https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-68-Garlic-Wuxiang-Chronicles-15-/13511096/
Chapter 67: Garlic Invincible Arc (14)
Chapter 67: Garlic Invincible Arc (14)
The gymnasium was pitch-black, devoid of artificial light. Feng Bu Jue and Xiao Tan switched on their flashlights, while the two Gms—Pan Feng and Hua Xiong—pulled out night-vision goggles and slipped them on.
Pan Feng and Hua Xiong had already explained that their gear was pre-set by the system. This included their weapons, the metal-plated boots on their feet, the hidden armor beneath their clothing, and the newly revealed night-vision goggles. Essentially, their equipment was designed to handle any scenario within this level. All their items were unrestricted, extremely powerful, and bound to them. Their six proficiencies were all rated D-level, but since active skills at this level only had a 60% success rate, they opted for passive abilities that enhanced their combat capabilities instead.
Tracking the coordinates of the derivative being displayed on the GM menu, the four moved into the gymnasium’s central basketball court—a vast, pitch-black expanse.
They entered through an exit gate in the spectator stands, pushing open the sliding door to reveal a cavernous darkness that swallowed the beams of their flashlights. Feng Bu Jue and Xiao Tan’s flashlights couldn’t pierce the distance—like the opposite stands, which remained shrouded in shadow. Even with their night-vision goggles, Pan Feng and Hua Xiong could only see so far; the farthest reaches of the court were still black voids. In such a space, a human-sized monster could easily hide behind a row of seats.
“I want to ask… would talking to them even work?” Xiao Tan whispered, his hand trembling slightly around the kitchen knife he held. His palm was slick with sweat.
Before the others could respond, a sudden, muffled thud echoed from behind them. It was the mutated form of Dr. Ashiford, lunging from above the entrance stands. Its target: Xiao Tan.
The scenario boss had hidden itself in the rear seats above the entryway—the perfect blind spot for the four as they entered. Its positioning and attack method were far beyond the instincts of a typical monster.
Derivative beings could track players’ real-time coordinates, and Ashiford itself could detect their entry point by scent. It had chosen this critical location deliberately, prioritizing the weakest player as its target—a calculated move typical of a scenario boss.
The strike was silent and sudden. The only sounds were the creak of the stands as the monster sprang and the rush of air as it soared. Not even Wang Tan Zhi, a common player, or the Gms could react in time.
The gym’s silence worked in their favor, though. The sound of the monster’s leap reached Xiao Tan’s ears a fraction of a second before the attack itself. Enough time to pivot—just in time to face the onslaught head-on.
In that split second, Xiao Tan had few options. A single misstep would mean a drastic drop in vitality.
He wouldn’t die—earlier, while planting bombs, he’d donned the black steel helmet from his satchel. Protected by armor, his head was safe from being torn apart by claws. But even so, taking a direct hit from the scenario boss would drain three-quarters of his vitality. Worse, he might suffer status effects like stun or bleeding.
Xiao Tan’s speed couldn’t save him. Feng Bu Jue’s Winchester shotgun or the Gms’ weapons wouldn’t arrive in time. This was his fight alone.
In the blink of an eye, Wang Tan Zhi’s Terror Value plummeted to zero.
His eyes shifted—cold, focused, like a surgeon on the operating table. The mutated form, by contrast, seemed the anesthetized patient, helpless against what came next.
Some who seemed gentle in daily life could reveal ruthless resolve in a crisis.
Xiao Tan’s grip steadied. His strike was precise, powerful. In the dimness, the blade flashed, tracing an arc to meet the monster’s claw.
The collision would likely send his knife flying—and his hand sliced or broken. But force required time to transmit.
The moment the blade touched the monster’s skin, before the impact could fully register, Xiao Tan’s body blurred into a phantom. In the same instant, he reappeared ten meters away, unharmed. The stands sloped downward, and he materialized midair, six meters above the lower seats. The fall and tumble cost him 27% of his vitality.
Even Feng Bu Jue blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected Xiao Tan to react so coolly under such extreme pressure. Pan Feng and Hua Xiong were equally stunned, but their combat reflexes kicked in. As Xiao Tan vanished, they surged forward, striking the mutated form mid-air as it staggered from its missed attack.
After several seconds, Hua Xiong chuckled. “That kid used [Retreating Quick Slash], huh… Heh.”
Pan Feng added, “Yeah, I didn’t catch on at first. It’s his only skill, too—granted by his title.”
“This boss is mine,” Feng Bu Jue interjected. “You two have other threats to handle.”
A thunderous boom followed as the Winchester roared again.
Feng Bu Jue’s aim was fixed on the direction Pan Feng and Hua Xiong had just vacated.
From the shadows, a silent, razor-sharp figure had soared from the suspended scoreboard above the court. Gliding like a phantom, it dove toward the two Gms.
If Ashiford’s ambush was sudden, this attack was entirely anticipated.
Feng Bu Jue’s analysis of the derivative being’s AI was spot-on. If it could set traps, it would have contingencies. The derivative being’s true target wasn’t the players—it wanted the Gms. Killing one would drastically improve its odds.
The mutated form’s attack, then, was a distraction. Whether it succeeded or failed, its purpose was to draw the Gms’ attention. As they focused on it, the derivative being would strike from another angle, unexpected and lethal.
The environment, the mutated form’s positioning, its post-attack stance—all were preludes to this ambush. Even if the mutated form died, the derivative being would still win. Once the boss fell, the two players would be forced to leave the scenario in three minutes. By then, the injured Gms would be sitting ducks, easy prey for the derivative being to outmaneuver and overwhelm as blood wolf zombies breached the gym’s defenses.
If only Pan Feng and Hua Xiong had pursued alone, the plan might have worked. But they weren’t alone—they had Feng Bu Jue.
The Winchester’s blast dropped the derivative being mid-air as it closed to within five meters.
Feng Bu Jue’s [Eye of Hostility] had already locked onto its shadow. Though flashlights couldn’t reach far, he’d detected the creature’s movement as it glided through the air. Calmly, he’d warned the Gms first, waiting until the target entered his optimal range before firing.
The derivative being was agile, but it couldn’t change direction mid-air. Its dive path had been mapped by Feng Bu Jue’s gaze—flying straight into the barrel of his waiting shotgun.
The impact struck like a pendulum slamming into a wall. The creature halted mid-flight, plummeting vertically. But it was resilient, clinging to the stand’s railing with bloodied hands.
Feng Bu Jue ejected the spent shell, reloaded, and aimed again. Two seconds later, another shot shattered the monster’s grip.
“Don’t waste time,” Feng Bu Jue said, reloading. “The derivative being is your priority. I’ll handle the mutated form.”
The Gms, still processing, sprang into action. Hua Xiong vaulted over the railing, descending to engage the derivative being. The lower stands were pitch-black, but his goggles ensured clarity. From below, Xiao Tan could only see sparks and hear the clash of metal—guessing the derivative being had finally drawn its claws.
“Stalling it here will block my shots,” Feng Bu Jue told Pan Feng. “I said I’ll hold the mutated form alone.”
“Easy for you! Even if you can handle it, I’ve already drawn its aggro. If I leave, it’ll follow!” Pan Feng retorted mid-combat.
“Simple fix.” Feng Bu Jue suddenly holstered his gun, grabbed his pipe wrench, and charged forward in a reckless maneuver.
He closed the distance, stepping between Pan Feng and the boss. Weaponless, he extended his leg—tripping the monster.
Pan Feng thought Feng Bu Jue had finally lost it—until the mutated form let out a pained howl and collapsed in an awkward heap.
(End of Chapter)
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