Chapter 246: I May Not Be Human, But You Are Truly a Dog!
The screen’s perspective generally followed the Chosen One’s field of vision.
Alternatively, it would show an angle from above and behind, showing the Chosen One’s whole body.
While the One-Eyed Kid got out of the car to inspect the bridge, the big screen stayed focused on him.
Because Zhang Yangqing was also observing his every move.
Now, the One-Eyed Kid was about to venture inside the bridge structure. As he walked further and further away, he eventually disappeared from the main screen.
What remained on the Dragon Nation’s big screen was just Zhang Yangqing, sitting alone in the car.
Meanwhile, on the screens of other nations, the top-tier Chosen Ones were beginning their own clever maneuvers.
The Chosen Ones each carried between one and three crows—not very many.
This challenge was clearly about how well the Chosen Ones could utilize the items they had obtained.
The twelve top-tier Chosen Ones and the one native began their actions.
Because two Chosen Ones had already fallen behind the leading group and joined the second tier.
Thus, there were only thirteen Chosen Ones left in the first tier.
Zhang Yangqing couldn’t be bothered to move; he wanted to see what this One-Eyed Kid was capable of.
In a place like this with no rules, the other Chosen Ones were actually feeling quite nervous.
Zhang Yangqing, however, didn’t mind. After all, without rules, it meant no one here could restrict him.
If this were a previous Horror Tale, he would have just bulldozed his way through.
But in this Horror Tale, using spiritual energy made him cough up blood and caused backlash against his body.
So, he simply chose to lie low and cough up less blood.
Near this dilapidated bridge, the Chosen Ones’ strategies varied greatly.
Some were so agile that they even climbed up to the top of the bridge using the chains.
Hilde, the Chosen One from Hans Country, felt that this time, he kept encountering slippery conditions on the ground. Having made mistakes twice in previous rounds, he decided to simply climb to the top of the bridge.
With his feet off the ground, his intellect could take the high ground!
As a Transcendent, even though his strength was diminished to less than a tenth, his physical fitness was still remarkable.
Just relying on his arm strength, he was able to move quickly along the chains.
It didn’t take long for him to reach the bridge’s summit.
However, new problems quickly followed. The wind was strong at the top, and walking along the narrow iron framework required constant vigilance against gusts.
If he were blown into the river below, it would almost certainly mean certain death.
So this time, he moved with a hunched posture, gripping the iron frame with his hands whenever his balance wavered.
Watching this, the audience in Hans Country held their breath for him.
At such a height, only someone with Hilde’s daring and skill would attempt this; for others, even just climbing up there would be a challenge, let alone walking along it.
Another danger up there was the need to be wary of attacks from flying insects, as there was nowhere to take cover.
If he didn’t have his two crows with him, Hilde, the Transcendent from Hans Country, wouldn’t take such a risk.
But there was also an advantage to being on the bridge top: he could clearly see hidden dangers below.
Other Chosen Ones also had their own distinct approaches. Greco walked along the edge of the bridge, allowing him to find hiding places if danger arose.
Some Chosen Ones chose to walk right down the middle. These Transcendents reasoned that since they could already spot hidden dangers, walking in the center would allow them to dodge if attacked.
In this stage, since the Chosen Ones didn’t know what dangers awaited, they were all taking it step by step.
The One-Eyed Kid, however, had a clear objective. The bridge had many obstructions blocking the view, as well as many collapsed sections.
Even without Zhang Yangqing reminding him, he knew his goal was to eliminate the hidden dangers on this bridge; otherwise, the off-road vehicle would be attacked when passing through.
Then, he needed to find a route without collapses, allowing the off-road vehicle to safely drive to the opposite bank.
In the Horror Tale world, this was the way it worked: once your objective was clear, taking action became that simple.
Hilde, the Hans Country Transcendent positioned high above, observed something strange while near a pile of burning, abandoned cars.
A bizarre insect, moving like a human, was gnawing on decaying bones.
It gave off a peculiar feeling, like a person wearing insect skin.
