I Don't Agree to the Terms

As for extortion and obtaining possessions through other means, there's a fundamental difference, one is the other party voluntarily handing it over, the other is Gu Shanhai controlling the other party to do so.

He casually woke the person up.

"You...is it you?!" Demon Dragon's Eye's expression showed shock, that it was that casual, ordinary player he had never taken seriously.

"Yes, it's me. This is a hold-up, hand over everything in your inventory," said Gu Shanhai as he cast a healing spell on him.

Suddenly, the other party's attributes all dropped to one, and his skills and talents went dark.

"Hand them over and I'll lift the restrictions. Otherwise, if anyone finds out that all your attributes are one and you can't use your talents or skills, you should know what kind of situation you'll be in," Gu Shanhai said leisurely.

Did they really think they were new to this kind of thing? Besides, those capable of building major forces all had numerous enemies.

Yes, he could remove the restrictions through other means, but it would take time, and it was precisely this time that could prove fatal.

He dictated terms in the Breath of the Giant Dragon not because of his personal charm but his strength.

Demon Dragon's Eye narrowed his eyes; he wasn't really afraid. The other party was just after money.

"You're very powerful, I..."

"No 'I', pay up, then we can talk," Gu Shanhai interrupted.

"You have me strung up; I can't pay," Demon Dragon's Eye said calmly.

Gu Shanhai immediately put him down, not worried that he would make a comeback. He had already dumbfounded him, making him subconsciously overlook the option to return.

He couldn't control the other party to take things, but he could make him forget to go back.

Because it was an imperceptibly subtle method, the other party would remember it later.

"Here's everything, all yours," Demon Dragon's Eye was straightforward, taking out a vast array of rare items, equipment, and consumables.

There were certainly hidden items, but Demon Dragon's Eye wasn't foolish. He would surely give something of value.

Otherwise, it would be like kidnapping the richest man in the world only for him to offer a dollar, claiming that's all he had. That would be an insult to the kidnapper's intelligence.

Gu Shanhai was quite satisfied. It was normal for the other party not to hand over their ultimate reserves since all players had their pride.

'All done?" Gu Shanhai continued to inquire.

"All done," the other party answered blandly, meaning even if killed, he had no more.

"Alright, too bad then," said Gu Shanhai as he knocked the other party out and then sealed him.

Let him go back? That's impossible. The plan was to dump him somewhere.

Soon, he'd cement all eighteen and send them to the ocean floor, ensuring that by the time they woke up, it would have been thousands of years.

No need to worry about them dying, he'd take care of their sustenance as well.

As he extorted one by one, seven chose death over submission, unwilling to give anything. Gu Shanhai didn't force the issue. If they wouldn't give, then so be it. Those seven hard-heads would be buried deeper, sent straight down to the ocean trench, extending their life support systems by thirty to fifty thousand years.

By the time they died and returned to their rooms, the Breath of the Giant Dragon might have already disbanded.

"I really hate these players with no sense of boundaries."

"Being famous sure has its downsides."

Gu Shanhai didn't really want to head to those popular worlds for a few reasons, not all players were like Shura and the likes who would respect him, they assumed that Gu Shanhai had no fame before, and now that he's suddenly become well-known, there must be some good loot on him. This led them to scheme all kinds of things, even though he had dealt with such matters forcefully, they still believed Gu Shanhai's strength solely came from those valuables.

Unless they were like Shura or Rein, who held menacing reputations from the start, making those who would dare meddle back off.

Take the youngsters in the Breath of the Giant Dragon, for example; reckless and audacious, challenging an old player was one thing, but provoking a top-notch veteran from the first league was completely out of line.

They came to the trench carrying eighteen concrete pillars covered with five centimeters of copper, purposely dig a three-hundred-meter deep pit, and stuffed all eighteen people in there.

There were seven hardheaded kids who refused to cooperate, so Gu Shanhai directly extended their original sentences of a few thousand years to fifty thousand years.

It's their own fault for not bribing him.

"Be more careful next time, don't just scheme against anyone." Gu Shanhai said after patting the dirt firmly with a shovel.

As for the reason he didn't use spells? Simple, cost-saving measures.

With his current strength, digging by himself would cost 1, while using a spell would run a cost of 5. Gu Shanhai felt it was unnecessary spending and preferred to save where he could.

Just like not catching fish, Gu Shanhai would opt to use a water pump to drain the water rather than use a spell to blast the fish; after all, the former could be recharged with solar energy, while the latter would consume his mana—one using the world's resource, the other his own. If he could freeload, he would certainly choose to freeload.

Not everything had to rely on spells, after all, using tools was a human talent, one not to be neglected. It was definitely not because he was stingy.

"This thing looks so ugly, it probably tastes pretty good." Before leaving, Gu Shanhai also casually took a deep-sea fish with him; having come all this way, how could he return empty-handed?

If he wasn't so busy, Gu Shanhai would have considered catching a few more to enjoy a seafood feast.

"Shit, you're okay, that's good. I received news that the people from the Breath of the Giant Dragon were planning to move against you recently... What's that thing?' Mr. Qin got up to greet Gu Shanhai as he returned to the inn and noticed the bizarre object in Gu Shanhai's hand as he spoke.

"Oh, a fish. I'll use it to make soup tonight. You were saying something about the Breath of the Giant Dragon moving against me, what I've been up to lately?" Gu Shanhai swayed the deep-sea fish in his hand as he spoke.

The creature, removed from the deep sea and under the stress of pressure changes, was already about to give up the ghost and needed to be dealt with promptly.

"Be careful lately, stay in if you can. I'll take care of all those blind foreign devils," Mr. Qin continued, then marveled at the deep-sea fish in Gu Shanhai's hand, that looked so strange it nearly seemed extraterrestrial.

It's just that in the deep sea where everybody can't see each other, they grow however they like.

"By the way, does this thing make a good soup?" Mr. Qin asked, segueing the conversation.

"I don't know, I just caught it by the seaside." Gu Shanhai quickly picked up on the fact that Mr. Qin was looking for a free meal, so he feigned ignorance on purpose.

"Well, how about I provide some ingredients for you, and you let me have a bowl?" Mr. Qin speculated that Gu Shanhai might have some cooking-related skill systems, which he heard from Shura, who had learned it from Rein.

"No need for ingredients, I dare cook it, just worried you may not dare to eat it," Gu Shanhai looked at Mr. Qin oddly.

It's just a fish, not something from his body; others things, Gu Shanhai would likely have to grow them himself, and an ordinary person wouldn't dare to take a bite.

"What's there not to dare to eat, are there any benefits?" Mr. Qin asked curiously.

"Yes, it can increase permanent attributes, and there's a chance to acquire passive skills, permanent status, and with good luck, even gain a talent," Gu Shanhai said calmly.

What he said was entirely true, but he didn't guarantee what kind of skills, status, or talents would be acquired.

After all, these things were derived from a being beyond description.

"Oh great, then I'll have to have a couple more bowls!" Mr. Qin's eyes lit up.

"Alright then, but don't force yourself later on." Gu Shanhai sighed, not bothering to argue further. After all, Mr. Qin was shamelessly asking for food. If Gu Shanhai didn't offer, it would appear ungracious. Whether it would be a matter of social graciousness or an accidental mishap, that was another story.