Chapter 41 - 36: Tail
Chapter 41 - 36: Tail
"Ready to learn the Fist Technique?"
Tao Yu ran over to Smith at the end of the dojo's teaching session, leaving the latter completely bewildered.
He had intended for Tao Yu to spend three days to get familiar with the technique at an accelerated pace. How much Yuan Force did you use? Are you that wealthy?
Yuan Force Acceleration is a great thing, but the quicker the Acceleration, the lower the cost-effectiveness...
"I want to master all five Fist Techniques and then head to the Abyss to enhance my survival abilities as much as possible," Tao Yu said frankly, causing Smith to pause and then sigh.
"I know you mastered Stance Skill after just three attempts. Your talent is truly impressive, but since we even have to simplify a Skill to create an introductory one for the Fist Techniques, you can appreciate their complexity. With your talent, mastering one or two in a month shouldn't be an issue, but all five might be pushing it." Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"I want to try."
Tao Yu insisted.
He knew Smith meant well, as his scar-faced junior had mentioned that at least five levels of Fist Technique had to be reached before one could attempt to merge them and stabilize the Qi-Blood.
Even if he were to hastily master all five Fist Techniques, the cost-effectiveness might actually be less than focusing on a single Fist Technique for improvement.
This kind of ability, even one that requires a special simplified Skill as a prerequisite, will inevitably consume more Yuan Force with Acceleration.
But Tao Yu himself possessed the ability of Deification. Regardless of the details, he wanted to master the basics first and form the Skill...
"Fine, I'll let you try. You'll change your mind eventually. It's late now, we'll start tomorrow."
"Okay, thank you Brother Smith."
Zhang Wei and the others, who were also exhausted, looked on with envy at that time.
They didn't have the money to afford Qi-tonic Soup. It was such a luxury, and they were already worn out.
And there was Tao Yu, not only mastering Stance Skill but also using Acceleration in combination with Qi-tonic Soup, and now he's moving directly to learning Fist Technique?
The gap was just too big...
It wouldn't be surprising if someone from the Inner City surpassed the peak of Outsider in the beginning, considering the massive accumulation they have—money could buy it all.
But these were all Outsiders. The disparity was indeed considerable...
...
"The dojo is quite generous, giving out free spots and also clothes."
Tao Yu looked at the gray practice clothes in his hands and sighed inwardly.
The material was rough, and wearing it directly might even cause discomfort due to chafing, designed with durability in mind.
Yet, even so, it was the best clothing Tao Yu had ever owned.
Heaven knows how uncomfortable the fabric of his underwear had been for the past eighteen years, nearly causing calluses.
When registering, they'd written down their height and weight, and by the time they went home, each person had been given a set—an indicator of their efficiency.
However, if you wanted a second set, you had to pay for it yourself, costing 10 units of Yuan Force.
The consumption at this dojo was truly high for Outsiders, but actually, each item's cost-effectiveness was quite good.
The same was true for Qi-tonic Soup and medicinal ointments.
Tao Yu had also bought two jars of ointment, which truly seemed to have a blood-activating effect and could be used during practice.
The auxiliary Skill affected by Deification also gave Tao Yu a basic understanding of the ointment.
"I have no idea what the ingredients are, but if I could learn the pharmaceutical skills to make money, it would be fantastic."
Because of the auxiliary Skill's Deification, Tao Yu had a rough idea about the Qi-tonic Soup and ointment.
The Qi-tonic Soup was probably a kind of medicinal porridge, made from a blend of a creature's internal organs, herbs, and staples, possibly from a Yuan Force creature bred by a corporate enclave.
The ointment might be similar to horse balm, probably also from a Yuan Force creature.
It wouldn't be surprising that company enclaves have developed to this stage with mature supporting systems and various industries.
But as for a new enclave, it was unclear how they would manage.
"Uh, maybe they'll breed Aliens?"
Tao Yu speculated, thinking that the rapid breeding characteristics of Aliens parasitizing ordinary creatures might be quite suitable for captivity.
Although excluding the value of Skills, each creature was worth only twenty units of Yuan Force, but the sheer numbers could make up for it.
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However, it was foreseeable that even if they really cultivated Aliens, and the number of Aliens increased, the company would definitely control the circulation of Skills, preferring to convert surplus directly into pure Yuan Force rather than undermine their own prices.
