C4 Shadow Hippocampus

Xiao Hao set the eight ebony eggs atop the blood-soaked cloth.

The blood visibly permeated the eggs, which seemed to act like tiny black holes, hungrily swallowing the light around them.

Or perhaps, they were radiating a dark light.

They even had a slight sheen, reminiscent of the black and gold hues found on an invitation card.

In no time, the eggs, as if sated with blood, began to wriggle.

They transformed like the symbiote Venom from the Marvel movies.

The newborn hippocampus was unlike any ordinary seahorse. Its dorsal fin was adorned with black-gold spines, each accented with porcelain-white stripes. The skin stretched between the spines resembled black gauze.

Its head was horse-like, yet its snout was a slender cone, tipped with a black-golden spike that bore a small round mouth.

The creature's belly protruded, its torso composed of sharply defined bony rings, and its slender, quadrangular tail curled with visible barbs.

The entire Shadow Hippocampus measured roughly twenty to thirty centimeters, its pitch-black pupils fixed on Xiao Hao.

Despite being inside the Shellfish House, surrounded by air, the Shadow Hippocampus appeared to float as if submerged in water.

Was this his guardian?

Leaving its formidable combat abilities aside, its striking appearance was off the charts!

The virtual game panel in the air buzzed with an increasingly dense barrage of comments.

Ahhhhhh!!!

Behold the Shadow Hippocampus!

A paragon of both battle prowess and beauty—I'm smitten!

Early on, guardians rely on their Battle Weapons, which falter in the later stages. But the Shadow Hippocampus's bug is its enduring utility in the endgame!

Were it not for the binding that made them irreplaceable, the elites of our race would likely swap all their Battle Weapons for Shadow Hippocampi!

...

Through the game panel, Xiao Hao could almost feel the envy emanating from the screen.

Yet amidst the tumult of information, he zeroed in on a crucial detail.

"Once bound, it cannot be changed."

This wasn't like other games.

Typically, you'd start with a weaker hero and either pay up or grind for a while before securing a powerhouse.

While playing the game, heroes could be switched out.

But the real kicker in this survival game? No switching allowed!

It's clear from the get-go that there's a cap on the number of heroes, or Guardians, you can bind. If not, there'd be no need for changes; just bind a bunch more, and you're set.

The chat feed was adamant: no alterations possible. Even the top players couldn't snag extra, which just shows how scarce the binding slots are.

Full of excitement, Xiao Hao clicked on the Guardian info page.

Guardian (Unit Type): Shadow Hippocampus (Juvenile)

Attributes: Dark, Water

Count: 8/10

Level: 0

Reserve Troops: 0

Skills:

Shadow Vanishing: The Shadow Hippocampus can morph into a shadow, boosting its movement speed in this state.

Darkness Corruption: Skilled in wielding dark energy, the Shadow Hippocampus constantly drains the life force of its enemies. As long as darkness exists in this world, this erosion can bypass any defense.

Dark Domain: Working in tandem with Darkness Corruption, any enemy within the Dark Domain suffers from its effects.

Stacking: When Shadow Hippocampi fight together, the effects of Darkness Corruption stack, multiplying the rate at which it drains enemy health and expanding the Dark Domain.

Having reviewed the Shadow Hippocampus's specs, Xiao Hao grasped its game-breaking potential.

Imagine it sapping 1% of health per second; eight could deplete 8%—enemies would be wiped out in under two minutes.

And the cherry on top? Darkness Corruption ignores defenses!

Sadly, it seemed he couldn't bind more than ten.

Wait a minute.

Judging solely by its abilities, the Shadow Hippocampus was absurdly overpowered.

But if that were true, the chat feed wouldn't claim it was no match for a ghost.

Xiao Hao kept an eye on the chat, hoping it might clue him in on how to sidestep the game's pitfalls.

"Heh, think he's feeling unbeatable now?"

Sure, the Shadow Hippocampus was formidable, but the blood drain from these low-level creatures was just too insignificant.

The game was brutally unforgiving. It didn't matter if a wild monster was level 50 or 5; they all had a mere 100 health points.

"Right, the 'health' in the game represents a percentage, not the actual hit points," Xiao Hao mused.

You'd think the Deep Sea Phantom had only 100 HP, but in reality, it's sitting on a few thousand. Draining that would take an eternity...

