Ling Feng’s expression tightened as he looked at the two recovery crystals in Shagu’s hand. A worst-case scenario flashed through his mind.
How could this be?
How could this happen?
No!
It definitely couldn’t be!
Ling Feng shook his head in dejection, refusing to believe, unwilling to believe, that the outcome would be like this.
Seeing Ling Feng’s appearance, Shagu sighed softly and spoke gently.
“It’s no use. The damage overflowed; the crystals won’t work anymore.”
These words shattered Ling Feng’s self-deception.
In an instant, Ling Feng’s eyes welled up, tears streaming uncontrollably.
“Why… why did this happen!”
“I told you to wait for me at home… Why did you come…”
“Didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t take a blow for me again? Were you lying to me?!”
Hearing Ling Feng’s choked sobs, Shagu’s heart ached as if being torn apart. Tears welled up in her eyes, and all her words turned into a single apology.
“I’m sorry…”
“No… it’s not your fault, it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t met you… if I could have been stronger… you wouldn’t have… I’m sorry!”
Shagu watched Ling Feng weep uncontrollably, her heart filled with pain. She reached out and gently wiped away his tears.
Looking into Ling Feng’s eyes, Shagu smiled radiantly and shook her head.
“No… I’ve never regretted meeting you, Ling Feng, nor do I regret taking that sword for you.”
“If I hadn’t met you, Ling Feng, I might have died in some forgotten corner long ago. I wouldn’t have seen so many ‘beautiful sights’.”
“In the past… you were always protecting me. Now… it’s my turn to protect you once.”
“It’s just a shame… this is probably the only time.”
“Before I die, there’s something I want to tell you… I’ve kept this word buried in my heart for a long time.”
“I know… this isn’t the best time to say it… but if I don’t say it now, there won’t be another chance.”
“…”
“I like you!”
“I like the you who always protected me, always took care of me, encouraged me, and stayed by my side.”
“You are the person I like most in this world!”
Ling Feng’s heart trembled. He realized that this girl named Shagu had already carved out a place for herself in his heart.
At the same time, he knew that he had become an indispensable part of this girl Shagu’s heart.
“No… you won’t die. We promised to escape this death game together.”
“I’m sorry… I might have to break that promise. You must live on, carry my share, and lead everyone out of here!”
Shagu placed the two recovery crystals in her hand into Ling Feng’s as her body suddenly emitted a dazzling light before shattering into energy fragments.
Simultaneously, Feng Mo clattered to the ground, its blade’s luster dimming slightly.
Ling Feng’s dazed hand reached out, trying to grasp Shagu as she dissolved into energy fragments, but it was all in vain.
In an instant, Ling Feng’s tears poured down like a torrential rain.
For some reason, his heart ached as if being sliced by knives, piece by piece.
Images of memories in his mind played one after another like a slideshow.
[Wu: Can I follow you? If there’s danger, you don’t have to worry about me.]
“Why?”
[Wu: Because my sixth sense tells me that being by Ling Feng’s side is the safest place in the world right now.
Also, I… I want to learn from you, learn how to fight, to be able to protect myself and survive in this world.
I won’t be a burden to you. I can cook, make fires, and handle logistics. If there’s danger, you don’t need to worry about me.]
…………
“Promise me, we’ll escape this death game alive together.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“No, pinky promise.”
“Are you a child? So childish?”
“I’m only twelve this year, am I as old as you?”
“Alright, alright, I concede. Pinky promise.”
…………
“This time, you be good and don’t try to imitate me and rush into fights with monsters. Last time, if I hadn’t arrived in time, the consequences would have been severe.
And I was just knocked away. What do you mean by rushing to take a blow for me? Whose HP and defense are higher, yours or mine? You’re not allowed to do this next time.”
“I’m sorry, don’t be angry. I’ll never act on my own again. It’s Christmas today, I’ll treat you to candy.”
…………
“You… aren’t you short of a secondary sword? I’ll give you this one.”
“This sword is?”
“This is a sword I specially forged for you.”
“Forged for me? Feng Mo?”
“Mm… I combined our names to give it its name.”
“The name is beautiful. Thank you, Shagu. I really like this surprise.”
Each scene felt as vivid as if it had happened only yesterday.
“Shagu, you won’t die. I still have the Feather of Revival. Wait for me, I’ll find you!”
Ling Feng remembered the resurrection item he had obtained.
[Host, in Shagu’s condition, the Feather of Revival will not be effective.]
[Her consciousness was devoured by a Chaos creature, equivalent to losing one-third of her soul, the earthly soul. She will only lose consciousness and become a vegetable, not die. Therefore, the Feather of Revival will not work.]
[Furthermore, even if you kill Shagu and then use the Feather of Revival, it will be ineffective. If the physical body dies and the soul dissipates, it would be fine, but Shagu’s soul has been devoured.]
[The Feather of Revival cannot revive a creature that has lost such a crucial element. In other words, revival can only restore Shagu to a vegetative state with a missing earthly soul.]
“How could this be… Is there no way then?”
Ling Feng was struck by lightning, despairing.
“No, I still have the system lottery. There must be something in the system lottery that can revive Shagu.”
