MMORPG: Birth of the World's Luckiest Player-Chapter 251: The Vixen Queen

Marcus felt an unexpected wave of relief. It was rare to encounter a creature this breathtaking without immediately facing a world-ending level threat. Since she had not instantly erased him from existence, he took the chance to quickly cast Insight on her.

—

Vixen Queen Camillo: An Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirit and sovereign of the Vixen Clan. She is known as the most beautiful and powerful Vixen of her generation. In nearly ten thousand years of clan history, she is the only queen who possessed the potential to ascend into a Nine-Tailed Saint Jade Fox.

Five years ago, however, she attempted the ascension ritual prematurely. When the ninth Heavenly Thunder descended, she failed to withstand its strike and suffered catastrophic injuries.

Her power has now regressed to Level 0. Until her wounds are fully healed, she must rely on the energy of the ten-thousand-year-old Peach Blossom Soul to remain alive. Without the soul’s support, her body would dissipate into mist within ten seconds.

The Vixen Clan has been desperately searching for treasures capable of restoring her strength.

—

Marcus blinked.

So that was the reason.

The Queen had been gravely injured during her ascension attempt, which explained the pitiful damage from her earlier attack. It also explained why the Vixen Clan had kidnapped Alana. Someone with the Body of a Hundred Flowers would possess rare vitality and spiritual affinity, the perfect ingredient for healing rituals.

Now the entire clan was protecting their Queen while desperately trying to restore her power. And Marcus was about to steal the very treasure keeping her alive.

Without the Peach Blossom Soul, she would literally fade away within seconds.

He felt a small stab of guilt.

Looking at the magnificent Vixen Queen standing before him, radiant even in her weakened state, it was difficult not to feel a bit cruel about what he was about to do.

Still, hesitation was not an option. In a situation like this, it was her life or his.

Marcus reached forward and grabbed the Peach Blossom Soul as it hovered in front of him.

’I really am a terrible person,’ he thought wryly. ’Sorry about this, Your Majesty.’

But just as his fingers were about to close around the glowing blossom, danger erupted behind him.

The four Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits had finally reacted.

Sharp petals filled the air.

They shot forward like blades of glass, slicing through the sky in a deadly storm and instantly striking both Marcus and Alana.

’Damn it! I got greedy!’

The scene looked almost beautiful.

Countless pink petals swirled through the air like a blossoming storm, but Marcus knew exactly how lethal they were. These were the same petals that had effortlessly killed Alana’s near-Mythic beasts earlier.

And now four Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits were attacking at once.

There was no way they could survive that. Marcus knew his Ring of Resurrection would bring him back for a few seconds, but what about Alana?

Even her Asclepius’ Herbal Staff had barely managed to block a single Eight-Tailed Vixen’s attack before. Against four of them, she had no chance.

If Alana died, the quest would fail immediately. His level would be reset to zero, and every piece of equipment he had fought so hard to obtain would be gone.

’Seriously... what am I supposed to do now?’

The answer came immediately.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The storm of petals struck. There were no miracles or divine intervention.

Marcus was killed instantly.

Ding!

"System Notification: Stonehaven, you have been killed. The Ring of Resurrection has revived you with full status.

You are now in an Invincible State for 3 seconds."

The Ring of Resurrection truly was a life saver.

Golden light enveloped him as he revived, his body returning to full strength. During the first second of invulnerability, Marcus opened his eyes and immediately noticed something strange.

The petals that had just shredded him apart were now striking Alana as well. But instead of slicing through her, they simply produced sparks and dull thuds against an invisible barrier.

She was completely unharmed.

"Hundred Flowers Bloom!"

Only then did Marcus understand.

The flower-embroidered robe she had put on earlier was now glowing brilliantly, and countless blooming flowers swirled around her like a living shield. The deadly petals struck the barrier again and again, but they could not deal even a single point of damage.

’That thing is ridiculous’, Marcus thought in disbelief. ’It has to be a Divine Artifact.’

"Hurry up and claim the Peach Blossom Soul!" Alana urged.

Seeing him standing there staring at her, she puffed her cheeks slightly in frustration and began hitting his chest with her fists. There was no time for embarrassment or modesty.

