Even goblins are dangerous in this other world!

Page 177

"It will only be more, not less."

"So I have to save this stupid guy's life, otherwise the 1900 gold coins will be wasted. Exchanging something worth 1000 gold coins for 1900 gold coins is called cutting losses."

Rivers continued:

"Do you know how many gold coins I would have to pay if I wanted to forcibly keep the other person here?"

Lode shook his head again.

"2500 gold coins, no less, only more."

Rivers slowly began to speak:

"So I can't take action; that's called risk avoidance."

"A person who neither knows how to cut their losses nor can predict impending danger is a complete fool."

As he spoke, Rivers glanced disdainfully at Elijah in his hand:

"That's my assessment of your actions this time."

"I'm sorry, Lord Rivers."

Lode lowered his head and said.

"Do you know what it takes for an idiot to turn his life around?"

Rivers looked at Lord, his eyes unreadable.

Lodey pursed his dry, chapped lips, a chill running down his spine. He knew that whether he would be punished this time, and how severe the punishment would be, depended on the answer to this question.

He thought for a long time, and as time passed, Rivers didn't urge him but just waited quietly by his side.

Finally, Lorde came up with the most likely answer.

“Lord Rivers, I think... if a fool wants to turn his life around, the best way for him might be... to latch onto the coattails of a smart person.”

Lodey's originally languid voice became slightly distorted with nervousness, unsure if his answer would satisfy Rivers beside him.

Several minutes passed, and just as Lord's heart was in his throat, Rivers finally spoke:

"Being able to rely on someone's coattails can never compare to gaining that person's friendship."

"Now that you've thought of it, give it a try."

"You can try making friends first, and if that doesn't work, you can try something else."

Chapter 137 Strength Increases Again!

When Lorde heard Rivers' words, his head was down and his expression froze. When he looked up, he realized that Rivers was gone.

All that remained at the entrance of the alley was a pile of broken walls and bloodstains from the battle, as if only a short while had passed, and these traces of the battle had already become history.

The afternoon wind howled past, brushing against Lorde's neck. He tugged at his collar, trying to ward off some of the inexplicable chill.

He recalled Rivers' words and could easily guess that Rivers wanted him to contact Luo Xiu, but that was easier said than done.

In his mind, the images of Luo Xiu punching Alger repeatedly and smashing Elijah like a sack of potatoes played simultaneously from left to right, eventually overlapping and blurring, leaving only Luo Xiu's blood-stained face.

Lode couldn't help but shiver.

Can you really be friends with a monster like that? He had a toothache.

He hadn't made friends for many years. After joining the Chamber of Commerce, socializing, which he had never been good at, became much easier. People of lower status than him didn't need to befriend him; they would come to him on their own. People of higher status didn't need to befriend him either; they wouldn't consider him a friend anyway. He just had to obediently listen to them.

So what's the first step in making friends again?

He tried to recall his childhood memories with his brain, which had been in a daze for a long time, but to no avail. Those memories from when he was learning to speak were of no use at all. Back then, getting along was as simple as saying "Let's be friends" and the two of you could hold hands.

If he were to reach out and try to hold Luo Xiu's hand now, he would most likely end up like Elijah, falling and getting completely bruised.

After thinking for a long time, a thought flashed through Lodey's mind: how about... giving a gift first?

He recalled how Luo Xiu had readily accepted Rivers's offer regarding the Stone Man's heart, and thus decided on the direction for delivering the gift.

That's what I'll do. He made up his mind, took a small step forward, and the shadow swept over him, disappearing from the spot.

And just like that, the once bustling alleyway became completely deserted.

Huhu——

Only the wind continued to blow, as if playing a mournful melody for this post-war land under the setting sun.

Winter is coming.

……

Luo Xiu pushed open the door he had taken from Xiu Pu and walked back into the cubicle shop.

Since learning the brute force balancing alchemy, I've been able to suppress the time it takes for the pot to explode, and the door hasn't been replaced in a long time.

He found a chair, sat down, and took out all the spoils he had gathered on the trip, laying them out on the ground.

Blood of the Black Dragon, Sea Blue Fruit, Silver Apple Slice, Illusion Crystal, Stone Heart.

Without hesitation, he picked up the black dragon's blood and drank it all in one gulp.

Soon, a slight rumbling sound resounded within his body, accompanied by a dragon's roar. A mysterious power appeared, coursing through his blood and limbs, just like the scene with the Silver Dragon Blood last time, attempting to transform Luo Xiu's body.

However, this power was quickly suppressed by Luo Xiu's supreme body. He didn't even break a sweat and easily turned that power into his own.

