Chapter 281 - 187: Mysterious High Platform

A bottomless, dense fog linked to the boundless Dark Boundary. At the center of the fog was a mountain with a flat top and steep sides.

And yet, this combination of dense fog and high mountain felt more like an "island"...

Beyond the island, a nearly rotted, blood-soaked log stretched out from the cliff’s edge. It connected to a foothold not yet completely devoured by the Dark Boundary.

The next moment.

A Spirit Candle appeared, its Candlefire flickering.

Wax Oil coalesced into the form of a Knight in Heavy Armor, then dried and solidified.

The dim, light-starved night left his armor dull and lusterless.

Kneeling on one knee, the Knight slowly rose.

Li Miao scanned his surroundings. When he saw the bottomless cliff and single-log bridge ahead, the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but twitch.

’He knew without even looking that the Spirit Candle’s guidance was on the other side of the bridge.’

’Starting out this intense?’

After a fruitless search of the area, Li Miao could only turn his gaze to the single-log bridge.

However, just as he was about to take his first step, he suddenly grew wary. He pulled his foot back and stroked his chin, gazing at the pitch-black darkness on the other side.

’A bloody log bridge... a pitch-black other side...’

’Something feels off.’

Some not-so-pleasant gaming memories surfaced, making Li Miao even more cautious.

After a moment of thought, he frowned. Then, he took off all his weapons and armor, placed his important items into the Spirit Candle, and was left wearing only his shorts and carrying an Initial Longsword.

’This way, it won’t be a big deal if I get killed while scouting.’

’Anyway, I’ve saved up plenty of Wax Oil, enough to cover the loss.’

Nearly naked, Li Miao nonchalantly stepped onto the single-log bridge.

The sticky sensation under his feet was just as he expected; the blood on this bridge wasn’t just for show.

The single-log bridge was as slippery as a stone covered in damp moss!

SLIP! SHINK!

Li Miao’s feet slipped, but thankfully, he managed to stab his sword into the log to steady his balance and keep from falling.

Glancing at the bottomless fog below, Li Miao thought he could faintly hear some sounds, though he couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination.

’If this were Niuniu, he probably would’ve just jumped.’

But Li Miao had a different idea. He planned to cross over, find the Milestone Spirit Candle, and then observe the situation.

At this thought, Li Miao took a breath, fixed his gaze on the other side, and pulled his sword out from the wood beneath his feet.

Although the single-log bridge was slippery, it was relatively wide and stable. The surface also seemed to have been cut flat, so it probably hadn’t been this slippery in the beginning.

’Why not just build a proper bridge...’

Grumbling to himself, Li Miao used his sword like a walking stick, stabbing it into the log as he slowly inched his way toward the other side.

Gradually, he made it past the halfway point.

’Maybe I was overthinking it. The bridge is just slippery, there don’t seem to be any other tri—’

SWOOSH!

Just as Li Miao began to let his guard down, the single-log bridge beneath his feet suddenly stirred.

From the most blood-soaked spot, two hands covered in eyeballs suddenly emerged. Then, like beached fish, they began to flail and struggle wildly.

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

"Holy shit!"

Li Miao’s pupils contracted. He let out a startled cry and nearly fell off, but thankfully, his quick reflexes allowed him to stab his sword into the log again.

"Fuck you!"

Li Miao was furious. He swung his sword and lopped off both eyeball hands with a couple of quick slashes.

Beyond his anger, he was also a bit confused.

’This damn thing didn’t try to restrain me or attack me.’

’Was it just trying to jump-scare me?’

’Some developer’s sick sense of humor?’

As he was pondering this, he was completely unaware that his earlier startled cry and angry curse had already spread rapidly, echoing to the other side and becoming the only sound in the area...

Li Miao continued forward.

But soon, he suddenly noticed that the scene on the other side was completely different.

A crowd of monsters, wrapped in filthy flannel blankets and covered in thick fur, had suddenly appeared on the other side. The most striking feature was their tall, thick, upright ears.

Under normal circumstances, they might have even looked a little cute.

