Chapter Seventeen: When Hope Is Not Betrayed

At this moment, the Greyhide Werewolf could no longer contain itself. In the blink of an eye, Ashes was on the verge of shattering its carefully laid provisions plan. As the architect of the nightmare challenge, the Greyhide Werewolf was obliged to adjust the difficulty based on Ashes’s abilities, but that didn’t mean this ordeal was designed for Ashes alone. It knew the true strength of every participant, recognized the vast gulf between the two sides, and to ensure the nightmare devoured all, it actively created a situation favoring those with brute strength—Ashes’s specialty—to balance the forces. Its aim was to ensure there remained a possibility that everyone could perish within the nightmare.

The Greyhide Werewolf wove the hostility between the combatants into the fabric of the challenge itself. It wanted Ashes and the others to feel the suffocating pressure of formidable foes, while at the same time using Ashes’s presence to deal a heavy blow to the opposing side. Yet, the werewolf neither expected nor desired Ashes to slaughter his way through; all it needed was to weaken the Institute of the Giant Tree’s forces, for the nightmare challenge had only just begun, and it had prepared tailored traps targeting the weaknesses of the Institute’s team.

According to the plan, Ashes should have been hacked to death on his reckless charge toward the Giant Tree Gunner, or perhaps should have retreated after a modest gain, leaving him and his companions to be picked off by shotgun fire. Yet, Little Bob’s explosive blast, Ashes’s swift countermove, and his forceful shoulder charge allowed Ashes to emerge alive before the Giant Tree Gunner, raising his direwolf-gauntleted right hand to deliver a third, thunderous strike.

In that instant, the focus of battle converged entirely on the two of them. Even as Cup-of-Wine’s Bite clenched her teeth and did her utmost, her efforts became meaningless, for Little Bob, suffering the backlash of his own skill, was for the moment unable to fight on. Though Ashes’s valor yielded a heartening result, as Cup-of-Wine watched his solitary figure deep in enemy lines, her heart tensed sharply, for she could not imagine how Ashes might survive. In truth, when he unleashed that final blow, he had already resigned himself to the possibility of death.

Now, the fierceness in Ashes’s eyes bordered on ferocity, while the Giant Tree Gunner facing him appeared more like a timid gamer—his resolve shaken, his bravado a mere façade, his terror so overwhelming that his attack, which should have come first, was delayed until it coincided with Ashes’s move.

[Notification: You dealt four points of damage to “Giant Tree Gunner.” Direwolf Gauntlet special effect "Savage Strike" activated.]

[Notification: Judging… Judgment successful! Target’s Strength Level is five, not exceeding your Strength Level plus one. Special effect activation successful—double damage dealt.]

[Notification: You dealt eight points of damage to “Giant Tree Gunner.”]

[Notification: Giant Tree Gunner’s Agility Level is below five and cannot ignore “Sluggish” status of “Normal” grade. For the next five seconds, attack and movement speed decreased by 25%.]

Eight points of damage from the Direwolf Gauntlet was negligible against the Giant Tree Gunner’s staggering two hundred health points.

Indeed!

The Giant Tree Gunner’s health even exceeded that of the Giant Tree Warrior, thanks to his Bloodvine gear that boosted vitality. Their unusual gear choices suited their personalities: the reckless Giant Tree Warrior used Bloodvine to bolster his might, standing beside Ashes to try and crush him with sheer force; the more cautious Gunner chose to augment his survivability and positioned himself in the center of the formation—signaling his status and ensuring protection.

If given the chance to choose again, he would undoubtedly have retreated to the very edge of the formation, avoiding direct confrontation with Ashes, now transformed into a god of slaughter.

But there was no “if.”

Ashes’s third strike landed, his third success, once more prevailing over the strong through the challenge’s rules.

The Greyhide Werewolf, having gained three consecutive meals, shifted from excitement to delight, then to a glowering gloom. Its wolfish eyes fixed on Ashes, who’d been blasted away by shotgun fire, gnashing its teeth in frustration, desperately wishing to devour him whole. But bound by the rules, it could not intervene directly; all it could do was rage, “The old lady’s starving for cake! What are you all dawdling for?”

As its words rang out, the bloodvine line that marked the border between life and death suddenly activated.

Yet Ashes remained airborne, his life hanging by a thread, for his proximity to the Giant Tree Gunner meant he bore the full brunt of the attack!

[Notification: You have been hit by “Shotgun: Scattershot” from Giant Tree Gunner.]

[Notification: Fifteen pellets struck you, each dealing up to fifteen points of damage. Total life lost: forty-five points.] (15-12)*15

[Notification: You must pass a Strength check to avoid secondary impact damage from being knocked back.]

