Chapter Fifteen: Golden Wounds

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The crimson number ―2136 flashed above Motorola's head as the boss's strike all but tore him apart, leaving him sprawled on the ground, motionless. His HP must have been whittled down to just a few dozen points.

Wu Hua didn't hesitate any longer. He raised his gun, taking aim at the Blue Ice Guardian's belly.

There was nothing remarkable about the boss's abdomen—just a transparent block of blue ice. But upon closer inspection, Wu Hua noticed that the area around its heart had a faintly milky-white patch, subtly different. In the icy wilderness, shrouded in heavy fog and night, it was barely discernible. That had to be the fatal weak point.

Focusing his breath, Wu Hua squeezed the trigger. Bang!

―913!

Missed!

Bang! Another burst of sparks lit up the night.

―909!

Missed again!

The ice patch was far too small, and the distance too great; landing a hit was nearly impossible.

Writhing in pain, the Blue Ice Guardian turned, ignoring Motorola, and assumed an aggressive stance toward Wu Hua.

“It’s coming!” Motorola called out weakly.

Wu Hua held his firing stance, his eyes flashing with cold intensity. This was another chance to gamble with his life—a far deadlier ordeal than the last bloody battle at the Malagobi. But as long as there was even the slimmest hope, Wu Hua would never give up easily.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

―909, ―908, ―910...

“Be careful!” Motorola’s eyes blazed, frustration burning in his helplessness.

With a double swish, the Blue Ice Guardian charged halfway forward, both claws slashing through the air, its eerie, blood-colored scimitars tracing deadly arcs.

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At that moment, Motorola felt his heart nearly stop; even his breath caught in his throat. Wu Hua was almost certainly doomed.

What Motorola didn’t know was that Wu Hua’s greatest strength wasn’t lightning reflexes, but his ability to learn quickly, calculate precisely, and judge accurately.

As the scimitars flew at him, Wu Hua once again improvised—leaning back and dropping to the ground just as the blade whisked past his nose. The Blue Ice Guardian swept over his head.

―2292!

Wu Hua took the hit head-on, his HP reduced to just 72 points.

“Damn you to hell!” he roared, finger tightening on the trigger.

Bang—this was the last shot, not just the final bullet in the chamber but also a decisive strike.

Thud—the AE round pierced straight into the Guardian’s heart.

Theoretically, firing from a prone position had almost zero chance of hitting such a tiny target, but in that final instant, Wu Hua activated “Sniper’s Focus.” This skill lasted only ten seconds, concentrating the marksman’s entire being on their line of sight, stilling the mind and uniting man and gun, greatly increasing range and accuracy.

But ultimately, it was still all about skill. How fast had that boss lunged? The odds of hitting the weak spot while prone were less than a fraction of a percent. Yet Wu Hua seized the moment—luck always favors the masterful.

―6666!

With a thunderous crash, the Blue Ice Guardian exploded mid-air, shards of ice blooming like fireworks and raining down in a silvery cascade—a shot that utterly obliterated it, bringing a rain of ice from above.

The ground was strewn with crystals, potions, metal scraps, and a few gleaming pieces of equipment.

Wu Hua lay on the ground, finally letting out a sigh of relief. Only 23 HP remained—his entire body felt drained, too weak to even grip his gun.

Motorola stared in shock. Lying there for a long while, he finally raised a trembling thumb at Wu Hua. “You’re my idol!”

System message:

“Players Mad Blast and Motorola have defeated the level 33 Blue Ice Guardian. The southern Ice Creek Trail of Dreamstar City has been cleared, progress 1/3. Experience +50,000 points, Merit +2, Charisma +1.”

Wu Hua couldn’t help but smile—just like that, he’d leveled up to 16, with two additional combat merits. These merit points were especially precious; one point was worth three attribute points and could be allocated to any specialization. Charisma, meanwhile, would reduce item prices—assuming a good relationship with NPCs.

“This haul is huge,” Wu Hua exhaled, “Dumb luck, absolute dumb luck.”

Motorola, recovering more quickly, regained several hundred HP. Once he could move, he quickly downed a healing potion and then gave one to Wu Hua as well.

Wu Hua grinned from the ground. “Honestly, you could have finished me off right now and taken all the loot for yourself.”

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Motorola was silent for a moment. “I could never do something like that.”

Wu Hua smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t. From the moment I first saw you, I could tell you weren’t that kind of person.”

Motorola smiled back, reaching out to pull Wu Hua up. Their hands clasped tightly, neither letting go.

There was no need for words of gratitude; any such words would have been superfluous. The camaraderie and trust between comrades were forged in life-and-death struggles.

As for the loot, Motorola took most of it, including five Grade A Ice Crystals—rightfully compensation for Fei.

Wu Hua only took a hexagonal metal cap. Judging by its sheen, it was a rare item, and specifically for espers. He wasn’t greedy; today’s gains were more than enough. Had it not been for this pair of siblings, he’d have met a grim fate against the mini-boss.

By the time the two returned to the city, it was already 9 p.m. A crowd stood waiting anxiously at the gates of the “Qimen” Corporation in Dreamstar City.

As Wu Hua and Motorola stepped out of the taxi, the crowd surged forward.

Naturally, the first to rush over was Fei. Without a word, Motorola strode up and delivered a resounding slap that left Wu Hua stunned.

Fei’s small face instantly swelled on one side, and she burst into tears.

“You still have the nerve to cry?” Motorola snapped. “If it weren’t for Mad Blast’s skills, we’d all be dead this time.”

“Motorola, what are you doing? Is this any way to scold someone?” A slender woman stepped from the crowd, pulling the sobbing Fei into her arms.

Wu Hua’s eyes lit up. She was strikingly beautiful—so much so that even the famously attractive AI NPCs paled in comparison. In these times, if a woman could be called a beauty just by flaunting her legs and chest, then this woman would be out of the running, for she did neither. Yet her slim figure, smart business suit, and waterfall of long hair exuded an air of poised elegance—a true urban professional. Most of those present couldn’t take their eyes off her.

“Let me introduce you,” Motorola said, ignoring the woman’s reproach. “This is my cousin Tina, CEO of Qimen Corporation. And this is Mad Blast—if it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have survived.”

Tina glanced at Wu Hua. “You all look exhausted. Come inside and let’s talk.”

Wu Hua whispered, “You’re all from Qimen Corporation?”

Motorola nodded. “Yeah—why?”

Wu Hua gave a discreet thumbs-up. “Impressive!”