Sun Fei clenched his fist excitedly. Sure enough, he could enter the [ Nightmare Difficulty ] version. It seemed his previous guess was correct. Following this pattern, after clearing the [ Nightmare Difficulty ] version, the legendary ultimate difficulty, [ Hell Difficulty ], should be next?
With a thought in mind, Sun Fei chose the [ Nightmare Difficulty ] version.
Buzzing.
The scene before him shifted, and the feeling of traveling through a time tunnel returned once again. Unlike his first entry into the Diablo World, this time Sun Fei felt a sense of vastness and vicissitude, as if dozens of centuries had passed. When everything before him froze again, Sun Fei found himself in the first act of the Diablo World's grand map, [ Rogue Encampment ].
The sky was overcast, and everything felt gray and gloomy.
Just like in the computer game in his previous life, Sun Fei in front of the campfire in the camp. About twenty meters away from him was the familiar [personal storage box] space.
Based on my memories of computer games from my previous life, the so-called [ Nightmare Difficulty ] version is actually just replaying the tasks I experienced and completed in the five acts of the [ Normal Difficulty ] version. The storyline is almost identical, the only difference being that the monsters and demons in this difficulty world are significantly stronger.
In other words, with Sun Fei's current strength, defeating the final boss Baal in the [ Normal Difficulty ] version is only a matter of time, and he won't encounter any danger. However, it's a different story in [ Nightmare Difficulty ]. The monsters' strength has increased exponentially. Even a single ordinary [ Fallen ] outside the camp could pose a threat to Sun Fei. If he encounters a horde of monsters, then Sun Fei will have no choice but to run for his life. Getting caught in one will definitely result in his death.
Of course, the monsters' increased strength also brought great benefits to Sun Fei.
That is, the experience points gained from killing a single monster will increase exponentially, and the large amount of equipment and gold coins dropped after death, especially the amount of gold coins, will be significantly higher than in the Yuan Dynasty's Normal Difficulty world. For Sun Fei, who was eager to improve his strength, this was obviously no different from a traveler who was about to die of thirst in the Shamo suddenly encountering an oasis and a clear spring.
Sun Fei's only question right now is: in the new difficulty level, what roles will the NPCs play?
Will they possess intelligence? In the current [ Rogue Encampment ], will we encounter a second Elena, a second Akara, a second lecherous old man Cain... a second character exactly like the one from the previous difficulty level?
Are they the same people as before?
Or perhaps...
To be honest, Sun Fei was extremely reluctant to get to know his 'second friend' again.
In his heart, he naturally hoped that these people were all unique.
Just like people in the real world, no matter how humble or insignificant they are, they are absolutely unique, unlike clones where several appear at once.
The people in the [ Normal Difficulty ] version of [ Rogue Encampment ] have completely transcended the category of NPCs. There's the cunning, stingy, and strict Sister Akara; the cowardly yet exceptionally learned Uncle Cain; the cold, loyal, and highly skilled mercenary leader Kashya; the enthusiastic, hardworking, and voluptuous blacksmith Charsi; and of course, the beautiful and strong Elena, who is like Valkyrie... In Sun Fei's heart, these are all flesh-and-blood people, living, breathing human beings. His Majesty the King has never treated them as cold, impersonal NPCs.
Sun Fei hopes that the friends he has made in the Diablo World are living, breathing people, not copies that can be easily replicated.
Just as he was feeling uneasy, a familiar voice reached his ears—
"Hello, stranger. I'm not surprised to see your kind. In these troubled times, many adventurers travel from afar to this place. Undoubtedly, you've heard of the tragedy that befell Tristram, and some even say that Diablo of Terror, has once again set foot on this world..."
This shimmering blue outfit, this unchanging tone, this typical Arab attire—it was none other than Warriv, the Arab caravan leader affectionately known by countless players as the 'perpetually ignored extra.'
Sun Fei stared nervously at the boatman dressed in blue, trying to figure out if he possessed the same wisdom as the character in the [ Normal Difficulty ] version.
After a long while, Sun Fei gently exhaled a breath of stale air.
This Warriv is not that Warriv.
