Chapter 25: The Twenty-Fifth Cup

Chapter 25: The Twenty-Fifth Cup

The minotaur butcher, wielding a cleaver, recklessly barged into the territory of the final boss, chasing after the milk tea cart.

Q clung to the window, lost in her own imagination, and sighed while cupping her face, "They must have never met before despite being in the same instance. This is their first encounter—how romantic. Two bosses who were destined never to meet—"

Li Xiaoyi: "……"

The system of the top player was indeed extraordinary.

In the next instant, following its programmed logic, the minotaur butcher yanked out the cleaver from the minotaur chef's chest, causing the chef's health bar to plummet.

Q: "……"

Yi Luo glanced at Q with a meaningful look, "What did you say just now?"

Q, putting on a brave face, retorted, "What do you know? This is called love-hate entanglement, deep emotional turmoil!"

Yi Luo sneered mockingly, stepped on the gas, and rammed toward both bosses. He looked back and asked Li Xiaoyi, "Can you drive?"

He didn't ask Xiao Zhi.

This young man's health had improved slightly, but someone who had just recovered from near-death would likely experience palpitations, dizziness, fear, and phantom pain—a series of negative effects. Someone like He Wuning, who could still act cool with only two health points, was not normal.

Yi Luo loaded his gun and fired a shot at the minotaur chef through a gap.

Li Xiaoyi lowered her head in shame, "I, I can't."

"Ah, well, there's no other way," Yi Luo said casually without looking back as he aimed, "You'll have to learn on the spot."

Li Xiaoyi wondered if she had heard correctly.

She opened her mouth in disbelief, "Huh?"

"Hold on!"

Yi Luo jumped out of the car without waiting, dodging incoming attacks and creating a comfortable distance for himself. He left Q in the seat, "Q, put her in assist mode!"

Q raised her tiny hands innocently, "I can't steer the wheel; it's all up to you."

Li Xiaoyi reluctantly sat in the driver's seat, trembling as she tried to fasten her seatbelt. She looked at Q for help, "H-How do I start it?"

Q pointed, "That's the accelerator. Press it."

Li Xiaoyi hesitated, "And then what?"

"There's no 'and then,'" Q waved her little hand from the roof, "Just press the accelerator! Floor it! Smash it!"

Li Xiaoyi gripped the steering wheel, almost crying, "But what if I hit our own people?"

Q looked at her sympathetically; this girl must be terrified, having forgotten the recent update, "Dumbbell, we have friendly fire immunity in this instance! You won't hurt them!"

Q gestured wildly, "Think about your boyfriend, nearly killed by it!"

Xiao Zhi weakly corrected her, "Fiancé..."

"Okay, fiancé." Q quickly amended, "Your fiancé nearly died because of it! This is your chance! The milk tea cart has 53 durability points left! The front bumper has 17 points, and the rear bumper has 20 points. You can hit them many more times!"

"Don't hesitate, keep the pedal down! Smash it! Charge!"

Li Xiaoyi took a deep breath, her body still trembling. She steeled herself, closed her eyes, and pressed the accelerator, screaming, "Aaaaah!"

The milk tea cart sped straight ahead. He Wuning watched silently as the cart passed through him like a ghostly vehicle, then saw her "bravely" charge toward the final boss. Her angry shout echoed in his ears, "Trash beast, I'll take you down! How dare you touch my man!"

Such a loud curse.

Such touching love.

He Wuning remained expressionless.

Li Xiaoyi drove erratically, like someone playing go-kart for the first time, but somehow managed to hit the mark, causing significant trouble for the two minotaurs.

He Wuning rubbed his nose, using the wild milk tea cart for cover to continue attacking. He planned to repeat his earlier tactic of taking the minotaur butcher's knife and making them fight each other.

Yi Luo understood his plan and slowly adjusted his angle, providing continuous support while keeping an eye on attacks coming from He Wuning's blind spots. They worked together seamlessly without any verbal communication.

He Wuning's dagger clashed with the butcher's cleaver. The butcher's other hand swung down, and the chef's spoon was about to strike.

A bullet rang out, hitting the chef's hand holding the spoon. Li Xiaoyi screamed as she crashed into them, allowing He Wuning to dodge. He seemed to anticipate Yi Luo's timing in neutralizing the chef's attack, boldly attacking the butcher's already injured right hand and reclaiming the blood-stained cleaver.

—Stained with the chef's blood.

Having seized the weapon again, He Wuning weighed the cleaver, considering where to strike for maximum damage.

Yi Luo reminded him, "The heart."

He Wuning paused, but instinctively trusted him and stabbed the cleaver into the chef's heart once more.

Almost instantly, the nearby butcher grabbed the handle, ignoring the chef's resistance, and pulled out the cleaver.

He Wuning raised an eyebrow; the chef's health indeed dropped significantly.

"Got it right," Yi Luo chuckled.

He had guessed that the first hit was effective not because of the butcher's cleaver but because the heart was the chef's weak point.

