Chapter 204

Compared with the full‑army assault outside the cave, the interior of the laboratory felt rather bleak.

Watching the hateful one single‑mindedly chase after Ji Ming, drenched in sweat and firing cold arrows recklessly, the players all promptly made what seemed the most "correct" choice at that moment.

"Strategist, everything here is yours; you must find a way to hold it off!"

"Wai Shu, once we deal with the stone gargoyle outside, we'll come back to support you immediately; you only need to hold out for a few minutes, it'll be quick!"

"Anyway, staying here just blocks your positioning and pulling, so it won't affect your BOSS showcase; I salute you, salute!"

A nimble roll evaded the hateful one's reckless charge, and Ji Ming was nearly driven mad by these bastards.

"Hey, aren't you just walking away so carefree?"

In the end, even Cang Lang among the crowd prepared to raise his shield and flee, and he threw a punch at him.

"Wai Shu, thank you for all the effort you've put in; I will report in detail to LaoZhao, keep it up!"

"You…"

Ji Ming is a game developer, so how could he possibly let the players breeze through so comfortably?

So he rubbed another blue ring against a spatial container, letting it pick up Edgar's scent.

Then with a two‑finger snap, he precisely tossed it into Cang Lang's arms.

"Damn, what the heck did you just throw at me…"

Being a soldier, Cang Lang's perception is extremely keen, so he didn't let it drop but steadily caught it with his shield.

But before he could finish speaking, he heard Ji Ming shout.

"Beaker, your damn relic is over there!"

"Ah ah ah, Mom's ring, Mom!"

The hateful one instantly screeched and turned, thundering massive steps toward Cang Lang.

"WTF!"

Cang Lang, scared stiff, shouted a curse, didn't dare grab it, but flung his arm up hard, bouncing it into the gunner's hold on the other side.

"Over there! Over there!"

The gunner is dependable; even though he wavered between betraying the group or staying loyal, at least he hasn't fled yet.

Thus, upon catching the tossed ring, he even contemplated taking the initiative to hold back the giant beast, buying his teammates time.

However, after a glance at the hateful one, drenched in crimson blood, wailing, teeth bared, looking like a berserk Asura…

Damn, this hot‑potato, whoever wants it can grab it!

He hurriedly clenched it and, with a reverse toss, flung it into the Lost One's embrace.

"Hey, how did this thing end up on me?"

Being a melee combatant, he sports a pair of sturdy iron gauntlets, yet after relentless bloodshed, his body inevitably becomes coated with foul blood and rotting flesh.

Even an iron‑willed man can't tolerate this revulsion; now that a respectable chance to depart finally appears, he naturally grabs it hard.

They were all hurrying out in a frenzy, yet no one expected another turn!

"Gunner, you've turned corrupt!"

He could only shout a harsh rebuke, then retreat into the laboratory, and amid the drum‑like footfalls, hand the "flower" he held to the next player.

"Hey hey hey, I can't, I can't, let brother keep this!"

"Absolutely not, dear junior brother; my virtue is shallow and my skill limited, better entrust it to this gentleman."

"What are you two saying, brothers? I think this senior brother, Dragon‑like and Tiger‑like, truly a dragon‑phoenix among men, should wield this artifact!"

Everyone didn't want to draw the hateful one's hatred, yet no one wanted the hateful one to depart, so a very odd situation arose.

A dozen top players stationed themselves inside the lab, monkey‑like, flinging the ring they held to make the BOSS spin chaotically in the center.

Regardless of how nauseating or violent, as an alchemical artificial lifeform, the hateful one ultimately possesses a child's temperament.

Its limited mind can't shatter the players' "Demon‑Trapping Array", so it can only howl and wail, bumbling after that tiny ring.

"Ah, Mom!"

"Give the ring back to me!"

"You are all bad people!"

In the tourist area, one often sees children wailing endlessly after being separated from their parents, and the gunner felt a touch of compassion.

