Chapter 71: Fulai Inn (Part Six)

Chapter 71: Fulai Inn (Part Six)

After saying these words, Aunt Li left to continue searching for Shuangshuang and Xiao Jie.

Although their strength was formidable, far surpassing her own, Aunt Li had never been the type to sit and wait for rescue.

Even though she had a good relationship with Nie Shuangshuang and knew that she had once been a high-ranking player on the scoreboards, and even though her strength had severely declined now, Shuangshuang's abilities and items still far exceeded ordinary players, which could easily help Aunt Li clear the public instance dungeons.

But Aunt Li understood more clearly that she couldn't rely on Shuangshuang forever.

No matter how capable Shuangshuang was, this was still a dangerous horror game; she couldn't become a burden, relying on her care continuously.

Moreover, the girl is so young, almost the same age as her son. It is only reasonable that she should take extra care of her.

After Aunt Li left, Lu Tonghe's gaze swept across the room.

Aunt Li's words indeed had an effect; the previously emotional new players were now silently seated in a corner.

Perhaps they were moved by Aunt Li's words, feeling a sense of shame, or perhaps they were just worried that the veteran players would not assist them... At any rate, they were finally silent now.

Lu Tonghe quietly observed them, feeling immensely relieved at this moment that Nie Shuangshuang was not here.

Back when the Ronghua Guild was still active, the guild members frequently assisted players in the same dungeon. The guild's internal clearance data was also open to all players. Back then, a whole screen on the east side of the base hall was exclusively for Ronghua.

These devoted individuals always walked at the forefront, exploring one step further for all the players, pushing forward, ever forward.

Every year, during the national dungeon event, the clearance rates of the top-ranking guilds would see a significant increase. The number one Chaoyang Guild could even elevate the total clearance rate of its players to over 50%.

However, unlike all other major guilds, the Ronghua Guild had a high mortality rate each year during the national dungeon event, even exceeding their usual death rate in regular dungeons.

Because every year, while other guilds vie for positions on the points leaderboard, showcasing their strength to all players, the only thing the Ronghua Guild would do is take advantage of the special characteristics of the national dungeon event - the ability to livestream, receive external support, and reduced dungeon difficulty among others - to tackle dungeons with extremely low clearance rates, bringing back information from these dungeons to help all players handle them in future encounters.

They were like pioneers, a transparent umbrella sheltering all players.

But such sacrifices brought not only respect but also some profoundly disheartening developments.

Much like the current situation.

Many people take the kindness of good individuals for granted. As long as the bad ones do not commit crimes, they are satisfied. But when the parasites nurtured by the selfless sacrifices of the good cannot feed on sufficient flesh and blood, they find the kindness lacking.

Nie Shuangshuang, who came from the Ronghua Guild, might feel even more if she witnessed this scene.

Lu Tonghe glanced at them once more before silently following Aunt Li's footsteps, disappearing quickly from everyone's sight.

At this point, one of the people who had stood up to instigate earlier couldn't maintain face anymore and muttered quietly.

"What a show..."

Before he could finish, the remaining two veteran players turned to look at him and also turned their attention to all the new players present.

"Nie Jie and Jie Ge are strong, but I'm not. If monsters really come later, I won't save you. Not pushing you out to distract the monsters is already a proof of my conscience," Yue Qin sneered, "You really think people owe you something, not appreciating the help you've received, ungrateful wretches. Just die for all I care."

The players surrounding the person who had just spoken now distanced themselves a bit.

At this point, someone whispered, "So... when will Nie Jie and Jie Ge be back?"

.

This was a question Jie Fangcheng also wanted an answer to.

"Hello?" After great difficulty, Jie Fangcheng managed to break free from the raging currents, pulling Nie Shuangshuang up with him.

When the lake water had surged in earlier, the flow was akin to a high-pressure water gun in a car wash, instantly sweeping the two out from the narrow path and back onto the central platform.

