Su Xiao infused a trace of demonic power into his Qinggang Shadow energy. Because the demon mark had been on his body for a long time, the Qinggang Shadow energy didn't immediately destroy the demonic power.
With a flick of his finger, a pale blue energy orb shot into the back of the demon servant, causing its body to stiffen.
"What are you doing!" the wolf butler suddenly turned around, his eyes turning into brownish-yellow vertical pupils filled with undisguised killing intent.
"Nothing." Su Xiao didn't care about the wolf butler's attitude. After a series of observations, he realized that neither Alice nor the wolf butler dared to harm the players outside the game rules. Or rather, they didn't dare harm contractors or hunters outside the game rules. Reincarnation Paradise was not to be trifled with.
Alice might be a pseudo-god within the castle, but Reincarnation Paradise existed on a level far beyond her. A pseudo-god challenging Reincarnation Paradise would be executed without question. Su Xiao had witnessed Reincarnation Paradise annihilate a Dark Dragon, which was far more powerful than ordinary dragons. Under the might of Reincarnation Paradise, the Dark Dragon was just a large lizard, obliterated by a single beam of light.
Having confronted Alice, Su Xiao dared to call her the "howl of a defeated dog," and he felt the same way about the wolf butler.
"The demon servant is Queen Alice's most loyal servant. He won't negotiate with an outsider like you," the wolf butler said, not daring to attack directly.
Soon, all six participants except Su Xiao had entered the Forest of the Strong. Entering first had its advantages; being the last could be due to Su Xiao's negative rapport with the wolf butler.
"It's your turn," the wolf butler said impatiently, no longer hiding his disdain for Su Xiao.
Su Xiao stepped into the forest, with the little detective and Golden Glasses Man already out of sight.
Bubuwang sniffed the air, not catching a scent but an aura, clearly asking, "Master, should we chase them?"
Bubuwang's tracking skills had become increasingly proficient from accompanying Su Xiao in battles.
"Not yet. Let's first understand the forest. The cost of fighting here is high."
In the fourth game, Su Xiao had to consider whether the benefits of each fight outweighed the costs by at least 30%.
"Woof," Bubuwang responded, understanding. Su Xiao released the Eye of the Apostle to scout the forest terrain, activating his instinctive abilities while keeping his basic perception dormant.
Shortly after leaving the cabin area, the wolf butler returned to the third floor, leaving the demon servant alone on the stump.
The demon servant's dull eyes gradually focused. "Garu... garu?" Regaining some semblance of consciousness, the demon servant's vacant expression vanished, and he seemed deep in thought.
"The energy of an ally and kin, this familiar burning sensation inside... it's Qinggang, no doubt."
The demon servant clenched the unfinished wooden sculpture. "The ally is still too weak to be implicated. He needs time to grow. This pure Qinggang Shadow energy must come from Marvin Waltz's disciple. Other Shadows of Extinction don't have such pure energy. My ally, you don't yet grasp the Soul Cutter Shadow. Keep hiding, and I hope you grow stronger by our next meeting."
The demon servant touched his chest, and his eyes dulled again. "Garu..."
In the Forest of the Strong, Su Xiao sat atop a large tree, waiting for an unknown creature below to leave. This creature resembled a two-headed snake, as thick as a water barrel and at least thirty meters long.
Su Xiao chose not to engage it due to the strong stench emanating from its body, indicating it was highly poisonous and inedible.
As he waited, a burning sensation on his arm signaled the demon mark. Su Xiao rolled up his sleeve, feeling a trickle of demonic power flow from the mark, forming small words on his arm.
"Ally, you are not yet strong enough. Wait patiently. When you are ready, use the coordinates I leave to return here, and all of Alice's treasures will be yours. The demon race and the Shadows of Extinction are eternal allies."
The demonic power on his arm quickly returned to the demon mark. Su Xiao didn't need to guess who had sent the message—it was the demon servant.
"Wait..." Su Xiao understood the demon servant's message: he wasn't yet strong enough to confront Alice directly. After all, a pseudo-god's strength was still beyond his reach.
Sensing his surroundings, Su Xiao felt a cluster of demonic power within the demon mark, likely the coordinates mentioned by the demon servant. For now, he couldn't understand its construction or function, but it didn't seem harmful and remained well hidden.
The demon servant's hint was clear: Su Xiao wasn't ready to confront Alice yet. The demon servant's cautiousness and the warning against provoking Alice reinforced this.
Feeling a bit disappointed, Su Xiao preferred to settle scores immediately. Alice had tried to kill him out of genuine intent, not as part of the game, so he naturally wanted to retaliate. However, it seemed this wouldn't be feasible.
While Su Xiao pondered, footsteps approached from below.
"Bala gurulu muk (unknown language)." "Kraka senei iru... (unknown language)."
Several humanoid creatures covered in silver scales walked below. Reincarnation Paradise didn't provide a translation for their language, so Su Xiao only heard gibberish.
Five silver-scaled humanoids, looking like refugees with tattered cloth wrapped around them, passed below. Thanks to his aura concealment, Su Xiao remained unnoticed, as did Bubuwang, whose hiding skills were top-notch.
Su Xiao's eyes focused on one of the creatures carrying a skinned beast leg, seemingly dried to prevent spoilage. Judging by its weight, it was enough to fill Su Xiao and Bubuwang for a meal. Exchanging glances, they instantly understood each other.
Bubuwang jumped from the tree, landing with a thud. It had intended to make a dramatic entrance but had gained a few pounds recently.
"Woof!" Bubuwang barked menacingly, clearly saying, "This path is mine, and so is this tree. If you want to pass, leave the beast leg!"
The five silver-scaled humanoids froze, then smiled. From their expressions, Su Xiao understood their cross-species reaction.
Their look said: "Dog meat soup!"