Chapter 37: They've Gone Too Far

Chapter 37: They've Gone Too Far

The fact that his opponent cared more about the Vile Crystals on the ground than the death threat hanging over them left Duan Xing genuinely puzzled.

As his gaze swept over the other figures still scrambling to collect the crystals, he twisted the neck of the player in front of him and transformed into a blue phantom, resuming his massacre.

Yet even in the midst of slaughter, his confusion lingered.

After eliminating every interfering lifeform, Duan Xing couldn’t shake his frustration. The corpses around him dissolved into Obsidian Mists, taking with them the Vile Crystals he needed to prove himself in the trial.

Inhaling deeply, he buried his emotions beneath a blank expression, then turned toward the surging tide of fiends.

Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack.

The sound of gears engaging rang clearly as his Runic Battle Armor reignited. Duan Xing became a streak of blue lightning, charging once more into the demonic swarm.

Meanwhile, the regional voice chat exploded with chatter. Players were buzzing about the warrior named Duan Xing and the abundance of Vile Crystals littering the area.

Though most nearby players had been eliminated from the game, more envious ones were rushing in.

The crystals’ allure was irresistible to them. Compared to the minor cost of losing 10 Sacrificial Power points upon death, the rewards seemed trivial.

Half an hour later, the first wave of reinforcements arrived.

Duan Xing noticed immediately—the newcomers had already begun frantically looting, scouring the battlefield for Vile Crystals.

His expressionless face twitched as fury surged. Without hesitation, he pivoted and lunged at the players.

By the time he slaughtered dozens of the latest arrivals, he saw the Vile Crystals on the ground had noticeably diminished. His pale skin flushed crimson, his eyes burning with rage so intense it threatened to spill over.

As the most promising warrior among the Abyssal Tide Legion’s Reserves, this slaughter trial was his final step toward proving himself.

Completing it would earn him a place in the Legion itself.

He refused to fail.

After recharging his Runic Battle Armor using the energy core left by his father, Duan Xing turned toward the approaching fiends and launched himself forward again.

In the heat of battle, his movements were as light as a ghost weaving through the demonic encirclement.

His twin blades carved sharp, whistling arcs through the air.

Suddenly, a five-meter-tall fiend emerged ahead, its body shrouded in Obsidian Mists, its face grotesque and bloated limbs barely supporting its rotting frame.

Duan Xing didn’t slow. As he passed the creature, a glowing X-shaped slash appeared across its chest. The monster split into four pieces, black viscous liquid splattering everywhere—yet not a drop touched him.

In his frenzy, Duan Xing became death itself, weaving effortlessly through the fiendish horde. His blades seemed alive—shifting between razor-sharp swords and whirlwind cyclones, each strike claiming multiple lives.

Roaring to the heavens, his long blue hair streaming in the wind, he reveled in the carnage.

But when his eyes caught sight of a new group of sneaky figures approaching, his grin vanished.

“You…deserve death!”

Reserve warriors of the Abyssal Tide Legion weren’t allocated storage space. His only option was to kill enough fiends to summon the Legion’s trial supervisor via the "Starstone Coordinates" installed on the shuttle, thereby certifying the trial’s completion.

Yet these unfamiliar creatures had become his greatest obstacle.

Watching the furtive beings in the distance, their occasional furtive glances at him only fueled his rising anger.

They died.

He immediately shifted targets, charging at the players greedily looting nearby.

As Duan Xing descended, the regional chat erupted:

“Brothers, hurry and loot! The God of Fortune’s charging in with two big cleavers!”

“This god’s really stingy—overreacting just because we took a few Vile Crystals.”

“Hey neighbor, you’re crawling on the ground scavenging so shamelessly! Stand up straight, let me grab some loot instead!”

Duan Xing arrived, but what baffled him was that even as he stood before them, the creatures’ gazes remained fixed on the crystals, as if they didn’t care about their impending deaths.

Watching the crystals’ numbers dwindle, his killing speed doubled.

In mere breaths, the entire group dissolved into Obsidian Mists.

But when he looked up, he saw another wave of creatures charging from afar.

This time, Duan Xing didn’t return to the fiends. Instead, he faced the incoming players head-on.

Gears grinding, his Runic Battle Armor flared brilliantly as he streaked forward like a blue comet.

Within moments, over a hundred players lay dead.

“There he is! The God of Fortune’s over there!”

The distant shouts made Duan Xing pause mid-lunge toward the fiends. Looking up, he saw countless players descending from all directions.

His scalp prickled.

To him, these creatures were far more infuriating than the fiends. Though physically weak, wherever they went, Vile Crystals mysteriously disappeared. Their interference made completing his trial impossible.

“Die!”

He inhaled sharply to steady himself, then charged at the new arrivals.

After dozens more waves, however, Duan Xing was completely drained.

The number of mysterious creatures wasn’t decreasing—it was increasing, even surpassing the fiends’ numbers.

More kept coming. There was no end.

Worse, they attacked in waves rather than all at once, forcing him to constantly monitor their movements instead of eliminating them in a single stroke.

After repelling the 87th wave, Duan Xing’s resolve shattered.

Staring at the distant horde of players approaching, despair flooded his eyes. With a decisive leap, he soared into the air and became a streak of light flying toward the Ancient Battlefield.

Half an hour later, at the northern edge of the Ancient Battlefield.

After resting to recover his strength, Duan Xing took out a Lure Crystal and crushed it.

Black smoke spiraled upward, attracting nearby fiends who swarmed toward his location.

A new wave of slaughter began.

As Duan Xing reached the peak of his slaughter, a familiar sound reached his ears.

He turned sharply—

Dozens of familiar figures appeared, their leader pointing excitedly in his direction:

“Look! The God of Fortune’s right there! Brothers, follow me!”

“Hahahaha! Finally found him! Zongzi, send the coordinates to the guild chat—call everyone!”

“Mmm, I can already smell the Vile Crystals’ rich aroma! At least 750 credits per crystal—this place reeks of money!”

Duan Xing’s eyes darkened with despair.

Abyssal Tide Legion trials randomly teleported participants to Crescent Moon (Zone Tier) or First Quarter Moon (Zone Tier) scenarios.

He’d once believed even if sent to the First Quarter zone, his unmatched strength as the Reserve’s top warrior would allow him to complete the trial and join the Legion as an elite recruit.

But these mysterious creatures had completely derailed his trial.

Actively retreating had felt like a disgrace, yet he’d endured it to complete his mission—only for these creatures to keep pushing forward relentlessly.

Clenching his fists, a flicker of crimson light flared in Duan Xing’s pure white eyes:

“They’ve gone…too far.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end