At this moment, Nie Shuangshuang suddenly realized that all five butterflies had extinguished on the western path, presumably not because they encountered the city lord and the celestial master, but because they met the water flow.

"Damn!" The flow of water was massive, and Nie Shuangshuang was battered and disoriented. She turned her head to see Jie Fangcheng, who seemed unbothered, standing there wringing the water from his clothes.

Nie Shuangshuang fumed, "Is this really the time to be wringing out your clothes? Hurry up and think of how we can get up there!"

The water surged in like a flood through the five branched pathways, completely destroying the staircase that led up from the ground level.

Jie Fangcheng looked up to assess the situation.

The underground area was approximately three stories below the ground level. Without a second thought, Jie Fangcheng bent his knees, gripped his baseball bat, and leaped upwards vigorously. To Nie Shuangshuang's astonishment, he soared up and shattered the thick ground, which was at least one to two meters thick, with a swing of his bat.

Nie Shuangshuang's mouth hung open in disbelief.

Indeed, having had her physical capabilities enhanced by the system multiple times, she could potentially muster enough strength to jump up to that height with some effort.

But that was merely leaping up; how on earth could someone not only jump up but also smash through such a thick layer of ground with a single strike?

Jie Fangcheng jumped once more at the spot to widen the diameter of the hole he had created, then for the third time, he leaped out of the hole as if sprouting from the ground, now standing tall. He miraculously produced a bundle of rope from somewhere and lowered it down.

"Come," Jie Fangcheng instructed.

...Where did this rope come from??

Shocked, Nie Shuangshuang extended her hand.

Just as she was about to grab the rope, a sudden sharp pain shot through her foot.

Nie Shuangshuang looked down.

In the water, an infant that seemed to have just formed was biting onto her foot. The infant didn't even have eyelids yet, and its swollen, white skin indicated that it had been soaked for a while. Its limbs were barely formed, and a long umbilical cord was attached to its navel.

Even for Nie Shuangshuang, who had cleared many rounds and encountered numerous monsters, this sight sent a chill down her spine.

What the hell is this...

She kicked her foot, attempting to shake the partially formed infant off, but the infant's umbilical cord suddenly extended and yanked her leg with a strong pull.

Nie Shuangshuang felt as if she had been paralyzed, stumbling due to the pull. Before she could regain her balance, the walls separating the western small paths, which had been pressured by the lake water, finally collapsed, releasing a massive rush of water.

Everything happened in a blink of an eye. Just as Jie Fangcheng realized something was amiss, Nie Shuangshuang, who was below, was swept away by the unknown creature and the rushing water with a cry of alarm.

Oh no!

Without hesitation, Jie Fangcheng jumped down after her.

He couldn't swim, let alone dive, but Jie Fangcheng certainly wasn't going to die here.

The water had already submerged everything above head level. Treating the water as solid ground, Jie Fangcheng held his breath, disregarding the resistance and buoyancy of the water, as he strenuously made his way towards Nie Shuangshuang's location.

But there was nothing he could do; at this speed, all he could do was watch as Nie Shuangshuang ricocheted around in front of him like a ping pong ball - even when moving on her own, she resembled this, now more than ever as she was being thrown around, hitting walls with loud 'bangs', loud enough to be heard even underwater.

Xie Fangcheng felt as if the water had become even murkier, due to the considerable amount of debris created by Nie Shuangshuang's collisions with the walls.

As for Nie Shuangshuang, she initially struggled a bit, but the more she resisted, the more violently she collided with the surroundings, soon losing consciousness.

The current was swift and furious, and Xie Fangcheng had no choice but to race along with it, getting swept into a cavern alongside Nie Shuangshuang.

The cavern's elevation gradually increased, slowing the water flow as the terrain rose, ultimately forming an air pocket at the end.

At last, Xie Fangcheng managed to pull Nie Shuangshuang from the water, laying her on the ground and gently patting her face.

