HM Chapter 33

Curly momentarily lost focus, the flames in his hands extinguished. He tensed his legs, nearly ready to leap into the turbulent tide of monsters. However, Captain was a step ahead, a bolt of lightning struck down, turning the monsters before him into fine black ash.

But it seemed too late already. The monsters, long starved of living flesh, were already poised to devour every inch of the newcomer’s flesh with their bone-scraping tongues. Their vision blurred momentarily, fearing that if they pushed through the monsters, they’d find Yuan Yuxue lifeless—

The blow was too severe; the players’ eyes nearly turned red as they momentarily lost their sanity.

Curly's talent went berserk. He plunged into the circle of monsters, ready to unleash flames that would consume even himself, when he saw a silver light reflecting in his eyes.

It was the sound of a sword being drawn, the blade clinking against its sheath, producing a sharp, clear sound.

A long sword appeared in Yuan Yuxue's hand.

It materialized out of thin air, fitting perfectly in Yuan Yuxue's grip, as if it was meant to be there.

The bright blade was beautiful, exuding a chilling aura and murderous intent. The tip of the blade was a cold white, while the hilt was a deep, blood-like red, creating a stark contrast against his overly pale, slender hands.

In this world, no one had seen it before.

But it was still the most useful weapon in Yuan Yuxue's hand, a legendary sword that had shattered the chaos in countless eras.

When Yuan Yuxue used it to kill Zergs (1), it easily cut through the resilient exoskeletons that even heavy weapons couldn't destroy, demonstrating its sharpness. The sword, imbued with bloodthirsty energy from countless battles, also had an extraordinary effect on evil spirits and ghosts. It could easily clear away the ghosts, even causing those mindless creatures driven only by their thirst for flesh to instinctively avoid it.

Countless ghosts surged forward, but they were all blocked by a single swing of the sword.

No god or demon could approach.

The swarm of monsters formed a wall, blocking the air flow; not a single breeze could pass. Only the thick stench of blood and rot pervaded everywhere, even staining Yuan Yuxue.

Yet his hands remained clean, with only a single blood trail winding down his wrist. His eyes, deep and devoid of any emotion, were filled with cold, rational judgment. Yuan Yuxue stood among the countless monsters, and as he lifted the sword slightly, a line of blood trickled down the blade—proof of a truly remarkable weapon, one that never retained blood. The blade was as bright as new, shining brilliantly even in the shadowy darkness filled with monsters.

Everyone saw this scene.

They saw the gleaming sword.

And naturally, they saw the person wielding it.

This scene, filled with such fierce monstrosity, was starkly incongruous with Yuan Yuxue's extremely cold and beautiful appearance, yet there was an eerie harmony to it.

Curly was completely stunned by the sight before him, the scene seeming to surpass his understanding. His brain and tongue both seemed tied in knots, and he finally managed to murmur out of instinct, "...Yuan Yuxue?"

Was this Yuan Yuxue?

Someone had already voiced this doubt, and Skirt, in shock, subconsciously spoke up, "Is, is it really you?"

Glasses stared at the scene as if seized by some strange force, unable to look away. In his profound shock, he bit down on his finger, the taste of blood doing nothing to snap him back. His eyes reflected the lean figure, the gleaming silver sword, a sight so stunning that it seemed to overshadow everything else in the world.

There was likely no one else in the world who could mimic such a person, be it his face or demeanor, but the reality before them shattered their preconceived notions. All the players, though not overly exaggerated in their reactions—like dropping their jaws to the floor—wore expressions of self-doubt and disbelief.

It wasn't that they didn't want to believe it, but their impression of Yuan Yuxue had been of a highly intelligent, exceptionally capable, yet physically fragile newcomer who needed protection. How could he suddenly, right in front of their eyes, wield a sword to kill countless ghosts?

Was it a triggered talent?

A prodigious newcomer who had unlocked a cold weapon talent in his first game?

Theoretically, talents varied in strength. While there was no official ranking, players would non-authoritatively rank them on forums. Offensive talents always ranked high, with elemental control talents being "top tier." But cold weapon talents were often seen as rather impractical compared to a sharpshooter talent, for instance.

However, no player would consider Yuan Yuxue's talent weak.

When they looked directly at the sword, they felt a shiver from the depths of their souls, a subconscious sense of fear and avoidance, indicating the terrifying power it contained.

And ultimately, combat effectiveness was the true measure of power.

