Ch. 9 - Axing with Flourishing Spins

He Jinmei's precision with the key left Zheng Ren utterly dumbfounded.

His jaw nearly hit the floor as he exclaimed, "Holy crap! That's an awesome skill! If you went to one of those carnival ring-toss games, you'd probably win the owner's underpants too!"

Though He Jinmei was already married, her somewhat conservative nature showed as her cheeks flushed bright red at Zheng Ren's teasing.

Li Yueqiu quickly stepped in to rescue the kind-hearted woman, offering a comforting smile. "I'm Li Yueqiu. The skill I got is called Double Kick. But to execute it properly, I need a Constitution stat of at least 7. Mine's only at 5, so I can only use it once at most."

She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

With the ice broken, the others had no choice but to follow suit.

"I'm Zheng Ren," he said, scratching the back of his head. "My item… uh, it was called Squishy Gummy Bear. It's a consumable that heals injuries. But, uh, I already used it up."

Finally, all eyes turned to Zuo Chengan.

He met their gaze without a hint of discomfort and casually announced, "Zuo Chengan. My skill is Basic Blade Techniques."

As if to demonstrate, he swung his axe with calculated finesse, its polished blade slicing clean arcs through the air, the movement smooth and precise.

Turns out that picking up practical skills now and then really pays off. You never know when you'll need them.

Zheng Ren gave him a thumbs-up, his face lighting up with admiration. "That's sick! If I tried that, I'd probably get six stitches in my chin!"

Then Zheng Ren seemed to remember something and turned to Liu Shuang, the insurance salesman. "Hey, insurance guy! What's your name again? Doesn't matter.

"You've got the Dried Lamb consumable that boosts Strength, right? Why hand it over to Brother Zuo or Auntie He? Let the two of them carry us while we sit back and relax. Wouldn't that be sweet?"

Liu Shuang's sly grin faltered momentarily, but he quickly laughed it off, dodging the suggestion. "Ahaha…"

There was no way he'd agree—if he did, the lie he had told earlier about the item's effects would come to light.

Still, his main goal was accomplished. By the end of their little conference, the group of five survivors had agreed on a plan: they would band together that night to face the two Hunters.

With the agreement in place, they each returned to their respective rooms to prepare.

As the daylight faded, the game shifted seamlessly into its night phase.

The oppressive darkness settled over the building like a heavy blanket.

In his room, Liu Shuang's voice broke the silence, filled with uncertainty. "Hey, you guys will definitely come out, right?"

The others shouted back their assurances, their voices muffled but resolute. Only then did Liu Shuang manage to calm himself.

[The Hunters have appeared. Number deployed: 2.]

The ominous notification marked the start of the night, plunging the survivors into yet another battle for their lives.

...

To avoid getting trapped in their narrow rooms without room to maneuver, Liu Shuang and Zhao Chengyuan had agreed to stay inside their respective rooms, 207 and 206, until the Hunters emerged.

Their plan was simple: counting down in unison, they would charge out together at the sound of the Hunters.

With no choice but to fight, the risk of their voices exposing them to the creatures seemed inconsequential.

At the precise moment, the dreaded creak of the Hunters' approach echoed through the hallway.

As the creatures reached the midpoint between 207 and 206, Liu Shuang and Zhao Chengyuan shouted in unison, "One! Two! Three!"

Doors burst open, and Zhao Chengyuan charged out, axe in hand—only to discover he was alone.

His heart sank.

Betrayed by his supposed ally and now the sole focus of the two Hunters, Zhao Chengyuan froze as the creatures abandoned the doors to target the prey foolish enough to leave its burrow.

Terror and rage coursed through him as he screamed for help. "Somebody! Anybody! Help me!"

The other rooms sprang into action.

Hearing the signal, everyone opened their doors.

Even He Jinmei, trembling so badly she could barely stand, stepped into the hallway to bolster morale with her presence. Her hands shook so violently she couldn't bring herself to hurl her axe at the Hunters, even though her precision would have made her a valuable offensive player.

