Shen Lu: I've Mutated into Multiple Game-Breaking Abilities

Chapter 15: The End of the Dark Sky As he continued browsing information about the Dark Sky, he also uncovered some deeper details

For example, a magic crystal would form in the area where the Dark Sky appeared, and only by destroying it could the Dark Sky be ended; otherwise, it would continue indefinitely, with more and more monsters appearing. Another example was that these monsters appearing in the real world not only yielded no experience points when killed but also dropped no items whatsoever, including skill materials. “ “So...” Ling Yi slipped his phone back into his pocket and rubbed his chin as he speculated, “Right now, the players in the Firefly Division must all be searching for the Magic Crystal.” He looked out the window and saw clumps of black mist of varying sizes materializing out of thin air beneath the bright streetlights. A few seconds later, the black mist dissipated, revealing all manner of monsters in its place. There were tigers made entirely of flames, golden eagles with two pairs of steel wings, liquid monsters that looked like pools of venom, and eerie stone monsters hopping about... Among them, Ling Yi also spotted a monster he recognized: the Red Fruit Monsters. They looked like giant red apples, hopping aimlessly up and down the street. ‘It seems monsters in the real world behave just the same as they do on the Shen Lu.’ Monsters tend to attack when they spot people but wander aimlessly when they don’t. According to the information he’d just reviewed, monsters in the real world generally wouldn’t actively attack buildings unless they detected people inside. Therefore, hiding indoors was indeed safer. Just as Ling Yi was thinking this, a loud, thunderous vibration suddenly came from the distance. Boom—! The sound came from hundreds of meters away, yet he could distinctly feel the ground tremble beneath him. He pressed himself against the window and gazed into the distance toward the source of the sound. There, amidst the pitch-black cityscape, he could faintly make out a colossal creature, sixty or seventy meters tall, striding through the darkness! Boom—! Another tremor shook the ground, signaling that the giant beast had taken another step. “What!? Is that a monster, too?” Ling Yi suddenly realized he’d fallen into a line of flawed thinking. Up until now, he’d always viewed monsters as the minor enemies from the games of his past life. He’d assumed they were all small—the kind that could fit on a single screen. Now he realized he’d been wrong. This was a world where monsters truly existed; there were no so-called “screen limitations.” Therefore, monsters could actually be enormous! Boom—! The colossal beast took another step; the sound of its feet pounding the ground felt as though it were stomping on everyone’s hearts, sending shivers down their spines. However, to Ling Yi and the others’ relief, the colossal beast did not head toward Tianxing Square. Instead, it headed north, toward the town center. “Phew~” Ling Yi let out a slight sigh of relief. When he brought his gaze back, he noticed that a thin sheen of sweat had already begun to form on his forehead. The dining hall was still very dark. But now that his eyes had adjusted somewhat, he could see the young girl sitting across from him cowering fearfully in the corner, covering her ears with both hands. Although Ling Yi was a player who had only just entered the Shen Lu, he was still someone who possessed a modicum of supernatural power, so he remained relatively calm. Feeling thirsty, he picked up a glass of water from the table and gulped it down in quick, loud sips. After drinking his fill, he relaxed—but soon sensed that something was amiss. “Huh? Something’s off.” “Since I just saw the Red Fruit Monster, that should mean we’re in Level 3 Black Sky.” “And in Level 3 Black Sky, monsters should only be between Levels 1 and 30.” ‘Could that colossal beast really be a monster below level 30?’ No matter how he thought about it, Ling Yi couldn’t believe it was just an ordinary monster in the 20s or 30s. Unless, of course, it was a boss-level creature. He flipped through the information on the Black Sky once more and only then realized that not only would ordinary monsters appear in the Black Sky, but elite monsters—and even boss monsters—from the main path might also show up. In the absolute worst-case scenario, a Demon Lord could appear! However, the records stated that when a Demon Lord appeared, it was often accompanied by celestial and terrestrial anomalies—a fact that eased Ling Yi’s taut nerves. “It should definitely just be a Level 3 Dark Sky. Although I don’t know how large the area is, the Firefly Division’s combat strength alone should be enough to handle it.” He’d heard that the Firefly Division had quite a few players in the 30s and 40s. The highest-level among them seemed to be around Level 60 or 70. Just a Level 3 Black Sky—it shouldn’t be a problem. As he thought this, he also noticed quite a few people appearing one after another in the city below. Some were men who appeared suddenly—as if teleporting—under the colorful LED lights lining the streets, attacking with throwing knives controlled by mysterious powers; others were women flying through the air, their bodies ablaze, unleashing fiery attacks; and still others, standing beneath streetlights, had transformed into monsters and were engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with demonic creatures. They were clearly the players here. A bizarre array of skills kept appearing; it seemed everyone had their own specialties. Ling Yi observed them closely and noticed that some were fighting alone, while others were in groups of two or three. Even when they passed each other, they didn’t exchange greetings, as if none of them knew one another. The connections between players in the real world didn’t seem as close as he had imagined. He shifted his attention back to the battle. He realized the monsters were no match for the players at all; they were all instantly wiped out almost the moment they appeared. Only a few monsters managed to hold out for a little while. But they didn’t last even half a minute. “Looks like this Dark Hour will end soon.” He glanced at the time—it was 1:30 p. m. —and estimated, “We should be able to head back around 2:00 p. m.” ...... Ling Yi’s estimate had been too conservative. It took only about fifteen minutes—around 1:45 p. m. —for the “Dark Sky” event to end. In the blink of an eye, the environment returned to normal. Sunlight streamed through the windows onto the clean tiles, reflecting a warm yellow glow onto the dining room ceiling, instantly filling the entire room with warmth and brightness. Some people cheered as if they’d survived a catastrophe; others hurried out as if they couldn’t hold it in any longer; still others remained calm, as if they’d anticipated this situation all along. “Our Firefly Town is the strongest town in Qianjiang—a mere Level 3 Dark Sky is nothing to worry about.” A fair-skinned man with a green mushroom-cut hairstyle spoke eloquently amid the celebrating crowd: “Even if a monster really did break in, I’d definitely be able to defeat it and protect you all.” “After all, I am a Level 7 player!” Those around him inwardly scoffed at his after-the-fact bravado, but their faces wore expressions of “surprise and delight.” “Oh!? You’re actually a player? Let’s be friends, let’s be friends.” “Not bad, kid. I’ve got high hopes for you.” “You can tell just by looking at him that he’s got potential.” As soon as the green-haired man said he was a player, some people immediately wanted to go over and make his acquaintance. However, most remained where they were, casting subtle, disdainful glances his way. Ling Yi heard him say this from a distance. When he looked over curiously, he overheard two young men at a nearby table whispering to each other. “The game just launched yesterday in June, so he’s clearly a player who joined Shen Lu last month. Only Level 7 after a month? What kind of potential is that?” “The fastest players hit Level 10 in half a month; even the slowest don’t take a full month. And this guy actually has the nerve to say that—he’s got some thick skin.”