Trafford Buyers Club

Chapter 3992 The Song of the Purple Moon (43) — Golden Nightmare

When the drums of the "Dragon Sparrow Breaking Formation" rang out again, the almost maddening fear in Shaq's heart barely returned to a bearable level.

Unfortunately, he wasn't a member of Zhang Bolu's pirate crew, so he couldn't receive much of the positive rewards from the [Dragon Sparrow Breaking Formation Song].

Instead, it was Banikoli who struggled to his feet, staring in shock at everything before him... He knew he couldn't hold on any longer and had lost consciousness, but... but what had happened during that time?
But no one explained it to it in detail at this time, and Zhang Bolu only nodded slightly at it.

Banikoli took a deep breath, suppressing his mental discomfort, and instinctively drew the sword from his waist.

"Did you kill the entire family of the Lord of R'lyeh or steal his wife...? Why does it hate you so much?!" Golden Shak, who had only recovered somewhat, couldn't help but curse.

He felt he had been caught in the crossfire of this suspicious guy.

"...It's not that exaggerated." Raizo chuckled sheepishly. "Besides, given my appearance as an [Old One], even if the Lord of R'lyeh had a wife or something, I couldn't bring myself to do it, could I? It's just... just that I did a few more experiments! Magic creations can't be successful on the first try; it definitely requires continuous experimentation..."

Raizo's voice grew softer and softer.

[Gold] Shak's eyes instantly turned red as he looked at Raizo, imagining the inhuman torture that the Lord of R'lyeh had suffered.

"Mr. Raizo, you said this labyrinth is already complete?" Zhang Bolu suddenly asked, "What kind of abilities does this labyrinth have after it's activated?"

According to Raizo, this labyrinth could theoretically reach the quality of a [Super Artifact]... Although the [Dragon Sparrow Ring] in his hand could also be ranked among the [Void Artifacts] of the blade type, the fact that it was a [Super Artifact] made him take it seriously.

Raizo pondered, "The main purpose is to amplify the racial characteristics of the Lord of R'lyeh, and also the Nightmare Creation... because I discovered that the characteristics of the Lord of R'lyeh are surprisingly compatible with the characteristics of the Nightmare race, so when creating the labyrinth, I used a lot of the power of Dreamy Words."

“【Nightmare Creation】?” Zhang Bolu frowned, as if he had thought of something.

Raizo nodded, a chill running down his spine, and said, "It's roughly about being able to see what the deepest part of the soul fears and then project it into reality... and what is projected into the soul is a real existence as long as it's within this labyrinth."

Zhang Bolu pondered for a moment and said, "The more you fear something, the more likely you are to see it?"

[Gold] Shaq frowned, then sneered, "I thought it was some amazing ability... Is that all? Projecting your inner fears? The so-called deep-seated fears are nothing more than the powerlessness you felt when you were weak... I killed those so-called fears long ago! Even if they reappeared in front of me, they would only be killed even more easily!"

There was something that [Golden] Shaq had feared: a terrifying [Void Elemental] he encountered when he was a Void idiot. He survived by the skin of his teeth and barely managed to kill it by sheer luck... Every time he thought about it afterward, he felt a chill run down his spine!

However, [Golden] Shaq was confident that if he encountered that [Void Demon] again, he could kill it with a wave of his hand—after all, it was already far, far stronger than it had been before!
“It’s not that simple.” Raizo shook his head. “If it were just as you say, I, Raizo, wouldn’t dare to create it. The Nightmare Creature I designed not only projects the deepest fear in people’s hearts, but also pulls everything back to the state you were in when you faced that fear, including your cognition, power… even your memories will slowly return to that state! Moreover, with the amplification of the Lord of R’lyeh’s own abilities, the projected fear will be ten times stronger than what you experienced!”

Seeing Raizo's serious expression, [Gold] Shak's heart skipped a beat.

If that terrifying Yuan Demon had been ten times stronger back then... there would be no future for him, this up-and-coming "Great Pirate," he would probably have become the Yuan Demon's excrement long ago.

"Is there no limit?" Zhang Bolu suddenly asked.

“Theoretically, it doesn’t exist.” Raizo said with a wry smile, “The Golden Nightmare Labyrinth that I designed has growth attributes… Although it only uses a part of the body of the Lord of R’lyeh, the labyrinth itself makes up for its incompleteness. Calling it a created artifact is more like calling it a kind of Void Artifact creature. It will continue to evolve!”

Zhang Bolu looked at Raizo suspiciously. "Are you really just an ordinary magic crafter from the last era?"

“It’s somewhere between top-tier and first-class…” Raizo corrected instantly—he seemed to care a lot about this?
Zhang Bolu couldn't help but shake his head. He knew about magic crafters, but such a profession was very rare in the four realms of the void. Asking a magic crafter to make a move was extremely expensive. However, he had never heard of a magic crafter who could create a [super artifact] level.

