Chapter 81: The Wish of Lady Mist

[Funeral of the Black Flame:
Attribute: Blade
Description: That black blade of fire tears them apart, then buries them in its ashes!
Effect: Consumes 8 spiritual energy to first spread the circuit of black fire, then ignites and releases it in a massive pillar of black flame! Deals 60-200 points of high damage! Deals additional damage to colossal beings!
(Note: Compared to ordinary black fire, this one extinguishes more quickly and can only be unleashed once every ten minutes.)]

A base damage of 60!

Chen Qi could feel the intricacy of this technique, more complex patterns flowing along the blade's surface.

The fully comprehended Funeral of the Black Flame not only increased its power, but also its control! Using the longsword, he could spread the rune-like black circuits to encircle the enemy, then trigger the funeral of black fire!

With this technique, he gained a decisive skill!

[The Shadowlight Fox shrinks, returns to your shoulder, and wags its tail, eagerly awaiting your praise.]

Well done, Shadowlight Fox!

[Hearing your praise, the little fox’s face flushes red and it wags its tail even faster.]

Chen Qi smiled, then looked at the next lines of text.

[You continue to observe your surroundings.]

[Near the gravekeeper’s corpse, an item emits a lantern-like aura.]

[As your hand approaches the item, you faintly hear a lingering thought.]

[The thought says that he was once the guardian of this tomb, but in the terrifying mist, he was soon corrupted and could no longer await the arrival of a lantern-bearer.
In the end, unable to fulfill his duty, he became a monster craving light.]

[Thank you…]

So...

Chen Qi mused inwardly; at some point, even more terrifying mists must have arisen in this city of fog.

[You have obtained the Fire of Blindness.]

[Fire of Blindness
Attribute: Lantern-Illusion
Description: An eyeball, within which scenes of people wintering together beneath the beacon fire of a tall tower can be glimpsed.
Introduction: A thing yearning for light, can be used directly. (Note: Non-lantern-bearers will suffer spiritual corrosion upon use.)
Effect: Can be directly consumed, increasing spiritual energy by 5, and enhancing the speed at which vision-based skills are learned.]

Spiritual energy +5, inspiration +5, and it boosts vision.

A rather fine item!

Chen Qi regarded the item. Previously, in his spare time, he had already learned the basics of spiritual vision using potions provided by the Tower of Medicine.

However, he didn’t yet have an advanced book on spiritual vision.

Even so, apart from the second effect, the attribute bonuses were considerable!

Previously, his total spiritual energy was only 16, but now it jumped straight to 21—a significant boost!

Use it immediately!

[You place the Fire of Blindness in your hand, and with a gentle thought, it transforms into a bright little flame.]

[You gaze at the flame and, within it, faintly see people enduring the winter together beneath the beacon fire of the tower.]

[The flame gradually dies out, and you receive its beneficial effect.]

[You take a deep breath, feeling spiritual power flow pleasantly through your body, as if stepping from the chill of winter into a warm wooden cabin.]

Once he finished absorbing it, Chen Qi turned his gaze to the map.

The bronze coffin should be a key location...

Head there.

[You grip your longsword and return to the staircase.]

[This time, you are especially cautious around the statues wielding blades.]

[You faintly sense that these statues do not repel you; on the contrary, they seem to harbor goodwill and longing toward you.]

[You ascend the steps and arrive before the bronze coffin.]

[You look at the bronze coffin, feeling the yearning and lingering resentment within.]

The Search of the Morningstar.

Chen Qi summoned the Search of the Morningstar.

[The Morningstar leaps from your hand, radiating brilliant light, shudders violently, and flies into the bronze coffin!]

[You sense that something most unusual lies within!]

[Yet in this shadowed tomb, you are also aware of a faint chill.]

[Traveler of the shifting world, make your choice.]

[1. Open the coffin carefully.
2. Retreat immediately.
3. Stab your blade straight into the coffin!]

Option three is far too reckless...

Chen Qi swallowed hard; this was a critical decision.

Just in case—Precognition Dream!

Foresee the first option.

[You choose to foresee the first option.]

[You carefully open the coffin; inside lies the Lady of the Mist, transformed into stone, long deceased.
The eyes of the statue hold only longing for the final outcome of Mist City.
You complete a transaction with her and leave this place.]

[End of precognition: You leave the tomb safely.]

This should be the right answer.

Chen Qi let out a breath.

However, the Precognition Dream was vague; he still didn’t know what sort of deal he struck.

Choose the first option.

[You slowly open the bronze coffin.]

[As the coffin opens, wisps of mist spill forth.]

[Within the mist, you hear faint voices.]

[Thank you for coming, traveler from afar…]

[You sense that the person within the coffin has awaited a traveler—a traveler who will conclude the story of Mist City.]

[You observe the statue; it is entirely petrified, both hands placed over its heart, where the Morningstar rests, a shield-shaped pendant absorbing the light.]

As expected, this was surely the tomb’s greatest treasure!

[Do you wish to take this item?]

Yes.

[Just as you are about to touch the pendant, the statue suddenly grabs your right hand.]

Chen Qi exhaled sharply; he could feel the icy chill on his right hand.

[Traveler from afar, do not be impatient. We are willing to give you this treasure.]

[But in exchange, you must promise us—to bring the story of Mist City to an end…]

To end the tale of Mist City...

Chen Qi swallowed again; this prize would not come so easily.

[Will you listen to the last wish of this statue’s lingering will?]

If he refused, things would surely go badly...

Chen Qi spread his hands and said, as long as he could manage it, he would do his best.

Yes.

[You nod.]

[Thank you, traveler from afar…]

[The statue of the Lady of the Mist releases your hand.]

A dazzling text box jumped out!

Chen Qi immediately checked his panel.

[You have obtained the Pendant of the Ethereal Form!]

[ Pendant of the Ethereal Form:
Attribute: Void
Description: Let us vanish from the world, let us fall together into that land of nothingness.
Value: An invaluable treasure obtained from a powerful calamity in the land of no light!
Void Protection (Passive): The Pendant of the Ethereal Form creates a field of void around you, briefly rendering your body semi-ethereal, automatically providing defense, granting 30% physical damage reduction! Also grants immunity to damage below 10 points!
Void’s Blessing: While wearing this pendant, you are considered to have “5” points of void affinity, allowing you to learn void techniques (your learning speed of void techniques is increased by 30%) and to equip items exclusive to the void affinity.]

This is...

Chen Qi read the description and couldn’t help but swallow.

Thirty percent physical damage reduction was already quite impressive! But the true value was in the second effect: wearing this necklace counted as having 5 points of void affinity, vastly expanding his options!

The Book of the Black Prison already contained several void-exclusive techniques!

For Chen Qi, this was an incredibly powerful acquisition!

Not bad at all...

He repeated to himself, then looked to the next lines of text.

[You look at the statue in the coffin; its stony body is slowly crumbling, and words flow across its surface.]

[The Lady of the Mist places her hands over her chest, indicating to you that this is not the greatest treasure of Mist City.]

[At the heart of the city lies the true treasure of Mist City’s lord! A truly powerful artifact taken from the land of darkness! That is Mist City’s real treasure!]

[If you help her conclude the story of Mist City, she will assist you in obtaining that item.]

To bring the story of Mist City to its end...

Chen Qi took a deep breath.

[The Lady of the Mist raises her hand; she has something else to give you…]

[You turn and find nearly a thousand statues in the tomb, their necks twisted, all staring at you…]

Pretend the protagonist secretly learned spiritual vision—it’s not that I forgot to write it.

(End of chapter)