In the dense, lush rainforest, the ground suddenly trembled. Hidden monsters perched on tree trunks and crouched in the grass scattered in alarm; birds and insects shrieked and fluttered, leaves rustling in a chaotic chorus.
Through the gaps in the thick canopy, one could faintly glimpse rough, time-worn bark — and on that bark, eerie human faces. It was a moving tree.
Level 15 Field Boss: Tree Demon.
This new monster had only appeared after the latest update — high HP, high defense. Many players trying to level up in the rainforest had been blocked by it. According to eyewitness reports, it seemed to grow taller every day, and its abilities grew stronger as well, like a real tree steadily maturing.
To prevent it from becoming a terrifying monster that no one could handle, the officials organized a Tree Demon Hunt, led by the Combat Department, and invited skilled players to participate and kill it.
Beside a milk tea car camouflaged with grass and branches, He Wuning and Yi Luo leaned shoulder to shoulder. In front of them, a group of players sat in a circle, led by a fierce-looking buzz-cut young man — Xing Yue, captain of Combat Department Team One.
They had brought along a player with the ability “Mimic Magnetic Field” — within his range, monsters could not detect them.
This temporary team was now crouching not far from the Tree Demon, having their final strategy meeting before the battle.
Xing Yue spoke with a stern expression and an even tone: “We’ve already divided into groups before coming. Everyone should know your best attributes. Don’t try to act tough — once your HP drops below 800, fall back immediately and head for the healers.”
He Wuning, whose HP was barely 400: “…”
Yi Luo chuckled quietly. He Wuning rolled his eyes.
A few players with heart-shaped patches on their sleeves raised their hands — the healers. Xing Yue gestured toward them. “Everyone, take a look at their faces. If you get hurt, find them. Healers stay in the safe zone. No leaving.”
He added, “Just to warn you — these healers are in good physical shape, but their healing power isn’t strong. Don’t expect them to pull you back from the brink of death. Be careful out there.”
Everyone nodded in unison.
He Wuning and Yi Luo had only just reached level 10, barely meeting the minimum requirement to join the hunt — obviously not part of the main offense.
The real main attacker wasn’t a player at all, but a new flame cannon developed by the Tech Department. Based on humanity’s simple understanding of the five elements — a tree monster was, naturally, afraid of fire.
He Wuning glanced at the large black-cloth-covered weapon behind the crowd and rubbed his chin with interest. He was just about to say something to Yi Luo when a shiny bald head suddenly appeared in front of him.
He Wuning: “…”
His gaze lowered slightly — and met a pair of intense eyes. It was Master Zhi Yin, crouching low to avoid attention.
Unfortunately, with his presence, attention was inevitable.
He Wuning instinctively straightened up, dropping his lazy posture. In a low voice, he asked, “What is it?”
Yi Luo, however, stayed relaxed: “Oh, Master Zhi Yin, you’re here too?”
The monk nodded, glanced at He Wuning, and whispered, “Mr. He, stand behind me later.”
He Wuning looked puzzled. “Huh?”
The monk reminded him gently, “You only have 300 HP, don’t you?”
He Wuning’s face darkened. “Four hundred!”
He was level 10 now, with upgraded equipment — his HP and defense had increased. Surely he could at least withstand one hit from the Tree Demon.
Then again, considering the monk’s own HP pool, he decided to hold his tongue.
Yi Luo, beside him, trembled slightly, trying to hold in his laughter. He Wuning jabbed an elbow into his side. Yi Luo hissed, “Ow.”
“Based on current intel,” Xing Yue continued, “the Tree Demon’s attacks have two special negative effects: powdery spores cause paralysis, and vine strikes inflict poison. Everyone—”
The room — or rather, the forest clearing — was silent and tense, all ears on the briefing. So Yi Luo’s sudden “Ow” was impossible to ignore. Everyone turned to stare.
Even with his famously thick skin, Yi Luo’s composure almost cracked.
“Ahem!” He coughed, pretending to pick up where Xing Yue left off. “Everyone, stay safe.”
Unfazed, perfectly calm — thick skin indeed.
Unfortunately for him, Xing Yue wasn’t buying it. He raised an eyebrow, his tone faintly provocative. “Special Operations Division, Yi Luo — got something to add?”
He Wuning could practically smell the tension.
Yi Luo grinned, turning his head toward He Wuning. “Do I?”
“Yes.” He Wuning lifted his head and met Xing Yue’s slightly surprised gaze. “Give me a moment.”
Xing Yue frowned, though he didn’t sound hostile. “Why?”
He Wuning opened the milk tea car’s door. “To develop a new product — something that grants immunity to poison and paralysis. I can make it.”
He climbed inside. Yi Luo followed quickly, closing the door behind them.
Xing Yue: “…”
He lifted his eyelids slightly. “Where was I?”
His deputy immediately answered, “The Tree Demon’s attacks inflict two types of negative status effects.”
“Right.” Xing Yue nodded. “Then let’s continue — the Tree Demon’s attack patterns we currently know of include…”
Inside the milk tea car, He Wuning opened his skill tree, unlocking two new recipes — Taro Milk Tea and Pudding Milk Tea. He turned to Yi Luo. “What are you doing up here?”
“I was down there stirring things up,” Yi Luo said righteously, hands in his pockets. “Up here, I can actually help.”
Q-chan perched on He Wuning’s shoulder. “Sweetie, you want a dual blend? Pudding and taro balls?”
“Yeah.” He Wuning nodded, then gave Yi Luo a sideways glance. “And what kind of help exactly?”
