Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 271
Mo Fan acted like he was an expert who had been living in seclusion, stepping forward in the nick of time to change the outcome of the battle, before letting the two Imperial Magician subordinates clear up the rest of the mess. The truth was, his energy was completely depleted. If he did not find a place to rest up soon, even the smallest undead, or a little skeleton, was enough to take his life away.
However, the two Imperial Magicians had to admit that Mo Fan's punch had helped them a great deal, giving Zuo Feng the chance to control the Flesh Mound Corpse Official for five seconds.
Even if it was only five seconds, a Commander-level creature could easily destroy an army of undead within one to two seconds. The five seconds were enough to force the Flesh Mound Corpse Official to roll into a ball and crush a few hundred of the skeletons it had produced!
The little skeletons were quite pitiful. Just a moment ago, they were charging with their king to hunt the living humans, but their king suddenly went mad after it was knocked flying by the Magician, and rolled in their direction instead. Since the undead had basically died once before, no one cared how distressed they were. Regardless, even using all their limbs trying to run away, they still could not escape the shadow looming over them as their king rolled toward them.
The wide street was covered in pieces of skeletons. The phantoms, which possessed a dim intelligence, fled into the distance when they saw the Corpse Official turning hostile.
Without the disturbance from the little phantoms and undead generals, the two Imperial Magicians were able to cast Advanced Spells consecutively. The impact almost crumbled the entire street!
"Zuo Feng, who was that guy?" The square-faced Imperial Magician was an Earth Magician. He successfully turned the Flesh Mound Corpse Official into stone using the Eyes of the Rock Demon. He let out a relieved sigh before recalling the young Fire Magician.
"I have no idea, either; I thought he was just a university student with the Shadow Element!" Zuo Feng turned around, but failed to find the young man.
"Who would have thought it was him helping us to control the situation. Otherwise, we would have left the people to disaster," murmured the square-faced Imperial Magician.
Zuo Feng nodded.
As a matter of fact, the three Imperial Magicians would not have had much trouble killing the Flesh Mound Corpse Official, but it was too important to let the higher-ups know about the Flesh Mound Corpse Official's terrifying ability. Without the third Imperial Magician, it had almost slaughtered the crowd of civilians.
Luckily, the university student with Shadow Element was monstrously strong, and blasted the Flesh Mound Corpse Official away using just an Intermediate Spell!
"Could it be that he has a Soul-grade fire?" The square-faced Imperial Magician glanced at the Flesh Mound Corpse Official, making sure that the creature was unable to break free from being petrified.
"No, I was quite close to him. It must be some rare Magic Tool, which is able to boost his fourth-tier Fiery Fist significantly," replied Zuo Feng.
Zuo Feng only saw Mo Fan being engulfed in flames suddenly. He did not see the little Flame Belle entering Mo Fan, so he could only explain it as some kind of Magic Tool.
"Fourth-tier Fiery Fist...that's forty-nine Soul Essences! If one Soul Essence is between four to five million RMB… is he the son of some incredible renowned family?" asked the square-faced Imperial Magician in astonishment.
An Imperial Magician like him had to save up many years just to buy Magic Wings, which were priced around a hundred million. Meanwhile, the young man had already leveled up his Fire Element to the fourth-tier; he would need more than two hundred million to do that!
Anything over ten million was considered a great sum to Advanced Magicians, let alone anything over a hundred million. Nevertheless, there was no way for an Imperial Magician like him to have so much money.
Having money didn't mean you could simply spend it like that!
"Either way, his fourth-tier Fiery Fist saved everyone's life," said Zuo Feng calmly.
It was rare for anyone to raise their Basic Spells to the fourth-tier, let alone a fourth-tier Intermediate Spell, which would require a huge amount of resources. Even someone with an extraordinary natural talent, like Dongfang Lie, could barely cast the fourth-tier Fiery Fist. Someone that had actually raised an Intermediate Spell to the fourth-tier... Mo Fan was most likely the only one in all of China!
