Chapter 39: The Battle to Defend the City (V)

"You're insane, absolutely insane!"

Wu Bai held his forehead with one hand, his head aching more than it ever had in his life. He resolved that after the exam, he would report this to the Magic Academy and suggest that all students undergo psychological evaluations before future Mage exams; anyone suffering from severe mental illness should be strictly prohibited from participating.

Zhou Ke, however, was indifferent to the mental trauma he had inflicted on Wu Bai. Having purchased [Allure], his first thought was not of the consequences, but of a series of questions: If a beautiful woman were to throw herself at him later, should he embrace her? Or should he embrace her?

After spending a mere dozen seconds drafting the titles for his future harem of three thousand beauties, he suddenly found it dull and turned his attention to the new items in the points shop. As Wu Bai had warned, the prices for the subsequent items were becoming rather unfriendly.

[Sturdy Vine Armor: Can withstand the attacks of most light weapons, but is vulnerable to fire. Cost: 5 points.]
[Medical Bandages: Magical bandages that accelerate wound healing and stop bleeding. Cost: 10 points.]
[Monster Slayer: Points earned from killing monsters are doubled. Cost: 10 points.]

"So expensive, what a rip-off," Zhou Ke muttered. Even with his stash of a thousand points, his long-standing habit of frugality made him feel the prices were exorbitant. This was only natural; converting the values, one would have to kill five to ten monsters just to afford these three items. Furthermore, points were a consumable resource, and spending them would cause one's ranking to drop. One should not underestimate those one or two points; on the leaderboard, a single point could be the difference between dozens of rankings. Some candidates were so desperate to maintain their hard-earned positions that they wouldn't even purchase the initial discounted items.

"Why does this shop sell flammable and explosive burial clothes?" Zhou Ke glanced at the [Sturdy Vine Armor] and ultimately chose to buy the [Medical Bandages]. The armor had a decent price-to-performance ratio, but it didn't fit his combat style—most importantly, he was afraid of being burned to death. As for the [Monster Slayer], it went without saying: it was a pure trap. Doubling points might seem like an easy way to break even, but one must not forget that the main source of points in the City Defense Battle was not killing monsters, but protecting citizens. Doubling 1 point into 2, or 3 into 6, still didn't come close to the 100 points gained from protecting a citizen. It was truly a case of "the meat is tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard."

"A decent choice," Wu Bai interjected. "The next phase is a grueling ten-hour battle; injuries are inevitable. Having medical supplies is for the best."

"Indeed. My molting season is coming up, so this will come in handy," Zhou Ke replied, tucking the bandages that had appeared out of thin air into his pocket, leaving Wu Bai with no desire to continue the conversation.

He didn't stop there, looking at the next three items.

[F-grade Magic Crystal: Increases Aether. Cost: 500 points.]

"I didn't expect such a short and punchy item description," Zhou Ke said, his eyes scanning the latter half. "And I certainly didn't expect the shop to be such a bottomless pit. Is there no regulation on these prices?"

"It's not expensive. A fully absorbed F-grade magic crystal can boost a Fluorescent-level Mage by one minor stage, or a Candle-wick-level Mage below the fifth stage by half a stage. It's a rare treasure even in the real world." Wu Bai was tempted; had it not been for the level cap of the [Gate of Bi Yue Wu], he would have wanted to participate himself.

"Do you want it?" Zhou Ke blinked at Wu Bai. "I can buy it for you."

"How could I allow that!" Wu Bai immediately waved his hands, but before he could offer a righteous refusal, Zhou Ke responded almost instantly: "Oh, never mind then."

"You son of a..." If his previous words had been mere politeness, he was now surely at the brink of vomiting blood from frustration. To calm himself, Wu Bai shifted his attention to the next item.

[Heart's Blood of the Dog King: Permanently increases agility stats after consumption. Cost: 1000 points.]

Another unexpected item. The Dog King was the monster leader of the [Gate of Bi Yue Wu], possessing the strength of a fifth-stage Candle-wick-level. Its heart's blood was naturally rarer than the F-grade magic crystal. But the price... surely no candidate would be so bold as to throw 1000 points—their entire future—into this? Haha, surely not, right?

Wu Bai’s awkward, laughing gaze involuntarily drifted to Zhou Ke's finger. At that exact second, the finger tapped the store interface.

1000 points were instantly deducted, and a small glass vial the size of a thumb fell into Zhou Ke's palm. At the same time, the points leaderboard in the sky shifted accordingly:

1st Place: Su Wumi: 119 points
2nd Place: Zhou Ke: 52 points
3rd Place: Tang Hongning: 49 points

Many candidates noticed the sudden drop in Zhou Ke's points and shouted to the heavens, "What's going on? Why did Zhou Ke's points drop so much all of a sudden?"

"Hahaha! I told you he was cheating! He must have been penalized!"

"So he wasn't such a big deal after all."

The remaining few were more rational, guessing that Zhou Ke must have purchased something from the points shop. Wu Bai’s brow furrowed so tightly it nearly knotted. He couldn't help but lecture him in an old-fashioned tone, "Hey, I’m not saying this to be mean—"

"Then who is saying it? Your mouth is on your own face," Zhou Ke replied.

"I am saying it!" Wu Bai’s fists tightened. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to earn 1000 points? Once the other candidates figure out the hidden rules, you won't have any advantage left!"

Originally, with a lead of nearly a thousand points, as long as Zhou Ke acted steadily as he had in the first wave, even if he were overtaken by powerful candidates later, securing a top-twenty spot would not have been difficult.

"If they figure it out, so be it," Zhou Ke said, examining the bright red liquid inside the small glass vial, his expression unmoved. "If there is no advantage, then I will create one."

He finished with a flippant tone, unscrewed the cap, and swallowed the [Heart's Blood of the Dog King], worth 1000 points. Moments later, a surge of heat rushed through his legs, and his knee joints became strong and powerful. This gave Zhou Ke even more confidence in his upcoming hunting plan.

Mr. Zhou had repeatedly pondered the meaning of the "City Defense Battle." At first, he derived the hidden rule of gaining points by "protecting citizens." Recently, however, he had a new idea. After all, what is "defense"? It means defending one's homeland and protecting the people. Since monsters would continue to spawn endlessly until the monster leader was killed, did that not mean that the person who killed the leader—the one who ended the invasion—would receive the greatest military merit?

"Killing for the sake of protection—is this within the tacit approval of 'Khorne'?" Zhou Ke licked his lower lip, a hypocritical smile hanging on his face like the eerie crescent moon in a dark forest.

"Heh heh heh, Wu Bai, you're causing trouble again."

The tense atmosphere between the two was broken as a dry, rasping laugh, like someone clearing a throat full of thick phlegm, cut into the conversation.