Remarkably, despite the intense collisions, the once high-level player Nie Shuangshuang showed no signs of injury.

Xie Fangcheng hesitated for a moment, uncertain of her condition, clumsily navigated to the system mall for the first time, locating a recovery potion.

Just as Xie Fangcheng opened the potion bottle intending to administer it to her, Nie Shuangshuang spat out a large mouthful of water with a ‘woah’, followed by a couple of coughs.

"Cough cough...” After finishing her coughing spell, a befuddled Nie Shuangshuang asked, "Where are we?"

Then she noticed the potion in Xie Fangcheng's hand.

"Are you trying to give me a potion?" Nie Shuangshuang inquired.

"Ah," Xie Fangcheng nodded, "But it seems like you've already revived, otherwise..."

As he was about to put the potion bottle away, Nie Shuangshuang stopped him, snatching the recovery potion from him.

"Ah, since you've already traded for it, just give it to me," she said.

Xie Fangcheng was speechless, "You have so many items and points, yet you still want to snag my potion?"

"Tsk, what's with your choice of words? What do you mean 'snag'? This is called saving, understand? It's called financial prudence, got it?"

Xie Fangcheng sarcastically remarked, "So this act of yours is considered financial prudence?"

Despite his words, Xie Fangcheng didn't prevent Nie Shuangshuang from taking the potion.

Nie Shuangshuang smiled brightly, and after taking the potion, she didn't drink it, but instead capped it and stored it away.

In reality, if Xie Fangcheng could see her personal interface, he would realize that despite her apparent generosity in buying shards as she claimed, she actually had fewer points than him.

At this moment, although she hadn't consumed the potion, Nie Shuangshuang seemed even more energized than if she had.

She stood up, first surveying their surroundings.

"Eh?" Nie Shuangshuang exclaimed in surprise, "This cavern seems to have been inhabited before."

In contrast to the rough central platform underground, the further one ventured into other caverns, the narrower the paths became, with less effort apparent in their construction.

But this cavern was different; it appeared somewhat spacious, seemingly covering an area of four to five square meters.

The traces of habitation are even more evident here; there is a bed - a bed carved out from the wall.

Clearly, ordinary creatures and those not-so-human-like monsters wouldn't require a bed.

Yet, what purpose does a bed like this serve underground?

Could it be that someone had once resided here?

With questions looming, Nie Shuangshuang approached the bed.

This excavated bed was quite rudimentary, merely resembling a basic form of a bed. Atop it lay a square pillow fashioned from stone, devoid of any bedding or other belongings.

But upon moving the pillow, Nie Shuangshuang discovered a distinctive mark.

"Look!"

Beneath the pillow were several lines of minuscule inscriptions. Initially, they were neatly etched characters denoting "positive" or "upright", growing increasingly sloppy towards the end. The final character could barely be recognized as a character at all, its strokes horribly distorted.

Nie Shuangshuang utilized her intellect to analyze, "Typically, this 'upright' character is used to mark the days. It seems like the owner of this stone bed might have been confined here, marking each day to keep track of the time, reminding themselves how long they have been trapped. Initially, their consciousness was fairly lucid, but as time wore on, their mind became increasingly foggy, resulting in the sloppy appearance of the characters."

Xie Fangcheng pondered, nodding in agreement with a "Hmm".

Both of them stared at the series of "upright" characters for quite a while before Nie Shuangshuang raised her head, "Have you noticed anything else?"

Xie Fangcheng was utterly candid, "No."

Nie Shuangshuang started to look somewhat distressed, "This is bad."

Nie Shuangshuang was not particularly adept at solving mysteries, and it appeared Xie Fangcheng was similarly challenged, both adept at physical tasks but lacking when it came to cerebral endeavors.

At times like this, Nie Shuangshuang invariably found herself missing the guild leader.

If Zhang Ge was still here, she wouldn't have to be racking her brain here, enduring this frustration.

Xie Fangcheng was reminiscing too.

