The wind at the rift's exit howled, carrying with it a cold stench of blood.
In barely a quarter of an hour, the South Ridge Plain was packed with players.
On one side stood the frenzied followers, weapons raised, shouting "Long live the Residual Blood Maniac!"
On the other side glared the greedy hunters, eyes fixed on Xu Zhu as if gold already glittered in their hands.
Between the two surging tides, the air stretched taut, ready to explode.
——
[System Prompt]:
World Event Stage Three. The first clash between Followers and Hunters is about to begin.
Event Core: Residual Blood Maniac.
Objective: If the Residual Blood Maniac survives, the Follower faction wins. If he dies, the Hunter faction wins.
——
Fatty Third's face turned chalk white, the stone in his hands trembling so badly it almost slipped. "Big bro… there's too many! Not dozens, hundreds!"
Ling Xue raised her sword before her chest, eyes cold as frost. "No choice. Xu Zhu, you can only kill forward."
Xu Zhu slowly lifted his head. Residual Edge lines blazed across his vision, death trajectories flooding like a tidal wave, his mind nearly tearing apart.
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 93%]
[Warning: On the verge of extremity]
His throat tightened, voice low yet clear enough to cut through the wind:
"One drop of blood is enough for me to carve a road of slaughter."
——
[Battle Start!]
The Hunters roared and charged!
At the front were Baqiang Alliance's heavy shield and spear lines, advancing like an iron wall.
Xu Zhu stamped forward, his figure surging out, Residual Edge blazing like fire!
His staff swept wide, smashing aside spear tips with precision, and in the same motion shattered two shield-bearers' throats!
Boom!
The iron wall split open with a gaping hole!
"Follow me!" Ling Xue cried coldly. Sword flashing, she pierced through the gap, cutting down three foes in quick succession.
Her movements flowed sharp and lethal—the first time her swordsmanship shone with the edge of a true top-tier warrior.
Fatty Third stumbled close behind, hurling stones wildly. Though aimless, by sheer fluke he brained two assassins trying to strike from behind.
"Did I… just get the hang of this?!" Fatty Third gawked at his own luck.
——
The Followers roared deafeningly: "Residual Blood Maniac! Carve the blood road!"
They surged forward, recklessly throwing themselves into the fray to hold back the Hunter tide.
The air filled with blood and screams.
Every step was laid atop corpses and flame.
——
Baqiang's vice guildmaster's eyes gleamed cold. "Kill! At all costs! If he lives, we die!"
The Hunters pressed again, dozens of archers drawing as one. Arrows rained down like a storm.
Residual Edge burst once more!
Xu Zhu's world fell silent, every arrow's path laid bare before his eyes.
He barked sharply: "Down!"
The three dropped flat. The arrow rain screamed over their scalps, instead skewering swathes of Hunters on the far side!
The channels detonated:
[Holy shit! He predicted the arrow storm!]
[Residual Edge at the extreme!]
[This isn't human!]
——
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 96%]
[Warning: Imminent loss of control]
Blood trickled from Xu Zhu's ears, his vision dimming to black in pulses. Yet his grip on the staff was unyielding, his gaze sharp as blades.
"My one drop of blood does not perish— I'll carve through this storm in slaughter!"
His step thundered down, staff swinging with ferocious power, smashing a heavy-armored warrior open in a spray of blood!
The corpse fell, the blood road torn open at last!
——
Followers howled, Hunters bellowed, and the South Ridge Plain drowned in blood and storm.
And there, on that blood road, Xu Zhu—the Residual Blood Maniac—trod forward step by step, his back straight as a lone blade braving the tempest.