Upon reaching the core of the maze guarding the Abyss, he suddenly realized that beneath the dim light, there was a row of delicate levers under the stone tablet. Such designs are common in the human world in large instances where mazes often feature this “array core.”
“The array core acts like the master control switch for a maze, allowing control over the directions of various obstacles within, using mechanisms to harm others, or even altering the maze’s structure itself. This provides immense convenience and can disorient others. Imagine, after navigating through a maze, you see an exit, only for the array core to shift, rearranging the maze so that the exit becomes a wall—how frustrating! This design by Wang Shenmu has players both cursing and enjoying it.
In the human world, even a king constructing a palace, dungeon, or sky prison would incorporate such a maze with an array core. With an array core, the maze can instantly reorganize, thus protecting treasures and other vital locations. For player-built structures, the master of the maze array core is the player themselves, but for naturally occurring mazes, the array core is often seized by the strong.
Take Wang Shenmu, for example, who controls the array core of the Shennong Maze in the Eastern Forest, ensuring no one has traversed it completely. The array core here has been claimed by the pirate branch of the Xia Country’s elite thieves’ guild, under the Red Medicine Hall’s arrangement.”
This bay is now exclusively open to Xia citizens; others must pay a hefty toll to mine there. Given that many high-level equipment require black and white coral, which is predominantly found here, it’s easy to see why the Red Medicine Hall’s thieves are rolling in wealth.
Similarly, they control several other natural array cores. Ah Cao and his team’s lifelong ambition is to dominate all these natural array cores in the human world, but reality is often harsh. Wang Shenmu’s forest is out of reach, the Everlasting Palace’s Afterlife City even more so, and seizing the cores from Northern Luozi Shang’s hands is challenging. Small cores are beneath them, and large ones seem to have all been discovered, except for the legendary Primordial Temple and the Celestial Hall of Heroes.
Rumors speak of a Primordial Temple deep within the Dusk Sea, not only hiding the secret of the Southern Divine Artifact but also serving as the array core for the entire Dusk Sea.
However, like the Primordial Temple, the Hall of Heroes remains a myth, untraceable even after the celestial maps have been explored. Over time, people have come to dismiss it as mere rhetoric from the village chief, focusing instead on their own pursuits—killing, evil, monster stealing, cheating, and maintaining mistresses.
Now, upon discovering the Abyss’s array core, Nanbo Wan and his team are overjoyed. By controlling it, they can trap and kill all players entering the Abyss! The young man in front of Machine No. 1, his face now beaming with pride, recalled the joy of standing under the spotlight with a trophy, accepting interviews from around the world. The array core! With only two days left! If he could kill all intruders, the divine artifact would be his!
Looking around, he would fear nothing. What’s Nanbo Wan? The money spent on hiring him wouldn’t even cover the cost of selling the artifact to a coal magnate. Almost instantly, he decided to keep the artifact for himself. With such fortune delivered to his doorstep, why let it go? Even these seven priests would have to die! Once he gets the artifact, he’ll mail it to his account…
The WCG champion, riding Nanbo Wan’s Dragon Warrior, calmly approached, pretending to be unconcerned as he studied the delicate levers, which required careful testing to understand what each one controlled.
Clicking the mouse, he pulled the first lever, and from afar came a rumbling sound as a stone bridge shifted direction. The priests were excited, thinking that by mastering these mechanisms, they could create a direct path to the end, avoiding the detour back to the surface.
The WCG champion began methodically testing the mechanisms, but while he was deep in thought, a white shadow suddenly appeared from behind the massive stone tablet! Swift as lightning, the figure circled around, transforming a fan into a knife, delivering fatal blows with each strike. The champion was in disarray, frantically switching from mouse to keyboard, but it was too late—the Dragon Warrior, despite its thick hide, was drained of blood, collapsing in struggle.
“This champion, not much to speak of. Talent in the country is really declining. You can leave; let Death come instead.” The white-robed youth, his clothes unstained, laughed as he waved his fan. Who else could it be but Luozi Shang?
The seven priests were thrown into chaos; they didn’t even have time to curse before Luozi Shang killed one, kicked two into the lava, and saw four flee, never to return.
The young champion watched all this unfold, initially thinking it was a nightmare. When the last priest also fled, he finally accepted that he was dead. Within ten moves, a max-level Flying Dragon Warrior was killed by Luozi Shang’s fan. Was Luozi Shang really this formidable?!
The champion simply couldn’t believe the prowess of this suave strategist. In his fury, he smashed his keyboard and mouse to the ground, only to be roughly dragged out by the staff. With a cold snort, a man with a youthful face wrapped in a thick coat glanced at the now-empty number one machine. What era was this? The Grim Reaper… The suave and handsome strategist stood once again behind the stone monument. He had already adjusted the route through the array’s eye; this was the only path to the endpoint. He only needed to wait here for him. The Grim Reaper would surely come.
Originally, there were twenty players alive, but within just two hours, several had been eliminated. Now, only fourteen remained. When Ah Cao and his group of thieves encountered the fleeing priests an hour later, they were already on the brink of exhaustion from navigating Luo Zishang’s ever-changing labyrinthine abyss. The two groups met on a narrow bridge, with neither side willing to yield.
On one side were the elite thieves, led by their group leader and seven elite members; on the other, four high priests, hired with great expense by Nanbo Wan Hua, each capable of biting through a thief with ease, especially given the thieves’ depleted health from the previous encounter, barely able to protect themselves.
“Eight against four! We’re not afraid! Who’s scared? Who the hell should go back and let Xiao Ding have his way with them!” Despite knowing the odds were not in their favor, Thief A still rallied the team. Hearing that they’d have to go back and sleep with Thief Ding if they lost, each thief suddenly felt a surge of motivation, preparing for a fierce battle, which then commenced on the bridge.
As the thieves and priests clashed, Yichao Huanyan had also arrived at the stone monument. “Wang Shenmu’s flute…” Luo Zishang spotted the weapon in the female ranger’s hand, then glanced at the empty machine number thirty-six, understanding what had transpired. He stepped aside to avoid being seen by the female ranger, as he had no ambition for divine artifacts; his purpose here was not to seize them. Watching as the female ranger dashed towards the next cave…
“I’ve been waiting for you, Grim Reaper.” Luo Zishang closed his eyes.
Ten years, perhaps everything should come to an end now. They met through the game, and in the game, they would conclude everything. Grim Reaper, or should I say, Qin Chuan, you should be here.
52. THANATOS