[Notification: Judging… Judgment failed! Your Strength Level is below seven. You have temporarily lost control of your character. Colliding with any object while airborne will inflict severe damage.]

The ever-cautious Giant Tree Gunner not only chose Bloodvine gear for extra health but also learned a skill to enhance the shotgun’s knockback effect. This sent the charging Ashes flying back at greater speed—so, before the wide-eyed Giant Tree mercenaries, he retreated whole, at least while still airborne.

With just eight health points remaining, he was doomed to bleed out or die on impact even if the fall didn’t finish him—a death that was always part of the plan. He was certain Cup-of-Wine would remember the special effect of the Active Soft Biochemical Suit, so he pinned all his hopes for survival on her. Thanks to a series of fortunate developments, Ashes was not felled at the enemy’s center but instead landed before Cup-of-Wine, greatly easing his chances of resurrection.

From this moment on, however, the outcome was shrouded in uncertainty, making it impossible for Ashes to predict what would happen.

He was no grand strategist—his advantage lay in gathering information, basic arithmetic, dauntless courage, a heightened state of combat, and unpredictable luck. Escaping unscathed had already stretched the limits of his abilities.

Whether he could successfully revive, he did not know; pulling off a comeback, he was even less certain. After all, he had never personally tested the biochemical suit’s real effects, nor could he predict if the remaining three Giant Tree mercenaries would suddenly go berserk.

Yet, as the Greyhide Werewolf bellowed, and as he was about to hit the ground, Ashes chose to shout “Run!” rather than urge Cup-of-Wine to use the “Match.” The whole point of the Nightmare Invitation was to save the matches—in this moment, when victory was almost within reach, giving up would be a waste.

Besides, Ashes didn’t believe that using a match to avoid the Giant Tree Institute members and then activating the invitation would have improved their dire situation. If the nightmare challenge targeted only the user, half of Little Bob’s team wouldn’t have been wiped out, nor could Old Bob’s group have broken through. Even without the Institute, other unknown dangers might have emerged.

As he’d expected, the nightmare challenge was a nightmare for all; the pressure on Ashes and his side would not change, only its source might shift.

Thus, Ashes did not regret using the Nightmare Invitation. As his body shattered against the ground, he waited in silence for the dice to fall.

[Notification: You suffered twenty-four points of fall damage. Your health has reached zero.]

[Notification: “Active Soft Biochemical Suit” effect “Soft Tissue Fission” triggered—you have avoided instant death from lethal damage.]

[Notification: For the next five seconds, you will split into four soft tissue masses with no defense and a maximum of ten health points each. If, after five seconds, any mass survives, you will revive, regaining ten percent of your health for each surviving mass.]

[Countdown: Five…]

As the damage notification appeared, Ashes’s screen abruptly went black, replaced by a large game timer.

Whew…

Five seconds felt like five days. He couldn’t control his character, nor could he see what transpired. All he could do was wait, hoping the countdown would reach zero without incident.

“I’ve done all I can. Don’t let it all be for nothing!”

With a sigh, Ashes reflected on whether such risk had been necessary. After all, he could not be sure the matches were truly worth staking his life on.

Then again, when those eight Giant Tree Institute members crept up behind them while Little Bob was distracted, an all-out battle became inevitable. With four heavy-hitting ranged attackers, escape was impossible; a chase would only hasten their defeat. If the matches could turn the tide, there would still be the challenge of entering the inner ring—should they use another match, or summon the Nightmare Pumpkin Carriage?

Having received consistently high evaluations, Ashes was not one to settle for failure. The many unknowns made him resolve to act decisively, leveraging his strengths for a desperate gamble.

Fortunately, his efforts had not only yielded rewards but left a thread of hope, now resting in Cup-of-Wine’s hands. All he wished was that the bloodvine line would move slowly, that the soft tissue could be carried, and that Cup-of-Wine would not let him down.

“I wonder if this girl can hold true to her revolutionary camaraderie?”

To be honest, as the countdown neared its end, Ashes grew more anxious. The last mile is the hardest—what he feared most was dying just as he was about to revive, or being eliminated the moment he returned. Lost in these worries, a gentle hand suddenly appeared on the screen, reassuring him of everything.

[Notification: You have been successfully revived. For the next ten minutes, you cannot use the “Soft Tissue Fission” effect of the Active Soft Biochemical Suit again.]

“Run!”

Revived, Ashes appeared kneeling at Cup-of-Wine’s side, who instantly pulled him up without hesitation as they fled for their lives.

Watching her sprint ahead, Ashes smiled in relief—his efforts had not been in vain. What could be more gratifying than this?