"Where the hell is this?"
"Wasn't I hit by a crowd-control spell?"
Singo snapped awake. He first looked down to inspect his body, and after finding himself completely unharmed, he surveyed his surroundings.
What met his eyes was a wrecked laboratory littered with shredded flesh and severed limbs. The floor was slick with viscous blood that even submerged his ankles.
Before him stood a heavy metal bed, mottled with bloodstains, to which Tiansheng Zhankuang was firmly strapped.
He then glanced warily to his side.
Mantou's body lay motionless in a pool of blood, still as a corpse.
Singo felt a twinge of bewilderment. The wizard who had possessed Mantou had dispatched the three of them with ease, was situated in his own lair, and had faced no outside enemies. How could he have vanished for no reason?
*Did that "Vagnerd" disappear?*
*Did the spell end, or was there some other reason?*
A hazy figure seemed to drift out from the Magic Jar and pour into Mantou's body.
Singo cried out in surprise, "Mantou?"
The fingers of Mantou's body twitched slightly, and then his eyes opened. Propping himself up with both arms, he struggled to sit up from the pool of blood.
"This place is disgusting! Why is it so sticky?" Mantou complained with a look of utter revulsion.
Yet as he looked up slightly, he saw Singo drawing his bow to the full, aiming an armor-piercing arrow straight between his eyebrows.
"It's fucking me, Mantou—!"
Singo was unmoved, his voice chillingly detached. "How can I be sure you're Mantou and not something else? You have to pass my test first. Otherwise, I'll put an arrow through you."
Mantou fumed in exasperation. "Sing-dog, are you out of your fucking mind? What NPC could ever match my dashing charisma?"
Yet the sharp arrowhead pressed right against the center of his forehead without hesitation, breaking Mantou out in a cold sweat.
Mantou raised both hands in a mock French salute, on the verge of tears. "Fine, fine, fine! I'll answer, alright?"
Singo looked down at him and asked coldly, "What is Mantou's most-viewed video?"
"Langlibaitiao and the Old Vampire's Unspeakable Thirty Seconds."
"How many times has Mantou failed at online dating?"
"Fucking... three times."
"What is the name of Mantou's mount?"
"Noodles."
"How many gold coins did Mantou steal from me?"
"Fifteen coins, while you were sleeping—wait, holy shit, Sing-dog, you played me!"
Mantou leaped up in shock, instantly realizing this so-called test was nothing more than Singo's trick to get a confession out of him.
"Very good. You passed the test, Mantou.
"Though about those gold coins you stole..."
Singo spoke in an unhurried drawl, a cold smirk playing across his lips. The bow in his hand remained drawn, its arrow still gleaming menacingly right at Mantou's brow.
"I'll pay them back! I'll work myself to the bone to pay you back, okay? Put that thing away!"
Seeing that things were going south, Mantou begged for mercy over and over.
Only then did Singo lower his weapon, turning serious. "What did it feel like inside the jar? Do you know what just happened?"
Mantou thought back for a moment before answering, "It was a bizarre feeling. I could perceive the surroundings from inside the vessel, but I couldn't move at all. I could only watch helplessly as he used my body to crowd-control you noob. Though it did look pretty satisfying, like I was personally thrashing you, hehe."
"..."
Singo did not bother arguing with the petty jab and pressed on, "Then what did he say? Why did he disappear?"
Mantou instantly grew indignant. "That guy was a total monster. Not only did he use Miss Valena as a lab rat, he wanted to turn all of us into specimens too. Fortunately, right at the end, he suddenly vanished out of nowhere."
Singo rubbed his chin, puzzled.
"You mean—he disappeared into thin air?"
"Didn't he say anything before leaving?"
Mantou scratched his head, hesitating for a moment before speaking haltingly, "My perception of the outside wasn't very clear from inside the jar, and I was busy trash-talking the whole time. But... I think I heard him say our faction leader's name."
"Cassius."
A spark of excitement flared in Singo's eyes. "This Vagnerd really is a boss tied to the main storyline. Any quest involving that red dragon carries massive weight. Looks like we've hit the jackpot again."
"Sing-dog, hurry up and get Brother Zhankuang down first."
"If Brother Zhankuang croaks, it's all on you, got it?"
Only then did Singo remember that Tiansheng Zhankuang was still bound to the metal bed. He rushed over, picked the metal manacles on his wrists with his thieves' tools, and injected a stimulant into Tiansheng Zhankuang's neck.
"Ugh—"
"Where is this? Wasn't I just fighting?"
Tiansheng Zhankuang opened his eyes and pushed himself up from the metal bed with great effort. Utterly bewildered, he instinctively reached for the battleaxe at his waist, only to grab empty air.
Seeing him wake up, Mantou hurried over to support him.
When Tiansheng Zhankuang saw Mantou's familiar face, fury instantly surged across his features. He was clearly still immersed in the battle from moments ago.
Veins bulged along his arms as he threw a punch with all his might, bellowing in rage, "Monster! Get out of Mantou's body!"
With an 18 in Strength, the barbarian poured every ounce of his power into a punch the size of a sandbag, slamming it straight into Mantou's face.
*Smack!*
A dull impact rang out. Mantou's face warped violently, looking like an overturned dye shop as reds, purples, and blues mingled into a bruised mess.
"Ow!" Mantou cried out in agony.
He saw stars, feeling as though his soul was about to be knocked clean out of him again.
Tiansheng Zhankuang moved to follow up with a Haymaker, but Singo hastily tackled him back.
"Singo, why are you holding me back? I'm gonna kill this beast!"
"Fighting feels so damn good!"
"Haaah—!"
Mantou finally came to his senses. Clutching his rapidly swelling cheek, he babbled as fast as his lips could move, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Brother Zhankuang, have mercy!"
"It's me! It's really me, Mantou!"
He pointed at his own face, wailing in misery.
Singo chimed in from the side to explain, "The boss possessed Mantou's body earlier. You were put to sleep by a spell. Take it easy, or you're gonna beat Mantou to death."
"Huh?"
Tiansheng Zhankuang quickly lowered his fists and rubbed his shiny bald head, a faint blush creeping onto his face.
"Ah, sorry about that, Mantou. I... I mistook you for that boss just now and didn't realize it was you. Uh... are you okay? Once we get back to town, I'll buy you healing potions to make up for it."
"Fine, I'm fine," Mantou said, on the verge of tears, his face already swollen like a steamed bun.
Singo added with a hint of schadenfreude, "Zhankuang, forget about Mantou. As long as he's not dead, he'll live. We stumbled into a hidden dungeon by sheer luck, so we need to explore it thoroughly."
"Oh? A hidden dungeon?"
"Then there must be really powerful enemies here."
Tiansheng Zhankuang's eyes instantly ignited with fighting spirit, his face alight with the excitement unique to a pro gamer. He was, after all, a man who had once soloed a celestial behemoth!
Only Mantou remained on the ground, nursing the bruising on his face and letting out a pitiful wail:
"My handsome face—!"
Chapter 197