Cat 108: The Points Box Harvest

Chapter 108: The Points Box Harvest

Yan Jiyun was nearly scared out of his wits by the sight before him.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he immediately bought a couple of safety ropes from the shop, tying one end to the sturdiest tree he could find and the other to himself, with a spare prepared for Qi Feng.

No matter what, he had to pull Qi Feng back from the edge!

Chu Mo rushed to his side and saw the unconscious man tangled in vines, dangling perilously. If he wasn’t mistaken, that man looked rather familiar.

Could it be Qi Feng?

Chu Mo wasn’t heartless. He said, “You really want to save him? I know who he is—an extremely formidable veteran. If we save him, the two of us might not be able to make it out of the championship ourselves.”

Yan Jiyun, hands shaking from urgency, shot back in a cold voice, “Do you have a grudge with him?”

Any player who stood against his Shoveler was his enemy.

If his temporary teammate tried anything with Qi Feng, Yan Jiyun would fight with everything he had to protect him.

Chu Mo began tying the rope to himself. “No, I don’t have a grudge, but he…”

Yan Jiyun kept his eyes fixed on the still-unconscious Qi Feng, deliberately provoking: “Then just stand aside and watch. If he’s such a top player, he’s a huge asset to me. If I save him, he’ll owe me his life, won’t he? Surely he’ll pay me back?”

Chu Mo couldn’t fault that logic. Plenty of other teams had formed for the championship—going it alone was never ideal; sometimes you needed an ally.

Chu Mo: …He hadn’t thought of things that way. His temp teammate really was a character. “Your rope doesn’t look sturdy enough.”

Yan Jiyun: “That’s all the shop had.”

Chu Mo, for the second time, let go of his old convictions. If they could save a pegasus, saving Qi Feng was hardly more difficult. He barely knew Qi Feng, but his reputation preceded him—best bring him up first and talk later.

While he hesitated, Yan Jiyun was already sprawled halfway off the cliff, completely unfazed by the height—his only thought was on the rescue.

“Can you reach him?” Chu Mo asked.

His own life had been saved by Shoveler. Even if not a birth debt, it was a life cared for, and that counted for a lot. He owed it to Qi Feng to try, even if it meant risking himself.

Qi Feng had rescued him and provided for him—food, shelter, medicine, all with patient care during his illnesses.

For Yan Jiyun, Shoveler was a blend of friend and family; he was no cold-blooded creature and would never stand by while Qi Feng died.

“I’ll tie the rope to him first,” Yan Jiyun said, steady as ever. “When I give the word, you pull on the rope—I’ll grab his arm.”

“Got it. Be careful!” For the first time, Chu Mo found himself telling a near stranger to be careful—a notion that would have once surprised him. His temporary teammate was acting so naturally, so…normal. He was startled by how rare that now felt, numb after so much time spent in the game, where saving others was anything but normal.

Yan Jiyun braced both feet against a thick root, one holding solid ground, his whole body nearly sliding out over open air. He could reach Qi Feng, but wasn’t sure he’d have the strength to pull him up in one go. He undid his waist rope, tied it to Qi Feng’s waist instead.

Turning to Chu Mo, he called, “Pull the rope while I grab his arm.”

Chu Mo gave an OK. Internally, he admitted the guy had guts: “I’ll pull when I see the chance.”

The safety line was long enough. Chu Mo looped a section around himself—two working as one had to be more than twice as effective.

At the same time, Chu Mo pressed firmly on Yan Jiyun’s legs, to keep him from tiring out while hunched in that awkward pose.

Using the strength in his legs—and his trust in Chu Mo—Yan Jiyun dragged Qi Feng, who was nearly lost, up inch by inch.

Qi Feng wasn’t the bulkiest man, but his tall, well-muscled frame weighed quite a lot—close to one ninety in height, and heavy to boot!

With all his might, Yan Jiyun hauled his body higher—he was just about within reach.

After journeying so far as a team, Yan Jiyun and Chu Mo had developed some real rapport.

“I’ll count one, two, three—then you pull my legs!” Yan Jiyun instructed.

Chu Mo braced his own legs for leverage, ready to help. “Ready.”

“One, two, three—PULL!”

Chu Mo gave a mighty tug, drawing Yan Jiyun—who was clutching Qi Feng by the chest—back from the brink. At last, they pulled him to safety!

A strange excitement welled up. “We did it!”

Chu Mo felt relief wash over him. Most of the time, he’d survived by hiding—this was his first time saving a stranger, usually it was teammates in an instance.

Just as they relaxed, catching their breath after dragging Qi Feng to the edge, Qi Feng’s eyes suddenly flew open.

He woke with unnerving speed, as if his faint had only lasted a blink, betraying no true weakness.

Veteran wariness took over at once. Qi Feng’s hand shot out, seizing Yan Jiyun’s throat.

