Liu Yang floated in the dark void, his soul body turning slow. He bent his knees and stretched his arms wide, both palms pulling back like he was charging something big.
His mouth opened wide, shouting out a long chant—
"Kaaaaa—"
[BZZZT!]
[Audio Censored. Copyright detected.]
"—mmmmhh—hhhaa—!"
The sound broke into static. His lips kept moving, though, forming the words the System refused to let out. His whole soul-body shook, the glow around him cracking like glass.
Thin lines lit up under his see-through skin, glowing blue like ghost veins, crawling up his neck and face.
They pulsed brighter and brighter, like he was about to explode. His jaw hung wide, arms trembling, and he shoved both palms forward like he was firing some giant blast that never came.
[Warning: Host Soul is now returning to body.]
"Wait—no, no! Don't cut me off now! I was at the best part!" Liu Yang's body froze mid-pose. His arms stretched, his knees bent, his face stuck between rage and despair.
Then the black space cracked.
He slammed back into the cave, eyes snapping open. His body jerked up, still half-stuck in that pose.
Liu Yang's lips twitched. He slapped his own face with both hands. "Damn it… I almost had it! The pose, the finish move, everything!"
The System beeped again.
[Reminder: Host is not licensed to perform on of the legendary anime power up in the real world.]
"So… where was I?" Liu Yang mumbled, rubbing his cheek like he had just woken from a nap.
[You were doing your quest – Main Quest – Clown Demon: Make the Hunters Cry]
"Ohhh right, right," Liu Yang said, nodding serious like he understood everything.
He looked down. Two hunters were already on the ground, rolling weak, coughing blood. Their swords were far from their hands, near the stone. Liu Yang tilted his head.
"Wait… where's the last one?"
He turned around slow, his eyes blinking like he missed something.
"Ohhh… there he is."
He leaned forward a little, squinting. Then he froze.
"Wait… he's dead?!"
His eyes went round. His mouth hung open. He pointed his finger at the corpse like it betrayed him.
His arms flew up, waving crazy. "What the hell?! What's the use of some super secret ultra hidden plot armour takeover if it only killed ONE guy and left the other two for me?!"
He stomped his foot on the ground, dust puffing up. "All that hype, all that scary shadow show, all that judgment aura—FOR WHAT?! For what?!"
He dropped down on his knees, grabbed his head with both hands, and pulled at his hair. "Was this a discount version? Did I get the trial pack?!"
The two hunters on the ground coughed blood again, their shoulders shaking.
"Shhhh… I gotta finish this quest myself," Liu Yang mumbled, his lips twitching, "I thought some legendary master would carry me… but fine… fine…"
He stood up slow, bent his knees a little, reached his hand out for the sword.
Then the screen popped.
[Deactivating: Second Wind]
[Reason: Host out of range of Blah Blah]
His hand froze in the air.
[Deactivating: Harem Resonance]
[Reason: Host out of range of Blah Blah]
His mouth opened wide. His eyes round. "Wait… what the…?"
[Deactivation in 5 seconds.]
His head whipped left. Empty. His head whipped right. Empty. He spun back fast—
And there she was behind a big stone her round butt sticking out and shaking her back trembling her horns poking up as she tried to hide like a scared rabbit.
His face twisted red. "WHAT THE FUUUUUCK?!"
The System screen blinked big in front of his eyes.
[5…]
[4…]
"Noooooo!" His scream dragged long, his voice cracked, slow like the world was stretching.
His legs pushed. His heart thumped so loud it hurt his chest. The cave blurred, his body felt heavy but time felt slow. He pumped his arms, his teeth clenched, breath tearing in his throat.
His hand grabbed the hilt of the sword. The sword was cold and heavy. He ripped it off the ground and spun back.
The two hunters looked at him, their eyes wide, blood dripping from their mouths.
Liu Yang lifted the sword high. His throat burned as he yelled.
"A THOUSAND HEAVEN SWORD FALL!"
The blade dropped straight down and cut through the first hunter.
Blood splashed across the ground. The body dropped limp with no life left.
He pulled it up again, raised it high, his body shaking but his eyes was sharp.
"A THOUSAND HEAVEN SWORD FALL!"
He slammed it down again and the second hunter split his body twitching before falling still.
Liu Yang stood there with his chest rising fast and sweat on his face and his sword dripping red his knees bent his lips shaking as he stared at the System screen waiting like it owed him.
Behind the stone Blah Blah peeked out with one eye showing her cheeks red and a small fake smile on her face as she spoke in a low voice.
"See, master… I never left you…"
Her horns bent low, like she was trying to make herself smaller. Her hands wouldn't stay still, they rubbed together, fingers pulling and twisting.
Her shoulders were stiff, shaking every time her breath came out. She pressed her chest flat against the stone, like the rock could swallow her if she stayed close enough.
But her butt still stuck out from the side, round and trembling, moving a little each time her legs shook. It was the only part not hidden, the only part showing she was scared out of her skin.