Chapter 175: Two Level Seven Equipment Pieces

“Your Majesty, this is a type of giant eagle used for short-distance visual communication. It’s called a Windwhisper Eagle. Very intelligent. Many armies of the Empire’s vassal states tame them. However, these beasts have an unpleasant nature; they are naturally aggressive and cruel, with strong attacking instincts. That’s why it attacked Your Majesty’s giant bird…” After seeing the White-Winged Giant Eagle’s corpse, the old man, Zola, quickly concluded.

Your Majesty’s giant bird…

Sun Fei sweated internally again at the words ‘giant bird’. It easily led to inappropriate thoughts.

But then again, Zola had been captured and made a mine slave in Blackrock City since his youth. Surviving over a decade of hellish mine slavery to this day was a miracle. Yet such an experience gave him knowledge and willpower ordinary people lacked. He was like an encyclopedia of the Scorching Sun Mountains drenched in blood and blade scars. What he said could not be wrong.

“A giant eagle used for military communication?” Sun Fei rubbed his chin and quickly found a suitable reason: “Probably a beast tamed by the Blackrock King. Otherwise, why would it be so aggressive? Ha ha, whatever. It looks rather delicious. Let’s roast it first.”

Very soon, this brave and battle-hardened Windwhisper Eagle was mercilessly plucked bare by the King. He roasted it golden brown on a spit frame. Tempting fragrance drifted far away. The Heng-Ha Twin Generals and Oleg, their mouths watering and eyes wide with anticipation, gathered close…

Less than ten minutes later, only a pile of fine bones remained on the ground.

Soon, darkness finally covered the Blackrock Fortress after the battle.

The bright Magic Moon cast cold, white light. Perhaps because a bloody massacre had just happened during the day, the moonlight seemed tinged with faint red.

Tents of various sizes were pitched on Blood Pillar Plaza. Some smaller, undamaged fortresses were cleaned out. Warm bonfires were lit; dry grass spread. The terrified mine slaves of Champoo City entered sweet dreams for the first time with smiles. Everyone slept soundly and deeply.

Leading by example, Sun Fei surrendered his Royal Tent. He placed gravely injured mine slaves inside for special care. This was naturally a tactic to win people’s hearts, but at this moment, it played a crucial role. Once again, he earned his subjects’ gratitude and respect.

Amid the night, Sun Fei sat cross-legged atop the highest giant tower of the Blackrock Fortress, overlooking his surroundings.

The cold Magic Moon bathed him, making him gleam like a silver-plated deity.

Absorbing all distant movements around him, Sun Fei sat quietly for a while. He recalled and analyzed the gains and losses of the day’s battle. Then, he switched to [Assassin Mode], setting several Magic Traps across the camp. After that, he resumed the work of forging new Qi Channels by combining them with the assassin’s true energy flow paths and modifying his aura manuals.

So far, apart from the earlier Aura Manuals imitating the Twelve Gold Saints’ ultimate moves— Lightning Fist, Accumulated Corpse Qi Shockwave, and Great Horn— Sun Fei had discovered several new Qi Channels with different powers during this time. He was testing subtle modifications through his own practice.

Time flew. Roars of Magical Beasts echoed constantly from the surrounding mountains.

Reaching the latter half of the night, Sun Fei opened his eyes.

He had finally finished modifying and refining two more Three-Star Aura Manuals.

Checking the time, it was ready for another entry into the Diablo World for monster killing and leveling up. Sun Fei did not doubt it. He opened the reverse portal.

Buzz–buzz–buzz!

The sky-blue Portal appeared beside him. Sun Fei stepped into the World of Diablo.

This time he chose [Barbarian Mode]. The Barbarian Character was Sun Fei’s main class. Comparatively, it always maintained a level advantage. Currently, the Barbarian Character had reached Level 36. After days of hard fighting, only the last task remained in Act 2’s main map, Lut Gholein: enter the final correct Tal Rasha’s Tomb and kill the [Lord of Pain], Duriel.

At the Rogue Encampment, Sun Fei first found the Nun Acarra, who had just returned to the camp from the real world. He still studied Scroll crafting and potion skills with her. Then, he used Summoning to recall the Mercenary Beauty, Ileena, who was still in Shampoo City. He learned about recent happenings in the city. Hearing that everything was proceeding orderly under the leadership of Right Minister Best and Legion Commander Brook, Sun Fei felt more at ease. The two arrived at the desert pearl, Lut Gholein, via Warriv’s [Journey Westward]. Through an already activated small teleportation array, they reached the Canyon of the Magi. Entering the last unexplored Tal Rasha’s Tomb, they fought their way through, slaughtering countless demons and monsters, eventually arriving before a huge circular altar.

The altar was covered with mysterious and profound magical runes. These runes were ancient and weathered, carrying an aura of antiquity. All glowed with an eerie red light, flickering off and on. Demonic roars and howls occasionally drifted from deep within the altar, as if restraining some terrifying power. Frightening energy waves surged like a raging sea, filling the tomb’s main chamber.

