Chapter 80
888 felt utterly miserable.
It used to think, having hosted so many players—even if they all died quickly—it still had experience.
So when it brought Lu Chuan into this world, 888 carried itself with some authority at first.
But now, 888 had been completely bent out of shape, molding itself to fit Lu Chuan’s whims.
Even so, its upgrade speed couldn’t keep up with Lu Chuan at all.
It was absurd!
A system, falling behind its own player’s growth rate? Completely unreasonable.
And yet, reality stared it in the face.
If its host truly decided to kill a Master-Rank player and seize their spot, that would mean both host and system would be dragged into the direct line of sight of the Main God System.
For Lu Chuan, being noticed might even be an opportunity—more options, more choices. But for 888, it was like a thunderbolt. It had barely unlocked two skills, the third wasn’t even available yet. If they clashed with the Main God System now, its only option would be to grab its host and run.
It might not even be qualified to be served on a platter to the Main God System.
So 888 wanted to beg its host: slow down a little, at least let it evolve more skills first.
“Relax, little system. I don’t plan to rush into Master-Rank so soon,” Lu Chuan chuckled. “Don’t forget, my goal is to make money first—become the Star Guild’s Guildmaster. If I went straight to Master-Rank now, how would I have time to be Guildmaster? Or earn money to buy Burial Squad Number 9?”
Slow down a little, and there’d be more money to make.
The choice wasn’t even difficult—Lu Chuan had no urgent need to reach Master-Rank.
[Wonderful, Host. With you saying that, I can finally breathe.] 888 exhaled deeply.
Lu Chuan brushed 888 aside lightly, but he knew: Cynthia bringing this up meant she herself intended to pursue it.
“You’ve already picked your Master-Rank target, haven’t you?” Lu Chuan guessed. Cynthia wouldn’t bring it up without preparation—likely she already had someone in mind.
“As expected, I can’t hide it from you,” Cynthia laughed softly. “Yes. There’s a Master-Rank player in our Resurrection Guild. He despises me and Lil for having NPC blood, and he’s attacked us several times—only the vice guildmaster stopped him. I’ve wanted him dead for a long time. But as a newbie, I had little chance. Now, I can both take revenge and climb higher. Of course I won’t waste this chance.”
“Need my help?” Lu Chuan offered.
“Just lend me your [Infinite Divine Pistol]. I’ll take Lil with me into the dungeon. You’re already going with Edith, no need to change your plan.” Cynthia paused, then added, “Lu Chuan, I’ll wait for you on the Master-Rank list. Lil still dreams of surpassing you—so don’t die.”
“Fine. I won’t need a god-slaying gun in my next dungeon anyway.” Lu Chuan laughed. “But let me return that warning: you’re the one about to face a Master-Rank player, not me. Use my gun well—don’t waste it.”
“Relax. I’ll use your gun to send him straight to hell!”
After hanging up, Lu Chuan sighed to 888. “Cynthia’s the kind of person you can only have as an ally, never as an enemy.”
Fortunately, the Star Guild was still weak and unlikely to clash with the mighty Resurrection Guild.
Otherwise, Cynthia would absolutely be his greatest rival.
[Host, don’t worry. You won’t lose to anyone.]
“For people like her, the best strategy is to bind her to me with shared interests,” Lu Chuan said firmly. “I never let an enemy grow too strong. If someone with endless potential ever becomes my sworn enemy, I’ll use every scheme imaginable to kill them first.”
888 thought its host was truly a man destined for great things.
Once the first batch of Golden Luxury Estate homes had nearly sold out, Lu Chuan handed his subordinates a detailed business plan. They were to copy it step by step to sell off the shops as well. If confused, they were to ask Shen Li and his financial team. But if Lu Chuan came back from his dungeon run and found the job botched, bonuses would be cut.
The subordinates had no choice but to thump their chests and promise results when he returned.
“Good. Show me your abilities—don’t give me reason to replace you.” Lu Chuan gave them a chilling look.
