Chapter 149: Wai Shu

In the tactical command, the Mad King's strategic thinking was still fairly clear.

Although I had vaguely seen humans teleporting or something, nevertheless, a single person ultimately cannot be in two places at once.

If the humans across the lake dare to move, I will launch an immediate attack, swiftly seize the island in the lake's center, and steal their old home!

And if they don't move…

Ha, the entire underground space would then be my territory!

By then my clan will live peacefully, breed vigorously, and raise fierce soldiers.

Three thousand isn't enough; I need five thousand!

Five thousand isn't enough; I need ten thousand!

When the war drums sound and hundreds of goblins besiege a single human, I want to see what damned tricks you lot can still come up with!?

Smart, too smart—how could I be this smart?

Thinking of this, the Mad King could barely keep his upward‑curving mouth from breaking into a grin.

Moreover, his orders were not concealed at all; amid the screeching chaos, a large group of goblins followed the warriors away.

The humans on the opposite shore were initially elated, probably mistaking it for the enemy's abandonment of the attack.

But soon they sensed the truth of the situation.

Amid the turmoil, they gathered around a somewhat older fellow, chattering noisily for a while.

Finally, a young man with a mushroom‑shaped haircut, a lanky fellow, walked out from inside.

"Whoa, poor big green skin, you're scared, right?"

What a great voice; with just a slight raise, he could let his harsh profanity soar over the lake.

"No courage? Why did all your little green monkeys run away?"

His vocabulary was fierce; clearly he was born to be a street cuss.

"What's up, shorty, you're too scared to fight your human grandpas?"

The Mad King was a bit stunned, not understanding what was happening for a moment.

After pondering for a while, an ancient term rose from his skull.

Cursing formation!

And that meant…

They're getting impatient?

In an instant, clever intellect seized the high ground again.

Thus the Mad King didn't get angry but laughed, and clapped his hands with a croaky sound.

"Brilliant, the more the enemy opposes me, the more it proves I'm right!"

Consequently, the goblin battalions withdrew even faster, and since their duty was scouting, their destinations were all over, naturally one squad headed toward Dog Village.

Now the humans on that side grew even more urgent; a few couldn't resist trying to cross the bridge and strike out, but they were stopped by comrades.

"We can't let them go; the dogs will be discovered!"

"Damn, who could have thought the Mad King would suddenly become clever?"

"Sigh, random variables, it must be the game developers tweaking dynamic difficulty again."

The previously relaxed, wait‑and‑see situation turned extremely passive, causing some players to feel uneasy.

But Fu Le quickly stepped forward, temporarily stabilizing morale.

"Friends, the situation isn't that bad; goblins will need time to discover Dog Village."

"Indeed, it's critical; we can't just sit and wait for death!"

"Regardless, the immediate priority is to devise a suitable plan."

Players with a voice spoke up, and under their urging the others regained composure.

Yet before a response strategy could be formed, a notification popped up simultaneously in the lower‑right corner of everyone's view.

【Warning: Unknown enemy approaching north of Dog Village】

???

"I'll go check!"

A player instantly activated teleportation to Dog Village, climbed over the wall and groped forward.

Soon, several pictures were uploaded to the public screen.

Since it's a fantasy‑setting game, someone naturally gave everyone a rundown of common species.

A bulky body, an ugly face, and a single horn on its head—that was actually a huge horde of ogres already in a berserk state!

And although the view was vague, counting the glowing crimson specks revealed at least twenty‑to‑thirty monsters of various sizes moving in the dimness.

That many must be an entire Ogre Tribe!

"This…"

In startled doubt, even Fu Le began to feel his mouth dry, his head swelling.

This battle added another layer of peril to an already dangerous situation; it was truly troublesome!

Meanwhile, seated in a corner, Ji Ming continued watching the scene with keen interest.

The notification, of course, was written by him; a few minutes earlier, Xi Er Wei Ya had reported the berserk ogres' movements.

I originally intended to have her strike them down directly, but on second thought, I had already cleared out many of the sturdy ones, and the remaining ogres, before being corrupted by demonic energy, had been starved by the siege for a long time, greatly weakening them.

Just a blood‑scarred tribe; I'm here to cause the Fourth Day Disaster, not to babysit. If the players can't even get past this hurdle, what's the point of playing?

So he didn't let Xi Er Wei Ya handle it, but directly tossed the problem to the players.

"Wai Shu, why are you squatting here acting like it doesn't concern you?"

Facing Bai Yesheng's rebuke, he merely tossed out a line.

"You say it as if you aren't the same."

"Huh?"

Bai Yesheng immediately stood up.

