I Have a Date with a Thousand-year-old Female Corpse-Chapter 1273: Trash Talk, Dragon’s Hidden Quest

Of course, if there’s a stick, that would be ideal. However, without the Seal of Truesky, a knife is undoubtedly more practical; after all, its sharp edge makes it relatively simple to use, whether for killing or cutting down monsters.

Standing by the lakeside, you can clearly see a large group of fish with spiked backs swimming not far away in the lake. Using the "Basic Monster Identification Technique" that every novice possesses, you discover that these fish are astonishingly at Level 20.

Without hesitation, you slash swiftly at the closest, larger fish with your knife. The ambush proves effective, yet the fish doesn’t split into two as you imagined. Its bones appear incredibly tough, and before it has time to react, you need four consecutive slashes to finally kill it.

By now, you’ve ventured deeper into the water, surrounded by sharp fish spikes.

Though the fish are ugly in appearance, they are generally docile and rarely attack players. Thus, during the beta testing, players often chose them for leveling. Yet their docile nature doesn’t mean they’re easy prey. The fish you just killed happens to be the Level 25 Fish King. The Fish King’s death instantly enrages the others, triggering them to form ranks and launch a group attack.

Since you dared to come, there’s no room for fear of their offensive. With a swift spin of your body, the knife in your hand gleams faintly blue.

Accompanied by a shout of "Windy Whirlpool!", the water in the lake suddenly starts rapidly rotating in an elliptical shape centered around you. Your body spins faster and faster until it transforms into a powerful, awe-inspiring water tornado!

The water tornado engulfs the surrounding fish, blue flashes shimmering within. Your knife, seemingly specialized for killing fish, dispatches over thirty monsters in less than thirty seconds.

Just like that, you ascend to Level 20, with your combat power reaching 1020.

The killing strike is so potent that even you didn’t foresee it. As for combat power? You don’t really care—it’s just surface-level data. To a true master, surface data often leads to ruin. As depicted in martial heroes novels, masters can effortlessly conceal their strength. Outwardly they may only display a few thousand combat power, but when they unleash their fury, it could easily reach tens of thousands.

After dealing with the fish, you don’t rush ashore. Moonlight now filters through the tree leaves, complementing the scattered starlight to embellish the lakeside nightscape in a crystal-clear, tranquil splendor.

Lifting your gaze to the moon, you press the spot near your temple. A pair of black glasses appears on your nose—your game glasses.

Your glasses switch to a different display, revealing a leaderboard called the "Luofu Continent Celestial Ranking." The list reads as follows: "First place, Eastern Cloud Dragon, Combat Power 2050, Reputation 600; Second place, Ximen Shenggu, Combat Power 2000, Reputation 700; Third place, Caesar, Combat Power 1900, Reputation 450..."

You don’t continue reading down. You already know that, with your current abilities, you’re far from qualifying for the rankings.

Among these three, you have some impressions of Eastern Cloud Dragon. Moreover, for some reason, you have a feeling that this person might be the one challenging you in Yuhang.

Regardless of whether it’s him, you’re aware that the gap between you and these individuals is still vast.

Collecting your thoughts, you turn and head ashore.

But at that moment, not far behind you in the water, a massive shadow surfaces!

"ROAR!"

A monster roar reverberates as a creature so large it would take seven or eight people to encircle its girth appears before you. Its head is extremely peculiar, sporting a white horn in its center, with gill-like features hanging down on either side. The most astonishing part: this creature’s malformed limbs seem like half-formed claws!

As you’re caught in surprise, the monster speaks: "Humans."

You instinctively step back.

"Why did you kill my people and invade my territory?" The monster’s tone lacks anger, carrying more of a reproachful sentiment, "Tell me—are you humans only satisfied when you’ve exterminated us completely?"

You steady yourself, quickly organizing your thoughts, and respond calmly, "Survival of the fittest—that’s the law of nature."

"Oh? Survival of the fittest. Indeed, your human power has grown to the point of potentially destroying the entire planet, and your kind is reproducing at an astonishing rate."

The monster’s pace shifts abruptly: "Sometimes, I even doubt you’re mammals. Every mammal tends to harmonize with its surroundings and eventually achieve balance. But humans? Wherever you go, you immediately occupy a place, then destroy, and destroy again—endless destruction!"

You shrug: "Well, that just shows humans have a stronger inclination toward destruction."

Honestly, you’re not interested in reasoning with a monster.

Still, anyone with half a brain would realize—you seem to have triggered some kind of hidden quest.

"Do you know, in this world, there’s only one species like humans—viruses. Only viruses destroy the environment they depend on for survival. Open your eyes and look at the world of the past—the skies were so blue and beautiful. But now? Garbage, pollution, exhaust gas... Above humanity hangs a mass of poisonous air. Animals across the planet are nearly extinct. Perhaps it’s now time for humans to face extinction."

"No, you’re wrong."

Setting your knife down, you speak evenly, "Humans are not as hopeless as you claim. For survival, we’ve had no choice but to alter the environment we depend on. It’s not out of malice; tell me, who would willingly destroy their beautiful homeland?"

At this moment, you feel your thoughts flowing like a spring.

"Human reproduction is inherently high. To ensure survival, we’ve sought new places and carried on living. Now humans have colonized five planets in the Solar System. Moreover, alien species have blended into our lives. Many Earthlings now reside on Mars, and some have even traveled through space tunnels and ships to another star system, creating new homes there. In those places, they coexist peacefully with the local inhabitants. Humanity has entered a new epoch."

"Peaceful coexistence?" The monster chuckles. "Do you truly believe two species with conflicting interests can coexist peacefully? Do you really think humans, with their laziness and greed, would willingly share a blue sky with other races? Don’t make me laugh—even within your own kind, you wage wars, let alone with other races."

You nod, saying, "Perhaps you’re right. But there’s one thing I must clarify: survival of the fittest is nature’s sole law. This applies to humans and other animals alike. Do you think a lion eating the cubs of its adversary to secure dominance is an act of kindness? Or that killer whales preying on one another signifies peaceful coexistence? I doubt it."

"But their harm isn’t as colossal as yours. You humans have created weapons capable of destroying Earth thousands of times over."

"Dear... Monster Sir, have you ever hypothesized—just imagine—if another species, not humans, were reproducing rapidly, would they not behave similarly to humans?"

Your voice rises slightly: "Think about it: if the most docile rabbits reproduced in the millions, they would devour the grasslands until they became deserts. If fish swarmed excessively, even the vast seas couldn’t contain them, eventually turning the vibrant oceans into putrid, lifeless lakes. Over thousands of years, humans have reproduced rapidly, yet Earth remains Earth. Humanity’s life improves, populations grow, and Earth stays Earth. The sky is still blue, and the land is still green!"

"Heh, I can’t argue with you—you win." The monster slowly extends its long tongue. On closer inspection, you see a blue bracelet at the tip of its tongue. "As a reward, take this bracelet. I hope you use it for a worthy cause."

You calmly accept the bracelet, your gaze unwavering as you look at the monster. "I believe humanity’s tomorrow will be brighter."

"Let’s hope so. Humanity... the most perplexing creatures." The monster slowly sinks back into the water, disappearing quickly. Before long, the lake returns to tranquility.

Done!

Mission complete!

You exhale a long breath and marvel aloud, "What a close call! Unable to discern its level—it must have been a super boss. A snake with legs..."

Thinking of the snake monster’s legs, a sudden realization flashes in your mind like lightning, sending a chill down your spine—it might have been a Divine Artifact... "Dragon!"