Chapter 15
The sky was dark, with heavy clouds looming overhead, shrouding the entire land in gloom.
The player's uninvited arrival clearly displeased the "residents" of the alley, who emerged from the shadows behind the walls and trees, emitting chilling sneers.
The laughter, inhuman yet not human, echoed intermittently among the old buildings. It was so close, so near, that it sent chills down one's spine.
Even seasoned veterans like Yan Yue felt a chill run down their spines in this situation.
"It's alright." Yan Yue said in a deep voice to calm everyone down. "You've all been through A-level Ghost King dungeons before, so stay calm and don't panic."
boom!
A bolt of lightning struck the ground vertically, splitting half the sky and illuminating the dim alley as bright as day.
A slender, dog-shaped black shadow slowly emerged from the pale lightning.
Its footsteps were light and silent, with a vast expanse of dense darkness following beneath its feet. Instantly, the wraiths that had been mocking it from above instinctively fell silent and bowed their heads in fear.
That is the Demon King.
When players realized this, it didn't feel real to them.
Until the dog-like figure looked up, its crimson eyes appearing in the darkness, giving a casual glance.
Suddenly, an indescribable sense of oppression transformed into sharp claws, gripping the hearts of every player and making it impossible for them to breathe properly.
What does it mean to completely overwhelm someone in terms of momentum?
The instant their eyes met, they couldn't muster a single thought of resistance; their minds were filled with only one word: run.
Yan Yue gritted his teeth and stepped forward, his voice resounding as he declared, "Your Excellency, King of Ghosts, please believe that we have no ill intentions!"
The commotion in the alley was quite loud and soon reached Xie Xubai's guesthouse.
Xie Xubai put down his knife, frowned, and went to the window, where he saw Yan Yue and his group as expected.
Seeing that the player was not holding any weapons or items, he relaxed a little, and his brows unfurrowed.
But upon closer inspection, one can't help but be stunned.
Xie Xubai saw that the two men were each carrying an exquisitely carved blue-and-white porcelain basin filled with thick blood. Yan Yue said something, and they stepped forward, holding the basins high with both hands and extending them forward.
It's easy to tell from that sincere posture and body language that the player seems to want to offer blood to Heian.
"They're so kind?" Xie Xubai was quite surprised, his first thought being that they had poisoned it.
Two seconds later, he denied the speculation.
This is not an attempt to excuse the players, but given their cautious nature, even if they have decided to eliminate the Demon King, they would only resort to desperate measures when they have no other choice.
"Could it be that they received some kind of warning, knowing that it would be dangerous for Ping An to go without food for a long time, and that's why they came here to avoid the risk?"
After thinking about it for a moment, Xie Xubai realized that this was most likely the answer.
His feelings are quite complicated right now.
If it weren't for Xu Qingran's tearful plea, he wouldn't have cared about the lives of these people the moment he learned that the players wanted to kill Ping An.
Now that Xie Xubai has learned some of the inside story, he seems to see the shadows of the two tragically killed employees in the player, as well as himself hiding in the corridor, terrified and speechless.
—I also saw the steel wire that everyone was stepping on.
Xie Xubai was lost in thought, his mind unusually slow. He leaned against the window, looking into the alley.
Dog Ping An seemed to accept the players' suggestion, coldly raising his chin, causing the densely packed ghosts to retreat and make way.
Xie Xubai glanced down at the player's feet, where piles of empty medical blood bags lay.
Although these players don't value human life, at least they haven't completely lost their conscience.
More importantly, the quantity is large.
Compared to these two bowls, the little bit of blood he released was probably not even an appetizer.
Before Xie Xubai could continue reading, several ghostly figures suddenly emerged from his sleeves and blocked the window.
The combined intelligence of these few little heads is not even as high as that of a nine-year-old child, yet they vaguely understand that it is extremely cruel for humans to watch monsters devour the flesh and blood of their own kind.
Xie Xubai pulled twice but couldn't budge them, so he just left them as they were.
