The Monster is Coming

Chapter 426 A Flawed Acting Skills
They saw Yang Xiu being abducted by the giant purple hand and surrounded by the player race.

The hearts of the members of the Soul Squad seemed to freeze instantly.

"Boss!"

The black snake let out a heart-wrenching scream, completely losing its reason at that moment.

The same applies to the other members of the Soul Squad.

They knew very well what breaking into the player's encirclement meant.

That was a path that was countless times more dangerous than facing the mountain-collapse team head-on, a dead end with no chance of survival.

But they knew even better that their leader was the soul of the Soul Team, the one who led them out of countless trials and tribulations.

Without him, they would have survived by sheer luck today.

Ultimately, they will be torn apart by other covetous teams in the brutal city of death.

Without the leader's future, there is no hope.

Emotional entanglements and the despair of reality intertwine, transforming into a tragic and indomitable spirit.

"Rescue the boss!" The stone statue roared, lifting the massive tower shield with one hand, and like a mad rhinoceros, it charged first towards the impenetrable wall of people.

"Kill!" With bloodshot eyes, Li Man charged towards the player army, exhausting his remaining energy, following the stone statue.

Eagle head, black snake, star shift, roar... At this moment, the Soul Squad chose to live against all odds.

For their only future, none of them chose to back down.

Faced with this squad of Soul Spirits rushing towards them like moths to a flame, the player's internal voice chat was in complete chaos.

"Huh? Are these NPCs really that reckless? Aren't they just asking for death? They're just killing us like this? What should I do?"

"I got bumped and instinctively activated my petrification ability, which sent the guy with the shield flying. I was so scared that I quickly turned it off. It's become a conditioned reflex. I was really afraid that I would kill it with the shock."

"This pretty girl is so fierce. She jumped over and pointed her bone gun at my head, firing a bunch of shots at my head. But the damage was a bit low, not even as much as my Qi Regeneration."

"Be careful, everyone. The boss said this is just acting. Don't actually kill anyone, or Old Sheep will come back and fight you to the death."

"Damn it, being an actor is so hard. What should I do now? If I don't fight back, it makes me look like I have acting problems. If I fight back, I'm afraid I'll accidentally get killed. It's too difficult. I demand extra lunch boxes."

"It felt like a bunch of kindergarten kids rushed up at me, yelling, and started hitting me with inflatable sticks. It almost made me burst out laughing."

"When you introduced Senior Old Sheep, saying that he was carrying sacks of money with Ah Le, I was wondering why he hadn't come back for so long. It took two years for a dungeon quest. This dungeon is too long. Does it really need to take that long to carry money? But when I saw this beautiful lady, I suddenly realized that the root of Senior Old Sheep's 'forgetting the village' problem is here. It seems that the reward for death settlement is a long way off."

On the surface, the players were brandishing weapons, shouting and yelling, appearing menacing.

In reality, each of them held back their strength, making the performance incredibly difficult.

The chat channel was full of complaints, saying that the acting was too fake and full of flaws.

It's not a question of whether the acting is good or bad.

They only defended the whole time and didn't fight back. Isn't that a clear indication that they didn't want to kill?

Unfortunately, this was someone whom the veteran players of the Divine Hall branch considered a brother, and whom the new players saw as a senior, "Yang Xiu," wanted to protect.

Before the eldest god-king summoned them, he solemnly explained the specific situation.

Even if the acting is awkward, you have to keep going.

During this time, they skillfully parried and dodged, creating the illusion of a fierce battle, but never actually killed the opponent.

Like an insurmountable wall, it firmly blocked the Soul Squad from the outside.

Every time they charged with all their might, it was like hitting cotton, leaving them only with powerless despair.

Unlike the "acting showdown" scene on the outer circle.

The inner circle, sealed off by players with their own flesh and blood, reveals the players' most brutal side.

There's no need for acting skills here; the only mission is to kill all the members of the Mountain Collapse Team.

At this moment, a giant from the Mountain Collapse Team, nearly three meters tall and covered in heavy armor, let out a deafening roar. In his desperate situation, his eyes turned blood red, and dark red energy waves exploded beneath his feet, instantly evaporating the nearby snow.

Like a runaway chariot, it shattered the earth and punched a seemingly thin player in front of it.

This punch is enough to collapse a small mountain.

But the gaunt player with bare fists neither dodged nor evaded, a hint of excitement curving his lips.

