VRMMO: Passing of the Sword

The two entities entered a relatively stable state just like that. However, the powers of ice and fire were still wreaking havoc in his body, except they were warily slowing down and receding.

Heavenly Fire also tried not to cause any trouble, and it just tried to strengthen itself before anything else. Therefore, the pain of fusing ice and fire was still in play within Blue Maple’s body.

Eh? You’re dealing with it quite quickly, you little rascal. It’s my turn.

Old Man Fang instantly teleported behind Blue Maple.

Old Man Fang had been observing from one side from the beginning to the end, and he knew about everything once something happened over on Blue Maple’s side. Now was the time for him to help the two entities maintain balance.

If Blue Maple didn’t force the two entities to settle down, Old Man Fang could only forcibly use a seal on his Nine Heavens Mysterious Ice, but now…

The only thing Old Man Fang had to do was a little trick. For example, he could create a barrier to separate the two entities’ ability to sense each other so that they wouldn’t fight each other continuously. Everything would be easy once Blue Maple had something that could merge ice and fire.

“Hold on for a little while longer, little rascal. I’m going to help you stabilize everything!”

Old Man Fang placed his palm on Blue Maple’s back as he spoke to release the barrier.

“Heh!”

Old Man Fang didn’t use his power of fire this time. Instead, he used his other abilities. The old man’s power of fire was only part of his overall strength, except it was more useful.

“Hum!”

Old Man Fang’s power started flowing within Blue Maple’s body and separated the intertwined powers of ice and fire. Furthermore, Old Man Fang guided them to return to where they belonged.

Old Man Fang smoothened the absorption of pure Heavenly Fire. Even though Blue Maple had to be the one to do the absorbing, Old Man Fang could still smooth out the absorption path.

This process made things a lot easier than before.

Blue Maple started to release his tight frown, while the power of ice and fire wreaking havoc in his body receded. Everything started returning to tranquillity.

Moments later…

Old Man Fang stopped channelling his own strength. He had already set up the barrier to stop both entities from sensing each other, so Blue Maples’ Heavenly Fire and his Nine Heavens Mysterious Ice would temporarily not cause any problems. Blue Maple could continue absorbing Heavenly Fire in peace.

However, due to his Nine Heavens Mysterious Ice, his absorption of Heavenly Fire…

…was excessive again.

It seemed like many thing had not been completed according to what Blue Maple wanted since the beginning of the game.

Some more time passed before Blue Maple stopped absorbing Heavenly Fire. He was already saturated, and he would probably explode if he continued absorbing.

Blue Maple gradually opened his dark blue eyes…

A dash of blue light flickered across his eyes.

Blue Maple’s hair had turned dark blue, just like his Heavenly Fire’s color, and it appeared profound while it radiated with enchanting brilliance…

“Roar…”

Blue Maple’s entire body started burning up, not because of Blue Maple’s Heavenly Fire, but from Old Man Fang’s fire. Old Man Fang was securing and consolidating the seal on Blue Maple’s body while trying to teleport him out.

“Whoosh.”

Blue Maple was sent back to the molten lake’s shoreside. He was standing next to Old Man Fang, while the flames around his body dissipated.

……

“Yes, very good. You’ve become a lot stronger than before. Your attributes have been increased once more after your third class advancement. Your attributes are now completely dominant over all the other players in the world. Are you excited?”

Old Man Fang glanced at Blue Maple with a smile on his face, and his tone sounded a little boastful.

Blue Maple suddenly glared at Old Man Fang, while a beam of blue light blasted out from Blue Maple’s eyes!

The beam of blue light passed through his fringe and went straight for Old Man Fang!

But Old Man Fang simply waved his hand and dispelled the blue light beam…

Blue Maple was also temporarily shocked. He didn’t think that his glare could cause something like this to happen!

“Oi, don’t be excited, young man. Don’t use your newfound powers so carelessly. You may just kill someone else by accident if you don’t control them properly. Don’t worry, the system will not announce your name this time.”

Old Man Fang seemed to know what Blue Maple was worried about. They made a system announcement before, but Blue Maple would definitely not agree this time.

“Your Heavenly Fire’s power is far stronger than this, and the same goes for your Nine Heavens Mysterious Ice, except you can’t use it yet. This is a new skill that your Heavenly Fire has bestowed upon you: Eyes of Heavenly Fire!”

Old Man Fang also transformed his own eyes into the same dark blue colors that Blue Maple had, as flowing light flickered within his eyes.

Ding! Announcement: “You have received a new skill: Eyes of Heavenly Fire!”

Ding! Announcement: “Eyes of Heavenly Fire is a skill given to the user after absorbing a certain volume of Heavenly Fire. This skill grants the user a passive ability to see through all low-tier invisibility, illusion, disguises, and whatnot. This skill also grants night vision, visibility through fog, and whatnot. This skill also grants x-ray vision, as long as the other party agrees!”

“The skill has an active effect to resist all spiritual attacks such as confusion or with illusions. It can even see through high-tier invisibility, illusions, disguises, and whatnot. Your eyes also has an active offensive skill: Heavenly Fire Eye Beam!”

Ding! Announcement: “Heavenly Fire Eye Beam fires two beams of light conjured from Heavenly Fire, dealing 200% of your damage to your enemy. Half of this damage is considered physical damage, while the other half is considered spiritual damage. There’s no cooldown, and it can be instantly used given that certain conditions are met. This skill expends Heavenly Fire and spiritual power!”

……

“Uh…”

Blue Maple was also temporarily shocked when he heard this announcement.

“Now, you can’t randomly glare at other people. Otherwise, you have to be responsible if you glare someone to death.” Old Man Fang gave no quarter as he lectured Blue Maple.