And now, these two Imperial Magicians had just happened to stumble into a man with a fourth-tier Fiery Fist. Shouldn't they be burning incenses and bowing down to express their gratitude to Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion?
"After killing this son of a bitch, let's go look for him. We need someone strong like him in times like this!," exclaimed the square-faced Imperial Magician.
"Forget it, he's still an Intermediate Magician, I can feel his mind weakening. His energy must have depleted. It's likely that he didn't even have the chance to rest after the battle along the walls..." Zuo Feng was able to sense some information through his Psychic Element.
"Alright, once the danger is resolved, we should go and thank him."
"Mm, if we manage to resolve the danger..." Zuo Feng glanced at the city being drenched by the rain. He obviously was not too optimistic about their fate.
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Mo Fan was completely worn out, as it was true that he had been involved in battles since the night before.
The Swift Star Wolf could still barely move after being healed. Mo Fan simply laid down on its back and fell asleep. If anything, his Summoned Beast would just wake him up.
Mo Fan did not follow the crowd. He had done all he could, and all he could not, too. He would leave the people to their own fates, since he was not Sun Wukong trying to escort them along their Journey to the West.
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Mu Bai and Zhou Ming were more compassionate. There were people from Bo City among the crowd, so they decided to escort them all the way to the inner city.
Mo Fan did not head for the inner city. He had to look for Liu Ru still.
The Swift Star Wolf told Mo Fan that Liu Ru was in a different direction. Mo Fan said goodbye to Zhou Ming and Mu Bai and proceeded to search for Liu Ru by asking the Swift Star Wolf to follow her scent.
Shorty did not follow Mo Fan either. He had gone to search for his Hunter friends. The group split up after telling everyone that they would see each other behind the inner walls.
It was better for Mo Fan to act alone. After all, the Swift Star Wolf had a s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e nose, helping him to avoid unnecessary fights.
The Swift Star Wolf slowly avoided the undead, considering that Mo Fan's energy was gone. Once they located Liu Ru, Mo Fan's safety would be secured, as Liu Ru was not weak, either.
Chapter 623 - The Kiss in the Middle of the Disaster
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
The Swift Star Wolf remembered Liu Ru's scent, and slowly advanced forward carrying the fast asleep Mo Fan.
The area was still free of the Flesh Mound Corpse Officials and the undead in their stomachs. Their journey was fairly safe.
Mo Fan was actually soundly asleep on the Swift Star Wolf's furry back.
He was too tired. If he did not replenish some of his energy, he could not even cast a Basic Spell. It was too cruel for him to die after he had just learned a new move!
The Swift Star Wolf brought Mo Fan to an old residential area. Most of the inhabitants were already evacuated. There were people moving in the corners of the alleyways before disappearing quickly...they were most likely the people that had fled here from other places, seeking a place to hide from the undead temporarily in a relatively safer area.
As a matter of fact, the army of undead led by the Nether Bone Ruler and the Mountain Zombie was the deadliest. It was likely that the black ocean had reached the outer walls, and was slowly devouring the line of defense.
In no time, the whole city was going to turn into the undead's territory, with the inner city stranded like a lonely island surrounded by the ocean of undead!
Mo Fan had to locate the people he was searching for before the ocean of undead devoured this place. He did not want to wait for the news from inside the walls, gnawing with worry.
He did not learn Magic and pursue the higher levels just to seek fascinating power, but most importantly, to protect the people close to him in this dangerous, hostile world...
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Upon arriving at an alleyway built with bricks, the Swift Star Wolf went straight for the building at the end.
The Swift Star Wolf did not take the normal path. He leapt over the entrance by kicking off the walls and landed inside the residence.
Mo Fan was awakened by the sudden wild movement.
"She's here?" Mo Fan washed his face with the rain. It was impossible to get a good sleep on a moving car, let alone in a situation when the undead could appear at anytime.
Before the Swift Star Wolf could respond, the door swung open. Liu Ru, dressed in fresh clothes like the girl next door stood by the door for a moment before she joyfully ran forward and fell into Mo Fan's arms, like a sparrow returning to her nest.