But Yan Jiyun was still half-squatting and unsteady—Qi Feng’s sudden attack sent him sliding toward open air!

It all happened in a flash; even Chu Mo standing behind them was caught flat-footed.

“Shit!”

Realizing his mistake, Qi Feng instantly grasped the danger. He lunged, catching Yan Jiyun’s arm, anchoring himself with one arm while seizing Yan Jiyun with the other.

Alarmed, Chu Mo scrambled over, grasping Yan Jiyun’s other arm: “Hold on to me!”

Yan Jiyun was nearly petrified himself. Both legs dangling in thin air—one false move and any of them would fall. The safety rope did little for his sense of security.

Thankfully, Qi Feng recovered quickly, and with Chu Mo’s help, they hauled Yan Jiyun back from the brink.

Back on solid ground, Yan Jiyun’s face had gone pale—he stared at Qi Feng, unable to get a word out. The urge to give Shoveler a good push right back over the cliff was almost overpowering.

That was gratitude for you—turn on a dime and nearly kill your savior. His life had almost ended right there.

Qi Feng was still gripping the young man’s arm. It was only at this point, seeing the rope tied round his waist, that he realized the truth.

Chu Mo let out a long breath. “Let’s head back to the woods instead of standing around. My legs are about to give out—seriously, you two are something else!”

Yan Jiyun’s legs were shaky too. He felt so wronged—rescued the guy, only to almost get thrown off by Shoveler!

Qi Feng was quick to apologize. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you were saving me—I’d just blacked out, heard voices, and thought you were out to get me.”

Yan Jiyun just shot him a glare and a rude snort, getting to his feet and unfastening the rope as he walked off.

No, don’t be mad—anger makes you sick and no one takes your place.

Stay cool. Try to understand.

Qi Feng’s caution was understandable in this setting—how could he know Yan Jiyun was “Caramel?”

Back in the woods, the wounded pegasus was still waiting, and went directly to Qi Feng’s side.

Chu Mo quickly caught on. So, the pegasus was a loyal companion—pity about their bikes.

He spoke for Yan Jiyun: “Understandable.” He openly sized up the fabled Qi Feng. “You’re Qi Feng, aren’t you?”

Chu Mo, though a manager in a top-ten guild, had only joined the game about two years back—Qi Feng had been around three years, and by then was almost out of the public eye.

One thing puzzled him: Qi Feng could have reached pinnacle-tier long ago. Why hadn’t he entered the top leagues by now?

Qi Feng’s expression barely changed at being recognized. It was his first time being rescued like this—and nearly pushing his own savior over the edge left him with a bit of guilt.

Once Yan Jiyun calmed down, he studied Qi Feng in earnest. This was his first time standing face-to-face with Shoveler in human form—an oddly novel experience.

Qi Feng was generous in his gratitude. “That’s right. Thank you for saving me.”

Meeting a good Samaritan in the championship was a rare thing and worth cherishing.

He’d vaguely heard the pair discussing “grabbing a thigh.”

Yan Jiyun quickly replied, “Don’t mention it.”

Facing Qi Feng like this, even in human shape, made him feel awkward—he’d much rather be a cat, where he could relax more.

It was an unfamiliar situation for Chu Mo, too—saving a stranger felt odd.

The three stood there in awkward silence until movement in the woods gave them new purpose.

Trouble was coming!

Though wary of his rescuers, Qi Feng wasn’t one to bite the hand that fed him. “We haven’t left the Demon Forest yet—we should move. Once it’s dark, this place will only get more dangerous.”

“How do you know?” Yan Jiyun asked.

Qi Feng: “A guess. From above, you can see much further. The so-called ‘exit’ is just a decoy. Everyone’s still inside—including all the monsters that attacked us, which flew here from the woods.”

Chu Mo agreed, “We ran into a pointed-head monster. It could see well in the light, poorly in the dark, and chased us relentlessly—ate people, too.”

The three shared information.

Qi Feng told them about the black hawk attacks on the pegasi—wings harder than iron. If struck by one, a pegasus would plummet immediately. He hadn’t managed to fend off all of them before being forced down himself, the impact of landing so great his safety item bounced him to the cliff and knocked him out cold.

Their twosome became a trio.

Before Yan Jiyun could wrap his head around this new partnership, the earth began to shake—something massive was slamming the ground in a frenzy.

The vibrations were distant, but still far too intense.

Chu Mo said, “You might be right. There could be something even bigger in this forest.”

A gust of wind brought a coppery reek—Yan Jiyun could smell blood in the air.

Suddenly, the system announced ten player deaths all at once.

Chu Mo’s mind went to the ten points boxes to be scavenged. Yan Jiyun, on the other hand, asked, “Why did so many people die in a single moment?”

Qi Feng wondered the same. “And all at once, too.”