He turned back to the stove, looked at the bubbling meat soup, paused for a moment, and then chuckled softly, "There's no rule that says you can't have dessert after a main meal, right?"
"Meow~" "Woof woof!"...
The little ones cooperated quite well, barking several times in a soft, sweet voice that melted your heart.
Seeing their lively and adorable clumsy appearance, Xie Xubai couldn't help but smile and cut off a few pieces of fresh beef to hand over.
The little ones' eyes lit up instantly, and they rushed forward to suck the food.
Diagonally opposite Xie Xubai's guesthouse, two players stood on the rooftop, using binoculars to observe the activity in the alley.
Zhang Bin, bound and unable to move, was struggling beside them. His mouth was gagged, and the fat man could only make muffled noises, his small eyes glaring at the two players with resentment.
One of them asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Another person shrugged: "Probably just a leg cramp and trying to turn over."
Should we help him?
"Forget it, or you'll end up with bad luck and be resented by vengeful spirits."
They chatted and laughed, but when they looked at Zhang Bin, they couldn't help but show their disgust.
Ever since they learned that this guy was the culprit behind the animal cruelty, the players' attitude towards him changed completely. This was not only because he was a psychopath, but also because if it weren't for his antics, so many vengeful spirits wouldn't have been born in this dungeon, and the difficulty wouldn't have increased so much!
Seeing Zhang Bin wriggle towards their feet like a maggot, the players felt disgusted and kicked him back.
Zhang Bin rolled on the ground a few times, groaning in pain, staring intently at them, the malice and malice in his eyes almost tangible.
Another player felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at him: "Wouldn't he be up to some dirty trick?"
His companion frowned. "What dirty tricks could he possibly pull? We took everything from him, leaving him only his clothes. The slaughterhouse went out of business; he has no relatives or friends, and no other help. Just in case, we also used a few props. He can't attack us first, and he can't leave this position..."
He suddenly froze, his heart skipped a beat.
Something's not right, something's definitely not right.
The player recalled that Zhang Bin had just been knocked unconscious and tied upstairs, but he wasn't causing this much trouble then.
If you know you can't escape, why struggle so desperately?
Zhang Bin had been trying to get closer to the rooftop, but it couldn't have been because he wanted to jump. What was he looking at...? Was there some scene he was expecting to unfold?
A sense of foreboding suddenly arose in the player's heart, and he hurriedly called out to Yan Yue: "President Yan, don't go over there yet. Zhang Bin may have done something we don't know about!"
Yan Yue stopped in his tracks in the alley and looked up in astonishment.
His loss of composure wasn't due to the shouts in his earpiece, but rather the system notification that suddenly rang out like an alarm.
[You have entered the Ghost King's absolute perception domain. The item "The Sinful Bone-Cutting Blade (originally Zhang Bin)" has triggered its hidden effect.]
"The Sinful Cleaver": This cleaver has harmed countless innocent lives, and its surface is stained with dark red, mottled blood, as indelible as the sins it has committed.
Many vengeful spirits inflicted their hatred on the blade, thereby cursing its original owner to never be reincarnated.
[Active Effect]: Increases attack power by 200% against vengeful spirits killed by this knife in life, and has a very strong deterrent effect.
[Hidden Effect (Triggered)]: Any monster with an unresolved grudge against the sword's owner will have its rage value doubled the moment it notices the sword.
[Rage Value]: Affected by factors such as hunger, fatigue, and mood, it directly enters a berserk state when it reaches its maximum value.
Rage level doubled!
Upon seeing the description of the hidden effect, all the players were suddenly plunged into darkness.
If they remember correctly, the Demon King's rage value they just assessed was a whopping 76%!
Yan Yue also felt dizzy.
When he obtained the bone-chopping knife, out of caution, he used his appraisal skill several times, and each time the result was the same: nothing unusual.
