Chapter Fifty-Eight: Brunov

After being slammed down by the brute with the “Ultimate Bomb” and then struck with a “High-Speed Punch,” the Dreamer, to Wang Ling’s surprise, was still alive. He saw that this burly man, tall and muscular, with a distinctly Russian air about him, still had about one-seventh of his health bar remaining.

“Survived two skill attacks and still not dead—this man must be quite strong,” Wang Ling thought.

The burly man struggled to his feet, wiped the bloody foam from his mouth, and looked at Wang Ling with venomous eyes. If he hadn’t invested in both strength and stamina—each over 20 points—and worn a damage-reducing E-grade armor called “Light Soft Armor,” plus used a recovery item at the platform edge to restore his health to full before the fight, he would certainly have died from that throw.

Wang Ling glanced at him, then raised a hand, signaling the brute to pull him up. With the metal ladder destroyed, the Russian would have trouble climbing up. Now, the priority wasn’t killing him, but defeating Boss Brunov to obtain the coveted item.

Upon reaching the platform, Wang Ling saw in the distance a raised stage hundreds of square meters across, where the Double Dragon brothers—one wielding a steel pipe nearly a meter long, the other an iron rod over a meter—along with a man of Eastern appearance in his thirties, honest-faced, were besieging Brunov.

Brunov wore red leather pants, his upper body bare but bound with several leather straps, leather cuffs on his arms. He stood about 1.8 meters tall, but what drew attention was his massive, obese frame—layers of fat bulging across his torso, forming grotesque lumps, his body nearly spherical. Even compared to the stout Wang Long, Brunov was far larger. His true features were obscured by a red metal mask covering most of his face.

At this moment, the boss was in dire straits. His bare torso was covered in large, bloody bruises and scorch marks, blood pouring from his mouth. Visibly, his health bar was reduced to a mere sliver.

The Double Dragon brothers, upon learning of Marian’s death, were overcome with grief and rage. Though their Dragon Soul hadn’t awakened, their fury fed back into their strength, giving them a substantial boost as if they’d leveled up. Armed with weapons, their power increased further—striking Brunov with metal pipes and rods inflicted far more damage than bare fists.

Brunov’s physique highlighted his stamina specialty; his strength was far beneath that of Arlon, and his speed couldn’t match Williams. But his health value was monstrous. The Double Dragon brothers, wielding high-damage weapons and moving swiftly as masters of Double Dragon Fist, with agile footwork and dodges, were perfectly suited to counter a boss like Brunov.

Previously, two Dreamers had assisted, their strength not formidable but not weak either, having completed five mainline missions each—together, slightly above the level of the Blackie. They were cautious, seizing opportunities to use skills to harass Brunov as the brothers kept him occupied, distracting the boss.

Of course, as the mainline boss, Brunov inflicted heavy damage. The brothers’ health bars had dropped by more than half, a result of Brunov trading blows recklessly, injury for injury. The two Dreamers survived mainly because the boss was entangled with the brothers and rarely targeted them, plus their space bags were stocked with recovery items.

Thanks to Brunov’s abnormal health value, this battle had lasted over an hour. If Wang Ling hadn’t arrived, it was only a matter of time before the boss fell.

Spotting Wang Ling, accompanied by three Dark Fighters, both the brothers and Brunov showed surprise and suspicion. The Eastern man’s face lit up upon seeing Wang Ling’s features. “Are you Chinese?” he asked joyfully.

Wang Ling nodded slightly. The man exclaimed in delight, “I am too! My name is Luo Hou. Wonderful! I never expected there’d be a compatriot on the Double Dragon side!”

Hearing this, Wang Ling remained impassive. Luo Hou appeared honest and spoke sincerely, but his previous companion had been thrown downstairs, fate unknown, and Luo Hou hadn’t so much as inquired or shown any expression—clearly someone adept at currying favor and forging alliances.

In character and conduct, Wang Ling was not evil; he wouldn’t kill without necessity, but he certainly wouldn’t drop his guard around strangers. He’d read enough novels before entering the Dreamspace to know that kind-hearted supporting characters often met tragic ends at the hands of cunning, evil protagonists—he had no intention of becoming such a pitiful sidekick.

He nodded to the Double Dragon brothers, saying, “I’m here to help. These three have surrendered to me—no need to worry... Watch out!”

