Chapter 84: Ghost Birth
Lin Huai charged to the valley entrance, but she was just a moment too late to stop Master Cloud Cliff and Old Demon of Xiangxi. The two men had chosen to pay the harsh system penalty of forfeiting a portion of their inventory rather than face her wrath, forcibly logging out of the instance ahead of time.
Down in the dust, only Chen Feng’s headless corpse remained, crimson blood pooling across the sand.
Lin Huai dropped down from the coffin, stepped over to the fallen body, and flicked a Boundary-Breaking Talisman forward.
Rip!
Chen Feng’s storage space tore wide open. An enormous heap of weapons, crystals, and rare supplies cascaded across the dirt.
Without bothering to inspect every single item right now, Lin Huai swept her hand forward. The mountain of loot vanished the moment it hit the ground, safely deposited into her own storage.
Aside from Chen Feng, the remaining dead in the canyon were Dragon Crossing the River, Tiger Suppressing the Mountain, and Su Wan.
Lin Huai stripped every last item from their bodies as well.
Once the loot was secured, she climbed back into the hearse and steered it straight toward the raging battlefield outside the canyon.
Those familiar usernames… Kuroli, Barbie Q, Good Fortune, Sword King… each name was etched deep into her memories of her past life. Every one of them had served as Chen Feng’s loyal lapdogs, driving her into hopeless desperation until her death.
Now, under the thunderous barrage of her vehicle’s turrets, those glowing names on the server list flickered out one after another, vanishing forever.
The cleanup wrapped up swiftly. Lin Huai took her remaining Boundary-Breaking Talismans, along with the ones scavenged from Chen Feng and Dragon Crossing the River’s packs—thirty in total—and handed them over to Dragon Emerging from the Sea.
Knowing exactly what these talismans were for, Dragon Emerging from the Sea gave a knowing grin. “Looks like this run is going to make us rich beyond our wildest dreams.”
Lin Huai nodded. “Once we make it out, our entire squad will have enough resources to upgrade every vehicle straight to Level 4 without breaking a sweat.”
Old Wang from Building Materials rubbed his palms together, his face glowing with excitement. “Can our Boss jump straight to Level 6?”
“The basic resources are more than enough,” Lin Huai replied, shaking her head slightly, “but I’m still missing the key specialized components. Besides, moving from Level 5 to Level 6 practically doubles the material requirements. From here on out, every single tier is going to be an uphill battle.”
Watching Dragon Emerging from the Sea use Lin Huai’s Space Jade Bangle to sweep up battlefield crates, Sister Cai’s eyes sparkled. “Wait, if we hoard more Boundary-Breaking Talismans, hunt down players in future instances, and crack open their gear, won’t we level up ten times faster?”
Peace and Violence pushed up his glasses, his tone deadpan. “Are you the reincarnation of the King of Hell?”
Jiangzhehu Inheritor stroked her chin, analyzing the thought seriously. “Sister Cai’s plan is workable on paper. But the catch is that Boundary-Breaking Talismans are incredibly rare. If we obsess over hunting other players for their gear, it’ll disrupt our own leveling pace… and we might end up being the ones who get wiped out instead.”
Cute and Sparkling and Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar held hands, cheering together in unison: “No matter what happens, our Zone 444 Elite Squad sticks together through thick and thin!”
The Three Knight Brothers were battered and bruised, but their faces beamed with pure joy.
“Man, I feel like we pulled off something legendary today!” Flash Delivery Yellow Knight said, clutching his sore ribs with bright, shining eyes.
Hungry Spirit Blue Knight threw an arm over his brother’s shoulder, laughing breathlessly. “I held that canyon pass all by myself today! I’m completely wiped out.”
Fastest Hand, the eldest of the three, gave a heavy, solemn nod. “The best part is that the three of us bought enough time for Brother Long and the others to pull off the rescue. Seeing the Boss safe and sound is worth more than all the loot in the world!”
“Well said! Having our Boss safe is what matters!” The rest of the squad cheered in agreement, filling the air with lively chatter.
