Chapter Thirty-One: Massacre

“I’ve heard you’re pretty strong? Hahaha! But who knows if you’re stronger than Soren, the top-ranked player. Even Soren had to behave when he came here. So you? Hmph!” One Day of Pleasure sneered coldly.

He’d played a part in the previous siege against Soren, though Soren was only saved by a group who arrived at the last moment.

Suddenly, a crowd of players emerged on both sides of the road, clearly having lain in ambush for quite some time. Their numbers dwarfed those of Luoyue and her companions—at least ten times greater.

Li Ren glanced around at the encircling players with contempt.

“Is that all?” he said, as if unimpressed.

“That’s all it takes to wipe you out! When you’re all killed back to level one, don’t come crying to me!” One Day of Pleasure’s expression darkened. He hadn’t achieved his desired outcome, which irritated him, but he was still curious how they’d acquired their guild order. Killing them now was just as good.

Li Ren looked at the onrushing players and smiled. Their numbers were not insignificant—perfect for a sword sacrifice.

He stood motionless, gripping the longsword he’d obtained in the Woma Temple, waiting for the first attack. He meant to make them pay dearly! The weak must accept their fate. “Those who bully me? I’ll destroy you!” Li Ren thought fiercely.

No one knew who struck first, but as soon as the system flashed “justifiable defense,” Li Ren sprang into action.

After learning the sword techniques passed down by Zhao Yun, his combat skills had ascended to a new level. To him, the surging players were nothing.

With each step and swing of his sword, a life was claimed, regardless of their equipment or profession. Many of the frenzied attackers never even saw how they died—the world simply faded to gray.

Every ten steps, a life fell; not a soul left standing for a thousand miles. Li Ren moved like lightning, his sword no longer a mere blade, but Death’s scythe, the King of Hell’s summons.

He advanced as if strolling through a forest, calm and at ease, and wherever he passed, it was as if flowers bloomed in his wake.

In this place where slaughter was enacted to the extreme, Li Ren finally grasped a hint of the sword’s intent, the meaning Zhao Yun had imparted. An immense aura, like that of a giant, began to radiate from him.

Weapons, in the end, were made for killing.

Li Ren sighed, surveying the countless players charging him, their faces twisted in rage, ferocity, worry, hesitation, fear, terror. He thought of all the blood essence, all the attributes, and let out a sly laugh. He raised his sword before him, pointing it to the sky.

“Rain Beyond Mortal Ties!”

The words, dreamlike and ethereal, carried a sense of lightness, and shimmering threads of light began to fall upon the battlefield.

In an instant, all those vicious, snarling, anxious, hesitant, fearful faces vanished, replaced only by corpses strewn across the ground.

The abrupt transformation left everyone unprepared.

“Go back and tell your master: my decisions are best left untouched. If he insists on meddling, well—hmph!” With that, Li Ren didn’t wait for One Day of Pleasure’s reaction; he casually swung his sword, turning him into another corpse, staining the ground with fresh crimson.

Luoyue and her companions had forgotten to cheer, forgotten about victory, stunned by the reality unfolding before them. The bloodied bodies lying everywhere were proof this was no dream!

One against a hundred! One against a thousand! Who was this man before them? Even the battle against the Woma Chief hadn’t been as thrilling as this. Each of them was utterly shaken by what they had witnessed.

“Brother Bones, you’re amazing,” Rou Shui’s sweet voice sounded behind Luoyue.

Li Ren grinned. “Not at all, not at all. You’re amazing too—the aura of beautiful ladies is formidable!” The other half of his personality sparkled brightly.

“Go level up and do your quests. Things should be quiet for a while. If anyone bullies you, tell your big brother—I’ll help you teach them a lesson!” Li Ren laughed, gently ruffling Rou Shui’s hair with tenderness.

Rou Shui, shy and gentle by nature, blushed bright red, making Li Ren smile even more.

Amidst this atmosphere, the girls were lively and cheerful.

“Alright, let’s head back. You need to complete the first phase of the guild quest as soon as possible. Once you pick a suitable location for your base, gather everyone there—their strength will be more concentrated. For now, the priority is to upgrade the guild and seize every valuable resource.”

After Li Ren finished speaking, Luoyue nodded. This had always been her plan, but today’s events served as a warning.

No matter how strong your allies, if your own strength is lacking, you’ll always be bullied.

Having witnessed the enemy’s power and ugliness, the girls’ desire to grow stronger surged as never before.

“Player Luoyue invites you to join Purple Cloud Pavilion. Accept?”

A system prompt sounded in Li Ren’s ear.

He considered, then accepted. Joining the guild was no big deal—with the Ring of Deceit’s abilities, all his data was hidden. Even if something were exposed, he feared nothing. Was there anyone here who could keep him from leaving? Ridiculous!

“Guild leader Luoyue has promoted you to the new guild leader. Please continue to work hard and lead the guild forward.”

“Pfft!” Li Ren nearly spat blood.

“Are you… playing a joke on me?” Li Ren looked at the outcome, feeling helpless.

“Hey, you got the guild order yourself, and you promised to protect us. So from now on, you really have to be ready to do it!” Luoyue smiled slyly, as if shedding a long-held burden. The youthful aura from her made Li Ren shake his head, yet his heart warmed.

“Greetings, sisters!”

“Greetings, leader!”

“Thank you for your hard work, ladies!”

“At your service, leader!”

“Hehe, wonder what kind of service that is… hehe!”

“Go die!”

The guild channel burst into laughter.

“I know you have your own things to do, so you don’t need to worry too much about the guild. I’ll do my best to maintain it,” Luoyue said, approaching Li Ren in a casual manner.

Li Ren nodded, deliberately adopting an arrogant tone. “You get me—very good. Then, as leader, I’ll reward you… hmm… vice leader.” He’d intended to say “a kiss,” but seeing her beautiful face and lively eyes, he suddenly couldn’t bring himself to say it. He was scared!

“Pfft!” Naturally, the girls jeered, eager for drama.

“Go on, get back to your quests and leveling!” Li Ren was a little embarrassed.

“Alright, we’ll head back now—still need to turn in our quests. Dear leader, please take care of us from now on~” Waving her hand, Luoyue led the group of beautiful girls in saying goodbye to their new leader. Their smiles lingered as they left, and Li Ren felt a sense of fulfillment.

Thinking back to his own past, perhaps this was fate? So he mused.

On the bodies of the slain players, blood essence began to crystallize, flying into Li Ren’s hand and transforming into experience that merged with his being.

So much blood essence provided remarkable experience and attributes.

Li Ren paid no mind to the terrifying consequences of absorbing all that essence and attribute. He strode toward the outskirts of Selan City, crossing the Azure Plains. Finally, he turned back to glance at Selan City, at his friend list and guild info, then removed the Ring of Deceit.

Your friend “Bone by Bone” has logged off.

Luoyue watched the name in her friend list grow dim, not knowing what thoughts lingered in her heart.