Thump, thump, thump…
Short, rapid footsteps echoed through the underground garage as "Ashamed to Be a Father" lowered his body and charged like a beast, ramming his shoulder hard into the Automaton's steel body.
His physique could smash through walls, yet the Automaton merely staggered from the impact.
Buzz-buzz-buzz...
The chainsaw grazed past Xie Lingxi, missing her by inches and slamming into the concrete ground. Its high-speed rotation carved a deep, narrow groove into the floor.
Zhang Yuanqing reacted instantly. Muscles swelling with explosive force, he dashed to Xie Lingxi's side, grabbed her shoulder, and yanked her back—tossing the little girl toward Xishi—then lunged to grab the Automaton's arm holding the chainsaw and roared:
"Everyone, now! Take its weapon!"
His voice rang out like a gong, snapping Huomo and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven out of their panic. They both pounced on the Automaton simultaneously—Huomo ramming it from behind in a fit of rage, while the Great Sage joined Zhang Yuanqing in trying to wrest the chainsaw away.
"You're all going to die. Every last one of you..."
A mechanical voice blared from the speaker embedded in the Automaton's chest. Crackle—the sound of electricity surged. Its arm twisted with mechanical force, and with a violent swing, it flung both Zhang Yuanqing and the Great Sage away.
The latter crashed heavily to the ground like a sack of sand, dazed and disoriented.
Zhang Yuanqing adjusted mid-air, flipping twice to redirect the force before landing stably.
A Wood Demon?
Witnessing this, Zhang Yuanqing immediately identified the Great Sage's class.
At the Transcendent stage, a Level 2 Wood Demon—also known as a Wood Ape—possesses natural climbing agility and exceptional reflexes.
The way he absorbed the impact just now wasn't brute strength; it was technique. Wood Demon fit the profile perfectly.
Bang bang bang...
"Ashamed to Be a Father" hammered his fists against the Automaton's steel chest like rain.
But the Automaton simply swept an arm and sent him flying, then charged forward with the chainsaw once more.
Amid the chaos, the seemingly unremarkable middle-aged man revealed a side that sharply contrasted with his demeanor: ruthless, agile, and deadly. His brows furrowed with fury as he evaded the chainsaw with the help of nearby parked cars—sprinting, diving, rolling—just barely avoiding death each time.
It was a razor's edge.
"F**k you!"
Huomo cursed as he sprinted, leapt, and dropkicked the Automaton in the back with both feet.
But it didn't even budge. The brakes in its feet held firm. The Automaton swiftly turned, swinging the chainsaw arm in a wide arc.
Huomo instinctively raised an arm to block.
Squelch!
His right hand was severed instantly. It hit the floor with a sickening slap.
He crumpled to the ground, howling in agony.
Zhang Yuanqing and the Great Sage returned just in time—one reengaged the Automaton to distract it, while the other dragged the wounded Huomo away.
Clang! Clang!
Zhang Yuanqing's fists pounded the steel chestplate, pain shooting up his arms as if his bones might crack. His iron fists, usually enough to beat an old man to death, were reduced to kitten punches here.
Now there were two targets. The Automaton hunted them both.
With his Night Wanderer physique, Zhang Yuanqing narrowly dodged fatal attacks again and again, mind spinning rapidly.
We can't win. And we can't run either. This is a wipe scenario. Our skills are sealed—how are we supposed to survive an Automaton like this?
But even in an S-rank dungeon, the system wouldn't issue an impossible mission. There had to be a solution—it was just hidden. If only there were a sanctuary like the Mountain God Temple...
Suddenly, an idea flashed.
"Get in the cars! Hide inside the cars!"
Everyone froze, then the realization hit like lightning. The Great Sage, desperate for hope, fumbled for his keys and hit the unlock button.
Beep beep!
The recently unlocked car lit up with flashing taillights.
He sprinted toward it—then suddenly remembered Huomo and ran back, helping him up and limping toward the car together.
Xie Lingxi, pale and shaken, pulled out a key fob and unlocked a nearby black SUV.
"There it is! Sister Xishi, come on!" she cried joyfully.
Xishi bolted toward the SUV. Xie Lingxi clutched her waist, limping along behind, calling back:
"This way!"
"You go first," said the middle-aged man grimly, ducking another chainsaw swing.
Seeing Zhang Yuanqing hesitate, he frowned.
"You're too green. No way you're a seasoned walker. If I leave now, you'll die for sure."
Can't I just be a non-combat class? Zhang Yuanqing grumbled inwardly, but didn't argue. He turned and ran.
He darted to the SUV, yanked the door open, and climbed into the backseat.
"Get in, now!"
"Ashamed to Be a Father" immediately broke away and sprinted toward him.
Vrrrrrrrm...
The Automaton revved its engine and launched forward on its wheel-feet.
The man's face twisted with effort, veins bulging as he sprinted with all his might—but still, he couldn't outrun the machine.
"Switch sides!" Zhang Yuanqing shouted.
He slammed one door shut and flung the other open.
The man dove left just as the chainsaw swept past, tumbled around the SUV, and scrambled inside.
