Chapter 154 Ending: Are you its friend?
[Player "AAA Supplies Wholesaler Lao Shen" has sent you an invitation. Do you wish to teleport to her side?]
At the same time, tens of thousands of players received invitations to the portal.
The portal's maximum coverage area is within 500 channels. No matter how much mental energy Chen Dixin pours into it, she cannot detect any further. She tries to select players with more outstanding mental energy.
--yes.
After some hesitation, most players accepted the invitation, and any extra spots were randomly distributed.
Players, travel-worn and disheveled, poured out of the gate. Many of them were setting foot on land for the first time in the past two weeks, and their eyes showed a sense of disorientation.
With tears in its eyes, it took a few steps forward and fell straight to the ground, seemingly wanting to make intimate contact with the sand...
"He's fainted! Help him up!"
Chen Dixin sighed and quickly told the player with the most serious injuries to move aside and be treated.
Behind them, a huge wooden sign displayed the same message repeatedly broadcast over the area's public address system, guiding newcomers to report to their respective locations based on their skills.
But they couldn't relax for long. The first gasp rang out, and countless eyes turned to the hybrid sea monster that was brewing a storm.
This is like escaping from a dragon's den only to fall into a tiger's lair!
Many people grumbled, "They're probably just using them as cannon fodder."
But where can one hide from sea monsters these days?
After a few sighs, the crowd obediently followed the procedures. They were too tired to worry about anything else and were almost subconsciously going with the flow.
Moreover, at least here we can see hope compared to other places.
The props you receive at the place of eternal rest are the highest grade, and there's even a stand-in doll inside!
After passing through two more city walls, she sighed, realizing that she had indeed not prepared enough.
Chen Pi Shui followed behind eagerly, trying to strike up a conversation, but Chang Mian Gu Li ignored her. They hadn't spoken since being taken away from their original channel a few days ago.
"Sister Mianmian, look, you'll be valued wherever you go. You can't find an astrologer who can consistently use AoE attacks, right? They even have the highest-grade supplies! They can still provide life-saving items and high-end dishes."
“Sister Mianmian, don’t be angry with me. I’m doing this so that humanity can live longer. Even if you lose your life in your original place, you can only live for another day or two. By coming here and relieving everyone’s stress, you might be able to extend humanity’s survival time! Don’t you admire Sister Chen the most? Maybe you’ll see her on the battlefield!”
Chen Pi Shui Tian shamelessly took credit for himself, every sentence referring to all of humanity. He couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart about his hometown, but seeing the dazzling array of props, he also understood the difference in strength between the two channels, and that he could better demonstrate his value here.
She remained silent for a long time before saying, "I don't blame you, I'm just feeling sad because of my own helplessness."
The hybrid sea monster was developing more slowly than Shen Dixin had imagined. Even after the portal completed its mission, it was still absorbing the surrounding smaller sea monsters.
As dusk fell, the afterglow of the sunset spilled across its writhing body, outlining only an abstract silhouette. Soon, the setting sun would be completely swallowed up by it.
The coastline was calm again after a long time. Even if you damage the sea monster now, you'll be fully healed in the next second.
Shen Dixin left only one person to keep watch, while the others retreated inside the city walls to rest.
Several hours passed while they waited.
"Warning—Sea monster awakens! Night watch personnel, get to your positions immediately!"
Shen Dixin flapped her wings and flew into the air, remaining on the city wall.
Looking at the monster that blotted out the sky, and his well-equipped companions beside him, Shen Dixin felt that this scene was like pushing a boss in an online game, and couldn't help but smile.
"Then, let's fight with our backs to the wall!"
Almost the instant the sea monster launched its attack, all the players moved, each employing different moves, but all sharing the same burning fighting spirit in their eyes.
The battlefield was like a meat grinder, with countless pieces of flesh and blood flying everywhere. Human blood was deep red, as was the blood of sea monsters... if that dark, greenish slime was their blood.
If someone were to look down from above, they might see a hint of beauty in the interwoven lines and dots, but no one would spare even the slightest thought for it.
