Chapter 50: The Demonic Remake of the Azure Dragon

With a mere flick of Kabasiji’s hand, a dark beam of light erupted from his palm, streaking towards the nearly lifeless Azure Dragon.

In that very instant, the heavens and earth convulsed, thick black clouds rolled in, and the sky exploded with a cacophony of lightning and thunder.

****

“W-what?!”

The Azure Dragon, which should have fallen beneath Yi Ye Zhixia’s blade, had not only survived completely unscathed but was now brimming with full health!

Moreover, its very form had undergone a horrifying metamorphosis.

While the original Azure Dragon had been a terrifying sight, that was primarily due to its magnificent, protruding horns and colossal size; indeed, a closer look revealed a creature with a relatively gentle and streamlined physique.

This new Azure Dragon, however, was entirely black, its sharp horns and vicious claws grotesquely exaggerated, its teeth honed to an even deadlier sharpness.

Enormous black wings now unfurled from its back, and its once slender body had swelled into a formidable mass.

It no longer bore any resemblance to an Eastern dragon, instead appearing as a monstrous Western fiend.

Its name, too, had been altered to “Azure Dragon: Demonic Remake”!

“W-what precisely is happening?”

“Is this still the Azure Dragon?”

“Can we even hope to capture such a creature?”

“And if we somehow succeed, will it even count towards our mission completion?”

Hank gazed in utter bewilderment at the drastic transformation before him.

Indeed, it was not only Hank; Yi Ye Zhixia and Xue Hu, standing nearby, mirrored his stunned expression and unspoken questions.

The sudden, cataclysmic alteration had caught them entirely off guard, leaving them utterly unprepared.

“Hahahahaha! Are you still contemplating whether you can capture it?”

“My dear Old Brother Hank, your optimism truly knows no bounds!”

“I daresay merely ensuring your own survival will prove an impossible feat!”

Kabasiji roared with deranged laughter from the sidelines.

“Hahahahaha! Now that you’ve all emerged, prepare yourselves to taste the true power of the Demonic Remake Azure Dragon!”

“Old Kaba—no, Kabasiji, what in the blazes have you done?”

“Are you truly abandoning the mission?”

Hank bellowed, his voice laced with fury, at Kabasiji.

“Such an act will surely lead to your own demise!”

“Are you truly so intent on denying us the Azure Dragon that you would sacrifice even yourself?!”

“Precisely! My sole aim is to prevent you from acquiring the Azure Dragon.”

“As for my own life or death, that is hardly your concern, hahahahaha!”

Kabasiji’s laughter spiraled into a frenzied cackle, as if an unstoppable force compelled his mirth.

“Hahahahaha! Simply await your demise!”

“Flight is futile; it’s already too late!”

“Holy Light Purification!”

Yi Ye Zhixia, far from being paralyzed by the terrifying spectacle, swiftly retrieved a multitude of items from her inventory, immediately setting about to unravel their dire situation.

A brilliant white beam of holy light erupted from her outstretched hand, striking “Azure Dragon: Demonic Remake.”

Yet, to her dismay, the attack seemed utterly without effect.

“Damn it all! This isn’t a dark attribute effect; Holy Light purification is utterly useless against it.”

“How in the world did this creature achieve such a transformation?”

“Then, it was you all along—the person Xingxing knew!”

“I had my suspicions about you from the very beginning.”

“Even though I was deflecting the blame onto Xue Hu, don’t for a moment believe I genuinely thought she was the culprit!”

Hank bellowed, his face contorted in rage.

“You vile wretch, so you are the cancerous blight within this game?”

“I am truly shamed to have ever considered you a brother!”

“Indeed, I am that person. What of it?”

“What recourse do you possess?”

“Truth be told, Xue Hu uncovered my secret mission long ago.”

“It appears you were the only one left, foolishly putting your trust in others!”

Kabasiji scoffed, a mocking glint in his eyes.

“Cease your gawking at me; direct your gaze yonder, and may fortune favor you!”

Kabasiji’s finger jabbed towards the exact location of “Azure Dragon: Demonic Remake.”

The monstrous creature, having been struck by Yi Ye Zhixia’s “Holy Light Purification”—though it inflicted no damage—had been thoroughly enraged.

“Azure Dragon: Demonic Remake” unleashed a deafening roar at the group, then spewed forth a torrent of dragonfire.

In that moment, the chilling truth behind Kabasiji’s words, “Running is useless,” became terrifyingly clear to everyone.

An overwhelming deluge of dragonfire surged towards them, a cataclysmic sight that engulfed the entirety of the “Azure Dragon Forest.”

Trapped deep within the forest, their escape from the map was an absolute impossibility.

The torrent of dragonfire washed over them, inflicting grievous wounds.

Even more direly, this fiery breath bestowed upon them a barrage of debilitating debuffs—”Poisoned,” “Burned,” and “Slowed”—plunging them into an abyss of near despair.

“Damn it all! This creature is nothing like the Azure Dragon!”

“How can it possess such devastating offensive power?”

“Simply consuming potions isn’t enough to counteract the relentless drain on our health!”

Hank frantically crammed healing items into his mouth, but each item was bound by a cooldown.

No matter how swiftly he consumed them, their effects could only trickle in.

Yi Ye Zhixia, shielded by her Holy Orb, found herself in a similar predicament; unequipped, she could not endure for long, her health rapidly plummeting.

In stark contrast, Kabasiji appeared entirely indifferent to his own fate.

He neither consumed a single potion nor employed any magic to preserve his life.

He simply stood there, a smirk playing on his lips, observing the growing panic amongst the group, until his own health bar emptied, at which point he calmly fell, dead.

“Ding-dong~ Player Kabasiji, codename: ‘Heretic Ghost,’ confirmed deceased. Game paused.”

Nina’s voice resonated, perfectly timed.

“Main Quest: None. Side Quests: None. Special Quest: Ensure all players fail to capture the Azure Dragon—Incomplete (Temporary). Note: Even in death, should no player ultimately succeed in capturing the Azure Dragon, this quest will be deemed complete, and you shall be resurrected. Confidential Mission: Prevent others from discovering your mutual acquaintance with Xingxing—Failed. With both individuals confirmed deceased, this information may now be disclosed.”

“Game over conditions remain unmet; therefore, the game shall continue.

All players, please exercise caution~”