Chapter 15 Mutton

After the teammates finished drinking the raw sheep's blood, Feng Bujue picked up the kitchen knife and skillfully butchered the goat.

He removed the internal organs and bones, leaving large pieces of ribs and legs, then divided the meat into more than ten portions, distributing them to the three present, while taking three portions for himself and placing them in his bag.

"Okay, let's hit the road." After Feng Bujue finished, he put away the kitchen knife and urged his teammates to set off again.

"I say...aren't you tired, always rushing around like this?" Even Tianma Xingkong was surprised.

During the few minutes that Brother Jue was cutting the meat, Little Ma and the others rested in place, recovering some stamina. However, the recovery they gained in such a short time was very limited.

On the other hand, Brother Jue, from the moment he entered the tunnel until now, had hardly stopped moving...leading the way in the tunnel, fighting the Knife Butterfly Queen, rescuing people from the webs, escaping, then turning back, then leading the way again...and now, he wrestled with a large goat and acted as a butcher.

After doing so many things, he didn't seem to need a break at all...anyone would find it incredible.

"It's okay, I can still manage," Feng Bujue replied casually.

He didn't explain further, for the same reason as before, he didn't want to reveal the ability of his [Hate Bringer] title in detail.

His teammates didn't know...when "fighting" the goat, Brother Jue used the [Hate Furnace] to recover some stamina again. Of course, the damage caused by [Ling Shi Ju Shen Shu - Modified] was not converted, as it didn't count as effective "hostile damage." However, the portion of Survival Value lost to the goat had been converted into Stamina Value according to the ratio.

Therefore, Feng Bujue's stamina had returned to nearly twenty percent. As long as he gritted his teeth...he could even unleash the Nanto Flying Dragon Fist.

"You don't need to worry about this guy..." Honghu, walking at the rear, said at this moment, "Don't forget, when the Combat Strength Ranking still existed, this guy's ranking was comparable to that of [Shiva], even top players like [Zui Wo Changran], [Fei Chai Shu], and [Xiao Wen Cangtian] were all ranked behind him." He paused, "You can't use common sense to judge players of this level. Even if he said he had a passive skill that doubles his Stamina Value上限, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Yeah...I almost forgot." Jibu said, "This guy's strength is genuine..."

"Ah~ speaking of this..." Tianma Xingkong said weakly, "I disappeared from the new 'Player Comprehensive Strength Ranking' after the update." He paused for half a second and added, "And the new ranking can show a full thirty spots!"

"That's normal..." Honghu said with narrowed eyes, "I thought it was a miracle that you could rank twentieth before the update."

"Hmph! Yulong, you're just jealous." Little Ma turned his thick-browed, large-eyed face to Honghu and said.

"Jealous of your seventh uncle's father?" Honghu retorted unhappily, "I'm stating the facts, okay? If you're comparing one-on-one fights, others can easily come up with ways to counter you. Just find a moderately skilled Shooting specialization player, devise a good strategy, and they can take you down."

"I agree with that." Feng Bujue also chimed in, "I can come up with forty-seven strategies to defeat Tianma Xingkong in a one-on-one fight just by thinking about it."

"Don't you think that sentence is not only disgusting but also self-deprecating?" Jibu replied.

Brother Jue ignored him and continued, "By the way, Little Ma, there's something I'm quite puzzled about that I want to ask you. But if it's inconvenient, you don't have to answer." He turned his head, looked at Tianma Xingkong with a subtle expression, and asked, "After getting first place in the Peak Tournament, your strength should have improved significantly, right?"

This sentence immediately made the atmosphere tense.

Undoubtedly...this was a question that crossed the line.

Although the Peak Tournament had already concluded, speculation about the "mysterious gift" had never stopped. Including Honghu and Jibu, almost all players were incredibly curious about the contents of that prize...

But the problem was...the answer was unknown.

The only people who knew the truth were the higher-ups at Dream Inc., the higher-ups at Starlight Studio, and the person involved, the beneficiary of the prize—Tianma Xingkong himself.

None of these parties would leak the information. It goes without saying for Dream Inc....anyone who leaked it might be silenced; the higher-ups at Starlight were also very tight-lipped, for them, the contents of the "mysterious gift" were a form of intangible leverage, it was more valuable not to reveal it.

So...the only channel to find out about this seemed to be asking Little Ma himself.

But who would ask? This kind of thing was equivalent to a trade secret in the gaming world, and Tianma Xingkong would definitely not have the right to disclose it without the studio's approval. Asking him...wouldn't that be forcing his hand?

"Uh...let me think..." After hearing Brother Jue's question, Tianma Xingkong thought for a full minute before replying, "Doesn't your question sound like nonsense? Since I've been squeezed out of the top thirty in the Comprehensive Strength Ranking, my strength certainly hasn't improved, is there any need to ask?"

"Tsk...you saw through me..." Feng Bujue replied, "I thought you'd take the opportunity to reveal what the prize was."