“Yes, sir!”
After hearing she’d join Lu Chuan solo in the next dungeon, Edith went to consult Shen Li and Starry Shasha late into the night. She asked every detail about their teamwork with Lu Chuan, how they coordinated, hoping to make a good impression.
After all, Lu Chuan wasn’t just their team captain—he might one day be the Star Guild’s Guildmaster, a living legend.
In front of someone like that, she had to perform her best.
“Relax,” Shen Li said, patting her shoulder. “Lu Chuan’s full of wild tricks. Just trust him. But also, learn from him—his brain works differently from most. Don’t doubt his decisions, but if you ever have solid improvements to suggest, speak up. If you’re right, he’ll listen.”
Edith quickly scribbled this down in her notebook.
“One last piece of advice—engrave it into your lungs and never forget it.” Shen Li’s expression turned deadly serious.
Edith straightened, ears pricked. “Please say it—I’ll remember.”
“Guard your money. Never let Lu Chuan know how much you have. Got it?” Shen Li spoke from bitter personal experience. “Between me and Shasha, we don’t even have a hundred thousand left. The rest is in his hands. Our team has four members—you must be our safety net!”
Edith felt a little dizzy.
She didn’t quite understand exactly what Shen Li meant, but she felt her role seemed especially important.
Lu Chuan and Edith deliberately chose a combat dungeon. The dungeon key was obtained from the vice-guildmaster, who had in turn traded with another guild for it.
After all, finding a combat dungeon—especially an S-rank one—was no easy task.
If they just wanted to enter a random dungeon, that would’ve been simpler. But to enter a specific one, a dungeon key was required.
Luckily, the Star Guild still had some resources. The vice-guildmaster had paid a high price to buy a key from a mid-sized guild, and the very next day, the key was in Lu Chuan’s hands.
[Player: Arrival of the God of Wealth, Player: The Paladin of Discipline request entry into S-Rank Dungeon “Clash of the Blood Kingdom.”]
[Request approved, dungeon generating…]
[Welcome to Evil World game….]
[Dungeon Name]: Clash of the Blood Kingdom (S-Rank Dungeon). Players: 20. Advanced NPCs: 80. Entry only possible with a special dungeon key. One key permits at most two players.
[Dungeon Info]: The king of this kingdom is a battle maniac. Since inheriting the throne at eighteen, he has been undefeated across the realm. Rumor has it even gods fell beneath his blade, while others say he is the gods’ emissary in the mortal world. He holds a tournament of duels where killing is legal, and only the strong survive. Win his recognition, and you will stand above all in this blood-soaked land. Survive in this Clash of the Blood Kingdom—under the crimson moon, all slaughter is permitted.
[Clear Conditions]:
- Obtain any one of the champion, runner-up, or third-place medals from the duel tournament.
- Defeat or kill 20 or more advanced NPCs.
- Defeat the King—doing so raises evaluation by one rank.
[Dungeon Hint]: The king wields a divine sword, said to have slain a god. Claim it, and you shall gain unparalleled might.
Combat dungeons were more straightforward than others—clear conditions were simple and direct, making them relatively friendly to players. The only “unfriendly” part: players not only had to fight a bunch of battle-crazed players, but also clash with many advanced NPCs.
Before obtaining this key, Lu Chuan and Edith had researched the dungeon a little.
This dungeon was basically a training ground for sword-wielding high-level players, used to hone combat strength. Inside, not only were there elites from the five great guilds, but also players from many mid-sized and small guilds. Rumor even had it that once, a Master-Rank player had disguised himself to enter this world, rampaging through it to vent his emotions.
In short—the NPCs here were all bloodthirsty maniacs. Every single one a lunatic.
Moreover, once inside, both players and NPCs had their items and abilities sealed. Only by meeting certain conditions could they slowly be unlocked. The dungeon fully tested how players fought when stripped of advantages. No wonder this place was favored by the more twisted kind of player.