Most insects crawled, but this mutated, bizarre insect had eight limbs—four pairs. However, it used two for upright walking, two for grasping objects.
The remaining four were completely unused, seeming almost redundant.
Regardless, this creature would attack any passing vehicles.
Weren’t the surrounding cars its handiwork?
Hilde sent his two bizarre crows to attack this strange, mutated insect.
Normally, Chosen Ones here would keep one crow for self-defense, but Hilde, confident in his own abilities, sent both crows together.
Based on his judgment, he didn’t know how strong this mutated insect was. If he lost a crow, things would become increasingly difficult for him later.
So, he might as well send both bizarre crows to attack together for a swift resolution. This would also allow him to gauge the combat effectiveness of both the mutated insect and the crows based on the battle.
Only by gathering this data could he better utilize his two crows to clear the stage.
Two piercing shrieks rang out from the sky, causing the mutated insect to panic.
The innate bloodline suppression, coming from the depths of its soul, made its entire body tremble.
It had been lying in ambush for passing vehicles, never expecting to be discovered and ambushed.
At this moment, both the Chosen Ones and the audience witnessed the combat prowess of the bizarre crows.
When the bizarre crows attacked, they emanated a terrifying black aura, unleashing an overwhelming, dreadful pressure.
The crows, which had seemed like mere mascots moments before, now resembled world-ending eagles!
The bizarre crows were incredibly fast, cutting through the air with a terrifying whoosh, like black fighter jets.
The mutated insect was desperately trying to flee, even attempting to hide inside an abandoned car for cover.
But the bizarre crows were small. If a creature as large as this mutated insect could fit inside, the crows could certainly enter to finish it off.
Furthermore, the insect’s head was already split open before it could even hide.
The crows’ beaks, like drills, pierced straight through the mutated insect’s body.
In less than five seconds, the mutated insect was slain by the bizarre crows without putting up any resistance.
The scene of the crows’ battle filled the Chosen Ones and audience with excitement.
It was a one-sided massacre; no wonder crows were the bane of bizarre insects.
The formidable strength of the bizarre crows also filled many Chosen Ones with a sense of security.
Hilde never dreamed there would come a day when he himself needed protection.
If possible, bringing several dozen of these crows along would be an unstoppable force!
But that was just wishful thinking. Even with just these two, they had eaten a considerable amount of his rations this morning.
If he actually had several dozen, he’d probably starve to death before reaching the next destination.
The two bizarre crows flew back to the Hans Country Transcendent’s shoulders, holding their heads high, as if showing off their achievement.
“Well done, you two! You’re absolutely incredible!”
Since they could protect him, Hilde didn’t hold back his praise.
Simply put, he was currying favor with the two bizarre crows.
They seemed delighted, beginning to caw loudly.
It was as if they were saying: “Find us something worth fighting, thanks!”
Hilde was impressed by their bravado. If he weren’t infected with the virus, he’d join them in battle to see who was more formidable.
But being infected meant he had to behave himself; he couldn’t afford to be reckless.
After dealing with that one, Hilde continued advancing along the bridge. This was just the beginning; the road ahead was still long.
However, Hilde made a small mistake here. He could have commanded the crows to attack silently, but instead, he had them launch a direct assault.
This caused the nearby mutated insects to become wary.
Finding their hiding spots would become much more difficult for him from now on.
He would need to observe carefully along the rest of the path to ensure he could clear a safe route.
Furthermore, many Chosen Ones began to consider capturing a live, talking mutated insect to ask what exactly was going on.
But these creatures were either unable to speak or unafraid of death, giving the Chosen Ones headaches.
As Hilde advanced, the wind atop the bridge grew stronger, and dangers came one after another.
When encountering impassable sections or needing to inspect the road surface, Hilde had no choice but to climb down from the top.
The Chosen Ones encountered numerous problems, but relatively speaking, the Transcendent from Hans Country was safer, thanks to his good visibility and high vantage point.
Other Chosen Ones had to direct their bizarre crows in battle while simultaneously evading danger and ensuring their own survival.
