The inspection results left Park Su feeling depressed because not only were all the rings Xu Nuo casually tossed on the table space rings, but each one had a much larger space than his own.
Park Su clearly remembered from his past life that space rings were extremely rare, with most circulating ones having capacities of four to five square meters. That's why he thought his six-square-meter ring was precious, believing he had gotten a great deal when he bought it for two million.
But now, he was suddenly unsure if the world he was reborn into was still the same as in his previous life. How could it feel so unreal?
Xu Nuo, seeing Park Su lost in thought after taking the rings, reached out and took one from his hand, "How about it? Convinced?"
Park Su snapped back to reality, puzzled, and asked, "Besides you, are there other people who can make these space rings?"
Xu Nuo didn't know why he was asking this but replied with a frown, "This is my own research; I don't know if anyone else is studying this, but from what I know, I'm the only one. Why does it shock you so much that I made these?"
Park Su felt a bit embarrassed, "It's not that." He sighed inwardly, suddenly wondering if the Xu Nuo he had picked up might be the same legendary Master Xu Nuo from his past life. This realization was overwhelming.
He couldn't believe that the Xu Nuo everyone spoke of in his past life, with his extraordinary abilities, noble and aloof demeanor, elusive presence, and the power to take on a hundred opponents alone, could be this young man in front of him. He looked no older than him, and his previous swindle made it hard to connect him with the revered master.
However, both the supernatural abilities Xu Nuo displayed and his current level of Taoist skills forced Park Su to consider this possibility. It seemed unlikely there would be another person named Xu Nuo in this world who was also adept in Taoist magic and even more skilled than the one before him. Given Xu Nuo's current capabilities, he would be considered a formidable figure in the post-apocalyptic world, which would certainly make him famous. But in his past life, Park Su had never heard of two Xu Nuos who were both Taoist masters and highly skilled.
Although Park Su's understanding of the Xu Nuo from his past life came mostly from hearsay, the current situation pointed to one undeniable fact: the Xu Nuo standing before him was very likely the same Master Xu Nuo from his previous life. No matter how young or inexperienced he appeared, he was a very thick and strong leg to stand on, one that many would desire but few could ever cling to.
Xu Nuo noticed Park Su drifting into his own world after speaking and furrowed his brows, "You've delivered the midnight snack. If there's nothing else, the door is over there."
Park Su was momentarily stunned by this clear eviction notice, but given the bigger shock he'd just experienced, he didn't mind being asked to leave. Instead, he looked at Xu Nuo again. Before, he only thought Xu Nuo had a handsome face and a good physique, but now, he saw the air of a master in the face that always seemed to carry a hint of disdain.
To think that the man he could never meet in his past life was now standing before him, eating the snack he prepared, was almost unbelievable. Was this person truly Master Xu Nuo?
Xu Nuo felt uncomfortable under Park Su's scrutinizing gaze. He had never hidden anything from Park Su, whether it was his Taoist abilities or his powers, Park Su was aware of everything.
Sometimes, even Xu Nuo himself didn't understand why he trusted Park Su so much. His mentor always taught him to keep three parts of himself secret when dealing with others, and he had adhered to this principle well over the years. Or rather, he didn't like dealing with people much, so giving even three parts of trust was already significant.
But Park Su was an exception. Xu Nuo couldn't understand why, perhaps because Park Su chose to save him rather than abandoning him in his most dangerous moment.
Or maybe it was because, during a test, he saw through Park Su's essence - a bit foolish, yet genuinely kind. Or perhaps it was because this young man seemed as lonely as he was.
Xu Nuo thought that sometimes, one person's kindness towards another doesn't need a reason. Maybe his trust in Park Su was also without reason, perhaps because of that face which looked trustworthy, especially with its youthful, non-threatening appearance, and Park Su had never posed any danger to him.
The only thing Park Su didn't know was that Xu Nuo had made the space rings, and he hadn't expected this revelation to elicit such a look from him - a mix of surprise, disbelief, but ultimately turning into admiration.
In fact, Xu Nuo had seen many different emotions in Park Su's eyes before - from initial fascination to joy, hesitation, and even contempt - but none had given him this sense of achievement like now.
He had encountered others looking at him with similar admiration, but only Park Su's gaze made him feel this pleased, even stirring an impulse to show off more of his abilities. This feeling was ridiculous, completely unlike him.
So, he snapped out of it, placed the snack on the table, and grabbed Park Su by the collar, "Don't give me that weird look. Either say what you want to say or get out." With that, he exerted some force and tossed Park Su out to the doorway, indicating he could leave if he had nothing else.
In the past, Park Su would have been furious at such treatment, but now, with the realization that this young Xu Nuo might be the same legendary figure from his past life, all his previous grievances dissipated. His eyes sparkled with excitement, thinking he must cling to this 'big leg' no matter what. Considering the rumors from his past life, any slight he'd suffered seemed insignificant. With Xu Nuo's support, his survival rate would skyrocket.
And if he could cling well enough, he might even gain some influence by association. Even if that didn't work out, just being friends with the revered Master Xu Nuo was something to boast about. It would be like walking on air.
Moreover, if he could learn just a tiny bit of Xu Nuo's skills, even if Xu Nuo grew to dislike him, he wouldn't have wasted his effort in saving him or hugging that leg.