Then he saw a player whose delayed ring slip left them unable to dodge; though the object was eventually tossed out, the hateful one smashed it into hero fragments.

"Alright, alright, I'll pity myself first…"

The other players behaved similarly; bullying a child is disgraceful, yet this is ultimately a blood‑thirsty, bizarre boss, so you can't be soft!

Meanwhile, outside the lab, the residential area's hundreds‑strong fervent joint fight still rages on.

Even though this area is indeed far more spacious, a cave remains a cave, the home of tiny mole‑people, its ceiling inevitably cannot be high.

Thus the stone gargoyle attempted several forced wing‑flaps to take off, yet its low altitude caused players to bring it down with bed‑mounted crossbows.

"Bastard, you bully people excessively!"

He could only roar in impotent fury, continuing to swing his massive claws in a life‑or‑death clash with the players.

But for some unknown reason, at his angriest moments, someone always gives a thumbs‑up.

"Right, brother, the game is to be played with a roar; you've got the essence!"

"Trash~ trash boss~ just because there are a few people you can't handle? What a useless big bat."

"You're awesome… hey hey, thanks to Qian Hai brother's tip, I'll definitely keep saying naughty words."

Although he doesn't understand what these damned humans are saying, it looks incredibly infuriating!

He let out a long howl, spread his wings and rose, flipping in midair, aiming to descend from above and crush the players into fragments.

But the players below scattered like mice caught in a flashlight beam, exposing the nail board below.

"Aoa uuu~ (Tommy voice)"

The battle never ceased; although the number of players could not be called endless, the Stone Gargoyle's HP dwindled like snowflakes.

Moreover, as time passed, the players who felt their firepower was insufficient brought in more heavy equipment.

Since Fei Ying can pull out the Tiger Crouch Cannon, and Aurora can pull out the Thunderbolt, there is no reason why a challenger who already built a triple‑bow bed crossbow during the closed beta would achieve nothing in the open beta.

As the components were expertly assembled, a strange and massive bed crossbow, clearly a trans‑dimensional specialized model, appeared on the battlefield.

In addition, there were box after box of specially modified "Super Invincible Thunderbolt" to match these cutting‑edge launchers.

"Who came up with this bizarre name, and even wrote the boss's name on the box?"

"Ah, that was named by Master Wei Er Mo; without this name, they wouldn't do the contract manufacturing…"

"No wonder."

After setting up the position, several Orc players with exceptionally high innate HP stood beside the odd giant crossbow, quickly reloaded and completed the loading.

When the fuse was lit and the trigger pulled, these iron lumps, riddled with patterns, were easily shot out like mud balls, hovering over the BOSS.

"Here it comes, run!"

The surrounding humans fled in droves, but the Stone Gargoyle was unfazed, even flamboyantly spreading its wings, trying to shoot them down on the spot.

—Ha, trying to smash me with iron balls? Looks like humans have been a bit slow all these years…

Boom—!

"Oops!"

The shards' searing pain and the blast wave knocked him down, leaving him scrambling and falling to the ground.

Damn, what weapon is this, and why didn't I sense any magical fluctuation?

Although the Stone Gargoyle's wings weren't blown off, its posture while getting up was still somewhat arduous.

In traditional alchemy, sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal also take part, but they are merely raw ingredients of the formula.

Perhaps someone has combined them like this before, yet never developed explosives on a sufficient scale to forge corresponding weapons.

Watching those tiny iron balls that explode on their own, and smelling the gunpowder haze rising in the air.

If the Stone Gargoyle could sweat, it would be drenched right now.

What the heck are these humans!?

Well‑equipped, armed to the teeth, each one fearless, they never flinch even when a companion falls gruesomely beside them.

Could they be the personal guards of some human Marquis, or the type that comes with their own Orc mercenaries?

But as mentioned earlier, no matter how this primitive explosive is refined, its damage remains limited.

Even a player who raises a shield cannot be harmed by the blast, let alone the Stone Gargoyle with its iron bones and stone skin.

