Chapter 5: Strike at the Source
1348 Words
Malagobi said, "Their company is in the Phantom Moon City. They only recruit women, not men. These chicks must have hired you to scout the area. Bro, we have no grudge against each other. You don't need to risk your life for a little money. Besides, my friends are on their way. I promise I won't hurt you."
Chu Ge's mind raced. Malagobi's words made sense, but all the previous signs indicated that he was already at the end of his rope. Even if he was at the end of his rope, Chu Ge still didn't have absolute confidence in dealing with him.
But now was indeed an opportunity—to either make a fortune or lose his life. Chu Ge knew a truth: in games, one shouldn't risk their life for money and equipment. But conversely, who doesn't use their life to fight for money and equipment?
As for those scenarios where divine weapons drop easily and beautiful women are at your beck and call, that's not a game; that's a daydream.
"Only 15 seconds left; he's stalling for time," Vow shouted. She was now pinning all her hopes on Chu Ge.
Chu Ge suddenly realized that Malagobi indeed had little defensive ability left. Otherwise, he could have come over and killed Chu Ge directly instead of wasting time talking.
"Let's do it." Chu Ge raised his Mauser pistol and charged onto the stone bridge.
"Do you think a Mauser pistol can take me down? I feel sorry for you, bro," Malagobi sighed, waving his energy staff. Two streams of magma shot up, forming an arch in the air. Chu Ge didn't dodge; he didn't have Hot Chick's agility anyway, so dodging would be futile.
"Face the power of magma," Malagobi said with a smile.
Numbers like "-726, -771, -90, -92" floated above Chu Ge's head. Vow couldn't bear to watch the bridge; she only stared at the watch on her wrist, counting down, "13, 12, 11..."
In the red magma flow, Malagobi didn't see the expected white light rising. Instead, he found that Chu Ge had disappeared.
"What the...? How is this possible?" His eyes widened. He was about to activate the magma a second time, but the energy staff stopped mid-air because Chu Ge was already gone.
This was extremely bizarre. In the entire cave, only Vow's voice could be heard: "7, 6, 5, 4, 3..."
Cold sweat broke out on Malagobi's forehead. He was a smart guy; it took him only two seconds to realize that Chu Ge was using a Mauser pistol, meaning he followed the pistol path. Pistols are mid-to-close-range weapons, so pistol users must learn the "Mimic Stealth" skill, which can blend the body with the surrounding environment, making it hard to detect with the naked eye. However, this skill only lasts a few seconds and is usually used for escape. But no one expected Chu Ge to use it offensively.
Malagobi understood this just as Vow counted down to "1." Chu Ge magically appeared in front of him. Malagobi's pores tightened; he knew he had missed the best chance to kill Chu Ge because of his hesitation.
"Face the power of bullets," Chu Ge smiled, with red numbers still floating above his head.
Malagobi saw the gun's muzzle nearly touching his navel.
"You b*st*rd, you beast..."
He didn't finish the sentence because, with a "bang," the Mauser fired.
With just one shot, a white light rose.
Chu Ge's gamble paid off; Malagobi's HP was below 300, and the shot dealt a "-510" green damage number, killing him with a single bullet. In the last second, he drained Malagobi's HP completely.
As Malagobi died, his entire body exploded like fireworks, scattering crystals, swords, and assorted junk. Chu Ge, with sharp eyes, saw two purple-glowing items drop and used his last bit of strength to grab them.
Vow looked up and saw that Chu Ge had killed Malagobi. She was both shocked and delighted, ready to cheer when she suddenly noticed Chu Ge also turned into a white light and disappeared.
Vow was stunned for a moment before she realized that Chu Ge was only level 13. He was nearly dead from the magma's spray when he charged the stone bridge. His remaining HP couldn't withstand the burns from the stone bridge, so he died.
What she didn't know was that Chu Ge had only 65 HP left when he fired the killing shot at Malagobi, barely enough to pull the trigger. Whether Malagobi died or not, he was bound to die.
Experts indeed rely on skill, but sometimes, at critical moments, they also need to risk their lives.
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When Chu Ge woke up from the virtual gaming pod, he smelled the aroma of scrambled eggs with tomatoes. His throat instinctively swallowed a few times before he quickly opened the pod's doors and climbed out of bed, heading for the kitchen.
In the kitchen, a young man was focused on cooking. This was Chu Ge's roommate, Jie.
Jie had moved in half a year ago. The two-bedroom apartment belonged to Chu Ge, and he rented a room to Jie for a symbolic 800 yuan per month, a relatively low rent in City C.
Perhaps Jie felt guilty about the low rent, so he would cook dinner whenever he had free time, making food for Chu Ge.
Chu Ge couldn't understand why a young man like Jie, who was good-looking enough to be described as handsome and debonair, had cooking as his hobby and could even make a decent meal.
"I've said it many times: with your looks, it's a waste not to become a kept man," Chu Ge said with a smile as he walked into the kitchen.
Jie turned around and smiled, "Hey, you're up. Dinner's ready."
Chu Ge sat down, and the table was already set with fried chicken tenders, cucumber salad, braised tofu, and fragrant chicken slices. Chu Ge didn't hesitate to dig in.
"You played games all day again, didn't you? I saw you asleep when I got back," Jie said as he sat down, placing the scrambled eggs with tomatoes on the table.
"What's it to you? You went out with your pretty girlfriend again?" Chu Ge joked between bites. "Your daily ritual—walking in the park—really moves me."
Jie's smile widened, "Why, are you jealous? Why don't you find a girlfriend? Want me to introduce you to someone?"
"No way," Chu Ge quickly waved his hand. "Last time you introduced someone, I don't even know how to describe it. You said she was gentle, kind, diligent, had good features, and was sweet-looking. But when we met, she was 160 cm tall and weighed over 150 kg, heavier than me. She was as round as a ball, and I even had to treat her to a meal, costing me over 100 yuan."
Jie laughed even harder, "I wasn't wrong; she did have all those qualities. You're just too picky."
"Forget it. I'm poor, and poor people have their joys. I'll just play my games; dating is too expensive," Chu Ge said, focusing on his food.
Jie looked at him, his eyes filled with concern. "Chu Ge, you should find a job. Playing games all day isn't serious business. How will you make money without a job?"
Chu Ge put down his bowl and looked at Jie, "In the past six months, I've noticed you never seem to go to work. Where does your money come from?"
Jie said, "I..."
"Don't say anything." Chu Ge waved his hand. "I get it. Your pretty girlfriend is rich. I've always said, with your looks..."
"Uh-hum," Jie cleared his throat, and Chu Ge quickly changed his tone, "Brother Jie, I know you're looking out for me. Don't worry; the money will come. I used to be a professional gamer."
As he said this, Chu Ge's smile faded, and his eyes turned deep, filled with nostalgia for the past.
- Writer
