Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost

"Old man, our King is here to 'invite' you to the mountain again. Just come along quietly with us, and save others the trouble of dying because of you."

Below a bamboo house, the thug leader held a person under one arm while gnawing on something, all the while shouting towards the structure.

"Hah! You kill people, yet you claim it's my fault. Have demonized individuals like you lost even that much sense?" an elderly voice replied.

These words sparked a flash of anger in the eyes of the thug leader. He fumed silently. Why couldn't the old man just agree to die quietly? Instead, he made the leader come here to shout insults every few days, delaying his opportunities to devour so many people.

Wang Linchi squatted in the distance, observing the scene, and glanced at the Saint Master.

This truly seems like an opportunity to turn the tables.

He had initially thought this troop of demonized bandits was formidable, but he hadn't anticipated that other beings with Extraordinary Power were nearby, and furthermore, they weren't allied with the Black Wind Stronghold.

If he wanted to clear this, he might have to rely on their power.

Then, a cacophony of CRASHES and BANGS erupted as they began to smash the house. However, as the demonized bandits approached the bamboo house, an invisible force repelled them, preventing any forceful breakthrough.

Even those who used too much force were injured.

"Hahaha! Cursed heretics, daring to approach my bamboo house! It seems I'll have to take at least three lives today!" a hearty laugh echoed from the bamboo house, followed by a long bamboo pole being hurled out like a javelin.

The long bamboo pole skimmed past the thug leader's face but pierced through the three large thugs behind him.

In Wang Linchi's view, the Health of these three large thugs immediately dropped by half and continued to decrease.

"Damn it, today I will..." Before the thug leader could finish speaking, another bamboo pole was tossed out. Although the leader dodged it, some unfortunate small thugs couldn't, and another three were skewered like shish kebabs.

Half of his manpower was gone in an instant.

Seeing this, Wang Linchi quickly signaled, and the Saint Master charged forward.

This development caught the thug leader off guard. The six bandits who had been skewered like shish kebabs were instantly harvested by the Saint Master.

[Your summoned creature has eliminated an enemy.] ×6

Small thugs yielded 1,000 Experience each, and large thugs 3,000. Just like that, Wang Linchi reached Level 10. He didn't continue to level up because he hadn't undergone his first advancement, so his Experience was capped; he could accumulate it but not advance further.

"Hahaha, it seems you are destined to remain here today!"

It appeared the Saint Master's arrival had shifted the tide of battle, so the person in the bamboo house seized the opportunity to press the attack.

An elder, his hair and beard completely white, yet with a body full of corded muscle, charged out wielding a sharpened bamboo spear, leaving the thug leader defenseless.

At this point, the thug leader understood. It wasn't him the elder feared, but his large number of men.

Just as he was about to order his underlings to swarm their attacker, he suddenly realized that the monster—which had appeared from nowhere—had already slain all his lackeys in a short time and was now heading towards him.

This threw him into a panic.

Unfortunately, he couldn't escape now. He was caught between the approaching elder and the Saint Master.

Meanwhile, Wang Linchi was still squatting in a hidden place, ready to strike at any moment.

Although Fanciful and Fickle's effect only lasted for one second, that one second was a mandatory control, making it somewhat useful.

"Damn it, I..."

Before the thug leader could finish speaking, his skull was pierced by the bamboo spear, then the Saint Master tore off his head, harvesting it.

Ten thousand Experience, truly befitting this high-difficulty level…

Looking at the acquired Experience, Wang Linchi beamed. This wasn't just Experience—it was the resource for his growth.

After the dust settled, Wang Linchi emerged to collect the rewards.

Each small thug dropped one Abyss Crystal, each large thug dropped two, and the thug leader dropped five.

"This monster, how did you tame it?" The elder regarded Wang Linchi with curiosity. The Saint Master, its task completed, naturally stayed by Wang Linchi's side like a bodyguard, as was its role.

"I raised it from an egg," Wang Linchi replied honestly. It was true; he had raised the Saint Master from an egg to its current size. Then he asked, "May I ask your name, senior?"

The old man had no health bar above his head, only the name 'Reclusive Elder.' Clearly, he was an ally.

"Just call me Bamboo Hermit." The old man didn't reveal his name but offered a title instead. Accordingly, the name displayed above his head changed to 'Bamboo Hermit'.

"Bamboo Hermit, why did Black Wind Stronghold 'invite' you to their mountain?" Wang Linchi asked curiously.

"Hmph! Naturally, they want my life," the Bamboo Hermit snorted coldly, then continued, "Of the Four Hermits, I am the only one remaining. If I die, this group of demonized bandits will face no further opposition and can expand without restraint."

