Chapter 578: Chu Mo Island (43)
Chapter 578: Chu Mo Island (43)
What Feng Bu Jue meant by "losing" wasn't combat defeat, but failure in a side quest...
As Can Mu let out its dying roar, another sound system activated simultaneously. However, at that moment, the players' ears were bombarded with extreme pain, making it nearly impossible to notice other subtle noises...
Only Feng Bu Jue... vaguely caught something.
Being someone accustomed to multitasking, he never ignored such details. In a lightning-fast moment, he instinctively glanced at the game menu... and discovered Fei Chai Shu's demise.
Indeed, the sound masked by the roar was a system prompt: [Team Member: Fei Chai Shu, deceased].
"What?" Hong Hu immediately understood Feng Bu Jue's words and noticed the team interface's change. "Tch... we still miscalculated..."
Meanwhile, after drinking vitality supplements, Tian Ma Xing Kong and Ji Bu habitually opened the game menu to check their health recovery status, so they also quickly realized Fei Chai Shu's death.
"There's no real miscalculation", Feng Bu Jue shrugged. "We did our best but couldn't save Fei Chai Shu. We can only blame the monster's intelligence in this scenario being too high..." He continued with a helpless tone, "I think... in her final moment, Can Mu realized her death was inevitable, so she decided to take someone down with her."
"No, I was too careless..." Hong Hu shook his head. "Earlier, I should've told you..." He looked at Feng Bu Jue, continuing, "Since you weren't affected, you wouldn't know... When controlled by Can Mu's Brain Silk, the victim's five senses are amplified to extremes. During that time... my vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste flooded me with panic-inducing information..."
"Yeah, that was super horrifying", Ji Bu interjected from a distance. "Especially hearing sounds from inside my own body... it was creepy."
Hong Hu nodded and continued, "When planning our strategy, I forgot to consider this point. Since Fei Chai Shu was caught by Can Mu, he must've been in that 'super-senses' state too. Under such circumstances, the roar's impact would cause unimaginable brain damage..." He lamented, "Sigh... If not for my miscalculation, maybe we could've devised a better strategy."
"Pfft..." After holding back for a second, Feng Bu Jue suddenly laughed, "Hahaha..."
"What's so funny?" Hong Hu narrowed his eyes at the other.
"Laughing at you", Feng Bu Jue replied with a cheeky expression. "You call yourself a strategist? You're just an idiot! Hahaha..."
"How did you even survive into your twenties..." Hong Hu stretched his face. "It's a miracle you haven't been beaten to death..."
Suddenly, the laughter halted abruptly. Feng Bu Jue stopped laughing within 0.5 seconds, swapping his expression for extreme seriousness. "Alright, I've already insulted you. Can you stop blaming yourself now?"
"Hmm..." Hong Hu replied dully, "Your way of comforting people is really unconventional..." He paused for a few seconds, "Though my guilt hasn't lessened much, you did successfully distract me. Unfairly effective aggro-pulling, I must say."
"Flattery will get you everywhere", Feng Bu Jue said with a laugh.
"Enough sulking..." Ji Bu sprawled backward on the Fear Leaf. "Since things turned out this way, let's rest a while. The main quest has no time limit anyway. I suggest we all restore full status here before proceeding."
"That's not bad", Feng Bu Jue agreed, drinking one of the five medium-sized vitality supplements always kept in his satchel before standing up. "But we can't rest here—we should move somewhere else. Fast."
"Huh? Why?" Tian Ma Xing Kong asked, confused.
"Obviously for safety", Hong Hu stood up, adjusting his glasses. "Now the mountain's lost its tiger. The monkeys will soon come out to play."
"Er..." Tian Ma Xing Kong contemplated for a few seconds before understanding the metaphor. "You're saying this place is 'the mountain,' and Can Mu was 'the tiger?'"
"Precisely", Hong Hu replied. "In this Crystal Labyrinth, Can Mu was unquestionably the king. Now she's dead, many creatures below her will lose their natural predator. Once they realize this, they'll come here trying to claim the territory..."
"Shit! Let's run then!" Ji Bu leapt up like a carp. "I'm completely out of energy."
Tian Ma Xing Kong stood up using his knees. "True, heroes need rest too. Like how the chest light needs to recharge if it flashes too long..."
"I understood the first half", Feng Bu Jue sighed. "No need to reference aliens from the M78 Nebula..."
...Five minutes later, along a path southeast of Fear Leaf.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Bi Er's footsteps echoed loudly across the crystal crust. His weight and metal soles made stealth impossible.
