Chapter 2: Apostle of Fate · Black Blade

I'm actually in the game?

Something's not right here, I need to think this through.

Fang You opened the character's information.

"Savior of Destiny"

"Physique: 0.8"

"Spirit: 1.5"

"Talent: None"

"Skills: None"

"Age: 26"

"Occupation: Pounding the Pavement Writer"

"Evaluation: A weak man without the strength to truss a chicken (crossed out)....#￥@&%$...The leader of the salvation organization, the starting point of all fate, you are the chosen one."

"This information, and this appearance and attire...."

Can't say they're exactly the same, just exactly identical!

No mistake about it!

Could it be....

Fang You's heart started pounding uncontrollably again.

Is this my golden finger?

He went back and read the background again, very carefully and attentively, not missing a single word.

"The shadows of bygone days are closing in, the filth of the world is growing, and the countdown to the end has begun....."

"Savior, you, are you ready?"

"If the game background is true, and what I saw on the internet wasn't a rumor, then..."

Saving the world is too far-fetched, I'm just an ordinary guy.

But if all of this is real, this game is my security in this increasingly dangerous world.

Starting with saving myself.

However,

How do I prove it's real? I don't want to get my hopes up for nothing.

Fang You clicked on 'Fate Extraction'.

"Fate Extraction: Spend destiny points to extract items, equipment, elixirs, skill books, and Apostles of Fate from the river of fate."

"Note: Current probability of extraction grades: Common (80%), Rare (19%), Superior (1%)"

"Hint: You have received a gift from fate, a chance for a ten-consecutive extraction. Would you like to use it?"

"Hint: Your initial extraction will guarantee you one Apostle of Fate."

A free ten-consecutive draw as a welcoming gift for newbies?

I'm all too familiar with this routine.

To draw or not to draw?

Of course, I must, draw the hell out of it!

Whatever the game has in store, this draw will show it.

Fang You wasn't sure what was in the draw pool, he could only pray that after being such a dedicated otaku for so many years, luck would smile on him!

My turn, Fate Extraction!

Whirr—

The vortex of fate filled the entire interface, and countless scenes seemed to flash by within it.

But Fang You didn't catch any of it.

When he came back to his senses, a burst of white light punctuated by a striking blue shot out from the vortex.

"Hint: Acquired 'Physical Fitness Elixir (White)', 'Novice Wooden Sword (White)', 'Skill Training Card (White)',...."

"Hint: Acquired the Apostle of Fate 'Black Blade' (Blue)!"

Ten rays of light.

Nine of them were white, one was blue.

So other than the guaranteed newbie Apostle of Fate, everything else is bottom-tier stuff, huh!

Fang You even suspected that the Apostle of Fate starts at Superior (Blue).

Otherwise,

a green light might have just popped out.

How can a perennial loser like me survive this!

"Fine, I'll take the loss, the key now is to verify this game."

"As long as the game is real, what does it matter if I'm unlucky."

"I, Fang You, won't..."

Forget it, best not to jinx it.

He opened the envoy's information.

"Black Blade"

"Physique: 2.6"

"Spirit: 1.2"

"Talent: None"

"Skills: Basic Sword Technique (Entry-Level), Blade Slash (Entry-Level), Mysterious Evil Tracking (Entry-Level)"

"Equipment: Novice Warrior's Sword (Common)"

"Age: ?"

"Evaluation: A taciturn warrior, striving for humanity's glory."

This was an Apostle dressed in a black coat and wearing a black mask, wrapping himself tightly, with only a pair of stern eyes faintly visible.

He had a simple black warrior's sword hanging at his waist.

But it seemed to have an Edge Glow about to reveal itself.

Not a beautiful lady, and the character illustration is mediocre, this gets two stars at most.

However,

"Seems pretty strong, doesn't it?"

"His physique is more than three times mine, and he even has a whole three skills."

"The newly summoned Angel Envoy isn't a blank slate?"

He poked the three-dimensional model of the envoy.

There was interaction.

Black Blade stood upright, his right fist clenched and placed horizontally in front of his chest, "The torch is passed on, humanity endures!"

