Chapter 48: Scenery Enthusiast

Chapter 48: Scenery Enthusiast

Current Player Count: 10,652

Contained Primordial Traits: 13

Today’s Sacrificial Power Accumulation: 68,552 points

Average Monster Tier: 7

Controlled Domain Node: Dizhong Village (Flesh Reconstruction)

Qi Sheng nodded in satisfaction as he reviewed the day’s statistics.

Players were progressing faster than anticipated. Already, one-fifth had unlocked their second Stellar Vein, and the flow of Sacrificial Power was steadily increasing.

The only setback remained the Gloomspire Caverns Domain Node, which remained unconquered.

After breaching the fifth subterranean layer, players became trapped in brutal combat. The corrupted core at the site had awakened consciousness, wielding ice blades to animate the corpses of its fallen subordinates. Several attempts to seize the node in one decisive push had ended in total party wipes.

Yet Qi Sheng foresaw that the Gloomspire Caverns would soon be purified and absorbed as an extension of Dizhong Village’s expansion.

Beyond that, however, a major crisis loomed.

According to intelligence from the Guide, the region housing Di Nian, commander of the Malevolent Spirits Legion, was rapidly siphoning node energy to spawn new Malevolent Spirits. Soon, swarms of these entities would ravage the entire Dizhong Mountain Range.

Through Di Nian’s communication with the Evil Eye, Qi Sheng learned their ultimate goal: to seize every Domain Node in the region, including Gloomspire Caverns and Spirit Forge Valley.

A direct confrontation between players and Di Nian’s Malevolent Spirits legion was inevitable.

Time was running short for the players’ development.

Yet Qi Sheng never feared Di Nian’s influence.

Though the Malevolent Spirits legion housed countless powerful entities within the dread Black Tide faction, Di Nian was merely a standard Legion Commander—hardly a formidable opponent. During the Four Divine Servants’ prime, Di Nian’s kind had been no more than ants to crush underfoot.

The Malevolent Spirits legion would serve only as a stepping stone, propelling players into the grand warscape of the Monster World.

Putting aside these thoughts, Qi Sheng shifted into his Imperial Omen Form.

As crimson flames engulfed his body, his vision switched to the perspective of a player—one relayed by the Guide.

…

Northwest of the Dizhong Mountain Range, hidden within a ring of scorching volcanoes, lay a tranquil pond. Illuminated by the crimson glow of the Evil Moon, its waters shimmered emerald-green and crystal-clear, with unseen creatures gliding beneath the surface.

[Challenger Alert: Discovery of “Stormwhisper Pond,” a new region within the Dizhong Mountain Range, grants 300 Sacrificial Power.]

As the system notification rang in his mind, Lu Xing, standing at the pond’s edge, couldn’t suppress his grin.

Opening his map, the fog obscuring the ancient battlefield’s northwest sector lifted, revealing a new landmark—a gemstone-like oasis at the center of a barren expanse.

Bold text labeled the area in three glowing characters: Stormwhisper Pond.

This was his first discovery as an explorer. It proved that Sacrificial Power could be earned not just through combat or resource gathering, but also through exploration.

For a scenery enthusiast, the joy of Virtual Game lay not in rivalry or growth, but in witnessing the world’s wonders.

In this new era of warring civilizations, the Human Federation discouraged civilians from venturing beyond city walls. Yet within Lu Xing burned an unquenchable thirst for the unknown. The mere thought of travel stirred his soul with indescribable exhilaration.

Here, in Virtual Game, his wanderlust found its home.

The Darklands’ realism surpassed all expectations—no lag, no glitches. Every step felt tangible, every breath carried the world’s unique essence.

While others chased power, Lu Xing pursued a different path: a pilgrimage through the fantastical.

He sought to document the land’s hidden history, witness nature’s impossible artistry—not merely as a tourist, but as a soul engaging in dialogue with the world itself.

Every hardship, every challenge, even the solitude and uncertainty along the way, became cherished experiences.

Halting his steps, Lu Xing activated the Guide’s analysis ability to scan the area. Then, he opened the in-game forum interface, preparing to log newly discovered flora.

Recording findings was his purpose.

With no official monster or plant compendium in the game, he’d taken it upon himself to create one—a shared resource for players to locate hunting grounds or resource nodes.

Over the past week, he’d compiled 32 entries, freely shared in his forum thread.

Three previously unrecorded plant species thrived near the pond. After extracting data with the Guide’s aid, Lu Xing edited and posted the findings to his thread.

Summoning his live-stream interface, he saw 13 dead players in Death Cooldown watching his journey, their comments scrolling below.

One caught his eye:

“CollegeStudent88: Bro, check the other side of Stormwhisper Pond! Something’s watching you—it’s creepy!”

Lu Xing instantly turned toward the opposite shore.

Through tangled vines and wildflowers, a pair of deep emerald-green eyes glared back at him from the undergrowth.

He instinctively stepped back—not out of fear, but caution. Though he’d fought his share of monsters, each death meant an hour-long respawn wait. Without a teleporter, retracing his steps was a waste of precious time.

Earning Sacrificial Power to strengthen himself was as much about survival as it was about exploration.

“Guide, analyze.”

Yet the thought of compiling a complete monster compendium spurred him forward. Squaring his shoulders, he spoke to the Guide.

[Insufficient proximity. Unable to analyze target.] The Guide replied in its usual languid tone.

Lu Xing hesitated briefly before steeling himself and crossing toward the shore.

As he entered analysis range, data materialized in his mind:

[Zephyrwing Qidi]:

Hunting Tier: 7

Guide Analysis: A 4th Generation Primordial Monster with Windweaving Mastery. Intelligent, capable of flight, wind-elemental combat, and extreme speed bursts.

Personality Analysis: Cowardly toward threats, slothful.

Seeing the "4th Generation Primordial" suffix, Lu Xing’s heart lurched.

But when his eyes landed on the hunting tier, he blinked in shock.

His live-stream exploded with chat messages:

“Let this Primordial go, I’ll take it!”

“Spare that monster, let me tag it!”

“This one’s mine, I called dibs!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end