Stand Up and Fight for Me!

"Clatter." The first thing to spill out was a small pile of coins.

[Obtained: Gold Coin x10, Silver Coin x100, Copper Coin x100]

"Not bad. It's not a huge fortune, but it's enough for me to splurge on some forging."

Next came a scroll emitting faint magical fluctuations.

[Obtained: Recording Scroll (Single-Use)]

[Description: Can record and preserve a segment of footage. It is said that some LSP might use it to... Ahem. In any case, it is an excellent tool for scouting.]

Su Li: "??? Sure enough, lewdness is the primary productive force. Even the NPCs in a game world are no different."

Finally, Su Li fished a heavy golden claw from the very bottom of the bag.

The claw was forged entirely from gold and exquisitely crafted, every scale lifelike. Three unique symbols were carved into its palm.

[Obtained: Golden Dragon Claw]

[Description: The key to opening an ancient Nord... no, an ancient undead ruin. It is said to conceal an unsolvable puzzle.]

"So it really is this thing." Su Li played with the dragon claw in his hand and curled his lip.

"Other than this key, there isn't any top-tier gear. Mad Axe looked pretty strong, so why was he so poor?"

After putting away the loot, Su Li did not rush to open the door.

Although he was very interested in the treasures within the ruins, this was a dungeon specifically designed around the Golden Dragon Claw. The final BOSS was most likely a BOSS with the Ghoul Tyrant template.

"Soloing is risky. Team fights are the way to go."

As a cautious player, Su Li decided to call Pipi Finger over first.

After quietly closing the mod, Su Li walked out of the Mass Grave.

That coward Lainer had long since fled without a trace. Before Su Li had gone far, he spotted a staggering figure beside a patch of bushes.

"Hah... hah..." Mad Axe had completely lost his human form by then.

The skin all over his body had festered, and Crimson Corruption had invaded his internal organs. His once-burly body twisted in agony, leaving a pool of bloody water on the ground with every step.

After walking a little farther, he leaned against a tree. He was barely breathing.

Su Li stepped forward and confirmed that the other party had lost the ability to resist.

Hearing the footsteps, Mad Axe raised his head with difficulty. When he saw the white skeleton standing before him, astonishing hatred and unwillingness erupted from his clouded eyes.

"It's you... cough, cough... you... damned..."

That look was venomous and despairing, as though he wanted to devour Su Li alive.

Su Li's steps paused slightly.

"This game's AI is seriously incredible. That look of hatred is way too real, it's giving me chills."

But it was only a momentary sigh.

Su Li had no so-called saintly heart. Being merciful to an enemy was being cruel to himself, not to mention this guy had been an adventurer planning to farm him for experience.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes." Su Li raised the Corrupted Iron Sword in his hand and, without another word, viciously slashed at Mad Axe's neck.

"Shhk—" The sound of a sharp blade slicing through flesh.

"Ahhh—!! Damned skeleton!! Even if I become a ghost, I'll definitely..."

Mad Axe let out one final shrill curse before his head rolled to the side.

[Congratulations on your kill! Human Berserker (Lv10 · Elite)]

[Experience bonus obtained for defeating a powerful enemy above your level!]

[Experience +200, Strength +5, Constitution +5, Agility +3]

[Quest Completed: Strong Enemy Approaches (Cautious Build)]

[Reward Obtained: Strength +3, Constitution +2, Spirit +2, Experience +50]

A golden pillar of level-up light shot into the sky!

[Congratulations, level up! Lv5 → Lv6, Current Experience: 160/1600]

[Free Attribute Points Obtained: 3]

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Current Status Panel:

[Level: Lv6]

[Strength: 24, Agility: 13, Constitution: 21, Spirit: 23, Faith: 2]

Looking at his completely renewed status panel, Su Li felt terrifyingly powerful.

"Damn, these stats. I'm a proper all-rounder now!" Su Li nodded in satisfaction.

"Once I learn prayer skills, I'll become a heavily armored mage with strength, agility, intelligence, and faith all developed. Then I can peacefully be a Prayer Lord tossing skills from the backline."

After admiring his attributes, Su Li's gaze fell on Mad Axe's corpse.

"Though you're dead, this equipment hasn't completely rotted away. Recycling it should fetch a little money..."

Just as he stretched out his sinful skeletal hand to loot the corpse—

"Crack, crack..." The body on the ground suddenly twitched.

Then, under Su Li's astonished gaze, Mad Axe slowly stood up.

But he was no longer the human berserker he had been before.

Dark Red Soulfire ignited from his severed neck. His skin was covered in corrupted crystals, the wounds that had once bled stopped seeping, and were replaced by a hard callused layer.

He stiffly turned around and dropped to one knee before Su Li.

[Passive Activated: Corrupted Enslavement]

[Current Servant: Corrupted Berserker (Lv10)]

[Status: Undead Transformation / Corruption Transformation (Retains 80% of combat power and weapon proficiency from life)]

"Well, damn?!" Su Li clicked his tongue inwardly.

"This guy became my underling? And he even retained his combat power?"

This was a Lv10 berserker! In a beginner village, he was practically an existence that crushed everything by sheer level difference!

Su Li instantly abandoned the idea of recycling the equipment.

"Stand up! Fight for me!"

Pipi Axe obediently stood, then picked up the Double-Edged Battle Axe from the ground and stood behind Su Li like an iron tower.

Looking at his headless warrior, Su Li found him more and more pleasing to the eye.

"From now on, when there's trouble, you go first. I'll protect you from behind!"

"Then, Pipi Axe, let's go! We're going to pick up your Senior Brother!"

Some time later.

Su Li led his little companions grandly to the door.

"Now then, let me solve this age-old puzzle that has supposedly stumped countless Aetherland adventurers and is said to be impossible to solve."

Su Li took out the Golden Dragon Claw from his backpack and gave the complicated Mechanism Lock Plate a look as though it were an idiot.

Then, he silently turned the dragon claw over.

Three distinct symbols were carved into its palm: bear, moth, owl.

"Seriously, if the designer made this puzzle to prevent theft, then water must have gotten into his brain."

Su Li shook his head and reached out to turn the rings on the door.

Click. Outer ring—bear.

Click. Middle ring—moth.

Click. Inner ring—owl.

Finally, Su Li inserted the Golden Dragon Claw into the recess at the center.

"Rumble—!!!" The long-sealed mechanism let out a deep roar.

The heavy stone doors slowly opened to either side, and an even more ancient, decayed stench rushed toward them.

Su Li stood at the entrance and looked inside. When he saw the sight within, he could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

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