If Zhang Dao'an, that young fellow, were here, he would probably have produced a lengthy analysis incomprehensible to him after examining the scene. In any case, he would certainly figure out how to clear this stage and understand what had transpired.

Present circumstances were indeed putting Xie Fangcheng in a difficult position.

"So what's the point of all this?" Nie Shuangshuang scratched her head frantically, "Could it be... could it be... that the city lord and his associates harbor some unspeakable fetishes?"

Xie Fangcheng could only nod, "Perhaps."

The two exchanged a glance.

Nie Shuangshuang laid the pillow back down, decisively giving up, "Forget it, let's move on."

Xie Fangcheng wholeheartedly agreed with this decision, "Yes, yes, let's move on."

"How should we proceed?" Nie Shuangshuang asked.

Ahead of them, the surface of the water seemed to have calmed significantly, as if the lake had ceased to pour into the cave.

But the way back through the water was going to be a monumental challenge; surely they wouldn't have to dive back to the platform and find an exit there?

Xie Fangcheng rolled up his sleeves, declaring, "We can just smash our way through!"

It was only at this moment that Nie Shuangshuang realized she had fallen into the same mindset as the average player.

Accompanying her was a powerhouse capable of forging a path where there wasn't one; why would they need to walk? To put it simply, given Xie Fangcheng's capabilities, he wouldn't need to navigate the twists and turns of the dungeon. He could traverse in a straight line as indicated on the map, with absolutely no issues.

Nie Shuangshuang instantly stepped back, bending at the waist to gesture a "please proceed" to Xie Fangcheng.

But before she could complete her gesture, something caught the corner of her eye, causing her to dodge abruptly.

The eerie fetus appeared once more at the very spot she had just vacated.

"Damn! What kind of creature is this!" Without a second thought, Nie Shuangshuang pulled out her large cleaver from her backpack.

The fetus hovered in the water, gazing at her. It opened its mouth, emitting a sound resembling a baby's cry.

Xie Fangcheng hurriedly held her back, squatting down.

The fetus recoiled in fear, retreating half a meter but circling hesitantly in the water, unwilling to leave.

"What the hell is this?" Nie Shuangshuang furrowed her brows, turning her attention back to a contemplative Xie Fangcheng, "You don't suppose you understand what it's saying, do you?"

Xie Fangcheng strained his ears, finally standing up to shake his head, "No, I don't."

"Then why did you listen for so long?"

Although Xie Fangcheng had no idea what the little ghost was saying, he understood that it had grievances to air.

Regrettably, however...

Xie Fangcheng sighed, "This isn't my forte; I truly don't know what your grievances are."

The fetus continued to watch him from the water.

Xie Fangcheng waved at it, "Off you go then. Your death is inevitably tied to the city lord, I'll send him your way as soon as I can, alright?"

The fetus remained unmoved.

The two of them squatted by the water's edge, engaged in a staring contest with the restless fetus that circled frantically in the water, unable to communicate.

It was Nie Shuangshuang, with her extensive experience in clearing levels, who suddenly had a flash of insight: "Hold on... could this child possibly be the city lord's eldest son?"

"Huh?"

While this hypothesis seemed a bit far-fetched, under their current state of mental exhaustion, having something to ponder was better than drawing a complete blank.

Nie Shuangshuang no longer cared about being precisely right and began analyzing rapidly, "Look, we know that the city lord is involved with the celestial master. So where has the city lord's wife gone to? The city lord and his wife were supposed to be a pair, yet now the celestial master has usurped her place, and the lady is nowhere to be found. Could it be that she is the one occupying that bed? And this undeveloped fetus before us is her child?"

But this raises a question.

If so, whom is the hundred-day banquet being prepared for?

Xie Fangcheng responded with a "Oh", but from his expression, Nie Shuangshuang could tell that he probably hadn't grasped eighty percent of what she said, leaving him somewhat befuddled.

