Chapter Twenty-Two: Instant Kill

[Prompt: You have read the Gardener’s Oath, uncovered the truth behind the Shroud Forest, and by dismantling the ritual array that gathers the shroud within the cabin, you can complete the second phase of the main quest “Seeking the Gardener.”]

“Huh? Main quest?” Glass of Wine’s tone rose slightly with surprise, but confusion soon followed: “Didn’t you say you met the gardener at the center of the forest? If he’s set on resisting the Shepherd and the Farmer, why stay here at all? Why not escape to the Wastelands, where no one could find him, bide his time, gather his strength, and return for revenge? That’s got to be better than lingering in the manor! Besides, his actions contradict this declaration. It feels more like impotent rage.”

“Your thinking is, in fact, precisely what the Gardener did.” Embers tossed Bob’s diary to Not a Sword Immortal, then began dismantling the ritual array. “At first, I couldn’t make sense of it either, but with this, you should understand the reason.”

[Prompt: You have completed the second phase of the main quest “Seeking the Gardener.” At the end of the assessment, you will receive at least an ‘Excellent’ rating.]

[Prompt: You have triggered the third phase of the main quest “Seeking the Gardener.”]

…

Quest Name: [Seeking the Gardener] (Main Quest, Phase Three)

Objective: Slay the Gardener

Reward: Unknown (cumulative; final rewards will be distributed based on overall completion upon finishing all phases)

Description: By exploring both Gardener’s cabins, you have uncovered all the secrets hidden within the Shroud Forest and successfully destroyed the ritual array that gathered the shroud, preventing the Gardener (Symbiote) from opening a spatial rift to escape into the Wastelands. The changes in the Shroud Forest have immediately alerted the Gardener (Symbiote) to your sabotage. Enraged, he will now hunt you down. Now, you may either flee directly to the forest’s exit to seek the Farmer’s protection, or muster your courage to confront the Gardener (Symbiote) head-on.

[Prompt: This is the final phase of the main quest. Upon completion, you will receive a ‘Perfect’ rating on Hard difficulty, granting not only the highest rewards but also quest items useful for subsequent trials.]

…

At last, they had reached this point!

The last time, failing to secure a perfect rating had left Embers with a trace of regret. Looking back, if the group had joined forces to take down the Enhanced Juvenile Chest Monster, it wouldn’t have been impossible. Yet everyone held back, hoping to keep their trump cards secret and emerge as the final victor. Although Embers did have the last laugh, a hint of disappointment remained.

What if I had fought the Enhanced Juvenile Chest Monster head-on in the end?

Embers shook his head—no use dwelling on the past. He was more interested in the future than in nostalgia.

This trial was entirely different. The excellent cooperation with Not a Sword Immortal meant their game progress stayed far ahead of the ordinary pace, greatly reducing the difficulty of defeating the Hexed Fox and the Mutant Seed, allowing them to complete all exploration and gain the strength to contend with the final boss.

The opportunity was right before them!

Now it was a matter of seizing it.

Embers clenched his fist, silently rallying himself.

“The Gardener Symbiote? So the three gardeners Bob saw before he died weren’t hallucinations!” Not a Sword Immortal exclaimed, then puzzled, “But why did the Gardener Symbiote delay his escape until now?”

While surveying the surroundings in preparation for the final battle, Embers offered his thoughts: “It was wishful thinking. The Gardener saw himself as the master of the manor and was unwilling to be separated from it for long. So he deliberately left one or more symbiotes behind to hide the fact that his true body had already fled to the Wastelands. This would lull the Farmer and the Shepherd into a false sense of security, buying time for his main body to settle in. And if the spatial rift didn’t attract attention, it would make his plan for revenge all the easier.”

“So the Gardener was prepared for sacrifice all along! Leaving behind the oath was probably a formal declaration of war against the Shepherd and the Farmer.” Now understanding, Glass of Wine soon realized, “The third phase of the main quest is probably inaccessible for me now. Even if I kill the Gardener, I’ll only get an Excellent rating. Why does it feel like I’m just working for someone else?”

Embers didn’t reply, but instead pointed to the window. “Rather than wasting breath, let’s figure out how to fight the final boss. Miss, do you think the shooting angle here is good?”

“I have a name, you know!” Glass of Wine protested, then, a bit begrudgingly, stood by the window, glanced up, and said, “It’ll do.”

