novelraw Chapter 72: The Tombstone
Chapter 72: The Tombstone
The Unknown Trace of Spirit would grant 300 Spirit Essence when used, so Lin Xun, as usual, set it aside for later.
Next, he checked the other item.
Beginner’s Bookmark?
He vaguely remembered seeing this thing mentioned on the Apostle Forum. It was said to only drop while grinding monsters if you were extremely lucky.
“Hmm, probably the Lucky Gold Coin effect kicking in.”
[Beginner’s Bookmark: When used, you can invade an Apostle who is still in their initial chapter. After defeating that Apostle, you will gain unexpected rewards.]
“…So basically a tool for bullying noobs?”
He figured that in the entire game, there were probably no other Apostles as powerful as himself in the starting chapter.
“If only this Beginner’s Bookmark could be exchanged for two Invasion Bookmarks instead.”
Lin Xun was still thinking about the sealed exclusive item in his inventory, wondering what kind of effect it would have once unsealed.Without overthinking it, he used the Beginner’s Bookmark, randomly selecting a lucky Apostle to invade.
Feeling a bit mischievous, Lin Xun controlled his mage but didn’t even fire the laser blast. He just rushed in with his spear for some melee combat.
With one stab, he killed the trembling Apostle, earning 100 Spirit Essence.
After wiping out the unlucky victim, he felt it was a bit boring.
“Looks like bullying noobs isn’t really for a high-end player like me.”
He moved on to check the last item.
[Flesh Core (Item): A strange crystal formed from the condensed flesh and limbs of countless bodies, exuding a fragrant scent of flesh. When used, you can control unclaimed flesh for a short period.]
Control unclaimed flesh?
What was this, some kind of necromancer gimmick?
Lin Xun’s mind started buzzing with all kinds of possibilities.
For boss shells that he couldn’t possess due to low compatibility, could he use this item to command the dead boss to rise and fight for him?
“I just wonder how long that ‘short period’ really lasts.”
If the control duration was long enough, this item would definitely be a god-tier artifact.
After reviewing his loot, Lin Xun issued the follow command to the Three-Headed Lion.
He returned to the crossroads in the marketplace and headed for the remaining center path.
[You proceed down the center path of the marketplace.]
[At the end of the path, you discover a shop that sold funeral items.]
[The shop had long been abandoned, leaving only withered lotus flowers and a few scattered white candles.]
[Do you want to enter the shop and search?]
No need to think twice. Free loot was still loot, and there was always a certain charm to scavenging.
[Greedy Apostle, you scour the shop thoroughly.]
[You obtained Withered Lotus Flower (Junk) *5]
[You obtained Memorial White Candle (Junk) *4]
Lin Xun frowned. His sixth sense as a seasoned gamer was tingling.
He opened his inventory to inspect the two junk items.
[Withered Lotus Flower (Junk): A white perennial herbaceous plant. According to church customs, this is placed in front of tombstones to pay tribute to the deceased.]
[Memorial White Candle (Junk): A small, white, round candle made of paraffin, beeswax, and spices. According to church customs, this is lit in front of tombstones to honor the deceased.]
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes, instantly piecing the clues together.
Judging by the item descriptions, these two junk items were very likely meant to be used in the cemetery.
After exiting the shop, no new routes appeared in the game text.
To be thorough, Lin Xun combed through the entire marketplace one more time, confirming there were no missed items or events before leaving the area.
With that, the entire marketplace had been fully explored.
Lin Xun mounted the lion and headed straight for the cemetery outside Saint Rance.
[You ride the lion toward the distant cemetery…]
[The desolate, gloomy cemetery is surrounded by a tall, sturdy metal fence. Inside, shattered stones litter the ground, wild grass grows everywhere, and broken tombstones stand upright.]
[As you approach, you see countless black phantoms swirling in the sky above the cemetery. Their shrill cries pierce into your mind.]
[The Luminous Talisman you carry begins to glow faintly. What was once a mind-splitting cacophony now sounds like the playful chatter of children.]
[You find their noise irritating, but otherwise harmless.]
[Do you want to attack the Wandering Phantoms or enter the cemetery?]
Lin Xun checked the Luminous Talisman’s description.
[Luminous Talisman (Item): A charm made of unknown metal, long and narrow in shape, etched with strange symbols and lines. When carried, low-level phantoms will avoid you, and you will not be attacked by them.]
So, with the Luminous Talisman equipped, attacking the phantoms wouldn’t trigger retaliation.
With that assurance, Lin Xun didn’t hesitate and clicked to attack the phantoms.
He still had a score to settle from the last time these guys got him killed.
[Brave Apostle, you raise the Thunder Dragon Staff-Spear and chant an incantation…]
[A flash of red light…]
[Corrupt Sunlight only melted a small portion of the Wandering Phantoms.]
[Your attack alerted them. Amid noisy wails and cries, more phantoms surged toward you like a tide…]
[But they all recoiled at the light radiating from the Luminous Talisman, not daring to come near you, and soon retreated back to hover over the cemetery.]
Lin Xun smiled slightly and opened the panel, spamming the skill button.
The phantoms kept coming and going, acting purely on instinct, seemingly devoid of intelligence.
After firing off seven or eight rounds of Corrupt Sunlight, he finally cleared them all out.
Just like last time, no experience points were gained, and no items dropped from the phantoms.
[The metal gate of the cemetery stands open. You ride the lion inside…]
[Within the desolate cemetery, shattered stones and wild grass are everywhere, and broken tombstones stand upright.]
[In the distance, at the cemetery’s rear gate, a winding path stretches out of sight. Beside that path seems to be a rundown shed.]
[Do you want to search the cemetery first, or head out to check the shed?]
“No monsters? I thought a few mobs would spawn as soon as I came in.”
Seeing no cannon-fodder mobs to farm, Lin Xun chose to search the cemetery first.
[The graves in the cemetery appear to have been neglected for a long time. At a glance, there are no flowers or candles placed in front of the tombstones.]
[You begin examining the damaged gray tombstones, moving from near to far…]
[At the first tombstone, you step on a small bug.]
[At the second tombstone, you scrape off a chunk of mud.]
[At the third tombstone, you peel off a patch of gold paint.]
—
Lin Xun looked at the game text with a dark expression as the Yellow-Robed Bishop poked here and prodded there, inspecting tombstones one by one.
After all that searching, nothing valuable had turned up yet.
Getting a bit bored, he opened his writing software.
He propped his phone up beside the computer, typing his novel while occasionally glancing at the game text.
By the time Lin Xun finished a 2,000-word chapter, the Yellow-Robed Bishop finally completed the search.
He scrolled through the game text to see if he’d gotten anything worthwhile.
“Huh?”
Lin Xun raised an eyebrow. He had spotted a special event.