He pulled his right arm back, his muscles bulging, and the dark blue veins protruded like writhing dragons. His fist was enveloped by surging, gathering crimson energy.

"Take the initiative to inflict damage, and even the bullies will have to call you awesome!"

After speaking, he gathered his strength and threw a punch, the two fists colliding.

boom!
Like the terrifying explosion of two meteors colliding, a visible circular shockwave spread out from the two fists, directly blowing away and shattering the snow, rocks, and even a few close-by mountain-crushing team members within a ten-meter radius.

The giant's ferocious grin froze instantly, then turned into extreme pain.

His fist, along with his entire arm, crumbled like glass, starting from his finger bones, inch by inch.

The cracking trend spread along the arms, shoulder blades, chest... The massive body was like porcelain struck by an invisible giant hammer, instantly covered with cracks.

The internal energy that had seeped into the strong man's body surged wildly, severing his meridians.

puff!
Blood mist mixed with fragments of internal organs exploded around him. He looked down at his collapsing body, his eyes still filled with terror.

The next moment it exploded with a bang, turning into a spray of blood and flesh.

With the added advantage of the player's rules, it couldn't even withstand a single punch before being shattered.

On the other side, a ghostly figure flickered among the members of the Mountain Collapse Team, moving so fast that only afterimages remained.

This is an assassin-style player wielding dual blades, the blades as thin as cicada wings, exuding a chilling aura.

As soon as one of the elite members of the Mountain Collapse Team raised his rune crossbow, he felt a chill on his neck.

His vision blurred, and he saw his headless body still in a shooting posture, blood gushing out like a fountain from his severed neck.

The assassin's figure didn't stop; his twin blades danced like a deathly waltz as he slashed at the members of the Mountain Collapse Team to the side.

A shield-bearing guard was cleaved in two, shield and all.

A magic-based player who was chanting was cut in half at the waist, his lower body still standing, and the elemental energy gathered in his hands exploded.

Where assassin-style players wield their blades, no corpse remains intact.

Limbs and torsos flew everywhere, entrails smeared the snow, leaving behind a path of death paved with broken flesh and blood.

Ultimately, all this flesh and blood energy was refined into mist and absorbed, with the benefits distributed among all players in the group mode.

the other direction.

High in the sky, a magic-based player dressed in a wide black robe stood suspended in mid-air, his hands outstretched. An invisible psychic force emanated from him, enveloping dozens of members of the Mountain Collapse team below.

Ever since the forum user "Rebirth Bro" released a tutorial video on telekinesis.

This ability has become one of the standard abilities for top-tier magic-based players.

It is very convenient for both flying and killing targets from a distance.

These battle-hardened warriors, under the onslaught of the telekinetic power unleashed by the magic-based players, instantly felt their bodies gripped by an invisible giant hand, rendering them unable to move.

They struggled in terror, but were like insects trapped in amber, unable to move even a finger.

The magic-based player's five fingers slowly clenched at this moment.

Bang!Bang!Bang!
A series of muffled thuds exploded.

The bodies of more than ten members of the landslide team, like crushed tomatoes, turned into thick clouds of blood mist in mid-air.

It turned a large area of ​​snow into a striking scarlet color.

Just then, a burly warrior player, with a burst of crimson fury, charged straight into the central area that the remaining forces of the Mountain Collapse Team were desperately holding.

Above his fists, crimson spiraling air currents gathered and compressed wildly, emitting a deep roar like thunder brewing.

Even the air was distorted by this force.

"coming."

With his Roar ability activated, he slammed his right fist, carrying the power to shatter mountains and split the earth, onto the ground beneath his feet.

The moment this punch was thrown, it seemed to be accompanied by the roar of a dragon, the roaring sound reverberating across the surrounding area, instantly drowning out all other sounds.

The instant the fist touched the ground.

Rumble!
Like an earth dragon turning over.

Centered on the fist, the earth bulged violently like waves and shattered with a deafening roar.

A shockwave mixed with crimson air spread out in a ring.

The remaining members of the landslide team, struggling to hold on, along with the ground beneath their feet, were like ice and snow thrown into a furnace in the face of this destructive force.

Armor, flesh, bones, weapons... The members of the Mountain Collapse team affected by the blast, regardless of what kind of armor they wore or what kind of shield they held, experienced a series of cracking sounds from their internal bones, with blood constantly gushing from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Their internal organs and bones were shattered by the shockwave.

As the second and third waves of roaring properties swept and spread, everything was torn apart, shattered, and vaporized.

