Chapter 38: Return of the King in the Real World

Soon, more and more monsters like Fallen, Dark Hunters, and Giant Beasts joined the ‘parade,’ as if they were celebrating a super carnival at the end of the century, chasing after Sun Fei relentlessly.

By the time Sun Fei reached the border between Blood Moor and Cold Plains, he had a horde of three to four hundred demonic monsters trailing behind him.

“Wow, I never thought it would be so easy to find what I was looking for,” Sun Fei thought.

He looked back at the huge crowd of monsters and felt so happy he could hardly contain his excitement.

These swarms of low-level demons posed little threat to Sun Fei at this point. In his eyes, they were all just shiny experience points.

He stopped gleefully and waved his Necromancer wand.

The Necromancer skill Teeth activated.

Whoosh—!

A surge of eerie, milky-white death energy surged wildly.

Three sharp, barbed teeth glowing with a milky-white aura flew out along a strange trajectory, effortlessly tearing the thirty Fallen at the front of the pack into pieces.

He waved the wand again.

Another wave of chilly, sinister white death energy emerged.

The Necromancer skill Raise Skeleton activated.

Crash—!

The fallen bodies of the Fallen splattered, and from within them, a fierce Blade and Shield Skeleton suddenly rose, wielding a bone sword in its right hand and a bone shield in its left. Its small frame happened to block the path of the ‘monster army.’ The Blade and Shield Skeleton swiftly attacked with its bone sword, cutting down several more Fallen nearby.

While the summoned skeleton briefly held off the ‘monster army,’ Sun Fei frantically cast the Necromancer skill Teeth again. Waves of white glowing projectiles, carrying a chilling aura of death, surged into the ‘monster army.’

The large group of monsters made such easy targets that Sun Fei didn’t even need to aim carefully. He simply picked a direction and let the projectiles fly, easily shredding several monsters at once. Teeth had a piercing effect, often skewering multiple demons with a single shot.

About five or six seconds later, the ‘Necromancer Sun Fei’s’ summoned skeleton was surrounded and pummeled by the monsters, finally shattering into bone fragments.

Sun Fei turned and ran wildly.

After putting a little distance between himself and the monsters, he cast Raise Skeleton again, letting the summoned skeleton block the monster horde while he unleashed another barrage of Teeth glowing projectiles.

He repeated this process.

Although he encountered a few dangerous situations along the way, thanks to Sun Fei’s quick reactions and the effects of over a dozen Minor Healing Potions and Minor Mana Potions, he managed to pull through without major harm.

Five minutes later.

The last monster howled and fell into a pool of blood.

Looking around, there were severed limbs, broken arms, and scattered organs everywhere. The blood of the demonic monsters stained the ground, and with the rain washing over it, the entire area turned crimson, with a foul, bloody smell assaulting the senses.

It was a one-sided massacre, and the gruesome scene had numbed Sun Fei.

Sun Fei realized he was becoming more and more accustomed to such scenes of slaughter. His mindset had shifted from that of a timid shut-in who would faint at the sight of killing a chicken or a pig in his previous life, to that of a ‘super butcher’ who could slaughter hundreds or even thousands without a flicker of emotion.

Aside from the monsters’ corpses, there were also countless glittering Gold Coins and various strange pieces of equipment glowing in different colors.

However, since most of these demonic monsters were the lowest-level creatures in the wilderness, the equipment they dropped wasn’t particularly valuable. Short on time, Sun Fei quickly checked and only picked up four blue items to toss into his backpack, ignoring the rest. Without delay, he hurried on his way.

He had less than 15 minutes left.

Entering Cold Plains, a biting cold hit him in the face.

The monsters and demons here were more varied and far more savage.

Sun Fei drank a Stamina Potion and started running wildly again.

Just like before, the surrounding monsters were alerted by Sun Fei and roared as they gave chase, quickly forming another massive monster army—it was quite a sight.

For the first time, Sun Fei noticed that running through the World of Diablo at night had this effect. This world felt much more real than the simulated computer game from his previous life, and the monsters were far more responsive than programmed code, actually capable of pursuing him.

After covering half the distance, Sun Fei had to stop his ‘monster-leading’ tactic and turn to fight.

If the number of monsters kept growing, Sun Fei wasn’t confident he could handle them all at once. Even though they were low-level monsters with no powerful bosses among them, a lone tiger could be overwhelmed by a pack of wolves, and even a hero might struggle against many hands—in great numbers, ants could bring down an elephant.

Sun Fei stopped and resorted to his old method—

He summoned a low-level Blade and Shield Skeleton to distract the ‘monster army’ as much as possible, while he put some distance between himself and the horde, dodging and casting Teeth glowing projectiles in a wild barrage.

The first three or four minutes went smoothly.

Under Sun Fei’s shameless and annoying harassment tactics, the monsters fell like wheat, howling as they collapsed in pools of blood, their numbers sharply decreasing.

But after a while, the situation changed—

Perhaps drawn by the sounds of battle and the cries of their kin, more and more monsters gathered from all directions and joined the fray.

