"There's an open space, yet it's being blocked by something!"
"I can't see it, and I can't touch it... Why does this feel so creepy?"
"Look closely—his field of vision is restricted. Everything in the distance is shrouded in fog!"
"This is way too bizarre. I feel like there's something lurking over there!"
"Who is calling for help!"
"Looking at the other players' perspectives, none of them are even close to here!"
"Which means, whatever is crying for help probably isn't human!"
As soon as this realization surfaced, the audience felt a chill run down their spines.
A zombie couldn't possibly cry for help. If it wasn't a zombie and it wasn't another player...
Then what could be making that sound?
"Takeshi, do you think there's actually... something 'dirty' in the block world?"
Though the screen was unaffected by the lava, waiting for revenge was Saburo Oakmoor's only hope.
But as he watched Galen Yu's perspective, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear.
That voice was simply too strange.
It didn't sound male or female; it was raspy and grating, like metal being forced against metal—muffled and indistinct.
If a SlashBlade can manifest a Dimensional Slash, could there really be something paranormal?
"It would be better if he actually encountered something."
Takeshi Sable shook his head, dismissing the thought.
He hoped more than anyone that Galen Yu would run into some ghostly entity and be cursed to death.
However, judging by the current situation and the fundamental nature of the block world...
If ghosts existed, they would be creatures of the block world, which meant they would have a health bar. If they had health, they could die.
Once the Dimensional Slash came out, it wasn't certain who would be scaring whom.
Besides, this didn't feel like a ghost. Instead, it felt more like...
"A new NPC?"
At this thought, Galen Yu's eyes lit up.
Others might not know, but he was certain that ghosts wouldn't cry for help.
If it were a monster, the cry would usually sound like a woman or a child. Nothing could be this grating.
The probability of it being a unique NPC like the Architect was significantly higher.
Following the source of the noise, it seemed to be coming from underground.
He dug down two blocks at a time. After removing four blocks, he indeed found a hollow space.
It was a place resembling an Ancient City.
It was built entirely of bricks and terracotta, but it was much smaller in scale. He found no signs of a Warden.
There were, however, quite a few Zombies and Spiders.
"Monsters!"
Galen Yu gripped his SlashBlade with delight.
He was specifically looking for monsters, and finding so many underground was a jackpot!
He was only a hundred or so kills away. He could expend his Kill Count freely—whenever he saw a monster, he simply unleashed a Dimensional Slash.
The area was small, and with the influence of the Crisis, he quickly reached a hundred kills.
"A thousand-kill blade!"
Galen Yu was thrilled to see the kill count on his SlashBlade reach four digits.
Next, he only needed to enchant it with Fire Aspect to upgrade it into a Yuzuki-tou.
Furthermore, the kill count recorded on the SlashBlade wasn't just a requirement for evolution; it had practical utility.
After reaching a thousand kills, the blade could enter the 'Sharp Blade' state.
Specifically, when the SlashBlade enters the Sharp Blade state, the damage stage requirements for rank ratings change.
In its normal state, damage remains in the first stage while the rank is B, A, S, or SS.
In the Sharp Blade state, damage is in the first stage only for ranks B and A. Once the rank reaches S or SSS, it enters the second damage stage.
The second damage stage adds a forge-level bonus on top of the first stage.
This effectively increases both attack power and combat efficiency.
"Help!"
Immersed in his joy, the plea for help reached his ears again.
Galen Yu snapped out of it, remembering he hadn't come underground just for the SlashBlade.
He used the Moonworm Queen to release light sources, and the Moonworms illuminated the small area.
They functioned just like torches, preventing zombies from spawning while allowing him to see his surroundings clearly.
He could now see a cage constructed of Iron Bars and Obsidian.
As he approached, the cries for help were definitely coming from within.
"There's a sound... are you here to rescue me?"
Sensing Galen Yu's arrival, the creature inside the bars poked its head out.
It looked somewhat like a villager, but its skin was gray, it wore tattered robes, and there was a mole on its large nose.
It looked more like a Witch.
"It really is an NPC!"
Seeing this appearance, Galen Yu was certain his deduction was correct.
He had never seen a Witch that looked like this. Only a special NPC fit the description!
"God Yu's luck is insane! He found another NPC!"
"Trapped in obsidian... it looks like he might be powerful!"
"Are we going to get another broken subordinate like the Architect?"
"The Architect is already game-breaking—no one has surpassed the Great Wall yet—and he's getting more?"
"I'm dying of envy! Why hasn't our Alliance encountered anything like this!"
The bullet chat was thick with jealousy.
Takeshi Sable clenched his fists in regret.
It was exactly as he had guessed; it was indeed a new NPC.
"Why hasn't Oakmoor encountered one!"
He was truly envious of Galen Yu.
Of course, besides the luck factor, he knew that strength was a major part of it.
The blocks were randomized. NPCs could spawn anywhere outside Sky Island, so the Alliance had the same statistical probability.
However, due to the gap in strength, they didn't have Galen Yu's confidence to explore so recklessly.
Even during the day, a stray Zombie or Creeper hiding in the shadows could be fatal to most players.
As a result, their exploration was limited to their immediate vicinity.
Stable resource collection also meant a lack of miraculous encounters.
Knowing this didn't make him any less envious. Takeshi Sable's teeth were nearly grinding to dust with jealousy.
As Galen Yu sized up the entity, the entity was also sizing him up.
Cloudy eyes scanned Galen Yu up and down across a square face, and the NPC let out a sigh.
"Not here to rescue me after all. It turns out you're just a stray explorer... a little thrall."
Slumping back against the obsidian wall, he seemed to lose all hope in Galen Yu.
"A little thrall?"
Meeting such a unique existence out here piqued Galen Yu's curiosity.
Most villagers in the game were simple-minded, only capable of making grunting noises, offering no one to talk to.
With his Charm of Life active, he smashed the iron bars directly.
"Who are you? And what are you talking about?"
"The bars... you... you smashed them?!"
Taken aback, the NPC stared at Galen Yu, speechless for several seconds.
"How were you able to break iron bars?"
Galen Yu found it strange as well. "Why wouldn't I be able to break them?"
"There is clearly—huh?"
As if discovering something, a sharp glint flashed in the NPC's cloudy eyes.
Standing up again, he broke into a laugh.
"The cage is gone! I'm free!"
He took several deep breaths, as if savoring the scent of freedom.
The laughter was raspy and unpleasant, and his decaying body let out audible cracks as he moved.
"Little thrall, you have done well!"
He looked at Galen Yu, his eyes full of praise.
The repeated title confused Galen Yu, and he couldn't help but ask.
"I haven't even introduced myself. What do you mean by 'thrall'?"
"Ah, that."
Scanning the surroundings, his wrinkled skin quivered, and his large, mole-covered nose twitched with his chuckles.
"You cannot be called a thrall just yet, but a 'thrall-to-be'? That's close enough!"
"Since you saved me, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to explain it to you in advance."
He picked up some rotten flesh from the ground and chewed it with a look of pure enjoyment.
Once he had filled his stomach, he pointed toward the exit.
"Over there... there are dragons!"
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