Chapter 30: Fire Extinguished

"Me!"

"Me!"

"Me!"

Aside from Niu Niu, the other three rushed to speak; at Fang Yue's request, they played rock-paper-scissors to decide the winner.

The man eagerly took Fang Yue's Soul Torch, ignited it with his remaining lifespan, and began running toward the distance.

Compared to being killed at any moment by the strange entities here, burning lifespan to light the torch was a minor issue.

Not to mention that reporting the news counted as merit in the Guard Team, earning rewards.

With Shi Wuliao and that man gone, the squad now had only four left.

The team now had only one Soul Torch, held by Niu Niu.

Niu Niu was exhilarated, eager to act.

Since last night, except for eating and using the toilet, he spent every moment immersed in the game, frantically training his fists.

The bloodstains shaped like fist impressions on the solid stone in the Guard Station's courtyard told of his efforts.

If not for insufficient lifespan, he wouldn't even have wanted to leave for missions.

His original 3.0 Yu Li had, in just one day and night, been forcibly raised to 3.7 Yu Li.

This growth rate left the probationary members envious and even the Instructor looked at him with new respect.

If this were in any sect, he'd unquestionably be a Martial Arts prodigy.

But Niu Niu knew that beyond diligence, his main advantage was the 【Innate Divine Strength】 talent.

He had concealed the full effect of 【Innate Divine Strength】.

【Innate Divine Strength】 not only added 2 points of Yu Li but also increased the rate of Yu Li growth to a certain degree—a growth-type talent with great future potential.

"But who doesn't hold back something?"

Niu Niu regarded Fang Yue with the posture of a challenger.

"Just as no one knows how Ye Ge managed to walk through the Heavy Rain last night."

Last night, Fang Yue's punch shattered the solid stone, deeply shocking Niu Niu—but Niu Niu was also stubborn; he believed that given time, he could surpass Fang Yue.

Now, he intended to kill the strange entity, denying Fang Yue any chance to act, to prove his newfound strength!

As he thought of this, Niu Niu prepared to ignite a Human Soul Torch to locate the strange entity—when a large hand pressed down on the torch.

"Wait!"

"Ye Ge, the enemy is hidden while we're exposed—without igniting the Human Soul Torch, how can we find their location?"

Fang Yue looked at Niu Niu and intensified his tone: "Wait!"

As soon as he spoke, Fang Yue resumed staring intently at the teammate who had just left the squad holding the torch.

The man had only just run over a hundred meters away, standing out clearly in the darkness.

Niu Niu was puzzled but said nothing, instead turning his gaze to the other two in the squad.

Those two were hiding behind Fang Yue, their faces pleading for protection.

Sensing Niu Niu's gaze, they immediately wore expressions of three parts embarrassment and seven parts flattery.

Clearly, they couldn't be counted as combatants.

In fact, they weren't specialized fighters at all—just ordinary players.

They had wandered the village all day, pulling weeds, feeding chickens, doing anything, searching desperately for a better path.

But after a full day, they found no direction—no talent, no path, needing more lifespan to find opportunity and position in the village.

Time didn't wait; their lifespan was dwindling, forcing them into panic, so they turned to Niu Niu and begged to join the night patrol mission at all costs.

So, these two were truly dead weight.

Not just Niu Niu—Fang Yue also knew these two were dead weight.

But there was no choice: you take money, you remove disaster.

These were clients who had paid; Fang Yue couldn't just abandon them.

Of course, if trouble arose, he'd prioritize his own safety.

For instance, right now, Fang Yue was using them for testing, ensuring his own security.

The only annoyance was that Fang Yue hadn't been certain whether 【Night's Breath】 could heal his injuries, so he'd charged too little.

Now to raise the price… it felt unscrupulous; if his reputation soured, he'd lose his ability to harvest leeks.

As for Shi Wuliao's earlier mention of "10,000 yuan per strange human head," Fang Yue hadn't even considered it.

If there was a strange to kill, how could he let someone else take it? That deal wouldn't be worth it—his body was severely wounded, and he hadn't even thought of taking the job, so he never discussed it in detail.

As Fang Yue thought of these things, the teammate holding the torch had already run over two hundred meters and was nearing the first intersection.

According to the route, he would turn left at the first intersection—after that corner, the light would vanish from Fang Yue's view.

"So the strange isn't nearby?"

As Fang Yue made this judgment and was about to withdraw his gaze…

The moving flame in the distance suddenly stopped.

Fang Yue's heart lurched; he focused his gaze.

But the distance was too great—he could barely make out anything.

From the shift in light and shadow, it was clear the torch had fallen to the ground.

Faintly, he seemed to see two shadowy figures moving.

Hss.

At that moment, the Human Soul Torch went out, deprived of lifespan.

The area plunged into total darkness; only then did Niu Niu and the others snap their gazes toward it.

Almost at the moment Niu Niu and the others turned their gaze that way, a series of heart-wrenching screams erupted there, echoing along the avenue.

The screams lasted only a few seconds before suddenly falling silent.

Everyone knew the man must be dead.

Thinking of Yong Ge and his teammates' gruesome fates, the others felt a chill run down their spines.

Thud.

One of the players behind Fang Yue suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Fang Yue turned back and saw the man's face twisted in terror, trembling violently, while another player stared blankly, expressionless, as if his soul had been ripped away.

Fang Yue paused, slightly startled.

"What happened to him?"

"Logged out."

Niu Niu whispered low: "I've seen how others look after logging out—like they've lost their souls. Ye Ge, forget them, the anomaly is ahead—let's charge forward!"

Charge forward?

We don't even know what level this anomaly is—do you want to die?

"Not wise. The anomaly's strength is unknown. Let's go to Chen Fu for reinforcements."

The anomaly ahead cuts off any chance of seeking help from other Patrol Teams.

The only possible support left is Chen Fu.

Given my relationship with Chen Captain, when he engages the anomaly, wouldn't it be fair for me to snatch a kill?

Thinking this, Fang Yue reached for Niu Niu's Human Soul Torch—but suddenly felt resistance.

He glanced at Niu Niu in surprise; Niu Niu gripped the Human Soul Torch tightly, smiling: "Ye Ge, the time hasn't come yet. Let me keep holding the torch."

Niu Niu isn't stupid. Before that man's incident, he'd merely found Fang Yue's decisions odd.

Now, he understood completely.

Fang Yue had long sensed the anomaly nearby—and had used lives to probe its exact location.

Niu Niu didn't want to become Fang Yue's stepping stone or cannon fodder.

So he had to think for himself, decide his own actions—not blindly obey Fang Yue's orders.

Niu Niu valued his own life deeply. He knew if he died again, there wouldn't be another lucky bonus pack—achieving his current status would be far harder.

(End of Chapter)