A crater of scorched earth, hundreds of meters in diameter, accompanied by wisps of smoke, was blasted out by this punch.

Inside the deep pit, there was nothing but melted rocks and rising blood mist.

With the power of a single punch, accompanied by the roar of a dragon, all enemies are annihilated.

The player had just straightened up, a smug smile still on his face, when he received a solid slap on the back of the head:

"You almost dragged your teammates down with your show-off. You wanted to send even the squishy teammates to their deaths, didn't you? Didn't I tell you that once you join our guild, you have to follow orders in all actions?" The deputy guild leader's cursing voice rang out behind him.

The imposing player, who had been exuding domineering aura just moments before, like a god of war reborn, instantly wilted.

He covered the back of his head, a forced smile plastered on his face, all traces of his previous swagger gone.

"Deputy Commander, it was a mistake, a complete mistake. I got a little carried away just now and didn't control myself. I'll definitely pay attention next time and make sure to keep things under control." As he spoke, he carefully observed the deputy commander's expression, looking just like a primary school student caught red-handed by his parents.

After all, the Divine Hall Guild has strict discipline, so they can play however they want without any problems.

This time, the God King explicitly warned that those who came to provide support should behave themselves to avoid affecting Senior Sheep's team members.

If you make a mistake and get caught at this point, you might get kicked out of the Divine Hall Guild.

He was obsessed with the joint operations in the Imperial Tomb Mountains. He had finally managed to join the Divine Hall Guild, and he didn't want to ruin his future because of this.

The stark contrast between this player's behavior before and after caused those around him to burst into laughter. The battle had now come to an end.

In fact, the Mountain Collapse Team is quite strong, and their vitality is also quite high.

However, without any special rules or characteristics, it poses no threat to players.

Even without a numerical advantage, it can be easily won.

The God-King had obviously taken this into account, so he did not send out the entire army, but only dispatched this detachment to help.

The deputy commander turned his gaze toward Yang Xiu.

"Old Sheep, what's the next step?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiu calmly turned his gaze to the person beside him.

There, Chongyue lay paralyzed in a pool of blood, his chest heaving violently, on the verge of death.

Just now, Chongyue was trying to launch a counterattack by "drag others down with him".

But with his fellow villagers all around, it was clear that he couldn't succeed.

He was pinned to the ground and brutally beaten by his fellow villagers.

But they did not kill him.

As a player, I understand my fellow villagers' thoughts all too well.

Facing a nemesis, killing him outright would be too lenient; I think Yang Xiu would definitely want some kind of pre-death taunt or sarcastic scene.

This is the only way to maximize the thrill of a comeback from a desperate situation.

At this moment, Chongyue's life force had been destroyed, and in his dying moments, his eyes, which were once full of ambition and violence, were now only a gray shadow.

But it still stared intently at the spot where Yang Xiu was standing, as if it wanted to kill him with its eyes.

Yang Xiu walked to his side, squatted down, and looked him in the eye.

“Chongyue, I remember you told me that the monster world is both vast and small… I wholeheartedly agree with that. When I’m out in the world, I only have one skill: I have many brothers outside.” Yang Xiu’s voice pierced Chongyue’s heart like a knife.

Chongyue made a "hoarse" sound in his throat, as if he wanted to say something, but only more blood foam could be gushed out.

The light in his eyes dimmed rapidly, and his last bit of resentment turned into utter silence.

Yang Xiu did not continue speaking.

If we don't act now, Chongyue might really die.

This will undoubtedly waste a lot of sacrificial resources.

At this moment, Yang Xiu stood up and gave his old friend a look.

While killing the enemy yourself can certainly yield a treasure chest, there are certain variables involved.

Perhaps the Lord of Bliss can glean some information from the treasure chest.

The safest way is to let the villagers kill him.

Secondly, regarding the rewards for defeating enemies, defeating an enemy can only yield 10 random items from the treasure chest.

However, if the kill is done by someone from their own guild, they receive the full reward.

At this moment, his old friend, who had been promoted to deputy regimental commander, stepped forward, and with a flash of cold light in his hand, cleanly and decisively ended Chongyue's suffering.

Instantly, Chongyue transformed into mist and entered the guild's resource pool, distributing it among all the players present.

"Done, call it a day."

The deputy regimental commander stood up, clapped his hands, as if he had only done a trivial matter:

"So what's next? Your little brothers are still going out there enthusiastically harassing you. How do you plan to explain that?"

