To stop Yulia from summoning Bai Fu over, both the players and Yago and Xia Shi brought out everything they had.
They cast aside all reservations, treating the final dozen meters as the battlefield for their decisive clash.
One group of players charged forward one after another, doing everything they could to stop Bai Fu from advancing.
Another group of players was just as fearless, trying every possible method to attack Yulia.
This was the crucial moment. As long as they could make Yulia's control loosen even slightly, Bai Fu might be able to break free.
Under the players' cover, Yago refused to fall behind. He directly loaded the special bullet originally meant to find an opportunity to end Yulia's life into his magazine.
Who had time to worry about anything else now? No matter what, they absolutely could not let Yulia take Bai Fu into that underground laboratory. Otherwise, all their previous sacrifices would be in vain, and the Abandoned Cooling Plant would inevitably be destroyed by the Insect Tide.
For the Abandoned Cooling Plant, for Bai Fu, who was burning herself desperately despite being controlled, and for all love and justice—charge, damn it!
Yago pulled the trigger. The bullet spun rapidly as it left the barrel, passed through the gaps between the players, and flew straight toward Yulia's head.
Friendship, bonds, and courage fused perfectly at this moment.
Strength, speed, and reaction were also released to their utmost limits at this moment.
Yago had placed great hopes on this shot, but he had still underestimated Yulia's vigilance.
While controlling the players and Bai Fu, Yulia had still kept nearly half her attention on him. The instant she noticed him raising his gun, she had already controlled Mutated No. 9 to lunge in front of her.
Boom!
A faint explosion rang out. It was not Yulia's head that was blown apart, but Mutated No. 9's right leg.
Mutated No. 9 screamed and fell to the ground, a large pool of dark-red blood spreading beneath him.
Damn it. In the end, it still wasn't enough?
Yago hammered the ground.
The situation was clearly this chaotic already, so why could that woman still keep track of every aspect of the battle so clearly?
As a sniper, this was the first time he had encountered an enemy who countered him so thoroughly. Rather than anger, what he felt now was mostly frustration.
"Fuck!"
This might really be the end.
The distance was only a dozen meters, but no matter how brave the players were, they could not truly hold Bai Fu back.
If Bai Fu had been their only opponent, they could have relied on their numbers to drag her back. But Yulia had also taken control of many players. Harassed by those players, they could only watch helplessly as Bai Fu took one step after another, crossed the dozen meters, and finally arrived beside Yulia.
We won!
Yulia laughed.
The instant Bai Fu reached her side, the players who had been so imposing moments ago all stopped. Even Xia Shi, who had been firing nonstop, did not dare to act rashly.
The boisterous Wildfire Gang fell silent almost in the blink of an eye.
It was as if the volume of a television playing a horror movie had suddenly been turned down to zero. Unease and eeriness permeated every corner.
The only lively place now was the players' livestreams, especially Digging Princess's.
[Looks like Bai Fu is done for this time.]
[What a shame. I thought Bai Fu had a lot of story behind her, but I didn't expect her to be written out so soon. This BOSS looks like the real heavyweight.]
[You can't say she has no story. Bai Fu's words vaguely revealed that her background was extraordinary. I estimate she's just an introduction, and a revenge quest will later reveal the force behind her.]
[Who the hell wrote this plot? How could you give Fu Fu an ending like this? I'm going to explode!]
[I can't accept this!]
[Digging Treasure, say something! Don't tell me you passed out from the shock?]
Digging Princess really had been hit hard.
Lately, seeing that the official account had not released any new promotional videos, she had planned to edit a video about Bai Fu herself to promote her. This would both attract more fans and indirectly strike back at the people who had questioned her earlier theories.
But who could have expected things to suddenly turn out like this?
Now, even if Bai Fu's extraordinary background was confirmed afterward, because Bai Fu had already died in Novice Village, her previous theory contained a huge flaw. Some people would seize on it and tear it apart.
Digging Princess was nearly angered unconscious.
Damn plot writer! It had taken her so long to put her heart into something, yet they had to make her lose so completely. Then all she could say was: My fate is in my own hands, not heaven's!
Furious, Digging Princess passed through the crowd of players and charged straight toward Yulia.
"Holy shit!"
[Holy shit, Digging Treasure, what are you doing?]
Players both inside and outside the livestream were startled by Digging Princess's sudden move. Even Yulia was taken aback.
She was going to feed herself to the enemy?
"Get back!"
Yago was alarmed. He hurriedly called for Xia Shi to fire at Yulia with him.
Several bullets poured out, but Yulia easily blocked them all.
