Newspaper Boy
Chapter 62: The Captain's Log
The wind mage Isabella raised a wind wall, protecting the circle formation.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing immediately created an illusion, conjuring a hammer as big as a water vat and smashing it down on Isabella's wall. At the same time, he evoked her fear, forcing her to raise the wind wall for protection.
A Saint-level wind mage could only erect one wind wall. Isabella's angelic and pure face showed a hint of fear.
"Don't be bewitched by this demon. What you see is an illusion," Cardinal's hoarse voice came.
Hearing this, Isabella bit her lip, choosing to believe the Cardinal and not withdraw the wind wall.
The giant hammer slammed down, but passed through her as if it were a bubble, causing no damage.
Isabella immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then waved her hands repeatedly, creating dense wind blades that enveloped Lieutenant Haas.
'This Cardinal can see through my illusions?' Zhang Yuanqing was a little puzzled. The Cardinal shouldn't be a Ruler.
If a Ruler appeared in a level six peak single-player instance, The Way of the Extraordinary would have no need to struggle; they could just lie down and wait to die.
A Ruler-level boss, plus a group of mobs and elite monsters, how was that even possible?
If he wasn't a Ruler, how could he see through his illusions?!
At this moment, Captain James spat out a blue-white lightning ball from his palm. He put strength into his waist and back, swung his arm, and threw it with all his might. The bright lightning ball hit Zhang Yuanqing, pierced his body, and struck the steel bulkhead behind him.
This was just an illusion he created. His real body had already wandered off in Night Tour.
In the next moment, Zhang Yuanqing appeared beside James, and a blood-red dagger materialized in his hand, stabbing fiercely into James's hindbrain.
"Zzz!" James's body turned into electricity, bouncing five or six meters away, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.
At this time, the Cardinal, who was sitting cross-legged at the edge of the circle formation, pulled out a bright blue lightning whip from his scarlet robe and lashed out with a flick of his wrist.
"Zzzz..." The blue light illuminated the dim cabin. The lightning whip swept across the scene like a tentacle, and with a snap, it pulled Zhang Yuanqing out of Night Tour.
Zhang Yuanqing fell stiffly, a carbonized wound appearing on his chest. His eyes rolled back from the electric shock, and his short hair stood on end.
What was going on? How was this lightning mage so strong? Were level six peak lightning mages this powerful?
"Deng deng deng..." Rapid and heavy footsteps came. Two knights in silver armor, holding cross longswords, heard the noise and rushed from the entrance to provide support.
The two knights quickly scanned the area and saw Lieutenant Haas lying on the ground, paralyzed and stiff. They immediately understood and without hesitation, performed a jumping cleave.
Leaping across a distance of ten meters, the greatsword in their hands erupted with bronze light. On the other side, Captain James, and the wind mage Isabella, threw lightning spears and wind blades, attacking the enemy from the other side.
Zhang Yuanqing trembled his right hand and snapped his fingers, "Pa!" In the rising starlight, the knight's longsword slammed into the steel floor, smashing out two exaggerated dents. The wind blades and lightning spears all missed.
Zhang Yuanqing appeared ten meters away, touched his burning chest, and a cold killing intent flashed in his eyes.
The Cardinal twirled the lightning whip, folding it several times like a cat's cradle, and tossed the simple "cover" into the air.
The lightning-formed cover quickly expanded, engulfing Zhang Yuanqing. Unhurried, he snapped his fingers and cast Star Teleportation.
The two knights stood with their swords planted, and said in a deep voice: "The rule of this encounter: is to prohibit the use of teleportation."
The knights' longswords burst out with holy white light, and the rule descended. "Pa!" Starlight rose, and Zhang Yuanqing broke free of the lightning cover's reach.
Being only level five knights, the rules they set could not restrict a level six peak enemy. Seeing Haas violate their rules, they did not hesitate to use the "Judgment" skill, leaping up again to perform a jumping cleave.
This time, the knights' longswords burst out with sunlight-like light, their aura several times stronger. Zhang Yuanqing felt invisible energies locking onto him, imprisoning him, and restraining him, trying to force him to endure the Judgment Cleave.
The Cardinal, Isabella, and Captain James seized the opportunity, preparing to attack him together.
