Forge a path to success

The screams of the three were gradually drowned out by the loud thud of the rolling snowball. The bald snow demon was growing ever more burly and powerful, like an aggregate of all baldness in the world. The scene was so cruel and chaotic that even Chu Hengkong chose to remain a bystander for the time being.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, far from the battlefield, a seasoned assassin lay prone behind a sniper rifle. He meticulously reviewed the entire process, glancing at each person being chased by the hockey puck, then looked away. After a thirty-second moment of contemplation, he gulped down a mouthful of iced milk.

“What’s going on?” Shakespeare said.

Chapter 112 The Triple Star of Calamity

Shax looked away from his scope and scratched his head with some effort. Normally, a sniper wouldn't let his eyes leave the target, but when the target blended into something else entirely, that was a different story.

Moreover, he genuinely felt that the current situation was terrible, and that looking at it too much might make him stupid.

He gulped down a glass of iced milk, then returned to his sniper scope, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the three people being chased. Wu He's face was flushed and purplish, the blonde girl was shouting and yelling as if she were on a picnic, and the young, mentally challenged individual who had wandered in kept touching his head, as if afraid he was going bald.

...Where did all these idiots come from?

It's one thing that the Shadow Reversal wasn't strong enough, and it's understandable that the inexperienced Heartbreaker was frightened, but Wu He, who concealed his stupidity and made himself look like a complete idiot, is arguably the most idiotic of all. It seems that these people are quite lacking in combat experience with the Path of the Supreme, and their emotions are out of control, their actions are absurd, and they are completely led by Turbid Tears. If the ancestors of the Heartbreaker saw this, they would probably be furious.

But this wasn't right. Shax sensed something amiss. He vaguely remembered the surname "Lighttime"; that little girl was likely from a prestigious family. The Remnants of the Heart had always been enemies of the Spiral Tower; it would be absurd to say that members of prestigious families lacked experience against Calamity-type creatures.

Other forms of psychological attack?

He thought of that strangely shaped eyeball, something clearly on the battlefield yet difficult to notice. Shaks loaded a new bullet and relayed to Wu He: "Watch out for the silver eye..."

"Don't speak, Shakes!" Wu He's voice was panicked. "If you get involved, you'll go bald too!"

Okay, it's completely ruined.

Shax had no hope for his employer and was prepared to solve the problem himself. He was about to pull the trigger when he suddenly stopped. A completely new creature appeared in his field of vision, startling even the seasoned sniper.

"...What is all this?"

·

Halfway out of the city, a passionate, icy battlefield unfolded. The three, still bickering, were running desperately. Wu He was desperate to escape the mess, Qing Ye was still clueless about the situation, and Ji Huaisu dared not use Dust Break in the city, wanting to stop the giant ball but lacking the crucial power. The Turbid Tear, already proud of its strong defense, was now even more formidable with the giant egg attached to it. Not to mention Ji Huaisu's light-shard attacks, even Qing Ye's shadow shuriken couldn't harm it for the time being.

Naturally, everyone would think of using close combat to decide the outcome in one round, but the problem is... who dares to stop and fight this thing? If you accidentally make a mistake, you'll be the next one to be caught in the baldness vortex!

【Bald, bald, bald, bald, bald, bald, bald, bald, bald, bald, bald, bald...】

Twisted words are appearing on the hockey puck, like the accumulated resentment of middle-aged men. The ice man trapped inside, unable to move, also wails in despair, a lament as tragic and hopeless as can be: "One day...you...will be like me!"

"The atmosphere is bad enough, just shut up!" Qingye cried out in anguish.

He'll go bald, and neither will you!

Ji Huaisu gave him the middle finger: "Why does this bastard seem to be having so much fun?!"

"I told you to kill that egg first!" Wu He roared.

"You didn't even say you were just focused on running! Can't a 3-mass point have some responsibility?!"

"Huh?! I've already shown enough conscience by stopping him. Let whoever wants to get involved in this mess wade in!"

Time flew by amidst the argument, and Ji Huaisu and Qingye grew increasingly anxious. The civilian evacuation zone was almost empty; in ten seconds, this bald monster would storm into the residential area, and people would truly die. Unfortunately, the two of them were at a loss, and their strongest unit, Point 3, wasn't willing to do anything that would be thankless and exhausting.

Should they gamble with their trump cards? Team up with others? Or rely on Van Der's hypnosis? Different thoughts raced through the minds of the two young women, yet at the same time, they saw a new hope. It was the green-clad man who had emerged from the snowstorm, the assassin they could always rely on!

His face remained as long and glossy as ever, his eyes still as three-dimensional and protruding. His exceptionally tall figure stepped forward amidst the distorted expressions of the crowd, letting out a resolute roar:

"--eel!"

