The Cannon Fodder Became the Empire's Beloved Omega - Chapter 46

The musty dampness sealed away for a hundred years rushed toward them.

Yu Ruan was momentarily stunned, surprised that the game’s setting could feel so realistic.

“Holographic projection technology,” Gu Yu said, stepping inside first and taking a small oil lamp from the wall for illumination. “It’s common in the military but hasn’t been widely adopted for civilian use yet. It’s normal that you haven’t seen it before.”

Nodding with only partial understanding, Yu Ruan followed him. Just then, his neural interface projected a 3D model of the entire medieval castle. The translucent, pale-blue interior was shrouded in mist, while the outer entrances lit up one after another, revealing densely packed red markers.

Clearly, members of other teams had also begun entering the map.

Yu Ruan lowered his head, murmuring, “Teams that reach the spire and retrieve the treasure within the time limit will earn fifty points. The competition uses a points-based system, with ten points awarded for each key item obtained. Rankings will be determined by each team’s total points at the end of the competition?”

His eyes widened in shock as he read the next line: “Teams with fewer than sixty points will be eliminated outright?!”

In other words, according to these rules, to secure a spot in the final rankings, a team would need to collect at least six key items during the competition. Alternatively, they could opt for a “1 + 1” approach, relying on the treasure and one key item to secure their place.

Just the thought of obtaining the treasure was daunting enough, but seeing the number “6” alone was enough to make his head spin. The mere idea of it left Yu Ruan feeling suffocated.

Thankfully, he had Gu Yu by his side. If it had been Le Meng instead, Yu Ruan suspected the two of them would have stood there blankly, holding hands and coasting through the competition like a pair of carefree slackers.

Instantly, Yu Ruan felt a surge of respect for Gu Yu, the former champion.

Gu Yu glanced at him sideways and remarked, “Last year’s competition wasn’t this complicated.”

“?”

“Last year, you just had to grab the objective item at the finish line. Teammates were nothing but dead weight.”

“So?” Yu Ruan said, still processing, “they increased the difficulty this year and switched to a cooperative format to prevent a repeat of last year’s situation?”

“Mm.”

“…” So it was your fault after all.

To single-handedly change the entire competition’s rules having such an overpowered teammate left Yu Ruan unsure whether to feel happy or dismayed.

As they spoke, the two of them turned from the hidden passage into an underground area. The air grew heavier with moisture, tinged with the faint smells of rust and something fishy. The stone steps beneath their feet were slick and covered in moss. In the distance, the faint sound of flowing water echoed through the passage.

The dim glow of the oil lamp pierced through cobwebs as they pushed open a damp, blackened wooden door ahead. Beyond it, a dark, flowing waterway came into view.

This seemed to be the first minor challenge of the competition.

The two sides of the sewer were far apart there was no way to cross by jumping alone. Yu Ruan surveyed the surroundings and found the area just as dilapidated as the hidden passage. The railings meant to block intruders were heavily rusted, and a thick rope, as wide as a wrist, hung high above, suspending a net of broken wooden planks.

It seemed the only way to reach the other side was to find a way to cut the rope and use the fallen planks as a bridge.

Exchanging a glance with Gu Yu, who was holding the oil lamp, Yu Ruan tentatively suggested, “Should I head west?”

Gu Yu gave an indifferent “Mm” and handed him the oil lamp before turning to walk in the opposite direction.

The oil lamp was small, casting only a faint circle of light. Soon, Gu Yu’s figure was swallowed by the darkness, leaving only a blurry gray silhouette. Yu Ruan raised the lamp and saw his slender fingers casually tap three times against the blue brick surface.

Feeling a bit confused, Yu Ruan blinked and couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something wrong?”

“The mechanism might be hidden in the wall. Let’s search for it,” Gu Yu replied.

Only then did Yu Ruan belatedly understand. He gave a soft acknowledgment, lifted the oil lamp, and quickly moved to the other side, crouching down near the source.

He remembered seeing a faint glimmer beneath the moss by the riverbank when they first descended the steps. Perhaps the mechanism was concealed there.

As the light drew closer, the reflection from the mossy crevices grew stronger. Yu Ruan reached out and brushed aside the moss, his fingertips meeting a chill. A dark bronze copper cover appeared before his eyes, instantly revealing its true form.

Just as he thought!

Yu Ruan immediately pulled open the cover and discovered a hidden compartment behind it. Inside lay a meticulously crafted crossbow, accompanied by three bolts that gleamed with a sharp, silvery light in the darkness.

Why this?

Even back on Earth, Yu Ruan had never handled a crossbow, let alone in this interstellar era where technology advanced rapidly and photon-based systems were highly refined. Such a sophisticated cold weapon should have long been relegated to ancient museums.

Even if the competition organizers intended for participants to use the crossbow to sever the ropes, why provide only three bolts? This was just.

Yu Ruan froze for a moment, instinctively calling out to the person behind him, “Gu Yu!”

Hearing his call, the rustling from the east ceased. Moments later, a cool voice sounded beside him, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Ruan picked up the items from the hidden compartment, his tone slightly helpless, “I think I found the tool we need, but…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, instead handing the crossbow to Gu Yu. From a distance, he hadn’t noticed it clearly, but now, under the oil lamp’s glow, Yu Ruan realized something.

Not only had the organizers provided only three bolts, but each one was blunter than the last. Their sharpness was so poor that even if used to stab someone, they likely wouldn’t break the skin.

