Chapter 510: The Blood Demon’s Attack

Nian Yan met with the NPC Clemmy.

“Young man, have you found the magical rune stones?” Clemmy asked upon seeing Nian Yan.

“Yes.”

“Give them to me. Since you’re the first to solve all the riddles, you’ll receive double rewards,” Clemmy said, beginning to accept the magical rune stones from Nian Yan.

Hearing this, Nian Yan felt a pleasant surprise. He hadn’t expected such an unexpected reward. This made handing in the rune stones for a level-up even more worthwhile.

Nian Yan handed the magical rune stones to Clemmy in groups. As Clemmy rewarded him, his experience points soared dramatically. A dazzling glow surrounded him as he leveled up to level 89. He had only used 62 groups of rune stones, and still had a full backpack remaining.

Many players were passing by and noticed Nian Yan, dressed in a black cloak, chatting with Clemmy. When they saw the brilliant glow of his level-up, they cast astonished glances his way.

They all knew who Clemmy was—an eccentric old man who roamed around here. No player had previously triggered Clemmy’s quest. Nian Yan was the first.

“Do you think Clemmy has issued a quest?” a player asked his companion in confusion from a distance.

“I don’t know. Talking to Clemmy usually leads to some bizarre questions. We never know what he’s talking about. Could that guy have triggered Clemmy’s quest?”

As they were whispering among themselves, another flash of white light enveloped Nian Yan.

The players were stunned, their expressions filled with disbelief.

“What? He leveled up again? Did he just gain two levels in a row?”

“Maybe he was really low level to begin with?”

“No way! Clemmy wouldn’t even acknowledge players below level 60, let alone issue them a quest!”

Above level 60—what kind of quest could grant two levels at once?

Before they could recover from their shock, another series of white lights shone over Nian Yan. This time, he gained three levels in a row. All the surrounding players were left in stunned disbelief, staring at the spot where Nian Yan stood.

“Am I seeing things?”

“What the hell kind of quest gives so many levels at once?”

“Who is that guy?”

Nian Yan, clad in a black cloak, appeared even more mysterious.

Nian Yan checked his level—it was now 93, two levels higher than he had anticipated. He was now just a step away from reaching level 100. Once he reached level 100, he could smoothly advance to Shadow Dancer.

It had been his dream for many years. Would he be able to fulfill it in this life?

Thinking back to the disappointment he felt after failing to become a Shadow Dancer in his previous life, Nian Yan clenched his fists. This time, he would definitely succeed!

Nian Yan remembered that the Shadow Dancer quest could be obtained from the Thieves’ Guild. There, the guild elders would guide players to trigger a quest line related to becoming a Shadow Dancer. Completing the Shadow Dancer quest usually took about two months. However, Nian Yan had another option—to skip becoming a regular Shadow Dancer and instead advance to the Holy Shadow Dancer. The Holy Shadow Dancer was far superior to the regular one, but the quest was also significantly more challenging.

Since he had the opportunity to become a Holy Shadow Dancer, Nian Yan would never let it slip away. He had to give it a try—even if he failed, he would have no regrets.

If he successfully became a Holy Shadow Dancer within two months, Nian Yan would definitely be the first thief to achieve the rank of Shadow Dancer.

Typically, the Shadow Dancer quest was difficult to complete at level 100. Most players waited until they were around level 150 or so. However, Nian Yan had excellent gear and high stats, so he should be fine.

After handing in the rune stones, Nian Yan headed toward his personal warehouse.

Even long after Nian Yan had left, many players continued trying to chat with Clemmy, hoping to extract some quest clues from him. Unfortunately, all their efforts were in vain. Ordinary players couldn’t solve those five riddles. The riddles contained many obscure references, requiring extensive research to find the answers.

News of Clemmy’s riddles spread, and more and more players began studying their solutions.

Guo Huai was still constantly collecting magical rune stones for Nian Yan. He was buying every rune stone available. It wouldn’t be long before the rune stones he collected would be enough for Nian Yan to gain another one or two levels.

Nian Yan went to his personal warehouse to prepare some essential consumables, then headed toward Hilton Fortress.

People like Cui Can Daoguang had already arrived at Hilton Fortress. They were still inside the city, unwilling to venture outside yet. They had sent scouts to gather information, wanting to learn about the movements of guilds like the Mage Alliance and Sacred Guardians first. Guo Huai was also continuously collecting intelligence.

Besides the Mage Alliance and Sacred Guardians, guilds like the Empire of Light and Darkness and Zhu Shen Zhi Jian had also sent large groups of players.

Although Hilton Fortress was still in ruins, new buildings were being constructed atop the ruins. Player investments had started pouring in, and more and more players, guilds, and groups were buying land and building shops there. Of course, the Niuren Tribe was also involved, with the Starlight Pharmacy opening a branch there.