He Wuning tested stabbing the butcher's heart, but the damage was no different from other areas. It seemed that even among minotaurs, weak points varied.

Thinking back, when they killed the wild minotaur boss, it had no obvious weakness.

Even though they hadn't found the Minotaur Butcher's weakness, after several rounds of attacks, it was already covered in wounds and its health bar nearly depleted.

With the final blow, He Wuning struck its chest, but before he could retreat, the Butcher suddenly dropped its cleaver bone knife. As it knelt down, it reached out with a massive hand, trapping him tightly. Then it lowered its head—its dying attack was a close-range headbutt!

At the same moment, the Minotaur Chef took the opportunity to attack, raising its spoon high.

Although his weapon wasn't as fearsome as the chilling cleaver, He Wuning knew that one hit from the spoon would likely kill an ordinary player.

"Ahhhh!" Li Xiaoyi frantically turned the steering wheel, but the more critical the moment, the more panicked she became, her voice already trembling with tears, "Should I turn left or right?"

Q-jiang shouted loudly, "Right, right! Oh, why can't you tell left from right!"

The Minotaur's headbutt, meant to be fatal, landed, and amidst the dust, two loud "thuds" echoed. Li Xiaoyi shrank back, thinking she heard the sound of bones breaking.

As the dust cleared, Yi Luo held up the silver bullhead shield above He Wuning's head, the impact causing his arms to tingle slightly, but the damage was negligible. He laughed and looked down at He Wuning, "The tech department speculated that special equipment dropped by monsters with clan characteristics might have additional damage or defense bonuses against that clan."

"It seems there's some truth to it."

Li Xiaoyi stared dumbfounded at the scene before her: Yi Luo holding the shield to protect He Wuning, the Minotaur Butcher's head smashing into the shield, and the Minotaur Chef's spoon striking its head.

The Butcher's hard skull cracked under the impact, and the seemingly harmless spoon demonstrated its power. Li Xiaoyi couldn't help but imagine what it would do to a person, which made her face pale with fear.

Yi Luo looked down and asked, "Can you get out?"

He Wuning jumped out of the restraint and nodded slightly, "Let's go."

Yi Luo nodded, moved away the bullhead shield, and He Wuning leaped high, using the shield's momentum to crash into the Minotaur Chef's chest. With one hand, he fiercely plunged the skinning knife in, instantly dropping the Chef's health below the safety line. Suddenly, the Chef spread its arms wide and roared, "Dinner is served."

"Dinner—uh!"

Given that each Minotaur had a last-ditch attack upon death, He Wuning was prepared. As soon as it made a move, he swung the cleaver he had taken, slicing its throat.

The Minotaur Chef's final skill line was cut short; it fell to the ground with an unwilling gaze, under the assault of the milk tea cart, dagger, and shield.

He Wuning landed calmly and glanced at Yi Luo.

Yi Luo smiled and met his gaze.

He Wuning narrowed his eyes and suddenly poked Yi Luo's abdomen, causing him to choke and cough up a mouthful of blood.

"Ah!" Seeing Yi Luo injured, Li Xiaoyi was shocked and hurriedly opened the car door to help, but as soon as she pushed it open, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. Her vision swam, and her stomach churned.

She knelt on the ground, bowing deeply to them, then leaned on the ground, "Ugh—I'm going to be sick—"

Q-jiang listened sympathetically for a moment, nodding, "Hmm," and then looked at them with a somber expression, "She says she gets carsick."

Yi Luo chuckled, "But she was so brave just now?"

Q-jiang blinked, "Maybe she didn't realize it until now."

Yi Luo wanted to tease further, but He Wuning shoved a healing bandage into his mouth. Yi Luo instinctively bit down, looking at him speechlessly, "Wait, who puts a bandage in their mouth?"

He Wuning raised an eyebrow, "You don't have any other wounds."

Yi Luo clutched his heart, "My heart is hurt."

"And my dignity too."

"I was about to look cool, and I was going to swallow that blood back, if not for you touching me..."

He Wuning tilted his chin at him, "You choose first."

Yi Luo blinked, looked at the bandage in his hand, then at He Wuning's expressionless face, and drew a sharp breath, "I understand."

"You care about me!"

He Wuning suddenly turned and threw a silver pendant at Yi Luo, his face sour, "Are you choosing or not?"

"Choosing." Yi Luo shook the pendant, "Since you specifically gave this to me, then..."

He paused, looking at the pendant, then suddenly handed it back to He Wuning, "I'll take this."

He tapped the binding on the pendant and handed it back, "Here, it's for you."

He Wuning looked at him as if he were an idiot, "What for?"

"Special item." Yi Luo tossed the item at him, "Just look at it, you'll see. Wear it."

He Wuning glanced at it—

Companion's Gift: A gift filled with a companion's heartfelt wishes. Carry it with you and cherish it, and perhaps unexpected good fortune will come your way.

Author's note: Minotaur Chef: My heart is pounding because of He Wuning, it's killing me.

Another update in the afternoon =3=