Volume Two, The Demon Game, Chapter Twenty-Seven: All-Program Announcement, Generous Rewards

“Brave contestant, congratulations on accomplishing a feat. Shortly, we will grant you a generous reward, and it will definitely include a rare gold-quality piece of equipment.”

A voice of astonishing magnetism sounded in Lu Yi’s mind, and he froze at once. What was going on? Why did the voice change every so often?

Yet the voice paid no heed to his bewilderment and continued, still brimming with fervor.

“Because the Watchers cannot be revived within their stay period, and in consideration of the show’s effects as well as your gains, we now present you with two choices:

“One: the Watcher will not be revived, but his remaining stay time will be cut in half. You will gain thirty minutes of safe movement, after which there will be a three-minute group discussion period and a two-minute private discussion period, and then a new Watcher will descend.

“Two: the Watcher will not be revived, the remaining stay time will be reset to zero, delaying the descent of the final Watcher by half an hour. A three-minute group discussion period and a two-minute private discussion period will be provided immediately, and then a new Watcher will descend.

“You have one minute to think. Once you have decided, simply answer in your mind.”

“Oh?” Lu Yi’s lips curved slightly. These choices were interesting. Stripping away the common parts, the only difference was whether that half hour was used now or before the last Watcher appeared.

Was there some hidden catch? Based on the information he had so far, Lu Yi could not guess it. After thinking for a moment, he asked Shen Yixue, “Do you have a seal stone on you?”

“No. Why?” Shen Yixue shook her head.

“I don’t have one either.” Lu Yi shrugged with a smile, then said inwardly, “I choose the second option. Delay the final Watcher’s descent.”

The moment Lu Yi’s thought fell, a voice was heard simultaneously across the main stage, in every participant’s live room, and by all surviving participants.

“The Watcher is already in a state equivalent to being sealed. Congratulations to the participant who accomplished this feat. We will present a lavish reward, and it will certainly include a gold-quality item.”

At the same time, the footage on the main stage and in all the live rooms switched entirely to Lu Yi’s side. Shen Yixue instantly sensed something and moved closer to him.

“In accordance with his choice, we will also open a spatial gate for all surviving humans to the same location. You will receive another three minutes for discussion and adjustment. During this period, you may leave on your own and return to your original position. When the time is up, we will teleport everyone back to where they were.”

“After that, you will have another two minutes to discuss plans with the people beside you. When the time ends, the Watcher rotation will begin immediately.”

Shen Yixue, the girl who had been happily riding along on his popularity, had begun with a modest smile. But as she listened, her expression shifted to shock. “Lu Yi, you—”

“Oh.” Lu Yi sounded a little helpless. He scratched his head. “I know my performance was astonishing, but you and the viewers can know that’s enough. Why make an announcement to everyone? I still wanted to keep a little of that low-key, profound air.”

Shen Yixue’s eye twitched, but she quickly let the matter go and focused entirely on how to ride his popularity even more effectively.

The image in the live room remained centered on Lu Yi. The host swept a hand through the air, and the formation linking the participants shattered with a thunderous crash. Then he went on, “There is also some good news for everyone.

“After discussion, the organizers unanimously agreed to select the rewards earned by the participant who completed this feat and add them, in optimized form, into the final viewer reward pool. They will be enhanced custom versions that all of you can use.”

The venue instantly fell silent. The host was very satisfied with the result. He seemed excited, yet forced his voice lower. “What does that mean?”

“That’s right, you guessed it. It’s exactly what you think. And the live rooms and the venue will have separate lotteries.”

The venue and the live rooms erupted at once. The host shouted with rising fervor, “Most importantly, some of those rewards will be available in multiple copies!” The atmosphere in both places was completely ignited.

“Black Phosphor Jam: Wow, the organizers even acknowledged the streamer’s feat.”

“I’m a Husky: Amazing, streamer.”

“Sweetheart Yiyi: Ah, the streamer is so incredible.”

“Sweetheart Yueyue: There’s even a chance to obtain the rewards the streamer got. Go for it, streamer.”