Panting heavily, he swung his knife to cut off the limbs that were being attacked. Using the momentum, he pushed off and found a slightly farther spot to survey the situation, also intending to rest.
The sea monster's somewhat clumsy tentacles posed little threat to her; the injuries on Shen Dixin's body mainly came from the damage mitigation effect of [Shelter].
While suspended in mid-air, half of Chen Dixin's body twitched, revealing yet another severe impact injury.
No, if she continues like this, she'll eventually break down.
Shen Dixin directly severed the subsequent sharing links. After thinking for a moment, she turned her attention to the battlefield, where she still had to do her best to protect a few individuals who could have a significant impact on the battle.
The sight that met the eye was utterly astonishing.
"The Secret of Fire, Flame Falcon!"
Flaming phantoms burned on the gauntlets of the Lava River as he fought with great force; these were acrobatic props he had specially prepared.
"Tears of the Goddess!"
Pale blue light spots suddenly appeared on the ground and flowed into the bodies of dozens of players around them, repairing their wounds at a speed visible to the naked eye. It was an extremely rare healing ability.
Unfortunately, after only one release, the player was already teetering on the brink of collapse and had to wave a flag to request logistical support.
"Starfall, Blazing Fire!"
Changmian followed closely behind with a cold expression. Although the movements were not large, the rapidly falling meteorite in the background successfully set the mood, directly breaking off a limb that the hybrid sea monster had extended.
Chenpi Shui half-covered her face, too embarrassed to join them. She finally managed to pull Changmian Guli aside while her skills were on cooldown, and her expression was indescribable.
"You... what are you doing here?"
At first, only the lava river was rambling on and on, but later everyone in the circle got infected and started shouting out whatever sounded impressive.
Chang Mian's hometown shifted her gaze, her face slightly flushed, clearly not very good at this kind of work. "Live up the atmosphere and boost morale, you know."
Looking around, Chenpi Shui found the results to be remarkable.
The despair and numbness on everyone's faces were replaced by vibrant emotions. Regardless of whether it was embarrassment, shock, or curiosity, everyone was definitely much more active and spreading outwards at an astonishing speed.
Many people dodged the attacks while taking a moment to peek and see who was casting the spell. No matter the situation, watching the spectacle is always human nature.
Aside from a few individuals who are purely delusional, most other players have some real skill; otherwise, they wouldn't know how to make up such stories. Not everyone has the conviction to describe a normal attack as the Thunderbolt Eighteen Palms.
The group managed to put on a thriving performance, and it seemed they could hold out for a little longer.
Shen Dixin's lips twitched. He looked away and activated the follow-up damage transfer skill for a few players with area-of-effect attacks. These were all excellent warriors who could take on ten opponents at once.
Continuing her journey, her body appeared minuscule compared to the sea monster, as she cut through the connecting points without forgetting to search for the core.
There must be a weakness, right? It doesn't make sense that someone is strong, fast, and has a lot of health, plus a bunch of special abilities, right?
After observing for a while, Shen Dixin's expression became increasingly solemn. Apart from its slow movement, this creature had no real weaknesses. Moreover, there was a shocking discovery: the half of its body hidden beneath the sea surface was continuously merging with the surging sea monsters!
By categorizing the data using the gold-rimmed glasses, you can see that the opponent's attributes increase slightly every now and then!
This is terrible!
Chen Di felt a lump in her throat, but at this moment, besides persevering, she didn't know where to go. Hunter Blade couldn't just show up in broad daylight, so the only one she could discuss a solution with was herself…
No, Shen Dixin gathered two or three of her most trusted players together and told them what had happened.
Coffee paused slightly, as if remembering something, "Boss, do you remember Anmian Yixia? That fortune teller who sold knives on credit?"
“I remember, she was a great help yesterday.”
There are many talents that can be used to sacrifice to the portal, but only talents like the critical strike of "Heart Cleansing" and "Summer Sleep" have a significant effect. A few high-level talents combined are more useful than all the remaining talents.
