Chapter 33: 33. The first time to return to life
Multi-faction instances often imply certain death to players, so those who are invited to such instances invariably come with the mentality of 'the sooner dead, the swifter to the springs.'
Being invited by this bizarre game to become a player doesn't mean you can die only once.
Beyond the initial adaptation period, which trains the player's basic survival abilities in the instance and the ability to confront the ghosts within, as long as one successfully clears the first instance, they can have a chance at revival.
But there's a catch to this revival.
It requires a complete corpse, no missing arms or broken legs; otherwise, you'd be missing some bits after coming back.
If one can advance from a Beta player to an Alpha Divine Player, then in addition to that one chance of revival, they'll get an extra opportunity to return to the living world. This is far more impressive because it's akin to regenerating from a drop of blood—even if there's nothing left but a strand of hair or a spit, they can come back to life.
You can only say, it's no wonder this is the eerie game that encourages drinking more hot water.
"Multi-faction, this instance—I've heard a Beta super player mention it in a lecture before; there are at least three conflicting powers. We're in big trouble now! Hey, speaking of which, do you still have your 'first time'?"
"Still have it! Still have it! How could I not keep my 'first time' safe and sound!"
"Only an idiot would lose their 'first time' at such a young age!"
"All intact? Great, if the situation goes south, everyone just die quick, accurate, and ruthless. That way, there won't be much difference after revival. When that time comes, I'll be the host and treat everyone to a drink."
Due to the instance's high difficulty, players who enter with the expectation of certain death have also come to terms with it.
It's just the loss of a 'first time,' after all!
The 'first time' referred to naturally is the revival opportunity awarded by the eerie game after passing an instance for the first time. Since it's obtained only after the first instance clearance and there's only one, players jokingly refer to it as the 'first time.'
However, the players invited to participate in this multi-faction instance quickly discovered there was one among them who didn't fit in, as this player had a consistently mournful expression.
"Bro, you didn't lose your 'first time,' did you?" A player immediately sensed the problem and couldn't help but ask.
The player in question paled slightly at these words, stiffened, then nodded faintly.
Seeing this player nod, the other invited players couldn't help but show sympathy. In a lethal instance with no reliable lifeline left, what was the difference between that and a life entering its final countdown?
"Bro, is there anything you need us to pass on for you?"
"I... forget it, there's nothing much to say. I have no family, no friends, and no one I love. Death is like the snuffing of a lamp; just let it be," said the man, gradually coming to terms with his fate.
At that moment, blood-red text appeared, and the players stopped talking.
Because the scene before their eyes was gradually shifting from darkness to clarity.
It was an ancient village under the glow of a setting sun.
In front of them was a mountain path leading directly to the village.
Thus, the players began heading toward the village. In any other instance, they would usually confer and come up with a sound plan, but now, harboring thoughts of a quick death, who had the mind to ponder such things?
After all, should one be torn in half by an instance's ghost at the time of death, even though the missing half of the body would be restored upon revival, the limbs on the other side would not be included in the restoration.
But soon enough, the players all noticed a problem.
"Why can't we get in?"
At the entrance to the village, there was nothing visible obstructing their path, yet strangely, it was as if there was an invisible barrier preventing them from stepping forward.
"Didn't they say to let us into the village to find clues? What's with not letting us in?"
"Could it be that the instance hasn't started its game time yet?"
"How is that possible! The bloody text has already appeared!"
"Hurry up and let us in! If we don't go in, won't we miss our first time?"
"So you're just eager to lose your first time?"
"Hahaha!"
Players who still have their first time are just so reckless. After all, no matter how they die, they can always be resurrected.
Of course, there is one player who's an exception, the one without the first time. His face is becoming uglier and uglier because he had accepted it at first, but now suddenly he can't come to terms with it. He doesn't even have a girlfriend yet; he's not ready to die!
...
There really is an invisible barrier at the entrance of this village.
It's called "Water Reflecting Lotus Cover."
Unlike the Sevenfold Demonic Body Scripture, which requires Tan Shuchang to release seven shadows in order to seal off the entire dorm building, the Blood Refining Lotus Technique only requires a single lotus seal to envelop the whole village.
And Tan Shuchang did this, naturally, to prevent those fierce ghosts from escaping!
According to what his "dog-headed strategist" said, the fierce ghosts under General Huai's command mostly have a technique that forcibly snatches living human bodies and then temporarily grants themselves the characteristics of the living.
Therefore, to avoid this situation, Tan Shuchang simply used the Blood Refining Lotus Technique to seal off the entire small mountain village. From then on, the living cannot enter; only fierce ghosts can come in!
Normally, this technique would require a Demon Cultivator to practice the Blood Refining Lotus Technique for a Jiazi to perform it successfully. But Tan Shuchang has special abilities that amplify the power of his cultivation technique by refining fierce ghosts, pushing it to the utmost boundary of cultivation.
So it is after more than ten years of cultivation that he has mastered these profound and unfathomable techniques.
In the Jiawu Realm, cultivating does not require one to specifically practice Divine Skills because as one's technique reaches a profound level of mastery, Divine Skills will naturally emerge.
Of course, this doesn't mean that there is no value in cultivating Divine Skills.
As time trickled by, the game also began. Inside this small mountain village where nothing had seemed amiss, the various stone statues began one by one to come to life.
A tall figure resembling a general took the lead, followed by six other silhouettes.
Meanwhile, in two other places in the small mountain village, one was a dilapidated thatched hut housing an aged old butcher.
In a society with such backward productive forces, a butcher is usually a person of affluence, yet this old butcher appeared to be the exception — clearly there was a hidden story.
The old butcher was previously on the verge of death, lying still on the bed as if he were about to pass away, but suddenly he stood up, and his eyes shone with a strange green light.
"No rush, no rush, I still have some time..." the old butcher spoke slowly in a hoarse voice, and as he did, the green light in his eyes slowly faded away.
In another place, there was a strong blacksmith who was still forging.
The furnace was scorching hot, but the strong blacksmith was dressed heavily and wore a conical hat that concealed his face in the darkness.
Unlike the talkative old butcher, the strong blacksmith remained silent the whole time.
Suddenly, the blacksmith stopped his work and looked towards the door. The door shattered instantly, and a figure stepped in. Although the visitor was impolite in not knocking, his greeting was extremely polite, "Student Tan Shuchang has the honor to meet this respected official!"