Chapter 59

Pang Wushuang wielded his large axe to clear the way, while Feng Bujue followed behind, providing timely support with his Winchester. Any Blood Wolf zombies that approached from the front or sides and posed a threat at a certain distance were basically eliminated on the spot.

The Derivative was somewhat caught off guard by the current situation. It had thought it could easily stay at the edge of the two GMs' detection range and escape, but it did not expect one of the GMs to take the lead in pursuit, accompanied by a player. Moreover, the two were advancing much faster than it had anticipated.

Not only the Derivative, but even Pan Feng was impressed by Feng Bujue's capabilities. He knew very well that for a low-level player to closely follow a GM character and calmly deal with the constant onslaught of monsters was no easy feat.

Pan Feng was aware of the effects of [Dance of the Jazz], which allowed him to check the player's equipment and skill status. However, he did not believe that just anyone, wearing the same footgear and wielding a shotgun, could achieve what Feng Bujue was doing.

Feng Bujue's calm, precise, and correct handling of emergencies left a deep impression on Pan Feng. Only by fighting side by side with him in the heat of battle, facing the constant attacks of the monsters, could one truly understand the feeling.

Throughout their journey, Feng Bujue had not made a single mistake. He always prioritized the most threatening and closest monster; he had a clear understanding of his marksmanship, and every shot he fired was certain to hit. He never aimed deliberately at the head but always chose the most appropriate angle and position to shoot, ensuring that none of his shots missed.

With Feng Bujue's support, Pan Feng felt much less pressure while advancing. At first, he was very concerned about the Blood Wolf zombies attacking from the sides, worried that he might accidentally get Feng Bujue killed. However, after a while, he realized that this concern was unnecessary. Feng Bujue not only took care of himself but sometimes even helped Pan Feng.

Under this mechanical and efficient cover, Pan Feng could focus on dealing with the monsters coming from the front without any worries. As a result, the two were able to track the Derivative at a very fast pace, forcing it to speed up its escape.

The pursuit lasted for over twenty minutes, and they arrived at a sports stadium. The Derivative stopped moving after entering the building, indicating that Dr. Ashford's variant was also nearby.

"Sure enough, it chose a large building as the location," Feng Bujue said. He had already put on the Eye of Enmity and kept the Winchester in hand, with the space in his backpack reserved for packed ammunition.

"Alright, you guessed right again," Pan Feng said, glancing back at the street outside the stadium. Although the monsters chasing them had been left behind, the area would soon be surrounded.

At the same time, Hua Xiong and Xiao Tan were also approaching.

The plan to split into two groups for the pursuit was Feng Bujue's idea. When the Derivative entered the detection range, they began to implement his plan. Pan Feng and Feng Bujue smeared blood on themselves and lured the monsters while pursuing the Derivative.

Hua Xiong and Xiao Tan set out about three minutes later. Although the GMs could not check the real-time coordinates of the monsters, they could always track the players' coordinates. Therefore, Hua Xiong led Xiao Tan along the route taken by Pan Feng and Feng Bujue. By then, the active Blood Wolf zombies would have followed the scent of blood, leaving only a few monsters that had been incapacitated by Feng Bujue and Pan Feng on the way.

This arrangement was mainly designed by Feng Bujue to take care of Wang Tan. If all four pursued together, Xiao Tan's speed might not keep up, and even if he did, his physical exhaustion would be significant. Moreover, with four people advancing together, whether in a line or in pairs, Xiao Tan would inevitably become a weak point when attacked.

Another issue was that if all four pursued together, it wouldn't matter whether they were smeared with blood or not. The Blood Wolf zombies' sense of smell was keen at night, and running together would still attract monsters. By smearing blood on only two people, the monsters would prioritize chasing Feng Bujue and Pan Feng, allowing Hua Xiong and Xiao Tan to follow the monster horde with minimal physical strain. Once they reached the Derivative's ambush site, they would regroup and begin the battle.

This method of splitting into two groups to complete the pursuit was much faster and safer than having all four together. If anything went wrong, only Feng Bujue would die, and even if Pan Feng, who was also smeared with blood, was alone, he would not be killed by the monsters in a short time.

The second step of this plan was to resist the Blood Wolf zombies after tracking the Derivative to its ambush site.

"They are getting closer," Pan Feng said, able to check the players' coordinates and thus knowing the positions of Hua Xiong and Xiao Tan better than Feng Bujue. "Fortunately, the monsters haven't formed a wall yet." As he spoke, he swung his mountain cleaving axe, slaughtering the Blood Wolf zombies that were running from the street and pouncing at him.

"That was part of the plan. Splitting into two groups to reach here is much faster and reduces the likelihood of being surrounded along the way," Feng Bujue replied, continuously firing his gun and taking down one monster after another.

Soon, Hua Xiong's figure appeared about ten meters away. He fired his gun, the muzzle flashes forming a dragon-like pattern, clearing a bloody path and bringing Xiao Tan closer to stand with Pan Feng and Feng Bujue.

The four fought while retreating, reaching the entrance of the main building of the stadium. They stood on a wide staircase about ten meters wide, using their elevated position to resist the increasing number of Blood Wolf zombies.

"The Derivative's coordinates are inside the stadium behind us," Pan Feng said. "If Feng Xiaoge's prediction is correct, the variant should also be inside."

Hua Xiong asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"There's no room for maneuver now. If I wanted to back out, I could have abandoned the plan the moment the Derivative's coordinates appeared. I could have had you two smear yourselves with blood to lure the monsters away while Xiao Tan and I hid nearby," Feng Bujue replied. "Since we've decided to participate, let's see it through."

"That's right. Once we're here, there's no turning back," Xiao Tan said, now less nervous and afraid. Standing on the high ground, he looked at the distant black shadows surging like a tide under the moonlight and felt a sense of calm. In these few seconds, he suddenly understood the mindset of ancient soldiers who faced death without fear. On a life-or-death battlefield, when you see an overwhelming force twenty or even two hundred times stronger than yourself charging at you, showing cowardice is futile.

"Then let's get started," Pan Feng said.

Xiao Tan squatted by the entrance, took out the explosives he had prepared from his backpack, placed them on the ground, and pulled the fuse. This was the most powerful explosive they had found after searching the city for over an hour. It was the only one, and its description indicated average power. Using it to take down a boss in a real battle was a pipe dream, but it was perfect for this situation.

"Done," Xiao Tan said.

The four then retreated into the stadium. After running a distance, the explosives were detonated. With a loud explosion, the entrance collapsed, and the debris temporarily blocked the path, holding back the vast horde of Blood Wolf zombies outside.