Chapter 22 Direction

"Different abilities can be stacked, but it's a pity that the same ones can't be exploited for bugs."

Tao Yu looked at his new "Stealth - Alien" skill, also feeling somewhat sentimental.

Through the previously modified "Basic Combat" and "Basic Blade," which allowed for stacking by doubling the energy consumption for flaw insight, Tao Yu also knew that some redundant parts within Deification skills could indeed be stacked.

The dozen or so Aliens provided him with over three hundred units of Yuan Force, and the information carried by the Alien tails also successfully converged to form the "Stealth - Alien" skill.

After his Deification, Tao Yu found that this ability was similar to the Python's stealth deification effect, only it cost four hundred fifty Yuan Force and was stronger in all aspects.

The most critical aspect was that the effects of both stealth abilities could be stacked!

Once the skills were stacked, his degree of transformation during Shadow Evasion had significantly increased. Now, passing through shrubbery while in the shadows, he no longer experienced 'collisions'.

However, the price of the power stacking was an increase in the consumption of mental and physical energy. Fortunately, the degree of stacking could be adjusted by the individual based on the varying levels of energy exerted.

Having already tasted the benefits of "Stealth - Modified," Tao Yu was quite satisfied with this skill.

With the reaction from "Bullet Time," as long as he still had enough physical strength, he could even use this skill to evade some damage.

He took another step towards becoming an assassin…

Unfortunately, Tao Yu excitedly collected another Python tooth, only to find out that he could not acquire Python abilities again—bugs are hard to exploit.

After absorbing another Alien's Yuan Force mouth, Tao Yu also closed his eyes to sense the new skill that had yet to take shape.

Unlike the Python, whose two skill informations lies in the teeth, the Alien's skill informations were in its tail and mouth. However, the chances of a Yuan Force mouth appearing after death were much lower than that of a Yuan Force tail, so Tao Yu hadn't yet completed that new skill.

But through the chaotic fragments of information, he could roughly make out that it might be some kind of ambush ability that increased stealthy killing power…

"If I'm to be an assassin, then so be it. It seems I'm quite suited to this ghastly environment, and the speed of my physical enhancement isn't too bad either," Tao Yu pinched his bicep.

Previously skinny, his body had become strong thanks to the accelerated Basic Breathing Method and sufficient blood food since his arrival here.

Especially after indulgently consuming dozens of Blood Orchids, Tao Yu could vaguely feel that his current physical condition had reached, or even exceeded, the limits of an ordinary person!

Not only that, but as the Qi-Blood surged within his body, he could feel that his upper limit had increased a bit, and he could continue to develop his remaining potential using the "Basic Breathing Technique - Modified."

The increases to the upper limit from the Breathing Technique and the Blood Orchids could be stacked.

"Although it's a bit extravagant, it's also absolutely necessary," Tao Yu knew that if he took the Blood Orchids back to sell, he could get a high price, but he did not feel a loss spending on his own strength.

If he were to sell them, such a number of Blood Orchids might even attract trouble; better to consume them himself.

It's crucial to stay alive for now!

Nevertheless, Tao Yu still kept five Blood Orchids just in case.

Not only could he have the opportunity to sell them outside, but they could also be used in critical moments as high-energy food for rapid replenishment of physical and mental energy.

Beyond that, his backpack was packed full with the remaining Serpent Fangs.

These Serpent Fangs couldn't provide a new skill anymore, and while they also weren't lacking as a source of three or four hundred points of Yuan Force, they didn't offer the same rapid, direct enhancement as the Blood Orchids.

Should he urgently need it, Tao Yu would certainly absorb them directly, but if there was a chance, they could also be sold, especially since they were part of a set of skills from the Development Zone.

Wino's effort to recruit people indicated that these skills were quite valuable for some Pioneers, potentially worth several or even more than ten times their value once completed.

His parents' annual income without spending was only three or four thousand, and if daily expenses were deducted, they had to save for several years!

"No wonder the aristocrats of the Inner City start off so easily with a hundred thousand units of Yuan Force, and their equipment and items are probably of the same level, the income gap is just too vast."

Tightening his backpack, Tao Yu, standing within the valley, looked towards the opposite bank

"However, the Inner City aristocrats don't get this sort of reward every time, or else Wino wouldn't bother recruiting people.

"So, the three thousand Yuan Force that Joseph lent must be quite important to him?"

With this thought, a profound look appeared in Tao Yu's eyes.

"The interest rate of returning thirteen for a loan of nine is too high; I need to clear the debt soon."

Afterward, he didn't choose to leave through the path leading out from the valley along the bank but instead climbed towards the opposite bank where Joseph had jumped towards, in the direction where the Aliens and Python had gone.

The Alien could climb up swiftly with a simple scratch of its claws, but since arriving here, Tao Yu had to climb as though he was rock climbing.

