Chapter 21: Holographic Game (VIII)

Previous Chapter ∇ Table of Content ∇ Next Chapter

Chapter 21: Holographic Game (VIII)

The pitch-black silence amplified every sense, from hearing to perception. Qi Yingfeng’s grip on his short sword loosened slightly. They had walked less than a hundred meters when sweat began to form on his palms. He observed his surroundings with almost unblinking focus. He had never been this alert before.

They soon arrived at a hall. At the far end stood an altar, behind which was a large red “Shadow” character. Aside from the red carpet stretching through the center, there was nothing else to be seen on either side. Yet a faint sense of danger surrounded Qi Yingfeng, and the warning from his instincts was impossible to ignore. The two of them stepped onto the only path, the red carpet.

They walked another hundred meters, covering roughly half the length of the carpet, and Qi Yingfeng finally sighed in relief when nothing happened. Perhaps he was too nervous. As long as they stuck to the carpet, nothing should go wrong. Thinking this, his steps noticeably quickened. The closer they got to the altar, the more pronounced the surge of energy became, and even his short sword started to vibrate.

Qi Yingfeng tightened his grip on his weapon as he stepped onto the altar. The warmth on his arm suddenly disappeared, causing him to turn around sharply. Suppressing his instinct to move forward, he looked back at Miao Lichen with a trace of confusion in his eyes.

Miao Lichen no longer moved. The Qixiu Heart Method was still effective to some extent, allowing him to perceive his surroundings despite the poor visibility. Even with just the silhouettes, he could assess the situation. An altar like this would have held great significance to the clan, and the ring was placed upon it.

Something about the current situation was wrong. The ring should have only appeared after countless trials. So where was the promised zombie formation? Had even the legendary boss disappeared? Or had the zombies vanished because the protagonist no longer explored the surrounding empty area like he had in the original story?

“I sense something is wrong. Go get the ring, but be careful,” Miao Lichen said as he took out his swords. The gemstones on them flickered once and then returned to stillness.

“Okay.” Qi Yingfeng said, continuing toward the altar. There were no offerings on it, only a small, exquisite box. If his hunch was correct, the box contained what he had come for. Upon opening the box, a red ring was revealed, resting quietly inside. As soon as the box was opened, a large, mysterious pattern appeared in the hall, with the red glow illuminating the entire space.

Miao Lichen felt the ground beneath him tremble. When the glow faded, the “Shadow” character in the hall remained as bright as ever, emitting a bloodthirsty rage, as if seeking to bury someone. “Let’s go.”

He leaped onto the altar and felt a strange energy from Qi Yingfeng when he touched him. A dark, almost tyrannical power invaded his body and was assimilated into the Qixiu internal energy. “LunarBreeze.”

“I’m fine. It’s just my hidden class upgrading.” Qi Yingfeng said. His eyes flickered crimson before gradually turning pitch-black. The devilish charm radiating from him enveloped his entire presence, making his eyes resemble those of a beast that had lost its reason, consumed by desire. Though he quickly regained his composure, he would never be the same, calm and indifferent person as before. The devilish charm that flowed from him made it obvious he was dangerous, but also so tempting.

Qi Yingfeng flexed his gloved fingers and picked up the red ring. With a click, a black ring appeared in the box. Compared to the bright red ring, this one looked more ordinary, with a few subtle red patterns.

Qi Yingfeng jumped down from the altar and handed him the red ring. “Take this. We’ve gained quite a lot, but the troubles ahead won’t be any fewer.”

Miao Lichen took it without hesitation. The equipment was clearly labeled as “Shadow Ring,” the same equipment that had accompanied Qi Yingfeng throughout the entire game.

“I don’t need this type of ability. It suits you better.” Miao Lichen said, handing the ring back after inspecting it. Even if he accepted it, what use would it serve? When he left, he couldn’t take anything with him, except maybe the two Qixiu swords.

“I will naturally keep the better one. The black ring has the same stats and more.” A fleeting glimmer passed through Qi Yingfeng’s eyes, leaving no hints of its meaning. While still sinisterly charming, they had a touch of gentleness. Perhaps he was in a good mood at the moment.

Miao Lichen nodded and casually slipped the ring onto his middle finger. Qi Yingfeng looked down and stood beside him. The rings on their hands—one red and one black—were clearly a pair.

Miao Lichen looked up at the formation that had appeared, now packed with endless zombies instead of just a dozen as described in the novel. Qi Yingfeng’s protagonist halo seemed to have increased the value of this place. At least there used to be only one ring here, not two. The “Shadow Ring” did appear to be the weaker one, while the attributes of the other ring remained unknown. “Get ready to fight.”

