Witch, I'm really not an ancient god of the deep sea!

Chapter 255 Can I see your face?
[Crack settlement in progress...]

[Survivor: You have survived the long darkness and successfully endured a dangerous night. Reward +30%]
Terminator: In the final phase, you dealt significant damage to the Shadow Tide enemy boss. Reward +30%
Shadow Beast Reaper: Slay 300 weak Shadow Beasts. Reward +20%
Great Monster Hunter: Slay two large Shadow Beasts. Reward +20%
Fear Spreader: You have instilled fear in others, reward +10%

Chen Qi opened his eyes and scanned the numerous ratings on the crack.

Inflicting fear on others also grants an additional bonus.

Chen Qi was slightly startled.

He received more reward entries than he had expected.

Perhaps I can get a grade of C or higher...

To achieve a C-rank rating on one's first participation in a B-rank rift is already quite an achievement.

The prompts kept popping up.

[Special Reward Triggered: Mysterious Discovery - You have discovered a tiny Shadow Weaver, reward +20%]

Huh? There's such a hidden rating? Chen Qi was taken aback.

[Settlement complete. Your rating is B minus. You are rewarded with a random card chest and a Shadow Weaver's Little Gift.]

The rating is B minus...

Chen Qi's pupils contracted involuntarily.

The scoring of Class B cracks is more detailed and more difficult.

He didn't trigger any hidden storylines in this operation, nor was he a major damage dealer in the boss battle. He was quite lucky to get a B rating!

[Should I draw a card?]

[Photographs account for 50%, other aspects account for 50%!]

Chen Qi rubbed his hands together excitedly.

Extract!

[Drawing in progress...]

A moment later, a dark red card appeared in Chen Qi's hand.

On the back of the card is a thick shadow, and within that shadow is a bright red, blood-stained blade.

Shadow Blade Phase... Chen Qi opened the card.

You have acquired the legendary basic skill "Dark Flame Fist".

Dark Flame Fist Lv1:

Nature: Shadow, Blade
Description: Promise me you'll burn everything with your Dark Flame Fist!!
Learning requirements: 60 points in constitution, mastery of Qi Transformation, minor understanding of Shadow Aspects, and moderate fire resistance.

Effect: It can transform one's energy into a ferocious black flame, making each punch incredibly powerful and capable of inflicting the 'Dark Flame Wound' effect.

Dark Flame Wound: The target hit by the Dark Flame Fist will have their defense, recovery, and mental strength greatly reduced.

Note: This fist technique can be upgraded to a maximum of three levels. Upon reaching the maximum level, it grants a comprehensive power boost! Furthermore, at the highest level of the third tier, the skill "Qi Avatar: Flame Demon" is unlocked!

Dark Flame Fist!!

Chen Qi looked at the card in his hand and was startled.

This skill is renowned among Blade Aspect Transcendents!

Dark Flame Fist is a very powerful energy skill, and it can definitely be considered top-notch for a third-tier transcendent.

Although based on the current skill description, Dark Flame Fist only has power, as well as simple effects such as armor penetration, healing reduction, and damage reduction.

However, as a basic skill, Dark Flame Fist can be ranked among the top five basic skills simply because of its power and its ability to break through defenses!
In terms of skill power alone, Dark Flame Fist is at least three levels stronger than Chen Qi's previous Shadow Blade Slash! Once mastered, its power can be three times greater!
Not to mention the Dark Flame unlocked at Lv2, the Dark Flame Enhancement, Burning Resistance, Strength Bonus gained at Lv3, and finally, the Power Incarnation: Flame Demon!
Chen Qi's previous basic attack skill, Shadow Blade Slash, was not strong. The reason it seemed powerful was due to the strong stats provided by the Touch of Ember.

The Dark Flame Fist is undoubtedly a huge improvement!

This is also the strongest attack skill he currently possesses, aside from Blade Release!
Although it is a fist technique, Chen Qi now possesses the Touch of Residual Fire and the Weaving of Shadows.

