Chapter 25 A Group of Chuuni Youths Fighting Monsters

Chapter 25: Delusional Youths Form Monster-Hunting Squads

"So, Brother Sheng, are you planning to join the official organization or go solo?" Zhu Bin asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Xie Tingsheng snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at him. "What's your preference?"

Zhu Bin immediately thumped his chest. "Of course, I'm sticking with you, Brother Sheng! If you want to go solo, we'll go solo. If you want to join the officials, I'll join too."

Xie Tingsheng was pleased with his perceptiveness. His magnetic voice, calm and even, replied, "I don't intend to join the official organization; there are too many restrictions. But expanding our ranks is essential. Go scout around and recruit some people. We'll use food as initial compensation, and I can provide weapons. In the future, not just official action squads, but independent monster-hunting teams will be the prevailing trend."

Zhu Bin instantly perked up, excitedly thumping his chest. "Don't worry, Brother Sheng! I guarantee I'll recruit members who are obedient, diligent, and capable fighters. I haven't been wasting my time in Qingcheng all these years—I know plenty of people!"

Seizing the moment of good cheer, he chuckled and dragged over the three treasure chests they hadn't finished opening yesterday, rubbing his hands with an eager, expectant look. "Brother Sheng, since you managed to get the antidote recipe, does that mean your luck has turned? How about we try again now?"

Xie Tingsheng paused, his phoenix eyes lowering to glance at the treasure chests on the ground. With a reserved nod, he said, "Alright."

One minute later.

Staring at the identical contents of the three chests—a bag of soil and three copper coins—Xie Tingsheng's expression darkened, his thin lips pressed tightly together in silence.

Zhu Bin tried to shrink himself, pretending he didn't exist.

*What the actual hell...? How is this happening?*

*Could there be some kind of bad luck buff in this villa?*

*Every single time I open a chest, it's these two things, without even a slight variation.*

*This is mockery, this is blatant mockery!!!!*

"Uh, uh, Brother Sheng, where are you going? What are you doing?"

Xie Tingsheng's cold voice drifted back. "Selling the recipe and gathering intel. You're coming too."

"Oh, oh, got it!" Zhu Bin breathed a sigh of relief—at least it wasn't a fit of rage.

At the entrance of Dongyang Lake Park.

A group of people, bundled in thick cotton coats like bears, stood silently. Each held a knife in their left hand and an iron rod in their right, with frying-pan breastplates strapped to their chests. They stared intently at the park, gathered in an orderly, disciplined manner, waiting expectantly.

Suddenly, a "bear" with a pot lid for a helmet dashed toward them at a speed that defied its bulky appearance, shouting excitedly, "Report! Report, Eighth Bro! Lai San's intel was right! There really are werewolves in Dongyang Lake Park—not just werewolves, but a bunch of green-skinned goblins too! They're fighting each other! If we go in now, we might even get to scavenge some loot!"

Instantly, the group erupted in excitement, their discipline vanishing into thin air.

"Awesome, Eighth Bro! Let's go, let's hurry in before others find out and steal our monsters!"

"Yeah, yeah! Our East District is closest to the Special Operations Bureau—they mop up all the monsters before we even get a chance! This is like a real-life RPG, and they're hogging all the fun!"

"MMOs got nothing on real monster-hunting! Let's hurry before the Special Operations Bureau finds this spawn point!"

Thus, a group of game-addicted, delusional youths marched into the park with the swagger of conquerors, fully convinced they were about to dominate the battlefield, with all lesser monsters groveling at their feet.

But their confidence lasted all of three minutes before the park echoed with screams of terror and desperate cries for help.

"Holy hell! What the hell?! Weren't the werewolves and goblins supposed to be fighting each other?! Why are they ganging up on us now?!"

"Damn it! Why are werewolf claws so tough?! My iron rod's cracked, but they're still fine!"

"Quick, where's the DPS?! Where did the damage dealers go?! Who the hell pushed me, the support, to the front?! My head almost got taken off by a goblin that only comes up to my waist!"

"How come these goblin midgets are so fierce? They're jumping up to hit my head! Wuwuwu, stop hitting me! Quick, quick, someone come protect your boy..."

Hua Diao arrived just in time to witness this scene—a group of cringy teens, yelling the latest internet slang while being chased up and down by a few werewolves and goblins, running for their lives. There wasn’t a trace of that dead-eyed, net-café-addict look about them.

She was already used to this kind of situation. On her way from Jinxiu Huayuan, she had encountered three groups of youngsters teaming up to hunt monsters. They all shared the same traits—loud, terminally online, convinced they were the best in the world, only to end up being chased into looking like utter fools by werewolves.

Luckily, the werewolves during the day were weaker than those empowered by the blood moon at night. As long as they ran fast enough, they still had a chance to escape. If they had encountered the three agile, high-jumping werewolves Hua Diao had dealt with last night, they’d probably all be corpses by now.

Thinking this, Hua Diao found a hidden spot behind a rockery in the distance. She pulled out the Elven Wooden Bow hanging from her chest, and with a flick of her wrist, the bow instantly enlarged.

She drew the bowstring, and a green arrow gradually took shape in her hand, materializing from glowing specks into a solid green arrow.

Hua Diao pursed her lips, her long, thick lashes narrowing slightly as she focused intently on a werewolf that had already pinned someone beneath its claws. Then, she released her right hand.

"Whoosh—"

The arrow transformed into a streak of green light, shooting forward at blinding speed.

Eighth Brother lay on the ground, staring at the cold, merciless werewolf claws about to descend upon him. His face twisted in utter despair.

I'm done for...

He was wrong. This wasn't some damn VRMMO—this was reality. If the werewolf killed him here, he'd really die.

But what could he do now? There was no turning back. Gritting his teeth, Eighth Brother muttered prayers in his heart, begging Buddha, Jesus, even Erlang Shen—every deity he could think of.

Yet, damn it all, none of them worked. Finally, with a fierce glare, he summoned the same determination he had when no-lifing in a net café for 72 hours. Channeling the ruthless spirit of "only one of us is walking out alive today," he went full berserk with his crappy kitchen knife.

"Clang—"

Sparks flew as the werewolf’s claws scraped against the blade.

Eighth Brother watched as the kitchen knife slowly cracked apart, and he almost lost it too.

Just as he could no longer withstand the psychological pressure, steeling himself for a dumb, pointless death—whoosh! A streak of light pierced through the werewolf’s skull.

He froze in shock, watching as the drooling, savage beast that had been looming over him suddenly toppled backward, crashing to the ground with a thud. Then, the werewolf was gone, leaving behind only a shiny-ass loot box.

Eighth Brother: (still shook as hell)

Huh… saved?

Did Buddha finally come through and send a savior?

So damn grateful, Eighth Brother burst into tears, already planning to visit the family shrine with his mother later to offer prayers and hell, maybe even spring for a gold-plated Buddha statue.