A few minutes later, outside the Ghost Soul Alley, in the darkness.
In the deepest part of the dark, a flickering light source could be seen rapidly approaching, like a signal light. It flashed on and off like a firefly in the dark.
And in the next moment, accompanied by the sound of warhorses galloping, the black knight, with a grim expression and a shiny bald head, charged forward. Around his forehead, a swarm of moths circled, flying in erratic patterns.
His gaze was dark as he searched for the whereabouts of the monster hunter.
More than half an hour ago, he had severely injured the monster hunter, but in the end, the man had escaped while the effects of his own potion were wearing off.
But he was certain that the monster hunter could not have gone far.
As centuries-old enemies, if he could kill him, his battle ranking in the dark world would rise significantly. He could not afford to let this rare opportunity slip away.
Just then, his eyes flashed.
He immediately sensed a familiar aura coming from the direction of Ghost Soul Alley.
"I've found you!" he sneered, sharply turning his head to look towards the distant, hazy black mist.
Ding——
A flash of light appeared from the mist.
He paused, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
In the depths of the swirling black fog, he faintly saw a glimmering light slowly approaching. The flashing frequency was about once every two seconds, and the light was very bright.
For some reason, he felt it was strangely familiar—like...
Like...
And then, in the next moment, a figure appeared in his sight—a bare-chested man, his eyes hidden in the darkness, slowly emerging.
The black knight was immediately taken aback. He recognized the figure instantly—it was the monster hunter he had fought earlier!
“That… that’s…” he stumbled back a step.
The monster hunter, holding a long knife, had a grim and indifferent expression. His eyes were concealed in the shadows as he walked toward the black knight step by step.
Ding——
The monster hunter’s bald head gleamed with the same bright light as the black knight’s.
The monster hunter paused, opened his eyes wide, gripped his blade tightly, and said, “Now, we can continue the battle we didn’t finish.”
Ding——
His forehead flashed again.
Ding——
In response, the black knight’s shiny forehead also flashed once.
"……"
"……"
A strange silence spread through the surroundings.
The black knight stared at him, his gaze immediately fixed on the potion bottle in the monster hunter's hand. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Could it be…"
"That's right!"
An overwhelming force suddenly emanated from the monster hunter. He tilted his head back, staring coldly down at the black knight, and said, "I may be bald, but I’ve also gotten stronger."
Ding——
The indifferent light on his bald head shone even brighter.
"Don't think just because you’re bald that you’re stronger than me. I’ll show you just how powerful I’ve become!" His eyes were dark and filled with intense battle intent and killing intent.
The black knight's face darkened, and he said deeply, "Looks like we're back at the same starting point."
Ding——
The light on his bald head flashed.
"Exactly."
The monster hunter stared at him coldly.
Ding Ding——
He flashed twice.
"And I flash more than you do. That means..."
He cracked his neck, sliding his finger over his shiny bald head, and with a gust of wind, he added in a deep voice, "I'm stronger than you!"
Ding Ding Ding——
He flashed three times, showing off.
"……"
The gusts of wind below their feet whipped up spiraling air currents. The rising battle intent was palpable as it surged around them.
Neither of them moved, both narrowing their eyes.
It was like a calm before a storm, the tension building between them as their auras ramped up. Even the light on their foreheads seemed to compete, flashing in turn.
Then, without another word, the two points of light in the dark rapidly converged.
Clang!
In an instant, their blades clashed. The two were furiously locked in a struggle, their swords grinding together, sparks flying from the point of impact.
They pressed their foreheads against each other, gritting their teeth, unwilling to give an inch.
“You bald bastard, I’ve never liked you! Don’t think just because you’re bald you can defeat me! (〝▼皿▼) Do you think no one else is bald?!”
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
“(▼皿▼) Even if you’re bald, you’re still no match for me!! I’ll make you flash! I’ll make you steal from me! I’ll —”
Bang——
Sparks flew everywhere.
“Damn it! You dare clash with me! I’ll crack your skull! (｀皿′)?”
Bang——
In the darkness, the two points of furious light collided repeatedly, neither giving in.
