Umbrellaless Brother's message was quite lengthy, and Su Xiao began to carefully read it.
Christmas (Free Agent): "The one who wields a knife, White Night? It must be you; others wouldn't address me like that. I have limited remaining posts, so the content of this message will be somewhat jumbled. Please understand it bit by bit.
Firstly, three high-ranking contract holders have entered the Holy Grail World. I suspect they used items to enter, but their intentions are unclear; it could be for revenge or some other purpose.
However, they are willing to kill any contract holder they can find! I witnessed them annihilate a small adventure group of twelve people.
The three of them consist of two men and one woman: one male is a fire-type close combat mage (he has ranged abilities, I saw it firsthand), one male serves as the main tank and is slightly chubby, and one female is a controller, likely specialized in charm-based abilities and controlling magic.
I may not have much time left, White Night. You are strong, perhaps... you can survive. Also, aside from those three, there may be only two contract holders left in this derivative world. If those three entered this world using an item, they won't be able to see this message. (My remaining posts: 1)."
After reading this message, which could be considered a farewell message, Su Xiao felt somewhat uneasy.
Based on the situation on the Derivative World Contact Platform, the likelihood of Umbrellaless Brother lying was minimal. After he sent this message, the platform became eerily silent, as if haunted.
"High-ranking contract holders, three of them, hunting down other contract holders..."
Su Xiao took out a cigarette and was about to light it when a weak, female voice came from the doorway.
"P-patient... um, you can't smoke~"
It was Jian Tong Ying, peeking her head into the room.
"Who told you that?"
Su Xiao looked at Jian Tong Ying. With Bu Bu's help, this young girl's mental state had improved significantly.
"My mother."
"Your mother didn't tell you that it's wrong to spy on others."
"It seems... she didn't. I spied on Rin while she was bathing, and when she found out, she invited me to bathe with her."
Jian Tong Ying tilted her head, her short purple hair hanging down to her cheeks.
"That's not called spying. Go play with Bu Bu."
"Oh~"
Jian Tong Ying ran off, and Su Xiao continued to contemplate Umbrellaless Brother's previous message. After a long time, he sent a message on the Derivative World Contact Platform.
White Night (Free Agent): "How much longer can you hold out?"
A few minutes later, Umbrellaless Brother replied.
Christmas (Free Agent): "At most, one day (within 24 hours). They are tracking me. How about we join forces?"
Umbrellaless Brother had used up all his posts.
White Night (Free Agent): "Meet in the Black Mist in 20 hours."
Here, Su Xiao referred to the Black Mist, not as a location in the Holy Grail World with black mist but as an adjective only Umbrellaless Brother could understand.
Previously, in the Trial World, the Dark Forest was shrouded in black mist, so the Black Mist referred to the forest. There was only one forest near Fuyuki City.
Su Xiao's intention was to meet in the forest near Fuyuki City in 20 hours. As for why he didn't go to meet Umbrellaless Brother now, it was because Su Xiao needed time to recover. With his current condition, Bu Bu's aura, and the alchemical potions, he needed at least 18 hours of rest to regain his combat strength.
Furthermore, Su Xiao had only cooperated with Umbrellaless Brother once, and trust couldn't be established so easily. Umbrellaless Brother might have already been captured and forced to send that message. This possibility couldn't be ruled out. If it weren't for the peculiar situation in the Holy Grail World, Su Xiao wouldn't have made this choice.
"It seems like my participation in the Holy Grail War will have to be postponed again, but it's not impossible to cooperate with other Masters."
Su Xiao checked the remaining time for the main quest, which was 12 days. If high-ranking contract holders were really using items to enter this world, fighting against Heroic Spirits would be suicidal.
Su Xiao finally understood why he couldn't see any other contract holders before. This derivative world had become like a "single-player" game because those contract holders weren't hiding; they had all been killed.