Brunov, seizing the moment as the brothers’ attention shifted to Wang Ling, suddenly unleashed the skill “Shoulder Rush.” He lowered his body, charged forward a few steps, and slammed into Jimmy, sending him flying into the overhead roll-up gate. After battling for over an hour, Jimmy’s stamina and health were depleted; the blow further reduced his health, and his steel pipe flew from his grasp.

Billy hurriedly struck with his iron rod, but Brunov ignored the attack. His fat absorbed the heavy blow, leaving only a bloody mark. Seeing Jimmy slumped before the roll-up gate, unable to rise, Brunov burst out laughing and unleashed his finishing move:

“Cannonball!”

This ultimate skill was a full-speed charge at the enemy, smashing into them bodily. With his weight over 500 pounds, Brunov’s momentum was terrifying—if he hit a house wall, he could crash straight through, collapsing the structure into rubble.

Jimmy, with little health remaining, faced instant death if struck by this ferocious blow.

Billy’s face changed drastically, but he had no time to block Brunov’s charge, forced to watch as the rolling mass of flesh hurtled toward his brother.

Boom!

The Cannonball slammed into the roll-up gate, sending a chaotic crash echoing—metal crumpled, the connected wall’s bricks showered down under the immense impact.

But the blow missed Jimmy.

Wang Ling had anticipated Brunov would follow up after the shoulder rush, so he quickly ordered the mop-headed dwarf to rescue Jimmy. This Dark Fighter, with agility at 32 points and a petite, nimble frame, darted in and pulled Jimmy clear just before the Cannonball could strike.

Brunov crashed into the metal gate, tumbling to the ground, one hand raised to shield himself from falling bricks, the other pushing him upright—just as the brute reached his side.

The two-meter-tall muscleman first landed a heavy punch on Brunov’s head, eliciting a cry of pain, then bent down, grasped the obese boss’s feet with both hands, leaped over two meters high, and, using the momentum of descent, slammed Brunov down onto the ground.

“Ultimate Bomb!”

The impact was palpable; Brunov was brutally slammed, vomiting blood, a web of cracks radiating visibly beneath his body.

This attack rivaled the Double Dragon brothers’ “Cyclone Kick” in damage. After all, the brute’s strength was 39 points, and he used Arlon’s skill—even if only E-grade, this boss’s original skill far surpassed any thug’s move.

Jimmy, rescued by the mop-headed dwarf, nodded breathlessly in thanks, retrieved his fallen steel pipe, and rushed back to join Billy and the brute in besieging Brunov. The dwarf, sly and evasive, followed closely behind the brute, darting in to land a few quick punches before retreating. With so many attackers, Brunov couldn’t touch him; when he did, the brute blocked the blow.

With the battle stabilized, Wang Ling had the Hippie, who lacked combat ability, stand guard at his side to prevent Luo Hou from launching a sneak attack. Meanwhile, Wang Ling drew his iron flintlock, firing at Brunov each time it reloaded. Lead bullets pierced Brunov’s fat, drawing fresh sprays of blood.

The Dreamer Luo Hou watched from the sidelines, his expression shifting constantly. Having fought hard for so long, he now saw others about to snatch victory, and naturally felt furious.

But he saw Wang Ling accompanied by three summoned characters. The Hippie was negligible, but the other two—one quick and nimble, the other tall and muscular—plus Wang Ling himself, armed with a powerful firearm, meant Luo Hou would gain nothing from a confrontation.

“No matter what, I must make a final attempt to seize the kill and the boss’s dropped key! Damn it, I shouldn’t have destroyed the ladder—if only the Russian could have climbed up, I could use him against this opportunistic thief!”

Luo Hou possessed a fire-element mob skill, “Flame Spit,” upgraded to level 5, allowing him to project a two-meter-long column of fire—a high-damage elemental attack. If not for the Hippie guarding Wang Ling, he would’ve sprayed fire at him, hoping to kill the youth instantly.

With the summon present, the Hippie would likely block the flames. Thus, Luo Hou targeted Brunov instead, preparing to use Flame Spit to kill the boss and snatch the key.

(This book will drop off the New Book Rankings in just two days and hasn’t yet claimed the number one spot. Please send your recommendation votes! Even a day at the top would be a triumph—on Sunday, I’ll update with twelve thousand words in gratitude. Everyone, please cast your votes for me!)