Lin Huai watched the companions standing around her—supporting one another, laughing, and clapping shoulders. The bloodthirsty chill of the battlefield slowly melted away, replaced by the warm, genuine energy of true friends.
A sudden heat stung her eyes. A bright smile touched her lips, even as quiet tears traced their way down her cheeks.
“Thank you, everyone…” Her voice was a little raspy, but every word came straight from the heart. “Meeting all of you, and standing shoulder to shoulder by your side… is the greatest fortune of my life.”
Dragon Emerging from the Sea walked back after finishing the looting. He handed the jade bangle back into Lin Huai’s palm, a rare, gentle warmth softening his rugged features. “We’re just glad we made it in time.”
Straightening his back, he took a crisp military stance. “Boss, the Elite Squad is fully assembled. We’re waiting on your orders for the next objective.”
Lin Huai pressed her lips together and smiled. Lifting her arm, she pointed firmly toward the shadowed depths of the inner canyon.
“Next objective: the heart of the valley—the decoy Ghost Mother’s Lair! Target: the boss, the Birth Ghost!”
Her voice rang out with absolute authority: “Move out!”
“Yes, Boss!”
The squad answered as one, their voices carrying fierce momentum. Engines roared to life across the sand, falling into tight formation behind Lin Huai’s armored hearse.
Because the Three Knight Brothers’ vans were heavily damaged and unfit for another round of heavy combat, Lin Huai stored all three vehicles safely inside the Space Jade Bangle, splitting the three drivers into the cabs of the other team members.
As for the auxiliary drivers from Zone 444 who had rushed in to back them up, aside from a few who preferred to lay low, the rest fell in behind the convoy, eager to join their leader in taking down a world-class boss.
The deeper the convoy traveled, the darker the canyon grew. A heavy, sickening stench—sweet yet carrying the sharp stink of rotting fish—drifted through the air, turning everyone’s stomachs.
Strange, pitted burrows began appearing across the rocky canyon walls, resembling an enormous honeycomb. From deep within those dark tunnels came wet, scuttling noises, accompanied by the distorted, malicious wails of twisted infants.
“Stay sharp, everyone! The Ghost Infant wave is coming!” Lin Huai’s calm, steady warning came over the team radio.
The moment her words fell, an endless tide of grotesque creatures erupted from the burrows.
Their skin was a bruised greenish-black, their hollow eye sockets weeping thick streaks of dark blood. They scuttled across the rocks at breakneck speed, their limbs bending backward with sickening cracks as they let out ear-splitting shrieks and lunged toward the convoy!
“Open fire! Keep them off the wheels!” Dragon Emerging from the Sea barked, manning his heavy roof-mounted turret and firing the first salvo.
Gunfire, concussive blasts, and the shrill screeches of dying fiends tore through the narrow canyon.
If You’re Bad, Practice More fought with wild energy, laughing as she squeezed the trigger: “Come and get it! Free experience points delivered right to our bumper!”
Leading the charge at the very front, Lin Huai’s golden light cannon unleashed a blazing beam of radiant energy, incinerating a wide swath of monsters in a single blast.
With the squad moving in disciplined harmony, the swarm was kept at bay.
Grinding their way through the sea of fiends, the convoy finally halted before an enormous cavern entrance constructed entirely from rotten flesh and tangled, bleached bones.
Deep within the cavern, a suffocating, terrifying pressure weighed down upon their chests. The foul, sweet reek of decay was thick enough to choke on.
“This is the place.” Lin Huai brought the hearse to a stop, her eyes turning grave as she locked her gaze onto a massive, writhing shadow shifting deep inside the bone den.
The Birth Ghost had finally revealed itself.
It was barely recognizable as human. Its lower half was a massive, bloated, insect-like abdomen that steadily leaked thick, black fluid onto the floor. Its upper torso was that of an emaciated woman with a twisted, chalk-white face.
Cradled in its clawed hands was a rough burlap sack, soaked a deep, dripping crimson with fresh blood.
The Birth Ghost glared at the intruders standing before her lair, her bloodshot eyes burning with unhinged fury. She let out a piercing, hysterical shriek:
“You… it was you… you murdered my babies! I will rip you to pieces! I will butcher every single one of you!”
