Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 1267 - 21: The Gloomy Ancient Castle

Chapter 1267: Chapter 21: The Gloomy Ancient Castle

Gu Xueqi watched coldly from the side, staying beside Tao Ran and Song Xin, temporarily teaming up with them. This genius and beauty also sensed something was amiss.

"What’s going on?" Mu Nianqi’s sixth sense told her there might be a problem with the team. But after all, she knew too little about these people and, coupled with the fact that even a fool could see there were conflicts among them, she couldn’t be sure.

The cemetery, capable of blocking most uninvited guests, posed no danger to the Warhammer Team at all. Not even a newbie died as they safely made it through and arrived at the foot of a towering ancient castle.

"It’s so eerie!" A cold wind brushed against the skin. Song Xin crossed her arms and shivered.

Under the starless night, this centuries-old castle appeared dilapidated and grimy, emanating an eerie vibe, so quiet that not even the bugs were visible.

"Dantai, Bai Guo, you two scout ahead!" Tang Zheng knocked on the rusty main gate with his Devil Flame Pistol, shot the lock off, and then randomly fired into the castle.

Several windows were shattered, emitting a crisp sound.

"What are you doing? Aren’t you afraid of attracting monsters?" A chubby-faced newbie was startled and couldn’t help but complain softly.

"It’s better if they come out. Don’t forget we have to go in," replied the short-haired man whom Gu Xueqi had saved. He was quite bold and also quick-witted.

"I’m not going in there to die."

"You might not have a choice!" The short-haired man looked around, gathering as much information as possible, and then approached Mu Nianqi. "Group Leader, could you give me a handgun?"

The short-haired man’s calm demeanor won Queen Mu’s approval.

"Survive." Mu Nianqi pulled out a Beretta M92F and handed him several ammo clips. The other students, seeing that Mu Nianqi still had spare weapons, all crowded around, begging in low voices. At that moment, they deeply regretted their slow reactions.

"That’s all I have. You can ask them," said Queen Mu, unwilling to make investments without returns, as she pushed the problem onto Tang Zheng.

A university student boldly negotiated with Tang Zheng but was blocked by Teng Yuangxiang, who kicked him in the stomach, toppling him to the ground.

"Stop hitting people. I only have these." Tang Zheng threw out several rifles and more than a dozen ammo clips to appease them. "Brother Lin, fire off a few rocket shells."

The university students scrambled for the weapons, pushing and arguing with each other.

"Got it." The Old Soldier took out several AT-4s and fired them toward the window, creating several fireballs.

The castle remained quiet, with no monsters emerging, much to the disappointment of the expectant Warhammer Team.

"Pick a third of the people here and come with me into the castle." Tang Zheng needed Cannon Fodder to disperse the enemy’s firepower and issued a harsh command to the newbies.

The newbies immediately erupted in uproar, discontented.

"Going there is a sure path to death," complained the chubby-faced student who was grabbed by Teng Yuangxiang from the crowd by his hair. He tried to struggle, but Teng Little Three ruthlessly kicked him in the groin.

The chubby-faced man screamed like a pig being slaughtered, clutching his groin and curling up on the ground, his face twisted in agony.

"Why waste words? Just do it!" Teng Little Three’s malice intensified, but he was a qualified enforcer ready to do any of Tang Zheng’s dirty work.

The newbies looked toward Mu Nianqi, hoping she would speak up for them.

"Tang Zheng, for the newbies going in, I hope you’ll arm them," deduced Mu Nianqi, guessing Tang Zheng’s intention of using this method to break their unity and create divisions. She didn’t care; she needed Cannon Fodder anyway.

"Alright, Dantai, Xin Lan, give them weapons," Tang Zheng continued testing his teammates, yet they had no complaints.

Without question, five nurses and four doctors were all chosen, as the university students, being the majority, marginalized the others.

"Not enough. Choose more, don’t waste time," Teng Yuangxiang said fiercely, resembling a ruthless foreman.

"And them three!" Someone with big ears was pushed forward to represent and shouted at Zhang Chun’en. If it weren’t for his influence, he would have been the scapegoat.

"What? Say that again, I didn’t hear you clearly," Zhang Chun’en, a billionaire, scowled, his presence as a long-time leader making the university students lose spirit.

The two bodyguards, not wanting to face certain death, also glared menacingly at them.

"It’s you guys!" The newbies, other than the university students, were all selected by the big-eared man, but Teng Yuangxiang wasn’t satisfied.

"Not enough, choose twenty more," commanded Pang Meiqin as she saw the university students hesitating. She stormed into the crowd and kicked several of them out.

There was pushing among the students as they all crowded backward, hoping their alumni would step forward.

"Stop it, what are you doing? Don’t you feel ashamed?" Sun Jingshan, a man with short hair, yelled out angrily, his face iron blue with rage.

"If you’re not afraid of dying, go ahead!" retorted the pretty university student. In matters of life and death, how could one not fight?

"I’ll go. Men with guts, step forward. Don’t let others look down on us. After over twenty years, have you all lived the lives of dogs?"

Upon hearing Sun Jingshan’s words, the university students quieted down and turned their gaze to him.

