Chapter 69: Returning to Familiar Grounds, the Black Tide Stirs (Part 1)

Chapter 69: Returning to Familiar Grounds, the Black Tide Stirs (Part 1)

Skywind City, South District.

As Qi Sheng wandered the city streets, his homeland felt eerily alien through his eyes.

Looking up, he saw towering skyscrapers clad in smart glass displaying ads for wearable tech. Beneath his feet, asphalt and stone had been replaced by advanced self-luminous materials that automatically adjusted brightness based on pedestrian traffic. Holographic billboards projected weather forecasts and breaking news.

The city resembled the futuristic world he’d imagined in his youth—vibrant and full of energy, yet stripped of any familiar warmth.

At the street’s end, Qi Sheng paused, gazing at the high-rise across the road.

Memories surged like a tidal wave.

“Are you a tourist visiting the area? Can I help you with anything?”

A teenage boy in a volunteer uniform, directing cleaning robots, approached curiously after noticing Qi Sheng staring blankly at the building.

After a brief silence, Qi Sheng smiled and nodded.

“Yes, just traveling. Thanks, but I don’t need help.”

The boy’s greeting stirred Qi Sheng’s heart.

No friends or family remained here—no traces of his past. Only forgotten tombstones marked what had been.

Then Guide’s voice chimed in his mind, laced with teasing:

[Heh. The cruelest irony isn’t children asking, “Stranger, where are you from?” Nor is it rusted locks and overgrown courtyards. It’s realizing the marks of your era have vanished. Returning home, you find no echoes of memory—only bitter nostalgia. Suddenly remembering parents’ faces, or childhood dreams of heroism… Yet now, with powers attained, you bear heavy burdens on a grueling path. Youth feels like a dream, and home—a place no one shares your heart with.]

“When did you get so poetic?”

[Been reviewing human history archives in the Starnet Database. Seeing your sudden melancholy inspired me.]

“Done?” Qi Sheng grumbled.

[All set, boss. Keep reminiscing—no interruptions from me.]

Ignoring Guide, Qi Sheng followed memory’s route, but found nothing familiar.

Nostalgia was like carving a boat to find a lost sword—useless.

His era had been overwritten. He was no longer young.

Turning away, he bid farewell to his former self.

His hometown’s memories now closed behind him.

Only the road ahead remained.

...

Back at the Primordial Altar, Qi Sheng browsed the day’s player reports.

One forum thread, rapidly gaining traction, made him smirk.

It detailed Lu Xing’s journey before and after encountering the Mirage Butterfly.

The post opened with Lu Xing’s early declaration in the forums:

“I’ll write the ultimate bestiary for all players. I’ll witness Monster World’s hidden wonders!”

It included a screenshot of his forum post:

As an explorer, I want everyone to remember—games aren’t just grinding. There’s poetry and distant horizons. While you race to level up, crimson dragons tear through clouds over the Ancient Battlefield. While you mine for Sacrificial Power, Crimson Plains bloom with vibrant flowers. When you stress over Stellar Vein builds, batfish leap from the Star Ocean at Guide’s words. They say the Great Northern Expanse shines in kaleidoscopic night skies… These wonders, only described by Guide, will be my journey’s next stops.

The post ended with a Gif from Lu Xing’s live stream—his face bruised and swollen, shaking his fist at the Mirage Butterfly:

“You’ll regret this!”

Other memes followed:

Frenzied dodging, curling to minimize damage, “This one’s got it locked in!” (gunman cackling), “Die, you freak!” (detonating Psi-Blast Charges), “Let’s talk!” (pleading), “This can’t be real!” (post-explosion panic), “An eye for an eye!” (grinding levels furiously).

Lu Xing’s battle became a comedic saga.

Players awaited the sequel—eagerly, but even more for Gale Command Life Soul fragments to equip.

As Qi Sheng finished reading, another new post caught his eye.

A Critical Issue with Stellar Vein Builds – Plea for Fixes from Lunar Eclipse Clan

Poster: Nightfallapproach

Content: Testing new Stellar Vein builds reveals a flaw causing explosive Sacrificial Power costs later. Why no Life Soul decomposition system?

Suppose I want to rebuild a Stellar Vein. Currently, removing Life Souls wastes all prior investment.

Example: Upgrading Black-Scaled Serpent Life Soul to level 30, then discarding it leaves no return. Yes, the slot frees up, but my effort’s gone?

Official devs—please fix this.

...

Qi Sheng found the idea viable.

Originally, decomposed Life Souls converted to pure Sacrificial Power, feeding his reserves—not the player’s.

But the poster had a point.

His solution: extract 5% of decomposed Evolution Points into the Sacrificial Power Reservoir, returning 95% to the player.

This would reduce rebuild costs and encourage experimentation with Stellar Vein builds.

Yet before launching decomposition, he needed Hyperdimension to integrate the feature into the Challenger System.

Contacting Guide, he linked Hyperdimension underground.

Hyperdimension, constructing the Morphing Arsenal System, agreed instantly:

“This is simple. I’ll code decomposition first, then resume the Arsenal work.”

After ending the call, Qi Sheng shifted focus to Guide’s latest report—a location update from the geopathic rift.

...

Geopathic Rift Cliffside.

Domain Node energy and ambient particles surged into the Cyclopean Spire’s peak.

Obsidian Mists roiled around the tower, birthing and reabsorbing Malevolent Spirits endlessly.

On the platform, Di Nian’s Malevolent Spirit grew stronger with each pulse of Black Tide Energy.

