Chapter 135
“Mr. Ran, we don’t have any deep hatred between us. Do you really need to kill me so urgently?” Lu Chuan raised his hands with a helpless smile.
“At this point, there’s no need for us to play dumb.” Starry Ming chuckled softly, staring at him. “You know who I am, and I know who you are. Between us, only one can win. I already showed you my greatest goodwill. You refused it.”
“I still think we can negotiate,” Lu Chuan suggested. “If you only want to be guildmaster for one year, I can agree to that.”
Starry Ming was stunned by his shamelessness—and his attacks grew fiercer.
“Three years, then? How about three? Everything’s negotiable!” Lu Chuan yelped while dodging frantically.
[Host… maybe stop talking for a bit? The more you say, the angrier he gets.] #888 couldn’t bear to watch anymore.
“I know, I know! But what else can I do?” Lu Chuan despaired. He wanted to get along with Starry Ming, but the position of Guildmaster stood between them. For that seat, bloodshed was only natural.
He ducked into an alley, catching his breath—but he couldn’t step out, or Starry Ming would instantly lock onto him.
According to Shen Li, Starry Ming’s external ability was called [Suppression], a cleric-class skill. Originally, it was meant to restrain demons and monsters without harming people. But somehow Starry Ming had developed it into something effective against all living beings. Anyone with lower strength or level than him would be suppressed.
When [Suppression] took effect, the victim could be crippled for years—or even imprisoned for life.
Of course, it had one weakness: it only worked on one target at a time.
That’s why Starry Ming usually cleared out the weaker enemies first, saving [Suppression] for the final boss. Even if only partially effective, it was enough.
Now, he hadn’t used it yet on Lu Chuan—perhaps because he was wary Lu Chuan might have allies.
Lu Chuan wasn’t sure if [Suppression] would affect his “God of Wealth” skills, but he didn’t dare risk it. Those abilities had cost him countless game points. Losing them to Starry Ming would make him cough blood.
[Host, maybe use a skill? You haven’t tried your new ones yet.] #888 suggested cautiously.
At Starry Ming’s current intensity, survival seemed impossible without fighting back. But escaping was just as hard—his opponent’s items were leagues above his own.
And if they dragged this out, the city’s magic circle would activate, and Lu Chuan would be sacrificed to the God of Exchange. Either way, this had to end quickly.
“What’s the rush? It’s not time to spend money yet,” Lu Chuan refused flatly. “If I use skills, it has to be at the perfect moment. Otherwise, it’s just a waste.”
He kept an eye on Starry Ming’s movements while anxiously tallying what tools he had left in his system space.
When he got back to reality, he was definitely going to reimburse himself for more items.
The low-tier ones only lasted a second or two against Starry Ming’s assaults. High-tier ones held out a bit longer—but not by much.
That bastard Starry Ming was infuriating.
Meanwhile, Starry Ming was waiting for Lu Chuan to reveal his trump card.
From what he had gathered, Lu Chuan’s ability was supposedly a supportive eye-technique that revealed weaknesses—nothing more than an auxiliary skill. But Starry Ming didn’t believe that for a second. Lu Chuan had to be hiding something.
So he pressed harder, closing in step by step.
Forced to retreat again, Lu Chuan tossed out another item to slow him down.
Starry Ming frowned but dodged effortlessly.
“Lu Chuan, you’re a ranked player. This is your divine challenge instance. Are you really just going to keep running? Your strength isn’t only this much, is it?”
If Lu Chuan turned out to be that weak, Starry Ming would be sorely disappointed.
“Damn it, he’s mocking me? I use brains, not brawn! He’s the one bullying me with a pile of items. He’s old enough to be my dad—what kind of grown man picks on a junior and then taunts them?” Lu Chuan cursed aloud.
#888 wanted to comfort his host, but at this point, nothing he said would help.
“This won’t work. Not like this.” Lu Chuan was exhausted. His upper limit was no match for Starry Ming. If it went on, he’d collapse first.
Right now, Lu Chuan’s items were no good.
His strongest S-rank offensive items, whether it was the [Infinite Divine Pistol] or the [Cross of Godslaying], basically only worked against gods.
The pistol could be used against Starry Ming, but each shot would cost him five points of sanity. On top of that, Starry Ming was armed to the teeth with defensive items. The bullet could easily be blocked unless fired at close range.
