Chapter 147: The Scarecrow's Natural Enemy (Bonus Chapter with 300 Monthly Votes)

Holding the translucent green gummy bear in his hand, Liu Zong’s expression grew peculiar. He recognized the creature’s appearance—it was one of those so-called gummy bears, with a large head, small body, short arms, and short legs, looking irresistibly cute. The size was modest, about half the length of an average person’s forearm.

If it hadn’t snarled at him with its mouth agape after being caught, Liu Zong might have mistaken it for an adorable trinket and let it go.

At that moment, a scarecrow in the distance noticed Liu Zong and his companions. Perhaps already aware of their impending arrival, the scarecrow did not react excessively but leapt forward to land before Liu Zong.

Only then did Liu Zong get a clear look at the scarecrow’s form. It stood at least three meters tall, clad in a patchwork clown suit sewn from countless scraps of fabric. Its face was hidden behind a smiling mask, mounted atop a slender bamboo pole, its head rotating a full 360 degrees at intervals.

Dangling from the scarecrow’s outstretched arms were numerous gummy bears—all long dead, their bodies turned a murky dark green, some partially melted into the fabric itself.

Seeing the gummy bear in Liu Zong’s hand, the scarecrow chuckled with relief. “Ha! Finally caught one. If we don’t capture these gummy bears, today’s wheat harvest will be doomed again.”

Liu Zong squeezed the bear’s neck and asked, “What’s the story with this gummy bear?”

“What else could it be? It’s the work of those leader bears. They roar day and night, and whenever their howls are heard, the candies in the fields transform into gummy bears and run straight towards that cursed Bear Fighting Arena. No one can stop them. These are the world’s resources—if this continues, the world’s supply will be depleted.”

As he spoke, the scarecrow made a crying gesture near its eyes, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Then it added, “By the way, gummy bears are edible. They don’t add much in terms of stats, but they taste good.”

After speaking, the scarecrow began explaining the local situation. This was the most crucial wheat-growing region in the miniature world, originally spanning over five thousand acres. Since the invasion of the miniature realm, the wheat fields had been shrinking, and if this continued, there wouldn’t be enough flour for the Candy House.

Yet the scarecrow had no other options. It could only deal with the gummy bears inside the wheat fields; it couldn’t venture beyond them. Outside the fields lurked a boss that countered the scarecrow—should it step outside, the boss would immediately attack.

This boss was known as the Evil Ice Cluster, a mage. Its attributes sounded unremarkable, but to Liu Zong, it was a direct jab at the scarecrow’s lack of intellect, earning it the title of the scarecrow’s natural enemy.

【Evil Ice Cluster】
【Race: Sugar Being】
【Level: Lv1 (1-Star) Boss Template】
【Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 7, Constitution 9, Spirit 11】
【Description: The Evil Ice Cluster is a rare ice-element sugar being. If it stops moving, its brain melts, so it has developed a unique teleportation ability, randomly shifting to any corner of the battlefield.】

Liu Zong bit off half the gummy bear’s head in one bite, quickly chewing twice. The taste was merely sweet but pleasant, with a chewy texture that bounced in his mouth.

After swallowing, there was no sense of fullness, nor any significant attribute boost—just as the scarecrow had said, tasty but not particularly useful.

However, as a shadow-element player, Liu Zong sensed a faint trace of spiritual energy within the gummy bear’s body—a method typically used to create undead beings, though here it was only about a thousandth the usual amount.

While puzzling over the spiritual energy, Bai Qi, standing nearby, said, “Want to try fighting this boss first? You strike, I’ll watch from a distance, and if you get overwhelmed, I’ll step in.”

Liu Zong didn’t respond immediately but instead asked the scarecrow, “If I want to find a suitable place to fight the boss, can you recommend one?”

Tilting its head, the scarecrow pondered before understanding what Liu Zong meant by “fight the boss.” It didn’t answer right away but asked, “What’s your fighting style?”

Liu Zong was momentarily taken aback, then realized why the scarecrow asked. The Evil Ice Cluster’s greatest strength was its random teleportation. Whether the distance or timing of these teleports was complicated, the effect alone was a headache.

If Liu Zong was a melee fighter, he needed to find ways to limit the boss's teleportation range. If he was a ranged fighter, he would want to fix the boss’s appearance to specific spots for attack.

Before Liu Zong could answer, Bai Qi spoke up, “Melee.”

Turning to look, Liu Zong saw Bai Qi nonchalantly gnawing on a gummy bear. Upon noticing Liu Zong’s gaze, he said casually, “Melee is better.”

Liu Zong thought seriously for a moment, then nodded in agreement and said to the scarecrow, “Please choose a place suitable for melee combat. I want to test the boss’s strength first.”

The scarecrow, familiar with the area, immediately replied, “No problem. Follow me.”

Liu Zong followed the scarecrow for a few steps but noticed Bai Qi had no intention of following. Puzzled, he looked at him, and Bai Qi explained, “I don’t know how close I can get before it counts as entering the fight. You go first. I’ll show up when I’m needed.”

With no other choice, Liu Zong continued with the scarecrow. Soon, they left the wheat field. The scarecrow pointed nearby, “This used to be a wheat field too, but after the candies underground turned into gummy bears and ran off, wheat can no longer grow here. Look at the ground—though it looks like chocolate mud, it’s lost most of its sweetness.”

While the scarecrow spoke, Liu Zong’s attention wandered, scanning the surroundings. His equipment was already drawn, and he gripped a spear he had recently acquired firmly.

As Liu Zong surveyed the area, he noticed the scarecrow had retreated to the edge of the field but hadn’t fully withdrawn. It stood there, waiting.

Liu Zong understood—the scarecrow was waiting for the Evil Ice Cluster to appear. The boss targeted the scarecrow, not Liu Zong. Without the scarecrow, Liu Zong wouldn’t encounter many bosses in this miniature world.

Just as Liu Zong watched the scarecrow, a sudden chill crept up his spine. Without hesitation, he reversed his spear in hand and thrust it backward. Simultaneously, he crouched low, using the momentum of his spear thrust to sweep his body sideways, turning to face the source of the cold.