March 7th smirked, while Pei Guang's expression turned deadly serious. His eyes narrowed as he analyzed the battlefield. "Based on my extensive gaming experience, this is exactly the kind of setup where a teammate gets stabbed, loses the fight, and we, as their companions, swoop in heroically to save them and defeat the boss. So I bet on Dan Heng losing!"
The moment Pei Guang said this, Silver Wolf and Fu Xuan exchanged glances. As two victims of Pei Guang's bets, they spoke in unison: "We bet on Dan Heng winning."
At that very moment, Blade shuddered mid-fight, as if a massive wave of malice had materialized and pressed down on him.
In that split second of hesitation, Dan Heng's spear tip grazed Blade's face. At close range, he came face-to-face with the pink fluffy bunny. What he felt next was pure, primal terror—a scream from his very soul.
The bunny let out a soft, playful, cat-like voice: "Meow~ Gotcha~ Next stop: your butt~"
Blade's expression twisted as he heard it, and for a moment, he swore the universe itself was mocking him. The slight, smiling face of the plushie was the greatest insult he had ever seen!
At that moment, Kafka's mental restraints on Blade were lifted, and the nightmares of the past few days flooded back into his mind.
In the dreams, Dan Heng kicked him to the ground, and then—using his rear end—performed "Nyan Cat" and "Learn to Meow" in perfect harmony. Accompanying him was a singing Herta Puppet.
Humiliation! Absolute humiliation!
Blade wanted revenge. He wanted to lose himself completely in madness.
But when he saw Dan Heng once again wielding that Pink Fluffy Bunny, his heart trembled, and his once-steadfast will began to waver.
Dealing with an opponent like Dan Heng was a nightmare. If you defeated him, he would die honorably in battle. But if you were defeated by him? That would be the most shameful thing imaginable.
The painful memories of those dreams surged forth. Blade's hands, gripping his sword, began to shake.
Seeing this, Kafka spoke up, her voice calm but firm: "Blade, listen to me. Forget the experiences from the dream!"
Kafka activated her Spirit Whisper ability. The moment her power took effect, Blade's frenzied gaze returned. The nightmares, the fear—they were all forcefully suppressed by Kafka's words.
On Pei Guang's side, however, March 7th pointed an accusing finger at Kafka, one hand on her hip. "You! You're using external interference?!"
The entire group fell silent at that. To be fair, hadn't they been the first ones to rely on outside help? Let's not forget—they dragged Pei Guang into a betting game and even tricked him into betting on Blade's victory. Compared to Kafka's Spirit Whisper, that was far more underhanded.
March 7th pouted in frustration, while Pei Guang remained unbothered. Waving a hand, he said calmly, "Let's play this fair and square, with some cultural integrity. Dan Heng is the protagonist of this branch storyline. But if Blade dares to pull dirty tricks in what should be an easy victory, don't blame me for fighting fire with fire. Everyone! Start the cauldron!"
With that declaration, Pei Guang pulled out a cooking cauldron, Stelle brought out her War-flaming Spear, and March 7th lifted Bailu out of the trash can.
Bailu, still holding a paused game console, hurriedly pressed the pause button and tucked it away. "Ahem! Does anyone need my help?"
Pei Guang: "Of course we do! Bailu, prepare some attribute-enhancing and healing potions for Dan Heng!"
Bailu: "Oh? Now that's my specialty! I've had some ideas along the way. Let me whip up a few medicinal concoctions to assist you in battle~"
While Bailu's inspiration was real, its origins were somewhat questionable. Throughout the journey, she had been glued to Pei Guang's game console, playing none other than Monster Hunter. And while the subject of the game didn't matter, it had given Bailu an endless stream of ideas.
Now that Pei Guang needed her help, Bailu rolled up her sleeves, ready to put her "Monster Hunter" skills to the test.
Without hesitation, Bailu approached the pot and began throwing in ingredients based on both her in-game experience and her extensive medical knowledge. If a mix failed? No problem. This miraculous pot was far more reliable than the Alchemy Commission's furnaces—if the properties aligned, something would emerge. If not, it simply wouldn't.
Dan Heng fought on the frontlines, Bailu prepared potions in the back, and Pei Guang acted as the appraiser, analyzing their concoctions. Thus, a simple but effective production line was established.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Welt wasn't idle either. Sneaking off to an isolated location, he quietly summoned his Creation Engine, adjusted it to its combat mode, and stored it discreetly in the shared inventory.
When Dan Heng noticed the influx of consumables and Welt's carefully prepped Creation Engine appearing in the shared storage, a warm feeling welled up inside him.
Even though this fight was a one-on-one duel, he could still feel the unwavering support of his companions.
Since his companions had created the perfect conditions for him to fight, he would not let their efforts go to waste. He feinted a strike, forcing Blade back before stopping.
If this had been before, Blade would have fought recklessly, exchanging injury for injury—or even life for life. After all, he couldn't die, so he could do whatever he pleased. But this time? He didn't dare let Dan Heng's Pink Fluffy Bunny land a hit. Hadn't he noticed March 7th's camera? If he got hit, he wouldn't just be defeated—he'd suffer social death long before his physical or mental death.
This hesitation made Blade fight cautiously, and for the first time, Dan Heng pushed him back.
As Blade retreated, Dan Heng looked at him sternly. "I've told you already. I am not Dan Feng, nor am I your so-called Imbibitor Lunae. I am Dan Heng. If you still refuse to understand… then I'll have to get serious. Herta!"
"Here I come~!"
The Herta Puppet, who had been relaxing after defeating Yanqing, jumped into action. As one of the Herta "sisters", the Puppet had spent these past few days preparing for a fight against Blade.
Seeing the Herta Puppet raise her hammer, Blade couldn't help but laugh coldly. "How ridiculous. The former Imbibitor Lunae relying on the power of others? Laughable! Do you think a single puppet can defeat me?"
Dan Heng, standing behind the Herta Puppet, responded calmly, "Is it funny? My companions can fight alongside me. Do you have companions? Do you have allies who craft consumables for you? I have seven people fighting with me. How many do you have?"
That single statement struck Blade like a dagger to the heart. Memories flooded back—memories of him and the others, the days when they were the revered High-Cloud Quintet.
This reminder of the past shattered his composure.
"You're dead!"
Blade ignored the threat of the Pink Fluffy Bunny and charged at Dan Heng with murderous intent. This time, he didn't plan to kill him outright. Instead, he would destroy the Herta Puppet first. He wanted Dan Heng to know true pain!
But as Blade's sword closed in, the Herta Puppet smiled.
With a speed almost like teleportation, Blade appeared in front of Dan Heng. But Dan Heng didn't dodge, nor did he counter. Instead, he smiled slightly, fully confident that his companion would protect him.
Dan Heng wasn't wrong. He had worked hard to increase his bond with the Herta Puppet, building trust and synergy through countless battles.
Blade's speed was faster, but the Herta Puppet had anticipated his attack. Observing his stance, she had already raised her hammer moments before Blade's strike landed.
Blade aimed to cut through both the hammer and Dan Heng in one swing, but the moment his blade hit the hammer—
Parry activated.