Chu Mo bit back his own thought, but couldn’t entirely let go of the points. “Maybe we should check it out?”

Yan Jiyun instantly caught his drift. “If we’re facing a monster that can kill ten players at once, we’re only three—not many at all.”

Chu Mo finally revealed his intent: “Fortune favors the bold.”

No more wondering—they weren’t getting any further away from the threat. The trembling earth was moving toward them.

Yan Jiyun dropped to the ground, feigning sharp hearing. “Players are being chased.”

He could hear branches breaking and cries for help.

Now Chu Mo abandoned all pretense of risk—he bolted, the fastest of them all!

Yan Jiyun followed at once—running from danger was a cat’s instinct, something he’d picked up after so long as one.

Qi Feng: “……”

A bit fast, aren’t you guys?

He remembered the curly-haired youth from when he’d waited for “Caramel” in a beginner instance, striking up a few words with Qiu Xi. Apparently a rookie, but now leading the charge.

Chu Mo led, Yan Jiyun followed, with Qi Feng right behind. It was his first time fleeing alongside Shoveler—a landmark moment, and it did feel safe.

But this was far from a pleasant gaming experience. The players’ screams grew louder behind them—a colossal beast was speeding straight at them.

Crash!

Thud!

Splat!

That was the sound of a player smashed into a tree, spat blood, then crashed to the ground—fatal or nearly so.

All the noise made it clear—the new monster was even more savage than the last. Its accuracy proved it could see clearly, move faster, and strike dead-on.

The players scattered by its charge were silent afterwards. Hearing their footfalls in the woods, the monster zeroed in on them.

Chu Mo glanced behind, shouting, “It’s gaining on us—any ideas?”

They’d never met this type before and had no useful answers.

Qi Feng called, “There’s a bend up ahead! Maybe we can lose it there!”

Chu Mo, ahead, may not have heard—so Yan Jiyun relayed the advice: “There’s a bend ahead—maybe we can use it!”

“I see it!” Chu Mo practically flew forward. The temp teammate’s rescue had been the right call—using a pegasus really did show things looked different from above.

They rounded a high stone outcrop, the commotion lessening as soon as the turn was made.

It worked!

Yan Jiyun silently praised Qi Feng: his Shoveler was amazing!

Outwardly he kept a straight face. “It’s quieter—but I think it can still see us.”

No sooner had he spoken than a skittering noise came from the earth—a sound much quicker than any normal movement in the woods, more like a giant snake tunneling, but definitely not a snake; snakes didn’t make that much noise.

“Something’s underground—watch out!” Yan Jiyun’s hearing beat the others; details didn’t matter now, survival did.

Qi Feng was keeping pace with him. Just as Yan Jiyun warned them, two thick vine-like tendrils—each as big around as a baby’s arm—latched on around both their waists.

Yan Jiyun was yanked upward, feet dangling, forced to clutch at the thing coiled round him.

No, not a vine!

The slick touch told him what it was—disgusting, like a giant octopus tentacle.

Qi Feng was as calm as ever: “Tentacles.”

Chu Mo hadn’t escaped either. “On land? Octopus tentacles, really?”

“Not necessarily an octopus,” Qi Feng said. “There are a lot of weird monsters here. We have to figure out a way to deal with this.”

Yan Jiyun was swung through low shrubs, scratched and battered, stomach lurching from all the jolting.

He knew he had to try to save himself—he called up a knife from the shop and stabbed at the tentacle round his waist.

Its hide was far too thick; the blade wouldn’t penetrate!

“My blade isn’t working!” Yan Jiyun called out.

Chu Mo was being whipped up and down—almost breaking his back. “What the hell, it runs, it’s got tentacles—this thing does everything!” He tried hacking with his sword, but it only nicked the tough skin. “Sword’s useless too!”

Qi Feng was swung at a tree trunk; he managed to brace his feet against it at the last moment, twist his body away, the tentacle whipping past. He didn’t get hurt.

Qi Feng summoned a handgun from the shop—a burst of bullets into the thick tentacle!

Bang!

The tentacle jerked, releasing a gust of meaty aroma.

Qi Feng landed lightly on the ground.

…The meat actually smelled good. Yan Jiyun inwardly cursed his too-sensitive nose for fixating on food at a time like this.

He mentally urged the system to buy a handgun for him.

【Purchasing handgun requires 5000 points. Insufficient balance.】

Not enough for firearms—damn.

Bang!

The tentacle around Yan Jiyun’s waist recoiled, pain making it retreat.

He somersaulted neatly to the ground—Qi Feng eyed him, impressed by the rookie’s agility.

Chu Mo was still being flung back and forth. Another shot from Qi Feng severed the tentacle at the ground—retreating once more.

Yan Jiyun made a mental note: Shoveler’s marksmanship was superb.

