Chapter 4: The Bloodwood Coffin

Looking at the rewards he had obtained, Qin Yu smiled slightly and immediately used the skill books.

Learned: [Advanced Shadow Step] and [Fade into Shadow].

Qin Yu had possessed the [Shadow Step] skill in his previous life as well.

[Passive Effect: Grants a 5% chance to dodge attacks.]

[Active Effect: Increases dodge chance and movement speed upon activation. The dodge chance scales with the skill’s level: 10% for Basic, 15% for Intermediate, and 25% for Advanced.]

[CD: 60s, Duration: 10s]

‘Fade into Shadow… I haven’t seen this one before…’

It was a skill obtained only by successfully completing the Shadow Sprints challenge with an S-Rank on the very first try.

This meant that Qin Yu was the only one who possessed it.

Even if someone else achieved an S-Rank later, they would only receive [Advanced Shadow Step] and not [Fade into Shadow].

[Fade into Shadow] currently could not be leveled up.

[Active Effect: Grants immunity to all attacks for five seconds while in shadow.]

[CD: 12h, Duration: 5s, can be charged twice.]

Seeing the skill’s effects, Qin Yu had nothing to say—it was a god-tier skill, an absolute god-tier skill.

Five seconds of immunity to all attacks was a crucial life-saving ability.

With this, he could evade many fatal strikes, buying himself the opportunity to counterattack or escape.

Although the cooldown was long—limiting it to twice a day—having two charges made it worthy of its value.

Qin Yu stood at the exit of Shadow Street waiting for Sugar.

If she didn’t come out within another minute, he would leave on his own; time was money, and he wouldn’t tolerate anyone holding him back.

With thirty seconds left, Sugar finally emerged from Shadow Street, completing the Shadow Sprints quest.

Her evaluation was A-Rank, so she only received the [Intermediate Shadow Step] skill book.

An S-Rank required a perfect run without any mistakes, and there was only one chance to attempt it.

To get [Shadow Step] at all, the minimum requirement was a B-Rank, which granted the [Basic Shadow Step] skill book.

Sugar didn’t lose out too much; compared to Qin Yu, who had foresight, she was already very impressive among the player base.

“You’re too slow.”

Leaving behind those words, Qin Yu continued forward.

Sugar had just come out of the darkness and hadn’t even caught her breath yet.

“Hey! Don’t be in such a rush to leave…!”

Sugar chased after him again.

“Shh. Don’t say another word once we move two steps forward, and keep every movement as light as possible.”

Qin Yu explained the situation to Sugar.

Sugar nodded and complied, making a zipping motion over her mouth followed by an “OK” sign.

She owed it to Qin Yu that she had passed the Shadow Street challenge; this guy really seemed to be a pro, and she had gotten lucky this time.

Today’s fortune for Sugar was “Great Luck”!

Shortly after passing Shadow Street, they spotted a wide graveyard in the distance.

It looked incredibly eerie and terrifying, with many monsters wandering about.

[Blind Gravedigger – Tier 2]

There were about twenty of them.

Sugar covered her mouth tightly and made her movements as light as possible, while Qin Yu moved easefully and naturally, making no loud sounds.

‘I’m here, Xiao Xue…’

Qin Yu looked toward a specific spot in the graveyard and spoke these words in his heart.

He walked resolutely into the cemetery.

A cold wind blew by, and Sugar glanced at the graveyard’s name: [Nameless Graveyard].

Qin Yu had already entered, while Sugar was a bit behind.

Anxious, she quickened her pace.

Snap.

Sugar accidentally stepped on a branch, making a sound.

The group of Blind Gravediggers immediately turned their faces toward her location and began to run over.

Seeing this, Sugar wanted to flee, but Qin Yu was quick to react, covering her mouth and throwing a stone into the distance.

The gravediggers rushing toward them instantly changed direction, and Qin Yu quickly pulled Sugar away from the spot.

“I didn’t mean to.”

Sugar apologized with a look of grievance and helplessness.

Qin Yu didn’t reply but led her deeper into the graveyard.

Thanks to the commotion just now, most of the gravediggers had been drawn away.

However, what Qin Yu was about to do would inevitably attract their attention, so he needed someone to distract them.

As for that person, it was naturally the “tool” by his side, Sugar.

Otherwise, why would he have brought her along?

Without her, Qin Yu would have had to lure a dangerous group of monsters from outside to start a conflict with the gravediggers so he could fish in troubled waters.

Now, it wasn’t so complicated; he just needed her to make noise and keep drawing the gravediggers’ attention.

Reaching a certain spot, Qin Yu stopped.

Sugar didn’t know what he wanted to do, why he stopped here, or why he came here at all…

“Go and lure those gravediggers away.”

Qin Yu communicated with Sugar using hand gestures.

“What? You want me to lure the mobs?”

Sugar was a bit upset hearing this—how could he let a beautiful girl like her lure monsters? Was he even human?

And if she was luring them, what would Qin Yu be doing?

“That’s right. You just need to say yes or no.”

Faced with Qin Yu’s choice, Sugar thought for a moment and agreed to help; after all, she had received so many favors from him, and it was time to repay them.

And so…

“COME AND GET ME!!!”

Sugar shouted at the top of her lungs, instantly drawing the attention of every gravedigger.

Having attracted them all, Sugar began to run frantically through the graveyard, while Qin Yu took the opportunity to start his work.

He picked up a rusty shovel nearby and began digging into the ground at a specific spot.

Clang—

After digging for a while, the shovel struck something.

Qin Yu set it down and reached out to brush away the surrounding dirt.

The corner of a red Bloodwood coffin was revealed.

Qin Yu bit his finger, enduring the pain as he began the ritual.

“With my blood, I trade for your life…”

This was the Blood Alliance Oath that person had once used on him; now, it was his turn to use it.

“…Blood of the Bloodwood, please awaken my destined one!”

The coffin made of Bloodwood began to tremble, shaking off the surrounding soil.

The entire Bloodwood coffin began to emit a blood-red light, matching the color of the blood moon.

The coffin floated up, standing upright in mid-air, its brilliant light enveloping the entire graveyard.

Seeing this, the patrolling monsters outside also began to swarm toward the graveyard.

“What on earth is that?”

Sugar, who was still running, was stunned when she saw the phenomenon.

By the time she snapped out of it, the gravediggers were already swarming toward Qin Yu.

“Yu! Watch out!”

Sugar shouted a warning.

That was the nature of the ritual; the light could temporarily restore the sight of the Blind Gravediggers.

Looking at the gravediggers closing in on him, Qin Yu had no intention of using any of his skills.

Sugar thought Qin Yu was surely dead, but in the next second, the Bloodwood coffin opened a sliver.

Schwing! Schwing! Schwing!

Blackish-red blood spikes appeared out of nowhere, impaling all twenty-plus gravediggers from top to bottom, creating a bloody execution ground beneath the blood moon.

To put it simply, they looked like lamb skewers.

Sugar vomited at the sight, finding it intensely unsettling; the imagery was far too realistic.

But Qin Yu felt no ripple of emotion in his heart; he had seen this scene countless times before.

“Human, was it you who awakened me?”

A sweet voice reached Qin Yu’s ears.

Hearing that long-lost voice, Qin Yu’s eyes grew somewhat moist.

“Why do you know the Blood Alliance Oath?”

Question after question followed; the owner of the voice was very curious about this human.

“If I said you were the one who taught it to me, would you believe it?”