A sharp, piercing whistle echoed in the cabin. The two knights in mid-air felt as if they had been hit on the head with a club, and they leaned back violently, falling from the air.
Zhang Yuanqing ducked to avoid the Cardinal's lightning whip, grabbed Little Red Riding Hood, and with a gentle shake, three figures fell out of the void. It was Greedy God General, Yin Yao County Princess, and Hundred-Man Slayer.
He threw the Mountain God Scepter, the Thunder God Imprint, and the Sliding Shoes to Yin Yao County Princess, asking her to entangle Captain James. Then, he issued orders to Greedy God General and Hundred-Man Slayer to attack the two knights.
Night Tour Gods were never afraid of team battles. As for the Ghost Bride, he didn't dare release her. The Cardinal's lightning magic could even severely injure him. A resentful spirit like the Ghost Bride would probably be half-crippled by one lash, and two lashes would obliterate her soul.
The sudden change caught The Way of the Extraordinary off guard.
The two knights were the first to be attacked. Although knights excelled in close combat, they were still inferior to the alluring demons of evil professions. In addition, with level five against level six, whether it was strength, speed, or fighting skills, they were completely crushed.
Their only advantage was that the two Yin corpses had no skills and could only engage in melee combat. The knights had powerful skill assistance. Moreover, knights went through arduous physical and mental training in the extraordinary stage, possessing extraordinary endurance and steel bodies. Thus, they barely managed to parry the attacks of the two level six Yin corpses.
James wasn't so lucky. He faced Yin Yao County Princess, who possessed a body immune to water and fire and the Night Tour God skill.
Yin Yao County Princess wielded the Mountain God Scepter, which flickered with lightning, combined with the invincible effect of the Sliding Shoes and the stealth of Night Tour. After three moves, she shattered James's breastbone and arm.
On the other side, Zhang Yuanqing put on the Sacrificial Heaven set, activated the set effect, put on the Charm Ring, snapped his fingers, and appeared behind Isabella. Just as Isabella was about to control the gale to pull away, she suddenly heard the magnetic voice of the man behind her say softly, "Isabella, are you that afraid of me?"
A feeling of tenderness welled up in her heart, and she felt love. She felt that this man was full of charm. Even his voice was so captivating, and her legs turned to jelly.
That moment of hesitation cost her the best chance of escape. A squishy mage had been approached.
Zhang Yuanqing quickly reached out and pinched Isabella's neck, snapping it with force. At the same time, a flame erupted from his palm, shooting out a fiery long knife that pierced through the nun's chest.
The light in Isabella's eyes quickly dimmed. Zhang Yuanqing saw that under her collar, it wasn't fair skin, but bluish-black scales.
This beautiful nun with an angelic face had the figure of a devil beneath her uniform.
"Despicable demon!" The Cardinal went berserk. Forgetting about guarding the circle formation, he jumped up, the electricity around him crackling, like a lightning ball crashing into Zhang Yuanqing.
From Zhang Yuanqing's perspective, he only saw a flash of lightning. The bright blue light filled his vision. The speed of the "Lightning Heart" Cardinal was too fast for him to react.
In the next second, the lightning crashed into Zhang Yuanqing's chest. The sound of crackling and sizzling echoed through the cabin, and the blinding lightning engulfed him.
Chains of lightning extended from the Cardinal's body, wrapping himself and the demon tightly together. Then came a continuous "ten thousand volts."
Although sticking close to the enemy would put him in danger, the lightning mage's attacks were known among The Way of the Extraordinary for being domineering and fierce, ranking among the top three.
No The Way of the Extraordinary could survive such an attack, including some mutated monsters with extremely strong defenses.
In the lightning, Zhang Yuanqing curled the corners of his mouth. This was the result he wanted.
The Cardinal's attack power was too high, and he could see through illusions, unable to be deceived. With the help of four elite monsters, even Zhang Yuanqing wouldn't dare to break the circle formation.
So, he summoned the Yin corpses to delay the three elite monsters, and then used the Charm Ring to seduce Isabella. The Charm Ring also had another function, which was to arouse the hostility of men. At the same time, he also used Isabella's death to ignite the Cardinal's anger, making him less rational.
With a two-pronged approach, the Cardinal abandoned the circle formation and chose to kill him. Neither Night Tour Gods nor illusionists were professions known for their defenses.
