Chapter 103

Basic Thunderbolt Chapter (Urgent)

[Name: The Death Poker]

[Type: Spiritual Weapon]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Attack power: ???]

[Attributes: Unknown]

[Special Effect #1: Infinite (one card will be generated every five minutes. This will only stop when 54 cards are fully generated).]

[Special Effect #2: Combination (attacking opponents by combining the same kind of suits will enhance the power of the attack).]

[Special Effect #3: Spiritual Hunt (spiritual weapon will always strike the target of the user’s desire).]

[Equipment Conditions: Unlock Spiritual Specialty]

[Being able to be brought out of the scenario: Yes]

[Remarks: When Apocalypse turned Gambit into the Death Knight, a part of his powers had gained autonomy and betrayed its master, turning into an unknown energy wandering in the multiverse. One day, it met another powerful soul. It then turned itself into a deck of cards, becoming an intimidating loyal servant of that soul.]

No doubt the Spiritual Weapons were excellent. Along with the user’s increasing level, the weapon’s attributes would be changed and developed accordingly. There was also a chance of strengthening a mutant. As the unique weapons that only Spiritual Specialty could possess, players couldn’t ask for them as they could only meet this sort of weapon by chance. Such items couldn’t be purchased from shops or the Box of Fear. Players could only gain them from some scenarios which had special plots or [Hidden Quests]. This was similar to the method of training to Specialties Grade S.

The Spiritual Weapons and the titles were very much alike as the system had customized them to suit the players’ needs well. If the player’s development tendency has been changed with time, the effects of their Spiritual Weapons would change accordingly. However, their shapes would remain, thus players had to reach at least level 30. When their fighting method and playing style were settled, they could receive this sort of weapons.

Anyhow, Feng Bujue and Wild Trace Sword Shadow weren’t ordinary players. Talking about Wild Trace Sword Shadow, even when he had reached level 50, he would consistently use swords. So, it would be fine giving him a Spiritual Weapon in the shape of a sword. Of course, the fundamental condition was to complete his [Hidden Quest].

Regarding Feng Bujue, he was a versatile person as he could get through one or two levels of each Specialty. This deck of [Death Poker] he got was suitable for players who were good at a variety of Specialties, with its ever-changing effects. Feng Bujue was just at level 15; he could hardly imagine how powerful this item could be when fully operated.

[Critical! Critical! Critical! The murderous strike arrives. Instantly, the sky and earth darkens. Gods and devils are frightened.]

Feng Bujue darted his flush. The cards spun and interlaced in the air, and they almost reached Wild Trace Sword Shadow in an instant. The speed and strength were significantly increased.

[Wild Trace Sword Shadow strikes to take the upper hand, determinedly breaking the opponent’s strike. My goodness! My goodness!]

Wild Trace Sword Shadow gripped his sword with both of his hands, lunged and dashed forward to directly confront the five rays. He wanted to take advantage of the space and worm through the gaps between the rays to approach Feng Bujue and make this fight a close combat again.

[A short shout echoes. The sword moved forward with a vigorous aura shrouding his body to shield him from the attack. In just a blink of an eye, a sound suddenly tore off the air; wind and clouds torrentially drift in the sky. A flow of impure air current came and blinded people.]

[Shadows of light crossed, and Wild Trace Sword Shadow appears all of a sudden. Added with a trail of madness, his cold, arrogant eyes bring him more imposing manners as the brave swordsman crosses his heart to kill the strong opponent!]

Among the five incoming cards, the sword could only stop three, and he could only dodge one. As for the last one, it had passed three centimeters under Wild Trace Sword Shadow’s left arm. A wound was cut open, and his blood streamed out almost five meters from it. However, this injury couldn’t prevent his storming movements. Wild Trace Sword Shadow was still moving forward to reach Feng Bujue.

Feng Bujue was prepared as he understood that those five cards couldn’t end this game. His opponent could definitely break the attack and try to approach him. Thus, he was ready.

Body-Spirit Congregation Technique was activated, and the wrench was tightly gripped in his hand. Feng Bujue’s dynamic vision, speed, and outburst were all enhanced. Wild Trace Sword Shadow was also bleeding. Now, they had the same conditions. The only difference was, Wild Trace Sword Shadow had to come near the opponent; if not, he had no chance to win. On the other side, Feng Bujue was using his strength to wait at ease and count the chances to attack his opponent.

[Sword qi impacted with spiritual power. Shadows stagger. Divine powers collide. The Earth shakes under the cliff, where bodies are hung.]

Feng Bujue wanted to use a single burst of strike to end the battle. Indeed, he got the chance that was about to slip away as his attack had almost reached the opponent’s head. Unfortunately, Wild Trace Sword Shadow was wearing a helmet… Although he had chosen to hide his items, when he got hit, the shape of this invisible item had appeared in one second as it was performing the relative functions of a defensive item.

Since none of them could claim victory yet, although Feng Bujue wanted to make a certain distance between them, it wouldn’t be easy anymore. Wild Trace Sword Shadow’s sword was constantly moving, and his skills were like the wind. Apparently, he was now serious with this fight. The difference between a top professional gamer and an ordinary player who wasn’t specialized in fighting like Feng Bujue now put the latter in a difficult situation again. Feng Bujue could hardly dodge the constant attacks from his opponent.

[Close combat. Heartless strikes. Ruthless technique. Blood is shedding, dripping on the earth, dying it into a place of scarlet.]

[The two are striking out continuously. Spirit power leads to hell. Sword shadow cuts the living path. During their combat, eventually, Wild Trace Sword Shadow gets the upper hand. The intimidating sword is slashing. and Feng Bujue’s life is in danger. Suddenly…]

[The Earth and Sky are shivering. Rumbling thunder hangs upside down. Clouds break into pieces. The sky falls. In just a short while, purple thunder soars up the to the sky, opening the gate to hell. In darkness, a chilling aura is coming from a far distance.]

