As the group was still discussing what the creatures were, the terrifying monsters surged from all directions. Countless small legs, eyes that were disturbingly large, these monsters' strength was unknown, but they were undeniably disgusting.
Even Ye Tiancheng, who had seen much of the world, couldn't help but tremble all over, his hair standing on end, goosebumps erupting across his skin.
"I've never seen such disgusting monsters in my life. It's truly beyond belief. Looking at them makes my scalp tingle; I really want to punch something."
Ye Tiancheng's fists were clenched, ready to strike at any moment. The scene before him was simply too overwhelming.
"Brother Ye, you've always protected me. This time, let me protect you. Leave this matter to me."
The Fatty had already obtained the shovel and felt as if he had gained a cheat code. Usually, he would hide behind everyone when trouble arose, but now, when things got tough, he could finally charge ahead.
Ye Tiancheng naturally wanted to stop the Fatty. The Fatty's condition was still unstable, and he clearly wasn't the type to carry the team. Therefore, it was best not to let his good brother take risks. If he were to lose his life, it would be a grave loss.
However, before Ye Tiancheng could intervene, everything happened too quickly. He saw the Fatty directly take out the shovel and smash a monster flat on the ground.
"You dare to provoke Fatty! I'll turn you into a poster, flatten you out, and make sure you never show your face again."
As the monster was flattened, it spewed a lot of green liquid. To others, it was truly disgusting, and everyone wore expressions of disdain.
Especially Ye Tiancheng, who, if he hadn't dodged in time, might have been splattered by it. The green liquid looked truly horrifying.
"Fatty, be careful. That shovel is no ordinary item; it's a divine artifact. You must use it well and never betray its powerful function."
"Brother Ye, honestly, when you first gave me this shovel, I was a bit disdainful, but now that disdain is completely gone. I love this item so much. From now on, when I go out, I'll bring this shovel, and these demons and monsters will never bother me again."
The Fatty had clearly turned things around and was ecstatic. He felt that no one could defeat him now; he was completely carrying the team.
"Good, as long as you like it. I was initially planning to find you a more suitable weapon. After all, although this shovel is quite powerful, it doesn't look impressive. People always say we're unsophisticated. If we go out with a shovel, we'll be mistaken for farmers."
Ye Tiancheng always appeared indifferent when criticized, but in reality, he felt uncomfortable. Who wouldn't dislike being constantly called unsophisticated and like a farmer? Although diligent farmers create immense value and deserve respect, there's also a desire for elegance.
"It doesn't matter. I wouldn't trade it for any ancient divine artifact. I have a destiny with this shovel. I even dreamt of it before. Now that it has finally become my weapon, I feel it was all predestined."
As the Fatty finished speaking, he noticed more monsters pouring in, as if taking advantage of the weakened protective layer set by Ye Tiancheng to annihilate them all.
"Alright! In the past, when Fatty was weak, you could bully me however you pleased. Now that I've risen, you monsters still don't know restraint and dare to come here and cause trouble. You're all seeking death!"
The Fatty shouted loudly and then attacked. The Fatty wielded the shovel with masterful skill. Although there were no set moves, it was like playing whack-a-mole; he just needed to smash any monster he saw, without needing many martial arts techniques.
"Watch Fatty beat you to death!"
Accompanied by the clatter of fighting, soon the ground was covered in green liquid and the flattened corpses of monsters. This shovel indeed possessed some ability to subdue demons and ghosts, otherwise, an ordinary shovel would absolutely not have such an effect.
"Brother Ye, this is so awesome! I never thought I could be the main damage dealer in this team. Fatty has finally stood up!"
In the past, he was always relegated to support and became a burden. This was a significant blow to the Fatty. Although he never voiced it, there was sometimes a hint of annoyance in his heart. Everyone else was fighting with gusto, while he felt like an outsider. Now, it was different; he felt a complete reversal.
"Good. It is said that the more a shovel resonates with its owner, the more miraculous its effects will be. So, I won't stop you. You can take this opportunity to practice."
With Ye Tiancheng's encouragement, the Fatty became even more motivated. He swung the shovel with great rhythm, smashing the monsters into disarray. Green liquid splattered everywhere, emitting a faint, unpleasant odor. It wasn't exactly a stench, but an extremely nauseating smell that made one feel sick.
"Brother Ye, I'm a bit tired. How come these monsters seem endless? When will we finish fighting them?"
