Chapter 10: Domain Node

Chapter 10: Domain Node

Ancient Battlefield.

Bones carpeted the ground, piled into mountains.

A streak of ink-black flame arced across the moonlit sky, soaring over the skeletal mounds before striking a Cursed Soldier with pinpoint accuracy. The creature was instantly engulfed in roaring flames.

Moments later, ten figures leaped over the bone heaps, arriving at the smoldering remains of the slain Cursed Soldier.

"Haha! Fusing combat techniques is incredible! Now I can take down targets without even needing line of sight!"

The speaker was a young man in his early twenties. Even in his human form, his body shimmered with Inky Inferno, his expression brimming with smug satisfaction.

Li Zheng and the others watched, envy evident in their eyes.

"Damn! The weakest fighter in the group, Hawk-Headed Demon, just became the ultimate choice thanks to Bonefire’s form!"

After witnessing the Guide’s demonstration, Li Zheng’s group had learned that human forms could combine monster abilities. But they were still stunned by Starving to Eat Soil’s performance.

The Hawk-Headed Demon’s unique trait was Vengeful Howl. When activated, it granted a sensory perspective radiating outward from the user. Initially a 50-meter radius, it expanded to 100 meters upon reaching level five.

Bonefire’s ability allowed control over Death Flames. Combined, the two powers let the user lock onto any target within 100 meters using their senses alone, enabling precise long-range strikes.

This was the first time Li Zheng’s group had seen the power of fused monster traits.

"It’s great, but my Body Forge Rank is still zero. In human form, I can only use two monster abilities at once, and I can’t inherit their stats. Using both together already gives me a headache", Starving to Eat Soil grumbled before adding,

"I checked with the Guide—getting from Body Forge Rank 0 to 1 costs 10,000 Sacrificial Power. For early-game progression, we’ll still rely mostly on monster forms. Human forms just don’t have the mental stamina to spam monster skills."

…

After analyzing different monster traits, only Starving to Eat Soil and Fun Without Pay, who chose Hawk-Headed Demon as their initial form, embedded Bonefire’s Life Soul into their Stellar Veins as a secondary choice. Li Zheng’s group opted to delay adding new monster forms for now.

According to the Guide, Stellar Vein upgrade costs skyrocketed with each rank increase. It was better to wait until they found complementary traits before embedding new Life Souls. For now, they’d stick with the Black-Scaled Serpent form.

The rewards from defeating Bonefire had also heightened their anticipation for capturing new Primordial Monsters.

They could already envision the game’s late stages, where players would craft unique Stellar Vein builds by combining different monster traits. The possibilities felt endlessly exciting.

…

As Li Zheng’s group explored monster trait fusion, another team of 30 players entered the game, pushing westward toward Dizhong Village.

Their large formation cut through Cursed Soldiers like hot knives through butter.

Suddenly, another Cursed Soldier rose from the wreckage ahead.

The 30 players erupted into action, leaping toward the newly revived monster like hungry tigers.

Drunken Healer: "Brothers, give me a shot! I haven’t gotten a single kill yet on this whole run!"

Black Ball: "This one’s mine! Whoever takes it is my heir!"

Iron Hammer: "Cute Toddler, you’re already level two! Have some decency! I’m still owed 200 points!"

…

Chaos erupted. Players swarmed the Cursed Soldier like wolves. Within moments, it was reduced to a pile of bones.

Black Ball grinned triumphantly, while the others looked disgruntled.

Yet the thrill of competing for kills and leveling together gave them a long-forgotten sense of camaraderie.

"This game is insane! I thought the hype was exaggerated. How could a game be 100% immersive? Now I’m hooked!"

"Absolutely! The feedback from leveling up is exhilarating. I feel superhuman—leaping several meters high!"

Suddenly, Cute Toddler, the group’s leader, spoke up:

"Brothers, just got a region-wide alert! Another team scored a Primordial Monster kill and massive rewards. Let’s hunt some Primordial Monsters too!"

He turned to his Guidewater Orb companion:

"Guide, where can we find Primordial Monsters around here?"

