The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 157 I'll Scold You Until You Cry (10,000 words)

"Rua!"

Kulu, who was feigning death, took the opportunity to fire a freezing ray, but it still missed. However, it gave Tang Qi the chance to use Iu's levitation to cross the waves in front of him.

This caused the wind to whistle through the air, dragging the blade toward the 'dwarf's' neck!

"Clang" sound!
With a timely reaction, the [Shield] spell easily blocked the blade!
The shapeshifter sneered, pointing its staff behind Tang Qi, and with its other hand, it flicked a finger, causing a piece of rubble buried in the pool to spring up:
"【Ejection Technique】".

Spurred by the "Alertness" proclamation, Tang Qi almost instantly moved his legs, simultaneously using Iu's pull to dodge to the side.

But the stone arrived in an instant, and even though Tang Qi tried to roll over, it still slammed into his left knee.

The excruciating pain forced him to grit his teeth and roar, stumbling into the pool.

The waves then pushed them to the side of the immobilized Hope, and the current swept Tang Qi and Xiao Long up with it.

As spellcasters who study the [Transformation School], shapeshifters are always adept at transformation spells, enabling them to accomplish things that ordinary mages cannot.

Tang Qi had no other choice but to start cursing:
"After becoming a dwarf, his vision became narrow, and he only aimed at other people's knees?"

"hiss--"

Although, strictly speaking, I cannot be considered a dwarf.

But perhaps it's due to the instinct to transform—

Because after transformation, it does not inherit the other party's personality or memories.

To better mimic their targets, shapeshifters often track and observe their habits and then imitate them.

So much so that when transforming into another character, I always subconsciously immerse myself in that role.

Hearing Tang Qi's insults and abuse, he actually felt a bit angry.

So much so that my mind suddenly became foggy—

"Damn it, is it magic?"

He then realized that Tang Qi's previous cursing could actually cause psychological harm.

This is a spell I've never heard of before...

But no matter what, he couldn't let Tang Qi continue his insults.

After all, I don't have any magic to protect myself from mental harm.

So he manipulated the water to help the constructs that were still fighting nearby restrain Dawn, while changing his form again.

If I became a dwarf, I wouldn't care about those insulting jokes anymore.

"I think your head is as big as a ball; you could kick it all the way to the Longjincheng building!"

"Shut up!"

Turn into a halfling!
Halflings can easily integrate into groups and are happy to integrate into every group.

Surely there's nothing wrong with such a friendly guy to insult?
"Hey halfling, we had an awesome party at home, guess who wasn't invited?"

"Damn it! Orcs!"

Humans see you as an animal, and orcs see you as food!

"Tifflin!"

"Do you remember the terrible times you had when you were homeless? Do you want to come and cry in Daddy's arms for a while?"

"A half-elf!"

Why would you want to become the only race that can't find their biological parents? Because you don't have any either?

"Dragonborn!?"

“It’s even more ridiculous that you seem to have a closer relationship with a kobold than with a dragon.”

"That's enough, humans, humans are enough now, right!?"

"So in the end, you finally chose to become a mediocre, unremarkable race?"

Tang Qi sighed.

"You're so boring."

"..."

A short sigh, yet it seemed like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The shapeshifter broke down, its eyes brimming with tears, yet it refused to let a single pearl fall—

This was its last act of defiance:

"Why!?

Why did such a foul mouth like yours even exist in this world?!

Why is it that with your rotten mouth, you can always spew out insults that break the defenses of every race?!
Are you even human?!

"I am a poet."

Tang Qi blinked, but inwardly he was criticizing the shapeshifter's concentration.

They cursed the monster until it cried, but the [Water Manipulation] spell remained focused and uninterrupted!

It's no wonder they're considered outliers who can infiltrate various communities.
Is their mental fortitude really that strong?

Meanwhile, Dawn, on the other side, ultimately could not withstand the disturbance of the water flow and the offensive of the constructs.

