https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-217-Cangling-Debate-of-Swords-25-/13547386/
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Chapter 218: Cangling Debate of Swords (26)
Chapter 218: Cangling Debate of Swords (26)
The combat in the Basement Levels Cave had evolved into a protracted battle.
The fire ape’s mobile combat techniques were truly formidable. It moved vertically with the ease of walking on flat ground, its leaps and dashes unpredictable and erratic—its movements were as erratic as they were swift, making it nearly impossible to anticipate. The entire cavern became its three-dimensional battlefield, while the players had limited terrain advantages to exploit.
If not for Xiao Tan and Bei Ling both wielding firearms, they might have already been overwhelmed by the fire ape’s close-range assaults.
“This isn’t good,” Bei Ling said to Xiao Tan beside her. “We’ve already used up a lot of bullets, but they’re barely hurting that monster. It might outlast us before we run out of ammo.”
Xiao Tan, standing at an angle to cover potential attack vectors, replied, “I’ve got an idea.”
“Spill it.”
“I’ll drink a vitality supplement to restore my health,” Xiao Tan said, “then switch to melee and finish this up close.”
Bei Ling glanced at him. “You don’t even need to fight to know it’d beat you, right?”
“Not necessarily,” Xiao Tan countered. “Its strongest asset is speed, but its attack power isn’t that high. Sure, its flaming body is troublesome, but that doesn’t mean its defense is strong—it just means I’ll take some damage if I engage in melee. But I’ve already figured out its pattern.” As he spoke, he holstered his shotgun and drew his primary melee weapon—the Damascus Dagger.
“If I focus on melee,” he continued, “I should be able to keep up with its speed. Once I land a hit, I can use Bee Sting to chip away at its health. That’s better than wasting bullets in a mutual depletion contest.”
“Then you’re on your own,” Bei Ling said. “My shooting accuracy against high-speed targets is less than thirty percent. And during close combat? I’d have to avoid hitting you while trying to land shots—”
“Don’t worry,” Xiao Tan interrupted. “If I sense danger or realize I can’t win, I’ll retreat here. Just cover me so I can catch my breath and recover.”
“Fine, be careful,” Bei Ling relented, unable to think of a better plan. After all, her martial arts proficiency was only E-grade. Against such an agile mini-boss, she could only provide stationary cover without a team member capable of crowd control.
As Xiao Tan downed a vitality supplement, the fire ape lunged from behind a rock, snarling. This time, it targeted Xiao Tan’s flank, giving him the perfect opening.
Xiao Tan didn’t parry the flaming claws. He sidestepped, letting the strike graze past, then thrust his dagger forward as they passed. The blade scraped the monster’s hide, successfully applying Bee Sting’s bleeding effect.
In truth, his earlier “I should be able to keep up” was an understatement. After observing its movements, he was ninety percent certain he could match its speed—hence his decision to take the fight solo.
His deliberate show of weakness to Bei Ling served two purposes: first, to spare her pride, as she hated feeling inferior; second, because he secretly enjoyed the warmth of her concern.
“Roar—” Enraged by the injury, the fire ape bellowed and lunged again.
True to its agility-type classification, the monster recovered from its attack animation almost instantly. It twisted its body, advanced, and struck with both fists—a deadly combo. Surprisingly, the move carried the essence of martial arts techniques, its flaming punches generating gusts as fierce as a master’s palm strikes.
Xiao Tan remained calm. He retreated a few steps, effortlessly dodging the assault.
Patience was his nature. Unless startled by something he feared, he’d never act recklessly. He’d only engage when the opponent revealed an opening.
The fire ape, though fierce, was still a beast with limited intelligence. After missing twice, it grew frustrated, charging wildly with its flaming claws.
Xiao Tan, instead of retreating, darted forward. He’d noticed the fire ape’s abdominal weakness when it swung its arms. Bending low, he lunged sideways, slashing his dagger as they passed. The strike not only wounded the beast but applied a second layer of Bee Sting.
After two exchanges, Xiao Tan had spent 14% of his stamina, though his vitality loss was negligible—only 1% every two seconds while within a meter of the fire ape. Maintaining a slight distance nullified the damage.
The fire ape, though not severely injured, now bore two layers of bleed effects. As an agility-type boss with low health, it had already taken minor damage from bullets during their earlier skirmish. Combined with the two-minute bleed duration, it was clearly at a disadvantage.