Yi Luo swung one long leg over a stool and sat down. “Taste test.”
Then added matter-of-factly, “And moral support.”
He Wuning gave him a look — but surprisingly, didn’t kick him out. Instead, he asked, “You know him?”
Yi Luo laughed. “Of course I do. Who don’t I know?”
He Wuning wasn’t fooled. “You two have bad blood?”
Yi Luo propped his chin in his hand, smiling lazily. “Not exactly. He just… doesn’t like me.”
Once he started talking, Yi Luo didn’t stop — there was no need for He Wuning to even ask questions.
“He’s the captain of Combat DepartmentTeam One. I, on the other hand, belong directly to the Command Center’s Special Operations Division. Whenever something happens, our Special Ops team is always the first to move.”
“Most of the Tree Demon intel they have right now was first verified by our division, actually.”
Yi Luo smiled lazily, his eyes narrowing with amusement as he looked at He Wuning. “I always thought you were a great fit for our Special Ops, but Xue Xun asked you a few times, and you kept turning it down.”
“He and I are about the same age — joined around the same time. We both originally applied for Special Ops. During the final selection, I sparred with him.”
He Wuning raised an eyebrow. “You beat him, and he’s been holding a grudge ever since?”
“Not exactly.” Yi Luo made a face that said ‘this is complicated’, then decided to just say it plainly. “It’s more like… the guy’s kind of unlucky.”
“While we were sparring, the sole of his combat boot split open. He tripped himself and broke a toe.”
He Wuning: “…”
“And that’s why he hates you?”
“Probably not that,” Yi Luo admitted with disarming honesty. “I think it’s because I laughed too loud at the time.”
He Wuning stared at his face, then wordlessly turned his head away.
Q-chan, puffed up in indignation, fluttered into the air. “Serves you right!”
Yi Luo caught it easily and pressed it back down. “Later, when everyone started awakening abilities, his turned out to be pretty good — something like transforming into a beastman. Looked like a husky to me, but he insists it’s a werewolf…”
“Personally, I think it’s just the world compensating him for his bad luck.”
Someone knocked on the milk tea car window. He Wuning lowered the serving board — it was Xing Yue, standing outside. “Briefing’s done. You finished over there?”
He Wuning placed the milk teas neatly on the tray.
Xing Yue’s gaze slid past him, landing on Yi Luo behind him. “We’re short on melee fighters. You fill in?”
Yi Luo nodded. “You’re the captain — your call.”
He Wuning, however, looked slightly surprised. “You can do melee?”
“I can use a shield too.” Yi Luo stood up, stretching his arms, then proudly produced a Level 10 Snakeskin Dagger, identical to He Wuning’s. “Master of all trades — you name it, I can do it.”
He Wuning narrowed his eyes. “So all this time you’ve been playing ranged, you were just slacking off?”
“Of course not.” Yi Luo ruffled his hair, earning a scowl and a head shake from He Wuning. “That rifle’s from the Tech Division. Its attack power scales with my level — a growth-type weapon. I just like using it for convenience.”
He Wuning tossed several cups of milk tea at him. Yi Luo sighed dramatically. “When are you gonna unlock some kind of ‘family-sized ultimate combo’ milk tea? At this rate, we’ll have to chug a whole tank before every battle.”
He Wuning rolled his eyes. “Drink it or don’t. If not, give it back.”
Yi Luo instantly stuffed a cup into his mouth.
The Tree Demon hunting team downed their milk tea together before battle. Xing Yue slammed his empty cup into a black trash bag beside him — the motion had all the intensity of smashing a wine bowl before a fight.
“Everyone ready?”
“Safety first — open fire!”
The cannoneer beside the flame cannon whipped off the black cloth, adjusted the barrel toward the slowly moving Tree Demon, and fired without hesitation.
A straight beam shot out — compressed fire rounds hit the Tree Demon, erupting into a huge burst of searing flame. The blaze raced up the creature’s dry bark, spreading like wildfire.
“Rooooar!”
The Tree Demon let out a thunderous roar that shook the entire rainforest. He Wuning squinted up at it. The flamethrower worked well… but then—
The Tree Demon suddenly stopped moving. Thick roots plunged deep into the ground. From its charred wounds, sticky sap began to ooze out — a viscous, nonflammable liquid. Deprived of fuel, the flames quickly died down.
Someone cursed. “Damn it, of course it wasn’t gonna be that easy!”
“Keep it away from the cannon! Everyone — move! Xiao Jie!”
The slender girl called Xiao Jie turned and ran in the opposite direction of the cannon, shouting back at the Tree Demon: “Come on, come get me!”
The Tree Demon, its raised arm frozen midair, lurched and turned toward her — clearly taunted.
He Wuning: “…”
So that was a taunt skill.
He drove the milk tea car straight toward her. “Can you drive?”
After running such a short distance, Xiao Jie was already gasping for breath — this cursed game clearly didn’t give her the right skills. She was probably the low-stamina type.
Her eyes lit up. She nodded hard, face flushed, panting heavily as she scrambled up into the driver’s seat, hands and feet both in motion. Slowly, she drove off, luring the Tree Demon away from the cannon.
He Wuning picked up his Level 10 Snakeskin Dagger, identical to Yi Luo’s, and took a battle stance. “How do we split it?”
Yi Luo suggested, “I’ll take left, you take right?”
“No.” He Wuning dashed forward first. “You left, me right.”
Yi Luo clicked his tongue. “Tch. Rebel.”
----------
No comments:
Post a Comment