---
"If this is how it works, then I remember it now," Yang Shung muttered to himself, his voice low and steady.
"In my past life, someone had this skill... I just didn't know its name. So, it's called this."
After learning the Flower Curse skill, Yang Shung faded back into invisibility.
Gu Lanxue, who watched everything from above, couldn't hide her envy. But she quickly refocused, keeping her eyes on Yang Fei and his group by the river.
Yang Shung, meanwhile, sprinted through the forest at a breathtaking speed. He covered a hundred meters in mere seconds, his footsteps silent but deadly. His target, Yang Fei, was getting closer with every step.
---
Yang Fei stood near the riverbank, locked in battle with a Level 7 Bronze Boss, Corrosion Claw. The massive beast snarled, its jagged claws dripping with venom.
Yang Fei grinned, raising his staff to cast the final blow.
But a whisper froze him in place.
"Let me tell you—you're going to die."
"What the—?!" Yang Fei leapt back, panic written across his face. He bolted without a second thought, leaving the boss behind.
SWISH!
A poisonous dart cut through the air and struck the back of his head.
-2115 (Critical Weak Point Hit)!
Yang Fei collapsed almost instantly, the dart's poison spreading rapidly. His health was pitifully low—barely a thousand—and the continuous poison damage sealed his fate.
Yang Shung stepped out of the shadows, his eyes cold.
"You're insane!" Yang Fei spat weakly, his voice trembling.
He fell to his knees, clutching his chest. Darkness closed in on him.
"Why me?" Yang Fei whispered. His thoughts raced. "Is it because of my fans? Is this guy jealous of me?"
He remembered the girls surrounding him earlier. His fan club adored him, showered him with attention. "Is that why this 'Shadow' keeps targeting me? Just because he can't get a girl?"
Yang Fei's vision blurred. "This is messed up..."
---
Near the riverbank, Yang Shung surveyed the battlefield. Yang Fei's corpse lay crumpled among the bodies of over thirty others, including his fan club.
Each body was marked by a blood-red flower blooming ominously. The petals pulsed, absorbing the victims' tradable lifespan.
[System Notification]
You have killed Yang Fei and his group. The Flower Curse skill is now active.
Yang Shung crouched by Yang Fei's body, observing the cursed flower growing from the chest. Its health bar gleamed with 3600 HP, a testament to Yang Fei's high level.
"The flower's health depends on the victim's level," Yang Shung murmured. "Level 6 gives 3600 HP, Level 5 gives 2500... It's a quadratic scale."
He stood and scanned the carnage. Thirty blood-red flowers drained the lifespans of the fallen players. The scene was hauntingly quiet, save for the faint hum of energy being absorbed.
---
High above, Gu Lanxue watched in awe through her white bird vision.
"Unbelievable," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"One man wiped out Yang Fei's entire group without giving them a chance to fight back. And those red flowers... what are they?!"
She shivered, wrapping her white robe tighter. The sight of Yang Shung's power sent chills down her spine.
"Yang Fei shouldn't have messed with him," she murmured.
---
Meanwhile, Yang Fei, back at his base, slammed his fists into the table.
"Log out! I need to log out now!"
He had entered the game with grand plans to surpass "Shadow" and become the strongest. But three consecutive defeats shattered his confidence.
His tradable lifespan was nearly gone, drained by the cursed flower. Even his non-tradable lifespan was dangerously low.
"If I die again, I'll lose everything..."
Yang Fei clenched his fists, his knuckles white.
"This can't be happening!"