Absolute Death Game

Xiao Buli glanced at the black ring on his right hand and then at the screen where he was wearing an identical one, suddenly understanding the specific use of this ring.

All the secrets were in the item description: "The power of space-time circulates within this ring, allowing it to appear on different planes at the same time," which means this ring can exist simultaneously in both the game and reality. It seemed that items within the ring's space could also be transferred in this way; the ring's purpose was essentially that of an item converter.

However, the description of this object was a bit vague, stating it could only hold one item. What exactly determined "one item"?

With that thought, he double-clicked the ring's icon and a single-slot item bar appeared on the screen, with a weapon conspicuously lying in it.

Aixifal Soul Slaughter Giant Axe (Gold - Two-Handed Weapon): Attack 41-59.

Soul Absorption: The giant axe can absorb strength from spells it comes into contact with, storing up to a maximum of 500 mana.

Demonic Flame: The stored mana in the giant axe can be turned into Demonic Flame, enhancing the next attack, with each enhancement consuming 100 points of stored mana.

Item Description: The legendary weapon of the Fury Demon warrior Aixifal, who's Vengeful Spirit is attached to this weapon.

It's a formidable weapon, Xiao Buli thought to himself, no wonder Li Jian was able to overpower him before. Unfortunately, it wasn't suitable for his use, so he'd have to keep it for now.

He dragged the weapon into his inventory and noticed that his encumbrance immediately increased by half. Good as it was, the weight of the item was truly a hindrance, and he thought it would be wise to find an opportunity to store it.

He opened his inventory to consider what could be useful to bring into reality. The Soul Slayer's Blade seemed necessary, given the apparent existence of Wandering Ghosts and Wild Spirits in the real world, like the ghostly figures he encountered the night before. Having such a weapon by his side would undoubtedly be beneficial.

The Traitor's Curse Vision was also very useful, but after pondering, he still thought that life-saving was most important. He removed the Flawless White Jade Ring from the item bar and placed it into the empty slot, only for a system prompt to suddenly appear on the screen.

System Prompt: Once this item is placed, the 'Time-Space Order Keeper' will be unable to activate on this plane for 24 hours. Are you sure you want to place this item into the space, Yes/No?

Xiao Buli was taken aback, realizing there were such restrictions. Could he only use the item transfer once a day? He would have to think carefully about this.

He tried again and found that "one item" seemed to be determined by the rules of the game; in simple terms, any item in the inventory that didn't exceed one slot could be put in all at once if the items of the same type could be stacked, like Talisman Paper.

As he was contemplating which item to transfer first, something in his inventory caught his attention. Seeing it, he paused and thought that perhaps Xia Zuowei didn't have to die after all. After a brief hesitation, he placed the item into the ring's space.

Putting the ring back into his inventory, Xiao Buli decided to return to Mystic Hollow Palace as soon as possible. This place was, after all, still the company's domain; even though the company no longer existed, there was no telling when someone would come to take over. Returning to Mystic Hollow Palace would be safer.

With that in mind, he left the Hunter's Cabin, donned the Ethereal Armor, and then performed the Cloud Thunder Leap in the direction of Mystic Hollow Palace.

Indeed, his method proved effective. As he landed, the Ethereal Armor effectively absorbed the impact, preventing any loss of health.

If he could figure out how to land properly in reality, he would be able to use Cloud Thunder Leap frequently and safely. While contemplating this, he surveyed the surroundings and realized he was already close to Mystic Hollow Palace. Xiao Buli then activated Fleeting Light and Shadow and headed toward the direction of the palace.

Half an hour later, Xiao Buli finally saw the entrance to Mystic Hollow Palace once again. Upon entering, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling at least he should be safe in the game now.

"I'm back."

A dejected voice came from outside. Xiao Buli turned and saw Xia Zuowei walking in with a sorrowful expression. He logged out of the game and turned around.

"So how was it, thrilling?" Xiao Buli asked casually, guessing what this youngster might have done before facing death.

But Xia Zuowei shook his head, "I didn't go looking for a woman."

"Because you couldn't find one, right?" Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

Xia Zuowei's face turned a shade of red as he retorted, "Of course not. I just thought, even though I'm about to die, if there's no love, sleeping with someone just for the sake of it is no more than a bestial release of desire. What's the point? Besides, I've always felt I wouldn't go down so easily."

Xiao Buli was speechless, thinking the guy was being overly sentimental, probably because he hadn't found a woman and was trying to put a good spin on it. But in truth, he wasn't wrong.

"Don't worry, with me here, you won't die. But staying alive won't be easy either."

