Chapter 363: The Long-Awaited Chaotic Dance of Demons

Today's chapter is a two‑in‑one because I wanted to lock in a regular chapter count to split the volume—my strange and inexplicable pursuit.

The author is going crazy again after a long time; I really wonder if I've never been to Yunnan. I've never even eaten mushrooms—how on earth did I write such magical and utterly chaotic text?

In fact, this piece is the result of an author who wanted to write the protagonist mowing down foes with all kinds of firearms, only to discover they had no idea how to convey that feeling, and thus went berserk on the spot.

In this chapter you'll see the over‑excited protagonist, the deranged Church, and the silent teammates, together forming a battlefield of a chaotic demonic dance.

I actually thought up even more outrageous items—slime balls, bouncing bombs and the like—but fearing you'd call me lazy on word count, I left them out.

If you want to skip this author‑going‑berserk chapter, just open the comments; the author will post whatever useful plot this chapter actually contains there (which is basically just the author going berserk).

Finally, aside from a bit of social anxiety, the author's mental state should be fine; apologies for everything.

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Confirm usage.

Just now, after pressing the confirm button, a mass of silvery‑white light surged from the device in Ying Duo's hand, enveloping his entire body.

The light was warm and gentle, forming a hemispherical shield about two meters in diameter around Ying Duo; faint Runes drifted across its surface, and chaotic spacetime wind howled past him.

Inside the shield, however, everything was unusually calm; Ying Duo's hair no longer flailed about, and he pressed his hood down.

System Prompt: Temporal‑Spatial Stabilizing Shield activated, shield duration: 14:58

It seems there's no need to worry for now; the trial‑card timer will expire before the shield does.

Yang Yixie exhaled, lifted his head, and looked beyond the shield.

Outside was no longer a chaotic mess like porridge, but a constantly boiling slurry.

Temporal‑spatial turbulence whipped up an invisible storm that raged over the cliff; some people were hurled away by warped space, nearly falling into the void, while others, standing still, suddenly had their bodies stretched and compressed, emitting cries of agony.

The phosphor powder of the Butterfly Speaker was swept into the turbulence, its tiny lights twisted by space into countless colored ribbons; a few members of the Church only glanced at them before becoming completely lost, their faces showing a dazed smile.

Lu Mu's Ravens tumbled wildly in the turbulence, and several were even swallowed whole by spatial rifts, leaving not a single feather behind.

Lu Mu himself hid in the shadows, but the shadows were being warped, forcing him to keep changing his hiding spot.

Fang Zhiyan's tentacles waved in the air as he struggled to keep his balance, and even he wore a hint of solemnity in his dark‑red eyes.

Hong Ling had long been motionless, clutching a rock on the cliff edge, her whole body fluttering in the wind like a flag.

Lei Zhao was still tangled with a few members of the Church in the distance, but his movements were clearly affected.

Everyone was in total chaos.

Only Ying Duo curled up unharmed inside the silvery shield, a spectator lying in the eye of the storm.

Yang Yixie watched the chaotic scene outside and suddenly felt a strange sensation.

It was as if......

The NPCs in this game were finally beginning to experience the fear of being controlled by a player?

He hadn't had time to think it over when his Recon skill made a new discovery.

Something was silently approaching his shield.

Those roots emerged from cracks at the cliff's edge, slithering silently across the ground like snakes, slowly advancing toward Ying Duo.

Yang Yixie's eyes narrowed slightly.

Regardless of who created those trees, it's certain someone intends to ambush him.

Ying Duo opened his Game Backpack, glanced over it, and casually selected equipment suitable for the current situation.

Honestly, Yang Yixie personally thinks the biggest drawback of the trial card is that there are just too many items and gear.

He simply doesn't have time to examine each one's effects and traits, and with the already fuzzy pixel icons, he relies purely on gut feeling, or just grabs a high‑quality item at random.

There's nothing he can do; his Game Backpack lacks any sorting or arranging function.

Armor-Piercing Assault Rifle (purple)

Durability: 500/500

Trait: high penetration

A mass of Ying Guang Lu Data Stream surged from his hand, coalescing in his palm into a sleek assault rifle; Ying Duo raised the weapon, pointing the barrel at the approaching roots.