Yang Xiu rubbed his temples; this was also his biggest headache.

The truth cannot be revealed, and the scene before our eyes is too shocking.

If he knew that all the members of the mountain-crushing team were dead, yet he was still alive, he simply couldn't give a reasonable explanation.

Could it be that the player race took a liking to him and spared his life?
Whether your teammates believe this answer or not is not important.

But if they return to the City of the Dead and are scanned by the purple light, they might be collected by Ah Le.

Given Ah Le's suspicious nature, this could be a big problem.

Even the slightest risk would make Ah Le ruthlessly kill, erasing everything.

"We'll just have to make do with them for now... Take me with you, we'll leave, and then we can find another opportunity to go back and find them later. That would seem more reasonable..."

After listening to his explanation, the vice-captain nodded and then issued instructions in the battle group channel.

Immediately, the shrine's branch retreated in an orderly fashion, their movements swift as the wind.

Yang Xiu, who was being "escorted" by several players, was also mixed in with the group, moving together deeper into the snow valley.

"Boss!"

"Fight them to the death and rescue the boss."

On the periphery, the members of the Soul Squad saw the player race suddenly retreat, but they couldn't see Yang Xiu, who was surrounded in the center, and assumed that their leader was still trapped in the enemy formation.

They may even have already been killed.

They launched a desperate attack, trying to tear a gap in the defenses.

But the players' defenses were impenetrable, and their desperate assault was like waves crashing against rocks.

"Break the wind!" The vice-captain's command rang out in the chat channel.

The Windbreaker ability was activated immediately at the center of the team, and the movement speed of the Divine Hall subgroup increased dramatically.

It was as if a gust of wind had swept by; the Soul Squad couldn't catch up even with all their might.

They could only watch helplessly as the player battle group disappeared into the snowstorm.

At this moment, the already exhausted members of the Soul Squad collapsed to the ground.

The bloodstains on the ground had long since disappeared after being refined, but the traces of the battle were still clearly visible.

This includes huge, deep craters on the ground.

They survived.

However, they lost the leader they had sworn to follow.

Confusion and despair gripped everyone's throat.

The road ahead seemed to plunge into boundless darkness along with that vanished figure.

Only one figure continued to persevere.

At this moment, the black snake staggered as it chased after the direction the player group had left in.

His body was already depleted of energy, and his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. Every step he took seemed to require all his strength.

She stared intently in the direction where the player group had disappeared, her vision blurred by the constant flow of tears.

"Boss... Boss..."

She murmured, her voice hoarse and choked with sobs.

She couldn't accept Yang Xiu's disappearance.

During this time, images from the past kept flashing through her mind.

She remembered her first trial after being recruited into the Death Space. Facing the ferocious monsters, she was terrified and thought she was doomed.

It was the leader who appeared, swiftly dispatching the monster, and then extended his hand towards her:

"Can you still move? Keep up."

At that moment, the leader was like a ray of light piercing through the abyss of despair.

On another occasion, she failed to retreat in time and was surrounded by poisonous insects.

It was the eldest brother who, disregarding the danger, turned back, pulled her out of despair, and carried her through a bloody path.

The warmth of her back is still etched in my heart.

The eldest brother once told her:

"Remember, as long as you're alive, there's still hope. Don't give up easily."

The sense of security that her eldest brother provided sustained her through countless life-or-death situations.

But now... the person who said those words is gone.

The figure she regarded as her faith and was willing to follow to the death was taken away by the player race.

Life or death is uncertain.

Perhaps... it's already...

Pfft!
Exhausted, she finally collapsed heavily onto the cold snow.

She struggled, using her last bit of strength to lift her head and look at the road ahead shrouded in wind and snow. Tears mingled with snowmelt as they streamed down her face, and all that remained in her eyes was endless despair.

Without her leader, what difference is there between her future and eternal darkness?

She just wanted to catch up, even if it meant dying alongside the leader.

The other team members also collapsed to the ground, filled with despair.

The Soul Squad, having lost its soul, is like a team whose backbone has been removed.

Despair and exhaustion ultimately robbed them of their consciousness.

All members of the Soul Squad collapsed on the snow, falling into a coma.

Only the endless snow, falling tirelessly, silently covered the traces left by the battle.

It also buried the entire Soul Squad in pure white.

Only the mournful sound of wind and snow remained between heaven and earth.

　Here are 5200 words~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)