The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 150 Let's Jump (10,000 words, please subscribe and vote!)
After dressing Dawn in armor again, Tang Qi did not use [Resting Song] to restore the team this time. Instead, he took [Stress Potion] and had a good sleep.

After several attempts, his understanding of the music deepened.

【Relaxation】 is not a recovery method like 【Healing Spell】 or 【Healing Potion】, which can quickly show results in a short period of time.

It focuses more on promoting the body's self-recovery process than on the influence of external factors.

Just like when the skin is cut, fibrin and platelets in the body work together to cover the surface of the wound and form a scab.

When playing the "Resting Song," it's as if some invisible musical spirits are summoned to cheer on the platelets, encouraging them to speed up their work process with the music.

This requires Tang Qi to perform for a long time.

It's equivalent to sacrificing his own exhaustion to allow the entire team to recover.

This is very beneficial for short breaks, but if you have a long break, there's no need to waste this energy.

Sleeping in the dungeon is certainly not safe, but fortunately, Dawn is on guard outside the camp, often slaying wild beasts that try to attack it.

Only then were Tang Qi and Kuru able to fully restore their depleted spell slots.

Since the wetlands on the third level do not have a distinction between day and night, Tang Qi could not determine how long it took for them to return to the suspension bridge connecting the underground city.

But upon seeing the suspension bridge and the towering cliffs above, he gave Hope an order:

"Call them out."

Hope stared at the end of the suspension bridge as if it were a road of no return:

"Do I really have no choice but to quit?"

Tang Qi shook his head:

"From another perspective, they might not even realize that we had rested in advance."

"Could you guys at least make your acting more convincing? If the Red Scarf Gang finds out I've been lying to them, I won't be able to continue working in the dungeon..."

"Trust my acting skills. At worst, I'll arrange a job for you in Longjincheng so you won't have to worry about the Red Scarf Gang harassing you—or I'll just give you some money so you can leave Longjincheng in peace, is that alright?"

"Don't lie to me."

"Do as instructed."

Coercion and bribery have always been two separate terms.

Hope realized that she had already jumped on a pirate ship the moment she was hired by Don Qi as his guide.

Having no other choice, she could only pull the 'signal flare'.

Seemingly out of protection for the 'unofficial personnel', the signal flare was not particularly conspicuous.

At least when Hope moved, Don Qi failed to notice anything amiss:
"Is this okay?"

"It is said that this device consists of two parts. When the bolt is pulled, it emits a silent sound wave, causing the other end to vibrate."

Tang Qi stepped onto the suspension bridge, gazing at the cliff on the opposite bank. When he reached the middle section, he suddenly nodded:
"Oh, I think I see them."

"Our retreat has also been blocked."

"Dawn reminded me."

Tang Qi looked back and saw four gang members dressed in loose robes, their faces completely covered, already on the suspension bridge. They were approaching the center of the bridge along with four other people in front of them, also with their faces covered but dressed as adventurers.

It's worth noting that everyone's clothes seemed a bit too loose.

Is this considered a uniform of the Red Turban Gang?

"I now suspect that this suspension bridge was also built specifically to facilitate robbery."

As more people walked on the suspension bridge, the clanging sound of the iron chains became increasingly intense as people swayed.

He glanced at the sheer drop below, then looked at the 'adventurers' blocking his way.

He spotted the leader, began to play the lute, and a pink glint flashed in his eyes:
"Greetings to you, my friend, please make way for me."

In any case, a conflict on a suspension bridge is not a wise choice.

However, the "friendship skills" that had always given him an advantage in the past did not work this time.

This might be because the other party was hostile from the very beginning:

"Of course you can cross this suspension bridge, as long as you hand over your knife, your dimensional bag, and all your valuables."

We only care about money, not our lives.

But I hope you'll value your life more than your money—my 'friend'.

"I'm willing to hand over all my belongings, can you let me pass?"

Hope just wanted to get out of this dispute as soon as possible.

The man grinned maliciously, adjusted his 'Black Panther' mask to a comfortable position, and then twirled the dagger in his hand:
"You knew perfectly well that they had gotten plenty of rest, yet you still fired the 'signal flare.' Now you're thinking of staying out of it?"

Seeing that Hope was about to make a defense, Tang Qi advised her to give up the idea:
"Can't you see? Besides the 'guides,' they obviously have other ways to know the 'target's' movements."

Black Panther chuckled:
"Since you're a smart person, then do smart things."

"But I'm curious, since you already know we've had plenty of rest, what makes you think you can force us to comply?"

Although Tang Qi couldn't discern the strength of these eight gang members, considering the few he had dealt with at the Golden Oak, he estimated they shouldn't pose a threat.

This time, even the dawn was there to lend a hand.

"So, you're planning to put up a last-ditch resistance."

Black Panther understood Tang Qi's meaning.
"The fact that you were able to emerge from the Dawn and Dusk Forest proves that you do indeed possess some strength, so how could we not be fully prepared?"

He waved his hand and shouted:
"Do it!"

