Chapter 120: Demon Hunter's Evolution of the Infernal Chain
A shadow flickered—the captain’s skeleton vanished in an instant. The spear thrust into empty air, plunging only into the chair, which, already on the verge of collapse, finally shattered into pieces with a crash, meeting its end at last.
A sense of foreboding crept over Lin Xiao. He spun around, scanning every direction, only to see the captain’s skeleton standing before the ship’s wall where a map hung. Its skull tilted upward, gazing at the chart as if lost in thought, pondering which direction to pursue.
“India, the fabled kingdom of spices—where are you, truly?”
Lin Xiao said nothing. With a single leap, he charged forward, spear of holy light poised to strike. Yet again, the specter flickered and the captain’s skeleton appeared at the window, hands clasped behind its back, gazing far into the distance.
“Here, amidst ice and snow and biting cold, a violent storm rages like divine wrath. The crew fight the tempest, each one a master of their craft, veterans of wind and wave, once proud conquerors of the sea. But the will of heaven is unfathomable. When God grows angry, even the bravest are helpless, and one by one, they fall. The cruel hand of nature claims the lives of all. O sea, my mother, will you at last mete the harshest punishment upon your children?”
---
“Damn it, is this some kind of joke? Are you toying with me? I’m no pushover either, you know?”
After several failed attacks, Lin Xiao was fuming. He stowed away his Star Destroyer Axe, raised a single hand, and intricate patterns wove tightly across his palm.
He activated the Lightning Summoning Talisman.
Determined to finish this in one strike, he unleashed his LV3 exceptional ability—Chain Lightning.
Three serpentine bolts of lightning appeared overhead, writhing as they dove, encircling the captain’s skeleton. The overwhelming masculine energy filled the captain’s cabin, leaving no place to hide, no room to flee.
The captain’s skeleton lifted a hand; a vortex-like storm blossomed at its palm, spinning at high speed. One by one, the three thunderbolts hurtled into the storm’s eye and vanished without a trace.
“What the hell—necromancer?”
Lin Xiao was startled. This captain’s skeleton, elusive as a ghost, could even cast spells—such a thing defied all reason. What manner of being was this?
“Heavenly Father, grant me guidance, let me see the shore of hope. I beg you, extinguish your wrath, calm the storm, have mercy for our unintended trespass. I offer my soul as sacrifice—please show me the way forward. Let the far shore appear before our eyes.”
Lin Xiao’s brow furrowed, unease mounting in his heart. For some reason, ever since this began, odd thoughts had echoed in the air, as if someone were chanting, calling, pleading for some unknown force to descend.
A thick darkness surged, like ink spilling into a clear pool—the room was plunged into blackness, impenetrable to the eye.
To his shock, Lin Xiao realized that the sacred light he had always relied upon was snuffed out, cowering beneath the oppressive power of the dark.
When gods are powerless to save, it is then that devils roam.
---
Suddenly, the darkness heaved and rolled, black mists roiling madly—a strange thought echoed in Lin Xiao’s ear:
“Mortal, would you offer your soul as sacrifice in exchange for the way forward? I can help you break through the storm. I can guide you to the right path. I can lead you to the shore of hope. Will you give me your soul?”
Lin Xiao’s eyes glazed over. He was clad in a captain’s uniform, mouth opening as if to agree.
At that instant, blinding black light erupted from his left hand—a darkness brighter than any sacred light.
The ultimate darkness is, indeed, light.
“What is this... I didn’t know, I didn’t know it was you, forgive me—I am guilty…”
A terrified cry, trembling with dread, rang out from the black mist—an abject fear that cut to the bone.
Lin Xiao mechanically raised his left hand. A voice of terrible authority issued from his lips:
“You are guilty!”
His left hand reached out. A massive demonic claw tore through the black mist with a thunderous rending, its five fingers closing around something formless, gripping it tight.
“Mercy!”
“No mercy.”
