Watching Zhao Kongcheng recite that tragic oath—"If the dark night descends, I shall stand before ten thousand people"—Lin Qiye's heart wrenched.
He clenched his fists, his throat tightening. This uncle, who always looked so unreliable with his constant grinning, was currently staking his life to protect him and this city.
"No, I have to help him!" Lin Qiye prepared to rush forward.
Suddenly, a translucent light screen popped up before his eyes. The pixel-style interface was exceptionally striking against the night:
[EMERGENCY MISSION: Contain the out-of-control Ghost-Faced King (Early River Realm)!]
[MISSION REWARDS: 'Minecraft' Basic Tutorial (Player-Compiled Edition), Loaner Starter Bundle ×1. Rewards can be claimed in advance!]
[ADMINISTRATOR PERMISSION UPGRADE (Claimable after mission completion)]
Lin Qiye's eyes lit up. Without a hint of hesitation, he clicked the "Claim Rewards" button.
In an instant, a massive torrent of information flooded his mind like a breaking dam. Knowledge regarding blocks, crafting, enchanting, potions, mobs, Redstone, the End, the Nether—countless "Minecraft" game techniques and tips merged into his memory. Within a split second, he had become a veteran player with decades of experience.
Simultaneously, a shimmering treasure chest icon appeared in his inventory: [Loaner Starter Bundle].
A system notification rang in his head: "Note: Items in this bundle are a friendly sponsorship from Administrator Ian and are temporarily loaned to the host. They must be repaid with items of equivalent exchange upon mission completion, otherwise, high 'interest' will be incurred~"
Lin Qiye's brow twitched. He caught the teasing tone in that voice. Wasn't that the voice of the block-man deity?
But he had no time to overthink. With a thought, he opened the bundle.
In a flash, a set of Iron Armor shimmering with purple enchantment light appeared out of thin air and automatically equipped onto his body. Chestplate, leggings, boots, helmet—every piece radiated the mysterious luster belonging to Minecraft enchantments.
An Iron Sword, also flickering with enchantment light, appeared in his right hand, its runic symbols faintly visible. His left hand held a sturdy, enchanted shield.
Additionally, three milk buckets, five Splash Potions of Healing (Instant Health II), two water buckets, one lava bucket, and three glittering Enchanted Golden Apples appeared in his inventory.
Feeling the "Veteran Player" memories surging in his mind, Lin Qiye instantly understood the utility of these items. Milk could clear negative status effects, splash potions provided ranged healing, and golden apples provided health regeneration and extra hearts, along with several positive buffs.
He then glanced at a willow tree near the alley entrance, his eyes brightening.
"Gotta prep some materials first."
Before the words fully left his mouth, his figure flashed. He actually began to strike the tree trunk with his bare hands!
Thud, thud, thud!
Wood chips flew. The trunk was defenseless against his fists. Within seconds, a log of wood was in his hand.
The small bat on his shoulder watched in dumbfounded silence as Lin Qiye skillfully broke the log into planks, quickly crafted a Crafting Table, then a Wooden Pickaxe, and began excavating nearby stone blocks. The entire process was seamless, as if practiced thousands of times.
"Is this the power of the game interface?" Lin Qiye whispered, feeling the strange energy pulsing through him.
Once prepared, Lin Qiye didn't hesitate anymore. He turned toward the "Void Boundless Realm" barrier set up by Zhao Kongcheng. Just as he was wondering how to enter, a golden light flashed in his eyes, and he felt as if he had gained some sort of bypass permission.
Lin Qiye took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Inside the barrier, the situation was worse than he had imagined.
Zhao Kongcheng was covered in blood. Multiple wounds were deep enough to see bone, and blood soaked his Night Watchman uniform. The hand holding his long blade was trembling violently. He was currently struggling on one knee, his other hand shaking as he reached for a crest in his pocket. It was the Night Watchman's ultimate resort—the "Ghost-God Trigger" that forces the body's limits.
This item allowed a user to explode with power far beyond their limits for a short time, but the cost was inevitable severe injury or even death. Zhao Kongcheng's eyes were resolute; he was clearly prepared to sacrifice himself.
At the critical moment just before Zhao Kongcheng could inject the Ghost-God Trigger, a "tin can" covered in shining iron armor, holding a sword and shield, suddenly appeared in front of him.
