LWGP - Chapter 137

Chapter 137: Lycanthrope

The commotion was so loud that no one was deaf. Hearing it, Xie Lu and the others had assumed Wang Jiu would continue to fight head-on, but she decisively chose to retreat.

Why?

They didn't ask, because Wang Jiu wouldn't explain at a time like this. She didn't even speak, merely making a gesture, and everyone ran after her.

During their escape, Xie Lu glanced back at the surging airflow from the tidal wave of the explosion. The blast was incredibly powerful, yet despite its intensity, he could still hear the sounds of fighting and roaring.

No wonder Wang Jiu chose to retreat.

The fact that there were still sounds meant the opponent hadn't died in an explosion of that scale. They were absolutely formidable.

Perhaps because Wang Jiu was too ruthless and sinister, Luo Sheng, Zhong Qing, and the others were somewhat intimidated. Even if Luo Sheng wanted to follow, she couldn't disregard the interests of all her members.

Most importantly, Luo Sheng felt that following them would be very dangerous; Wang Jiu would very likely make a move against them.

In the chaos, everyone scattered. On Diao Guang's side, his team members wanted to keep following, since they hadn't offended Wang Jiu from the start. But Diao Guang hesitated for a moment before giving up.

"If there's a dinosaur up ahead, it's not a good idea to play the hunter."

This sigh made the others feel a shared sense of unease.

Indeed. Against a T-Rex, it wasn't just one hunter; even a whole flock of them would be useless.

In the team channel, Mei Qingshu asked curiously, "So, did someone leak our position or not?"

Qiao Xuejing: "They probably did. So no one should dare to follow us now."

Mei Qingshu: "?"

Mei Qinghe: "If they followed, it would likely be to continue gathering intelligence. They must have realized that, so they don't dare to follow, afraid the captain would wipe them out."

Mei Qingshu had a sudden realization. She abruptly recalled many years ago when she had stood up for this top student, teaching a lesson to the classmates who bullied her. The slender top student, still holding a higher algebra exam paper, leaned against the large white wall, her gaze lowered, as cool and detached as the green poplars by the school's Unnamed Lake, swaying with the wind yet caressed by the breeze. She had said, "Actually, they're not that bad. It's probably just that I'm too much of a loner."

So aloof and independent, gentle and intellectual, self-reflecting and self-aware, never saying a bad word about anyone. At the time, it had completely changed Mei Qingshu's worldview. Her heart had ached for her, so she abandoned violence and instead lectured those female students with an air of righteousness, as if possessed by her police chief father.

Thinking back now, the world had truly changed so much. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Lin Guiwan wasn't one to dwell on Lao Wang's malicious side. At her age, she knew that good and evil were hard to define. Lin Jun also had a charitable and kind reputation in public. Anyone who didn't know better would praise him endlessly, and countless girls flocked to him.

But the wickedness in his bones was like a filthy barrel in a gutter oil workshop when the lid is lifted. Even if the filth inside was emptied, the grime could still emit a stench that would linger for three days.

Suddenly recalling the terrifying ordeal of being coerced that night, a shadow of gloom crossed Lin Guiwan's face, but she quickly concealed it. She only offered a reminder in the team channel: "Li Chui probably called for backup. His uncle's team entered with us initially, but they're very strong and should have already entered the Nightmare difficulty. They won't turn back. However, in the Shenzhen sector, there was another team that entered at the same time as us and managed to avoid being slaughtered by his uncle's team. It seems they have some history with Li Chui, and being clever, they were spared. I guess, even if just for Li Chui's uncle's sake, they will come to help."

Wang Shu asked curiously, "Is it Tan Yingzhou?"

Wang Shu actually knew?

The business world was both big and small. With the economy globalized, let alone just within the country, connections were everywhere. However, this person was very low-key. Only those in the circle with some financial dealings with him knew a thing or two.

Qiao Xuejing knew of this person precisely because she had some dealings with him after taking over her family's business.

Outsiders only knew of the Li family, but they didn't know that the supposedly declining family of the Li family head's wife actually had a rather formidable figure. The fact that Wang Shu knew… meant he wasn't such a simple person either.

Lin Guiwan didn't probe, only saying, "Yes. I hope Dr. Wang is mentally prepared."

Wang Shu seemed to realize he had revealed something and immediately shut up.

Lin Guiwan meant well, and her thinking was very clear. She remembered that she was previously a member of Li Chui's team, but her contributions and rewards were all in line with the rules of labor compensation. She didn't owe Li Chui and the others anything; in fact, she had helped them a great deal.

If one were to say that leaving the team so abruptly was disloyal, she also knew they probably couldn't have kept her anyway.

The threat from Lin Jun was too great, and Li Chui was someone who was very decisive when weighing benefits. Rather than letting him be the bad guy, it was better for her to take the initiative.

She owed them nothing, neither logically nor emotionally. Before she left, she even gave them a Prayer, as a final closing act.

Having closed that chapter and joined the team of her benefactor, Wang Jiu, she had to re-establish her work ethic. She had to point out hidden dangers when necessary, without concealment.

Wang Jiu was quite respectful of this team member she had actively "poached." She acknowledged her with a sound and then sensed the temperature. She subconsciously looked up at the fire sprinkler system on the ceiling.

All disabled.

But the power and lights were still fine.

Good things had their uses, and bad things had theirs. It was all part of the game's design.

The explosion had caused the temperature in the underground space to rise. Regardless of whether a fire would start over there, this underground space certainly couldn't withstand one.