Qi Feng said, “Looks like firearms are the only way. Blades and swords can’t get through—the hide’s too tough.”

Chu Mo’s skills weren’t bad, but he was too dizzy from the swinging; when finally released, he crashed to the ground, yelping before shakily getting up. Both he and Yan Jiyun had taken a beating.

Yan Jiyun rubbed his scratched and aching back—not bleeding, probably just the skin torn, but the pain was bearable.

He’d never really been hurt in any of his four previous instances. The worst was throwing up from too much barbecue. This was his first time actually injured.

Once Chu Mo had caught his breath, Qi Feng asked, “Do either of you have enough points for a firearm? There’s an hour cooldown on gun purchases, and I only have three bullets left—one more round of defense at best.”

“Nope, can’t afford it,” Yan Jiyun replied honestly. Flat broke.

“I can buy one,” Chu Mo said.

Qi Feng considered, then looked to Yan Jiyun. “If you don’t have enough points, we may not last to the real exit. That thing we just escaped from killed plenty of players. If you’re not afraid, I’ll go back with you to collect the points boxes.”

Yan Jiyun nodded. “No problem, I’m not afraid.”

Shoveler wasn’t afraid—how could he be?

Chu Mo hesitated. “But those tentacles are disgusting. If we go back, aren’t we just volunteering to die?”

Qi Feng hefted the gun, calm. “At least for now we can fight back. Either we finish it off or we never get out—run ourselves to death, or get strangled. If the thing wraps your face, you suffocate.”

Chu Mo was persuaded yet again. He’d wanted to collect the points anyway, just hadn’t expected the monster’s sudden charge.

He shrugged. “Let’s go back, then.”

There was no time to waste—who knew when the creature would be back? They moved as quietly as possible, retracing their steps.

Yan Jiyun noticed tracks where the tentacles had dragged along.

He whispered to Qi Feng, “Those are its tracks. Can we figure out where it’s hiding?”

Qi Feng nodded, crouching to study the deep furrows in the soil. “By the depth, this thing’s as big as a mountain.”

A mountain? Yan Jiyun snapped his fingers. “We never saw the monster itself—just huge vibrations. Maybe it really is a mountain.”

Qi Feng approved the idea. It wasn’t a stretch, and even Chu Mo thought it plausible.

“Maybe it camouflages itself as part of the forest,” Chu Mo said, “waiting to ambush. That’d explain why so many players couldn’t handle it.”

“We heard it and knew something was up,” Yan Jiyun added, “but the players ahead of us didn’t. They fell right into its trap.”

The previous batch might have had their bikes destroyed by the pointed-head creature, run in here, and then stumbled into this even worse horror.

This championship wasn’t players versus players—it was monsters versus players.

The game hadn’t told them what to expect. No surprise about monsters.

Qi Feng mused, “We have two goals: one, find and deal with the monster; two, collect the points boxes.”

“No contest,” Yan Jiyun said. “Let’s avoid the monster and grab boxes first. Without points, I’ll just drag you down.”

It wasn’t self-sacrifice—it was that being broke made him nervous. If his trial card ran out and he turned back into a cat, he’d never make it to the city before nightfall.

“Right, points first,” said Qi Feng.

Chu Mo agreed, “The more points, the safer.”

When it came to tracking things, Yan Jiyun volunteered: “I’ll lead.”

Where the blood smell was thickest, there’d be player boxes. They had to hurry before the monster reappeared!

Yan Jiyun dashed off, Qi Feng right after, Chu Mo behind. Both assumed Yan Jiyun was a veteran, with a strong sense of direction.

They quickly found two wooden points boxes—belonging to players who’d fallen silent after being chased.

【Congratulations—you have opened a points box and received 3,000 points.】

He opened one and glanced at the others.

Qi Feng held back, leaving the next box to the rookie. “You open it.”

Chu Mo nodded too, generously. “You go first.”

Yan Jiyun opened the next.

【Congratulations—you have opened a points box and received 5,000 points.】

He couldn’t help but think: Such a waste—so many unused points left at death.

After pocketing two boxes, Yan Jiyun led them onward.

Less than a kilometer away, they found a whole grove of flattened trees—and an open clearing with ten boxes laid out.

Yan Jiyun navigated, so he got four; Qi Feng and Chu Mo three each.

Their take was decent enough—having fought the monster once already, it was only natural the points weren’t as high as at entry.

Just as they were about to retreat, the ground beneath them began to squirm.

Yan Jiyun, standing a bit inside, almost had a tentacle spear up through his shoulder. Qi Feng reacted fast, pulling him away just in time.

Qi Feng grabbed Yan Jiyun and ran. “Hurry up—this must be its lair!”

Yan Jiyun darted after him, dodging left and right, his only thought to escape that den.

Who’d have guessed their luck—they’d charged right into the monster’s home!