Chapter 148

Lei Hu stared at the blood moon in the sky, muttering to himself: Was tonight's event truly just a simple accident?

The moment the blood moon erupted, he rode his horse into the Serina district.

After entering the district, he did not head straight to the church but blended into the crowd, observing what had truly happened.

He stood at the Miracle of the Great Sage of Serina, watching countless believers kneel at the site where the first miracle had erupted, frantically praying to their god.

He stood atop Serina's tallest tower, using a long-range telescope to observe afar, seeing undead hordes surging forward like tides beneath the crimson moonlight.

He also saw those dying men and women who had come to Serina seeking final peace, dying in anguish under the blood moon's glow, then swiftly transforming into undead and indiscriminately attacking those around them.

Among them was the fellow he had turned to charcoal with a single punch.

That withered old man had struggled even to drink water before death, yet as an undead, he could effortlessly snap an adult's neck and drain a person's entire blood supply in two or three seconds.

In Serina's district, at least thirty percent of the population were near death.

Even if the undead outside couldn't break in, could the city hold against this group of dying men turning into undead?

The only thing that reassured him was his Lightning Knight transformation, whose Lightning Spirit Power naturally possessed exorcism effects, easily slaughtering these undead.

Even if Serina's district truly fell, he could fight his way out of the undead horde and end the instance after escaping combat.

He wondered if Zhan Gui had succeeded—this blood moon was suspicious; if it dragged on and he got locked outside, he wouldn't come out to rescue him.

As Lei Hu pondered how the blood moon would end, several clergy approached, clearing away the charred undead.

The lead priest remained behind and extended an invitation to Lei Hu.

"Sir Knight, the Paidejiao Sect's Patriarch wishes to meet you."

Lei Hu feigned surprise: "The Patriarch wishes to meet me?"

When Lei Hu had used his power, he knew it would draw Hunguang Sect Sect's attention—that was exactly what he wanted.

Hunguang Sect Sect was undoubtedly a crucial force in the Midnight Graveyard; if tonight was merely an ordinary incident, cultivating ties with them might let him gain advantages before the instance spiraled out of control. If the instance collapsed tonight, he could use Hunguang Sect Sect as bait to draw the undead's attention and escape combat.

Either way, he stood to win big.

The priest spoke with pity: "Disaster has struck suddenly; crisis looms. Only by uniting can we hope to survive. Your strength as a knight is vital."

Lei Hu hesitated: "Unity isn't the issue—but what title will I fight under?"

The priest understood immediately—he knew Lei Hu was demanding a reward, and promptly promised:

"The calamity brought by the blood moon is the great calamity foretold in divine prophecy. This war is a Holy War. All knights who join the battle will be granted the title of Holy Knight of the Hunguang Church, with all privileges of a Holy Knight. Should any of you miraculously summon a divine sign, Holy Knights shall be the first to receive its blessing."

"I gladly serve!" Lei Hu pounded his chest with his right fist and declared at once.

Whether or not a divine sign appeared didn't matter—he cared only for the title of Holy Knight.

Before entering the instance, Iron Armor Clan had gathered intelligence on the Midnight Graveyard: Holy Knights ranked above even ordinary bishops, standing as elite among the church hierarchy.

Rumor had it that acquiring this title allowed one to exchange for a Holy Knight-exclusive skill.

Seeing Lei Hu agree, the priest led him deep into the Hunguangda Cathedral; the two rode an elevator down to the ritual chamber on the second basement level.

At the chamber's center, the sacred fire burned anew in the great brazier—though its quality paled far beneath the Age Fire.

After bringing Lei Hu there, the priest withdrew, closing the ritual chamber's door behind him.

Hearing the click of the lock behind the door, Lei Hu glanced back involuntarily, thinking: The natives of this instance realm had unusually high manners—everyone just closed doors without thinking.

Inside the ritual chamber, Hearing Zhanghuo stood alone beside the altar's brazier, looking down at Lei Hu below, his voice emotionless:

"You've finally come. I've been searching for you a long time."

Lei Hu frowned. What did he mean by "searching for him a long time"? That didn't sound like a good thing.

"Has the Patriarch met me before?"

Hearing Zhanghuo shook his head. "Never."

Lei Hu exhaled in relief—another mysterious, cryptic native. If not for your Patriarch status, I'd have punched you twice by now.

Hearing Zhanghuo shifted tone, his voice turning sinister: "But I remember your Lightning Spirit Power—clearly."

Lei Hu froze in shock: "You're a player?!"