Fortunately, with his current physical condition being quite exceptional, even carrying a backpack that weighed several tens of pounds, his climbing was still relatively smooth.

He didn't have a system-based climbing skill, but his physical fitness was enough to compensate for this deficiency.

Moonlight poured over him, and thanks to the passive dynamic vision provided by "Bullet Time," Tao Yu's sight was completely unaffected by the darkness.

After climbing the cliff on the opposite shore, the dark rainforest before his eyes appeared quite clear, and he could even discern the traces of the Python Alien moving through the woods.

Glancing at his "Stealth - Modified" and "Stealth II - Modified" skills, Tao Yu's courage surged.

Previously, a single stealth skill was enough to slip past an Alien; now, with two stacked, there was no reason to fear anything!

Moreover, even without actively using Shadow Evasion, the combined passive stealth capability of the two skills ensured he had a decent level of concealment, not easily detectable by others.

Passive stealth might not be as good as Shadow Evasion, but you just can't ignore that it has no consumption...

"Actually, my body has become quite strong, climbing up such a steep cliff easily with a load on my back, and without even being out of breath."

Tao Yu looked back at the cliff face, which was far more steep than the descent had been, and felt a sense of achievement in his heart.

When he had first arrived, even with the enhancement from the Breathing Technique, climbing a tree would leave him breathless; the difference now was quite clear.

Nonetheless, it's a pity that with only the physical qualities of a human pushed to the limit, he was still rather insignificant compared to monsters like the Aliens and Pythons.

Compared to the enhancements from his skills, he was still too weak, extremely unbalanced in abilities.

"The body is the foundation of everything."

With these musings in mind, Tao Yu also tucked his gun away and, carrying his backpack, entered the dark rainforest ahead.

Being in debt makes even sleep uneasy; it's time to resolve this debt.

It's inconsequential if others scatter; the slight injury is of no major concern, but I definitely need to find Brother Jose and repay him properly...

...

An Alien crouched atop a tree, its mouthparts continuously sniffing at the trunk, oozing mucus that kept on dripping, looking utterly disgusting.

Its slender tail swished about, emitting a lethal threat.

The next moment, as if it heard some movement below, it pounced on the ground covered with thick leaves, moving closer to a large tree trunk in the direction of the sound.

It accelerated suddenly and poked out its head, its tail seemingly ready to strike at any moment.

But then, it discovered that there was nothing behind the tree trunk, no sign of anything.

All it saw when it looked down was a pebble that had just stopped rolling, and it slowly extended its mouthparts as if to sniff at something once again.

A flash of cold, white light swept by and the Alien's body stiffened, and after a moment, its head slowly slid off, resulting in a decapitation.

Pfft~

As the head fell, the Alien's green acidic blood gushed out, staining the surroundings green and emitting a sizzling corrosive sound.

Only after the Alien's body completely stopped moving did a figure emerge slowly from the shadows with a wisp of black smoke, looking at the Alien's tail, which was gathering Yuan Force, and couldn't help but purse his lips.

"It's the tail again, what a misfortune."

Shaking and folding the slightly damaged Boomerang Mark in his hand, Tao Yu reattached it to his back, and also took a moment to feel the strain on his body.

A double-stealth charging, combined with Bullet Time, the Qi-Blood from the Breathing Technique, and the multiple layers of charge from "Burst - Modified" and "Basic Blade - Modified."

Using Wino's alloy Boomerang Mark to behead, cutting through the Alien was as smooth as slicing through butter, decapitating the Alien in an instant.

However, this test also made Tao Yu aware of minor strains from his thigh to his waist, and then to the tendons and ligaments in his arms, along with nearly forty percent physical exhaustion and about twenty percent mental fatigue.

"Compared to the previous encounter with the three snakes, this is much better, at least it's just a strain without any tears, and it's less costly to repair. An additional ten percent of my energy should be enough to recover from the injury, and there's still energy to spare. But my endurance is still inadequate."

Tao Yu stuffed a few plump tree bugs into his mouth.

With some Auxiliary Abilities from Deification, his eating habits had also become much bolder.

However, looking at the chunk of Alien corpse ahead labeled 'toxic', Tao Yu still couldn't bring himself to eat it.

Best stick to eating bugs instead.

"Jose is pretty good at hiding; the Alien that came over obviously hasn't found him yet, so he must have some unrevealed abilities."

After securely collecting the Alien's tail spike and realizing he couldn't fit it in his backpack, Tao Yu hesitated briefly then directly absorbed it.

Such skills need to be in sets to fetch a high price; if not in a set, it's better to just absorb them as units of Yuan Force.

Ordinary people can't ignore the mental impact of cluttered information; they need much more than I do, so it's probably very difficult to assemble another complete set that would be sufficient for ordinary people to take with them.

The absorbed Yuan Force can be used to heal injuries when necessary; it's somehow more reassuring...