"What are you doing?!"

Indeed, this warrior facing the bald head is none other than… Chu Hengkong, wearing the eel-head mask! He mustered all his strength and thrust out with a single palm, striking the ice puck with overwhelming force. This perfectly timed palm strike neutralized the ice puck's momentum, causing Chu Hengkong's feet to sink deep into the ground. Undeterred by the icy current, he single-handedly withstood the ice puck's onslaught.

If it weren't for the eel headgear he was still wearing, his silhouette would have looked as imposing as a hero!

Chu Hengkong carefully examined the ice puck, not forgetting to raise his tentacles to let everyone know he was alright: "Eel."

"Could you type something? We don't understand eel language."

Van der emerged from the snow: "Knowing him as I do, those two sounds were to tell everyone not to be afraid, and that getting close to Turbid Tears wouldn't make you bald."

"Then what is the purpose of him wearing that hood?" Qingye stared blankly.

"Probably to prevent baldness," Van der said.

"You say you won't go bald? You don't even believe it yourself!"

The truth was naturally different from Fan De's fabrication. Chu Hengkong wasn't afraid of the ice ball, but the giant egg and the ice man were wrapped together, and the ice contained the power of many turbid tears. Rashly attacking would trigger a counterattack from the turbid tears, which would not only harm himself but also easily cause collateral damage. This chaotic battle wasn't yet a dead end, and there was no need to use bloodshed to resolve it. Moreover, he happened to have a beneficial and harmless method at hand that wouldn't hurt anyone.

—Just eat all the ice!

Gathering his inner energy in his right hand, forming a fiery red gauntlet, Chu Hengkong joined two fingers together, piercing the ice shell like needles. The moment his fingers touched the ice, a fierce counterattack erupted. Water elements within the ice armor formed countless fine, sharp teeth, like a swarm of tiny piranhas attacking. But the icy teeth that bit his knuckles were shattered; the energy flowing within the fiery red gauntlet transformed the enemy's attack into a force for victory.

The secret technique of the Zhengxuan Palace, the Zhengxuan Qi Armor. This technique is based on immobility and is considered the pinnacle of defense. Chu Hengkong improved upon it by referencing the reflective armor of the Immortal Machine, and now it is showing a defensive power far exceeding that of a particle 2.

The ice armor's surface was breached by this finger strike, creating a flaw in its defense. Cracks burst open on the ice shell with the force of the blow. Chu Hengkong tilted his slender eel head back, then slammed it down with a headbutt!

"eel!"

The eel's head revealed a row of sharp teeth, and ice and snowflakes vanished rapidly between them. The eel burrowed into the ice shell through a crack, like a drill bit drilling into the earth, swallowing everything—frost, snowflakes, and icy armor. In less than three seconds, the giant, bald ice egg was gnawed into an irregular piece of cheese, and the giant egg escaped first, hopping and rolling away.

Thank you, Hengkong!

Another inmate, whose mental state was already precarious, was far less friendly. After escaping, Sethlen lunged forward like a wild dog, his chilling gaze fixed on Chu Hengkong, who was closest to him: "You insulted me! I..."

"eel."

With a powerful flick of his eel-like hair, Chu Hengkong used the force of his lightning whip to send Zhuo Lei flying. Chu Hengkong shook his wrist, preparing to capture the ice man, but had to stop midway.

The gray fog reappeared, far more solid than before. This time, what emerged from the fog were no longer the dazed humanoid figures of the past, but creatures with a clear fighting spirit. Their outlines were slightly clearer than the humanoids, and the lines of shoulder armor and helmets could be vaguely discerned.

It stood with its back to Sethlen, blocking the two. The humanoid's gaze was fixed on the eel's head, and Chu Hengkong suddenly felt a chill far surpassing that of Zhuo Lei.

That was killing intent, a deep and chilling killing intent. There was no possibility of communication, no room for maneuver. This thing appeared specifically to kill him; its presence here was solely for the purpose of annihilation!

"Ah Kong, quick! It's Chen Po!"

In Ji Huaisu's vision, the attack had already begun. The newcomer was a knight clad in deep blue heavy armor, his aura far surpassing that of his comrades. He was thrusting his shadow blade towards the light shield in his hand. That was Dustbreaker's opening stance; once the sword and shield clashed, the strongest strike would erupt. With that knight's power, at least half the city would be razed to the ground.

Meanwhile, the Ice Man was expanding in the rear, and the stagnant Tear was about to go berserk. This time, without the giant egg to help stop it, it would be a crisis for the entire city. Only Chu Hengkong had the power to stop it, and he only had one chance to act!

