Chapter 14 The Bread Man

Pu-tong—pu-tong—

Clear, resounding heartbeats emanated from the bread man’s body, the sound like the beating of a drum.

Xiao Tan, who was running into the distance with a baguette in his hand, turned his head when he heard the sound.

Feng Bujue, who was following Wang Tanzhi closely from an observer's perspective, turned his gaze a second earlier than Xiao Tan.

“Pan…” The bread man’s voice suddenly became low and deep. It stood up from the ground and looked at Xiao Tan, saying, “Pan!”

“What! You’re saying you’re getting serious?” Xiao Tan said with a solemn expression, looking at the bread man.

“Hey! How did you figure that out!” Feng Bujue was shocked. “Did you hear it from panpanpan?”

“Papapa…” The bread man made a few short, trembling sounds, like a sneer. “Pan~panpan, pan!”

“You… you actually have this kind of ability?” Xiao Tan’s expression changed drastically upon hearing the bread man’s words.

“No matter what his ability is, it’s nothing compared to your ability to translate Bread Language!” Feng Bujue couldn’t stop complaining after hearing Xiao Tan's words.

“Pan (ban)…pan (kai)!” In the next second, the bread man raised its only remaining left arm and shouted out two syllables that sounded a lot like "卍解" (banjie - Bankai, a term from the manga *Bleach*).

Moreover… it clearly wasn’t just saying it. At that moment, an astonishing spiritual pressure erupted from within it, and its severed arm was instantly repaired by this force. Then, its form began to change, the color of its bread all over its body deepened slightly, and heat energy seeped out from within it.

This process lasted for about ten seconds before it ended. After it ended, the bread man looked at Xiao Tan and snorted, "Pan…panpan!"

As soon as it spoke, a rich aroma of wheat bran wafted over, containing complex and harmonious scents such as honey and milk. Clearly… after being heated at super high speed, the bread man… had become more delicious.

“What the hell…” Feng Bujue, after seeing the other side's transformation, immediately roared, “What's the point of this transformation!”

“I see… because it’s become more fluffy, so its volume has slightly increased, and it can squeeze out the heat from inside its body to burn the enemy…” Xiao Tan said with a straight face, looking at the bread man.

“Burn your great-great-granddaddy! It’s even easier to cut after being heated!” Feng Bujue said gloomily. “Speaking of which, why are you still paying attention to it? Just take the bread to complete the quest!”

On this point, Xiao Tan’s thoughts were in line with Jue-ge.

“But… even like this, you’re still not my match.” Xiao Tan said to the bread man. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore, so don’t chase after me…” With that, he turned and ran.

“Pan?” The bread man was first stunned, then roared, “Pan! Pan!” It shouted as it took steps to chase after him, but its speed was really not able to catch up with Xiao Tan, and it was quickly left in the dust.

“Well… although the starting point was different, at least he made the right choice in the end…” Seeing Xiao Tan get rid of this monster, Feng Bujue finally let out a long breath.

…………

On the other hand…

The four members of the Corn Kernel Team were really lucky. After driving away a plot NPC, they found something related to the plot in the ruins in less than ten minutes.

“This is…” Liu Sanfeng looked around and stopped in front of a two-meter-high stone tablet.

The color of this stone was pure white, without any pollution or wear, as if the years could not leave any traces on it.

On one side of the stone tablet, a pattern was engraved: in the middle of the picture, there was an image of a woman in a long dress. Her hands were crossed, hugging her shoulders, standing with her head bowed; around the woman, a circle of sand-like unknown objects was engraved, like a halo floating around her; outside the circle of sand, three objects like eyeballs were engraved, and the pupils of each eyeball were looking in the opposite direction from the woman.

“Hmm…” Liu Sanfeng looked at the pattern and pondered. “Judging from the script introduction, the woman in this stele painting is likely the ‘goddess’… and those three eyeballs are ‘the three eyes in this world.’ Then… the content of this painting is…” Liu Sanfeng read, “The goddess is urging her own power to control these three eyes to find something?”