“After that, she also told me that if I ever had any problems, I should go to her.”
Fortune telling? When people are in a critical moment, they don't care what kind of fortune telling it is. Even Western religious sects are willing to believe it if they want to cleanse their hearts.
The moment they met, they both knew the situation was urgent.
"You came to me to ask how to deal with that monster outside, right?" Anmian Yixia acted swiftly and decisively, without any intention of asking in detail. "Give me your blood and one personal item."
Shen Dixin took off the Moonlight Necklace; she hadn't taken it off since she got it, indicating their close relationship!
Anmian Yixia involves performing strange rituals with tools and burning various things.
"Did you always tell fortunes like this? It was quite impressive."
"Well, I only know how to read faces; prying into the secrets of heaven is a major taboo in our line of work. These are written in the books my master gave me. I thought I'd go through them all, and surely one of them would come in handy! Look!"
Anmian Yixia pointed to the ashes on the ground that had been burned to a crisp and said seriously, "Don't you think this pattern has a deeper meaning?"
Chen Dixin shook his head.
“These patterns…” Anmian Yixia muttered to herself as she calculated, and actually managed to decipher the meaning of the decree.
"It means you're being forced to burn your bridges!"
"What's the difference between this and not saying anything at all? If I could beat a sea monster, I would have taken care of it long ago," Shen Dixin complained.
"Don't rush, this is another matter, it will cost more... cough cough, let me see where the intersection is."
Once she gets into work mode, Anmian Yixia immediately exudes an air of absolute authority. If she were a bit older, with two henchmen by her side, she could easily swindle and cheat anyone!
The two searched all the way, and the clues led to the place where she was buried. Shen Dixin had heard of her before; she was an astrologer with a huge fortune and high combat power.
After discussing it, they all agreed that there might be a big one hidden in the place where he was buried!
Me?
She touched her hair shyly in her hometown, saying, "Actually, even if you hadn't come, I would have gone to look for you."
"My talent is S-level borrowing, which allows me to overdraft to enhance myself, acquire resources, or temporarily strengthen myself. It's all fine. I can borrow for up to a month. If I had the Sacrifice talent, I might be able to delay it for a while."
Shen Dixin suddenly had an idea. Perhaps the owner of the regional broadcast talent could share this effect? And there were many talents that had not yet been sacrificed. Thinking this, she sent a message to Coffee, asking her to compile a list of talents that had recently arrived on the island but had not yet been reported.
As the three were talking, a girl pushed open the door and came in. She looked at the strangers with a normal expression, greeted Changmian's hometown, and then went back to her room.
It was Chen Pi Shui, who had taken advantage of the chaos to escape with people, who pretended not to know them, but immediately recognized Shen Dixin and the island's somewhat famous fortune teller, all of whom he had inquired about as soon as he arrived on the island.
What are they here for?
Chen Pi Shui pondered to herself, but she wasn't worried about her own safety or that of her hometown where she was buried. With things in such chaos outside, she didn't believe that Shen Dixin would still have the energy to fight among herself. Could it be that she was going to make her sister risk her life?
Listening carefully, she could indeed hear words like "talent sacrifice" and "overdraft" coming from outside the door. Chenpi Shui wiped her face. This girl must be tired of living. There are other ways. As long as she escapes, she can wait for the mermaids to come and pick them up, and then live together as mermaids. Wouldn't that be better?
Chenpi Shui didn't want to die, especially after encountering Changmian's hometown. She wanted to live and spend more happy years with her companions.
She had already discussed it with the mermaid; bringing just one more person wouldn't be a problem. Although they couldn't go back to Earth, it wasn't exactly a pleasant place anyway. The sea here was vast, with countless beautiful sights beneath.
If you can run it the first time, you can run it a second time.
Chenpi Shui was determined to succeed, thinking that once they were the only humans left in the world, there would only be one path left.
...
How many people are left?
With a hoarse voice, Shen Dixin asked the communications officer beside her, whom she had been protecting so well.
