Demacia was in a panic. Now a level 18 summoner, he felt utterly powerless. Aside from his companion Xiao Mo, his summoning skills were mostly random, with reading times measured in minutes. In combat, he was essentially defenseless.
Summoning a carnivorous plant? Forget it. Once summoned, that creature would likely be too terrified to act, leaving Demacia vulnerable.
As he ran frantically, Demacia glanced back and froze. A night elf with glowing scarlet eyes was less than two meters away, closing in fast.
Whoosh!
An arrow whizzed past him, narrowly missing its target. Instinct kicked in, and he lunged to the side, rolling and coming back to his feet just in time to keep running. But before he could catch his breath, he felt a sudden weightlessness and saw a flash of mosaics fill his vision.
[You were beheaded by a level 29 Cataclysm Elf. You died.]
Demacia fumed in the chat:
[You deserve to die, Guard!]
As he watched his body being dragged away, indignation bubbled up:
[Damn it! I had a silver-level accessory on me! I didn't even bind it! You didn't discuss this with me!]
Wei Lu replied,
[I told you beforehand. Would you have come with me if I had?]
Demacia shot back,
[Forget it, you idiot! Good thing I didn't bring my staff; we're done! This is the end of our friendship!]
The guard interjected,
[Show me the kill record.]
Demacia grumbled,
[Look at you! I hate you! My necklace! Wow, my silver necklace!]
Wei Lu:
[Picture.]
[Name: Ring of Nature.]
Grade: Silver.
Durability: 130/130.
Effect: Wearing it increases charm by +5 and boosts elemental affinity, enhancing natural spells by +10% casting speed.
Wearing requirements: Charm value 13.
Introduction: We should be close to nature and protect it. Unfortunately, nature is being destroyed now. - Mikla Tulahon.
Demacia quickly deleted his previous outburst and sent two simple words:
[Dad.]
The guard persisted,
[Show me the kill record.]
Demacia:
[Picture.]
Wei Lu said,
[I'll head back to Dongwu City first. You might get your necklace back. We've sent it this time.]
Demacia replied eagerly,
[No problem! I'll do whatever you say. If you tell me to go east, I'll never go west. If you say south, I'll never go north!]
As dawn broke, Demacia burst out of the east gate, sprinting ten miles with the energy of a Husky.
His greatest weakness as a summoner was himself. With his casting speed and high charisma, he could establish temporary contracts with stronger summoned creatures, allowing him to summon higher-tier beings at a lower cost. That ring was his dream item. He glanced at his hefty sum of over 300 gold coins and the enticing binding function players recommended.
[Spend 100 gold coins to bind a piece of equipment. After death, this equipment will no longer drop.]
Excitement surged through him. It was pricey, yes, but binding the right gear could be incredibly rewarding!
A helicopter descended nearby, and Wei Lu stepped out, lost in thought.
"Hurry, hurry! My dear Mr. Wei Lu, where's my lovely little ring? If you give it to me, I promise to bind it and take good care of it—no injustice will come to it!" Demacia exclaimed, practically bouncing around the guards.
Wei Lu smiled, recalling that he, Demacia, and Fengchen were friends in the game. After finding the ring, he knew he had to share it with Demacia.
He tossed an emerald-green wooden ring to him.
Demacia snatched it, eagerly binding it as the signal appeared.
"Hehehe, I won't be a rookie anymore! With this charm boost, I can summon bronze-level creatures! Hehehe!"
Wei Lu regarded him with a mix of disdain and amusement. The binding system was crucial; without it, all magical equipment would be lost upon death. But it also posed risks; if stolen or robbed, the equipment would be gone forever.
Wei Lu explained, "This world has disaster zones, mutation zones, and erosion zones. The disaster zones are linked to the Ancient Gods, whose power is so immense that merely looking at them can turn ordinary people into monsters."
He continued, "Version 1.0 revolves around the conflict between the Ancient God Kingdom and the Federation. It serves as a precursor to war. I've already notified White Plague."
