Chapter 102: Mercenary Tao's Vicious Reputation Spreads
[Reincarnator Ex051 has returned. Commencing settlement.]
[Calculating…]
[World: Jujutsu Kaisen Derivative World B3243]
[Mission Type: Team Arena]
[Main Quest: The Dead Silent Capital. Complete.]
[Main Quest Completion Rating: A+]
[Detecting 2 Reincarnator kills in Team Arena mode. Rating increased.]
[Final Mission Completion Rating: S-] (Note: Lowest rating is E, highest is SSS)
[Mission Rewards: 3000 Dimensional Points; 5 Character Attribute Points]
[Note: Karma Reincarnator Ex051's rank is below "Strong." Attribute points have been automatically allocated.]
[Reincarnator has received an S-rank evaluation. You may now inquire about hidden services at major Nexus facilities.]
Kaito was somewhat surprised to receive an S-rank evaluation. Although he had stayed in the mission world for over 30 days, he had, in truth, spent the vast majority of it in a comatose state. His exploration of the world and his direct quest completion were both average at best.
However, thinking back to the A-rank Singularity he had received, he realized the Nexus must have credited him with personally exorcising the [King of Cursed Spirits - Gojo Satoru] and ending the Great Spiritual Disaster of Tokyo. That single event must have given him a massive completion score, bumping his base A+ rating (from a single side quest) up to an S- after factoring in the Reincarnator kills.
His muscles spasmed for a moment, then returned to normal. The sensation was barely noticeable. He frowned and checked his attributes.
[Strength: 17 (15+2)]
[Agility: 17 (15+2)]
[Constitution: 13 (15+2-4)]
[Spirit: 16 (14+1-4+5)]
[Energy: ?]
All five attribute points had been dumped into his weakest stat, Spirit, which was still suffering from the erosion debuff. And that debuff hadn't disappeared.
"Restore erosion status."
[Querying Reincarnator Ex051's special erosion status. Searching…]
[This special erosion is bound to the Reincarnator's special constitution. Please consult the Goddess for related enhancement options.]
Kaito saw that his unlucky guess had been correct. The debuff was now considered part of his new body.
He gave a cursory glance around his private space, which had expanded by several times once again. It was now nearly 120 square meters. He could make it quite spacious if he cared to. The werewolf and the sniper hadn't left anything useful behind, and Kaito eliminated the messy beds from their merged spaces with a single thought.
He turned the doorknob, and a stream of white data flooded his vision. He was back in the public space.
Kaito appeared directly in the Stall District. He first glanced at his own stall, where he had left Douma's head, and noticed a large crowd gathered around it. He frowned. The next moment, several gazes, hidden in the crowd, locked onto him.
No, "hidden" wasn't the right word. Several of the stall owners, seeing him, actually whistled.
"Whoa, is that him? The [Mercenary Tao] who wiped out [The Fifth Element]?"
"His look is certainly… unique."
Many people were now staring at him. While most of the open comments were just playful teasing, Kaito could clearly feel the sharp, needle-like killing intent from several observers in the shadows.
He understood what had happened. Just as he had done in the last world, the Reincarnators who had returned before him had spread the story of his existence and his deeds. That person was trying to make [Mercenary Tao] a public target.
This was the Reincarnator's way of life. Until you became so powerful that you were an untouchable, absolute force, it was best not to be too high-profile. Otherwise, you could easily become someone's prey. Almost every Reincarnator, after surviving a brutal mission, just wanted to relax in the real world. Being hunted there would almost certainly lead to a bad end.
Kaito's lips curled into a grin. He suddenly clapped his hands together. His eyes instantly swept over the sources of the killing intent.
A thin, chestnut-haired teenager wearing goggles, standing next to a man in a white wizard's robe. Those two, he thought, must be the remnants of [The Fifth Element].
The teenager met Kaito's gaze, flinched, and then, realizing this was a safe zone, simply shot him a look of pure hatred before vanishing into the crowd.
Kaito smiled, satisfied. He turned his head and found her: the figure in the white and gold cloak. [White Mask] was watching him, a mocking smile on her face. She saw him look, gave him a little "bye-bye" wave, and was about to leave.
But Kaito suddenly spoke, his voice loud enough for the entire bazaar to hear.
"That's right! I am the [Mercenary Tao] who just about erased [The Fifth Element] in the last mission world!"
He smiled, gladly owning the exaggerated fact. He knew this woman was trying to put pressure on him. But unfortunately for her, he wasn't a fool like Vincent. Pressure? Anyone could apply that.
"And I didn't just make [The Fifth Element] collapse," he continued, his voice projecting. "In that same world, I also forced a certain high-ranking Reincarnator—the one who's been tangled up with [The Fifth Element]'s leader for ages—to flee in defeat. What was her name again? Oh, well. Probably just some minor character. Wears a white and gold cloak, thinks she's a [Child of Destiny] or something."
The moment Kaito's words fell, the crowd of intel brokers in the bazaar froze, and then erupted.
"White and gold cloak? A [Child of Destiny]? That's [White Mask]!"
"That's right! There were rumors that [The Fifth Element]'s leader, Kai, has been in a blood feud with [White Mask] for several worlds now!"
The various pieces of intel were put together, and in an instant, everyone knew who he was talking about.
Now, all the Reincarnators who had been trying their best not to look at Kaito's grotesque face were forced to stare, trying to memorize the red-skinned, flat-foreheaded, long-nosed man.
"Mercenary Tao…"
"The East Sector has a new monster."
"He killed [Kai] and [Hannya Old Ghost], and he defeated the [Peerless] one's follower, [White Mask]?"
"Is he [Cataclysm]-tier? I've never heard of a monster like this rising so fast."
Everyone was now staring at Kaito, trying to memorize this new, top-tier predator. The true meaning of a Reincarnator's [Avatar] was revealed in this moment. It wasn't just to hide your true face. It was to build a face that other Reincarnators would remember.
A man's name, a tree's shadow. In the Nexus, reputation was a tangible thing. Other Reincarnators would actively avoid powerful players in mission worlds to prevent unnecessary losses. At the same time, weaker Reincarnators would seek their protection. This was how the great [Collectives] and factions were built upon the fame of these great figures.
Today, in the East Sector of the Infinite Space, a vicious new Reincarnator, codenamed [Mercenary Tao], had made his name known.
The smile on [White Mask]'s face was long gone. She stared at [Mercenary Tao] with a dark expression. The man had hijacked her own scheme and used it to build his own reputation at her expense. This would only make it harder for low-level idiots to be goaded into attacking him. But…
Hmph. [Mercenary Tao]. Just wait. There are other madmen out there who will come for you.
I hope you don't die before I find you again. Ruining my ritual… a single life is not enough to pay for that.
[White Mask] turned and vanished, her face a cold mask. She certainly wouldn't stay here and argue with him; that would only elevate his reputation further. She had already noticed that another one of the East Sector's most infamous demons was also staring at him with great interest.
~~~
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