Volume 4 Chapter 30: The End of the West
As we continued to walk on the vast sea of sand, Xiao Yi suddenly had an idea and asked me, "Ah Tian, do you think we have really escaped? Could it be that this desert is just an illusion created by a mirage, and we are still wandering in an illusion?"
I gently stroked Xiao Yi's flowing hair and smiled, "Honey, don't let your imagination run wild. Of course we have escaped. We have successfully destroyed the mirage's psychedelic world."
"But how do you prove this?" Xiao Yi asked mischievously.
"Haha, are you deliberately trying to provoke me?" I laughed, "Of course there is no way to prove this. Dreams are originally a fictitious world, and mirages are even more illusory. To prove the 'reality' in the 'illusion' is simply a paradox! But we can still infer it from some logic, just to kill time during the journey."
"First of all, there must be a way to crack a mirage. It is impossible for the designers of the fantasy to design an illusion that is 'absolutely' unbreakable. That would be meaningless. Therefore, the mirage must have a flaw. The question is whether we have really found this flaw?"
"In my opinion, we can say that we found it, but we can also say that we didn't find it. Because in the end we didn't actually defeat the mirage, and we didn't even see its true form - we inferred that the palace was its body, but it might not be its true appearance, it must have been disguised. We just managed to escape, and don't you think the way we escaped was a bit too violent? It was almost like taking advantage of a bug in the game - this analogy is not quite appropriate, it should be said that we took advantage of the rules of the game, the rule of fantasy is that everything is built on the basis of reality as much as possible."
"I have a feeling that the mirage didn't use its full strength when dealing with us, otherwise those mirages and mirage monsters would have rushed over and killed us long ago. It was more like it was playing an intelligence game with us. It was testing our observation, analytical skills, calmness in the face of things... and so on. To be honest, if we didn't rely on the wedding ring, I'm afraid it wouldn't have been so easy to escape."
"Looking back now, those illusions were bizarre, but the really scary thing was the psychological trap that the mirage set for us. You see, at first a mirage pretended to be you and gave me a surprise attack, but that was not enough to kill me. After all, the gap in strength between the mirage and me was too big. But later it continued to send out fake Lonely, A Wei and others, which left me with a very deep impression: the people who appeared in the palace were all monsters. Then the second 'you' appeared, this time pretended by a powerful mirage monster. It disguised itself so successfully that it shook my impression. I misjudged it as the real you - if I hadn't seen through the truth at the last moment, I would have been killed by it in seconds. This should be a killer set by the mirage for me. But the most crucial thing is that it had a plan within the plan. Although the mirage monster failed, it in turn deepened my suspicion of any 'person' who appeared in front of me. A shattered impression rebuilt is almost unshakable, so the third time I saw you, I immediately launched an attack!"
"If it weren't for the 'Lovesickness Knife Technique' and the wedding ring, I wouldn't have believed any of your verbal explanations, and the final result would have been that you and I would have killed each other. Mirage's plan was almost perfect. We didn't fall for it partly because of luck and partly because you and I have not wavered in our belief in love - we both believe that true lovers will never hurt themselves."
"But this is not the end. The abyss created by the mirage is also a test of our judgment. It may be the only safe path. If we turn back or take a detour, we will probably run into a large number of monsters."
"After arriving at the treasure room, according to common psychology, we would think that we have overcome so many difficulties and seen through many illusions. Now we have arrived at the real treasure land. How can we go into the treasure mountain and return empty-handed? I cannot deny that I was very tempted at that time, but the purpose of our trip was not to hunt for treasure but to go to the Western Continent, so my first consideration was how to escape. But then I soon realized that those treasures were most likely traps. If you really tried to take them, a mirage monster might jump out of the treasure chest and hit you, leaving you half-crippled if you didn't die. Fortunately, we were very calm at that time."
