly leaned in close to the [Black Butler], until their faces were less than ten centimeters apart. The other brokers, watching from a distance, sucked in their breath, certain the broker had just overstepped and was about to be killed by this new-risen monster.
"Such valuable information… and you're just giving it to me?" Kaito whispered. "Heh. The information you're planning to sell about me… it's not just that I'm a rookie, is it?"
[Black Butler] nodded, his gaze calm as he met Kaito's. "Correct. I plan to add my own analysis. You were the one who, before your last mission, spread the rumor that [Vincent] was a special Reincarnator. It has now been confirmed by the [Salted Fish] collective that [Vincent] is dead. At the same time, a used special black card appeared in Hakone City, Japan."
"My guess, Mercenary Tao, is that you are the true special Reincarnator, aren't you?" He pushed his monocle up. A faint, magical glow passed over his body, keeping his emotions perfectly calm. "You used us to spread the news, forcing Vincent out of the Nexus. You then hunted him in the real world. And… perhaps you even stole his Card's special sequence, which is how you were able to cause the collapse of [The Fifth Element] and the defeat of [White Mask]."
[Black Butler] stated his entire theory in one breath. Kaito almost wanted to applaud. The Nexus is just full of these frighteningly sharp-witted people.
"Your deduction has a few errors," Kaito smiled. "But you're right. Only information of that value is worth what you're offering me as compensation."
"Very well. Give me the target you believe is most likely to have it, and you can go sell my story for whatever price you can get."
[Black Butler] let out a sigh of relief. This man was a complete madman. The story of a monster who had destroyed [The Fifth Element] was one thing. The story of a monster who had stolen a special sequence was something else entirely. The latter would draw the attention of the real powers.
[Reincarnator TT65562877 (Black Butler) has initiated a trade.]
[You have obtained Item: Record Pointer (Blue)]
[Black Butler] straightened his suit. The [Record Pointer] had no trace of his own information on it; he never let such things pass through his own hands. He was, after all, just a middleman.
"This pointer is locked onto the information of the person I believe most likely has the card. As for how to track him into his next mission world... you can get the answer you're looking for at the official stall of the [Destiny] organization, in the deepest part of the bazaar."
[Black Butler] tipped his hat and vanished into the public space. He had to get to work. This new information was going to sell for a very, very high price. He had heard that a certain collective in the East Sector was very interested in special sequences, especially those of the Great Sin series…
[Record Pointer]
[Quality: Blue]
[Description: An alchemical item created based on a special compass from a certain world. The pointer will forever chase its target.]
[Effect 1: If placed next to a person or item saturated with information, the pointer will record that information. (Currently Recorded)]
[Effect 2: The pointer will continuously point to the target's location. Can be reset.]
Kaito weighed the crystal-ball-like compass in his hand. He had a decision to make.
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Guys We cross the 100 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 200 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
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Every 5 new reviews = 2 extra chapters
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter