novellhall Chapter 11 Re-entry, the goblin’s eternal mourning
Chapter 11 Re-entry, the goblin’s eternal mourning
[Soul Weakness: 3 points remaining]
[Weekly Challenge: Goblin Tribe (Status: Available)]
While waiting and preparing, Lu Qingfeng also discovered that the instance could be re-entered at any time.
However, he dared not enter casually until his weakened state of soul was resolved.
However, Lu Qingfeng did not remain without any achievements during this period.
He obtained gasoline, poured it into glass bottles, and created Molotov cocktail version 2.
And many other things were prepared.
The moment the countdown reached zero, Lu Qingfeng was already curled up in the shadow of the giant rock on the west side of the camp.
The Chongyue Sword rested against his back, and eight glass bottles inside his tactical vest swayed gently with his breathing.
The smell of gasoline, soaked in cotton, mixed with the moisture from the moss in the rock crevices, entered my nasal cavity.
I put away the large backpack I had brought with me.
He flicked the fuse with his fingertips, and the blue flame from the lighter licked the cotton wick.
The Molotov cocktail swept across a 30-meter airspace and landed precisely on the east side of the camp!
"boom!"
The glass bottle made a crisp, piercing cracking sound the moment it hit the ground.
It wasn't a complete shattering, but rather a disintegration in an almost violent manner.
The fragments, like a cluster of silver flowers of death, burst forth in all directions.
Almost simultaneously with the bottle shattering, the gasoline-soaked cloth strip ignited the gasoline vapors that filled the air.
Without delay, a dull "thud" reverberated through the air!
A ball of orange-red fire suddenly expanded, its diameter instantly exceeding the height of a person, briefly engulfing the surrounding light and illuminating everything in a shimmering, hellish orange-yellow.
The scorching heat wave surged outwards in a spherical shape, like an invisible, burning wall.
Flames shot into the air, and tongues of fire climbed up the haystack, completely separating the dozens of ordinary goblins from the four bear goblins.
Screaming, bluish-purple figures darted wildly on both sides of the wall of fire, twisting and rolling in the flames, futilely trying to extinguish the hellish, clinging flames.
Lu Qingfeng did not stop there.
The second Molotov cocktail hurtled towards the edge of the shamanic altar.
Flames shot up the totem pole to the dome, trapping the goblin shaman on a charred altar three meters square.
Its hunched body wildly brandished its bone staff within the ring of fire, the eerie green light of magic flickering uncertainly in the flames.
Lu Qingfeng crouched low and hurried along, his boots crunching over the scorching hot gravel.
In the northeast corner of the rock crevice, he knocked out three little goblins and placed them upwind.
Because it was my first time doing something like this, I was worried that they would wake up and escape halfway through, and I might accidentally get burned to death.
Therefore, in order to prevent this from happening,
Lu Qingfeng used the tip of his Chongyue sword to sever their calves and scalded the wounds to prevent them from bleeding to death.
Of course, it's impossible for them not to resist during the process, but after Lu Qingfeng landed a few punches and broke their bones...
They can breathe in and out.
"He shouldn't die."
As Lu Qingfeng thought this, his hands didn't stop moving.
Four more Molotov cocktails were thrown out in a fan shape, precisely covering the west side of the fire wall!
The flames devoured the remaining ordinary goblins like living creatures, their charred remains twisting and twitching under the red moon.
Lu Qingfeng retreated to a safe distance, and the integrated network panel popped up silently:
[Weekly Challenge: Goblin Tribe (Status: Incomplete)]
[Special Note: 8 surviving monsters detected; dungeon settlement conditions not met]
He shook his scorched hair, sparks falling from the tip of the Chongyue Sword.
Behind the fire wall on the east side, four bear goblins were using their thick hides to extinguish the flames on their bodies, their amber pupils fixed on the human.
On the altar, the shaman's bone staff suddenly pierced through the flames, and three pale bone spears tore through the air!
"You've come at the perfect time."
Lu Qingfeng spun around to avoid the first bone spear, and precisely parried the second one with the spine of the Chongyue Sword.
The moment the third bone spear grazed past, [Intercept] was suddenly activated—
The world seemed to freeze before my eyes.
He could see the corrosive slime dripping from the tip of the bone spear, and he could also see the trail of dust raised by the bear goblin's charge.
The Chongyue Sword spun around and slashed fiercely at the shaman's withered wrist!
In the instant the blood splattered, Lu Qingfeng's sinister grin was particularly grotesque in the firelight.
The Chongyue Sword, imbued with the armor-piercing effect of [Bang Jin], severed the shaman's withered wrist and bone staff in one fell swoop!
The eerie green magical light flickered at the break, eventually turning into charred black dust.
"Ugh—!"
The shaman on the altar let out a heart-wrenching scream, his hunched body convulsing wildly in the ring of fire.
It used its remaining arm to pat the flames, its bluish-purple skin curling and carbonizing in the high temperature, emitting a pungent smell of sulfur mixed with roasted meat.
Leaving the still-rolling goblin shaman behind, Lu Qingfeng turned back again.
The goblins have arrived!
Sparks flew from the tip of the Chongyue Sword, and violent power surged through his veins.
Lu Qingfeng used the momentum of his retreat to suddenly push off the ground, slashing upwards with his heavy sword.
"Aww."
The armor-piercing effect of [Crush Lv1] allowed the blade to easily tear through rough skin, the sound of bones cracking mixed with splattering blood!
The first bear goblin let out a painful scream as one of its arms flew high into the air.
But Lu Qingfeng did not stop.
[Intercept] activated, he blocked a goblin's iron hammer from behind with his backhand, and the doubled power made his movements even smoother.
Using the force of his parry, Lu Qingfeng stepped forward and delivered another sword strike.
"Pfft!"
The goblin bear was immediately pierced through.
He hurled the massive corpse from the sword at the remaining three goblin bears.
Immediately afterwards, Lu Qingfeng quickly ran away in the opposite direction, tumbling and crawling.
because……
"Bang!"
Another small, orange sun exploded.
However, Lu Qingfeng seized the opportunity to throw another Molotov cocktail.
The wave of fire engulfed the goblin's final charge, and the scorching heat blew Lu Qingfeng back a few steps.
The [vibration crack] property is activated at high temperatures!
Spiderweb-like cracks burst open on the thick, bluish-purple hide of the bear goblin, and dark red blood seeped from the depths of the wounds, fueling the fire like burning lamp oil.
Three two-meter-tall bodies collapsed under the double torture, and thick sulfurous smoke rose into the air.
"There's one more."
Lu Qingfeng was no longer in a hurry and took out a bow and arrows from the large backpack he had brought.
Thanks to the ability to quickly adapt to weapons granted by [Weapon Mastery], Lu Qingfeng already possessed relatively proficient archery skills in the present world.
The bowstring of the composite bow was stretched to its fullest extent between Lu Qingfeng's fingers, and the arrow was aimed at the shaman rolling in the circle of fire.
"Whoosh—"
The arrow pierced through the flames and precisely struck the shaman goblin's single eye!
The power of tyranny poured wildly into the arrow shaft, and a cracking sound came from inside the shaman's skull.
That was a [shattering] eruption inside the skull!
The dying shaman suddenly stiffened, his hunched torso swelled up like an inflating balloon, and a crack appeared in his sternum.
Lu Qingfeng leaned back sharply, and at the same time, he fired several more arrows.
The dry, cracked bone hand shattered instantly.
"You like ambushes?"
Another Molotov cocktail.
Flames poured into his chest cavity through the cracks in the bone claws, and the charred skull cracked like porcelain in the fire.
[Warning: Red Moon Anomaly Special Offer: Undead Parasite (Passive) Trigger Failed]
The goblin shaman is dead.
"Phew, it's finally over."
"No, this is just the beginning."
Lu Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the three little goblins who were unconscious (?) in the crevice of the rock.
It's time to begin.
As mentioned earlier, he entered the instance carrying a large backpack full of things.
These are all preparations for later time-farming.
First and foremost is swordsmanship—currently Lu Qingfeng's foundation.
He was barefoot, his feet shoulder-width apart, and his knees slightly bent like a bow.
This is feeling the earth's thrust from the arch of the foot, through the ankle, the calf, and down to the waist.
Breathe deeply, your abdomen rises and falls accordingly, your breath sinks to your dantian, and your strength rises from the ground.
He maintained this half-body pose for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until sweat dripped from his temples.
Then, Lu Qingfeng lightly touched the hilt of the sword with his palm, as if greeting an old friend.
With your right hand in front and your left hand behind, engage your core and use your waist and back muscles.
"rise!"
With a thud, the tip of the short sword naturally dipped to the ground. He adjusted his center of gravity, making the weight of the sword one with himself.
He began to practice his swordsmanship by swinging his sword in the air.
First move: Great Slash; Second move: Thrust; Third move: Parry.
Repeat each movement a hundred times.
The muscles went from soreness to numbness, and then to a strange sense of clarity.
He no longer thinks about the movements, but lets his bones and tendons memorize this cycle: accumulating power, exploding, controlling, and returning.
As the crimson moon rose overhead, he was enveloped in steam and sheathed his sword at his side.
Slowly exhale the stale air from your chest, allowing your wildly beating heart and surging blood to gradually calm down.
After eating the high-calorie food I brought, I also drank some water.
Lu Qingfeng got up to check on the goblins.
He was alarmed when he discovered that their injuries were actually improving.
He immediately followed up with a few more punches and then used the Chongyue sword to bleed the goblin.
And so, right before Lu Qingfeng's eyes, the goblin's wounds continued to heal.
He looked up at the red moon in the sky.
"Is this also part of the Crimson Moon Incident...?"
"This is really illogical."
"So, is this encouraging speedruns? What if it's a regular challenge, and you want to drag it out and grind it out...?"
Just imagine how to deal with a group of fearless monsters with superhuman regenerative abilities.
Just thinking about it sent chills down Lu Qingfeng's spine.
He delivered two more punches to the goblins and then hoisted them up.
"That's good, now I have more time."
There's still so much to practice...
