Necromancers are frantically stationing troops in the apocalypse.

Chapter 1101, Board Game

Zombie world.

Time slipped by quietly like quicksand, and in the blink of an eye, another week had passed.

In the dense forest at the foot of a Mexican volcano, Wu Heng sat cross-legged, surrounded by a layer of faint energy fluctuations.

Suddenly, the system prompt sounded suddenly.

【Level increased to level 20. 】

【Promoted to hero.】

【Unlocked feature: Hero's body. 】

The moment the voice fell, a tremendous wave of energy surged from the void and quickly merged with the magic power in his body.

This feeling couldn't be more familiar; it was the resonance between heaven and earth that occurred when one entered the heroic realm.

Strands of tiny but bright light peeled off from the air, like awakened stardust, slowly pouring into his body.

The magic power of the dead intertwined with the original energy between heaven and earth, transforming into a vast energy that washed over his limbs and bones.

From afar, the entire sky seemed to be pouring down a stream of fragmented and flowing starlight, all rushing towards where Wu Heng was.

After the last bit of starlight sank into his body, Wu Heng slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, three figures approached rapidly.

Lilith spread her wide bat wings, descended from the sky, and landed lightly on the ground. Behind her, the wood elf sisters also ran over quickly, their faces full of concern.

"Hero again?" Lilith asked.

Wu Heng smiled and nodded: "Yes."

Lilith hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but ask, "Why...so fast?"

It only took half a month to go from level one to hero.

Even if we were to take the old route again, the speed was so fast that it was almost weird.

"It was just luck." Wu Heng chuckled.

"I don't believe you!" Lilith rolled her eyes at him, but didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she said, "We just came to see if you were okay. Do you want to go back together?"

"I'll practice for a while and then go back for dinner in the evening." Wu Heng shook his head.

It is just noon now, and the original training plan must continue.

What's more, being a hero is far from the end of the world.

"Okay, then you practice and we'll talk about it tonight." Lilith didn't persuade her any more. She gestured to the wood elf sisters, and the three of them left quietly as if the Tathagata had arrived.

Wu Heng stood alone for a moment, his mind moved slightly, and he called out the system panel.

【Faith: 45724/50000】

The faith value is still more than 4,000 points short.

Wu Heng's brows gradually furrowed.

After my rebirth, the growth rate of my faith has slowed down significantly.

This is obviously not in line with common sense. I thought about it and tried to figure out the possible reasons that might have led to this.

The first point is that the spread of faith itself has encountered a bottleneck. The second point is that it is more likely that the Holy See’s crackdown on the Lingqi Sect in the other world has had an impact.

The zombie world has a huge population base, so the possibility of reaching saturation is not high.

The problem, I'm afraid, lies on the other end.

"Will the eviction of the church diminish my original faith?"

If you think about it this way, it is not impossible. The Holy See attaches great importance to churches, and the campaign against the gods and the destruction of religions also describes the cleansing of churches of other sects.

Most likely, it is linked to faith.

"I'm not able to interfere with the other world right now, but at least here, I can give it another push."

Wu Heng made up his mind, sat down cross-legged again, and practiced the fourth level of the "Creation Sutra".

Perhaps because he had returned to the heroic rank and stolen a trace of the energy of heaven and earth, he absorbed the original energy at a significantly faster speed and his efficiency was far superior to before.

Sure enough, the speed of cultivation is closely related to one's own realm.

……

As dusk fell, Wu Heng used teleportation to return to the living room of the camp.

At the dinner table, the family sat around and had their meal.

Wu Heng took a few bites, put down his cutlery, and said, "I plan to have Shannara and the others come over tomorrow. Staying in the prison all the time is not conducive to cultivation."

"What about the others?" Lilith asked, looking up.

In addition to Shannara and others, there were also a group of priests from the Lingqi Church brought from Treasure Island, Philippa's mother, and others who had close ties with Wu Heng.

The reason we took them away was to guard against the gods' revenge.

"Let Celia manage it! There are enough supplies there, so temporary living is not a problem." Wu Heng replied.

Ceria is the Archbishop of Treasure Island.

The missionary manual was for her use.

Lilith nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Wu Heng turned to look at Minnie, "Minnie, please find some time to call Shannara and tell her what happened."

"Are Robert, Annette and the others coming too?" Minnie asked.

"Everyone from the Island Master's Mansion come here."

"Okay, master!"

After dinner, everyone dispersed.

Minnie dialed Shannara's number, while Wu Heng contacted Li Yahong.

On the other end of the phone, Li Yahong reported on the latest situation of the base and the Dawn Alliance, and everything was normal.

Wu Heng pondered for a moment and then got to the point. "How has the Lingqi Sect been developing recently?"

"It's going smoothly. The cult is still rescuing people in remote shelters. There are no problems."