Since the demonic monsters were appearing from every direction this time, a single skeleton warrior summoned via Raise Skeleton couldn’t hold them off anymore. Sun Fei had to start fleeing, drinking potions while dodging attacks, occasionally casting Teeth beams to counterattack.

“Wow, why are these guys so aggressive at night, like they’ve taken some kind of stimulant?” Sun Fei thought.

He gradually began to feel the strain.

Although he wasn’t in immediate danger of dying, he couldn’t afford to waste time. If things continued like this, he wouldn’t reach the Burial Grounds to kill Blood Raven before his game time limit ran out. It seemed unlikely he would reach level 6 and learn the Corpse Explosion skill before that mysterious, cold voice forced him out of the Diablo World.

Thinking this, Sun Fei sped up his attacks.

But there were just too many to kill.

For every two or three monsters that fell, many more emerged continuously from the darkness to replenish their ranks. In the end, although Sun Fei had slain numerous monsters, even more were howling and chasing after him.

“Banana your spiciness! It’s not like I dug up your ancestors’ graves!” Sun Fei grumbled.

Frustrated by the fighting, Sun Fei started swinging his Necromancer wand like a club, repeatedly using Teeth and Raise Skeleton. Fortunately, in the World of Diablo, there was no cooldown for skills—as long as he had enough mana, he could use them without limit.

Sun Fei chugged Health Potions and Mana Potions frantically while dealing with the surging tide of monsters.

The monsters in Cold Plains were all low-level, and there were few long-range attackers among them. In this situation, Sun Fei actually managed to hold his ground.

“Curse your uncles! If this keeps up, I won’t be able to take down that traitor Blood Raven before the time limit…”

Sun Fei calculated the time and guessed only a few minutes remained.

Sure enough, after holding out for five or six more minutes, that mysterious, cold voice echoed in Sun Fei’s mind—

“Player, please note: the daily game time limit has been reached. Prepare to exit the World of Diablo. Beginning 10-second countdown… 10… 9… 8…”

Sun Fei felt a wave of helplessness.

He hadn’t expected to fall short at the last moment. He had already reached level 5 and was just a little away from level 6 to master Corpse Explosion. Once he had that skill, he’d have a better chance against surrounded enemies. Who would have thought…

“It’s all because of these stimulant-crazed bastards,” Sun Fei thought angrily.

Ignoring that his mana was nearly depleted, he repeatedly cast Teeth. Countless milky-white glowing projectiles shrieked piercingly as they shot into the densest part of the monster crowd, followed by numerous cries of agony…

Just then, something unexpected happened—

Ding!

A clear chime suddenly rang out.

Then, a milky-white light screen descended from above, enveloping Sun Fei. A comforting, tingling sensation spread through him, and his minor injuries slowly healed. His health and mana instantly refilled to full.

He leveled up!

He actually leveled up at this moment.

Sun Fei was overjoyed.

Time was critical, so without delay, he focused his mind to open the skill book and allocated the skill point he gained from leveling up to the Corpse Explosion skill.

“Banana your spiciness! It seems my luck is still holding strong—I succeeded at the critical moment!” Sun Fei thought proudly.

Then darkness swept over his vision, and everything he saw began to distort, like an old TV losing its signal. A feeling of weightlessness followed, and Sun Fei left the World of Diablo.

…

Shampoo City.

The time finally reached noon.

Although it was already autumn, the midday temperature was still unbearable. The black city walls became scorching hot and the armor and swords carried a blazing heat. Some soldiers guarding the walls had already become exhausted and began to collapse on the ground.

Fatigue weighed on everyone’s body and mind like a towering mountain.

On the other side of the river, the black enemies still did not move.

But the black flood and the piercing killing intent spread over from afar. No matter who it was, every time they glanced at the enemy troops like black snakes on the stone bridge, they felt a bone-chilling coldness, even under the scorching sun.

No one knew when this suffocating atmosphere would end.

No one knew at which point the bloody battle would suddenly erupt wildly.

No one knew if, after the battle, Shampoo City would still be the same as before, or if they would still be alive to leave the city walls and see the parents, wives, lovers, and children anxiously waiting at their doorsteps…

Brook walked back and forth on the city wall, trying hard to boost morale.

But the effect was not satisfactory.

The soldiers’ physical and mental exhaustion could not be solved by his few words.

The Squadron Leader of the Royal Guard soon realized that his ability to inspire people was far inferior to that of King Alexander. The young king often made the soldiers excited with just a few words, but even after he had said dozens or hundreds of sentences, the results were minimal.

The fat pig Gerger was so tired that he sat on the ground panting heavily. Fortunately, his family warrior held a parasol over his head to keep him shaded. Herald Bazel stood calmly behind his son, squinting his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

Prison Warden Oleg sat in the battle position Sun Fei had assigned him. He had removed the chest plate of his armor and used it as a fan, constantly waving it in his hand. He mumbled to himself, his expression flickering, occasionally looking down at the enemies below the city, then at the direction of the ruined stone house of the watchtower, and then at the greatest expert of Shampoo City, Frank Lampard. He seemed to want to do something, but when he saw Military Judge Conca still nailed to the stone wall, he became frightened and held back.