Yang Yixie's gun accuracy still needs improvement, but a burst‑fire rifle with this ammunition is perfect for sweeping the area.

It's probably because he didn't hit a weak point; although he repelled the eager roots, the actual damage was minimal.

He still needs something with area damage that requires little operation; a cannon would work, but once equipped he'd be virtually immobile.

Honestly, he feels very unsafe on the ground he's standing on now.

He swiped his right hand across the backpack interface, ignoring traits and names, grabbing and tossing items outward.

"fireinthehole!"

Ying Duo's hands rummaged through the backpack wildly, like pulling blind boxes.

Flash Shock Grenade (green)

Effect: after explosion releases intense flash and concussive blast, causing blindness and deafness

Ying Duo lifted his hand.

A dark silhouette shot out of the shield and detonated mid‑air.

Boom—!!!

A blinding white flash instantly engulfed a small area, and the Church members charging forward screamed in agony, covering their eyes and rolling on the ground.

Name: Joy Gas Grenade (blue)

Effect: releases hallucinogenic gas that gives inhalers intense pleasure and an urge to giggle.

Ying Duo lifted his hand again.

Bang!

Pink smoke burst outward.

Several Church knights who inhaled the gas suddenly halted their attack, standing still with bizarre smiles, and began to giggle.

【Name: Stink Bomb (Green)】

【Effect: Releases an extremely foul-smelling gas, causing nausea and vomiting.】

Ying Duo raised his hand again.

Yet another black shadow flew out.

Bang!

The powder exploded, adding a layer of green smoke to the pink smoke, looking quite harsh on the eyes.

"Ugh——!"

Someone vomited outright.

Those who were just laughing foolishly are now laughing and vomiting at the same time, their facial expressions priceless.

Yang Yixie's hand kept frantically pulling things out; he had no idea what he was throwing.

Flash bombs, smoke bombs, stink bombs, laughing gas, dizziness grenades, concussion grenades, pepper-spray bombs, sticky foam bombs...

Red, green, blue, purple—every color, every effect.

Both his hands were throwing, left then right, front then back, the motions getting faster and more practiced.

The area outside the shield had become a completely phantasmagoric scene; one might think they were throwing some kind of party, with demons dancing wildly.

At first he still paid attention to what each device did, but once the mischief kicked in, those details ceased to matter.

What matters is——

It's great fun.

It's really great fun.

When he used to play games, he would only use flash and smoke bombs for tactical reasons, knowing exactly when to lay smoke and when to retreat.

But now...

Who cares about tactics?

Just throw them and be done!

The chaos outside is growing exponentially.

Some were blinded by flash bombs, then choked by smoke bombs, then made to vomit by stink bombs...

Some were hit by seven or eight effects at once, crying, laughing, vomiting, dizzy, spinning, and rolling on the spot.

The tree roots were blown back, then sprang out again, only to be blown back again.

Lu Mu poked his head out from the shadows, glanced at the area blanketed by various explosions and smoke, then silently withdrew.

"I didn't see anything."

Bai Mu Yun leaned against the broken wall, watching as all sorts of monsters and ghosts sprang forth, and slowly closed his eyes.

"I'm used to it," he was self-hypnotizing, "I've already gotten used to it."

Fang Zhiyan stood not far away, his dark-red eyes gazing at the frenzied area, somewhat awestruck.

Red Ling no longer clung to the rock; likely the spacetime turbulence in her vicinity had eased a little, and she now sat on the ground, blankly staring at the chaos, her expression numb.

They had just witnessed the suppressive power of Ying Duo's barrage; though he had previously been indiscriminate, why did his style suddenly turn weird?

The battlefield was in utter disarray.

The Church's people lay scattered in all directions, postures and expressions varied—some laughing foolishly, some crying, some vomiting, some spinning, some doing all of the above at once.

They were beaten helplessly, not because they were weak, but because they simply didn't know how to respond.

Dealing with artillery? Possible.

Dealing with swords? Possible.

Dealing with aberrant arts? Possible.

But who the hell can tell him how to deal with a lunatic who hurls flash bombs, smoke bombs, stink bombs, laughing gas, dizziness grenades, concussion grenades, pepper-spray bombs, and sticky foam bombs at your face?!

Devious! So devious! How can it be this devious?!

Nobody could possibly do this.

