Chapter 150: The Enemy in the Shadows

Most of the melee combatants retreated from the Boss's vicinity in an instant. However, Kong Zhe and Xiaolei did not withdraw. Thanks to Samadhi's immunity to fire damage and Xiaolei's continuous healing, Kong Zhe's health remained full. He continued his relentless assault on the massive python.

During the battle, Kong Zhe kept a watchful eye on the general combat situation and health bars of everyone in the plaza. Based on the current tempo of attacks, he estimated that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they should be able to finish off this One-Eyed Giant Deer within half an hour.

Now that the most perilous period had passed, Kong Zhe felt somewhat relieved. He slightly eased his offensive and shifted to a steady, solid fighting style.

Although this approach was a bit slower, its primary advantage was safety. Kong Zhe was certain that he was the person most familiar with this Boss, giving him the confidence that, at the present pace, the creature could not pull off any unexpected tricks.

Of course, there were faster ways to clear the encounter. He could have utilized his foreknowledge to maximize his own gains.

Yet, for the sake of safety, he had chosen the most arduous and unrewarding method. He constantly reminded himself that a prophecy of death still loomed over his head; thus, he preferred to forgo certain benefits in the sole hope of safely surviving this designated moment of peril.

By this time, another batch of fully rested personnel had rotated in to take his place, significantly reducing the pressure on him.

As time elapsed, the gigantic moon in the sky seemed to have shifted its position slightly, and the earth-shattering battle cries of the Awakened had grown much fainter.

This battle, which had lasted for nearly an hour, was the longest single engagement any of the Awakened had experienced since the apocalypse.

Following such a protracted fight, the majority of the Awakened bore severe injuries. Many were covered in soot and congealed blood, while countless others had already lost their lives in the fray.

Even though they had entered the fight with prior knowledge of the Boss, and despite Kong Zhe's sudden emergence to stabilize the situation, the relentless scorching of the magma beneath their feet continued to bake the battered bodies of the Awakened throughout the grueling marathon. Furthermore, the priests' magic reserves had long since been depleted. Consequently, the death toll began to climb rapidly during this final stage.

Many Awakened realized only too late that their health had plummeted to a critical level, and by then, it was too late to retreat and seek out a priest. As a result, many perished right there.

Despite this, nearly two-thirds of the Awakened managed to survive. The health bar of the One-Eyed Giant Deer before them was now reduced to a sliver, and most importantly, its attacks had grown feeble and weak.

At this point, every Awakened recognized that the Boss monster no longer posed a threat to them; what remained was merely a matter of time.

Just hold on a little longer, victory was right in front of them!

Kong Zhe let out a long breath. Although he had barely lost any health during this battle, the physical exhaustion was substantial. Having fought continuously for nearly an hour, even with his superior physique, he felt somewhat drained.

What brought him comfort, however, was that no major mishaps had occurred along the way. The deadly crisis of this night should finally be behind him now...

Since even the Boss had failed to kill him, he genuinely could not imagine what else within this safe zone could possibly threaten him.

The prophecy of death, it seemed, was nothing much after all...

Kong Zhe thought with a relaxed mindset. Or perhaps, because Xiaolei had remained by his side the entire time, her power of good fortune had taken effect, shielding him from any danger throughout the night?

Kong Zhe could not help turning his head for a glance. Behind him, Xiaolei stood there quietly. Just as she had all evening, she remained like a loyal little shadow, standing behind him without a single complaint.

Perhaps they had not exchanged many words, but simply having her stand there quietly filled Kong Zhe with a sense of reassurance.

Would this be considered living off a woman?

Kong Zhe stroked his chin, a playful and frivolous thought crossing his mind.

Seeming to sense his gaze, Xiaolei raised her head slightly, her hood sliding back just a bit to reveal her exquisite face as she flashed Kong Zhe a sweet smile.

It was a sweetness so tender it felt as though it might melt an opening right through his iron-hard heart.

Ripples stirred gently in his chest. In that instant, Kong Zhe even felt the urge to pull her into his arms and rain passionate kisses upon her.

Damn it, what is happening?

Could it be that I actually harbor feelings for this girl...

He hurriedly shook his head, casting aside these improper and stray thoughts.

"Big Brother Kong, what's wrong?"

Seeing Xiaolei tilt her head with a look of pure innocence, Kong Zhe felt his aged face flush slightly, and he gave a hasty, dry cough to mask his embarrassment.

"Ahem, it's nothing..."

Shaking his head, Kong Zhe looked back toward the Boss while mentally summoning the Hydra that had long since burrowed deep underground.

Having just confirmed that the overall situation was secure, Kong Zhe had temporarily stepped back from the battlefield. After a mere few dozen seconds, the health of the One-Eyed Giant Deer had dropped to its very last drop, its vital halo turning nearly black.

