Chapter 20: Life and Death Crisis? The Wonders of the Midas Touch

"Ah, stop chasing me! What's the point?"

"Face me one-on-one if you dare!"

"Run, run!"

Inside the underground palace, the battle had only been going on for a few minutes, but an earth-shattering reversal had taken place.

In the massive subterranean palace, Zheng Mu activated his Ghost Step technique, running like a frightened bird chased by hordes of monsters.

Behind him, Optimus Prime, T800, and the other minions tried their best to hold back the monsters, but dozens of them still pursued Zheng Mu relentlessly.

Every now and then, sharp arrows whizzed past him, grazing his scalp and making Zheng Mu scream in terror.

This behavior, however, only piqued the interest of the Princess Hongyu, the boss on the high platform. She didn't join the fight immediately, but rather watched Zheng Mu with amusement as he ran around in panic.

Every so often, an attack would hit him, sending him flying into a wall, grimacing in pain. Seeing this, the Princess Hongyu couldn't help but smile wickedly, quite satisfied with Zheng Mu's predicament.

However, what she couldn't understand was how Zheng Mu, who seemed to be so weak, remained unscathed by her attacks or those of her minions. At most, his clothes were torn to shreds, leaving him dressed like a beggar.

But these details were insignificant. She had just awakened from a deep slumber, and having Zheng Mu as a plaything to entertain her was not bad at all.

Unbeknownst to the Princess Hongyu, as Zheng Mu exaggerated his screams and panic, his eyes were constantly watching her. He noticed that she had no intention of attacking and felt somewhat relieved.

Soon, after an agonizing wait, Zheng Mu's "Firepower Reset Lv3" skill cooldown finally ended. His eyes instantly became fierce.

Without hesitation, he activated the skill. Amidst the sound of crackling, his mechanical minions, whose bodies already bore signs of damage, had their firepower fully restored.

The next moment, without waiting for Zheng Mu's command, a barrage of concentrated fire rained down upon the Princess Hongyu, who was still watching the show.

Her "Phoenix Command" skill could revive the monsters of the underground palace, making them rise from the dead without providing any rewards for their second defeat.

Zheng Mu had no intention of wasting time with her here.

"Crack, crack!"

"Boom, boom!"

The electric grenades smashed into her and her surroundings, giving the Princess Hongyu no chance to dodge.

Caught off guard, she was engulfed in a fierce bombardment. Her wails were sharp and piercing.

However, Zheng Mu was only concerned about the rapidly depleting health bar in the center of the explosion.

80%, 75%, 60%...

In just a blink of an eye, it dropped below the critical 20% threshold.

An ecstatic Zheng Mu seemed to have already envisioned the scene after her demise.

But then, suddenly, everything changed.

"Damn you, wretched commoner! I'll exterminate your entire family!"

A crimson glow emanated from the heart of the explosion, and under Zheng Mu's shocked gaze, it shot straight into the open sarcophagus.

"Damn! Is it happening again?!"

Zheng Mu, horrified, didn't care about the monsters rushing towards him. He immediately employed his Ghost Step technique and flew in front of the sarcophagus. Inside, the Princess Hongyu lay with her eyes tightly shut, her tattered wedding gown revealing large swaths of her fair skin.

Her health bar seemed to have received a boost, rapidly recovering to 80% within the blink of an eye. Just as Zheng Mu was about to unleash a hailstorm of bullets on her head, an arm shot out and gripped his throat.

Her stunning face contorted with rage, her veins bulging. The immense force on his throat would have crushed the bones of anyone else, leaving them dead beyond doubt. However, at that moment, Zheng Mu's face only turned red, seemingly unaffected.

Crackling electrical sparks emanated from behind him. Zheng Mu's expression shifted wildly, and a suffocating sensation overcame him, causing him to drop his firearms.

The Princess Hongyu looked at the once invincible Optimus Prime and his companions, who suddenly seemed to have been struck by a massive attack out of nowhere. They trembled violently, arcs of electricity dancing over their bodies. She realized something and smirked coldly at Zheng Mu.

"So, your life is bound to these puppets. No wonder none of the previous attacks could harm you. You're quite the exceptional one, but now you've fallen into my hands."

"You're done for!"

With that, Zheng Mu felt the force on his throat intensify. The attribute gap between them left Zheng Mu unable to break free. As his vision grew dimmer, Zheng Mu suddenly felt something cold in his hand.

A flash of inspiration struck him. Without thinking, he immediately activated his skill.

[Midas Touch]!

The Princess Hongyu, who had been mocking Zheng Mu, suddenly looked alarmed. She glanced down to see Zheng Mu's hand pressed against the blood-red sarcophagus, golden light enveloping it in the blink of an eye.

"No!!! You wretch! What have you done?!"

In her furious roar, Zheng Mu was flung away by her tremendous force. However, a system notification had already sounded in his mind.

[Midas Touch Lv3] successfully used.

[Purple rarity material "Millennium Blood Sarcophagus" undergoing mechanical conversion...]

[You have obtained a purple rarity material…]

(to be continued)