Chapter 20

"Amitabha."

A Buddhist chant rang out, calming everyone's anxious hearts.

Despite wearing clothes that felt utterly out of place, Tang Luo still bore the demeanor of an enlightened monk at this moment.

"Don't worry, benefactors. From this poor monk's perspective, we hold the advantage."

Tang Luo spoke.

"Advantage?"

"Yes." Tang Luo nodded. "Regardless of whether Benefactor Chu's analysis is correct or not, there is one thing we can be certain of: Jack the Ripper has always regarded us as his target."

"Therefore, we actually don't need to rack our brains searching for him. We just need to lie in wait and wait for Jack the Ripper to come to us."

"When he appears, this poor monk will find a suitable opportunity to blast his dog's head apart, and the mission will be complete."

It was said with perfect reason, utterly irrefutable.

Chu Zhongtian stared wide-eyed.

Jack the Ripper had transformed into a ghostly apparition, killing and stealing corpses, his yin-cold aura freezing bodies—eerie and dangerous.

But...

Upon careful reflection, he had always operated in the shadows, like a venomous snake lurking in darkness.

Does this mean Jack the Ripper isn't as formidable as imagined?

At least, he cannot compare to Master Xuanzang!

Over the three nights, everything that happened shared a common point.

Namely, he was never near Master Xuanzang!

And tonight, Jack the Ripper truly came face to face with Master Xuanzang—still inhabiting Old John's body.

What was the result?

He was "cut in two" by Master Xuanzang and fled in disgrace.

What does this mean?

It means Master Xuanzang is the real boss.

Jack the Ripper is merely a coward hiding in the shadows, avoiding the light.

Got the guts to fight with guns?

Can Master Xuanzang blast his dog's head apart in minutes?

Chu Zhongtian suddenly understood.

Divine Demon Game, mission world.

Everyone instinctively saw themselves as "players," with the habitual mindset of "clearing dungeons, defeating bosses."

Naturally, they imagined Jack the Ripper as an irresistibly powerful force.

Of course, that wasn't wrong.

Emitting an ominous aura, Jack the Ripper's suppression of everyone's movement truly made him an irresistible presence.

He was indeed a boss.

But now, a stronger bald-headed boss has suddenly emerged among the players, making the original boss tragic.

He was directly downgraded to an elite monster, only able to hide in corners, secretly causing trouble.

Having clung to a strong thigh, I feel I can shake things up now.

Chu Zhongtian felt this mission was secure.

By the way, why can't we form teams in the Divine Demon Game?

Without a strong thigh to cling to, I feel I'll die!

"If he stops looking for us, the mission fails." Zhou Zhen'guo said.

Waiting for him to come to us is not bad.

But what if Jack the Ripper doesn't come?

"Anyway, the first time—what's there to fear?" Xianyu Li Liang said, having the resignation of a salted fish.

Even thinking pessimistically.

If we all fail the mission together, the unlucky one won't be just him, and my heart gains great balance.

"..."

Zhou Zhen'guo said nothing.

Others are first-timers, but I, Zhou Zhen'guo, have already failed several missions.

If this time I still achieve nothing and the mission ultimately fails, I will very likely disappear.

And disappearance almost equals erasure.

Because everyone harbors a sliver of luck and hope, they say it's "missing" or "disappeared."

Everyone understands this disappearance isn't thorough death—the probability is too small, too small.

"Rest first."

Tang Luo said, "We'll make plans tomorrow."

The excited emotions subsided, and fatigue felt like tide after tide.

Eyelids instantly grew heavy as if weighed down by lead balls.

A silent night.

Early the next morning.

"Little Zhou also disappeared—is Jack the Ripper this interested in our 'bodies'?"

Chu Zhongtian said with a hint of self-mockery, "Could it be that our divine demon wanderings, to the 'natives,' are still like Tang Sanzang's flesh?"

"Eating Tang Sanzang's flesh will cause your teeth to fall out."

Tang Luo said.

Xiao Zhou, who had almost become an empty shell, was undoubtedly the possession target of Jack the Ripper.

So Zhou Zhen'guo performed a placement play on him.

To avoid getting too close and being caught off guard.

After one night passed, Xiao Zhou disappeared directly.

And Old John's corpse was still there; to avoid unnecessary trouble, Zhou Zhen'guo and them dealt with it.

Early in the morning, the innkeeper returned.

Chu Zhongtian inquired a bit; the innkeeper had gone back to rest very early last night... he himself didn't know why he did that.

It felt like waking up to find it was already daylight, with fuzzy and unclear memories.

Most likely, he was possessed by the Ripper and made to go to sleep.

To free up enough space for the God-Slaying Hunt to proceed.

As for why they didn't directly possess the innkeeper and act, it's not very clear.

One can only speculate that possession has limitations—it's not something you can just do whenever you want—or perhaps Old John was easier to use.

Upon realizing that only Master Xuanzang could save himself.

Li Liang was no longer like a salted fish lying in bed.

He followed closely behind Tang Luo, step by step.

How to say, it's highly likely he was also once possessed by the Ripper; if Jack the Ripper still wants to act.