Bang!
The door slammed shut.
Steam hissed from vents around the Automaton's ankles, bleeding off momentum. It came to a stop, chainsaw still in hand, staring at the car.
The four inside held their breath.
Thirty seconds passed in silence.
Zhang Yuanqing exhaled deeply, then looked at the Automaton still pacing outside the vehicle.
"Looks like I was right."
Xishi shot him a look of admiration. "You're amazing! Definitely a seasoned Lingjing Walker."
The middle-aged man gave him a sidelong glance.
Did he see through me? Zhang Yuanqing smiled faintly. "I just pay attention to details."
"You're a Scout?" Xie Lingxi asked, eyes wide.
As if. I'm not some 75-gold coin eye in a box. He merely smiled.
She didn't press. "Thank you, Uncle. And thank you too, Brother Wang Tai, for saving me."
The man nodded.
"We're a team. Helping each other is the only way through this," Zhang Yuanqing replied, earning even more admiration from the girl.
The Automaton outside was still circling, so no one dared exit the car. Zhang Yuanqing took the chance to rest and review the details so far:
Xie Lingxi doesn't seem combat-oriented. Xishi's tactics are too passive to judge. Huomo is likely a Fire Master—hot temper, hard to fake.
As for "Ashamed to Be a Father"… feels like Ou Xiangrong. He's ruthless in battle, has killing intent.
Could he be a Bewitching Demon? But too calm for that. Hmm... maybe he's just hiding it well. If he is, and he's from the opposing camp... should I eliminate him post-mission?
But we still need manpower to search the cars. Killing now only hinders progress...
Just then, Xie Lingxi squealed in delight, "Oh! I found another card!"
[Ding! Conditions met. Would you like to eliminate a teammate? If no choice is made within 30 seconds, the opportunity will be forfeited.]
[Ding! You have forfeited this opportunity.]
Everyone turned to see Xie Lingxi pulling a metallic card from behind the sun visor.
Its golden surface read:
[You have earned one chance to use a prop.]
A prop usage?
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes gleamed. Xishi, Xie Lingxi, and the middle-aged man looked just as intrigued.
Compared to the life-recovery card, this prop card could be game-changing. A well-used item might neutralize a threat entirely, unlike a mere heal.
Outside, the Automaton shouted "Everyone must die!" one last time and reluctantly slid away.
Just then, a timer appeared again—this time with 2 minutes and 40 seconds remaining.
20 seconds shorter.
"What the hell? We lost 20 seconds," Xishi gasped. "Does every Automaton appearance cut the timer?"
"Or maybe," Xie Lingxi suggested, "unlocking a car costs us 10 seconds each."
The group fell silent.
Either way—it was bad news.
Xishi turned pale. "S-rank dungeons are hell. I never want to do this again."
There are dungeons beyond S-rank...? Zhang Yuanqing mused bitterly.
Just then, the Great Sage approached, supporting a blood-soaked Huomo. The sleeve wrapped around his wrist did little to stem the bleeding.
By now, the blood had soaked his pants, and his face was white as a sheet.
"He's not gonna make it," the Great Sage said, gesturing toward the stump.
Huomo's voice was weak, but demanding: "Hey girl, give me that damn card. Hurry!"
Xie Lingxi pouted. "I need it for myself. Why should I give it to you?"
Huomo flared. "Knew you were fake! Acting all sweet, but you're just cold-hearted inside."
She scrunched her nose. "You're so mean! I'm not even an adult yet!"
What the hell is she doing? Trying to get someone killed? Zhang Yuanqing frowned, glancing between her and Huomo.
The mission wasn't done. They still needed manpower to find the key. If Huomo died, not only would progress stall—they'd be down a fighter.
After a moment, Zhang Yuanqing said:
"Let's vote."
The result: everyone voted in favor—except Xie Lingxi.
"Hmph!" she huffed, tossing the life concentrate card at Huomo.
[Ding! Injury detected. Use "Life Concentrate"?]
"Yes."
The metallic card emitted a phantom stream of water, covering Huomo's severed wrist. In moments, flesh and bone regrew, forming a brand-new hand.
His face regained its color.
The Great Sage wasted no time. "The timer's shorter now. Why?"
Xishi explained the theory. The Great Sage frowned. Huomo shouted:
"Damn it! What if that machine comes back and doesn't leave next time?! We'll all die!"
With S-rank difficulty… that's probably the case. Zhang Yuanqing sighed.
Everyone shuddered at the thought of the Automaton's strength.
Xishi gulped. "We can't waste time. We need to find the controller now—shut that thing down before it's too late."
Xie Lingxi scanned the sea of cars, brows furrowed. "How do we even search all of these...?"
Anxiety and hopelessness clawed at their hearts.
Keys first, then the controller. A few more cycles and we'll lose the full three-minute buffer.
Zhang Yuanqing sighed. Then he said:
"I've got an idea. If it works, we can clear the parking garage."
What?!
To the rest, it was like hearing angels sing. Everyone whipped their heads around, eyes wide with a mix of hope and disbelief, staring at Wang Tai.