Free Web NovelChapter 50: Chapter 50: Sacrifice
Annoyed as he was, Duan Fei began to analyze the situation.
Judging from Bald Qiang’s and Little Fatty’s experiences, they had each encountered a classic horror movie trope. This supernatural instance must have deconstructed and mixed these classic horror films, combining them to create something new.
Bald Qiang had likely run into the classic Saw Killer—unstoppable, wielding a chainsaw, and possessing an Undying Body. As long as the mask was on, the killer lived.
As for Little Fatty, the type he encountered was probably a ghost. But there are many kinds of ghostly Monsters, so it was impossible to know which type for now.
Just then, the elevator doors opened again. Something rolled in with a CLATTER. A closer look revealed it to be a head with a green face and protruding fangs.
Before the doors could close, Jinghong, dressed in black gloves and a black leather jacket, slipped gracefully into the elevator. Then, with a flick of his hand, he retracted the extended Yo-Yo into a pouch on his wrist.
Stepping on the head, Jinghong gave the others an expressionless nod before turning to Duan Fei. "My luck wasn’t great," he said. "Ran into a bit of trouble. Probably some kind of Vampire."
Glancing at the Vampire, whose eyes were wide open in death, Duan Fei felt that it was the Vampire who’d had the bad luck.
Little Fatty and Bald Qiang held their breath, terrified that this celebrity-handsome man before them would kill them on the spot at the slightest provocation.
Looking at the head, Duan Fei mulled it over and concluded that every player must have been targeted by some terrifying supernatural entity upon entering.
If that was the case, he must have been targeted too. He just hadn’t realized it yet.
As he was thinking, the elevator lights flickered violently. A cracking sound suddenly erupted from the ceiling, followed by the fan flying off its mount, its sharp blades hurtling toward Duan Fei’s head.
Just as his head was about to be sliced open, Jinghong, who was standing nearby, shot out a hand and shielded Duan Fei’s head.
The sturdy glove collided with the fan blades, and the resulting sparks nearly singed Duan Fei’s head.
Only after Jinghong had a firm grip on the fan did Duan Fei belatedly realize what had happened.
Nodding his thanks to Jinghong, Duan Fei said, "So that’s how it is. I get it now."
"Brother Duan, have a smoke and tell us what you figured out," Little Fatty immediately asked.
"Each of us has probably been targeted by some horror entity, which means it’s time to run. We don’t know yet if we can be targeted by multiple entities, so let’s check the main quest first."
Opening the main quest interface, Duan Fei saw that his main quest had been updated.
"Main Quest: Eliminate at least one Haunting or Terrifying Creature.
For each additional one eliminated, you can unlock an extra reward chest.
This instance contains hidden elements."
After reading the main quest, Duan Fei nodded, confirming that there was more than one Haunting or terrifying creature in this instance.
The Haunting he’d encountered was likely something similar to Death Comes—some unseen, cowardly Death God orchestrating accidents from the shadows. Anyone it targeted would inevitably die; there was no escape.
He thought that would be all of them—just the four of them in this instance—but the elevator doors suddenly opened, and another player walked in.
This player was named "Lone Ranger." He wore a white robe, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood. He had a gloomy air about him, and he was constantly shrouded in the stench of death.
After his gaze swept over everyone, he said in a low voice, "Don’t get in my way, and don’t talk to me. I’m going to act alone."
"Oh, by all means," Duan Fei said at once.
Little Fatty, however, stared at Lone Ranger for a long time before getting excited. He tugged on Duan Fei’s arm and said, "Duan Someone, that’s Lone Ranger!"
"Who’s Lone Ranger?"
Jinghong moved closer, nonchalantly pulling Duan Fei to his side.
Little Fatty shot Jinghong a confused glance, then whispered, "The 11th-ranked star player. They say he’s even more introverted than Cuihua. I guess it’s true."
The words had barely left his mouth when a Sleeve Sword suddenly shot out, aimed straight at Little Fatty’s face.