Does this mean that the technology of the previous era was more advanced?
Even so, the previous era could not escape its darkest fate...

"Raizo..."

"Raizo..."

But the sharp cries coming from all directions never stopped, and even the drumbeats of the [Dragon Sparrow Breaking Formation Song] seemed unable to suppress them!

Zhang Bolu's expression instantly hardened.

“Wang…listen, hasn’t the voice changed? It sounds like a woman’s voice!” [Gold] Shaq was suddenly startled.

Raizo suddenly stiffened as if he had been electrocuted, and even began to tremble slightly!

It was that kind of trembling that you just couldn't stop... a fear from the bottom of your heart, a fear that was an instinctive reaction.

"Raizo..."

The voices coming from all around had completely changed to female voices... a slightly low, hoarse voice, or even a very pleasant smoky voice!
"There's someone behind you!" Little Bai Zhi blinked her big eyes and exclaimed curiously, "Mr. Raizo, there's someone behind you!"

Upon hearing this, Raizo was instantly jolted, his neck turning slowly like a rusty gear.

Behind Raizo appeared a stunningly beautiful woman, eight feet tall, extremely voluptuous, and with a seductive figure, but with a black dahlia blooming from her left eye.

In addition, the woman's hands were also quite terrifying... instead of long, slender fingers, they were ten sharp blades of different colors!
"Raizo, it's been a long time." The eight-foot-tall, blind woman's face now curved into a mocking smile.

Raizo's voice trembled as he said, "Shi...Shi...Shinone, Master..."

"It's been a long time, my disciple..." The eight-foot-tall woman... [Shinone] narrowed her eyes and walked slowly with cat-like steps, quickly arriving directly in front of Raizo.

Raizo was completely too afraid to move.

【Shinone】At this moment, she slowly raised her hand, and a series of sharp blades gently scraped across Raizo's cheek... The woman said seductively, "Raizo, you are as cute as ever. I really miss your face."

Raizo muttered to himself, "I knew it. If the Golden Nightmare Labyrinth were to affect me, it would definitely project you... I knew it... I knew it..."

"Raizo, come back to my side," [Shinone] said softly, her sharp blade tracing a delicate cut on Raizo's cheek.

Fresh blood, appearing as intermittent dots and lines, oozed from the scratches.

"...No!!" Raizo shouted, slapping [Shinone's] hand away. "You can't control me anymore... I... I'm not the same person I used to be..."

"This is the [Golden Nightmare Labyrinth] that you created, huh?" [Shinone] maintained that flippant attitude. "You should know best that no matter how you resist, it's all in vain. On the contrary, the more you resist, the more you become nourishment for the labyrinth itself... It's truly remarkable that you were able to create such a wondrous magical creation. You truly deserve to be my most beloved disciple."

Raizo gritted his teeth and with a wave of his hand, a huge black pillar appeared out of thin air and crashed straight down on [Shinone]'s head!

However, with a casual swing of a sharp blade, [Shinone] tore the black pillar apart!

"What a disobedient child."

【Shinone】 chuckled softly, extended her sharp finger, and made a light slash... In an instant, hundreds of cuts appeared on Raizo's body!
Every wound bled profusely!
At this moment, Raizo seemed to have lost all his courage, and he appeared extremely vulnerable... He held his head in his hands and knelt down on the ground, trembling.

【Shinone】smiled and walked towards him again, her five sharp fingers reaching out to grab Raizo's head.

Just then, a flash of cold light appeared!
【Dragon Sparrow Ring】!
The Pirate King has made his move, and it's a fierce slash!
【Xinonie】 frowned, and with five sharp fingers, she blocked the cold light, instantly strangling the 【Dragon Sparrow Ring】!
Zhang Bolu retreated after a single strike, and in the instant he withdrew, he even snatched Raizo away... [Shinone] frowned, looked at Zhang Bolu and the others, and fell into deep thought.

"She's the person you fear most... your teacher?"

Back in his own camp, looking at the almost withdrawn magician Raizo, Zhang Bolu couldn't help but ponder, "Since she is your preacher, why are you so afraid of her?"

“You…you don’t understand…” Raizo said in a trembling voice, “I…I don’t want to say it either…you guys should leave now, there’s no way I can escape…you still have a chance! Run…run!!”

"Your teacher is very capable?"

Raizo, his face pale, said, "Master...Master is one of the top magic creators of my era...known as the Witch of the Dark Night...If you don't leave soon, you'll soon experience how terrifying she is..."

"Hahahaha!!!" Zhang Bolu suddenly burst into wild laughter, "It is my honor to be able to spar with a master from the previous era. How could I miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! [Dragon Sparrow Breaking Formation Song], form the formation!!"