Nian Yan rode his Falkner Warhorse at full speed, swiftly crossing the plains. At his fastest speed, it would still take him nearly half an hour to reach Hilton Fortress, while ordinary players would probably need about an hour.

This was a remote fortress city. Currently, only about one in ten thousand players dared to come to this map. The monsters near Hilton Fortress were far beyond the capabilities of ordinary players.

The top players from all major guilds had gathered at Hilton Fortress. They were collecting gear here, preparing for their future level-ups to 100.

On the plains outside Hilton Fortress, five thief players appeared, setting up something in the jungle.

“Min, are you sure Kuang Zei Nie Yan will come here?”

“This is the only way to Hilton Fortress. The top elites of the Niuren Tribe are already at Hilton Fortress. I’m sure he’ll come.”

“That’s true. The intelligence from that area is too unclear. We still haven’t confirmed Kuang Zei Nie Yan’s whereabouts.”

“Kuang Zei Nie Yan won’t be that easy to catch. Otherwise, the Mage Alliance and Sacred Guardians wouldn’t have offered such a high bounty. Those who hired us wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths either.”

The five thieves continued chatting as they set up some traps nearby.

“Are the scrolls ready?”

“Ready.”

“Follow my command when the time comes.”

After completing all preparations, the five thieves successively entered stealth mode, their bodies gradually vanishing.

Nian Yan’s Falkner Warhorse galloped like the wind, and in a few minutes, he would arrive at Hilton Fortress.

As Nian Yan rode forward, a sudden sharp whistling sound came from behind. Nian Yan’s heart tightened. He turned around and saw an arrow flying toward his Falkner Warhorse.

Nian Yan tried to steer his warhorse to dodge, but it was too late.

With a ‘plop,’ the arrow pierced the Falkner Warhorse’s abdomen. The horse let out a piercing scream, reared up on its front hooves, and exerted a tremendous force, trying to throw Nian Yan off.

Nian Yan leapt from the horse’s back, landing steadily. The Falkner Warhorse didn’t have much health and died instantly.

Just as Nian Yan landed, a giant net descended from the sky.

Nian Yan quickly locked his gaze onto a thief hiding in the distant jungle. The thief looked about thirty years old, with a strong build and wearing gray leather armor. He held a large crossbow in both hands. The crossbow was nearly as big as the Deathless Rider Dolo’s Rider Crossbow, using extra-large arrows.

This crossbow had killed the Falkner Warhorse. Fortunately, the warhorse could be summoned again after dying, otherwise it would have been a huge loss. However, its loyalty would definitely decrease.

On Nian Yan’s side, about thirty yards away, another thief swiftly passed by. He looked slightly younger, wearing silver-white leather armor. It was him who had cast an Advanced Spiderweb Spell on Nian Yan just as he landed.

Just as the spiderweb spell was about to envelop Nian Yan, he swiftly dashed out using Windstep, dodging the spell.

A light that revealed invisibility descended from the sky, covering an area of more than fifty yards. Within the white light, Nian Yan’s body became visible. At that moment of exposure, five figures rushed toward him.

When attacked, Nian Yan had enough time to use a random teleport scroll, but he decided to stay and play with them.

As the five thieves approached Nian Yan, he clearly saw their faces. They were members of Blood Slaughter.

Nian Yan was no stranger to these five faces. In his previous life, he had studied videos of them. Their names were Min, Lie, Ying, Su, and Feng. These five had entered the game together and belonged to Blood Slaughter, a feared organization. Each of their names was just one character—their code names. These five were the best among them and eventually all became Shadow Dancers.

With five Shadow Dancers, it was no wonder Blood Slaughter became famous. In his previous life, several major guilds had tried to recruit them with high offers, but they had all been rejected. In the world of Faith, they were legendary figures.

Back then, Nian Yan was just an unknown nobody. Even if he had encountered them, they probably wouldn’t have paid him any attention. But in this life, Nian Yan was the leader of the Niuren Tribe, the infamous Kuang Zei Nie Yan, a name many looked up to.

Nian Yan had long been mentally prepared for Blood Slaughter to come after him. He had no intention of backing down.

The five thieves, like leaping cheetahs, surrounded Nian Yan from all directions. Their determination was unyielding, as if they were ready to fight to the death.

Facing five renowned legendary thieves, Nian Yan didn’t dare to be careless. He quickly retreated backward, his Zennarde Sword blazing with fierce flames, emitting a menacing glow.

The thief named Min lunged forward, his dagger aiming straight for Nian Yan’s throat.

Block!

Nian Yan swung his Zennarde Sword sideways, blocking Min’s dagger. With a ‘clang,’ the dagger and the Zennarde Sword produced a crisp collision sound.