SWDnovel 058 Black Donkey
058 Black Donkey
"Niu Er, the King has returned to the mountain, open the gate!"
"I'm so sleepy, open the door now!"
"Quickly, send some people out to move the grain."
In front of [Black Tiger Stronghold], several bandit henchmen were banging on the door.
The door opened, and the henchmen went in, cursing and swearing.
Suddenly, several muffled thuds were heard, and the cursing abruptly stopped.
Those who followed didn't even have time to react before they also stepped through the gate. Within moments, all was silent.
Something is wrong!
"Stop! Come back!" Liu Zhuo frowned and called back the bandits in front of the gate.
The bandits were puzzled, and one of their leaders even asked, "Why has the king summoned me?"
Liu Zhuo remained silent, looking up at the sky.
As dawn broke, the gate of [Black Tiger Village] was obscured by rocks and pine trees, making it difficult to see clearly.
What was once a familiar path now seemed strangely eerie and terrifying.
"Niu Er! Wang Xi! Strik the ox! Little slave!"
Liu Zhuo called over a bandit henchman and had him shout out the name of the person on duty that day, but there was no response.
A few birds fluttered up from the pine forest, making the place seem even more eerie and mysterious.
The bandits were slow to realize that something was amiss.
One of the eagles glared, eyes wide: "Which blind fool dares to trespass on my Black Tiger Stronghold?"
Other leaders and henchmen also cursed loudly.
They've always been prisoners in the village, never the other way around.
No matter how much they cursed, the half-closed gate of [Black Tiger Stronghold] remained silent.
He spent all day hunting swallows, only to have his eye pecked by a goose.
Liu Zhuo's brows were furrowed and his triangular eyes were clenched, making his already ugly face even more ferocious.
He said in a deep voice, "Li Jiao, lead the strange men ahead to scout the gate of the stronghold."
Leader Li Jiao accepted the order, gathered ten players who were bound and gagged, and summoned three henchmen, then headed towards the gate of the stronghold.
He raised a sharp knife, concealed it behind the player, ready to strike and kill at any moment.
The door creaked open, and Li Jiao shoved the struggling player who refused to enter inside, then rolled into the room himself.
As he twisted and turned, he suddenly saw a snake's tail.
Wielding his sharp blade for protection, Li Jiao stood up, his gaze sweeping across the room, and his eyes widened instantly—
Not only does it have a snake tail, but it also has a snake woman!
There are skeletons!
A horse with bones!
Just as he was stunned, a long spear suddenly appeared and pierced through his throat.
And...and there are also supernatural beings...
In front of [Black Tiger Stronghold], a group of bandits and two hundred players stared blankly as the stronghold gate opened and closed repeatedly.
It was as if an unknown, terrifying behemoth had opened its wide jaws and swallowed all thirteen players and bandits whole.
It's a bit scary.
Even the bandits who lived on the edge of death couldn't help but show a strange expression.
Liu Zhuo remained unmoved and continued, "Chapter Two, continue."
The leader, Zhang Er, hesitated for a moment. Liu Zhuo looked over, his gaze chilling.
Zhang Er hurriedly agreed and, together with five henchmen, drove the twenty trembling players up the mountain.
The door opened, and a commotion ensued.
Liu Zhuo and the others in front of the village only heard a few screams of "courtyard," "snake," and "skull" before the inside returned to calm.
Li Min's eyes flickered within the player group. When Liu Zhuo ordered someone to investigate again, she moved slightly forward and was selected.
Another wave of "sheep falling into the tiger's mouth," with minions and players all being "swallowed up."
The shouts no longer included the word "courtyard," but instead contained words like "snake," "snake man," and "skull."
The bandit leader, having learned his lesson, stood outside the door with his knife, watching but not going in. Suddenly, a gray rope appeared, encircling the leader's legs and pulling him inside. He only managed to utter one word, "Help!" before falling silent.
This time, everyone in front of the stronghold, whether players or local bandits, was horrified. When Liu Zhuo led his men to the gate again, the bandits resisted fiercely, shaking their heads wildly. Only after Liu Zhuo killed one of them did three men drive the forty players up.
The three of them watched as forty players shakily entered the room, and then, for some unknown reason, they all collapsed to the ground.
The three of them looked out from behind the door, and being far apart, they retreated at the slightest disturbance, so naturally they didn't gain anything.
Seeing that it was already broad daylight, Liu Zhuo realized that if the stalemate continued, it would attract the attention of the villagers and the village, and [Black Tiger Stronghold] might not be able to continue. So he gathered everyone together and went up the mountain.
