Chapter 536: Abyss Mode Opens, Competitive Wave Strikes!

It was already the waning days of summer.

Although every past game had been re-released in the Origin Square shop, it seemed to have become an unbreakable habit for most players. Even those whose main interests lay in Legend of Sword and Fairy or StarCraft would gladly spend more than three hours each day exhausting the fatigue points of their Dungeon Fighter characters.

Meanwhile, the three storefronts welcomed another expansion. The Origin Square shop was no longer the exclusive domain of the Heaven Academy and the seven great clans; numerous other forces from Lingzhou were now arriving in steady succession.

The Half-City and Jiuhua City shops fared just as well. Moreover, since Dungeon Fighter was the first game in the shop to feature free activation, it stood as the sole title where one could plunge directly into gameplay for a mere two spirit crystals an hour.

Whether it was a common martial artist or a destitute cultivator, anyone could save an immense fortune on activation fees.

Consequently, judging by account registrations, the player base for Dungeon Fighter had already surpassed thirty thousand.

And it was still steadily climbing.

Upon this fertile and beautiful continent of Arad, wave after wave of new adventurers arrived.

Yet Zong Wu and the others, who had been among the very first to enter the game, found themselves somewhat perplexed at this moment.

"What kind of quest is this?!" Although his in-game character could not see, he himself was not blind; looking at the game interface presented no issue at all. He peered quizzically at the screen before him, having already followed the quest's instructions to stand before G.S.D., the instructor.

With flawless precision, he had located G.S.D., who had not made a single sound.

This bald old man, short in stature and clad in somewhat tattered clothes, was blind in both eyes. At a mere first glance, no one would ever guess that this frail old fellow was a master of every school of Ghost Swordsmanship, one of the strongest Ghost Slayers on the entire continent, and the very first Asura to awaken in the Land of Arad.

"Hey, young man, can you see me?"

"..." Zong Wu's face darkened slightly. The number of players in the shop choosing to advance into the Asura class was pitifully small, precisely because of this wretched, self-blinding requirement.

Who in their right mind would willingly choose to be a blind man? One had to remember, this was virtual reality!

"Heh, why such an outburst of anger?" The lean, short old man before him spoke in a tone neither hot nor cold. "There are many ways to observe the world. Do not think of yourself as blind. The myriad things of this world are not meant to be seen with the eyes, but with the heart. Take yourself, for instance—did you not just walk right up to me? Yet you did not rely on sound to judge your direction. Do you still think yourself blind?"

"..." Zong Wu was rendered speechless. True, he had thought of giving up before, but on this continent, any martial artist capable of reaching such heights would possess a measure of perseverance and a spirit that refused to yield easily.

And now, it was undeniably true. Not just within the game, but even in reality, were he to walk with his eyes closed, he would not necessarily face any great hindrance.

At that moment, G.S.D. began to impart to him a new way of beholding the world: the Mind's Eye.

Serving as his mentor, G.S.D. had Zong Wu begin by sensing the fluctuations of stones, moving onward to sensing the fluctuations of death by clearing the King's Relic...

In truth, Zong Wu had initially been unable to comprehend this method of perception. Lacking anyone to guide him, he had fought in this manner for a long time, yet his heart had held only a vague, hazy concept.

He had already accumulated a massive wealth of combat experience in previous battles. What needed to be done now was to be guided, step by step, toward the path of Awakening.

Thus, under the mentor's guidance, the barrier shattered at the slightest touch. By this time, the look he directed at the old swordsman was no longer one of resentment; even his tone carried a note of deep respect.

"So that's how it is..." He carefully felt the fluctuations around him, from animate beings to inanimate objects. Even without relying on his eyes, the myriad things of the world grew increasingly clear within his mind.

No one could fathom the emotions in his heart at this moment—it was a sense of joy and exhilaration, a deep, heartfelt happiness born after adversity had passed.

Perhaps, from this day forward, nothing would ever be able to elude his perception. Furthermore, this entirely new method of sensing would never arouse vigilance or suspicion in anyone else.

In battle, he had encountered far more obstacles than others, but by the same token, he had reaped far greater rewards.

And now, he was but one final step away from breaking his shackles!

The Vilmark - Empire Experimental Grounds was located in the Lorien region of the Elvengard defense line, which was the birthplace of all players.

Because its lord was a bull constructed of machinery, the map was also colloquially known as the "Mecha Tau."

Sensing a massive convergence of dark energy there, Instructor G.S.D. had chosen this place as the final trial of Awakening.

All he did was offer guidance, hoping at the same time that these Ghost Slayer disciples might gain something of value from the battle.

Perhaps at this moment, to Zong Wu and many other Ghost Slayer players, he was no longer just a mere NPC, but a true mentor who preached the Dao and imparted profession.

Years from now, these brave warriors who adventured upon this continent might one day depart from this land, but so long as they still wielded Ghost Swordsmanship, they would never forget such a memory.

Just as they stepped out of the back alley where G.S.D. resided and took a carriage to Lorien, they spotted a figure clad in purple-and-white patterned avatar robes, holding a peculiarly shaped short sword, shouting aloud, "Mecha Tau Awakening quest, looking for a party! Two waiting on two! Board the carriage quickly!"

Beside them, a little loli brandishing a battle spear chimed in, shouting, "Mecha Tau Awakening quest, led by a grandmaster! Anyone who isn't a noob feel free to join!"

"!!??" Zong Wu froze.

The highest-level players in the shop right now were just the few of them. Who could possibly be a grandmaster leading a run through Mecha Tau?!

His face twitched: Could this bast— could this be Boss Fang?!

Meanwhile, Fang Qi received a new notification on his system panel:

More than ten players have unlocked Awakening quests in Dungeon Fighter; the game will undergo an update and upgrade.

The upgrade will be performed in the background without affecting player gameplay, and will be completed by tomorrow.

Upgrade content: 1. Avatar Synthesis Bindings will be added to the In-Game Shop, and a new season of Avatar Outfits will hit the shelves.

2. Abyss Mode will unlock. The demons of the Abyss gaze upon this world at every moment, and the unstable spaces within the dungeons are the very fulcrums for their descent.

New Quest: The Path of Competitive Combat

Quest Objective: Please host an official competitive tournament. StarCraft and Dungeon Fighter will unlock ladder rankings and ranked tiers. The top 64 players in the rankings will be eligible to participate in this competitive tournament.

Quest Props: Dungeon Fighter Solo Tournament: Champion's Gift Box (Trophy) containing one Radiant Class Change Contract; Runner-Up's Gift Box (Trophy) containing one Dim Class Change Contract; Third-Place's Gift Box (Trophy) containing one Fragmented Class Change Contract.

StarCraft Solo Tournament: Champion's Gift Box (Trophy) containing Zeratul's Warp Blade; Runner-Up's Gift Box (Trophy) containing a Terran Marine Firearm; Third-Place's Gift Box (Trophy) containing Raynor's Revolver.

Quest Rewards: 3 days in the Game Cultivation Room, Divine Weapon Fragment *1, Lucky Competitive Gift Box (which can randomly yield multiple game items from the competitive events).