Chapter 070: PK Practice Match

The sharp, lethal swordplay of Old Fourth whistled through the air, sending a streak of sword light piercing into the body of the leading warrior. With an attack power well over thirty, the devastating blow not only knocked the target backward but also drained at least a fifth of his health. Meanwhile, Old First’s red poison severely reduced their defense, and the green poison suppressed their health regeneration. The persistent, though not immediately fatal, blood drain became a glaring nuisance in the midst of battle.

The fight had started far from the spot where the enemy had been hunting monsters, and after luring a horde of zombies into a corner, the area had cleared out considerably. But as the enemies all teleported away from the zombie-crowded wall, the aimless undead, having lost their targets, began to scatter in confusion. The group's chaotic movements gradually drew the zombies back into the fray, making an already perilous situation even more treacherous with the undead blundering through the battlefield.

Every time someone was struck by a monster or an enemy, the resulting stagger could mean irreparable harm. After Lin Jia was lightly grazed by a zombie, a pursuing warrior immediately caught up and landed a slash! The young mage, who started with a mere eighty-six health points, lost a third of his life in an instant. When he tried to run again, the slow start-up left him vulnerable, and the warrior’s next strike, in concert with the three surrounding zombies, dropped his health to less than a fifth.

Drenched in cold sweat with only a sliver of life left, Lin Jia knew all too well how fragile a low-level mage was on the battlefield. Death lurked around every corner, ever ready to snatch away the unwary. Just as the warrior raised his sword for the final strike, Lin Jia slammed his left hand onto the keyboard, pressing six hotkeys at once. In a reckless act of desperation, he gulped down three strong magic potions and activated his only random teleport scroll, snatching his life from the jaws of death.

He landed at the entrance between the first and second floors of the Fragrant Stone Catacombs, barely registering the monsters around him as he frantically opened his pack and swallowed his last medium healing potion. He’d come here to level up, and with Old First acting as the party’s nurse, Lin Jia rarely carried many red potions, preferring to save his weight for magic elixirs.

But now, after a sudden player-versus-player ambush, both of his emergency healing potions were gone. Staring at the screen, Lin Jia shouted, “Entrance between the first and second floors! I’m out of reds!” He dodged a zombie’s electric beam and dispatched it with two quick bursts of lightning.

Although it all sounds complicated, the sequence of events took scarcely a minute. Old First, aware of Lin Jia’s predicament, used a random teleport scroll without a moment’s hesitation, abandoning Old Fourth to face four enemies alone.

After two quick random teleports, Old First landed precisely beside Lin Jia. Before even touching down, a cascade of healing light battered the ground. Without time for a proper trade, Old First dropped several bundles of medium healing potions and teleport scrolls, while Lin Jia tossed two bundles of super magic potions in exchange. He hurriedly picked up three bundles of healing potions, placing one on hotkeys 1, 2, and 3, while hotkeys 4 and 5 were loaded with two of the six strong magic potions from his bundle, and hotkey 6 was reserved for another random teleport scroll.

Having tossed the red potions, Old First scooped up the discarded super magic potions and vanished again with another random teleport. Lin Jia, instead of fleeing, crept along the central wall of the maze-like chamber. Inspired, he opened his equipment menu and removed the candle he’d been carrying, plunging his mage into darkness.

Meanwhile, Old First rushed back to Old Fourth, who was desperately dodging attacks from three warriors and a priest. Despite his higher level and superior gear, Old Fourth was overwhelmed and could not retaliate against the relentless assault.

Old First returned in a flurry of healing spells, then unleashed a barrage of fire talismans. Each exploded in a shower of sparks upon the enemies, their power rivaling level-zero lightning. The commotion drew off two opponents, easing the pressure on Old Fourth.

At that moment, a blinding bolt of lightning erupted from the darkness behind, stunning the priest before Old First. Seizing the opportunity, Old First whirled around, cast a flying talisman, and struck the finishing blow. Old Fourth abandoned his own duel with two warriors, enduring a couple of strikes to unleash his sporadic, deadly sword technique on the nearly-dead priest, cutting him down with a final, sweeping light. The loot burst forth like a shower of blossoms, rivaling even the corpse king’s treasure, with bundles of super potions rolling across the floor. The slain priest’s warrior ally rushed forward, trying to snatch up the fallen items.

But a shadow flashed past, deftly picking up a nearly invisible, tiny ring before slipping back into the darkness. Having learned his lesson, Lin Jia made sure never to expose his fragile mage to enemy attacks again.

Now three against three, Lin Jia and his brothers, their teamwork smooth and practiced, quickly turned the disadvantage around. They focused their attacks on one of the remaining warriors, trading blow for blow, and with Lin Jia’s uncanny lightning spell, felled another enemy player.

It was only Lin Jia’s sharp reflexes that saved him; after removing the candle and hiding in darkness, he was invisible to his enemies—but also blind to the zombies. He cranked up his speakers, relying on memory of the catacomb’s layout and the monsters’ roars to avoid obstacles and lurking undead.

When only two opponents remained, and after seeing Lin Jia’s group take down three without a scratch, the enemies turned tail and fled to the second floor. With triumphant laughter and a few choice insults, Lin Jia and his team swept up the spoils. No rare gear, but the ground was littered with potions and poison packets. Old First practically drooled as he scooped up the poison bundles, as if gathering up piles of cash.

Once the loot was cleared, Old Fourth roared, “Damn it, you think you can just run away? Brothers, after them!” He charged into the second level of the catacombs, with Lin Jia hastily equipping his candle. The second floor was far more dangerous—while he could take a few zombie claws on the first level, a bite from the wild boars here would mean certain death.

Just as he was about to follow Old First in, Old Fourth shouted in alarm, “Wait! Don’t come in!”

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Trouble: I woke up to see only 10,000 votes today! I’m terribly disappointed—I thought we’d reach 12,000 this week, but now it’ll have to wait until next week. Here’s the new update schedule: two chapters a day, with times depending on my work hours. If the vote count is especially high, I may add extra updates—maybe even a “seven-chapter night” once a week, if we hit the goal! Next week’s target: 12,000 votes!

PS: At 8 o’clock sharp, the [Grand Essence Amnesty Event] will go live! If you want your essence collected, don’t be late! The review section already has a special thread—be sure to join on time!