Chapter 114 - 113: Preparations Before the Ambush

Chapter 114: Chapter 113: Preparations Before the Ambush

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In the southeast corner of No. 3319 Mine, a few players in durable denim stood before the pitch-black, deep entrance to a mineshaft, their expressions lazy yet vigilant.

They stood with their feet casually apart and their hands stuffed in their denim pockets. Their gazes swept over the nearby gravel paths from time to time. While they appeared nonchalant, they actually had every possible approach to the mine locked firmly in their sights, not missing the slightest movement.

Behind them, a dozen or so stiff-bodied Zombies were lined up neatly, each one gripping a rust-spotted pickaxe covered in ore dust.

Their grayish-white, bloodless skin clung tightly to their protruding bones. The crisscrossing black sutures on their skin were particularly jarring. One could tell at a glance that these Zombies had undergone a simple Undead modification, making them better suited for mining and granting them endurance far beyond that of ordinary Undead.

However, low-end Undead were low-end Undead, after all. Their inherent dim-wittedness was difficult to change.

Without an Undead Boss or Minion to command them, and without having raised their own Levels, they were no different from other ordinary Undead. They all appeared dull and witless, their eyes turbid and vacant, lacking even a shred of independent thought.

If you gave them a clear command, like guarding a path or continuously mining, they would carry it out tirelessly.

Even when faced with an unexpected situation, they were completely unable to adapt, let alone proactively adjust their strategy. They would just mechanically repeat their orders like emotionless machines.

For this very reason, even with Zombies standing guard, the major gangs that occupied the mines had to station a few players at the entrances to take command.

After all, if these Undead got too engrossed in a task, they could genuinely overlook enemies trying to sneak into the mine.

Spotting enemies and initiating combat had to be handled by the players.

However, these guards were well aware that if a fight did break out, they wouldn’t have to lift a finger themselves.

They had only one core duty: the moment they spotted a stranger or an enemy approaching, they just had to shout an order and send the waiting Zombies to Attack. Quick and effortless.

Even though these Zombies weren’t formally trained Undead Soldiers—just common Undead modified for mining—they were more than enough to handle the low-level Game Workers, who were mostly unarmed and only Level 1.

After all, by mining day in and day out, year after year, the Zombies had slowly accumulated Experience. Now, even the weakest among them was at least Level 5. Their strength far surpassed that of the average Game Worker, making them more than capable of dealing with any threats.

Today’s guard duty was no different from any other day.

The players in denim casually scanned their surroundings for anything suspicious while huddling together to chat, their voices laced with boredom and impatience.

Their job was arguably the easiest in the entire mine. They didn’t have to toil away mining like other Game Workers, nor did they have to face the dangers of the Game World outside the city. As long as they guarded the mine entrance and prevented anyone from sneaking in, they could consider their daily task complete.

But little did they know that at this very moment, Gu Su was hiding behind a pile of rubble just over a hundred meters away, cautiously watching them from behind the cover of a large rock formation.

A distance of over a hundred meters might not seem like much—you could cover it in ten or twenty seconds at a full sprint. But in truth, from that far away, you could only make out a person’s general shape and movements. Unless one’s vision was enhanced by their class, seeing a face clearly was impossible.

If Gu Su hadn’t used the chaos of a large group of Game Workers swarming in for their shift to sneak a little closer, he never would have been able to confirm it.

He wouldn’t have been able to confirm that one of the players guarding the critical mine entrance was the very scammer from the Cyan Ghost Gang who had cheated him.

The bastard had taken his money for a genuine Graveyard Demon, only to sell him a shoddily made knock-off that had nearly gotten him killed in the Game World.

After confirming his enemy’s exact location, Gu Su didn’t linger. He immediately ducked down, silently slipping out of the crowd and returning to his hiding spot far away.

Beside him lay the two corpses Liu Zu had helped him smuggle into the mine. The bodies, simply wrapped in thick canvas, were light, easy to carry, and unlikely to make noise or draw attention—perfect for his needs.

Leaning against the bone-chillingly cold rock, Gu Su took a deep breath, slowly suppressing the rage and killing intent that churned within him. He began to rapidly formulate a plan for revenge.

’A frontal assault is obviously out of the question. I’d just be throwing my life away.’

’A sneak attack from the rear is unrealistic, too. The guards at the entrance would spot me easily.’

’After all, I’m only one person, and there are four or five players at the entrance, not to mention a dozen or so Level 5 Zombie guards. No matter which way I approach, I’ll be discovered instantly.’

’A head-on fight would be like throwing an egg against a stone. I have no chance of winning.’

Moreover, Gu Su’s class was Undead Mage, not a stealth-based class like a Thief. He didn’t know ambush-oriented Skills like Stealth or Backstab, which made sneaking up on his enemy for a silent kill extremely difficult.

He frowned, turning the problem over in his mind. After eliminating every unworkable plan, only one viable option remained: to wait.

’First, I can wait for them to get off their shift to eat.’

’After all, players are just playing as Undead Mages; they aren’t actually Undead. They still have to eat.’

’A shift change is the most likely opportunity.’

’As long as he leaves the guard post and doesn’t have any Zombies with him, I’ll have a chance to ambush him.’

’Second, I can wait for them to go on patrol.’

Gu Su had keenly observed that while the guards remained at the entrance, they weren’t completely stationary. They followed a fixed patrol schedule. About every fifteen minutes, one of the four or five guards would break off from the group and take a few Zombies out to make a round.

The patrol route was also fixed: a wide loop around the mountain where the mine was situated. It wasn’t a short path, and given the Zombies’ slow movement speed, a full circuit took at least an hour, even with a player leading the way.

However, just as one patrol was setting out, the previous one would return right on schedule. With one group leaving as another arrived, the number of guards at the entrance never changed.

’In other words, as long as that Cyan Ghost Gang scammer is part of the guard detail, he’ll have to take a turn on patrol according to their fixed rotation.’

’The moment he leaves with a patrol, separated from the other guards—that will be the perfect opportunity I’ve been waiting for to get my revenge.’