Curse Returns, a gamble from the start, I awaken dual spells

The countdown numbers jumped on the screen, each number like a heavy hammer blow to the heart.

[Countdown: 27...26...25...]

Without hesitation, Rito rushed toward the nearest exit the instant the countdown began.

The wound on my right leg was still throbbing, but I couldn't care less about that now.

Once the deathmatch mode is activated, there will be a 120-minute lockdown period, with a high-concentration curse energy shockwave every ten minutes.

Add to that that damned rule of forced elimination, and it's basically an elaborately designed slaughterhouse.

And all of this was directed at him.

[Countdown: 19...18...17...]

Li Ren's figure sped through the passageway of the waiting area, his eyes quickly scanning every corner, every door, and every possible exit.

The structure of this waiting area is very simple: a central hall plus three outward-extending passages.

He had just confirmed that all three exits of the central hall were blocked by a crimson barrier, but there might be other exits at the end of those three passages.

He plunged headfirst into the passage on the left.

The dimly lit corridor was only illuminated by a few flickering fluorescent lights overhead, and the cursed patterns on the walls pulsated slightly like blood vessels, emitting an ominous red glow.

Li Ren's footsteps echoed in the corridor.

ten meters.

Twenty meters.

Thirty meters.

At the end of the corridor was a heavy metal door.

A glimmer of hope ignited in his heart. He quickened his pace, rushed over, grabbed the doorknob, and pulled hard...

Not moving.

A crimson light shone through the delicate crack in the door, and the barrier, like a living thing, spread along the door frame, sealing the entire door shut.

"Damn it!"

Li Ren let go of her hand and turned to run back the way she came.

[Countdown: 11...10...9...]

9 seconds left.

He rushed back to the central hall and plunged into the passageway on the right.

However, what I saw was the same structure, the same corridor, and the same metal doors.

And there's also the same crimson barrier.

[Countdown: 3...2...1...]

Om-! ! !

The entire waiting area was suddenly jolted.

A massive surge of magical power erupted from the ground, sweeping across the entire space like an invisible giant wave.

Rito felt the ground beneath his feet tremble, and the cursed patterns on the walls began to glow, the light changing from dark red to bright red, and then from bright red to a dazzling golden red.

Countless cracks appeared in the ceiling above, from which golden-red light poured down, turning the entire waiting area into a blood-red world.

Deathmatch Mode is now active!

[Lockdown complete!]

[Countdown to the first wave of cursed energy shockwave: 10:00]

The blood-red characters flashed on the screen, like a victor's declaration.

Rito stood in front of the iron gate, looking at the moonlight outside, and sighed deeply.

There is no way out.

All we can do now is fight with all our might to survive.

He turned around, preparing to return to the central hall, intending to find a suitable defensive position.

But in the instant he turned around—

Snapped!

Snapped!

Snapped!

A crisp clapping sound came from the shadows of the passageway.

Li Ren's gaze suddenly locked onto the source of the sound.

In the middle of the passage, beside a broken stone pillar, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

He was a man who looked to be about thirty years old, tall and slender, wearing a dark blue kimono and with an old katana hanging at his waist.

His hair was an unusual silver-white, gleaming coldly in the blood-red light. His face was handsome, but his eyes conveyed a sense of vicissitude.

What is most striking is the snake-shaped curse mark on his forehead.

The incantation was dark green, like a winding little snake, extending from the center of his forehead to his brow, and wriggling slightly with his breath, as if it were alive.

"Not bad speed, not bad judgment." The man's voice was deep.

"To be able to inspect three passages in such a short time, determine that all exits are blocked, and then make the correct evacuation decision."

"It seems you really don't want to be an ordinary player."

Rin's pupils contracted slightly.

He sized up the man, a strong sense of unease rising within him.

"Are you an ancient sorcerer?" Rihito asked directly.

The man was slightly taken aback, then revealed an appreciative smile.

