The Creatures That We Are-Chapter 1217: Mixed Damage

Gao Yang picked up the unconscious Old Seven and teleported back into the Absolute Barrier. One Stone immediately came up to provide first aid. Raven Shark opened the Dimensional Storage again, and the real Gao Yang walked out, merging with his double.

Once Gao Yang soundproofed the barrier, Adept Horse said, “Captain, Old Seven was right. This is a trap!”

Gao Yang didn’t respond.

Adept Horse stepped toward him. “We all know that the death monsters’ ultimate mission is to kill all awakeners. Pride is no exception. He would kill all of us if he had the choice. He couldn’t because he was wary of you and Dragon.”

“It’s not Wang Zikai, Captain, but Pride! He’s trying to fool you with Wang Zikai’s skin. You can’t fight him one-on-one. It’s got to be a trap!”

“Seconded.” Chen Ying looked at him with the determination to give her life. “We’ve sacrificed so many companions to get here. We stand a chance together. Letting your heart rule will only be playing into Pride’s hands.”

Liao Liao looked left and right, then she decided to shut her mouth.

While she had defeated Sloth on honor rules, it was rock-paper-scissors with a fifty-fifty chance. Even if Pride really honored its words for some ridiculous reason, things were different. Facing Pride, even if all of them fight together, they would consider themselves lucky if they had a thirty percent—no, twenty percent chance of winning.

Seven seconds weren’t long, but it wasn’t short, either. The fact that Pride allowed Gao Yang to use any Talents meant that he didn’t consider Absolute Barriers or Spatial Jump threats.

Gao Yang needed time to use both, and Wang Zikai wouldn’t give Gao Yang that time given his terrifying speed.

Conversely, would all of them fighting together to kill Pride really be more likely to succeed than Gao Yang enduring seven seconds? In Pride’s eyes, most of them were insects, easily squashed with one or two stomps.

Liao Liao kept her thoughts to herself, though. She believed that Gao Yang had considered all those factors.

So she said, “I’ll follow you, Captain.”

“Me-me too,” Hong Xiaoxiao chimed in.

“And me,” One Stone said without looking up from the needle she was inserting into Old Seven.

Dr. Jia thought differently. He rubbed his nose and said, “You should duel Pride, Gao Yang.”

“Are you out of your mind, Dr. Jia?!” Zhang Wei snarled. Then he caught himself. “I didn’t mean to suggest that you’re weak, Brother Yang.”

“He is. Admit it.” Gregor smiled wryly. “He’s weak, and we, even more so. It’s not hard to acknowledge that, is it?”

“And that’s why we must unite!” Zhang Wei stopped sugarcoating his words. “Uncle Xin sacrificed himself to give us the chance to fight with a numerical advantage. Sir Monkey, Dead Pig, Nine Frost, Harvest Song, and Uncle Tiger sacrificed themselves to get us here. How can we back down now?! How can we let Brother Yang take on Pride alone?!”

“Calm down, Zhang Wei,” Chen Ying said.

“Calm down? How could I?!”

“At least hear Dr. Jia out first,” she placated.

Zhang Wei threw hands and shut his mouth.

“Didn’t Pride say that it doesn’t care if we live or die?” Dr. Jia huffed. “It’ll be great if Gao Yang wins. If he loses, Pride will be too lazy to kill us. Then I can return to my research. There’s still a little more than a year until doomsday.”

“If only I could get my hands on Pride’s vital energy and blood. Gao Yang, will you ask Pride? My eyes are quite bright when I’m doing research. Perhaps it’ll give me a chance...”

“Shut up!” Zhang Wei had had enough of his nonsense.

“What? What did I say wrong?” Dr. Jia mumbled. “Throughout history, there have been few instances where violence is the answer. Wisdom paves the way for human—”

“Wisdom? You’ve got none. Even Parry’s wiser than you!”

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Parry happily flapped its wings.

“Shut up, you damn bird!”

The bickering pair plus parrot lifted Gregor’s gloom. He lit a cigarette and said, “Given how absurd the proposals are getting, why don’t I try to talk Pride into changing its mind? Maybe love will be the answer.”

“Will you not add to the chaos?” Liao Liao groaned.

“Chaos is good.” Gregor narrowed his blinded eye and took a drag. “Chaos means uncertainty. Uncertainty means a chance.”

“Hah...”

Old Seven jerked awake then, gasping for breath with a pale face like a drowning man.

One Stone exhaled. “Finally.”

Liao Liao’s eyes lit up. She went up to him and asked, “You alright, Old Seven?”

“Al-alright...” Old Seven tried to clench his fist. He could still move, but he couldn’t muster much strength.

“What did Pride do to you?” she asked.

Old Seven’s eyes shook with lingering terror. “I-I don’t know... I felt like a dust particle, insignificant, without support. Then a behemoth giant passed by and brought about a storm that blew me away... Then...then nothing...”

Liao Liao frowned. “Old Seven, what damage do you think the attack did? Physical? Elemental? Psychic? Rule? Spiritual?”

Old Seven thought back to it and shook his head in confusion. “Dunno. Maybe...all.”

Adept Horse’s face darkened. He made a gaming analogy, “Mixed damage.”

They all understood what he meant.

“Captain Gao,” Chen Ying said with cemented resolve. “You must not duel Pride. It’s too dangerous. And even if you can endure seven seconds, will Pride really honor its words? There’s nothing holding the monster accountable.”

“Yeah.” Hong Xiaoxiao lowered her head dejectedly. “Not even Uncle Xin could completely restrict Pride.”

“How about Contract?” Liao Liao turned to Old Seven and suggested.