Chapter Twenty-Four: Pyrrhic Victory

Ember, who had been monitoring the shifting health values all along, had already calculated the Gardener’s defense stat—steadily at twelve. The damage from Cup Grows Deeper’s skill was forty-five, while a single pea shot could deal up to twenty-two at most. Thus, two full barrages together inflicted one hundred and forty-six points of damage on the Gardener. During this, the Gardener also took a direct hit from an explosive fruit, with a maximum damage of fifteen points. Now, his health was left at just one.

One point!

It might seem insignificant, but when regular attacks couldn’t even break through his defense, that one point was the abyss between life and death.

Even though Ember’s Staff Technique: Headshot could lower defense by one level, it still couldn’t finish off that last point. Twelve was the upper limit of the “Weak” tier; even if reduced to the lowest “Feeble” level, it would still match the highest possible damage of a standard telescopic baton.

At this moment, his only hope lay in the last explosive fruit he had.

It might appear simple to just throw the fruit and hit the target, but one mustn’t forget: until Cup Grows Deeper was targeted by the Gardener’s fist, the second barrage hadn’t yet been triggered. If Cup Grows Deeper was killed in a single blow, having the explosive fruit would be useless. That was why Ember bravely charged forward, shoving Cup Grows Deeper aside by a hair’s breadth, facing the Gardener’s explosive fist himself—just in time to trigger the second barrage, finally bringing the Gardener within the kill threshold of the explosive fruit.

In that split second, Ember had no time to throw the fruit; even if he could, to guarantee a kill, he would not risk a ranged throw, nor would he abandon his chance for a counterattack. He couldn’t be sure if he’d ever get up again after taking a punch, for the Gardener was dead set on eradicating them all, a dying man burning with vengeance.

Ember, too, was staking everything. He crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive posture, the explosive fruit clenched tightly in his palm.

When the Gardener saw the fruit, he felt a wave of despair. In his current state, he couldn’t redirect his fist. But a frenzied heat surged in his heart—he was already as good as dead; so long as he could drag Ember down with him, what difference did it make?

Die! Die with me!

With wild, blazing eyes and grinding teeth, the Gardener poured his last strength into his attack, determined to kill the man before him, even at the cost of his life.

As this demonic figure charged forward, the immense pressure brought a grim smile to Ember’s lips. In that instant, his heart was as calm as a still lake. He watched the fist drawing near, tightened his grip, and crushed the explosive fruit, unleashing the savage energy hidden within.

[Notice: You have used “Explosive Fruit,” dealing fifteen points of health damage to yourself.]

[Notice: You have used “Explosive Fruit,” dealing thirteen points of health damage to player “Cup Grows Deeper.”]

[Notice: You have used “Explosive Fruit,” dealing three points of damage to human entity derivative “Gardener (Symbiote).”]

[Notice: You have slain “Gardener (Symbiote),” completed the third stage of the main quest “Find the Gardener,” and will receive a “Perfect” rating at settlement!]

A string of notifications flashed, but Ember remained focused; not only had he anticipated this, but his crisis was far from over. The Gardener may have died in the explosion, but momentum still drove his body forward.

Ember wanted to survive to the end, worried that if he died, he wouldn’t be able to pick up the “quest item” mentioned in the main quest’s last notice. He was also eager to see if the final boss Gardener would drop any other treasures.

In other words, the most critical moment had just arrived.

The explosion erupted, with Ember at its heart. Without any armor, he took the full brunt of the blast, his health plummeting to just three. When he’d used the basic healing spray earlier, he’d pressed the button for less than half a second, recovering only a sliver.

But that was enough. All Ember needed was to survive the fruit’s explosion and then endure the inevitable, fatal punch.

[Notice: You have suffered “Overdrawn Rush Punch” from “Gardener (Symbiote),” receiving seventeen points of health damage.]

Though the master had died, the oncoming fist still carried overwhelming power, easily smashing aside Ember’s crossed arms and pouring all its deadly force into Ember’s chest.

[Notice: You have suffered a lethal attack. Single-use consumable “Death’s Substitute Seed” has been activated.]

[Notice: You have lost “Death’s Substitute Seed,” avoided death, and restored fifty percent of your health.]

