Chapter 72: Black Tide Onslaught, Unstoppable Mowing (Fourth Update)

Chapter 72: Black Tide Onslaught, Unstoppable Mowing (Fourth Update)

Qi Sheng monitored the fiery forum flame war between players on Human Clan Ascension through Guide’s real-time reports.

Lunar Eclipse Clan had severed Darklands’ livestream connection to Starnet and moved the forum into the game itself. Without purchasing the game, outsiders couldn’t glimpse its true nature—no screenshots could escape.

This left both factions convinced the other side were shills, each believing their opponents’ claims bore no resemblance to reality.

Qi Sheng understood Lunar Eclipse Clan’s decision to isolate the game. Darklands was essentially a training ground built to prepare for future crises. Earning foreign currency through virtual gaming wasn’t a priority; stability for the game’s operation was their core philosophy.

The resources required to run the game were immense, with numerous optimization challenges. Server capacity was a critical issue—far less forgiving than outsiders imagined. Massive player influxes generated high-frequency data that could congest Starnet’s networks, causing transmission bottlenecks, server errors, or connection bugs.

To address this, Lunar Eclipse Clan implemented a batch release strategy for game access, effectively conducting phased stress tests. Only when servers proved stable with current players would they release the next batch of access codes, repeating the process to gradually raise capacity thresholds and prevent crashes from sudden player surges.

Even disconnecting livestream features was a measure to reduce operational strain.

But to ordinary players, these measures looked like a marketing ploy for artificial scarcity—proof of Lunar Eclipse Clan’s arrogance.

This forum war lacked tangible evidence. Without gameplay screenshots, both sides simply assumed the other was lying. The isolation mode prevented any game content from leaking. A single image proving otherwise would’ve stunned both camps, revealing they weren’t even playing the same game.

Once the forum locked the heated threads, Qi Sheng stopped tracking the fallout and shifted his focus to Monster World.

According to Guide’s report, intense energy fluctuations had erupted at the Dizhong Mountain Range’s cliffside domain node.

Following Guide’s perspective to the cliff, Qi Sheng observed the Malevolent Spirits’ tide stirring—a storm on the verge of erupting.

The obsidian mists that once encircled the tower now seeped slowly toward Dizhong Mountain Range. Countless Malevolent Spirits flickered between mist form and solid flesh, roaring as they dissolved into and emerged from the Black Tide.

Switching to Cyclopean Spire, Di Nian Malevolent Spirits stood atop the tower platform, transformed by the domain node’s energy infusion.

Their obsidian mist armor sharpened into jagged, savage edges. Sunken eye sockets burned with ember-like glows, radiating pure malice and devastation.

Di Nian raised their arms. The Malevolent Eye hovering above descended, tendril-like appendages piercing their spine to fuse completely.

Instantly, their perception expanded like wildfire, their control over the Black Tide surging exponentially.

“Malevolent Eye—target!”

At Di Nian’s command, the Eye blinked. Dizhong Mountain Range’s blurred landscape materialized in their mind, marked by multiple glowing points—each representing a domain node.

The Eye studied the vision before lowering its gaze to Di Nian.

“Except for the vanished domain node, all others are viable conquest targets. But I recommend leaving this one last—it harbors numerous Primordial Beings. Our current strength won’t suffice to take it.”

As the words faded, a domain node on Di Nian’s mental map flared red, marked as high-risk.

This region—Spirit Forge Valley, west of Dizhong Village.

“Agreed,” Di Nian nodded solemnly. Transmitting mental orders through the Malevolent Eye to the Black Tide, they unleashed their command.

The Black Tide surged from beneath the tower, rolling toward the direction Di Nian’s consciousness indicated.

Qi Sheng’s awareness followed Guide back to Dizhong Village.

Every domain node Di Nian conquered would significantly boost their power. Qi Sheng wouldn’t allow the Black Tide to consume these nodes unchecked—even if he couldn’t halt its advance immediately, he’d slow its strengthening.

“It’s time for training.”

Closing his eyes, Qi Sheng’s head erupted into a blazing Imperial Omen Flame engulfing his form.

Simultaneously, a Challenger Prompt echoed in every player’s mind:

【Challenger Prompt (Global)】: The Dizhong Mountain Range faces an incoming Black Tide catastrophe. Special Task Activated: Black Tide Hunter

Black Tide Hunter (Special Task)
Task Brief: Hunt Black Tide Malevolent Spirits to halt their domain node invasion. (The map will mark the Black Tide’s spread direction)
Rewards: During the task, players gain +14% Evolution Points and Sacrificial Power per Black Tide Malevolent Spirit killed. Additional rewards distributed based on Contribution Rankings post-task.
Duration: Unknown

Qi Sheng had boosted player rewards for hunting Malevolent Spirits.