Just as Tang Qi was about to draw his sword, an obscure incantation rang in his ears.

He noticed that behind the black panther, a purple aura suddenly emerged from beneath the long sleeves of a spellcaster in a robe:
"【Human Freeze Technique】!"

The light then enveloped Tang Qi and Chen Xi, making him realize that these people were relying on a sorcerer—

The advancement of a warlock is actually a process of deeply exploring the power of one's bloodline.

Some powerful sorcerers are able to gather the magic rooted in their blood into their own unique arcane marks, which are then stored and marked on their bodies.

And release it when needed to enhance magic or replace a spell slot.

【Twin Casting】When casting a spell that affects a single creature and whose casting range is not your own, you can use spell points equal to the spell's ring rank to target an additional creature within the casting range.

They clearly realized that only Tang Qi and Chen Xi could influence the entire battle.

In other words, as long as their movements are restricted, the fight can be quickly resolved by ganging up on them on this narrow suspension bridge.

This is sufficient for ordinary adventurers.

After all, as long as you gain the upper hand, without [spell counter], this countermeasure that can cut off the opponent's chanting is useless.

Even spellcasters may be helpless against magic.

But they clearly cannot regard bards as normal spellcasters:
"【Silver Light Sharp Words】!"

With a short syllable, a flash of silver light covered Tang Qi's forehead.

Applying this spell to himself for the first time allowed Tang Qi to finally understand what it felt like for those opponents who had been disgusted by [Silver Light Whisper] in the past—

The silver light almost enveloped his eyes, like staring directly at the blazing sun, making it difficult for him to open them.

Although it was only a momentary lapse in concentration, it was enough for him to be caught off guard and frozen in place by the [Human Immobilization Spell].

But when the same spiritual light enveloped Chenxi, the silver light seemed to push that light further away, causing her to escape the range of immobilization!
"How can it be!?"

A sorcerer in the crowd gasped in surprise.

Alternatively, use [Spell Counter] to force him to be unable to cast spells.

Or you could simply be enveloped by the spell and frozen in place...

However, this was the first time he had ever encountered a situation where the 'immobilization spell' had been pushed away!
[Silverlight's Sharp Words: When the target creature acts, you can magically distract it instantly, turning its brief hesitation into encouragement for another designated creature.]

Tang Qi was well aware of the effects of this spell.

This was originally a technique to distract from the goal and in turn motivate the target.

However, this never means that one can only classify 'targets' as 'enemies'.

In other words, it can certainly be used on itself—

As a bard, you don't need to take on everything and expect to be a hero, solving all difficulties on your own.

Trusting your teammates is a basic quality that a support player should possess.

What I mean is, if you can get by, why make yourself so exhausted?

Tang Qi certainly didn't have the ability to hard-counter [Spell Counter].

Then she would make flexible use of her existing resources and turn her disadvantages into advantages for her teammates. The moment Chenxi realized that the glimmer of light had been pushed away, she had already mustered all her strength and rushed towards the crowd in front of her.

A wisp of golden mist spread and expanded from the back of her neck, as if weaving into a shimmering golden cloak, allowing the radiance to envelop an area several meters around her.

Hope and Kru, who were standing nearby, sensed almost simultaneously that the gang members rushing onto the suspension bridge were visibly slowing down...

"No, it's that our movements are faster?"

As this thought crossed Hope's mind, she saw the knight in plate armor flash past her like a golden bolt of lightning.

[Combat Skill - Swift Aura]: Unleashes a beam of light that grants you and your allies supernatural speed, helping you traverse the battlefield swiftly.

The sorcerer in the crowd immediately realized that the other party was rushing towards him!

He reacted instantly:

"Quick, stop him—"

The three black panthers in front of him knew that the warlock was the key to their victory, and they were already on high alert, determined to stand against him with their lives.

Even as the flash approached, a warrior raised his shield, blocking the path of dawn.

The suspension bridge was so narrow that three people could block all the paths.

This convinced him that, together they could stop the knight in front of them.

Until that bolt of lightning took a step and leaped into the air, its dazzling cloak transforming into wings, propelling her several meters into the sky—

Every paladin can find unique power in their own oath.

For Chenxi, who follows the oath of 'glory', honing her physique and embracing challenges is her lifelong pursuit.

And the vow will answer her call, granting her the power she craves—

【Guiding Divine Power - Unparalleled Athlete】: Summon the oath to enhance your athletic ability and double your physical strength.

In the blink of an eye, the opponent had already leaped over the wall of people, and the warlock could no longer maintain his initial composure.

He activated the arcane magic within his bloodline, gathering magical power amidst astonishment and doubt, thus erecting a milky-white shield in front of him:
"Shield spell, shield spell—"

"【Supreme Saint Slash】!"

Chenxi understood that in the duel with the spellcasters, they could not be given even the slightest breathing time.

Once the other party reacts and creates distance, the gang members following behind will definitely strike you down with their help.

So she held nothing back, condensing the golden light onto the broken sword blade, twisting her waist, and was about to pour it down on the sorcerer's head.

