Under the shroud of the evening glow, a cool breeze swept across the Windfall Plains, stirring the flowers and grasses.
The once vibrant green world had taken on a slightly darker, more subdued hue.
‘Otherworld’ was divided into distinct day and night cycles.
Although the game’s system allowed players perfect visibility even after dark, the monsters lurking in the night grew significantly more bloodthirsty and ferocious.
Naturally, with nightfall still some time away, most of the animals on the Windfall Plains were leisurely stretching their bodies in the afterglow of the setting sun.
They savored the last vestiges of warmth and beauty the day had to offer.
Regrettably, this tranquil atmosphere was soon shattered by the rapid thud of hooves.
It was a snow-white steed, majestic and robust, its gait steady, yet its speed was as swift as the wind itself!
Like a bolt of white lightning, it streaked across the emerald plains.
Occasionally, monsters in its path were startled, but by the time they lifted their heads, only the steed’s retreating silhouette remained visible, leaving them to roar in frustrated anger.
Perched atop the magnificent steed were two figures, one large and one small.
The man was tall and handsome, his gaze profound, and a subtle excitement flickered across his face.
He seemed to genuinely revel in the steed’s (TL Note: A ‘thousand-mile horse,’ a legendary horse capable of traveling vast distances quickly.) swift, wind-like speed.
Much like many men in reality cherished cars, galloping across the world on a mount in a game evoked a similar sense of passion and romance, even if… this particular mount was merely rented.
In stark contrast, the petite, adorable girl seated in front of the man sported a poker face, her eyes hinting at a subtle gloom.
One might have assumed someone owed her a significant sum of money.
These two, galloping across the Windfall Plains, were none other than Bai Xia and Tian Zheng.
Following the route provided by the Lord of Forest City, they had traveled for a considerable time on the steed, yet their destination, Bear Cub Village, still lay a good distance ahead.
The scenery along the way was undeniably beautiful, but after prolonged observation, it ceased to evoke much emotion.
Instead, the unchanging plains began to feel rather monotonous and dull.
Bai Xia, for her part, found herself exceedingly curious about why their destination village was named Bear Cub Village.
After all, the name sounded far too casual.
‘Bear Cub Village?’ she mused.
‘Why not ‘Big Bear Village’ or ‘Raccoon City?’
Well, those were merely idle thoughts born of boredom.
As they drew closer to the marked destination on the map, Bai Xia and Tian Zheng quickly lost their inclination for sightseeing.
While the quest merely instructed them to investigate Bear Cub Village, and whether there truly was an issue remained uncertain, in a game, once a quest was received, could the quest location possibly be problem-free?
Therefore, it was safe to assume that Bear Cub Village was either already overrun by malevolent forces or harbored them within its depths.
Consequently, they needed to adjust their state and prepare for battle before arriving.
Moreover, while the Lord of Forest City had promised them a reward regardless of whether the village had problems, the system information clearly indicated that the final reward would be determined by the quest’s completion rate!
To expect a system reward without putting in effort?
‘Dream on,’ she thought.
If they merely glanced around outside and reported back, their reward would likely be a paltry few gold coins and some experience points at best.
Bai Xia, however, still harbored the desire to make the usage rights of her steed permanent.
Thus, even knowing the destination might be perilous, she had no choice but to venture forth.
Now, she could only hope the system wouldn’t be so unreliable as to pit them against enemies potentially exceeding Level 50.
Nevertheless, the highest-level monsters around the Windfall Plains were only in their twenties or thirties.
Given that this was an ‘adventure quest,’ the challenges they faced shouldn’t be overly exaggerated; surely the system wouldn’t be so bored as to intentionally send players to their deaths.
This conviction formed the basis of Bai Xia’s confidence in undertaking such a dangerous mission.
Of course, the exact situation would only become clear upon reaching their destination.
However, if they couldn’t win, they could always flee; at most, they’d get a free teleport back to the city.
Indeed, there was nothing truly to fear within the game.
****
As dusk descended, Bai Xia and Tian Zheng, having ridden for half the day, finally arrived at their destination.
Bear Cub Village was not large, comprising merely a few dozen simple, varying-sized dwellings.
It appeared somewhat crude, though the perimeter wall, built to defend against wild beast incursions, had been thoroughly reinforced.
Yet, before they even drew close, Bai Xia and Tian Zheng simultaneously detected that something was amiss.
“Too quiet,” Bai Xia observed, her voice barely a whisper.
Under the pristine moonlight, everything around them was illuminated as if it were day, yet Bear Cub Village, within their sight, eerily remained shrouded in shadows.
Not only was there no sign of firelight, but an oppressive stillness hung heavy, devoid of even the faintest sound.
Bai Xia and Tian Zheng exchanged a glance, then, after returning their mounts to their inventory spaces, slowly approached the village.
Enveloped in darkness, the village now exuded a distinct and chilling sense of dread.
“So, is this some kind of horror movie we’re starring in?” Bai Xia quipped.
Halting at the outer wall, designed to deter wild beasts, Bai Xia couldn’t help but utter a sarcastic remark.
She mused that with the addition of characteristic horror film music, the scene would be even more fitting.
Tian Zheng cast a glance at her, his tone teasing.
“What, scared?” he asked.
“If a ghost pops out later, remember to hide behind me.”
In response, Bai Xia simply stared at him with an impassive expression.
This was her recently discovered ultimate technique for dealing with thick-skinned individuals like Tian Zheng: when confronted with such people, no words were necessary; a silent stare sufficed.
As expected, under her unwavering gaze, Tian Zheng quickly conceded defeat, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“…I was wrong,” he pleaded.
“Please don’t look at me like that.”