"245, no, 244."
The woman, whose body was covered in strange tissue, seemed to have just come to her senses, her expression somewhat dazed.
She thought her will was strong enough, but she was constantly faced with the tragic deaths of her compatriots. Even if she repeated it in her mind, it was all an illusion. It was no use that she could come back to life as long as she passed the test.
Now that things have come to this, Chen Dixin has started sleeping instead, sleeping for an hour or half an hour each day, not for any other reason than to chat with the only Hunter Blade who knows everything, in order to prove that he hasn't gone crazy yet.
You can actually see how many people are left in the channel by checking your bracelet. Right now, everyone in the channel is either at the base or all of humanity.
Shen Dixin was unaware that six hours had passed and there had been no survivors from other channels.
"You should rest first."
The voice was unusually gentle, but after the person had gone far away, the communications officer realized that it was not gentle, but rather a wavering and ethereal one.
"Vermilion, gold ingot, what time is it now?"
Chen Dixin turned back to the battlefield. To refresh himself, he used the mental link to talk to his pets. The effects of the Wisdom Dew gradually became apparent. His two pets were now just as intelligent as humans. It was truly amazing technology.
“19 days, 10 hours, Master, Zhu Sha may need a rest.”
"...I don't need it."
After a long while, Zhu Sha's voice finally rang out, clearly indicating that he was in the midst of a fierce battle, or perhaps in an even more dangerous situation.
"34 hours," Shen Dixin murmured to herself as she rushed toward the cinnabar. She never cared about her life, because the pressure that others couldn't bear always fell on Shen Dixin's shoulders. Now, she was the only one left who still had the ability to cover for them.
The sea monster she just encountered was enough to seriously injure her, and Shen Dixin managed to stay afloat by taking pills and eating vegetables. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on.
With more people dying, more supplies are left. When humanity faces such a life-or-death situation, it always shows extraordinary unity. The moment they landed on the island, they left all the important supplies in the island's warehouse, so that they wouldn't be unable to leave their inheritance before they died.
Perhaps it was their inherent pragmatism, but they rarely acted extravagantly. Medicines they were reluctant to use, dishes they couldn't bring themselves to eat, and precious props they never touched before their deaths were all piled up in the warehouse.
He even tossed out the cheap supplies he was carrying so that people around him could pick them up.
The scenario that Shen Dixin most hoped for has happened: she can control all the supplies for everyone. However, she is holding supplies that have been passed around countless times, and they are too hot to handle.
All the pent-up ruthlessness and resentment were unleashed on the sea monster. Shen Dixin pursed his lips and shot through its ugly head.
How long can it last? In the last 24 hours, Chen Dixin changed into the best equipment, which came from four different players in three channels.
In the last 15 hours, Chen Dixin began to consume food and medicine incessantly.
In the last 12 hours, the city wall collapsed, and the players retreated up the mountain to save their own lives.
In the last 8 hours, Shen Dixin had only half of her substitute death props left.
The last 6 hours...
Shen Dixin sent a message to his hometown where he was buried: "It's time."
With the help of her spiritual power, she quickly found her final resting place, with Chenpi Shui, who was still seriously injured, by her side.
They were too exhausted to speak, but everything proceeded as planned.
As a sacrifice offered in her hometown, Shen Dixin used his spiritual power to bless her. Before they collapsed, they watched as a huge meteorite crashed into the mountainside, burning fiercely and forming a new city wall.
Chenpi Shui remained silent, quickly caught the long-sleeping hometown, checked its breath, and finally felt relieved.
"Now you've done everything for humanity. You can't blame me for what I did."
She muttered to herself, preparing to use her invisibility technique, when she glanced at Chen Dixin next door. After much deliberation, she resigned herself to carrying one of them on her shoulder and making a hasty escape.
Chenpi Shui wasn't the type to suddenly become incredibly kind. She just thought there must be quite a few good things in Chen Dixin's space. Once she woke up, she would try to coerce and entice her to take as much as she could, which would make things easier for her future life. After all, it was a product of the system, and she had heard from the mermaid that it would be hard to find these days.