"It seems you not only have good skills, but also a keen eye for talent."

He slowly raised his right hand and grasped the hilt of the katana at his waist.

"That's right, I am indeed a sorcerer from a thousand years ago, who has awakened in this era through the method of 'receiving flesh'."

"My name is Snake Eyes."

Li Ren's heart sank.

Was it someone who arranged it?

He was well aware that in the journey of death and destruction, there were not only modern sorcerers and cursed spirits, but also some ancient sorcerers who had been resurrected through flesh-binding.

They possess techniques and combat experience from a thousand years ago, making them the most dangerous opponents in this game.

And the snake-eyed creature in front of us is clearly one of them.

"Did Juan Su send you?" Rito asked.

Snake Eyes smiled slightly, without denying it.

"I don't know who Juan Suo is, but that lord said that as long as you wait in this waiting area, you will encounter an interesting prey."

He slowly drew his katana, the blade reflecting Rihito's face in the bloody light.

"Now it seems that the lord was not lying to me."

Instead of retreating, the person took a step forward.

"You think you can kill me?"

"I don't think so." Snake-eyed's smile became even more composed.

"It's confirmed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his body vanished from the spot.

So fast!

Li Ren's pupils contracted sharply, and his body instinctively swerved to the left.

A silver-white blade of light swept past the spot where he had just stood, cutting through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

The blade missed its target and struck the wall behind him.

laugh! !

With a soft sound, a three-inch-deep knife mark appeared on the wall, its edges as smooth as a mirror.

As Li Ren landed, his gaze fixed on the snake-eyed figure.

If I hadn't dodged that blow, I probably would have been cut in half at the waist.

"Interesting!" Snake Eyes flicked the dust off his katana.

Then, the body disappeared again.

This time, three sword lights appeared simultaneously, blocking Li Ren's evasive space from three different directions.

The angle was extremely tricky.

The person in charge did not back down.

He slammed his right foot into the ground, unleashing a burst of magical power that blasted a shallow crater in the ground, propelling him forward like a cannonball.

Three flashes of light swept past him from behind, slicing his clothes into pieces, but failed to harm his skin.

Rito rushed to Snake Eyes, his right fist imbued with cursed power, and slammed it into Snake Eyes' face.

A smile curled at the corner of Snake Eyes' mouth.

His body leaned back at an incredible angle, dodging Rito's punch, while his katana slashed upwards, aiming straight for Rito's jaw.

Rito turned his head, and the blade grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow bloodstain.

The two passed each other, landing five meters apart.

Rito raised his hand and touched the wound on his cheek, his fingertips stained with blood.

Snake Eyes turned around, his katana held horizontally in front of him, the hem of his kimono fluttering slightly from the violent movement.

"An ice-based spell?" Snake Eyes examined the frost on Rito's fist.

"A decent spell, but during the Warring States period a thousand years ago, I killed at least ten ice-type sorcerers."

Rito did not answer, but simply felt the flow of cursed power within his body.

Ice spells were not very effective against the ancient sorcerer in front of him, whose combat experience far surpassed his own.

Moreover, his swordsmanship is superb, and coupled with his incredible speed, I would likely lose if we fought head-on.

We must act swiftly and decisively.

Li Ren's gaze hardened.

Deathmatch mode has been activated, and a wave of cursed energy shockwaves will arrive every ten minutes. If this enemy cannot be defeated before the shockwaves arrive, the situation will become even worse.

Thinking of this, Rito took a deep breath, slowly raised his hands, and clasped them together in front of his chest.

The snake's pupils contracted, sensing danger.

Before he could even back away, his expression changed drastically upon hearing Rito's voice.

"That level is impossible..."

The snake-eyed creature instinctively wanted to back away.

But, it's too late.

Rito raised his head, his eyes shining like stars in the dead of winter.

He opened his mouth and uttered a few cold words:

"Domain Expansion—"

"Absolute Zero Coffin!"