Suddenly, the golden drums rang out in unison, and the drummers instantly transformed into muscular giants, pounding the drums with all their might!
Facing the Pirate King, who was brimming with fighting spirit, Xinonie simply stood there calmly, even smoothing his bangs, looking as if he didn't take Zhang Bolu seriously at all.

This further fueled the Pirate King's fighting spirit, and the drumbeats of the Dragon Sparrow Breaking Formation Song became even more intense... In fact, they had transformed from simple drumbeats into a melody.

All that could be heard was [Shinone] saying calmly, "This kind of divine magic is quite interesting... I can fight you, but let's talk about it after you've overcome your own fear."

As if to verify [Shinone's] words, in an instant, gray and pale figures appeared around [Pirate King]...like ghosts!
But I can't tell how strong it is, it's just an ordinary ghost!

"My fear?" Zhang Bolu's gaze narrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "We who pursue the [Primordial] are fearless! If there is any, I will cut it down with a single stroke!"

A flash of light appeared as Zhang Bolu swung his blade directly at a pale, ghostly figure beside him!
But in an instant, the ghostly shadow locked by the [Dragon Sparrow Great Ring] blade light suddenly became clear... It actually transformed into a little boy who looked about eleven or twelve years old, dressed in coarse linen clothes, barefoot, covered in dirt, holding a blackened steamed bun in his hand, and with a terrified expression!
Just as the Dragon Sparrow Ring was about to fall and tear the young boy apart, Zhang Bolu managed to stop it!
“Zichu…”

"Grandpa Zhang, is that you?" the little boy asked timidly. "Grandpa Zhang, have you seen my father? Why hasn't he come back yet? Have the imperial troops been driven back... Grandpa Zhang, where is my father? I heard there's not enough food. Grandpa Zhang, I have some food here... Could you please give it to my father? I'm afraid he's hungry..."

“Zichu…no, you’re not him…you’re not him…”

Zhang Bolu subconsciously took a step back and looked around blankly.

The ghostly shadows gradually became clearer and clearer.

There were elderly people holding canes, farmers holding babies, haggard soldiers with broken legs but wearing rattan armor, and elderly couples holding hands and watching silently...

"Master Zhang, can we hold out?"

—I...don't know...

"Uncle Zhang, tell me, is my husband already...? Don't cry, child, don't cry..."

—This old man…

"Boss, I can still fight! Let me go up there. Killing one is a bonus, killing two is an even bigger bonus!! I only lost a leg, I still have my hands and teeth!!"

--no……

"Lord Zhang... tell me, our child, did he... did he bravely fight the enemy?"

—This old man…

They... are watching.

—Look at me.

"This old man..." Zhang Bolu murmured to himself, and the [Dragon Sparrow Great Ring] in his hand suddenly fell down, and even the drumbeats of the [Dragon Sparrow Breaking Formation Melody] gradually weakened.

That winter, heavy snow fell, and the imperial court sent troops to suppress the bandits. His army suffered a crushing defeat and retreated all the way to the islands... He ran out of ammunition and food.

As those ancient memories resurfaced, Zhang Bolu's aura plummeted, instantly dropping to the [Morning Star] stage... and then below [Morning Star]!
In an instant, Zhang Bolu's figure became more hunched, and even a bit more desolate.

[Dragon Sparrow Breaking Formation Melody]...disappeared!
The Dragon Sparrow Ring, its blade light completely extinguished, reverted to its original rusty wood-chopping knife form, slipped from Zhang Bolu's hand, and fell to the ground with a thud.

……

Raizo knelt on the ground, clutching his head, trembling, his lips quivering as he muttered something to himself.

[Pirate King] Zhang Bolu stood motionless, bewildered, surrounded by more and more ghostly shadows!
Seeing this, [Gold] Shaq couldn't help but gasp... He gritted his teeth and silently retreated—I'm done playing!
The romance of pirates lies in plunder and treasure... but beyond romance, there is also freedom and life!

As he turned around, a searing pain suddenly shot through [Golden] Shaq's back... along with the loud sound of a whip cracking!
With his strength as an immortal [Morning Star], he was actually knocked to the ground in a sorry state after taking this whip!
The moment he was whipped, [Golden] Shaq's pupils contracted violently... what he feared, what he feared most deep within his heart...

It wasn't the [Void Demon] that had brought him to the brink of death, left him in a terrible state, and still haunted him whenever he thought about it.

But...

A young woman in elegant clothes, who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, was slowly walking towards Shaq. She was holding a riding whip, had a slightly plump figure, a kind face, but a slightly eerie... even evil smile.

"Shaq, what should we play today? How about the pirate game?"

"Young...Young Master..."

Snapped--! !

The whip lashed hard across Shaq's cheek, leaving a blood-red mark... As if instinctively, [Golden] Shaq covered his head and curled up on the ground.

Completely forgetting that he was a ambitious and enterprising Void [Great Pirate].

"Don't hit me...don't hit me...please...Young Master Miqi...please..."