Chapter 336: The Extraordinary

Chapter 336: The Extraordinary

At the docks, Lu Ke strolled towards the heavy doors of the Dragon Tavern, dressed in a neat and tidy suit.

There were subtle changes in his appearance compared to before. His already impressive physique had improved further, his gaze was profound as if he could see through everything, and his clean, slender fingers rhythmically trembled with a dexterity akin to a master pianist.

Just moments ago, he had performed a ceremony, separating the Extraordinary Traits of Sequence 9 and Sequence 8, and consumed the Sequence 9 'Thief' Extraordinary Trait.

The 'Thief' path, one of the Three Families, was a Sequence 9 'Thief' with slightly enhanced physical attributes, sharper insight, more nimble hands, and the core ability of the entire Sequence—'Theft'.

Before Sequence 6 'Fire Thief', theft was limited to physical objects. Both Sequence 8 'Path of Thieves' and Sequence 7 'Cipher Scholar' were not combat-oriented, making them the weakest among all paths in the early stages.

Not only was the 'Thief' path not suited for direct combat, but another reason for this was the current pinnacle of this path—Sequence 1 'Blasphemer' Amen.

Higher-ranked Sequence holders could modify the lower Sequences to some extent, but this mischievous god, a mythical being inherently lacking in humanity, had directly deleted many skills and esoteric knowledge from the Thief path.

He was just as mischievous as the Zuowangdao next door, a joker who enjoyed playing tricks on others.

Lu Ke mentally estimated the time needed to digest Sequence 9—approximately one to two weeks, and it could be faster if he engaged in some level of role-playing.

Hmm... It was a bit slow, but still acceptable.

He aimed to become an existence above Sequence 2 Angel within half a year to a year.

Once he became a complete mythical being, he could borrow sufficient blessings from his Essence and use the 'Invasion' symbol to pass through the barrier set up by the Heavenly Sovereign and reach the Western Continent.

By then, he could freely choose the Source Substance outside the Source Citadel and the Chaos Sea. The higher-ranked beings on the Western Continent were tormented by the major Source Substances, yearning for someone to take over.

As long as he promised to contribute during the apocalypse, they would likely deliver the Source Substance right into his mouth. The only thing he needed to pay attention to was controlling his intake to avoid consuming too much Source Substance, which could lead to an uncontrollable aggregation, causing the Original Maker to awaken and a true 'Return to Unity'.

Perhaps the Original Maker had intended this when he gave Lu Ke the symbol.

He felt that the mindless idiot 'Primordial Hunger' was incapable of making the 'Aggregation' large enough to attract all the Elder Dominators to gather. So, he created a youthful version with a brain, one that was more in line with his true nature.

Lu Ke pushed open the heavy doors, and the bustling tavern, filled with loud voices, snapped him out of his thoughts. The stuffy air, mixed with the smell of alcohol, made him frown.

"Beat him up so badly that even his mother won't recognize him, 'Lightning'!"

"Rip off his balls! 'Blackback', I'm counting on you this time!"

In the center, two robust and muscular men, bare-chested, were engaged in a fierce fight on the boxing stage, while dozens of drunken spectators cheered and shouted their support, their voices laced with profanities.

Lu Ke listened to the spectators' raw and wild desires and shook his head with a wry smile. He had been thinking too far ahead just now; he needed to take things one step at a time.

With a serene expression, he calmly pushed through the crowd, and the enthusiastic patrons, in their frenzy, didn't notice this slight movement.

When Lu Ke emerged from the other side of the crowd, his pockets were bulging. He walked to a corner and took out one wallet after another from his pockets.

Just moments ago, he had transformed into a thief and successfully stolen a group of people's wallets! It was time to digest the potion.

Lu Ke closed his eyes and felt the effects, nodding slightly.

The digestion of the potion was a multi-faceted calculation, taking into account the value of the stolen item, the victim's attachment to it, the difficulty of the theft, and whether the theft was successful, among other factors, forming a complex system.

The drunken patrons in the tavern were not wealthy, and in their tipsy and passionate state, they didn't pay much attention to their wallets. The theft was not particularly challenging, but the silent and successful theft still resulted in the digestion of the potion.

Based on this experience, if he repeated this act once a day, he could complete the digestion and role-playing of the 'Thief' Sequence within a week and prepare for the promotion to 'Path of Thieves'.

Lu Ke nodded thoughtfully, pushed back into the crowd, and emerged with his pockets empty. He returned all the wallets to their owners.

The poor had too little money, and their ability to bear risks was low. A difference of even one pound or one souler could ruin a family and turn residents into vagrants.

Not counting the fallen thugs and mafia, he wasn't desperate enough to steal from ordinary law-abiding citizens, and...

