"Chang Long!"
Siegfried saw Chang Long being pulled into the fissure just in ti. He sprinted toward her, but it was too late—the fissure sealed shut with alarming speed. Desperate, he tried everything he could to reopen it: attacking the stone, uttering potential passwords (such as Wu Ming's na), and even attempting to pry the fissure apart with his bare hands. All his efforts proved futile. Exhausted, Siegfried sat down and lifted his wristwatch, intending to contact Chang Long. To his dismay, her na in his friend list appeared blacked out with a question mark beside it. She was unreachable.
"Player Chang Long has entered a special area: Wu Ming's Secret Training Ground. External contact is disabled until the area's conditions are t. The spirits under player Chang Long's control are sealed. Sealed spirit: Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, Alice-chan, and Fluffy Head-chan. Hisa-chan
"Player Chang Long cannot unseal spirits or summon pets within this special area. Combat skills are also disabled, except for passive skills."
Before she could process the system's announcents, Chang Long stood stunned. This ant she could not summon her spirits or pets to accompany or assist her, and most of her combat skills were off-limits. Alard, she imdiately checked her status using her wristwatch.
Spirit Ownership Status:
Devi-chan: Forr Pirate King, Level 100 (Unresponsive)
Hisa-chan: Master Samurai, Level 130 (Unresponsive)
Alice-chan: Elizabeth Bathory, Level 76 (Unresponsive)
Fluffy Head-chan**: Nean Lion, Level 99 (Unresponsive)
Pet Status:
Kitsune: Pureblooded Sacred Fla Fox, Level 28 (Unresponsive)
Flatear: Pureblooded Sacred Rainbow Kirin, Level 53 (Unresponsive)
Brownie: Thieving Field Mouse, Level 15 (Unresponsive)
Fairy Status:
Anya: Night Fairy, Bound to owner's level (Unresponsive)
.....
Chang Long was speechless. Not being able to summon her pets or fairy was concerning enough, but not being able to call upon her spirits was genuinely unsettling. She had never fought entirely alone before, even if there were instances where she did not use Spirit Possession. The oppressive darkness and solitude of the sealed chamber made her feel abandoned and vulnerable. Shaking off her negative thoughts, she quickly opened her skill nu to see which abilities were still usable.
Passive Skills:
Swift Movent: Level 80
Climbing: Level 32
Evasion: Level 76
Swordsmanship: Level 67
Endurance: Level 20
Ingredients Selection: Level 1
Cooking: Level 1
Digging: Level 1
Planting: Level 1
The lack of restrictions on her passive skills brought her a small sense of relief, though she remained anxious about whether her profession skills, learned abilities, and the Eye of Darkness's skills could still be used.
Special Skills:
Telepathic Communication: Level 10
Advanced Telepathic Communication: Level 1
Animal Language: Level 5
Secret Skills:
Mystic Gust: Level 10
Avian Alliance
Dinsional Shift: Level 1
Profession Skills:
Shaman Spirit Net: (Unresponsive)
Shaman Spirit Summoning: (Unresponsive)
Shaman Spirit Possession: (Unresponsive)
Beast User Puppet Manipulation: (Unresponsive)
Beast User Spirit Transfer: (Unresponsive)
Lord of Spirits Soul Booster: (Unresponsive)
Lord of Spirits Spirit Realm: (Unresponsive)
Lord of Spirits Spirit Drain: (Unresponsive)
King of Death Infernal Reaper Judgent: (Sealed)
King of Death Soul Resurrection: (Sealed)
King of Death Infernal Demon: (Sealed)
King of Death Reaper Soul Harvest: (Sealed)
King of Death Reaper's Baptism: (Sealed)
Miscellaneous Skills:
Calamity Thunder: Granted by Advanced Eye of Darkness (Unresponsive)
Mausoleum: Granted by Advanced Eye of Darkness (Unresponsive)
(Note: So skills lack levels because their intensity scales with the user's level; the higher the level, the stronger the skill. The Lord of Spirits profession is a fusion of the Shaman and Beast User professions. The King of Death class was obtained by completing a quest for the Reaper, resulting in the rge of Lord of Spirits and Lord of Death profession, and earning Chang Long the title Reaper King, replacing the forr Pure Dark Grim Reaper.)
"Ugh! What good are the usable skills in a place like this?!"
