"Not good! Run!"
Huo Yuhao shouted, grabbed Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao, and ran. But by then, it was already too late to escape.
With a deafening boom, the explosion erupted. Yan Shaozhe faced the terrifying blast head-on, while Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao were swallowed by the mushroom cloud.
The Players were naturally sent back to the Respawn Point to wait for revival at once.
Tang Yi, behind the scenes, furrowed his brow. It wasn't because not a single one of them had died, but because of Huo Yuhao.
"System, Huo Yuhao still has luck from Douluo Continent. How can I take back the luck on him? It belongs to me, and I can't let it benefit an enemy."
[The Host may spend Luck Points to temporarily seal the luck on Huo Yuhao. Once his Protagonist Halo is weakened further, the luck can be reclaimed.]
"Good. Then seal the luck on Huo Yuhao for me. Without luck to protect him, let's see how you'll turn danger into safety and misfortune into fortune now, Huo Yuhao."
[The corresponding Luck Points have been deducted. Executing... Execution complete. Huo Yuhao's luck has been sealed.]
"Hmm, Tang San's Divine Sense on Wang Dong'er was just activated automatically to protect them. Will Tang San in the God Realm sense it?"
[Please rest assured, Host. While the concealment is active, Tang San in the God Realm will be unable to sense what is happening in the lower realm, no matter the circumstances.]
"Then I can relax. This game can keep running."
Looking again at the explosion site, a Golden Phoenix had saved Yan Shaozhe's life, but both his legs were completely crippled.
That Golden Phoenix shattered as well. In fact, it had been Yan Shaozhe's Soul Core. With his Soul Core shattered, his strength had fallen below that of a Title Douluo.
And he was gravely injured here in the Star Dou Great Forest. Without rescue, there was a very good chance he would die here.
As for Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao, the three of them were unharmed. The Trident Mark that had appeared between Wang Dong'er's brows had only just faded.
The Divine Sense Tang San had left behind could protect her once or twice, but it would be useless if it happened too many times.
Wang Dong'er was the first to wake up. She shook Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao awake beside her.
"We're still alive. That's wonderful! Wonderful! Waaah..."
The overwhelming joy of surviving by the skin of her teeth made Xiao Xiao burst into tears. Just a moment ago, she had truly thought she was doomed.
"Xiao Xiao, stop crying. Let's get out of here first. It isn't safe."
Only after Huo Yuhao stood up did he see Yan Shaozhe lying in the explosion crater, both legs severed and his fate unknown.
"Elder Yan?!"
Huo Yuhao couldn't worry about anything else. He hurried over, but lost his footing and fell face-first into the dirt.
"Yuhao, be careful. Don't rush."
Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao hurried over from behind to help Huo Yuhao up, and together they went to Yan Shaozhe's side.
"Thank goodness, he's still alive. But his injuries are too severe. We have to take him back to the academy immediately."
"Mm! Then let's hurry back."
Huo Yuhao hoisted the gravely injured Yan Shaozhe onto his back and set off, but stumbled and fell again, tossing Yan Shaozhe aside.
Behind the scenes, Tang Yi stared at Huo Yuhao, puzzled. "I only sealed his luck. That shouldn't have turned him into a jinx, should it?"
The Game System immediately offered an explanation.
[Huo Yuhao's luck had already been overdrawn. Now that his luck has been sealed, the overdrawn luck is rebounding on him, so naturally, he's become unlucky.]
"Heh, is that so? Making soul tools takes luck, too. With Huo Yuhao's luck in the negatives, let's see how he'll shine in the field of soul tools."
Back with the Players, they had all been revived.
Qian Xunji: "That explosion was so satisfying. For that alone, I have to top up more."
Nine-Tailed Male Fox: "Do you think the male and female leads were blown up?"
Wang Zhongwang: "Whether you look at it from the game's perspective or the plot's perspective, they're unlikely to die."
Invincible Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "Wang Dong'er has Tang San's Divine Sense on her. She definitely won't die. At most, Yan Shaozhe might."
Mouse Loves Rice: "Yan Shaozhe probably won't die either, right? His Martial Soul is the Light Phoenix. Won't it be reborn from the ashes?"
Transforming Autobot: "Reborn from the ashes? Where did you read that? Yan Shaozhe never had a Soul Skill like that. He was only level 95 in the early story. With an explosion of that magnitude, even if he didn't die, he'd be crippled."
I Am Xiao Jian: "If you want to know whether Yan Shaozhe is dead, why not go back to the scene and check?"
Qian Xixi: "Let's distribute the spoils first."
Qian Xunji: "Right, the spoils! That External Soul Bone!"
At that moment, the Game System intervened.
[Player demand for loot distribution detected. A sealed-bid auction will now be used to distribute the items. Players may review the detailed rules themselves.]
The Players hurriedly opened the rules to take a look. The so-called arrangement was that the System would set a starting price, and Players could bid above it.
Each Player had one chance to bid. Players couldn't see what others had offered, and the highest bidder would receive the right to the item.
The bidder's Fate Coins would be split evenly among the other Players, which ensured a degree of fairness.
The Players were all satisfied with this sealed-bid method, so they began by bidding on the Three-Thousand-Year Soul Ring Age Upgrade Card.
The System's starting price was ten thousand Fate Coins. This was purely a game for wealthy Players and had nothing to do with ordinary Players. The ordinary Players were happy enough to get a little something out of it.
In the end, Transforming Autobot won the Three-Thousand-Year Soul Ring Age Upgrade Card with a bid of 14,444 Fate Coins.
Love Thor: "So there was a hidden rich guy here after all. Well, it makes sense. You can tell from the ID. Anyone who likes playing with Autobots isn't poor."
Wang Zhongwang: "Rich guy, please let me cling to your thigh! Hug-hug.jpg!"
Transforming Autobot: "I can't exactly call myself rich. I'm not even going to bid on the External Soul Bone. Let the real rich guys fight over that."
Soon, the starting price for the External Soul Bone appeared as well: 100,000 Fate Coins.
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "That's way too expensive!"
I Am an Angel: "Considering how precious an External Soul Bone is, the price isn't all that outrageous."
Nine-Tailed Male Fox: "Um... what happens if nobody bids?"
I Am Xiao Jian: "That probably won't happen, will it?"
Nine-Tailed Male Fox: "Who knows? Maybe we should ask customer service."
[If no one bids, the System will reclaim the item at its starting price, and the Fate Coins will be divided equally among all Players in the team.]
I Am Xiao Jian: "Customer service responds fast."
Spirit Hall Eternal: "Of course an AI reply is fast. A game this far beyond reality must have AI with intelligence beyond imagination, too."
Soon, the sealed-bid results for the External Soul Bone were announced as well.
Qian Xunji won the External Soul Bone of the Three-Thousand-Year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear with a bid of 150,000 Fate Coins.
Qian Xunji: "Hahaha, this External Soul Bone is mine!"
Nine-Tailed Male Fox: "Rich guy, awesome!"
I Am an Angel: "You really are willing to spend! Impressive, impressive!"
Qian Xixi: "I didn't expect him to be so willing to spend either, but it wasn't a loss. He got some of it back, at least."
Before you continue