179: Complete tasks in seconds after glitch

Chapter 179: Exploiting a Bug to Instantly Complete a Mission

“The Xue Zhang you mentioned to me last time, I’ve already had someone inquire about him.

He should be one of the 36 Saint Sons under the Withered Saint Lord of the Blacklight Society.”

On the aircraft heading to the Chess Domain entrance, Xiu Qingshan brought this up.

“Withered Saint Lord? That’s too much of a coincidence.”

After hearing this, Shi Li had new questions: “Is this Withered Saint Lord related to Wither cards?”

He remembered Xue Zhang saying that he came for some “fading fragment.”

If Shi Li won, then wasn’t the Withering Dragon the “fading fragment” Xue Zhang was talking about?

Thinking about how his feud with that guy was growing, Shi Li suddenly felt a bit indifferent.

Since he had already offended him, he wasn’t afraid of taking it a step further.

“The exact number of Saint Masters in the Blacklight Society is unknown. From my intelligence network, only the Withered Saint Lord and the War Saint Master are known to exist.

As for whether they are related to Alien Cards, I have no way of knowing.”

Inside the Great Universe Hall, the Captain and Xue Zhang knelt before an ink-like mirror.

“You’re saying you were defeated by a Platinum 8 card player?”

“Please forgive me, Saint Master.”

The sweat on Xue Zhang’s back almost soaked his entire body.

“Tell me, who is this person?”

“His name is Wang Defa, and his deck contains a unique evil-countering card called Cicada Wing Patrol—”

“Wait.”

A ripple of emotion appeared from the Withered Saint Lord behind the mirror.

Upon hearing Cicada Wing Patrol, he naturally immediately thought of a certain insignificant Blue Star native.

Though insignificant, he had surprisingly ruined his plans time and again.

He then continued to question Xue Zhang, and indeed, the deck matched perfectly, allowing for full confirmation.

So that kid’s name is Wang Defa, is it?

“You may be spared from living punishment, but death is unavoidable.”

“?”

Before Xue Zhang could react, a ball of black fire shot out from the mirror and engulfed him, preventing him from even uttering a scream.

“Master, should I send someone to Blue Star to find this Wang Defa?”

The Captain, as if he had seen nothing, slightly raised his head and spoke.

“No need. The fading fragment is still too weak now. Killing this person would only cause it to drift to an unknown location again.”

“Let him cultivate it first. Once it reaches a level where it can be extracted, it won’t be too late to act.”

“The Saint Master is wise.”

“Furthermore, you are also responsible for the failure of this operation. Within ten days, you must offer ten units of Blacklight Essence.”

“...Yes!”

Upon hearing this, the Captain realized that his master had long known about his embezzlement.

Ten units of Blacklight Essence were enough to create approximately 10 Blacklight Shock cards.

While it wouldn't cripple him, it would certainly be a significant blow to his vitality.

However, he knew his master had spoken, and he had no right to refuse.

“Also, have your two Saint Sons go to the Chess Domain to assist me in my cultivation.”

“Yes!”

The Captain, of course, knew about the Chess Domain. According to rumors, that world might contain a wandering fragment.

However, given his master's immense power, he probably couldn't descend into that world.

He must be descending in the form of an avatar, which made the need for assistance in cultivation seem reasonable.

At this moment, Shi Li had once again entered the Chess Domain. “First, let’s see if my card has been Chess-ified.”

He pulled out the Snail Walking Lady, and it had finally completed Chess-ification.

No wonder Chess-ification took so long; it turned out the changes were quite significant.

But overall, it was still good.

Snail Walking Lady

Chasing Wind, 20 points, 3-star attack 20, 100/100, 0/40

Movement distance 8, attack distance 1

Snail Step – Characteristic: Snail Walking Lady can perform an additional 1-square Movement for every 20 Energy consumed.

Bearing the Brunt – Passive: When Snail Walking Lady is positioned to the right of an ally, she grants them 10 Shield.

Pillar of Strength – Passive: When Snail Walking Lady is positioned to the left of an ally, she grants them 10 Healing.

