Chapter 18: The Abandoned Village
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: The Abandoned Village
"Um, Master... you're not joking, are you?"
Edward looked at the "fragile young lady" before him, his legs trembling.
He hadn't forgotten that this person named Cecilia was the very assassin who had nearly killed him in the library. On the surface, she looked harmless to man and beast alike, but behind your back, she’d rip your heart out while maintaining a bubbly, cute tone.
She was the person Edward least wanted to encounter—even more dangerous than Xie Bai.
Roland, who was busy setting up a Directional Teleportation Array, looked up at Edward.
"I have placed several seals on this young lady. She cannot harm you now."
With that, Roland lowered his head again to continue carving the runes.
Before Edward could protest, Cecilia spoke up first.
"Oh my, Mr. Alchemist, don't be so cold to me..."
"In our Assassin Association, if a killer is caught even once, they are expelled and a bounty is placed on their head."
"Now that my mission has failed and I've fallen into your hands, I've long since been abandoned by the Association."
"If Master Roland hadn't been kind enough to overlook my past and let me protect you to atone for my sins, I’d probably be dead in some godforsaken field by now."
"I hope you won't despise me anymore. After all, we’re in the same boat now~"
Seeing Cecilia leaning closer and closer, Edward instinctively took a step back.
"You... stay back for now."
Hearing Edward's command, Cecilia’s brow furrowed slightly. As if her heart had been shattered by some heartless man, she turned away gloomily.
"Since that's how you feel, Mr. Edward, then as your subordinate, I wouldn't dream of disobeying you..."
Seeing Cecilia’s melodramatic act, Edward’s face darkened. If he hadn't been fooled by her harmless appearance once before, he might have actually felt some sympathy for her.
This woman was a master of disguise. She was nothing like his Ellie—pure, kind, and wonderful.
At that moment, Roland stood up and called out.
"Alright, the teleportation array is ready. According to my calculations, the destination should be a village teeming with the undead."
Roland then tossed an item to each of them. Edward and Cecilia caught them, finding themselves holding exquisite amulets.
[Artificial Holy Angel Amulet]
[Quality: Epic]
[Type: Amulet]
[Requirement: Non-Dark or Undead Race]
[Intelligence Bonus: +500]
[Holy Shelter: Reduces damage taken from Dark or Undead units by 25%]
[Holy Enchantment: Active Skill. For the next 60s, all damage dealt gains the Holy attribute. 5-minute cooldown after the effect ends.]
[Tolerance: This equipment does not occupy an equipment slot.]
[Description: An imitation crafted by the Alchemist Roland. Aside from the name, its effects are identical to the original. Furthermore, the level requirement has been removed, and the 'Tolerance' affix has been added.]
*[Note: Please do not flaunt this superior imitation in front of the Angel Race.]
Roland looked at the two and began to explain.
"Holy Magic has a powerful corrosive effect on the undead. It can directly reduce their maximum HP, preventing them from resurrecting."
"This amulet will protect you while providing the Holy attribute to counter the undead. It is a highly specialized piece of equipment."
"Put it on and get into the array immediately. I can sense a crisis is about to erupt at the second node."
Under Roland’s forceful urging, Edward stood on the teleportation array with Cecilia, looking extremely reluctant. Once Roland confirmed they had equipped the amulets, he activated the array.
As the array beneath their feet spun rapidly, glowing with a brilliant blue light, Edward suddenly realized something.
"Master, this array is two-way... right?"
"No, it's one-way."
"Huh?"
Before Edward could react, the scenery around them shifted instantly. In the blink of an eye, he and Cecilia were standing in a dilapidated, desolate, abandoned village.
*
Vrrr—!
Accompanied by the powerful humming of tearing space, a massive black figure appeared before the abandoned village. A half-dead black thing was slung over his shoulder.
"Blegh... Ju... Julius... we're... we're here... put me... put me down..."
Griffin feebly slapped at Julius, his consciousness fading.
Thud.
Julius dropped Griffin onto the grass. After escaping the dual shock of ultra-high speed and the Dark Space, Griffin immediately propped himself up on the grass and began to vomit.
"Ugh... damn it... next time I get the chance, I’m definitely asking the Cult Leader for some long-distance teleportation magic..."
Wiping the residue from the corner of his mouth, Griffin forced himself to stand up.
"Our goal is the bell tower in the center of the village. Once we defeat the Soul Guardian there, the restrictions on this village will be lifted."