A black hole formed in his palm, a dreadful suction emanating from it. Amid nameless screams, the presence dissipated and vanished without a trace.
Darkness retreated.
...
“Phew—what just happened?”
Lin Xiao opened his eyes to find himself still standing in the captain’s cabin. On the floor lay a collapsed skeleton, a tattered captain’s uniform draped over its bones.
“Ha! Got you. All that leaping about, but now, you’re done for.”
He gloated, but then a sense of unease crept in. How had this thing died? He didn’t recall landing a decisive blow.
Wait—he had attacked, almost unconsciously unleashing the Demon Hunter’s Hand.
His gaze shifted to his left hand. As expected, a layer of glossy black scales covered his entire forearm. Evidently, in that life-or-death moment, he’d triggered the Demon Hunter’s Hand without thinking, vanquishing the captain’s skeleton.
[Ding! The system has detected that the host’s Demon Hunter’s Hand has absorbed an unknown demonic power. Your LV2 skill, Left Hand of the Demon, has been refined by demon power and evolved to LV3: Exceptional Ability: Demon Chains. Unleash the demonic power within your left arm to conjure a demon chain, capable of capturing intangible demons or evil spirits. Success rate is 50% for entities of the same level; for each level higher, success rate halves. Each use consumes 300 mana.]
“It evolved? The Demon Hunter’s Hand actually evolved? It absorbed real demonic power—could it be that the captain’s skeleton was a demon?”
Lin Xiao stared at the bones, baffled. Something felt off, but he couldn’t quite grasp what. A faint unease lingered—he sensed the Demon Hunter’s Hand was becoming harder to control.
---
Back when he played DNF, he’d chosen the “Avenger” subclass for the Priest—a class renowned for using demonic power to hunt demons, but with notorious side effects.
Demonic influence would gnaw at the mind, driving a person increasingly mad, until, in the end, one became a true Fallen, lost to darkness.
Could such a fate await him as well?
“No, that can’t be. The system detected the demonic power and was able to make it my own. That proves the system is of a higher grade than any demonic force. What am I worrying about?”
Understanding this, Lin Xiao’s spirits lifted. Demonic power or blood power—power itself is neither good nor bad. What matters is the hand that wields it.
If the person is good, power is justice.
If the person is wicked, power becomes evil.
With this conviction, he glanced at the skeleton on the ground, opened the captain’s cabin door, and stepped onto the deck.
Below, on the river, his own yacht was moored. Eleven and Duke Caron and the others lay scattered, insensible, inside the cabin. It seemed their spirits had been trapped on the ghost ship, endlessly looping.
“A golden opportunity—perhaps I should seize the chance to eliminate Duke Caron and rid myself of future trouble.”
The thought flashed through Lin Xiao’s mind. He leapt from the ghost ship and landed on the yacht’s deck.
He made his way into the lounge, walked straight up to Duke Caron, and drew his Star Destroyer Axe, ready to finish off the vampire lord.
But just as he raised the axe, the unconscious Duke Caron suddenly opened his eyes, fixing Lin Xiao with a cold, mocking stare.
“Boy, do you really think that lopping off my head would kill me?”
Shit—Lin Xiao awkwardly lowered his axe, forcing a laugh.
“No, you misunderstand—I was just using the axe to try and wake you up.”
Duke Caron sat up, scrutinizing Lin Xiao from head to toe.
“Judging by your look, we’ve finally broken the loop and escaped the ghost ship’s curse?”
“Indeed! It was all thanks to your wise guidance that I managed to accomplish this feat.”
Lin Xiao hastily put away his axe, grinning to mask his intentions. He’d missed the chance to kill Duke Caron. Worse, the vampire lord had seen the murderous glint in his eyes—this could spell trouble.
“Hmph, spare me the act. I see through you, boy—you have all sorts of tricks, even breaking the ghost ship’s curse. But if you think you can kill me so easily, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Duke Caron’s smile was cold and false. Clearly, both men were schemers at heart.