A sound like shattering glass rang in Ember’s ears, and to him, it was pure music.

[Notice: You must pass a strength check to avoid secondary damage from being knocked airborne.]

[Notice: Checking… Check failed! Your strength is below five. You have temporarily lost control of your character. Any collision during airborne phase will cause severe damage.]

Immediately, Ember felt his feet leave the ground, gravity slipping away as his perspective swung backward. He saw the Gardener’s ruined cabin cloaked in shadow, saw Cup Grows Deeper looking his way.

Finished…

Even if he survived by sheer luck, he might lose out on the loot...

Come to think of it, this game’s loot system doesn’t seem to be contribution-based…

So thinking, Ember’s body traced a graceful arc through the air, then crashed heavily to the ground, rolling several times before coming to rest on the damp, black earth.

[Notice: You have received thirteen points of fall damage.]

Perhaps because of the explosive fruit’s shockwave, or perhaps because the Gardener’s death had sapped the punch’s force, the knockback damage from “Overdrawn Rush Punch” was reduced, leaving Ember alive by a hair.

He exhaled deeply, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. The pressure the Gardener had exerted was simply too much, forcing him into a desperate gambit. Surviving at all was pure luck.

Yet, whatever the case, this outcome was worthy of his efforts.

It was just a pity—the Sword Immortal still hadn’t made it to the final step.

With a sigh, Ember tried to get up, but the process was slow and arduous. Even with the powered suit’s assistance, it couldn’t ease his mental exhaustion.

“Don’t tell me he actually died?”

Cup Grows Deeper hurried over and, seeing Ember on the ground from a distance, shook her head and sighed, “Ah, why did you have to die?”

“You’re the one who’s dead!”

Hearing her sigh, Ember snapped back, which made Cup Grows Deeper retort indignantly, “I came all the way here to check if you were dead—that’s pretty big of me! If it were anyone else, the boss drops would already be in their pocket!”

Boss drops?

Cup Grows Deeper’s words made the air freeze for a moment. Then, as realization struck, Ember sprang to his feet and dashed forward, with Cup Grows Deeper spinning around to race him.

Since the Gardener was slain by both of them, the loot was fair game to either. If there was only one item, it’d go to whoever got there first!

Grinding his teeth, Ember sprinted, with Cup Grows Deeper hot on his heels. Their speed and starting points were almost identical, so they reached the Gardener nearly at the same time—just in time to see a green vine lying by the Gardener’s feet, ripe for the taking.

Ember grabbed one end of the vine; Cup Grows Deeper seized the other. Neither would let go.

“Let go!”

“Why don’t you let go?”

“If it weren’t for me, could you have beaten the Gardener?”

“Oh please, as if you could’ve won without me!”

“Don’t pull—if it breaks, nobody gets it!”

“You’re one to talk! What are you doing with your hand?”

Ember and Cup Grows Deeper glared at each other, sparks flying as they wrestled with all their might. But with their strength evenly matched, the vine tugged back and forth, no winner in sight. In their struggle, neither noticed the Gardener’s body beginning to change—his rock-like form melting into the manorial earth, revealing a second item previously hidden beneath him.

As Ember circled the vine, his foot suddenly struck something hard. Glancing down, he let go, causing an unprepared Cup Grows Deeper to lose her balance and land flat on the ground.

Ember calmly picked up the second green vine revealed beneath the Gardener, then feigned concern, “Oh dear, hope you didn’t hurt yourself?”

Clutching her vine, Cup Grows Deeper stood up, forcing out a couple of words through gritted teeth, “I’m fine!”

[Notice: You have obtained the mission item “Young Bloodvine” for the next trial. The game will officially end in five seconds.]

“Well then, farewell!” Ember waved his vine with a slight smile.

“I hope we never meet again!”

Having been twice outmaneuvered, Cup Grows Deeper turned away in fury, not even sparing Ember another glance.

“Oh, right—one more thing. When you fell out the window, I was actually the only one laughing.”

At these words, Cup Grows Deeper whirled around, ready to shoot this infuriating man with an arrow. But the game’s settlement screen appeared just in time, replacing that hateful face and leaving the frustrated beauty with nothing to do but pull off her VR helmet and rub her aching forehead with exhausted fingers…