"Julius, stay close to me. This village is filled with the Mist of the Lost. Without guidance, it's easy to get lost inside."
After hearing Griffin's plan, Julius gave a slight nod.
"Call me when it's time to fight. I'll leave the rest to you."
"Fine."
As the two entered the village, Griffin suddenly asked Julius a question.
"Julius, do you know any Holy Magic or other attacks with the Holy attribute?"
Julius answered calmly, "No."
"Huh?"
*
Outside the abandoned village, Xie Bai sat curled up on the grass.
[Abandoned Village Lv.80]
[Difficulty: Disaster]
[Entry Requirement: Lv.80 (Met)]
[Description: An abandoned village shrouded in mystery, filled with a large number of undead and lost souls. If you can solve the mysteries here, you might find hidden treasures.]
"Seriously, is this player system really this rigid?"
Xie Bai looked at the dungeon interface helplessly. The moment Julius and his group entered the village, Xie Bai, who had been hiding in the shadows, was ejected.
As a "half-player," she had to manually click the "Enter" button on the dungeon interface to get inside.
"What kind of setting is this? If it works like this, won't I be separated from Julius and the others?"
"Without my tools following me, do I really have to figure out how to clear this dungeon on my own?"
Xie Bai fell into deep thought. Currently, aside from her logic-defying damage, she didn't seem to have many special abilities. If she encountered complex puzzles, her brain—which was slowly being rusted by her "wheelchair-tier" damage output—might struggle.
Furthermore, given Xie Bai's negative Luck, entering a puzzle-heavy dungeon like this felt like a recipe for disaster.
"Forget it, I'll just go in. Worst case scenario, as a half-player, I have the ability to exit the dungeon at any time. I don't need to fear danger."
After a brief moment of hesitation, Xie Bai entered the Abandoned Village dungeon.
Hum.
The moment she stepped inside, Xie Bai saw a tall knight mounted on a gray horse. His massive, motionless form exuded a faint sense of overwhelming pressure.
[Soul Guardian Lv.99]
[Disaster-grade Hidden BOSS]
[HP: 200,000,000,000 / 200,000,000,000]
[Mana: 3,024,000,000 / 3,024,000,000]
[Strength: 152,000,000]
[Constitution: 2,000,000,000]
[Intelligence: 30,240,000]
[Agility: 89,000,000]
[Talent: Death]
[Skills: Death Amnesty Lv.1, Calamity Song Lv.1, Blasphemy Lv.1, Apocalypse Lv.1, Dusk Lv.1, Shadow Return Lv.13, Soul Capture Lv.13, Soul Slash Lv.13, Death Trample Lv.13, Death Charge Lv.13, Eye of Darkness Lv.13...]
[Equipment: Death (Divine Artifact), Soul Guidance (Mythic), Gray Armor (Mythic)...]
[Description: A former demigod who lost his true name due to betrayal and was subsequently demoted. He was sent to guard this place until his atonement is complete.]
Xie Bai: "?"
What the hell? Why did I run into the hidden boss the moment I walked in?
Was this a case of extremes meeting? Had her negative Luck reached such a low point that it flipped to the other extreme, forcing her to face the strongest entity in the dungeon right at the start?
Xie Bai stared tensely at the boss. She was currently still in her Spirit Form.
The boss's ultra-high level of 99 meant that Xie Bai's Pride's Blessing and Judgment skills were useless. And the enemy's staggering 200 billion HP gave her pause.
If she remembered correctly, her current maximum output for a single hit was 197.4 billion. It wasn't enough to one-shot this boss.
In Xie Bai's experience, if she couldn't one-shot an opponent, they were a threat. She wouldn't take risks lightly. If she failed to kill it in one blow, the boss would be on full alert. Against a hyper-vigilant hidden boss, Xie Bai could easily be killed the moment she showed her face.
After all, her Agility was only 230,000. Compared to the boss's 89 million, she was practically standing still.
Not to mention, this boss was actually equipped with a Divine Artifact. It made her skin crawl.
However, according to the Chaos Church, if they couldn't kill the Soul Guardian, they would have to solve the puzzles. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to obtain the massive amount of Lost Souls here.
Just as Xie Bai gripped Funeral Rites, pondering how to deal with this boss, the massive, motionless figure suddenly stirred.
The Soul Guardian lifted his dull eyes and spoke in a low, heavy voice.
"This aura... is it you, my Master?"