This, well, should be a good thing, right?
Looking at the description of the Coin of Fate, Xiao Hua thought reluctantly. Regardless of its effects, this item was certainly rare, and even if it couldn't be used, it could still be a collectible!
Holding such an item that he had never seen nor used before, anyone would be curious about its effects. Xiao Hua didn't think much about it; since he was in a safe environment, regardless of the outcome, his life wouldn't be in danger. So, Xiao Hua began his first experience using the Coin of Fate.
System Prompt: You used the Coin of Fate, and the coin displayed the black number 99!
You have received the negative state of Blindness, at level 9! Effect: Cannot see for five minutes, skill detection range reduced by 90%, hit rate reduced by 90%!
Xiao Hua suddenly felt a darkness envelop his vision; he didn't even have time to read the system prompt before he was blinded. However, without needing to see the system prompt, he knew he was in trouble. Bad luck!
Apart from bad luck, Xiao Hua couldn't think of a more fitting word to describe his current situation. He got a 10% chance of a negative effect on his first try!
In the Second World, when teammates in the same party gain either positive or negative states, players can clearly see the corresponding effects. Piao Ling watched Xiao Hua and suddenly saw a dark aura envelop him, obscuring his eyes. This was the effect of blindness, a condition that many monsters could inflict. Piao Ling recognized it instantly, but seeing Xiao Hua suddenly blinded in what was considered a safe zone startled her; she had never encountered such a situation!
"What happened?" Piao Ling asked anxiously.
"Nothing, just a bit unlucky," Xiao Hua shook his head and handed the Coin of Fate over.
"Coin of Fate? What a strange item. Its attribute isn't useless, but it's best to avoid using it unless it's a critical moment where you're likely to lose anyway," Piao Ling commented after examining the Coin of Fate's attributes.
Using the Coin of Fate could result in either a positive or a negative state. In a crucial moment, a positive state could turn the tide, but a negative state could lead to disaster. Using it was undoubtedly a gamble, but in a situation where losing is more likely than winning, it provides a chance to fight back!
Xiao Hua nodded. Getting a negative state on his first use made him realize that the Coin of Fate should not be used recklessly. Under his current five-minute, level-nine blindness, he was completely vulnerable!
"Finally, it's over. Let's leave here!" As they approached the exit of the dungeon, Piao Ling felt a sudden reluctance to leave. Playing the game for a year, she had cleared countless dungeons, but none had given her such thrilling experiences that left her feeling nostalgic upon departure!
"I'll go out first using Stealth. Although it's unlikely that someone is lying in wait outside, it's better to be cautious," Xiao Hua said thoughtfully.
Piao Ling nodded in agreement.
To prevent congestion around NPC entrances, players appear in different locations within an 800 to 1000-meter radius of the NPC entrance when leaving a dungeon. They also receive a twenty-second absolute safety period upon returning to the outside world, during which neither enemy players nor monsters can harm them. Guarding the exit of a dungeon is a laborious task that few undertake, but with a large guild like Ice Seal, it wasn't impossible for thousands to attempt it.
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After the blindness effect wore off, Xiao Hua entered stealth mode and chose to leave the dungeon. The scenery changed, and he reappeared in the snowy woods. Aburi appeared beside him, flapping its wings low. The surroundings were quiet, with no one around. Looking at Aburi, who had followed him out of the dungeon, Xiao Hua ordered, "Aburi, fly higher and check the surroundings. See if there's anyone."
Aburi flew up about ten meters and scanned the area with its sharp black eyes. It was six in the evening, already dark, but Aburi could still clearly see everything within a hundred meters!
"There's no one except some monsters in the distance," Aburi reported confidently.
"Come out; there's no one outside," Xiao Hua nodded and messaged Piao Ling.
Piao Ling waited in the camp for Xiao Hua's message. Upon receiving it, she chose to leave the dungeon, and her figure gradually faded away.
At the instant Piao Ling vanished, inside the wooden house, Black Mage Phyllis paused with the needle in her hand, which then disappeared. Phyllis slowly stood up, undergoing a remarkable transformation during the process! Her wrinkled, emaciated hands and face regained vitality, rapidly regenerating. Within moments, the old woman who seemed on the verge of death was gone, replaced by a young and beautiful mage in her twenties!
Phyllis's eyes, no longer dull, shone with intelligence and coldness. With a flick of her elastic arms, the garment she had been sewing turned over, revealing a high-level magic robe of dark red embroidered with golden edges!
Phyllis draped the dark red magic robe over herself, extended her hand, and a long redwood staff encrusted with black magic crystals appeared. Grasping the staff, Phyllis exited the wooden house and walked to the center of the camp. As she approached, the fire burning brightly in the camp suddenly dimmed and then went out entirely.
Standing beside the extinguished fire, Phyllis raised the redwood staff and drew a few circles above her forehead, muttering incantations. The over-a-meter-long redwood staff suddenly fell to the ground, and a surge of boundless black aura rose from her feet, spreading rapidly throughout the Silent Forest... In the snowy woods, Piao Ling and Xiao Hua rode their Flame Horses back to Snowfall City, with Aburi perched on Xiao Hua's shoulder.
"Aburi, you are my follower. I heard followers have some special needs, like having a house or something. Is that true?" Xiao Hua, remembering his uninhabitable house, decided to clarify the situation. Aburi was very useful, and he didn't want it to die in that haunted house.
"Oh, needs vary by person. The more noble the race and status, the higher the requirements. For me, a lumberjack who can settle anywhere, there are no special needs. I just hope the master doesn't restrict me too much and allows me to fly freely. I've been imprisoned by that evil black mage for decades!" Aburi replied honestly.
"And what about your daily needs and meals? How do I contact you if you fly far away?"
"I can take care of my own meals. In this body, I don't need much food; in fact, finding food is the only thing I can do now. If the master wants to find me, just call me mentally. As long as we're in the same map region, I can hear you."
Hmm, seems pretty convenient and not troublesome at all.
"If the master has nothing urgent, I'd like to leave for a while. I can't wait to fly in the sky and see the outside world," Aburi's eyes roamed curiously, asking.
"Sure, go ahead."
With permission, Aburi flapped its wings and flew into the sky, disappearing from Xiao Hua's view.
"Honestly, your follower is great. Once, I knew a player who had a follower, but it was so troublesome that I lost interest in having followers. Now, looking at Aburi, I think having a follower like this is not bad," Piao Ling said, a bit envious after listening to Xiao Hua's conversation with Aburi.
"Hehe, maybe next time. Don't think about Aburi," Xiao Hua said a bit smugly.
An hour later, the two returned to Snowfall City. Before entering, Piao Ling changed her equipment to avoid being recognized. At the warehouse, Piao Ling transferred all the items and gold from the warehouse, along with her gear, to Xiao Hua.
"Well, I'm going to delete my character and rebuild it. I'll come back here in about half an hour," Piao Ling said, relieved after the transaction.
"Okay," Xiao Hua nodded.
Half an hour later, at a resurrection point in Snowfall City, a new female player with an unfamiliar face appeared.