“So when the Gardener breaks in, can you slip out through the window?”

This question made Not a Sword Immortal instinctively take a step back, sensing Glass of Wine’s aura cool by several degrees.

Embers, sharing the same feeling, turned and said helplessly, “Miss, you say you’re just working for someone else, but you’re actually the one with the highest burst damage! Nearly all our lifesaving skills are gone, so we’ll need to use the terrain to our advantage. Besides, the Gardener has two unknown skills—surprises are bound to happen. Sword Immortal and I can share some of the heat, but if your damage output is too high, the Gardener might focus solely on you.”

Embers’ reasoning was logical and his tone firm; Not a Sword Immortal couldn’t help but nod. He realized this guy was not only upright but also articulate and clear-headed. Even under Glass of Wine’s intense gaze, he remained calm and explained himself.

A real talent!

Not a Sword Immortal praised him silently, and then noticed Glass of Wine, after a moment’s silence, quietly practicing climbing out the window.

Impressive! In real life, she was a professional crossbow competitor, often taking first place in tournaments—her combat prowess was no joke.

Watching Embers persuade her with just a few words, Not a Sword Immortal stealthily gave him a thumbs-up.

What he didn’t expect was an accident.

Thud!

Her first attempt ended in failure. In the simulation pod, the maneuver wasn’t easy. Outside the window, Glass of Wine’s face went utterly cold, as she caught the sound of abruptly stifled laughter.

Utter humiliation…

Forcing herself not to pound the ground, Glass of Wine took a deep breath, got up in silence, and resumed practicing. She pointedly avoided eye contact with her two “teammates,” and only on her third try did she master the movement.

She raised her crossbow, nocked an arrow, and asked with a blank expression, “Who just laughed?”

“Him!” Embers and Not a Sword Immortal simultaneously pointed at each other. With a lethal crossbow aimed at them, notions of loyalty meant nothing.

As Glass of Wine blinked, Embers could read in her eyes: “A beauty’s revenge is never too late.” He coughed, and using tactics as a pretext, dragged Not a Sword Immortal out of the cabin. Left by the window, Glass of Wine began to doubt herself. Why had she let Embers talk her into this? If she ended up not being needed, wouldn’t her embarrassment be for nothing?

How mortifying!

Grinding her teeth, Glass of Wine gripped the window frame tight and vowed that afterward she would make Embers pay.

…

Battle arrived swiftly.

However, the first to appear wasn’t the Gardener, but Dotty Bean, who had fled earlier.

“Help!”

Earlier, Dotty Bean, thinking all was lost, had run straight to the river. There, he was at a loss—without any quest prompts, he had no idea what to do next. He thought about returning to the cabin to check the outcome, but the distance was too great and the notification of the Mutant Seed’s death never appeared, so he assumed Embers’ group hadn’t survived.

After some thought, Dotty Bean, having restored his health, decided to continue with the pest-killing quest. He had barely taken a few steps when he ran into the rampaging Gardener.

Run!

Dotty Bean hadn’t forgotten that the Gardener was the final boss of this trial, so he once again took to his heels. But in his panic, he only realized after several strides that he was running back toward the cabin. With the Gardener in hot pursuit, he had no choice but to keep fleeing. Spotting Embers and the others, he called out for help, as if seeing his saviors.

But it was too late.

The Gardener activated a charge-like skill; his muscles swelled, and he barreled forward like a raging bull, crashing straight into Dotty Bean.

[Prompt: You have been hit by “Savage Charge” from the Gardener (Symbiote), suffering eighteen points of damage.]

[Prompt: You must pass a Strength check to avoid a secondary impact from being knocked back.]

[Prompt: Checking… Check failed! Your Strength is below five. You have temporarily lost control of your character. Any collision during the knockback will inflict severe damage.]

[Prompt: You suffered fifteen points of fall damage. Your health has reached zero. You have lost your qualification for this game.]

As Dotty Bean ran for his life, he suddenly found himself airborne before crashing to the ground, eliminated before he could even process what happened. Even after the game ended, he was still in shock.

A one-shot kill!

A genuine instant kill!

The Gardener’s real damage was even more brutal than the Mutant Seed’s. With just one skill, he effortlessly dispatched a player.

This burly giant, whose back was like a mountain and skin as hard as stone, no longer bothered to feign innocence. He bared his white teeth at the stunned trio.

“You will all be buried with me.”