Chapter Three: Nightmare Mode
After browsing for a while, Wang Xiao finally found something good.
“For sale: Death Pills ×10. Price: Any food.”
[Death Pill: After consumption, combat strength doubles, but it consumes a large amount of blood! It takes the enemy’s life, but also your own.]
“Tch, no wonder it’s been up for two days with no buyers. Heh, let’s see how low I can haggle!” Wang Xiao grinned slyly.
He opened a private chat and sent, “You there?”
“I’m here!”
“I’ll take all your Death Pills!” Wang Xiao replied with the extravagance of someone with deep pockets.
“Alright! What food will you give me?”
“A can of meat.”
Wang Xiao expected the other person to bargain, but instead, the deal was accepted immediately.
“OK!”
[You have obtained Death Pills ×10]
After the transaction, Wang Xiao felt he’d been taken for a ride, but seeing the ten Death Pills in his backpack, he was still quite satisfied.
What Wang Xiao didn’t know was just how coveted a can of meat had become!
Some lucky players had gotten rare items, their strength had soared, and now they craved better quality of life. A single can of meat was enough to drive them mad with desire.
Wang Xiao took out the Duel Arena Ticket and silently invoked its use.
Three options appeared before him:
[Easy Mode: The enemies you encounter are weak. Comment: Are you even a real man?]
[Hard Mode: The enemy is more than five times stronger than you. Defeat them for a great reward. Comment: You are a true warrior!]
[Nightmare Mode: The enemy is unimaginably powerful! Rewards unknown. Comment: You are no longer a warrior—you are a corpse.]
“Tch, with my temper, if I don’t pick Nightmare Mode, how can I call myself a real man?”
[Ding! Nightmare Mode activated!]
The scene shifted; the surrounding mist vanished.
Circular walls slowly rose around him, but no monster was in sight.
A massive shadow enveloped Wang Xiao. Before he could look up, a red light wrapped around him.
Wang Xiao, dead.
Before Wang Xiao even opened his eyes, another red light shot in, its scorching intensity making him cry out in pain.
Dead.
“Damn it, at least let me see what’s killing me!”
This time Wang Xiao was smarter. As soon as he resurrected, he dove to the side.
Good—he survived. But his hair was gone.
“I’m bald now, but I didn’t get stronger.”
A massive dragon was circling in the sky above.
“Damn it, how am I supposed to fight this?”
“Looks like I’ll have to use my secret technique!”
Ptui!
With pinpoint accuracy, he spat a wad of phlegm right onto the dragon’s face.
Oh no, it was enraged now.
The dragon dove straight at Wang Xiao, a gale whipping past his head.
“Tch, that’s chilly~”
He popped a Death Pill into his mouth, and a surge of power exploded throughout his body.
“I’ll take on ten of you!”
Splat!
Dead!
“Wait—”
Dead!
“Son of a—”
Dead!
This dragon had no sense of chivalry; it just waited for Wang Xiao to revive and didn’t even bother breathing fire anymore. Its gigantic claw simply hovered over him.
“Aaah—”
Dead!
This time, Wang Xiao got wise and used the skill [Human Bomb] the instant he revived.
The dragon’s foot exploded with a small wound.
The dragon winced in pain, flapped its wings, and positioned itself over the site of Wang Xiao’s explosion.
Flames flickered in its mouth, ready to burst forth.
Wang Xiao revived just in time to see this.
Ptui!
His spit interrupted the dragon’s fire; its massive body crashed straight down!
Without hesitation, Wang Xiao pulled out his mighty hammer, smashing the dragon even as its giant claw crashed down on his head.
Wang Xiao, dead.
The dragon killed Wang Xiao in increasingly creative ways—sometimes with its tail, sometimes with its colossal head.
From the initial agony of death, Wang Xiao had grown numb, dying over and over.
The dragon, growing bored, simply lay down and ignored him, falling asleep.
As long as Wang Xiao didn’t self-destruct, his attacks were nothing more than mosquito bites to the dragon.
Seeing the dragon ignore him, Wang Xiao was thrilled.
He quickly ran over and picked up his mighty hammer.
“Heh, just you wait—I’ll end you soon enough!”
Wang Xiao enthusiastically hammered away, tireless.
Once, the dragon even woke up, saw Wang Xiao still pounding away, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
And Wang Xiao died again—crushed under the dragon as it rolled.
He didn’t know how long he kept at it, but eventually, Wang Xiao’s mind grew foggy and his arms lost strength.
Bang—
Suddenly, the dragon convulsed violently, and in Wang Xiao’s delight, he died once more.
Wang Xiao now stood before the dragon.
[You have obtained 5 tons of dragon meat!]
[You have obtained 5,000 liters of dragon’s blood!]
[You have obtained a complete dragon skeleton!]
[You have obtained 100,000 souls!]
The surrounding high walls slowly disappeared, and familiar scenery returned.
It was already deep into the night.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the unbeatable foe!]
[You have received a Legendary Chest!]
[You have received the Dragon Slayer’s Medal!]
[Regional Slaughter Ranking is now open!]
First place: Wang Xiao, achievement: Slayed a Tier-5 Dragon.
Second place: Yang Ming, achievement: Slayed a Tier-3 Headless Horseman.
Third place: Xia Mengsi, achievement: Slayed a Tier-3 Hellhound.
…
Only 100 people could make it onto the ranking.
At this moment, Wang Xiao was in first place.
The chat area exploded!
“The real clown was me all along (terrified)!?”
“The real clown was me all along (terrified)!?”
“The real clown was me all along (terrified)!?”
“Brother Wang, you’re a legend!!!”
“Bro, you’ve messed up the whole formation (picks nose).”
“…”
“I am at a loss for words.”
“I am at a loss for words.”
“I am at a loss for words.”
“Please carry me!!!”
“I hear everyone on the leaderboard gets generous prizes at the end of the month!”
“And the higher you rank, the better the rewards!”
“My bro Wang is about to soar!!”
“Nonsense! That’s my bro Wang! Brother, I’m your long-lost little brother (wipes tears)!”
Wang Xiao couldn’t be bothered with their chatter; he quietly checked his inventory.
[Dragon Meat: Exquisite taste, increases strength. Comment: A rare delicacy!]
[Dragon’s Blood: Usable as an alchemical ingredient. Enhances physical attributes. Comment: Ever heard of a Bloody Mary?]
[Dragon Bone: Can be crafted into various items or weapons. Comment: Premium material.]
[Legendary Chest: The item you obtain will never disappoint! Comment: A legendary chest.]
[Dragon Slayer’s Medal: Effect 1—can unleash the dragon’s aura, lethal to lower creatures! Effect 2—Combat power +100. Comment: The symbol of a true hero!]
After devouring two cans of meat, Wang Xiao was ready to open his chest.
“Spirits above, grant me a legendary item!”
A crimson glow flashed!
“This is it!” Wang Xiao was so excited his face turned red.
[Item: Peppa Pig Tattoo. Every monster killed adds another tattoo. Each tattoo has a special effect—the stronger the monster, the more powerful the effect! Comment: Who is the real demon here?]
Though the name was odd, the effect was powerful. Wang Xiao didn’t hesitate to use it.
A Peppa Pig face, the size of a coin, appeared on the back of his hand.
“No way! Am I really such a fearsome man?”