But how could Starry Ming not know he had the [Infinite Divine Pistol]? He’d been keeping his distance the whole time, engaging in a war of attrition—clearly guarding against that very weapon.
It seemed Lu Chuan had been studied thoroughly.
Wiping his face, Lu Chuan sighed. This was the price of fame—no privacy left. Every item and ability he had was laid bare.
Since becoming a player, he had never suffered such a loss.
As expected, the most dangerous thing in a dungeon was never the boss—it was the other players.
[Host, let’s just use your skills.] #888 wished he could shove one of those sanity cards Chen Ji had given them straight into Lu Chuan’s hand.
With more sanity, Lu Chuan wouldn’t be so reckless.
“Maybe… wait. I’ve got a better idea.” Lu Chuan still wasn’t in a hurry. He glanced at the city around them, and in a flash of inspiration, a new plan took shape.
He had been holding back from using the God of Wealth’s skills—not just to save money, but also as a precaution against Starry Ming.
Starry Ming hadn’t gone for the kill, not because he intended to spare him, but because he wanted to see what Lu Chuan’s trump card was.
Lu Chuan weighed it carefully. Whatever abilities he revealed, Starry Ming wouldn’t believe it at face value. As a Master-Ranked player, Starry Ming must have appraisal-type items.
What worried Lu Chuan most was that using the God of Wealth’s skills might expose something unusual, drawing the attention of the Main God System.
If he remembered correctly, the higher a player’s rank, the more closely the system monitored them.
Starry Ming was already suspicious of him. If he revealed a skill that clearly wasn’t human in origin, wouldn’t that be handing over evidence on a silver platter?
That was a risk Lu Chuan wasn’t willing to take.
[Host, he’s coming!] #888 was ready to activate a skill at any second to protect him.
But who could have guessed—Lu Chuan didn’t dodge?
Wait, what? At least dodge! A head-on clash would only burn through more money anyway!
Then #888 realized something shocking.
Not only did Lu Chuan refuse to dodge—he was chanting under his breath.
Listening closely, #888 nearly short-circuited.
[Host, no! You’ve only got half a soul left, and you’re still making a deal with the God of Exchange?]
Good thing it had never told him his soul could regenerate, or he’d have sold it all off long ago.
And now, even without knowing, he was planning to gamble with what he had left.
Once you’ve done it once, it gets easier the second time.
Selling himself—Lu Chuan was a professional at that.
Sometimes, #888 honestly wanted to call the cops.
His host would rather sell himself than spend money on skills.
“Little System, we were too anxious. We forgot something important. Starry Ming reminded me just now—this is my god-challenge dungeon. What’s there to be afraid of?” Lu Chuan smiled brilliantly. “I almost forgot—this isn’t Starry Ming’s home turf. This is the City of Immortality, right under the nose of the [God of Exchange]. We’re already standing in the center of his magic circle; I don’t even need to redraw it. Since this city is his domain, how could I not use it to my advantage?”
Exploiting the environment, exploiting the gods, exploiting anything exploitable—that was Lu Chuan’s specialty.
What kind of fool would try to out-item or out-power someone like Starry Ming, who had seniority, stronger gear, and more strength?
Attacking the enemy’s strength with your weakness—that was sheer idiocy.
No, he had to return to his roots—and scam Starry Ming properly.
As he finished the incantation, Lu Chuan could already feel the presence of the [God of Exchange].
Starry Ming’s items blared frantic warnings.
He recognized this all too well.
The force that appeared before him was unquestionably divine power—and it was the power of the [God of Exchange].
At this moment, Lu Chuan was really trying to bargain with Him? Was he insane? Even if he wagered everything he had left, it might not be enough to defeat Starry Ming.
Better to fight it out with him than risk that.
Wait—was his ability really only that augmentation eye technique? Had I been wrong? Did Lu Chuan actually have nothing else?
Starry Ming’s mind was in turmoil.
This wasn’t right.
And yet, Lu Chuan was indeed negotiating with the [God of Exchange].
He remembered the orphanage director, who had been burned to ashes and still revived. Clearly, this god’s power was even greater than he imagined.
“What I want isn’t much—just erase the abnormality on Starry Ming’s body,” Lu Chuan said.
