Chapter 125: Poison Gas Bomb, Invincible

The shield‑bearer wielding a tower shield takes the front, the crossbowman bearing a repeating crossbow stays alert, and the warrior with a sword‑shield provides support.

Players from the three routes advanced toward the goblin mine almost simultaneously, and they moved at great speed.

Even the most cunning goblins are merely a weak sub‑human race dwelling in the dungeon.

On the players' side, not only are the stats higher and the minds sharper, they also possess comprehensive modern knowledge and countless creative ideas from fellow streamers.

With pre‑studied strategies and tactics, every trap was eliminated one by one, posing no threat or obstacle at all.

Clearly they had already reached the halfway point, yet not a single player had died unexpectedly.

However, in fact, the day before yesterday the strongest gunner had already rushed here.

The reason he finally perished here is that from this point onward goblins began to launch ambushes.

These little creatures are experts at being the sixth column; they slip over while you're busy clearing traps, raise a stick, strike, then leave—utterly disgusting.

But for players who already have a comprehensive strategy, these are nothing.

Moreover, the battlefield is now observed not only by them but also by countless viewers watching through cameras.

【Streamer, watch the left side, there's movement!】

【Behind, behind, a club is about to fall!】

【Got skills, little bro, I'll spend a bit of cash to boost you】

Killing thieves also yields bounties, so the players fought even harder, eager to unleash all their techniques against the goblins.

The shield‑bearer raised a massive tower shield and, with help from other players, managed to hold back the crashing boulder.

The goblins tried to approach the squad amid the chaos, but under the guard of several sword‑shields and spears they found it hard to strike.

Instead, the goblins were targeted at vital points by the crossbowmen; before they could flee they were shot dead by a simultaneous volley.

Strictly speaking, the Pioneers' formation was loose and their coordination rather stiff.

But for a group of amateur players who have only just met and trained for a few days, achieving such results is already quite impressive.

At least the goblins have no ability to counter this tactic; they can only be continuously driven back and squeezed.

Even a few especially lucky brave ones would…

"Charge!"

The excited players, as if injected with adrenaline, had been waiting for a long time; they could only be smashed by the incoming shields, ending up as a heap of mangled corpses cut down on the spot.

Unfortunately, the players' streams are limited to their own perspective; although it feels immersive, missing angles are inevitable.

Fortunately, the official broadcast room also exists.

Xi Er Wei Ya is filming from the air, and several wooden birds sent by Gereisun provide additional camera positions.

Viewing the whole scene from multiple angles makes the battle more intuitive, and the program's effect instantly becomes spectacular.

【Whoa, a multi‑class battlefield with hundreds of people, feels just like *Mount & Blade*!】

【I recommend that capable folks also open the "Gunner No Weapon" and "Flying Fire Meteor" streams.】

【Indeed, paired with a top player's first‑person view it's truly brilliant, could be watched as a fantasy movie.】

【I can't watch any longer, brothers, now I even dream of playing Code Name Sun Moon (crying)】

【Me too, it's driving me crazy, even at midnight the frantic rush is worse than any chaotic server.】

【When will the closed beta start, game officials, you're damned!!!】

Amid wave after wave of frantic bullet‑screen comments, the three squads finally regrouped in victory.

The goblins, already terrified, all retreated back into the cave.

The players' losses are negligible—only three players died from trap mishaps, and they are now happily chatting with viewers in the stream.

But reaching this point only means they've cleared the first stage of the goblin dungeon; the real difficulty is just beginning.

Looking at the deep, dark cave, the players' expressions all grew solemn.

The goblins' biggest trait is that they are cave‑dwellers, so they know the interior best and its defenses are undoubtedly the most stringent.

If the difficulty of external traps and ambushes is hard, the interior difficulty is a nightmare.

Ji Ming specifically asked Xi Er Wei Ya and Huo Ke about the usual method of attacking a goblin cave.

"Of course we'd rain down heavenly fire, flipping the filthy goblins and the cave alike."

"Obviously a fierce onslaught, letting the biggest, greenest orc charge forward with a shield!"

Alright, that seems of no reference value.

So Ji Ming gave up on quietly advising the players, deciding to see if they could come up with a solution themselves.

Then he saw Death God walking solemnly from the rear of the squad.

Unlike usual, today Death God wore three layers of leather armor, and each hand bore a shield.

If his health weren't high enough, these alone would likely pin him down.

Even so, his steps were heavy, like a war chariot.

