[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-198":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1162443,1504,"Chapter 198: The Awakening Players","ember-dragon-chapter-198",198,"\u003Cp>“Where is this place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wasn’t I under a control spell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo woke abruptly. He first checked his body, finding himself unscathed, before surveying his surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him lay a chaotic laboratory, littered with chunks of flesh and severed limbs. The floor was awash with sticky blood, deep enough to cover his ankles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thick metal bed stood nearby, stained with blood, where Born Battle Maniac was securely restrained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo glanced cautiously to his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou’s body lay motionless in a pool of blood, as still as a corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo felt puzzled. The mage who had possessed Mantou had easily subdued the three of them. Why would he suddenly disappear, especially in his own lair with no external threats?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did that ‘Wagner’ vanish?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was the spell terminated, or was there another reason?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, blurry figure seemed to emerge from the Soul Vessel, flowing back into Mantou’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo let out a startled cry:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mantou?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou’s body twitched slightly, his fingers trembling, before he opened his eyes. Straining, he propped himself up in the bloody pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, this place is so gross. Why is everything so sticky?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou grimaced with disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he raised his head slightly, he saw Singo drawing his bow, an armor-piercing arrow aimed directly at his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell! I’m Mantou—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unmoved, Singo coldly said, “How can I be sure you’re Mantou and not something else? You’ll have to pass my test, or I’ll put an arrow through your head.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou shouted angrily, “Singo, are you out of your mind? What NPC has my charm and style?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharp arrowhead pressed firmly against Mantou’s forehead, making him break out in a cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his hands in surrender, saluting in mock military fashion, and sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, fine, I’ll answer your damn questions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo looked down at him, his tone icy. “What’s Mantou’s most-viewed video?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“《Langli Baitiao and the Unspeakable 30 Seconds with the Vampire》”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many online dating failures has Mantou had?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three, damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the name of Mantou’s mount?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noodle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many gold coins has Mantou stolen from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fifteen, while you were sleeping—wait, damn it, Singo, you tricked me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou jumped up, instantly realizing that Singo’s “test” was just an excuse to bait answers out of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, you’ve passed the test, Mantou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But about those stolen coins…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo’s voice was slow and deliberate, his expression cold. The drawn bow remained aimed at Mantou’s forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll pay you back! I’ll work for you! Just put that thing down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the situation worsening, Mantou quickly pleaded for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Singo lowered his weapon and said seriously, “What was it like in the urn? Do you know what happened earlier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou thought for a moment before replying, “It was weird. I could perceive the surroundings through the urn, but I couldn’t move at all. I just had to watch him control you like a noob—kind of satisfying, like I was bullying you myself, heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo ignored the jab and continued, “What did he say? And why did he disappear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou became indignant. “That guy’s a monster! Not only did he experiment on Miss Valenna, but he wanted to make us his specimens. Luckily, he suddenly vanished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re saying… he just disappeared?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did he say anything before leaving?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou scratched his head, hesitating before replying, “It was hard to make out from inside the urn, and I was busy cursing him out. But I think I heard him mention our faction leader’s name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cassius.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo’s eyes lit up with excitement. “So, Wagner is tied to the main questline boss. Any mission involving the red dragon is major. Looks like we’ve struck gold this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Singo, stop daydreaming and get Battle Maniac out of those restraints!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he dies, it’s all on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo finally remembered Born Battle Maniac, who was still bound to the metal bed. He hurried over, using his thief tools to unlock the metal restraints, then injected a stimulant into Battle Maniac’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where am I? Wasn’t I in the middle of a fight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born Battle Maniac opened his eyes, struggling to rise from the metal bed. He looked confused, instinctively reaching for the battle axe at his waist, only to find it missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him awake, Mantou rushed over to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recognizing Mantou’s familiar face, Battle Maniac’s expression instantly turned furious, still caught up in the earlier battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Veins bulged on his arms as he threw a punch, roaring in anger:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Monster! Get out of Mantou’s body!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian, with a Strength of 18, delivered a full-force punch. His fist, as large as a sandbag, slammed into Mantou’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thud!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dull impact echoed as Mantou’s face contorted grotesquely, swelling in a mess of red, purple, and green bruises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou cried out in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stars danced in his vision, and he felt like his soul was about to leave his body again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battle Maniac prepared to follow up with another punch, but Singo quickly stepped in to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Singo, why are you holding me back? I’m going to kill that beast!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fight! Smash!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally recovering his senses, Mantou clutched his rapidly swelling face and shouted, “Battle Maniac, stop! It’s me! I’m Mantou!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to his face, nearly in tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo added, “The boss just possessed Mantou’s body. You were knocked out by a spell. Take it easy, or you might accidentally kill Mantou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battle Maniac immediately lowered his fists, rubbing his shiny bald head as his face flushed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, sorry, Mantou. I thought you were still the boss. Are you okay? I’ll buy you a healing potion back in town.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, whatever. I’ll live.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou was almost in tears, his face swollen like dough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo smirked mischievously. “Forget Mantou. As long as he’s not dead, we’re fine. We’ve stumbled into a hidden dungeon—let’s focus on exploring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hidden dungeon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There must be some powerful enemies then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battle Maniac’s eyes lit up with battle lust, his face filled with the excitement of a professional player. After all, this was a man who had soloed a Star Beast!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Mantou, still clutching his face, let out a pitiful wail:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My handsome face!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*************************************************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you want to read more chapters, you can Read (340) chapters ahead on Patreon:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 1: $1\u002Fmonth for an additional 5 chapters. 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