Vol. 5 Chapter 26: It's You!!!

Chapter 26: It's You!!!

"Ha ha ha, I didn't expect you guys to have some skills, actually eliminating all the other competitors," Old Hu heard a sneering laugh with Xiaomi's scream coming from behind him.

Turning around with difficulty, he saw a person, and after a moment of confusion, he recognized the person's identity: "Li Yuanfeng, it's really you. I knew you would mess things up."

Old Hu looked sadly at Xiaomi lying on the ground, a large wound on his head bleeding profusely. Although Xiaomi wasn't dead yet, he would surely die without immediate treatment.

Li Yuanfeng laughed arrogantly, "So what if you know? You can only wait here to die. Once I kill you all and take all the masks, I can become a god. Then, I will have everything in this world."

"The mask contest is a lie. Even if you gather all the masks, it will just bring the Evil God back. You mask bearers are just tools being used. You can still turn back now. You only want fame and fortune. If you let go, I promise, as a senior member of the Response Bureau, that you will get what you want."

Old Hu's tone was firm and sincere. He was telling the truth. Smart people know when to lie and when to tell the truth. For someone like Li Yuanfeng, Old Hu knew what he wanted. Playing tricks now would only harm himself, so he needed to make Li Yuanfeng understand.

Old Hu's sincere words, combined with his charm, made his sincerity palpable, making Li Yuanfeng pause. But then Li Yuanfeng sneered, "I don't need charity."

"I'll take what I want myself. I won't give you the upper hand. If you go back on your word, I'll be the one to suffer." Li Yuanfeng was now very determined. He was fresh out of school, with a student's pride and not the cunning of an adult, so he chose the riskier path.

"Give up. I've made up my mind. Nothing you say will change it. Enough talk, I'll kill you now!" Li Yuanfeng said through gritted teeth, his body swelling as he walked towards Old Hu.

In the distance, Bing Bing noticed the situation and tried to retreat, only to find the giant serpent moving quickly. It bit her shoulder and coiled around her. This serpent had been nurtured by Lilith since she returned to the real world, hiding in the Wujiang River, growing with daily injections of healing potions. Its role was to impersonate Hatred.

Originally, Lilith was supposed to play Hatred, but Lu Li thought the Response Bureau was too dangerous, so he let Lilith's serpent serve as a stand-in for the final act.

Bing Bing was trapped by the serpent. If she froze it, she would be bound as well. Feeling the serpent injecting something into her shoulder, Bing Bing knew things were bad. She quickly froze the substance and then grabbed the serpent. In a few seconds, the serpent's blood froze completely, but Bing Bing was still trapped.

Seeing Li Yuanfeng approaching Old Hu, Bing Bing was anxious. She noticed Xiao Zhang, whom she had also frozen.

An idea formed. Xiao Zhang had lost his sanity and was filled with rage before being frozen. If unfrozen, he would attack indiscriminately as a flame giant. Though risky, it could buy some time.

Bing Bing unfroze Xiao Zhang, and the black flames roared to life. Xiao Zhang, consumed by anger, sought targets to vent on. Bing Bing froze the air around her to avoid being targeted, leaving only Li Yuanfeng and Old Hu as targets.

The flame giant roared and charged at them. Li Yuanfeng scoffed, his body swelling as he jumped back, letting the flame giant through.

Old Hu smiled bitterly as the giant approached, understanding Bing Bing's plan. He wanted to dodge, but his injured body couldn't move. He watched as the flame giant grabbed him by the neck.

The searing black flames burned through his life, the intense heat invading his body. Old Hu looked up at the sky, thinking he should have died a year ago. But if he died now, it had to be meaningful.

A year ago, the director had sacrificed himself to stop the Evil God's descent, saving Old Hu. Now, Old Hu couldn't lag behind. Black smoke emerged from his throat as his insides burned. Smiling, he activated his strongest illusion, mending Xiaomi's wounds with fake organs and giving Bing Bing a displacement illusion. He then mimicked a teammate's self-detonation from a year ago.

The flame giant's structure was blasted apart, and a slightly scratched mask fell to the bridge. Old Hu's upper body, like a torn rag, flew towards the river, carried away by the current.

Thanks to the toad in his stomach, Old Hu wasn't dead yet. He could feel his remaining seconds ticking away. He hoped Bing Bing and Xiaomi would survive and not carry too much guilt, especially Bing Bing, who shouldn't end up like him, forever guilt-ridden for causing the director's death.

"Such a turbulent river, just like my fate," Old Hu muttered. But the turbulence was no longer his concern. He was tired and could finally see the old director. The future was for the young.

Suddenly, Old Hu's eyes widened. On the riverbank, he saw a man in a dark green checkered shirt and black pants, with a fair face and shoulder-length black hair. A black mist floated beside him as he walked towards the bridge with an oiled paper umbrella.

"It's you!!!" Old Hu wanted to say more, but his time was up. With a mix of urgency and fear, he succumbed to eternal stillness.