What was the purpose of those three people? Simply killing all the contract holders for the Crimson Card? Or breaking through the Holy Grail World?
Both possibilities were unlikely. The Holy Grail World wasn't suitable for hunting contract holders, as the drop rate for Crimson Cards here was only around 20-30%. There were many Second Order worlds more suitable for hunting contract holders.
As for breaking through this world to obtain a large reward? This possibility was also unlikely. The item that allowed high-ranking contract holders to enter low-ranking worlds was expensive and rare. Moreover, high-ranking contract holders would have their powers suppressed when entering low-ranking worlds, so it was mainly large adventure groups that liked to buy such items.
It wasn't for wealth, so it might be for love or revenge. There were very few people in the Reincarnation Paradise who talked about love, so the possibility of revenge was greater.
Possessing items held by large adventure groups, seeking revenge, and not progressing with the main quest after entering the derivative world to directly kill contract holders—this might be a strategy to prevent Second Order contract holders in the derivative world from joining forces. They aimed to eliminate them one by one, denying them the opportunity to unite. This strategy was decisive and ruthless.
Su Xiao had various clues running through his mind. Although he didn't like using schemes and tricks, in the Reincarnation Paradise filled with intrigue, using one's brain was essential for survival.
"Why does it feel like they're coming for me..."
Su Xiao exhaled a puff of smoke. It wasn't because he was overly self-absorbed, but because he met all the conditions mentioned.
Having a grudge with a large adventure group (Bloodgate Adventure Group), possessing formidable strength, and being capable of killing high-ranking contract holders whose powers were suppressed when they joined forces with a large number of Second Order contract holders—all of these made Su Xiao a prime target.
"Stan?"
Su Xiao was now quite puzzled. Suddenly, he felt a slight burning sensation in his hand; it was the cigarette burning down. He extinguished it in the ashtray on the bedside table.
"If it's Stan seeking revenge, how did they find me?"
This was something Su Xiao couldn't understand. His number was a fake number, and aside from that, other things could be traced, such as an item stored in his space with coordinates, or his blood, among other things.
These things could be used for tracking, but the cost was high. Given Stan's style, would he really go to such lengths for a seed member? Su Xiao needed to sell off all his equipment and fill the profits from two to three derivative worlds to afford such tracking. Moreover, high-ranking contract holders were only allowed to enter derivative worlds one level below their own; this was an iron rule.
The current situation could be described as a tangled mess, but Su Xiao had a feeling that if it was indeed Stan who sent someone to kill him, it wasn't just the decision of a large adventure group; there was a greater force behind it.
Su Xiao didn't dwell on this matter any longer. If they came, he would kill them. If he couldn't defeat them, he would escape. If he couldn't escape, he would die. There was nothing to fear. He had nothing to lose, and desperation might lead him to hunt down the Bloodgate Adventure Group directly.
Relaxing his mind, Su Xiao quickly entered a deep sleep.
Fifteen hours later, Su Xiao's fingers twitched, and he sat up on the bed. He began to remove the bandages from his body.
The wound on his chest had roughly healed, as long as he didn't engage in too brutal of a battle.
Moonlight streamed into the room. Su Xiao yawned and, with a clear mind, checked the completion progress of his Talent Awakening mission.
[Talent Awakening Mission Completion: 95% (Exceptional).]
[Hint: For 70% of contract holders, the Talent Awakening Mission completion is below 40%. For 20% of contract holders, completion exceeds 60%. For 5% of contract holders, completion is at 70%, for 3%, it's at 80%, for 1%, it's at 90%, for 0.13%, it's at 92%, and for 0.00041%, it's at 93%...]
Based on the hints, it seemed that Su Xiao had exceeded the requirements for the mission. As for reaching 100% completion, he never had such an expectation. With his current strength, it was simply unrealistic.
"Paradise, awaken my talent."
With a formidable enemy approaching, Su Xiao needed to awaken his talent ability to enhance his combat power.