'Prompt: As Black Blade is a "special angel envoy," not an entity of reality, deployment is required. Would you like to deploy this Apostle of Fate?'

'Prompt: Deployment location must be within a 100-meter radius centered around the "Savior of Destiny" anchor point.'

'Prompt: At your current level, the maximum duration for the Angel Envoy's arrival is one hour.'

Fang You touched his chin.

The instructions indicate that there are two types of Angel Envoys: "special angel envoys" and "real angel envoys."

Real angel envoys seem to be exempt from the duration limitation and are individuals with special talents in reality—'unique individuals.'

As for special angel envoys,

Well, they seem to be special only in that they can be deployed and have limitations?

Black Blade is a special angel envoy, needing deployment to arrive in reality.

So, should I deploy?

After thinking, he chose yes, and quickly, a map appeared on the game interface.

It was a detailed map within a hundred-meter radius centered on him.

Much more detailed than a shoddy map, it could be zoomed in continuously, like a drone conducting real-time aerial photography, and he could freely control it.

Up and down, zoom in and out.

Scene by scene fell into Fang You's eyes.

The dim alleyway, the silent street, a bedroom with the lights on, and inside it a handsome young man looking down at his smartphone.

Wait a minute,

This bedroom, this person, isn't it himself!!

Instinctively, he twisted his head, looking through the window glass outside, but there was nothing but darkness.

Fang You: "!!!"

This couldn't be described as merely horrifying; it was extremely horrifying!

His heart once again beat violently, and after hesitating, Fang You still stood up and quickly walked to the windowsill.

With a swift movement, he flung the window open.

The cold wind whistled through, slapping against his cheeks. His gaze wandered, scanning the surroundings—front, back, left, right, up, and down.

It was still darkness, stillness, with the only light shining from behind him. He stood on the boundary of light, as if embracing the darkness.

However,

Fang You's heart grew fervent.

He had tried before, no matter how he manipulated the screen in the game, even moving it inside his house, there was still nothing in front of him.

This was unscientific!

But quite a cheat!

This game was real!

His heart thumped intensely once more, the third time in a short span, but this time it wasn't from fright, but from excitement.

Even as the cold wind outside blew and slapped wildly, it couldn't extinguish the blaze in his heart.

He was burning...

'Ding!'

'Prompt: Countdown for deployment mode remaining 20, 19, 18.... Please deploy the Apostle of Fate 'Black Blade' soon.'

Fang You snapped back to reality.

Thoughts flew through his mind.

Since the game was real,

there were unknown dangers in this world,

and some had already occurred, just as he occasionally saw in small news stories treated as tales.

Then,

the strange knocking he had heard not long before might actually be a serious problem, a huge problem!

Mama Mia! Mysterious Evil was right beside him!

But Fang You was not panicked at all, he had Black Blade to cut down the Mysterious Evil!

Hmm, but where should he deploy Black Blade?

In his own home?

Instinctively, he felt it was not appropriate. As a 'gamer,' it was safer not to involve himself with characters from the game.

This wasn't cowardice, it was prudence.

He could only deploy outside then.

He thought of a good spot.

The rooftop.

The Tai Ping Residential Complex he lived in was an old one, with the rooftop just nine stories high, and there were no other tall buildings around, not to mention it was night, and the lighting was dim.

Moreover, the rooftop had been abandoned for a long time, which couldn't be more suitable.

With only a few seconds left on the countdown, there was no time for hesitation. Fang You made a decisive choice to deploy.

'Ding!'

'Prompt: Deploying the Apostle of Fate 'Black Blade'.'

On the dim, dilapidated rooftop, points of light suddenly ignited.

Like fireflies.

Fluttering more and more, they gathered and transformed, outlining a human figure.

It was Black Blade!

Dressed in a black coat, with a face mask on, Black Blade appeared on the desolate rooftop. As soon as he appeared, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at any moment, entering combat readiness.

Like a warrior tempered through a thousand hammers and a hundred refinings.

Suddenly,

His gaze shifted for a moment before locking onto a spot, his eyes seeming to pierce through the ground, coldly spitting out two words.

"Mysterious Evil."