Mo Tuo still had to abide by the game rules.
He could only order the sunlight to become more intense but couldn’t directly kill Gu Zhan or stop him, nor forcefully turn him into his follower…
He could only watch helplessly as this blindfolded person walked step by step toward the city lord’s mansion.
Mo Tuo was puzzled as to why Gu Zhan insisted on going to the mansion.
“What’s the point of your futile struggle?”
“Why not just obediently give up and follow my guidance?”
Gu Zhan had never encountered such an annoying “god.” Mo Tuo kept whispering in his ear, trying to convince him to give up.
Though Gu Zhan’s eyes were covered, his ears still worked.
He couldn't help but say, “Is that all you have to say? If you don’t want me to go to the city lord’s mansion, why don’t you just kill me?”
“After all, you’re the true BOSS of this quest; can’t a BOSS even kill one person?”
“……”
Mo Tuo did not respond.
Gu Zhan finally experienced a moment of quiet in his ears.
He even thought he could hear the sound of Mo Tuo gritting his teeth.
Monsters truly could not violate the rules of the quest; the method of killing given to the sun god Kripper was to use sunlight. Perhaps because the energy wasn’t sufficient, Mo Tuo couldn’t kill Gu Zhan immediately. He didn’t even have a practical way to stop Gu Zhan from approaching the city lord’s mansion.
Of course, he also didn’t know what was inside.
He was simply perplexed by this human’s resistance and a bit infuriated.
The distance from the church to the city lord’s mansion wasn’t far, and despite their struggle, Gu Zhan still arrived.
He groped his way toward the castle’s entrance, and his astonishing memory played a significant role at this moment.
“Don’t think I can’t stop you; it’s just that I find it a shame for someone like you to die in the quest… You probably don’t realize that even death makes a difference for you.”
“What difference?”
“Giggle…” Mo Tuo laughed, “the difference between being able to continue living or not.”
“Dead is dead; continuing to live…” While Gu Zhan said this to Mo Tuo, he stepped onto the stairs leading to the castle’s entrance.
He was almost there. If he could just say a few more words to this unfortunate monster, he could slightly divert his attention.
The next moment, a gust of wind rushed toward him. Gu Zhan suddenly felt a warning bell go off in his heart. Without hesitation, he crouched down and rolled to the side, crashing against the wall.
He couldn’t control his momentum and hit his back hard against the doorframe, feeling intense pain.
Not far ahead, something crashed down, right where he had just been standing, sending dust swirling around his ankles.
“Ah, missed,” Mo Tuo’s voice was filled with regret.
“……”
The sunlight outside was too bright, and the cloth covering his eyes was practically useless. Gu Zhan opened his eyes beneath the fabric and saw that the beam supporting the door had collapsed, landing right where he had been standing moments before.
The castle door was now teetering, seeming as if it would collapse at any moment.
He barely opened his eyes, and the pain was unbearable, causing tears to stream down his face.
Gu Zhan closed his eyes again and unhesitatingly squeezed through the gap left by the collapsed beam into the castle, running toward the second floor.
Previously, to capture the city lord, he had used wind to tear down all the curtains from the walls, so the strong light would definitely fill the entire room now.
Gu Zhan took out his last wind talisman and summoned a strong wind to blow the red carpet on the ground against the walls, blocking the windows.
A long carpet was much thicker than curtains, and with this, the light in the corridor finally returned to normal.
He tore off the cloth covering his eyes, opened his stinging eyes, and found that the entire corridor had turned an ominous dark red.
Mo Tuo’s voice continued.
“What are you struggling against? From the moment you reversed the formation, everything became unstoppable.”
“With no core, even if you return here, it will be useless…”
Gu Zhan arrived at the door of the city lord's room, pushed it open, and stepped inside.
“Who says I don’t have a core?” He had already reached the wardrobe door, and the wardrobe was still standing there, with the city lord not having escaped.
“…What?” Mo Tuo’s voice carried a hint of confusion.
Gu Zhan opened the wardrobe door and saw the city lord tightly bound inside.
After a period of time spent languishing, the city lord’s consciousness was beginning to fade again. He couldn’t recognize Gu Zhan and, upon sensing the presence of a living person, lunged toward him.
However, after the transformation of the formation’s power, the city lord had become incredibly weak, and his once swift movements were now sluggish. With just one hand, Gu Zhan easily subdued him.
Mo Tuo, who had been following Gu Zhan’s perspective, was stunned.
After a while, he quietly asked, “Why is he still alive?”
Gu Zhan didn’t answer him, but Mo Tuo understood; this human had not followed his instructions and had not killed the focal point of the formation.
No wonder...
No wonder...
Mo Tuo smiled again, not at all saddened by his plan's failure.
His tone softened once more, as if he had become Gu Zhan’s good helper and partner again.
“But you don’t understand formations. Even with the focal point, you can’t reverse the magic array again.”