Such a domineering attack was enough to severely injure him, but Zhang Yuanqing had activated the effect of the Sacrificial Heaven set, possessing the basic skills of the four major professions.
An ochre halo protected him.
"You..." The Cardinal raised his head in shock, disbelief flashing in his light gray eyes.
This development exceeded his expectations.
The Cardinal didn't let the shock last long. He quickly responded, pinching a high-heat lightning ball in his palm and pressing it hard against Zhang Yuanqing's back.
"Boom boom boom..." Lightning balls exploded continuously, causing the yellow light to shake violently, on the verge of collapsing, and blasting the Cardinal's palm to a bloody pulp. Although lightning mages had super lightning resistance, they couldn't avoid the shockwaves formed by the explosion.
The Cardinal's palm was soon shattered, his wrist a bloody mess. Zhang Yuanqing's right hand formed a sword with his fingers, and the sword-like yellow energy pierced through the Cardinal's heart from behind.
"Demon! Return to hell!" The Cardinal's voice was low and calm, with the realization of a martyr.
His body exuded a terrifying heat, lighting up with a blindingly bright light.
Buzz, the lightning exploded, emitting a muffled sound like a shockwave. The dazzling light covered every corner of the cabin. Chaotic charges spread like fireworks in the air, and the "zzz" sound spread, tearing Zhang Yuanqing's chest.
"Peng," it exploded, and his spinal bones and organs turned into dark red, charred mud that splattered like mud.
His left hand and right leg were destroyed in the terrifying explosion.
The Cardinal instantly carbonized into a black corpse. The explosion radiated from him as the center, so he retained his entire body.
Zhang Yuanqing, who had lost a leg, was blown away by the shockwave, crashing heavily into the bulkhead. The severe pain made his vision go black for a moment, and he lost his ability to fight.
'I shouldn't have fought like this. What was I doing? How could I use such crude tactics? Why didn't I use the Astrolabe to deduce before the battle…' Zhang Yuanqing felt a burst of regret for no reason.
He struggled to raise his head and looked around the battlefield. James had already had his head blown off by Yin Yao County Princess. Slippery tentacles protruded from under his clothes, twitching weakly.
Like an squid cut into minced meat, still wriggling. The two knights were entangled with the Yin corpses. The knights' endurance was second only to earth monsters. Although the two Yin corpses had the upper hand, it would be difficult to kill the enemies in a short period of time.
'I have to leave here first. The pollution from the Magic Seed will come at any time. I have to heal as soon as possible.'
Zhang Yuanqing, whose organs were completely destroyed and unable to make a sound, directly turned into starlight and disappeared.
This time, he didn't snap his fingers. Seeing this, Yin Yao County Princess used Star Teleportation to leave with her master.
Second floor cabin, Captain James's bedroom, two starlights lit up one after another. Zhang Yuanqing and Yin Yao County Princess returned.
Yin Yao County Princess carried the Mountain God Scepter and ran to Zhang Yuanqing's side, placing the gemstone on the top of the scepter against his remains to activate the self-healing function.
A soft green light lit up, revitalizing his blood loss cells, filling his body with vitality, but such an injury was no longer something the Mountain God Scepter could heal. At most, it could extend his life for a moment.
With his spine blown away and his internal organs completely destroyed, Zhang Yuanqing's spirit left his remains, opened his inventory, and took out Life Essence to inject into himself.
His body was severely damaged and he could no longer move. Any other Saint-level of other professions would have died long ago, but the Night Tour God's powerful vitality allowed him to survive.
With three consecutive tubes of Life Essence injected, his body began to heal itself. Bones grew back piece by piece, cells divided rapidly, and the broken body formed and recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye, like a 3D printer.
"Huff..." Zhang Yuanqing was bathed in the halo of the Mountain God Scepter. Other than being extremely weak, his injuries had completely healed.
Yin Yao County Princess put away the Mountain God Scepter and took off the small loudspeaker hanging from her waist: "That's not your level!"
Zhang Yuanqing was stunned!
"What?"
"That's not your level!" Yin Yao County Princess repeated. She stared at Zhang Yuanqing: "With the number of magic items you have, and our help, you can have a more stable strategy. The power of the Sun God in your body is very strong, but when fighting, you can't even remember to use it. What's wrong with you? Are you brain damaged?"
