Chapter Twenty: Battle

"Everyone's gone. Why don't we make a run for it?" Xiao Zhang suggested, taking advantage of the others' absence to slip away unnoticed.

"No," came the firm reply.

"Then which way should we go? We can't just wait here forever."

"Let's take the path with the fewest people," Mo Kuang answered, determined to avoid running into that Rat fellow.

Xiao Zhang agreed—he had no desire to encounter any members of his own squad either.

With their decision made, the two wasted no time and set out immediately. There were still a few other players lingering on the platform, and some, noticing the path they'd chosen, decided to follow. Mo Kuang paid no attention to these tagalongs.

"Aren't you worried about those people behind us?"

Mo Kuang grinned. "No need. They're probably just solo players. If we need to, we can trick them into taking the lead."

The further they descended, the darker it grew. The air itself became thick with the metallic tang of blood, making it difficult to breathe. As they pressed on, the ground beneath their feet turned into a road paved with white bones.

Finally, the last traces of light vanished. Mo Kuang pulled out a flashlight. "Looks like our luck isn't so great, Xiao Zhang. With this much blood in the air, who knows what kind of fight awaits us?"

"Mo, here—take this," Xiao Zhang said, handing her the dagger Mode had given him.

Taking the dagger, Mo Kuang felt a pang of guilt. Had she been wrong to drag him into this? What if he died here? "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet—I expect you to get me out of here!" Xiao Zhang gave her a gentle pat. "I don't plan on being trapped in this place forever, right? Come on, let's keep moving!"

Suddenly, Mo Kuang called him over, and Xiao Zhang hurried to her side.

"Head down!"

"Huh?"

"I said, head down!" Mo Kuang snapped, giving him a light smack on the head.

Baffled by the slap—was she on her period or something?—but obedient, Xiao Zhang lowered his head. "What now?"

"Here," Mo Kuang said, shoving the flashlight into his hand.

Then she slipped a necklace around his neck. Xiao Zhang glanced down and saw a delicate cross pendant, set with a small pale blue gem at its center.

Seeing the necklace, Xiao Zhang was puzzled and looked it over twice, frowning. "What's this for?"

Mo Kuang smiled. "It's for warding off ghosts."

"Wait—there are ghosts here?" Xiao Zhang exclaimed, immediately pulling out his trusty wrench.

"Take a look behind us!"

Turning, Xiao Zhang could only mutter an expletive, uncertain how to feel about what he saw.

"We might have stumbled into a hidden instance," Mo Kuang said, drawing her own weapon—a cross as tall as she was.

"Which way now?"

"Straight ahead!"

The passage seemed to end at last, opening into a rounded archway. Beyond it was another vast platform—this one resembling an enormous underground parking lot, ringed by countless dark columns, the space easily five times larger than the previous platform.

Some of the pillars looked ancient, some broken off at the base. Xiao Zhang sniffed the air and recoiled at the indescribable stench of decay.

"Something's off here. Stay sharp!"

"Got it," Mo Kuang replied, summoning her pet.

A spirit-white fawn, small but exuding a sense of power, appeared at her side.

"Yao Yao, go take a look," she commanded, and the little deer trotted off, vanishing among the pillars.

Moments later, Mo Kuang called out urgently, "Xiao Zhang, we've got a situation!"

She somehow projected her personal system's map into a three-dimensional display before them.

Far off, the map was swarming with red dots—so dense they almost formed a solid mass, closing in on their position, and multiplying by the second.

"Get ready to fight," Mo Kuang said, gripping her massive cross.

Xiao Zhang's scalp tingled. "Is running not an option?"

"Are you doubting the skills of the top healer in the national server?"

"No, not at all." Staring at the sea of red dots on the map, Xiao Zhang felt his nerves fray.

"But why haven't they reached us yet?" Mo Kuang wondered, checking her own surroundings.

Just then, screams and shouts erupted behind them—the group of solo players who'd followed them had been attacked!

Through her pet's eyes, Mo Kuang suddenly paled. "They're all skeleton minions!"

She shared a three-dimensional projection from her pet's view:

Hordes of small, skeletal figures in tattered armor wielding all manner of weapons surged forward. Their bony faces were twisted into snarls, claws extended. They moved with frightening speed and agility, leaping from pillar to pillar like apes.

Worst of all, their numbers were utterly overwhelming.

The unlucky solo players barely had time to form a defense before the skeletons scattered them, and chaos erupted.

A makeshift barricade was quickly breached, and some skeletons leaped over it.

A player wielding a wand suddenly slammed it to the ground—instantly, a burst of silvery flames exploded outward, engulfing a dozen skeletons. They shrieked as the fire consumed them, leaving only ashes.

One scrawny player, after felling three or four skeletons, lost his weapon. A skeleton lying in wait drove a blade deep into his thigh, making him howl in agony—then, suddenly, he transformed. His frail body swelled into a towering werewolf.

The werewolf instantly became the focus of the skeletons' assault. Dozens leapt onto his massive frame, slashing relentlessly with their short blades.

He tore apart seven or eight skeletons in a flash, but the onslaught was relentless. More and more skeletons clung to him, their blades drawing blood with every strike.