novelslam Chapter 205 Our own people, wait a minute!
Chapter 205 Our own people, wait a minute!
"That sounds great!"
Chen You's voice carried a hint of curiosity, and the last syllable of his voice had barely faded when he spoke.
hum-
A faint, almost imperceptible buzzing sound instantly spread throughout the entire [Road to the King] instance.
Time seemed to be forcibly paused at this moment.
Inside the King's Arena.
Titan Temple's Second Regiment Commander, Taipi, who had just suffered a defeat, was preparing to regroup and reorganize the ranks once again.
But to their astonishment, they discovered that the flag bearer NPC in charge of guiding them seemed to have frozen.
Its arm, holding the flag, hovered in mid-air, motionless.
"What's going on? The NPC crashed?"
A Titan berserker waved his hand in front of the standard-bearer's eyes, but the standard-bearer did not react.
Entrance to the instance.
A 25-person raiding party, hastily assembled by casual players, is engaged in a fierce battle with two royal guards.
"Nurse! Stop nursing T! T's about to collapse!"
"No! It's gone into mass silence again! We can't use our skills!"
Just as the team was about to collapse, the two imposing, five-meter-tall royal guards froze in mid-air with their fists raised high.
The shadow flames burning on their bodies, like frozen images, no longer pulsed.
The entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
"...Uh, we...won?"
A timid mage asked tentatively.
"Win my ass! Look, the monster's health bar hasn't even moved! It's probably just server lag!"
The team commander started swearing.
At the same moment, in the "Realm of True Sight" where Chen You was.
The ancient bronze mirror, which was said to reflect one's inner self, cracked open with a "snap".
Immediately afterwards, the cracks spread like a spider web, but then stopped abruptly halfway through.
The shattered image was frozen in time.
"What about teleportation?" A question flashed through Chen You's mind.
Logically speaking, he should have already been teleported to the source of that aged voice.
This is... a conflict between the transmission command and the server's underlying logic, causing the entire replica to crash?
The lag didn't last long.
In just three to five seconds, the delayed, strange power suddenly erupted, like an invisible hand enveloping Chen You's body.
They dragged him violently toward a certain coordinate point in the endless void!
Almost at the same second that Chen You's figure disappeared.
The entire sky of the Origin Realm was once again enveloped by that familiar crimson light.
[World Announcement: Congratulations to player 'Chen You' for becoming the first player to clear the Mythical Dungeon [Path of the King - Mirror of Truth] and achieve the unique achievement [Insight into People's Hearts]!]
After the announcement was made, the entire Origin Realm fell silent.
All the players who were bewildered in the dungeon raised their heads in unison.
Inside the King's Arena, hundreds of elites from various guilds looked at each other in bewilderment.
"The Realm of True Sight... is that the third level?"
"Let me check the time... How long has it been since the announcement that he cleared the second level?"
"It seems like... less than a minute?"
"???"
After a brief period of silence, the major cities were in complete chaos.
"What kind of interstellar joke is this! Clearing a mythical dungeon in one minute? Does he think he's strolling through a backyard?"
"Are you kidding me?! We're still figuring out the mechanics of the first boss, and they've already defeated the third one?!"
"I just heard from my friend that the server crashed. Could it be because of him?"
"Friend, be confident, and remove the 'could it be'."
"Logic Master, please have a seat upstairs! I strongly suspect that this Chen You is a living bug! The system goes haywire the moment he enters the dungeon!"
"Standard procedure, everyone sit down. I've said it before, don't try to guess that guy's behavior based on our experience in adventures, it'll make us look stupid."
In the Roman God Clan's guild channel.
[Obi]: Strategist, hurry up and analyze this again!
[Ao Dog Head]: Don't panic, this probably means the next level, [Mirror of True Sight], isn't difficult, no big problem!
[Ao Dog Head]: President, what do you think?
Oro did not answer.
……
the other side.
Chen You felt that the light and shadows before his eyes were changing and the stars were shifting.
The system notification that popped up in front of him was as clear as ever, but his attention was not on it at the moment.
When he stepped back onto solid ground, he found himself inside an incredibly magnificent palace.
You have entered the Shadow Court!
The hall is so high that its top is invisible, and the dome seems to be the deep universe.
Countless enormous pillars made of luminous metal and obsidian support this space.
A soft golden light illuminated the entire hall, making it appear sacred and solemn.
A black carpet burning with golden flames stretched from his feet to the deepest part of the hall.
There, a throne forged from the bones of a dragon and solidified shadow energy stood silently.
A figure sat regally on the throne.
He wore an elaborate and ornate full-body black armor, the armor shimmering with a liquid, shadowy sheen.
Behind him was a wide cloak, as if it were cut from the night.
He wasn't wearing a helmet, but what was exposed wasn't flesh and blood, but a mass of pure dark energy that was constantly changing shape.
Only two crimson lights could be vaguely seen, like burning stars.
【Shadow King - Substitute】
【grade:???】
【? ? ? ? 】
A series of question marks proved that the other party was someone that Chen You could not see through at all.
"you……"
The figure on the throne spoke slowly, the voice was the same old and ethereal one as before, but now it carried a hint of surprise and uncertainty.
"How...did you get here directly?"
Clearly, even the final boss of this instance was bewildered by his sudden appearance before the throne.
"Don't you know?" Chen You asked calmly.
"My privilege is to provide pick-up and drop-off service."
As he spoke, he cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
This place doesn't look like a psychological counseling room at all; it looks more like the final boss's lair.
My skills seem to have transported me to an extraordinary place.
"Pick-up and drop-off included?"
The Shadow King seemed to be stumped by this term, and the ball of dark energy momentarily froze.
The main hall was deathly silent.
According to normal procedure, he should say some polite words.
For example, "You are indeed very capable; you were able to pass my test..."
Or perhaps, "I acknowledge that you are qualified to stand here..."
After speaking, he could then demonstrate his power and eliminate all the adventurers.
but……
The Shadow King's eyes, burning with crimson light, were fixed on Chen You.
He remained silent for a good ten seconds, seemingly performing some kind of overloaded calculation, trying to bring this illogical intruder into his predetermined program framework.
Finally, the shifting dark energy stabilized again.
"I see……"
The aged yet ethereal voice rang out again, this time with less surprise and more understanding and... majesty.
"By bypassing the test and tearing apart the rules... you are an interesting variable."
Chen You nodded to himself after listening.
You actually managed to find your way back yourself, that's awesome!
Boom!
As Shadow King Dai finished speaking, the entire magnificent hall began to tremble slightly.
On the giant pillars supporting the starry dome, countless ancient runes lit up one by one, emanating a terrifying pressure that made one's heart tremble.
A pure aura, originating from death and the end, emanated from the throne.
Like an invisible tide, it instantly engulfed the entire space.
[System notification: You have entered the 'Royal Majesty' realm, all attributes are reduced by 30%.]
Chen You raised an eyebrow.
Goodness, they start by giving you a set of debuffs upon meeting you. No wonder they're the final boss; they're quite something.
The figure on the throne slowly rose, the armor emitting a teeth-grinding scraping sound.
"No matter what means you used, now that you've arrived here, it means you're qualified to challenge the throne."
The voice of Shadow King Dai became majestic and indifferent, like a high and mighty deity proclaiming the ultimate fate of mortals.
"Come, challenger. Prove to me whether your power, capable of twisting the rules, can also shake... death itself!"
"Defeat me, or become yet another skeleton beneath my throne!"
Just as it was about to begin, Chen You suddenly raised his hand.
"Wait a moment!"
"We're on the same side, don't make a move yet!"