Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 166 The Wrath of Misfortune

Li Xia struggled out of the mud, looking at the foul-smelling black mud covering his body with a disgusted expression.

This mud pit has buried countless animal carcasses, including the remains of the mudfish dragons after they hunted.

In addition, excretions and naturally secreted mucus are mixed in.
He didn't realize it during the fight, but now Li Xia feels like he's 'impure'!

He used his true qi to shake off the mud all over his body, but that wasn't enough.

In this situation, you have to take a hot shower to feel 'clean' psychologically.

"Awoo, Black Charcoal, you guys deal with the Mudfish Dragon's corpse first. Call me in the team channel if there's any trouble."

A dragon and a cat were rubbing their paws together, their eyes shining as they stared at the five-meter-long 'strange fish,' pondering where to begin.

"Okay (meow)!"

The monsters in the Great Anthill Wasteland have been mostly cleared out. These large, high-niche monsters are very territorial.

Even a three-star Anjanath will charge into battle if a five-star Rathalos invades its territory.

Of course, it's normal to run away when you can't win a fight.

After thinking carefully for a while, Li Xia concluded that there shouldn't be any monsters posing a threat to them, and then he rushed into the sky and flew away into the distance.

The Great Ant Mound Wasteland resembles a desert, with large areas of weathered rock and yellow sand combined together.

Even in such an environment, there are still breathtakingly beautiful oases.

For example, the Mudfish Dragon's swamp is located next to an oasis. Without the oasis constantly replenishing the swamp with water, it would be impossible to survive.

This muddy pond has long since dried up.

Large and small puddles are scattered like pearls across the dark yellow desert, and these oases are breathtakingly beautiful against the backdrop of the desert.

Some oases are so large that they are comparable to small cities, while others are so small that they are sustained by only a few springs.

For example, the oasis where the Mudfish Dragon lives is very large, and this oasis is also home to a variety of monsters such as the Rathian.

Actually, a better method is to use the space capsule given by Bulma, which has very complete bathing facilities.

But this place isn't very safe; even the most harmless pterosaur is larger than a normal human and capable of destroying buildings.

If you suddenly become curious about this semi-circular building, give it a couple of paws.
He took out a large bucket from the space, filled it with clear spring water, and threw the Lava Mountain Dragon's precious jade into it.

In just a short while, the spring water in the large bucket began to boil.

Li Xia jumped straight in. The boiling water was just right, making his body feel warm and cozy. The illusory dragon scales appeared and disappeared in the water.

I rested my arms on the side of the tub, leaned back, closed my eyes, and enjoyed the tranquility of the moment.

The giant ant graveyard has been completely cleared in one day. I had thought that the horned dragons, which like to burrow, would cause me some trouble.

But unexpectedly, the thing that took up the most of my time was the Mudfish Dragon.

This strange fish with two thick hind legs isn't very strong, but it's extremely ferocious.

It initiated the attack, and then—after taking two hits, it turned and ran.

He plunged into the swamp and refused to come out.

The key issue is that Li Xia realized he really had no way to deal with it, so he resolutely hid in the swamp and refused to take a single step out.

Fortunately, the Black Charcoal's aura performed exceptionally well, and the Mudfish Dragon's weakness to lightning allowed it to defeat the Shrinkfish.

After finishing the debriefing, Li Xia completely cleared her mind and stopped thinking about anything.

Just close your eyes, lie quietly, and let the sunlight filter through the treetops, casting dappled shadows that fall perfectly on your body.

The sweltering wind blowing across the oasis brought with it a cool, moist mist, making the place seem much calmer.

The breeze feels pleasantly comfortable on the skin.

His nerves, which had been tense from the intense battle, quietly relaxed, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.

I slept very soundly and deeply.

When Li Xia opened his eyes, he saw a sky full of stars, and the vast Milky Way stretched across the entire sky like the most beautiful ribbon.

Looking up at the starry sky always gives dreamers the most direct and profound shock.

He decided not to rush out, because a small tent had already been set up not far away, and the silhouette of the observer was reflected on the tent by candlelight.

Abbott seemed to be engrossed in reading a book, or perhaps preparing a report on his task for the day.

The campfire in front of the tent was burning brightly, and Heitan was carefully sprinkling seasonings on the roasted meat, the rich aroma of roasted meat wafting over on the wind.

Awoo lay on the tree trunk above, just like me, gazing up at the endless starry sky.

"Awoo, is the starry sky outside real or fake?"

"It's real, and it's fake—" Awoo poked his head out: "After all, it's a created world. It would be too wasteful of resources to make it all like a world bubble."

