Chapter 474: The Most Explosive Trial Yet |
No wonder he made those horrifying faces. No wonder he constantly needled his target's nerves with his words. Screaming Earls were the [Corruption] camp's foremost experts at manufacturing and harvesting fear. They fed on terror, endlessly tormenting their enemies — rivaling certain [War] followers in their capacity for cruelty.
And rumor had it that the Terror Demons birthed by the Mother Tree of Fear after it absorbed the world's terror were the very prototype for the Screaming Earl class.
Thinking this, Cheng Shi glanced at the Bone Servant Le Le'er's Ring on his finger.
'Manufacturing fear, using fear as sustenance, and carrying one-quarter of the Fear Mother Tree Le Le'er's divinity...'
'By that logic, this ring was practically this Screaming Earl teammate's ancestor!'
But he couldn't go around claiming family ties with everyone. After all, not everyone could be The Prisoner. As the civil war reignited, Cheng Shi hurriedly retreated in another direction — toward where Da Yi stood.
Despite Both having questions about why the other was here, the two sharp players chose to "cooperate" first, at least until the civil war's shockwaves passed — survival came first.
And so Cheng Shi and Da Yi converged, standing together.
Seeing doubt lingering in Da Yi's eyes, Cheng Shi took the initiative, feigning total ignorance:
The question left Da Yi momentarily speechless. Seeing that Cheng Shi's expression appeared genuine, Da Yi shifted into a sour grimace and spat:
"Hot damn, who knows.
"Didn't bump into a single teammate, but trouble? Plenty of that. How'd we end up with those two? Peh, rotten luck."
Cheng Shi wanted to say something like "Compared to Zhen Yi and The Prisoner, the current scene barely qualifies as bad luck," but he held his tongue and asked directly:
"Who's that guy?"
This time, Da Yi dropped his usual catchphrase entirely, speaking with unusual gravity:
"Gongyang Jiao. Same as his ID. Number three on the [Corruption] ladder. He's a... lunatic who enjoys eating people."
'Gongyang Jiao?'
'Real name or stage name?'
Cheng Shi blinked in confusion: "His surname is Gongyang?"
Da Yi paused, regarding Cheng Shi with mild surprise, and nodded:
"Hot damn, Brother Cheng, you're clearly a cultured man. You even know that surname exists.
"First time I heard his name, I thought he was some pervert who lifts ladies' skirts. Peh, what a garbage name."
"..."
"But don't let the name fool you. This guy is no joke. We steer clear if we can."
"How much of 'no joke' are we talking?"
"?"
Da Yi genuinely hadn't expected anyone to ask such a casual question under these circumstances. He shot Cheng Shi an odd look, then patiently elaborated:
"Fights like a front-line berserker. Eats people like a gourmet.
"All Screaming Earls specialize in manufacturing fear, but there's only one player who's turned himself into the gold standard of terror.
"Gongyang is an obsessive. Don't try to understand him. Just remember: see him, walk the other way."
"..."
Cheng Shi was stunned. He sized up the brawny man standing bare-armed in the blizzard and thought: 'I'm a priest — I'd obviously dodge everyone. But you're a big, burly... assassin. And even you're this cautious?'
Da Yi was scanning the battlefield with a deep frown and didn't catch Cheng Shi's faintly condescending gaze. Soon enough, Cheng Shi turned his attention to the fight as well:
"What about the other one? The other—"
He stopped mid-sentence, freezing up.
Because he realized that until now, his judgment that three people were fighting had been based solely on process of elimination: three hadn't moved, so three must be fighting.
But the problem was — why did this last teammate have such a pitifully low presence?
He remembered distinctly seeing that teammate's silhouette earlier. Yet trying to recall the details now, he couldn't remember what the person looked like.
A jolt of alarm ran through him. He suddenly realized he'd been unconsciously skipping over this teammate during his earlier assessment, as if the person possessed some kind of magic that deflected gazes!
And someone who could repeatedly evade notice like that had to be...
"Hot damn, it's that Chameleon." Da Yi's expression darkened. He'd clearly identified the sixth player.
Cheng Shi's pupils contracted. 'As expected.'
Bianse Long — [Silence]'s hunter.
A hunter supremely skilled at camouflaging himself and waiting for prey.
They were like real chameleons, always managing to vanish from everyone's field of vision, erasing their presence so thoroughly that people unconsciously overlooked them. Then, at the most unexpected moment, they'd launch a killing strike.
And right now, this oft-ignored hunter appeared to be assisting the Screaming Earl!
Meaning Poison was currently facing two experts at once.
Cheng Shi's gaze sharpened: "What rank?"
Da Yi frowned: "Hot damn, sixth. But very strong."
Cheng Shi nodded, mentally elevating the situation's severity another notch. He asked simultaneously: "What on earth did she do to earn this kind of beating?"
"That's... complicated. I only heard that Poison snatched away a target Gongyang Jiao had been watching for a long time. As for how she snatched it, or where it went — no idea.
"Lao Hu's seen that woman. Good looking. He said Gongyang Jiao might not be hunting this time — could actually be serious. I didn't believe it at the time, but watching Gongyang's ferocity now, I'm starting to buy it.
"Not that it matters anymore. She's been snatched away with no trace left. No wonder he's clobbering Poison so enthusiastically.
"Hot damn, [Corruption] really is a mess."
"?"
Cheng Shi's head was spinning with question marks after that info dump.
'Wait, big guy, I'm confused. Can you elaborate?'
'The woman you're talking about — you mean a different woman, not Poison?'
'Huh? Poison stole the Screaming Earl's woman right out from under him?'
"..."
[Corruption] was indeed a mess...
This side was deep in conversation; that side, deep in combat.
Just as the two were still assessing the situation — BOOM! A blood-spraying figure was hurled from the battle zone, crashing heavily into the snow not far from Cheng Shi and Da Yi.
Looking at the battered, bloodied Poison casting pitiful, pleading eyes their way, Cheng Shi chuckled and closed his eyes.
But Poison wasn't discouraged. She immediately targeted Da Yi instead. This time, she wasted no effort on expressions and simply said with a smirk:
"Save me. I know where the Gift of Sores is."
The words had barely landed before Da Yi leapt in front of Poison, blocking the pursuing Gongyang Jiao.
And Cheng Shi's eyes snapped open, gleaming with excitement. He raised a hand, summoned a healing spell, and smiled:
"Talk first. Heal second. Fair and square."