"Look at Tang Zheng’s age, he’s about the same as us. If he can do it, why can’t we?" There’s never a shortage of courageous men in the world. Since Sun Jingshan entered the game, he had been scared too, but he was striving to overcome it, determined to survive. It wasn’t just lip service; it required real action.

The university students looked at Tang Zheng, the team leader, speechless. He had always been commanding, even the tough guys like Lin Weiguo and Sha Ou followed his orders, making everyone overlook his youth. Now, realizing just how young he was, they felt truly embarrassed by the comparison.

"In this world, no one owes anyone. If you want to survive, you have to fight for it. Don’t complain; just having access to firearms is already not easy. Without them, we wouldn’t have survived till now," Sun Jingshan persuaded his fellow alumni, his expression sincere.

"Do you think he’s just putting on a show to win our favor?" Teng Yuangxiang muttered, feeling closer to Ruan Feifei after fighting side by side.

"Doesn’t seem like it. Probably just a naive hot-blooded youth," Ruan Feifei remembered how this guy had rushed to save two female classmates amid the skeleton group.

Youth is just like that; even when faced with the threat of death, fear is present, but after some motivation, the surge of adrenaline can lead to rash decisions. Several male students, their faces flushed red with embarrassment and defiance, stood out.

"Let’s fight; I’m not afraid of dying!" These students clamored as they took the lead towards the castle’s main entrance.

"Hold on, arm yourselves first, you have spiritual power bullets." Lin Weiguo fetched an off-road vehicle-sized ammunition box, flipped it open, and the dazzling gleam of bullets filled with the sheen of killing metal nearly blinded everyone.

"Sir, are you keeping your promise and letting me leave?" Wild Cat pleaded with a smile, seeking Tang Zheng’s approval.

"Keep an eye on her, let’s go." Lin Weiguo handed Wild Cat over to Gu Xueqi and, with the university students serving as the vanguard, pushed open the iron gate and entered the ancient castle.

Five nurses looked at Tang Zheng, hoping for special treatment.

"Hurry up, why are you hesitating?" Teng Yuangxiang pushed them forward, leaving no room for refusal.

Zhang Chun’en and his two bodyguards tried to negotiate, but Tang Zheng ignored them.

"We’ve harassed this place so long, no one has shown up. Could it be empty?" Xu Biyun entered the lobby, looking at the dusty floors and the cobweb-filled corners, then glared at Wild Cat.

"Group Leader, we are doctors, not suited for combat; healing is our real job." The eye doctor used his identity to try and leave.

"Cut the crap, move it." Jiang Liming, a survivor from the last round, slapped the doctor on the chin, almost dislocating it.

"Without even knowing where the daggers are, how do we search? We know nothing about this castle!" Ge Cang, holding a Howling Reaper given by Mu Nianqi and also a military dagger at his waist, was brimming with courage. "Should we split up?"

"Don’t!" Teng Yuangxiang and Jing Xiang cried out at the same time; neither wanted to separate from Tang Zheng, and neither did Gu Xueqi, though she didn’t speak because she knew someone would lose their patience.

"Let’s stick together, start with the owner’s room." Tang Zheng still wanted to observe these people, so naturally, they couldn’t split up. Lin Weiguo nodded and led the university students upstairs.

"One room each, let’s check them. I’ll go first!" At the second-floor corridor, Lin Weiguo twisted a door handle, found it locked, shot it up, and kicked the door open—inside, there was nothing, which gave everyone a sigh of relief.

At the second room door, the newbies stood still, hesitating.

"I’ll do it." Sun Jingshan, following the old soldier’s method, smashed the door and entered quietly with his gun, finding nothing again.

"I’ll go!" At the third room, a student with a fat face snorted in frustration, emptied half an ammo clip in a fit of anger, and then pushed the door open. A Black Shadow pounced on him—several people were attacked by a group of Bat Monsters, which scratched their scalps and cheeks.

The survivors instinctively covered their heads and fired into the air.

"Don’t panic, fall back." Lin Weiguo thought it was a minor issue, not expecting a half-meter-tall Bat Monster to fly out, topple the fat-faced student, and then bite into his neck to suck his blood.

"Help me!" the fat-faced student screamed, but more Bat Monsters swarmed out in groups. These creatures were very strong, naked and ugly like plucked rats, with inch-long sharp fangs.

Tang Zheng reacted the fastest, shielding his forehead with one hand to block the bats while firing with the other, killing the Bat Monster on the fat-faced student. But it was too late for the newbie; his face paled severely from blood loss, his skin dried and cracked.

The Bat Monsters were cunning, using ordinary bats as a feint to obscure their prey’s vision before attacking. After pouncing on the newbies, they didn’t linger but grabbed them, flapped their wings, and flew towards the ceiling’s vent.

The corridor was filled with the desperate cries of the newbies and the sound of random shooting, causing flying bullets, but only injuries, no deaths.

The Bat Monsters’ claws were sharp, piercing their prey’s shoulders, and blood splashed vibrantly on the floor.

"Shoot them down!" Tang Zheng raised his arm, firing rapidly, bullets whistling out and accurately striking the Bat Monsters’ bodies, and they dropped straight down like dumplings. (To be continued. If you like this work, please go to qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)