Chapter 95 Dying in Agony

Falcon and Optimus Prime could not remain outside; no one knew how many bullets the players halfway up the mountain still possessed, and neither dared to gamble on their marksmanship. Helpless, they retreated into the earthen house. The bandits who had first taken shelter inside saw them enter and looked at them with undisguised contempt.

In the eyes of the bandits, Falcon was too cowardly to stay outside himself, yet ordered others to risk their lives—how could such a man command their respect? Consequently, when Falcon tried to organize the defense of the earthen house, the bandits paid him no heed. Instead, led by Monkey Three, they hid in the innermost room.

Optimus Prime was furious and wished to kill the bandits then and there, but Falcon stopped him. Though the bandits were of little use, their presence could at least annoy the attacking players. It would be foolish to allow internal strife before the enemy had even arrived.

There were two rows of earthen houses, each no more than ten square meters. The coming battle would depend chiefly on Optimus Prime, whose close-quarters combat attribute stood at thirty-eight. He had learned Shaolin boxing in the game, which added three points to his combat stat, but such techniques were ill-suited to a fight for life and death. At Falcon’s suggestion, Optimus Prime took up two kitchen knives as weapons, pushing his combat stat past forty.

Originally, Falcon had great confidence in Optimus Prime’s close-quarters abilities, but after witnessing the fight at the foot of the mountain, his faith wavered. He clung to a shred of hope that the player skilled with the broadsword was merely impressive in appearance, and that his real ability in close combat was average—perhaps it was only the weakness of the bandits that made him seem so formidable.

Optimus Prime hid in the second house, Falcon entered the third. He stacked tables and chairs, climbed atop them, and lifted the thatch covering the roof, poking out half his head to observe. Seven players were climbing the mountain path.

Falcon retrieved a Fast Rifle from his bandolier, concealed it among the thatch, and aimed at one of the players. He did not fire immediately. The players were still more than a hundred meters away, and his shooting attribute was not high; at this range, the odds of hitting were low, and a premature shot would only alert them.

He planned to open fire when the players were within fifty meters; with luck, he might take down two or three, easing Optimus Prime’s burden considerably.

While Falcon plotted, Chen Hao was even more cautious. Their enemies had forsaken cover, clearly preparing defenses inside the earthen houses. He had noticed the thatched roofs and instructed Rain Butterfly to keep a close watch, while the others advanced, crouched and wary of sudden gunfire.

Rain Butterfly quietly informed Chen Hao that someone was on the roof of the third house. When they were eighty meters from the houses, Chen Hao suddenly halted and stood at the front with Lin Xiaofeng. Most players had decent accuracy at around sixty meters, so at eighty, the defenders would not likely fire. He and Lin Xiaofeng, both tall, stood in front to shield Baihu Hu Yaonie and the Fisherman.

Falcon’s hand rested on the trigger; his plan was to fire as soon as the enemy entered the fifty-meter range. Their pause at eighty meters puzzled him. If they had already spotted him on the roof, they would have fired first, even with low accuracy, yet the two men at the front did not look up at the roof, but seemed to be discussing something.

Falcon waited patiently. Suddenly, the two tall enemies darted aside, and with a thunderous gunshot, darkness engulfed his vision and a burning sensation seared his face.

“Player Falcon, your eyesight has been lost due to a shotgun blast to the eyes,” the system informed him. “Player Falcon, you are now bleeding. Please take immediate action to save yourself; excessive blood loss may lead to death.”

Two consecutive system messages filled Falcon with regret. The enemy had clearly noticed him long ago, feigning ignorance. At eighty meters, rifle accuracy was low—except for the raised gun technique. When the bandits had charged earlier, the enemy had used a raised gun, but Falcon hadn’t noticed due to the distance; now he paid dearly.

A large shotgun firing at eighty meters easily covered the entire roof of the third house with pellets; Falcon’s injury was no accident. Now incapacitated, he shouted toward the second house, “Optimus Prime, I’ve lost the ability to fight. It’s all up to you.”

Inside the second house, Optimus Prime was stunned. Just how skilled were these players? Even in a game, Falcon was considered a master—yet he was defeated so easily.

Optimus Prime calmed himself, set the kitchen knives on the table, then blocked the only window with miscellaneous items, determined to rely on close combat for a comeback.

Chen Hao’s group of seven cautiously reached the summit, surprised to encounter no resistance along the way. Chen Hao put away his rifle and took out his Prestige Edition Colt; Rain Butterfly returned the G98 rifle to Lin Xiaofeng and switched to a Standard Browning pistol. With the coming battle inside the earthen houses, the confined space favored handguns over long rifles.

Chen Hao kicked open the door to the first house; it was empty. He moved a table to the wall and signaled Rain Butterfly and Baihu Hu Yaonie to climb atop it and peel back the thatch, ascending to the roof. The houses were entirely thatched; the roof could not bear a player’s weight, but the thirty-centimeter-thick walls could.

Chen Hao left the first house and signaled Rain Butterfly and Baihu Hu Yaonie to advance in unison. Seeing the window of the second house blocked, a sinister smile appeared on his face. Whoever had barricaded himself inside must be supremely confident in his own combat abilities, hoping to render firearms ineffective.

A loud crash echoed.

Chen Hao intended to make sure that no matter how skilled the defender was in close combat, he would have no chance to use it. He kicked open the door. Optimus Prime, lurking to one side and gripping his knives, was ready to pounce like a beast at the first sign of entry. But he was disappointed—the intruder did not charge in, but instead fired wildly into the room from outside.

Optimus Prime’s nerves were taut, so much so that he did not hear the faint sound above his head. Baihu Hu Yaonie pulled aside the thatch and saw Optimus Prime below. Smirking, he aimed his Mauser pistol and pulled the trigger, firing five shots in quick succession and riddling Optimus Prime with bullets.

Unwilling to accept his fate, Optimus Prime glanced up at the roof and collapsed with a dull thud, feeling a suffocating sense of injustice. In the neighboring third house, Falcon heard gunfire from the roof but not from the next room; he sighed inwardly.

This group of players had calculated everything perfectly and possessed formidable strength. He and Optimus Prime had been utterly defeated.

Falcon was grievously wounded. Given the current economic conditions in the game, it was better to commit suicide and lose a level than seek treatment at a hospital. He had intended to kill himself, but curiosity about the commander of the attacking players made him pause. He tossed his gun aside and waited.

When the door opened, Falcon said calmly, “I’ve lost the ability to fight. I haven’t committed suicide because I’m curious about your name. Will you tell me?”

“There’s no need,” Chen Hao replied without hesitation. In the early stages of the game, he had no desire for fame; he understood well that the boldest bird is the first to be shot.

Falcon shook his head with regret. “Your gaming skills are exceptional. Would you consider joining the army and serving the nation? I can recommend you—your abilities would surely be valued.”

“To serve the nation?” Chen Hao replied coolly, “I just want to enjoy the game. I don’t want to complicate things.”