However, the shockwaves from successive explosions severely disrupt the Stone Gargoyle's flight, and the deafening roar interferes with its thoughts and fighting spirit.

Moreover, the challengers studied weapons from across ages and cultures, deliberately crafting new‑style crossbow bolts to replace the crude first generation that was merely a modified spear.

Thus, besides the central Thunderbolt Crossbow, the players also fielded two bed crossbows equipped with armor‑piercing spikes side by side, completely sealing the exit.

Once the Stone Gargoyle approaches, they fire immediately, serving as the final line of defense to block the BOSS's escape route.

These anti‑heavy‑armor weapons are no joke; even the Stone Gargoyle, famed for its defense, was nearly pierced through its wings and thereafter dared not charge.

So the current situation is this:

No escape; two terrifying armor‑piercing giant crossbows block the gate.

Can't beat them; not only are they numerous, they keep hurling exploding iron balls.

Damn, what did I do wrong, why do I wake up to face this bunch of perverts!

If the Stone Gargoyle had tear glands, it would be shedding golden drops of grievance by now.

Seeing the excited faces around him, he bit his fangs and steadied his mind.

Now that things have come to this, he can only use that one move…

Being a creature that looks oddly like a bat, he naturally also possesses the bat's signature technique.

The advantage is that by raising the decibel level when he vocalizes, he can inflict massive AOE damage.

The downside is that to achieve this effect, he must temporarily alter his internal structure, becoming a professional‑grade megaphone.

Thus the wind‑up before this move is long, the follow‑through longer, and he temporarily loses the ability to fly; it cannot be used lightly except in special circumstances.

With no way out, there seems to be no other option besides this move.

So he swiftly folded his wings to enclose himself, trying to buy time to adjust his posture.

According to the Stone Gargoyle clan's combat experience, this is actually a baiting tactic.

Countless foolish enemies, misreading the battle and driven by greed, are ambushed and killed when they try to deal damage.

Thus these damned humans will surely…

But just as he did that, he immediately heard someone let out a shriek.

"Gua, this BOSS really does shift forms, everyone retreat, retreat quickly!"

Huh?

Having no choice, he had to begin a thunderous roar immediately after the posture change.

The intense noise was like a series of ear‑piercing knives, stabbing into the players' heads.

Worse still, this is an enclosed space, so the sound waves reverberate, causing stacked damage.

Even if the players ran fast, some were still caught by the wave, knocked down and killed amid the chaos.

Haha, deserved! Deserved!

The Stone Gargoyle laughed heartily inside, feeling he'd never been this thrilled in his life; watching these humans suffer was immensely satisfying!

Then he saw a man running against the crowd, his body bulging and wrapped in an unknown mass of stuff.

Even a ruptured eardrum and trembling abdomen couldn't stop his advance; he pressed on, bearing the increasingly intense noise damage toward him.

With a composed expression, he felt around.

Although the stone gargoyle couldn't hear what he said, his lip movements could be seen.

【Just seeking death, kid】

Then I saw the opponent throw out a bottle of strange black potion, igniting the threads on his body.

In the scorching light and thunderous roar, that was the most pungent smell the stone gargoyle had ever smelled since its birth from the burial ground, far surpassing anything eerie.

If one's voice were a blade, then it would be an inescapable fate, a heavy hammer striking the soul, chilling to the bone like the true visage of a deity.

Thus…

【Congratulations to player 【Just Seeking Death】 for slaying the final boss, the Sleeping Stone Gargoyle, obtaining Tortoise-Beast Cubs ×3, and personally unlocking the pet system early】

"Holy shit, awesome, the Death God has already taken care of the stone gargoyle!"

Perhaps, as an older classmate who's a big kid, playing ball with the younger guys would be a happy thing.

But if it were accompanying a child as huge as Hatred playing with his mother's relic, you definitely couldn't laugh.

Inside the laboratory, the players had already gone through several rounds of the drum-passing flower game, and the players on the field had died, leaving only half.