Originally, hunting extracted 30% for the system, leaving players with 70%. Now, players received 14% more than before—79.8% total, with an extra 10% bonus.

This incentive aimed to drive players to confront the Black Tide, becoming roadblocks in its advance.

As the prompt spread, online players mobilized.

Increased rewards plus Contribution rankings? Irresistible.

Players scrambled to recruit allies in regional chat. Miners in Gloomspire Caverns abandoned picks for weapons.

A massive player army surged from Dizhong Village, splitting to intercept the Black Tide from all directions.

The first contact occurred with northbound players crossing Ancient Battlefield. What they saw stunned them.

A pitch-black tide swallowed the horizon, surging forward. Countless grotesque Malevolent Spirits emerged like locusts, their sheer numbers shaking the earth beneath.

It was as if a dark curtain rose from the world’s edge, threatening to drown reality in shadow.

“Holy hell, this’d give me a heart attack if it weren’t a game!”

“Launched barely any time ago, and they’re throwing this level of intensity at us? Lunar Eclipse Clan really thinks we’re top-tier.”

“Haha—can you smell that rich aroma of Sacrificial Power? This apocalyptic scene’s actually getting me hyped!” (One player spread his arms, shouting at the Black Tide.)

“Hero’s Guild brothers! Time to grind Contribution—kill one, profit! Kill two, double profit! Kill three, we’re rolling in it! Charge!”

Voices roared over party and guild channels. Players charged headlong into the Black Tide.

When the first wave collided, those bracing for instant death found themselves shockingly unchallenged.

The fearsome Black Tide Malevolent Spirits were pathetically weak—far inferior to Bloodfiends, even weaker than Cursed Soldiers (Malevolent Entity).

Analysis scans flooded regional voice chats:

【Black Tide·Black Tide Maggot】
Hunting Rank: 1
Analysis: A low-tier Malevolent Spirit born from the Black Tide. No self-awareness—only obeys the Black Tide’s commander.

【Black Tide·Black Tide Hound】
Hunting Rank: 1
Analysis: Same as above.

【Black Tide·Black Tide Flea】
Hunting Rank: 2
Analysis: A slightly stronger variant. Devours flesh to strengthen the Black Tide.

Players discovered the Black Tide’s creatures were shockingly weak—mostly Ranks 1-2, with rare Rank 3s.

The low-tier foes became slaughter fodder for veterans.

Just as the Obsidian Legionnaires once mowed down players in Gloomspire Caverns, now players turned the tables, unleashing their own unstoppable mowing through the Malevolent Spirits’ tide.

A player who chose a monstrous growth path transformed into a ten-meter-long black-scaled serpent during battle, lunging at the Black Tide. Like a dragon weaving through water, they rammed through clusters of Malevolent Spirits, leaving chaos in their wake.

Another player, activating Bonefire Form, unleashed Inkfire energy to summon five fireballs orbiting their body. Charging into the swarm, they initiated a rampage—the moment any Malevolent Spirit touched the flames, it was reduced to ashes.

A third player, wielding the Malevolent Fury Axe, swung wildly through the horde. Each strike felled multiple enemies, making them appear like a war god descended to earth.

During the chaos, the regional voice channel buzzed with laughter and chatter:

"Turns out the monster build is insane! Did you see that guy’s Black-Scaled Serpent? It’s practically three stories tall! Must be at least Hunting Rank 20+. Total battlefield bulldozer—so overpowered!"

"Haha, been getting wrecked for ten days straight in this game, but now I’m finally the one wrecking stuff!"

"The Bonefire Life Soul users are blowing up! Those fireballs make them invincible—only thing slowing us down is Mental Energy!"

"Ugh, same monster build as me, but his Hawk-Headed Demon Form is weak as hell. Can’t get any satisfaction!"

"Killing these things feels like mowing grass! Most only drop 0.5 Sacrificial Power, but the constant kill notifications? Addictive as hell!"

"Y’all are making me depressed! I followed the forums saying Tauntweaver’s the best Life Soul now, so I paired it with Gargoyle Form. But Tauntweaver only works on intelligent targets! Useless here!"

"Calm down, Tauntweaver guy. At least yours fights! I’m stuck with Hawk-Headed Demon and Qi Devourer’s Stellar Vein combo. Was supposed to extend perception time for better stamina, but it’s total garbage! Watching my guildmates shred enemies… I’m ready to swap Life Souls already (rage-fist emoji)."