But just as the Sleeve Sword was about to run up Little Fatty’s nose and pierce his brain, it was blocked by a Crowbar.
Seeing Duan Fei, who had activated his Spiritual Armor, and Jinghong, who had already drawn his Yo-Yo, Lone Ranger gave a cold snort and walked out the moment the elevator doors opened.
Watching him leave, Duan Fei pulled back Jinghong, who wanted to go after the Lone Ranger.
"Don’t be reckless. We can’t beat him. That guy is probably Level 20; he’s not someone we can easily deal with."
Through his Medical Skill, Duan Fei could see that Lone Ranger was in perfect health. His Attributes were likely all above 20 points, and they would only be stronger once he activated his Skills.
Furthermore, his Profession was likely a combat type, like Assassin. Since none of the four of them even had a Profession, they were definitely no match for him.
After all, a Profession was the great divider among players. Having a Profession and not having one were two completely different things.
Setting the grudge aside for now, Duan Fei said to Little Fatty, "It wasn’t your fault, so don’t worry about it. Next time we see that guy, we’ll hit him with everything we’ve got!"
"But what if he doesn’t let me off the hook?"
"Has he let you off the hook now?"
"That’s a good point."
Duan Fei had long been prepared to make enemies in the game, but he never expected his first grudge to be so completely random.
The man was ready to start a fight on the spot just for being commented on. His hostility was too intense; it would be best to be careful around him in the future.
The elevator doors were open. The way out was clear, and they could come and go as they pleased.
Outside the elevator appeared to be a large Buddhist hall. The interior was filled with bright red candles, illuminating the space brilliantly.
But in the center of the hall, where a Buddha statue should have been enshrined, there was no statue. In its place were five portraits.
Upon seeing the portraits, Little Fatty practically wet himself from fear. Pointing a trembling finger at the images, he stammered, "We... we... That’s us!"
Bald Qiang immediately tapped the bridge of Little Fatty’s nose. A flash of spiritual light flared, and Little Fatty instantly calmed down. The surroundings no longer seemed so terrifying.
Meeting Duan Fei’s questioning gaze, Bald Qiang smiled and said, "Actually, my sub-Profession is Beast Tamer. My main Profession is Daoist."
"...Touch your bald head and say that again!"
"I can’t help it! My male hormones are naturally through the roof, and I have seborrheic alopecia, but I really do come from a family of Daoists. I even activated the Daoist Profession in Abyss. Although I can’t perform any complex Daoist Arts, I can at least calm people down a little."
Looking at Bald Qiang, Duan Fei felt that Abyss’s algorithms were definitely in a class of their own.
Everyone had their own unique role and purpose in an instance. Going it alone was a dead end.
’So, Lone Ranger, the sooner you die, the sooner you can reincarnate!’
’And when you do, I’ll dance on your grave!’
Meanwhile, Bald Qiang had already stepped forward and begun to inspect the five portraits.
The first portrait was of Lone Ranger, but it had been sliced in half by a Sleeve Sword. The edges of the cut showed traces of fire, but it was unclear if this was Lone Ranger’s own handiwork or the power of some Haunting.
The second portrait was of Jinghong. The black-and-white image of him was expressionless, yet it seemed to exude a faint, deathly aura.
After studying them for a moment, Bald Qiang said, "I see it now. This is some kind of Evil Magic—a particularly vicious kind. Someone who knows our faces, names, and birth details has printed them on these portraits to make us the target of evil creatures. Unless we die, the attacks will be endless."
After hearing the expert’s opinion, Duan Fei nodded. A thought suddenly struck him. "In that case, what if we change our names?"
"Good idea, but changing your name in Abyss is pretty expensive, and it requires a special item. Otherwise, I’d really want to give it a try."
"Is that so."
Duan Fei subconsciously wanted to give it a try. And after he did, he looked at the result, lost in thought.
’This Gift of Chaos is just as bizarre as ever,’ he thought.