He lacks the intelligence of the previous difficulty version. Like the other NPCs in the four major maps of the previous version, such as Lut Gholein and Kurast Docks, besides Rogue Encampment, he does not possess his own intelligence and is merely an ordinary NPC needed to advance the game's plot.
"That's much better. I don't have to run into another Elena."
Reaching this conclusion, Sun Fei felt a sense of relief. He traversed the entire [ Rogue Encampment ], encountering all the NPCs. Like Warriv, they were all devoid of intelligence, rigid and inflexible like computer programs. Sun Fei also picked up the first quest of the [ Nightmare Difficulty ] world from the 'rigid version of Sister Akara' —to clear out the monsters in the evil caves of the Blood Moor Den of Evil outside the camp.
The weather remained gloomy, and this world was even more corrupted by evil forces than the world on Normal Difficulty.
The moment you step out of the [ Rogue Encampment ], a strong aura of evil washes over you.
Sun Fei soon encountered the first monster in the Nightmare Difficulty world—the [ Quill Rat ].
Compared to its counterparts in the Normal Difficulty world, this creature was twice the size, almost like a calf, exuding a powerful aura. To Sun Fei's astonishment, this monster, which could be considered the weakest in the Nightmare Difficulty world, was actually comparable in strength to a Nine-Star Class Peak expert in the real world, more than a hundred times stronger than its counterparts in the Normal Difficulty world.
Clang!
Sun Fei slashed with his One Sword, blood spurting out, killing the [ Quill Rat ].
With Sun Fei's current strength, defeating Nine-Star Class expert in an instant is naturally not difficult.
The next second, something miraculous happened. A drop of golden liquid, about the size of a small water droplet, floated out from the dead [ Quill Rat ]'s corpse and quickly disappeared into Sun Fei's body like a swallow returning to its nest.
"This is..." Sun Fei felt a hot, warm current spreading through his body, a wonderful sensation that was hard to describe.
Everything seemed different from the Normal Difficulty world. Sun Fei remembered that in the Normal Difficulty world, after killing each monster, only a wisp of white mist would drift into his body. The extremely comfortable and blissful feeling he just experienced only occurred when leveling up.
Sun Fei pondered this in his mind and began his next journey of killing monsters and leveling up.
Next, in the Blood Moor, he encountered two other types of monsters: Fallen and Zombies. Compared to their counterparts in the Normal Difficulty world, their strength was hundreds of times greater in both attack and defense. Despite Sun Fei's careful advance, he inevitably suffered some injuries and lost health, consuming several bottles of Full Recovery potions.
Finally, as they approached their destination, the [ Den of Evil ], Sun Fei had already slain a total of fifty monsters.
A full fifty drops of golden liquid merged into his body.
The instant the fiftieth drop of liquid merged into the body, an incredible, miraculous transformation finally occurred—
In the hazy gray sky, everything seemed to suddenly freeze. Then, a golden beam of light shot down from the heavens, enveloping Sun Fei. This beam of light acted like a magical catalyst, triggering an incredible chemical change within Sun Fei's Sun Fei the instant it entered his body. It was an indescribable feeling; every cell in his body was like a world and universe collapsing, compressing, and then exploding within Sun Fei's body. Everything returned to its most primordial origin, and then radiated and expanded outward from this origin, forming new cells.
At the same time, two wisps of golden mist suddenly emerged slowly from Sun Fei 'Sun Fei body, flowing like a gentle stream into his limbs and bones.
The fifty drops of golden liquid that had previously merged into Sun Fei's body instantly fused together upon encountering the two clusters of golden mist, transforming into a powerful force. Like a raging torrent, it continuously assaulted every Dou Qi channel, every drop of flesh, and every bone within Sun Fei's body, constantly refining, transforming, nourishing, and renewing him, much like a raging wave crashing against a beach, each impact altering the beach's appearance.
Sun Fei could clearly feel that every part of his body was becoming stronger and stronger.
This is a qualitative change.
This is a complete sublimation.
When the 'golden waves' within his body washed over him for the ninety-ninth time, another change occurred, and an aura never before seen began to emerge from the depths of Sun Fei's soul.
Second update.