After all, she was all too familiar with that expression; she had used it frequently in the past.

"Never mind." Nie Shuangshuang stood up and directed her question at the fetus, "Hey, answer me this, where has your city lord gone?"

The fetus gestured towards the west.

Nie Shuangshuang caught on, "In the lake?"

The fetus remained still.

Nie Shuangshuang clapped her hands, "Forget it, analyzing intelligence clearly isn't our forte. Let's head back first and see if there are other players who are more adept at thinking things through."

Just as she said this, a loud bang echoed from above.

Nie Shuangshuang's face changed color, "There's trouble above! Let's go!"

Without a word, Xie Fangcheng struck upwards with his staff, creating an instant hole in the ceiling from which warm sunlight poured in.

The fetus in the water hurriedly rushed towards them but could not leave the water—this water was akin to amniotic fluid for the newly formed being, essential for its survival.

This time, Nie Shuangshuang was the first to rush out.

Before leaving, Xie Fangcheng turned his head to look at the fetus in the water.

"Don't worry," he assured the small spirit, which was emitting sounds resembling a baby's cries and still expressing its grievances, "Someone will come to handle this matter. It might take some time, but rest assured that everyone will eventually face their due rewards or punishments."

The fetus calmed down in the water, silently watching him.

Without another word, Xie Fangcheng jumped out through the broken hole.

.

"Damn it!" Yue Qin cursed, holding his arm and couldn't help but swear.

Not long after Aunt Li and Lu Tong left, a massive and terrifying figure slowly approached from a distance.

Yue Qin had cleared the dungeon eight times. Although he had a considerable number of completions, his luck hadn't been great, failing to acquire any particularly powerful personal skills.

His personal skills leaned more towards anticipatory abilities, such as "Mudman's Self-Cultivation."

"Airborne Dandelion," his perception-type skill.

Therefore, before this monster could get close, Yue Qin had already perceived it.

"This is bad! Something is coming!"

It isn't one of those minor grievance-infants.

Those little creatures, if not approaching in groups, could still be fought off by veteran players.

Moreover, for reasons unknown, the majority of the grievance-infants are now stationed at the entrance of the city lord's mansion, which is why they were unable to leave the premises.

However, this approaching entity made Yue Qin feel an immense pressure and dread.

"Its power is terrifying! It must be a mini-Boss!"

The players suddenly descended into panic.

"What should we do?"

"Run!"

Without another word, Yue Qin bolted straight out of the courtyard.

This courtyard is situated at the far east of the city lord's mansion; fleeing after the monster enters would be the most foolish course of action.

His reaction was swift. Another veteran player who remained in the yard was a bit slower but quickly followed suit.

The creature was already very close, and both of them locked eyes with it.

What on earth is this thing...

A chill ran through Yue Qin's heart, prompting him to sprint ahead without looking back.

The monster trailing behind only glanced at him and the other veteran player before redirecting its attention towards the small courtyard.

Although there were two fleeing humans... the courtyard smelled so appetizing... with many more...

Chasing after the two could wait a while longer; it decided to devour the larger group first.

Perhaps due to having consumed a few humans just earlier, it felt its intellect had notably sharpened, enabling it to make a wise decision swiftly at this moment.

Inside the courtyard, a novice player finally reacted, hastily rushing out and spotting the monster about a dozen meters away.

"Aaaaaah!!"

Having never encountered such a creature before, the newcomer was terrified to the point of losing his soul, so much that he couldn't continue fleeing. He fell to the ground, scrambling backwards in a frantic retreat.

But it was too late...

A gaunt hand suddenly pierced through his shoulder, dragging him back in its grasp.

"Help me!! Help me!!!" The novice player shrieked in horror, looking towards Yue Qin and the other veteran player. His nails frantically scratched at the ground, leaving behind a trail of bloody marks in his desperate struggle.

Without saying another word, the other veteran player turned and ran, vanishing swiftly from Yue Qin's sight.

