Chapter 17: Invincible
"Woof."
Bubu Wang barked, displaying the temporary contract it had drafted to Su Xiao.
Su Xiao was stunned. The temperature nearby wasn't low either, yet this fool had suddenly unlocked its intelligence. The Snow Goddess aura cost 10 Paradise Coins per minute—this was quite the business sense.
"Not bad."
Hearing Su Xiao's praise, Bubu Wang wagged its tail and even took the initiative to split the profits with Su Xiao, giving him a full sixty percent.
Su Xiao observed the situation below through his scope. The situation had stabilized somewhat; after initial coordination, the contractors were gradually working together.
However, the Cyclops Giant's formidable defense remained a persistent problem. Five minutes into the battle, its health was still at 91%.
Seeing such slow progress, Su Xiao decided to act. Although each bullet cost 150 Paradise Coins, Bubu Wang's share barely compensated for the loss.
Su Xiao's breathing slowed. Just as the Cyclops Giant was winding up to smash a rock with its club, he pulled the trigger.
The previous shot had been blocked by the Cyclops Giant's facial bones, causing minimal damage. With that lesson in mind, Su Xiao aimed this time at a spot without bone obstruction.
Crack!
A spray of blood burst from the Cyclops Giant's abdomen, leaving a hole as thick as an arm.
This astonishing attack power not only made the Cyclops Giant howl in pain but also made Old Wolf's eyes widen. A chill ran down his back, but thinking of the temporary contract, he felt somewhat reassured.
Bang, bang, bang.
Three gunshots rang out from above the basin—Su Xiao's three-round burst.
Almost simultaneously, blood erupted from the Cyclops Giant's shoulders and chest, creating three more bloody holes.
This wasn't the end. Su Xiao pulled the trigger again, each bullet striking the Cyclops Giant. With the contractors restraining it, the Cyclops Giant had no chance to dodge; it could only stagger backward.
After ten bullets were spent, the gunfire ceased. Old Wolf checked the Cyclops Giant's remaining health through his Reincarnation Paradise mark.
Cyclops Giant remaining health: 34%.
Although the attack power was somewhat exaggerated, for a heavy sniper rifle, this level of damage was barely within everyone's acceptable range.
Using a heavy sniper rifle required developing at least two attributes simultaneously: Strength and Stamina. The stronger the sniper rifle, the greater the recoil. Without sufficient Strength and Stamina, one couldn't withstand the recoil of a heavy sniper rifle.
The Cyclops Giant's formidable defense had been breached; those bloody holes were the best targets for attack.
Old Wolf's demeanor changed, and the light on his staff grew brighter.
On the hillside, Su Xiao inserted a new magazine. Firing those ten bullets had turned 1,500 Paradise Coins into a few bloody holes and ten shell casings.
"Bubu, get ready for a good show."
Su Xiao observed below through his scope. He no longer needed to fire.
As Su Xiao expected, once he broke through the Cyclops Giant's defense, the contractors all attacked its wounds.
Although the Cyclops Giant was powerful, its intelligence was a fatal flaw. Facing a united group of contractors, its fate was sealed.
Twenty minutes later, Stone, covered in blood, gasped for breath. The Cyclops Giant was in worse shape, its massive body swaying.
Fear of death suppressed the rage in its chest, and the Cyclops Giant turned to flee.
Several beams of light emerged from the contractor group. The Cyclops Giant paused as multiple control skills barely restrained it.
For a lord-level creature like the Cyclops Giant, the contractors' control skills were mere tickles.
"Surround it! We're in the final stage!"
Old Wolf roared. The contractors hesitated; the Cyclops Giant was too dangerous, and they didn't want to get close.
The situation became a dilemma. Stone could block the Cyclops Giant, but he alone couldn't hold it back.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Blood burst from the Cyclops Giant's calf, and it collapsed to the ground.
Old Wolf's expression was grim. He seemed worried about something, but his movements were swift. He actually charged toward the Cyclops Giant.
Seeing this, the other contractors were tempted. If Old Wolf, a mage, was charging forward, what were they afraid of?
When the young woman healer followed Old Wolf, everyone began closing in on the Cyclops Giant. Over a dozen contractors surrounded it, and it was on its last legs.
However, the contractors were cautious, maintaining a safe distance from the Cyclops Giant.
"Everyone, victory is in sight. Don't let your guard down!"
Mr. A shouted. One of his arms hung limply; this guy had been kicked by the Cyclops Giant but survived.
Numerous ranged attacks rained down on the Cyclops Giant. It lay on the ground, curling its body into a ball.
The contractors grew bolder. No one noticed the Cyclops Giant's cold eye. Just as everyone thought it was about to die, its curled body suddenly straightened.
With a massive hand pushing off the ground, this monster from the Dark Continent went berserk!
Some of the Cyclops Giant's wounds healed rapidly, and its health, which had dropped to 15%, recovered to around 40%.
The main tank, Stone, no longer drew aggro. Instead, he silently retreated.
The Cyclops Giant's vicious eye locked onto Old Wolf. Old Wolf quickly backed away, as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart.
The Cyclops Giant swung its giant wooden club, smashing it down on Old Wolf.
Boom!
Dust flew. The giant club was briefly blocked by a pale yellow shield, but only for a moment.
The Cyclops Giant swung the club again, bringing it down on Old Wolf with another blow.
With a wet crunch, Old Wolf's body was crushed, and bits of flesh splattered.
The Cyclops Giant grinned widely, bringing the club covered in gore to its mouth and licking the flesh off it.
"Old Wolf!"
A hoarse cry came from Mr. A. His eyes were wide, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Before Mr. A could prepare, a scream rang out. The archer in the group was grabbed by the Cyclops Giant's single hand.
"Big Head."
Mr. A's face turned pale.
With a squelch, the archer was crushed in the Cyclops Giant's grip. A severed leg stuck between its fingers.
The Cyclops Giant, which had seemed near death moments ago, suddenly erupted. In an instant, only five contractors remained on the field, with broken corpses scattered nearby.
The reason so many died was the main tank Stone's refusal to act.
Stone was now at the edge of the battlefield. He had retreated because the healer's healing suddenly stopped without any warning—clearly an attempt to cause a tank collapse.
Unfortunately, thanks to Bubu Wang's Snow Goddess aura, Stone survived one blow from the Cyclops Giant and escaped the chaos.
The main tank had fled. Aside from Stone, no one in the battle group could withstand a single hit from the Cyclops Giant, so the healer's presence was irrelevant.
"A, let's retreat. Old Wolf is dead, Big Head is dead. If we don't leave now, we'll all die here."
The bloodstained young woman healer shouted. Mr. A's forehead veins bulged.
"How could this happen? The data didn't mention the Cyclops Giant could go berserk."
A flash of insight struck Mr. A. He realized the Cyclops Giant's berserk state might have been triggered artificially.
After breaking free from the contractors' encirclement, the Cyclops Giant didn't pursue Mr. A or the young woman healer. Instead, it charged toward the hilltop, intending to destroy the one who had hurt it the most.
Though not highly intelligent, the Cyclops Giant knew there was a "little dwarf" on the hillside hitting it from a distance with "iron blocks."
The rumbling grew closer. Su Xiao had already noticed the Cyclops Giant charging at him. Now, covered in wounds, he wasn't afraid of it.
Putting away the Spider Empress, Su Xiao held the Dragon-Slaying Flash in his hand.
The Cyclops Giant, running up the hillside, suddenly stopped, sizing up Su Xiao from a distance. This "little dwarf" didn't seem easy to mess with.
Two hundred meters behind Su Xiao, several contractors who had planned to ambush him quickly hit the ground.