Under psychological pressure and intense exercise, even the toughest high-level players felt fatigue, and their movements gradually became sluggish.

Therefore, at this moment, the victory outside was undoubtedly a shot of adrenaline, reviving the atmosphere in the laboratory that had gradually sunk into gloom.

Several players looked at each other, their eyes holding only one sentence.

——What should we do now?

Easy.

Since all external factors have been eliminated, all that remains now is to wrap things up!

The players' strategists immediately pulled out a separate group to start discussing, finalizing the final killing plan.

So, after receiving yet another ring passed into his hand, the spearman did not rush to throw it away.

"You, chase after me!"

Instead, he waved at Hatred and began to circle it here.

The other players quickly took their positions, those who needed to apply medicine did so, those who needed to prepare did so.

Once preparations were complete, with the help of another wave of player reinforcements, they launched another assault on the boss.

Or rather, competition.

After all, Edgar's reward was snatched by Wai Shu; he was the big boss of this round, also triggering a hidden mechanism that could lower the difficulty, so there's nothing to say about his contribution.

And the stone gargoyle's reward was instantly killed by the Death God; this one is a heavyweight, bearing the boss's ultimate skill to launch a countercharge, so there's nothing to say about his ability.

After all that, it seems only this Hatred's reward can be contested like in a traditional online game.

Therefore, the Spearblade, Starlight, Justice and other guilds formed several special teams, and in this laboratory that had been devastated to the point of being almost unviewable, they launched the final battle.

However, this had nothing to do with Ji Ming either; coincidentally, Cang Lang also didn't think his side, with only two people, could compete with those big shots, so he simply pulled him along to retreat from the battlefield.

But as soon as they walked out of the broken opening, they saw Aurora approach, completely intact, not a speck of dust on her.

"Brother, urgent matter, let me see your reward!"

Ji Ming, however, remained unmoved, and instead asked.

"Let me guess, after the stone gargoyle ran out, you just shrank into the corner and did edge output?"

"I'm a crossbowman, isn't that normal..."

Looking at the "Usu Great Khan Blood Battle Hatred Illustration" he pulled out, Aurora hurriedly corrected herself.

"The Great Khan is an exception; they're actually melee archers!"

After walking out a bit, they found the missing Fei Ying at the bed crossbow by the door.

Since they were both tech climbers, he naturally already knew the Challenger players, and he had also participated in the development of these weapons.

Calculating the various data gained from this battle, he kicked at the shrapnel scattered all over the ground.

"This battle was still too early; if we waited a bit longer, I would definitely have to build heavy artillery like stone-throwers!"

"Indeed, I also couldn't set the Pioneers' market to forbid heavy weapons!"

Although the interior of the laboratory was still lively, the outside of the cave had already returned to normal.

After all, the players still lingering in the residential area didn't think they were qualified to get involved in the big guilds' feud.

So they all put away their weapons, either returning to the sanctuary to heal, or going to the blacksmith's shop to repair, to attend to their own affairs.

Seeing that the howling Hatred had no chance of coming out to cause trouble anymore, Ji Ming proceeded to calculate the total mission rewards in advance.

Thus, the moles outside the mine, who had been anxious for a long time, finally returned home with the help of the beastman players.

Lifting their heads, they looked at the mess from floor to wall, and shed a handful of sour rat tears.

This is both powerful crossbow and explosion; my home is almost being torn down into a dangerous building—what have you all been guarding……

But being able to return to freedom is a good thing; since, whether subjectively or objectively, the players have no desire to dominate them, they are truly rare good people.

Therefore, under the dual influence of the world's will and grateful psychology, they, as described in the reward, promised to give the players some free coal every day.

Meanwhile, on the other side, after prolonged combat, facing the players' encirclement, Hatred was nothing more than a spent crossbow bolt.

Thus, the players inside the mine hadn't all finished yet, but the boss battle inside had already been decided.

Hatred, after having all its limbs severed one after another, turned into a maggot-like humanoid, and finally died from a spearman's shot that pierced its skull.