After thinking for a while, he shook his head: “Forget it, there’s nothing to think about, it’s a waste of time.”

His approach was not wrong… anyway, they had already offended a plot NPC, so they might as well carry out the “ignore the plot” strategy to the end.

If they were hesitant and reluctant to let go, they would eventually suffer.

So, Liu Sanfeng resolutely left the stone tablet and continued on his journey to find members of the enemy team…

…………

At the same moment…

“Hey~ Ruo Yu, take a look, what’s going on over there?” Hua Jian, who was on the road with Ruo Yu, seemed to have seen something that interested her in the distance. She immediately stopped her teammate beside her and pointed in the distance.

“That is…” Ruo Yu followed the direction pointed by Hua Jian and saw a strange shadow that was different from the other architectural ruins at a glance.

She concentrated and looked into the distance, and soon saw the clues.

“Hmm… this statue ruin seems to be a bit strange.” Ruo Yu said.

“Yeah… I also think something’s not right.” Hua Jian said, “It shouldn’t have become like this, right?”

The strangeness they were talking about referred to the state of the statue…

The carved image was of a heroic man in armor and a cloak. Judging from his face, he should be the "king" in the opening CG.

Normally, the ruins of such a statue would either be lying horizontally on the ground; or the base would still be standing, but the part above the base would be damaged and incomplete.

However, the giant humanoid statue in front of Ruo Yu and Hua Jian was very strangely tilted…

The statue's left leg below the thigh and the right leg below the knee were buried in the soil, and the part exposed above the soil formed an angle of nearly forty-five degrees with the ground. The entire statue was tilted in the soil like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or… like a toy soldier inserted diagonally into the sand by a child.

“Perhaps it was caused by the ground below it suddenly collapsing and then suddenly solidifying…” Ruo Yu said after looking at it for a few seconds, making a guess that sounded pretty reliable.

“Is it possible that it was held by some kind of creature and forcibly inserted into the soil?” Hua Jian asked.

“The statue itself is as big as a giant. The thing that can hold it and insert it into the soil…” Ruo Yu continued, “It’s probably only the gods of this world.”

“It’s true when you think about it this way.” Hua Jian said.

“Hmm… that’s right.” Ruo Yu said thoughtfully, “Otherwise… should we go over and take a look? Maybe we can trigger some kind of plot near this statue.”

“Okay.” Hua Jian immediately responded.

The four members of Hell Frontline obviously hadn’t completely ignored the plot development, so the two of them quickly made a decision and walked towards the statue.

…………

On the other hand, let's look at Xiao Ling's side…

So far, Xiao Ling's search range has exceeded the total of all other players.

Her efficiency is undoubtedly extremely high. When it comes to reconnaissance ability, even Feng Bujue would be far behind her.

Speaking of which… her data has never been listed in the previous text (because she was killed by Jue-ge at the beginning of the Super Dimensional Melee script). Here is a detailed introduction:

Bei Ling Xiao Gu (Sorrowful Spirit Smiling Bones): Lv46

Title: [Human Weapon], Title Ability: [Rampaging Fortress]

Experience Value: 4378310046000000, Skill Value: 7187, Game Coins: 8082000.

Specialization: General A, Machinery C, Reconnaissance A, Fighting C, Shooting S, Medical E, Spiritual Arts C, Summoning F.

Backpack (1830): Red Wine *3, Spirit Vision Flare *5, Survival Value Supplement (Large) *5, Survival Value Supplement (Medium) *5, Hemostatic Bandage *5, Antidote Mixture *5, Antifreeze *5, Burn Medicine *5, Perpetual Flashlight, FN57, MP5, KRISS_Super_V, ULTIMAX100, Incinerating Propulsion Cannon, Dog Leash, Yao Tao Ban Tu Chuan Fang Xun (Half-Open Peach Blossom Sends Fragrant News), Vanguard Shield, Jade of the Blood Corpse God.

