[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-monsters-are-coming":3,"chapter-the-monsters-are-coming-monsters-are-coming-chapter-24":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Monsters Are Coming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2249873,4069,"Chapter 24: Sacrificial Power Surges","monsters-are-coming-chapter-24",24,"\u003Cp>Three hours later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the cave, flames raged fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mocking roars continued; most players had exhausted their sacrificial power and could no longer sustain their damage output.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the players were about to give up in despair, the mocking roars inside the cave gradually lowered in pitch, finally ceasing all signs of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they dared not approach, a sense of expectation rose within the players' hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten-odd minutes later, a notification sounded in the minds of all players who had participated in the battle:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Challenger Notification: Second-Generation Primordial Monster \"Mockery\" slain. Participants share a reward of 20,000 sacrificial power and gain permission to freely unlock the next Star Vein socket (limited to Star Veins levels 0–3).]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the players, this voice sounded incredibly pleasant and melodious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They one after another summoned the Star Vein Strengthening panel from the function options to inspect the newly contained Primordial Soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Mockery (Second-Generation Primordial)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monster Trait: Releases a mental shockwave centered on itself; targets struck will, based on their own memories, experience a large volume of memory-altered plotlines within a short period, with the caster becoming a part of those altered memories (effective only against intelligent life forms above level 1).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guide Tip: After releasing this ability, you cannot imagine what role you will play within the target's memory illusion; it could be their father's murderer, or perhaps the neighbor Old Wang, but none of that matters... Watch closely, he is already rushing at you with bloodshot eyes—brace yourself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purchase Cost: 3,000 sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to First-Generation Primordial Souls, the purchase price for Second-Generation Primordial Souls had tripled, reaching 3,000 points of sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The description information also included an additional line: a Guide Tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the price was steep, the Mockery Soul had already become a mandatory second Soul in the eyes of the Gargoyle players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The combination of Petrification and Mockery allowed one to foresee just how formidable it would be in actual combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Underground of Emperor Tomb Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From post-battle communications among the players, Qi Sheng gathered two important pieces of information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When discussing the Mockery monster's traits, players couldn't help but complain that the game lacked a Star Vein socketing simulation feature that would allow them to test ability combinations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Qi Sheng's view, this idea was entirely feasible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could utilize Ye Ming's spatial abilities to create a simulated scenario where players could freely edit their own Star Veins, then use those edited abilities to experience simulated combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the number of contained Primordial Monsters increased in the future, the Simulated Star Vein function could significantly enhance players' development, combination, and utilization of monster ability traits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second important piece of information was that players felt the game needed a forum-like function to facilitate communication and even mutual assistance with strategies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Sheng felt this function was very necessary to add.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to chat modes in channels like Region or Team, strategy exchanges could not be saved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, a forum could archive content such as strategies posted by players, making it convenient for later players to consult, providing immense assistance for future development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before adding these two functions, he needed to prepare in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the idea formed, Qi Sheng immediately instructed the Guide to create the built-in forum function within the game, then contacted Ye Ming to explain in detail the requirements for building a simulated space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Ye Ming went off to busy himself, Qi Sheng, sitting cross-legged on the altar, began to ponder a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he extract the energy crystals from the underground palace of the Dark Cave in advance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His main body certainly could not go; after all, every second his main body ventured out incurred huge consumption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, while discussing the test space with Ye Ming and mentioning the need to create a customizable simulated body for the players, inspiration had suddenly struck him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, there had been no way, but now, possessing the Challenger System forged from the rule-powers of his four vassals, he could completely control players' bodies to venture out and explore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for creating a clone for himself, it was not feasible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After fusing with the Emperor Omen to solidify his origin, his consciousness could project outward but could not be cut, separated, or even replicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the idea formed, Qi Sheng acted immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closing his eyes, the Challenger System manifested in Qi Sheng's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From among the players entering death cooldown, he selected the flesh-and-blood body of one player and consumed sacrificial power to accelerate the reshaping process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called flesh-and-blood reshaping mainly consisted of three parts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the All-Things Extraction function created by the vassal Chao Wei refined all matter from the deceased player; then, the spatial system created by Ye Ming transported it back to Emperor Tomb Village, where the village's territorial trait reshaped it at a 1:1 ratio; next, the Guide re-installed the digitization system; finally, the power of space transmitted the reshaped flesh-and-blood body from underground to the resurrection point on the surface of Emperor Tomb Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire process resembled an assembly line; driving the reshaping progression required only 10 points of sacrificial power, with no additional energy loss during the interval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if a player's monster form reached level 100, the price for flesh-and-blood reshaping would not change in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he opened his eyes again, his consciousness had already switched to the body of the selected player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this was not perfect control following consciousness fusion; it was more like remote control of a marionette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, his main body summoned Ye Ming, who was located in the underground space, and specified the coordinates for teleportation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, a spatial teleportation array appeared beneath the player body's feet; the surrounding space twisted and changed, and after a brief sensation of weightlessness, he had already arrived within the palace on the fifth underground layer of the Dark Cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing ahead was the Ice Blade Remnant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Circling around the Ice Blade Remnant, Qi Sheng approached the Spirit Gathering Array, squatted down, and touched the golden crystal with his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, surging energy flowed continuously through the player body as a relay station, transmitting into the sacrificial power pool beneath Emperor Tomb Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the previously bottomed-out sacrificial power pool, it was as if a floodgate had opened; surging golden energy rushed down, purified in mid-air and transformed into scarlet energy that blended with other sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The transformation process involved a certain degree of energy loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was related to the special nature of sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy crystals left behind by Ice Blade were extremely pure, but far from reaching the purity level where sacrificial power could transform all things; they needed to be purified and refined before they could be converted into sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The purification array left behind by Jiu Yin operated at high speed at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One minute later, the golden crystal was drained dry, turning transparent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Sheng also received feedback information from the Guide:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Sacrificial Power Pool]:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stored Sacrificial Power: 13,333,842.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absorbing the energy crystals had brought him a profit of over 13 million points of sacrificial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this wealth credited, the process of recruiting players could be significantly accelerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing up, Qi Sheng walked toward the rear of the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crossing the Bone-Burying Ground, where the ground was covered by a layer of moss resembling flesh and blood, ahead lay the area where the Domain Node Crystal floated suspended; one could see a massive fleshy tumor, its black tentacles extending to wrap around the Domain Node Crystal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the fleshy tumor condensed from Black Black Tide corrosive energy seemed to sense his presence; a black tentacle shot toward him at extreme speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the physical qualities of the player clone, there was simply no time to react; Qi Sheng was instantly struck in the chest by the tentacle, his body thrown backward, and finally pinned against a load-bearing pillar of the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequently, the tentacle rapidly spread from the player body's chest to other positions on his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an intense sensation of nausea and dizziness, the player body was corrupted and dissolved, while Qi Sheng's consciousness was guided back to his main body by the Challenger System.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The player body you controlled has only level 8 strength; the task of occupying the Domain Node clearly cannot be accomplished with this clone.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words, Qi Sheng nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Black Tide core occupying the Domain Node Crystal clearly possessed self-awareness and would attack nearby life forms; the task of purifying the node could only be completed by other players working together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being able to bring back 13 million sacrificial power from this outing had already left him fully satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1460,"2026-06-19T09:20:35.554Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","984c6aa37368a3741d8cdf28b90b9b31c0406707428bfe1225162bafb610642b","monsters-are-coming-chapter-25","monsters-are-coming-chapter-23",393,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmonsters-are-coming-cover.jpg"]