Lu Ke looked at the unsuspecting patrons with a smile, his tall and slender figure disappearing back into the crowd.

Is it possible to treat these drunkards as experience monsters and farm them repeatedly?

...

After a moment, Luke walked expressionlessly past several rooms and arrived at the billiards room.

His attempt to exploit the bug had failed.

It's unreasonable to prevent bug exploitation through a bug method! Why not stop the 'Fortune Teller' from fortune-telling or the 'Gate' from opening?

Two men playing billiards inside paused and spoke softly upon seeing someone enter.

"What's the matter?"

"I want to enter the underground market."

"Who referred you?"

Luke remembered the 'Thief' Extraordinary Trait he held in his hand, and he could play the role of a potion maker in advance.

He exuded the authority of a superior, his eyes showing obvious displeasure, his tone polite yet distant, and his politeness mixed with doubt.

"Is it a requirement set by Svein that someone must accompany me there?"

He didn't reveal his identity, but his mannerisms as a leader of the upper class still made the two employees feel inexplicably apprehensive, thinking the man before them was some big shot.

Svein was the owner of the Dragon Tavern and the former captain of the 'Penitent' squad in the Storm Church, just like the current 'Hanged Man', Alger, a Sequence 8 'Furious People'.

The man in front spoke with a forced smile, "Not exactly, but the boss has instructed us to be cautious and prioritize regular customers. You know about the strange celestial phenomenon a few days ago."

The other man added, "The major churches have implemented a certain level of martial law and increased the frequency of patrols. They seem to consider the celestial phenomenon a dangerous sign."

Luke's displeasure in his eyes intensified, seemingly dissatisfied with their answer, causing the two men to feel a bit flustered. Following the principle of 'better safe than sorry', they decided to let him pass.

They couldn't confirm if Luke really knew the boss, but if he did, it would be a big problem. The 'Furious People' were not known for their good temper, and the two men were genuinely afraid of the boss.

After all, bosses around the world were generally the type to stir up trouble, blow small issues out of proportion, and do everything in their power to exploit and squeeze their employees.

"Please excuse my previous offense, sir. I hope you won't take it to heart."

The two men led Luke through several turns and rooms, and suddenly, a space as large as a university lecture hall appeared before them.

There were stalls set up, piled with bottles and jars, and people walking between them, examining, chatting, or comparing prices.

"Sunia Island Golden Spring Water, Star Crystal, Gold Grass Powder..."

Luke looked at each stall, feeling slightly disappointed.

Most of the items were auxiliary materials, with only a small portion of low-Sequence main materials, and the prices were relatively high. After all, Tingen was just a small place, and aside from the three major churches, the Extraordinary Beings in the civilian sector generally had lower-tier offerings.

Indeed, the quality of Extraordinary Beings was not high, and at a glance, most of the wild Extraordinary Beings were Sequence 9, making it impossible for him to consume them.

Fortunately, the firearms were well-stocked, and Luke managed to purchase a customized pistol with good range and power. It fired smoothly in rapid succession, making the trip worthwhile.

He also bought a box of ammunition and some auxiliary materials, and later used a ritual to create enchanted bullets, ensuring he could handle spiritual entities or curses without much trouble.

...

So expensive!

Kline stared at his reflection in the mirror, dressed in a formal suit, and protested against the significant cost for a slight improvement in appearance. His eyes were filled with pain.

A not-so-impressive formal suit cost eight pounds and five sule, which was outright robbery! Was there no one to regulate these prices? Why didn't Emperor Roser establish a market inspection bureau or a consumer association when he visited? Or perhaps there was one, but the prices were still this high?

Kline counted the advance payment in his hand once, then again, and finally, he pretended to be nonchalant and handed over the money to the attendant, who gave him a slightly speechless look.

The attendant tugged at the sticky notes, took the money with a bit of force, and maintained a commercialized smile as a formality.

"Registering your information can get you free cleaning and repairs within a limited time. Do you need to register for minor issues?"

"Um... I think so."

Kline pretended to think for a moment, a cautious act of a dignified person when leaving information. Then, he flipped through the register handed to him by the attendant.

As he registered his information, Kline suddenly noticed a prominent name on the second row, causing his hand holding the pen to tremble.

Genova Taft Alexander? Kline swallowed hard. This name didn't seem to fit Tingen... no, the entire Rune Kingdom's naming conventions!

Especially 'Genova', if he remembered correctly, this was something from 'Final Fantasy', an alien intelligent being with a highly intelligent, aggressive, and cunning nature, capable of mimicking any life form, and inherently possessing the will to destroy planets.