"Is there any way to quickly add a group of believers?"

"Quick?" Li Yahong asked doubtfully. "There are already quite a few followers of the Lingqi Sect! Is there something special they need?"

Wu Heng did not explain the truth about faith value. Even if she did, it would be difficult for her to understand now.

"I have my own uses. Do you have any suggestions?"

Li Yahong was silent for a moment, then said, "Then I'll discuss it with Sister Zhao and tell you once I come up with a plan."

"Okay, contact me anytime when you have a plan."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Heng said goodbye to the people at home, teleported away again, and continued to practice.

……

The next morning.

The convoy stopped outside and several figures walked in quickly.

"Wu Heng!"

"grown ups……"

"Owner……"

Shannella, Viola, Bernie, and Annette all came forward and threw themselves into his arms with smiles on their faces.

Although Viola was a little reserved, her eyes were filled with unconcealable joy.

Wu Heng patted their backs and said with a smile, "Alright, we'll start practicing together tomorrow. Those who practice the Body Refining Technique will go to the volcano with Lilith, and those who practice the Creation Sutra will stay near the camp, especially Shannara..."

He paused deliberately, then reached out and gently pinched her buttocks: "Keep working hard."

Shannella's cheeks flushed slightly as she mumbled in response, "I know...!"

After letting a few people get familiar with the environment here, they dispersed and went to practice on their own.

……

As dusk fell, lights began to come on in the camp.

Wu Heng finished a day of training and used teleportation to return to the camp.

At this time, it was quite lively here.

As soon as I entered the hall, I saw Philippa, Robecka, Annette and the wood elf 'Sylvain' sitting on both sides of a long table, staring intently at a fluorescent chessboard in the center of the table.

All around, Minnie, Viola and others also watched quietly.

Wu Heng took a few steps closer, his eyes fell on the chessboard, and his eyes narrowed.

[Gygax's Game Board (Strange Item)]

This was the strange artifact that belonged to the former dwarf chieftain. Later, the association awarded it to him as a first-class merit. Wu Heng always felt that this object was strange and dangerous, and never used it. In the end, he entrusted it to Viola for safekeeping.

After all, the effect of the chessboard is still significant. It can pull all heroes into the game and force the game to be completed.

This alone makes it a very high-level control item.

But I didn't expect that they would actually use this thing as a toy for entertainment.

At the main seat of the long table, a translucent male ghost was floating, hosting the game.

Wu Heng stared at the ghost, but the other party did not react at all, his eyes always fixed on the chessboard, as if it was just an illusion created by the rules.

But Wu Heng clearly remembered that the last time this chessboard was used, the ghost host had used the rules to instigate discord, causing the death of the religious leader.

Wu Heng always suspected that he had independent thoughts.

"Why did you think of playing this?" Wu Heng asked Viola in a low voice.

"I had nothing to do tonight, and Philippa wanted to play, so I gave it to her," Viola explained softly.

"Are you not afraid of danger?"

Not far away, Lilith, sitting on the sofa, gently shook her wine glass and replied calmly, "This strange object is not as strange as you think. In the past, it was often used as a toy in Bruno's hands. With you and me here, even if there is any accident, we can handle it."

The implication is that even if someone dies, they have the ability to resurrect.

Since Lilith said so, Wu Heng didn't know what to say.

He nodded slightly and turned to look at the chess board.

The ghost host spoke slowly at this time, with a long tone.

The team dressed up briefly and boarded the carriage to the ball! The dice of fate began to roll...

"There's definitely something wrong with this duke!" Philippa lowered her voice, her eyes flashing with eagerness. "If we get the chance, we'll just stab him!"

"How can games be so free?" Robbe said helplessly, "You can't do whatever you want."

"Sylvain!" Philippa turned to the wood elf. "You have high attributes. When you see the opportunity, strike!"

Sylvain raised the corner of his lips, "Well, I don't think he's a good person either."

The host continued, his voice calm but tinged with coldness, "You arrive at the ballroom. Resplendent with gold and jade, crystal chandeliers burn brightly, and guests in rich attire, wearing elaborate masks, dance an endless and graceful waltz."

[However, their laughter was hollow, and their eyes beneath their masks were lifeless, like the upright skeletons you are familiar with.]

[You are swept away by the music and involuntarily merge into the dance floor.]

[One by one, the men invite you to dance, their steps perfect, their fingertips icy cold.]

"There's definitely something wrong! I've read the entire series of The Great Detective Stories and I'm familiar with the plot!" Philippa continued to analyze it at every opportunity.

[At the end of the song, the Duke suddenly spoke in a low voice, trying to pry into the purpose of your visit and the secrets deep within your hearts.]

[Adventurers, you are being spied on by lies.]