Fine. Since you're rushing over to die, I'll control you too.
Yulia's pupils turned silver-white again. At the instant her attention shifted to Digging Princess, Bai Fu's heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
This was the perfect opportunity she had been waiting for!
She almost suspected that Digging Princess had been hired by her. Otherwise, how could Digging Princess have coordinated with her so perfectly?
It was time to strike!
On the way to Yulia's side, Bai Fu had rehearsed the plan dozens of times in her mind. Thus, when the opportunity truly arrived, she felt no nervousness or panic. On the contrary, her mind had never been clearer.
First, she added her two free attribute points to Inspiration, raising it to 15.
[Check successful. You have broken free of the [Envoy] restriction.]
Freedom restored!
Second, this was not the most crucial step, but it could be called the finishing touch.
"AAAAAAHHH!!!"
Amid cries filled with "unwillingness" and "fury," under the astonished gazes of countless players, as Yago and Xia Shi widened their eyes and Yulia's heart suddenly clenched, Bai Fu finally "broke free" of the restraint.
She stepped forward and stomped hard several times on the throat of Mutated No. 9, who lay heavily wounded on the ground, as if venting the anger she had accumulated after killing so many players while controlled.
Those stomps were swift and vicious.
As the three high damage numbers "-18," "-26," and "-25" rose, Mutated No. 9 finally breathed his last.
[You killed Number Nine (Mutated). Contribution Points: 75.3%. After adjustment based on the level difference, you gained 6,024 experience.]
Third, she raised Spiritual Apprentice to Lv10, added the two extra free attribute points to Strength, and invested the remaining 2,969 experience into the Frenzy skill, raising Frenzy from Lv1 to Lv3.
Her attributes thus became—
[Strength 9, Agility 5, Constitution 26, Intelligence 3, Spirit 14, Inspiration 16]
The detailed description of the Frenzy skill also changed—
[Causes one body part of the target to enter the [Frenzy Lv3] state. During this period, it consumes 5 points of psionic energy every minute. Cooldown: 2 seconds.]
Fourth, she applied [Frenzy Lv3] and [Power Surge (Inferior)] to herself. Her Strength instantly rose to 12, increasing her right fist's output by 50%!
Then, once all preparations were complete, the silver-haired girl, in the afterglow of sunset, used her delicate body like a cannonball breaking beyond its limits. Fueled by burning fury, she unleashed endless rage with a punch that surged forward without hesitation.
"That's enough!"
Have you seen enough? This punch has twenty years of training behind it!
It silenced the noisy livestream.
It froze the bodies of everyone present.
It shattered Yulia's confident heart.
By the time Yulia realized something was wrong, it was already too late to dodge. Bai Fu was simply too close—far too close. All she could do was twist her body to the side.
"-41"
Critical hit!
The heavy punch landed solidly on her waist. Her slender body shook violently like rippling water, and under the savage impact, she flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
The world fell silent.
Yulia was stunned by the blow.
As she flew through the air, what she felt was not pain, but overwhelming disbelief.
She had actually been hit—hit by someone she controlled!
For a moment, she suspected she had fallen into a dream.
It was not until her body slammed heavily into the stone pillar behind the hidden door, making it shake violently, that she suddenly came to her senses.
This was no time for emotion, anger, or hatred. That woman was charging over again, and Yago had raised his gun at once. If she delayed any longer, everyone would react.
"Envoy!"
Yulia hurriedly cast the skill on Bai Fu again.
But this time, Bai Fu did not pause even for 0.1 seconds. She charged in front of Yulia and landed her second punch on Yulia's face.
Boom!
Yulia was sent rolling backward several times. As she steadied herself, Yago fired again. A bullet skimmed the wall and pierced through her left arm.
"Hiss—"
Yulia clenched her teeth.
When Bai Fu charged at her for the third time, Yulia suddenly pulled an injection from her clothes pocket, identical to the one Number Nine had used earlier.
"Stop her!" Yago's expression changed dramatically.
Even a critically wounded Number Nine had become far stronger after mutating. If Yulia successfully mutated, everyone present would be killed.
Xia Shi raised her gun and fired. Yago followed close behind, the two of them constantly forcing Yulia to reposition. Yulia dodged and weaved, but could never find an opportunity to inject the drug.
During the standoff, Bai Fu had already reached her. Once again, she threw a full-force punch.
Only then did the players finally react.
Damn it, fight back! The counterattack starts now!
"Fu Fu, I'll help you!"
"Go, Bai Fu!"
At this moment, what could be more thrilling and moving than seeing Bai Fu break through the skill's control and send the seemingly invincible Yulia flying?