[Absorption complete]

The system notification sounded, and Luo Xiu checked his attributes. As expected, his magic power, strength, and physique had each increased by 10 points.

His attribute panel now looks like this:

Name: Luo Xiu

【Strength: 390/1500】

[Agility: 330/1500]

【Physique: 470/1500】

[Magic power: 330/1500]

[Mental Resistance: 320/1500]

[Points available: 53]

Next was the sea blue fruit. Luo Xiu picked it up and took a bite, almost spitting it out.

The fruit tastes exactly like its disgusting grayish-blue appearance. It is sour and astringent upon entry, like a layer of moss covering the tongue. Then, that moss produces an aftertaste, which is like a dead lobster that has been soaking in a fish tank for three days.

But Luo Xiu did feel a force enter his body as he took a bite, so he held his breath and swallowed the rest of the fruit.

He controlled his body's reflexive resistance, trying hard not to recall that taste.

Finally, when the system notification sounded, Luo Xiu quickly got up to rinse his mouth.

The taste wasn't enough to have any real impact on him, but it did leave a slightly nauseating feeling in his mouth.

After rinsing his mouth, he looked at the system panel and saw that his physique had increased by 20 points, reaching 490.

As for what Rolda said about changing a person's swimming ability, he hasn't felt it yet and plans to try it again when he has the chance.

Looking at the remaining three items, Luo Xiu pondered for a moment and ultimately chose to skip the Silver Apple Slice and select the Illusion Crystal.

He picked up the dreamlike, teardrop-shaped crystal and gently placed it on his chest.

When the crystal was brought close to the chest, it emitted a dazzling seven-colored light, which then vanished in an instant.

Luo Xiu only felt a blur before his eyes, and the illusion crystal in his hand had disappeared, as if it had turned into a stream of heat and entered his heart.

He had a strange feeling, as if the heat was about to envelop his heart, hardening it from its pounding. A faint light emanated from his chest, flickering with each heartbeat.

But this feeling dissipated with the appearance of the supreme body. The heat seemed to be suppressed, dispersed, and eventually merged into Luo Xiu's limbs.

On the panel, the Agility stat shows an increase of 30 points.

Luo Xiu nodded. Compared to Black Dragon Blood or Silver Dragon Blood, both add 30 attribute points, but the attribute points added by the Illusion Crystal are more targeted, which explains why it is more expensive.

After all, not everyone needs to improve all attributes like him. If the points are added to attributes that are not useful to him, the effect is almost negligible.

But he also had some doubts.

It's unbelievable that no assassin would buy such a good item.

Although it's a bit pricey at 900 gold coins, which is roughly enough to buy five Tier 5 items, the attribute points are actually added to your character.

Luo Xiu was wrong about this.

A speed boost of 30 points would indeed significantly increase the speed of a lower-tier fourth-level assassin, but putting aside whether 900 gold coins are even possible, the bonus alone is far less than that of five fourth-tier items.

It's because Luo Xiu's need for props has never been high that he has this misconception.

For the last two items, Luo Xiu chose to use the Stone Golem's Heart first, saving the Silver Apple Slice for last.

Because the effects of the Silver Apple were still unclear, and even Roldah hadn't explained them clearly, he wanted to maintain some mystery and hoped that the Silver Apple tablets would give him some surprises.

The use of the stone golem's heart went smoothly. Luo Xiu gently injected magic into it, and the stone golem's heart automatically turned into yellow powder, which then burrowed into Luo Xiu's body through his exposed skin.

As soon as the powder entered his body, a heavy, dull feeling appeared in Luo Xiu's mind. In a daze, he felt that his thinking had become slower and that thinking about things had become simpler.

For example, eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're sleepy, and drink when you're thirsty...

Hehe, stone men don't get thirsty.

But such thoughts quickly disappeared, dispelled by the Supreme Being, and Luo Xiu's mind returned to clarity.

He recalled the scenarios where he had used several materials before and realized something was wrong.

These materials that can be added to seem to have some effect on the user, aiming to modify and assimilate the user's body.

One with a supreme body can dispel this influence, but if one does not have a supreme body, will this influence persist indefinitely? Or will it dissipate, but only last for a period of time?

Luo Xiu prefers the latter.

Otherwise, these items wouldn't be so expensive.

Moreover, when he used the "scrutiny" function to observe Rivers' emotional state, he did not find any malicious emotions.

Simply simplifying one's thinking doesn't seem to have any impact.

Luo Xiu looked at the panel; this time, his physique and strength had each increased by 20 points.