His tentacles can also use energy skills!
The tentacles behind him are best suited for fist techniques!

The subsequent Lv2 Dark Flame can also be used to enhance sword techniques.

You could say I was incredibly lucky with this gacha pull!

"Good luck..." Chen Qi clapped his hands.

Unfortunately, learning Dark Flame Fist requires a moderate level of fire resistance.

Previously, Teacher An treated him to a feast of Skyfire Birds, which gave him a small amount of fire resistance, but learning Dark Flame Fist still presents some challenges.

Fortunately, achieving moderate fire resistance is not difficult. As long as your constitution reaches 50, and you use some special food or potions, you can master it!

Chen Qi put the Dark Flame Fist skill card into his backpack.

At this moment, the prompt popped up again.

Did you accept the Shadow Weaver's gift?

A gift? Chen Qi didn't think much of it.

In some rifts, you can increase your relationship with NPCs by interacting with them, and then receive gifts from them.

NPC rewards are actually quite common, but since Chen Qi is not a Flower Appearance Extraordinary Person, he did not deliberately pursue this path.

These special NPC gifts are only good when the relationship with them is high.

Otherwise, they are mostly scary and useless little gadgets.

Chen Qi beat up the Shadow Weaver and had the Deep Sea Sprite No. 1 inflict massive mental damage on the little Shadow Weaver!
The little shadow weaver, wounded in both body and soul, probably won't give me anything good.

accept.

After Chen Qi confirmed that he had accepted the gift, a small ball of fur condensed from the darkness and appeared in his right hand.

[The Little Shadow Weaver's Pom-Pom:]

Sexual aspect: shadow, hammer
Item type: Summoning item.

Function: You can use this token in the dark to summon a small Shadow Weaver to provide you with special assistance.

Note: The tiny Shadow Weaver summoned by this item will return to the Rift if it takes too much damage.

Chen Qi was startled.

Although it looks ordinary, it is an extremely rare item!

This is equivalent to him getting a free opportunity to craft top-tier equipment outside the rift!
However, the Shadow Weaver's Summoning Token is a special item that can only be obtained when the affinity level is high.

Why would the Little Shadow Weaver give me this? Does the Little Shadow Weaver like being beaten? Chen Qi was very puzzled and hurriedly checked the item's description.

[The prop's message: The little shadow weaver thinks you are very handsome, have great taste in clothes, smell wonderful, and act with great charisma. It is deeply captivated by your charm!]

"charm……"

Did I win the favor of the little Shadow Weaver through my charm?

So the allure of shadows really does work... Chen Qi touched his forehead, secretly startled.

In player forums, there are many players who specialize in deceiving NPCs' feelings and exploiting them.

Charm flow, huh... Chen Qi smiled.

Now, he seems to understand why there are so many people on player forums fighting over a trash succubus card with mediocre combat power.

Good stuff! Chen Qi accepted the Shadow Weaver's fluff ball.

The prompt pops up again.

The cracks are about to disappear—

As the refreshing sea breeze blew, the heavy dark clouds gradually dispersed, and a ray of sunlight gently shone through a crack in the sky, illuminating Chen Qi.

"Phew, feel comfortable..."

Chen Qi stretched and yawned, enjoying the rare warm sunshine.

At that moment, the notification that his job quest was completed finally popped up.

Traveler, you have completed the job quest 'Night Watcher'.

[In the land wreaked havoc by the Shadow Beasts, you protected the original light, increasing your Light Image rating.]

[You protected everyone; your Libra score has increased.]

[Final Rating: A. You have received 12000 Inspiration Points and one Light Inspiration!]

12000 inspiration points!
Chen Qi clapped his hands excitedly.

Harvest!
Previously, he had 21100 inspiration points. He just earned 9000 inspiration points from the Shadow Beast and Shadow Giant, plus another 12000 inspiration points.

He now has a total of 42100 Inspiration Points, which is an extremely high number for a third-tier transcendent!

What a fantastic harvest!

