Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Defense of the Village

TNT is, so far, the most powerful weapon in the Block Kingdom, delivering the highest damage and the most devastating effect against enemies. Aside from using it, Mo Fangyuan couldn't think of any other solution at the moment.

“Monsters in the block world are generally not attracted by noise, so I can use it without worry!”

Your friend, the bomb maniac Mo Fangyuan, is online!

“No need to panic, let’s steady things first.”

Mo Fangyuan first used his fishing rod to quickly move just ahead of the monsters, setting up an impromptu stone wall. The wall wasn’t solid, easily broken or smashed by the monsters, but it only needed to hold them back for a short while.

“Have you ever seen art? Do you know what art is?” Mo Fangyuan stood atop a tall stone pillar he had built behind the wall, looking down at the monsters as he questioned them.

“Now, I’ll show you what art truly is!”

The monsters were silent, but Mo Fangyuan continued his monologue. Ever since he’d experienced the destructive power of TNT, he’d hesitated for a long time after returning to the kingdom, but eventually he gritted his teeth and crafted the kingdom’s only redstone into a redstone torch.

Now, Mo Fangyuan held TNT in one hand and a redstone torch in the other. With the torch, he no longer needed to waste time placing TNT and then lighting it with flint and steel. He simply touched any part of the TNT block with the torch, and it would activate instantly. The whole process took less than a second—a world of difference from the old method.

“Art is Patrick Star!”

The battle erupted with the detonation of the first TNT. Mo Fangyuan hurled a large amount of TNT into the cluster of fast-moving spiders.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Scarlet flames and white smoke exploded in an instant, and every spider within range met a grisly end. Not only that, but the ground was left pitted with a large crater, which slowed the advance of the slower zombies and skeletons behind, giving Mo Fangyuan precious time to attack.

“Keep going!”

Another four TNT blocks flew from Mo Fangyuan’s hands, blasting more craters into the spider horde. The TNT split the spiders into isolated groups.

He threw several more TNT blocks into the distant mob of mixed zombies and skeletons. Then, he drew from his inventory a crossbow he’d prepared in advance and took aim at the scattered spiders.

The arrows shot forth like white lightning, striking without a hint of deviation into the skull of the leading spider.

A shrill screech echoed as the spider met its end.

Mo Fangyuan regarded the scene coldly. “Isn’t it nice to be alive? Why attack the block people? We never provoked you!”

Mo Fangyuan used to be more merciful to the monsters—if they didn’t attack him, he left them alone.

But after his journey to this world, his attitude had changed drastically. Once he learned how difficult life was for the block people because of the monsters, he went from avoiding conflict to hunting monsters on sight. If he had a name hovering above his head, in the monsters’ eyes it would surely have been dyed blood-red by now.

There could be no reconciliation between block people and monsters, let alone peace! It was like two nations, one of which had once invaded the other. There might be a temporary truce, but it would never last—war would return, eternally.

“Watch me shoot you all!”

White arrows streamed ceaselessly from Mo Fangyuan’s hands; each shot claimed the life of another monster. The block people’s survival in this monster-infested world was owed to their ability to learn, to feel shame, and to grow braver from it.

After his bitter lesson in the small valley, Mo Fangyuan had diligently practiced his marksmanship every day. Now his skills had improved by leaps and bounds—within a range of fifty squares, he never missed.

“Is my archery not exquisite?”

With all the fast-moving spiders eliminated, the slower zombies and skeletons were already closing in on the stone wall. Mo Fangyuan continued to use his crossbow, for a reckless use of TNT now would simply demolish the already fragile wall.

“I shoot! I shoot! I shoot again! I’m still shooting!”

The crossbow packed a punch, though it loaded slower than a regular bow. By the time the monsters had reached the base of the stone wall, Mo Fangyuan had managed to kill seven zombies and one skeleton.

Crash! Crash!

The wall trembled violently, seemingly about to give way any second.

“Just a moment more!”

Mo Fangyuan was already preparing his TNT.

Crash!

Not even ten seconds had passed before a breach opened in the wall—exactly what Mo Fangyuan wanted.

Once a breach appeared, the monsters stopped attacking the wall and swarmed through the opening.

This was the precise reason Mo Fangyuan had built the wall. As long as there was a way through, the brainless monsters would flock in from there. Mo Fangyuan had been waiting for this with his TNT.

He tossed two TNT blocks at the breach, one at the entrance and one at the exit, blasting two massive pits. Several monsters perished instantly, and the craters blocked the advance of the horde.

But did monsters have brains? Their pitiful intelligence only drove them to charge onward. Even with the breach blocked by a crater, they didn’t resume attacking the wall; instead, they continued to surge toward the opening, falling into the pit and getting stuck.

The monsters in front fell in, and those behind stepped on top—thus began a stampede, born of chaos.

Mo Fangyuan kept up his attacks, refusing to let up.

He needed to end this quickly, so he could go support Lin Ye on the other side.

Meanwhile, on Lin Ye’s front—

“Isn’t this just a matter of having hands?”

Lin Ye sheathed his iron sword and glanced around. The only things on the ground were monster corpses; nothing else remained. In just over ten minutes, he had dealt with more than forty monsters.

“As expected, the sword reigns supreme! Axes are useless by comparison!”

“To wield the iron sword and forsake the axe—that is the way!”

With the combined effects of the Assassin’s Potion and the Instigator’s Potion, Lin Ye’s physical abilities had reached a remarkable level. Even without using the powers granted by the potions, he could have killed all the monsters—though it would have taken longer.

“Now, time to go support His Majesty.”

“Or maybe I should help the village instead…”

“But wait, if I go there…”

Thinking of the look Mo Fangyuan had given him in the village earlier, Lin Ye decided that if he showed up too soon, His Majesty might drag him into the woods for a summary execution!

“Best to wait a bit longer…”

Lin Ye was torn.

On the other side—

“Phew! Finally finished!”

To wrap things up quickly and rush to the village’s aid, Mo Fangyuan had thrown nearly all his TNT. The sight of TNT raining down everywhere was indescribable—truly a work of art!

“Better head to the village next!”

Once again shaken by the might of TNT, Mo Fangyuan felt that with Lin Ye carrying a full set of TNT, he could handle things himself. Supporting the village was more important now, for the villagers were the hope for the Block Kingdom’s future.

Since this was a plain with few objects to grapple with his fishing rod, Mo Fangyuan had no choice but to dash over on his short legs.

“Damn, still too late!”

The sight of the village made Mo Fangyuan’s pupils contract. Flames roared within, and a large breach had been smashed in the outer wall; monsters were pouring in without pause.

Just then, Lin Ye also arrived, and his heart clenched at the scene.

“Get in there and save the villagers!” Mo Fangyuan shouted to Lin Ye in the distance.

With that, he charged straight in.