He had always suspected Starry Ming had some special method to be able to kill so openly within the city. Otherwise, how would he even leave after killing him?
Moreover, Starry Ming hadn’t once used a skill—only items.
At first, Lu Chuan thought maybe Starry Ming was just testing him, or suspected he had an ally. But even now, he still hadn’t used a skill. That was strange.
Maybe it wasn’t that he wouldn’t—but that he couldn’t.
Something was definitely off about him.
With the [God of Exchange], everything depended on value.
Defeating Starry Ming outright? That would cost a fortune—even staking his remaining worth might not be enough.
Banishing him from the city? Also possible, but surely expensive.
No—the best trade was the simplest one. Strike Starry Ming where it hurt the most, with the lowest price.
After some thought, Lu Chuan decided to gamble.
The [God of Exchange] responded.
He demanded one-tenth of Lu Chuan’s remaining value.
Oh—that really wasn’t much.
Compared to before, when He’d often ask for half, just one-tenth this time? That meant Starry Ming’s abnormality was real—and not too difficult to remove.
Lu Chuan agreed.
“Deal… sealed.”
As that tenth of his value was taken, Lu Chuan collapsed to the ground, drained and weak.
Honestly, did the god have to act so impatient when collecting his price? It’s not like he would have gone back on his word.
At the same time—
Chen Ji, who was finishing up a magic array with the officials, also sensed the clash of items outside.
Most likely, Lu Chuan had gotten into it with another player.
And both sides seemed strong.
Chen Ji wasn’t particularly worried about Lu Chuan’s safety—he had plenty of escape items. Worst case, he abandoned the dungeon. Not a big deal.
Still, Lu Chuan’s aura was weakening. Was he losing?
Curious, Chen Ji pulled out a mirror-type item to peek at the fight—just to kill some boredom.
“…Lu Chuan’s met a tough one. Can’t tell who that player is… Oh? Soul exchange. So the city’s hidden function got triggered.”
“Well, you can’t just keep running forever.”
“But trading with a god at this point?” Chen Ji was stunned. Was Lu Chuan really that bold? Better to lose to a player and exit the dungeon than get harvested by a god!
Besides, I gave him so many sanity cards. Couldn’t he use at least one?
Chen Ji couldn’t wrap his head around it.
And yet, Lu Chuan still made the deal.
Chen Ji quickly put away the mirror, not daring to look anymore.
Seeing a god wasn’t the issue. The issue was being seen by one.
No way.
He stopped watching.
Meanwhile, the officials carving the array started smiling.
“High Priest, look! The circle is glowing. Seems the god really likes our work.”
Chen Ji glanced at the array silently.
The god did seem happy.
But surely not because He just took Lu Chuan’s value?
Deep down, though, Chen Ji couldn’t deny the thought.
Maybe Lu Chuan’s value was far greater than he imagined.
[Attention, Player God of Wealth: Soul deficiency detected. Sanity is about to decrease.]
Lu Chuan immediately used the lowest-tier sanity card to restore himself.
[Current Sanity: 65.]
He sighed.
If this didn’t work, he’d have to consider using [God of Wealth’s Currency].
Starry Ming had been about to close in when he suddenly felt a massive tug at his soul.
After all, he had seized this body through soul exchange. His real body was already outside the city.
But now—his soul was being dragged out of it.
It was Lu Chuan!
“Lu Chuan, you—what did you do?” Starry Ming tried to push forward, but the overwhelming power of the [God of Exchange] was irresistible—especially here, in His own domain.
“Goodbye,” Lu Chuan said, waving.
Starry Ming glared at him with bitter unwillingness.
He never thought Lu Chuan would actually dare trade with the [God of Exchange]—especially right before the god was about to harvest the entire city. How was this any different from making a deal with a tiger?
But Lu Chuan went ahead and did it anyway.
And what’s more, he noticed something was wrong with himself.
Starry Ming’s current body collapsed.
His soul returned to his real body outside the city, while the soul he had swapped into came back into this body.
Outside the city, Starry Ming opened his eyes and slammed the ground hard.
He was back in his original body.
But this time, trying to get into the city again would be difficult.
The stone lions wouldn’t let him in so easily anymore!
In other words, in this dungeon, his attempts to deal with Lu Chuan had come to an end.
Lu Chuan.
