QT: Against My Will-Chapter 549 - 8.66 - Stinky Bun’s face blindness - Monster Heist
"Hey, Bertha! You know Shina Night, right?" one of Bertha’s colleagues exclaimed, unable to contain their enthusiasm. "Did you know she is in Niverton right now?"
Bertha’s colleague eagerly showed her a news article on their mobile device. The article highlighted how some LADs, along with the support of the top clans as sponsors, had embarked on a charitable initiative in Niverton.
Bertha’s eyes scanned the article, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she absorbed the details. "What do they mean by ’deadly games’?"
The LADs organized a game called "Nexus Challenge" that catered to beta preschoolers up to high schoolers.
Shina Night would assemble two formidable teams to participate in this challenge: a team of skilled beasts consisting of Victor, Alain, Leon, and Juliet, and a team of dedicated soldiers comprising the rest of her team and a bunch of kids.
The Nexus was basically a tower of toys and gadgets on top of a podium, the beasts had to protect and the kids had to obtain.
Bertha watched the video. The cheers and applause from the spectators echoed through the course. The bursts of colorful spells and mesmerizing displays of elemental manipulation filled the air with an enchanting aura.
The first game ended in a significant defeat for the soldier’s side, with no prize obtained.
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Bing Shi walked around the field like a referee. Oh, how she wished she could bring out Stinky Bun. She already wanted to pull out that ball of cuteness when they stumbled upon that toy store. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
|"Hubby, is there a way to conceal our auras so Stinky Bun won’t recognize us?"|
|"I’m afraid that it’s not possible,"| Ru Quan thought for a moment, |"But I can keep his mouth shut."|
In no time at all, a little boy trailed after his daddy, eager to go on a walk outside of their home.
"Daddy?" Stinky Bun slapped his mouth. Why was Stinky Bun’s mouth not talking? Confusion washed over his face as he tugged at Ziek’s pants...or shirt?
He couldn’t help but notice that his father seemed unusually short today... or maybe it was Stinky Bun who grew taller?
That was right. Stinky Bun currently looked like a five-year-old boy, standing at 3 feet and 11 inches! (119 cm) With a face-blindness that defied all logic, the little boy blissfully accepted the fact that his father resembled a fifteen-year-old delinquent instead of a fully-grown adult.
"Listen, buddy," Ziek held his son’s hand as they walked towards the arena, letting the boy get used to his new body, "We’re going into that arena to face some tough bullies and get back toys they stole from other kids."
"Daddy?!" Bullies?! Stinky Bun exclaimed, his eyes filled with determination, "Daddy, Daddy!" Yes, Daddy! Stinky Bun will show them!
Ziek got down on his knees and fitted a gas mask onto Stinky Bun’s adorable little face. With a grin, he put a similar one on himself, "Keep this mask on tight."
Stinky Bun stared at the mask for a moment, "Mommy, mommy." That looks like Mommy’s mask.
"..." Ziek rubbed his son’s head, coming up with a reason why the little boy had to wear it, "That’s right. We have to protect our mouths and noses from the dust."
"Mommy!" Okay! Stinky Bun asked for his wooden sword, but instead of a sword, his daddy put a hearing device into his ear, "Daddy?"
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Bing Shi, determined to remain incognito, made a valiant attempt to blend into the surroundings, but her efforts were in vain when her son popped up by Ziek’s side.
’Too adorable!’
She surrendered to the irresistible cuteness of her little boy.
Overwhelmed by the bustling crowd, Stinky Bun’s confidence wavered. In a moment of uncertainty, his eyes caught sight of the monkey lady amidst the field, and his heart leaped with recognition.
"Mommy, mommy!" he exclaimed, waving his tiny hand excitedly in her direction, "Mommy, mommy!"
"..." Ziek scooped up Stinky Bun and pointed with his finger to identify their targets, "The ones wearing red masks and red robes are the bullies," he explained as Bing Shi began to pick up a new team of soldiers, "And all the kids you see around are the ones the bullies just stole the toys from."
Stinky Bun’s mouth almost dropped to the ground when he saw the mountain of items the bullies stacked up behind them. The scale of their theft was staggering! He gulped, realizing the magnitude of the challenge that lay ahead.
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Bing Shi’s voice echoed through the stadium as she addressed the teams, both beasts, and soldiers, and the group of eager kids who had joined forces to help the soldiers.
