Chapter 45: Third World: The Reaper's Arrival
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Offline.
In his rented apartment, Zhang Yue lay on his bed, staring at Su Jinyan's message on Feixin. He couldn't help but reflect on how capable she was.
This epic-class forbidden mage, in the hands of an ordinary person, might only be a control mage at best.
Control skills are tricky—they're either timed too early or too late. But Su Jinyan had an extraordinary knack for timing. She could perfectly interrupt an enemy's casting, rendering their actions useless, while seizing the opportunity to disable them. It was a rare skill.
Looking back…
From fighting the Ice and Fire Zombie Commander, to defeating the Dark Plague King, and just now, taking down Killer Not Too Cold, Su Jinyan had helped Zhang Yue out of dire situations three times in a row, each time timely and accurate.
At the moment, Zhang Yue had impressive burst damage, but his pet was still weak and couldn't tank hits. Only with Su Jinyan's impeccable control skills could he stabilize his output.
Su Jinyan's mastery of control, paired with Zhang Yue's high damage—together, they were an unbeatable combination.
Zhang Yue opened their chat window and sent her a message: "Thank you."
Moments later, Su Jinyan replied, "No need to thank me. Just treat me to a meal next time. 😜"
Zhang Yue smiled. "Deal."
Setting his phone down, he immediately fell asleep.
———
The next morning, Zhang Yue woke up, freshened up, and bought two buns downstairs for breakfast. After finishing, he logged back online.
[Ding~ Welcome to the Third World: Reaper's Arrival.]
[You are currently in the safe zone: [Necropolis].]
Zhang Yue appeared inside a pitch-black tomb. He opened his World Mission panel.
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[Third World: Reaper's Arrival]
[Background]: The once bustling human capital has been reduced to a graveyard after being ravaged by the Reaper, Caesar. The remaining survivors have no choice but to migrate into the tombs, seeking refuge from the Reaper's relentless attacks. Ensure your tomb's defense exceeds 100 points, or you won't stand a chance when the Reaper arrives.
[World Mission 1]: Raise your tomb's defense to 2,000 (Progress: 212/1,000).
[World Mission 2]: Complete at least one task with a difficulty rating of 300 or higher (Progress: 0/1).
[Note]: Once the world mission is completed, you can unlock the boss challenge portal. Defeat the boss to advance to the Fourth World.
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According to the guide, the Reaper Caesar would sweep through the Third World every night at midnight, lasting for ten minutes. During this period, players must hide in their tombs to avoid the Reaper's attack. Anyone caught outside the tombs would be instantly killed by the Reaper.
Each time the Reaper appeared, he would deal 50-100 damage to all players' tombs. If the tomb's defense dropped below zero, its owner would be slain by the Reaper.
For players new to the Third World, the starting tomb defense was 300.
[Ding~ Last night at 12:00, the Reaper descended, dealing 88 points of damage to your tomb. Please raise your tomb's defense by completing quests, slaying monsters, or clearing dungeons.]
Zhang Yue closed the mission panel and prepared to head outside the Necropolis to complete his world mission.
Just then, a message popped up from Liu Yao: "Brother, don't leave the safe zone. The Killer Mercenary Group is ambushing outside."
The Necropolis had four fixed entrances, all others sealed by barriers. When Zhang Yue approached the eastern exit, sure enough, he saw a dozen players with the [Killer] tag loitering just beyond the gate.
All of them were level 25-30, and their gear was exceptional. At a glance, at least five of them were fully decked out in gold-tier equipment.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Guild chat was exploding:
[Supreme Unbeatable] (Level 16 Warrior): "Damn it. Those bastards from the Killer Mercenary Group are camping at all four exits. The moment we step out, they kill us. They're targeting the Supreme Guild."
[Supreme Beauty] (Level 16 Archer): "They're too strong. We can't fight back at all. We're getting insta-killed."
[Supreme Fairy] (Level 16 Mage): "What do we do? We can't stay in the safe zone forever. If we don't raise our tomb defense, we'll die when the Reaper arrives tonight."
[Supreme Star] (Level 17 Sword and Shield Warrior): "Stay calm, everyone. Let me think of something."
Inside the Necropolis, Liu Yao and his assistant Li Xiaoyao (Supreme Xiaoyao) sought out Zhang Yue.
"Those guys are impossible to deal with." Liu Yao exclaimed to Zhang Yue. "No matter how much money I offer, they're dead set on helping that scumbag Chen Jun against us."
Li Xiaoyao adjusted his glasses and offered an explanation: "It's possible that Chen Jun paid them more."
"Chen Jun's entire family fortune can't match my pocket money," Liu Yao retorted. "You're kidding, right?"
"No," Zhang Yue interjected. "It's not about the money. They probably have something on them, something Chen Jun is using to control them."
Liu Yao's frustration grew. "Then what do we do?"
Zhang Yue remained calm. "Doesn't your dad have connections with the Xiaos? Get him to ask Xiao Ji Ba, the legendary crafter, to make me an item."
Liu Yao scratched his head, confused. "What kind of item?"
"Anything," Zhang Yue replied. "As long as it has the effect Heart of the Demon."
"Uh, sure, but why do you need that?" Liu Yao asked, puzzled.
Zhang Yue didn't explain. Instead, he said, "Just make sure it's done before tonight."
"Whether we survive the Third World or not depends on it."
Liu Yao, sensing the urgency, didn't dare delay. "Alright, I'll handle it right away."
With that, he logged off immediately.
Zhang Yue, however, didn't bother going outside. With his current level, fighting a dozen seasoned players equipped with 25-30 gold-tier gear was suicidal.
So, he switched worlds, returning to the Second World: Zombie Siege.
While waiting for the equipment to be crafted, it was more productive to grind the level-20 zombies in the Second World than to waste time in the Third World.
———
Outside the Necropolis in the Third World, the assassin [Killer Not Too Cold], along with his group, was camped near the east gate. When he saw Zhang Yue log out of the Third World, he sneered.
"I'll see how long you can hide."
"When your tomb's defense hits zero, you'll be the Reaper's midnight snack."
———
Meanwhile, Liu Yao, after logging out, immediately contacted his father to pull some strings and commission the legendary crafter Xiao Ji Ba to create the equipment Zhang Yue requested.
At the same time, Li Xiaoyao, who had also logged off, turned to Liu Yao. "Brother Yao, I need to say something. The Killer Mercenary Group made it clear—they're only after Zhang Yue. If we hand him over, they'll stop targeting our guild."
Liu Yao, looking at Li Xiaoyao, thumbed his chest and asked, "Do you think I'm the kind of person who forgets his debts?"
"Last night, Zhang Yue saved my life. And during the Dark Zombie Nest mission, he missed the chance to kill Chen Jun because he chose to save me instead."
"If he had killed Chen Jun back then, would any of this be happening?"
Li Xiaoyao adjusted his glasses and asked, "But do you really think he can take down the Killer Mercenary Group with just one piece of gear?"
"I don't know if you believe in him, but I do. My life belongs to Zhang Yue." Liu Yao declared as he dialed his father's number. [T/N: Why are you gae?]
———
A day passed in the blink of an eye.
At 7 PM, while Zhang Yue was still grinding frenzied zombies in the Corpse Woods of the Second World, Liu Yao sent him a Feixin message:
"Brother, your gear is ready."
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