Chapter 198: The Awakening Player
"What the hell is this place?"
"Didn’t I get controlled by a spell?"
Singo jolted awake, instantly scanning his body—intact, unharmed—before turning his gaze to the surroundings.
Before him lay a ruined laboratory, littered with shattered flesh and broken corpses. The ground was slick with thick, viscous blood, already soaking past his ankles.
Before him stood a heavy metal bed, stained with dried blood, where Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang was tightly bound.
Singo’s eyes darted sideways, heart tightening.
There, beside him, lay the lifeless form of Stuffed Bun—collapsed in a pool of blood, silent as a corpse.
Confusion flickered across his face. That mage who had possessed Stuffed Bun had effortlessly defeated all three of them, and they were deep within his own nest, with no external threat. So why had the body vanished?
"Did that 'Wagner' just disappear?"
"Did the spell end? Or was there another reason?"
A faint, ghostly silhouette drifted from the Soul-Devouring Vessel and slipped into the fallen body.
Singo gasped.
"Stuffed Bun?"
The corpse twitched—fingers trembling—then slowly opened its eyes. With effort, it pushed itself up using its arms, collapsing in the blood-soaked mess.
"This place is disgusting... so sticky." Stuffed Bun wrinkled his nose in disgust.
But as he lifted his head slightly, his eyes locked onto Singo, who had already drawn his bow to full draw, the piercing arrow aimed straight at his forehead.
"I'm fucking Stuffed Bun!"
Singo didn’t flinch. His voice was cold, detached.
"How do I know you’re really Stuffed Bun? Prove it. Or I’ll put this arrow through your skull."
Stuffed Bun’s face twisted in fury. "Hardcore Player, are you insane? Which Non-Player Character has my kind of cool aura?"
Yet the arrow remained cold against his skin, sending a chill down his spine.
With a defeated sigh, Stuffed Bun raised both hands in a mock French military salute—his tears long dried.
"Fine, fine, I’ll answer. Just stop pointing that thing at me!"
Singo, towering over him with an unnerving stillness, demanded:
"What’s Stuffed Bun’s most-viewed video?"
"Langli BaiTiao and the old vampire, Thirty Seconds of the Unspoken."
"How many times has Stuffed Bun failed at online romance?"
"Three times, damn it!"
"What’s the name of Stuffed Bun’s mount?"
"Noodles."
"How many gold coins did Stuffed Bun steal from me?"
"Fifteen. While you were asleep—wait, what?! Hardcore Player, you’re lying!"
Stuffed Bun shot up in shock, realization dawning—this "test" was nothing but a trap set by Singo.
"Good. You passed, Stuffed Bun." Singo’s voice remained icy, his bow still drawn, the arrow glinting under the dim light, still aimed at the man’s brow. "But you still stole my gold coins."
"Fine, I’ll pay you back! I’ll work for you—just stop this!" Stuffed Bun pleaded, panic rising.
Singo finally lowered his weapon, his tone sharpening.
"How did you feel inside the flask? Do you know what just happened?"
Stuffed Bun paused, recalling. "Weird… I could perceive everything around me, but I couldn’t move. Just watched him use my body to control you—this weakling—like a puppet. And honestly? Kinda fun. Felt like I was beating you myself. Heh."
Singo ignored the dig. "What did he say? Why did he vanish?"
Stuffed Bun’s expression darkened instantly. "That bastard—he was using Lady Valina as an experiment, and wanted to turn all of us into specimens. Lucky for us, he just… disappeared."
Singo rubbed his chin, frowning. "You mean… he just vanished?"
"Did he say anything before leaving?"
Stuffed Bun scratched his head, hesitating. "The connection was fuzzy from inside the flask. And I was too busy yelling insults at the time… but I think I heard him mention our faction leader’s name."
"Kai Xiusu."
Singo’s eyes lit up. "So Wagner was definitely tied to the main quest. That’s connected to the Red Dragon’s mission—this could be huge. We might’ve just stumbled into something massive."
"Hardcore Player, for the love of the game, save War Fury Brother first!"
"If War Fury Brother dies, you’re on the hook!"
Singo snapped back to reality. Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang was still chained to the metal bed. He rushed over, using his Thief’s Tools to pry open the manacles, then injected an Awakening Serum into Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang’s neck.
"Ghh…?"
"Where… where am I? Wasn’t I in battle?"
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang groaned, struggling to rise from the bed. Dazed, he instinctively reached for his battle axe—only to find emptiness at his waist.
Stuffed Bun, seeing him awake, hurried to help.
The moment Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang recognized the familiar face, rage erupted. Still locked in the aftereffects of the battle, his muscles tensed, veins bulging. With a roar, he swung a punch—fueled by StrengthGundam 18-point barbaric fury—slamming his massive fist straight into Stuffed Bun’s face.
Thud.
The impact was sickening. Stuffed Bun’s face collapsed instantly, a chaotic mosaic of red, purple, and blue.
"Ah—!" He screamed in agony, stars bursting behind his eyes. His soul nearly fled again.
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang lunged forward, ready to deliver another blow, his fist coiled for a crushing follow-up—
"Singo, what the hell are you doing?!"
Singo intercepted, grabbing his arm.
"He’s not the boss! He’s Stuffed Bun! You’re gonna kill him!"
"Monster! Get off Stuffed Bun’s body!"
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang roared, his fury unspent.
"Battle… is fun!"
Stuffed Bun finally snapped back to reality, clutching his swollen face. His mouth moved frantically.
"War Fury Brother, stop! It’s me! I’m Stuffed Bun!" He pointed at his ruined face, pleading.
Singo added, calm but firm: "The boss just possessed Stuffed Bun. You were under a spell. Keep it together—don’t accidentally kill him."
"…Huh?"
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang froze, lowering his fist. He touched his bald head, his face flushing slightly.
"Uh… sorry, Stuffed Bun. I… I thought you were the boss. Didn’t recognize you. Uh… you okay? I’ll buy you a healing potion in town later."
"Whatever… I’m fine." Stuffed Bun whimpered, his face now puffed like a steamed bun.
Singo smirked, barely hiding his amusement. "War Fury, forget about Stuffed Bun. As long as he’s alive, it’s fine. We’ve stumbled into a Hidden Dungeon by pure luck—now’s the time to explore."
"Hidden Dungeon?" Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang’s eyes gleamed with battle lust. "Then there must be powerful enemies inside."
His face lit up with the unmistakable thrill of a veteran Player—this was a man who’d once fought a celestial beast alone.
Only Stuffed Bun remained, rubbing his ruined face, letting out a mournful, soul-crushing wail:
"My handsome face… why?!"
(End of Chapter)
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