"You coward, what are you scared of? You've got a liver, kidneys, and intestines, don't you? How... how could you be so unlucky? Maybe she'll only take one of your eyes or a leg or something. You'll recover once we return, won't you?"
Zhang Hu was furious that Xu Tong was still so cowardly and weak at a time like this.
Xu Tong lowered his head and said nothing.
Seeing that, Zhang Hu's heart sank. He knew he was in terrible shape, and whether he survived depended on this piece of livestock. He could only soften his tone. "Fourth, don't be afraid. She's just a woman. What can she do? My skills are all on cooldown right now. Otherwise, I could kill her with one finger."
Xu Tong remained silent.
When it became clear he couldn't be persuaded, Zhang Hu frowned. "Fine. I'll give you another Prop Card. Kill her."
"Third Brother, how about... I try to hold her off while you find somewhere to recover? Didn't you have that potion before?"
He looked on the verge of tears as he spoke.
Zhang Hu's mouth twitched. The thought of it annoyed him. That kind of recovery potion was far too expensive, and impossible to get without special connections. The half-bottle he'd had before was already diluted.
He snapped, "You think it's Coca-Cola? I only had one bottle, and I finished it ages ago."
"Then..." Xu Tong's voice was already wavering with tears. Whether he was doing it on purpose or not, he hadn't been running very fast to begin with, and now he slowed down even more.
"Hey, you two! If you keep running, you'll reach a cliff!" Yang Guanjin suddenly called out coldly from behind them.
Xu Tong's legs went limp, and he nearly fell to the ground.
Zhang Hu cursed the useless fool under his breath, but the sense of danger pressing in from behind was growing stronger. He knew that woman was testing them.
Like hyenas on the grasslands, she was keeping behind her isolated prey, forcing them to run without rest. Only when she was sure they could no longer fight back would she swarm in and finish them off.
At that thought, Zhang Hu gritted his teeth and said quietly, "I'll give you two Prop Cards. I guarantee you'll be able to kill her easily."
As he spoke, two Prop Cards appeared in Zhang Hu's hand.
One glimmered with a pale blue light, with a black claw etched across its surface.
The other shone white, and had a leopard on it.
These two Prop Cards were naturally Zhang Hu's trump cards. He'd paid an astonishing price for them at an exhibition, and he would never have taken them out under normal circumstances. But things were different now.
To spur on this coward, he had no choice but to reluctantly hand over his precious possessions. Besides, he thought, once he recovered, the fool wouldn't dare dream of keeping the two Prop Cards for himself.
Whatever he took now, he'd have to spit back out in full later.
"But..."
Xu Tong tremblingly took the Prop Cards and put them in his Prop Catalog. As he looked them over, a long-missed smile finally appeared on his face.
Unfortunately, he'd kept his head down the whole way, and Zhang Hu, slung over his back, couldn't see his expression.
Two brand-new Prop Cards glimmered in the catalog, with their attributes listed beside them.
[Demonic Power]
The power the Demon King was said to have left behind in the mortal world. But unless you're truly strong, you'll only end up as its slave.
[Innate Skill 1: Demonic Power]
Consumes 5 Script Points. When activated, temporarily doubles the user's strength for 30 seconds.
While active, grants the special ability Demon King Hand, allowing the user's hands to deal demonic flame damage.
Cooldown: 2 hours.
[Innate Skill 2: Demon King Descends]
Consumes 40% of the user's Script Points.
When activated, the user's stamina and speed receive an unprecedented boost. (The extent of the increase depends on the user's strength and the number of Script Points consumed.)
Also grants the Demon King Armor effect, temporarily increasing the demonic flame's level by two.
Duration: 30 seconds.
Cooldown: 3 days.
(Note: Each use causes 24 hours of side effects. Experience them for yourself.)
[Awakening Skill: ???]
(No information available. Please conduct an in-depth appraisal.)
"Whoa!"
No wonder Mad Dog had said the Farming Team was a fat sheep. A Prop Card this powerful was absolutely insane.
If it had a downside, it was that it didn't last long.
Both skills lasted only 30 seconds, and their costs were substantial.
The second ability in particular took 40% of the user's Script Points. He could accept that cost.
But for someone like Zhang Hu, a member of the Farming Team, the price was rather steep.
And there were side effects after those 30 seconds, which explained why Zhang Hu hadn't dared use it against the monkeys earlier.
How many monkeys could he kill in 30 seconds? He might not even break through the encirclement before the side effects kicked in.
His eyes quickly skimmed over the second Prop Card.