"Even though I'm just goofing off here now, I managed to craft black gunpowder this afternoon using three lives."

"Unlike some person, everyone was busy, and they only logged on once all day, then ran away as soon as they saw me die."

Ji Ming was about to retort, but suddenly closed his mouth.

"What, the evidence is solid, and you have no defense?"

"No, I… I suddenly have something to attend to, you keep playing, I'll handle it and be right back…"

"Ah?"

After saying that, he vanished right under Bai Yesheng's eyes.

Bai Yesheng blinked, opened the friends list, and saw that he had actually gone offline.

In a hurry, Ji Ming rushed back to the Clinic and quickly equipped himself.

The Way of Heaven cycles nicely, and while the players were anxiously having fun, his own backyard caught fire unexpectedly.

He had just received a message from Ge Rui Sen that several people were gradually approaching the Clinic near the two potted plants planted at the door.

Although he had no weapons at hand, the crowd was large and certainly not friendly.

Quickly dressing, Ji Ming stuck a Breath‑Sealing Talisman on his face, then used a pillow and a thin blanket to disguise the bed.

Hidden in a corner of the bedroom, he looked up toward the nearby window.

Amid the rustling, a nimble figure climbed up the backyard tree and gradually appeared there.

He carefully cracked the window open, took out a paper packet, prepared it, and began blowing a faintly colored smoke into the room.

Ji Ming, having taken a sip of SpiritGathering Liquid beforehand, wasn't afraid; he opened the panel and stared expressionlessly as the other blew.

Soon, a 【Mist Smoke Poison】 appeared in his debuff bar.

Although the color indicated danger red, the frame was green, indicating safety.

【Tip: As a high‑dimensional being you are immune to all mental and soul attacks; this status is for the host's reference only.】

Damn, looks like this medicine was wasted.

However, knowing to control the field upon entry, these guys are far smarter than the three dumb thieves from last time.

Only pity…

Ji Ming, idle and bored, reached out and tugged the bedsheet.

The person outside the window had intended to leave, but upon seeing movement on Ji Ming's bed, was startled.

He leaned on the window, confused and stunned for a moment.

"Ah, I get it, the second‑floor bedroom is too spacious, that little dosage wasn't enough!"

In panic, he quickly opened another packet and started blowing again.

Yet as he kept blowing, he discovered another bizarre thing.

—No matter how many packets he sent in, that doctor could still move.

"My god, the blowing hurts my cheeks, how hasn't he fainted yet?"

Wanting to cry but without tears and not daring to speak, the one who administered the medicine could only wail silently inside.

After pondering for a while, he finally arrived at the most likely answer.

—Could it be that I bought counterfeit medicine?

Thinking that, the daring him stuck his head forward a bit and inhaled a little.

Then without a sound, his eyes rolled instantly and he fell straight down from the second floor.

The sound of his body hitting the ground wasn't loud, yet it carried far in the night.

Whether it startled Ji Ming is uncertain, but it certainly alarmed his companions.

"Damn! What the hell are you doing, kid?"

A one‑eyed bald man burst into the backyard and instantly saw a man perched on his butt on the ground.

He hurried over to check and found that he had fallen from above.

Moreover, looking at the paper packet on the ground, it was likely he had knocked himself out.

"What a fool, messing with others and getting himself knocked out!"

The young man who ran over with him muttered a curse and then asked nervously.

"What do we do, boss? Should we just retreat now…"

"Retreat? Hell no!"

The bald man cautiously looked toward the second‑floor window and found there was still no movement.

"The dosage is so large it can knock out even a pockmarked face; surely the doctor is also fainted, so now is the perfect time for us to act!"

"Boss, you're brilliant!"

This youngster was a yes‑man; whatever the bald man said, he followed, coordinating smoothly.

Arriving at Ji Ming's Clinic at this time, they were obviously the rat team that An De Lu had hired.

However, An De Lu was also clever; he knew Ji Ming might become more vigilant these two days, so he deliberately chose this time slot for the rats to come cause trouble.

In theory, given how tense things are now, they wouldn't want to take this job and invite trouble.

But An De Lu used Inner City slots as bait and promised a huge bounty; wealth moves hearts, and they finally decided to take the risk.

Moreover, according to the director's intention, they weren't going to harm Ji Ming, just give him a warning.

They'd smash a bit, then take a bit of the shop's items, set up a warning stance, and that would be enough.

"It's still pretty simple!"

Moreover, although the pockmarked face responsible for blowing the bewitching smoke has fainted, this gang of experienced, well-trained bandits still has four people.

One is the bald, one-eyed boss; one is a lanky lackey youth; one is a skilled lock-picker; and one is a sturdy laborer responsible for carrying.