These stars can be observed, but they only materialize when they are actually brought close enough to a certain distance; otherwise, they are just images.

Aside from the original world—which is a pre-existing world bubble—the temple cannot reset the timeline of the original world.

"Is that so?" Li Xia nodded, wondering when he would be able to roam freely in such a starry sky.

Seemingly guessing Li Xia's thoughts, Aowu also stared blankly at the starry sky and whispered:

"I feel like I've seen countless star rivers that are even more vast than this before, Your Highness. We must surpass the ninth rank as soon as possible."

Only those above the ninth rank can be considered strong; those below the ninth rank are merely slightly stronger insects.

Above the ninth rank?
Li Xia remained silent for a while, quietly gazing at the starry sky.

"Um"

"Your Highness, can this thing really catch fish?"

Aowu held the bamboo fishing rod and looked suspiciously at the still water.

A hula hoop-like object was placed on the ground, with shimmering blue water in the center.

It exudes a hazy, dreamlike quality, which is precisely the meaning of "Never Air Force".

This thing is said to be able to catch anything except fish, and this is the first time I've used it since I got it from a treasure chest.

Li Xia, holding the "Guaranteed Hits" fishing rod, sat on a small stool and glanced at Aowu.

He found it strangely funny because the howling appearance reminded him of an 'old friend'.

He was also sitting on a dragon fishing, and not long before entering the space, he had completed the fourth playthrough of that game.

Blue-backed dragon!
"It should be possible, right?"

Li Xia touched his chin and said uncertainly.

Heitan was also sitting on the side, but compared to Li Xia and Aowu, who were just idling around, Heitan was much more serious about fishing.

He didn't even participate in the conversation; he just focused on fishing.

Abbott was determined to observe the habits of the 'Steel Dragon' and was hiding nearby, secretly spying on and observing the Steel Dragon's nest.

This is the place where dragons crystallize, and it is also the place where ancient dragons dwell.

Legend has it that five ancient dragons came to the center of the ocean, and one of them sank to the bottom of the sea and became a continent.

One became a forest, one became a lake, one became a mountain, and one flew into the sky and became the Azure Star, while the Dragon Crystal Land represents the Azure Star.

It is possible that the five ancient dragons fought each other, and the dying Old Netherworld Dragon released all its energy, forming the "Azure Star" that people see.

The Steel Dragon's habitat was here, but it wasn't until Li Xia led Aowu and the others up the mountain that they found the Steel Dragon's dwelling.

I just realized that the ancient dragon wasn't home!

As an Elder Dragon capable of controlling storms, Kushala Daora has a wide range of activity, so it's normal for it not to be at home.

Li Xia and Aowu Black Charcoal discussed it for a while and decided to wait nearby. After all, with his current strength, hunting other Elder Dragons wasn't impossible, but the problem was that he only had the ability to hunt one.

The injuries you'll sustain afterward will be severe; don't even think about fighting two Elder Dragons in a row.

In terms of self-recovery ability, physique, and physical strength, the Ancient Dragon is undoubtedly the top of the second tier.

Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Li Xia chose the Nightfall upgrade material that he needed most at the moment—the Steel Dragon.

"Really?"

Awoo asked suspiciously:

"We've been sitting here for an hour, and the float hasn't even moved—"

As they were talking, the feather float suddenly twitched, as if something in the water was tugging at the fishing line.

Li Xia and Heitan suddenly turned their gazes over, and even their breathing became quieter.

Under the watchful eyes of three pairs of eyes, the feather trembled, creating ripples on the water's surface, before suddenly sinking into the water.

"coming!"

Awoo gripped the fishing rod with its claws and pulled it up forcefully, accompanied by a splashing sound.

A small, hairless monster resembling a monkey emerged from the water, pulling on a fishing line.

It was extremely ugly, with a wide mouth filled with sharp teeth, and small, round eyes that gleamed with an eerie light.

"???"

Awoo's eyes widened:
"Where is the evildoer?"

Li Xia reacted quickly, kicking the monster back into the water.

After glancing at the system notification, he opened his mouth, feeling a sense of barely suppressed a laugh:

"Awoo, you caught a water monkey."

Water...water monkey?
He roared in fury, his beard trembling with rage:

"Your Highness, don't stop me! What kind of water monkey dares to yell at the Dragon King? I'll beat it to death!"

"Meow!"

Suddenly, Heitan cried out, and Li Xia and Aowu turned around to see Heitan's fishing rod shaking violently.

My own "This cast is guaranteed to hit" float was bobbing up and down in the water.

As if by prior arrangement, they all took the bait at the same time.

