Chapter 54: Finally Dead

Chapter 54: Dead at Last

Meeting the burning gazes of his teammates, Zhang Yuanqing voiced his thoughts:

"I have an item that can ensnare the Autobot, giving us ample time to search for the controller."

Kuwei Renfu, Xishi, and Xie Lingxi knit their brows.

While Huo Mo and Qi Tian Da Sheng looked utterly bewildered: "An item? Aren't our skills and items sealed?"

Xishi flashed her socialite's smile and explained, "Just now, inside the car, we found a card. Its content states that we can use an item once."

Able to use an item? Huo Mo and Qi Tian Da Sheng first rejoiced, but soon their brows furrowed. The latter asked tentatively:

"Are you saying you want to use an item to face that Autobot alone, to buy time for us?"

Recalling the Autobot's ferocity, Huo Mo shook his head repeatedly:

"This proposal isn't reliable. Unless active skills are unsealed to complement the item, maybe then one could fight that robot."

This time, Xie Lingxi agreed with Huo Mo, saying softly and weakly:

"Brother Wang Tai, this is very dangerous. We are all Spirit Realm Walkers at the Extraordinary stage. The items we can encounter are roughly at this level. Can an Extraordinary-quality item really deal with the Autobot?"

Items were categorized by type, not by grade or rank, but the Spirit Realm Walkers knew that level was a hidden attribute, and most items obtained during the Extraordinary stage belonged to this level.

Kuwei Renfu said faintly, "This idea is a gamble. If a single item could easily resolve the danger, then this card would not have appeared in the car."

He was reminding Zhang Yuanqing not to misjudge the situation and waste a card for nothing. How could an S-rank quest be so simple?

Evidently, the team members all felt Wang Tai's idea was unreliable, but based on the "prestige" Zhang Yuanqing had earned through his own actions, everyone merely countered rather than firmly opposed.

An ordinary item certainly wouldn't do, but a rule-based item definitely could! Facing his teammates' lack of trust, Zhang Yuanqing, knowing full well the capabilities of the Red Ballroom Shoes, smiled faintly:

"As experienced Spirit Realm Walkers, you actually doubt my judgment? Do not forget, we are all grasshoppers on the same rope; how could I joke with my own life?"

His expression was filled with confidence, his tone incomparably calm.

At this moment, Wang Tai's consistent past performance played its part. The team members knit their brows and remained silent; though still somewhat skeptical, they did not object further.

Mainly, it was also because they either had no items at all, or lacked any powerful item for confronting enemies.

Kuwei Renfu stopped speaking as well; putting aside the matter of being experienced, he agreed with the latter half of the statement.

Zhang Yuanqing: "Time is limited, everyone quickly look for car keys."

The six Spirit Realm Walkers moved rapidly into action. In the ensuing time, Zhang Yuanqing found two car keys, Xishi found one, Qi Tian Da Sheng found one, and Xie Lingxi found another.

Each searched their corresponding car, unlocking and inspecting them. Aside from a metal card found in the young girl's car, the others had no harvest whatsoever.

The content of Xie Lingxi's card read: [You possess one opportunity to transfer aggro]

Unfortunately, the cars in the parking lot could not be driven... Zhang Yuanqing thought regretfully, when suddenly, the high-pitched roar of an engine drifted from afar.

Like startled wild deer, everyone alertly craned their necks and looked toward the sound.

At the entrance of the underground parking lot, the two-meter-tall Autobot appeared once more, wielding a chainsaw, its eyes glowing red, and the microphone on its chest shouting: "You all must die~"

Xishi screamed, "Wang Tai..."

The others scrambled in a flurry toward the same car, opening the doors, yet they did not immediately dive inside to take refuge; instead, with a touch of anticipation, they looked toward Zhang Yuanqing.

Zhang Yuanqing drew the metal card from his pocket.

[Ding, do you wish to use the card to activate the inventory?]

"Yes!"

The next instant, he sensed the existence of his inventory once more, opened it swiftly, and summoned the Red Ballroom Shoes.

A glimmer of dark red light flitted out, swimming gracefully, and condensed into a pair of red ballroom shoes before its useless master.

"Tap, tap..."

The brand-new, compact, and exquisite red ballroom shoes swiftly circled Zhang Yuanqing. Its walking posture was utterly defiant, yet held a touch of playfulness, seemingly delighted to be out dancing.

But in the eyes of Xie Lingxi and the others, this scene was somewhat terrifying.

Dancing shoes? A pair of dancing shoes that moved on their own?

Unsure if it was an illusion, as they stared at the Red Ballroom Shoes, they instinctively felt a chill and dread—there was no reason, just pure intuition.

Alas, if not forced by circumstances, I wouldn't want to deploy it either... Zhang Yuanqing sighed in his heart.

In truth, when he first saw that card, his immediate reaction was: the haunted house is secured.

No matter how terrifying the spirit in the haunted house was, it was ultimately a spirit. The Demon Subduing Pestle contained the divine power of the sun and carried half of the Empress's Yang Soul, making it the nemesis of all dark entities.

