Chapter 36: That Day, People Waited for the Hero to Return
The live-stream comment was sent by Excavation‑Princess herself.
Right now, she truly felt nothing. If there was a word to describe her mood, it would be 【numb】.
At this moment, no one understood the meaning of "a world of ice and fire" better than she did.
Not long ago, she was still contemplating how to cling to Bai Fu’s thigh to achieve a win-win situation.
She had been fantasizing about the day she would become a top-tier game content creator. But before she could even enjoy the moment, both Bai Fu’s fate and her own had simultaneously hit a turning point—a downward one.
What did it mean to be completely screwed?
Excavation‑Princess was on the verge of tears.
What else could she do? She could only slump to the ground and, like the other Players, stare blankly at the departing pickup truck.
She wondered—when Jing Ke left Yishui, what did the people watching him leave feel?
【Is this the final farewell?】
【Maybe, there’s still a one in ten thousand chance Fu‑baby could survive?】
【If even your hypothetical odds only dare to say one in ten thousand, doesn’t that mean you actually think there’s no hope at all?】
【Damn it, that plot Developer seriously deserves to die!】
【Damn it, I hate knives. Even if it’s one of those burn-yourself-to-save-the-world kinds of knives, I still hate it.】
【Actually, a well-placed knife can make the plot shine brighter—it’s just that this one came too suddenly, too fast. Clearly Bai Fu’s storyline was just starting to unfold.】
Yeah, it came too fast—just like the pickup truck Bai Fu was now driving, so fast no one had time to react.
In the impromptu livestream opened by Starfish‑bro, Bai Fu’s face was cold and calm as she sat in the driver’s seat. Both hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, and she slammed the accelerator to the floor.
No one knew when the tunnel through the Insect Tide would disappear. So she only had one thing to do now—
Accelerate. Go full throttle!
Road signs in the way? Smash through!
Barricades in the way? Smash through!
Amoebas in the way? Smash through them too!
In just a few seconds, the pickup had burst out of the settlement like a straight javelin, piercing through the gaps in the Insect Tide.
The commotion immediately drew the attention of the Amoebas frenziedly hunting the Players. They changed direction at once, surging toward the pickup like a tidal wave.
“Shoot! Shoot, now!”
Starfish‑bro shouted as he commanded the Players who had jumped onto the pickup with him. Their guns had been acquired from Xia Shi by Bai Fu.
For a moment, dust flew beneath the wheels, and gunfire erupted from the cabin.
But there were simply too many bugs.
A few stray bullets couldn’t change the situation.
As the pickup’s path was about to be sealed off, everyone watching held their breath.
If only one or two Amoebas were in the way, the pickup could crush them easily. But if there were tens, dozens, even hundreds—then with the pickup’s horsepower, it wouldn’t be able to push through.
And once it stopped, everyone on the pickup would be engulfed by a swarm of Amoebas.
【Death】
That word suddenly appeared in everyone’s mind.
The Players watching felt their hearts pound like the pickup’s roaring engine—on the verge of bursting from their chests.
But before they could even comment, the frenzied Amoebas suddenly froze in place like they had fallen into a time-stop field.
【What happened?】
【Did it bug out?】
【How could it be a bug—wait, look!】
Boom boom boom!
Explosions shattered the chill of the night. In the next second, the pickup turned into a raging beast and violently tore through the wall of bugs. It hit a slope and launched into the open field.
It… it was flying?
Even Starfish‑bro and the others inside the truck were stunned.
They only snapped out of it after the truck landed, crushed an Amoeba beneath it, and blood splattered across the window.
“We broke through! Haha, we broke through!”
The Players on the truck, the ones watching the livestream, Yago, and Xia Shi—all erupted in cheers.
【How did that happen? Why did the Amoebas suddenly freeze?】
【I got it! Look at the item Fu‑baby just used—it’s exactly like the one Number 7 used to attack us!】
Everyone’s eyes locked onto the spherical device Bai Fu had just pulled from her pocket.
【Psionic Restraint Device】: Uses a psionic shock to stun all targets within a 20-meter radius. (Remaining uses: 1)
Want to block my way?
Bai Fu’s eyes burned with killing intent.
This road might be the path of death—but she was the one spreading death!
【You killed a Type II Amoeba. Contribution: 100%. Gained 270 XP after level-adjusted bonus.】
【You killed...】
“Rear left—Amoeba trying to hit the tire. Send it off.”
“Three on the right. Take one down—otherwise the door won’t withstand the impact.”
Bai Fu issued commands with perfect composure.
Her expression remained cold, showing no joy nor panic. This calm, more than anything, was captivating.
【Fu‑baby’s amazing!】
【Treasure Hunter, stop slacking! Get over here and watch a goddess!】
【She can’t die—no matter what, she can’t die!】
If earlier they thought Bai Fu wouldn’t make it back alive, now they dared to believe—just a little.
