Chapter 118: Chapter118-Divine Emissary!
Feeling a chilling presence behind him, Qing swiftly turned and delivered a punch, smashing the thief's head into a cloud of blood!
However, a dagger sliced his wrist in the process, causing blood to gush out and his HP to plummet rapidly!
But this level of injury was insignificant for a stat monster like Qing.
Within a few breaths, the wound on his wrist had stopped bleeding and nearly healed.
"Heh, it's like a bug bite, barely a scratch. Is that all you've got?"
"It's hard to say how much we've got, but you were right about one thing. This weapon is called 'Bug Sting,' and it has a special effect—stacking poison. Once it reaches ten stacks, you'll bleed uncontrollably."
Hearing this, Qing instinctively checked his status bar. Among the various buffs, he found the negative debuff, already with one stack.
If this continues, given their pervasive attacks, it won't take many rounds to max out this debuff.
Bleeding out... Once his HP hits zero, can John revive him again?
Ultimately, relying on himself seemed a better bet than hoping for John's intervention.
With this thought, Qing took a deep breath.
"You said I am a vessel for the war god's will? Then you must be ready to stay here and be defeated by me, right?"
"Of course. Since we came here, we never intended to leave alive."
"Good... I've never used this skill before, but since it's a [talent skill], it should be as impressive as Exiled Immortal's storm."
[Talent Skill: Shadow of War!]
Qing shouted, and immediately behind him, over a dozen shadowy figures formed, each identical to him in size and shape.
These shadows grew more solid, their auras rising until they almost matched Qing's own strength!
At the same time, a dialogue box popped up in front of Qing.
As a talent skill, the summoned war shadows had the same attack power as Qing but lacked any equipment, skills, or special buffs.
But that was more than enough.
Who could withstand the relentless assault of over a dozen warriors with the same combat power as Qing, unafraid of death?
The answer so far was no one, not even the well-prepared white-robed thieves before him!
"Hahaha! This feels amazing! Is this what it's like to be a one-man army? Come on! Fight me!"
Qing laughed heartily, and the shadow warriors behind him charged forward, moving so fast they were almost a blur!
Seeing this, the face of the white-robed man changed drastically.
If it had been just Qing, they could have worn him down, even if it cost them their lives.
But now, with over a dozen fearless helpers, this was an entirely different situation!
Even though they were prepared for sacrifice, this one-sided massacre was unacceptable.
"We underestimated you, foolishly thinking we could kill the vessel of the god's will with just this few people. But rest assured, next time we meet, I will kill you!
Remember, [Divine Emissary] has set its sights on you."
With that, the white-robed man didn't give Qing a chance to attack, instantly turning into mist and dissipating, while the light curtain surrounding Qing also faded, revealing the original street scene.
Seeing this, Qing let out a deep breath but couldn't muster a smile.
Sure, he had driven away the thieves.
But the cost was nearly his own exhaustion.
If the white-robed thieves had noticed Qing's state, they might have staked their lives to hold out until Shadow of War ended!
At this moment, Qing was completely unable to move, barely holding on by sheer willpower.
Even if the standoff had lasted another thirty seconds, Qing might have collapsed into unconsciousness.
But before that, Qing needed to inform John of the situation.
Taking out the communicator John had made from his player inventory, Qing pressed the button and slumped to the ground, letting out a long breath.
"John... I've been targeted. I'm in the alley near the auction house. Come quickly... and help."
With that, Qing felt his vision blur, and his world began to spin.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his familiar home, hearing John and Exiled Immortal chatting nearby.
Qing struggled to sit up, immediately catching John and Exiled Immortal's attention.
"Hey, Qing, you're awake. How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"
Exiled Immortal approached, helping Qing sit up and handing him a glass of water.
"Just a headache... How long was I unconscious?"
"Over three hours, not too long. What exactly happened? We got your message and rushed over, only to find you passed out at the alley entrance with no visible wounds."
"John, we might have a problem."
Qing's face turned serious. "As I was leaving the auction house, I ran into some people who pulled me into a closed space and tried to kill me! I had no choice but to use my talent skill, which drained my stamina and caused me to pass out."
"Did you kill them all? Not a single one left alive? Do you know who they are?"
"No, I didn't manage to kill them. After I used my talent skill, they fled. But I did catch something about their identity—they called themselves... [Divine Emissary]."
Hearing this, John's expression instantly hardened.
"Qing, are you sure? You didn't mishear or confuse it? They called themselves [Divine Emissary]?"
Qing nodded firmly. "I'm sure. They wore pure white robes and masks, so I couldn't see their faces. And they were all thieves, quite skilled."
"This... this can't be happening."
John staggered, collapsing into a chair, his expression growing increasingly grim.
Upon hearing the words [Divine Emissary], the things [Betrayal] had said flashed through John's mind.
He finally understood.
Despite everything going relatively smoothly since his rebirth, with him having taken the powers of three out of the seven [Apostles], Seraphina had still made those ominous remarks.
If some deities were secretly aiding them, it was only natural that others would seek to obstruct them.
But this obstruction came too quickly, catching John off guard.
"Did they say when they would return?"
"No, they didn't. I'm just worried. It's clear they know a lot about me and are aware of our identities as players. I'm afraid that one day they might target Helena or Lily, and that would be troublesome.
If I could barely handle them, I'm worried..."
Qing's concern was valid. In terms of combat power, even John wasn't a match for Qing, let alone Helena or Lily.
If they were targeted, and considering the [Divine Emissary]'s knowledge about them, it could lead to irreparable consequences!
Thinking of this, John took a deep breath and looked at Exiled Immortal, saying in a serious tone, "Exiled Immortal, gather everyone. I have an announcement to make."
"Understood."
Exiled Immortal, realizing the gravity of the situation, didn't joke around and promptly left to gather the others.
"Although this will increase our burden, we have to do it for everyone's safety..."
"John, what are you planning?"
"I'm going to have each of you sign a contract with a monster."
This idea had been on John's mind for a while, but he had never found the time to implement it.
After all, the extra monsters would be a significant expense.
But given the current circumstances, there was no choice.
Before long, Helena and the others arrived.
Noticing John's serious expression, the three women and Old Mac also became solemn.
"John, what happened?"
"Listening to Qing made me realize we might have been targeted. Do you remember what [Betrayal] said during our fight? His words have come true."