Chapter 050: Bounty Hunter

The second thing to do after enhancing his spells was, of course, the ever-popular card draw. Last time, he had drawn the husky—mischievous and troublesome, yet as it matured and its abilities awakened, he began to reap the rewards. After all, this was no ordinary dog!

Now, another opportunity had arrived. As always, he underwent a cleansing ritual: bathing and changing clothes, washing away any irrelevant aura, then sitting quietly to regulate his breathing. And then—

“Begin!”

“Congratulations, you have drawn the special item ‘Resurrection Stone.’ Would you like to transfer the item?”

“Transfer!”

A small hexagram array appeared before him, and a rune-inscribed stone, glowing with a deep blue light, materialized. As Li Lekang took it in hand, he felt a chill, and its purpose surfaced in his mind:

[Once bound, it can trigger resurrection upon the user's death. Single-use item.]

In games, this was the talisman to prevent disaster during dungeon runs. No one wanted to fight their way to the boss only to have their soul ascend due to a careless mistake. With the Resurrection Stone, you could revive on the spot, fully restored. It was often a tool for tenacious players to face bosses head-on—a must-have for dungeon expeditions.

Living in this gun-toting country, no one could guarantee they wouldn’t encounter some lunatic spraying bullets down the street. That’s why he avoided wandering aimlessly through rough neighborhoods. Now, with this extra layer of security, he wouldn’t need to be so cautious. Even if some reckless youth tried a sneak attack, he’d have a second chance to strike back!

Li Lekang gave this card draw reward a glowing review. It was like gaining an extra life—a stroke of luck not easily found! The only regret was that chances to draw cards were few and far between; unlike in games, you couldn’t just do a few main quests for a reward, nor could you roam the world with a collection of monsters and spirits you’d summoned.

As time wore on, all the main and side quests from the old game had long since turned to dust. Living on Earth, this unique map, the storyline was now entirely up to him to uncover. The only remaining module was the “Bounty Hunter” section, which still updated with occasional tasks, but Li Lekang couldn’t accept most of them—many were simply impossible in reality.

For instance, capturing a flock of winged birdmen—those didn’t exist here! Or representing the demon clan in negotiations with the ogre tribes—which realm was that supposed to be? So after leveling up, Li Lekang merely glanced through the listings, curious what his fellow adventurers were up to on the front lines. Rumor had it they were battling in distant realms, gradually connecting to the myriad worlds.

But today, this habitual scan yielded something new. Scroll Spirit spoke up: “A bounty task matching your eligibility has been found!”

“What?” Li Lekang was surprised, anticipation rising. “Show me!”

[The Seven Sinful Souls of Elimy]

As a peerless Demon Queen, Elimy delights in collecting brilliant and splendid toys. This time, she requires magnificent souls to adorn her regal robe—those who are steeped in the Seven Deadly Sins possess souls that radiate strange and wicked hues. Find them and sacrifice them to Her Majesty!

Rewards:
1. You will gain one additional card draw.
2. You will earn Elimy’s favor.
3. You will unlock the Elimy bounty quest series.

From Li Lekang’s understanding of the game, this was a rare Demon Queen commission. Demon Lord-level bounties were uncommon, for as rulers of Hell—or the Demon Realm—they commanded countless talented subordinates and lacked for nothing.

Whenever a Demon Lord quest appeared in the game, players rushed to complete it. Though often difficult—tasks like stealing an archangel’s feather or gathering evidence of a prophet’s vices—the rewards and favor system were enticing. In reality, such favor was even more valuable: latch onto a Demon Lord, and even if you descend to Hell, you’d have connections and could walk with impunity!

Though resurrection wouldn’t happen on the spot, under a Demon Lord’s protection, you could choose to return to the mortal world—or even reincarnate in a privileged region, born at the pinnacle.

Thus, Li Lekang accepted the quest without hesitation. Whether he could accomplish it or not, better to claim it first—there was no penalty for failure. He could always study the task further.

His knowledge from the game wasn’t sufficient for the vast real world; he needed Scroll Spirit’s assistance to gather more information.

First, about this Demon Queen, Elimy. Her legend among mortals was scant—a fading ancient myth. Her last appearance was in Father Urban Grandier’s pact, merely mentioned as a demon’s name.

Scroll Spirit informed him that Elimy was a mysterious and understated Demon Queen, ruler of the Abyss, a member of the Demon Realm’s governing council, occasionally issuing unusual collection quests.

This time, she desired the souls representing the Seven Deadly Sins. Many were guilty of a single sin—who lacked greed, or moments of lust or pride? But gathering all seven in one soul would be difficult… Still, he had an advantage: access to a free map with seven billion souls.

Not to look too far ahead, his next destination—Las Vegas—already bore the title “City of Sin,” rife with every indulgence imaginable.

This was the greatest benefit of a private dungeon: monsters everywhere, no competition.

As for how to obtain those souls?

Ever the loyal assistant, Scroll Spirit provided answers: “The first method is seizure—directly controlling the target and extracting their soul into a blank Soul Stone. But this approach is violent and may result in unstable quality!”

“The second method is popular among demons: trade! Nothing demonstrates our elegance better than a mutually agreeable transaction!”

Two options lay before Li Lekang, fitting the legendary demon penchant for bargains—those negative rumors about deals were merely the slander of the celestial birdfolk!

For Li Lekang, either method would do. If he could be elegant, he’d prefer it—after all, demons weren’t synonymous with evil. It was simply that they’d lost the battle for faith on Earth, relegating Hell to a terrifying synonym for the wicked.

If you think about it, God commanded Abraham to kill his own son—never mind all the other ways of death, like the flood, which claimed millions. He ought to be consorting with the Demon Lords himself.

Truth, after all, is written by the victors.

Li Lekang accepted the bounty quest and resolved to head for Las Vegas, that city steeped in wealth and vice, in search of suitable souls—and to deal with them as a gentleman.

If they refused? Then they couldn’t blame him for abandoning his genteel manner.

“Isn’t that right, Mike?”

“Woof woof woof!”

Mike wagged his tail excitedly, man and dog reaching a tacit understanding.

“I feel my life growing richer.”

Repeating the same task and profession inevitably grew dull. Li Lekang needed a little spice—taking on the role of bounty hunter. With his current spells and abilities, even if he couldn’t achieve perfection, he could easily retreat unscathed.

Thus, Las Vegas—his next stop for performance and competition—would also become his hunting ground.