Li Liang is undoubtedly the most dangerous one.

"Actually, you don't need to follow so closely." Chu Zhongtian felt the threat.

"If you don't get closer, what will you do if the Ripper seizes an opportunity to grab you?" Li Liang said.

Only oneself will truly love and protect oneself.

Chu Zhongtian patted Li Liang's shoulder and said earnestly: "Just in case, I mean just in case."

"Just in case? Just in case what?"

"You're possessed; if you're far enough away, there might still be a slim chance." Chu Zhongtian said, "But being right next to the master? That's truly game over."

"The master can save me right away!"

Li Liang said, completely forgetting his own words educating Xiao Zhou.

"No, I think, following Master Xuanzang's style, he would instantly smash your head." Chu Zhongtian said.

"... Isn't he a monk?" Li Liang said, recalling the promise of compassion.

"You don't understand Master Xuanzang." Chu Zhongtian said, "Monks also have wrathful king manifestations."

Li Liang swallowed a mouthful of saliva, recalling the fear of that night when Tang Luo dominated him with a candlestick.

His steps immediately slowed, and he distanced himself from Tang Luo.

"Hmph!"

Chu Zhongtian inwardly snorted with pride.

Zhou Zhen'guo glanced at Chu Zhongtian speechlessly.

The young man fell so fast, then he turned to Tang Luo and asked: "Master, is it okay for us to go straight up and kill?"

Although we said we would wait with ease for Jack the Ripper to come personally.

But everyone wouldn't really do nothing just because.

Given that there are basically no clues about Jack the Ripper at present.

Starting a "side quest" might not be a bad choice.

Tang Luo and them now target a certain member of the organization.

It's time to lead everyone together to punish evil and promote good!

For three consecutive days, Tang Luo led several people to sweep through the organization's remnants.

They gained a considerable amount of merit points.

As for Zhou Zhen'guo and Chu Zhongtian, the visible gains were various weapons.

The most common were revolvers and bullets.

Two cane-swords with blades hidden in the shaft.

Brass knuckles, dog-leg bent knives, and the like.

Oh, and a small amount of explosives.

Zhou Zhen'guo, this veteran, finally displayed considerable combat ability.

Apart from the imprisonment lock chains.

He also has a skill—Powerful Strike.

It can gather power to unleash a powerful strike, with multiple release forms.

Such as headbutting, punching, slapping with palms, kicking with legs, and even biting with teeth.

It can also be applied to other objects for throwing.

Usage is also very simple, basically amounting to "act as one wishes," belonging to a rather typical combat skill.

Simply put, it's an instantaneous burst of power.

Zhou Zhen'guo used Powerful Strike, throwing a small stone with force not inferior to firearms in this world.

He successfully resolved a dangerous enemy.

But after using it, he himself fell into a weak state.

Zhou Zhen'guo did not hide anything from Xuanzang.

The cooldown for "Powerful Strike" is currently two hours, and after use, one falls into a 30-minute weakened state.

In the weakened state, it is equivalent to running several kilometers, and being able to continue walking is entirely due to willpower.

It belongs to that kind of last resort.

It will not be used unless absolutely necessary.

This made Chu Zhongtian somewhat disappointed.

I did not expect the skill's cooldown to be this long.

The imprisonment chains are fine, but "Powerful Strike," clearly a typical combat skill, has a cooldown as high as two hours.

It is fundamentally impossible to use frequently in combat.

Daily combat still relies on basic attacks.

Wildly swinging skills?

Does not exist.

Of course, it is not saying that the skill's cooldown is this long.

At the beginning, it indeed will not be too short, but as one masters the skill and the skill level increases, it will become different.

Some skills being used regularly is not impossible.

But for the current Chu Zhongtian and them, it is too far away.

Even Zhou Zhen'guo has just started.

Night.

Outside a vast manor, Tang Luo and the four others stood in the shadow beside the road.

"The organization's biggest sponsor, Count Raymond Sandek." Tang Luo said, "The protection is very tight."

Three days' time.

The remaining members of the organization will of course react.

Moreover, Tang Luo and the others have also taken on the job of scavengers, cleaning up the organization's remnants.

This Count Sandek cannot possibly have no reaction.

Now his manor, bodyguards, and hunting dogs are protected extremely tightly.

Interestingly, he also held a banquet tonight.

It is likely he is using this as an excuse to reassemble the organization's remaining strength.

To deal with the newly born "dangerous enemy" and restart research.

This banquet can be said to have gathered all the notable figures of the small town in one sweep.

Its stated purpose is to claim that everyone works together to stop the deteriorating public security in the small town.

These days.

Besides the "case" caused by Tang Luo's group, there is also the Jack the Ripper who has fallen into a mad state, beginning to kill frenziedly.

In just three days, the number of victims has reached nine.

Upon waking in the early morning, in some unknown alley or even inside a house, there will be three more corpses disemboweled and eviscerated.

The feeling of panic spreads, and it cannot be suppressed at all.

Like dark clouds covering the entire small town.

No one can remain uninvolved.