Wait, Park Su suddenly remembered he had saved Xu Nuo's life. Did that mean he, in this lifetime, had actually saved Master Xu Nuo's life? The thought was quite exciting. Of course, he conveniently ignored the fact that Xu Nuo would have thrived and become famous even without him in his past life.
Xu Nuo had acted that way to make Park Su stop looking at him with that strange gaze, but unexpectedly, Park Su not only didn't calm down but intensified his admiration. Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow and promptly shut the door!
Only after hearing the door slam did Park Su realize he had been thrown out and locked out. He raised his hand to knock but then reconsidered, withdrawing it. This was Xu Nuo, Master Xu Nuo; he couldn't afford to upset him. Since he had decided to cling to this 'big leg,' he shouldn't treat him casually. There was no rush; he should go back to his room and strategize how to secure this connection.
With these thoughts, Park Su didn't say more and returned to his room, unable to hide his excitement.
Inside, Xu Nuo heard Park Su leave and felt puzzled. Knowing Park Su's usual temperament, he would have been furious by now. Why was he so docile today?
Could it be that the fact he could make space rings was so extraordinary, so worthy of admiration to Park Su? Remembering how Park Su had signed various unequal treaties for that six-square-meter ring and cherished it like a treasure, Xu Nuo wondered if he had been a bit too harsh.
His gaze then fell on the rings he had shown off earlier. Although they were failures, their spaces were indeed larger than Park Su's. But what Park Su didn't know was that while his ring had a smaller area, the materials used were the best among all the rings, and it was the only one where Xu Nuo made both the ring and the space.
The others were just experiments with rings he casually bought. That particular ring was one Xu Nuo had used for a long time, at least until he had a new idea and used those rings for experiments, eventually making a new one for himself that was identical to the old one.
But that ring was also the one he was most satisfied with, so he never threw it away, keeping it in his space ring. When he saw Park Su's desire for a space ring, thinking he would treasure it, and considering the price offered was fair, he decided to part with it.
So, for Xu Nuo, while this ring was a failure and smaller than the others, it held a different significance.
Of course, he wouldn't explain this to Park Su; he just thought of Park Su as childlike in appearance and behavior. Thankfully, the midnight snack was tasty, so after eating, he went straight to bed without further thought.
Meanwhile, Park Su, who had been excited all night, was up early, breaking his usual habit of eating plain food to prepare a lavish breakfast for Xu Nuo.
After pondering all night, he understood that if Xu Nuo was going to stay because of his cooking, he should make it as appealing as possible. After all, relationships are built through interaction, and to make demands, he needed to raise Xu Nuo's favor towards him to secure his position.
He also weighed the possibilities: if this Xu Nuo was indeed Master Xu Nuo, bringing him to the base would significantly boost his survival rate.
And if he was wrong, based on Xu Nuo's current survival skills, they were still formidable. As a second-tier wood element ability user, if he couldn't kill Xu Nuo in one surprise attack, he was no match for him.
So, he thought if he could increase Xu Nuo's favor, he doubted Xu Nuo would ignore him in times of danger. That would mean having an ally, or rather, a patron, or a protector. Therefore, he must build a good relationship with Xu Nuo, not like the lukewarm interaction they had before.
Of course, if Park Su knew that Xu Nuo had initially intended to be his helper by staying close, he would be quite frustrated, realizing he didn't need to go through all the trouble of cooking various dishes for Xu Nuo.
Now, without knowing any of this, Park Su was putting all his effort into pleasing Xu Nuo. After a night's rest, Xu Nuo opened his door to the rich aroma of food, raising an eyebrow. Looking down from the second floor's railing, he saw Park Su bustling around the dining table.
Seeing Park Su in a cute cartoon apron, moving back and forth, Xu Nuo felt a sense of warmth. No one had ever put this much thought into him. His old mentor, while teaching him a lot, was quite rough in daily life, not even bothering to cook, let alone show such care.
Occasionally, when Xu Nuo took on some tasks, he would see similar warm scenes in others' homes. Though he never said it out loud, he was envious. He had once hoped that one day, he too could have such a warm family atmosphere.
However, he was never good with words or at communicating with others. His mentor's oft-repeated advice was that women were like tigers, warning him to be careful in dealings with them, lest he end up not knowing how he died. Additionally, Xu Nuo had been swindled twice in business, both times by women, leading him to keep his distance from them.
As he engaged more with the outside world, he realized it wasn't just about women but rather the complexity of human nature. To avoid being taken advantage of, he needed to be as calculating as others.
Since he didn't have many desires in life, he decided to stop taking on tasks, believing it was better to spend that effort on improving his Taoist abilities. After all, all schemes and plots are meaningless in the face of absolute power.
Luckily, his mentor knew the shopkeeper, and Xu Nuo didn't need a lavish lifestyle, so he mostly sold items through the shopkeeper, minimizing his interaction with the outside world. As for how much profit the shopkeeper made from him, Xu Nuo didn't care; in his view, if someone did something he was unwilling to do, they deserved to earn from it.
Moreover, the more the shopkeeper earned from him, the less Xu Nuo felt he owed him, thus needing to show less deference in return. In fact, he wouldn't have taken on his last job if he hadn't sensed the change in the spiritual energy in the air.
Ironically, despite all his efforts for that family, he was thrown out at the moment of his ability awakening. Although he didn't say much about it or show it on his face, he knew that after that incident, he had grown to dislike interacting with others even more.
Why bother investing emotions in others when they wouldn't do the same for him? Especially in this day and age, where he felt human nature had become even colder.