Maybe… there really was hope?
Players began to take action.
The ones on-site launched fresh assaults against the Amoebas.
【Brothers, hit harder! No weapons? Use rocks! As long as we can hold back just one more Amoeba, Fu‑baby gets that much safer!】
Those not present ran to the official account to plead—begging the devs not to write Bai Fu off. Whether it worked or not, they flooded the comments. At the very least, they wanted the devs to see their determination.
This united front even touched Yago and Xia Shi.
Such pure human emotion—more beautiful than any gemstone!
Excavation‑Princess was moved by the passionate atmosphere too. She shot to her feet and rushed toward the still-chaotic residents of the Abandoned Cooling Plant.
Fu‑baby had charged out to save these people. Whether she lived or died, her efforts couldn’t go to waste. It was up to Excavation‑Princess to help them survive—and to make sure they knew exactly what Fu‑baby had done for them.
Fu‑baby herself might not care about reputation, but Excavation‑Princess could not stand by and watch Fu‑baby’s sacrifice be disregarded.
“All of you, stand still! No more running around! At this rate, when are we ever going to finish evacuating to the temporary shelter?”
“You bastard, just sitting here waiting to die—have you thought about the person who drove out there to save you, using themselves as bait to draw away those Amoebas? Get up!”
“Get up! Can you face what Bai Fu has done for you?”
Excavation‑Princess’s rallying cry didn’t go smoothly at first.
“Who even are you? Why should I listen to you? Bai Fu saved us, not you.”
Bang!
At that moment, Xia Shi stepped forward and fired a shot into the sky.
Wearing a frosty expression, she blew on the barrel. “Do what she says. Anyone who’s got a problem can take it up with me.”
“……”
In an instant, even the most unruly among the fleeing crowd became obedient.
Your reasoning is solid. You’re right!
On the road to the temporary shelter, those fleeing residents all lifted their heads and looked in the direction where Bai Fu had driven away.
Could she really draw the Insect Tide away?
In truth, even after breaking through the encirclement, things had not turned around the way the Players hoped.
The sound of the pickup’s engine in the dark night was the loudest provocation, constantly drawing Amoebas toward it. But that wasn’t even the worst part—the real problem lay in the randomly scattered pollution sources throughout the Pollution Zone.
Bai Fu had to maintain sharp focus at all times to avoid crashing into one. This drastically slowed the pickup’s speed, and once the speed dropped, the sound-attracted Amoebas could start reaching it.
One Amoeba hitting the pickup wouldn’t do much damage—but dozens ramming it nonstop? That was a different story.
【If this keeps up, the door’s going to get knocked off. Once that happens, if an Amoeba suddenly spits venom into the truck, it’s game over.】
【This distance still isn’t far enough. If we throw the Induction Bait here, the Amoebas drawn in would still affect the Abandoned Cooling Plant.】
Players in the livestream watched anxiously, their hearts in their throats.
In that crucial moment, Convert to My Fu stepped up.
“I’ll cover the rear. I’ll hold these Amoebas off for as long as I can. You guys keep moving!”
Bai Fu stared at Convert to My Fu for a while. Her gaze shifted from wavering to calm, as though she had finally accepted the reality.
“Let’s hope we meet again someday.”
“We will!”
Convert to My Fu grinned, revealing perfect white teeth. He found an opening and jumped off the vehicle.
“Come on, you bugs! Come and get me!”
At his shout, most of the Amoebas that had been trying to block the pickup turned and charged at him. Seeing that, he took off running in the opposite direction.
Even while fleeing, he didn’t forget to glance back at the pickup several times.
Hang in there, everyone—this is my final ripple!
Convert to My Fu was the first to jump, but not the last.
After him, other Players also jumped off the pickup as their bullets ran dry, becoming human bait.
One, two… By the end, only Bai Fu and Starfish‑bro were left on the vehicle.
“How far are we from the Abandoned Cooling Plant now?”
“Around 5,000 meters,” Starfish‑bro answered instantly after checking the map.
Bai Fu shook her head. “Still not enough. The Induction Bait’s effect range is about 5,000 meters. If we use it here, it’ll still impact the Abandoned Cooling Plant. We need at least 500 meters more.”
Starfish‑bro agreed with her analysis. The only problem was—the truck didn’t seem like it could last that long.
His gaze passed through the windshield, locking onto a group of newly appeared Amoebas.
Was it over twenty? Or thirty?
If that many Amoebas attacked at once, the truck would be scrap metal. It was his turn to step up—but could he even hold off those bugs for one minute?
Maybe, if he were at full strength. But his leg had been injured during the fight with Yulia and hadn’t fully healed yet, so his chances were practically zero.
