Chapter 104: The House Was Burglarized!
The white dove ventured into the room behind the bookshelf.
Beyond the room lay a vast cavern.
Within the cavern, a twisted giant tree grew chaotically, its branches endlessly splitting. Red moss bloomed on its limbs like flowers, but upon closer inspection, the moss resembled countless tiny red ants.
The tree towered over fifty meters tall, its massive roots firmly planted in the earth.
Chen Qi exhaled deeply. This was the Red Ant Moss Giant Tree...
He checked the status panel.
【Frail Red Ant Moss Giant Tree
Level: 10 (Special calamity, not well adapted to this world, quite weak)
Traits: Cup, Flower
Health: 2000/2000】
No other attributes appeared, only a simple health bar.
Two thousand health!
Though its level was low, its health was astonishingly high at 2000!
Chen Qi was startled. If this health belonged to a person, they would be an absolute tank.
This was a special calamity; one could not assess its strength by normal level standards.
Using the white dove’s vision, Chen Qi scanned the area. Most people had left the cavern.
Next to the tree were only two guards, their eyes half-closed. Both were level ten, seemingly entranced by the red moss, their gaze fixed unwaveringly.
Chen Qi carefully swept over the vicinity with the dove’s gaze. Aside from the tree and the two guards, there were no other enemies.
And Venus was inside the Red Ant Moss Giant Tree.
According to the book of the Devourer’s Calamities, the Red Ant Moss Giant Tree lacked offensive abilities and was a defensive-type calamity.
Still, to be safe, Chen Qi decided to test it himself. What if this tree mutated upon arriving on Earth?
He exited the cavern and pondered for a moment before pulling out the Mist Sword pendant.
The Mist Sword pendant was a summoning artifact he had obtained during the Lord of Mist City's trial.
Compared to the Shadow Soul, its summoning was not instantaneous and required some preparation.
Unlike the Shadow Soul, Chen Qi found that this summoning item rapidly drained his spiritual energy; he could not sustain it for long.
Gripping the Mist Sword pendant, he pricked his thumb with the sword’s tip to draw a little blood, then infused his spiritual energy into it.
This could summon a sinner’s body skilled in advanced mist techniques, whose level grew alongside his own.
As the blood soaked into the pendant, the sword’s blade was stained red.
White mist swirled like a storm, pouring from the sword and coalescing into a misty humanoid form. The mist roiled like a sea of clouds, constantly shifting.
A Mist Swordsman made of swirling fog appeared, his form elusive and faint.
Chen Qi summoned a thought and drew the Flame Spark Knight’s long blade.
Like him, this Mist Swordsman fought with sword and blade.
Chen Qi tossed the long blade to the mist figure.
The Mist Swordsman caught the blade, took a step forward, then became a misty afterimage, charging toward the giant tree inside the cavern.
Like a fleeting shadow, the figure darted forward.
The two guards rose to defend, but within moments, the Mist Swordsman slashed twice, cutting shallow wounds across their necks.
Mist swirled around the blade as if splitting into dozens of swords in an instant.
Slicing sounds echoed.
Within fewer than ten rounds, the graceful Mist Swordsman prevailed, and the two guards collapsed.
Chen Qi glanced at the New Dawn game interface and gained 350 experience points.
Though the Mist Swordsman consumed spiritual energy, his combat power far exceeded that of the Shadow Soul! Not only could he absorb hits, but he was also formidable in battle.
The white dove perched on the Mist Swordsman’s shoulder, gazing at the enormous tree.
In terms of aura, the tree’s pressure was not overwhelming.
It felt distinctly weak, which explained its mere level 10 rating.
Chen Qi kept his distance and tentatively instructed the Mist Swordsman to strike once.
The white dove observed everything.
Slash!
The Mist Swordsman gripped the long blade, surged forward, becoming a swift afterimage, and slashed at the center of the tree trunk.
The mist-wreathed blade pierced the bark as the swordsman’s form was enveloped in a storm of mist, delivering a devastating Mist Storm Slash.
【You dealt 57 points of damage to the Red Ant Moss Giant Tree!】
At the moment of the slash, driven by instinct to survive, the massive tree responded.
The colossal root lifted, then swung toward the Mist Swordsman.
Boom!
The entire cavern trembled violently!
So slow...
Chen Qi was stunned. Although the tree’s attack was imposing, the Mist Swordsman easily dodged it.
Not to mention ordinary humans, even his former programmer body could effortlessly evade the root’s strike.
It was far too slow, as if the root was stuck. A slight twist produced a tremendous sound.
The root lacked the agility of an octopus’s tentacle, though it was not an octopus itself.
Chen Qi maneuvered the Mist Swordsman to unleash several more slashes.
Soon, a clear scar appeared on the massive trunk.
Watching the sluggish counterattack, Chen Qi stroked his chin. He seemed to understand why this tree was only level 10.
Its attacks were just too slow. Without defenders, it could be worn down gradually.
Just as the book described, the Red Ant Moss Giant Tree specialized in survival rather than offense.
Retract—
Chen Qi raised the pendant.
The Mist Swordsman’s form dissolved into a cloud of mist, which wrapped around the Flame Spark Knight’s long blade and flew back to Chen Qi.