Chu Hengkong bent down, his arm hanging limply, and a long sword slid from his sleeve, silver tentacles simultaneously wrapping around the hilt. He had absolute faith in his partner's judgment, and thus immediately changed his course of action. In a split second, faster than thought, the silver blade flashed like lightning. The unrestrained, vertical strike of the "Ichimonji" (a type of martial arts technique) was unleashed, the blade slicing through the knight's shadow, shattering the ice crystals sealing the city, and extending all the way to the buildings behind the knight.

A diagonal slash pierced through the building, causing two-thirds of the tall building to tilt and slide down!

The longsword returned to its sheath, the hilt clanging crisply. Sethlen, suspended in mid-air, had expanded to its maximum; the bag brimming with elemental power would explode completely in the next second. However, just as Chu Heng drew his sword, another explosion tore through the atmosphere. A circular hole appeared in the building that had slid down due to the strike; a bullet had pierced through several buildings, precisely shattering Sethlen's elemental form just moments before the explosion!

Known for its formidable defense and extremely strong vitality, the particle 3 Turbid Tears instantly turned into crystalline dust, along with the frost covering the street, which also shattered.

Halfway out of the city, Shakes put down his sniper rifle.

"End of operation, retreat."

At the same time, Chu Hengkong made the same decision. He wrapped Ji Huaisu up with his tentacles and fled without saying a word. The alert Qingye found another way to escape, while only Wu He stood there, not yet understanding what everyone was doing.

He heard eerie sounds coming from underground, as if hundreds of undead were howling underground. Wu He's expression changed, and he hurriedly left the battlefield, finding a tall building to climb up.

The streets and alleys were shrouded in gray, stretching from their eastern port area all the way to the northern high-rises that served as their base. Mist enveloped the entire Golden Leaf City, and unidentified monsters emerged from it, traversing every inch of this small dust island.

In just a few breaths, the place became the domain of the gray fog. It was everywhere, penetrating every nook and cranny, striding proudly across the square and streets like a silent yet grand procession.

It's been serialized for a while now. A few days ago, some longtime readers said they didn't know our book had a group. Ahhhhh!

So, let's repeat the question again. Welcome everyone to chat at Miaomiao Squid Plantation in Huilongcheng, 980497014

Chapter 113 Post-Match Summary

Half an hour later, at the TTT Express Hotel.

Night was falling, and the sky grew dark. The chill lingered from the stagnant mist, adding to the gloom of the small port city's night. Tonight, no one ventured out of their homes; every house kept its doors tightly shut, allowing the roads to be traversed by knights emerging from the fog. They remained silent, neither uttering a word nor disturbing the inhabitants, simply patrolling in quiet contemplation, like soldiers on their own territory.

Ji Huaisu drew the curtains and sank into the soft sofa.

"It seems the knights won't disappear anytime soon; we'll have to try a covert operation."

“Stealth is useless; those things start attacking as soon as we leave the hotel.” Chu Hengkong placed a cup of hot chocolate on the table. “We don’t need to consider going out tonight. On the bright side, no one else can move, so the stone seed is safe for now.”

Vande, nestled in a small blanket made of folded towels, said, "It's a wonder you guys still remember poor Tree. I thought we came here for a wild sex party."

"Please, that frozen bald guy is really scary..." Ji Huaisu made a face, "And the situation is too chaotic. I'm a bit confused by all this happening as soon as I arrived on the island."

Chu Hengkong pulled off the small towel blanket: "Fande, tidy it up."

"Why don't you two use your brains?" Vande pulled the towel back. "The situation isn't complicated. Besides us, there are only five lone wolves who have entered the game so far: Remnant Heart, Light of Night, Egg, Turtled Tears, Black-faced Rune Master, and the guy who fired the shot."

“The sniper was hired by the talisman master,” Chu Hengkong said.

"What?"

"Eyes. Rune masters occasionally glance into the distance, but it's too infrequent to call it a defensive move; it's more like a subconscious check to confirm the movements of friendly forces."

Vande was taken aback, not expecting this person's observational skills to be so terrifying; despite not having participated in much combat, he had noticed even such a small detail. He categorized snipers and spellcasters together and began to make some plans.

“I think I understand their idea now: set up a defensive position for counter-attacks…” Vande scratched his head with his tentacles. “It makes sense, but it’s roundabout and a bit strange.”

Chu Hengkong nodded: "That group of people was very strange. The talisman master had the ability to kill everyone in the field, but he had been hiding his true strength."

Ji Huaisu was displeased: "Hehehe! You're looking down on me a bit, aren't you?"

