Chapter 191: Execution
At this moment, the camera remained steadily focused on Zhou Ning, only occasionally switching to the other expedition team using a split-screen technique—clearly determined to milk their star power for all it was worth.
The adventure after entering the meteorological tide was an intense thrill ride. With frequent cuts between the two expedition teams, viewers saw them encountering hurricanes, blizzards, acid rain, and other extreme weather conditions, as well as waves of elemental and undead monsters.
Zhou Ning made a few moves in between, each time easily crushing the enemies with flair. His dazzling footwork and flamboyant gunplay greatly enhanced the visual spectacle. His fluid, graceful movements and aesthetically pleasing combat style had the viewers spamming 666 [Chinese internet slang for "awesome"] in the chat.
Aside from Zhou Ning, Leandro, who fought with a giant flaming sword and a wild, ferocious style, and Edwin, who served as a key stabilizing force in both exploration and battle, also caught the attention of many players.
The infamous "Wayne-hater" Grantham was also watching the video at the time. Upon seeing this, he couldn't help but curl his lip. He had always believed Wayne Sturwell's record lacked credibility—he looked good, sure, but he couldn't be all that strong.
"Has anyone else noticed? Wayne might be decent, but he only ever performs when he's fighting cannon fodder. As soon as a real opponent shows up, he crumbles. Like last time—he couldn't even handle Harrison Rivers. Leandro might actually be stronger than him."
When Grantham posted this opinion as a comment, he was immediately flooded with mockery, which quickly escalated into a full-on flame war.
Naturally, Zhou Ning saw the comment too. Honestly, this Grantham guy was kind of entertaining. Rude, sure—but not wrong. The funny thing was, every time he trashed Wayne, he just happened to pick the exact moment when Wayne was about to show off. If everything went according to script, the next scene would be Zhou Ning utterly wrecking Archibald. He couldn't help but wonder how many people would tag Grantham when that moment aired.
You had to hand it to the AI editor—its editing skills were top-notch. A lot had actually happened during the expedition, but the AI managed to cut all the filler and retain only the key battles and discoveries. The seamless flow of the footage made viewers feel like they were watching a cinematic adventure, fully immersed in the journey.
It was as if they themselves were trekking through the meteorological tide with the expedition team, heading toward the mysterious temple.
As Zhou Ning and the team pushed open the temple's massive doors and stepped into its enigmatic interior, the background music abruptly shifted to something eerie and unsettling.
The haunted soundtrack combined with the shadowy, labyrinthine setting made it feel just like a horror movie.
Thinking back to everything the expedition had been through, viewers were left with the strong sense that this temple was teeming with danger.
They subconsciously held their breath as they watched the team press forward—through the grand pediment in ancient Falric style, past crumbling, dimly lit reliefs, and along a long, dark passageway—until they finally reached a hall filled with eight statues and a dense forest of stone tablets.
At that point, the AI thoughtfully labeled each statue and its corresponding tablet story.
There was Boudica, the arrow god who killed herself with her own bow; Katuwa, a half-man mammoth who died from trying to test his horns' hardness against a diamond—his skull shattered from the impact; and Kailin, an elven mage who fell victim to an honor killing.
The scene was so lifelike it sent chills down viewers' spines. Some even felt like a terrifying monster was lurking deep within the passage ahead, waiting for the expedition team to walk into its trap. The tension was so thick that even the stream comments grew sparse.
Then the screen split into two. On one side was Zhou Ning and the team venturing deeper into the corridor. On the other was the statue hall, zoomed in on several particularly twisted and pained-looking statues.
The background music grew heavier and more oppressive. Then, the team ran into Archibald—a hooded figure wielding a blue runed sword. At the same time, Boudica, Katuwa, and Kailin's statues suddenly came to life, charging toward the team with heavy thuds. Before anyone could react, Haicheng, visible on screen, let out a startled grunt as he was flung into the air—his head tilted, instantly dead.
"Holy crap! That scared the hell out of me!"
"High alert ahead!"
"I was kinda terrified, but that guy's comic relief saved me. Thanks, man!"
As viewers watched in mounting tension, the background music picked up in pace. To Zhou Ning, it even began to resemble something out of a wildlife documentary.
First, Professor Raleigh transformed into a leopard and leapt at the half-man mammoth. Then Wayne Sturwell pulled out two pistols—one white, one black—and took aim at the onrushing arrow god Boudica. As he fired, the AI helpfully gave Zhou Ning a full-screen close-up. Viewers could clearly see every move—one bullet intercepted Boudica's freshly launched arrow mid-air. With a flourish of his coat and a graceful sliding step, he closed in, raised both guns, and pulled the triggers in quick succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Accompanied by the frantic rhythm of the drums in the BGM, Boudica was gunned down in less than two seconds.
"WTF! Another insta-kill!"
"Damn, my man is so hot."
But Wayne wasn't done. In a fluid motion, he closed in on the half-man mammoth, Katuwa. As if he had precognition, he sidestepped a hammer blow with a slick evasion shot, then unloaded a volley of bullets. Katuwa's massive form crashed to the ground.
The stark contrast in their sizes made for a jaw-dropping visual impact.
Meanwhile, on the other half of the screen, Archibald—clearly the main villain—had entered the fray against Leandro and Edwin. Although he had the upper hand, Leandro's elegant swordsmanship and Edwin's precise control over localized weather held him back just enough to keep the battle gripping.
But most eyes were on Wayne Sturwell, who hadn't paused for a second. He now rushed toward the third statue-turned-enemy. Facing Kailin, the elven mage who kept teleporting, he suddenly slid forward, his black coat billowing. He aimed both guns at a seemingly empty spot.
The moment that followed was almost unreal—Kailin happened to appear exactly where he aimed. With just two bullets, the fiery light in her eyes was snuffed out, and she collapsed to the ground.
It looked as effortless as eating or drinking.
Before anyone could cheer, the camera cut to Zhou Ning in the second screen rapidly moving toward the first screen. The camera zoomed in again—locking back onto Zhou Ning.
His destination was unmistakably Archibald.
On the other side, Leandro and Edwin were clearly losing ground. Leandro was severely injured, and Edwin was mentally drained.
Archibald had already plunged his dual swords into the ground. As black water surged, he summoned more undead, and even more statues began to stir. The situation was becoming dire.
And just then, viewers heard Wayne speak. His gaze was deep, his voice steady: "You guys go. Leave this to me."
Watching the playback, Zhou Ning couldn't help but smirk. The vampire version of himself really loved showing off.
The AI editor knew how to play things up, too. Back in Episode 4, during the battle against Elvis, it had even created a character theme song just for him. The song always kicked in when he was about to dominate a fight or enter "serious mode." The melody had a vibe similar to Hot-Blooded Duelist.
As Edwin finally made the call to lead the team in retreat, the BGM swelled into something heroic.
"It's here—it's here! The execution theme is here!"
"No one defeats me when my BGM is playing!"
The comment section exploded.
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