Chapter 67: It Can Be Upgraded!

A wave of scorching heat assaulted him, as if molten lava from a volcano lay in ambush beside the road, quietly radiating its energy. As Xie Jing walked on, he could sense traces of unrest everywhere. Small creatures lingered in the shadows, watching this unfamiliar intruder.

A flaming arrow shot toward him, but Xie Jing dodged it with ease. Before him stood three humanoid monsters, their entire bodies blazing red, flames surging around them. Each gripped a bow of intertwined black and crimson, drawing aim upon him. They bore no faces; their features were an ugly uniformity, sculpted crudely from muddy magma.

Three arrows flew forth in rapid succession. Xie Jing shifted lightly, evading the fire. In his hand, a radiant sword of light coalesced.

In stark contrast to the sword’s brilliance, a wave of sapphire water materialized out of thin air, sweeping from the tip of his blade and crashing forcefully into the trio of archer monsters.

Their screams crackled with bizarre friction, and in the instant they were struck, the humanoid forms melted into pools of fiery magma that flowed onto the ground, then cooled into black stone, drifting away in the wind.

Xie Jing stared at the experience bar beneath his level indicator and noticed it had moved—he could actually gain experience by killing monsters himself!

Delighted at this discovery, he decided to try again.

Not far ahead, seven or eight odd, fire-red insects hovered low in the air.

Bomb Grelenis.

He remembered these monsters. Somewhere in his memory, he recalled their self-detonation trick. In reality, he played as a Berserker—a character whose attack power increased as his health decreased. Xie Jing would habitually keep his health razor-thin while exploring dungeons, only to have these creatures explode and rob him of his last hit point, wasting his resurrection coins.

Upon spotting a living person, the Grelenis hissed, their grotesque heads swiveling toward Xie Jing.

They darted at him with alarming speed, lunging like projectiles.

Three Grelenis appeared before him in an instant, folding their wings and crouching as they gathered energy.

Xie Jing sensed chaotic energy surging within them, ready to burst forth. At the same time, his own speed was mysteriously diminished—his legs felt as if mired in a swamp, sluggish and unresponsive.

Attacking these monsters would only hasten their self-destruction.

The sword of light in his hand flared, and in that instant, a roaring dragon’s bellow erupted from his body.

Radiance enveloped him—a massive dragon’s head emerged, and Xie Jing’s speed was suddenly unshackled as he lunged forward with abandon.

“Fierce Dragon Sky Rend!”

His sword formed the dragon’s head, his body the torso, and the sword aura the tail.

The dragon’s howl spurred Xie Jing to charge recklessly ahead, breaking through the encirclement of Grelenis. At the same time, arcs of sword energy pierced their bodies as he passed.

Explosions erupted behind him, the destructive aftermath of the Grelenis’ self-detonation.

Standing in the aftermath, Xie Jing felt countless green motes drift from the fallen Grelenis, merging into his own body. He watched his experience bar inch forward.

Indeed, defeating monsters granted him experience.

This discovery filled Xie Jing with elation.

Then, a blue orb of light ‘jumped’ out from one of the Grelenis corpses and lay quietly on the ground.

He approached and saw it was a weapon.

[Exquisite Condensed Light Sword]

A blue-quality sword of light—utter rubbish, as far as the game was concerned.

Xie Jing didn’t mind. He picked it up casually, and in that instant, a surge of radiant power burst from the blade.

His strength, speed, and even the intensity of the light all increased dramatically!

What was happening? It was just a broken-down sword!

He’d only meant to make do with it, but hadn’t expected such an effect. This was a power neither short swords nor great katanas could provide.

He swung the Condensed Light Sword, and the air whistled with each arc.

Now he had a new goal: to acquire an even better sword of light!

Onward!

He soon encountered another monster—a massive, pulsing mound of gelatin.

Its properties matched its surroundings: inside, magma flowed visibly. It twisted its chubby body and, before Xie Jing could approach, plopped down six offspring.

Half his height, these small slimes seemed to mistake him for their father, leaping at him one after another.

A single flash of the blade, and the sharp sword light sliced through their gelatinous bodies in an instant. Then, explosions erupted from within, blossoms of sparks unfurling—the handiwork of Matchmaker.

Behind Xie Jing, the dragon maiden floated, expressionless, wielding her massive dragon blade as she lunged at the giant slime.

“Dragon Roar Across the Heavens!”

With a roar, the unsealed Dragon God descended from above, circled the enemy, then transformed into the Thunder Dragon Crescent Blade. As she swung the blade, a tremendous shockwave rippled across the ground.

The giant slime endured the full force of the blow. Its gelatinous body flattened into an ellipse under the blade, finally unable to withstand the assault.

Boom—

A dazzling explosion erupted; magma splattered, and scalding crimson sludge flew everywhere.

Faint green motes gathered into Xie Jing’s body, pushing his experience bar yet again.

No equipment drops this time, but several clusters of white light scattered around.

[Coin Pouch 1100]

[Coin Pouch 1234]

[Abyss Party Invitation*1]

...He could even challenge the Abyss?

For the first time, Xie Jing felt his recent days in the Dark City had been a complete waste. If only he’d discovered these things sooner.

The Abyss Party was the game’s route for players to acquire top-tier epic gear. Typically, an ordinary player would need a full set of epic armor, an epic weapon, epic accessories, and epic jewelry to be considered “partially graduated.”

Within the Abyss Party, interdimensional demons could be summoned. Defeat them, and you might obtain epic items.

However, the odds of something suitable dropping for oneself were abysmally low.

Xie Jing could hardly imagine the devastation he could unleash if he obtained a set of epic equipment perfectly tailored to him.

He opened the system and saw a number beneath the Abyss Party Invitation in his inventory.

[1/20]

Could it mean that collecting twenty invitations would open the Abyss Party?

Confidence swelled within him—he didn’t think it would be too difficult.

Yet, not a single invitation dropped from any of the monsters that followed—a fact that left Xie Jing speechless.

The drop rate was abysmal!

At the end of the flaming ruins, a crimson vista unfolded. A massive barrel-shaped structure loomed ahead.

Even from a distance, Xie Jing could see a fire giant over three meters tall pacing beneath the building.

A pink name hovered above its head.

[Lord of Blazing Calamity, Fitz]

The final boss of this stage!

Xie Jing stood atop a nearby ruin, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

Matchmaker hovered behind him, her cold, clear eyes reflecting nothing but Xie Jing himself. As his companion, her sole duty was to protect her master and carry out his every command—this was the only thought clearly imprinted in her mind.

Xie Jing shaded his eyes with his right hand, surveying the lord’s imposing figure. He glanced at his own experience bar.

Just two hundred more points, and he would level up once more.

What surprise would await him then?