Chapter 128: Death Q&A (Part 5)
Chapter 128: Death Q&A (Part 5)
To Desert Tiger, humanity's nature was as fickle and frenzied as the multiverse's whims. Driven by primal instincts for survival, mating urges, and insatiable greed, they brought only decay and corruption. Only through destruction and rebirth could order be restored.
His attitude toward humans mirrored a germophobic housewife confronted with grime on her countertop—spotting humans prompted him to eradicate them without hesitation.
Boom—
Desert Tiger's fist slammed into the sand, unleashing rolling waves of dust. The shockwave forced Xiao Tan and Bei Ling to retreat, both stumbling backward as twin bursts of damage drained 8% of their vitality and affixed the [Slow] effect for several seconds.
The arena erupted in cheers. The audience clearly loved this Executioner's greeting style.
"That's lightning-fast!" Feng Bu Jue muttered, resting his cheek on his palm as he watched the live feed. "Opponent's a Transformer… which means Xiao Tan's title technique [Bee Sting] is useless. Bleeding status effects don't work on robots—unless they suddenly start oozing oil or short-circuiting." He tilted his head. "Bei Ling uses guns mainly. Bullets might outclass swords, but against this foe? Probably won't cut it…"
On the giant screen, Desert Tiger launched his next assault.
As a robot, how could he not whip out heavy firepower when humans started shooting? Twin rectangular launch ports popped out from his outer knees. A swift whoosh whoosh sent two guided missiles streaking toward the retreating duo.
Boom—Boom—
Two smaller explosions carved craters in the sand, hurling plumes of dust skyward. Xiao Tan and Bei Ling evaded direct hits but still suffered blast damage.
Missiles—whether intercontinental or micro—excelled at targeting large heat signatures, but tracking living humans? Pointless. Machine-gun fire would've been more practical.
"Hey, Mr. You." Feng Bu Jue nudged the microphone aside, leaning toward the nearby figure. "Can I ask—how do Executioners get assigned in the Colosseum? Is it random, or based on competitors' race, numbers, or quiz scores?"
Mr. You glanced at him, smirking without using his mic. "A bit of all you said. Basically… by the competitors' strength."
"Ah… So if one contestant had entered alone, they wouldn't face this guy?"
"Of course. Strength differs between one and two people." Mr. You confirmed.
"Got it." Feng Bu Jue mused. "No wonder that fatso called it a 'bloody task for one against two'—multiple entrants gain nothing. Even if a player like Si Yu entered solo, they'd still face tougher monsters due to their strength." He pondered, "Considering vitality and stamina consumption, maybe we should take turns being the lowest scorer during the quiz phase… distributing combat pressure."
"Look! Competitor Four's counterattacking!" Mr. You's amplified shout refocused Feng Bu Jue's attention on the screen.
Bei Ling's petite frame sprinted toward the steel-clad giant, armed only with a handgun.
Xiao Tan didn't know her plan but charged forward, firing wildly to cover her advance.
Desert Tiger swung his massive arm in a horizontal arc. Bei Ling rolled along the sand to evade, then swiftly rose, balancing on one knee as she aimed at his chest.
At such proximity, missing was impossible. She'd closed in to guarantee a 100% critical hit. This shot couldn't fail.
The gun's barrel flared brilliantly.
No gunshot echoed—only an eagle's piercing screech. The bullet erupted with silver radiance, morphing midair into a luminous silver-winged eagle that slammed into Desert Tiger's torso.
The six-meter-tall, multi-ton robot lifted off the ground, flipping backward as if struck by an Rpg warhead.
[Name: Hawk Breaker]
[Skill Card Attribute: Active Skill—vanishes after use]
[Skill Category: Shooting]
[Effect: Infuses bullets with spiritual energy, causing massive explosive damage (requires handgun with at least one bullet loaded).]
[Consumption: 500 stamina value, 50% max spiritual energy value]
[Learning Condition: Shooting Proficiency E, Spirit Arts Proficiency F, Level 10+]
[Background: A straightforward, practical technique graspable with basic spirit arts knowledge. Higher spiritual energy consumption boosts attack power. Physically weak ghostwriters gain [Paralysis] temporarily post-cast. Weapon overheats, becoming unusable for 15 minutes.]
This gambling-style skill—drawn in a previous scenario but unused—was Bei Ling's ace. Facing such an opponent, she deemed it worth the risk.
Her analysis was sharp, her action decisive. Better to strike now than hoard it for desperation. Even if the monster survived, their remaining vitality provided breathing room.
Bei Ling collapsed onto the sand, paralyzed. Checking her game menu, she muttered, "Tch… Paralyzed, of course."
Meanwhile, Desert Tiger showed no hesitation—he was a machine. No need to catch breath after falling. Though his chest armor bore scorched dents and cracks, his circuits calculated the damage instantly: "Still operational."
Bang Bang Bang—
Xiao Tan emptied his shotgun, sprinting forward. Not fast enough.
Desert Tiger's refrigerator-sized iron fist descended diagonally toward Bei Ling. Three words described the imminent scene: Person → Meat paste → White light.
Bei Ling knelt, trapped under the shadow, her body unresponsive. Suddenly—
Desert Tiger froze.
His movements slowed like high-speed cinematography. The fist approached at a crawl—collision wouldn't kill.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Viewers, look! Someone used Time Sand nearby!" Mr. You declared.
"Actually low-quality Time Dust. Real Time Sand would've lasted longer."
The camera panned to He Hua Si Te Si—the surprisingly insightful analyst.
Xiao Tan clutched a Winchester shotgun, his palm dripping blood. To deploy [Slow Sand], he'd shattered the vial by squeezing it against the soft sand.
The slowing effect let him reach Bei Ling, hoist her onto his shoulder, and flee.
"Baka! Why run? Hit him now!" she shouted as he sprinted away like a runaway groom.
"Right!" Xiao Tan abruptly dropped her and charged back.
Seconds later, Bei Ling regained mobility. Scowling, she spat sand and inhaled deeply. "Wait till I get my hands on you in kill game mode… you'll beg for mercy." Anger simmered, but priorities mattered—this wasn't the time.
Drawing her sniper rifle from her satchel, she aimed. With Desert Tiger nearly frozen, she opted for maximum firepower.
Xiao Tan returned to the robot's feet, scaling its outstretched arm like a monkey before leaping onto its shoulder.
As Slow Sand expired, his Winchester's barrel pressed directly against Desert Tiger's head. Simultaneously, Bei Ling's sniper rifle cracked.
(End of Chapter)
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