Greco, the Chosen One from Ramen Country, came across a disgusting spherical object while passing a partially collapsed ruin on the bridge. The sphere was nearly two meters tall, with an outer shell that looked like flesh, as if something was gestating inside.
The sphere was pulsating continuously, like a beating heart.
Furthermore, the surrounding area was entangled with various web-like substances, looking incredibly eerie.
The web-like material was thin but tough, wrapped in layers around the flesh sphere, seemingly sealing it or perhaps protecting it.
At this point, whether it was Greco, other Chosen Ones, or the One-Eyed Kid,
they all faced a choice: whether or not to destroy this flesh sphere.
If the external threads were sealing a monster inside, then by opening it, would they unleash a greater threat upon themselves?
If this was merely a decoy, then it indeed needed to be cleared away immediately. Otherwise, when their vehicle passed by, it would spell big trouble.
The road for this stage was long, resources were plentiful, and the vehicle was crucial.
Moreover, the bizarre crows were not invincible; they could get injured and had limited stamina.
How to correctly command the bizarre crows to eliminate dangers required the Chosen Ones’ own judgment.
They couldn’t just blindly send the crows into every danger without knowing anything, could they?
What if the crows fell into a trap, were killed in an ambush, and they themselves couldn’t escape death either?
This bridge stage required courage and meticulousness. The items provided by the Horror Tale were meant to make the Chosen Ones think creatively, not just hand them a direct “clearance item.”
At this level of Horror Tale, such reward items no longer existed.
The One-Eyed Kid stopped not far from the flesh sphere. He couldn’t just send the crows over, nor could he go himself; both options were too risky.
But without figuring it out, this thing was right on the mandatory path, and it would be problematic later.
The One-Eyed Kid initially found a sharp steel bar from a nearby abandoned car, throwing it like a javelin.
Clang!
The steel bar failed to pierce the sphere’s outer shell and clattered to the ground.
This left the One-Eyed Kid perplexed. With his current abilities, it was indeed challenging. Steel bars too light lacked power; those too heavy were hard to lift, let alone throw.
What was he to do?
Just as the One-Eyed Kid was puzzling over this, he suddenly looked at the bizarre crows beside him. He got it!
Even though the bizarre crows were small, they possessed immense strength.
He had the two crows pick up a selected rebar by one end and fly upward.
They held it by one endpoint, ensuring it would fall vertically.
This rebar was extremely heavy. He intended to use the force of gravity and acceleration to pierce the flesh sphere.
Crows, being naturally intelligent creatures, could manage tasks within their mental capacity if instructed on how to do them.
Dropping things was something they were quite adept at.
Once they reached a certain height, the One-Eyed Kid gave the command, and both bizarre crows released their grip simultaneously.
The heavy rebar plummeted down, gaining speed rapidly.
Thump!
The sharp end of the rebar collided with the top of the flesh sphere.
The sphere instantly ruptured, and an indescribable liquid sprayed out like fireworks.
The One-Eyed Kid, being cautious by nature, was hiding far away.
As the indescribable liquid splattered onto the bridge deck, it corroded pits and holes into the sturdy bridge structure.
A sour, foul odor began to spread across the area.
By the time the fumes dissipated, even the incredibly sturdy rebar had been half-melted.
One could imagine the corrosive power of that liquid—it could melt both Chosen Ones and bizarre crows.
Fortunately, the mutated insect inside the sphere was also crushed to death by the impact, preventing it from escaping.
During this phase, the Chosen Ones employed various methods.
Some found ropes, attached a sharp, heavy object to one end, and strung it across the top of the bridge, swinging it like a pendulum to smash the sphere.
Some Chosen Ones went through great effort to erect a crucial iron pillar.
Then, they pushed it over towards the sphere, splitting it in two.
Others had wildly imaginative ideas, like trying to make the bizarre crows carry the car across.
The bizarre crows cawed loudly, as if to say: “I may not be human, but you are truly a dog.”
Two bizarre crows carrying a thick rebar and straining to fly upwards was already their limit. Carrying a car across 1500 meters? They’d die from exhaustion before making it.