With a loud "boom," he was slammed against the iron wall by the giant hammer, and finally, the shapeshifter used water to entangle Tang Qi beside him.

Even Kulu, who had been feigning death, couldn't escape the calamity.

Seeing that he had everyone under his control, the shapeshifter finally came to his senses and wiped away his tears:
"Although it was a bit troublesome, it didn't waste too much time."

Realizing defeat was inevitable, Tang Qi made a final desperate attempt:

"Is it possible to reach a settlement?"

"At this very moment? You must be joking."

The shapeshifter snorted coldly, staring intently at the foul-mouthed poet before it, and finally transformed into its true form.
"Now that we know the secrets of the underground city, we can't let you leave alive."

"Um... why don't you turn back into a human? You'll be a bit ordinary, but at least you won't be ugly." Tang Qi blinked.

"Screw you!"

The headache from the verbal abuse struck again, as if it were tearing his brain apart. The shapeshifter used his staff to pick up a piece of gravel.
"Since you're so eager to be the first to die, then I'll grant your wish—[Slingshot Technique]!"

The pebbles shot out, cutting through the wind, heading straight for Tang Qi's brow.

[Alert] To make a sudden sound.

Even the incoming flying stone seemed to slow its trajectory.

Tang Qi understood that he only needed to move a few centimeters to the side to avoid the rock that was carrying the wind and waves.

But bound, he had no chance to escape!
And this piece of stone will pierce his skull!
"You'd better find the ring on my hand so I can turn into a Ringwraith and keep cursing you!"

He accepted his fate.

"【Stealth Step】!"

Just as the flying stone was about to reach Don Qi, he suddenly heard Hope give a soft shout.

This is an instant-cast spell that only requires 'language' as a casting component!

Immediately, the body enveloped in the water transformed into a thin, silvery-white wisp of smoke, drifting to Tang Qi's front and revealing her fiery red silhouette.

A flying rock struck her back, forcing her to cry out in pain and point her finger at the source of the injury:
"boom!"

Crimson flames suddenly rose, scorching the deformed monster's pale and emaciated skin!

For most sorcerers, the contract they made with the sect leader only earned them two meager spell slots.

Therefore, in most cases, they don't squander spell slots like mages do, but rather prefer to save their spells for the most crucial moments.

Such as now.

[Infernal Roar], First Circle Spell: You point your finger, and the creature that harms you is immediately surrounded by the flames of inferno.

She had used this 'injury and counterattack' spell once before, but that was a gift from her bloodline.

The effects of consuming spell slots now far surpass the power of bloodlines.

Wait for the right moment, use [Stealth Step] to block the damage, and then use [Hellish Roar] to reflect damage back to the shapeshifter.

It was her only chance—

Amidst the agonizing pain in his heart and the raging flames, the shapeshifter could no longer maintain his focus on the spell.

The water that had been binding them suddenly burst open, causing them to fall to the ground.

The shapeshifter struggled to pat away the flames engulfing its body, directing its construct and commanding:
"Stop them—"

But Hope has created the only chance.

Even though they were in pain, they supported each other as they rushed into the dark, deep passage.

But the construct's speed far surpassed that of the exhausted individuals; as it swung its heavy hammer, the howling wind nearly ripped through eardrums.

Tang Qi's alertness kicked in again, and he immediately launched into a tirade:
"Your body is more bloated than a fat pig, and your movements are extremely clumsy!"

But it couldn't alleviate the stinging pain caused by the danger!
"Oops--"

Tang Qi gritted his teeth and said,
"We're out of options."

"Snapped!"

A palm-sized, jet-black bead suddenly exploded in front of the construct. The massive shockwave released by the [Force Field Bead] made Tang Qi feel every bone in his body tremble from the impact, and he almost fainted from the pain.

They were shocked to find that they had been swept into the flowing pipes!
Through the hazy vision, the construct was being pushed into the pipe by the force field wall, attempting to drive the heavy hammer in, but unable to step in even an inch!