The two had known each other for a long time, living together day and night, and were close comrades. She knew Yuan Shi Tian Zun's fighting talent very well.
"You even know the word 'brain damaged'?" Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. He realized his strangeness in the hold, becoming particularly impulsive, lacking reason and calm.
"There was a Magic Seed in the hold. It may be due to the pollution. Although I have the power of the Sun God, I was still affected," Zhang Yuanqing said in a deep voice.
"Magic Seed?" Yin Yao County Princess tilted her head: "What instance did you enter? Why are there so many foreigners?"
"The instance of the First District. Don't ask me how I entered. It's a secret." Zhang Yuanqing leaned against the wall, seizing the time to recover his strength.
With two Yin corpses entangling the knights, there were no more enemies on the entire cruise ship. He could rest and recuperate in peace.
"This is a single-player instance for mutants, so the cruise ship is full of mutated monsters, like the ones you saw in the hold." He briefly described the nature of the instance.
Yin Yao County Princess tilted her head: "Monsters? Those people weren't monsters!"
"What did you say?" Zhang Yuanqing didn't react.
"Those people weren't monsters," Yin Yao County Princess said: "That foreign woman you killed was especially beautiful. Yuan Shi, you are becoming less and less concerned about cherishing beauty. You could have spared her. Maybe the open-minded foreign woman would be grateful and offer herself to you. They are just people in the instance, so you don't have to be responsible."
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't listen to the County Princess's wild words at all. His expression became more and more stiff: "What do you mean? You said... those people weren't monsters?"
Yin Yao County Princess stopped teasing and stared at him with her scarlet, demonic eyes: "What's wrong with you?"
Zhang Yuanqing said blankly, "I, I don't know…"
He muttered to himself, "I don't know…"
After a while, he seemed to think of something, jumped up, and ran out of the bedroom with a look of horror.
Yin Yao County Princess didn't understand, followed closely behind. The two ran out of the bedroom, through the corridor, and arrived at the Captain's Room at the end. Zhang Yuanqing kicked open the office door, strode to his simple desk, twisted off the copper lock, and opened the drawer.
In the drawer was a black covered notebook. Zhang Yuanqing picked up the notebook and opened the first page.
"The third day after the Magic Seed was salvaged, August 28th. The first infected person appeared on the cruise ship. His name was Anthony. He turned into an inhuman monster. We had no choice but to secretly execute him and claim that he was infected with a disease."
"The Magic Seed is more terrible than I thought. The Cardinal can't completely seal it, and the effect of the holy water is minimal."
"The Cardinal told me to prepare to be polluted. The pollution will continue, and I don't know who will be next!"
"I tried to send a distress telegram to headquarters, but the telegram was interfered by the Magic Seed's power. We lost contact with headquarters."
"Today, Lieutenant Stephen found me and said he heard strange whispers and found mucus in the corridor. I can't tell him the truth because it will cause panic. We must take the Magic Seed back to the Church. Only there can this terrible thing be sealed."
"After a few days of observation, I found that the frequency of pollution is one person a day. Before being polluted, dark brown spots appear on the crew members, and their minds become sluggish and dull. I asked the crew to have medical check-ups every day on the grounds of preventing infectious diseases. I hope this will work."
"But it didn't work. If we kill the crew members who are about to become mutated in advance, then a new one will appear the next day. The pollution frequency is always one person. But we have a new discovery. If we control the mutated people and ensure that they don't die, then other crew members will not be polluted. My God, this is good news, very good news!"
"That mutated person committed suicide. He only lived one more day… A new mutated person will appear tomorrow. The method of controlling the mutated person is ineffective. The Cardinal said that the Magic Seed induced the mutated person to commit suicide."
"September 1st, Lieutenant Stephen mutated. Unfortunately, he didn't escape this disaster. The crew members being polluted one after another could not be concealed, and the crew fell into great panic."
"The Cardinal came up with a way, which is to purify the mutated person and try to distort his cognition and thoughts so that he mistakenly believes that he is normal. Is this method feasible?"
"September 2nd, the experiment was successful. Lieutenant Stephen recovered. At least, he thought so, but he didn't remember his name. We gave him a new name - Lieutenant Haas!"
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing's mind exploded. His brain was in chaos, and his head ached.
He hugged his head in pain, his face twisted.
"So, it was me who was polluted!"