Miao Lichen returned his two normal swords to his inventory, and two different swords appeared in his hands. The Qixue healing weapon, Purple Smoke, made its debut. He didn’t think two damage dealers could make it through this formation, but having one damage dealer and one support had significantly better odds. Plus, they didn’t only have this zombie formation to deal with. There was also a final boss, and it was likely stronger than the original one in the story.

“Looks like I will have to do my best this time.” Qi Yingfeng said as he flexed his fingers, removed his black gloves, and put on the ring. He tossed the black gloves to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. There was probably no one else in the world who would deliberately wear gloves just to reduce their own agility.

“I’ll leave them to you.” Miao Lichen said as he flicked his sleeves and used “Brahmin.” He watched as buffs appeared under Qi Yingfeng’s party portrait, then proceeded to use “Phoenix Dance” and “Shangyuan Hairpin” to continuously restore health. Occasionally, a red fan would appear in his hand when he used “Fluttering Snow.” His movements were simple, yet they gave off a dancing vibe. They were delicate, but did not convey femininity.

“You…” Qi Yingfeng’s usually calm face was now tinged with surprise and confusion. How could a swordsman and a healer be in the same category? Magicians and Fighters were two distinct categories. Furthermore, the energy he felt from him was closer to being cold like the dark class, rather than warm like the light class.

But no one knew the specifics of hidden classes in Second World, so such a unique blend of classes wasn’t impossible. His initial nervousness suddenly subsided. With their current setup, as long as he could attract the monster’s aggro, CangChen could escape even if they couldn’t win.

Gripping his short sword tightly, he relied on his exceptional agility to maneuver through the zombies, letting each strike take a life. However, these undead creatures were clearly more formidable than the mobs outside. Their necks were not their weak points; piercing their heads was necessary to kill them. Even if he had enough stamina at first, the waves of mobs would eventually exhaust him to death.

A cool energy gradually flowed through his body, and he could clearly feel his strength returning. Qi Yingfeng glanced at Miao Lichen, easily identifiable by his red attire. Miao Lichen remained in place, holding his two swords and doing nothing else, yet this brought him reassurance. Perhaps the feeling came from having a healer? No, perhaps it was simply because “CangChen” was standing there. The only person who could influence him. He wanted to…

∇ Capture Target Qi Yingfeng Favorability: 75. Please continue working hard.

A stinging sensation, mixed with chilling air raced up his arm. He gathered himself and focused on the bluish-brown zombies in front of him. Looking at the still crowded hall, he felt like he had a long way to go. As time passed, the number of remaining zombies decreased, and more corpses littered the ground. Qi Yingfeng’s black clothes were now faintly tinged with a bluish hue. The fact that even the darkest color had revealed another shade showed just how much blood had splattered onto him.

Miao Lichen remained on the altar, his red robes still pristine and his cloak untouched. The zombies ignored him, focusing solely on Qi Yingfeng. Miao Lichen was relaxed enough to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea. He had opened his character interface several times but chose not to switch back to his DPS build. He didn’t know when the final boss would show up, and switching builds had a 5-minute cooldown. Though not that long, it was enough to determine victory or defeat.

“It’s over.” After killing the last zombie, Qi Yingfeng flexed his arm. His hand had been performing the same motion for so long it almost became automatic. The short sword he held exuded the sickening odor of rotting flesh, and he was reeking the same way. He turned and walked back to the altar, a smile on his face.

When he met Miao Lichen’s eyes, he noticed his smile fading. In a flash of pink light, he was knocked to the ground. The close proximity of Miao Lichen’s body and breath caused his heart to race. Despite the sudden appearance of the giant zombie, he couldn’t resist reaching out to touch Miao Lichen’s lapel.

Miao Lichen held Qi Yingfeng by the waist and rolled several times on the ground. Although he became a little disheveled from the hasty movements, his white hair remained clean, and his red clothes vibrant. Letting go of his waist, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, let’s continue.” Qi Yingfeng replied as he tightened his grip on his weapon, stood up and swung at the zombie attacking him. The small damage didn’t cause any substantial pain to the zombie boss, but it was enough to infuriate him.

Miao Lichen stood up, and as expected, the corpses of the zombies on the ground had all disappeared. The blue stains on Qi Yingfeng had also vanished. This zombie, in a sense, was a fusion of all zombies. This final fusion boss had been able to severely injure Qi Yingfeng in the original plot. But now, Qi Yingfeng looked calm and measured in his attacks and dodges. It seemed that his intervention had only created an even stronger protagonist. But it seemed he hadn’t actually done much at all?

Previous Chapter ∇ Table of Content ∇ Next Chapter