C11 Quest Item: Nether Phoenix Crystal(2)

In the midst of the crowd, a swordsman named Blue Sky brandished his longsword and declared in a grave tone, "Upon our arrival, hold your ground. We'll wait for all our companions to gather before considering our next move."

But no sooner had he spoken than the towering figure beside him scowled in dissent, "If we delay until they join us, we'll lose our edge. Remember, we're not the only ones drawn here by the news. Several guilds have arrived. Our small numbers are the only reason we've made it here so swiftly. We can't afford to waste time; we need to press on."

Shield Hero, a master gamer and the leader of their party, had a clear understanding of the situation at hand.

A diminutive Prophet murmured, "Enough bickering, we're nearly there. Let's scout for any loot. If we come up empty-handed, we make a quick exit. I'm out of Blue Medicine, and this place... it unnerves me."

Her words were cut short by a cacophony of crows in the distance, their cries sending her into a pallid retreat.

Another player, an Assassin, gripped his dagger and assured her with fervor, "Fear not. I won't let harm come your way."

The Prophet regained her composure, disregarding him and gravitating towards Shield Hero, finding solace only in his proximity.

The group emerged from the dense forest to the quarry's edge, halting in their tracks. Shield Hero's gaze landed on Lin Bei, and he was taken aback, wondering, "Could he have beaten us here? Why else would someone be present?"

Blue Sky, too, was caught off guard by the sight of Lin Bei's formidable blade. As a swordsman himself, he mistook it for a fellow swordsman's weapon. Despite Lin Bei's unassuming appearance, Blue Sky was on edge, querying his team, "Could he be the one who unlocked it? That weapon he wields looks valuable. Should we seize it?"

Moments ago, caution was his creed, but now, temptation spurred thoughts of possession. In the Eon Realms, after all, combat and plunder were commonplace, and they were no strangers to such acts.

The Prophet, hesitating, voiced her thoughts to the group, "Good gear isn't always at hand in the Eon Realms. This man has concealed his stats; perhaps we shouldn't strike first. Besides, his solitude here suggests formidable strength."

Their journey had been fraught with peril, facing several level eight Black Wolf Men with formidable offense and defense. Without their diverse team and the sacrifices made, they might not have made it this far. The youth before them, having arrived sooner, was undoubtedly powerful.

Blue Sky was undeterred, "What does his strength matter? This is but a game. We outnumber him; we can easily encircle him."

His eyes fixed covetously on the long blade, and without waiting for his teammates' concurrence, he stepped forward.

Facing Lin Bei, he issued an ultimatum, "Kid, we're not without reason. Drop your weapon, and you're free to go."

"Resist, and we'll send you back to the village at no charge!"

Numbers breed confidence. Had they not recently suffered losses, their ranks would have boasted fifteen, not eight.

In the face of such a force, even the legendary One More Life would fall without exception!

Yet, in that instant, Lin Bei flashed them a grin, baring his white teeth. Before they could react, he lunged with a Z-shaped step, teleporting directly in front of Blue Sky.

Lin Bei's blade rose, then descended with lethal precision!

The Blade of God, gleaming with a bronze sheen, sliced through Blue Sky's neck, blossoming into a spray of crimson.

"You are afflicted with the Fatal Throat-cutting Effect, enduring a tearing state for 5 seconds!"

"In this state of tearing, you will experience pain and rigidity!"

The system's alert jolted Blue Sky, but before he could respond, the excruciating pain shattered his resolve. Clutching his neck in agony, he tried in vain to stem the relentless flow of blood.

In the Eon Realms, lacking Attribute resistance in player combat could lead to such dire consequences, mirroring the vulnerabilities of the real world. A throat cut meant bleeding out, meant the loss of combat capabilities.

Yet, with sufficient Attribute resistance built up in later stages, players could avoid such fates.

But it was clear that Blue Sky, before Lin Bei, had no such defenses.

For Lin Bei had unleashed the Blade of God repeatedly, each strike targeting Blue Sky's vital points—his eyes, his heart, his throat.

Lin Bei's assault was brutally savage, leaving onlookers from afar completely petrified!

As a result, Blue Sky, who couldn't hold out for long, met a grisly end at the hands of Lin Bei's merciless tactics.

Blue Sky's body was left gruesomely disfigured, resembling a ghastly zombie.

Then, with a slow descent to the earth, Blue Sky transformed into a longsword plunged into the soil, marking a makeshift grave.

Lin Bei casually flicked the blood from the Blade of God, unfazed.

He then methodically advanced toward the remaining few members of Shield Hero.

In a flash, the Shield Hero players snapped out of their shock!

But before they could muster a response, the haunting sound of the death notification for their fallen comrade echoed in their ears.

"Player One More Life has slain your teammate, Blue Sky. You have 15 minutes to launch a counterattack against One More Life, during which your team's drop rate will be boosted by 100%!"