Reincarnation Paradise

Chapter 867: Protective Measures

[Time reached. Derivative world: A Certain Magical Index is activated—no anomalies have been detected in the current world. Space coordinates are stable. Consumed temporal power: 0.021 ounces.]

[Based on the consumed temporal power, the contractor must achieve a minimum overall rating of C- in this world.]

[Activating Derivative World Communication Platform... Activated. Remaining communication attempts: 8/8.]

With a surge of spatial power, there was a loud bang, and Su Xiao's vision turned completely dark.

...

In an abandoned laboratory...

Bubbles rose within a pale green solution.

Several sealed glass columns filled with pale green liquid were placed around the laboratory. Su Xiao was submerged in one of these columns, his eyes suddenly snapping open.

"Bubbling..."

Bubbles escaped from Su Xiao's mouth as he realized his situation and immediately held his breath. The liquid he was submerged in seemed to have strong paralyzing effects; his body was immobile.

"Bubbling..."

Next to him, in another glass column, Bubu the dog was also submerged. Bubu's column was significantly larger, around five meters in diameter and four meters wide, resembling a cylindrical aquarium.

"Bubbling..."

The familiar sound of bubbles came from a nearby column, where a man dressed in black leather, with short hair and carrying a 'European-style coffin' on his back, was also submerged in the liquid.

The man with the coffin couldn't move either. A white light flashed on his body as he attempted to use a skill to remove his abnormal state, but it seemed to have no effect.

Seeing this, Su Xiao closed his eyes and focused on sensing his condition. As he gradually became aware, he realized it wasn't the pale green liquid that paralyzed him but a form of restraint limiting his movements.

[Notice: Time remaining until entry into the Derivative World: 2 minutes and 36 seconds.]

Seeing this prompt, Su Xiao understood what was happening; the spatial power hadn't yet been lifted. He had experienced this situation once before.

Not far from Su Xiao's glass column, several men and women lying on the ground slowly regained consciousness. They looked around in confusion before greeting each other and then focusing on the two men and a dog in the glass columns.

"These three are unlucky, getting trapped there as soon as they enter the derivative world," a female contractor said, smirking as she walked towards Su Xiao.

"Don't you dare provoke them! That's the derivative world's protective mechanism," a burly man glared at the female contractor.

"Protective mechanism? We're all third-tier contractors. Do we still need the park's protection after entering a derivative world?" The female contractor seemed scared of the burly man and reluctantly stopped.

"The park is protecting us. Let's go. Don't provoke them," the burly man said. The female contractor scoffed but followed him, clearly recognizing him as the leader of their small adventuring group.

Su Xiao held his breath at the solution, not worried about the contractors attacking him. Generally, these restraining mechanisms were two-way; he couldn't move, and they couldn't attack him.

Two minutes passed quickly, and as the time limit ended, the restraint on Su Xiao vanished. He pressed a hand against the glass in front of him.

Boom!

The glass column shattered, and the pale green liquid gushed out. Su Xiao stepped out of the broken column, and simultaneously, the man with the coffin emerged from his glass column. The two of them locked eyes but remained silent.

The atmosphere was tense. Su Xiao could sense from the man's aura that he was formidable. The thick scent of gunpowder was palpable even from a distance of ten meters.

After a tense standoff of several seconds, the man with the coffin slowly reached for the coffin on his back, and Su Xiao's hand moved to his sword, Dragon Flash.

"Usually, this means the world we're entering is very dangerous. That's why the park grouped us to form a team or temporary adventuring group," the man with the coffin said, his voice hoarse.

"..." Su Xiao remained silent. Engaging in conversation with an unknown enemy was risky. He had once encountered a contractor in the arena whose ability, known as 'Quirk,' sealed 1-3 of the opponent's abilities based on how much they talked.

"Seems like forming a temporary team is out of the question," the man with the coffin said, slowly backing away. He sensed that Su Xiao was a close-combat specialist and wanted to keep his distance.

The further the man with the coffin moved, the more vigilant Su Xiao became. Based on various factors like the man's aura, habitual actions, calluses on his hands, and the scent of gunpowder, Su Xiao deduced that he was either a long-range or close-combat gunner, with a higher likelihood of being the latter.

When they were several dozen meters apart, the man with the coffin stomped on the ground, turning into a black blur and disappearing into the metallic corridors of the abandoned laboratory.

Left alone, Su Xiao sheathed his partially drawn Dragon Flash and walked towards the glass column containing Bubu.

Bubu hadn't broken the glass column. It was swimming leisurely in the pale green solution, resembling a frog, its smooth fur floating in the liquid.

"Stop swimming and see what's going on in this world," Su Xiao said, kicking the glass column. The pale green liquid gushed out, carrying Bubu with it. The dog shook its fur, looking melancholic as if lamenting the loss of its swimming pool.

[Entering World: A Certain Magical Index]

World Difficulty: Lv.15~?? (Tier 3 semi-open world)

World Source: 0%

World Description: A world where magic and science coexist.

Magic Faction: For a long time, the magic faction has influenced the world in various forms. Major factions include the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church.

Magicians: Infuse magical power into their blood vessels and nerves. They can cast corresponding spells by performing specific actions or gestures or using symbols or cards. Powerful magicians can set up large-scale magic using the terrain.

Science Faction: Academy City, with a population of 2.3 million, 80% of whom are students. The city is divided into 23 districts and is isolated from the outside world. It boasts technology 20-30 years ahead of the rest of the world. All students undergo superpower development overseen by the 'Board of Directors.' Academy City strictly controls entry and exit to prevent the leak of technology and superpowered individuals.

Espers: Academy City's superpowers are significant breakthroughs in 'quantum mechanics theory.' By manipulating their perception of reality, they create extreme 'quantum anomalies' that result in superpower phenomena. Superpowers are developed through memory techniques, drug injections, and physical or auditory stimulation. Due to the mental burden, espers can only possess one ability at a time.

Trial Mission: Obtain the Index of Prohibited Books.

Hunt Mission: Eliminate abnormal violators.

Notice: Hunt mode activates automatically within one kilometer of a violator.

Warning: Do not mention anything related to 'the park' in this world or face execution!

Notice: The hunter has not mastered the language of this world. They are spending 100 park coins to master the language automatically.

World, start!