The warlock watched as the sword, trailing golden ripples, met the shield before him with the ease of cleaving a sheet of paper.

He felt as if he were soaring through the air.

Everything in front of him began to turn upside down, but he was unaware of what was happening.

He hesitated for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses:

"I don't seem to be able to fly?"

He thought so.

"My neck seems to have no steeler shield than this?"

He thought so.

"It turns out I've become a blank sheet of paper too."

His head flew off the suspension bridge and fell into the valley.

Tang Qi discovered that his body seemed to be able to move again.

On high alert, he drew his curved knife from his waist, just as the gang members blocking his retreat were about to reach him.

From being immobilized to being freed, it seemed to take less than two breaths:

"I will use my sharp eyes as a measuring tool, and wield this blade as a defense!"

They were about to strike Tang Qi's shoulder in an instant, but the curved blades, like treacherous snakes, met their sharpness amidst the flying sparks and deflected them in a flash.

Meanwhile, the dawn on the other side was briefly sluggish due to the erosion of divine power.

This gave Black Panther the opportunity to strike back decisively:

"Successful!"

He raised his two daggers high, aimed at the gap between his helmet and breastplate, and thrust them forward with a sudden attack—

[Sneak attack] is a skill that wanderers excel at.

As a combat technique, it is quite different from ordinary thrusting.

It combines a series of complex actions—'detecting an opening,' 'stab,' and 'retreat'—which helps wanderers to instantly determine the best option and eliminate their target without taking damage, once they spot an opportunity.

The premise is that it can truly be called a flaw.

Two daggers pierced through Chenxi's helmet, but the sensation of them sinking into flesh did not reach the palm of the hand as expected.

Black Panther stepped on Dawn's back, flipped backward, and used the strength of his wrist to pry her helmet off—

A cloud of black mist that clung to the neck instantly came into everyone's view.

Black Panther's eyes widened as he finally realized why he had failed:
"Damn it, where's the head?!"

The two accomplices beside him were startled, but their years of experience in robbery and plundering quickly calmed them down. They drew their long swords and prepared to slash at Chenxi's neck.

"【Colorful Ball】!"

But a prism-like object, resembling a collection of glass, struck one of them on the head, its shattered, crystalline powder scattering across the suspension bridge beneath their feet.

The two of them almost slipped and fell to the ground.

This gave Dawn time to counterattack. Although her hands were cracked from the [Supreme Slash], they hadn't broken yet, allowing the broken sword to strike the two men's chests, instantly denting their breastplates.

The immense force slid them backward along the ice of the suspension bridge, causing them to fall onto the black panther.

Dawn rushed forward, intending to give chase, but Black Panther seemed to realize the inevitable outcome of continuing the pursuit.

He scrambled to his feet and gave the order:

"We've run into a cat disguised as a mouse, let's get out of here!"

At a command, everyone stopped their attack and threw a smoke grenade at their feet.

The billowing smoke exploded in front of Tang Qi and Chen Xi in an instant. The two of them slashed forward almost simultaneously, but could only cut through the smoke for a moment.

The smoke seemed to contain some irritating ingredients, filling Tang Qi's nasal cavity and eye sockets, causing his eyes to turn bloodshot and him to cough violently.

Considering that he needed to capture at least one person alive to interrogate the assassins from back then, Tang Qi was unwilling to let them go and quickly rushed out of the smoke.

But as he squinted and peered through the blurry air at the suspension bridge before him, he discovered that the Red Turban Gang was nowhere to be seen.
As dawn broke through the smoke, it conveyed the same message to Tang Qi through its own heart:
"They're gone."

"Cough, cough! Where can they possibly escape to on this suspension bridge!?"

Tang Qi didn't understand. This was a 500-meter-long suspension bridge. Even with the power of [Peerless Warrior] and [Swift Spirit], it was impossible for Chen Xi to cross half the length of the suspension bridge in an instant!
"Could it be invisibility?"

Thinking back to when he was assassinated, the drow elf had used [Escape Powder] to escape his sight, Tang Qi couldn't help but connect the dots.

But in her hesitation, Hope, who had not participated in the conflict, suddenly looked down from the suspension bridge, pointing towards the abyss:
"They...they jumped!?"

Tang Qi suddenly looked down from the suspension bridge and discovered that the robbers who had been standing on the bridge just moments before had actually opened their robes.

Like a flying squirrel spreading its wrists and ankles like a 'flying membrane,' it's about to glide into the depths of the abyss!

"Now I understand why they were able to escape after each failure."

Tang Qi understood.

"No wonder they insisted on robbing on this suspension bridge; did they really build it?"

"What...what do we do next?"

Perhaps because he had been staring at the abyss for too long, Hope swallowed hard, feeling his calves trembling uncontrollably.

"Can we go back now?"

"go back?"

Tang Qi watched as the 'flying squirrels' glided deeper into the distance, then narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the dog-headed man who was also somewhat afraid of heights.
"Kuru, [Feather Fall Technique]!"

"Rua?"

"Let's jump!"

"what!?"

(End of this chapter)