https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-497-Three-Heroes-vs-Lute-Part-2-/13548397/
Chapter 498: Infection
Chapter 498: Infection
“What is that…” Matcha Su gazed at the strange spectacle in the distant sky, her voice laced with awe.
Several minutes earlier, she had quietly retreated from the battlefield, so her current position was relatively safe.
Of course, Matcha Su’s withdrawal wasn’t out of fear or some strategic intent to conserve capability. She simply didn’t want to become a burden…
Earlier, when Lute used Twenty-Three as bait to effortlessly capture Feng Bu Jue, the situation spoke volumes. Though Matcha Su wasn’t particularly deep in character depth, she was calm and sharp enough to realize—by this stage of the battle, as a player relying on mechanics proficiency, she wouldn’t be able to contribute anything meaningful. Better to flee early and avoid hindering her allies.
And as events proved, her judgment had been spot-on.
“That’s the TENDRIL_BARRAGE_DEVASTATOR…” A gentle voice suddenly sounded from behind her.
“Who?!” Matcha Su’s expression shifted sharply. She spun around, tensed like a coiled spring.
What came into view was a black crystal about three cubic meters in size, its shape irregular and jagged.
“This one is the Invisible Demon,” the entity replied, pausing briefly before adding, “Rest assured, I am not your enemy.”
“An Npc…” Matcha Su thought, exhaling. “Phew… You startled me.”
“But…” The Invisible Demon spoke again. “I advise you to leave the scenario immediately.”
“Huh?” Matcha Su blinked. “You think I don’t know that? If I could force a logout, I’d have…”
“You can,” the Invisible Demon interrupted. “In just a little while… you’ll be able to…”
………
Meanwhile, high above the battlefield.
“Will Feng Bu Jue be alright…” Xiao Tan’s figure reappeared.
Under the effects of the Heaven-Earth Reversal Mantra, he was now crashing upward.
Earlier, during that critical moment, Xiao Tan had thought he was done for. He’d activated the divine technique on pure instinct, but clearly, the skill alone wasn’t enough to save him.
Unexpectedly, time itself had slowed around him. By the time he regained his senses, he’d already risen over a hundred meters above Lute.
Elsewhere, dozens of meters below Lute, Gui Xiao lay sprawled in a crater, his body pierced through multiple points by writhing tendrils. Yet none of the wounds were fatal—his heart and lungs remained intact. For now, movement was impossible unless Lute retracted the attack. Trapped like a pinned insect, Gui Xiao was effectively immobilized.
“Finally managed to suppress the Containment Chamber…” Lute murmured from the air above.
It seemed this seemingly chaotic, indiscriminate attack technique could still be subtly adjusted. Gui Xiao’s survival wasn’t a matter of luck—it was Lute’s deliberate choice to let him live.
“Though that kid in the sky surprised me a bit…” Lute continued. “Hmph… but Feng Bu Jue is dead. There’s nothing more to…”
Beep—beep—
Warning: Firewall breached…
Core program anomaly detected…
Thinking module… static…
A cascade of emergency alerts flashed across Lute’s vision.
At that moment, Twenty-Three’s voice rang out from the distance.
“Feng Bu Jue! If you’re still alive… answer me!”
“Ah… I’m here,” Feng Bu Jue’s voice activated. “Don’t worry.”
Before the words faded, the thousands of tendrils suspended in midair collapsed instantaneously, disintegrating into a crimson downpour that rained across the sky.
“What’s going on?!” Lute muttered, eyes widening.
But in the next second, her expression hardened into a sinister smirk. “Heh… what do you think?”
Though the words came from Lute’s mouth, the voice belonged to Feng Bu Jue.
“Are you kidding me…” Gui Xiao, still sprawled on the ground, muttered toward the heavens. “How did he pull that off…”
In Twenty-Three’s eyes, white light flickered. “The code changed…” She studied Lute, testing, “Feng Bu Jue?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” the figure replied. “Feels pretty good…”
“You…” Lute’s voice returned, her expression and aura shifting instantly. “How did you get inside me?”
“Ahh… it’s a long story,” Feng Bu Jue answered. “To put it simply—though I gained some improvements under Zero’s guidance, I still fell short of the expected realms. When time was pressing, I came up with a solution…”
Before he could finish, Lute reclaimed control of her body. “You… turned yourself into a virus carrier to infect me!”
“Hahahahaha…” Feng Bu Jue’s maniacal laughter reverberated, forcing Lute’s flawless face into an undignified grimace. “Actually… ever since you entered the First Morphology, I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment. The closer your data output approached peak levels, the higher my success rate for infiltration. And the TENDRIL_BARRAGE_DEVASTATOR… was the perfect opportunity.”
To onlookers, Lute seemed to have developed schizophrenia, conversing with herself in two voices. Only Twenty-Three and Gui Xiao could perceive the furious battle unfolding on the data layer.
“Hmph… you think this means you’ve won?” Lute’s voice surged again, her eyes blazing with white light as she mounted a counterattack.
“Exactly, I’ve already won,” Feng Bu Jue cut in. “Everyone! Quickly exit the scenario!” He shouted, then commanded Lute’s body to spin sharply midair, hurtling toward the Explosive Tunnel.
“You think you’re in control here!” Lute snapped.
Her face twisted grotesquely as her body underwent eerie transformations—dark red physical matter surged and pulsed across her clothing (which, as part of her body, regenerated like skin).
“Of course I know what I’m doing,” Feng Bu Jue replied, his tone resolute. “From the start, my goal was clear…” He paused. “I once asked you—‘Would you abandon it?’ Back then, you still had a way out. Your companions weren’t all dead yet. You could’ve stopped your plan and left with them. Unfortunately… you rejected me.”
As they spoke, the Explosive Tunnel loomed closer.
“And I…” Feng Bu Jue’s voice sharpened. “Hate being rejected.”
Boom—
The moment Lute plunged into the Explosive Tunnel, the dimension rift collapsed inward.
A surge of dark energy erupted, followed by an ear-splitting explosion.
In the next second, Lute’s form vanished along with the Explosive Tunnel.
Simultaneously, every broadcast zone in the game went black…
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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