The white-haired tough guy Pierce carried the King’s Sword and paced back and forth outside the stone house.

As time passed and the temperature rose, Pierce grew increasingly anxious. He did not know what His Majesty the King was doing inside the stone house, which remained unusually quiet without any movement. If it weren’t for Alexander’s earlier performance completely convincing this reckless man, Pierce might have rushed in long ago to ask for an explanation.

Just then, suddenly—

Three-Star Warrior Frank Lampard was startled as he sensed a formidable and chilling surge of power emanating from the ruined stone house of the watchtower. This discovery made him, the greatest expert of Shampoo City, feel a sudden shock in his heart.

At the same time, One-Star Warrior Oleg, who was sitting on the ground, also sensed it.

He felt a terrifying pressure rushing toward him, far exceeding what he could endure as a One-Star Warrior. The bone-chilling sensation was like the God of Death suddenly opening his eyes behind you. He had only experienced this feeling once before when facing Lampard in a rage. But now, it clearly wasn’t Lampard—it might be… Alexander?

One-Star Warrior Brook also felt this energy surge.

He looked toward the stone house and could not help but feel a surge of joy in his heart.

Meanwhile, Magic Apprentice Gerger, who was closest to the stone house, seemed to have encountered something frightening at that moment. He suddenly jumped up from the ground, gasping for breath, and his legs even began to cramp. Seeing his son’s reaction, Herald Bazel, who stood nearby, suddenly opened his eyes, seeming thoughtful, but quickly closed them again.

Of course, aside from these experts who had achieved some level of skill in Battle Qi and Magic, the ordinary soldiers felt nothing.

This included the white-haired tough guy Pierce.

He was merely an ordinary strongman. Although he instinctively felt a slight change in the atmosphere on the city wall at that moment, Pierce had no idea what exactly had changed.

…

Inside the ruined stone house.

Sun Fei opened his eyes.

He glanced through the collapsed window at the distant scene below the city.

Four hours had passed, and the battle situation in Shampoo City was almost as he had expected before entering the World of Diablo—the enemy’s mysterious commander, like a lurking cobra, still had not launched an attack and was patiently waiting for the best opportunity.

The situation was still locked in a suffocating stalemate.

Clearly, in such a situation, the quality of the soldiers was being tested.

Compared to the well-trained Black-Armored Soldiers, Shampoo City’s defense forces—whether the Royal Guard or civilians—were far inferior. As time silently slipped away, the gap between the two sides would widen infinitely, and the balance of victory would rapidly tilt toward the Black-Armored Soldiers.

If Sun Fei was not mistaken, the enemy’s mysterious commander was waiting for a specific moment—right after lunchtime, when ordinary people were at their most tired and exhausted during the day. At that moment, the enemy would launch a storm-like attack.

He looked at the sky; there were probably less than 20 minutes left until lunchtime.

The battle was about to begin.

It was time to start the plan.

Sun Fei slowly stood up from the stone block.

However, he did not rush to leave the ruined stone house immediately.

Instead, he closed his eyes and quietly sensed the power he had brought from the Diablo World. Based on previous experience, after emerging from the World of Diablo this time, aside from the 12-level Barbarian’s might, he should also possess the abilities of a 3-level Sorceress, a 3-level Paladin, and a 6-level Necromancer within his body.

Sun Fei closed his eyes and carefully focused on sensing.

Gradually, the sensation emerged.

A faint, eerie, and cold energy field slowly appeared, flickering in and out of existence, mysterious and arcane. Energy fluctuations swirled around Sun Fei.

It was a very familiar feeling.

With a thought, Sun Fei turned his hand over.

In an instant, a visible vortex of milky-white death energy appeared in his palm, continuously rotating and shifting, softly whistling like a miniature tornado reduced countless times in size, slowly forming in Sun Fei’s hand.

“This is… the death energy might of the Necromancer.”

Sun Fei felt a surge of joy in his heart.

But soon, he furrowed his brows.

Because aside from the Necromancer’s might, he could no longer sense the abilities that the Barbarian, Sorceress, and Paladin should possess. No matter how hard he tried to sense or summon them, there was not the slightest response.

“What’s going on?”

Sun Fei closed his eyes and pondered.

He felt a pang of anxiety: “This shouldn’t be happening… Oh no, could there have been a mistake in my earlier idea?”

Just then—

“Reminder: Only the might and skills of one character can be possessed at the same time. To use the abilities of other characters, please select and switch the character mode.”

That mysterious, cold voice suddenly echoed in Sun Fei’s mind.

Switch character mode?

Sun Fei was stunned for a moment. After brief consideration, he quickly understood the meaning of the term.

“So that’s how it is.”

Sun Fei focused his mind and quietly called out internally: Switch to Barbarian Character mode.

Whoosh—!

In the next instant, a marvelous transformation occurred—

The Necromancer’s white death energy in Sun Fei’s palm instantly disappeared without a trace. The faint, cold death energy field surrounding his body vanished completely in an instant, as if it had never existed.

Immediately afterward, Sun Fei could no longer summon even the slightest trace of the Necromancer’s might. Instead, it was replaced by the infinitely terrifying physical might of the 12-level Barbarian.