Xiao Tan’s plan was simple: stay patient, avoid fatal blows, and bait the fire ape into reckless attacks to accelerate its bleed damage.
But unexpectedly, the fire ape abandoned Xiao Tan and charged toward Bei Ling.
Realizing Xiao Tan’s speed was no easy obstacle, the monster decided to gamble. It would rather take down one opponent than waste away pointlessly.
Seeing the fire ape’s suicidal charge, Bei Ling didn’t wait to be cornered. She darted into a crevice between two boulders, retreating to the wall’s edge. Now, the fire ape could only attack from one direction.
As the monster lunged from that sole angle, Bei Ling’s MP5 unleashed a hail of bullets. Using the terrain advantage, six to seven out of ten shots struck true.
When the magazine emptied, the fire ape’s body was riddled with a dozen new wounds. Blood gushed, but the beast didn’t falter. It had resolved to die fighting.
With a final roar, the fire ape’s ruby-like face glowed crimson. Spinning its body, its flaming tail lashed out like a whip. The gemstone at its tip, glowing like a red-hot cannonball, hurtled toward Bei Ling’s chest.
Bei Ling’s position limited the attack angle but also left her no room to maneuver. She hadn’t expected the monster to shrug off submachine gun fire and commit to a suicide strike. If she’d known, she’d have switched to her sniper rifle. Even at close range, a single sniper round could’ve crippled the beast.
As the tail closed in, Bei Ling braced herself, praying her vitality could withstand the impact.
A searing gust whistled past her cheek—the attack had veered off course!
Her wide, glistening eyes stared in disbelief.
Then, a glint of cold steel pierced the fire ape’s throat from behind.
From the monster’s back, a figure in assassin’s garb pressed tightly against its burning body. A steady, precise hand, undeterred by the scorching flames, drove a dagger through the fire ape’s cervical vertebrae with brutal force.
With a thud, the fire ape collapsed forward, revealing Xiao Tan behind it.
During the tail strike, Xiao Tan had closed the distance, ignoring the damage from proximity. In that moment, he became a ruthless butcher. Whether guided by his medical knowledge or a sudden surge of innate killing talent, his eyes pinpointed the fire ape’s sole, fatal weakness with surgical precision.
The fire ape’s tail, which had been flung with deadly force, veered off course as Xiao Tan’s short sword struck its cervical vertebrae. Thanks to the momentum, it narrowly missed Bei Ling as she stood frozen, the tail whipping past her just in time.
“Huh… huhuhu… so hot, so hot…” The moment the monster collapsed, Xiao Tan reverted to his usual dazed expression. He flinched like someone scalded by a roasted chestnut, tossing the heat-conducting short sword between his hands. The blade’s searing temperature made it nearly impossible to hold.
Bei Ling stepped forward, glanced at the monster’s corpse, then raised her MP5, its flashlight mounted on the barrel, and pointed it directly at Xiao Tan’s face. “Didn’t expect you to be so reliable in a crisis,” she said, her voice tinged with surprise.
“No no… just luck,” Xiao Tan replied, his modesty betrayed by the beaming smile stretching across his face. He scratched the back of his head, his eyes crinkling with shy pride as if he wanted to add, “I’m not that great,” but couldn’t quite bring himself to say it.
As they spoke, the fire ape’s corpse suddenly burst into flames, reducing itself to ash. Only the red crystal embedded in its tail remained intact.
“This must be one of the two stone tablets,” Xiao Tan said, bending down to pick up the glowing gem.
In the Terrifying Paradise, monsters never dropped equipment, so even Xiao Tan knew this was likely a quest item.
The crystal scorched his fingers the moment he touched it, nearly slipping from his grip. But as it absorbed the player’s touch, the rhombus-shaped red crystal dissolved into white light, reshaping itself. When the glow faded, it had transformed into a jade-like crescent—a perfect half of a Bagua symbol.
【Name: Stone Tablet (Yang)】
【Type: Plot-Related】
【Quality: Common】
【Function: Insert both Stone Tablet (Yang) and Stone Tablet (Yin) into the Bagua Stone Disk on the stone door to unlock it】
【Can Be Taken Out of Scenario】
【Background: As a key, its shape and mechanism are bafflingly enigmatic】
After securing the Yang Stone Tablet, Xiao Tan and Bei Ling scoured the cave for overlooked treasures, determined not to backtrack later. Their efforts paid off—a narrow crevice in a stalactite revealed a consumable item.