It wasn't surprising to share a name with something from a past life's game, but the context of 'alien intelligent being' perfectly fit the meaning of 'transcendence'! He didn't know much about 'Taft' in the middle, but the surname 'Alexander' at the end was unheard of during the original owner's twenty-plus years of life. However, the Earth's 'Conqueror' Alexander was quite famous.

He wouldn't run into a fellow countryman, would he?!

After the fallen Roser Emperor a hundred years ago, another fellow countryman?

I can't believe it!

Klaine's heart was racing as he eagerly scanned the residence named "Genova." Apartment No. 1 on Narcissus Street. He barely managed to restrain himself after registering the information and quickly strode out without a moment's pause.

This was a bit too reckless and careless, but he couldn't contain his excitement.

A living countryman, a living countryman!

"1 Narcissus Street."

Klaine hailed a carriage and shouted out the address, then stepped in and anxiously waited. His breathing quickened, and his fingers unconsciously gripped his knees. Joy, hesitation, excitement, and apprehension... a mix of emotions surged within him.

It was as if he had suddenly arrived in an unfamiliar city, lost both his phone and ID, and couldn't find his way home. After a long stay in a foreign land, when the prospect of returning home seemed distant, he suddenly spotted a familiar sight, an indescribable emotion.

"God bless, I hope I didn't make a mistake. It has to be a fellow countryman."

Mr. Klaine repeated his words, and if not for the inappropriate location, he would have recited "Fusheng Xuanhuang Heavenly Sovereign" a few more times. He clasped his hands together in prayer.

"Please don't be a bad person, please don't be a bad person..."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"I hope they're from the Great Food Empire too, I really hope they're from the Great Food Empire..."

If they could speak Chinese, he would be overjoyed!

A moment later, Klaine, filled with excitement, approached the apartment door. He took a deep breath, straightened his hair and collar, smoothed the creases on his pants, and knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, footsteps approached, and the door opened.

Along with it came a strong aroma that filled his nostrils—the scent of food, potent, pungent, and mouthwatering. Klaine had never smelled such a tantalizing aroma before.

But even more delightful to Klaine than the food was Parrot, who was holding a spatula.

It was confirmed—a fellow countryman from the Great Food Empire on Earth!

Parrot: (∆)



Parrot looked at Klaine, who had suddenly shown up at his door, with a puzzled expression, and a hint of alertness flashed in his gray eyes. Had the mafia come to seek revenge?

Klaine didn't notice Parrot's wariness; instead, he felt an instant connection with Parrot's gray eyes, finding them incredibly familiar. He even felt a sense of loneliness and melancholy in Parrot, a connection between them!

"The majestic mountain stands tall, and the ancient creek flows through the eternal beauty."

Klaine excitedly approached Parrot and whispered the secret code in Chinese, but he startled Parrot, who backed away and hid, thinking that the man babbling incoherent words was crazy.

Parrot had received culinary blessings and didn't understand Chinese.

Thump! Thump!

The two men shoved each other at the doorway, and in his panic, Parrot landed two punches on Klaine's stomach, causing him to wince in pain, his eyes turning red.

"Brother, don't you recognize me?"

Klaine suddenly remembered that the Roser Emperor had crossed over a hundred years ago, and a thought flashed through his mind.

This fellow countryman might not be from the same era as him. He quickly recited all the secret codes he knew.

"Court wine..."

"Odds and evens..."

"My son, Wang Teng, has..."

"IG..."

"The national team this time..."

He tried several phrases, but Parrot remained silent, looking at him with a mix of confusion and vigilance.

Klaine gradually became dejected. He let go of Parrot and took a few steps back, letting out a bitter laugh. He spoke in Rune language.

"If you weren't from the Great Food Empire, how would you know how to cook?"

"I taught him that."

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind, and Klaine slowly turned around, instinctively looking up. The person who approached was half a head taller than him, with a tall and handsome figure and an extraordinary appearance. Klaine's eyes lit up with surprise, and his heart urged him to step forward.

"Hold on, I know you're excited, but don't get too carried away."

Luke extended his arm to stop Klaine from approaching.

Everyone knew that Luke and his group were dog enthusiasts, and they weren't particularly interested in cats. A little playfulness was fine.

Klaine stopped in his tracks, and his joy subsided slightly. Just as he was about to calm down and find a quiet place to exchange information with his fellow countryman, he heard a sigh from the other party.

The person looked at Klaine with a mix of regret, pity, and sympathy, then slowly spoke.

"Zhou Mingrui, don't you plan to wake up?"

Klaine hesitated, then asked, "What do you mean...?"

"Don't you understand? Your crossing over was just a dream!"

Klaine: ???

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end