"Oh~ so that's what you wanted to know..." Little Ma laughed, "It's okay, I can tell you."

"What!" Honghu and Jibu were both shocked, "So it's not a secret after all?"

"Ah...how should I put it..." Little Ma said, walking along with his hands behind his head, "I think...it wouldn't be a big deal even if I told you. Of course, the studio did ask me to keep it a secret."

"Then you'd better not say it..." Feng Bujue said, "I was just asking casually, I don't want you to lose your job or get into trouble over this..."

"Hehe...you're overthinking it..." Tianma Xingkong smiled, "I was one of the less favored rookies back then, so I signed a 'blue-collar player' level contract. There's basically nothing about 'game competition prizes' in my contract. There's just an additional clause stating that the player has complete autonomous distribution rights over the prize." He spread his hands, "Actually...even the contracts prepared for celebrity players rarely mention keeping 'competition prizes' confidential."

"That's true...normally, game companies hold competitions and use the prizes as a hype focus, it's rare to see a company like Dream Inc. keeping it hidden." Jibu added.

"In other words..." Honghu also added, "This part of the content is not protected by the 'confidentiality agreement'."

"That's right." Tianma Xingkong laughed, "It's considered a loophole in the contract."

"But...that's not enough reason for you to be willing to reveal the contents of the prize." Feng Bujue said thoughtfully, "I've probably guessed it..." He glanced at Little Ma, "The true nature of that 'mysterious gift' is probably the kind of thing that...'even if we go around publicizing it, no one would believe it'."

"Haha! You're amazing." Tianma Xingkong laughed loudly, "Let me tell you, the prize is a one-to-one scale Pegasus Cloth!"

"Huh?" Honghu's glasses almost fell off.

Jibu also had a stunned expression: "You know what...even I don't believe it."

"Hahaha..." Feng Bujue laughed and muttered something almost inaudibly, "Customized to each individual...hm...sounds like that guy's style..."

"What did you say?" Tianma Xingkong thought Brother Jue was talking to him and asked immediately.

"Oh, I said..." Brother Jue raised his voice a little and said, "It really suits your style."

"Of course!" Tianma Xingkong pushed up his nose bridge and smiled, "When I heard it was this, I was overjoyed! I was so excited when I received the package, I tore open the cardboard box and plastic foam with my bare hands."

"Hm...don't you guys think the value of this prize is a bit low? It's just a collectible figure, isn't it?" Jibu muttered, "Aside from the skill value rewards, [Zui Wo Changran] and [Yama], who ranked second and third, both got a Legendary equipment item, although they're bound items that they can't sell, according to the market price...Legendary equipment is currently worth at least tens of thousands of RMB."

"How do you know it's not worth it?" Feng Bujue revealed a faint smile, "If I were Tianma Xingkong, I'd rather get the Saint Cloth than some Legendary equipment." He sighed and looked wistfully at the sky, "You have to understand...something that's worthless to one person might be priceless to another."

"That's right...the treasures in the game are virtual after all. One day, Thriller Paradise will close down like other games, and everything here will come to an end..." Honghu added, "But real-world souvenirs can be preserved."

"Hey...why are you guys making it sound like I got ripped off?" Tianma Xingkong interjected, "The letter Dream Inc. sent me along with the prize said that the Saint Cloth was worth ten large boxes of 'Tetradrachma' (an ancient Greek silver coin)!"

"Hehe...what kind of currency is that..." Honghu laughed, "And it's even in 'boxes', it's almost like Vietnamese Dong, isn't it?"

Jibu also said: "The party giving the prize must be exaggerating the value."

"No, no, I think it's quite reliable." Tianma Xingkong defended, "I tried wearing it...the workmanship of the Saint Cloth is really exquisite, although it's heavy, I can move freely in it, it's not uncomfortable at all; the carvings on the outside of the Saint Cloth are also very delicate, there isn't a single scratch on the surface, and it faintly reflects light." He paused, "Um...also...when I wear it, I feel a constant surge of power within me..."

The more Feng Bujue listened, the more he felt that something was wrong, and he had a very bad assumption in his mind, "Let me ask...when you tried wearing it, did you try attacking the wall or releasing Pegasus Meteor Fist or anything like that..."

"Ah? No." Little Ma replied, "It's not like we're in the game, who would do that kind of thing in real life, are you an elementary school student?"

"You're the last person who should be saying that..." Feng Bujue curled his lips.

The four continued talking as they walked, but their pace was not slow at all. In fact, under Brother Jue's conscious guidance, their walking speed had even increased.

Because they had replenished their water, the feeling of "thirst" had basically disappeared, and their Stamina Value consumption had returned to normal. In this state, even while walking, their Stamina Value would slowly recover.

Feng Bujue had naturally noticed this a long time ago, and he quickly came to the conclusion...in this scenario, as long as you were "not hungry, not thirsty," the loss of Stamina Value was at a normal rate. As for "fatigue," it was just a physical sensation that appeared when Stamina Value was low, and it could be alleviated with a little rest.