“Malevolent Eye,” he asked, “have you extracted divinity yet?”

The Malevolent Eye, hovering above, turned its gaze:

“Don’t rush. This Domain Node’s core rules elude me. I can only siphon derivative energy. Even that requires time to refine and infuse into you.”

Despite his impatience, Di Nian nodded in agreement. After witnessing the strength of Monster World, he had already tempered his arrogance and resolved to develop his power within this realm.

He continued at this moment:

“Channel the extracted power into me first.”

This time, the Malevolent Eye didn’t speak. Instead, several jet-black tendrils extended from its eye and pierced into Di Nian’s back. Instantly, a complex mark shimmered across his forehead as surging energy flooded into his body. His physical form was rapidly reinforced through this wave of energy refinement.

Unbeknownst to Di Nian and the Malevolent Eye, their actions were fully exposed to Guide’s surveillance.

Atop the Primordial Altar, Qi Sheng observed the scene through Guide’s feedback and asked curiously, “Guide, is the Malevolent Eye extracting the rule-based power from the Domain Node?”

Guide shook its head immediately:

“Only you, who inherited the Imperial Omen Ego Core, can freely manipulate the rule-based power within Domain Nodes. No other beings—including us, the Four Great Retainers—can achieve this. What the Malevolent Eye is extracting is merely the derivative energy from the Domain Node’s rules.”

“To explain using Gloomspire Caverns as an example: this Domain Node’s characteristic is to generate Spirit Ore. The Malevolent Eye’s actions effectively sever Spirit Ore production, converting the output energy into Black Tide Energy. Using this energy, it has cultivated countless Malevolent Spirits. However, this process reverses Monster World’s natural laws, resulting in severe energy loss—approximately 90% of the derivative energy is wasted.”

After absorbing Guide’s explanation, Qi Sheng understood the principle. Taking Gloomspire Caverns as an example, under Monster World’s normal laws, the Domain Node’s energy would naturally form Spirit Ore. Severing this output inherently caused losses, and converting the energy into another form intensified the waste. The Malevolent Eye could only alter the energy’s output method—it couldn’t extract the core rule characteristics that generated the energy itself.

“What about the energy being infused into Di Nian’s body?” Qi Sheng pressed.

“When the Domain Node’s rule core generates derivative energy, fragments of rules are also produced. These fragments imprint onto the energy during the Domain Node’s natural process, but this energy quickly dissipates. The Malevolent Eye intercepts these fragments and embeds them into Di Nian, strengthening him. It’s akin to plagiarism—given enough time, the Malevolent Eye could replicate these rule characteristics, allowing Di Nian to mimic similar abilities. Naturally, imitations pale in comparison to true Domain Node rules.”

“This is what makes Black Tide warriors so terrifying. Every intelligent Malevolent Spirit possesses immense growth potential, capable of gaining power by seizing Domain Nodes or devouring other beings.”

Grasping the mechanics, Qi Sheng asked further:

“Could I also sever Gloomspire Caverns’ production of Spirit Ore, refine its energy, and channel it into the Sacrificial Power Reservoir? This would mirror how the Primordial Monsters generate Sacrificial Power.”

“You could, but I advise against it.”

“Besides its rule core, Gloomspire Caverns’ Spirit Ore production is infused with cosmic energy during formation—like completing a quest and receiving the world’s reward. Severing Spirit Ore production is no different from the Malevolent Eye’s method, save for the efficiency. The Malevolent Eye, unable to control the Domain Node, suffers over 50% loss. You, however, could fully command the Domain Node, reducing losses to roughly 25%.”

“Alternatively, mining Spirit Ore via players incurs no loss and adds a 50% energy bonus from cosmic infusion. To summarize: severing yields only 0.75 Sacrificial Power, while mining provides 1.5. The difference is a twofold deficit.”

Nodding in understanding, Qi Sheng acknowledged Guide’s reasoning. Gloomspire Caverns had already integrated into Dizhong Village’s resource network—mining was clearly the superior option for maximizing output.

His gaze shifted to the floating interface before him.

In the image, beneath the towering spire, Obsidian Mists churned as Malevolent Spirits rapidly multiplied. He knew the Black Tide invasion of Dizhong Mountain Range was imminent. Di Nian would soon launch a full-scale assault on all Domain Nodes in the region with a massive Malevolent Spirits army, aiming to seize control of the entire mountain range.

If successful, the Malevolent Eye would gain access to multiple Domain Nodes, further empowering Di Nian and his legion. This would mark players’ first true confrontation against the Black Tide.

Previously, encounters with Cursed Soldiers (Malevolent Entities), Bloodfiends, or Gloomspire’s Obsidian Legionnaires involved mindless Malevolent Spirits born under the Evil Moon’s influence—entirely distinct from Di Nian’s intelligent Black Tide warriors.

Yet Qi Sheng viewed this impending war with indifference. Di Nian was but an ordinary Black Tide soldier. The coming Black Tide campaign would merely serve as a training exercise for the player legion, testing their resilience against Malevolent Corruption and forcing them to strategize survival. While players might suffer initial defeats, defeating Malevolent Spirits would grant them growth.

Though Malevolent Spirits’ endless regeneration from natural energy was formidable in interdimensional wars, Qi Sheng’s Challenger System was designed to counter this. Malevolent Spirits’ reproduction relied on energy extraction with inherent losses, while the Challenger System produced endless players without loss—resurrecting them without weakening their strength.

With the Challenger System and Dizhong Village’s “Flesh Reconstruction” rule, player legions would become a disaster far more terrifying than Malevolent Spirits.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end