"We're almost there", Bi Li, riding his tricycle at the front without turning his head, finally spoke. Glancing at his watch, he added, "A few minutes late though..."
"The front seems to have some combat going on", Bi Er stood straight, observing the distance. Though the crystal path above was blocked by pinkish-white silk netting, Bi Er seemed to perceive what was happening nearby.
"Ahh..." Bi Li lazily replied. "Just two ignorant greedy beasts fighting..."
"Should we clear them?" Bi Er raised his left palm, right fist striking his chest.
"Heh... If you want action, go ahead", Bi Li chuckled at his brother's eager expression. "You've been cooped up a long time. Might as well warm up now."
"Got it!" Bi Er enthusiastically agreed. The next moment, his right leg slammed against the ground...
Boom! The indestructible crystal crust shattered beneath his foot, shaking everything within a hundred-meter radius.
Bi Li and his tricycle bounced several centimeters off the ground. Landing again, he helplessly shrugged, adjusted his tiny bowtie, then resumed pedaling.
Meanwhile... Bi Er's massive form launched like an artillery shell toward Fear Leaf's upper level.
"These silk threads are so annoying..." Midair, Bi Er muttered while tearing away several layers of silk netting covering his face.
After Can Mu's death, all silk netting in the Crystal Labyrinth lost their special properties, becoming ordinary woven fabric. Even if accidentally stuck to one's body, they could easily be torn off.
"Roar——" A strange roar suddenly sounded ahead.
Bi Er focused his gaze, spotting a Colossus entering his vision.
This creature had a boar's head and dog's body, enormous stature, black fur, hardened spines, and crimson eyes capable of seeing in darkness. Favoring decaying matter, dwelling in damp shadows. As recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, it was the Red-Eyed Boar Demon...
Meanwhile, at the other end of Fear Leaf, stood a slender humanoid monster formed entirely of vines. From its stance, it appeared to be confronting the Red-Eyed Boar Demon.
Between these two creatures lay scattered remains—blood flowing freely. Judging from quantity and size, these were undoubtedly Can Mu's remains.
"Heh... Here to compete for this rotten meat?" Bi Er laughed. "Haha... Same goal as me! Hey!"
Roaring, he used his downward momentum to punch the closer Red-Eyed Boar Demon.
The Red-Eyed Boar Demon was among the rare powerful beasts of the Crystal Labyrinth. Facing this uninvited guest, it naturally refused to yield, swinging its blade-like tusks from both sides of its snout to counterattack.
However...
Crunch!
The sound of breaking bones announced the outcome. Bi Er's iron fist easily shattered the Red-Eyed Boar Demon's steel-like tusks—using only one hand...
Earlier, as he approached the enemy, Bi Er slightly adjusted his posture, swinging his fist lightning-fast sideways in a hook punch.
The horror of this strike could only be understood by the one who received it.
Seemingly simple and plain, the attack contained unparalleled power and speed.
No flashy special effects, no dramatic technique names—in fact, this punch couldn't even be classified as a technique. It was just a basic movement. But... it was strong.
This was unrefined, flawless absolute power.
Iron body, ten-thousand-jun strength, gale-speed. This was the "primitive warpuppet"—Bi Er. From a data perspective, his design was practically crude. If a derivative being saw both Bi Er and Bi Li simultaneously, they'd never recognize these two data sets as "brothers."
But crude didn't mean weak... In Bi Er's simplistic design, his only redeeming quality was the "value" of each data parameter. In this regard, even compared to the Four Pillars Deity, he was its equal...
If comparisons must be made... Bi Li was like a next-generation smart phone—precision craftsmanship, comprehensive functions. Bi Er... was like a titanium alloy flip phone—only capable of making calls and sending texts, yet priced no cheaper than the other.
"Ahhh——" The Red-Eyed Boar Demon screamed in death, its broken tusks flying from its mouth, tearing flesh inside. But it had no time for "pain"—extreme fear and survival instinct made it leap off Fear Leaf, fleeing headfirst...
"Hehehe..." The vine monster chuckled ominously. Lifting its gaze toward Bi Er, it said, "Though I don't know where you came from, you seem quite capable... Hahaha..." Slithering its vine body forward, it surrounded Bi Er with thorned tendrils. "How about this... become my subordinate, and together we'll rule this maze..."
Bi Er grabbed the vine monster's "neck" with one hand, flashing a menacing grin. "You're even dumber than the boar, you bean sprout..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