[There are many things in the system lottery that can revive Shagu, but whether you can draw them depends on your luck.]
[Besides this method, there is another way to save her, which doesn’t require a revival item: killing the Chaos creature.]
[It will take the Chaos creature several minutes to fully devour and digest Shagu. If you kill the Chaos creature within this time, you can still rescue a tiny bit of the earthly soul’s consciousness. With time and nurturing, she can recover fully.]
Ling Feng’s body trembled. He looked at Fen Ji and Feng Mo by his side, and the recovery crystal Shagu had entrusted to him in his hand.
…………
On the other side, after absorbing Shagu’s energy fragments, the Blood God’s aura surged by a notch.
The Blood God floated in the air, spreading its hands, a look of enjoyment on its face.
“So delicious!”
“As expected of a Lord of Fortune, such a dense power, truly the finest nourishment in the world.”
“And you, don’t be in a hurry. Obediently turn into my nourishment and join her in my belly.”
The Blood God’s eyes narrowed. With a wave of its hand, several black stone-like tendrils instantly condensed and shot towards Ling Feng through the air.
How could it forget Ling Feng, who had killed it once? Seeing Ling Feng kneeling on the ground with a vacant stare made the Blood God feel immensely pleased.
Bang!
“Ling Feng!”
After finally annihilating the Mirror Strategy Team, just as they were about to support Ling Feng, he was once again in a desperate situation. Kirito and Klein shouted towards the billowing smoke.
“Hahaha! Ants are just ants, trying to kill a god!
Don’t worry, the greatest threat has been eliminated. Now it’s your turn.”
The Blood God cackled incessantly.
“Damn it, this guy is much stronger than any boss we’ve encountered before.”
“Even the strongest Sword Saint is dead, can we really survive?”
The players were terrified, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. They looked at the gray-robed figure floating in the air with fear in their eyes.
“Amaterasu Dragon Dance!!!”
Suddenly, from within the dust, a purple-gold dragon soared into the sky, charging towards the Blood God with unstoppable force.
The Blood God didn’t even have time to react. It was instantly bitten by the giant dragon and plummeted rapidly.
“Bastard! Give Shagu back to me!”
Within the dragon, Ling Feng’s eyes were bloodshot, roaring with rage. He furiously swung his sword, hacking relentlessly at the Blood God.
His attack speed, attack power, strength, and other attributes were several times higher than before.
He was a completely different person from the usual Ling Feng.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, Ling Feng was sent flying by the shockwave, rolling several times on the ground before managing to stop himself.
Ling Feng shook his head, feeling dizzy.
“Ling Feng! Are you alright!”
Kirito and the other strategy team members rushed to Ling Feng’s side and asked.
“I’m fine.”
Ling Feng shook his head, staring at the smoke with complex eyes.
“Is that guy dead?”
Kirito looked into the smoke. Logically, the Blood God should have died from an attack of this magnitude.
However, before they could ponder further, the Blood God’s enraged voice echoed throughout the boss room.
“Damn ants!”
“You have completely provoked me!”
Accompanying the roar, a strong wind swirled up from nowhere. Then, a thick, black beam of light shot up into the sky.
As the beam of light slowly dissipated, a terrifying monster with a massive body and dozens of huge, black tentacles waving towards the sky appeared before their eyes.
Instantly, an oppressive and fearful aura washed over them.
“What… what is this monster!”
“So scary!”
“Such a terrifying monster!”
Before the battle even began, several players were so intimidated by the Blood God’s terrifying pressure that their legs turned to jelly.
“Fear! Despair! This is… the true form of a god!”
“All you ants! Turn into my nourishment!”
“Swish!”
The Blood God’s scarlet eyes flashed. Instantly, a massive tentacle slammed down towards them.
“Careful!”
Kayaba Akihiko immediately raised his shield to block in front of everyone.
Bang!
With a deafening roar, Kayaba Akihiko, shield and all, was pushed back several steps, nearly unable to withstand the impact.
“How is this possible? Even Kayaba Akihiko’s defense was almost unable to withstand it? How strong is this monster’s power?”
“How can we possibly defeat such a monster?”
Klein looked at the terrifying octopus-like monster in horror.
After all, Kayaba Akihiko was the strongest defender in SAO. Even he was repelled by a single blow.
How could they possibly block this attack?
“How will we know if we don’t try! Being constantly afraid is worse than facing it directly, don’t you think, Master?”
“That’s right! The Evil King’s True Eyes and the Dark Flame Demon Lord working together are the strongest!”
“And me, Neko-chan!”
“Klein, if you’re scared, you can just say so.”
“How could I possibly be scared! Kirito, don’t talk nonsense!”
Ling Feng gripped Fen Ji and Feng Mo tightly. He glanced at the colossal figure, then at Kirito and the others, and said solemnly.
“Everyone! Those who were killed by him before have a chance to be revived, so… please lend me your strength!”
Everyone looked at Ling Feng and nodded.
“Yeah, this isn’t just Ling Feng’s fight anymore.”
“Isn’t it just fighting a boss? That’s what we’re best at!”
“Yosh! Let’s go! The final battle!”