The mist merged into the pendant, which settled into calm.
Chen Qi exhaled, feeling the drain on his spiritual energy.
In such a short time, the pendant had consumed 7 points of his spiritual power.
Perhaps insignificant for the Lord of Mist City, but for Chen Qi, this was quite formidable.
He picked up the long blade and approached the giant tree, ready to understand it firsthand.
Weak in defense, huh...
Chen Qi gripped the blade tightly, his muscles taut, a crimson pattern flickering at the corner of his eye.
One slash!
With the Flame Black Blade ablaze, one strike! 23 damage!
Another slash, 40!
“Light Shadow Fox, your turn! Activate Giant Shadow Form and strike!”
“Got it!”
The small Light Shadow Fox leapt from Chen Qi’s clothes and triggered its Giant Shadow Form.
With a claw and heavy blade strike, it dealt 79 damage!
The little fox mimicked Chen Qi’s furious claw attacks:
“Eighty!”
Chen Qi swung the long blade repeatedly at the colossal tree.
...
At the Devourer’s base.
Spells continuously flew through the air.
At the center of the battlefield were Seabird and the man in white robes, with players from opposing factions arrayed behind them.
The players were engaged in fierce combat! The situation was tense!
At this moment, the Devourers were extraordinarily arrogant. After recovering their health, they felt like heavenly soldiers descending, instantly turning the tide and forcing their opponents into retreat.
“Get cockier, huh! Drop your gear for me!”
“Once we’re done with you, we’ll finish off your families too!”
The Devourers hurled taunts mercilessly.
After a bout of fighting, both the man in white robes and Seabird were exhausted and withdrew.
Seabird’s expression was grave. With a wave, he recalled his second pet, the Fiery Bird, into its sphere.
The man in white robes had traits of Cup and Void, focusing on agility and health. He was a tanky opponent, but hard to hit.
Without the Fiery Bird’s area flame attacks and the mist bombs that reduced health regeneration, he would struggle against this enemy.
Both sides found the other incredibly difficult to deal with.
“How many pets do you still have?” the man in white robes wiped blood from his lips and asked.
“Seabird, why bother? We’re both strong. Why must we slaughter each other?
Join us. We can provide you with god-level pets, doubling your strength. We can reconcile and rule the pinnacle of this world together.”
Seabird pulled out a second pet sphere.
“If all your Plague Saint Association members die, then maybe I’ll consider joining you.”
Seabird would never forgive these people; he hated this ruthless, power-corrupted group most in his life. His sister lay in a vegetative state because of them.
At that moment, the man in white robes felt a smile creep into his heart. His flesh burned by flames slowly began to heal.
Reconciliation? Impossible. This was only a chance to recover health while talking.
Such powerful regeneration—this was the power of the tree, so wonderful, so delightful...
“Thank you, great tree.”
He muttered silently, ecstatic.
But the joy quickly faded...
Hmm?
The man in white robes paused, sensing the healing had stopped.
What was happening?
Could the tree be under attack? Or perhaps it hadn’t been watered enough?
He instinctively considered the worst-case scenario first.
It shouldn’t be. That broken place was a labyrinth, twisting and turning—an enormous maze, hard to find.
Everyone who knew that place was his trusted core member.
Could there be a traitor?
A sudden shock seized him, but the feeling forced him to accept the truth.
He sensed his home was being stolen!
Slap!
At the moment the man in white robes grew suspicious, Seabird’s top pet, the Sky Seagull, flapped its massive wings fiercely, smashing him hard into the wall.
The man in white robes ignored Seabird’s sneak attack, anxiety overwhelming him.
He had no mind for further fighting.
If he didn’t return quickly, his tree would be lost!
He raised his arm and called out to his comrades.
“All of you! The tree might be under attack. Cover me! Stop Seabird’s assault! This is our decisive moment!”
Could someone have been followed?
Clenching his fists, the man in white robes charged into the crowd of Devourers, heading toward the Red Ant Moss Giant Tree.
The others froze momentarily. The man in white robes shrank his form and activated the Phantom Shadow skill, greatly increasing his speed.
Seabird unzipped his jacket, releasing fifty paper seagulls that swiftly flew toward the man in white robes.
“Try to run!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the paper seagulls neared him, they exploded with tremendous force.
The man in white robes bore the attack and chose to flee.
Even if injured, he could not let the Red Ant Moss Giant Tree be harmed!
Other players heard the explosions and looked toward Seabird and the man in white robes.
The enraged Devourer members noticed their leader suddenly fled.
They were stunned.
“We’re all raging, yet the leader runs first?”
They stopped their actions, gazing at the soaring Sky Seagull and Fiery Bird, their fists trembling slightly.
“Everyone, calm down! Those were just angry words.”
“The boss doesn’t hold grudges.”
The sudden shift in the situation silenced their taunts, and they regained some composure.
Then, belatedly, they realized a graver matter—the warning from the moss in their blood:
Their home was being stolen!
...
Moments later.
Despite severe injuries, the man in white robes pressed on toward the location.
Finally, as he reached near the Red Ant Moss Giant Tree—
He heard a chilling sound, like a pet’s voice.
It made his heart pound wildly.
“Eighty!”
“Eighty!”
(End of chapter)