Sun Fei stepped lightly onto the altar. On its peak, over twenty meters high, on a sky-blue stone slab, was a circular hole the thickness of a wrist. Sun Fei took the Horadric Staff from his Belt Space—finally assembled after the previous five tasks—and inserted it into the hole.

KA-BOOM!

The entire tomb shook violently. Huge stones vibrated overhead; earth and rock clattered down. It felt like a collapse was coming. A thunderous crash came from the ancient stone wall before the altar, as if some horrible monster was pounding it from behind. Soon, the wall cracked open. A dark, deep hole over two meters tall appeared on it.

Sun Fei had witnessed this process countless times in his previous life’s game game. It was too familiar. He stayed calm, even giving the slightly nervous Mercenary Beauty, Ileena, a reassuring smile.

Next, all he needed to do was enter the space beyond the deep hole and kill the final boss inside— the [Lord of Pain] Duriel, who looked like a giant bug. That would complete Act 2’s Lut Gholein tasks, allowing entry into Act 3’s Kurast Docks.

In his past life’s games, Duriel was notoriously difficult, nicknamed the noob killer. His physical attacks were immensely powerful, and he possessed ice-based skills. Slight carelessness could leave you frozen or stunned. Once hit, you could only helplessly watch the fat, enormous bug repeatedly impale you with its sharp forelimbs. Without a chance to fight back, you’d be dead and forced to run back to your body.

Sun Fei, however, was prepared. He wore a plate armor with high physical defense, plus several Magical Equipment pieces boosting plague resistance and agility. Ileena was similarly equipped. Closing his eyes, Sun Fei reviewed all necessary details. He nodded at Ileena, saying “Be careful,” and stepped first into the dark, deep hole.

The scene shifted before him.

Darkness and angry roars rushed at his face.

Sun Fei’s first action upon entering this space wasn’t attacking the [Lord of Pain] Duriel immediately. Instead, he expended a [Town Portal Scroll], opening a Portal back to Lut Gholein. While unsure if he would resurrect if killed, doing this provided an escape route and also gave Ileena a potential way out.

Light flashed beside him. Ileena also entered the space through the hole.

“ROAR… Foolish human, are you looking for Baal?”

Foul-smelling air gusted violently as a colossal voice boomed in Sun Fei’s ears.

Looking back, he saw a giant, insectoid-shaped monster appear. Over twenty meters tall, its single foreclaw joint was as big as Sun Fei. Covered in sickly brownish-red sticky, pungent slime, with four snow-white bone spikes on its head— plump and round. It made Sun Fei think of the insect queen from the movie Starship Troopers in his past life. Ridiculously large, yet somehow almost comical.

Strangely, at that moment, Sun Fei’s prior tension vanished completely.

He whistled and answered with a laugh, “No! I was looking for you, you dim-witted, lardy worm!”

Instantly, angered by the insult, the [Lord of Pain] roared repeatedly and attacked. But luck wasn’t on its side today. In under ten minutes, the enormous worm, large as a hill, screeched wretchedly. Thick, stinking fluid spurted out as it crashed to the ground. Ding–ding–ding! A chain of light chimes sounded, and a large pile of equipment materialized on the floor.

“Huh… died that fast?” Duriel’s swift and decisive death left Sun Fei somewhat speechless. This wasn’t a final boss’s rightful performance. It didn’t even last ten rounds before falling. How could it be so fragile? “Could it be because of this sword?”

Sun Fei gazed at the enormous black sword in his hand, realization dawning.

Thanks to his past life Diablo game knowledge, he knew Duriel held strong resistances to Lightning, Fire, Frost, and Poison magics. Defeating it required purely physical attacks. That’s why he had equipped a two-meter-tall black greatsword forged by the blacksmith Charsi using ‘Demon Bone’. Though entering the Diablo World stripped the sword clean of all magic properties, strictly speaking, it barely ranked as a third-level [Exceptional Item Equipment] on the Diablo II equipment pyramid. Yet, its sheer physical damage and sharpness surpassed even some fourth-level [Magical Item Equipment]. Considering Duriel’s strong magical resistances, Sun Fei chose this ‘Demon Bone’ sword. The effect was surprisingly superb.

“Though ‘Demon Bone’ weapons only seem extra sharp against ordinary demons, they appear devastating against bosses. Does that mean… against prime evils like Diablo, I could just chop them effortlessly with weapons made of this stuff?” Sun Fei indulged briefly in satisfying wishful thinking before turning to collect the fallen equipment.

He froze almost instantly.

Out of pure shock. “Wait… two seventh-level set items?!” Sun Fei could hardly believe his eyes. Two sword-shaped pieces of equipment shimmering with green light lay beside Duriel’s corpse. That gleaming green radiance held infinite allure.

Memories from past life games mercilessly reminded Sun Fei this was wrong— that on [Normal Difficulty], Duriel in Lut Gholein shouldn’t drop equipment of this level, especially two pieces at once. Yet, after a slight hesitation, he accepted the sight before him. Moving with the haste of a ravenous dog, he scooped up the two green swords, greedily scrutinizing them down to the last detail.