But now, they were all staring intently at Li Miao on the bridge with calm, vertical pupils.

[High Platform Audience]

Their Tier was not high, only Embers, but the accompanying Explanation was rather chilling.

[Explanation: The high platform’s loyal audience, expecting to listen to beautiful music. If they hear a discordant sound, you’d best pray it’s the prelude to a musical movement.]

Li Miao was startled, a sense of foreboding gripping his heart.

’What the hell are these things? Why have so many monsters suddenly appeared?’

He forced himself to stay steady, holding his sword at the ready while also preparing to fall off the cliff.

’I didn’t bring any equipment this time anyway, so it’s fine if I don’t collect the Wax Ash.’

But to his surprise,

these [High Platform Audience] just watched him quietly, seemingly with no intention to Attack.

Li Miao frowned slightly, his attention drawn to their Explanation.

’Audience... discordant sound... prelude to a musical movement...’

’So, these so-called "audience members"... came here to listen to music?’

Li Miao instantly realized the key point.

Before he was startled by the eyeball hands, the other side had been completely empty.

But as soon as he made a sound, these "audience members" swarmed in, probably thinking they could hear "music" here...

If that was the case, then it wasn’t hard to explain why they were just staring at him without attacking.

After figuring out the logic, Li Miao breathed a sigh of relief.

’So, as long as I don’t make any more strange noises, this audience shouldn’t attack me.’

’But... what if they keep following me? Where am I supposed to find music for them to listen to?’

’...Whatever, I’ll just get across first. If worse comes to worst, I’ll find the Milestone Spirit Candle, pull out my gear, and slaughter the lot of them.’

Having made his decision, Li Miao continued forward, keeping a close eye on both sides of the log bridge, wary of the eyeball hands reappearing.

Before long, at another blood-soaked spot, the eyeball hands appeared again, struggling madly and slapping against the log bridge.

But Li Miao was prepared this time. He kept his mouth shut tight and stared intently at the High Platform Audience on the other side.

SWOOSH!

Sure enough, the moment the eyeball hands made a noise, the High Platform Audience’s previously calm vertical pupils suddenly became bloodshot, their faces turning scarlet.

Many of the High Platform Audience members drew sharp Flying Blades and began frantically hurling them at the two eyeball hands.

POP! POP!

Among them, two of the High Platform Audience convulsed, and a pair of blood-red wings burst from their backs as they flew toward the eyeball hands.

They couldn’t tolerate the existence of any noise!

But this was terrible luck for Li Miao.

Although the High Platform Audience wasn’t targeting him, their Flying Blades weren’t perfectly accurate, and he was very close to the eyeball hands.

Not to mention the two High Platform Audience members flying over, flapping their wings.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Li Miao instinctively raised his sword to block, but the sound of the Flying Blades striking his sword was sharp and clear.

SQUELCH!

After the High Platform Audience tore the two eyeball hands to shreds, they quickly turned their dreadful, scarlet gazes upon Li Miao.

"..."

Li Miao gave an awkward smile.

Then he shrugged, stood on his tiptoes, and nimbly hopped off.

’A desperate fight isn’t entirely hopeless, but I wanted to investigate the sounds from below anyway. Might as well just jump and save some time.’

The two High Platform Audience members flapped their wings frantically, clawing at him. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought they were trying to save him.

THUD—

[DEATH]

Li Miao splattered into a puddle of wax paste, and his Wandering Soul rose.

’Looks like I have to deal with those eyeball hands beforehand...’

’It’s best not to make a single sound, otherwise those audience members will all show up...’

As Li Miao pondered, his Soul returned under the pull of the Spirit Candle.

Perhaps because the distance was so great, the pull was extremely fast, and the scenery fell away rapidly below him.

The cliff beneath the fog was indeed very deep; even if he could double-jump to summon the Wind Wings, it probably wouldn’t be enough.

"Hm?"

Just as Li Miao was lost in thought, he suddenly caught a glimpse of something dark and deep flashing past in the rapidly falling scenery.

’Like... the entrance to a cave in the cliff face?’