【Initial Talent: Transforming Blood into a Serpent (Special)】
【Condenses one's own blood into a serpent, allowing the user to copy the abilities of their contracted spirit patron. The more blood used, the more abilities can be copied and the stronger they become, up to a maximum of one-tenth of the original power. Cooldown: Two days.】
【The blood serpent can persist for ten minutes. During this time, it can trade its life for any target's life.】
【The specter aura you left on player Liu Fei has been captured. You have been locked onto by the blood serpent!】
Zuo Lin'an couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he saw the details of the talent.
A special talent like this was derived from a player's personal circumstances, making it highly unique to the individual.
Although it wasn't strong enough to be classified as a unique special talent, it certainly possessed its own form of uniqueness.
Still... a life for a life?
That was actually quite interesting.
If it were any other specter, they would have surely fallen victim to it.
But unfortunately for her... the one standing here was Zuo Lin'an.
Using his God's-eye view, he could see Su Menglan rushing toward this location at breakneck speed.
The man had undoubtedly placed a tracking Gu insect on Liu Fei, allowing him to quickly pinpoint her location.
Judging by his speed, it would probably only take him three to five minutes to arrive.
Time was short; he had to act quickly.
Zuo Lin'an slowly revealed his form. Liu Fei noticed him instantly, her sharp gaze locking onto him.
“It really is you.”
Zuo Lin'an didn't give her any response, simply continuing to close the distance.
Liu Fei knew she couldn't afford to waste time.
Even turning around and running was out of the question.
As the victim, she knew all too well just how fast this specter had been when it snatched her away earlier.
In that case, she had no choice but to...
【Player Liu Fei has used her special talent. The blood serpent's life-for-a-life effect is triggered.】
【The talent's special effect cannot kill a person bound by the gold hairpin at the same time. Invalid!】
When Zuo Lin'an received the dungeon notification, he knew his job was done. He smoothly backed away, melting into the darkness. At the same time, he concealed his figure and withdrew all of his specter aura.
Now, it was Fang Tang's turn to take the stage.
As for whether Liu Fei had a specter item?
From her earlier conversation with Su Menglan, it was clear that Liu Fei didn't have one—at least, not one capable of repelling a specter.
On the other hand, Su Menglan did possess a specter item that could repel specters.
However, his talent most likely lacked any repelling capability.
Therefore, now that Liu Fei's talent had been baited out, there was no risk of Fang Tang being repelled when she made her appearance.
Liu Fei let out a sigh of relief when she saw the specter vanish.
But before she could fully relax, she felt that freezing specter aura once again.
“What's going on?”
“It's still here?”
A flash of panic crossed her eyes.
“No... that's impossible.”
“There's no way my talent could have failed.”
However, she quickly realized something was wrong.
“No, that's not it...”
Her gaze locked onto a specific direction with pinpoint accuracy.
A dark figure was faintly emerging there.
Liu Fei increased her output, and the ball of light at her fingertips grew brighter.
“This is...”
Only now did she clearly see the dark figure in front of her.
Although it was also wrapped in filthy bandages and wore similarly dirty, tattered clothes, it was clearly a female specter.
Her eyes widened slightly.
She realized then that this was the second specter in the dungeon.
She was...
...dead for sure!
Liu Fei's lips trembled as tears welled in her eyes, and she softly murmured,
“Brother... Brother Menglan...”
A few minutes later, Su Menglan arrived.
His breathing was slightly ragged, a clear result of rushing over with all his might.
The moment he saw the scene before him, he knew he was too late!
Liu Fei's neck was tightly strangled by a filthy rope emitting an ominous aura, hanging dead right at the fork in the path ahead.
The other end of the rope was firmly embedded in the stone ceiling above.
At first glance, it looked as if the rope had grown directly out of the stone.
He took two steps forward, staring at the deceased Liu Fei.
Only when he got closer did he realize that the rope had forcibly squeezed her neck to less than half its original thickness.
Because of this, Liu Fei's head hung limply against her chest.
Su Menglan slowly raised his hands, cupping Liu Fei's face and gently lifting her head.
Though her expression was distorted and her bloodshot eyes bulged, he showed no hint of disgust, gently closing her eyes for her.
With that, Liu Fei's distorted face instantly looked much more peaceful.
Su Menglan's hands trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, forcing down the grief and murderous intent surging in his heart.
Then, he swung his palm toward the rope ahead.
He wanted to cut the rope, but he failed.
The rope remained hanging there, completely motionless.
Though unwilling to accept it, Su Menglan ultimately had to face reality.
“Fei'er...”
“I'm sorry.”
He knew he couldn't afford to linger here.
With every passing second, the danger to him grew.
He looked at the various forks in the road around him.
This time, he didn't plan to continue down the left path, turning his attention to the right mine shaft instead.
Based on the number of footprints on the ground, he deduced that more people had gone to the right.
However, just as he was about to leave, a freezing aura suddenly filled the air.
His heart sank. He stopped in his tracks and slowly backed away until his back pressed against the side of the mine shaft.
Then, he whipped his head around.
He looked toward the left mine shaft—the direction he had just come from.
In the darkness, a pair of somewhat familiar crimson slit-pupils slowly emerged.
When Su Menglan saw them clearly, he gasped in shock.
It was the specter he had seen earlier!
The very same specter that had snatched Liu Fei away!
“How can this be...”
He was absolutely certain that after Liu Fei was captured, she would have used her talent to survive, which should have traded her life for the specter's.
Yet, this specter was still here.
Which meant... there really was a second specter here, and the one Liu Fei had targeted with her talent was that second one.
“Phew...”
He let out a long breath, slightly calming his tensed nerves.
It was fine.
If he only had to face a single specter, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to handle.
Zuo Lin'an was slowly drawing closer.
A transparent glass bead suddenly appeared in Su Menglan's hand.
Inside the bead, there seemed to be a pattern resembling a bolt of lightning.
He clenched his fist around the bead.
Zuo Lin'an knew this was likely a specter item that could restrict or repel a specter.
Acting as if he hadn't noticed it, he continued to close in on Su Menglan.
Now, his goal was to force this man to use up his specter item.
Soon, the distance between them shrank to just over three meters. At that exact moment, Su Menglan suddenly raised his hand and threw the glass bead toward Zuo Lin'an.
Zuo Lin'an didn't dodge.
After all, once a specter item was activated, it locked onto its target. Even if he dodged, it would be useless.
Rate on N.U.