So they could only lie on the ground, in various postures, expressions, and states, waiting for this nightmare to end.

Some even preferred to dive headfirst into the spacetime turbulence rather than avoid those unknown projectiles.

Being swept away by the spacetime turbulence, at least it's unknown.

But staying here is unknown plus torment.

They chose the former.

Ying Duo's hand finally slowed, not from fatigue, but because he suddenly felt a pang of conscience.

By the way, where did his dear roommate end up in some obscure corner?

Just before Fang Zhiyan and the others went out to fight, they had properly hidden Luo Jinyou.

After all, Luo Jinyou wasn't in the team, risking accidental friendly fire—just look at the surrounding chaos, and you'll know who this refers to.

But the problem is...

Where was Luo Jinyou hidden again?

Ying Duo's gaze swept over the broken cliff.

Outside the silver-white shield, various colored smoke still drifted; within the smoke, vague silhouettes could be seen—some writhing, some twitching, some dancing.

But none of them were Luo Jinyou; after all, this kid is as obedient as a stone, since he can't move at all.

His gaze continued moving, and then Ying Duo finally saw.

At a spot near the edge of the broken cliff, a small white figure was curled up.

Luo Jinyou.

He's unharmed.

This is where he is now......

That rock had already been loosened more than half in the turbulence, and could fall at any moment; the cliff beneath it had cracked open, and a huge spatial rift was slowly widening.

Luo Jinyou huddled at the edge of the rock, half of his body already hanging in midair.

Ying Duo:!!!

That rock, torn by the spacetime turbulence, finally shattered completely, and together with the curled-up white figure, it plunged into the spatial rift below the cliff.

Ying Duo moved.

The instant he saw Luo Jinyou falling downward, he had already lunged out.

Phosphorescent green and silvery white intertwined, dragging an afterimage behind him that streaked across the chaotic battlefield like a meteor.

"Ying Duo——!"

Bai Mu Yun's voice came from behind him, but Ying Duo did not turn his head,

All he saw was that spatial rift wildly expanding in all directions, swallowing everything around it.

Rocks, air, light, and that white figure.

Luo Jinyou vanished into the rift, and Ying Duo's hand grasped at empty air.

It's just a minor spatial rift; he's not unfamiliar with slipping into one.

Youjump! Ijump!

Then he simply jumped straight in; the phosphorescent green silhouette disappeared into the depths of the rift, swallowed by endless darkness.

On the cliff, everyone witnessed this scene.

Bai Mu Yun's complexion turned rather grim.

And this was only the beginning; before anyone could react, the spacetime turbulence grew even more violent.

The storm surged from all directions, enveloping the entire cliff; those who had been barely keeping their balance completely lost their footing.

Lu Mu was flung out from the shadows, his ravens scattering in flight, with several torn apart outright by the turbulence.

"Damn——!!"

His voice was drowned by the storm, his whole body swept up into the air, tumbling as it flew off in some direction.

Hong Ling clung desperately to the rock, but the rock itself was crumbling, and blood seeped from her fingertips.

"Lei Zhao!"

Her cry was torn to shreds, but Lei Zhao still turned his head immediately and saw Hong Ling's struggling figure in the storm.

He opened his mouth, wanting to shout something.

But the next second, his gaze fell on another person.

Jiangdu.

That Mitra Academy student, who had somehow appeared on the edge of the battlefield at some point,

He should have left long ago, but because he unluckily ran into the Butterfly Speaker and Sandy Isle Peak, after sending those two over he didn't have time to withdraw.

Violent spacetime turbulence raged all around him, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

But a spatial rift had already opened very near him, and Jiangdu was completely unaware of it.

Having witnessed the terrifying speed at which a spatial rift could expand, Lei Zhao could only temporarily abandon the relatively safe side of Hong Ling and sprint toward him.

"Lei Zhao——!!!"

Hong Ling's scream was heart-rending, but Lei Zhao did not turn back.

He lunged to Jiangdu's side, grabbed his wrist in one hand, and then a raging spatial rift swallowed both of them.

Fang Zhiyan barely kept his stance, his tentacles flailing wildly as he tried to grab onto something to steady himself.

But the storm was too strong; the runaway, out-of-control principles overwhelmed even him.

More and more people were being drawn into the ever-increasing, ever-expanding spacetime rifts.