A large group of players charged toward Yulia.
Driven into a desperate corner, Yulia suddenly opened her mouth and let out a sharp, ear-piercing cry from her throat.
Those farther away were fine, but those nearby felt as if they had instantly fallen into a swamp.
[You suffered a mental shock and entered a stunned state.]
Now!
While everyone around her was stunned, Yulia turned and tried to flee.
But Yago, who had been frustrated for so long, would never let her escape so easily. He raised his gun, took aim, and fired. Yulia's left calf was pierced.
"-19"
Bang!
Her body tilted, and she fell to the ground.
"Don't let her get away!"
Yago shouted.
In her current condition, it seemed she truly could not escape. As for verifying the experiment, there was even less chance of completing that now.
After realizing this, Yulia abandoned her attempt to flee. She rolled over, her face showing neither despair nor anger.
Something was wrong!
Bai Fu heightened her vigilance. When dealing with a skill-based BOSS like this, she could not relax for even a moment. Otherwise, she might be overturned at any time without knowing it.
She noticed that Yulia was looking at her.
"Your name is Bai Fu?"
Bai Fu did not answer. Instead, she gathered her strength, preparing to knock Yulia down with one punch.
"I don't have any medicine capable of suppressing the Insect Tide. Even if you kill me, you can't stop the Insect Tide from erupting. But there's still some bait in the laboratory. If it's used properly, perhaps the Insect Tide can be guided somewhere else."
"Are you begging for mercy?"
"No." Yulia suddenly smiled, her gaze strange. "I only hope that you can survive—survive until the next time I come looking for you. I'm extremely interested in you now. To me, you're the most special one."
Bai Fu felt a chill run through her.
She began to suspect that this woman had some unusual preferences. Otherwise, why would her gaze become so feverish after Bai Fu had beaten her so badly?
What a pervert!
What kind of person is this? No wonder she joined the mad organization known as the Truth Society.
She hurried forward and punched Yulia.
This time, Yulia offered no resistance at all and was knocked flat on her back.
Yulia seemed even more excited after being hit.
How could she not be happy?
Bai Fu had actually broken free of her control through sheer anger. This had never happened since Yulia awakened her ability. If she got the chance, she absolutely had to capture Bai Fu and study her properly!
After Bai Fu landed three more punches, she received a game notification.
[You killed Yulia (False Body). Contribution Points: 69.2%. After adjustment based on the level difference, you gained 15,224 experience.]
[You triggered the quest [Insect Tide Invasion].]
[Quest Introduction: The bait poured out by Number Nine attracted an Amoeba Insect Tide. If it is not stopped, the Abandoned Cooling Plant may very well be destroyed beneath the Insect Tide.]
[Quest Objective: Find a way to stop the Insect Tide about to erupt at the Abandoned Cooling Plant.]
[Reward: The reward will depend on Contribution Points.]
[Accept/Decline]
Bai Fu was startled when she saw the first notification.
False Body?
No wonder Yulia's final reaction had been so strange. It also explained why Bai Fu had never been able to use Spiritual Vision to inspect Yulia's data. This time, she had truly provoked an extraordinary monster.
But Bai Fu was not too nervous.
She had already passed through the most difficult period, raising both her level and popularity. No matter how dangerous Yulia was, could she be more dangerous than Bai Fu had been when she first arrived in this world, completely blind to everything?
Rather than worry about Yulia's revenge, she might as well see how many coins Yulia had dropped this time.
15224 experience points was an outrageous amount, but that clearly wasn't all. The laboratory must have had plenty of other good stuff hidden inside.
Bai Fu leaped through the secret door without a second thought.
The moment she disappeared, the players outside burst into loud cheers.
"Damn, Fu Fu is awesome!"
"Hahaha, we won!"
"Long live the Fu Sect!"
Digging Princess didn't shout. Instead, she raced back to her livestream.
The chat had grilled me and Fu Fu just now, right? Then I had to give them a thorough grilling in return!
[You're right, but this is Fu Fu: a mysterious, beautiful, and incredibly powerful NPC. She has a righteous heart and is always thinking of the players. Even when controlled by the BOSS, she resists with all her might so she won't hurt them. And when she sees the players injured by the BOSS, she gets so furious that she breaks free of its control and beats the BOSS to a pulp. Just—who—else—can—compare?!]
The livestream chat fell silent.
A few seconds later, the entire virtual screen was filled with [Fu Sect].
P.S. I finally made it to the third round of recommendations! Please keep following the story, everyone!
Before you continue