Chapter 279: Uninvited Guest
Just as everyone online was arguing furiously, Jiang Che’s gaze suddenly shifted to a corner of the dungeon. He instantly sensed that an unexpected visitor had broken into his territory.
Without hesitation, he darted away, vanishing from his spot instantly.
The people below kept cursing at each other online, glancing now and then at the big stone where Jiang Che had been, but when they looked up again, Jiang Che had disappeared without a trace.
By now, Jiang Che had already arrived at the edge of the dungeon. He saw a mysterious figure standing there.
Behind the man lay the gloomy and terrifying Dark Forest, its dense fog shrouding twisted trees whose branches writhed like the tentacles of demons, sending chills down one’s spine.
The newcomer wore a black suit and a Black Crow headpiece, appearing particularly eerie.
His right hand was covered in black feathers, palm pressed tightly against the Dungeon Boundary Wall, clearly ready to break through at any moment.
Jiang Che stared at this person, eyes full of caution. He really hadn’t seen him before, but he’d definitely heard the name "Black Crow." Not long ago, he’d just left Black Crow’s territory, lighting up one of the ten lanterns.
"Black Crow?" Jiang Che fixed his gaze on the person, his tone unfriendly, "What are you here for?"
Upon hearing Jiang Che, the Black Crow shook his head and replied, "I’m not Lord Black Crow. I’m Gray Crow, Black Crow’s most loyal subordinate." His voice was low and raspy, carrying a strange sense of oppression.
"I’m here this time on Lord Black Crow’s orders, leaving your territory by passing through." Gray Crow continued, and when mentioning Black Crow, his voice throbbed with fanaticism. His bloodshot eyes gleamed with madness, as if Black Crow were his absolute faith.
Jiang Che now examined him carefully. The feathers on his body weren’t quite as pure black; compared to the ink-like depths of the Dark Forest, his feathers were covered in a faint misty gray.
And compared to the Black Crow as described by Ding Ning, this Gray Crow was closer to a human form.
Gray Crow stood tall, as if defending Black Crow’s honor, and went on, "Lord Black Crow’s will is my mission. I’d walk through fire or hell for him without hesitation. Serving him is the greatest honor of my life."
Every word was filled with finality and unwavering resolve, that look of loyalty as if he’d already put his own life aside, caring only for the task entrusted by Black Crow.
Jiang Che frowned at the newcomer, thoughts churning within.
Leng Feng had never hidden anything from him, even told him openly about being nurtured as a Dark Star candidate.
Leng Feng claimed he would fight for humanity, since he was already the strongest among them.
But now, looking at Gray Crow, Jiang Che felt nothing but heightened caution.
He was no longer the naïve rookie he once was; he could now sense that Gray Crow’s strength actually surpassed even Leng Feng.
If Leng Feng was acknowledged as the strongest, then what was this guy?
And yet, he’d never heard of Gray Crow before. The passage between the two worlds hadn’t opened, so Gray Crow couldn’t possibly be from the Evil Spirit Realm.
"Lord Black Crow said he made a deal with you guys. He let you leave his territory, and now it’s time you paid up." Gray Crow finished, and resolutely placed his hand on Jiang Che’s Dungeon Boundary Wall. That death-before-hesitation look showed he had already disregarded his own life.
"But you don’t have to let me win on purpose—let me pass. Lord Black Crow only made a deal with the Lord of Dungeon Nine. The agreement only allowed his people to leave Dungeon Nine, not your territory." His voice was hard, without a hint of emotion.
"Plus, your territory isn’t SSS-class yet. Passing through won’t grant any bonuses."
Everything he said, Jiang Che already knew, but if passing through his dungeon granted no benefit, why come at all? Jiang Che was full of suspicion, staring intently at Gray Crow.
But beneath the crow mask, you couldn’t read anything. The bloodshot eyes beneath the eyeholes showed only insane devotion to Black Crow, without a hint of wavering or retreat.
Jiang Che’s heart sank. This guy was a lunatic, completely brainwashed by Black Crow.
"Alright, go ahead then." Jiang Che stepped back, making space for him.
He had already set up a living area; all the humans living in his territory resided there, so incoming challengers wouldn’t affect them.
After Jiang Che informed the other Lords about this setup, they’d all begun to copy it, designating small regions to house resident humans.
For now, only Leng Feng’s dungeon was still packed full, no regions set aside.
Gray Crow chose a random entry point. Once inside Jiang Che’s dungeon, he didn’t start the challenge right away, but curiously scanned his surroundings.
The area was filled with dim, narrow corridors, overhead lights yellow and flickering, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing and letting darkness swallow everything.
Blood-colored Crystals lined the corridors, glowing with strange light.
He’d heard before: Jiang Che’s dungeon, wherever you start, you had to gather all the Blood-colored Crystals and leave from the designated exit; that counted as success.
Anywhere could be your starting point, but the optimal path was always the route furthest from the exit, since that meant no backtracking.
Gray Crow stood still, thought for a moment, then reached for a Blood-colored Crystal on the corridor wall.
The instant he touched the first crystal, Spirit Bodies surged forth like a tide, and the Blood-colored Crystals instantly covered the corridor.
Those Spirit Bodies attacked like ravenous wolves, flying after Gray Crow with manic speed.
His figure tore through the dim hallway like lightning, whipping up a gust of wind.
But the Spirit Bodies weren’t left behind just because he was fast and powerful; no matter your strength, in Jiang Che’s dungeon, everyone was equally treated. In single-player dungeons, the challenge scales to your level.
There came strange noises from the walls, as if countless eyes were watching him in the dark.
Gray Crow ignored it all, instead letting out wild, excited howls, almost frenzied with exhilaration.
Jiang Che’s brows knit together. This Gray Crow seemed to have no strategy at all, just dashing wherever, chased by Spirit Bodies like a headless fly in a panic.
His route was utterly chaotic, random enough to confuse anyone.
Wherever there was an opening, he went; wherever it was blocked, he switched routes.
Jiang Che frowned, watching Gray Crow challenge the dungeon, feeling that he wasn’t here to clear it but only to test the strength of Jiang Che’s territory.
If Gray Crow keeps challenging it like this, he’ll never beat it.
What’s Black Crow really thinking, sending someone here to die in my territory?