Nightmare Despair

Chapter 43 Carving
Who is that?

Deep within the cemetery, amidst the shadows of layers of tombstones, a short, stocky figure caught Zhou Kai's attention with its piercing gaze.

Just as Zhou Kai was trying to get a clearer view, a buzzing sound suddenly exploded in his mind, a flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and all the images seemed to be a videotape being forcibly fast-forwarded, with frames skipped.

It seems like the scene involving the white figure was skipped.

When he came to his senses, Zhou Kai was now standing in front of a lonely tombstone.

A man in black robes spoke in a hoarse voice: "Child, your father is buried here... Go, take 'it,' and may the legacy of your ancestors protect you on your journey."

From Zhou Kai's perspective—the boy nodded mechanically.

He watched helplessly as several men in black robes surrounded him, the sound of shovels digging into the damp soil particularly jarring.

They pried open the grave, surrounded the coffin, and made low, humming sounds from their throats, like some kind of ancient prayer.

A moment later, the leader of the black-robed men walked over, holding something in his hands.

It was a piece of dry, shriveled skin peeled off from the hand, like a yellowed parchment.

"Blood oath".

The black-robed man's voice was devoid of emotion.

The boy reached out his hand, trembling, and the cold light of the dagger flashed across his palm.

……

"So that's it."

Zhou Kai looked wistfully at the skin in his hand, a flood of information about it rushing into his mind.

[Marks: A transcendent power passed down through secret factions of the Church of Light, carried by bloodlines from generation to generation, succeeding brother to brother, father to son. Each successor is more powerful than the previous one.]

And now, the skin in Zhou Kai's hand bears the inscription of what young Yabo Soraka inherited from his father...

【Scars: Chariot】

Besides inheriting the key memories of the engraving, Zhou Kai's mind was also filled with countless fragmented images.

The laughter, tears, glory, and humiliation of a young man's life, and something even heavier.

These memories make him tremble uncontrollably whenever he sees the word "chariot".

It was not fear, nor excitement, but a profound sense of awe as I witnessed history flowing through my veins and being passed down through generations.

"Blood oath!"

In the hallucination, a voice that was very similar to Yabo's, but much older and rougher, shouted sternly.

Zhou Kai silently raised his hand and made a sharp slash with his thumb across the pad of his index finger.

The skin was torn, and beads of blood gushed out one after another.

Crimson blood dripped onto that withered skin.

Strangely, the skin soaked in blood became even drier, eventually turning silently into a handful of grayish-black powder, merging with the blood to become a viscous blood ink.

Zhou Kai stared at the lump of something expressionlessly.

He stretched out his finger, dipped it in the blood ink, and, imitating the scene in his memory, drew a totem-like mark on the outside of his left arm.

'Forward forever, never retreat!'

With unwavering resolve, we will surely defeat the enemy!

The vows made by Yabo echoed in my mind.

The moment the engraving was completed, Zhou Kai felt a torture-like pain in his left arm, as if his entire arm had been burned through by a red-hot iron, leaving an indelible mark.

It becomes a mark.

In the midst of excruciating pain, the simple pattern began to writhe and transform on its own, its lines becoming exquisite and intricate.

A lone warrior, clad in heavy armor, is launching a desperate charge into the boundless darkness.

In a daze, Zhou Kai heard a heartbeat like war drums, and even heard the neighing of warhorses.

Bang!
Bang!Bang!
His heart began to pound with unprecedented force.

Golden and red lines burst forth from the chariot's engravings, like red-hot barbed wire, instantly covering Zhou Kai's entire body.

An unbearable, excruciating pain swept over me like a tidal wave, my bones made a grinding sound like gears being adjusted, and my muscles felt as if they were being torn apart and then forcibly stitched back together.

His physical abilities are being violently boosted.

This process lasted a full five minutes before gradually coming to a stop...

At this moment, Zhou Kai looked as if he had just been pulled out of the water, his whole body soaked in sweat.

"call……"

Zhou Kai collapsed to one knee, exhausted, and let out a suppressed gasp.

"Chariot markings? What exactly is this...?"

He moved his limbs, feeling the surging power within his body, as well as that mysterious and profound information.

Zhou Kai gradually understood the purpose of the markings on the chariot.

"Significantly enhances physical abilities, and there's also... a skill called 'Victory Charge'?"