Zhao Kongcheng froze. Looking closer, he saw Lin Qiye's youthful face beneath the iron helmet!
"Lin Qiye?!" He was completely stunned. "How the hell did you get here?!"
"Wait! How did you get inside?!"
However, the Ghost-Faced King wasn't going to give them time for a reunion. Seizing the moment Zhao Kongcheng was distracted, the monster's massive claw, coated in foul liquid, swung down with a gust of rank wind. The sound of tearing air was piercing.
Zhao Kongcheng was so shocked by the sudden change that his reaction was half a beat too slow. He blocked hastily but was still sent flying. His body smashed into a wall, causing it to crack instantly as rubble flew everywhere. Zhao Kongcheng spat out a large mouthful of blood and slumped to the ground.
"Old Zhao!" Lin Qiye cried out.
Zhao Kongcheng struggled to sit up against the wall, wiping blood from his mouth. Seeing Lin Qiye standing before him with a shield, his anger flared despite his injuries, his voice hoarse:
"You little brat! What are you doing here?! Looking for death?!"
Lin Qiye looked back, his gaze steady and his voice unusually calm:
"Old Zhao, I'm here to help you fight the monster."
He gave his enchanted Iron Sword a shake, the purple runic light particularly striking in the darkness.
Zhao Kongcheng was so angry he coughed up more blood, his face turning ashen.
"You can't do crap! This isn't one of those small fry Ghost-faced monsters out there, this is a Ghost-Faced King! 'River' Realm! It's two whole major realms higher than a brat like you who's barely touched the threshold of the 'Lamp' Realm!"
His eyes swept over the strangely styled "iron skin" Lin Qiye was wearing and that blocky sword. For a moment, he didn't even know how to roast him.
"You're going to fight with your head? With those... whatever-they-are cosplay props?!"
Lin Qiye didn't answer. Instead, he turned to face the massive, rot-stinking Ghost-Faced King.
Beneath the monster's twisted mask, black slime dripped constantly, each drop hissing with corrosion as it hit the ground. Its limbs were disproportionately long, its claws sharp as knives, and a hideous tail trailed behind it.
Lin Qiye took a deep breath, feeling the power surging within. He knew he was no longer that powerless ordinary high school student. The reward had granted him not just equipment, but the near-instinctive combat intuition of a veteran player.
"Old Zhao, trust me." Lin Qiye didn't look back, but his voice was unwavering. "This time, it's my turn to protect you."
Zhao Kongcheng tried to stand up and stop him, but his injuries were too severe. He could only watch helplessly as Lin Qiye raised his shield, took a combat stance, and—from seemingly nowhere—pulled out a purple-glowing golden apple and started munching on it.
"Qiye! Run! You're no match for it!" Zhao Kongcheng screamed at the top of his lungs.
The Ghost-Faced King let out a piercing screech as its giant claw lunged again. Lin Qiye didn't dodge. He raised his shield and met the blow head-on.
Boom!
The massive impact scattered the surrounding dust, but Lin Qiye's shield remained perfectly intact, and he didn't even take a half-step back.
Zhao Kongcheng's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing. That attack was enough to tear an ordinary person to shreds; even he wouldn't dare take it directly, yet Lin Qiye was unscathed.
"That's impossible..." Zhao Kongcheng muttered.
Lin Qiye seized the brief pause after the Ghost-Faced King's attack and lunged forward. The Iron Sword sliced through the air with a sharp whistle. The "Sharpness V" and "Smite V" enchantments on the blade exploded with brilliant light the moment they touched the Ghost-Faced King.
Squelch!
A wound deep enough to see bone appeared on the Ghost-Faced King's chest, black fluid erupting like a fountain. The monster let out a shrill scream, retreating a few steps in agony.
Lin Qiye gave it no room to breathe. He began "crit-jumping"—leaping while swinging his enchanted sword in rapid succession. Every strike landed precisely on the Ghost-Faced King's vital points, each hit carrying lethal force.
Zhao Kongcheng watched this scene in a daze, as if he were dreaming. This youth, who had just entered the Lamp Realm, was actually clashing head-on with a River Realm monster and holding the upper hand!
"What is with this kid? Is this the true value of a Dual God-Vassal?" Zhao Kongcheng whispered, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.