Su Jin's talent nearly blinded Wang Xian.
For a second, he genuinely wondered if her mythical-grade skill might actually outshine his own taboo-level one.
Of course, what really tried to blind him was her nickname.
Scumbag Can't Die.
No prizes for guessing who that referred to.
"Son, is Xiao Jin's talent really that good?" his mother asked curiously.
Wang Xian could only nod.
If this wasn't a good talent, then nothing was.
Experience. Coins. Equipment.
Everything anyone could possibly need in the digitized world—Su Jin's talent covered it all. But it was the third ability that was truly absurd.
She could increase the drop rarity of boss loot by a level.
In plain terms?
You didn't even need to kill a mythical boss to get mythical-grade gear. Killing an epic boss would do. Sure, the chance was only 0.01%, but even that was astronomically better than the actual mythical drop rate—practically nonexistent.
In his previous life, nobody had managed to secure myth-grade items. Now, Su Jin might make that possible.
If this talent had appeared on someone else, Wang Xian might've considered "recruiting" them by any means necessary—or eliminating them if he couldn't.
But it was Su Jin. That changed everything.
"Did you tell anyone else about your talent?" he asked her cautiously. It seemed unlikely—but he had to be sure.
"My classmates… and teachers," Su Jin admitted in a whisper. "But I only told them it was mythical grade, and just the first effect."
Wang Xian exhaled, relieved. "Well… you're not completely hopeless."
If she'd revealed the full scope of her ability, she wouldn't have lasted a week. In fact…
His heart suddenly clenched.
What if… in his past life… Su Jin's death hadn't come from an overseas assassination?
What if she'd been killed by someone from the Dragon Kingdom—someone who couldn't control their greed?
"Son? What's wrong?" his mother asked, noticing his change in expression.
Wang Xian shook it off and responded quickly, "Nothing. Just still shocked by how ridiculous Xiao Jin's talent is. Mom, you have to promise—don't tell anyone about this. Not even Dad."
"Pfft." His mom rolled her eyes and flicked him on the head. "What kind of person do you think your mother is? I know better than to go blabbing."
Wang Xian grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. "That's why you're the best."
"Son!" his dad called out from the yard. "I'm done killing all the seafood. What do we do with these corpses?"
Wang Xian looked at the piles of lifeless shellfish and crabs.
"…We eat them, obviously."
"You know how to cook seafood?" his dad asked.
"Nope." Wang Xian shook his head with zero shame.
"Mom?" He turned to his mother.
Also a head shake.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Then—
"Uhm… I can do it."Su Jin raised her hand sheepishly. "I've made crab before. Should be… kinda the same, right?"
"Perfect!" Wang Xian declared. "Xiao Jin's in charge!"
"Xiao Jin, I'm so sorry we're making you cook while visiting," his mom said, taking her hand warmly.
"No, Auntie, it's really okay." Su Jin smiled sweetly, already rolling up her sleeves.
With Su Jin and his mom teaming up, dinner prep got underway.
Wang Xian, meanwhile, was pulled aside by his father.
"Didn't you and Xiao Mu break up? What's this about Xiao Jin showing up?"
Wang Xian gave him the quick rundown of their surprise reunion in Jecheng.
"Still strange," his dad muttered. "Xiao Jin just randomly shows up in your city?"
"I don't think she was looking for me," Wang Xian replied. "I'll ask her during dinner."
His father nodded, then launched into an enthusiastic retelling of his monster-slaying escapades. Wang Xian could only sweat nervously.
Soon after, dinner was served.
"Wait… this is it?" Wang Xian looked at the dishes blankly. "It's all… steamed?"
Steamed king crab. Steamed lobster. Steamed… everything.
"Yeah, I—uh—I only know how to steam stuff," Su Jin admitted, slightly embarrassed.
"Quit whining," his mom scolded, knocking him on the head with a crab leg. "Food's food."
"Mom, I'm your only son!"
"Not anymore."
She handed the peeled crab meat to Su Jin with a smile.
Wang Xian: "…"
His dad clapped him on the back. "Be quiet and eat. You can't win this one."
Wang Xian sighed in defeat and picked up a lobster. Moments later, mid-bite, he remembered to ask the most important question.
"Xiao Jin… why did you show up in Jecheng? Weren't you in the Imperial Capital?"
"I don't know," she said, mouth full of crab. "I really don't."
Wang Xian frowned. "What do you mean you don't know? How did you get here?"
"I was in the Imperial Capital last night. Some seniors invited me to level up overnight. I got tired and sat down to rest… and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in Jecheng."
A confused look crossed her face.
"…Seriously. No idea how I got here."
Wang Xian: "…"
His mom: "…"
His dad: "…"