Chapter 33: Perilous Gambit

After once again enduring the assault from the Decapitated Female Corpse, Gao Yun forced himself to steady the surging blood energy while secretly calculating the time.

He stole a glance over his shoulder, a flash of ferocity lighting up his eyes.

Though he advised everyone not to take on extra side quests, he secretly accepted the Butcher’s task.

He knew full well that his defense was strong but his offense lacked punch.

If this dungeon run ended with just slaying one Decapitated Female Corpse, it would be a massive loss!

Especially given his strength, it would be nearly impossible to secure the final blow against the Butcher amid second-tier fighters clutching their trump cards.

But first, he needed to bring everyone into battle mode!

According to his calculations, as long as the Butcher was lured in before the corpse was killed, the others would be forced into combat with the Butcher; and since he’d been tangled with the corpse all along, he had every reason to sit it out.

At that moment…

He let out a cold laugh.

Just as planned, when the other twelve began eagerly preparing to land the killing blow on the corpse, a slight tremor ran through the group.

At the rear of the line, a woman, readying her charge with an ice spear, instinctively glanced back.

In an instant, terror flashed across her face.

“Bloody Butcher!?!”

Before anyone could react, the Butcher charged past the silent shield with a fierce roar, his cleaver crashing down.

“Bang!!”

It was an instant kill.

In the sudden ambush, the spellcaster was crushed into a pulp in the blink of an eye.

Screams erupted.

Deep in combat, none of them expected a new monster to appear behind them!

Simultaneously, Gao Yun acted first, feigning shock:

“Who took the task?!”

“Didn’t I say not to take it?!”

“Bang!”

Recoiling from the corpse’s attack, he spat out blood, his eyes burning with a mix of sorrow and rage.

In the ensuing panic, the group scrambled, losing their formation without time to think.

“What do we do?!”

“How are there two mutants?!”

“Who is trying to kill us?!”

With shock and fury mounting as their promising situation began to crumble, the second-tier fighters started cursing uncontrollably.

Stepping before the corpse, Gao Yun took a deep breath:

“Damn it! It’s gotta be that kid who vanished earlier, biting off more than he could chew by taking the task!”

“Everyone, there’s no choice now—we have to fight with everything we’ve got!”

“You hold off the Butcher; I’ll take on the corpse alone! Otherwise, we’re all done for!”

Thanks to his previous exploits, Gao Yun’s words immediately convinced the others. As the gigantic Butcher charged into the fray, panic set in and they attacked relentlessly, following his orders.

Watching the second-tier fighters engage the formidable Butcher, Gao Yun smiled inwardly and casually steered the corpse toward the battlefield’s edge.

Yes! Just like that!

In his calculations, once these fighters revealed their trump cards, they’d severely wound the Butcher, while he, preoccupied with the corpse, could finish it off at any moment.

When the final blows struck on both sides, he might even deliver them. As for the casualties and whether anyone would later vent their anger on Yenir… that was not his concern.

The thought of the rewards for completing two consecutive tasks sent a surge of excitement through him.

Amused, he even felt a tinge of gratitude toward Yenir.

Had that idiot not escaped earlier, he’d have been forced to fabricate an excuse to cover his tracks.

With the enhanced Butcher joining the fray, the battle instantly grew more brutal.

……

On the Rooftop, Yenir watched the chaotic melee with keen interest, his gaze lingering on Gao Yun, who still clutched his trump card. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Blaming others? Trying to snatch the final reward?

The plan was good, but he had miscalculated his target.

Shaking his head, Yenir promptly tapped the task panel.

“Ding, accepted a C-level task: Slay the Withered Bone Mutant.”

“Ding, accepted a C-level task: Exterminate all Zombies in the Academy.”

“Ding, accepted a B-level task: Kill the Master of Corpse Remains.”

…

A series of three notifications rang out. Yenir stared at his completely filled task panel, his expression turning cold.

He had planned to accept tasks for the last three hours to trigger a collective mutant uprising.

But Gao Yun’s calculations forced him to act sooner.

Yet, it no longer mattered.

He was determined to skyrocket the dungeon’s rating!

With tasks stacking up, an invisible pall of death spread throughout the Academy. In the darkness, it felt as if something terrifying was slowly awakening.

No one knew.

Only minutes into the dungeon, the difficulty had already soared to its peak!

……

“Ahhhhh!!!”

“My hand!!”

A terrible scream tore through the air.

In the midst of battling the mutated Butcher, a burly man wielding dual axes cried out as a torrent of blood burst from his shoulder.

Before he could dodge, the Bloody Butcher’s massive blade cleaved off his right arm.

“Stop holding back your trump cards!”

“If we can’t kill this monster, we’re all dead!”

In a rallying shout, a middle-aged man clad in full armor summoned his courage. His enormous warhammer burst with dazzling light as it clashed directly with the cleaver.

Splitting Hammer!

“Bang!!”

Coughing up blood after a desperate strike, the man looked at the Butcher’s barely dented belly with a bitter glint in his eyes.

The enhanced Butcher was just too powerful!

Blitzed by a series of assaults, among the dwindling squad of nine, many awakened fighters charged in a storm of wrath.

“That damn bastard! If I find him, I’m going to kill him!”

Anger boiled over.

In their eyes, if Yenir hadn’t taken on the Butcher’s task solo, none of them would have met this fate.

At the edge of the battlefield, Gao Yun watched with satisfaction as those who had already played their trump cards unleashed even mightier attacks.

Almost there…

Just a bit longer and he’d kill the corpse to claim the Butcher’s rewards.

Watching the trump card skills unleashed by the second-tier fighters, he couldn’t help but reflect.

Luckily, his plan was flawless; otherwise, with his lackluster offensive power, he’d only be scraping by for experience instead of easily coasting through!

Seconds later, as Gao Yun hesitated on whether to finish off the corpse, an inexplicable chill surged through him.

Huh?

Instinctively, he glanced back—and in his eyes he saw a swarm of zombies and two massive, dark silhouettes.

His face turned pale.

“Holy shit!!”

Seeing the charging monsters, overwhelming terror gripped him.

Someone had taken on all the tasks!!

At that moment, battle-weary fighters turned to look, and the next second, despair and shock spread across their faces.

“Withered Bone…?! Master of Corpse Remains?!”

It felt like plunging into an icy abyss.

In an instant, they heard Gao Yun’s piercing, anguished roar:

“Run!!”

“Head for the biggest Teaching Building!!”

Without hesitation, Gao Yun abandoned the heavily injured corpse and dashed off. In the open area, facing the onslaught of mutants meant certain death.

He ran like mad, pouring every ounce of strength into his sprint. He wished he weren’t an Agility-type—it was do or die as he raced for the Teaching Building.

The main structures inside the dungeon were indestructible. Only the terrain there offered a slim hope of survival!

……

On the Rooftop, Yenir calmly watched the hurrying figures before turning his focus to the skill panel.

“One strike should finish them off…”

On the panel, the cooled-down Sword Breath Storm shimmered brilliantly.