Zuo Chengan was the first to assess the situation. His eyes darted to the health bars floating above the Hunters' heads: one at 87.7%, the other at 72.6%.

Both were still in formidable condition—about 80% intact.

Evidently, the bespectacled man from the previous night had put up a fight, but his physical limitations had kept the damage to the Hunters minimal.

Meanwhile, Zheng Ren, his wounds now mostly healed thanks to the restorative effects of the soft candy, burst out of his room like an overzealous linebacker.

A quick headcount made his eyes narrow. "One, two, three, four… Wait a second. Insurance guy! You're seriously hiding in there? Not cool, man!"

Despite his frustration, Zheng Ren wasted no more time chastising Liu Shuang. He leapt into the fray, joining the group's counterattack.

Oddly, the Hunters seemed bound by a strange rule.

Their aggression remained fixed on Zhao Chengyuan, even when he tried to take cover behind others.

It was as though an invisible force compelled them to prioritize their designated target above all else.

"Throw me a key!" Zuo Chengan shouted.

The revelation struck him like lightning.

The Hunters likely identified their targets through the room keys each player held. After all, creatures of their intelligence level couldn't remember faces through countless cycles of the game.

If their selection was key-based, handing off the keys might alter their focus.

Without hesitation, Zhao Chengyuan fished the two room keys from his pocket and tossed one to Zuo Chengan.

As soon as the key landed in Zuo Chengan's hand, the Hunters immediately shifted their attention.

One veered toward Zuo Chengan while the other stayed on Zhao Chengyuan. Finally, the creatures were separated, giving the group a chance to divide and conquer.

The survivors split into two teams.

Zhao Chengyuan, assisted by Zheng Ren and He Jinmei, took on the Hunter with 80% health, while Zuo Chengan and Li Yueqiu faced the one at 51.32%.

Li Yueqiu, still reeling from the earlier fight, mustered her strength to use Double Kick on the more wounded Hunter.

Her feet struck true, slamming into the creature and carving off a solid 20% from its health bar.

The devastating blow left even Zuo Chengan envious.

If her skill could deal that kind of damage at her current low Constitution, Zuo Chengan could only imagine the destruction it would unleash if she met the minimum threshold of 7 points—or exceeded it.

But Li Yueqiu's triumph was short-lived. The exertion left her legs shaking violently, forcing her to retreat to a support role alongside He Jinmei.

Now, Zuo Chengan was left to shoulder the bulk of the fight.

Thankfully, his Basic Blade Techniques weren't just for show. He had picked up a few moves from elderly park-goers who practiced martial arts.

Although he'd trained with flimsy practice blades, his current weapon—a sturdy woodcutting axe—was a far cry from his old tools.

Dodging a claw swipe aimed at his face, Zuo Chengan sidestepped gracefully and brought his axe down in a clean vertical arc.

The blade bit deep into the Hunter's wrist, but as expected, it got stuck.

This time, however, Zuo Chengan was ready. He raised his wooden shield and used it like a hammer, slamming it against the axe with all his might.

The impact drove the axe through the Hunter's wrist, severing its clawed hand completely. The dismemberment shaved 10% off its health.

Yet, the Hunter showed no sign of pain or hesitation. It remained eerily composed, its body moving with mechanical precision.

With its remaining claw, it lashed out at Zuo Chengan, but he blocked the attack effortlessly with his wooden shield.

By now, the tetanus-coated blade of Zuo Chengan's axe had taken effect.

The Hunter's movements slowed, as though trapped in molasses. Its health ticked steadily downward at fractions of a percent until it fell below 40%.

With one claw gone and the other lodged in Zuo Chengan's shield, the Hunter resorted to lunging with its jaws.

Its sharp teeth clamped onto the shield, producing a harsh clack as it struggled to bite through the wood.

But Li Yueqiu, though exhausted, seized the moment. She drove her axe into the Hunter's gaping maw, pinning its jaw in place.

For now, the battle had reached a tense stalemate.

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