“Feng: Even I’m tempted by these rewards.”

“Sweetheart Yiyi has gifted Streamer Lu Yi one evening gown.”

“Sweetheart Yueyue has gifted Streamer Lu Yi one evening gown.”

“Black Sand City’s Luo Liufeng has gifted Streamer Lu Yi one Bone Nightmare Steed.”

For a time, many viewers flooded into Lu Yi’s live room and sent him gifts.

On the surface, Lu Yi wore a smile, but in his heart he was thinking of the reward mentioned by that voice.

As if sensing his thoughts, a strange sound suddenly came from beside Lu Yi.

He turned back and saw that the membrane of light surrounding the Watcher had vanished without a trace, taking the Watcher with it. Hunt Demon remained planted in the ground, and beside it lay four items: a small box, a crystal, fragments of the great blade, and a bracelet.

Lu Yi walked over, first collecting Hunt Demon, then quickly checking the attributes of the four items.

“Name: Three-Aspect Flying Dagger Box

“Quality: First-tier gold

“Weight: 500 grams

“Equipment requirement: None

“Contains two daggers each of three types.

“Swift Dagger: After it is thrown, the dagger’s speed greatly increases. It has the Swift ability, allowing it to flash through a stretch of distance at extreme speed. Once the ability is used and the dagger strikes an object, the dagger is destroyed.

“Destroying Dagger: The dagger has extremely strong armor-piercing and energy-shield-breaking power. It has the Destroy ability and is especially effective at destroying all kinds of defensive items or tools. Once the ability is used, the dagger is ultimately destroyed.

“Heavy Strike Dagger: The dagger has powerful injury-causing ability. It has the Heavy Strike ability, and after hitting a target it inflicts damage far beyond the dagger’s own power. Once the ability is used and the dagger strikes an object, the dagger is destroyed.

“Three Aspects Become One: Throwing all three types of daggers at the same time will transform them into a special dagger. The transformed dagger simultaneously unleashes enhanced versions of the three abilities. After sufficient attack or defense, or if it is forcibly dismantled under control, it will reveal the three daggers again, and each dagger will retain the transformed dagger’s speed.

“At the end of each trial, one dagger will be replenished until the set is full. No automatic replenishment is possible during the trial.

“Description: This is a special upgraded reward crafted for achievement earners in the Demon Game. By urban standards, it cannot be fully counted as a gold-quality item.

“Achievement titles: First to seal a Watcher in an equivalent state; flawless kill of a Watcher; first to kill a Watcher in this game; and what of it if I took a berserk instant-kill?”

Lu Yi’s eyes lit up at once. Another gold item? But after reading the description, his spirits dulled slightly. It was a fake gold item, its quality artificially raised because he had completed too many achievements at once.

Then he understood. Thinking back to his Windward Pendant and how he had obtained the Lingxi Ring, and to the dangers that had preceded them, the logic became clear.

Looking back at the present, killing a Watcher and completing those achievements was certainly difficult, but it was still nowhere near that level. If one could obtain a genuine gold-quality item that easily, then such equipment, representing the peak of that difficulty tier, would long since have become commonplace.

And then there was Hunt Demon, along with the equipment just mentioned. Which of those could he fully exploit right now? Even if he obtained one of those items, it would not boost his combat power much in the short term. In that sense, it was actually better to have these fake gold items, because he could use their full power.

Lu Yi then shifted his gaze to the crystal.

“Name: Tempered Demon Soil Essence Crystal

“Quality: First-tier purple

“Type: Consumable

“Based on your current physical condition, if used when strengthening your body after returning to the city, it can additionally increase your strength and constitution.”

The explanation was brief, but Lu Yi looked at it with amusement. Based on your current physical condition? So different people would receive different prompts for the same item. Still, this thing was of no use to him at the moment.

Next, he looked at the third item.