[Charm 44 points, exempt from this damage. ]

[The elegant wood elf not only exempted himself from damage, but also wove lies to counterattack, confusing the Duke.]

[Although the other foolish vassals did not see through the situation, they were lucky enough to escape the disaster thanks to their companions.]

[Fortunately, the Wood Elf obtained the [Badge of Hypocritical Kiss] from the Duke, Charm +2.]

[Note: After the game ends, all temporary attribute bonuses disappear.]

[After a brief pause, the music begins again! The dice of fate roll again...]

[The foolish vassals still wanted to dance, while the wood elves wore their emblems before them.]

The Duke stands by the window, 'admiring' the unchanging, fake moonlight. He turns around, his face smooth and featureless.

All the guests in the hall suddenly stopped. They turned out to be corpses in gorgeous clothes, their limbs and heads suspended by silk strings, dancing like puppets.

He sensed the wood elf's horrified expression and the hostility it displayed.

He reaches out his hand to you, and all the 'guests' in the ballroom turn towards you, a pale light gleaming in their empty eye sockets.

【All 'people', attack you. 】

[Adventurers, you are under siege.]

【Strength 35 points, immunity to damage.】

[The warlike Wood Elf once again led her burdensome teammates to break through the encirclement.]

"You are the burden!" Philippa finally couldn't help it and turned her head to curse.

"You wrote the plot just to scold us, right?" Catwoman Robey said dissatisfiedly.

"That's right, my strength should be 35!" Annette also said.

……

Wu Heng walked over and sat down next to Lilith.

"Are there any clues about the ball of light related to the gods recently?" Lilith asked softly.

"No, there's nowhere to check this kind of stuff." Wu Heng took a sip of tea.

"Your world's historical records should be more complete than ours," Lilith mused. "A 'god' capable of causing global infection shouldn't be completely undocumented."

Wu Heng shook his head. "There are many legends, but compared to Goddess Nuwa, those who spread the plague virus are at most monsters, not worthy of being mentioned in public."

"Hmm! This is taking too long." Lilith said, then turned and asked, "How long will it take you to break through to the hero level?"

"It's almost time! Then, we'll go pick up Xiaoxiao together." Wu Heng reached out and gently held her hand.

Lilith smiled and held his hand, saying comfortingly, "Don't worry, Xiaoxiao is so smart. Even God can hardly find her if she wants to hide."

Unless the gods personally go to capture her, ordinary heroes will not be able to track the whereabouts of a level 20 ghost.

"I know." Wu Heng nodded.

"Is there a photo of her mother? I want to see it." Lilith suddenly asked.

"It's saved in my old phone." Wu Heng thought for a moment, "It's also on the forum. She's the Archbishop of this world."

The two leaned against each other, Wu Heng took out his cell phone and swiped the screen to look for Zhao Yanqiu's photo.

……

Not far away, the board game continued.

The ghost host's speech slowed down and became fluent again.

You killed the evil duke and found a key.

[Go up to the top floor and use the key to open the attic door.]

[Inside the room, a massive spinning wheel weaves countless glowing threads, which flow along the floor and walls. This is the source of the threads that control the corpse puppets.]

[The spinning wheel has detected its prey and is attacking you.]

[Agility 31 points, immunity to damage.]

[During the battle, the nimble little thief grabbed a torch from the corridor and threw it accurately into the spinning wheel. The flames instantly engulfed the spinning wheel and burned the mansion along with it.]

【Congratulations on completing this adventure. 】

"It's over! I told you the Duke was not a good man!" Philippa said triumphantly.

"I feel the most perverted one is the old butler who appeared in the first chapter. He is a human himself, but in order to imitate the vampires, he insists on drinking human blood..." Annette said with a smile.

"They're all quite perverted... Anyway, we won, so the solution was pretty good." The wood elf also said.

Philippa said, "Don't make the level difference so big next time. Sylvain's attributes are too high."

"It's also good to have a high attribute belt, so as to avoid real danger."

While several people were laughing and discussing, the ghost host's voice did not stop.

[After the fire, you began to search for spoils in the ruins. You found a piece of parchment that was not burned by the flames, and there was a line of small words written on it!]

[Intelligence 37 can be cracked. ]

[The clever wood elf understood the crooked words above and read them aloud softly.]

[I heard you were investigating the legend of the Plague God! He could bring calamity and destruction. Bring your sincerity, and I'll share some insider information!]

[How will you choose?]

After the words fell, the four of them resumed their actions and looked at each other.

"What did you mean by that?" Philippa looked confused. "Isn't the story over yet?"

And not far away.

Wu Heng and Lilith raised their heads at the same time and looked at the chessboard sharply.

The last whisper didn't sound like a line from a game.

As if... it was said specifically for them.

(End of this chapter)