Chapter 407: New Year's Eve Event

Note: The system version of Devil May Cry primarily adheres to the traditional lore. Since the plot and setting of Devil May Cry 5 clash with Devil May Cry 3, Devil May Cry 5 (DMC Edition) will not be released. Similarly, the narrative for Vergil's Downfall in this edition focuses on the post-3rd generation storyline of Vergil (culminating in his transformation into Nelo Angelo), rather than the DMC reboot timeline.

It can be viewed as the Devil May Cry 3 version of Vergil's Downfall.

.

.

The ending was bleak, yet one had to admit that such a conclusion ought to have been anticipated long ago.

Compared to Dante, who leaned closer to humanity, Vergil resembled a cold, prideful demon, and the Demon World was his rightful home.

This was not merely a tale of a hero, but a lament written for Vergil.

Perhaps it lacked the sweeping, earth-shattering terrors of the old demon Youquan seen in Shushan, but that kind of power was better suited to cultivators.

For many martial artists, this was perhaps a style of combat far more appropriate for the majority of their kind.

"Concentrated will can pierce through solid stone."

Indeed, it was concentration. There was no vast, overwhelming torrent of demonic energy to crush enemies, but it was peerlessly focused. Take Vergil’s blade, for instance; it could cleave a Grim Reaper to pieces, and slicing the head of a high demon like Beowulf into four quarters was child's play.

This high-intensity concentration could impart a terrifying might at the exact moment of a swing, and its raw offensive power was absolute, yielding nothing to the various spiritual treasures and magical spells of cultivators.

It might even prove more fiercely explosive when breaking through hardened defenses!

Not to mention, it was complemented by a highly mature system, such as the superb dodging and teleportation of the Trickster style, the gorgeous techniques of the Swordmaster and Gunslinger, Dante's firearms for long range, Vergil's Summoned Swords for distance, and the perfect blocks and golden shields of the Royalguard for defense.

Coupled with the Quicksilver style and Doppelganger, the entire system could be said to have no flaws, save for the lack of flight techniques.

Of course, both protagonists could fly in their Devil Trigger states, and the players themselves possessed other means of flight—even those in the Martial Emperor Realm could step through the air—so this shortcoming could hardly be considered a flaw anymore.

Next, Fang Qi tested a segment of Vergil’s story, performing a sword formation shred on the fly, which was visibly flashier than playing as Dante, instantly drawing a large crowd of onlookers.

Unlike the original game, where Vergil’s campaign merely retraced Dante’s route, the system version gave Vergil his own unique stages. Because Vergil was immensely powerful from the start, his campaign was relatively short. For his story, the section intersecting with Dante was merely a prelude; the main route unfolded after entering the Demon World, which was essentially the Devil May Cry 3 version of Vergil's Downfall.

This naturally left the enthusiasts of Devil May Cry screaming with delight. Furthermore, many players in Half City who loved the game also harbored a preference for Vergil, the ambitious, anti-heroic antagonist. Almost all of them rushed to play, hoping to clear the game early and unlock Vergil’s campaign.

Meanwhile, Owner Fang continued to farm Red Orbs in the game, striving to max out every single skill for both characters.

Inside the game’s cultivation room.

Two more figures appeared: Dante, draped in a red trench coat with the broadsword Rebellion slung over his shoulder, looking wild and untamed, and Vergil, clad in blue robes with Yamato resting at his waist, his eyes cold and grim.

While others had masters from their sects or elders from their clans to teach them, for Fang Qi, these motionless game characters, standing like stone statues before him, were his finest instructors.

Every battle he experienced here was a matter of life and death.

Therefore, Owner Fang spent most of his time avoiding those overly profound and terrifying ultimate techniques just to seek torment; they consumed an immense amount of energy, were not guaranteed to succeed, and would result in him being instantly killed hundreds or thousands of times a day.

Currently, with Fang Qi’s strength at the late stage of the Great Martial Master Realm, and under the buff of the owner-exclusive cigarettes, he could at most unleash a single Swordmaster skill (since the awakening of potential and enhanced control could increase his own strength while reducing consumption).

As for the previous Judgment, he had borrowed the power of a divine weapon fragment, rather than relying on his own strength.

Thus, there was naturally no need to learn higher-level arts for now. At present, everything was centered on raising his cultivation base, practicing simpler and less taxing moves, and incidentally improving his efficiency in playing games—after all, the cultivation gained from playing could not be ignored.

Soon, with Dante at the center, the surrounding environment began to shift, transforming into the front of Devil May Cry Office.

The two men each held a pair of pistols. Accompanying the first gunshot, a highly rhythmic volley of gunfire instantly rang out. Muzzle flashes flared on both sides, the amber light quickly turning a deep crimson as they began using bullets infused with demonic energy in the next instant!

The surroundings looked as though they had been bombed, filled everywhere with massive bullet craters.

Then, the magazines were emptied, and two slashes of sword light burst forth immediately after!

...

On the other side, because Grand Theft Auto V featured an online mode, many players did not pay much attention to the offline story. However, a group of artifact masters, who knew how to enjoy life and were interested in more powerful weapons and high technology later in the game, had managed to reach the ending.

Of course, for most players, the most attractive aspect of this game remained the various novel things and lifestyles within it. After all, no rule dictated that after growing tired of one game, one could not go to another to catch the breeze, drink beverages, and bask in the sun.

They could even go for a drive, and if they felt displeased, they could directly spray bullets with a machine gun.

The civilian martial artists of Jiuhua City naturally would not spend this money to relax in a game, but upon learning that the tactical strategy that had effortlessly defeated their allied forces originated from this game, the various major forces outside the Dajin Kingdom naturally paid close attention to it.

The cultivators of Half City generally had this spare cash, so while the sales of Devil May Cry 3 showed a surging trend, the sales of Grand Theft Auto V were still slowly climbing.

A sales figure of three thousand did not seem like a small amount given the current circumstances, but after such a long time, it appeared to be nearing completion.

From this, it was evident that for the people of this alien world, this style of entertainment, which differed from the killing, cultivating, and treasure-snatching of other games, was quite popular.

Although it was somewhat difficult to imagine that there were lazy souls who were too idle to even play the casual mode of Grand Theft Auto V regularly, such individuals truly existed.

Su Tianji peeled a spiritual tangerine fresh from the tree, stuffed it into her mouth, and clicked her mouse repeatedly as Plants vs. Zombies commenced once more in her room.

She wore an expression that declared she would absolutely not rest until she cleared the game.

Meanwhile, a large crowd of players gathered in Owner Fang’s arcade room, furiously slapping the buttons and violently rattling the joysticks as the characters on the screen engaged in a chaotic brawl.

The Zhu Xian faction had already seen the Beast God invade the Central Plains, while Feng Yun was also nearing its conclusion. It was deep winter, and the end of the year was fast approaching.

Owner Fang was already considering traveling on public funds next year to open a new shop, but entirely unexpected, the system prompt rang out at this moment.

New Quest: New Year's Gala

Quest Description: The end of the year is approaching; please host a New Year's Gala for this internet cafe.

Quest Content: It can be a cultural performance of singing and dancing, a cosplay competition, a passionate PvP tournament, or other activities; to be customized by the host.

Quest Location: Both storefronts and "My Space"

Quest Props: New Year Gift Box (Large) * n, New Year Gift Box (Small) * n

Quest Reward: Premium Gift Box

Owner Fang: "...!!??"

"What on earth is this?!"

.

.

The VIP group for this book will also distribute red envelope benefits during the New Year. Friends who have fully subscribed, please join the group quickly.

.