Natives of the Midnight Graveyard couldn't possibly know the term "Lightning Spirit Power"—the Patriarch of Hunguang Sect Sect was a player.

This was bad.

Though he didn't know why this man had come, any Iron Armor Clan member suddenly confronted with "I've been searching for you a long time" would instinctively think: This is bad.

Another enemy had come knocking.

No motive, no reason—even many Iron Armor Clan members killed never knew if their attackers targeted the clan or them personally.

But they were used to this life; just as they hunted strangers in groups without believing those strangers had any grudge against them.

Seeing Lei Hu panic, Hearing Zhanghuo grew more certain—he was the thief who stole the lamp. He waved his hand; the sacred fire beside him came alive, coalescing into a flame giant.

"Thief, I told you before: if I ever find you, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Wait—are you mistaken?" Lei Hu frowned. Was this man truly here for him?

Impossible—he never made enemies this big. Those who clashed with him rarely survived until the instance ended.

Hearing Zhanghuo sneered, unimpressed by Lei Hu's poor acting.

"Among all players entering this instance, who else wields Lightning Spirit Power besides you?"

Lei Hu answered honestly: "No one."

"Then it's you. Die, thief!" Hearing Zhanghuo roared, commanding the flame giant to charge Lei Hu.

Out of respect for Hearing Zhanghuo's local status, Lei Hu had wanted to avoid conflict—but the constant "thief" insults stoked his blood. His short temper flared.

Lei Hu activated his Lightning Knight transformation fully—his body stretched, muscles bulged, growing over three meters tall, covered in a layer of lightning armor, resembling a god.

Whatever you are, first learn to speak like a human!

Lei Hu drew a deep breath; lightning danced in his eyes, then his entire body became a blue streak, hurtling straight toward Hearing Zhanghuo.

Earlier, without going all out, he'd used this move to instantly kill the cannon. Now, with his Lightning Knight transformation fully unleashed, this technique was over three times faster—he became a bolt of lightning, arriving before Hearing Zhanghuo in an instant.

As his fist neared Hearing Zhanghuo's face, he saw the sneer on the man's face.

"Overestimating yourself."

The next moment, massive flames erupted from Hearing Zhanghuo's body, engulfing him entirely.

Lei Hu's fist slammed against the flame shield, as if striking a solid metal wall—it did not shatter the shield, and the recoil nearly shattered his own arm.

Moreover, where Lei Hu touched, the flames spread upward as if alive.

Where the flames passed, they ignited and melted the lightning armor encasing Lei Hu's body.

Flames capable of melting lightning—Lei Hu had never heard of such a thing!

Lei Hu dared not stay any longer; he immediately dispersed the lightning armor on his body and, while the flames had not yet reached his flesh, retreated violently, escaping beyond the range of the flames.

"What kind of flames are these?!"

A crack opened in the shield surrounding Hearing Zhanghuo, revealing his face. "Your class transformation power is decent, but no matter how decent, it's still ordinary. The gap between an ordinary class transformation and a hidden one is far greater than you imagine!"

With that, the flame giant Lei Hu had dodged earlier dissolved into countless fire crows, surging toward Lei Hu from all directions.

Two minutes later, Lei Hu, his entire body charred black and one arm burned off, exhausted of energy and strength, was slapped to the ground by the flame giant and never rose again.

Hearing Zhanghuo walked up to Lei Hu, looking down at him with the posture of a victor. "A mediocre person without talent or divine favor, to reach this point is already impressive. I'll give you a chance—hand over my lantern, and I'll spare your life."

Lei Hu looked at Hearing Zhanghuo, expression helpless. "I already said during the fight—I don't know anything about a lantern."

Hearing Zhanghuo's face turned cold. "Are you trying to stall until the instance collapses? Or pretending to be stupid, hoping to slip away while I'm not paying attention and use your item to escape?"

"I didn't! I didn't! Ah!"

Before Lei Hu could finish, Hearing Zhanghuo tore off his remaining arm, then plucked the forced-escape item from the severed hand.

"Do you think your childish tricks can fool my eyes?"

Hearing Zhanghuo condensed a ball of flame in his hand and shoved it into Lei Hu's mouth. The flame entered his belly, and Lei Hu immediately felt his internal organs burning—such pain defied description.

More importantly, as his organs burned, Lei Hu remained locked in combat state—he could not use any item to escape, even if he wanted to.