What rotten luck.
Starfish‑bro’s heart sank.
Even thirty seconds wouldn’t be enough for Bai Fu to drive away. He had a bad feeling the mission 【Insect Tide Invasion】 might end in failure.
“I’ll do it.”
“Huh?”
When Bai Fu’s voice rang out, a tidal wave crashed in Starfish‑bro’s chest, and the Players watching the livestream exploded in panic.
Hey, hey, hey—don’t do this! Don’t give us hope and then shove a knife straight into our hearts!
【Save her—someone save her, please!】
【Why couldn’t this damn truck be bigger, fit a few more people?!】
【I can’t bear to keep watching this】
Bai Fu, stealing glances at the livestream during the chaos, let out a quiet laugh. In truth, she had purposely driven toward the area with more Amoebas. After driving for so long, it was about time she headed back to retrieve the enhancement potion from the lab.
Sure, she could have waited until after dropping the Induction Bait to head back—but jumping off the truck now, “sacrificing” herself, was far more impactful. More moving.
This distance was perfect.
She would leave the Psionic Restraint Device with Starfish‑bro to ensure he could safely deploy the Induction Bait and complete the mission 【Insect Tide Invasion】.
Bai Fu continued, “We came all this way with courage in the face of death—to lure the Insect Tide away. Now that hope is right in front of us, how could we let the chance slip away over our own lives?”
Hearing this, Starfish‑bro, who had countless thoughts racing through his mind, couldn’t help but open his mouth wide—yet he had nothing to say.
“I’m sorry.”
He heard Bai Fu say.
“I forced you all to carry the burden that was meant to be mine. But… let me be selfish just this once.”
Bai Fu shook her head and uttered her chunni line.
If this burden feels too heavy, then think simple. Don’t think of it as saving anyone. Just use the Induction Bait—for me!
Bai Fu forced a smile and handed both the Induction Bait and the Psionic Restraint Device to Starfish‑bro.
Then she stopped the truck, opened the door, and jumped out.
“Come on, you fearless bugs! Come on!”
In the dark of night, Bai Fu’s shout rang loud and clear.
Starfish‑bro still couldn’t speak.
He just felt his vision blur. Damn it—this was the first time in all his gaming years that an NPC had moved him!
He felt a powerful urge—to jump out of the truck and face those vicious Amoebas alongside Bai Fu.
But he knew he couldn’t. Doing so would render all of Bai Fu’s efforts meaningless. Besides, with his strength, he couldn’t possibly save Bai Fu.
The only thing he could do was slide over to the driver’s seat and, following the game’s prompt, start the pickup.
Charge—charge forward for Bai Fu!
“I’ll come back. I swear I’ll come back!”
Aaaah! Anyone in my way dies!
The roar in his heart intertwined with the pickup’s engine, forming a symphony of explosions that tore through the Amoebas and shattered the boundary between game and reality.
In the rearview mirror, Bai Fu’s figure grew smaller and smaller, until she completely vanished into the darkness, as if she had never existed.
【Step on it, Starfish, step on it!】
【I won’t sleep well tonight. Aaah! Even now, Bai Fu is still apologizing to us. Can’t she be a little more selfish?!】
【I’m crying to death】
【She’s the true Hero!】
【You must succeed—this must succeed! We can’t let Fu‑baby’s hopes be in vain!】
Seeing the livestream comment section explode, Bai Fu felt half her heart ease. Then, seeing those Amoebas she had intercepted stop and all turn to rush toward the direction Starfish‑bro had just driven off, the rest of her heart settled too.
From here on, she just needed to wait.
The threat the Insect Tide posed to the Abandoned Cooling Plant should be resolved. After all, the Induction Bait Number 9 had thrown was actually at the center of the Abandoned Cooling Plant.
The reason so many Amoebas had swarmed there was simply because they followed the noise without thinking.
Now that the Induction Bait was deployed elsewhere, most of the Amoebas wouldn’t head back to the Abandoned Cooling Plant.
A cause for celebration.
With that, a joyful world was born—one where only a few Players were numbed by the knife!
Bai Fu punched away an Amoeba attempting a sneak attack.
Things had reached this point; there was no need to delay any longer.
She turned and sprinted toward the Abandoned Cooling Plant.
A few minutes after her departure, a pickup truck burst through the night and charged in.
As soon as it stopped, Starfish‑bro stumbled out.
“Fu‑sis! Fu‑sis! I’m back! Where are you?!”
He kept searching, but in this vast wilderness, there was no trace of Bai Fu anywhere.
Was it really over just like that?
Sorrow filled his heart. Wailing filled the screen.
Only those digging through the cracks could find a few slightly optimistic comments.
【There’s no corpse, no shredded clothing. Maybe Fu‑baby’s still alive?】