Xiao Hao's mouth twitched in frustration. He had suspected as much. The game was riddled with pitfalls! It was time to level up—and fast. He needed to steer his audience in the right direction.

Talking almost to himself, Xiao Hao pondered aloud, "The game hints at collecting Spirit Beads to level up, but the real question is—how do you collect them?"

As expected, his musings led the audience to an answer. Treasure chests might yield Spirit Beads. But relying on treasure chests was a long shot; the primary way to get Spirit Beads was through battling monsters.

Hmm...

It was pretty straightforward. Spirit Beads were essentially experience points. Defeating monsters earned you these points, a typical game mechanic.

Lost in thought, Xiao Hao noticed something odd about his right hand—it was faintly visible. What was happening?

He opened his personal information page and was surprised to find four new skills listed under his abilities!

Shadow Vanishing!

Dark Erosion!

Dark Domain!

Stacking!

Players could possess Guardian skills? That was unexpected.

He chuckled to himself, imagining the shock on the faces of others. Soldiers could master all their skills, but generals had to choose just one.

Ignoring the teasing comments from the denizens of Alien Land, Xiao Hao activated his new skill.

Shadow Vanishing!

Instantly, his entire body, clothes and all, morphed into a shadow, moving as effortlessly as a leaf dancing in a breeze under the harsh sun.

Xiao Hao adapted quickly to this novel form of movement. With increasing familiarity came greater agility in his steps.

Could it really be this seamless?

When he deactivated the skill, the shadow reformed into Xiao Hao's physical form. He felt as if his energy had been siphoned away, his legs buckling beneath him as he collapsed onto the bed.

The toll of using the skill had been far greater than he'd ever imagined.

It seemed that skills should only be used as a last resort.

Luckily, in addition to those active skills, Xiao Hao had also gained a degree of night vision, and his physical condition had significantly improved.

Now, through the floor-to-ceiling window, Xiao Hao could see about ten meters ahead.

It took a while for Xiao Hao to regain his composure.

"I wonder if that monster is gone."

Go, go, go, time to fight the monster!

Laughing to death here, you're sending messages he can't even see.

Xiao Hao quirked an eyebrow.

Oh, right, right.

He can't see them.

Xiao Hao gently turned the doorknob and stepped out of the room once more.

"Wu—"

The call of a massive creature echoed in the distance.

Its sound was eerily distinct in the deep, dark sea.

Walking on the somewhat muddy, dark red ground, the chilling sensation continuously assaulted Xiao Hao.

He hadn't forgotten the prehistoric Parapenaeopsis stylifera 20 meters from the door.

It would be the first to face his blade.

Despite his night vision, Xiao Hao still switched on his phone's flashlight.

Sometimes, light can bring a sense of bravery.

As he neared the prehistoric prawn, Xiao Hao could make out its form, and a cold sweat broke out.

This prehistoric Parapenaeopsis stylifera bore no resemblance to the prawns he was used to!

Its pair of stalked, giant eyes resembled those of a tentacled monster, and its multi-segmented, spiny antennae were like two massive centipedes. With a body flat like a crocodile's and fins resembling oars on either side, this creature defied the name "prawn."

The flesh at the lower end of the several-meter-long prawn's head split open.

That was its maw!

The circular opening bristled with dense, blade-like teeth, and it let out a fearsome roar at Xiao Hao!

The roar sent Xiao Hao's heart racing, fear burrowing into his marrow like an incurable disease, his teeth chattering uncontrollably!

Bloodshot eyes fixed on the prawn before him, Xiao Hao knew he couldn't run.

Turning his back meant certain death!

The prehistoric prawn, lacking any patience, lunged at Xiao Hao with ferocity!

The gaping maw, crimson as a manhole cover, was aimed directly at Xiao Hao. The writhing, blade-like teeth were sharp and glossy, catching the light from Xiao Hao's phone.

Xiao Hao shuddered uncontrollably—a natural response of his body.

The enormous maw targeted Xiao Hao's head, and he could clearly see the mass of knife-like teeth, operating like a meat grinder, still gnawing on fragments of bone and flesh.

In that instant, Xiao Hao's mind raced to the warning he had seen on the bullet screen.

The screen had warned that coming within two meters would provoke an attack.

But he was a good seven or eight meters away! Why was it attacking now? His guardian hadn't even been summoned yet!