…
【Ding! Congratulations, host! Achievement unlocked: Potion Peddler. You have earned 200 base experience.】
【Potion Peddler】: By selling the same potion, you have earned more than 20,000 skull coins. You have gained a permanent bonus: All Attributes +1. You will also earn an extra +1 from selling potions.
【Ding! You have successfully leveled up to Level 6. The system has unlocked a new feature, “Vision.” You can now log in to view at any time.】
At the counter, several system notifications rang in Lynn's mind.
Lynn quickly allocated the 4 new attribute points he had earned entirely to Constitution.
"Vision? What’s this feature?" Lynn mused, moving his hand.
He immediately brought up the system interface and saw a large eye icon in the corner of the panel.
System: "Vision is a realm created by the highest will of the Dark World, a phantasmal domain overlapping with the Dark World. It is a mirrored world that has existed for millions of years."
"As long as it is within the scope of the Dark World, any dark creature can use a special item called the 'Vision Stone' to project their consciousness into the Vision."
"You can exchange information with other beings in the Vision, but after death, you will be forcibly expelled from the Vision. However, your physical body will not suffer significant damage."
After hearing the system’s explanation, Lynn began to understand a little.
It seemed like a realm similar to a modern virtual network, but more like a consciousness-based world.
"Looks like I still don’t know enough about the Dark World..." Lynn thought to himself.
For the past two years, due to his weakness, he hadn’t had any chance to leave his small shop, let alone explore the wider world outside Ghost Soul Alley.
“Do I need to consume a 'Vision Stone' to enter?” Lynn hesitated.
【Ding! The system has successfully completed the integration. Each login will only cost 500 skull coins. The system will automatically connect for you.】
“500 coins?!”
Lynn was shocked.
Fortunately, he had accumulated a decent amount of earnings, so he decided to give it a try.
Without hesitation, Lynn reached out and tapped the eye icon on the system’s interface.
"Activate!"
In the next moment, Lynn felt as if his brain had been struck heavily, his consciousness buzzing as he plunged into the darkness.
Faintly, he felt an immense will locking onto him, as if it could see through his entire soul.
It was a chilling feeling.
But that sensation only lasted for a split second.
The next moment, Lynn suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"This is..."
Lynn was stunned.
What appeared before his eyes was no longer his small shop, but an enormous plaza, so vast that its edges were out of sight. The sky above was pitch black, and wandering across the plaza were countless ethereal, soul-like figures.
At the very top, far above, there hung a huge eye—radiating a faint black glow, much like a miniature sun, and watching over the entire world.
【Ding! Host, you have successfully passed the Supreme Will's review and entered the Vision.】
【This is Abyss World No. 11, Zone 900, the Vision Plaza. Please note, within the range of the Vision Plaza, the Supreme Will will prohibit any form of conflict.】
【You can now view your information at will through the rune on your wrist. Please be cautious, as revealing your coordinates and identity in the Dark World may have consequences.】
【Skull Coins are the only currency for transactions within the Vision. The system has automatically converted 1,000 Skull Coins into the Vision.】
Lynn raised his ethereal arm and saw a deep blue eye rune on his wrist.
He quickly composed himself.
“The Dark World is even more unimaginable than I thought, creating such a large-scale space for consciousness interaction.”
Supreme Will.
Lynn caught that keyword.
That must be connected to the enormous eye above. Could the Supreme Will be the god of this Dark World?
Hesitantly, Lynn touched the rune on his wrist.
In the next moment, a piece of information appeared before his eyes.
【Lynn】
【Race: Outsider】
【Identity: None】
【Resources: 1,000 Skull Coins】
【Danger Level: Low】
It was brief.
Compared to the system's detailed interface, this felt rather simplistic.
Lynn hesitated before asking, “System, what’s your relationship with the Supreme Will? I feel like you two are somewhat alike.”
System: "No relationship."
The reply was very simple.
Lynn shrugged and quickly scanned his surroundings.
From his understanding, this was similar to the concept of the metaverse or an online game, where consciousness could be uploaded, allowing people to access information from anywhere in the world at any time. For someone like him, who rarely left his shop, this was the best possible channel.
“Since there are different zones, then this Zone 900 Plaza should cover a large area, including Ghost Soul Alley.”