The four Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits were already rushing toward them.

Even the Vixen Queen had begun moving forward.

Although she could not bond with the Peach Blossom Soul herself, she could still snatch it away and prevent Marcus from obtaining it.

The situation was critical.

Fortunately, the Queen’s Level 0 status had greatly reduced her speed. She moved far slower than she once would have.

During the final second of his invincibility, while the petals continued raining down around them, Marcus reached out and touched the Peach Blossom Soul.

The result was immediate. Just as Alana had predicted, he did not even need to grab it.

The moment his fingers made contact with the pink misty blossom, it dissolved into light and vanished into his body. A wave of peach-colored mist burst outward from him.

Ding!

"System Notification: Congratulations, Stonehaven! You have successfully bonded with the ten-thousand-year-old Peach Blossom Soul.

Due to your current level, only the first tier of its power has been unlocked.

Effects:

Luck +5

Strength +20

Agility +20

Constitution +20

Focus +20

Resistance to Stun, Knockback, Slow, and other status effects +20%

New Skills Learned:

Peach Blossom Dance

Peach Blossom Slash

Increase your level to unlock more of the Peach Blossom Soul’s power."

Marcus stared blankly for a moment. This was absurd. It felt like he had just won the lottery.

The stat bonuses alone were outrageous, far beyond anything he had expected. And this was only the first tier of the artifact’s power.

It truly lived up to its reputation as a legendary treasure hidden within a forbidden realm.

’What the hell!’, he thought in stunned disbelief. Behind him, furious voices erupted.

"No!"

The Vixen Queen and the four Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits cried out simultaneously. Their usual seductive expressions were gone, replaced by raw desperation and fury.

They unleashed another barrage of petals and charged forward as if determined to tear Marcus apart with their bare hands.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The attacks became even more violent. Yet neither Marcus nor Alana suffered any damage.

His three seconds of invincibility from the ring had already expired, but the Peach Blossom Soul had released a protective layer of pink mist around him, shielding him completely. The deadly petals that fell upon him now felt no more dangerous than drifting autumn leaves.

But the real shock was Alana. Nearly ten seconds had passed, yet Hundred Flowers Bloom was still active.

The swirling barrier of flowers around her continued blocking every attack from the Vixen Spirits as if their abilities were nothing more than harmless fireworks.

’That robe is completely broken,’ Marcus thought.

He desperately wanted to inspect its stats. How long did this invincibility last? He almost wanted to stay and trade a few blows with the Vixen Spirits just to test it.

"We have to leave!" Alana shouted suddenly, snapping him back to reality. "The Peach Blossom Soul’s invincibility only lasts ten seconds!"

She gripped her Asclepius’ Herbal Staff, clearly ready to fight if necessary.

As the granddaughter of Silas Vance, she knew the artifact’s properties far better than he did.

Marcus wasted no time. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He urged the Violet Thunderwing Steed upward into the sky, silently praying that the Vixen Spirits did not possess flying abilities.

As they rose into the air, he glanced down at Alana again.

She still looked delicate and fragile, the kind of girl who naturally triggered a man’s protective instincts. Yet beneath that gentle appearance she was astonishingly calm and decisive.

Under her guidance, Marcus had just stolen a legendary treasure right out from under the noses of the Vixen Queen and her elite guards.

What he did not realize was that Alana herself was exceptionally talented. She was already a Grandmaster Alchemist, with both Herb Gathering and Potion Making at the Grandmaster level as well. The only thing she lacked compared to her grandfather was experience.

She had plenty of tricks of her own. Marcus had simply performed so well that she had not needed to use them.

Unfortunately, their relief lasted only a moment.

As the steed carried them higher into the sky, the Vixen Queen and her guards showed no sign of panic.

Their tails swayed gently behind them as their gauzy robes fluttered in the wind. Then, without wings or visible support, they stepped forward...

...and began walking through the air.

The Vixen Spirits rose into the sky, pursuing them while continuing to launch their deadly storm of petals.

Marcus groaned.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits could fly too? They did not even have wings.

Things had just become dangerous all over again.