Chapter 136: Discovering The Finishing Skill Trigger Condition
“You go first!” Shi Xu said in a deep voice.
Yu Jiang quickly scanned the area, “No need!”
After saying that, she pulled out the crowbar and smashed it onto the already somewhat broken floor.
She couldn’t destroy the hot spring motel or the main body of the building. What’s wrong with knocking out a couple of rotten wooden boards? She wasn’t recycling materials anyway.
After two swings of the hammer, a large hole broke open in the floor. Yu Jiang turned back under Shi Xu’s stunned gaze and said, “Go this way.”
After saying that, she protected her head and jumped down first. She landed on one shoulder, which hurt a bit from the impact, but otherwise it was fine. This minor issue wouldn’t deduct health points, just two health values.
Both of them could jump down directly. The monster’s skinny body wasn’t an issue, but it had two extra pairs of hands.
It was probably not original, so not that flexible, and got stuck for a few seconds.
Yu Jiang and Shi Xu took the chance to sprint out the door and hide behind the tree in the courtyard. The view here was good, they could see the monster’s movements, and the dense wild grass outside perfectly obscured their bodies.
Squatting here just reminded her of the classic movie line: Are you here to take a shit?
The number one on the combat power ranking and the number one on the wealth ranking were now blocked by a ghoul in the grass, not daring to show their heads.
It wasn’t that they didn’t dare, it was unnecessary. They knew they couldn’t kill it—what good would fighting it do?
Neither of them had used skills, and they hadn’t drunk Popeye’s spinach either.
Yu Jiang needed to carefully think about the subsequent plan and route. There were 5 streetlights, and she needed to gather exactly 5 Manjusaka—it was obvious.
On the way to investigate clues, complete the mission at the same time, avoiding circling back and wasting energy and time.
The problem was the clue pointing to it. This thing was also an important item in the instance, and the BOSS restoring its humanity would be easier to kill.
No normal person could accept turning into this ghostly appearance.
Yu Jiang deduced that, according to the instance mechanics, once the BOSS restored its memory and humanity, it wouldn’t want to exist in this ugly form anymore.
This way, her and her teammate’s missions would conflict.
Using Manjusaka on the BOSS—Shi Xu would definitely be able to kill it.
If she took the item, he’d have to gamble.
Without using Manjusaka, the BOSS kill difficulty would double.
And completing her mission would bring investigation progress to 80%, achieving the goal.
Yu Jiang had also considered it herself. If it really came to that life-or-death moment, she couldn’t say she wouldn’t hesitate.
Shi Xu might not trust her now.
The information she could deduce, Shi Xu could think of too.
This was bad. With a strong enemy ahead and 4 groups of players whose cards were unknown, their cooperation was already in crisis.
While thinking, Yu Jiang checked the outside situation. From the sliding door, there was only the rustling sound of wind moving, and shaking tree shadows fell on the tattered white washi paper, adding a touch of absurd eeriness.
No sign of the ghoul, nor that oppressive footstep sound.
Did it leave?
Or were other players also taking action, discovering clues and luring it away?
No, something’s off!
There are 5 areas to investigate, only one monster. Even if it can teleport, with players exploring simultaneously, could it jump left and right, hitting this one then that one? Even a ghoul would get exhausted.
!!!
Yu Jiang’s pupils suddenly contracted. She understood!
There was only one monster here, that’s true, but probably a clone with a locked health bar in each area. Only when investigation progress reaches 80% does the clone disappear, the main body comes out, and then it can be damaged.
This was the most reasonable explanation.
Those in the hot spring motel who deliberately lagged a step, waiting for other teams to act first and attract the ghoul’s attention, were probably going to be disappointed.
Yu Jiang put away her weapon, took out the flashlight again, and got a primary healing potion.
Since the ghoul’s clone wouldn’t leave this area, where did it go?
This thing seemed pretty sneaky too, quietly approaching, then suddenly striking at the player.
Goosebumps rose on Yu Jiang’s arms. Investigation progress needed to reach 80%, at least 16% per area. She was only at 15% now, some rooms unvisited, and Manjusaka not found.
Yu Jiang didn’t plan to leave. While pondering which direction to go from the grass, Shi Xu’s voice sounded from her side.
“Yu Jiang, come with me, this way.”
She subconsciously wanted to respond, but her mind jolted, and she forcibly swallowed her words.
There was indeed someone to her right rear; she could sense their presence, but her back was growing colder, her blood seeming to solidify.
‘It’ called Yu Jiang.
She hadn’t told anyone her full name in the game, and they had agreed to use instance numbers directly.
It wasn’t Shi Xu calling her!
While walking, she didn’t know when she got separated from her teammate, and gained an extra ‘person’.
Yu Jiang quickly sent a message in the team channel: “!!! Where are you?”
No reply yet, and the urging voice sounded from behind again, even tugging her sleeve.
“What are you standing there for! Hurry up!”
Yu Jiang thought, hurry my ass! She didn’t even dare glance at the hand tugging her.
Why did it insist on making her turn her head, follow it, and call her name? Why not just attack her directly?
Definitely because it couldn’t!
The condition for the finishing skill was responding and turning back!
Just like the King with Ox Horns: ‘If I call you, dare you answer?’
Yu Jiang not only didn’t dare answer, she didn’t dare move.
Once the ghoul realized she wasn’t falling for it, it would launch a normal attack. Too close, hard to dodge.
Yu Jiang shifted her gaze from straight ahead to the dark left corner, while staying alert to the ghoul behind her, quietly adjusting her posture to prepare for a sprint.
She silently counted down in her mind: three, two…
Before finishing the count, she leaped up, stumbled two steps forward on the broken wooden boards on the ground, luckily didn’t fall, steadied herself, and without any hesitation, dashed into the house, looking for a hiding place.
It wasn’t that Yu Jiang was eager to jump out; before she finished counting, the ghoul screamed, swung its arm, fingers like claws, attacking her in a black tiger heart-digging pose.
How could she not run?
Yu Jiang didn’t look back, judging the distance between the ghoul and herself by the da-da-da footsteps behind.
Shi Xu had replied in the team channel, but she had no time to look.
Pushing open one wooden door after another, going in a big circle, her legs bumping into furniture several times. She had seen a bit of light in the dark corridor earlier, so Yu Jiang ran toward it.
Another vending machine. A vibrant red glow leaked through the gap in the backyard broken wooden door—it was the Manjusaka she needed to gather!
But the backyard door wouldn’t open. The ghoul had somehow circled in front of her, nowhere to run. In desperation, she opened the nearest room door.
This damn place was a toilet—completely no way out!
The door lock was broken; the ghoul twisted it open. Yu Jiang breathed rapidly, her mind racing to calm herself.
Nothing could stop her from getting the supplies outside and the Manjusaka.
She retreated to the toilet corner. In the second before the ghoul pounced, she dodged, using prediction and positioning to run out, slammed the door shut with a bang, and pushed over the nearby chest of drawers to block it as long as possible.
The ghoul was furious. It was always the one chasing people everywhere—when had it ever been locked in a toilet!
It kicked the chest of drawers flying and rushed out, circling around searching.
Yu Jiang took the chance to hide in the wardrobe of the bedroom she’d visited before, and also saw Shi Xu’s message.