“Moreover, on the other side of the magic array is the shadow... Do you want the people in the city to return to their previous state? Their bodies are very weak and can’t withstand another reversal of energy.”
Gu Zhan didn’t get angry over Mo Tuo’s earlier “betrayal.”
He continued talking to Mo Tuo, as if their relationship was very good: “Perhaps you’ve forgotten, my identity in this instance is that of a magician.”
Mo Tuo: “…”
So, he could understand the collected works of the church.
He understood the bloodline inheritance of Garen and the city lord, the relationships between several formations, and how to reverse and then reverse the energy again.
As for the shadow on the other side of the formation... Gu Zhan also had his own solution.
This time, he drew the red line of the formation onto himself.
The moment he placed the city lord’s mansion on the focal point, a powerful energy surged toward Gu Zhan uncontrollably.
The sensation was strange; he clearly knew that on the other end of the energy formation was Mo Tuo.
The energy still bore Mo Tuo's warmth, yet it all flooded into his body, filling him with the feeling of sunlight.
But that wasn’t all; the energy continued to pour into his body. Along with this process, Mo Tuo’s aura grew heavier around him, wrapping him as if he had fallen into Mo Tuo's embrace.
The distant deity was once again pulled to the ground, seeming to whisper closely in his ear, with a hint of a smile and mockery in his voice: “Did you not realize? This power originally belonged to me... Do you really want my things to enter your body?”
“…”
Gu Zhan... Gu Zhan could no longer speak.
He was being washed by a power that didn’t belong to him, his limbs, heartbeat, and mind no longer his own.
He felt as if he were soaking in a deep pool named “Mo Tuo,” his heartbeat uncontrollably frantic.
It was full...
Couldn’t... couldn’t let go...
But the deity's energy was not so easily exhausted.
Mo Tuo chuckled lightly, seemingly mocking humanity's foolishness.
The sunlight outside the window was gradually weakening; everything seemed to be returning to normal.
Daytime was over; night was approaching.
Shadows enveloped the sky. As the moon rose, another cool power came to Gu Zhan's side, helping him absorb this strong, solar energy.
“Humph, meddling.”
Mo Tuo snorted coldly, displeased, waving this power away.
He even approached Gu Zhan himself, holding this half-unconscious human in his arms.
There was still so much left.
Such a big appetite.
But he had to swallow it all.
Mo Tuo smiled again, gathering the energies and condensing them into a glowing orb, slowly pressing it against Gu Zhan’s body.
Finally, that slender hand rested on Gu Zhan’s lower abdomen.
All the energy was absorbed by a human body.
When the moonlight illuminated Hassan City, the sleeping people finally awoke.
Mo Tuo placed Gu Zhan on the ground and completely left this place.
Before leaving, he gave Gu Zhan a faint smile.
The mortal who stole his power would meet again.
---
Gu Zhan didn’t know how long he had slept; he only felt pain all over, especially in his lower abdomen, which ached and throbbed.
Drowsily, he turned over, only to be jolted awake by various discomforts in his body.
Opening his eyes, he saw the luxurious ceiling of the city lord’s mansion. As he pushed himself up to sit, his hands almost gave out, and he nearly fell.
He had no choice but to lie on the ground for a moment to adjust.
His body felt very strange.
It was as if he had endless strength, able to destroy everything he saw.
Yet his muscles were sore, and his limbs were completely uncooperative.
After moving a bit, he regained some control over his body.
He felt like a person who had drunk too much but still had to run a marathon, slowly rising from the ground.
Outside the window, a bright moon hung high.
It was quiet around him; the talkative Mo Tuo didn’t speak, presumably no longer glancing his way.
Had he disappeared? Or was he hiding? Gu Zhan couldn’t tell.
He got up and looked over at the bed, where the city lord, after two transformations of the magic array, had completely lost his power and turned into a pool of pus.
It was dark and emitted a terrible odor.
He had actually been lying next to this pool of pus for so long.
The thought made him feel nauseous, and Gu Zhan quickly got up and walked outside the room.
After a few gusts of wind, he stepped into a scene of devastation in the corridor. All the windows were blown open, and the decorative items on the walls lay scattered on the floor, entangled with the rolled-up carpet.
The dark red carpet was also in tatters, with many unidentifiable stains mixed in.
Gu Zhan leaned against the wall and slowly walked outside.
As he reached the staircase, he heard “bang, bang, bang” of footsteps outside. He stopped, only to see Garen running over from the other end of the stairs.
Upon meeting, Garen nearly burst into tears: “Benefactor! You’re still alive!!”
He hurried to Gu Zhan’s side. Noticing his odd posture, he supported Gu Zhan’s arm and asked, “What happened to you?”
“Nothing...” Gu Zhan found it difficult to explain that he had just absorbed too much energy, and this human body couldn't handle it.
He directly changed the topic: "How's it outside?"
Garen was indeed fooled by him: "Everyone is awake! Benefactor, you really saved Hasan City!!"