If the Blood Tribe was able to shed tears, with her excited reaction, they would surely be found on her pale-white face.
"Did someone bully you?" asked Mo Fan with a frown as he sensed that something did not feel right about Liu Ru.
He glanced at the surroundings and saw a few men who looked like rascals tied up to the pillars. He immediately became furious!
The three men were dumbfounded. If they were not tied up, they would drop to their knees before Liu Ru and scream out that they were innocent.
They would not dare to bully Liu Ru. As a matter of fact, Liu Ru was the one that had bullied them, until they began to beg her for mercy.
"It's not them...we'll talk inside," Liu Ru led Mo Fan into the house, which surprisingly had a Kang bed-stove in it. It was very warm, which felt very soothing to the fatigued Mo Fan. The cold rain never stopped falling, even a Fire Magician would find it unbearable.
{TL Note: Search 'Kang bed-stove' on Google if you want to know what it looks like.}
"You look very weak," said Mo Fan.
"Mm, I lost a fair amount of my origin blood after I was injured," Liu Ru nodded and told Mo Fan the sequence of events, from Fang Gu showing up, to her protecting the villagers of Hua Village.
Liu Ru knew Mo Fan would come looking for her, so she did not leave even when the purple alert was sounded. She simply waited for him here, as she was still weak and not as strong as before. She did not dare to go out there searching for him.
"I thought I would be safer after I found you..." said Mo Fan with a wry smile.
Mo Fan's current feeling was like someone paying his long-distance girlfriend a visit during the seven days holiday around the National Day, and planning to do shameless things together. However, his girlfriend's period happened to pay her a visit at the same time, too...
"But with you here, I can recover quickly!" Liu Ru's eyes flickered when she saw Mo Fan's reaction, like an empress getting excited after successfully luring a little fresh meat into her trap!
{TL Note: Search 'little fresh meat' if you don't know what it means, it's an Internet buzz word in China.}
Before Mo Fan could understand what she meant, an alluring scent assailed his nose, followed by hot lips kissing his neck. The sensation was so pleasant that it felt like he was electrified.
Liu Ru could not wait any longer. She was a member of the Blood Tribe after all, hence she could not withstand the d.e.s.i.r.e to drink fresh blood. She was already controlling herself not to drink the blood of those filthy men, but her red Yakult was now standing in front of her, and she could no longer restrain the urge.
{Ed. Note: It's a daily probiotic drink}
"Wait until I lie down… oh!" Mo Fan's body suddenly felt numb before he could finish the sentence.
Normally, Mo Fan only offered his blood while he was asleep. Liu Ru, who had feelings for him was not willing to wake him up from his sleep, but they were in an urgent situation now. Blood serums could at most help the Blood Tribe adjust their condition, they were nowhere as effective as fresh blood. Besides, Liu Ru had only become a Blood Tribe after drinking Mo Fan's blood, so it was more or less her origin blood.
When Mo Fan first met Liu Ru she looked a little haggard; his first impression of her was elegant and graceful, like an orchid... but she extremely thirsty after losing too much blood and now as crazed as a leopard. She pushed Mo Fan against the wall and s.u.c.k.e.d his blood wildly!
Although he was losing blood, a certain part of his body did not seem to lack blood at all. In the past, Mo Fan had always ambushed Xinxia like a starving wolf pouncing on a sheep when she was not paying any attention. He would push her down on the couch or bed and do everything evil possible, yet he was in her shoes today, and it felt… it felt quite pleasant. No wonder Xinxia never resisted... oh, she could not resist even if she wanted to...
The sound of the raindrops tapping on the roof came clearly. The roars of the starving zombies would echoed in the alleyway at times. The clouds of death with no visible end loomed over the place, almost overwhelming the tall buildings across the city...but it did not stop the man and the woman in the cozy, warm hut sticking together closely on the wall.
Mo Fan raised his head, as he thought a storm was about to come. He was just about to throw the calamity that he was involved in out of his mind when everything came to a stop.