If the car fell onto the bridge, that would be bad enough; if it fell into the water, this Horror Tale would essentially become a trek on foot.
Imagine: a stretch that would take five or six hours by car would be utterly exhausting on foot.
Even setting aside the time, if there was food along the way, one might survive; without food, it was a death sentence.
And that’s not even mentioning the various attacks waiting for the Chosen Ones at night.
Surviving even a single day would make one a god among men.
On the Horror Tale’s bridge, the Chosen Ones’ progress was slow.
So far, they had only cleared about 500 meters, with another 1000 meters needing work.
At this stage, the Chosen Ones were extremely cautious, advancing step by step.
They instinctively suspected that any place offering concealment might be hiding something.
After spending time together, some Chosen Ones and their bizarre crows grew increasingly in sync.
Everyone understood each other’s capabilities. Some of the stronger Transcendents could even participate in combat.
After clearing another three or four hundred meters, it was nearly noon.
Chosen Ones who had brought food began looking for safe spots to eat their rations and take medicine.
Those who hadn’t brought food had to run back to the vehicles to get something to eat.
After a brief rest, they resumed clearing the bridge.
The entire bridge had to be cleared, and the road surface checked for stability before the vehicle could pass.
At noon, the sun blazed fiercely again.
Ideally, standing in the middle of the bridge, the Chosen Ones would feel a gentle, cool breeze carrying the scent of the river and sunshine—fresh and pleasant.
They could close their eyes, letting the breeze caress their faces, and experience a sense of ease and tranquility found only in nature.
There would be no city clamor, no crowd noise—just the sounds of nature and the calming river.
However, nice as that ideal was, reality was harsh. The Chosen Ones stood on the bridge deck, breathing foul, stinking wind, forcing down barely edible compressed biscuits.
Surrounded by ruins, they heard the crackling sounds of burning.
Most importantly, they couldn’t let their guard down while eating, constantly wary of strange creatures attacking.
Compressed biscuits were easy to carry. Many Chosen Ones kept them in their pockets for a quick bite when hungry.
Lucky Chosen Ones might find fruit; the unlucky ones had to make do with dry rations and water for lunch.
In the Horror Tale world, finding edible food was already an achievement; expecting it to taste good was out of the question.
Seeing the Chosen Ones eating such unappetizing dry rations, the crows helpfully brought over the corpses of the mutated insects they had killed.
Lumps of flesh oozing green blood were dropped in front of the Chosen Ones. The bizarre crows seemed to be saying: “Eat up, don’t be shy. This stuff is delicious!”
After all, in the eyes of the bizarre crows, this was like a delicacy—sweet, tasty, tender, and juicy.
But seeing this, the Chosen Ones nearly threw up what little they had just eaten.
Eating that foul-smelling egg last night was already the limit of human endurance.
We only swallowed it to survive.
As for this thing before us, forget about eating it—just smelling it makes me nauseous.
It brought back memories of that stinky egg they had forced down.
But the two bizarre crows meant well, so the Chosen Ones had to decline politely. They explained that they were poisoned and couldn’t eat something so delicious; it would cause a bad reaction.
The bizarre crows seemed to understand, cawing twice as if expressing regret before giving up.
Some bizarre crows even acted like caring companions, tidying the Chosen Ones’ clothes.
The audience could see a pattern: Chosen Ones who had a good relationship with their crows generally received food offerings.
Those with a more distant, transactional relationship didn’t get such treatment from the crows.
It was a matter of affection level.
Treat the bizarre crow as a partner, and it would treat you as a partner.
Treat it purely as a tool, and it wouldn’t develop much attachment to you, just operating according to its rules.
After finishing lunch and a short break, the Chosen Ones resumed their forward progress.
To pass this stage safely, they couldn’t afford to rush.
If they were impatient and missed crucial details during observation, it could lead to their immediate demise.
At this stage of the Horror Tale, the audience began noticing something:
Aside from Zhang Yangqing, the Transcendents with higher survival rates seemed to share a common trait.