Chang Long vented her frustration, giving up on examining her skill list. She turned her attention to the oppressive darkness. It was so pitch-black she could barely see a thing. Chang Long resorted to feeling her way forward in the dark, but this proved ineffective as she tripped and fell over a dozen tis and bumped into walls three tis. Finally, it occurred to her that she had a Guiding Fla.
She retrieved the orb from her bag, which floated and emitted a pale blue-white glow. The light lifted her spirits slightly, but the darkness still engulfed her. The light revealed only herself standing in an empty abyss.
"What is this... Why can't I see anything except myself?"
she murmured, squinting into the void. Even when she touched a nearby rock that should have been within the light's radius, she could feel its texture but could not see it.
Finally, Chang Long put the Guiding Fla back in her bag. The eerie blue glow highlighting only her figure amidst an endless void was more unnerving than the darkness itself. At least in the dark, she felt like part of it, blending into the shadows rather than standing out. Even if it ant stumbling a few more tis.
"Cave Sli Beast, Level 20, preparing to attack!"
The system's announcent left Chang Long wide-eyed. She had no idea what cave slis even looked like, but with their level set at 20, she figured she could handle them. The real problem was the seemingly endless stream of system notifications. By the ti it fell silent, she counted at least 21 cave slis in the area. She could not see them, but she could hear their distinct "splat" sounds every ti they moved.
"Hahaha. Great. Can't even see them. How am I supposed to fight them?"
Chang Long muttered, rolling her eyes. She raised the Sovereign Sword high, but had no idea where to strike. Everywhere she turned was shrouded in impenetrable darkness. Without Kitsune's instincts to guide her, no Devi-chan to point out the enemies' positions, Chang Long truly was alone, forced to rely solely on her own instincts.
"Well then, if I can't see them, I might as well stop trying to look,"
she murmured to herself, closing her eyes. Whether her eyes were open or shut, all she saw was darkness, so it should not make any difference. Surprisingly, shutting her eyes seed to sharpen her hearing slightly.
Whiff.
Chang Long missed another attack. She did not even know how many tis she had already struck at empty air. Muttering a quiet curse, she felt her frustrated. No matter how she swung her blade, she could not hit any of the slis surrounding her. Their constant splat, splat sounds were grating on her nerves, and she felt on the verge of losing her composure.
Thwack.
"Ouch!"
Chang Long cried out as sothing soft and squishy punch her, leaving a sticky residue where it struck. Anger flared within her, but she quickly forced herself to calm down. Concentrating deeply, she focused on the sounds of the slis' movents.
Stab!
Finally, her efforts paid off. She managed to land a hit on one of the cave slis. It let out a piercing screech, making it easier for her to strike again. After a few quick follow-ups, she killed her first cave sli. Following the sa thod, she painstakingly took down all 21 slis, though the ordeal was a struggle.
"Player Chang Long has slain 21 Level 20 Cave Sli Beasts, Receiving 32,550 EXP and 1,875 coins."
"Player Chang Long has fulfilled the basic requirents for a beginner profession, receiving Celestial Hearing Skill, level 1, 2, 3...5. Swordsmanship Skill has increased to Level 68, 69, 70...72. Endurance Skill has increased to Level 21, 22, 23...25."
Chang Long collapsed, panting heavily. Fighting in a place where visibility was poor was an ordeal. Humans relied primarily on sight, and with that sense blocked, the other senses would sharpen. Chang Long's heightened hearing had allowed her to gain the Celestial Hearing skill, but she still was not used to it.
Digging through her bag in the darkness, she searched for jars of blood crystals and mana crystals. However, when she finally pulled out the jars, she could not tell which was which. For all she knew, she might have grabbed two jars of blood crystals.
Chang Long sighed in frustration and tucked both jars back into her bag. At the very least, she realized that stumbling into the so-called Wu Ming's Secret Training Ground had not been all bad. Not only had she gained a rare skill like Celestial Hearing, but she had also leveled up several skills by a remarkable five levels, an impressive feat considering how slow skill progression beca after surpassing level 30. Additionally, she finally had the chance to hone her combat skills as she had originally intended.
