The rift's golden light pulsed in Xu Zhu's palm like a beating heart.
In that instant, his vision expanded—the wind, breaths, and killing intent across the battlefield all turned into clear threads, weaving directly into his mind.
[System Prompt]:
You have bound the Rift Core.
Identity updated: Child of the Storm.
Traits:
— Storm Sight: Sense all hostile intent within ten zhang.
— Rift's Protection: Whenever near death, Residual Edge is elevated one tier.
Warning: Core power unstable. Usage will increase mental strain.
…
Xu Zhu's chest heaved, cold sweat dripping. Within Storm Sight, countless death trajectories hung in the air as glowing lines, dense as a spiderweb.
"So this… is the power of the core?" he muttered under his breath.
Ling Xue steadied him, her eyes holding both worry and awe.
"Xu Zhu, you're no longer just the Residual Blood Maniac." Her voice was low but resolute. "You've become… the storm's center."
Fatty Third's jaw hung open, his stone dropping to the ground. "Big bro… you've gotta be cheating! How's anyone supposed to play now?!"
—
The battlefield froze, then erupted again.
"He bound the core!"
"Residual Blood Maniac is the Child of the Storm!"
"Kill him! The core will reset!"
"Protect him! He's the only key on the server!"
Players split in an instant.
Some, eyes blazing, rushed to follow and guard Xu Zhu. More, their eyes red, were whipped into frenzy by Overlord Spear's bounty and the Child of the Storm title, bloodlust surging.
[World Channel] roared:
[Server enters Hunt Phase!]
[Residual Blood Maniac, core in hand—he must die!]
[No! He's our only chance!]
[Hunt vs. Follow—the server has split in two!]
—
Overlord Spear's guild master's voice cut through the chaos: "Listen up! Anyone who protects him is Overlord Spear's enemy! The 5,000 gold bounty stands!"
Skyveil's chief swordsman answered coldly: "From this day, Xu Zhu is Skyveil's ally! Any who would touch him, first step over our corpses!"
The two sides tore off all pretenses. Under the rift's golden glow, slaughter and chaos erupted in full.
…
Inside Xu Zhu's mind, system prompts cascaded:
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 81%]
[Danger: Mental overload]
[Warning: Rift Core attempting full fusion]
His jaw clenched, his heart pounding. Under Storm Sight, he clearly saw dozens of death lines rushing toward him at once.
"It's die… or grow stronger."
He drew a sharp breath, stepping forward. The moment Residual Edge resonated with the core, his body felt lifted by the storm—speed and instinct surging sky-high!
His staff swept wide—four assassins blasted away at once.
His figure blurred, afterimages twisting in the wind, tearing open a path through hundreds of players' encirclement!
The spectator feed went berserk:
[He's the Child of the Storm!]
[One HP, yet the server's core!]
[Insane—this man can't be a newbie!]
…
Ling Xue stayed tight at his side, her sword flashing, intercepting deadly ambushes.
Fatty Third, trembling, still hurled rocks—somehow knocking down another enemy, the live chat exploding with laughter.
"Xu Zhu!" Ling Xue's shout thundered, "No matter what lies ahead, you no longer have a way back!"
Xu Zhu's eyes locked on the rift's depths ahead, the golden light in his palm thrumming wildly.
"I never had a way back."
Child of the Storm. Residual Blood Never Dies.
That night, Xu Zhu's name was carved into the minds of all.