His consciousness had become connected with the marks on his arm.

As long as one is determined and charges at the enemy, one can expend mental and physical energy to launch a charge that exceeds the limits of the body.

Undeterred and relentless, shattering all laws.

"Now, I finally have a trump card up my sleeve." Zhou Kai let out a long breath and turned his gaze back to the panel.

A new category has quietly appeared below the status bar.

【Scars: Chariot - Part 1 (0/100)】

Victory Charge didn't appear in the skill bar and couldn't be upgraded with experience points, but the Chariot Marks themselves could actually be upgraded, which was a pleasant surprise.

"One hundred experience points... that's a bit outrageous. Have I even gotten a hundred experience points in total so far?"

Zhou Kai shook his head, and some memories of the normal way to enhance the engraving surfaced in his mind.

There are two ways.

One method is self-cultivation, but the method of judgment is quite unique...

"Is it only possible to upgrade the engraving if I keep winning?"

The definition of "victory" is quite broad, ranging from a small battle to a large game; as long as he ultimately wins, it is all counted.

From this perspective, the difficulty of cultivation is not as exaggerated as imagined.

The second method is to absorb other scratches.

This might be the most suitable path for him.

because……

Zhou Kai's eyes flickered: "If I'm not mistaken, those armored monsters in the town, those ghostly things transformed from the Soraka family's guards, all have markings on their bodies."

"Phew... It seems I can't let these walking experience packs go to waste from now on."

Zhou Kai was clear-headed and extremely satisfied with his gains.

"Even if this is just a blank mark, it is definitely the biggest gain I have made since entering the Nightmare!"

If I'm not mistaken, just one level increased his physical abilities by at least 40%.

This effect is even more terrifying than the boost brought by a level 3 skill!
"Yabo..."

"I accept your power. I will carry it with me to continue living in this godforsaken place!"

Zhou Kai clenched his fist tightly, making a cracking sound.

……

After a while, flames rose from Yabo's corpse, their colors eerie.

The bequest began to be extracted.

[The loser trapped in eternal night vanishes into smoke in the flames... You have received the legacy of 'Yabo']

[Soraka's swordsmanship experience +4. Since you don't know some skills at all, the exclusive experience points are converted into general experience points.]

[General Experience Points +3]

[General Experience Points: 14 → 17]

【索拉卡剑术lv2（6/25）→（10/25）】

With the engravings in hand and his skills honed, Zhou Kai was in the heat of battle.

"Add some points to two-handed swords, and keep hunting!"

Zhou Kai's eyes were sharp as knives as he stared at the heavy two-handed sword in his hand, which was as large as a door panel.

[The 'two-handed sword' has become sharper and sturdier; you have consumed 3 general experience points.]

Perhaps it's because this sword has a better foundation; it only cost three experience points to upgrade, yet the upgraded effect is even better than the previous one that cost five.

The blade gleamed with a cold light, its sharpness intimidating.

Zhou Kai gripped the sword with both hands, the firelight reflecting off his face.

He casually twirled his sword a few times, the bright silver light flashing, and each swing produced a deafening roar as it tore through the air.

He was very satisfied with the effect, threw the sword behind him, and strode away from the shelter.

With their strength greatly increased, they now have a temporary surplus of fire and plants.

Zhou Kai's gaze swept across the darkness outside, his fighting spirit soaring.

"Sooner or later... the roles of hunter and prey will have to be reversed!"

however……

Zhou Kai plunged headfirst into the rain.

Three seconds later, the rain poured out of him in a disheveled state.

Zhou Kai leaned against the cold door, his heart pounding, gasping for breath.

He hadn't gone far when a terrifying silhouette came into view.

He instinctively wanted to add points to the shelter, but after glancing at the general experience points, he realized that after upgrading the greatsword, he only had eleven points left.

This amount of experience points is simply a drop in the ocean when it comes to upgrading such a large house... just upgrading the door?
Don't be ridiculous, he doesn't even like using doors anymore, sometimes he just crashes into other houses.

Expecting those monsters... to obediently knock on the door?

"I can only take a gamble, betting that thing won't come looking for trouble."

Zhou Kai frowned, pondered for a moment, and then quietly went upstairs to the second floor.

He stood in front of the French windows, carefully pulling back a corner of the curtains, cautiously peering at the outside world.

(End of this chapter)