"I think the escape plan we came up with later must have been beyond the designers' consideration. I estimate that if someone else were there and was not tempted by the treasure, or defeated the monster guarding the treasure, they should be able to find another passage in the secret room and continue going forward. They may encounter various other tests. If they can solve them one by one, they can eventually see the core of the mirage, or the true body of the mirage - the palace is likely to be just its shell. Then, if they kill the mirage, they will truly defeat this monster."
"Of course, these are mostly my speculations, and maybe not true. But I can guarantee one thing, we have definitely escaped. Now we are really continuing our journey, and we are definitely not still in the belly of the mirage. Don't worry, my little fool."
"Hate it! You are the fool! I told you not to enter that palace, but you stupidly went in. You might as well just let the mirage swallow you up..."
"Having a beauty like you by my side is like a warm and cozy nest for me, even if it's in the belly of a mirage!"
The two of them were bickering and flirting like this, and time passed quickly without them noticing, and we had completed another day's journey.
On the second day, the environment gradually changed. The ground under our feet was no longer all fine sand, but mixed with coarse gravel and rocks, and even patches of grass in some places! And a fishy and salty dampness blew towards us from time to time.
"Sea breeze, it's sea breeze!" Xiao Yi, who has lived on the coast of the East China Sea for a long time, immediately recognized the smell.
Sea breeze? That means our journey is about to reach its end. Here we come, to the fantasy continent in the west!
After walking for a while, they saw a forest in front of them. This was a kind of plant that could not be seen in the Cang Continent. Its trunk was like a iron tree, and its leaves were like aloe vera, but it was covered with clusters of grape-like fruits. The fruits were all oval in shape and came in various colors, including purple, red, and golden yellow.
"Ha, isn't this a date palm?" I still remember this plant, which is native to the Middle East, being mentioned in geography class in elementary school.
When I entered the date palm grove, a giant bee flew towards me, which scared me. I chopped it with my knife, cutting it into pieces.
Huh? Instant kill? I haven't used any skills yet. This monster is too rubbish. It's obviously not on the same level as the monsters in the desert.
Xiao Yi suddenly said, "Someone is there!"
I looked up and saw that there were more than one person. There were two or three figures swaying in the date palm grove, and they were all killing the giant bees. Seeing how hard they were fighting and that they had to form a team to kill the giant bees, I knew that these people were of very low level.
Xiao Yi and I dismounted and walked up slowly. The three men discovered us, so they quickly killed the giant bee and then stared at us with curiosity.
I opened my mouth and said loudly: "Friends, we are travelers from the far east. May I ask where this place is?"
"%#$#%&@!" The other party answered me immediately, but... what language did he use? I couldn't understand a word of it, but I knew it wasn't English. Alas, in the excitement, I forgot that I was speaking Chinese, so I guess the other party couldn't understand it either.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yi next to me spoke, using the same language as the other person!
The two talked for a long time, and the three people opposite suddenly showed happy smiles, then clasped their right hands in front of their chests and bowed to us. Xiao Yi and I quickly clasped our fists in return.
Xiao Yi translated for me with a smile: "They are all players from the Middle East. They heard that we crossed the desert and came here from the Blue Continent. They admired us very much and said that we are warriors who conquered the Sea of Death."
I asked curiously, "People in the Middle East don't speak Arabic? How do you understand it?"
Xiao Yi wrinkled her cute nose and said, "I know a lot more! My family has found many teachers for me since I was a child, and I have learned all kinds of knowledge. In terms of language alone, in addition to Chinese, I can speak seven other common foreign languages in the world."
On the contrary... the children of wealthy families are different! Although there are many dandies, those who have truly received elite education are better than us rough people. However, I feel a little sympathetic to Xiao Yi. In such a living environment, even if she can enjoy material things as she pleases, does she still have a childhood? No wonder she doesn't want to take over the family business and wants to go out and have fun for three years.
Well, it's all thanks to Xiao Yi, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to deal with these Arabs . Fantasy originally had a language translation system, but for some reason, this function requires players to be above level 60 to be unlocked. I can only speak English so-so (but not necessarily), but before reaching Europe, not all players know English!
