.After a few minutes, Ghost Valley sent me a message, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Ask away.” I replied
“Your PK technique is really similar to a person. Are you.. are you the G.o.d of War Chaos Illumination?” Ghost Valley sent another message.
I was dumbstruck. Chaos Illumination? Was my PK technique that similar to that Chaos Illumination, whose name was renowned all throughout China?
After a short pause, I replied, “No.”
After a few seconds, Ghost Valley replied, “Then all is good. Since you are not Chaos Illumination, then you aren’t invincible. Someday I will find a way to destroy you!”
I was speechless. Turning off my message window, I stood up and looked at the beautiful night sky in the game. The whole sky was filled with stars. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I muttered to myself, “Is Chaos Illumination that strong? If my reaction delay was healed, or if only it could be reduced to 0.3 seconds, humph, Chaos Illumination would mean nothing!”
I sighed a little as I thought, d.a.m.n it, there was a time where I was also the King of MMORPGs, defeating Chaos Illumination more than once. There was once only one person capable of surveying the surroundings with an eagle’s view, yet that person was now a disabled person with 0.7 seconds delay in his reaction time. Yeah, with this disadvantage, there would only be death if I encounter Chaos Illumination now.
……
At this time, another “ding” rung out –
System Announcement: Player Outstanding Expert has invited you to his friend list. Accept/Reject?
I couldn’t help but break into laughter. Shi San finally got out from his newbie village.
Choosing “accept”, Du Shi San immediately open up a chat window and laughed out, “Lu Chen, I’m coming! Haha, there are only around three thousand players in the Floating Ice City, my rank should be high enough, right?
“Oh really? Even I had gotten out from my newbie village after a full day and night…” I replied with an idle tone as I snickered, pouring cold water on his pride.
“d.a.m.n you!”
Du Shi San laughed out instead of getting angry, and continued, “At the city gates, I received a quest to go to Frozen Forest to kill some boss monster. Help me out if you have the time, I don’t have enough manpower.”
“Yeah, show me the quest location, I will go there right now.”
“Don’t…”
Du Shi San stopped his words in the middle, and only continued after a few seconds, “I’m only level 10, the monsters along the road had almost killed me. Can you bring me there…?”
“Alright.”
I was even more speechless at his request. Then, I started striding towards Floating Ice City with big strides.
Before long, I saw Shi San. That brat was a level 10 warrior, wearing a whole body of white-tiered armour. He looked like a geezer ogling at the female players walking past the city gates, drooling as he leered at their snow-white thighs. He looked like he was ready to pounce on them and hug their thighs, shouting, “Big sister, I’m sick, let me lay on your lap please…”
“Shi San!”
I shouted at him from afar. Du Shi San immediately saw me and rushed towards the edge of the forest. Looking at my whole body of equipments, his drool flowed nonstop, “d.a.m.n! You are so cool! Black-tier sword with an extra attribute, black-tier chest plate, black-tier boots, and there’s also a black-tier wristguard…Dammit…”
While saying this, Du Shi San expression changed into one that deserved a beating as he drooled and continued, “Chen-ge, do you have any extra weapon or heavy and leather armour that you are not using? You can throw it over here…”
“I don’t, let’s talk about it when I have it.”
“Okay!”
In the game, Du Shi San played the part of a minion. He knew his own capabilities very well. Furthermore, he looked like the perfect minion, someone who would help his boss light his cigar. If his boss was dissatisfied, he would be the type who would charge out into the road and make a ruckus with his boss’s enemy, shouting, “You arrogant brat, do you think I can’t beat you to death?!”
I brought Du Shi San along as I charged into the forest. Fortunately the level of the monsters along the road was not too high. If they were below level 20, I could still defeat them with ease. Du Shi San followed closely as he leeched on the experience.
The quest’s target was a level 17 Werewolf. With Shi San’s skills, fighting the monster alone is equivalent to seeking death. But I only needed 10 seconds to accomplish the job.
Du Shi San cut the Werewolf’s head as he showered me with endless praises, “Lu Chen, you are too powerful, so handsome, so sharp and accurate! My reverence for you, my brother, is like the endless flow of a river…”
“Maybe you can talk about how you plan to raise your levels?” I stopped his bulls.h.i.t mid-sentence.
“Oh, I will go to the Wild Boar Forest to raise my level. There are level 11 Wild Boar monsters over there. If I have to attack monsters to level up, that would be the best place.”
“Alright, I will train myself then. Oh right, have you learnt your profession skill, the level 10 warrior’s [Heavy Slash]?”
“Ah? Skills…” Du Shi San stared blankly, “What skills?”
“d.a.m.n!” I almost vomited blood as I threw him 10 silvers and said, “Go to the city’s Job Inst.i.tutions and find out yourself, learn a few skills before going out to train levels. Also, buy some health potion. I’m going to go train now.”
“Yeah, alright!”
After receiving the silver, Shi San hopped away with a big grin in his face.
I shook my head and laughed weakly, “He has no future…”
……
Coming back to Frozen Mound once again, I killed a few skeletons outside the Graveyard and absorbed their Undead Flames to refresh my own Undead body.
Monsters that belonged to the Undead cla.s.sification had 15% higher attributes than living monsters. Their attacking power and attacking speed were both outstanding, but their experience and item drop-rate were also higher by 15%. As the saying goes, “high risk, high return”. I one night, I was able to collect 11 small magic stones and sell them for quite a few silvers.
In the wee hours, around 4 am, Du Shi san suddenly sent me a message. He was too tired and couldn’t take it anymore, so he was going to sleep.
I stood at the Frozen Mound, an Undead Alliance’s territory, as I looked at my level: Level-18. After a night of toiling, I finally rose to level 18 and managed to enter the top 100 players on the Floating Ice City Player Ranking Board. My name happen to appear right at the 99th position. There were really too many levelling maniacs in this world!
Actually, I hadn’t started levelling with all my strength. Instead I spent my time on checking online resources and maps. This time, I didn’t want to be too conspicuous. If I really wanted to, I could rush my levels and enter the top 10 without any problems. This was because the first rank, which was occupied by Wind Fantasy again, was only level 20. It was not a huge gap for me.
However, my equipments were indeed too conspicuous, especially since I had black-tiered items. I believe that in a one-on-one battle, there wouldn’t be more than three people who could stand against me in Floating Ice City!
After getting touched and feeling proud of my own accomplishments, it was time for me to log off and rest.
……
When I took off my helmet, it was past 4.30 a.m. The dark sky had been illuminated by the early sun.
Going to the bathroom, I washed my face and looked in the mirror. My tired reflection stared back at me. Forget it, I’m just going to sleep after a quick bath!
Thinking of this, I took off my shirt. But to my horror, I discovered blotches of blood-red patches on my arms and back. This…What the heck are these things?!
In that short moment, I froze on the spot. I felt like my whole body was submerged in ice, despair and fear enveloped my heart and mind –
Livor Mortis!
These were livor mortis, a symptom that only a corpse would have!