Li Xia reached out and gripped the fishing rod, his arm muscles bulging like iron blocks, and immense power was transmitted through the rod into the water.

"Crash-"

Amidst the loud splashing sound, a rather exquisite-looking object broke through the water and was lifted to the surface.

Li Xia looked at the exceptionally exquisite jar and could hardly believe it.

Has it been transferred to a new location?
【Bone Altar】

[Category: Unknown Oddity/Cursed Item (Expert Level Assessment)]

[Ominous: Will bring misfortune and reduce luck to the wearer]

[Resentment: It will appear near the holder in a mystical manner and cannot be discarded]

[Synopsis: This jar containing the skull of the deceased was filled with immense resentment. Its previous owner threw it into the sea, but it reappeared in the owner's home, causing the entire family to die before being disposed of at sea using special methods.]

Li Xia:
It's ominous, isn't it? It's absorbing bad luck, isn't it? You can't throw it away, right?
With a blank expression, he drew the flintlock pistol. The moment the flintlock pistol left its holster, faint wails and shrill cries filled the air, along with unrestrained, maniacal laughter.

Aowu and Black Charcoal felt a chill run down their spines; they had never seen Unlucky actually fire a gun before.

Just looking at this gun, one can sense a kind of desperate danger.

Is this a gun that a normal person can use?
He pressed the muzzle of the gun of misfortune directly against the bone altar, and in a daze, the faint wails and cries in the air seemed to suddenly grow louder.

'Kara', 'Kara'.

Cracks appeared on the walls of the bone jar. The jar shook twice and then suddenly fell over, rolling laboriously toward the water.

It seems they actually intend to run away by themselves!
A vague mix of misfortune and anger welled up in Li Xia's mind—I'm already begging for food, and now my luck is going to get even worse?
A man, a dragon, and a cat watched as the bone altar limped and struggled to roll towards the water's surface.

Just as it was about to reach the finish line, it finally couldn't hold on any longer and shattered into pieces. Immediately afterwards, a painful scream seemed to echo in the air.

The entire jar turned into a pool of foul-smelling black water and disappeared.

Misfortune trembled twice more before finally subsiding, sending a vague thought to Li Xia at the same time:
"Hungry. Hungry."

Li Xia silently put the curse back in; there was nothing he could do about it. There weren't that many world-destroying attacks waiting for him.
As your strength increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to maximize your luck stat if your ultimate move can't kill you instantly.

Sometimes it might even just float up slightly as a symbolic gesture, as a way of giving the enemy some face for their hard-earned ultimate attack.
"Meow!"

Black Charcoal suddenly cried out, stretching out its paw and raising it for Li Xia to see.

A delicate bell was clearly visible in its kitten paw.

The Silent Bell

[Grade: Green - Ultimate]

【Origin: Unknown】

【Category: Special Category/Jewelry】

Silent Bell: Absorbs all sounds produced by the wearer's walking and activities into the bell.

[Comment: This bell was highly anticipated by its owner, who hoped it would help her find her cat. Unfortunately, she seems to have confused the amplifying magic rune with the receiving magic rune.]

Excellent item! Quite a good piece of equipment!
The key is still the accessories!

Li Xia and Aowu exchanged a glance, seemingly both seeing the frustration in each other's eyes.

What did they catch?!
"Actually, I should be considered quite lucky, after all, I'm an auspicious creature."

It whimpered softly, knowing where the problem lay. As the outer vessel of transcendence, its fate, like transcendence itself, was closely intertwined with that of the first generation.

In other words, if Li Xia is lucky, its luck will be good; if Li Xia is unlucky, its luck will be bad.
"Meow?"

Li Xia waved her hand: "Take it, it suits you very well."

Black Charcoal also has a skill called [Stealth Defense Technique (Passive): It will disappear from the monster's sight, and will reduce hitstun by 60% when hit].

This is a skill that both support and auxiliary Palicoes possess, and it also appears in the game.

However, he was exceptionally good at studying charcoal.

Adding this bell would make it a perfect match. Once we get equipment or a skill that can even mask scents, it will achieve a very high level of stealth.

"Comrade! Comrade!"

Just as Aowu and Lixia were preparing to regroup and try again, the observer came running down the hillside in a flurry of activity.

He gasped and said:

"A storm is gathering on the distant horizon! The Steel Dragon should be back soon!"

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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve!

Another year of companionship has passed; time really flies.

I'll see how things go tomorrow. My brother-in-law is moving into a new house and wants us to come for a housewarming party. I'll probably be at their house all day. I'll see if I can write anything then.

(End of this chapter)