Chapter 36: Duan Xing
Chapter 36: Duan Xing
The night deepened, silence blanketing the world like a dark crimson velvet shroud.
Suddenly, a black hole tore open in the sky.
From its depths emerged a bluish-tailed object, streaking through the heavens like a falling star and plummeting toward the Crimson Plains of the Dizhong Mountains.
Boom!
The impact shook the earth, scattering boulders and scorching twisted vegetation into charred remnants. A crater fifty meters wide marked the collision site. At its center lay a massive, dented metallic cube, its surface warped by the force of the crash.
The cube trembled. Then, with a heavy metallic groan, its lower hatch slid open.
A boyish figure stepped out, standing at about five feet five inches. His pale blue hair framed a face with emotionless, milky-white eyes. Clad in heavy Runic Battle Armor, he resembled a lifeless automaton.
A mechanical voice echoed from the craft behind him:
“Combat Trial initiated. A 35-kilometer radius around my position defines your trial zone. Leaving it will result in failure.”
Leaping from the crater, the boy—Duan Xing—scanned the scorched landscape. He raised his right hand, twisting a metallic knob on his chest like winding a key.
Click. Click. Click.
Intricate glyphs flared to life across his armor, spreading from his chest to his limbs.
He tilted his head toward the Last Quarter Moon, his expression hardening. With a sudden motion, he crushed a black gem in his fist. The powder dissolved into inky smoke, curling into the air.
The Crimson Plains’ malevolent creatures—scenting the disturbance—rushed toward him like ravenous beasts.
Shing!
Duan Xing crouched, twin Azure Light Blades snapping out from his wrists. His eyes flickered with cold intent.
Around him surged a pack of snarling, fanged hyena-like beasts; shadowy, rolling Black Balls; and spectral fiends shrouded in corrupting Obsidian Mists. Bloodfiends swarmed in droves.
He became a blue-hued blur, slicing through the horde. His blades moved like scissors through darkness, cleaving foes in two. The slain dissolved into smoke, leaving behind only glistening black crystals.
His speed escalated, a dancer weaving elegance through carnage. The azure blades’ glow swirled like a dancer’s skirt.
Nearby players, witnessing the creatures’ frenzy, flooded regional chat:
“Wtf? Why are all the monsters stampeding west?”
“Survived a death sentence when the bastards ran off. GG!”
“Folks, follow my stream—live coverage from the Crimson Plains! Tips appreciated!”
Curious players trailed the monsters. Others livestreamed, monetizing the spectacle for those unable to join.
As they neared Duan Xing’s battlefield, shock froze them.
The blue blur moved with lethal grace, harvesting foes in a poetic massacre. But the players’ gazes fixated on the ground—strewn with black crystals.
Energy Crystals, rare drops from beasts over level 10. Tradable for Sacrificial Power at altars. Each crystal gleamed like currency.
Sacrificial Power had spiked to 150 credits per unit, scarce and coveted. Every Gold Farmer and adventurer prioritized it, fueling a desperate market.
Players scrambled to loot, shoving crystals into their inventory. Streams exploded with frantic pleas:
“Bro, drop the coords! I’m minutes away!”
“I’M Still ON Respawn Cooldown! Watching you loot is agony! Stop!!”
“This stream’s giving me heart palpitations! I came for chaos, not a gold rush!”
The Crimson Plains erupted in chaos. Players flocked from every corner of the Dizhong Mountains. Earlycomers scurried behind Duan Xing’s wake, pockets bulging.
The automaton noticed. His white eyes narrowed. Another twist of his chest-knob reignited his armor’s glow.
He pivoted, a blue comet streaking toward the looters. Players blinked, then died—black smoke whisking them to the Dizhong Village, remade underground by Yan Ming’s Spatial Power.
“Why’s he turning on us?!”
“My bro got cleaved mid-blink! We’re dead meat!”
“Run? Hell no! 10 SP loss, but 5 SP per crystal! Grab a sack—we’re golden!”
They looted feverishly, undeterred by death.
Duan Xing’s info surfaced in chat:
[Duan Xing (Celestial Rune Kin)]
Hunting Level: 53
Heir to the Celestial Rune Kin dynasty, hailed as their strongest (new generation). Undergoing trial to join the Abyssal Tide Legion.
A level 53! Unheard of in Dizhong.
But Duan Xing faced a crisis. The stolen crystals vanished with the players. His trial’s proof was evaporating.
He seized a looter’s throat, milky eyes cold. “Where are the crystals?”
The player, unflinching, spat: “Let me grab one more, and I’ll tell ya!”
Duan Xing stared.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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