Chapter 458: The Oriole Lurks Behind
Chapter 458: The Oriole Lurks Behind
At the same time, at another end of the city.
Hong Hu and Zhao Ying Wang, locked in fierce combat, naturally felt the rolling shockwave that swept past them.
“What’s going on?” Hong Hu flicked the longbow in his hand, scattering a flurry of light arrows as he seized the moment to leap backward, disengaging from the fight.
Zhao Ying Wang, standing behind his Stone Demon, tilted his head and replied, “You mean that shockwave just now?” He answered indifferently, “Nothing too serious, probably just some player releasing a powerful move during a fight.”
“No… I mean…” Hong Hu adjusted his glasses, frowning. “Why has the commentary stopped?”
“Huh?” Zhao Ying Wang paused, then nodded. “Right. But… what does that have to do with our current duel? Weren’t you complaining about how annoying the commentary was earlier?”
“My personal preferences about this setting aren’t important,” Hong Hu stated coolly. “Based on my observations, in this scenario, any combat involving players triggers the commentary. Considering this Peak Conquest Tournament’s free-for-all format, it’s certain the system is providing multi-angle broadcasts. My speculation is that the commentary itself is being delivered through the system’s official channels.”
Zhao Ying Wang considered this and replied, “Hm… if it’s truly official commentary, there’s no reason for it to stop.”
Hong Hu’s gaze sharpened. “We’ve been in continuous combat, so we can clearly identify the demarcation point—the exact moment the commentary ceased.”
“Right around when that shockwave hit,” Zhao Ying Wang finished.
Hong Hu’s eyes turned toward the direction the shockwave had come from. “Something must’ve happened over there…”
“Even if your analysis is correct… what of it?” Zhao Ying Wang crossed his arms. “Are you suggesting we stop fighting now and go check it out together?”
“Why not?” Hong Hu countered. “We’ve been evenly matched so far. What’s the harm in pausing?”
“Hmph… that’s true enough,” Zhao Ying Wang scoffed. “At least on the surface, neither of us loses ground.” His words only told half the story—the other half being that both fighters still had secrets they hadn’t revealed yet.
………
By the Blood Lake.
The twelve players grouped into trios hadn’t noticed the commentary stopping—they were too focused on the gigantic creature before them.
Experts from the four guilds reached a grim consensus almost simultaneously: This place isn’t safe to linger.
But before they could retreat, another anomaly erupted.
“Heh… finally, something halfway decent appears,” a sinister voice cut through the air. Though not loud, the words carried clearly to every ear around the Blood Lake.
“Hey there… someone’s approaching from the rear, and they’re looking pretty vicious,” Xiao Ming, sprinting at the forefront of the retreat, spotted the newcomer immediately.
All eyes turned to a monstrous figure—a green-faced beast with fangs, three heads, six arms, a serpentine tail, and a crimson body that slithered forward unnaturally.
The Trio with Naming Difficulties had been the fastest and most decisive in retreating, but they also had the worst luck—Nine Death Spirits’ Bloodlust Demon was approaching from directly behind them.
“Wolves ahead, tigers behind…” Lao Qu muttered. “At least this one behind isn’t as huge as that lake monster.”
Zheng Ge shook his head. “Size doesn’t equate to capability. Judging by this half-serpentine monster’s arrogance, it might be stronger than the bloodless corpse in the lake…”
As the trio hesitated whether to force their way through, a shadow suddenly zipped past them.
“Another Otherworld Traveler?” Bloodlust Demon sneered as he passed the naming-challenged trio. “Even if you’re stronger than those city monsters, you’re still slower than a snail to me.”
Hiei Studio’s trio only reacted after Bloodlust Demon had already flown past them.
“What was that thing?”
“Insanely fast.”
“Lucky it didn’t attack us…”
A chill rose in their spines as they realized what they’d narrowly escaped. They truly should’ve felt fortunate—Bloodlust Demon’s nature was ferociously combative and cruel. The only reason he hadn’t slaughtered every player and monster in his path was because Soulstealer had specifically warned him beforehand. Even encountering a derivative being wouldn’t have dissuaded him from a fight.
Roaaar—
The colossal bloodless corpse climbing out of the Blood Lake also noticed Bloodlust Demon’s presence. It turned its head and roared, as if trying to scare off the approaching threat.
“A bloodless corpse of this size is rare,” Bloodlust Demon remarked, completely unfazed by the roar. He continued approaching with the calm of an unrivaled expert. “Perfect as the main course for dinner… and that lake can be the soup.”
………
At a northern district of the city.
A player vanished from the scenario in a swirl of white light—slain by Wang Tan Zhi.
Xiao Tan had been fortunate indeed—since the finals began, he’d encountered and eliminated two other players. Though neither were top-tier contenders, they’d still netted him four points.
“Phew… that was intense,” Xiao Tan exhaled, stepping out of combat mode.
“Intense? That was more like chilling,” a voice suddenly drawled from behind him.
Before the word “chilling” finished echoing, Xiao Tan’s combat knife was already pressed against the speaker’s neck.
But he didn’t strike—the speaker was merely a semi-transparent holographic projection.
The projection depicted a graceful blonde woman in a jacket and jeans, her features striking, her voice magnetic with a dominant aura.
“Holograms shouldn’t make sound…” Xiao Tan’s mind raced. Could this be a summoned entity? A ghost? Or something else… He stepped back cautiously, scanning for the projection’s controller.
“Cutie, I’m talking to you—why the silent treatment?” The projection purred. “I’ve been watching you for a while now. You’re not mute, are you?”
Xiao Tan glanced again at the hologram, noticing the guild emblem on her jacket.
“Shanhe?” His expression shifted. “Are you a player?” He wasn’t overly surprised—the skills in Terrifying Paradise were diverse enough that she could’ve used some doppelgänger technique or transformation arts to become a semi-transparent spirit entity.
“She’s Matcha Su from Shanhe,” another voice declared.
The voice was unmistakable—Feng Bu Jue.
As Feng Bu Jue’s words rang out, Matcha Su’s projection vanished.
Confused by the bizarre sequence of events, Xiao Tan turned toward the voice’s source. Emerging from a nearby alley was a golden-haired beauty, with a messy-haired man trailing behind her.
“Feng Bu Jue… what’s going on?” Xiao Tan demanded.
Feng Bu Jue kept one hand on Matcha Su’s shoulder, the other pressing a death poker against her neck as he escorted her forward.
“The situation is simple,” Feng Bu Jue explained. “While traveling, I noticed she’d been secretly tailing and surveilling you. So I did the same to her.” He paused. “Earlier, she likely thought the timing was right and prepared to strike you. But she never expected… The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.”
“Er… actually, my main question is…” Xiao Tan hesitated. “Why are you blackmailing her now? Why not just kill her outright?”
“Hehehe… Blackmail?” Feng Bu Jue chuckled darkly. “Keeping her alive means she’s still useful, of course…”
“You’re saying that with a lecherous grin—don’t you think people might get the wrong idea?” Xiao Tan deadpanned.
Matcha Su remained composed. “I’m not worried about your misconduct… but are you certain you can control me?”
“Based on my pre-tournament intelligence and nearly ten minutes of observation,” Feng Bu Jue replied, “I can confidently conclude—you’re a rare player specializing in mechanical proficiency. While your combat abilities aren’t bad, they’re limited. To put it bluntly, if your martial arts proficiency hasn’t reached even a B-grade… there’s no escaping my grasp.”
“Alright, alright… I surrender,” Matcha Su sighed, spreading her hands helplessly. She turned her head slightly, flashing Feng Bu Jue a seductive look. “So… what now, master?”
(End of Chapter)
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