Meanwhile, the new player had already been dragged under the creature.

The monster’s other hand slammed down on his head. In an instant, the novice died right before Yue Qin, his screams abruptly silenced.

The sound of chewing reached Yue Qin's ears.

The majority of the eyes on the monster’s head were focused on the courtyard, with a few lingering on Yue Qin who stood frozen in place.

Gritting his teeth, Yue Qin retreated a few steps.

It seemed as if the creature lost interest, shifting its full attention to the “feast” before it.

They were no match for it.

This kind of creature was undoubtedly of a mini-Boss caliber within the first level. Not just Yue Qin, even among the veteran players, apart from the two top ones, the mighty Lu Tong, too, would probably find it hard to gain an advantage against such a beast, right?

Fleeing was a rational choice, nobody in the past would be foolish enough to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the newcomers.

Go!

Yue Qin retreated another two steps.

Just then, the creature before him finally finished its snack.

It stooped as it rose to its feet, its massive belly hanging nearly to the ground, displaying countless small handprints on its almost transparent abdomen that seemed to be reaching towards the scrumptious smell emanating from within the courtyard.

Despite its formidable strength, the monster leisurely approached the courtyard, toying with the trembling prey inside—

“Thud, thud, thud.”

It knocked on the gate, seemingly delighting in the suppressed, panicky screams emanating from within.

Yue Qin could almost see a cruel smile on its face, a satisfaction akin to those who torment small animals, relishing the sight of helpless prey struggling at death's door.

It wasn’t as famished as before, so naturally, it had more time to toy with its food.

"I'm hungry now," it spoke languidly, "Can I eat one person? Whoever it is, just send one out for me to devour, and I'll leave."

Its words were filled with malicious intent.

The game just now was quite entertaining, those four individuals who were now in its stomach had provided a highly amusing performance.

It wanted to see it again.

A commotion erupted inside at once.

The monster pressed its ear to the door, reveling in the cries and pleas emanating from within, listening as these humans were selecting a sacrifice from among them.

After listening for a while, it seemed unsatisfied and knocked on the door again.

"I'm starting a countdown now. If no one comes out by the time the countdown ends, I'll be coming in, alright?" it announced with a mirthful tone.

It happily marked each count with a resounding bang on the door to remind those inside.

"Ten."

"Nine."

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Six."

"Five..."

The eyes on the monster's face twinkled joyously.

A "clever" being who knows how to amuse itself wouldn't adhere to a straightforward countdown, of course!

It grinned broadly, saying: "Four... zero!"

Following this, the monster's hand slammed against the door which could have been easily pushed open, breaking it apart with a "bang."

Screams of terror and cries of despair filled the air as two individuals were indeed pushed out, stumbling a few steps forward in their panic.

Yue Qin's eyes were blood-red.

He too was a human, and at this moment, the sense of humiliation inflicted by the monster surged from the depths of his heart.

"Damn it... Let's go all out!"

Like an arrow released from its bow, he activated his only attack skill and charged forward.

[Skill: Angry Bird]

[Description: While indeed very angry, an irate dragon could destroy a city, but what can an adorable yet frail angry bird do? Bring a little joy, perhaps?]

[Note: Beware! You're just a tiny bird, you can't fly high, okay!]

[Function: Transforms into an angry bird charging at the enemy, perhaps in extreme anger, your speed might even match that of a bullet...maybe?]

An infuriated Yue Qin charged forward.

He was well aware that he was no match for this kind of creature, but being a match wasn't the only way to solve the current problem.

There was a sharp "snap."

The pointed beak collided with the monster's belly, creating a minor wound on its surface.

As suspected, the monster's belly was harboring a multitude of tiny creatures, each resembling infants still connected to their mother via umbilical cords.

The small opening, seemingly insignificant on the monster's immense belly that nearly constituted half of its body, allowed the infants inside - witnessing the outside world for the first time - to stir and squirm, eager to get a glimpse of the outside from the opening.

