Chapter 99: Hunter's Island (Eight)
Chapter 99: Hunter’s Island (Eight)
The battle ended in an instant. A colorless, invisible aura erupted from the descending warhammer, amplifying its destructive radius and lethality. The hound hadn’t even time to utter a death cry before it was struck at the waist, its body cleaved cleanly in two.
Fearless’s technique, the Elephant Hoof Leap Strike, was a consumption skill. Surprisingly, its prerequisite required martial arts proficiency at D-level or higher—an undeniable testament to its power.
Yijian, of course, knew nothing of these details. All he understood was that a monster roughly matching his strength had been ambushed and instantly killed by this seemingly frail beauty, Fearless.
When Yijian first reached level 5, he’d tried the “Kill Game Mode” once. He knew that in such a scenario, facing an opponent like Fearless would mean instant death the moment he showed the slightest weakness.
Seeing the shock in Yijian’s eyes, Fearless dropped her act. The innocent, adorable expression vanished, her voice shifting from a moe tone to that of a delinquent girl: “Tch… Guess I had no choice. Thought I wouldn’t need to get my hands dirty.” With one hand dragging the massive hammer, she strode forward, the weapon’s screech against the ground conveying its staggering weight.
“Didn’t expect you to be this weak,” she muttered, circling the hound’s corpse. She swung the hammer in a half-arc, smashing the twitching front half of the beast into pulp.
Beast blood splattered Yijian’s face. He stood frozen, stunned by the brutality.
“Uh… I thought I had the upper hand,” he mumbled, his bravado crumbling. His voice trembled. “Heh… hadn’t realized you were this strong. But… why did you act so scared earlier when we met those wild boars and tigers?”
He hadn’t finished his sentence—“you were cowering behind me like a scaredy-cat”—before Fearless cut him off.
“What was that?” Her glare matched a thug’s. “You thinkin’ you’re better than me?” She tilted her head, eyes fierce, the warhammer planted upright. An oppressive aura surged. “Wanna die?”
“Bi… Big Sister… I’m sorry.” Backing against a tree, sweat drenched Yijian’s face. Though teammates couldn’t attack each other, his demeanor was already that of a dead man. “My strength’s only enough for weak monsters. You letting me lead shows your trust… Ha… haha…” His forced laugh ended in a grimace.
“Better.” Fearless sheathed the hammer into her satchel, crossing her arms like a commander. “By the way, that guy Mad Bu Jue’s doing well. No death reports yet. Guess he soloed his hounds—that means he’s stronger than you.”
“How do you know he even faced hounds?”
“Obvious. Didn’t you notice the number of dogs in the castle? Zaroff probably sends one per player—or more.”
“Actually, I could’ve taken them alone…” Yijian muttered.
“Shut up, baldy!” Fearless snapped.
“Baldy?!” Yijian’s long-haired martial artist look made the nickname absurd.
“You’ve got guild buffs and are a level higher. If he matched your feats, he’s definitely stronger,” Fearless countered. “Tch… Should’ve followed him. Miscalculation.”
Morale crushed, Yijian mumbled, “I’m sorry… for being so weak and troubling you.”
“Whatever. Baldy’s still baldy,” Fearless ‘forgave’ him.
If the game had expression effects, Yijian’s head would’ve sported a gloomy cloud.
“Focus,” she ordered, pointing. “Northwest. Keep moving.”
“I know north’s that way—”
“Stop whining!”
“Yes… yes…”
………
The forest remained pitch-black, jagged cliffs rising unevenly. The terrain shifted between muddy earth and winding gravel paths.
Feng Bu Jue grew numb to his discomfort, fatigue clinging to him like an unshakable shadow. Vitality hadn’t recovered, and stamina depletion worried him. His active skill Hasty Repair was useless here without machinery. Though his two Brat’s Low Kicks required only 200 stamina, dropping too low could mean death if danger struck.
[Time until sunrise: 153 minutes]
Zaroff had departed 90 minutes ago. Theoretically, players had 146 minutes to escape since the mission began.
Feng Bu Jue hadn’t used all 146—he’d spent time explaining things to teammates and retrieving tools from the castle. Still, he’d gained at least a 40-minute lead.
Killing the hound cost little time, even with a sprint. Later, he’d evaded several predator encounters, like pythons hunting boars, slipping past unnoticed.
Half the five-hour survival window had passed. Even assuming Zaroff moved faster, the general might’ve caught up by now.
Twenty more minutes without Zaroff’s appearance meant one possibility: he’d targeted the other two.
Thus, Feng Bu Jue earnestly, eagerly awaited a system prompt: [Team member deceased]…
Not out of hatred—just survival. In this scenario, sacrifice was inevitable. Both sides had 50% odds. He knew their minds mirrored his.
Ten minutes later, Feng Bu Jue paused, sitting on a flat stone to massage his aching legs.
His time-buying plan had succeeded. Even if Zaroff killed him or the others now, the general couldn’t catch up to the survivor on the island’s far side.
His strategy entered phase two: survival over speed. The others had each other; Feng Bu Jue was alone. If Zaroff appeared, he’d accept death. But if the general headed northwest, Feng Bu Jue needed caution. Dying to anything else would doom the team—a tragedy.
[Team member: Yijian Qingcheng, deceased] the system announced.
Feng Bu Jue shamelessly smiled—
Then froze. “Only one?”
He waited for Caibupainenotafraid’s death report. Only then could he relax. Zaroff’s strength made hiding futile. At best, Hide and Seek would delay her demise.
But if Caibupainenotafraid’s report never came… possibilities emerged. Yijian might’ve died to other monsters, Zaroff still targeting Feng Bu Jue.
Worst-case: Zaroff targeted him, while Yijian and Fearless faced separate dangers—one dead, one fleeing. Now, Fearless would face death alone. As for Feng Bu Jue…
His anxiety returned. He blew a strand of hair from his forehead. “Damn… Can’t tell where Zaroff went.”
[Team member: Caibupainenotafraid, deceased] the system followed.
“Huh?” He blinked, then exhaled. “Good… Guess Zaroff got them after all.”
Reassured, Feng Bu Jue resumed moving southeast, ensuring his own safety. Staying put was an option—the system wouldn’t penalize inactivity. But fearing Zaroff’s sudden return, he needed more distance.
After ten more minutes of rest, he walked another 300 meters. Crossing a hill’s elevation, he spotted something in a nearby depression—a human skeleton.
(End of Chapter)
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