Chapter 31: Gloomy Phantom City Arc (8)
Chapter 31: Gloomy Phantom City Arc (8)
No one expected the Bloodless Corpse, already grievously wounded, to remain standing. It raised one arm and seized Wang Tan Zhi.
In that moment, everyone present shared two identical thoughts: first, that the creature’s brain was likely mush; second, that Wang Tan Zhi was probably about to die.
Bang! Another gunshot cracked through the air.
Feng Bu Jue acted as swiftly as he thought, his movements calm and efficient. He’d already positioned himself two meters from the Corpse’s side and fired a shot at its head. At such close range, the bullet pierced through, exiting the skull in a spray of unidentifiable fluid.
The Corpse’s movements finally halted. Wang Tan Zhi wrenched free and leapt off its shoulder.
Feng Bu Jue stepped directly in front of the Corpse, leveling his gun at its forehead. “Interesting. Looks like its weak spot’s definitely the front.” Before his words faded, he fired again. The bullet entered the Corpse’s skull, and this time, it didn’t even twitch.
“Hmm… I get it now,” Feng Bu Jue mused as the Corpse collapsed. “This thing fixates on high-damage targets, leaving itself vulnerable from behind. Its head’s the weak point, but the system deliberately gave it high defense and HP to balance that.” For him, killing the monster wasn’t the priority—figuring out the most efficient way to kill its kind mattered more.
Long Ao Min had finally caught his breath. Though still upright, his face was pale. No one knew his exact Vitality Value, but it was clear his condition was dire.
Wang Tan Zhi’s lost Vitality paled in comparison. Even at 10% health, a single blow from the Corpse would’ve killed him instantly.
As the group thought they’d defeated the mini-boss, darkness descended again, accompanied by eerie noises. Their Terror Values spiked. A chilling thought struck them: What if the Corpse stands up again, stronger than before?
Seconds later, the darkness lifted as abruptly as it had come. Feng Bu Jue had already raised his gun, aiming at the Corpse’s head. When it didn’t stir, he lowered his weapon.
“So my earlier theory was right—this darkness is like a natural phenomenon,” he said after observing the Corpse for several seconds. “Every time it appears, all ‘living’ monsters grow stronger.” He glanced at the Corpse. “I suspect this one’s already been strengthened once. When we first encountered darkness, every monster in the city that survived got a power-up.”
Long Ao Min, Gu Du, and Jimo joined Feng Bu Jue. Without a word, Long Ao Min tossed him a [Mario’s Pipe Wrench], which Feng Bu Jue caught casually. Neither seemed concerned.
“If we hadn’t killed it yet,” Feng Bu Jue continued, “it might’ve mutated again in the next darkness.”
Wang Tan Zhi grimaced. “This scenario’s difficulty’s insane! If the darkness keeps coming, the whole city’ll be overrun by monsters!”
“Exactly,” Feng Bu Jue replied. “The system’s forcing us to hurry. The city’s huge, and monsters aren’t densely packed like in a zombie movie. This mechanic stops players from leisurely looting.” He gestured toward the police station. “If we delay, even a regular monster could wipe us out in hours.”
“Then let’s move!” Long Ao Min started forward, but Feng Bu Jue shook his head. “Priorities first. We stick to the plan.” He turned to the damaged wall, pulling a broken flashlight from his satchel. “I have a skill to fix this for three minutes, but it costs 100 Stamina. I didn’t use it earlier because we needed to rush back to fight. Since we’ve got limited light sources, I’ll scout alone. If I find better gear, I’ll come get you.”
He paused. “If anyone wants to follow, stay behind me and stick to my light. No wandering.”
Long Ao Min chuckled. “We’ll wait here. Not like we’d accuse you of hoarding loot.” He sat cross-legged, clearly eager to recover Stamina.
Gudu Xiaoge and Jimo stayed silent. In previous team survival modes, high-level players never protected them or shared loot. Now, Feng Bu Jue was risking himself to equip the group—they had no reason to object.
After a brief exchange of glances, Feng Bu Jue nodded and reentered the station. This time, he carried the repaired flashlight. Activating [Hasty Repair], he spent 100 Stamina. The device flickered with digital matrix codes before restoring to working condition.
[Item: Flashlight]
Type: Tool
Quality: Common
Function: Illumination
Can be taken out of scenario: Yes
Note: Requires two D-cell batteries to operate.
Though portable, the flashlight would degrade to “Tattered” once Feng Bu Jue’s skill expired. It wasn’t a plot item—no puzzle piece here.
With light, Feng Bu Jue’s search became efficient. Soon, he found something critical…
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