Thanks to Xiao Yi's communication, we quickly figured out that this was already in the Western Continent, near Alexandria, which is the area near the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey on the real map. This date palm forest is a treasure land for low-level players in the city to level up, but Fantasy has been open for so long that there are not many players below level 30, so we only met the three of them.
The Arabs were all very hospitable, and since we were from China (China and the Middle Eastern countries have always had good relations), they all volunteered to be our tour guides. We couldn't refuse their kindness, so we followed the three of them to Alexandria.
This city is full of Islamic style, with buildings with domes and spires everywhere. In the center of the city you can also see a mosque cathedral, which is equivalent to the royal palace of the city of Sanhua!
Mohammed, Kazai and Azig took us to a halal restaurant, where they served us authentic beef ramen, hand-pulled lamb, bait cakes, candied olives and other local delicacies. They entertained us warmly and introduced us to the local customs and culture.
After a very enjoyable meal, Xiao Yi and I also learned that there are NPCs for promotion to Western professions in Alexandria City. However, we are not yet level 60, so we are not in a hurry. We plan to first visit this world which is completely different from the Cang Continent.
After dinner, the three of them took us to visit the cathedral and watched their prayer ceremony. It was really interesting. In the fantasy setting, this is also a way of practice. You can gain experience every time you pray! But when we looked at the devout expressions of the believers, we knew that they didn't just treat this as a game. Mohammed said with some regret that we came at a bad time and missed Eid al-Fitr, otherwise the scene would have been really grand.
Then we went to the arena and watched some competitions between local players. There was nothing special about other things. Only one kind of Ottoman cavalry caught my attention. This is a branch profession of knights. Their mount is a dromedary, which is a specialty of the Middle East. They are lightly equipped, very fast, and equipped with a Damascus scimitar as a weapon. This profession emphasizes the word "speed". Their moves are as swift as the wind and their techniques are extremely cruel. Moreover, the smell of the dromedary has a restraining effect on horses and unicorns. If a light cavalry unit is formed with this type of soldiers, it will be the nemesis of ordinary knights.
The two of us Orientals appeared in the arena and attracted the attention of many players. Kazai introduced that we were from the Blue Continent, and that I was the top dream player who won the martial arts competition. This immediately caused a commotion, and many people shouted and cheered. Xiao Yi translated that they were saying that they wanted to compete with me, a warrior.
I wanted to refuse, saying that I was a guest from afar and it was not appropriate to use force. However, the local people are very brave and aggressive. Rejecting such a challenge would be disrespectful and quite rude. In desperation, I thought I had nothing else to do and might as well have some fun, so I went on stage.
Through Xiao Yi's negotiations with Muhammad, I told them that it was impossible for me to compete with so many people one by one, and asked them to elect a representative to have a friendly PK with me. Then a big man stood up from the crowd, with green eyes, curly beard, and well-developed muscles. He walked up to the stage and bowed to me.
This person is called Abdu, a level 52 scimitar warrior (warrior branch profession). The player level of the Fantasy Continent was originally lower than that of the Blue Continent, but after the Blue Continent failed to defend the city, the two sides were almost equal. This level is considered very high in the Blue Continent. Alexandria is not like the cities in the East. There are much fewer players, so there are fewer masters. This Abdu is probably one of the few masters in the local area. When he came out, the players watching shouted in unison: "Abdu, Abdu!"
It's not that I like to look down on others - in my eyes, Abdu is not an opponent of the same level. Not to mention that I am currently level 58, and the gap of 6 levels is not a small number, not to mention that my attributes are abnormal; not to mention that I am equipped with top-quality equipment, which few people in Fantasy can match. Just standing on the stage, holding the handle of the scimitar at his waist, leaning forward slightly, like a cheetah ready to pounce at any time, the momentum and sense of oppression are very strong, but I can see at a glance that his center of gravity is not on the middle line of his body. I have already predicted his moves. A real master will never expose such a flaw. No wonder I didn't hear his name in the martial arts competition. His level is okay, but his PK level is definitely not enough to stand out in a competition full of masters.