In other words, they had to carefully consider the order in which to use these three bolts. Otherwise, if a bolt that should have hit its target failed to cut the rope due to its lack of sharpness, they would be stuck here.

A classic dilemma.

His own skills were clearly unreliable. At this point, they could only rely on whether Gu Yu was familiar with this weapon.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing the item handed to him, the Alpha frowned slightly and asked, “Do you recognize this?”

Of course.

This thing was far too obscure, it would be more unusual if he did recognize it. Yu Ruan sighed and took the initiative to explain, “This is a rather ancient type of cold weapon, somewhat similar to a bow and arrow, but with much greater penetrating power.”

Racking his brain, Yu Ruan patiently explained the crossbow’s usage and advantages to the other.

While explaining, he glanced at the strategy map and noticed that, like them, many participants were stuck at the outermost layer.

Gu Yu lowered his gaze, observing the crossbow in his hand with an unreadable expression. After a long while, he gave a soft “Hmm” and walked toward the direction of the hanging rope net. “Let’s test it first.”

Hearing this, Yu Ruan quickly followed.

Drawing from his past life memories, Yu Ruan mimicked the actions and gestured to Gu Yu, explaining, “Well this should be the trigger, and this is the sight. Align this with your target, keep your hand steady, pull the trigger and then,” it’s ready to use.

Before he could finish speaking, the crossbow bolt in the other’s hand suddenly shot out. Before Yu Ruan could react, the arrowhead struck the rope with a dull thud, and with a splash, it fell into the water.

Yu Ruan: “…” So accurate!

In an instant, Yu Ruan was filled with deep respect. He gazed at the Alpha before him with admiration, utterly impressed.

In contrast, Gu Yu frowned, his expression serious. He glanced coldly at the rope net, took another sharper crossbow bolt from Yu Ruan, loaded it into the crossbow, aimed briefly, and pulled the trigger.

This time, however, it was far less successful than the last.

“Splash!”

The sound of an object falling into the water echoed from afar. Yu Ruan blinked in confusion and instinctively looked at the last remaining crossbow bolt in his hand.

Gu Yu’s expression also darkened. He pursed his lips slightly and said, “The center of gravity is different for each arrow.”

A different center of gravity meant that each arrow would follow a different trajectory. Although the crossbow had strong penetration power and the arc could generally be ignored at close range, for a beginner who had just learned to use it, this detail could be quite troublesome.

The rope holding the logs was extremely thick, saturated with moisture, and unusually tough, making it nearly impossible to ignite. If they couldn’t aim accurately and cut it with a single arrow, crossing the river would be nothing but a fantasy.

Yu Ruan worried for a moment, then glanced at the remaining kerosene in the oil lamp. “What if we dismantle the oil lamp and splash the kerosene on it?”

After all, the logs were heavy enough that even if they burned, it would take some time. The impact of falling into the water would be enough to extinguish the flames, and they could barely use them as stepping stones to jump across.

The only downside was that they would lose their source of light, making the rest of their exploration quite challenging.

Gu Yu glanced sideways at him, thought for a moment, and reached out his hand. “Give me the lamp.”

Obediently handing over the lamp, Yu Ruan watched as Gu Yu crouched down, removed the iron base of the oil lamp, and tested its weight in his hand. Then, he gestured with his chin toward the distance. “Step back over there.”

Yu Ruan dutifully took a few steps back.

Gu Yu held the lamp in his hand, silent for a long while. Suddenly, he lightly tossed the object in his hand. The oil lamp traced a beautiful arc through the air, striking the pile of logs and lodging itself perfectly in a gap.

Seizing the moment before the glass cover could slip off, he raised the crossbow, aimed at the oil lamp wedged in the rope net, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

“Bang!”

A deafening explosion rang out as the transparent glass cover shattered into pieces! Countless shards of glass, propelled by the force, scattered into the water and flew far, landing with a “clink” on the ground.

Yu Ruan looked down at the distance. It was neither too close nor too far just a step away. Any closer, and he would have likely been taken out by the glass shards.

“…” This time, he was thoroughly impressed.

As the lamp cover shattered, the faint sparks instantly erupted into roaring flames. The fire greedily licked at the ropes, quickly spreading with the help of the kerosene and illuminating the entire sewer brightly.

In no time, the ropes binding the logs were completely burned away, and with a splash, they fell into the water.

The water below lit up for a moment, emitting a dazzling white light. Soon, the entire tunnel returned to silence, reverting to its previous pitch-black darkness. Only the faint glow from the wrist communicator remained.

By its light, scattered pieces of wood could be seen floating on the water’s surface, forming a makeshift platform just sturdy enough to step on. The distance was still far, but it was much better than the previously impossible width of the river to cross.

Yu Ruan walked over, roughly estimated the distance, and couldn’t help but feel a bit troubled.

It was indeed much better but for someone with his poor physical condition, successfully crossing it would still be an extremely difficult task.

He instinctively glanced at Gu Yu. The Alpha beside him remained as calm as ever this distance was far too easy for him. There was no need to worry about whether he could make it across.

Yu Ruan immediately fell into a dilemma.

He hesitated over whether to be honest and confess his struggles to the other. Suddenly, without a word, Gu Yu walked to the riverbank, crouched down to retie his shoelaces, then stood up and glanced at him with a detached expression. “Come here.”

“…?” Yu Ruan walked over in confusion.

What was he planning to do?

“Close your eyes.”

Yu Ruan obediently closed his eyes. Before he could process what was happening, he was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace.

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