Each has their assigned role, naturally each performs their duty.

Fearful of delays, the locksmith worked quickly, and under the strong man's lookout, pried open the clinic's door in just a minute or two.

【The lock is of poor quality, virtually useless for an expert.】

Sitting on the stairs of the second floor, Ji Ming began to record in his notebook.

According to general custom, the tallest strong man takes the lead, so he covered his eyes with his hand and walked into the clinic.

But as soon as he took a step, a clear "crack" sound came from under his foot.

He instantly shuddered all over, almost pulling back directly.

Angry, the bald man raised his hand and slapped.

"Idiot, there are nut shells under this cheap door mat!"

He lifted it to check, and this time he put his mind at ease and walked in.

Unlike the old clinic, the new clinic's lobby is much more spacious.

According to their prearranged plan, tonight they will steal first and then smash.

After all, the Inner City is tightly controlled; if they acted like they did in the Outer City, recklessly causing trouble, they'd easily run into trouble.

So they proceeded cautiously, gradually approaching their intended target.

The boss took the lackey youth to the counter to look for valuables, the locksmith kept watch, and the strong laborer handled the carrying.

They weren't worried about anything, after all Ji Ming was just one person, fainted besides, and still a doctor with no real strength.

So no one could have imagined that he was now quietly watching them carry out their deeds, step by step entering the trap he had set.

Crouching behind the counter, the boss rubbed his hands together, as if opening a treasure chest, and began pulling the medicine cabinet's drawers.

However, this place was more empty than he imagined; after opening several drawers in a row, he found nothing but empty medicine bottles.

But midway, he discovered that one of the drawers contained a small notebook.

He flipped it open and saw that something seemed to be written on it.

Oh no, I can't read...

His heart stirred, he directly tossed it to the lackey.

"Kid, I'm busy opening the drawers; you help me see what's written in here."

The night in Sunlight City was overly dark; after receiving the boss's roughly handed-over booklet, the lackey only managed to examine it by bringing it to the window and borrowing a bit of light.

The more he looked, the brighter his eyes became, and finally he came running back, overjoyed.

"Boss, this is the doctor's memorandum; it says..."

"Shh!"

After receiving a fierce glare from the bald one-eyed man, the lackey hastily lowered his voice and began speaking, pointing at the words.

"The clinic's medicine is almost used up, but the doctor has prepared the money for restocking, hidden in the bottommost secret compartment!"

"Oh, oh, indeed so!"

The bald man pretended to examine, then reached out and began feeling for the bottom of the medicine cabinet.

The lackey was still wondering how the boss could see the words in this darkness, when he heard a sharp scream directed at his own ear.

This sonic attack move was truly fierce; he instantly felt his head buzzing.

Wait, won't the doctor be awakened?

In a daze, the lackey was startled and quickly reached out to cover the boss's mouth.

While covering his mouth, he still asked.

"Boss, boss, what's wrong with you? Boss, are you okay? Quick, say something!"

Although none of them are professionals, logically the strong bald man should be able to break free from the lackey's restraint.

But the mousetrap, biting down hard on his own fingertip with the ten fingers connected to the heart, was so vicious that the pain left him unable to exert any strength at all.

Only after the lackey finally reacted and released him did he regain the ability to breathe.

"What's wrong?"

Hearing the sound, the locksmith rushed over and quickly helped the boss open the trap.

The bald man calmed for a while, his lips trembling as he prepared to speak.

But before he could utter a single word, he was met with the lackey's earnest expression.

"Boss, no need to thank me!"

"I..."

The adult world is filled with joys and sorrows that only one can digest; he quietly wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye, and the bald man pushed the lackey away.

"Damn, my hand is injured; help me see what's really inside."

"Go!"

The lackey swallowed, withdrawing his pitiful gaze fixed on the boss.

He lowered his body, widened his eyes, and slowly probed into the unknown darkness.

Then.

Ooo~ waa waa waa...

As everyone knows, sometimes repeating an old trick is not a bad choice.

However, the one-eyed bald's arms bulged as he covered them, somewhat tinged with personal grudge.

After finally managing to undo this second mousetrap, the three of them heard another anguished cry coming from the storeroom.

The locksmith, sweat pouring down his face, rushed over and discovered that this time it wasn't a bear trap—because this trap was even more vicious.

Vicious, too vicious!

It turned out that several heavy boxes were stacked in the corner of the storeroom; the strong man opened the first one, found nothing inside, and thought to move it aside to check the second.

However, as he instinctively grabbed the handles on both sides to exert force, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his fingers.

Damn it, which bastard modified this box? The inside of the handle actually had a tiny spike stuck on it!