Just the number of ghosts Yuan Yuxue had slain in such a short time was enough to make them question reality.

…Was Yuan Yuxue really this strong?

Captain regained his composure and wanted to assist Yuan Yuxue, who was now attracting all the ghosts' attacks, but he was stopped by Yuan Yuxue's voice.

Still calm and steady, Yuan Yuxue's breathing didn't falter as he coldly said:

"Don't come over."

Yuan Yuxue immediately discerned Captain's intention from his movements, sidestepping a monster's gnashing teeth and killing it with a swift motion. He then calmly added, "You'll be a distraction."

The blade was fierce, and he faced too many ghosts to control each move precisely, potentially injuring nearby humans.

Humans were too fragile.

Captain halted.

Since entering the game, he had never been a liability in combat, always holding the strongest position. But now, for once, he felt a rare sense of helplessness.

Yuan Yuxue glanced at Captain, satisfied as he stepped back. He cleared the nearby ghosts and, without pausing, advanced further into the swarm.

Killing all the ghosts and ensuring human safety—

It might be an impossible task, but he would kill as many monsters as he could before his energy was depleted.

Until he lost all power and became a useless scrap.

The others saw Yuan Yuxue moving deeper into the horde, a sense of foreboding overcoming their initial shock. This unease was unsettling, and Curly chased after him, "Yuan Yuxue, don't go any further, it's too dangerous!"

Yuan Yuxue turned back, "Don't follow."

Curly no longer cared about being disliked, "I'm coming. Seriously, don't play the hero. You've killed so many monsters, haven't you gotten hurt? Can you come back and check first?"

"We'll handle the remaining monsters."

He muttered softly, "You've done enough."

Yuan Yuxue paused slightly.

Not enough.

His energy was already dangerously low. Even if he stopped moving, he couldn't maintain consciousness, the system's warnings flooding his mind, but Yuan Yuxue ignored them.

Time was running out.

So he hadn't done enough.

Yuan Yuxue, expressionless, turned and swung his sword, using the motion to throw his last energy shield in front of Curly.

Curly felt a slight breeze but didn't notice anything unusual until he tried to step forward, only to find his nose hitting something solid.

He widened his eyes in shock, reaching out to touch the invisible barrier—

An invisible wall, blocking his path.

What kind of tool was this?

The other players saw Curly's expression and realized something was wrong, stepping forward to test it, only to be stopped by the same invisible barrier, their faces changing dramatically.

With them secured in the protective shield, Yuan Yuxue continued advancing into the horde of monsters...

It was Rabbit who finally calmed down, tapping on the shield and negotiating with Yuan Yuxue, "Yuan Yuxue, come inside. We don't know when we'll be able to leave the game, so conserving energy and buying time is the most important thing."

But Yuan Yuxue didn't have that much time left.

He closed his eyes briefly, and in the anxious red eyes of his companions, he disappeared into the horde.

…

Yuan Yuxue looked at the viscous liquid flowing from his body, finding it strange.

He couldn't feel pain, but the liquid resembling human blood gave him a disconcerting sense of displacement, as if he was inhabiting a human-like body.

The sword's movements remained sharp and decisive, unaffected by his physical state, but the sheer number of monsters left him with many wounds, his blood staining half his body.

He emerged from the horde, looking like a monster himself.

The long-anticipated energy depletion arrived, causing Yuan Yuxue to pause momentarily. After beheading the last monster around him, he cleared a blood-soaked patch of ground and knelt down. Still gripping his sword, he propped up his body.

Everything around him fell silent.

Yuan Yuxue could no longer hear the monsters' movements, their ravenous swallowing sounds, only the thick scent of blood emanating from within.

...Strange.

Yuan Yuxue's final thought was of this.

"Ding."

A soft chime, and the system panel appeared before him, the silver interface illuminating his extraordinarily beautiful face.

[Game: Prank (Update Completed)

Mission accomplished. Players are now in a safe period. Please wait ten minutes for transition back to the system space.

Main Mission: Special Task Completed]

This time, the silence was real. The monsters were immediately restrained by the rules, and the numbness dissipated.

Yuan Yuxue opened his eyes and glanced at the panel.

The mission was complete, which was good.

But did completion come with a safety period?

Frowning as he tried to recall past missions, Yuan Yuxue was interrupted by a voice almost filled with grief.

"Yuan Yuxue."

Someone sat beside him, calling his name through tears.