………………
[Health Points Reach Zero]
[Death Penalty Activated: Soul Weakness (lasts 6 hours)]
[Teleportation forcibly activated...]
"call."
Lu Qingfeng, who had been forcibly teleported out, lay on the ground in the courtyard.
The thought of dying again sent chills down his spine, this time because he was dying in a different way.
He rolled over to the food prepared beside him, the pain of dismembering himself still lingering in his memory, leaving Lu Qingfeng with no strength even to unpack the food.
After shivering for a while, I finally took my first bite of food.
The warm current of [Qi] finally tore through the gloom, enabling Lu Qingfeng to support himself.
After a few more bites of food, a warm current kept flowing through my body.
This gave Lu Qingfeng time to check on the results of this operation.
"You have completed a battle. [Martial Arts] has gained a significant amount of progress, and [Agility] +1."
"[Weapon Mastery Lv3] → [Weapon Mastery Lv9]"
Final damage bonus increased from 15% to 45%.
"Your state of mind has achieved a breakthrough; Perception +1."
"Your actions resonated with the skill tree, and you have gained the feat [Unyielding Will]."
[Unwavering Willpower: Mental Resistance +1, Willpower Check +1]
[Soul Weakened: 4 hours 44 minutes remaining]
Lu Qingfeng slumped in a rattan chair in the backyard of the bookstore, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the hilt of the Chongyue sword.
His gaze fell on the line of glaring red numbers on the panel.
He twitched the corner of his mouth and closed his eyes.
He remembered every death... These pains did not disappear when he exited the instance; instead, they were branded deep within his nerves.
But what chilled him even more was the feeling of death itself:
Consciousness is torn apart, blurred, and dissipated, then forcibly stuffed back into the body.
"I went too far last time; I was too hard on myself."
His specialty of "unyielding will" was not bestowed out of thin air, but rather honed through death, or perhaps... resonance?
At the end of the last instance, taking advantage of the discrepancy between the flow of time and reality, and the fact that there was no death penalty in the apprentice instance, we succeeded.
Lu Qingfeng did a lot of weapons training, used up all the supplies he brought in, and went on a rampage at the end.
Looking back now, I wonder if I've lost my mind, but this kind of post-war review is so satisfying! ヽ(￣▽￣)ﾉ
However, he might really have something wrong with his brain.
Lu Qingfeng carefully recalled the fragmented memories in his mind.
Only when Weapon Mastery is upgraded from lv3 to lv9 will Agility and Perception each increase by 1 point.
The newfound expertise and unwavering willpower he gained through these digital advancements reminded him that what he had experienced was not a dream.
"Is this another hidden mechanic of the Red Moon? Is this a dungeon for normal new players?"
Lu, who made no mention of what he had done in the dungeon (overturning the flask, shooting the shaman with the ground arrow, and harming the little goblin), thought angrily.
However, the [Goblin Tribe] dungeon is truly a cesspool.
The monsters' enhanced attributes under the red moon, their astonishing regenerative abilities, and the chilling, phantom pain that grows from the depths of one's heart the longer one stays there... all of this is part of the Red Moon Anomaly.
So, is there a hidden storyline?
His years of gaming experience told him that this was at least worth a hidden quest.
"The hidden mechanics of the Red Moon... encourage speed runs and punish procrastination."
"Then there must be some kind of time mechanism."
"Forget it, what's done is done, let's go to sleep."
The daytime grind of completing four dungeons left Lu Qingfeng exhausted, and his weakened state further diminished his energy.
Lu Qingfeng pulled the blanket over himself; the rattan chairs in the bookstore's backyard were not comfortable.
But extreme exhaustion and the deep weariness brought on by the "weakness of the soul" overwhelmed him like a tide.
Before his consciousness sank into darkness, he glanced one last time at the network panel—the glaring red countdown:
[Soul Weakness: 3 hours and 33 minutes remaining].
This time, sleep was no longer peaceful.
The dream was fragmented and distorted, like a shattered kaleidoscope, occasionally flashing images of flames burning under the red moon and the shattered eye sockets of a goblin shaman.
...and finally, the cold touch of personally holding the Chongyue Sword across his neck.
Every swing of the sword, every dodge, even the final, resolute act of "ending it all," replays itself repeatedly in my dreams.
It wasn't a clear memory, but rather the body and soul chewing and digesting their fighting instincts in the darkness.
He was awakened by a strange feeling of hunger after an unknown amount of time.
It's not an emptiness in the stomach, but a deep thirst for qi and blood deep within the muscles and bones.
The weakness persisted, but compared to the initial biting cold, the feeling now was more like an empty shell severely depleted.
He reached out from under the blanket and grabbed the high-energy food that had been prepared beforehand.
He tore open the packaging, and almost mechanically stuffed the food into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
The [Qi Gathering] skill has started to take effect.
A warm current, stronger than ever before, began to flow through his body like a gentle stream.
Slowly but steadily, it filled that emptiness.
His body was slightly sweaty, a sign that his metabolism was being forcibly stimulated.
Each death and resurrection forcibly squeezes out the body's potential and forces the [Qi Accumulation] to work faster.
The sky outside the window was already beginning to brighten.