Chapter 93: Testing Courage in the Lion’s Den

Shattered fragments of iron and armor rained down from above, striking Simmons and Leche’s faces with a scorching sting. They fired their guns wildly ahead, but their detested Huaxia adversary had already vanished.

“Yiran! This isn’t over!” Simmons howled at the sky, only to be promptly apprehended by the arriving reserve guards, bundled into a vehicle, and driven away.

Inside the Sandra Hotel, staff members were conducting a thorough, person-by-person inspection. The security around the guard station was impenetrable; there was no way a thief could have slipped inside. The only possibility left was an inside job, perpetrated by hotel staff.

It didn’t take long for them to identify five suspects—the only five outsider guests staying at the hotel. The guards soon reported that two had been caught, while the remaining three were still at large. Though an explosion had shaken the grasslands, it had not harmed any nearby protected animals, so tourists had nothing to fear for the time being.

Thus, despite their lingering fears and unease, the NPCs gradually settled down. The sky was just beginning to lighten; some people returned to their rooms for more sleep, while others made their way to the restaurant for the first wave of breakfast.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?”

A tender, youthful voice rang out. Wang Gang looked down—it was his daughter, Wang Li.

“Heh, nothing at all.”

“Daddy, I heard Mommy say that Uncle Yiran disappeared yesterday.” Wang Li’s eyes were clear and innocent; she hadn’t thought much of it.

“That’s right. Uncle Yiran had something urgent to do, so he went back early,” Wang Gang replied, fabricating an explanation to placate her. Yet his wife’s gaze lingered on him, meaningful and pointed.

“Luo Yun, Yiran may be an outsider, but he’s one of us—Huaxia, just like us. He’s a good man and has helped us a lot. I think it’s only right that I help him this time.”

His wife nodded in agreement.

Wang Gang offered a broad, reassuring smile, then strode into the nearby security office.

“Respected Security Manager, Yiran is my friend—a warrior who once completed a mission for me. He left last night due to urgent business but will return by morning. I’m willing to vouch for him with my personal credibility.”

…

With only ten minutes of stealth time left, Li Xin suddenly felt a sharp sting in his nose, and two tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.

“Huh... What’s happening to me?”

After a long period of peace, the Black Lion pride had suffered a rare ambush and killing; now, every lion was restless, on high alert for further threats. Though those humans had perished, there was no telling if more would come.

The wounded lioness was escorted by the pride to the mountain near the Lion King, where she received care under their protection. Far in the distance, a dozen fully armed guards were combing the area, searching for the suspect.

Li Xin sighed. For many reasons, he was unwilling to reveal his identity as an adventurer.

“Damn, if I’d known, I wouldn’t have doubled back—my own greed got the better of me.”

He gave himself a light slap, regretting his decision. Judging by the lioness’s status, she was clearly important—a regular monster limited by her level, but with the strength of an enhanced class.

“I’ll have to risk it. I’ll finish off the lioness, grab the loot, and get out. If push comes to shove, I’ll add more points on the fly.”

He spent two minutes refining his plan, then rushed swiftly toward the mountain’s peak. Black Lion Ridge was expansive and, though teeming with lions, most areas were sparsely guarded. Approaching the lioness, he saw his stealth time had dwindled to six minutes.

“World’s Illusions, Dragon Slayer Blade.” Whatever he envisioned could become reality. In a flash, the legendary Dragon Slayer Blade from the CF game materialized in his right hand.

“Charge! Blitz!” With two skills unleashed in quick succession, Li Xin surged forward with tiger-like momentum. He closed in without hesitation, slashing decisively as he neared the lioness.

The already grievously injured lioness lay on the ground, recovering slowly. The attack came too swiftly; she had no time to react and perished instantly.

Crash! A deluge of loot spilled forth.

Without stopping to examine it, Li Xin snatched a sheet of paper, a dagger, and a handful of gold coins, then bolted down the mountainside at top speed.

The pride roared in fury, their cries echoing across Lion Mountain and sending all the beasts into a panic.

“Something’s happening!” The guards’ faces blanched as they rushed toward Lion Mountain. Upon closer inspection, they saw the pride had lost seven lions.

“Damn it! Seal off the entire reserve and search for that wretched thief with all our might! I’ll see him in prison if it’s the last thing I do!” the captain roared, nearly hoarse with rage.

The Black Lion’s Burning Flame skill erupted, instantly engulfing the whole ridge. Everything except the pride itself was to be utterly incinerated.

“Shit, shit!” Li Xin cursed under his breath, his body ablaze with heat. His boots and leg gear felt on the verge of melting.

“These lions are too ruthless.”

“No matter—I’ll risk it all.” Gritting his teeth, he poured another ten points into speed, making the most of his soon-to-expire phantasmal state.

At this point, Li Xin’s speed stat had reached seventy, allowing him to sprint at eleven meters per second for 130 seconds. With this burst, he escaped through the rear slope of Black Lion Ridge.

Summoning his mechanical eye, he saw his HP had dropped to thirty. In just five seconds, he’d lost seventy health—a staggering rate.

As for his health in “Odyssey,” he barely cared; after all, he could revive on the spot three times.

With one minute of stealth left and 105 seconds of speed boost remaining, he could still run invisible for 660 meters—enough, he hoped, to evade the guards’ pursuit.

But fate had other plans. As Li Xin was making his excited escape, a black, fiery tongue—two meters long—suddenly shot toward him from behind. Before he could react, it engulfed him completely.

Ding!

“Silver Combat Boots dropped!”

Ding!

“Left Golden Bracer dropped!”

Two crisp notifications echoed as Li Xin’s dissolving form swore furiously: Damn it!

There are two types of resurrection: immediate and delayed.

Immediate resurrection: You die here, you revive there.

Delayed resurrection: Four options—3, 6, 9, or 12 seconds.

Upon death, the game screen turns dark; the player chooses a resurrection method, but events in-game continue unseen.

Twelve seconds dragged by interminably for Li Xin, each moment stretching into eternity. The Lion King’s attack, a sneak assault though it was, packed a punch rivaling three Dire Wolf Kings. If the Black Lion King or the guards were waiting at his death site, reviving would be like a lamb stepping into a lion’s jaws.

“Ugh, what a headache.” Li Xin rapped his forehead; the pain was real.

At last, he revived. From the instant he reappeared, he pushed aside all thought. His phantasmal state was gone, but with ten-some health points left and no cooldown, his attributes remained unaffected.

“Go!” he whispered, transforming into a streak and darting away.

Crack! A sharp gunshot shattered the air, relentless in its pursuit.