Chapter Twenty-Five: A Gathering of Geniuses!

The setting sun cast a blood-red hue over the mountains and rivers, marking a sudden reversal of fortune. Of the five companions, only two remained. They exchanged a fearful glance, then simultaneously turned and bolted toward the chaotic fray, seeking the safety that only a larger group could provide.

"Thank goodness I scared them off," I thought. "If they only knew that 'Dragon Shield' lasts just ten seconds and prohibits the use of potions, I’d be dead. Perhaps this is my version of the 'Empty Fort Strategy'—frightening two warriors with zero health. It’s sure to become a legend. If they ever find out the truth, they’ll be so ashamed they’ll probably bash their heads against a block of tofu."

While our skirmish had ended, the melee surrounding the stone sarcophagus was reaching a fever pitch. FengLiu Caizi’s side held a massive numerical advantage due to reinforcements, yet "Drunkenly Leaning on a Spear, Laughing at the Red Dust" and his subordinates were terrifyingly fierce. Though only fourteen or fifteen of them remained, they had already cut down at least thirty of their opponents. Every one of their casualties claimed two of the enemy. In particular, the spear-wielder’s silver weapon moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, swift as a thunderbolt, reaching every corner of the battlefield to bail out his imperiled allies.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and I support whoever strikes at my foes. I downed a potion, topped off my status, and charged into the fray. As I neared, I heard the outmatched side shouting anxiously: "Boss, let’s retreat to the city! We’ll bring more brothers and settle this next time!"

"Boss, you go ahead, we won't let them have it easy!"

"Brothers, you know my temperament. I don't say much, but I could never abandon my comrades in the face of battle! As a member of the Dragon family, I’ve inherited nothing else but the spirit of standing firm in crisis. We advance and retreat together! My mind is made up; say no more!"

What a group of loyal, righteous men. I admire that. I channeled my movement techniques, accelerating toward the battlefield. Using an appraisal skill to quickly identify player stats, I targeted those with low HP. Before they could react, four spellcasters had already become souls beneath my sword. In a chaotic skirmish, a warrior with the speed of an assassin is terrifying.

"Boss! It's Blue Bat!" Can Yang Ru Xue screamed.

"Damn it! So what if it’s Blue Bat? What can one person do? Stop making a fuss! And didn't I tell you to kill him with Du Xing and the others? Why are only you and Shan He back?" a gloomy voice scolded.

"They... they were all killed," Shan He whispered.

"You bunch of trash! Eight of you couldn't handle four people, two of whom had almost no combat power? Did they have reinforcements?"

"Boss, Blue Bat killed them all by himself. He has a skill that makes him immune to all attacks; our full-force strikes didn't even faze him." Can Yang Ru Xue, fearing his boss's temper, didn't dare leave an impression of incompetence.

"Are you insane? If someone had that skill, they’d be hunting divine beasts already! If you want to make excuses, come up with something better. Is your brain filled with water?"

"Boss, it’s true! I even recorded the footage. If you don't believe me, watch it!" Shan He urged.

"Damn it, enough nonsense! Let’s settle this first, then we can open the sarcophagus and claim the treasure!"

***

My Crocodile Bone Sword pierced an assassin who was pursuing a low-health monk. The system prompt chimed: "Your malicious kills exceed five. Your PK value is now 5. Your name will be displayed in yellow." Damn it! I was enjoying the killing so much I forgot to party with the spear-wielder. This is a huge loss; PK values don't fade quickly, and a yellow name means a 100% drop rate for gear upon death.

Drunkenly Leaning on a Spear walked over, sighing. "Blue Bat! You truly are bold and skilled. Not only did you survive, but you came back to help. People like you are nearly extinct these days. You shouldn't have returned."

I laughed heartily. "Your name is too long, do you mind if I call you 'Spear-Wielder'? I must clarify: you’ve misjudged me. I was actually annoyed at myself for gaining PK points before joining your party. I’m quite afraid of dying; I’m not as righteous as you think. I just couldn't stand them bullying the weak. Most of all, they tried to ride roughshod over me, and I’m not someone to be pushed around. I was just planning to fish in troubled waters."

