章節 113: God's Showcase
Extracting the power of the ancient gods was no easy task, yet Bai Yi was determined to do it himself. The lure of the rewards from defeating six mid-level gold bosses was too great to resist. Currently, the progress of the Soul Lantern had reached a significant 280%, its soul power comparable to a large Soul Crystal.
This accumulation stemmed from the creation of the Soul Lantern, enhanced by the souls of two mid-gold beings—though one was a member of the Night Rose, and the other a favored one of the ancient gods. Regardless of their quality, these souls were still valuable gold-level assets. Bai Yi anticipated that after eliminating them, the Soul Lantern's progress would rival that of a Soul Crystal Core.
In the future, he wouldn't need to consume soul crystal cores directly to boost his soul power. That would be wasteful; instead, he planned to gather materials to craft potions once he reached the gold level. Potions could potentially yield 200% of the soul core's effect.
As dawn approached, the six mid-rank golden captives, bound by numerous sealing inscriptions, were escorted to the headquarters of the Plague Doctors. Bai Yi observed them closely, preparing to extract the ancient god's power. Behind him stood twenty-three gold superiors, including Eric, divided into four small groups, their expressions tense yet silent. Resistance was futile.
[You gain Ancient God Power x6.]
[You killed six bosses of levels 63-67. EXP +230,000, boss bonus 100%. Total EXP +460,000, with an additional +230,000 EXP.]
[You gain +9 skill points and +5 free attribute points for defeating six bosses above your level.]
[Your evil thoughts passively absorb a large amount of negative emotions and high-quality blood: Strength +13, Agility +16, Endurance +15, Intelligence +3.]
Bai Yi winced as tentacles recoiled from his face and hands, the restlessness of his soul growing heavier. The dark side of his being was nearing a dangerous threshold, and he needed to find a way to mitigate the side effects of his evil thoughts. Perfecting them was out of the question; any perfect transformation would impose a limit.
Evil thoughts were considered a forbidden transformation due to their limitless potential. As long as his soul could suppress the dark side, it represented the most perfect transformation.
Checking the progress of the Soul Lantern: [370%]. This was promising, nearly equivalent to half a small soul crystal core, making the equipment worthwhile.
After steadying himself, Bai Yi turned to Eric. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Eric replied calmly. The encounter with the six captives had been manageable; each had been imprisoned separately, and their power was significantly sealed.
Bai Yi glanced at the gathered gold masters outside. "Stay here for a moment and don't follow us."
Eric raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"The Plague Doctors are just as capable in combat as you are. With so many gold masters accompanying me, my safety is assured. We need someone here to prepare for any eventualities."
Looking at the three distinct groups outside, Bai Yi continued, "Leave one person from each group behind. We can't trust the ancient god's followers. If things go south, we'll need to let 002 confront the ancient god. A mature dangerous object won't be easily controlled by the gods."
The three groups nodded in agreement, understanding the necessity of leaving guards for the S-series dangerous objects. If Beacon City fell into chaos, the consequences would be dire.
Eric remained silent, recognizing his confidence in Bai Yi's abilities after this ordeal. He understood that he couldn't coddle Bai Yi as if he were a child. As the leader of Dawn, he needed to exhibit decisiveness and crisis management skills. With nineteen gold superiors at Bai Yi's side, facing a god might not be as perilous as it seemed.
The group made their way to the headquarters of the Plague Doctors in the underground city. Upon entering, they found an old cupboard, about one and a half meters high and half a meter wide, standing unguarded in the hall.
This was the S-series, known as the Showcase of God.
Bai Yi examined the information displayed about it, receiving two slightly different sets of data.
The demon hunters had recorded:
[Name: God's Window.]
Codename: S-015.
Effect: Transaction—write your request, and it will be completed. Upon completion, you'll receive a task to fulfill within a time limit; failure results in a curse leading to death within three days.
Note: If your request exceeds your ability to pay, like "solving the curse of black death," your request will be skipped, and you will receive a death task instead.
Note: Its curse is a mark; it will use any means necessary to kill you. S-029 emerged because of S-015, resulting in the death of everyone in the city.
Introduction: It seems to be God. As long as you can pay the price, you can receive anything. Fail to pay, and you will face God's wrath.
Conversely, the panel provided:
[Name: God's Window.]
Attributes: Dangerous object.
Effect: Spend fate power to initiate a fair trade; you can obtain anything you can imagine.
Introduction: A window into dimensional turbulence, containing everything. If you're ready to die, you can attempt to compete with greed. Can you overcome your greed and survive?
Price: Not for sale.
The contrast in these descriptions solidified Bai Yi's decision to retain this item. It had immense potential and could be exploited in various ways. He contemplated whether players could trade with this window or if death row inmates might exchange their lives for some benefit.
Furthermore, the rules noted by the demon hunters indicated that one needed to consume the power of fate to initiate a transaction.
What exactly was the power of fate? It could be defined as luck, influenced by every choice and growth in a person's life. When fate thinned, individuals might unconsciously seek death until they ultimately perished.
Fortune tellers, who specialized in fate, could unveil countless possibilities, often pinpointing the most likely outcomes. For instance, if a city were destined to be struck by a meteorite, the fortune teller would predict this with certainty. Upon reaching the gold level, fortune tellers could even alter a person's fate, guiding them unknowingly towards their demise.