Wang Jiu's gaze returned. Her Demon's Eye peered through numerous walls, and she suddenly saw some mutated monsters scattered in various corridors all frantically running in the same direction, as if terrified.

The direction they were fleeing was parallel to the movement of the people escaping from the explosion site behind them.

They were all fleeing this way.

Or rather, they were all fearing the same existence…

Wang Jiu's brow furrowed slightly. She commanded, "Everyone use your speed skills. Move!"

She had previously said to conserve Spirit Power, but now she was suddenly making such a demand. It was clear that what was behind them was very dangerous. Alarmed, everyone immediately obeyed, simultaneously using skills like Haste and Shadow Step. But as soon as they did, they noticed a new status effect on themselves.

Group speed increased by 30%.

Qiao Xuejing looked at Lin Guiwan. "Sister Lin, you?"

Lin Guiwan: "It only lasts for five minutes."

Everyone understood. They subconsciously glanced at Wang Jiu: she had really poached a great healer.

In just a few days, this Lin Guiwan had mastered a whole suite of professional healer services, including cleansing status effects, buffing, and healing.

No wonder Li Chui and the others were so heartbroken, even though they knew they couldn't keep her.

With the speed boost, everyone barely managed to keep up with Wang Jiu. But they could also hear various screams and sounds of fighting coming from the corridors behind them in all directions.

It seemed some fleeing players had run into the equally fleeing mutated monsters. But it was also possible they had all been caught by that terrifying monster.

Along the way, they also noticed that deep within this underground research institute, the ground and walls bore many marks of violent destruction.

The walls, made of steel and concrete, had cracks several inches wide and deep, and several pillars were broken. Not only did Wang Jiu notice, but even Wang Shu could tell that these marks were not caused by players' skills in battle, but likely by the powerful attacks of some monster.

A clawed monster.

A Boss?

Bai Bai was the only one right beside Wang Jiu. It scurried to a claw mark, twitched its little pink nose, and said, "From the smell, it seems to be a wolf-type monster."

It shrank back and scurried to Wang Jiu's side. "Its bloodline has mutated. It's very powerful, no weaker than that golden python outside."

Golden python?

The thought of that massive snake gave Wang Jiu a bit of a headache.

She couldn't even damage that big python at full strength. Could she fight it with a 50% reduction?

Bai Bai's words scared quite a few people. Wang Shu's face turned pale. After all, his glimpse of the golden python's ferocious appearance underwater back then was certainly a sobering, bowel-loosening experience.

Moreover, the commotion behind them seemed to be getting louder, drawing infinitely closer, almost treading on the screams and blood of others.

So fast!

"Let's hide for a bit." As soon as Wang Jiu finished speaking, she moved deeper ahead. Everyone looked and saw what appeared to be a very large laboratory.

It was probably the core laboratory. A single glance at the facade's design made that clear.

That door looked very sturdy!

Almost there!

The group was only about a dozen meters from the laboratory door. Just as they were about to get closer, a flash of light appeared ahead. It was a short-range teleportation array. Before Wang Jiu and her team could get a clear look, more than twenty people materialized within the array.

Blocking the way?

The two sides had just met when the group in front threw several grenades toward Wang Jiu's team. Xie Lu and the others were startled, but they could see that these grenades weren't aimed at them; the distance was wrong.

Looking back, they saw the grenades soar through the air and land on the ground about twenty meters behind them.

Just as they landed, a cloud of black mist came whistling over.

Amidst the ferocious black energy, a sturdy and wildly powerful figure spread its thick, long claws. The veins on them bulged, and its talons were menacing. It tilted its neck back and let out a roar.

At the same time, the fire from the exploding grenades engulfed it. But in the instant it was engulfed, the sound roaring from its mouth also acted like a kind of energy wave. With a single shockwave, the ball of explosive light was distorted, washed away, and pushed out by this energy wave. It surged through the corridor, crashing back toward Wang Jiu's group—that is, toward the laboratory door!

Holy shit! Unable to dodge, even the group that had just teleported in didn't have time to rush through the laboratory door before they were hit by the impact.

Ice and snow swirled, solidifying!

Metal twisted, solidifying!

Barriers, damage reduction, defense!

In an instant, everyone used every trick they had, but they had all exhausted their options.

Amidst the booms and bangs, the sounds of shattering and instant death, out of more than thirty people, eight or nine-tenths died in a flash.

In the end, only four people survived.

From Wang Jiu's team, only she and Lin Guiwan were left. Two people from the group in front also remained.

Four pairs of eyes met. The two team leaders each said a single phrase to their teams, "Get up. Inside."

The members of both teams resurrected on the spot, picked up the items they had dropped, and charged straight for the laboratory door. When they looked back, they saw Wang Jiu and the other three bringing up the rear.

The monster charged out of the black mist, its mouth releasing a particularly ferocious black energy.

Upright, wolf-like body.

Mist Lycanthrope Boss (Golden-grade Mutated Boss, Level 30)

Spirit Power: 3000

Strength: 6000

Agility: 5340

Stamina: 4800

Skill 1: Rending Roar.

Skill 2: Wolf Clan Brand.

Skill 3: Crescent Armor.

Skill 4: Seven-Foot Scythe Blade.

Skill 5: Leaping Slash.

Skill 6: Mist Condensation.

Looking down the long list of skills and then at their descriptions, Wang Jiu's brow furrowed slightly.

The difficulty setting of this damn dungeon was really something else.

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