Chapter 88: The End
Chenqi remembered that before he entered the trial grounds, the Hunter-Prisoners had been trapped by the storm of mist, and the Sinners, desperate to survive, began to attack them.
At the same time, the man in white robes and the little ghost had also fallen prey to the mist's hand.
He wondered what the state of things outside was now.
Curiously, Chenqi looked toward the text.
“The barrier of the trial has been destroyed. You have returned to the surface of Mist City.”
“You gently push open the door and gaze once more upon this lost city. Flame and mist ravage ceaselessly through the dead metropolis, tormenting it anew. Within the haze, you behold countless statues frozen in agony.”
“Mist brushes across your face as you slowly lift your head. In the sky, black dots pierced by chains crumble, fragments falling like mournful tears, raining black upon the earth.”
“Thanks to the Hunter-Prisoners’ desperate assault, the dreadful mist storm has been greatly weakened. You sense the storm is in its final throes, yet even these last spasms are enough to engulf the populace in terror.”
“Moonlight pierces through the clouds, bathing you in its glow. You gaze at the vast sky and exhale deeply.”
“You glance toward the position of the Laughing Moon, realizing little time has passed.”
Chenqi checked the time on his watch. The black mist he encountered during the trial had warped his sense of time.
Like recalling memories, it felt both endless and fleeting.
Three full hours had passed.
“In the distance, you see people fleeing, vanishing into the mist…”
“Do you wish to proceed, to continue your observation?”
Yes.
“You walk forward, surveying your surroundings.”
“In the distance, you spot a statue clad in black armor—the corpse of a Hunter-Prisoner. Its once fiery breast is now cold as stone, dark smoke rising from its chest.”
“The Hunter-Prisoner is lost to despair, transformed into stone.”
“You scan the area. Apart from this statue, only a few Sinners and subordinates of the man in white remain, petrified.”
“You sweep your gaze over the statues; among the Hunter-Prisoners, there is only one. This city, so recently in chaos, now rests in a peculiar silence within the storm.”
Chenqi pondered. It seemed the Hunter-Prisoners had been defeated, but the mist storm weakened as a result. Yet where had their bodies gone? Surely there were more than one Hunter-Prisoner?
Were their bodies taken away? Or did they pursue someone…?
“Dense mist churns relentlessly.”
“You move forward, peering around. Some Sinners, ensnared by the chains of the Hunter-Prisoner’s corpse, are instantly turned to stone.”
A blood-red text appears.
“Warning: Your Blood Blade mode has ended. Severe backlash from blood loss. Please treat your wounds promptly.”
The Blood Blade fruit allowed him to ignore pain and bleeding for a time, but the price was eventual suffering.
Yet, thanks to the healing flower potion, the negative effects were not severe.
“The Lamp Fox pokes its head from your clothes, feeling slightly dizzy. In its dream, it traversed an endless river of darkness.”
“The Lamp Fox rubs against its master, delighted at the rewards obtained, though clearly exhausted.”
“You examine the Lamp Fox. It bears some injuries and mild petrification.”
“You stroke the fox’s soft head, pouring healing potion into its tiny mouth: ‘It’s alright. When we’re safe, I’ll bring you delicious food.’”
“‘Mm, Master.’ The Lamp Fox, after drinking the potion, relaxes into your arms, healing power soothing it into sleep.”
On this long journey, the Lamp Fox had also travelled far.
They both needed rest.
Chenqi exhaled.
Suddenly, a line of text appeared.
“Hey, cellmate! You’re still alive, so you passed the trial…”
He followed the voice—it was the little ghost.
She was no longer the white mist doctor.
She once more wore her white hood; at her heart, wooden roots from the Heart of Wood intertwined with flesh.
“The little ghost sat atop ruins, holding thread, sewing up her injured thigh.”
“You look at her; like you, she has just survived a fierce battle, weary and wounded.”
“Do you wish to ask the little ghost for news?”
Yes.
Chenqi wanted to know what had happened outside.
“The little ghost continued sewing her leg, glancing at you. She didn’t answer directly, instead sizing you up. Among the Sinners, she’d heard tales of Mist City.”
“For over twenty years, countless treasure hunters had come prepared, but none passed the trial. Those hunters were strong—at least, their outward aura surpassed yours.”
“She murmured, perhaps you, like her, possess some special mechanism. If triggered, you could transform into a graceful monster!”
“She shook her head—unfortunately, she was not of the Lamp faction; those treasures meant little to her.”
Chenqi was taken aback—the little ghost seemed to be changing the subject.
“After probing you about treasures and receiving no answer, she finally began to recount the events beneath the mist storm.”