Hearing Zhanghuo clapped his hands. The great hall's doors opened, and four black-robed clerics, reeking of blood, entered. Hearing Zhanghuo looked at Lei Hu and said: "Do you know? While religion knows how to offer salvation, it understands far better how to inflict pain. The creativity of believers in torturing and interrogating heretics is limitless. Especially on this plane—when people discovered that pain and despair awaken the gods more effectively than piety and hope, interrogation here has evolved into an art!"

"One last chance—give me back the lantern, and I'll spare your life."

Lei Hu wept. He truly did not know what lantern he wanted. "I really don't have the lantern you're looking for. I only have the Gravekeeper's oil lamp."

Hearing Zhanghuo nodded, smiling brilliantly.

"You're challenging me, are you? I love men like you—tough-talking bastards. Take him away. Give him the highest-grade treatment until he's willing to hand over the lantern!"

The four black-robed men pulled out thick, sharp iron hooks and drove them directly into Lei Hu's body, dragging him out of the ritual hall.

Hearing Zhanghuo turned his head, his mood greatly improved. He knew well how twisted the hearts and hands of those black-robed believers were—once they got hold of someone, no secret could be kept.

Lei Hu will spit out the Four Seasons Fire Lantern—it's only a matter of time.

The only thing he couldn't understand was: according to his later investigation, the "Sui Sui Ping An" instance was broken by that monster newcomer—so why did Lei Hu obtain the Four Seasons Fire Lantern?

Could it be that the monster newcomer was secretly cultivated by Iron Armor Squad, and Lei Hu was summoned as backup in a crisis?

Either way, it couldn't be that the monster newcomer entered this instance himself. According to intelligence from informants, just a week ago, the monster newcomer broke the "Silent Town" instance. How could he enter another instance only a week later?

Impossible to figure out—but it didn't matter. Lei Hu would confess eventually.

!

Hearing Zhanghuo rode the elevator to the very top of the Hunguangda Sect, standing on the observation deck of the cathedral's upper level, waving to the believers below.

The Eternal Soul Flame atop the cathedral erupted, its fire surging straight into the heavens.

Watching the Eternal Soul Flame reignite, the believers knelt to the ground, weeping with emotion.

Hearing Zhanghuo gazed at the scene below, unable to suppress a smile.

Just wait a little longer—when the timing is ripe, he would harvest this fully ripened fruit!

Meanwhile, in Cottage 44, Wu Chang and his group left Mikael I's Tomb of Eternal Life and walked toward the cemetery's exit.

Due to Mikael I's arrangements, Cottage 44 was the center of the Blood Moon Eternal Life Ritual—the surrounding Blood Moon energy had been entirely drained by the tomb, leaving Cottage 44 unusually quiet, with few undead visible.

Even when they appeared, they fled far from Wu Chang's group, terrified of the Crown worn by Ai Lin.

Wu Chang walked ahead, holding the Gravekeeper's oil lamp; behind him, Han Er chattered incessantly.

Han Er stole glances at Ai Lin, now re-donning her black robe, and kept pressing Wu Chang, asking if during his world travels he'd brought out the goddess he worshipped as well.

Wu Chang initially had the patience to reply a few times, but later grew too lazy to respond, pretending not to hear.

Yet Han Er had no intention of giving up. Having seen Ai Lin's true divine form, he was certain she was a genuine goddess.

Compared to Ai Lin, the Paidejiao Sect's Patriarch, the Grand Sage of the Lingyao Sect—all were ordinary mortals, plainly visible in their limits.

He began loudly discussing joining the faith in a voice Ai Lin could hear, asking Wu Chang whether worshipping his foreign religion could petition the goddess to manifest a miracle.

No grand miracle needed—just a small one: resurrection of the dead. If possible, he would give anything—even his soul.

Wu Chang had no interest in Han Er's proposal, but Ai Lin perceived his intent and patiently answered:

"Gods are not omnipotent beings. Gods are merely a higher form of life, and even they must obey the rules of the plane. If the dead are newly deceased, while their souls have not yet dispersed, I might find a way. But your beloved has been dead too long—even a god stronger than I could do nothing."

Hearing Ai Lin's words, Han Er, who had just reignited hope, grew despondent again.

As the group walked, Wu Chang suddenly stopped, staring at the figure that had appeared before them.

By the light of the oil lamp, Wu Chang recognized the person—it was one of the eight players. He remembered the man's name was...

Oh, the man, like him, had not yet introduced himself before Lei Hu and Fire Cannon interrupted.