Blue Maple frowned as he heard Old Man Fang’s words because he felt that Heavenly Fire Eye Beam didn’t seem like it was easily controlled. He had just fired one beam unwittingly!

Blue Maple even felt temporary dizziness in his head after using this skill, and he expended almost 5% of the Heavenly Fire that he had just absorbed!

These conditions seem very demanding… Blue Maple thought to himself. Evidently, he was also a little surprised as to how much Heavenly Fire this skill required. After all, he had just increased his Heavenly Fire’s volume before this.

Old Man Fang didn’t find Blue Maple’s reactions strange at all as he continued to speak.

“I’ll deal with that for you later. Don’t worry. You should spend some time getting used to your stronger body, and I will give you new skills afterwards. You can deal with whatever that old bastard has given you by yourself in the future, I don’t care.”

Old Man Fang seemed like he didn’t care about taking care of Blue Maple, and he was letting Blue Maple deal with everything by himself.

Old Man Fang started giggling immediately afterwards.

“But don’t be shocked at how powerful you have become. Your current physique has become more than extraordinary relative to reality.”

“My physique?”

Blue Maple was a little confused before he opened his physique panel.

===

[Blue Maple] (Level 56 Sword Hermit)

Attack Speed: 2.1 per second (single-sword state)

Movement Speed: Maximum limit of 27 metres per second

Jumping Distance: Maximum limit of 56 metres.

Vertical Jumping Height: Maximum limit of 9 metres.

Body Strength: Maximum limit of lifting 1124 kilograms.

Vision: ……

===

Besides my attack speed… Blue Maple thought to himself, and he was pleasantly surprised at how his physique had improved after his third class advancement.

“These are your attributes with the seal.” Old Man Fang’s voice abruptly rang out again.

“Are you shocked? This is your third class advancement at Level 60. You will gain more levels in the future, and you will have more class advancements. Do you know what kind of physical attributes you will possess in the future?”

Old Man Fang was speaking very seriously in this moment, and it wouldn’t be too much if he suddenly turned hostile.

“I don’t know what your identity is in reality, but I think you must know some things: for example, why this game has such physical attribute progression to a point where these attributes are far superior to a human’s normal limits. You can possibly reach a speed where you can’t even react!”

“I know a little bit.”

Blue Maple answered plainly, and he was still as cold as before.

“Good. What you probably don’t know is that your final achievement in this game will be closely related to your eventual residence at your destination in the future.”

“You… should understand this?”

Old Man Fang spoke with a serious look on his face.

Blue Maple’s expression also became solemn as he started contemplating…

Old Man Fang wasn’t worried as he watched Blue Maple’s response. He just stood by quietly and waited for Blue Maple to think.

Moments later…

Blue Maple lifted his head and suddenly gazed into the old man’s eyes as he spoke.

“It’s enough for me to become stronger by myself, right?”

Blue light flowed in Blue Maple’s eyes. His eyes were sharp, but there seemed to be tinges of fear and franticness…

“Uh…”

Old Man Fang stared at Blue Maple, and he was also shocked at his response.

“Is it enough for me to become stronger by myself!?”

Blue Maple asked again forcefully, like he demanded an answer.

Old Man Fang glanced at Blue Maple and thought for a few moments before he turned back with a solemn look in his eyes.

Old Man Fang said slowly…

“Hey, little rascal. What kind of burdens do you have on your shoulders in reality, exactly?”

……

Blue Maple fell silent and lowered his head…

He clenched his fists afterwards as he spoke through gritted teeth.

“That’s not your business. Tell me, is it enough for me to become powerful by myself!”

Blue Maple lifted his head before Old Man Fang could reply…

Blue Maple’s eyes were filled with coldness, heartlessness, loneliness… and… death.

“Answer me.”

Blue Maple’s icy tone almost carried a tinge of murderousness, a kind that he couldn’t control.

“Little rascal, you…”

Old Man Fang completely didn’t expect him to react this way, to a point where Blue Maple couldn’t control his murderousness towards him.

“Haih… forget it.”

He could only heave a sigh in the end.

“It’s enough if you become sufficiently powerful. There’s nothing else you need to do. The most you have to do is complete some quests or tasks to kill some demons. Those are all part of the game.”

Blue Maple’s negative energy started receding as Old Man Fang finished his explanation…

Everything became quiet and peaceful once more…

“Alright.”

Blue Maple answered plainly. His attitude wasn’t much different from normal times, like he didn’t care about anything at all.

Old Man Fang stared deeply at Blue Maple. He was surprised that Blue Maple would switch between those two moods so quickly, but he didn’t think too much of it.

“Here, this is for you.”

Old Man Fang took something out and handed it to Blue Maple once he saw that he had calmed down.

It was a pair of exquisite half-rimmed spectacles. Its rim was a delicate dark blue color, and it had a thin pair of transparent lens. It didn’t seem any different from a normal decorative pair of spectacles. There were also spectacles in reality, except they were for decorative purposes.

“What’s this?”

Blue Maple frowned confusedly as he saw the pair of spectacles.

“This is for controlling your Eyes of Heavenly Fire.” Old Man Fang continued plainly. Perhaps, Blue Maple’s reaction had affected him as he restrained his usual behavior.

Blue Maple glanced at the spectacles and said nothing more as he took it and put it on.

“Crack.”

Blue Maple instinctively pushed his spectacles over his nose with his middle finger. Light flowed within its lens as he stared at Old Man Fang with a sharp look in his eyes.

Blue Maple asked a question abruptly in a plain voice.

“What’s your relationship with Silent Observer?”