Thus, few would dare antagonize a fortune teller. Offending one could lead to dire consequences, as their power extended beyond mere predictions.
The God's Showcase would first assess a person's fate during the initial transaction. If their fate indicated imminent death, the roles would reverse, and they would be the first to accept the task.
Bai Yi scrutinized the old black window, his thoughts racing. A dangerous object, not a calamity object, meant it lacked a physical form. Each time the nightmare world cycled, a new God's Showcase would emerge.
What if two showcases were to send tasks to each other? His imagination ran wild with possibilities. This connection to dimensional turbulence was a source of intrigue and potential chaos.
As time passed, the sound of light footsteps echoed. The twenty-three gold and Bai Yi turned to see a figure with a human face growing from his left arm, cautiously approaching.
"Hey, am I late?"
"No, you arrived just in time. Do you want to leave now or use the window first?" Bai Yi asked, tossing a test tube filled with dark energy toward him.
The others glared at the ancient god's follower, their eyes filled with suspicion. Their distaste for anything related to the gods was palpable. If he failed to weaken the ancient god, they would have sent him to meet his deity long ago.
"Mr. Bai Yi, this is too harsh! Look, I'm here now. If you don't help me with this, how can I complete my work?" Charles protested, gesturing helplessly to the entity on his shoulder.
Bai Yi remained composed, knowing this was still a cooperative stage. Eventually, after dealing with the god, he could turn his focus on Charles.
Raising his hand, Bai Yi beckoned, and the face on Charles' arm squirmed before obediently returning to his palm. He produced a vial of blood essence and poured it over the mask, which quickly absorbed its power. After consuming 500 milliliters of blood essence, the mask trembled slightly and ceased its movements.
This was the deal: the entity would follow Charles for one day in exchange for a vial of blood essence. Blood essence, rich in vitality and magical energy, was highly prized by dangerous beings like this one.
Watching this transaction, Charles shuddered, silently vowing to distance himself from Bai Yi in the future.
"The next step is to transport this to Sunset City," Charles announced, patting the God's Showcase with newfound confidence.
Bai Yi nodded and stood up. One of the demon hunters moved forward, gripping the edge of the window, and slowly maneuvered it out.
Without further discussion, the group positioned themselves on the teleportation array Bai Yi had set up. A distance of 800 kilometers was well within its range.
Buzz~
As the formation activated, a resonating sound filled their minds, akin to a heavy blow to the back of the head, causing their vision to momentarily fade to black.
When their sight returned, the nineteen gold superiors and Charles glared at Bai Yi, suspicion evident in their eyes, as if expecting an ambush. Yet, as they assessed their surroundings and noted their lack of injuries, they relaxed, realizing Bai Yi had no motive to betray them. Their mutual goal was clear: the ancient god.
If teleportation arrays were as unreliable in the nightmare world as suggested, Bai Yi would not have been able to establish one.
Charles surveyed the area. They stood in a dead city, characterized by dilapidated streets, abandoned homes, and an overwhelming stench of decay, eliciting discomfort among the group.
"This is the center of the city," Charles declared. "You all should step back unless you want to share in the backlash of S-015 with me."
The golden superiors exchanged looks, their eyes settling on Bai Yi, who remained the de facto leader.
After a moment's consideration, Bai Yi stepped forward, prompting the others to retreat a safe distance.
Once they were about ten meters away, everyone paused, watching Charles intently as he began his ritual.
Though he felt their proximity was too close for comfort, Charles remained silent. He summoned the power of the ancient god and poured it over himself without hesitation.
Buzz~
A peculiar aroma filled the air as the morning sky darkened. A wave of unease washed over the group.
Charles closed his eyes, his aura fluctuating wildly—gentle, rapid, manic, gloomy—shifting as if he were multiple beings in one. As the divine power surged around him, a dark, disastrous energy began to dominate.
An overwhelming sense of superiority enveloped him, while the black liquid atop his head evaporated rapidly.
In a flurry of motion, Charles reached into the window, retrieving a gray tentacle. He swiftly scribbled something on it.
Suddenly, the entire nightmare world roared, and a breath of disaster engulfed them all.
As Charles released the tentacle, a thunderous roar echoed from another realm, shaking the very ground beneath them.
Rumble~
The tremors intensified, and an oppressive feeling settled over everyone. Then, a black portal opened in the sky, releasing an overwhelming presence of the divine.
As the voice resonated, a door on the God's Showcase opened, and a tentacle lunged toward Charles. Yet, it was redirected by an unseen force, missing him entirely.
The roar from the other realm grew louder, and the power of the divine caused the God's Window to tremble. However, it ultimately stabilized.
In the ensuing silence, an angry voice rang out: "Damn it, Charles! You tricked me! Just wait!"
A young man with red eyes, as if on the brink of tears, burst through the portal, rushing headlong into the chaos.
Charles exhaled, relieved, and disregarded the curse aimed at him. He propelled himself toward the opening in the sky, a mask materializing in the air, only to be obscured by darkness.
With a smirk, he turned to Bai Yi. "Looks like the higher-ups have restricted gold from ascending. Are you still brave enough to follow?"
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