How could players possibly give up such a valuable and powerful special attack item that adds 200% attack power? Not to mention that they are unsure whether negotiations with the Ghost King will be successful, so they will definitely carry their knives with them in case the two sides disagree and start fighting.
He never expected that even an A-level appraisal technique couldn't detect this hidden effect, and he never expected that the timid Zhang Bin would actually have the guts to set a trap for them!
In desperation, Yan Yue heard himself let out a heart-wrenching roar: "Run! Run! Run—!"
But it was too late.
The dog stood peacefully in place, looking quiet and posing no threat whatsoever.
However, upon closer inspection, one will find that the airflow around it is completely still, as if it were a vacuum.
It raised its head, looked at the porcelain basin in Yan Yue's hand, and then at the other players who were panicking and trying to escape. The scarlet blood in its pupils spread to the whites of its eyes at a visible speed, gradually taking over its entire eye socket.
Buzz—
The air rippled slightly.
The next second, this tiny, almost invisible wave of air rapidly expanded, and with its increasing frequency, it unleashed a storm with the power of a high-pressure missile!
Houses collapsed, mud and rocks flew everywhere. Stone walls, trees, and streetlights were instantly reduced to dust, and a three-meter-high wave of earth suddenly erupted from the ground!
All the players were sent flying backward under the irresistible pressure, spitting out large amounts of blood that stained the soil red.
No more than four people, including Yan Yue, were still able to stand up.
Looking up again, a blood moon hung in the pitch-black night, and a slender dog's shadow stood beneath the boundless crimson.
It lowered its head, trembling and roaring as if enduring excruciating pain. Its bones cracked and popped wildly, its body stretching and growing larger like a twisted rubber band, growing taller and taller than trees, taller than buildings, until it was tall enough to blot out the sky!
"roar--!"
The Demon King's domain unfolded, and no one could leave on their own.
The players who remained conscious looked up at the behemoth, their pupils contracted sharply, and they finally fell completely silent.
The two players who remained outside the alley suddenly lost signal from the others, and their expressions changed drastically.
They rushed to the fence and peered down, but saw no one in the alley. Enraged, they turned back and shouted, "Zhang Bin, you—!"
Before they could finish speaking, sharp claws pierced through their chests, silencing the two players. They stared in disbelief at their gaping wounds.
Due to the influence of the props, Zhang Bin was unable to attack them directly.
But the vengeful spirit wasn't Zhang Bin.
Why...why would the vengeful spirit that hates Zhang Bin come to save him?
Bang.
The two corpses fell heavily to the ground, their eyes wide open, unable to close in death.
Zhang Bin had the vengeful spirit untie him, then stepped on the player's face, the heavy heel grinding his features until they were bloody and mangled.
He spat and sneered, "If it weren't for the fact that you guys can help me deal with that beast, would I have put up with you until now?"
As he spoke, he slapped the vengeful spirit hard across the face again. Only when he heard the spirit cry out in pain did he feel a little better: "You enjoyed watching them kick me, didn't you? You little beast!"
Zhang Bin knew that the player had used some kind of evil magic to trap him here, but this suited his purposes perfectly.
He picked up the binoculars and looked down at the alleyway below.
With the aid of a secret technique, he could directly observe the situation within the Ghost King's domain.
Seeing Yan Yue and the others roaring as they charged toward the Ghost King, the fat man raised the corners of his mouth, his sinister smile growing even stronger.
Once the berserk monster has gone mad, it's as fragile as a piece of paper. It's time for the monster to appear and reap the benefits after the player has exhausted its strength.
"I've waited so long, this day is finally here!"
The thought of finally being able to enslave the Demon King, with wealth and status within his grasp, made him unable to resist revealing his true nature, letting out a wild and intoxicated laugh: "Fight! Kill! Fight with all your might to survive! Nothing will get in your way anymore—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
A thin figure carrying a plastic bucket appeared at the entrance of the alley.
Author's Note:
Zhang Bin: ??? It's you again, you little bastard!
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