Equipment: Moon Slaying Meteor (Spiritual Energy Weapon), Fisher's Eye, Invisible Foot, Magic Armor Wings, Baldr's Holy Armor.

Storage Room (215): Double Experience Card (24 hours) *30, Double Game Coin Card (24 hours) *30.

Skill Bar (1012): [Three Flowers Gather at the Top Divine Art], [Shadow Illusion Seven Zhang], [Holy Arbitration], [Gun Fighting Five Styles – Weapon Theft], [Gun Fighting Fourteen Styles – Kick], [Gun Fighting Hundred Seven Styles – Guidance], [Assembly Magic], [Ammunition Proliferation], [Even if I'm About to Die, I Still Have the Strength to Go to the Cafeteria], [Summoning Technique – Vampire Bats].

Detailed effects of all the new items or skills above will be written out one by one in this chapter, so I won’t list the item descriptions here. However, there are two items that need to be mentioned in particular. One is the [Vanguard Shield].

This item was obtained by Xiao Tan by playing rock-paper-scissors in the "Horror Nursery Rhymes" script. It is a perfect-level piece of defensive equipment that is "bound after equipment." Since Xiao Tan already had the [Titanium Alloy Jinhua Ham], and the effects of the two pieces of defensive equipment overlapped somewhat, he later gave it to Xiao Ling.

The second is…

[Name: Spirit Vision Flare *5]

[Type: Consumable]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Function: Creates a spirit light burst.]

[Remarks: After the Spirit Vision Flare is released, it will detonate accurately at a distance of two hundred meters from the release point, and trigger a spiritual particle photogenic reaction that lasts for about ten seconds. Only those with a spiritual art specialization of D or above can see this reaction.]

This kind of spirit vision flare is very small, shaped like a shotgun shell; and it can be launched without a gun, making it a very convenient prop.

Looking at the attributes, you can also tell… this thing is definitely not a store item.

In fact… it was "invented" and "made" by a player. And that player is the machinery specialization expert [Mo Cha Su (Matcha Crisp)], who appeared in the Pinnacle Hegemony S1.

Nowadays, she is doing very well in the game, and has become a pillar of the Shanhe Studio (the studio where Qiu Feng Se is). More than half of the studio's income comes from Mo Cha Su and her several assistants. And the specific method is… "collecting materials, making items, and pricing sales."

The machinery specialization, which has always been regarded as unpopular, ushered in spring in the later stages after a difficult period of improvement. Because this specialization, after being trained to S level, can make all kinds of things inside and outside the script… plus the existence of the "free exploration mode," it is even more convenient to operate this kind of thing.

In *Thriller Paradise*, "in-script communication props" have always been a very, very rare item. Although some scripts come with walkie-talkies, telephones, and communication devices, similar items… either cannot be brought out of the script, or become useless scrap iron after being brought out. Obviously, the official intends to limit players' communication behavior in the script.

As a result, things like "flares" naturally sell well. Even if they can’t be used in every script, it's always good to have a few on hand just in case. What’s more, the “team competition” is about to start, and similar commodities will inevitably be a hit, and it is estimated that the price increase is not far away…

…………

Okay, let's get back to the story…

After the script has been going on for nearly forty minutes, Xiao Ling successfully found traces left by the enemy team with her excellent reconnaissance ability.

Although it was mentioned earlier… it is extremely difficult to find a certain person or team in such a large area of Bai Country. But "difficult" does not mean impossible…

Speaking of which… this matter is also the fault of the four members of the Corn Kernel Team themselves. If they hadn't conflicted with the black-robed old man who asked for corn, then their whereabouts would not have been exposed.

Unfortunately… they ended up fighting.

Once a battle has occurred, even if it’s just for a short time, or just a single move or style, it will leave some traces.