Striking After – Passive: When Snail Walking Lady is positioned above an ally, she can substitute for their attack. Last Resort Support – Passive: When Snail Walking Lady is positioned below an ally, she can take damage for them. Snail’s Power – Passive: When Snail Walking Lady is positioned below an enemy, she can enter Defense.

Ox’s Power – Passive: When Snail Walking Lady is positioned above an enemy, she increases her own attack by +10.

“Comfortable.”

On the chessboard, this card could definitely be called a divine card.

Because in a chess game, friendly pieces do not block other friendly pieces; they can be directly crossed.

This meant Shi Li could use four of his own pieces to surround the Snail Walking Lady from all four directions (up, down, left, right).

This way, it could trigger four effects: Shield, Healing, Substitute Attack, and Substitute Damage.

The benefits were unparalleled.

“Two things.”

After browsing his chess set, Shi Li remembered the purpose of his trip: “First, complete the Dragon Hunt mission.”

Finding dragons was not simple.

Last time, it was just good luck, a fortunate accident.

Moreover, that Blazing Dragon was severely wounded.

In reality, if adult dragons truly roamed, it would be impossible for nearby towns to survive.

So Shi Li's plan was to go to a larger city-state.

City-states were much larger than towns, and only their mission taverns might have dragon-related quests.

However, since he hadn’t anchored there before, Shi Li couldn't teleport and had to travel there in person.

Because this mission wasn't urgent, he planned to drift there leisurely after determining the direction.

He wouldn't let any monsters he encountered along the way escape.

“Second, complete as many Star Ascension missions for the Withering Dragon as possible along the way.”

This was Shi Li’s second objective for this trip... but after saying this, he suddenly fell silent.

He pulled out the Mission Card to confirm again.

Dragon Hunt

Mission Content: Kill 1 dragon with a bloodline purity of 60% or more to prove your strength to Ashiro (0/1)

Enemy Level: ???

Recommended Rank: ???

Reward: Title “Dragon Hunter”

“It doesn’t seem to say that the target can’t be my own card.”

Shi Li wanted to exploit a bug.

The Red Blade Maiden also had the Dragon card tag, but obviously, her bloodline purity wouldn't be above 60%.

But the Withering Dragon was different; its name alone sounded very draconic.

The only concern was whether the Bone Dragon's bloodline would be certified.

Shi Li didn't understand these things, so it was more practical to just start a game and verify it directly.

The entry point happened to be a desolate wilderness, and he hadn't drifted far before encountering monsters.

When the monsters appeared, he immediately deployed all 9 of his Chess Pieces.

Last time he came to the Chess Domain, he was Platinum 7, but now he was already Platinum 8.

Before clearing all the monsters, Shi Li first had his Chess Pieces attack the Withering Dragon, eliminating it.

After the game ended, text immediately popped up.

“Mission Dragon Hunt completed. Rewards can be claimed.”

Dragon Hunter ★ ★ ★: Increases damage dealt by Chess Pieces to Dragon-type targets by +100% in a chess game.

“Upon completing a three-star title mission, your adaptability to the world has greatly increased.”

“Uh—”

The simplicity of this mission exceeded his imagination.

He got a three-star title just like that?

It was unbelievable.

And did increased adaptability mean he could stay in the Chess Domain for a longer time this time?

Looking at the Withering Dragon’s Star Ascension mission again.

It seemed to be more lenient in a chess game than in a card game.

The card game required participation in the kill, but in a chess game, as long as the Withering Dragon appeared and won, all the monsters on the field counted towards its mission.

“So next, I still have to go to a large city-state.”

Shi Li knew that staying in this small place had no future.

Both Chi Ou and Guo Duo had told him this.

But before leaving, he decided to go say hello to Ashiro.

He teleported back to the small town and arrived at Ashiro’s Material Shop.

“Welcome, oh, it’s you.”

After such a long time, Ashiro had thought Shi Li had been swallowed by a dragon.

But then he sniffed deeply.

“No, you smell of dragons—a dragon scent full of death. Could it be a Calamity Dragon?!”

Ashiro’s expression became one of disbelief.

Calamity Dragon, the product of a powerful dragon dying and being resurrected.

Being able to defeat a Calamity Dragon was one thing, but being able to travel to a calamity zone and return in such a short time was another.

Both aspects were enough to shock Ashiro.

