Treasure Map Acquisition

Struggling to rise, Snoke was gravely wounded. I had no idea what kind of monster he truly was, but I believed that with a few more heavy hits, this formidable being would surely perish. 

"Don't kill me! I can offer you a treasure map! With it, you can acquire a Wish Fruit that grants a single wish—anything you desire! I tell you, among those twelve Wish Fruits, there is one known as the Eternal Fruit, capable of bestowing immortality!" 

Casting a glance at the unconscious Bai Jingshu, Snoke's proposal stirred a strong temptation within me. With the treasure map in hand, I could amass enough strength to defeat the Winged Demon Monkey without any trouble, and naturally, I wouldn't share the spoils with anyone else. 

Observing the expression on my face, Snoke sensed my interest and immediately produced a piece of parchment, placing it on the ground. I noticed his smug, sinister grin as he added nonchalantly, "I also want all the cards and treasures you possess!" Without a hint of hesitation, Snoke laid down fourteen cards and a red rune stone. 

Just as I cautiously gathered the items from the ground, a sudden commotion of footsteps caught my attention. Two tall Caucasian men happened to pass by. 

Upon seeing Snoke and me, they both wore teasing smiles, but before they could speak, Snoke leapt up from the ground, lunging fiercely at one of the men, sinking his teeth into his neck. Simultaneously, his powerful kick struck the chest of the other man. 

So he still has some fight left in him? 

Astonished, I had assumed Snoke was beyond the capacity to battle. It appeared I had misjudged him. 

Hesitating slightly, I watched as Snoke drained the life from the Caucasian man, and before I could decide whether to attack, Snoke threw his head back and howled, charging off in another direction. 

Forget it, I might not be his match! 

Calculating my odds, I swiftly abandoned the alluring idea of pursuing Snoke. Although letting him escape could result in unforeseen dangers, it was certainly less perilous than engaging him in a duel at that moment. 

From the bodies of the two slain men, I only retrieved a few basic cards. Aside from a small weapons cache card that held quite a bit, it amounted to a disappointing haul. 

What could those bullets and Snoke possibly possess? 

I decided to wait until nightfall to examine the Demon Book in the privacy of my room. Making such a bold move in broad daylight was hardly prudent. 

Using a communication card, I contacted the Wolf King and the others, quickly locating their position. I helped Bai Jingshu to his feet and headed back. The Wolf King and Jack were each accompanied by a woman, while Lilith stood coldly beside them, all waiting for our return. 

I had no intention of questioning the Wolf King and the others about why they hadn't pursued Snoke with me. Instead, I patted Bai Jingshu on the back and said, "Let's head back to the Demon Island Grand Hotel and discuss our next course of action. I'm still unfamiliar with the prey we should hunt!" 

The Wolf King chuckled heartily in approval. Neither he nor Jack inquired about Snoke's whereabouts as we boarded the Red Spider helicopter, piloted by Lilith, returning to the Grand Hotel on Demon Island. 

Bai Jingshu regained consciousness during the journey. Noticing we were high in the sky, he asked about the outcome of the battle, then sighed, "My exorcism spells were ineffective against that monster Snoke. I truly hope to learn advanced exorcism techniques soon, so I can return to the real world." 

I couldn't resonate with his sentiments; in fact, I was more curious about how Bai Jingshu intended to return. Through the continuous battles, I had grown wary of my three companions; sometimes, concealing one's trump cards is the greatest guarantee of victory. 

The Demon Island Grand Hotel looked the same as always, though it made me recall the sensation of certain areas of Lilith's room being somewhat flushed. Eager to return to my room to inspect the spoils from my encounter with Snoke and to inquire about certain matters with Julier, I didn't linger in Lilith's room for any more intimate moments. 

Nor did I socialize with the Wolf King and his entourage. The Wolf King and Jack didn't try to hold me back, but Bai Jingshu seemed to want to say something, yet ultimately remained silent. 

Upon returning to my room, 5188, Julier greeted me with a playful leap and embrace, this intimate gesture made me blush involuntarily. 

Flustered, I pulled Julier off me and hastily retrieved the Demon Book, asking her, "I've acquired some spoils and have many questions. It seems you, my demon interpreter and assistant, have concealed quite a bit from me!" 

"Wang Lin, you're amazing! To have… liberated your potential in such a short time!" 

Julier ignored my inquiries, instead marveling at the array of treasures within the Demon Book. 

"I want to know how I can return to the real world. Stop deflecting me with talk of Wish Fruits. I know there are other methods to choose from!" 

Julier giggled, lifting her head from the Demon Book, her small wings fluttering behind her, causing her to float gently in the air. 

Her adorable posture softened my earlier anger, and just as I was about to reinforce my tone, Julier explained, "It seems you've received incorrect information. Once you've been to Demon Island, nearly everyone has the opportunity to learn some abilities or acquire treasures that allow for free entry and exit from the island. These methods are indeed more efficient than Wish Fruits, but that doesn't mean they are easier to obtain." 

"Take the magic circle that can open a time-space tunnel as an example; do you know how long it takes to train a mage with such abilities?" 

Caught off guard by Julier's question, I fell silent. When I first heard about the magic circle from Lilith, I had thought that acquiring certain materials would suffice to use it, but it was evidently not that simple at all.