Chapter 310 - 75: Rendezvous

This squad of soldiers didn’t look like veterans. They seemed more like a group of new recruits who had been forced to come here.

Even from inside the room, Shadow God could hear the veteran leader roar furiously, "I told you to make a move! What are you hesitating for?"

The local natives who had helped Shadow God earlier were chained to the ground. A group of children, still clutching fresh bear meat, trembled before the squad of soldiers.

These recruits had been chatting and laughing on their way here, thinking they were on a simple mission.

But when they learned they were here to slaughter the local inhabitants, they fell silent.

Although their customs were no longer entirely human, these residents still looked like people, and their eyes still revealed fear and the will to live.

Seeing that his men weren’t moving, the veteran barked, then turned and pointed at one soldier, roaring, "You, get over here."

As the recruit stepped forward, the veteran drew his longsword and pressed it to the young soldier’s throat. "Tell me," he said, "is this blade meant for you, or for them?"

"I..."

"Cut the useless sympathy. These things aren’t human; they’re a pack of Demons. Kill them, absorb the Power from their bodies, and increase your own strength. They might be easy to deal with, but they’re still fifteenth-floor beings. They can grant you Power."

Only then did Shadow God understand what these people were trying to do.

This group apparently had the ability to absorb Power from Demons, an effect similar to killing monsters for experience to level up in a traditional game.

No wonder the Celestial Wing Knight Order had a never-ending supply of soldiers; this method was their biggest advantage.

When the recruit still didn’t move, the veteran lost his patience. The sword in his hand drew closer to the young soldier’s throat, and a drop of bright red blood immediately fell, freezing on the snow like a rose petal.

"Tell me, damn you!"

"I..."

Before the recruit could answer, Shadow God made his move.

A longsword wreathed in Magic Power slashed across the veteran’s cheek and landed in the snow to the side before a rope-like strand of Magic Power pulled it back.

Leaping down from the window, Shadow God held his longsword between his teeth and stared at the veteran. "A hero would never allow the innocent to be slaughtered!" he declared. "A villain like you must face judgment."

"You’re one of those damn Slimes!"

"The world can judge who deserves to die. But I know you deserve it more than we do!"

The longsword danced, radiating Magic Power. The black blade flashed like lightning, piercing the veteran’s chest and sending him tumbling to the ground.

With a stylish flick to shake the blood from his blade, Shadow God absorbed the longsword back into his body. He then turned to the other recruits. "You have two choices. Either die, or stay here."

The recruits looked at the veteran’s corpse and finally dropped to one knee. "We’ll stay."

And just like that, Shadow God’s stronghold was born.

Through a long conversation with the recruits, Shadow God finally learned the whole story.

They were all members of the Celestial Wing Knight Order. The Knight Order had escorted them here to hunt Demons and build up their strength.

The Mages of the Knight Order possessed a form of Magic that could convert the flesh and blood of Demons into personal Power. The higher the floor, the more Power was converted. The effect was similar to the players’ Reincarnation Points.

The fifteenth floor’s terrain was somewhat unique. The Demons here weren’t very strong, but they could be converted into a great deal of Power through Magic, which was why it was the Celestial Wing Knight Order’s main area of activity.

In the past, the Celestial Wing Knight Order would have them hunt animals slowly, allowing the recruits to gradually acclimate to the abilities granted by Magic. Under the veterans’ tutelage, they would cultivate a group consciousness and eventually transform from rookies into seasoned soldiers.

But a few days ago, the Celestial Wing Knight Order seemed to go mad. Some veterans began to frantically lead others to slaughter Demons, which eventually escalated to the current situation of attacking the natives.

After understanding the situation, Shadow God walked hesitantly over to the veteran’s corpse and saw that his corruption meter had moved.

The corruption meter hadn’t moved at all since he entered this instance.

It wasn’t just him; every player in this instance had experienced the same thing.

At first, they thought the Demons in the Dungeon were the corrupted creatures, but it turned out they weren’t.

Now, to have actually found signs of corruption on a veteran gave Shadow God a very bad feeling.

’If only Duan Someone were here.’

He posted his findings on the forum. Just as the post went up, he saw a reply from someone he knew.

Duan Someone: "Shadow God, where are you right now?"

Shadow God: "Duan Someone? How were you so fast?"

"I’m with Eight Desolates. He has a dedicated team that monitors the activities of high-profile members. They saw your post the moment it went up and passed it on to me."

The thought that a group of people was getting paid to stare at his posts every day sent a chill down Shadow God’s spine. He decided he would definitely post anonymously next time.

Putting his unease aside for the moment, Shadow God sent his coordinates. He soon received a reply from Duan Fei: "Got it. We’re on our way."

Before long, amidst the screams of the natives, a giant dog came racing toward them, pulling a sled. Five Slimes were sitting on it. After an abrupt stop, they went flying, spun four and a half times in mid-air, and then landed perfectly in the snow, one after another.

"Shadow God, we’re here to back you up!" Duan Fei shouted with a wave.

Upon arrival, the giant dog shapeshifted, turning into a small puppy that circled around Darts Guest, wagging its tail incessantly.

This was Darts Guest’s pet. Though it served no special purpose, Darts Guest was still very fond of it.

Seeing the five players who had come to support him, Shadow God felt some of his anxiety fade. He led Duan Fei toward the veteran’s frozen corpse.

But when Shadow God and the others reached the veteran’s body, they were shocked to discover it had vanished.

They quickly called over the guards. When the new recruits learned the players were looking for the veteran’s body, they said in confusion, "It disappeared."

"Huh? Why?"

"Why...? In the Dungeon, the bodies of Adventurers disappear. Isn’t that common sense?"

The players stared at each other, hearing this "common sense" for the first time.

To the NPCs here, this was local common sense, a fact as obvious as people dying when they’re killed.

That was why even the Witch’s notes failed to mention it; after all, she never imagined anyone in this world would be unaware of such a basic fact.

Duan Fei pondered for a long time but couldn’t understand the necessity for such a game mechanic. In the end, he could only post the question on the forums for other players to help figure it out.

After that, everyone gathered for a meeting to discuss how to proceed to the next floor.