Shi Li said nothing, merely displayed his Dragon Hunter title.

After obtaining it, he studied it for a bit. The title wasn't for the whole team but could only be equipped by a single Chess Piece.

The titles and levels that each Chess Piece can carry are related to their Star Ascension level; a three-star Chess Piece can equip a maximum of three titles.

However, since even one title is so hard to come by, Shi Li hadn't considered filling all the titles for his entire team.

“It seems—you are the person I’ve been looking for.”

Ashiro’s eyes became bright and spirited.

After speaking, he began to recount his story.

The story was a bit long, and Shi Li silently pressed 'skip' in his mind.

“Mhm.” “Is that so?” “I see.”

With his mind empty, he gave mechanical responses.

In short, some evil dragon destroyed his home, but he lacked the Talent for combat, so he could only pray for a brave hero’s help.

Then, he discovered he had a great Talent for crafting titles, and after much painstaking effort, he created “Dragon Hunter.”

If someone could help him get revenge, he would repay them with everything he had, and so on.

Once Ashiro finished his story, he handed over a quest card.

This quest card was the main point.

“Find the Evil Dragon Alaga”

“Quest Content: Find clues about Alaga and report to Ashiro (0/1)”

“Enemy Level: ??? ”

“Recommended Rank: ??? ”

“Reward: ?”

“I heard rumors recently about an evil dragon appearing in Radiant City; it might be Alaga.

Perhaps you can find useful clues there.”

Ashiro offered his suggestion.

“Okay.”

Shi Li regarded this as a hint for the quest.

Radiant City was the closest city to this small town and had reached the level of a main city.

Without further ado, he had to set off immediately.

Mainly, he didn't know how long he could stay here, so he wanted to seize the time.

The journey to Radiant City was long, and Shi Li stopped and started along the way to complete the Star Ascension quest for the Withering Dragon.

By the time he arrived at Radiant City, his quest progress had reached 479/1000.

An increase of over 300 in ten days was already quite good.

“The scale of a main city is indeed different from a small town.”

Looking up at the magnificent city gate, Shi Li couldn't help but exclaim.

Entering through the city gate, he quickly saw a spacious plaza.

Vortex-shaped teleportation gates stood in the plaza.

Many people were shouting various calls in front of the gates.

“10-person dungeon, ‘Count’s Castle,’ need one strong damage dealer!”

“12-person dungeon, ‘Mantis Cave,’ need three big healers, then we’re off!”

“‘Black and White Grassland,’ 6 = 1, those who know, come.”

“Anyone doing the Earth Elemental Beast quest, let’s team up!”

There was more than one such plaza in Radiant City.

Dungeons were a common feature in the Chess Domain.

Dungeons always existed, but some elements would be randomly generated each time.

If cleared, rewards such as cubic coins and materials would be obtained, and in extremely lucky cases, even Chess Pieces would drop.

One crucial point was that dungeons required a team to enter.

Shi Li paused for a moment, then left.

Because he still had things to do.

First, he needed to sell materials; he had encountered many magical beasts along the way, and naturally, some materials had dropped.

However, his main goal was the Star Ascension quest for the Withering Dragon, so he wasn't picky when choosing targets.

Any type he hadn't defeated yet would do.

As a result, the collected materials were mixed, but he sold them in bulk for 100,000 cubic coins, which was not bad.

Then he arrived at the Adventurer’s Tavern, which was a standard feature in every world of this realm.

Shi Li first began browsing the dungeon quest cards.

“Adding Mushrooms to You”: Gather 50 Jade Mushroom Caps “Having a Dog is Like Having a Dog”: Retrieve Arorora’s puppy that wandered into a dungeon “Coastal Defense Army”: Defeat 100 Tidal Merfolk There were all sorts of quests, offering a wide variety of rewards.

There were even quests that rewarded Chess Pieces, but they seemed to be of low strength and the quests themselves were quite complex.

Shi Li searched around but didn’t find any quests that were clearly related to his goal.

There were only 3 quests related to dragons.

“Exterminate the Aquatic Web-Clawed Dragon”: An Aquatic Web-Clawed Dragon lurks in the Tezi River; find it and eliminate it.