After thinking about it, I realized that this was a friendly exchange, so there was no need for me to expose my strength. Therefore, I didn't ride my horse, nor did I use the Tiger Soul. I chose the dark gold long sword from the backup weapons, took it in my hand, and said loudly, "Please!"
At the referee's command, the game began. Abdu rushed out immediately. His speed should not be underestimated. He rushed in front of me in an instant. While rushing forward, he drew his scimitar and used the inertia of the forward rush to increase the speed of the attack. He slashed towards my left shoulder with a sharp knife!
I swung my sword horizontally, and was about to block the scimitar, but the knife suddenly changed its momentum, forming a flower in the air, and then slashed diagonally towards my right chest. This feint was Abdu's specialty, and it could often catch the opponent off guard and severely injure him in a single blow.
Unexpectedly, I just turned my wrist and the long sword changed from a horizontal block to a vertical block. With a crisp "clang" sound of swords clashing, the tip of the scimitar was lowered three inches in front of my chest, as if my sword had been in that position from the beginning, and Abdu just took the initiative to send the knife up.
After the swords touched, the two men separated. Abdu growled and dodged to my left side, obviously trying to take advantage of my low knight agility and attack me from my blind spot.
I didn't turn around either. I switched the sword to my left hand and made a simple heavy slash. However, since the attack range of the long sword is slightly longer than that of the scimitar, Abdu didn't have time to get close to me and had to retreat.
We fought for several more rounds. I stayed still while Abdu leaped back and forth. The two of us were in sharp contrast, one moving and the other still. However, no matter how Abdu attacked from any angle, I could easily dissolve it with the simplest movement of swinging my sword. I was never hurt at all. People with good vision could see that I had predicted all of his moves, so each sword seemed slow but was actually fast, and I could always attack Abdu's flaws or block his attack one step ahead.
Abdu suddenly stepped back, took a few breaths, and then spoke a few words. Although I didn't understand what he said, I heard Xiao Yi's translation: "Dear warrior, my martial arts skills are far inferior to yours, but I still want to ask you to teach me my strongest moves."
After Abdu finished speaking, he raised his hand, and the crescent-shaped scimitar flew into the air, spinning like a wheel in the air and chopped down on my head!
The special skill of the level 50 scimitar warrior is "Crescent Moon Scimitar"!
This move of flying the sword through the air has many variations and is somewhat similar to the flying sword technique of the sword immortals in Chinese mythology and legends!
I said excitedly, “Okay!”
The knight's level 50 skill "Starlight Sword Technique" was used, and the sword in my hand turned into streams of light, continuously hitting the scimitar!
In fact, when the competition reaches this point, it has evolved into a contest of skills rather than each person's own skills, and the competition has lost its meaning. It is just using these gorgeous moves to win the audience's laughter.
There was a burst of sharp clinking sounds, and tiny but brilliant metallic sparks exploded in the air. After a moment, both sides were exhausted and stopped their moves. Then they saluted each other. Abdu said, "It's a pleasure to fight with you, Your Excellency. I lose!"
I smiled and said, "We are just tied. Your Excellency has allowed me to see the elegance of Arab warriors. This trip is really worthwhile."
The audience cheered loudly. Actually, everyone could see that I was holding back. I didn't have a mount, which was a must for knights, and I didn't take the initiative to attack during the entire battle, otherwise Abdu would have been defeated. But in the end, neither side was injured. I thought it was a draw, and I gave them enough face without hurting their self-esteem. Of course, everyone was happy.
That night, Abdu, Mohammed and others dragged me out for a drink. We drank until late at night and then everyone said goodbye to each other reluctantly.
Alexandria, I remember this first city I passed through after arriving in the Western Continent.