"The catastrophic creatures there aren't very strong. We should be able to take them down with a group fight," he concluded.
Demacia grinned, "Let's do it! I'm all in! You're my God!"
Wei Lu rolled his eyes, flipping through his friend list as recruitment messages for the Guard Brigade spread. Helicopters lifted off from Dongwu City, heading toward the valley.
With a rallying cry, players shouted,
"There's a health bar over there! Let's take it down!"
Thus began the first group battle between players and monsters.
Meanwhile, Bai Yi had just completed one-fifth of his journey.
"Reward that kid Wei Lu. Also, ensure the transformation corps adapts to their new bodies quickly. The war is expected to start in January," Bai Yi said, rubbing his temples.
Sabo replied energetically, "I know! My clone has established diplomatic relations with an Ancient God Kingdom. Don't worry; the war won't come that quickly."
Bai Yi turned a page in his book, "Just be cautious. The hell game is full of traps."
Sabo's excitement was palpable. "I've cracked the code! I know as much about devil culture as they do. Also, could you give me the feather of the fallen angel and the little finger of the evil god? They're crucial."
He continued, "I'll trade you—I've got a copy of the Zul'nag Colossus info. It's not complete, but it's the pinnacle of your alchemy."
Bai Yi paused, intrigued. "Zul'nag? What's its significance?"
"Let me check the details," Sabo said, flipping through pages. His excitement grew. "It means 'roaring at God,' hence it's also known as the War Colossus."
"Alright, wait for me to return. I have those items you want. We'll exchange once I'm back," Bai Yi replied, ending the communication.
The Alchemical Colossus was the highest achievement of alchemy, created during the Ancient God period. Its resources were gathered from across a vast kingdom, capable of rivaling the ancient gods. Unfortunately, it was eventually dismantled during a prolonged conflict.
Bai Yi reflected on the historical significance of the Colossus, wondering if its knowledge had been lost in his previous life—perhaps taken by Night Rose. He considered Luo Ning's accusations against them and the Federation's subsequent campaign against Night Rose. Was there a connection?
His thoughts spiraled, but he shook his head. Now was not the time for that. He needed to find a way to send the Colossus information to the Alchemist Sage of the Star Federation, thousands of kilometers away.
As an alchemist, he couldn't create a Colossus himself, but perhaps an alchemist could. The challenge was delivering the information. Teleportation was out of the question; the array Sabo provided had limitations.
Players might be the key.
Bai Yi continued reading, determined to master two crucial skills before reaching Sin City. Time was of the essence.
On the third day, he finally grasped the skill Bloody Backstab! He was close to mastering Sky Devil Flash, a unique skill of the Magic Swordsman. Other professions struggled with it, and only the exceptionally talented could learn.
Using skill points, he maximized his proficiency in Bloody Backstab and focused on mastering Demonic Flash.
As the distant city came into view, Bai Yi calmly ordered, "Lower the flight altitude and approach."
Bolton complied, but the sight of the giant mechanical dragon caused a stir in the border town. City defense cannons activated, red targeting dots locking onto them.
Bai Yi's powerful aura surged, echoing across the city, "Bai Yi, Lord of Dongwu City, has come to visit."
Boom!
A potent magical energy erupted, creating a shimmering layer of ice crystals above the city. A white-haired male elf and a red-haired female elf appeared above the barrier. The male spoke coolly, "Don't make such a fuss. Come to the City Lord's Mansion."
The mechanical dragon soared toward the city, shattering the ice barrier as it entered the inner city.
Upon arrival, Bai Yi felt a strange familiarity. Nanling City's development mirrored Dongwu City from a year prior, but it was impeccably clean—a testament to the elves' fastidious nature.
The mayor, Addis, a 3,000-year-old moonlight elf and one of the Federation's founders, was a formidable level 79 ice mage. Specializing in one area made him powerful, but it also left him vulnerable.
Bai Yi approached Addis, who wore a stoic expression. "I need my subordinates to stay in Nanling City for a while. I plan to explore Sin City."