.....
anwhile, Siegfried was at a loss for what to do. He could not contact Chang Long, nor could he enter Wu Ming's Secret Training Ground. Resolving to wait until she erged, Siegfried summoned Lycanth to keep him company, as Heaven was known to wander off unpredictably. To pass the ti, Siegfried suggested they hunt high-level beasts near the area while waiting for Chang Long to exit Wu Ming's Secret Training Ground, or at least until he could contact her. Siegfried led Lycanth away to look for beasts with higher level than Forest Bear and Grassland Predator while keeping Wu Ming's Secret Training Ground within sight. As they moved farther out, Siegfried kept glancing at Chang Long's na on his friend list, checking to see if contact was possible.
"Giant Sloth Beast Level 61 has appeared. Scar-faced Bear Beast Level 77, preparing to attack."
When Siegfried and Lycanth reached a high ridge opposite Wu Ming's Secret Training Ground, the Scar-faced Bear Beast lunged at them imdiately. In stark contrast, the Giant Sloth Beast moved so sluggishly that even a turtle could outrun it. Despite its eagerness to attack Siegfried and Lycanth, it had no choice but to let the Scar-faced Bear Beast take the lead.
Lycanth leapt forward to intercept the Scar-faced Bear Beast, not out of loyalty to Siegfried, but because he was eager to fight a challenger. Siegfried shook his head, patiently waiting for the Giant Sloth Beast. Several minutes passed, and the beast had barely taken a step. Growing impatient, Siegfried questioned the wisdom of waiting for such a lethargic creature and decided to approach it himself.
BOOMM
Dust and dirt flew everywhere as the Giant Sloth Beast slamd its massive fist into the ground, narrowly missing Siegfried, who jumped back just in ti. The sheer destructive power of the blow left him montarily stunned. Despite its lethargy, the beast possessed overwhelming strength. However, with Siegfried's level being over ten higher than the sloth's, he was able to defeat it without much difficulty.
Siegfried quickly finished his opponent, unlike Lycanth, who was toying with the Scar-faced Bear Beast. Covered in wounds but still brimming with fighting spirit, the bear refused to back down, even though it was clearly outmatched. Eventually, it entered a berserk state, letting out a thunderous roar. Its red eyes locked onto Lycanth with unblinking intensity.
The two stared each other down, neither willing to give an inch, before charging at each other. Both opened its mouth wide, revealing rows of sharp white fangs, and extended its claws, showcasing their lethal sharpness. Siegfried watched from a distance, his heart pounding with excitent. Lycanth's claws raked across the bear's torso as it stood on two legs, causing the beast to collapse on the spot. Not yet satisfied, Lycanth threw its head back and let out a triumphant howl before biting down on the Scar-faced Bear Beast's neck with brutal force.
"Player Siegfried has defeated Giant Sloth Beast, Level 61, Receiving 16,350 EXP. Player Siegfried has defeated Scar-faced Bear Beast, Level 77 Receiving 26,450 EXP with 11,730 coins and 1 piece of Bear hide."
Siegfried bent down to pick up the bear hide, noting it was the highest quality hide he had ever received.
The high ridge was teeming with beast eager to greet Siegfried and Lycanth, particularly the Scar-faced Bear Beasts, which seed to dominate the area due to the abundance of wild berry bushes. The duo fought continuously but paused intermittently for rest. Siegfried glanced at his wristwatch frequently, hoping to see Chang Long's na return to normal so he could contact her imdiately.
.....
It felt like ten years had passed. Chang Long remained engulfed in darkness, but she was gradually adapting and improving. The Celestial Hearing skill honed her sense of hearing to a remarkable level. She could hear even the faintest breaths of a level 33 Jumping Worm Beast, that she was currently battling, as if it were exhaling right against her neck.
Since she began fighting in Wu Ming's Secret Training Ground, Chang Long's abilities had improved dramatically. Not only could she now land precise hits on her foes, but she was also adept at dodging their attacks in complete darkness. Her passive skills had surged, many approaching level 100. Though she did not know what would happen when they reached triple digits, she had a feeling she would not have to wait long to find out.
"Player Chang Long has defeated 24 Jumping Worm Beasts, Level 33. Receiving 111,600 EXP and 2,040 coins. Swordsmanship Skill increased to Level 93, 94, 95...97. Endurance Skill increased to Level 46, 47, 48...50. Evasion Skill increased to Level 77, 78, 79...81. Celestial Hearing Skill increased to Levels 26, 27, 28...30."
"Player Chang Long has fulfilled the basic requirents for beginner profession and unlocked Mind's Eye Skill, Level 1."
-----
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