Xia Zuowei looked at Xiao Buli with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Xiao Buli stretched out his hand, and a pearl appeared in his palm. This pearl was a crystal-clear sapphire blue, but it was uncertain what it was used for.

"Nine Revolutions Resurrection Pill?"

"It's a Soul Absorption Pearl," Xiao Buli explained. This Soul Absorption Pearl was given to him by his senior brother to help him find Xuan Zhenzi's soul, but now he had brought it into reality as an emergency measure, unsure whether it would work.

Xiao Buli saw that Xia Zuowei still didn't understand and asked, "Do you know what happens after a person dies?"

Xia Zuowei shook his head, indicating that he had no idea.

"After death, a soul will remain for a short period, but it will quickly dissipate due to the lack of Yin Energy. If your obsession is strong enough, you can retain part of it for longer, becoming what is known as wandering ghosts and wild spirits. In such a state, however, you can't have all of your memories and consciousness.

For example, if you learned some kind of reincarnation spell, you could stay in a different way. Of course, if you have enough Merit Points, you could also reconstruct your body, but these things are not related to you."

"After ordinary people die, their souls pass a shelf-life—basically 24 hours—after which they'll dissipate. However, if I use the Soul Absorption Pearl to collect your soul before it dissipates, it can be preserved for a long time."

"I've never experienced what it feels like inside the Soul Absorption Pearl, and I don't know if there's a chance to bring you back to life, but at least there's a sliver of chance. That is, of course, if you're willing. If you choose to rest, I don't really care."

"I'm willing! I'm willing!" Xia Zuowei said repeatedly, as if grasping at a life-saving straw. Yet, he was somewhat dubious, "But didn't you say there was a three-layer chance that I might not die?"

Xiao Buli nodded, "If you could avoid death, that would be even better. I wouldn't need to waste such a precious item. However, as I said before, there's only a three-layer chance to save your life."

"Alright, please take care of it then. What should I do next?"

"Just wait for death, what else can you do." Xiao Buli said this and walked towards the refrigerator, "Hey, do you have anything to eat at home? I haven't eaten in days, and I'm starving to death."

Xia Zuowei, with a mournful face, prepared a bowl of instant noodles for Xiao Buli, thinking how unlucky he was. To think that he had saved an immortal only to end up awaiting death. However, Xiao Buli didn't feel at all like he had harmed anyone. In his view, this kind of thing was all down to fate and had nothing to do with him.

He ate his noodles with big bites and even praised, "You make good noodles. The texture is just right; it shows you're a seasoned shut-in."

"What are you talking about, I'm still in college. I eat instant noodles because I don't have money," Xiao Buli replied, "Wow, a college student, my apologies."

Xia Zuowei could only respond with a bitter smile.

After finishing the noodles, Xiao Buli took out the stack of Talisman Papers and sorted through it, picking out a few dozen that were still useable. Then he sat opposite Xia Zuowei and thought about what spells he could use to protect Xia Zuowei.

Although he had guessed early on that death in the game could lead to death in reality, he had no clue as to how or in what way people in reality would die. Now, to protect someone against this unknown assault was no easy task. Fortunately, it wasn't himself being attacked, so there was no need to feel too much pressure – he just had to do his best.

"How exactly will that thing kill me?" Xia Zuowei suddenly asked.

Xiao Buli shook his head. "I don't know, but based on my conjecture, your death in reality will usually be the same as how you died in the game. If you feel anything strange or uncomfortable, tell me in advance so I can prepare."

The same as in the game! Images of his brain splattered and chest spurting with blood instantly flashed through Xia Zuowei's mind, sending a chill down his spine.

He suddenly remembered something, turned, and went to the back room. In a short while, he emerged with a few items: a motorcycle helmet, a canvas raincoat, and a pot lid. His family used to have a heating stove, and this pot lid was from a large cooking pot for the stove, about one meter in diameter, made of cast iron and very sturdy.

After removing the pot lid's handle and fitting it inside, it became a shield. Xia Zuowei put on the raincoat and helmet and held the shield in front of his chest before nodding, "Alright, I'm ready."

Xiao Buli couldn't help but laugh at his appearance, "Not bad. This way, your chances of survival have probably increased by another five percent."

Xia Zuowei responded with surprise, "Really?"

Xiao Buli, reluctant to crush his spirits, nodded, "Really."

Xia Zuowei then ran back to the back room again.

"What are you doing?"

"I remember we have a few military overcoats at home. If I put them all on, I should increase my chances of survival a bit more," Xia Zuowei replied without turning back. (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)