She raised her arms, signaling the start of the challenge. While the soldiers held down the beasts, the children took the opportunity to sneak towards the nexus, but along the way, they would be swept away by Juliet’s wind or trapped in Alain’s wines, who both took over the defense.
A determined little boy emerged from the chaos. Instead of being distracted by the enticing mountain of prizes, he summoned every ounce of his strength and resolve, and fearlessly tore at the vines with his free hands to free his fellow comrades.
Alain momentarily lost his grip on the trapped children and retreated his vines. Wasn’t that child too young to participate? Most were between ten and seventeen.
In that fleeting moment of distraction, a swift and unexpected projectile hurtled towards him, causing a crack to appear on his red mask, "..."
Ziek, ever resourceful, quickly fashioned a makeshift slingshot using a tree branch crafted by Alain and a hair tie he "borrowed" from a random girl. He hurled it toward another high schooler.
When some onlookers witnessed Ziek’s ingenuity and the strategic use of his improvised slingshot, their excitement erupted into boisterous cheers, "Look at him go! That’s the spirit! Don’t chase after the prize blindly, use tactics!"
Eager to contribute, the girls swiftly removed their own hair ties and joined in, creating a few slingshots. This was not a game where they avoided obstacles and ran after the prize, but a battle!
The arena buzzed with renewed energy as the hair ties and improvised weapons rained down from the crowd, catching the attention of both participants and spectators alike.
"Great idea! Let’s not get caught up in the frenzy and think strategically," Laura shouted, rallying the others.
She and the rest were too busy to defend against Leon and Victor, and had no time to think of a strategy for the kids.
Victor snapped his fingers, dispersing his attack as his mouth cracked, "These little..."
Aria and Laura huddled together behind a wall of students, using them as a protective barrier against Victor’s electric bolts.
Aria, harnessing her kinetic energy, unleashed her power, causing nearby debris and sand to levitate and swirl around her in a mesmerizing display.
With precise control, she propelled these objects toward Victor, creating a barrage of projectiles that he had to dodge and deflect.
Simultaneously, Laura swiftly activated her space, summoning a variety of weapons tailored to her expertise. A gleaming knife materialized in her skilled hands.
With precision, she sprinted towards the children ensnared in Alain’s vines, fearlessly slicing through the entanglements, freeing them one by one.
Alain conjured a barrage of thorny vines from the ground, directing them towards Laura. The vines shot towards her with surprising speed, their thorns poised to strike.
Dodging the initial onslaught, Laura seamlessly evaded each lashing vine, her body leaning and twisting with remarkable agility. She swiftly retreated her knife and reached for a crossbow from her arsenal.
Drawing the bowstring back, Laura’s muscles coiled like a spring. Releasing the tension, the bolt shot forth with incredible speed and force. Guided by her precise aim, it soared through the air, hurtling towards Alain.
"That was my sister! Did you see that!? That was my sister!" Lilly squealed with pure adoration, her words laced with childlike innocence and heartfelt pride.
A few people gulped their saliva when they heard Lilly’s cheers. They couldn’t believe a nobody like her sister could become a LAD, but the proof was right before their faces.
The stadium erupted with cheers and applause as the soldiers and children progressed and successfully obtained a few parts of the nexus, their determination shining through every move.
"Oh boi," Bing Shi couldn’t help but mumble to herself when she saw her son thoroughly enjoying levitating in the air under Juliet’s wind magic, momentarily forgetting to fight the bullies.
Suddenly, the twigs held by some students began to quiver and tremble, as if infused with a life of their own. The twisting branches coiled around their hands like cuffs, causing a few students to cry out in fear.
Liam used his powers to burn the twigs around their wrists, realizing that supporting they kids at the same time was the way to go.
The audience gasped in awe as they witnessed Liam’s control, marveling at his ability to eliminate the threat without causing harm.
However, before Liam could proceed further, Ru Quan swiftly intervened.
Leon suspended the rocks the kids were hurling at them in the air, effectively stopping them in their tracks. The rocks soared through the air, propelled by his power, aimed directly at Liam.
The sudden turn of events elicited a mixture of gasps and boos from the crowd, who felt a sense of unfairness in this unexpected counterattack. Those four were like the beast that learned on the go, just like from the books they read!