Because Lu Chuan and Edith entered with the same key, the game grouped them together. They had to defeat other players and defend against NPCs. Crisis everywhere.
But that was precisely what made this dungeon valuable training for Lu Chuan.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a man swinging a broadsword at him. Lu Chuan narrowly dodged, though his clothes were sliced.
Edith reacted instantly—kicked the attacker flying, then dragged Lu Chuan behind cover.
Lu Chuan glanced around, dazed.
The surroundings were nothing but ruins—crumbled walls, rubble, scattered weapons, dust, blood, and corpses.
Above them, the sky glowed with a murky red light. Raising his head, Lu Chuan saw the moon was scarlet.
He immediately looked away.
He’d felt a surge of agitation in his emotions.
“Edith, drink some Calm Spirit Potion. Your sanity’s higher—you’ll be more heavily affected,” Lu Chuan said quickly.
Edith had already noticed her sanity dropping. She swiftly drank a vial and handed one to Lu Chuan.
Lu Chuan drank it, though with his already low sanity, it hardly made a difference—if anything, it gave him partial immunity.
“I knew something was off about this dungeon. How could an entire kingdom be made of battle maniacs? One look at that moon and it’s clear. This thing’s worse than some eldritch gods. Under its long-term light, no one can resist the urge to fight and destroy,” Lu Chuan sighed. This place was definitely not a safe haven.
He also realized his items and abilities were sealed.
Of course, he could forcefully activate his God of Wealth related skills—but that would draw the Main System’s attention.
For now, all they could rely on was physical fitness and combat skill.
In that regard, Lu Chuan was far inferior to Edith.
Not that it was his fault.
In Lu Chuan’s original world, physical prowess was barely necessary—few people even went to the gym. Even after entering dungeon worlds, he rarely had to fight personally, so naturally he lacked advantage.
Edith, on the other hand, was a sword-class ability user, trained from childhood in physical conditioning and martial techniques. Here, she was like a fish in water.
Fortunately, Lu Chuan had undergone emergency training before entering—otherwise, he might not have dodged that earlier strike.
“Captain Lu, should we clear out the enemies nearby first?” Edith asked eagerly. “I counted about twenty to thirty. None too strong. If we beat them, we can secure this area.”
They needed a safe base. It was impossible to stay exposed under this blood moon.
“Alright.” Lu Chuan nodded. “But take some alive. We need information.”
Edith acknowledged and quickly set out.
Soon, she returned dragging several captives. Lu Chuan spent some time questioning them before piecing together some info.
The Blood Kingdom’s duel tournament occurred once every three years, lasting three years. The gap between two tournaments was never more than a week. Another one was about to begin. Miss it, and you’d have to wait three more years.
Every participant bore a blood-moon mark on their chest. The first three months before the tournament proper were the preliminaries. Each candidate had to collect ten or more blood-moon marks to qualify. Fail, and when time was up, you either stabbed yourself to reserve a spot in the next tournament, or the blood moon killed you.
Those who passed the preliminaries would unlock one sealed ability.
And now—this was already the third month. Only ten days left before preliminaries closed.
Of course, the system wasn’t going to generously give players the full three months. They were dropped in with only ten days, forcing them into the hunt.
After defeating those captives, Edith used their own blades to cut the blood-moon marks from their chests.
Each patch of skin transformed into a badge. When Edith touched them, they vanished, and the number 22 appeared on her chest mark—the total number she had just defeated. She had originally intended to split them with Lu Chuan, eleven each, to qualify both of them.
“Looks like no cheating allowed,” Lu Chuan said. “The kills only count for the one who actually defeats them.”
Edith looked flustered. “Captain Lu, then… should I catch some more for you, so you can carve out the marks yourself?”
“The system won’t let us cheat that way,” Lu Chuan shook his head. “I have to beat them myself before I can claim the mark.”
Edith opened her mouth, but couldn’t argue.