Hearing this, Gu Zhan finally felt relieved.
At least his points wouldn’t be deducted.
Gu Zhan leaned his weight onto Garen and said, "Let’s go out and take a look."
The two stumbled out of the lord's mansion.
When they reached the entrance, they saw the collapsed beams, and Garen looked fearful: "Good thing it didn't fall on you."
Gu Zhan thought to himself that this was the trap Mo Tuo set to kill him.
The BOSS in this instance really didn’t have enough authority; otherwise, if Mo Tuo had pulled some strings at the last moment, he could have died while still absorbing energy within the formation.
Perhaps Mo Tuo's true intention wasn’t to kill him; he just found everything amusing and was messing around.
After all, an interesting toy needs to stay alive to continue to be fun in the next instance.
The two slowly walked out of the lord's mansion. As soon as they stepped outside, they saw a crowd of people, familiar and unfamiliar, all rushing towards Gu Zhan.
"It’s you who saved us!"
"Thank you!!"
"From today on, you are our new god; we want to make a statue for you!"
Hearing the word "statue," Gu Zhan's heart sank, and he quickly refused: "No, no need."
The crowd was insistent, eagerly surrounding him.
Their fervor for a god didn’t diminish at all; it merely shifted from the God of the Sun and the God of Shadows to Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan waved his hands, urging Garen to take him away.
They managed to escape the enthusiastic crowd in a rather disheveled manner.
On the way to the village, Garen asked Gu Zhan, "You're now the great hero of Hasan City. What do you want to do next? Staying in our village would be a waste of your talents; why not let them make you the lord of Hasan?"
Gu Zhan thought to himself that if they were going to build him a statue, could he still just be a lord?
The risks of being a lord were too high; who knew when he might be led astray and take a wrong path?
Just like Hasan's predecessor.
Gu Zhan stopped in his tracks.
He suddenly felt that this instance was about to end.
Garen didn’t understand why he stopped and also came to a halt, staring at him intently.
The joy in the boy's eyes was still evident; for him, resolving a big trouble and saving his family and friends was a reason to be happy.
But Gu Zhan understood they were about to part ways.
Gu Zhan said to Garen, "That Mo Tuo mentioned there’s an altar outside Hasan; he went to deal with it, but in the end, he pulled a fast one on us. I'm worried and want to check it out personally."
"Ah?" Garen seemed confused about what Gu Zhan wanted to do.
But he quickly realized, and his demeanor became tense.
"Are… are you leaving?"
"Yes, I’m leaving."
Garen fell silent for a moment and said, "Alright, but your health isn’t good. Shouldn’t you rest in the village first?"
"No, I’m fine." Gu Zhan refused.
Garen seemed to understand something; he realized he couldn't stop Gu Zhan from leaving.
This feeling… was like destiny descending.
Gu Zhan said, "Let’s part ways here."
"Okay, then… safe travels."
The boy’s expression was clearly reluctant, but because of that feeling of destiny, he didn’t say anything to keep him. He just stood by the path to the village, quietly watching Gu Zhan leave.
Even though he felt reluctant inside.
Gu Zhan took another path.
Knowing Garen was watching him, he didn’t stop. It wasn’t until he had turned a few corners that he finally collapsed in the grass by the roadside.
The energy in his body hadn’t been fully digested; he had merely become a vessel of energy like the former lord.
After this bout of movement, the energy surged again, threatening to burst out of his body and return to its original owner.
If this instance didn’t end soon, Gu Zhan would die.
Fortunately, this game wasn’t that malicious; from the monsters to the system, they all adhered strictly to the "rules."
As long as Gu Zhan achieved a happy ending, they wouldn’t mess with the little details and take his life.
He hadn’t been lying by the roadside for long when he heard the system's notification.
"Congratulations, player Gu Zhan, for completing the solo instance 'Curse of Kripper,' completing the main quest to save Hasan City, earning 60,000 points, and completing the side quest to save young Garen, earning 30,000 points..."
As expected from a solo instance, the rewards were generous.
But there was one issue...
When calculating the number of deaths, this damn instance counted the church personnel turned to stone as well.
Those people didn’t get saved and all died.
"…The total number of deaths in the instance is 160. Deducting 160,000 points from player Gu Zhan. Calculating points..."
"Finally, player Gu Zhan has earned a total of 59,875 points. Congratulations on completing the task!"
Gu Zhan: "…"
After hearing the entire calculation, Gu Zhan's heart felt like it was on a roller coaster.
When he heard that over a hundred people from the church had died, he thought he was going to become a homeless person in Chun Bai Cheng.
But he didn’t expect Hasan City’s population to be over ten thousand. With each person worth 100 points, it surprisingly compensated for the deaths from the church.
So, was this part of the plan?
The church personnel were unlikely to survive, but if they hadn’t saved the people of Hasan or saved too few, that number would have been difficult to compensate...
This damn instance.
Gu Zhan thought this, and familiar teleportation awaited him.
He was going back.
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