“Originally, everything was under the control of the man in white robes. Although she possessed the heart of a powerful being, it was ultimately incompatible, preventing her from unleashing her full strength to defeat him.”
“But due to your presence, the composed white-robed man faltered. As you entered the trial grounds, a giant hand of mist attacked him, and his body began to turn to stone!”
Chenqi looked at the text. His entry into the trial had struck the man in white with a tremendous psychological blow, destabilizing him and exposing him to the storm’s influence.
By this twist of fate, the man in white’s power was diminished, leading to his being assaulted by the mist storm.
“The little ghost was thrilled—she’d long disliked the man in white! She stretched out her tiny beckoning-cat paw, hoping to high-five you in celebration. In a sense, the two of you and the disaster together had dealt him a harsh blow.”
“But since the mist storm was not a person, it was as if the two of you had jointly beaten the white-robed man!”
“You and the little ghost high-fived.”
“She continued: After the white-robed man was gravely injured, he was forced to flee. The petrification of their leader threw his subordinates into panic.”
“Terror spread like dominoes, engulfing Mist City in chaos. The white-robed man and his clever followers fled at once.”
“She herself had been targeted by him, and was poised to pursue, but her leg was injured.”
“A few clear-headed subordinates, and some Sinners willing to follow, began to escape.”
“At that moment, the Hunter-Prisoners, seeking to destroy the storm’s source in the sky, drove countless chains into the black dots, nearly all perishing.”
“As for how the Hunter-Prisoners’ bodies were carried away before they left, she didn’t know. She only vaguely recalled the sound of rats.”
Chenqi summarized the little ghost’s tale.
All three sides suffered tremendous losses: the Hunter-Prisoners and the storm fought to the death; his actions caused the man in white to be attacked by the mist hand, preventing him from profiting and forcing him to leave.
“Sewn up! I truly am a medical genius,”
The little ghost flexed her right leg.
She hopped down, telling him that although the Hunter-Prisoners had been annihilated, the Black River Prison would not let her go.
She must leave—go as far as possible! She would embark on a lonely journey.
“To thank you for your powerful heart, although she now only has a small knife, she’s willing to perform surgery for you. Whether it’s muscle augmentation, hair transplant, or more imaginative procedures, she can do it—all with certain minor side effects.”
“Of course, only if you lower your guard, lie down, and let her cut away with her little knife.”
“Do you accept the little ghost’s offer?”
Minor side effects…
A procedure by a top-class criminal; if it goes wrong, that’s the least of your worries—who knows, you might come out a different species or gender.
Chenqi considered and chose to refuse.
“You shake your head helplessly.”
“‘What a pity… Well, farewell. We’d best run in opposite directions. Brief cellmates, brief friends. If fate allows us to meet again and you change your mind, I’ll always be willing to operate on you. For friends, I never charge! Though, right now, you seem to be my only friend.’”
The little ghost bounced away, waving goodbye, and left.
“Whew…”
“Watching her depart, you gaze at the remnants of the mist storm, at the towering spire. You vaguely recall the statue’s final wish: to rekindle the brightest flame atop the tower.”
Without the Lady of Mist’s quest item, the trial could not have been completed.
Moreover, the tower’s torch could dispel disaster and protect him from the mist’s invasion.
Chenqi exhaled, directing his character to the tower, to fulfill the Lady of Mist’s wish.
“You turn toward the tower. Your Black Rain Boots cling to the wall as you ascend, step by step.”
“You force your weary body upward…”
“You reach the summit, overlooking the city ravaged by mist.”
“You spread your hand; a lingering ember flies forth, slowly igniting the tower’s torch.”
“The ember awakens the tower’s last vestige of power, the strength stored within by its people.”
“The flames of the great torch burn like a sun, radiating warmth.”
“This light drives away the mist. You faintly hear the storm’s wails; the weakened black dots in the sky shatter.”
“You lean against the tower’s railing, gazing upon Mist City.”
“In the distance, you catch a fleeting glimpse—a woman in a myriad-flower dress and the phantoms of the city’s inhabitants bow to you in gratitude.”
“The statues trapped by the mist storm are carried away by the wind…”
“Mist City’s story ends, but the ember endures.”
“You, the weary traveler, have journeyed far; exhaustion weighs upon you.”
Chenqi drew a deep breath, fatigue coursing through his body.
From the Tower of Medicine to Mist City, both he and the Lamp Fox had travelled too long.
“Do you wish to rest?”
Chenqi feebly pressed ‘Yes.’
“The storm gradually dissipates…”
“You lean against the battered wall of the tower. In the warm firelight, holding the little Lamp Fox, you slowly close your tired eyes.”
(End of chapter)