Martial Online.

Chapter 32: Dark and Light

[A New Information Unlocked!]

[Black Smoke of Verhan Has Infiltrated the City of Amaterasu!]

[The ones who had been scratched by crows will be infected!]

[Remove the Curse of Verhan by killing all the crows!]

[Time Limit: 3 days]

'Black Smoke of Verhan?' Ambrose looked at the rows of text with a blank expression. 'I have no clue what that is. The ones who had been scratched by crows will be infected... does that mean players can also be infected?

'In three days, something horrible will happen if all the crows aren't dead by then, I guess.

'How did such information come to be? Did a player discover some quest NPC, who gave the information?'

Ambrose rubbed his chin and then heard a loud scream. He turned around and saw a screaming player looking at his smoking arm.

"I-I have been infected!" The player screamed and tried to get help from his friends, but they avoided him like the plague.

"Were you scratched by a crow?" Ambrose approached the screaming player.

The screaming player looked towards the black-haired young man with tears in his eyes. He nodded shakily. "Y-Yeah, but that was like three hours ago!"

"I see." Ambrose nodded. "Did you kill the crow?"

"Uh, no... I ran away." The player ashamedly said.

"Have you tried cutting your limb?" Ambrose asked and looked at the long, bloody scratch on the player's arm. "If you cut your arm from your shoulder, the Black Smoke of Verhan maybe hasn't reached the rest of your body yet."

"Huh?" The player widened his eyes in shock. "Are you insane? I am not going to cut my own arm!"

"Why not? It will grow back. Just go get some Restoration Gel." Ambrose said.

"What is wrong with you?" The player screamed. "Who in their right mind would cut their own arm? Pain or not, it is still far from a pleasurable experience! I-I heard someone got their leg cut off and got traumatized by the experience!"

"Fine, I can do it for you if you want." Ambrose took out his shortsword and smiled. "It will be quick and painless, I promise."

"No, go away from me, lunatic!" The player screamed and ran away to a nearby alleyway, where his friends were. His friends then ran away from him, screaming that it might be contagious.

"I am not a lunatic." Ambrose looked toward the feather-filled roads. "I am just someone who offered a helping hand. Sigh."

"Helping hand... that is quite a dark joke." Ambrose pursed his lips and shook his head. He kicked the feathers off his shoes and headed to the sound of screams.

When he reached the street with screams, he saw people running out of the buildings as crows chased after them. There were players trying to get rid of the crows, but ever since the information, they have been extremely careful not to get scratched.

"Screeech!" A crow dived down from the sky with a loud screech.

Ambrose raised his head and put his sword above his head. "Basic Parry!"

The crow smashed its claws into the blade but couldn't break through the block.

The crow flew away, screeching loudly, and then it flew back to the sky again. It circled in the sky, waiting for another moment to strike.

At that moment, an arrow crossed the distance and pierced through its eye. The crow fell from the sky, and once it hit the ground, it died.

Ambrose turned to the rooftop and saw a female archer shooting arrow after arrow, trying to hit the flying crows.

"I guess I have to start killing crows too..." Ambrose said and whispered. "Interface."

He checked one bar in particular.

[XP: 20/175]

He had killed several crows since he logged in, but he was far from satisfied.

...

Nocklund High.

Holly leaned against her arm while looking out of the window. She could see the entire school yard and the vast city of Nocklund, which was a large city with a population of over one million people.

It was a simple city, allowing one to slow down and savor simple pleasures. It was a place where you could leisurely stroll through parks, explore local markets, or sit at a cozy cafe with a hot drink in hand, watching the world go by.

During the evenings, Nocklund City usually comes alive with soft lighting, creating an enchanting atmosphere. The aroma of delicious food often wafted through the air, tempting everyone to test local delicacies and traditional cuisine.

Cozy houses with flickering candles and fireplaces created a romantic and intimate setting, perfect for enjoying a meal with loved ones or immersing yourself in a good book.

However, in the eyes of Holly, the streets and everything around them looked dull gray, as if all color had been sucked from the world.

"Holly~" Allison entered the classroom with her hips moving side-to-side seductively. Her classmates had a hard time tearing their gazes off her.

Holly turned to her best friend and then turned back to the window.

Allison pouted and put her head on Holly's shoulder. "Whatcha looking at?"

"Nothing; what do you want?" Holly asked.

"I heard you arguing with your brother, but then you closed the phone call and didn't even answer my messages. Did he do something to you?"

"What could he possibly do?" Holly scoffed. "He would break from a single touch."

"Aha, true that." Allison giggled and asked. "So, what happened?"

"Nothing." Holly said. "Can you lend money? I need to purchase a VR headset."

"Oh, you want to play with me after all!" Allison exclaimed with a giant smile.

"I just want to see what everyone is excited about. I don't promise that I will continue playing."

"No worries!" Allison smiled. "There is also no need to fight. You can get work in the city and receive Sub-Class!"

"Oh?" Holly said without much interest. She looked at the blue sky with clouds drifting across it. Her reflection became clearer in the window. Her expression was dull, lacking any joy.

"It will be so fun!" Allison hugged her from behind. "I am in Tsukuyomi; I hope you also get teleported there!"

"Hmm..." Holly hummed.

...

"Yes... continue wreaking havoc. Hahahaha!"

A loud, rapturous laughter echoed across a dark cavern.

Drip, drip—water dripped down from the ceiling and landed on the ground.

A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness and stepped over the puddles. He was letting out eerie laughter, his shoulders bouncing up and down as if he couldn't stop his laughter.

He stepped out of the cavern and into the light. The sun's powerful light fell on his face, making him scream.

"Aaaargh, light is the most demonic power there is!" The man shouted and screamed towards the sun. "Darkness gives a person peace and tranquility; light exposes your deepest secrets.

"The world doesn't need light. It should live in darkness and embrace it!"

He stood in front of the cavern entrance, situated at the top of the hilltop. From there, he could see over the Crow Forest and the fortified Amaterasu. The sky above Amaterasu was covered in darkness as crows soared through the air.

"I am going to show the beautiful power of darkness." The man roared in laughter and spread his arms wide. A black cloak suddenly appeared over his slender figure.

The black cloak had feathers as decorations—black feathers.

"A new era. Dark era!" The man shouted and leaped into the era. His body suddenly dissolved into black feathers, and those feathers turned into screeching black crows.

The hundreds of black crows flapped their wings and began flying towards the fortified city of Amaterasu.