But it didn't matter—he had already learned the man's name from the blood-written last words on his body.

Oda, from Sakurajima.

Later, don't say "xī bā"—say "bā kā."

Oda clearly came with no goodwill. He showed no intention of introducing himself, openly and rudely sizing up Wu Chang.

From the state of Wu Chang's group, there were no signs of recent combat; the entire Cottage 44 cemetery also showed no signs of Blood Moon influence.

It must be that Ruifuzhu Sect's activities had absorbed the pressure that Cottage 44 was meant to bear.

Looking at the clueless Wu Chang before him, Oda silently thought: what a fool, yet what luck.

"You're the gravekeeper of Graveyard 44?"

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Oda was planning, and replied: "What do you want?"

Oda spoke with the posture of a superior, ordering imperiously: "Have you seen a caravan enter Graveyard 44?"

Wu Chang pretended not to notice the hostility in his tone and answered honestly: "I saw them, but they're my clients—I can't tell you the details."

Hearing that Ruifuzhu was Wu Chang's client, Oda frowned in suspicion—could this rookie be part of the Holy Son Project?

If so, he couldn't kill him before using him.

"I'm allied with Ruifuzhu Sect. His commission concerns my mission—if you help me, I'll resolve any troubles you face later in the instance." Oda casually drew a big pie and tossed down a Hunguang Sect token.

Wu Chang's eyes lit up. "I took them to a special tomb chamber. Come with me—they're performing a ritual inside, and it's not over yet."

Saying this, he moved to lead Oda toward the Tomb of Eternal Life.

Oda nodded and followed behind Wu Chang. As they walked, he asked casually: "They told you to open the door, but didn't ask you to stay and guard the ritual?"

At that moment, they reached an open area. Numerous tombstones appeared; the trees grew sparse.

Wu Chang shrugged. "They asked me to guard it. I refused."

"Hmm?" Oda frowned, sensing something wrong.

"What do you mean?"

Wu Chang turned his head, revealing a dark, sinister expression like the hidden mastermind behind an instance.

"They want to stop Great Mikkel I from achieving immortality. Do you know? If their plan succeeds and they seize the Blood Moon's energy to divide Mikkel I, this instance could very well be broken."

At these words, Aileen beside Wu Chang moved. She raised the Light of Resolve and charged toward the forest's edge.

The targeted figure tried to flee, but it was too late. In a blink, Aileen reached the opponent, brought down her hammer—and not only stunned them, but nearly sent them to death.

The targeted target fell unconscious. The Oda who had been trailing Wu Chang instantly turned into a wooden doll and crashed to the ground.

Wu Chang walked into the forest, looked at the dying Oda, and spat in disgust. "Players with Agile Specialization are just too fragile—just one hammer blow and they're down to a sliver of HP."

Oda thought he'd hidden well enough, but before Wu Chang's nearly hundred-point Insight, the blood-red last words on Oda's true body shone like a beacon in the dark.

Earlier, the terrain had been too complex for Aileen to charge—so they hadn't taken him down the moment they met.

"Aileen, purify him. Then go over there and keep Brother Han Er company while he talks about his dead wife. The next scene isn't for good children."

Under Aileen's Purification, Oda slowly woke. He opened his mouth to speak—but a dagger was shoved into it.

"Shh. Don't talk."

Wu Chang twisted his wrist, physically silencing Oda.

Looking at Oda's wide, staring eyes, Wu Chang sneered: "I woke you up so you'd die understanding. Let me be clear: someone important wants this instance to collapse. I won't let anyone ruin that great person's plan."

"So, little bastard, you can only blame yourself for picking the wrong side—choosing to stand with the break-instance players."

Without waiting for Oda's reaction, Wu Chang pulled out Dawn's Weight and executed him outright.

With Oda's death, the blood-red last words on his body vanished.

The Ronin's blood-red last words read: 【Kill Oda, and before he dies, declare the reason: the instance must collapse; he must not complete the break-instance.】

Hmph. Strong sense of revenge. I like it.

Clearly, the Ronin's revenge succeeded. This method—being mistaken for the enemy, then killed without warning, with the reason declared—was infuriating.

Even Oda, a ninja, couldn't hold back. His eyes bulged with rage as he died, more frantic than the Ronin himself.

But one thing Wu Chang hadn't expected: in his fury, Oda had also formed blood-red last words—and they clung directly to him.

The blood-red last words read:

【Complete the Midnight Graveyard instance's break-instance. I want to cripple that bastard along with me!】

(End of Chapter)