The eager locksmith tried to pull them out, but the spikes were tiny and dense, and in the strong man's panic several even broke off inside.

Ah, bear with it, brother...

There was nothing else to do; the strong man could only endure the pain and continue searching.

On the other side, the bald man shook his red, swollen fingers.

Still, the important thing is to hurry up, everyone put in some effort!

However, what happened next was even more terrifying.

This time the lackey learned his lesson, using a wooden stick instead of his hand to probe the hidden compartment.

Not only did he turn up nothing, but his calf inexplicably began to cramp.

Ow~ ow~

Afraid the boss would retaliate again, he was sweating all over from the pain but dared only to whimper softly.

He poked the hidden compartment a few more times, and the bald man, furious, threw away the stick in his hand.

Damn it, dare to play me?

He gritted his teeth, his gaze sweeping sharply.

Kid, the stuff written in that book—you're not just spouting nonsense to me, are you?

The lackey youth was about to cry from injustice, only able to wail.

Boss, how would I dare?!

That's because what's written in this book is damn fake!

The bald man's anger made his head hurt, his mouth foaming, and about eighty percent of his three-and-a-half sentences were profanity.

He was having a blast cursing the doctor when suddenly his stomach started gurgling.

He froze like a quail, staying silent until he calmed down after a while.

Hiss, could it be that the old guy's salty pastry isn't fresh? How… uh!

Who would have thought that just after muttering half a sentence, his stomach churned violently, forcing him to stop speaking.

The three busy workers felt nothing, but the locksmith on lookout duty truly felt each day drag on like a year.

According to the plan, they should have finished the fight and fled within ten minutes.

But how long has it been now? Aside from everyone being wounded, they've gained nothing.

Seeing them still slacking off, he hurriedly spoke up to ask.

Boss, what's wrong? Is your stomach upset?

As he was asking, he suddenly felt his own stomach cramp.

Ah… how come I too…

Meanwhile, the strong man still rummaging through boxes in the storeroom let out a muffled groan, then hissed as he sucked in cold air.

I-I-I… my foot suddenly cramped…

Thus one person fainted, two had diarrhea, and two suffered cramps.

All five iron-blooded heroes had completely lost their ability to move.

Still, the bald man, relying on his strong will, propped himself up on the counter and stood with difficulty, then said.

Brothers, I feel this clinic is a bit eerie…

The lackey and the strong man chimed in agreement.

Yeah, this broken clinic is definitely haunted!

Really hilarious, the boss is right!

The locksmith felt as if ten thousand beastmen warriors were drumming in his gut; he couldn't speak, only clapped a hand over his butt and nodded frantically.

This was probably just a drumbeat for the bald man's retreat, since his spirit and anger had already been tortured away completely.

In grief, he could only wave his bun-like hands.

If it really won't work, let's just grab something and leave.

Then he continued opening the medicine cabinet's drawers, but it was utterly hateful—he found nothing at all.

That's natural; the medicine in the clinic has mostly been used up, and the little bit Ji Ming keeps at night he also stores directly in the Underground City, so if they could find it…

Found it!

?

Ji Ming, who had been watching the show for a long time, was still encountering an unexpected situation for the first time; he hastily glanced over, but was so frightened he almost cried out.

Because that was the poison gas bomb he himself had placed on the counter; how did they find…

Wait, don't open it!

But it was already too late.

Hehe, let me see if this pharmacy works…

In an instant, the winds and clouds shifted, and an extremely terrifying aura spread out.

It was a feeling of excruciating pain, as if it wanted to strip away both soul and body together.

The four bandits, already exhausted from the traps, all passed out under such a fierce impact.

……

No, my main dish hasn't arrived yet—how did you all just collapse?

Ji Ming also had to return to the second floor, feigning having just been woken up as he ran downstairs.

Pinching his nose, he sealed the bottle, removed the silence talisman, took a deep breath, and prepared to let out an incredibly innocent howl.

However, at that very moment, Grisen, who was stationed at the entrance, sent another message.

【Upper God, someone else has come outside—it's an 18th-level professional!】

Hah, you're not gonna act anymore, huh?!

Ji Ming didn't leave; instead, he retreated directly behind the sturdy counter.

Anyway, Grisen is on the scene and I can still use teleportation, so I still have plenty of leeway.

He turned his body, pretending to check on the bandit who had fainted on the ground, but actually he was hiding his small shovel in the shadows.

Soon, a somewhat disheveled black shadow landed outside the clinic in the night wind.

He adjusted his stance, moved swiftly, and with a raise of his hand sent a flying dart shooting at the glass by the door.

Behind the glass was Ji Ming, his fingers already slowly curling.