The staff that Ji Canghai gave her, the first and only priest staff in the entire server, valued at a hundred thousand, which she had flaunted everywhere before, treating it more precious than her life, refusing to lend it to anyone even for a photo, she just gave it away today. There could only be two reasons: either she had lost her mind or she had acquired something even better. “So, she must have ‘slept’ her way to some internal secret… Hey, Qin Chuan, your mind works fast,” Xiao Mary sent a private message to San Tu Chuan. “Reminds me of someone I used to know.”
Amidst the vast snowy plains where the expedition team was traveling, with a gray sky overhead and endless white snow ahead, they were about to cross the first snow mountain. “Stop. I’ll check the headcount to see if anyone is missing.” The team made a final adjustment. After Xiao Zhizhi counted twenty people, she turned to report to the expedition leader, Cang Hai Yi Xiao. Seeing Xiao Zhizhi running over, Liu Li, standing next to Cang Hai Yi Xiao, scoffed with a “humph.”
In a world filled with high-level players, she thought this level 60 little girl was truly garbage. If it weren’t for the map specifying that it must be completed with the cooperation of twenty players under level 60, she wouldn’t have bothered with these eyesores, not even bothering to glance at their names. “Alright, everyone, let’s go. This time, I’ve organized this expedition to have everyone help me and my wife shoot a beautiful video. Just follow my instructions, follow the route, do what you’re told, and when we get back, I’ll give each of you 3000 yuanbao. If it takes too long, I’ll even add more money. But remember, no going offline, no sudden departures, and no doing anything I haven’t instructed…” Ji Canghai was still announcing several “no’s,” filled with confidence and a foolproof strategy. Once he announced the distribution of yuanbao upon return, the little kids in the team were thrilled, eager to cling to his legs. Ji Canghai waved his hand, “Let’s go!” The grand expedition team continued to advance into the depths of the snow mountain…
Chapter Twenty: Great Retribution
Ji Canghai sneered, and Wang Shenmu gave a cold laugh.
He had just received a call from a former colleague, informing him that he had forgotten a draft in his drawer which was taken by the supervisor. Wang Shenmu scoffed; he could guess what was going on. A sense of great satisfaction from revenge filled him – this map was genuine, but it was just an introduction, far from the divine artifact. So what if that dog man helped the dog woman restore to level 200? He had spared them, but they insisted on using this incomplete map to search for the artifact. Such humans were seeking their own doom. When Wang Shenmu was designing the legend of the divine artifact, he decided to satirize these ignorant and arrogant humans. However, what Wang Shenmu couldn’t understand was why his meticulously designed divine artifact task was deciphered by Chang Sheng Dian, especially the one buried in the deepest darkness, “Ragnarök,” a plot so cruel and dark that even he couldn’t bear it. But Chang Sheng Dian understood his thoughts, found the secret in the darkness. Did this mean he harbored greater pain in his heart?
It was as if a bottomless black hole was swallowing his soul – Wang Shenmu knew that only someone who lingered in darkness and death could uncover his secret. He increasingly wanted to meet Chang Sheng Dian.
By noon, the expedition team had just crossed the first snow mountain. “Looks like the task is quite challenging. Everyone, rest in place for a while, eat if you need to, use the restroom, and we’ll set off again in half an hour,” said Ji Canghai’s Silver Moon Warrior, “Cang Hai Yi Xiao,” clad in the golden God’s Armor, wielding the Silver Moon Greatsword. Before him and behind him was a world covered in endless snow, far from any city. Apart from his wife Liu Li and the twenty members of the expedition, there were hardly any people. Moreover, once beyond a certain range, in this place classified as “desolate,” the system wouldn’t even provide coordinates, and even the in-game map was inaccessible. There were no paths on the ground; one had to feel their way through the vast white snowy plains and mountains.
So far, they hadn’t seen anyone else, and even the players in the team were complaining, “Aren’t we there yet?” They could only follow the main group in a daze. At this moment, Xiao Mary’s private message window popped up. “Do you have a voice function?” Qin Chuan asked her, “The situation might get tense soon. Use this break to get ready; we won’t have time to type.” It was well-known that the server’s number one thief, Hong Yao Tang, disliked voice chat and preferred typing. Seeing Xiao Mary’s hesitation, Qin Chuan sent another message: “Or you could come to my place; I have an extra computer.” Su Yao silently gazed at the sky. Everything he said was true; whether it was a fierce battle, a grab, or chaos that ensued, as a former professional player, she had already gone over all possible scenarios in her mind. If they found the divine weapon, the moment it appeared would be so tense that even breathing would seem a waste of time. “Alright, I’ll go.”
Su Yao was a straightforward person; she wouldn’t hesitate when hesitation wasn’t needed, especially at such a crucial moment involving a divine weapon. She agreed to go, got the address, said goodbye to Ah Cao, and hurriedly left to hail a taxi. The journey took only ten minutes, and Qin Chuan had already set up a second computer waiting for her.
Su Yao didn’t have time to look around much; at this critical moment, she plopped down in front of the computer. “Ten minutes left.” Qin Chuan glanced at his wristwatch. “Would you like something to drink?” “No need.” “Do you want something to eat? I can go downstairs to buy something.” “No need.”
Seeing Su Yao sitting professionally in front of the computer, Qin Chuan was at a loss for words. “There’s still some time, let me tell you about how I obtained Twilight of the Gods.” He finally said, “What they’re looking for this time is definitely a divine weapon; I can feel it’s similar to what I experienced back then. I’ll tell you, so you can be prepared.”
“You’re willing to tell me?” Su Yao was slightly surprised; she had seen on forums how wealthy individuals offered huge sums to hear from Chang Sheng Dian about his acquisition of the divine weapon. Since they couldn’t buy his scythe, buying an account of his experience was still valuable. As the first person to find a divine weapon and make the legend a reality, everything he went through could be immensely helpful for finding other divine weapons. “Back then, Wang Sheng City had no ruler; people on land formed teams to mine underground, fight monsters, set up stalls, and hackers often did business at the city gates. The once prosperous Wang Sheng City had almost turned into a black market,” Qin Chuan said slowly, “I never liked crowds, so I sought out quiet places to admire the scenery. After observing for a while, I noticed that every night, the moonlight on the plains would miss certain spots. I sent some low-level characters to scout, and after several nights, I finally triggered a plot.” “You managed to discover that?” Su Yao gasped. “And then? What happened next?” Su Yao pressed him. “Later, I realized I still fell into their trap.”