Of course, there was also a factor to consider, which was "temperature."

On this point, there was no need to worry for the time being. The temperature in the Crystal Labyrinth was relatively cold, about ten degrees Celsius, this temperature wouldn't bring any negative effects, it was definitely more comfortable than below zero or above thirty degrees.

…………

After walking for a while, everyone's stamina had returned to more than twenty percent. And at this moment, they were not far from the "Fear Leaf."

"Honghu." Feng Bujue seemed to have noticed something, he suddenly stopped, looked vigilantly ahead, and said, "Your infrared light, can it still be used?"

Hearing this, Honghu didn't hesitate, and directly took out the egg-shaped metal lamp from his bag and stepped forward, saying, "There's still about half of the power left." As he spoke, he had already turned on the infrared light.

In an instant, a large circular area around them was illuminated by red rays. The webs within this range were all revealed...

Everyone looked up and saw a "web wall" just five or six meters ahead.

"Ha...I guessed right." Feng Bujue said, "Like the leeches before, these silk threads can also be illuminated by infrared light."

"I say...how did you know there were webs ahead?" Honghu looked at Brother Jue, puzzled, "You've been walking quite fast all the way, but as soon as you got here, you asked me to turn on the infrared light?"

"By observing carefully, you can find some patterns..." Feng Bujue pointed to the top, "In the labyrinth, 90% of the crystal pillars are more than twelve meters high, but rarely exceed fifteen meters. And the average height at which the Silkworm Mother lays webs is above ten meters." He randomly pointed to a pillar next to him, "Take ten meters as the boundary...turn off the infrared light and look at the part where the silk and the crystal are bonded."

Hearing this, Honghu turned off the infrared light and stared for a while, then replied, "The surface of the crystal is a bit blurry?"

"That's right." Feng Bujue replied, "The principle is like you塗 a line of transparent glue on the surface of a light bulb."

"Yeah...if these crystal pillars themselves didn't emit light, you probably wouldn't be able to see it at all." Jibu also added from the side.

"Alright, turn on the light." Feng Bujue said to Honghu, he then turned to look at Jibu, "Jibu, use the fan to clear the way."

In less than ten seconds, the two had prepared themselves, one holding the light, and the other wielding the large fan, and began to clear the obstacles ahead.

"I hate being ordered around..." Honghu muttered unhappily.

"Ah...before I knew it, that guy was giving orders again..." Jibu added.

"What are you guys gossiping about!" Feng Bujue shouted from behind them, "It's not good to complain about each other among teammates! Have you forgotten what Volcker said before he died, when he failed to achieve victory and died first?" (T/N: a play on a famous historical saying).

"He didn't say anything, you just chopped him up!" Jibu roared.

"If you have to add a line, it would be nothing more than..." Honghu recited, "I'm really not tasty...Yamete..."

As he spoke, Jibu had already swept away a few pieces of web. After the webs fell to the ground, they lost their threat, and the path became passable.

The four continued forward, entering an area covered by thick, powdery white substance. The crystal pillars here were higher and denser than elsewhere, the path on the ground became very narrow, and there were many forks, it felt like walking into an insect's nest.

"We're almost there..." Honghu scanned the surroundings vigilantly and said, "I think...we'd better come up with a battle plan first. Although our physical condition is better than when we first came out of the tunnel, it still feels like it will be tough to beat that Boss."

"Yeah, that caterpillar is really powerful." Tianma Xingkong added, "It was almost unscathed after taking my Meteor Fist."

"Hey, Mr. Natural Science." Jibu turned his face to Brother Jue while waving his fan to clear the way and said, "You should know what silkworms are afraid of, right?"

"Cold air, direct sunlight, water, fire, spices..." Feng Bujue immediately summarized twelve words simply, and then poured cold water on his teammates, "Actually, silkworms are quite fragile animals, but unfortunately...even if the Silkworm Mother really has weaknesses like these, we can't find a breakthrough from them. Because her size is too big, proportionally speaking...unless one of us can use an ultimate move like Great Crimson Lotus Ice Ring, she won't even feel it."

Unexpectedly...before he could finish speaking, Jibu immediately said, "You should have said so earlier, I can do it."

"Huh?" Feng Bujue was stunned again, this was the second time after the tunnel that Jibu had made a startling statement.

Honghu and Tianma Xingkong seemed quite calm, their attitude was still: "As expected of you, Jibu, you deserve to be the boss of Ice Emperor."

"Um...do you really have an ultimate move of that level?" Feng Bujue was still a little incredulous, and he confirmed again.

"Don't worry, it's definitely an ultimate move." Jibu didn't mind saying the skill name, because it was a one-time consumption skill, "The legendary [Ice Ring Skewering Heaven's Length], you can tell it's very powerful just by hearing the name!"