Chapter 39: The Sword of the Flame Demon

Right now, everyone is feeling their way through uncharted waters, but who else besides Lu Kuan has used a single skill for ten years? In terms of understanding the game, Lu Kuan is undoubtedly the world’s number one. If anyone else were to ask him for advice, he might even charge a consultation fee.

Within the pitch-black cavern, the tip of Akui’s staff and the surface of Qingyi’s shield emitted a gentle white glow, illuminating every detail within a five-to-six-meter radius. Having teammates made all the difference— a mage’s Light spell was far superior to torches.

The party had been advancing through the cave for more than ten minutes, encountering several groups of cave-dwellers. The intervals between ambushes grew shorter and shorter, making everyone increasingly tense.

At the front of the party, Lu Kuan’s footsteps were as light as a leopard’s, agilely vaulting over a wall fashioned from stone spires. Not far ahead, a flicker of firelight caught his eye.

“Stop!” Lu Kuan whispered into the party channel. The three girls following closely behind him immediately halted.

“The cave’s end is near. Prepare for battle,” Lu Kuan ordered decisively. Each member readied themselves, adjusted their formation, cast buffs on their teammates, and crouched low to minimize noise—under Lu Kuan’s guidance, the three girls now resembled seasoned professional players.

Because they were planning a surprise attack, Qingyi, clad in heavy armor, took up the rearguard. Lu Kuan, at the very front, half-crouched at the cave’s terminus, nocked a feathered arrow onto his bow, and slowly peered inside.

What he saw made his heart skip a beat, far exceeding any previous expectation.

“What the hell is this?” he muttered under his breath.

The deepest chamber of the cave was packed with no fewer than ten people, all crowded together. Judging by their gear, every one of them was a player. The scene felt like painstakingly exploring a deserted island only to stumble upon a group of modern folk throwing a barbecue party in the ruins. Even someone as experienced as Lu Kuan was momentarily dumbfounded.

His first reaction was that others must have received clues for this quest and had come here searching for the young Tom. But on second thought, he realized something was off—their quest progress was clearly ahead of his, so they should have left traces at places like the hunter’s hut, yet he hadn’t noticed a thing.

Regardless, the other group had numbers on their side, and Lu Kuan didn’t want to alert them. He quietly instructed the girls to retreat in the party channel and began slowly backing away himself. Just then, a chorus of high-pitched screeches echoed from the cave, followed by someone shouting, “What’s that?”

Lu Kuan knew trouble was brewing. He quickly withdrew, and several feathered arrows shot past, barely missing his nose before clattering onto the cave floor.

“Don’t misunderstand! I’m a player!” Lu Kuan called out, hoping to avoid being mistaken for a monster and mobbed. But the people rushing out didn’t seem to hear him—they attacked immediately!

The fastest was a gnome rogue, who snatched up a stone from who knows where and hurled it at Lu Kuan’s face while sprinting forward. Right behind, an elf ranger nocked a second arrow, the bowstring gleaming white, and fired in one smooth motion.

Lu Kuan could tell instantly—these two were veterans, employing classic PvP tactics. Yet he wasn’t flustered; instead, he was annoyed. Damn it, I already said I’m a player, and you still attack?

Narrowing his eyes, Lu Kuan tightened and released his fingers, sending a Shock Arrow flying straight toward the rogue. Without even checking for a hit, he rolled sideways to evade the ranger’s Shock Arrow. Rising, he unleashed a second Bone-Shatter Arrow.

“Thud! Thud!”

The gnome rogue was rooted to the spot, clearly caught off guard, while the ranger fared even worse—Lu Kuan’s arrow pierced his right shoulder, and the second arrow went astray.

“Stop! I mean no harm.” Lu Kuan’s hunting bow aimed at the ranger as he frowned.

The ranger, unable to move, stared at the massive “-50!” system prompt in his field of vision, then looked at Lu Kuan in shock: such speed! Such damage!

The other players in the cave had just stepped outside, and they too were startled by the scene.

Lu Kuan was about to speak when the gnome rogue recovered from his immobilization, a hint of resentment in his eyes. Seizing the moment as Lu Kuan turned his head, he lunged forward with twin daggers in hand, striking like lightning!

The rogue activated his “Energy Surge” skill, running at more than double his usual speed. The two were less than three meters apart, and everyone thought: the ranger is finished.

“Swish!”

“Ouch!”

Yet, instead of the expected bloody spectacle, a flash of green and white light appeared. Lu Kuan stood unharmed, now accompanied by a female warrior wielding a shield.

“Didn't I tell you to fall back?” Lu Kuan turned to Qingyi, who had rushed over, brow furrowed.

Qingyi had just activated the warrior class skill “Battlefield Support”—moving to the target’s side at 500% normal speed and blocking the next physical attack for them.

Qingyi glanced at Lu Kuan without a word, then joined Baikeke and Akui, who followed close behind, forming a battle-ready stance opposite the other party.

Three stunning women stood shoulder to shoulder; the opposing group exchanged bewildered looks. Their shock probably surpassed even Lu Kuan’s earlier surprise.

The rogue who had tried to ambush Lu Kuan was now tightly bound by vines that had sprouted from the ground, while Lu Kuan, bow fully drawn, pointed a gleaming arrowhead at the rogue’s throat—precisely the spot where an arrow’s lethality peaked.

“At this distance, I guarantee you’ll be dead in a second,” Lu Kuan grinned at the rogue, then turned to the others. “Now, can we talk?”

…

In the end, both sides agreed to a truce—or at least, temporarily laid down their arms.

The other party consisted of eleven people, led by a burly barbarian berserker, one of the warrior’s advanced classes.

This warrior carried twin heavy swords, sported a thick beard, and had a cute gray bird perched on his shoulder—the very bird that had detected Lu Kuan earlier, its vigilance earning his admiration.

The barbarian’s appearance was distinctive, with curling deep-blue tribal tattoos covering the left side of his face and a fierce scar running from his right eyebrow to the back of his skull.

The game allowed players to customize their characters’ features, but few chose such a grotesque look. So, upon seeing the berserker’s avatar, Lu Kuan immediately guessed their identity.

Inferno Sword—one of the top professional studios, renowned for treasure hunting and slaying wild bosses. In his previous life, Inferno Sword obtained the country’s first semi-artifact, and handled more than twenty master-crafted pieces of equipment!

They were true legends.

The captain of Inferno Sword, known as Master Hong, was famous across several virtual MMORPGs, and was also a member of the Supreme Celestial Court.