[Leopard Soul Cloak]
They say this cloak was made from the fur of the legendary Leopard King. It still carries a trace of a strange scent. Take a careful sniff... ah, that's the smell of freedom.
[Innate Passive: Shadow of the Hurricane]
Increases the user's movement speed by 20% and attack speed by 15%.
[Innate Skill 1: Leopard Strike]
Consumes 2 Script Points. When activated, temporarily increases the user's straight-line movement speed by 80%.
Duration: 60 seconds.
Cooldown: 40 minutes.
(Note: Keep your eyes wide open. Watch out for the bend ahead. If you can't brake, you'll crash.)
Though this card had only two abilities, it was far more practical than the [Demonic Power] card.
Sure enough, everything was built on the principle of equivalent exchange.
The greater the power you gained, the harsher the restrictions.
After receiving the two Prop Cards, Xu Tong took a deep breath and glanced back at Zhang Hu on his back. "Um... Third Brother... I... my Script Points... heh..."
Zhang Hu froze. Looking at Xu Tong, he felt anger rising inside him. He swore that once he recovered, he'd make this greedy piece of livestock pay a bloody price.
But no matter how furious he was, he didn't dare let it show. He obediently transferred 50 Script Points to Xu Tong.
"Come on, kill her, and I'll give you another 100 Script Points!"
Zhang Hu took a deep breath and encouraged him.
"Sure!"
Xu Tong nodded firmly, slowed to a stop, and turned around.
Yang Guanjin halted as well and immediately went on guard, raising her dagger in front of her chest.
To her surprise, Xu Tong suddenly pulled a face at her. "Here. This is what you wanted!"
As he spoke, he decisively activated [Demon King Descends]. A wave of heat swept through his body, and his limbs filled with seemingly boundless strength.
Before Zhang Hu on his back could react, Xu Tong swung him off and hurled him at her with all his strength.
"Ah!"
Zhang Hu had never dreamed that this turncoat, who'd even shared his surname, would take the Prop Cards and Script Points he'd given him and immediately sell him out.
But he didn't have time to think. Yang Guanjin leaped aside, dodging him, and slashed his stomach with the dagger in her hand.
As Yang Guanjin dodged Zhang Hu, Xu Tong had already activated [Leopard Strike]. In just a few steps, his speed had surpassed the limits of an ordinary person.
A gust of wind rushed toward Yang Guanjin, and her expression changed. She hadn't expected this timid, submissive man to be so powerful.
But as Xu Tong lunged at her, she quickly steadied herself and parted her pink lips. A snow-white insect emerged from her mouth.
The insect opened its mouth and breathed toward the space ahead.
"Whoosh..."
A blast of icy frost surged toward them, instantly turning Xu Tong's vision into a sheet of white.
In the blink of an eye, she raised her dagger and stabbed viciously forward. "Thwack!" She felt the blade meet the resistance of flesh, but soon realized it had only pierced a little way before stopping. Before she could pull it out, however, a black gun barrel pressed against her rounded, perfectly toned chin.
"Shut up!"
Beneath the white snow, black flames burned across Xu Tong's body. In the night, the once-timid, fearful expression had vanished from his handsome face. His dark, clear eyes held only a cold indifference to life.
"Has no one ever told you how terrible your acting is?" As Xu Tong spoke, he gently squeezed the trigger.
"Click!"
The sharp click of the firing pin made her heart stop. She broke into a cold sweat and stared at Xu Tong in horror, only to see a smile slowly spreading across his face.
"You got scared, haha... You got scared..." His laughter grew more and more wild and unrestrained, as if he'd gone mad.
Watching him double over with laughter, Yang Guanjin wasn't the only one bewildered. Zhang Hu, lying on the ground nearby, was just as baffled.
He stared for a few seconds. Perhaps unable to accept the sight of the usually timid coward acting so brazenly in front of him, he roared, "You stupid bastard, what the hell are you laughing at? Shoot her!"
But the moment he finished speaking, Xu Tong raised his gun, aimed at Zhang Hu's forehead, and pulled the trigger.
"Bang..."
A wisp of white smoke drifted from the hollow gun barrel. Zhang Hu's eyes were wide open, bloodshot, but the light in them gradually faded.
Looking at Zhang Hu's open, unseeing eyes, Xu Tong took a deep breath. He waited for the five seconds of paralysis to pass, then walked over to Zhang Hu's corpse. Reaching out, he closed Zhang Hu's unseeing eyes with a touch, then turned toward Yang Guanjin, who was still stunned.
"Your acting is truly awful. I'll write the rest of the script myself!"
Sorry this is a little late today. I'm posting both chapters together. Please give me a vote!
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