Chapter 176: 7.14

'Army-Eating Sandworm || Level 100 || HP: 100% || Passive: Heavy Sandstorm'

"Prepare yourself!" Yunyu commanded. He took out his weapon and readied himself, "Sailor Yunyu and friends are here to defeat you!" 

'Cutiepie69 || Level 60 || HP: 100% || Class: Mage || Passive: The god of cute stuff!'

XuanLake checked Yunyu's new stat. It seemed that he modified his level to 60 instead of level 30 like before. XuanLake already knew Yunyu's real identity and his actual level, though. But if Yunyu wanted to play around, then so be it. 

XuanLake summoned two swords and dual wield them. The swords started emanating a dense blue energy, "I'm ready."

'XuanLake || Level 70 || HP: 100% || Class: Warrior || Passive: Dual Wield.'

ZeroCheat also summoned his weapon, a giant hammer made out of giant rock, and glanced at Yunyu, "Stay guarded! I will protect you!" 

'ZeroCheat || Level 85 || HP: 100% || Class: Tank || Passive: Power Shift'

The Army-Eating Sandworm screeched as he opened its gaping mouth with voracious teeth grinding inside in spiral shape. It was grotesque, but they didn't have time to get scared because the Sandworm activated its skill and a heavy sandstorm suddenly hit the field. 

They could barely see anything until the Sandworm suddenly attacked them by lunging at them with its body. XuanLake wanted to catch Yunyu and dodged together, but ZeroCheat was faster. He grabbed Yunyu's hand and dashed quickly to avoid the attack. XuanLake was too focused on Yunyu that it was too late for him to dodge completely.

"Argh!" XuanLake barely missed that gigantic mouth, but he was grazed.

'XuanLake: HP 90%.'

ZeroCheat checked whether Yunyu was alright. After he was sure that Yunyu's HP was still 100%, he said, "Try to stay guarded!"

ZeroCheat focused at the giant Sandworm and activated his passive, "Power Shift: Offense!" 

ZeroCheat's body suddenly buffed up as if he had been pumped. Even his giant hammer grew bigger than before. But he held it as if it was nothing. 

ZeroCheat jumped up high and started spinning his giant hammer, "I will try to chip him! Take this, Velocity Blow!" 

The giant hammer spun faster and finally hit the Sandworm's head. 

The Sandworm screeched angrily, but its health got chipped indeed.

'Army-Eating Sandworm: HP 94%.'

ZeroCheat landed safely, his pumped-up body shrunk again to his average size, and then he activated his passive when the Sandworm focused on him, "Power Shift: Defense!" 

The Sandworm used its tail to smash ZeroCheat, but he tanked it easily with only some of his HP got chipped, 'ZeroCheat: HP 92%.'

"I will clear the sandstorm first!" Yunyu didn't stay passive as well. He opened his palm and created a bigger and denser water ball than before. He chanted his skill, "Yunyu's Aqua Mirage!" 

Yunyu pointed the water ball to the sky, and the water ball flew up high. It burst into many small water balls and sprinkled, creating a fake rain that washed the sandstorm away. With the sandstorm being cleared up quickly, they could move freely, and the view had been cleared.

It was a lot easier to fight this giant Sandworm without its troublesome sandstorm. 

"Yunyu, you are amazing!" ZeroCheat said as he kissed Yunyu's cheek, "You can cancel an ultimate monster's passive!" 

Yunyu giggled happily, "Anything as long as you are safe, Brother Zero!" 

XuanLake immediately remembered when he acted as if he was being eaten by that tentacle monster. Yunyu just obliterated that monster alongside many others with his attack. He didn't care whether he would be exposed for being too powerful.

Instead, Yunyu abandoned all his pretense for a moment and tried to save him in any way possible. Maybe at that time, Yunyu was truly trying to save him with all his might.

Maybe there was never a pretense inside Yunyu. He was just a lonely god who found a man that he liked... until that man betrayed him.

Remembering that scene hurt XuanLake's heart because, at that time, he was thinking about using Yunyu as a plaything, like a mini-game to pass his free time. 

It was his fault…

[Pupa: Ding! Fatemeter increases to 70%.]

Yunyu turned his head towards XuanLake, who was dazed and defenseless. The Sandworm got angrier when ZeroCheat attacked again with the same attack. It actually hit a weak spot and chipped its health to 90%.

The Sandworm screeched again, and slowly, the ground was shaking. Many stone spikes suddenly emerged from the ground. The end was pointy, enough to hurt players until their health was at least below 50%.

Yunyu and ZeroCheat flew to dodge the stone spikes, but XuanLake was still dazed. He didn't realize the danger under his feet. Yunyu decided to glide down towards XuanLake to save him, "Watch out, Brother Xuan!"

Yunyu pushed XuanLake to save him, but in the end, he was the one who got hurt by the stone spike. The stone spike impaled his stomach and penetrated through his stomach, "Ackk!"

Yunyu's body was stuck on a stone spike, bleeding with his HP depleted fast.

'Cutiepie69: HP 50%... 45%... 40%... 30%...'

XuanLake was too shocked to react until he heard ZeroCheat's voice hollered, "Yunyu!" 

ZeroCheat flew towards YTunyu and destroyed the stone that impaled Yunyu with his hammer. Yunyu's HP was already 15%. It was so close of Yunyu to die meaninglessly, trying to save someone who hadn't done anything this whole time. 

ZeroCheat gave XuanLake a death glare, "Look at what you did to Yunyu! Your carelessness hurt him!" 

"Yunyu… I—I'm sorry…" XuanLake ignored ZeroCheat completely, he wanted to approach Yunyu and apologized, but ZeroCheat pushed him from Yunyu. 

He clenched his fist, about to punch XuanLake before Yunyu stopped him, "Brother Zero… don't…" 

"I will… drink some health potions, don't…" Yunyu hurriedly drank few bitter health potions from his storage to recover some HP. His HP gradually improved until it was back to 50% again. 

"I just need a rest for a moment," Yunyu said. 

Being ignored for too long, the Sandworm summoned another stone spikes. ZeroCheat gritted his teeth and hurriedly carried Yunyu to dodge the stone spikes. He glared at XuanLake once more, "Be more useful, you trash player!"

[Man, what is XuanLake doing. I've sacrificed myself to save him, but he still acts stupid! Go and slay that Sandworm soon!]

[Pupa: You know that you can just teleport to save him, or use one of your skills to push XuanLake away, or even better… just kill this Army-Eating Sandworm.]

[But that would not be dramatic! You see, I also need to fill my Dramameter! I want more tears, more emotion! Brother Xuan, you can do it! Look at my dramatic sacrifice!]

[Pupa:… what a drama queen.]

XuanLake finally moved. He jumped up high and stepped on one stone spike to another. He glanced at Yunyu, who was resting in ZeroCheat's arms. 

'I will prove to you that I have progressed, Yunyu…'

He finally regained his focus and chanted, "Self-enchant, Advanced Agility!"

"Self-enchant, Advanced Sharpness!"

"Enchant sword, Shell breaker!" 

XuanLake's swords suddenly changed form and had jagged shark teeth. XuanLake took a deep breath and dashed towards the angry Sandworm. He flashed in front of the Sandworm, and his swords' blue aura burst into deeper blue color, "I will not spare you!"

"Blitz Slash!"