【Name: Debris Crystal】
【Type: Consumable】
【Quality: Common】
【Function: Restores 50% of the player’s vitality value and accelerates vitality recovery for a short time】
【Can Be Taken Out of Scenario: Yes】
【Background: Its recovery effect isn’t subject to the diminishing returns of vitality supplements】
This item was clearly a compensatory measure, akin to healing drops after defeating a boss in games. The system evidently deemed defeating the fire ape a costly endeavor—whether through blood loss or resource expenditure, victory wouldn’t come easily.
Yet for these two “wealthy” players, such consumables were trivial. Whether they found one or not made little difference. If needed, they could buy dozens or even hundreds of vitality supplements without hesitation. If their satchel slots ran out, they’d simply purchase more.
Bei Ling handed the Debris Crystal to Xiao Tan without hesitation. After all, he’d taken the most damage—drinking supplements and enduring burns to save her. He accepted it without protest.
After a final sweep of the cave, they retraced their steps to the crossroads and entered the tunnel on the right. The passage wasn’t long, mirroring the length of the opposite tunnel. Five or six minutes later, they reached another cave.
The cavern was small and oval-shaped, its walls shimmering with an eerie aquamarine glow under their artificial light. A vast icy pool dominated the center, leaving only a narrow ledge around its edges.
The chill hit them like a physical force as they approached the water’s edge. The pool’s temperature was clearly near freezing. Sweeping their lights across the cave revealed nothing of value—the Yin Stone Tablet had to be submerged.
Xiao Tan dipped a finger into the water and yanked it back instantly. “Whoa… must be that legendary ‘zero-degree non-freezing’ water, huh?”
“Ugh,” Bei Ling muttered, fastening her flashlight to her tactical suit. The gear’s multiple attachment points on the shoulders and thighs made securing small items effortless.
“Hey… it’s really cold,” Xiao Tan warned.
“Don’t worry,” she replied, splashing water onto her face and neck. Her expression remained neutral, though her mind screamed, I’m going to freeze to death…
“You can’t fire underwater. If anything happens, swim back immediately,” he urged.
“Got it,” she snapped, already annoyed.
“If you don’t surface in three minutes—”
“Stop nagging!” Bei Ling glared before taking a deep breath, sprinting forward, and plunging into the frigid depths.
The icy water engulfed her, numbing her body as she forced her eyes open. The flashlight’s beam barely pierced the murky darkness, but she pushed downward, driven by stubborn pride.
Though Bei Ling seemed carefree on the surface, her heart burned with determination. She’d never let that idiot onshore outdo her. If he could endure fire to save her, she’d brave the cold to retrieve the item.
In reality, most people couldn’t survive more than a few minutes in zero-degree water. Hypothermia-induced numbness and panic would claim them long before drowning. Xiao Tan, as a doctor, knew this all too well. His warnings had been genuine, but she’d mistaken them for underestimation.
Minutes dragged like hours.
One… two…
Nearly five minutes passed. Even an experienced swimmer would need air soon. In this game, drowning wouldn’t knock her unconscious, but her vitality value would plummet.
Unable to wait any longer, Xiao Tan crouched at the edge, pressing his miner’s helmet firmly, and plunged his head into the water. He didn’t know what he’d see, but he had to try.
Unbeknownst to him, Bei Ling surfaced nearby, dragging herself onto the ledge. The task item was safely stored in her satchel, but her body trembled from exhaustion.
She swept her soaked hair back, glancing at the fool with his head still submerged. A smile tugged at her lips.
Like a lotus blooming in icy water, her frost-pale face glowed with ethereal beauty. But the fleeting moment of delicate charm was lost on Xiao Tan, who hadn’t seen her emerge.
A splash echoed as Xiao Tan was suddenly kicked into the pool. He surfaced, bewildered, staring at Bei Ling onshore. “Huh? When did you get behind me?”
“Got the stone tablet. Let’s go,” she said, already walking away.
“Wait, why’d you kick me in?”
“Tch… Hopeless idiot,” she chuckled, leaving him sputtering behind.
“Hey! Wait up!”
(End of Chapter)
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