"Then when all Four Hermits were alive, why didn't you extinguish this hidden danger beforehand?" Wang Linchi asked, puzzled.

"It's because... Ah, never mind." The Bamboo Hermit had been about to explain but stopped himself. He then asked, "So, you are another Young Hero, more brave than wise, planning to annihilate the Black Wind Stronghold?"

As he spoke, he sized up Wang Linchi.

"Barely, I suppose. But I can't beat them, so I was thinking of giving up," Wang Linchi said with a shrug, spreading his hands. He saw no chance of victory.

"It's not entirely without a chance. If you can gather the plants cultivated by the Four Hermits for protection, you might just win," the Bamboo Hermit urged.

"Why don't you go?" Wang Linchi rolled his eyes.

"I cannot leave this bamboo house. Otherwise, the Chieftain of Black Wind Stronghold would seize the opportunity to invade. Once the bamboo house is gone, Black Wind Stronghold will no longer be constrained," the Bamboo Hermit said with a grave expression.

"Alright then, I'll give it a try." Wang Linchi wasn't actually convinced. He was more inclined to believe the Bamboo Hermit was trying to trick him into attacking Black Wind Stronghold. If he succeeded, it would be a happy outcome for everyone; if he failed, well, it was only one person dead.

"Hand it over, then." Wang Linchi extended his hand towards the Bamboo Hermit, expecting something.

"Hand over what?" The Bamboo Hermit was momentarily taken aback.

"The plants of the Four Hermits, of course," Wang Linchi stated confidently.

"You have to first complete..."

"Then forget it. It's too much trouble. You expect me to work for you and risk my life for you," Wang Linchi said and, without hesitation, turned to leave.

The Bamboo Hermit must have encountered many Players before, so he understood some of their common tactics. This showed he wasn't just a rigid NPC who only handed out quests.

"Alright, alright, here! Why are you so impatient?" The Bamboo Hermit hadn't expected Wang Linchi to actually leave. Just as Wang Linchi suspected, the cost to the Bamboo Hermit wasn't high.

Reluctantly, he took out a bamboo segment and handed it to Wang Linchi, saying, "This bamboo of mine possesses demon-breaking power."

[Bamboo·Gentleman]

[Type: Quest Item]

[Stored in inventory. Attacks against demonized-type enemies are converted to True Damage that ignores Defense. When facing demonized-type enemies: Final Damage +100%, Critical Hit Rate +100%]

Wang Linchi was somewhat incredulous after seeing the attributes. The effects were indeed outrageous. While True Damage didn't significantly boost his power—since his Fixed Damage was already difficult to reduce—the doubled damage and guaranteed critical hit were certainly extraordinary.

Of course, this wasn't to say his Fixed Damage could truly match True Damage that ignored Defense. Fixed Damage could still be reduced or resisted by corresponding attributes or equipment. However, according to information from the forums, True Damage was currently irresistible for most monsters, aside from a few special bosses with specific True Damage resistance.

The only drawback was that it was a Quest Item and couldn't be removed from the dungeon instance. Moreover, these attribute effects only activated against demonized enemies; they were ineffective against other types of foes.

"What about the others?" Wang Linchi pressed. He was told about the Four Hermits, so why only one bamboo item?

"The remaining three plants—Mei, Lan, and Ju—you'll have to retrieve them yourself. I don't have them either."

"After all, I cannot leave the bamboo house." The Bamboo Hermit had no way to give them to him even if he wanted to.

"Wait, aren't those three dead? Where am I supposed to get them..." Wang Linchi grumbled. This is asking too much!

Relying solely on the effect of this one Bamboo·Gentleman, he really couldn't clear this dungeon instance.

"There are remnants at their former residences, but they are guarded by Black Wind Stronghold personnel—at least one thug leader and three large thugs, possibly with even more small thugs," the Bamboo Hermit said.

"Alright, I'll give it a try. If I make it back, consider it good news. If I don't, perhaps you could pour a cup of wine in my memory," Wang Linchi joked, mainly hoping to play the sympathy card and perhaps get more benefits from the Bamboo Hermit.

"Don't worry! The bamboo wine I brew is exceptional. I guarantee that if it comes to your 'departure,' it will be well worth it," the Bamboo Hermit said, patting his chest confidently.

"Really? I don't believe you," Wang Linchi grinned. He'd managed to trick another item out of the Bamboo Hermit! Now, he just needed to get his hands on it. This bamboo wine was obviously a consumable for recovery or enhancement.