“Guard the Ranch”: The Blackheart Ranch has recently been harassed by Dragon Wolves; please solve the ranch owner’s problem.

“Brave the Dragon Beast Valley”: The Dragon Beasts in Dragon Beast Valley have been restless recently, making it a good time to go Gather materials.

“Perhaps this one is slightly suspicious.”

Shi Li picked up the “Brave the Dragon Beast Valley” quest card.

“Brave the Dragon Beast Valley”

“Quest Content: A new king seems to have joined Dragon Beast Valley, and the territories of various tribes have been squeezed.

Taking advantage of the chaos of their migration, one might be able to obtain some normally rare benefits.

The apothecary owner needs some precious Dragon Blood Ganoderma for medicine.”

“Dungeon Players: 25” “Reward: 1000 cubic coins / flower” “The main responsibility of this quest is to Gather materials, but each dungeon run refreshes elements.

There’s a very small chance that I might encounter the so-called ‘new king’.”

So Shi Li accepted this quest.

Following the instructions on the quest, he arrived at Wutong Plaza, the dungeon entrance.

There were a total of 22 dungeon entrances here, all for dungeons with 20 or more players.

In these team dungeons, each person could only deploy 1 three-star Chess Piece, so the synergy between team compositions and the cooperation among members were crucial.

More professional teams even had a dedicated commander.

All actions of the players were uniformly coordinated by the commander.

“‘Awakened Tribe,’ still need 3 free players!”

“‘Underground Ant-people,’ need 1 strong tank!”

“‘Radiant City Sewers,’ need 3 strong Chasing Wind players!”

People were forming teams for various dungeons, but no one was calling for “Dragon Beast Valley.”

Shi Li waited in place for over half an hour before finally seeing a burly man, a Platinum 20, rush to Wutong Plaza.

“‘Dragon Beast Valley,’ 3 spots left!”

“Brother, add me.”

Hearing him shout, Shi Li immediately went over.

“You?”

The big man first looked at the tag above Shi Li’s head, frowning.

Although everyone only deployed 1 three-star Chess Piece, a low rank meant shallow Chess Piece depth.

If some special situations were refreshed, team members with shallow Chess Piece depth would find it difficult to respond accordingly.

Moreover, if the dungeon Strategy failed, there would be penalties.

The penalties varied in severity depending on the progress made during the failed attempt.

Some might lose a few cubic coins, others might consume some Energy.

Severe penalties could involve losing a large sum of money, or even suffering severe mental trauma, potentially even losing one’s life.

Besides being related to progress, it was also related to the inherent danger of the dungeon itself.

“What position can you play?”

“My damage output is super fierce.”

Shi Li’s answer made the big man secretly smile.

Look at what he said.

In a team, damage dealers were the most numerous position.

Precisely because there were so many, it was also the easiest position for people to just fill up spots.

So, in the big man’s eyes, when Shi Li said his damage output was fierce, it meant his Chess Piece composition was mediocre, with no particular strengths.

To be honest, the lowest ranked member in their entire team was Platinum 15.

“Alright, who hasn’t come from a low rank?

What’s more, the monsters in Dragon Beast Valley are tough to fight, so it’s usually difficult to find people.”

The big man sighed, then introduced himself: “Hello, little brother, my name is Pakto.”

“Hello, Brother Pakto, my name is Wang Defa.”

“I can add you to the team for now, but to be honest, your rank is a bit far from our team’s.

How about this? I’ll continue to call for people, and if I find someone more suitable, then I’ll have to apologize and let you know.”

Pakto seemed quite honest, and Shi Li tilted his head slightly, looking at the other party, then smiled a few seconds later: “No problem.”

So Pakto continued to call for people.

After about 5 minutes of calling, a Platinum 13 girl named Kairala arrived.

She could take on a main Healing support role, and she had more than one support card.

So, even though her rank was slightly lower, Pakto accepted her into the team.

Now, there was still 1 spot left.

Team dungeons adopted independent reward settlement, so an extra person wouldn't affect individual earnings.

However, there were many variables in dungeons, and one less person could affect the success rate of clearing it.

So, typically, these pickup groups usually had to be full before setting off.

But Pakto waited and called for another 20 minutes, and the last person still hadn't appeared.