Observing the battle through players’ perspectives, Qi Sheng grinned.

When designing the Challenger Plan, he’d studied the Black Tide. Its terrifying traits weren’t just numbers—it absorbed defeated foes to grow stronger. Every life consumed became part of the Black Tide, escalating its power and the Malevolent Spirits it spawned.

But his Challenger System countered this perfectly.

When players died, Hyperdimension’s Matter Extraction Law extracted their flesh and energy, then Yan Ming’s Spatial Power returned these materials to Dizhong Village for rebirth.

No matter how many Malevolent Spirits slaughtered players, they gained nothing. Yet every enemy killed fed the players’ growth.

As players entered their "mowing grass" phase, Qi Sheng’s Sacrificial Power gains skyrocketed.

Boosting player feedback by 10% hadn’t hurt him—itdoubled his returns. Players got their thrills, and he raked in profits.

Di Nian’s Black Tide legion might dominate low-tier regions. There, victims eventually tired, becoming fertilizer for the Black Tide. Even after death, Malevolent Spirits’ energy returned to the swarm, reforming new creatures endlessly.

But against players, both Black Tide traits collapsed. Player deaths cost Qi Sheng nothing, while slain Malevolent Spirits had their energy stripped—converted into Evolution Points and Sacrificial Power fueling the players.

As the battle raged, players grew stronger while the Black Tide weakened.

To other factions, the Black Tide was an apocalyptic disaster. To Qi Sheng? A nutrient-rich fertilizer for players.

The Black Tide raged on. Within an hour, half the online players had logged off, exhausted from depleted Vital Qi or Mental Energy.

But Qi Sheng remained unconcerned. Dizhong Village, isolated beyond the world’s barrier, was safe even if the entire Dizhong Mountain Range fell.

The player legion would inevitably triumph through this attrition war.

As Qi Sheng savored his surging profits, Di Nian, perched on Cyclopean Spire, sensed anomalies.

"Malevolent Eye, why can’t the Black Tide absorb these mysterious beings? And why can’t slain Malevolent Spirits reintegrate into us?"

The hovering Malevolent Eye fell silent before replying:

"The database from other nodes has no records of this species. I cannot determine the cause. Perhaps you should capture one—I’ll extract its memories."

"Agreed." Di Nian nodded, directing the Black Tide into action.

Near Stormwhisper Pond…

"Can’t fight anymore—legs won’t stop shaking. You guys?" Zou Feng turned to his teammates, only to find his vision blocked by surging Malevolent Spirits.

Opening the team channel, he found the answer: all teammates had entered Death Cooldown. No wonder their silence.

Checking his Sacrificial Power, he’d unknowingly earned over 200 points.

"Nice!"

Facing encroaching enemies, he tightened his grip on Shattered Blade, determined to squeeze in more kills before logging off.

The game’s realism amazed him—muscle fatigue, thirst, and stamina drained realistically, not just numerical bars.

Soon, exhausted, he collapsed, letting the horde overwhelm him.

"No strength left. Logging out."

But the Malevolent Spirits didn’t devour him. Instead, they lifted his body, speeding into the Black Tide’s depths. Pathways cleared as other creatures automatically parted.

"Where are we going?" Zou Feng blinked.

Too drained to resist, he opened the Forum instead.

"Wtf! That Black-Scaled Serpent’s over ten meters? Monster builds are OP!" A viral video showed the serpent crushing enemies, each thrash felling swathes of Malevolent Spirits.

Time passed. Noticing he was still moving, Zou Feng chose patience.

Maybe a hidden quest? This strange journey might reap rewards—Monster World was full of opportunities.

Like that lucky bastard who picked up a machine and earned 38,000 Sacrificial Power. Zou Feng still seethed, wishing he’d been the one.

Occasionally gasping at Forum highlights of players’ feats, he waited.

Suddenly, the shaking stopped. A force lifted him skyward until the Malevolent Spirits hurled him onto a high tower. He landed hard on black stone with a thud.

Looking up, Di Nian’s monstrous form loomed.

His combat log revealed this was the Malevolent Spirits Legion Commander who’d wrecked the Cai Shenye (Wealth God)—they’d barely stopped him from killing their guild leader weeks ago.

Before Zou Feng could process his situation, black tendrils erupted from Di Nian’s giant eye, piercing his temples.

Agony surged as the probes delved into his mind, bringing vertigo and blurred vision.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end