He was not only enveloped by force fields.

The perfectly timed landing caused the spreading force field wall to block the entrance and exit of the pipe, and the shapeshifter behind the construct was also blocked outside the passage.

We could only watch helplessly as they disappeared into the pipes and vanished!

Tang Qi, who stumbled into the pipe, felt as if his spine was about to shatter.

Hope's entire body was thrown against his chest by the impact, and the dull and crushing pain made it even harder for him to make a sound.

Yet, as I felt the force of the water flowing down my back, a sense of relief, like surviving a close call, welled up inside me.

The force field wall was not soundproof, so much so that the roar of the shapeshifter was enough to reflect off the metal pipe walls, making it even more deafening than the "gurgling" sound of water nearby.
"Damn it, send men to the fifth floor immediately to pursue them!"

He blinked, then realized something was wrong:
"The fifth floor!?"

Looking at Hope, who was also seriously injured and clutching his back, he asked in surprise...
"Isn't it the third floor?"

Logically, they should have gone to the wetlands on the third level, rested, and then quickly returned to the surface.

After all, once they set foot on the surface, they would no longer be within the Red Scarf Gang's sphere of influence.

They will be protected by Longjincheng's laws.

Relatively speaking, it is safer.

Hope pressed tightly against Tang Qi's chest, her burning body temperature making Tang Qi feel a warm, moist sensation.

“I never said this was the passage to the third level.”

"You deliberately?"

Thinking back to when they were in the bunker, he realized that he had only led the way halfway before Hope took over his role as 'guide' and he had to follow her all the way to their destination.

Tang Qi immediately realized that the cunning red weasel had been carrying him all along, intending to take him to the fifth floor.

"of course."

Now that things have come to this, Hope has openly admitted it.

Using the propulsion of the water, they didn't have to move on their own for the time being, so they took the opportunity to lie on Tang Qi's chest and slowly recover their strength:

"Don't look at me like that—you should know that if I hadn't helped you with [Invisibility Powder], you would have been intercepted halfway through your escape."

Tang Qi wouldn't be fooled by her sophistry, and sneered:
“If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t even have come to this bunker.”

"So what? You were the one who wanted to see the Red Turban Gang with your own eyes. If you had just turned around, you could have returned to the surface the same way. I just gave you a push from behind—"

At worst, you don't have to pay back the 100 gold from the "Fair Contract." Since you've already tampered with the contract, you probably won't give it back to me anyway.

Even after Hope exposed his trick, Tang Qi remained unfazed.

"But you've had your eye on me from the very beginning, haven't you? Even if it were just 1 gold coin, you would have taken on the role of guide back then, let alone 5 gold coins."

“One gold coin won’t do it; that’s clearly a losing proposition—not that I wouldn’t do it, but it will make you realize something’s wrong. Five gold coins is just right; it will make you feel like you’ve made a profit, and you’ll also feel like I’ve made a profit.”

"You seem to know me quite well?"

“I know every cunning guy; that’s my way of surviving on the streets.”

"So, the fact that things have come to this point is still your fault."

"Was it my fault...?"

Hope chuckled and slightly raised her head. With the help of the glow emitted by Tang Qi's ring, she could see the rusty pipes ahead, eroded by the water flow.

Tang Qi could only see the fiery red cleavage that pressed against his chest when she tilted her head back.

This water is damn hot.

"So what?"

Hope lowered his head, taking in Tang Qi's gaze.

But she didn't say anything; she just clung tightly to Tang Qi's neck as they drifted.

Her delicate lips brushed against Tang Qi's ear, gently exhaling warm breath:
"Things have come to this point, there's no going back."

So stop thinking about pointless things like 'escaping back to the surface'.

Relax, and then—

Let's fall together.

"Falling?"

Tang Qi caught the key words.