The surrounding had changed accordingly with the narration. Since thunderbolts and inexplicable fireballs descended from the sky all of a sudden, the two of them had to stop fighting and stand aside. To Feng Bujue, it was an escape.

They then looked at the cliff from far away and observed a figure who was slowly walking towards them.

[In front of their eyes is an incredible scene. That’s a figure that can frighten people, the deceased who has fallen into the unbroken world, a demon reborn from hell.]

This man looked sturdy and heroic with a prominent imposing manner. He got a waist-length black hair, except for the two small locks of gray hair that outlined his face. The man was wearing a black battle gown accompanied with a white satin traveler’s clothing. A tiger skin shawl covered his shoulders. His black-and-red cape was flying in the wind behind his back. The weapon in his hand was a long-handled halberd, which was a combination between a spear and a lance as it had a blade on top to pierce through the opponents and another vertical blade aside.

With just a quick glance, Feng Bujue recognized that it was the ‘The Sacred Halberd God’s Sigh’. This divine weapon was cast from melting meteors. Needless to say, fact was that its owner was the Unrivalled God of War Plight.

No one knows why the narration had stopped since this man appeared.

“Cold wind was passing by my lapel, the matchless frigid route is ahead. Who would be willing to have a glass with me? Who could possibly hinder my path? My Halberd takes lives without returning any.” (1)

The man who had just arrived cited a poem. When he approached the two players, he immediately spoke up, “You don’t belong in this place.”

Feng Bujue started to feel nervous, he mused. “Where I am in the world of Thunderbolt Fantasy… Why is Yan Guiren still here? But the narration seems to indicate that he has been reborn.”

He didn’t dare to say anything recklessly, but chose to speak in a manner of neither servile or overbearing. “After we can determine the winner, we will leave immediately.”

Yan Guiren gave him a deep look, but didn’t say anything. He turned around and talked to Wild Trace Sword Shadow. “What if I want you to leave now?”

“Harrumph… You need to ask the thing in my hand first—” He had finished, yet another poker card had been darted to him.

However, this time, Feng Bujue had flung the card unintentionally as it didn’t cause any threat to the opponent. He just wanted to shut his opponent up.

“If you want to instantly get killed, it’s your business. Don’t talk nonsense. I don’t want to give grudge to any NPCs in this world. If not, even if I had 10 lives, it wouldn’t be enough to survive,” said Feng Bujue.

“Feng Bujue, don’t worry. I’m not your enemy. It’s also the others’ ideas…” said Yan Guiren.

“What?” Feng Bujue was dazed listening to him.

‘Seal’ and ‘Mad’ have the same pronunciation (‘feng’– TL). He didn’t know which name of his the man had just addressed. Anyway, in the previous scenario, Rainsford used to call his ID ‘Unidentified Mental Disorder’, and he also said that Satsuma Diehl had sent him his regard. This meant NPCs in the scenarios could see players’ IDs at any time.

Now, the problem was, Yan Guiren’s words seemed to imply something. What did he mean after all?

“What have you done…” Wild Trace Sword Shadow spoke with a doubtful look on his face. From what they had said, this uninvited guest was on the same side with his opponent? He couldn’t help but contemplate. “Has this lad accepted a quest that I haven’t had? Impossible… I’ve been fighting with him for the whole time, and from the beginning, besides the main quest that asked to kill the other and the [Hidden Quest] that asked to create a poem to receive a Spiritual Weapon, if he had triggered other quests, I should have them too.”

“I…” Feng Bujue was about to say ‘I don’t know anything’, but all of a sudden, one second later, his eyes were filled with white halo. When he could pull himself together again, he was standing in his login space already.

“What does it mean? I was forced to teleport?” He immediately checked the scenario’s calculation. Indeed, the contents of the calculation said [Scenario failed. You were killed by NPC. Losers in Killing Game can’t receive rewards.]

Feng Bujue didn’t say a word. He opened his social channel and found the ID [Wild Trace Sword Shadow], then sent him a friend request. Seconds later, the other accepted his request.

Feng Bujue instantly asked to start a conversation with him. When he was connected, he didn’t start with the ceremonial greetings. “You won?”

Apparently, the other was dumbfounded. Several seconds later, he answered,”You were also forced to teleport?”

“True,”Feng Bujue said, “the system said that the NPC had killed me.”

Wild Trace Sword Shadow said, “It’s weird… me too.” He seemed to have some thoughts when he spoke up. “Was the guy with a halberd a BOSS of magic class? And he had directly used some instant killing skill on us?”

“No, not that…” Feng Bujue said, “if he wanted to kill us, it would have taken him only three seconds…”

“You mean we have encountered some kind of BUG (2)?” asked Wild Trace Sword Shadow. He paused for a second then continued, “Ah! Hey, Feng-Ge, you had sent me a friend request just to ask this?”

“Is there anything else?”

“Ha, ha…” Wild Trace Sword Shadow laughed and said, “We can fight again to see who would win…”

Beep——Feng Bujue determinedly hung up the call.

———————————–

This is a poem (rawly translated in this chapter) that Yan Guiren often cites whenever he appears in Thunderbolt Fantasy—a Japanese-Taiwanese glove puppetry television series. Visit the link for more information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_Fantasy#Main_Characters.

BUG: The word usually used when an intended game state is not achievable, due to an unforeseen issue in the game’s code. i.e., you are unable to complete a level (or a boss doesn’t spawn, etc.) due to an error in the code.