Honestly—based on what she knew of Lu Chuan’s skills, defeating enemies without items or powers would be difficult. One-on-one, he still had an edge. One-on-two, maybe a draw. But one-on-three, he’d definitely lose.
And since she had already cleared out the nearby weaklings, the remaining enemies would likely be moving in groups. That would make it even harder for Lu Chuan.
“Also—you said your mark shows 22, exactly matching your number of defeats. But I noticed those enemies had different numbers on their marks when you cut them. That must be their own tallies of kills. Yet, those didn’t transfer to you. Meaning—the number of qualified contestants will keep shrinking,” Lu Chuan analyzed calmly. “If I were the system, I’d make sure the remaining enemies nearby are just barely enough for us to pass the prelims. And I bet one powerful opponent is waiting for us.”
After all, even with abilities sealed, the kind of players who made it into this dungeon weren’t newcomers. Against dumb local NPCs, they’d have the upper hand.
In the end, the real threats were only the 98 others—players plus advanced NPCs—aside from himself and Edith. The rest were fodder, stepping stones.
“So Captain Lu, what’s the plan?” Edith asked curiously. “Should I lure them over one by one for you?”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary.” Lu Chuan stretched lazily. “Actually, I’ve got a way too—it’s just a bit ugly. But there are only ten days left, and I have to do it myself, so I can only resort to some low-level tricks.”
Edith was puzzled.
If even Lu Chuan thought it was a low-level trick, then what on earth could it be?
After a while—
Lu Chuan collapsed on the ground, “on his last breath,” covered in blood. Yet he still struggled to crawl up, trying to carve away the mark on someone’s chest.
Three burly men holding clubs and knives stood by, watching for a while. Only after confirming that the man before them was exhausted and badly injured, barely clinging to life, did they move in.
Wasn’t this practically delivering a mark to their door?
Confident in their numbers, they decided to finish him off before he died on his own—otherwise it wouldn’t count as their kill.
“You… who are you? Want to try my blade?” Lu Chuan panted heavily, but still raised his knife, striking a fighting pose to scare them off.
But how could the three be frightened by such a bluff?
“You can’t even stand. Just obediently become our kill.”
“Don’t worry. The three of us strike clean—we’ll make sure you don’t suffer much.”
They spread out in a half-circle, cutting off his escape, advancing step by step.
Lu Chuan seemed barely able to hold himself up, his body swaying, yet still refusing to collapse.
Attack!
Exchanging a glance, the three lunged at him.
They were fast, and their weapons sharp—no ordinary person could dodge such a strike.
“I knew you’d jump.” Lu Chuan tugged a hidden rope. Three black strips of cloth twisted into a cord shot into the air, forming a triangle, just enough to trip all three.
Caught mid-air, they had no way to evade—only to fall.
At that instant, Lu Chuan flung a handful of dust into their eyes.
As they hit the ground, he slammed his foot viciously into the spot between their legs.
Self-defense ultimate move!
A solid kick to the groin would instantly rob them of the will to fight.
Already blinded, the three howled soundlessly, doubling over in pain, unable even to curse.
Too sinister!
But before they could recover or shout insults, Lu Chuan drove his blade straight into their hearts, one by one—giving them no chance for last words.
Villains die of talking too much.
From the moment he saw the blood moon, Lu Chuan knew—this place had low visibility, surrounded by ruins. Lay down black cloth strips and cover them with dust, and no one would notice, since all eyes would be on his “dying” figure. As for the cloth, he’d stripped it off the clothes of unlucky victims Edith had killed.
By adjusting rope length and setting a simple trap, he pulled off an unexpected strike.
Easily, Lu Chuan earned three marks. The mark on his chest now read 3.
“Fighting isn’t that hard.” He rubbed his wrist.
Edith’s face was impossible to describe.
Author’s note:
Edith: Huh? A dirty move like the groin kick? As a knight, I’ve never used that!