Opening his eyes on the swaying boat, Chen Dixin was somewhat disoriented.
"You're awake? The outpost has been taken over by sea monsters, and only the three of us are left alive."
Chen Pi Shui continued to spout nonsense without changing her expression, omitting the beginning and the end. How could she not be her savior? Two hours after escaping, she saw that the number of survivors on the channel had become three.
"Going out to sea? What about the sea monster?"
Shen Dixin was even more confused; she even wondered if the test was over.
Chenpi Shui patted his chest, "I've shaken them all off! With my abilities, outrunning the sea monster for a day or two wouldn't be a problem! It's just that it's quite taxing. Do you have any energy to replenish?"
"Are you kidding me?"
Shen Dixin forced a laugh, finding it utterly absurd. How could a mere player's methods allow her to shake off the sea monster? What had she been working so hard for all these days?
However, she soon sensed a familiar fluctuation on the ship's hull and involuntarily placed her hand on it; it was the aura of the Hunter's Blade.
The situation was so absurd that Shen Dixin was speechless, staring blankly at the sea, when a head popped out of the water.
"Soraya?"
"You've arrived! I'm bringing this human with me." Chen Pi Shui pointed to the unconscious Changmian Guli on the recliner.
The two people standing there had different expressions, but they were not unfamiliar with the appearance of the mermaid. When they heard each other's questions, they gave each other strange looks.
Soraya handed Shen Dixin a round ball, saying, "He asked me to give this to you."
Then, turning to Chenpi Shui, he said, "Human, are you sure you want to become a mermaid and stay here? Your race has just passed the test and will have a new home."
"How could this be? You passed the test?"
This time the sound was perfectly synchronized.
Shen Dixin checked the time; it was already the 21st day. They had indeed reached the standard for a three-star race. She had a bad feeling. The shape of that sphere... looked exactly like the crystal left behind by Yuehua after her death. What happened to Hunter Blade?
She tentatively enveloped the sphere with her mental energy, and under her trembling gaze, the thing she least wanted to see happened: the sphere disappeared, and the voice of the Hunter's Blade echoed in her mind.
"Actually, I can't get out at all. Unlike Yuehua, I'm not proficient in dreams and such. Having stayed here for so long, I've been assimilated by it. I'm helping you just to stop them from succeeding, and also to have someone talk to me... Take it out and tell my people what happened."
Before Chenpi Shui could sort out this mess, a crossbow bolt, so fast it was almost invisible, shot straight toward her face. She was terrified, but there was no way to dodge it.
"you!"
Before she could make any further moves, both of them had their health points depleted by Shen Dixin. After killing her kind, she politely said goodbye to Soraya, then decisively shot herself a few times. She then awkwardly realized she wasn't dead, so she pulled the arrows out and stabbed herself again.
"goodbye."
Soraya tilted her head, chuckled, and jumped back into the water. She knew her friend was going back to where she belonged.
The school path, scorching hot under the sun, was filled with people lying haphazardly.
Chen Dixin sat up, and the unfamiliar campus came into view. Looking down, he saw clean and neat clothes, and the expression on his face was a mixture of crying and laughing.
Even faster than the system announced the results was the Hunter's Blade's sphere.
It rose from between Chen Dixin's eyebrows, growing larger and larger until the entire sky could no longer contain it.
It flew off the earth, and it let out a mournful cry, a cry from a Werner who had given up all his life.
People gradually woke up, but they all stared blankly at the sky as a language they had never heard before rang in their ears, like a thunderclap.
The system's announcement had barely begun when, like an old, incompetent appliance on Earth, it emitted a malfunctioning sound and then vanished without a trace.
Shen Dixin also looked up in a daze, two tear tracks sliding down her face, her shoulder being gently touched.
"%￥#*……Hello, you must be a friend of the cub."
Behind him, the miniature giant carefully retracted its fingernails and solemnly said.
End of article
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