"Ha, you’re an honest man! How about we be friends?" the spear-wielder asked sincerely.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. We have a common foe, so we are already friends!" I laughed.

"Ha, well said! I rarely have friends, but I felt an instant connection with you. Perhaps it’s like meeting an old acquaintance. I feel we are similar in many ways!"

"I feel the same! But this isn't the time for small talk. You don't want to see me go red-named, do you? Party up with me, and let’s fight our way out! Let’s fight side-by-side and see if your silver spear or my bone sword proves more lethal!"

"Are we just leaving? I really don't want to let 'Sky-High Evil' get the sarcophagus's treasure so easily!" The spear-wielder looked toward a priest in the distance—wearing dark robes with a giant skull embroidered on the chest, holding a horsehair whisk made from human finger bones—who was roaring at his subordinates.

"That’s 'Sky-High Evil', the special-class Maoshan Priest?!" I asked curiously. It was the first special-class player I’d ever seen.

"That's him. This ambush was ordered by him!"

"I’ll remember him! There will be other days. As long as the green mountains remain, there’s no need to worry about firewood. Let’s bolt!"

Just as we were preparing to organize a breakout, the sarcophagus, which had been quiet throughout the skirmish, suddenly shook violently. The lid rattled, and the rectangular stone slab beneath our feet began to react as if something were pushing from below. The scene was too bizarre; both sides stopped, stunned, watching the mutation unfold.

With a loud bang, the lid was flung aside by a hand reaching out from within. It wasn't a skeleton, nor rotting zombie flesh, but something dried like cured meat. The entire body slowly emerged. In the silent square, the friction of the mummy against the stone was hair-raising. If Xiao Yue were here, she would have screamed.

The mummy stood, gripping a giant sword, its pupils flashing with golden light. It bore a striking resemblance to the statue standing behind it—not in appearance, but in the aura of a general who had bathed in countless battles and looked upon commoners with indifference. As its golden gaze swept the area, no one dared look back. "Awoo..." The mummy roared, and the plaza's stone slabs shattered, revealing skeletons and zombies that crawled out to form an orderly military formation, ignoring the people who had been trampling their ground.

I cast an appraisal: Undead General, Level 65. The statue was likely its former self—the master of the castle.

Within five minutes, twenty-four squads of twelve undead each had assembled. They were diverse in form and weapon, but all shared an absolute, fanatical reverence for the General. They stood perfectly still, their eyes glowing with phosphoric light, as if he were their master and soul.

"Bat, this is bad," the spear-wielder said worriedly. "If they attack, we won't escape, even if the boss doesn't move."

"Thirty-six stratagems, running is the best one. Didn't 'Sky-High Evil' want the boss for himself? Let’s be generous and leave it to them!" I said, watching the undead swarm surround the opposing faction. It was enough to keep them busy.

Sky-High Evil roared, his voice filled with fury: "Damn it! What kind of bad luck is this? Why does a high-level, low-tier boss have such an army? Number Two, did you notify the others? How long until they get here?"

"Boss, they are still gathering in Dali. It'll take at least half an hour," FengLiu Caizi replied cautiously.

"Damn it! When we're handing out money, they show up fast, but when I'm in trouble, they drag their feet!" Sky-High Evil cursed.

"Boss, Dali is far away. Let’s retreat; the spear-wielder and Blue Bat are already pulling back," Can Yang Ru Xue suggested.

"You only know how to run! Eight of you couldn't handle Blue Bat, you’ve disgraced me!" The threat made the subordinate shiver.

Sky-High Evil looked at the boss with reluctance, glared at me with gnashing teeth, and shouted, "Retreat!"

But it was too late. The Undead General, annoyed at having his slumber disturbed, waved his sword, and his army began the slaughter. Screams echoed behind us as the spear-wielder and I exchanged a laugh and vanished.