“Name: Fragment of Destroying Blade Intent

“Quality: First-tier purple

“Type: Consumable

“Effect: Helps comprehend Destroying Blade Intent. After the blade intent is fully consumed, it can be refined into a first-tier purple material.”

A helping hand toward comprehending blade intent. Lu Yi’s expression grew slightly strange. This reward was not very practical. Even looking ahead, whether he would even use a blade was still hard to say.

Finally, he picked up the bracelet inlaid with five crystals.

“Name: Prank Phantom Bracelet

“Quality: First-tier purple

“Weight: 200 grams

“Equipment requirement: Possess dark power and demon abilities

“Phantom Combo: After using energy-based attacks five times in total, the next fist, palm, or finger attack can additionally add one identical attack that the equipment can bear.

“In this added attack, the ranged portion has 80 percent of the original attack’s power, and the close-range portion gains an additional 30 percent power.

“The attacks that trigger Phantom Combo do not count toward the attack tally.

“Prank Strike: Release a black fist, palm, or finger. When it is attacked, strikes an object, or is manually detonated, one of the following abilities will randomly activate.

“Teasing, chance 40 percent: Prank Strike has no actual offensive effect. It will dissipate immediately after any taunting gesture, and the skill enters a 10-second cooldown.

“Black-Smoke Itch, chance 25 percent: Prank Strike collapses into black smoke, attaching itself to living beings other than the user and causing any skin touched by the smoke to itch. The skill enters a 5-minute cooldown. If the affected target is enraged, the cooldown is additionally reduced by 2 minutes.

“Voicelessness, chance 15 percent: Prank Strike casts a voice-altering spell on creatures within range. The affected beings’ speech and cries are randomly transformed into the cries of other creatures. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 15 minutes. If the affected target is enraged, the cooldown is additionally reduced by 2 minutes.

“Shrink-Grow, chance 15 percent: Prank Strike casts a shapeshifting spell on creatures within range. The affected beings may randomly become thinner or fatter. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 20 minutes. If the affected target is enraged, the cooldown is additionally reduced by 2 minutes.

“Serious Strike, chance 4.99 percent: Prank Strike randomly releases one advanced or ascended skill from the fist, palm, or finger categories. Cooldown: 1 hour.

“Demon Strike, chance 0.01 percent: Prank Strike transforms into Demon Strike, randomly releasing one demon-exclusive ascended or ultimate skill from the fist, palm, or finger categories. Cooldown: 4 hours.

“If Demon Strike successfully kills a target, the cooldown is halved, and the wearer gains haste and critical hit status.

“If, on the premise of killing the target, this strike also intimidates more than one hundred living beings, then the wearer additionally gains the demonic might status and obtains the one-time skill Shadow Raid.

“While under demonic might status, attacks will unsettle the target’s mind, and the casting speed and skill power of dark or demon属性 skills will increase.

“Shadow Raid allows a rapid advance of 50 to 100 meters and deals one attack to any unit along the way. Demonic might lasts 5 minutes; Shadow Raid lasts 10 minutes. Demon Strike can trigger at most three times per day.”

Advanced skill? Ultimate skill? Lu Yi raised an eyebrow.

If equipment was divided into white, green, blue, red, purple, gold, and dark gold across three tiers and seven colors, then skills could likewise be divided into three tiers and seven levels: normal attack, basic, enhanced, advanced, ascended, ultimate, and finisher. Of course, if one excluded the ordinary level, they could be counted as six levels instead.

The ultimate skills mentioned here corresponded to gold equipment among items. For example, the Watcher’s “My Way: One Blade Forbidden” could be considered a half-step ultimate skill.

Of course, the correspondence was only in level. Most equipment, unless enhanced, had a fixed level of power, whereas skills could be trained and strengthened continuously.

Lu Yi carefully reviewed the description again.

“Phantom Combo is a decent ability, but the probability for the attack abilities below is far too low. It wastes the purple quality. What a flashy piece of junk,” he said, and then suddenly paused. He touched the Ring of Fortune on his hand. A faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. “What a flashy piece of junk... a fine piece of equipment.”