Chen Qi couldn't help but sigh, after reaching the third tier, the Inspiration Points consumed by powerful skill cards all started at tens of thousands.

These inspirations solved his immediate problem.

Without hesitation, Chen Qi immediately opened the skill card panel and spent 8000 Inspiration Points to upgrade the Blade Forging and Body Strengthening Technique.

In an instant, Chen Qi felt as if his body was being hammered by countless hot hammers, and his joints made a series of thumping sounds!

[Your Blade Forging and Body Tempering Technique has reached Lv2, Strength +5, Constitution +5! Now, you can practice Body Tempering Technique to further enhance your Constitution and Strength limits!]

I flex my muscles as I wake up, feeling the vibrant energy coursing through my body.

At this moment, his physique has reached the 70-point mark, and his strength has reached 58 points!
Of course, this physique would only rank in the lower middle among third-tier Blade Cup-type transcendents. Hagrid, on the other hand, possessed at least 200 in physique and 150 in strength.

Compared to these top-tier extraordinary individuals, Chen Qi's stats are still far inferior.

However, once you reach Tier 3, the attribute increases will be much more rapid due to the significantly increased upper limit...

After upgrading the Blade Forging and Body Tempering Technique, his subsequent body tempering practice would provide bonuses to his stats. In the end, it was only a matter of time before his constitution and strength both broke through 100 points.

I adjust my breathing at dawn and exhale a breath of hot air.

At that moment, cheers erupted from the crowd on the dock.

Captain Sea Serpent and Melanie also noticed Chen Qi and walked over.

The sea serpent captain, holding a stack of wanted posters, asked:

"Hunter, you had a very fruitful time in this rift?"

"Yes, the inspiration I gained this time is enough to give my skills a qualitative leap."

Start your day by adjusting your breathing to allow your body to gradually return to calm.

"This kid's pretty good..." Melanie, standing to the side, couldn't help but be surprised.

Despite it being their first meeting, in her eyes, Chen Qi was merely a second-tier transcendent with some strength.

But now, in just a few days, Chen Qi has advanced to the third rank, and the domineering aura emanating from his body has become much stronger.

"Is this the genius of the Witch Sea?!" Melanie couldn't help but exclaim.

Captain Sea Serpent could also sense the change in Chen Qi; even his tone of voice softened.
"Congratulations on reaching Tier 3! Hunter from afar. By the way, you two, I have some wanted posters here and I need your help."

"Wanted order?"

Chen Qi and Melanie asked in unison.

Captain Sea Serpent frowned:

"Damn the navy infiltrated our island and killed our people from Poseidon Island. Besides that, there are supernovas on the high seas, and that long-lost Black Hunter..."

Chen Qi made a surprised expression:
"Black Hunter? That bastard, wasn't he whipped to death by the Flower Witch?"

A hint of disdain flashed in the Sea Serpent Captain's eyes, followed by a tone of admiration:

"No, that's a rumor. I don't believe the Black Hunter would willingly become a witch's slave. No matter how you look at him, he's a monster who tramples others underfoot!!"

In Captain Sea Serpent's mind, the Black Hunter was an exceptionally great figure.

Then, he said in a low voice:

"According to our latest information, they have left the Bloodblade Pirates."

It has returned, and is stronger than ever, but you need not be afraid. Although the bishop is not here, Lord Hagrid is, after all, here.

Melanie asked a question:
"Any news about the Flower Witch?"

Captain Sea Serpent shook his head:

"Not yet. If the Black Hunter appears, it means the Flower Witch has also appeared. If we can capture both of them, we'll be rich. Both of you are quite capable at gathering intelligence. I hope you can provide a clue!"

"Ah."

Chen Qi leaned back.

"I see."

Melanie nodded.

After Captain Sea Serpent finished speaking, he found others to spread the information about the bounty.

Melanie waved goodbye, as she needed to study her unfinished book.

After the two left, Chen Qi couldn't help but look up at the sea, his thoughts drifting away with the undulating waves.