Those who hesitated were killed by Liu Zhuo with a single stroke, and so no one dared to retreat.
Fearing that he would be unable to use his skills while surrounded by the crowd and would have no way to retreat, Liu Zhuo followed behind the players and bandits.
However, upon entering the stronghold, the players paused for a moment, then ran forward headlong. Seeing that the players were still alive, the bandits followed suit and rushed into the stronghold.
Liu Zhuo was puzzled but did not follow. He paused briefly at the door, and when he did not see the gray rope appear, he suddenly stabbed the door with his knife.
boom!
A spearhead burst through the door and struck the blade.
clang!
In the midst of the clash, Liu Zhuo's long sword faltered, and he returned empty-handed, but a look of joy appeared on his face.
The spear thrust from behind the door was skillful, but lacked power. Its strength was estimated to be only [Yellow Rank].
Once Liu Zhuo made up his mind, he unleashed several more slashes, engaging the bronze spear in a dozen or so exchanges through the door.
The copper spear was gradually outmatched, and Liu Zhuo cleaved open the gate with a few blows, revealing the figure of a player behind the gate.
Liu Zhuo was surprised to see that the other party was a player, and was even more surprised when he saw that the other party was [unranked].
A [non-grade] character was able to withstand more than ten rounds of attacks from a [profound grade] character.
Truly extraordinary!
As Liu Zhuo stepped inside, the players, spears in hand, faced him without fear.
Liu Zhuo was even more impressed, and a feeling of treasuring talent arose within him, saying, "If you were to join my..."
As they were talking, there was a strange movement behind them, and a strange creature with a human body and a snake tail appeared.
Liu Zhuo frowned. Was this the reason someone had called out "snake" or "snake man" earlier? Judging from their aura, they didn't seem to be [Huang Pin]. Could it be...?
As he was thinking, another skeleton knight appeared. It was a skeletal, imposing figure, but a [yellow] rank.
Rubbish.
The opposing player suddenly said, "Liu Zhuo, if you surrender to me..."
Liu Zhuo scoffed, "You think you can subdue me with just a snake and a pile of rotten bones?"
He suddenly shouted, scales rose from his arms, and his ten fingers transformed into sharp claws as he pounced.
The player didn't back down an inch, only pointing at him and shouting—
"His surname is Liu."
The skeleton, which was originally only of [Yellow Rank], suddenly swelled up, brimming with fighting spirit, and slashed down: "Liu family brat, die!"
Liu Zhuo took the blow head-on, his body stiffening.
This pile of rotten bones actually possesses the power of a [mysterious grade]?
A snake's tail attacked, and Liu Zhuo dared not be distracted and turned to fight.
Li Yu withdrew from the battle, feeling puzzled. Liu Zhuo in the dream didn't seem to possess such superhuman power, did he?
We'll take him down in a bit and get to the bottom of this.
Li Yu thought so, but Ding Gu didn't give him the chance.
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Skeleton General Ding Gu
[Rank] Mysterious (Superior)
[Force] 76
[Special Features] Slay Liu, Dismember Liu
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[Execute Liu]: With extraordinary strength, he exterminated the Liu clan.
[析骸]: To dissect the remaining remains and restore oneself.
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In his "super-powered" state, [Ding Gu] was exceptionally violent, his already limited spirituality clouded by the thought of [killing Liu].
"Liu Jiazi" will not die, and "Ding Gu" will not wake up.
"[System]: Congratulations to the player for killing the level 74 bandit leader [Liu Zhuo], gaining 1536 [Martial Arts] experience."
"[System]: Congratulations to the player for increasing [Strength] to 50."
"[System]: Congratulations to the player for rising to the top of the 'Martial Power Ranking' and activating the 'Martial Power Ranking Quest - Ascend to the Top' - If the player can maintain the top position for a month, they will receive a special reward."
………………
At the foot of the Taihang Mountains, [Tiger's Den] is a leveling spot.
A player drove more than ten black donkeys to surround a striped tiger.
The tiger roared and slapped a black donkey away with one paw. The tiger's claws cut several deep wounds on the donkey's back, revealing the bone and causing blood to gush out.
The black donkeys became even more frenzied upon seeing blood.
Fearless and undaunted, the donkeys raised their hooves like rain, actually kicking the tiger to death.
The player was satisfied and took out several wheat cakes from his satchel, handing them to the injured black donkey. After eating the wheat cakes, the donkey's injuries were completely healed.
Just as the player was about to lure another tiger, his expression suddenly froze—
"[System]: Player's 'Strength Ranking Mission - Reach the Top' has failed."