[The Beast Catastrophe]
[On the vast, sparsely populated plateau, lives a group of "beastmen," ancient sinners burdened with sin, carrying an ancient beastification curse. They possess human bodies but the heads of various wild beasts. Every night, the beastmen descend into madness, hunting any normal living creature in their sight, spreading the curse upon themselves.]
[Main Quest: Cure the "Beastification Syndrome."]
[Optional Quest 1: Find a way to stay conscious at night.]
[Optional Quest 2: Find the source of the beastification curse.]
[Optional Quest 3: Uncover the secret beneath the plateau.]
[Note: Completing the main quest will clear the game. Optional quests will increase rewards upon completion, are more difficult, and gradually increase in difficulty. Adventurers should proceed according to their abilities.]
Lin Bai opened his eyes, feeling the thinner air. He took a deep breath, his powerful physique quickly adapting to the plateau's air.
Lowering his eyes slightly, Lin Bai froze in place. The shadow on the ground was strange. He quickly touched his head and found two small dragon horns on his head.
"The Beast Transformation Curse... I've already been infected. I can't leave the dungeon until I clear it?"
Lin Bai carefully sensed his body and discovered a cursed power clinging to his flesh like a leech, trying to burrow deeper.
His transformation into a dragon-headed human wasn't primarily due to the curse; the Beast Transformation Curse only turned people into ordinary beastmen, definitely not dragonmen with dragon blood. Lin Bai's transformation was likely a result of his innate Dao Body resisting the external curse due to its advanced life form nature.
Unfortunately, Lin Bai had only recently acquired his innate Dao Body, and its development was still very limited; otherwise, the Beast Transformation Curse wouldn't have been able to successfully inflict it.
Lin Bai looked around; nearby were other "beastmen" like himself, and various other beastmen continued to appear, quickly approaching the number of people entering the dungeon.
One of the eagle-headed men took a few steps closer, his sharp voice rang out: "Lin Bai, is that you?"
"Dean, it's me."
Lin Bai realized that the eagle-headed man in front of him was Dean Flander. A thought flashed through his mind; his transformation into a dragon-headed man, besides being due to his innate Dao Body, was very likely also related to his Silkworm Dragon Martial Soul.
No! According to the order of arrival, it should be the form of his innate Dao Body that was influenced by his Silkworm Dragon Martial Soul.
He looked around and found a group of blue-clad beastmen, disciples of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Most of them possessed sub-dragon Martial Souls, while a few inner disciples had transformed into beastmen with blue lizard heads, bearing some characteristics of dragons.
Lin Bai was lost in thought, but Flander didn't pay any attention. He raised his hand and touched the bird's beak, a hint of helplessness in his sharp owl eyes. "It really is you. But this dungeon is so strange. It cursed us all right from the start. The difficulty is unusually high."
"It's okay. There are always taller people to hold up the sky. Even if we don't get the first clear, at least we won't lose out."
Lin Bai casually replied. He noticed that most of the Soul Masters present were beastmen transformed from their Martial Souls, while the Weapon Soul Masters were more random, mostly common animals like wolves, cats, rabbits, and leopards.
For example, Sword Douluo Chen Xin had transformed into a werewolf. His chilling sword intent was undeniable, and those around him recognized him. Only a few disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School dared to approach.
Ning Fengzhi transformed into a deer-headed man, sporting a pair of three-pronged antlers. His once-fitting white robe billowed slightly; the beast-transformation curse, while a curse, also granted him considerable power.
Soon, the crowd automatically split into several factions. Lin Bai and Flander lingered near the scattered groups, proceeding along an inconspicuous path.
After walking for a short while, Lin Bai saw a village, wisps of smoke drifting obliquely. A few orc children were playing at the village entrance; upon seeing Lin Bai and his large group, they screamed and ran back into the village.
Once the hundred-odd people reached the village's edge, dozens of burly orcs emerged. Their murderous aura was almost tangible, their cold eyes seemingly devoid of warmth as they scanned Lin Bai and his companions for vital points.
The leader, a black tiger orc, coldly stated, "The Ayala tribe does not welcome outsiders. If you take another step forward, you will be declaring war on us."
Everyone, having received translations from the dungeon, understood his words and stopped.
Flander's expression was serious as he solemnly reminded Lin Bai, "Be careful, they are not weak. The weakest should be at least a Soul King."
Lin Bai nodded slightly. Whether in appearance or aura, these orcs were not weak, but with Sword Douluo Chen Xin on their side, they could gain the upper hand in terms of force.
Ning Fengzhi knew he couldn't shake off the adventurers behind him, so he simply ignored them and stepped forward to try and communicate with the orcs.
"Sir, we have no ill intentions. As you can see, we are a group of orcs who have recently been cursed. We came to the plateau to find a way to break the curse and hope to have a friendly exchange with you."
They were unfamiliar with their beast-transformed bodies, so Ning Fengzhi didn't try to hide it. With Sword Douluo present, he could choose a more direct way to pass the challenge.
The Black Tiger Beastman's eyes flickered, glancing at Sword Douluo with barely perceptible glints, his gaze filled with apprehension. He scoffed,
"A curse? No, this is clearly a gift from the plateau. Without this gift, humans simply wouldn't be able to survive on the harsh environment of the plateau. The ferocious beasts and savage wild animals gathered together are enough to hunt down the White Dragon. You can leave now; the Ayala tribe has nothing for you."
With that, the Black Tiger Beastman drew a rough, heavy sword from his waist. The other beastmen also drew their weapons, glaring menacingly at all the newcomers.
Even outnumbered, the Ayala tribe's beastmen all gleamed with ferocity, showing no sign of fear, each as formidable as a seasoned veteran.
Sword Douluo, transformed into a wolf-headed man with snow-white fur and a blood-red longsword hovering at his waist, narrowed his eyes, his sword intent blazing. He slightly tilted his head, waiting for Ning Fengzhi's command to slaughter most of the beastmen before him.
Ning Fengzhi pondered for a moment, but ultimately shook his head. "We know too little information. We can't afford to have a conflict like this. Uncle Jian, are you confident you can capture that Black Tiger Beastman?"
"A piece of cake."
Sword Douluo sheathed his Seven Kill Sword and vanished from the spot, giving no one time to react. Less than three seconds later, he reappeared, holding the Black Tiger Beastman in one hand.
The beastmen of the Ayala tribe then realized their chieftain was missing. After a brief commotion, a werewolf was pushed forward, shouting, "Invading powerhouse! We are willing to cooperate! Please release our chieftain!"
The Black Tiger Beastman was stunned, seemingly unable to believe he had been captured so easily. He tried to struggle, but Sword Douluo's hand was like an iron clamp, unshakeable and unbreakable.
(End of Chapter)