They were propelled into the pipe by the impact of the [Force Field Bead], so Tang Qi remained floating with his back pressed against the pipe wall and his head facing forward.

Now, inevitably, one cranes their neck to look towards the end of the passage, but can only catch a glimpse of the abruptly descending passage by the light of the glow—

It's like those water slides that were almost vertical to the ground that I used to ride at water parks.

He saw Hope clinging tightly to him, clearly intending to use him as a cushion!

The next moment, Tang Qi felt as if his head was suspended in mid-air:
"Go to hell—Iwu!"

The little dragon quickly flew to his side, grabbed the hood, and provided an upward pull for Tang Qi, who was sliding down the pipe.

But that doesn't change the fact that they fell into the pipe.

Tang Qi is not afraid of heights.

But his head is facing downwards.

……

Tang Qi was launched out of the sewer pipe like a cannonball.

Despite Iu's upward lift, it still inevitably crashed onto the hard crystal floor, letting out a painful cry:

"Hope, I'll FXXK your mother!"

Hope, who was nestled against his chest, was unharmed and responded with a grin:
"Then you missed your chance to go find her just now—the living cannot see the spirit."

He took a bottle of [healing potion] from his pouch and put it into Tang Qi's mouth.

He then took out another bottle and drank it himself.

After feeling the injuries to her back from the [Ejection Technique] lessen considerably, she slowly got up and helped Tang Qi, whose knees had also recovered somewhat, to his feet.

"How about I give you a bottle as compensation?"

"Screw you."

Tang Qi used her strength to stand up and turned to look at Kuru, who was also on the ground with his buttocks down, and Chenxi, who had broken all four limbs and was lying on the ground in a twisted position.

While feeding Kuru the life-saving potion, they also used up the last of the recovery gel to restore Dawn to her most perfect state.

"Try to be gentle with your hands from now on, otherwise I won't be able to heal your injuries."

"I see."

Chenxi shook her arm, still feeling that this undead body was somewhat of a burden.
"If it were the original body, cutting through that construct should only require one sword strike."

"So do you know where your body is buried?"

"do not know."

"Then it's over."

Tang Qi sighed and looked around at his surroundings, only to realize that they seemed to be in a huge room made of crystals. The crystals emitted a pale yellow halo, which made the whole room exceptionally bright.

The trickling water flowed out along the pipes on the wall and eventually converged at a drain.

Shining the ring's glow into the drain, it appeared that there was a reservoir beneath their feet.

"They should have already used the [Invisibility Powder] to get rid of the [Mystic Eye]'s surveillance."

However, this fast passage cannot be blocked. Once the force field blocking the pipe disappears, pursuers will likely catch up.

We need to find a safe place and rest as soon as possible.

The escape had exhausted everyone's spell slots except for Dawn's.

Whether it's exploring the underground city or finding a way back to the surface, a decision should at least be made after resources have been restored.

"Come with me."

Hope took the first step and pushed open the door in front of her, which seemed to be carved from a slab of white crystal.

The outdoor area is quite different from the indoor area. Although it is also filled with warm yellow light, it is not as smooth as the crystal house. It still has rough stone walls and some potholes on the dirt road.

"I had seen a map of the fifth level in the bunker before, so I knew the path to the sixth level."

There's a fairly safe room at the junction of the fifth and sixth floors; we should be able to rest there.

"There's a sixth floor?"

Looking at Hope, who was walking at the front, Tang Qi finally couldn't help but ask,
"You've gone to all this trouble, even using such a rare item as the [Force Field Bead], and now you're taking us all the way to the sixth level. What is your purpose?"

"Since I am willing to pay such a high price, I am determined to go deep underground."

"Of course, it's because a much richer reward awaits me—"

Hope's tone was somewhat excited. He turned around and sized up Tang Qi with his fiery red eyes, as if he had a clear idea of ​​Tang Qi's character.
"【Dragon's Treasury】, are you really not interested?"

(End of this chapter)