Han Xing felt his way around the corpses of these Dark Elves one by one.
[Acquired Damaged Wooden Plate Armor (White) *1, Acquired Wooden Hammer (White) *1, Acquired Spirit Core *1, Acquired Fallen Blood *1...]
[Acquired Damaged Wooden Staff, Acquired Spirit Core, Acquired Wooden Bow, Acquired Fallen Blood *1...]
These Dark Elves didn't have much worth taking, aside from some Whiteboard Equipment, a few Spirit Cores, and a drop of peculiar blood.
"Fallen Blood? What's this thing?"
Seeing the few drops of bluish-black blood newly added to his backpack, Han Xing felt puzzled.
But the material had no annotations, so he decided to put it aside for now.
Han Xing continued to rummage through the corpses. When he reached the final Dark Elf, the Mage he had shot through the head with an arrow, his eyes suddenly lit up.
He found a booklet in the waist pouch of this Dark Elf.
[Skill Book: Fireball Technique.]
"It's actually a Mage's Skill Book!"
Han Xing was instantly thrilled.
As Mages have been permanent professions in many games on Blue Star, at the start, they made quite a few people fall into traps unwittingly.
In their imagination, Mages are beings capable of controlling lightning and fire, calling forth wind and rain.
But they quickly realized that this Mage was not at all what they imagined.
In the early stages, human survivors other than having a standard Air Burst Skill, had no other means of attack.
Only when they learned their first skill could they perform basic Elemental Attacks, and at that point, the damage level increased several tiers.
Therefore, Fireball Technique and Ice Arrow Skill are skills that Mages desperately need in the early stages.
This Fireball Technique Skill Book, once placed in the trading channel, would definitely attract many Mages scrambling for it.
Of course, the Skill Book was just an unexpected delight.
Han Xing's initial target was the possible water source in this Dark Elf territory.
Upon closer inspection, right in the middle of this 5 meters by 6 meters platform, there was a puddle the size of a table.
Estimates showed it was at least four square meters.
Although the depth was less than forty centimeters, a quick calculation showed it contained at least over 1500 liters of water!
Yes, 1500 liters, not milliliters!
Han Xing felt his breathing becoming somewhat heavy.
"This is huge… I'm going to be rich this time..."
This much water, how long would it be enough for him to drink?
If taken to the trading channel, how much resource could it be exchanged for?
Han Xing could hardly imagine!
However, after the excitement subsided, Han Xing felt something unusual about this water pool.
The water surface was bubbling and occasionally black smoke rose up.
Han Xing suddenly remembered the system seemed to give a hint before entering.
This group of Dark Elves seemed to be summoning something.
Could it be that this pool is their summoning medium?
Looking closer, the system prompt indeed appeared.
[Spiritual Spring Water polluted by Dark Aura, no longer drinkable.]
Han Xing's throbbing heart instantly turned to disappointment.
However, the feeling of disappointment didn't last long, because suddenly, dense black mist began to rise from the pool and spread quickly around.
"There's something strange!" Han Xing took several steps back sharply.
Immediately, a second system prompt appeared.
[The Dark Elves' evil ritual is reaching its end, a powerful being from the Abyss has been summoned, human survivor, two choices now stand before you.]
[1: Continue to invest "Fallen Blood" in the ritual, completing the summoning ceremony.]
[2: Invest Spirit Core into the ritual to purify the Dark Aura from the Spiritual Spring Water.]
[Please make your choice quickly.]
"Summoning ritual or purification?" Han Xing furrowed his brow.
Having played Sky Island Paradise for a period, he quickly realized he might have triggered a side quest.
And merely from the introduction, this side quest sounded quite significant.
Han Xing knew his next choice would likely dictate the quest's direction.
"Abyss... powerful being." Han Xing contemplated the system's cue.
At that moment, the black smoke emitted from the ground spring became increasingly dense, spreading rapidly.
Han Xing was unsure what kind of being the first option's summoning would bring forth.
But given the circumstances, for safety's sake, he immediately made up his mind.
"I choose, option 2, purification!"
[...]
[...]
[...]
The system prompt displayed a series of ellipses.
An ominous feeling suddenly surged within Han Xing, a sight he had never experienced before.
"System, what's wrong... speak up... you're scaring me!" Han Xing shouted with trembling voice.
At that moment, he suddenly saw the Dark Elf corpses on the ground disappear without a trace after being enveloped in black smoke.
The next moment, the system prompt before him sent his heart plummeting to rock bottom.
[Summoning ceremony complete, Great Demon Monarch Julius is about to descend...]
"What!?" Han Xing had a face full of bewilderment.
Simultaneously, a dreadful murmur and whispering sound began to ring in his ears.
Hatred, anger, fear, malice...
Various negative emotions rushed into Han Xing's mind like a tide.
He only felt his head about to burst, his vision growing increasingly dark. He even saw the silhouettes of countless Vengeful Spirits, weeping despairingly.
Torn space,
Heart-piercing wailing,
The mental barrier was easily shredded at this moment.
"Fuck..."
Han Xing cradled his head, struggling to remain conscious.
"No... must leave here quickly..."
"Otherwise, will truly die..."
Han Xing took a deep breath, gathering his last ounce of spirit, steering his territory away from here.
However, when he unintentionally glanced backward, his heart sank completely.
From that black smoke-emitting spring emerged a towering white bone horn.
Merely showing a tiny tip of the horn, Han Xing already found his breathing difficult.
Powerful aura began to spread.
At this moment, the sky over hundreds of kilometers seemed to darken, evil aura staining all the clouds black.
Under this fearsome force, Han Xing felt insignificant.
Then he heard a burst of wild laughter.
"Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"After three thousand five hundred years, finally, the illustrious Great Demon Monarch is coming out again from damnable Land of the Abyss!"
"Wretched Elves, weep, wail, I will make you relive the fear and pain of the past! Ha ha ha ha!"
Rumble!
Han Xing felt the ground of his territory shaking constantly, as if something was about to break through the earth.
At this point, the terrible existence revealed a complete horn.
The horn reached nearly twenty meters in length and about two meters thick. Just from this colossal horn, one could see how enormous this creature was.
The dreadful existence continued its rampant laughter, dark aura growing ever denser.
Death's shadow consumed him entirely!
At this moment, only two words sprang forth in Han Xing's mind.
It's over...