Once inside the haunted house, he would sacrifice the Demon Subduing Pestle. Beneath the great sun, even if that ghost bride were ever so ravenous, she would have to collapse to the ground, weeping tears of grievance: "My lord, please don't~"

Regrettably, resolving the immediate predicament was the priority. This stage in the underground parking lot wasn't complex, but it was far too difficult.

Furthermore, using the Red Ballroom Shoes had another benefit: deterring the murderer.

If the murderer chose to obliterate him regardless of consequences, once this worst-case scenario occurred, the Red Ballroom Shoes, having lost its master, would revert to its original state and pursue every single Spirit Realm Walker within the area.

Everyone would die together.

Watching the roaring Autobot close in, Zhang Yuanqing said softly:

"Go!"

The Red Ballroom Shoes flitted away.

Two eerie red lights, swift as lightning, slammed into the Autobot's chest with a resounding "clang, clang." The steel Autobot, which had been hurtling forward with thunderous momentum, was actually brought to a halt by the impact, sliding backward slightly.

This was not all. The Red Ballroom Shoes, having kicked the Autobot to a stop, unleashed a more intensive barrage of trampling. Each stomp caused the mechanical body to shake violently and stumble.

It perfectly curbed the Autobot's movements.

The Autobot swung its chainsaw in fury, yet the weapon capable of cutting metal and splitting jade could not touch the Red Ballroom Shoes at all; the shoes seemed to exist outside of reality.

The only disappointment was that the Autobot's body was indestructible, and the Red Ballroom Shoes could not harm it either.

Yet in the eyes of Huo Mo, Xishi, and the others, this was simply the most beautiful sight in the world.

"What kind of item is this? What kind of item is this?!" Huo Mo was both shocked and delighted, a glint of covetousness flickering in his eyes.

The hearts of Xishi, Xie Lingxi, and the rest finally settled. The gazes they cast upon the Red Ballroom Shoes more or less carried envy and desire.

Given the scarcity of items, Spirit Realm Walkers possessed a yearning and greed for powerful items that was branded into their very genes.

"Don't get in the car, hurry and look for the key," Zhang Yuanqing shouted loudly, not forgetting to add: "The price of my shoes is that if they are not recalled to the inventory within an hour, they will kill indiscriminately."

The expressions of Huo Mo and the others shifted slightly, the shred of greed in their hearts vanishing instantly. Daring delay no longer, they quickly expanded their search.

Qi Tian Da Sheng reluctantly withdrew his gaze from the Red Ballroom Shoes, and thinking of its price, shouted a reminder: "Wang Tai, don't you dare die..."

If he died, this pair of shoes would become another danger—a monumental danger.

In the time that followed, the Red Ballroom Shoes bore the heavy responsibility of intercepting the Autobot, fending off crises for them time after time. Finally, after half an hour of ceaseless searching, Xie Lingxi found the controller inside a sports car.

"Is it this one? Is it this one..."

The young girl shouted with all the strength she could muster.

This girl's luck is just too good... Everyone stopped what they were doing and burst forward with unprecedented speed, converging toward the young girl.

In her hand was a long, black metallic object, resembling an old-fashioned mobile telephone from the early years. At the top was an antenna, and in the center of the handset was a single red button.

"Just try it." urged the Fire Demon.

Xie Lingxi glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and, seeing him nod, immediately pressed the red button.

In an instant, everyone held their breath, watching the robot fighting with Red Shoes in the distance.

They saw the tall steel body suddenly stiffen, as if someone had cut off its power, all movements ceased, and the red light in its eyes went out.

"Clatter clatter clatter..."

Red Shoes kicked the other a few more times, but seeing the iron lump standing stupidly without response, it stopped in some confusion and ran back to Zhang Yuanqing with a clatter.

Here it comes, it's coming to dance with me... Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved but his mouth twitched imperceptibly.

"We did it!" cheered Xie Lingxi.

Xishi and the others sighed with relief, their faces beaming with joy.

No one died; they had passed the level unscathed.

They were about to express their thanks and praise to Zhang Yuanqing when suddenly they saw, not far away, the car robot that had clearly stopped had its red eyes light up again, its engine roaring loudly, and it charged towards them like an arrow.

What happened? Everyone's face changed drastically. Zhang Yuanqing shuddered and roared, "Stop it!"

He gave the order to Red Shoes again.

But it was too late; the car robot had already swept past Red Shoes, repeating the initial scene, crashing into the crowd. Its target was clear: Xie Lingxi, who was holding the controller.

This happened so suddenly that no one reacted; they instinctively threw themselves in all directions, not understanding why this sudden change had occurred.

Was the controller malfunctioning?

Had the mission changed? Had the controller become invalid?

In Xie Lingxi's eyes, she saw the steel monster speeding towards her, saw the roaring chainsaw, and her mind went blank.

But in the next moment, she saw the simple and honest face of Ashamed Father, and saw the brutality and determination in his eyes.

Ashamed Father pushed Xie Lingxi away with all his might, and in doing so, threw himself onto the chainsaw.

His body was cut in half by the chainsaw; his intestines, internal organs, and upper torso fell to the ground with a splat, blood splattering into a ghastly flower.

"I am no longer what I once was..." The car robot's chest speaker emitted a manic laugh:

"Demon Lord, you are finally dead, you are finally dead, Demon Lord, if you kill me, you won't survive either..."