Chapter 330: How Do You Fight Something Without A HP Bar?

It was not just the newbies—first-rate Players such as Edward’s group who had been honed through many battles were startled too.

Even if it were a Boss template, why wouldn’t a mere Level 35 monster not have a HP Bar?

After Gou Dan shared his analysis with Edward, the latter groaned for a moment before his eyes sparkled.

“I got it!” Edward exclaimed seriously then. “The absence of a HP Bar is a hint from the God of Games!”

“What hint? Are you saying that it’s an ally? Its name is bright red through and through…” Joe couldn’t help asking. “Even the two automatons we fought were yellow-names in comparison.”

“No, the Tunnel Eye Serpent is definitely an enemy, but there are two reasons why it has no HP Bar.” Edward explained to his party. “First off, the enemy’s true form is not there: the big thing we’re looking at is something like a shell, and the HP bar would only show up in its true form.”

“That’s possible… should we reach out to the other Players and get some help finding the true form?” Gou Dan quickly asked.

Edward, however, shook his head.

“Believe me. Once we announce that possibility in the forums, every last Player in Crookes would rush out with a whoosh to find the true form. None of them is going to stay here to fight that thing to the death.”

After all, while their code of honor was important in the perspective of all Players, Crookes was not Lancaster which had formed an alliance with the Church of Games, just as it wasn’t liege Angora’s hometown of Tunaya.

All it was, was a new map.

They were utterly unacquainted with the city, let alone develop sentiment with it.

That was why controlling the Players’ motivation was undoubtedly beneficial right now.

Since gold and authority wasn’t too attractive to the Players, rare items, substantial EXP and game coins were much more useful for them in comparison.

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As such, given that staying in the city was both dangerous and unprofitable whereas searching and destroying the true form was simpler and effective, it was only too obvious what the Players would choose to do.

Still, if Edward’s theory was right, searching and destroying the enemy’s true form counted as saving the city from another perspective. In turn, the Players wouldn’t really be the ones to blame for their choice.

“Then, how about we have them fight that thing while we drag out the true form and spank it?” Joe asked, scratching his head.

“That is possible, but I don’t want to get infamous.” Edward shook his head again. “Didn’t I mention it? There is another possibility.”

“What is it, then?” Gou Dan pressed, curious.

“That thing is its true form and actually has a HP bar, but it is only after certain conditions are meet that its HP bar would appear.” Edward reply. “The best evidence to that theory is that its appearance didn’t start any new quest in the System.”

Gou Dan was visibly confused. “How does that logic connect to anything?” “Based on the System… or indeed the God of Games’ usual style, if that monster was really just a shell while the real enemy was controlling it from some corner, there would be a quest that reveals that fact.”

Ever the lecturer, Edward was not all bothered to have to explain things. “But such a quest hasn’t shown up even now, meaning that it is possible that no one is controlling it! And the reason that there is no HP bar shown is merely because a condition was yet to be met.”

In fact, if he drove his theory further, Edward believed that the Tunnel Eye Serpent might have already appeared as a part of some quest.

Hence, after eliminating the less likely quests, it would either be a part of the ‘Swampmen Incident’ quest or the ‘Ancient High Elf Ruins’ quest.

“So, what should we do?” Gou Dan asked, feeling a headache just then. “Fight or flight?”

“Fight!” Edward made the call without hesitation. “I’m betting on my second theory. By detonating every Illum crystal on the monster’s body and testing every last possibility, we will only hold back that monster and let the other players find the true form if there is another way!”

“More donkey jobs,” Joe complained, although he was already clenching the hilt of his greatsword and summoning his spirit familiar.

“Well, we are the earliest believers of the Church of Games.” Gou Dan didn’t add anything further, but he had already set his AWM to super-long-range sniper mode with maximum output. “We have to shoulder some responsibilities.”

Edward smiled at his companions and raised Happy Flames, charging his blue bar and preparing himself. That was when the sack beside their feet which had stayed silent all along suddenly wiggled, followed by Eleena’s meek voice.

“About that… can I come out now?”

Whoops. They forgot about the Saintess-in-training.