Chapter Thirty-Two: The Island City

I activated the communicator with Xu Lin. She was probably in the midst of battling monsters, as her breathless voice drifted into my ear, sparking all sorts of wild imaginings.

“Sister Lin, I’ve received a class advancement quest that can only be completed on another continent. I might be away from Hurricane City for a day or so. Is there anything you need me to do before I go?”

Xu Lin laughed. “That’s fine. I’m having a great time leveling with Xinyu and Xuehan. Go ahead and take care of your quest. I wish you luck!”

I closed the communicator and spoke again with the class trainer. To my dismay, I hadn’t been able to learn any new skills—only Combo and Heavy Strike were available, the rest would have to be found on my own. I wondered if other players could learn my Berserker Swordsman skill. If not, I would have a natural 10% damage advantage over other warriors—a talent that would have every fighter drooling with envy.

After repairing my equipment, I headed north out of town.

Beyond the gorge where I’d once helped Murong Shanshan defeat a boss, a vast forest stretched out. The woods teemed with monsters around level 24. With my current attack power, I fought my way forward without much difficulty, earning plenty of experience. By the time I neared the coastline, I was almost level 21. Traveling and slaying monsters at the same time, two hours slipped by in a flash.

The coastline was long. Besides the sandy beach, there were also clumsy Eel Beasts with high defense but very low attack. I couldn’t be bothered to tangle with them and pressed on through areas without monsters, searching for the ship the trainer had mentioned.

Climbing over a hill, I reached a stranded stretch of coastline where, sure enough, a wooden ship lay anchored. There was no sign of sailors, but the sails looked good enough for a voyage.

As I climbed aboard, a man dressed like a merchant emerged from the cabin.

“Young man, this ship is about to sail to Via Village across the sea. The fare is one gold coin. Would you like to go?”

I checked my pouch—sixteen gold coins left. I agreed at once.

Before long, the ship set sail, gliding across the deep blue sea as waves crashed against the hull. I sat alone on deck, resting a while and watching as the distant continent gradually dwindled and faded from sight. An unexpected sense of reluctance rose in my heart. On that far shore were Xuehan, Xinyu, Xu Lin, and all those girls, not to mention Murong Shanshan...

Unconsciously, it seemed I had changed.

Half an hour later, the ship finally reached the sea-bound city—Via Village.

The village was surrounded by low brick walls, and inside, wooden houses dotted the small settlement. At the exit stood a slightly larger building with a huge hospital sign above the door. According to the children playing at the village entrance, this hospital also served as the village chief’s residence.

I took the letter given by the trainer and entered. Inside stood an elderly man—surely Chief Yeka of Via Village.

“So, you’re the adventurer from Hurricane City. Very well. Take this torch, and head to the cave in the eastern valley to find the Corrupter. Defeat it and earn your own glory!”

Quest: Kill the Corrupter and obtain the Swordsman’s Trial Proof. The cave is very dark—use the torch to light your way.

I glanced back at a young nurse standing by a patient’s bed. Noticing my gaze, she explained, “Hello, warrior. This is an outlying village under the rule of the Great Land Kingdom of Hurricane City. A fierce beast lurks in the eastern cave, and it has recently attacked the village several times, injuring many. We hope you can rid us of this menace.”

Quest accepted: Kill the Corrupter, retrieve its heart, and give it to Nurse Meilin.

I was surprised—one kill could complete two quests at once?

Today was truly my lucky day!

As I stepped outside, a child at the entrance warned me, “My mom said there are lots of terrifying zombies in that cave, big brother. Be careful! I’ve heard that carrying some Yulin Wood keeps zombies away. You can get some from Grandpa Harbor—he’s really nice!”

I expressed my thanks and found my way to the little wooden house. Inside, an elderly man was cutting a log—he turned out to be a carpenter.

After I explained, he handed me a piece of wood and said, “Young man, take this Yulin Wood. It will protect you from zombie toxins. This is all I can do for you. Good luck, brave warrior!”

With the wood in hand, I dusted off my pants and left. I had no habit of pretending friendliness to a bunch of data.

Outside the village lay emerald meadows and scattered groves. Occasionally, a few low-level monsters roamed the woods. The valley I sought wasn’t far; in just five minutes, I stood before the cave, faintly hearing the moans of zombies from within.

Goosebumps prickled my skin. I hung the Yulin Wood at my waist, lit my torch, and steeled myself to enter.

Rows of zombies shuffled toward me. The sight nearly made me faint—a stench of decay hung heavy in the air. The zombies’ rags dangled from their rotting flesh, which clung to the bones in sinewy tatters. Their lifeless eyes glimmered with a ghostly light, and their sharp white teeth gleamed in the darkness, while their mournful groans chilled me to the core.

Damn, why did it have to be so realistic? Even Hong Kong horror films like "Mr. Vampire" scared me into clutching Xinyu for dear life. Now, with scenes so vivid, who could I cling to?

A zombie?

Quickly retreating to the damp cave wall, I muted the sound and scent systems. Only then did I dare face the level 24 zombies that set my heart pounding.

The zombies had decent attack and defense, but their speed was abysmal—barely half of mine.

It was an eerie scene: a young swordsman leading a pack of zombies in circles through the dark cave, relentlessly attacking any that drew near. Blades flashed and zombie fangs gleamed, weaving a strange tapestry of light in the gloom.

An hour later, most of the zombies had been cleared, and I’d reached level 21. As I ventured deeper into the cave, the undead grew fewer, and even the dark, moss-covered walls began to give way to fiery red hues. Rounding a bend, I was stunned by the sight that greeted me!