Facing the provocation of the newly risen Starlight guild, Spearblade successfully maintained its old guild's standing in the jianghu, firmly holding the chief seat.

As for the reward for slaying the Hatred boss, it is a narrow sword whose blade emits white light.

Everyone in the Production Team shook their heads upon seeing this enchanted weapon that was good-looking but useless, including Vermor himself.

Only Ji Ming was overjoyed, listing it as the most expensive sword in the shop and demanding that Vermor find a way to mass-produce it.

After all.

"Is this a lightsaber? It's way too cool!"

"Ahhh, if I had known earlier I would have gone for the blade, I also want to be a Jedi warrior."

"Envious, it even has sound effects when swung, I'm sore."

"Looks equal combat power, style equals strength and status; this gorgeous weapon makes even players who didn't join the fight unable to resist envy."

"But after pulling out the spearhead stained with fresh blood, the spearman's expression was not pleasant."

"Frowning and hesitating for a long time, he suddenly felt someone pat his shoulder; turning his head, he saw it was the Great Khan."

"Friend, actually there's nothing to be confused about; the existence of such deformity and malice is itself wrong, death could be a kind of relief."

"Although we've competed, we've also fought side by side."

"It's just a game; where could any contradiction exist?"

"The spearman then gave a slight smile and patted his arm with the back of his hand."

"Well said, come on, let me buy you a drink!"

"At the same time, the system also completed the calculation of contribution points for everyone."

"This reward could have gone to Ji Ming, but he truly had no use for it, so the necklace named Hero's Heart ended up in Death God's hands."

"Haha, this is perfect for me, I can't wait—uh, why does this thing look like a magical girl's transformation key?"

"Some eat chaff, some eat meat; some are happy, some are sad—the first major dungeon after the closed beta thus concludes."

"In Ji Ming's conception, the purpose of this first dungeon should be a 'whip', driving more players to participate in the cutthroat competition."

"Indeed, that's exactly the case—who wouldn't want to seize the spotlight before tens of thousands, who wouldn't want to vie for the dungeon's ultimate reward?"

"After the battle, there was no peace; instead, the practical training camp saw its peak population since the server opened."

"I've figured it out—now the 'trainee' is basically just human rights; if you can't keep up with the training, you can only follow behind and drink soup!"

"Almost every warehouse has players teaming up to grind experience and level up, the atmosphere unprecedentedly high."

"Besides, the technological weapons that once again proved their worth in battle also attracted plenty of attention."

"For a time, the challengers became highly sought after, with countless players applying to join them."

"Unfortunately, that black potion made from a poison gas grenade was too harsh; no one could drink an entire bottle and pass the test."

"You're not even ruthless enough with yourself; how can we believe you're willing to join us in challenging the impossible in the game?"

"Thus they were all turned away at the door; the challengers remained just those few closed-beta players, at most plus a few external orc testers."

"But with technology like this, you still need to grasp it in your own hands to feel at ease; otherwise it's easy to be strangled and feel disgusted."

"Thus the two major guilds, Spearblade and Starry Sky, successively announced they would form their own R&D teams to develop and upgrade player technology."

"Think about it—there are no trade barriers or patent barriers in the game; just copy real-world technology."

"Moreover, they pursued both individual soldiers and heavy weapons, having both resources and manpower, and launched several new projects all at once."

"After working half the night, the Embroidered Night Patrol Squad also entered their free activity time."

"Ji Ming waited outside the mine for a moment, and finally saw a huge bird resembling a crane gradually flying out of the darkness."

"Grass and trees intertwined, life bursting forth—naturally, this plant life was created by Ge Rui Sen."

"And in its hollow abdomen's 'cabin' sat a big rat; only after seeing the flying bird slowly land and crouch did it drag its bulky body out."

"He opened his satchel, took out a notebook, and held it up to Ji Ming."

"【I want to complain, there's no toilet on the plane!】"

"Nananananana, still need 25 average subscriptions to reach eight hundred, please please please QWQ"