At this juncture, all the Awakened present understood that in a matter of minutes at most, the Boss monster that had claimed the lives of nearly two hundred of their comrades would finally crash to the ground.

Normally, this should have been a joyous occasion, yet the atmosphere in the plaza began to turn somewhat bizarre.

In any other setting, finally welcoming the moment of ultimate victory after such a grueling marathon would have surely excited the besieging Awakened, prompting them to accelerate their attacks and settle the target as quickly as possible.

Yet now, seeing the One-Eyed Giant Deer on the verge of collapsing, everyone present unconsciously and simultaneously slowed down their pace of attack.

This was true for members of the four major factions and independent Awakened alike.

Kong Zhe shook his head and let out a faint sigh.

He knew all too well why these people were acting this way, and he could more or less guess what was running through their minds.

It seemed that the leaked intelligence regarding the Boss's drops had finally manifested its true power at this very moment.

Although most people could not be entirely certain whether the drops would actually occur, with the Boss stripped of its threat, many instinctively wanted to take a gamble.

What if the rumor turned out to be true?

Naturally, only Kong Zhe and a select few knew in their hearts that the rumor was indeed true. Not only would it drop loot, but it would drop an overwhelming abundance of rare treasures.

Given the current circumstances, once the Boss died, it was bound to trigger a chaotic and vicious scramble.

In the face of such immense benefits, so-called human nature and shame would be cast entirely to the wind, potentially escalating into a battle even more brutal than the one against the giant deer.

People all around were beginning to make subtle, restless movements, and in the distance, Guo Xueming was already leading a few people toward him. Judging by his somewhat gloomy expression, he had likely sensed the thorny situation and wished to discuss it with him.

Kong Zhe frowned and quietly reached for the walkie-talkie on his chest.

"Brother Kong, what should we do?"

Before he could speak, Red Ling's voice came through first.

"Where are you right now?"

"I've already come downstairs and am currently approaching the center of the plaza..."

"Alright, proceed according to the original plan for now. Be careful later; if there's no opportunity, just let it go. The giant snake is still around anyway, so don't get yourself hurt over the scramble."

"…Understood…"

Sensing Kong Zhe's concern, Red Ling's voice carried a trace of pleasant surprise.

Kong Zhe let out a breath and was about to put down the walkie-talkie to go discuss things with Guo Xueming when the alarm device on his walkie-talkie suddenly blared.

"…Kong, Kong Zhe, save me… they're here…"

Xue Feifei's panicked and halting voice rang out through the device.

"What's going on?"

Kong Zhe froze, asking subconsciously. However, no further voice came from the walkie-talkie; it was replaced entirely by static and buzzing white noise, as if the communicator on the other end had been forcibly smashed. This caused Kong Zhe to knit his brows deeply.

Beside him, Xiaolei's heart tightened instantly, her face filling with intense worry.

Kong Zhe clenched his fists. For some inexplicable reason, the moment the alarm sounded, a sudden sense of foreboding gripped his heart.

The prophecy of death resurfaced in his mind.

They?

Who?

Xue Feifei's panicked tone instinctively made Kong Zhe think of two individuals.

—The demolitionist and the raincoat-wearing woman they had been tracking all along!

Could those two really be here, and had they actually found the place where they were temporarily staying?

Honestly, the possibility could not be ruled out. If it were those two, the door that looked so heavily fortified would not offer any resistance at all.

"Brother Kong, what should we do?"

Red Ling's voice came through once more; clearly, she had received Xue Feifei's distress call at the same time.

Kong Zhe's expression flickered rapidly before he gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Xiaolei and I will head back to check it out. You stick to the original plan... improvise as you see fit. If you can grab something, grab it; if not, forget it. The giant snake is still there anyway. If you feel there's no chance, abandon those items—no matter how precious, they're just external possessions. We'll rendezvous back at the private room right after!"

"…Understood!"

Putting down the walkie-talkie, Kong Zhe hurriedly took the panicked Xiaolei and left the area, rushing back. As he passed Guo Xueming along the way, Kong Zhe tossed out a quick remark.

"Sorry, something came up at home, we're giving up on this drop!"

Giving him a profound look, Kong Zhe added in a low voice right beside his ear: "Good luck with the rest!"

Events had transpired far too suddenly, leaving Guo Xueming with no time to fully process the situation. Yet Kong Zhe had no intention of waiting for him to understand; the moment his words finished, he grabbed Xiaolei and sped away.

Guo Xueming stood there in a daze, watching the direction in which the two figures disappeared, his brows furrowed tightly.

"Boss, what do we do?"

One of his subordinates behind him asked in a low voice.

Guo Xueming stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and said, "Forget it, looks like he really does have an emergency... Since he voluntarily gave up, he can't blame us later for not cutting him in."