Chapter 55: Just for Show |
Dark clouds obscured the sky, and a chilling wind blew through in cold wisps. Rain pelted the pavement and the broad leaves of the cornstalks, splashing up a fine mist.
The downpour hadn't quite reached the level of a torrential storm, but it was enough to blur the four people's vision and obstruct their line of sight.
They opened the car doors and stepped out. The cold, damp raindrops fell upon them. While it didn't hinder their physical movements, the gloomy weather left a heavy weight on their chests, inevitably depressing their moods.
Bai Mu looked up at the distant helicopter with its sweeping searchlight. It was still quite visible in their line of sight, approximately 1.5 kilometers away in a straight line.
It really wasn't that far. Walking at a brisk pace down a straight, flat road for 1.5 kilometers would take less than twenty minutes. If they broke into a full sprint, they could reach the finish line in seven or eight minutes at most.
However, taking a straight path meant they had to cut directly through the cornfield.
"Are we going straight or taking a detour?" Nancheng Port looked at Bai Mu, pulling the metal pipe from his inventory.
Misty Rain Traveler and Great Northern Wilderness also cast their gazes over. After spending an afternoon and a night together, Bai Mu had implicitly become the core of their team. All three wanted to hear his suggestion.
"I plan to go straight." Bai Mu pulled out his Fire Axe. "Taking a detour means covering at least three kilometers, maybe even more. A twenty-minute time limit is far too tight for that."
"If you want to take a detour, go ahead. Don't worry about me." Bai Mu hefted his axe and took the first step forward.
He didn't intend to waste time debating whether to go around or not. This was the final stage of the Main Quest. The three of them had given him some help over the past day, but he didn't owe anyone anything.
He had driven the car for two days and found three jerrycans of gasoline; any debts he owed had long been paid.
After all, all good things must come to an end. They had cooperated earlier because their opinions aligned and their interests were mutual. But now that their views diverged, it was naturally time to say their goodbyes.
Misty Rain Traveler stared at Bai Mu's retreating back, gritted her teeth, and hurried after him. "Wait, I'll go with you."
Personally, she would have vastly preferred taking a detour. Those cornstalks grew tall and dense; once inside, their visibility might be reduced to a mere three to five meters. She absolutely did not want to bump into a crying Witch in that kind of environment.
Yet, her intuition told her that following Bai Mu was the best choice.
The fact that this man could walk out of the children's amusement park completely unscathed proved that his insight, courage, and execution were far beyond the norm. At the very least, none of the other three people present could compare.
Misty Rain Traveler didn't believe that a single one of them could have completed the Side Quest involving the Witch under those circumstances. Therefore, rather than trusting her own judgment, she was far more willing to trust Bai Mu's.
Great Northern Wilderness and Nancheng Port exchanged a glance. After the leading pair had taken a few steps, the two brothers closely followed suit.
"Brother Bai, wait up!" Great Northern Wilderness waved. "We've made it this far, we might as well stick together."
The brothers jogged over to catch up. Ultimately, the four-man team did not disband on the spot because of this crisis, though the leadership had officially shifted from Misty Rain Traveler to Bai Mu.
Bai Mu glanced back. Having people to help was certainly a good thing. As long as these three teammates didn't act recklessly, none of them were the type to drag him down.
"Let's do this just like we did at the mall. We'll communicate with hand signals as we move," Great Northern Wilderness suggested with a smile.
"If you all want to brave the cornfield together, then hand signals it is," Bai Mu said. "I have a title that prevents the Witches from actively attacking me. I'll take the lead and scout the path. Watch my hand gestures to coordinate your movements, and help keep an eye out for other types of Mutants."
"No problem, my brother and I promise to follow your lead." Great Northern Wilderness flashed an OK sign.
Misty Rain Traveler also nodded, silently drawing her throwing knives.
The four formed a single-file line. Bai Mu walked at the very front, Misty Rain Traveler and Nancheng Port took the middle, and Great Northern Wilderness brought up the rear as they plunged into the cornfield.