Lu Chuan!
Starry Ming was even more certain now.
There had to be something seriously wrong with this Lu Chuan—he would rather make a deal with the [God of Exchange] than expose his real trump cards.
That was absolutely not normal!
“Boss, do you still want to go into the city?” a subordinate asked cautiously.
“No need.” Starry Ming gave the stone lions at the gate a deep look.
With Lu Chuan’s skills, he might clear the dungeon as early as tomorrow, once the third main quest was done.
There was no point staying here anymore.
“Phew, that’s dealt with.” Lu Chuan caught his breath before walking over to examine Starry Ming’s body.
At that moment, Starry Ming’s body suddenly moved.
Lu Chuan jumped back in fright.
But the “Starry Ming” who woke up now had clear, clueless eyes. “Huh? Who are you? Wasn’t I outside the city? Why am I back here? How come I’m in my original body again?”
The body no longer looked anything like Starry Ming—there wasn’t a trace of him left.
“Mm, not even a player anymore.” Lu Chuan stared at the guy a few times before confirming he really wasn’t Starry Ming, but just some ordinary NPC from the city.
“Looks like it was either a remotely controlled puppet or a soul transfer. Judging by this, the latter is more likely.” Lu Chuan analyzed carefully.
So that’s where the difference lay between the two of them.
Lu Chuan had figured out from his adoptive family how to summon the [God of Exchange] and could trade with it anytime.
Meanwhile, Starry Ming had mastered a way to swap souls. His method didn’t require direct trades with the [God of Exchange]; instead, every exchange he made automatically cost him some value.
Tch, he’s really tough to deal with.
Starry Ming did have some real skill.
[Host, this is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.] #888 commented. [He definitely won’t let you off.]
“How could defeating a master-ranked player be easy? Forcing him to retreat is already good enough.” Lu Chuan rolled his eyes. “My name’s Lu Chuan, not Lu Invincible.”
If he hadn’t thought of trading with the [God of Exchange] at the last minute, who knows what state he’d be in now.
If he had used his skill, sure, he could’ve beaten Starry Ming.
#888 didn’t say it outright, but that’s exactly what it thought.
“Little System, I’ll avoid using my skills unless I have to. I feel like the Main God System is watching me.” Lu Chuan said seriously. “Honestly, I’m really uneasy.”
Uneasy about what? About losing all your money if you use a skill? #888 muttered inwardly.
[Host, did you sense something?] Still, it had upgraded its language module and knew what it could and couldn’t say.
“If I had to describe it… using my skills fills me with a fear like suddenly losing all my wealth overnight and even going into debt.” Lu Chuan answered sincerely.
#888 sucked in a sharp breath.
So his intuition was that terrifying?
No wonder the host refused to use his skills.
Thinking about it, it wasn’t impossible.
If the host’s soul could repair itself, that meant he was walking further and further down the path toward divinity. If Lu Chuan truly felt danger, then there had to be danger.
Gods’ instincts about their own survival were rarely wrong.
[Alright, Host, then we won’t use them.] #888 agreed immediately. [But what do you plan to do next?]
“Of course, clear the dungeon as soon as possible. I managed to fend Starry Ming off once because he underestimated me and didn’t even bring his real body. But next time, he’ll definitely try to kill me on sight. So the best move is to clear this dungeon first, earn official top-player status, and only then can I avoid him. Next time I enter a dungeon, I’ll team up with Shen Li and the others every time. I don’t believe he can just stalk me forever!” Lu Chuan gritted his teeth.
Once he had numbers on his side, Starry Ming couldn’t corner him like this again.
Against someone like that, you couldn’t afford to play fair.
[Host, do you already have a lead?]
“Somewhat. I’ll test it out.” Lu Chuan nodded. “There’s not much time, so I’ll just have to check one by one.”
When they first entered this dungeon, all the players had turned into children, all appearing at the orphanage.
If the game wanted them to find the mortal vessel of a god, searching blindly would be impossible. There had to be hints.
Like birthplace, or places they had to go.
Otherwise, where would they even start?
Lu Chuan wasn’t familiar with many places, but the orphanage was definitely one of them. The city lord’s side had probably already been taken care of by Starry Ming, so that saved him some trouble.
After resting for a bit, Lu Chuan headed toward the orphanage.