[Primordial Monsters are scattered randomly across the monster world. Though numerous, they are free-willed and roam without territorial limits. You might encounter one anytime, anywhere.]

Realizing Primordial Monsters appeared randomly, Cute Toddler sighed in disappointment.

The group pressed westward.

Along the way, they battled Cursed Soldiers with chaotic glee, exchanging banter and curses as they fought.

An hour later, they crossed the bone-littered Ancient Battlefield and entered a vast plain of crimson vegetation. In the distance, a towering stone monolith loomed—a massive rock sculpted like a monster’s open maw, frozen in a skyward roar.

Opening their maps, the once-mysterious region cleared up, revealing new text: Crimson Plains.

Suddenly, a prompt echoed in every player’s mind:

[Challenger Alert: A Primordial Domain Node has been discovered! Capturing it grants massive rewards (shared among participants)!]

A crimson dot appeared on the map, marking the stone monolith on the plains.

The sudden mission spiked their excitement—massive rewards awaited.

Without hesitation, the 30 players charged toward the stone monolith, undeterred by potential dangers.

Reaching the site, they found the stone’s gaping mouth was actually a cave entrance leading underground. Crimson vines draped over it like a hanging curtain.

Cute Toddler: "Brothers, shall we enter?"

Drunken Healer: "Duh! We came this far!"

Iron Hammer: "Activating Gargoyle form! Follow me into the breach!"

…

After a brief discussion, the group unanimously agreed to explore the cave.

Inside, darkness swallowed their vision.

Iron Hammer, leading the pack, opened his store panel, spending 1 Sacrificial Power to purchase a torch for illumination.

The cave passage was narrow—only wide enough for two to walk side by side. The group formed a single file and descended cautiously.

After a short walk, Iron Hammer suddenly halted, crouching near a glowing plant at his feet.

It was a half-meter-tall plant with slender, jade-like leaves radiating faint starlight in the darkness.

Drunken Healer: "Why’d we stop? Trouble ahead?"

Marbles: "Did we hit a monster?"

Gulu: "Iron Hammer, speak up! What’s going on?"

Ignoring the questions, Iron Hammer shared the plant’s details in the team channel:

[Hollow Valley Grass]

Spiritual Rank: Level 2

Description: A low-tier Spirit Plant unique to the Dizhong Mountain Range. Consuming it permanently enhances sensory acuity with minor buffs, or it can be sacrificed for Sacrificial Power rewards.

Note: Sacrificial Power strengthens Stellar Veins, purchases items in the store, and circulates among Challengers.

Xiaoban Banzhang: "Whoa! We found something good right away! I’m a college student—I’m taking it!"

"Back off!" the group shouted in unison, condemning Marbles’ greed.

Iron Hammer turned to his newbie Guide:

"Guide, what does the ‘sacrifice’ mentioned in the description mean?"

[Open the Function Panel to access Sacrifice. Challengers can offer any item containing spiritual essence to Imperial Omen in exchange for Sacrificial Power.]

Following the Guide’s instructions, Iron Hammer summoned his Function Panel and activated the Sacrifice interface.

A semi-transparent altar appeared—a massive black stone base weathered by time, its surface adorned with lifelike monster totems. At its center burned a crimson flame.

On the right was a 50-slot inventory grid.

[Place the Hollow Valley Grass into the inventory, then mentally drag it onto the altar to sacrifice it.]

Iron Hammer dug the plant from the soil, then summoned his spatial inventory—a black vortex. He tossed the Hollow Valley Grass inside.

A miniature model of the plant appeared in the first inventory slot.

Reopening the Sacrifice interface, he dragged the plant toward the crimson flame.

The moment it touched the fire, the plant dissolved into crimson energy, merging with Iron Hammer’s body.

[Challenger Alert: Sacrificed Level 2 Spirit Plant Hollow Valley Grass. Imperial Omen rewarded 109 Sacrificial Power.]

The alert echoed in the team voice channel.

Iron Hammer: "Brothers, I tested the Sacrifice system! It works great. We can convert any unused items into Sacrificial Power!"

"Back off!" the group spat, flipping him off while demanding equal distribution of the rewards—even if it meant splitting 3 points per person.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end