Beneath their feet lay damp soil. The rain had only been falling for a short while, so the ground hadn't yet turned slick or muddy.
The cornstalks had grown exceedingly well. Cultivated and fertilized by human hands, these select seeds had sprouted in rich soil, leaving each stalk over two meters tall with lush, sprawling leaves.
Stepping into the cornfield felt like walking into a massive green canopy, their surroundings entirely swallowed by thick stalks and broad leaves from every direction.
They hadn't walked for long before a faint, mournful sobbing drifted through the air.
It was the cries of the Witch. Some sounded distant, while others felt uncomfortably close. This cornfield was truly a Witch's nest.
A chill ran down Misty Rain Traveler's spine. The two brothers similarly felt the terrifying presence of the Witch on a visceral level; the weeping sounded just like the wretched wails of a vengeful ghost.
Bai Mu remained completely unfazed. His title slot was equipped with Friend of the Witch. At this exact moment, the immense value of that title was fully on display. He didn't have to worry about the sobbing in the slightest; he only needed to confidently stride forward.
After all, friends didn't attack friends.
Guided by his hand signals, the trio maintained a short distance behind him. He spearheaded the group, marching right past the Witches. Instead of attacking him, they would simply tilt their heads in a daze to stare at his face, looking for all the world as if Bai Mu was a heartless lover who had abandoned them there.
'Why do these Witches have bullet wounds and shackle marks on them?' Bai Mu observed, mentally noting their physical traits.
With Bai Mu acting as a human radar, the other three walked on pins and needles. Yet in reality, absolutely nothing happened. As long as they followed closely behind Bai Mu, they could preemptively avoid the Witches.
If a Witch blocked the path ahead, Bai Mu would simply gesture for them to detour around her.
Eight minutes passed, and incredibly, the other three hadn't come face-to-face with a single Witch.
'Are D-grade Scripts really this simple?'
The identical thought sprouted in the minds of the trio. Even in an F-grade Script, they didn't think they had ever had it this easy.
The weeping sounded terrifying, but it was just for show. After listening to it for a few minutes, they even started to get used to it.
Thinking about it carefully, they hadn't actually encountered any decent challenges since leaving the mall.
First, they spent a few hours chatting in the car, then they arrived at a massive house where they gorged on fried noodles and pizza. They even got to sleep on soft mattresses under clean, warm blankets.
Aside from their arms getting a bit tired from bashing Zombies at the very beginning, had they faced any real hardships?
When had they ever experienced such a relaxing Script?
Even the beginner Scripts weren't nearly as comfortable as this one.
With eight minutes left on the countdown, Bai Mu led the team out of the cornfield, arriving near a corn processing plant.
Before them stood an old building constructed from concrete and brick, topped with a blue corrugated iron roof. Agricultural tractors and sprinklers were parked against the walls.
The helicopter was now right before their eyes, and the earthy, fishy scent of river water drifted into their noses.
The three teammates looked a bit dazed. Misty Rain Traveler pinched her own cheek and murmured somewhat foolishly, "Are we... about to clear it just like that?"
Had they really just been scaring themselves over nothing this whole time?
While she was spaced out, something on the roof launched itself directly at her. With its limbs splayed wide, it looked exactly like an oversized frog.
Misty Rain Traveler only registered a dark shadow, but it never managed to tackle her to the ground. Reacting with lightning speed, Bai Mu swung his axe in a vicious downward cleave.
The blade flashed, and a corpse tumbled several times through the muddy water. Its neck had been completely severed, leaving only a thin layer of skin keeping the head attached to the body.
It was a new type of Mutant wearing a hoodie. Just before killing it, Bai Mu had acquired its basic information. This creature was called a Hunter—an Infected heavily enhanced for pouncing attacks. Its leaping ability seemed even stronger than that of a Jockey.
Bai Mu looked down at the corpse's limbs. Sure enough, just like the Witches, it bore the marks of shackles. Or rather, it wasn't just marks; broken chains and metal restraints were still physically attached to its hands and feet.