"It's over?"
Mo Fan lowered his head in confusion and looked down at Liu Ru, who had yet to fully enjoy herself.
"What do you think?" Liu Ru glanced back at Mo Fan. Her lips, which were pale initially, were now bright red.
"Oh, that was fast," Mo Fan said awkwardly.
"You're tired too, I don't dare to drink too much of your blood..." Liu Ru said in a serious manner. "Besides, weren't you trying to poke me with your fingers?"
Saying this, Liu Ru suddenly discovered Mo Fan's hands raised up on both sides of her. They exchanged glances with one another, and Liu Ru instantly blushed.
Mo Fan uttered a hollow laugh. He looked at the outside. -The weather today… isn't bad, quite chilly though-. His finger? It would take at least two of his fingers to make up to his size!
"Your...your energy feels empty, I... I can help you..." Liu Ru's voice was soft as a mosquito.
Chapter 624 - A Test Run
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
When Liu Ru mentioned that she could help him with the recovery, Mo Fan subconsciously recalled the scenes of man and woman cultivating together by utilizing the balance of Yin and Yang from both sides in Wuxia or Xianxia stories. Since the Blood Tribe had originated from the west, it was likely that they had their own secret arts too.
Mo Fan seemed fairly collected on the surface, but he was actually overjoyed inside, with an expression saying, "I'm going to lie down. You can do whatever you want, I don't really understand the details."
"I'll go and catch a few phantoms back. I can draw the energy of their souls and replenish the energy of your Spiritual World. You should be able to recover fairly quickly," said Liu Ru.
"Oh, is your body alright now?" said Mo Fan, raising his brows.
"Yeah, it's fine now," replied Liu Ru, showing Mo Fan the scar on her arm. The arm that was obviously burned before was now tender and smooth as jade!
Mo Fan kept hearing how extraordinary the Blood Tribe's recuperative ability was, and now he finally believed it. The woman who looked weak just a moment ago suddenly became as strong and healthy as a cat, and nimbly flew out of the house.
Mo Fan was indeed tired. Although his mind was occupied with l.e.w.d thoughts still, his sleepiness grew stronger with the warmth. He laid down on the bed and fell deeply asleep.
Normally, Mo Fan would be slightly more alert, since the city was no longer safe. However, his only thought after being spiritually worn out was to get himself a good sleep. He completely forgot about the heavy rain and chilly rain outside, the zombies roaming on the streets, and the Nether Bone Ruler!
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Dark clouds invaded the Ancient Capital, bringing utter destruction to the city.
Cold rain poured down like arrows, corroding the foundation of the Ancient Capital.
Most terrifyingly, the undead climbing out from the tombs, cemeteries, burial grounds, and barrows were not willing to leave, filling the land that was soaking wet from the rain. The previously magnificent outer walls were like a fragile dam, standing no chance against the fierce tide of undead!
The outer walls were thoroughly destroyed. The thick walls stacked up with bricks collapsed, the tall towers fell tumbling to the ground, not to mention the buildings on the streets...
When observing from the inner walls, the area over ten kilometers from the Ancient Capital was completely covered by the black ocean. The tide of undead burst through the buildings, streets, public squares, parks, schools, hospitals to the ground, and not a single corpse was left!
The undead finally invaded the city from all directions. The scariest thing was not the pace at which the ocean of undead was devouring the city, but the fact that after the black tide had entered the city, the whole land was still covered in black moving figures with no visible ends. One could not help but doubt if humans were the actual invaders of this land...
"Pack, horde, kingdom...an undead kingdom. An undead kingdom," an aged voice mumbled softly on the observation tower, sounding more like a prayer of death uttered for the city's sake.
Could it be that the Ancient Capital, which had existed for thousands of years, was finally going to be erased from history on this rainy day?
The undead extending all the way into the horizon had already overrun the city. Was this golden barrier really able to stop the invasion of the countless undead?
Besides, what exactly had awakened every undead from up to over a thousand years ago, resulting in this undead calamity that had brought so much despair to the living?