Ji Ming recalled their previous tactics, wondering if they intended to form a suicide squad for a kamikaze charge.

But the next second he realized he was wrong.

Because Death God took the poison gas bomb from Ao Li's hand, then, with the gunner's help, slung a bundle of firewood onto his back.

"Come on!"

"Brother, we won't forget you."

"Ku Liao."

He walked past the players, and each one simultaneously reached out, patting his shoulder.

Even Bai Yesheng joined the commotion, then ran back and whispered.

"Wai Shu, what are they doing?"

Ji Ming, while pulling her toward the outer circle, spoke with a trembling voice.

"I'm numb, they're all going crazy!"

Finally, Death God stood at the cave entrance, looked back with a hint of lingering attachment, and then charged in resolutely.

Even though there was only one person, the cave soon filled with chaotic clamor and screams.

Before long, a faint foul odor began to drift out.

"No, aren't these heated poison gas bombs that powerful? The smell can still drift..."

The players were still debating, when suddenly a strong gust blew out of the cave, and the pungent, terrifying smell suddenly intensified.

It was as if someone boiled canned salmon with stinky tofu broth, added a few slices of fresh river fish for flavor, still found it insufficient, and finally tossed in a dash of Dushan sour sauce and Indian mango jam for color.

"Gua, there's a biochemical weapon, everyone retreat, retreat quickly!"

Although they'd heard of the poison gas bomb's power, the players didn't expect that even from such a distance the smell could be so overwhelming, and they fled in terror.

So those still inside the cave...

Ji Ming, who had long since slipped far away, finally received a death notice from a player.

【Level 1 Player·Seeking Death: Killed by a twisted and heated poison gas bomb】

Qiu Yi cried out in agony on the public chat.

【Brothers, you're too strong; this is the most painful death out of my 382 different deaths!】

At this moment, the commotion inside the cave grew louder, and amid the chaotic running, screams gradually turned into wails.

Soon, like an anthill that had been stabbed, a massive swarm of kobolds fled in panic.

But outside the cave was also a death zone; the players formed a semi‑encirclement, slashing a kobold each time one emerged.

What a damn trap, what a damn ambush, what a damn scheming.

Give me the biochemical weapon!!!

But the noise didn't last long; soon the cave fell silent again.

Then the players encountered another problem.

Although in Civilization VI you can nuke a city and then send a melee unit to occupy it under nuclear radiation.

But this cave is so stinky, who would idle and crawl into a dry toilet pit?

"Seeing your cowardice, I'll go!"

Ao Li shouted loudly and swaggered over.

But after fewer than five steps inside, he turned tail and fled back.

"Oh my god, I can't, it's too smelly!"

The players looked at each other, realizing a problem they hadn't noticed before.

We're stuck—the kobolds are defeated, but we can't take this mine!

"I've got a solution!"

At the critical moment, Da Penggu stepped forward.

"I discovered yesterday a mushroom that, when eaten, temporarily removes one's sense of smell and taste. Any brothers willing to try?"

It sounded unreliable, but the first to slay the kobold chieftain gets a trophy.

Thus, with a hefty reward, the players formed a suicide squad and entered the cave after eating the mushroom.

Once inside, they realized it was truly brutal; in the chaotic cave, half the living creatures were already gone.

In the cramped rock tunnels and the murky chambers, dead kobolds poisoned alive were strewn everywhere.

Each bore a tragic death visage, grim faces, screaming in their final moments as they tried to run outward.

Such a tragedy even made Qiu Yi, who was watching a livestream in a urinal, post a comment in the public chat.

【Now I understand why Wu Hou, after burning so many armored soldiers, lamented that he would shorten his life.】

…

【So who can tell me if dying by divine punishment hurts?】

Although Qiu Yi was fully armed at departure, the kobold cave was labyrinthine with myriad traps blocking the way, so the distance he could charge was ultimately limited.

Consequently, upon reaching the deeper part of the cave, the odor lessened, yet faint unusual sounds could still be heard.

Around a corner, angry kobolds launched a surprise attack.

"Woof woof!"

Their cries resembled small dogs' barks, seeking to use the terrain for a final resistance.

Unfortunately, those who braved in for the trophy were all top players, even the lowest being well above level six.

Swords, spears, and halberds, plus the Lost One's iron fists, sent the weak kobolds scattering like torn bags, unable to halt their advance.

At that moment, the kobold chieftain finally appeared.

He wielded a staff set with a gem, wore a dark long robe, and emitted a faint aura of energy.

Unexpectedly, he was a kobold mage.