Lynn pondered as he analyzed.
Just then, suddenly, a line of blood-red letters made of light dots appeared before him.
【Identity: Informant, sending a message to all beings in Zone 900 Plaza: “Battle resumes near Ghost Soul Alley—Monster Hunter vs Black Knight.”】
【Receiving information costs: 20 Skull Coins】
Lynn froze for a moment.
Then, he saw that many of the wandering ethereal figures in the plaza also stopped, clearly receiving the same information.
“You can do that too?”
Lynn was stunned.
If this was a feature of the Vision, it meant that information could be transmitted and monetized very quickly!
Without a second thought, Lynn immediately clicked to confirm.
【-20 Skull Coins】
In that instant, a dark scene appeared before Lynn's eyes.
He saw swirling black fog, and the distant sounds of explosions confirmed that two beings were fighting within it.
Then, in the next moment, two bright lights suddenly flashed within the fog, quickly moving and clashing against each other.
“That’s…” Lynn was taken aback.
The next moment, the screen suddenly cleared, and the fog dissipated. Two figures emerged—none other than the Black Knight and the Monster Hunter, whom he had just encountered at his shop!
Ding——
Ding——
The gleaming, bald heads of the two flashed brightly on the screen.
Lynn stared in a daze.
Meanwhile, messages from various beings kept popping up on the screen, with the number of viewers now reaching 2,013!
“That’s right! I’ve seen them! That’s the Black Knight, ranked 171 on the Wild Hunt leaderboard, and the Abyss Monster Hunter, ranked 143! And now they’re near Ghost Soul Alley?!”
“They’ve always been sworn enemies! Two years ago, they fought on the Hellfire Plains!”
“Wait… don’t you think their appearance is a bit odd?”
“They’re all… bald?! And why are their heads glowing? How strange!”
“So weird! I came to watch a battle, but I can’t take my eyes off their heads!”
“So shiny! So shiny!”
“My titanium dog eyes!!”
“Even though I don’t know why they’re bald, they seem even stronger than before!”
“Awesome!”
As Lynn watched, the screen kept showing comments like “So shiny!”
For some reason, Lynn suddenly felt like he was watching a live-streamed video with bullet comments—just like the old days on the internet.
“Is the Dark World this up-to-date with trends?” Lynn wondered.
He quickly finished reading the entire screen and calmed his mind.
It seemed that this was indeed a world of information interaction.
He had to admit, having such a world opened up a lot of possibilities for development.
If he could make a name for his little shop in the Vision, expanding his business would be much easier than staying in his shop. Whether it was selling potions or providing medical assistance, he would have far greater reach!
And if he could enter the Vision, his teacher should know about it too.
However, Lynn remained cautious.
What he needed to do first was to explore the information interaction channels in this world, so he could better develop his business.
His eyes landed again on the ice-blue rune on his wrist.
He clicked it once.
Immediately, his identity panel in the Vision appeared.
He clicked it twice, and in an instant, a brand-new panel popped up.
“This is…” Lynn was shocked.
[Region Channel]
Lynn quickly saw lines of messages rolling across the screen.
This familiar feeling made Lynn wonder—had he truly crossed over to another world, or was he in an online game world?
The sense of déjà vu was so strong!
Frowning, Lynn quickly read through the messages from various beings.
【Blood Doll】: “Uncles and aunties, has anyone seen my mom? If so, please contact me! I’ll offer a generous reward.”
【Skeleton Mage】: “Stay away from her! Warning to everyone, she ate my arm last time! If I hadn’t run away, she would have swallowed me whole! Be careful!”
【Long-haired Ghost】: “Neighbors, I’m warning you all, that potion shop in the alley is a scam! I went there yesterday to buy a potion, and guess what I saw?!”
【Long-haired Ghost】: (shocked expression) “The perverted doctor in the shop was on top of someone, using a chainsaw to dismember them! I ran away as fast as I could!”
As soon as this message appeared, the channel became lively.
【Blood Doll】: “Yes! Yes! It’s a super scam! That human doctor, he deep-throated a doll yesterday! He also gouged out the doll’s eyes! It still hurts!”
【Ethereal Queen】: “【Image】 (Click to view)”