“It wasn’t me, it was the Immortal Machine that said it.” Chu Hengkong relaxed, and the bloodlust that had been suppressed in his eyes emerged. “The Immortal Machine classified the Rune Master as ‘high threat.’ This rating means that he has a chance to beat me in a head-on battle. This is not a rating that an ordinary Point 3 can receive.”

"It's quite convenient." Vande clicked his tongue in amazement. "So, rune masters are currently the strongest."

"No, the strongest is the sniper." Chu Hengkong said decisively, "From now on, everyone should not split up. Once he targets me, I might not be able to protect myself."

"Don't worry, I'll never leave your pocket again." Vande waved his tentacles. "These people are probably all here for the stone seeds. Maybe we'll have a chance to cooperate in the future. But to me, the real troublemakers are those outside..."

He drew back a curtain a crack, peering at the chaos on the street. In Van der's eyes, those things were still walking mosaics, bearing no resemblance to human beings.

Are you sure they are of your kind?

“I’m 100% sure.” Ji Huaisu nodded vigorously. “I don’t know how you see it, but in my eyes they are standard ‘knights,’ with the same light shield and shadow blade as me, and even more advanced skills.”

Differences in perception are also rare. The unified standards of the imperial emperor have long been part of the dynamic world, and people should not have different views on the same species. If the reason for this phenomenon is unrelated to innate factors, then it means that Ji Huaisu possesses some information that they are not yet aware of.

Setting aside innate differences, only information asymmetry leads to differences in cognition. Vande felt he was starting to understand...

A sense of danger surged within it, like the ominous creaking sound underfoot as one walks on a frozen lake. It strictly controlled its thought process, preventing its thoughts from disturbing the sealed knowledge. All its lessons had taught it that exploration must be done sparingly, and to avoid a sudden, unexpected death, it was best to start by investigating the small things around it.

Van der slapped his forehead and said seriously, "It seems we need to add an extra task besides looking for the tree. Let's go find Jin Ye first thing tomorrow morning. As the first person to come into contact with this Dust Island, he should have some clues."

It and Ji Huaisu gazed at Chu Hengkong together. The assassin remained silent, intently staring at his palm.

"Ah Kong?" Ji Huaisu asked.

He then came to his senses: "It's settled then."

As an assassin, he had never shown this state before, appearing absent-minded like a student lost in thought. He walked towards the door, claiming he needed to wash his face, but Ji Huaisu called out to him as he opened the door.

"Akong, what is my threat level?"

Chu Hengkong was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

"This thing only evaluates enemies; you're a teammate."

The door closed gently, and Ji Huaisu, clutching a cushion, collapsed onto the sofa, her eyes not as bright as usual.

Vande snuggled back into the blankets and said lazily, "Why are you taking this so seriously! Why do you have to compare a mere Reverse Shadow with experts of the 3rd Rank?"

“I’m not competitive, it’s just…” Ji Huaisu sighed, “For the past six months I’ve been his boss, but now I have to ask him to protect me when I go out.”

“Comrade Huaisu, you can’t be so stubborn. It’s perfectly normal for a team to have varying levels of skill.” Fan De began to reason with them. “Of course, the valiant wolf is important, but our retreating drum is also an indispensable part! We’re a small team now, so let’s all just do our jobs well…”

“But my specialty is fighting,” Ji Huaisu said sullenly.

Vande was momentarily speechless. Possessing vast knowledge and a unique hypnotic technique, it had never worried about any nonsense about combat ability. But Ji Huaisu was also a man who relied more on his fists than his brains; how could a warrior be effective if they couldn't even dominate the battlefield?

"Just... don't compare yourself to a pervert." It offered a fragile consolation, "The Shadow is pretty good too, it's better than me."

Ji Huaisu remained silent, nestled on the sofa. Fan De, feeling uneasy, slipped outside hoping the detective would come and offer some words of comfort to his comrade, only to find Chu Hengkong still staring blankly at his palm at the doorway.

He held a bullet in his palm. This bullet had killed Sethlen at the end of the battle; it was severely deformed due to its overly crude trajectory and was made of nothing special—just an ordinary, well-made bullet. Van der didn't understand what was so appealing about this little thing, but Chu Hengkong's mind was mostly focused on the bullet.

He looked at it so intently, as if he saw his own past reflected in it.

·

Saint-Laur Luxury Hotel, north of Jinye City.

Wu He hurriedly pushed open the door. His trousers were covered in mud, and his head was still covered in lingering frost, making him look quite disheveled. Few people could remain cheerful in such a state, and Wu He was no exception. He wanted to shout as soon as he entered, but the strange sounds coming from inside the room made him swallow his words.

Shakes leaned against the corner of the wall, standing on one leg, his chin resting on his hand, staring blankly out the empty window, like a sharp-tongued, hard-boiled detective.