Even with his newfound enthusiasm, the Fatty's stamina was limited. He couldn't fight non-stop and needed to rest. When he did, he realized the monsters were still swarming forward relentlessly.
"Alright, let me."
The Fatty's physical output was ultimately no match for Ye Tiancheng, who was more like a mage. With a blast of true qi,
he took down several monsters at once. Although they didn't appear to be significantly harmed externally, they were indeed killed. The effect was the same.
"Brother Ye, thank goodness. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been me smashing monsters just now, but monsters smashing me. You scared me to death; my legs are cramping."
The Fatty was indeed a bit frightened. If he hadn't been careful, he could have been lost. Therefore, sometimes one shouldn't be too overconfident and should maintain a humble attitude, otherwise, the one who gets hurt is oneself.
This wave of monsters finally ceased its advance, and the Fatty could finally catch his breath. As he sat on the bed to rest, he was drenched in sweat.
As the Fatty wiped his sweat with a towel, he felt like an old man who couldn't bear the heat in a sauna.
"It seems my physique really needs more training. Being weak is too embarrassing. I don't want you all to look down on me."
"Now you have the opportunity to train, Fatty. Seize it. Look at all these monster fragments on the ground; someone needs to clean them up. You can't be lazy now. You should take this chance to tidy up. Isn't this what you wanted for training?"
Ye Tiancheng said it as if joking, and the Fatty immediately understood. "Alright, I'll do it. No one else needs to move. From today onwards, I want to train properly. I want to become a muscular man."
Ye Tiancheng couldn't let the Fatty do all the hard work alone. If the Fatty did it all by himself, it would be a bit like bullying him. Ye Tiancheng quickly grabbed a large bucket, which was for collecting the monster fragments.
"Brother Ye, I told you I don't need your help. If I can't even handle this, how can I be worthy of being your brother?"
The Fatty had endured enough of the harsh reality of being a drag on the team, wanting to be on par with Ye Tiancheng. Thus, he was working incredibly hard, so hard it was almost heartbreaking.
"Don't overexert yourself. Let's clean it up together. We'll burn all these monster fragments later, right here. I'm afraid it might attract more monsters, which would be very troublesome for us."
They had prior experience. In situations like this, with such strong odors, it could attract more monsters. This was not a matter to be taken lightly; extreme caution was necessary, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
It seemed the Fatty had indeed become much stronger than before. He used the shovel to scoop up the stuck monster fragments from the ground and then uniformly threw them all into the bucket.
Next, a spark was thrown in, and a raging fire ignited. The monster fragments burned with a crackling sound, emitting wisps of black smoke and an indescribable odor. The entire scene was extremely unsettling, giving the feeling that these monsters might return. Their resentment was mixed within the thick black smoke.
The Fatty covered his nose with a handkerchief, otherwise, he truly couldn't stand the smell; it was too acrid.
After finally burning all the monster fragments, the Fatty could finally lie on his bed and relax quietly. There was no signal in the mountains, so the Fatty couldn't play with his phone and could only lie there lost in thought.
Before long, he fell asleep. As soon as he did, he saw a person. The person was covered in dust and grime, looked to be in his forties, but was very solidly built, giving the impression of having served in the military.
"Who are you? Why have you suddenly appeared in my room? What do you want?"
When a stranger appears in one's room, any normal person would be surprised. The feeling of one's private space being invaded was truly unsettling.
"I am the previous owner of that shovel. That is my treasure, and you must take good care of it. Otherwise, I will not let you go. Even as a ghost, I will not spare you."
The Fatty was bewildered by the man's words, but at that moment, he understood that he must be dreaming. After all, the previous owner of the shovel must have passed away long ago. For him to come out and cause trouble now clearly didn't make logical sense.
"Speak to me properly, Fatty, and you're threatening me? Aren't you already a ghost? Didn't you say you wouldn't spare me even as a ghost? Then you can make your move."
The Fatty hated being threatened the most. Moreover, the Fatty was very clear that if this guy was truly capable, he wouldn't need to say so much to him. Therefore, the Fatty strongly suspected that this person was bragging.
"What's wrong with you?" The man was clearly getting annoyed. "You have no reverence at all. I see you just want to oppose me. Then we can't be friends; we can only be enemies."
The Fatty didn't know about anything else, but this guy seemed to be quite sharp-tongued. The Fatty stubbornly refused to yield.
"They say that one more friend means one less enemy. I stubbornly refuse to believe otherwise. Anyway, the shovel is in my hands now. If you have the ability, try to snatch it away."