"And then there's the Blood Orchid, Li Le probably has channels to find people, I sold some to Manager Liu as well; after things settle down, he should consider using the valley as a cultivation field."
Although the Blood Orchid was unlikely to be cultivated artificially and could only be harvested periodically with long intervals between years, the effects were undeniable, and even if the habitat of the Blood Orchid was deciphered, they likely wouldn't give up on it…
As Tao Yu was gleefully thinking, she also left the fortress and turned into a small alley.
The so-called alley was actually two piecemeal buildings erected outside the fortress, trying to take as much shelter as possible under the fortress tower's turrets, with sewage overflowing on the ground.
Once Tao Yu entered the alley, she suddenly sped up and started running, weaving through the disorganized houses of the Outsider area, her speed suddenly surpassing that of Bolt, eliciting exclamations from the occasional passerby.
"Yue~, do you want to die, kicking shit all over my face, yue~"
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to kill someone or what..."
"..."
Tao Yu's abrupt dash immediately triggered a wave of complaints in the already filthy and chaotic environment of the Outsider area.
If Tao Yu hadn't been moving so quickly, obviously not someone to mess with, there might have been fistfights.
The Outsider area had some basic rules, but unless it was something significant, the security team wouldn't interfere; in many areas, order was even dictated by gangs.
After Tao Yu took off running like a bat out of hell, two silhouettes that had been standing at the entrance of the fortress swiftly followed suit, their speed not quite matching Tao Yu's, but not much slower either!
Just that they had been thrown off from the beginning when Tao Yu sprinted ahead, starting a beat too slow and not being able to keep up. When they realized they had lost her after chasing for a bit, they spat out curses fiercely.
"Damn, running so fast?"
"It seems what he said about eating all those flowers wasn't nonsense, it really does make sense."
The two of them were dressed like typical Outsiders, but the speed they had previously shown was truly impressive.
They glared fiercely at the surrounding crowd that was looking at them with hostility, and to avoid getting shot in the back, they quickly left the area.
Just as they departed, Tao Yu's figure slowly emerged from the shadows of an alley behind them, watching their retreating figures with a profound look in her eyes.
"So it wasn't just me being paranoid, they showed up on the second day, so eager, huh."
The very next morning, I came straight to the Hound Fortress and then sold stuff, learned Skills.
These two men didn't come into the fortress, which likely means they were carrying weapons.
Regardless of whom they were working for, it was definitely related to the Blood Orchid. There's a small chance it could be Manager Liu's side, but there's a greater chance it's Li Le, or someone Li Le has contacted.
However, their tailing was rendered useless in the face of my Dynamic Vision. Those glances out of the corner of their eyes at me, and their faint changes in facial expressions, were all too obvious to Tao Yu.
"Not security personnel, which is better than the worst scenario."
Tao Yu pondered with relief.
If the opposition was really that powerful, to openly and directly crush their way here in broad daylight with the security team in their face, then Tao Yu would have had no choice but to go along obediently, play nice, and give them whatever they wanted, if she didn't wish to be exiled to the mist.
As long as I can keep myself alive, I'm willing to bear any humiliation and even be a dog!
But employing this method of tailing also indirectly indicated that things weren't that extreme.
Perhaps they also took into account Uncle Hu's connection, or maybe it was just that Li Le's reach was limited.
Tao Yu even suspected they had no idea that she had already dealt out some information at the recycling station.
Tsk~
It was still a bit risky just relying on one recycling station, I should also give out some free information at the dojo; my planning wasn't comprehensive enough.
"I'm still just a weakling with little power, and Uncle Hu's backing isn't strong enough either, I can only try to leverage as much as possible..."
Tao Yu never considered herself to be very smart, but as the saying goes, you don't have to eat pork to see it being chased—a lot of the principles in this information-dominated network are actually quite straightforward.
When individual strength was lacking, it's necessary to spread out the interests and risks as much as possible.
If a recycling station wasn't enough, then include the dojo as well.
After all, free information was worth giving away to gain some favor...
Glancing up at the sky, which was perpetually overcast, it was now becoming distinctly darker, a clear sign that nightfall was approaching fast. Tao Yu quickened her pace.
I hope there won't be any surprise attacks tonight.
The little over ten thousand Yuan Force I have left is important, and it would be best not to waste it on recovery...
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