Faced with what was essentially a loli character’s exclusive ‘killer sparkling eyes’ (TL Note: A common trope in anime/manga where a cute character’s eyes sparkle to emphasize their cuteness or determination.), even though Bai Xia’s eyes held no stars, only disdain, it was more than an ordinary person could endure.
Strangely, even after Tian Zheng surrendered, the young girl opposite him continued to stare, but her gaze was now entirely different from before.
How to describe it? If before it had been disdain and indifference, now it was… terror!
‘Terror?’ Tian Zheng felt a sudden bewilderment.
‘Was there something strange on me?’ he wondered.
Then, he watched as Bai Xia suddenly extended a finger, pointing behind him, and, with a slight tremor in her voice, whispered, “Ghost…”
“Huh?”
Tian Zheng was momentarily stunned, instinctively turning to look behind him.
In the very next instant, he saw a face.
It was a woman’s face: pallid skin, a distorted countenance smeared with blood, and beneath the surface, something seemed to writhe and pulse like insects.
Her eyes were sunken, and her murky, black-red irises seemed to burn with a profound hatred for the living!
To turn and be confronted by such a grotesque sight, even Tian Zheng, with all his composure, felt his heart give a heavy lurch.
An ordinary person would undoubtedly have shrieked in terror at that moment.
Fortunately, Tian Zheng hadn’t forgotten that this was merely a game.
Thus, instead of screaming, he summoned his weapon and cleaved his sword directly at the horrifying face before him!
“Aaaah!!!!”
Struck head-on by the sword and knocked to the ground, the twisted specter let out a scream that was a blend of pain and fury.
Simultaneously, the creature’s information finally revealed itself.
[Mutated Blood Corpse]: Level 20, Health 1300.
Originally a common resident of Bear Cub Village on the Windfall Plains, it was corrupted by a sinister force for unknown reasons, mutating into a bloodthirsty, frenzied zombie, highly aggressive.
Skills: Death Corrosion, Venomous Claws.
Weaknesses: Fear of Light, Fire-elemental attacks.
Naturally, there was more than just one Mutated Blood Corpse.
Just as Tian Zheng cleaved the nearest one to the ground, he realized that a total of five Mutated Blood Corpses had gathered around them, seemingly out of nowhere!
Clad in tattered robes, they emitted inhuman growls.
Though their movements were shambling, their bloodthirsty eyes remained fixated on Bai Xia and Tian Zheng, who stood in the center.
Encountering such a sudden situation before even entering the village was clearly unforeseen by anyone.
And according to the system’s description of the Mutated Blood Corpses, they were evidently all transformed villagers from Bear Cub Village.
This implied that the entire village was likely now populated solely by these monsters, explaining the unnerving silence they had previously felt.
“It seems the situation is quite clear now,” Tian Zheng observed.
“Do we retreat, or do we press forward?”
With a sweep of his sword, Tian Zheng cut down the Mutated Blood Corpse that had begun to rise from the ground, then, taking a deep breath, he looked at Bai Xia.
The girl offered no verbal reply, yet the ‘Asura’s Fatal Strike’ (TL Note: Likely a skill or aura indicating a state of readiness for combat, possibly an ultimate or powerful technique.) manifesting around her and the eerily glowing weapon in her hand clearly conveyed her answer.
Her unused new skill, ‘Dark Ritual,’ instantly activated, causing tendrils of black and crimson fiery mist to coil around Bai Xia like living entities.
The next moment, ‘Shadow Step’ propelled her forward, leaving behind a series of afterimages condensed from dark energy, as she swiftly charged towards the three Mutated Blood Corpses nearby.
“Dark Harvest.”
Swish!
Colder than the moonlight was the blade’s edge, and even colder than the blade was Bai Xia’s voice.
The dark glow of ‘Dark Harvest’ was almost imperceptible beneath the cover of night.
In a flash of light and shadow, the girl, transformed into a shadowy blur, pierced through the two Mutated Blood Corpses directly in front of her.
The instant they were bound by dark energy, she sprang up and, with a backhand strike, sliced across the neck of the third Mutated Blood Corpse!
Then, as the residual dark magic within the monsters’ bodies erupted, Bai Xia’s eyes ignited with a vivid crimson glow.
“Blood Kill.”
This ultimate technique, activated by sacrificing her own health, caused even the dagger in Bai Xia’s hand to appear entirely stained crimson the moment it was unleashed.
With extreme speed of movement and attack, the three Blood Corpses were swept into a dense, crimson storm before they could even react.
Within the crimson maelstrom, faint, almost imperceptible wisps of black energy surged – the fangs of potent venom… a deadly curse named ‘Soul Burial!’
Despite a full 5-level difference, these slow-moving, stiff-jointed zombies ultimately failed to even brush against Bai Xia’s fluttering skirt.
Instead, they disintegrated into countless fragments amidst the crimson blades.
On the other side, Tian Zheng, who had just vanquished a Mutated Blood Corpse, stood agape.
His attention had been so focused on Bai Xia that he was nearly pounced upon by the last remaining Blood Corpse.
Fortunately, he reacted in the nick of time, kicking the Blood Corpse to the ground, then, with a swing of his arm, delivered a ‘War Impact’ directly to its head.
‘War Impact’ was one of a Sword Warrior’s Level 15 skills.
It allowed the user to infuse their weapon with power and deliver a heavy blow forward, unleashing sword qi that could knock down all enemies within a certain range.
If an enemy was already prone, being struck by this move inflicted additional damage.
By the time Tian Zheng finished off the second and final Blood Corpse, Bai Xia had already restored her lost health.
Seeing him look her way, she tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion in her voice.
“I can’t help but feel… you’re not as fast as you used to be?”
Beneath the moonlight, the man remained silent for a long moment, confronted by the black-clad girl’s bewildered query.
“You should never tell a man he’s quick, you know?”