Having too much fame is not a good thing.

The situation was more complicated than he had imagined...

He and the Flower Witch were in a rather dire situation on the high seas.

He's doing alright; as long as he doesn't activate the Ember Touch, it's unlikely anyone will find him.

The real trouble is the Flower Witch, who has small, moving flowers growing on her head, which means she is easily spotted by others.

Hopefully, news of our appearance will spread slowly across the sea... After packing his things, Chen Qi walked towards his ship.

……

……

The second day, noon.

East of Poseidon Island, in the Forest Sea, lies the Seal III Mobile Dock.

Seal Transport's massive dock stands on the sea, with numerous ships passing by.

These massive shipyards would be built near seas riddled with fissures, providing ship repair services for adventurers of the sea.

Some restaurant ships, medical ships, and prop shop ships will also remain around the mobile dock, forming a mobile fleet of merchant ships.

"The medicine is on sale! A powerful medicine! A powerful medicine that can treat the whole body!"

A girl wearing a cloak stood on a small houseboat, calling out softly.

Unfortunately, despite shouting for a long time, no customers came.

Ultimately, her ship lacked an official flag, and without a flag, no one dared to believe in her medicine.

Cluck cluck cluck! Cluck cluck cluck!
Suddenly, a large number of messenger pigeons flew across the sky and landed on the mobile dock.

The white pigeons trained by the White Dove Newspaper Company were used specifically to sell newspapers.

"Pigeon, bring me a newspaper."

Seeing this, the girl quickly waved and bought a latest newspaper from the pigeon, then opened it to read.

"It seems like a Night of Shadow Tide has occurred on Poseidon Island. I hope nothing bad will happen..."

The Shadow Tide Night of the B-Rank Rift has already shaken the seas.

Finn was extremely worried and muttered to himself as he hurriedly looked down.

"The first batch of supernovae has been confirmed! A new era has begun!"

"A clash between Poseidon and the Navy! A naval battle between two legends!"

Finn skipped through many sections and finally found additional news about Poseidon Island.

"The Black Hunter has appeared, and he's alive. He truly lives up to his reputation..."

Fen breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Chen Qi was still alive and well, and couldn't help but reveal a silly smile.

"Is the Black Hunter still alive?"

A cold female voice said.

"Yes! Still alive!"

Finn said with a hint of pride.

But then she immediately blinked.

Wait, who's talking to her? When did they approach her?
Finn pulled her cloak over her face with her hand, then looked up.

In front of her stood a very simple white steam-powered boat.

On the steam-powered boat stood a spirited young woman dressed in a white hunter's outfit. She had short, tousled hair, and her clothes were stained with blood, suggesting she hadn't groomed herself for several days.

What's most striking is the icy blue eye hidden beneath the disheveled hair.

Fen broke out in a cold sweat. Although the other woman was smiling, for some reason, Fen felt that the woman in front of her had a robotic coldness about her.

Moreover, for some reason, Fen felt as if she had seen her somewhere before.

"Um, what's the matter?"

Fen pulled down the brim of her hat and asked softly.

The white-haired woman said softly:

"I've come to buy medicine."

"Hmm, what kind of medicine?"

Fen raised her head slightly, and her gaze involuntarily met the other person's.

However, to her surprise, she found that the man's gaze was fixed on her like that of a falcon!
She was dressed as a hunter, a bounty hunter, and she smelled of human blood... Finn swallowed hard.

Her identity must never be discovered!
She couldn't expose herself... Finn tried her best to maintain the naturalness of a wandering pharmacist.

But the next second, the white-haired woman suddenly leaned forward, her nose only four fingers' width away from Fen's, her azure pupils like those of a hungry cheetah!
She sniffed it.

Oh no! Cold sweat trickled down Finn's neck as she gripped the brim of her hat tightly.

"What's wrong, guest?"

The white-haired woman stared intently and said coldly:
"You have a very pleasant scent, a familiar scent."

"Manager, may I see your face?"

(End of this chapter)