Although Liu Sanfeng's [Neptune Spear Destruction Strike] was dissolved by the black-robed old man without a trace, when he launched the move, the magic energy stirred, causing his feet to leave deep footprints in the soil. In addition… his teammates also unconsciously made some footprints after entering the battle state, especially Wei Wu-ge… the traces of that fierce sprint were particularly obvious…

The members of the Corn Kernel Team didn't think about cleaning up these traces… because their footsteps were lighter when they were not in a combat state, and they wouldn't leave footprints on soil of this hardness. So all the way, they hadn't considered this aspect at all.

Who would have thought that just these seven or eight scattered traces would play the prelude to their team wipeout…

“Hee… it really is new…” After approaching and observing the footprints, a smile appeared on Xiao Ling's face. “One, two, three… all four are here, and…” She paced lightly in this area, her mind racing, “…there has been a battle here.”

Xiao Ling’s goggles – [Fisher’s Eye] have heat energy detection and night vision functions, so she can see the residual heat here. With her experience… it is not difficult to infer that a battle has taken place here.

“Hmm… there are so few footprints, which means the battle was very short. Either the winner was decided quickly, or one of the parties ran away as soon as the fight started…” Xiao Ling then said.

“Most likely one side ran away…” At this time, the “back spirit” Feng Bujue had switched his perspective to Xiao Ling’s side (switching perspectives is very convenient, and there is no time limit, so Feng Bujue often switches to the rear of each teammate in seconds to see the situation in several places at the same time), and said with great confidence, “If it was ‘the winner was decided,’ then the loser would be either dead or injured, and there would be some blood stains on the ground… The opposing guys can’t possibly clean up the blood stains, because people who can think of cleaning up the blood stains can definitely think of cleaning up the footprints. Of course… there is another possibility… the monster they fought has no blood, like a bread man or something… It’s reasonable to think about it this way. They instantly killed and ate the monster, then left behind such a scene…”

Xiao Ling couldn't hear Jue-ge's speculation mixed with complaints, but she quickly came to the same conclusion: "Um… one side probably ran away…" She didn't dwell on this question for too long. Compared to "what they fought with before," Xiao Ling was more interested in the question of… "where are they now?"

“Should I release a flare… or…” Xiao Ling thought for a few more seconds, then decided not to release it for the time being.

In the next five minutes, she quickly surveyed all the surrounding areas again, and then returned to the area with footprints, carefully analyzing the direction and position of these footprints… Then, she chased in one direction…

…………

On the other hand…

“Uncle, I brought you the bread.” Xiao Tan, holding the baguette that he had cut from the bread man, returned to the black-robed old man and handed the bread to him without thinking.

“This kid really has a sense of contract…” Feng Bujue couldn’t help but say when he saw this scene, “From beginning to end, it was just a verbal agreement, not even a quest was triggered, and the system prompt didn’t sound… What if this old man takes the bread and runs away? What if he quickly swallows the bread and immediately denies it? What if he hits himself in the head with the bread and then lies on the ground to blackmail you for game coins?”

“Hmm… young man.” The black-robed old man took the bread, his expression changed slightly. After pausing for two seconds, he looked at Xiao Tan and asked, “What do you think of things that have passed away?”

“If you're referring to his childhood, it shouldn't have passed away yet.” Feng Bujue interjected while watching.

“Uh… can you be more specific?” Xiao Tan thought that the other party's question was too broad and difficult to answer, so he asked again.

“For example… this country…” the black-robed old man continued.

Hearing this, Xiao Tan thought for a while and replied, “I don’t know much about this country, but from what I know… I think the king brought about his own destruction, and the people were implicated by him.”

“Hmm?” the black-robed old man asked doubtfully, “Aren’t you from this country?”

The moment he asked this question, Feng Bujue seemed to understand something…

“No, I’m not.” Xiao Tan replied immediately without any suspicion.

“Hehe… I see, that’s great.” The black-robed old man smiled. He put the bread in his arms and suddenly stretched out a hand to grab Xiao Tan. “Come with me…”

Before he finished speaking, he had turned into a black ray of light, carrying Xiao Tan into the high sky.