"Ahh!!" the monster shrieked.

Its abdomen fluctuated violently, settling only after it pounded on it several times.

Yue Qin, transformed into the infuriated bird, landed not far away. The monster turned its head and, with a roar, pursued him.

Without a word, Yue Qin activated his skill again and dashed desperately towards the distance.

It was only after he lured the monster away that the novice players in the yard finally managed to escape the looming shadow of death.

Soft cries, sighs, and prayers of gratitude from those who narrowly escaped death resonated within the confines of the yard...

At that moment, a resounding slap echoed throughout the yard.

A girl slapped the young man standing next to her.

She trembled all over, her voice choked with emotion, "Li Ganyang! Have you lost your humanity?!"

The two were a couple who, unfortunately, fell during a mountain hike; instead of reincarnating after death, they found themselves in this infinite game.

Just yesterday, the girl was grateful to have her boyfriend with her in this terrifying game. They could support each other, not having to struggle alone like other players without a trustworthy companion at their side.

But just moments ago, as the monster was pounding on the door, players inside were pointing fingers at each other, wanting to sacrifice someone else to meet their end.

No one expected the monster to suddenly count to zero at the end of the countdown. In the ensuing panic, the nearest to the door, the seemingly weakest and most vulnerable two girls were shoved out.

And the person who pushed her out... was her boyfriend, whom just yesterday she had felt fortunate to have by her side.

After receiving the slap, Li Ganyang simply hung his head.

"In this game... who doesn't want to survive? If it had been my life at stake just now, wouldn't you have pushed me out in order to save yourself?" he retorted, his voice tinged with bitterness.

His counter-question hung heavily in the air.

The girl stood there, her body quivering with rage.

Some around them chimed in, "At the brink of death, it's only natural for people to make choices in their own best interest! It's instinct! What did this guy do wrong?"

"It's a horror game, even the veteran player said so, everyone survives based on their own abilities! What's there to blame?"

At that moment, Xie Yutong stood up silently.

He observed the players around him.

Just yesterday, everyone was chatting and laughing on the road. This morning, learning that there were two skilled individuals among them planning to defeat the BOSS, they were all relaxed, sharing their unfulfilled wishes and regrets about their past lives.

Much like friends and companions.

But at this moment, Xie Yutong understood.

He turned to Xu Hanrui and extended his hand towards her.

Xu Hanrui was still quite timid, so frightened that she remained seated on the ground, unable to utter a single word.

Yet, this young lady, despite her paralyzing fear, had chosen to assist him back then.

Xu Hanrui looked up at him.

Xie Yutong offered a gentle smile, "Aunt Li was right. Even though we aren't as powerful as the elite players, we, with our own hands and feet, should also be capable of achieving something... worthwhile, don't you think? Would you like to join me in seeking out Shuang and Jie Ge?"

Xu Hanrui first surveyed her surroundings.

In the courtyard, those who had spoken such cold and selfish words earlier continued to vocalize their sentiments, as if garnering more agreement would validate their selfish indifference.

Indeed, a few seemed to agree, their faces mirroring approval; most of them appeared to be individuals possessing greater physical strength, healthier physiques, and overall, a stronger presence.

Yet, amidst these individuals, many remained silent, their varied expressions evidently not endorsing such a perspective.

In times of fear, people tend to seek solidarity and group together.

But at this moment, Xu Hanrui turned her head away.

With trembling hands, she wiped away her tears, then firmly grasped Xie Yutong's hand, using his strength to pull herself to her feet.

"Let's go."

Xie Yutong uttered.

Xu Hanrui nodded resolutely.

.

Meanwhile, on the other side,

The infuriated Yue Qin had not lost his sanity. As he fled at a breakneck speed, he was also searching for the other veteran players who had fled — mainly seeking Aunt Li and Lu Tonghe.

These two were not of the indifferent kind; even if unable to assist him, they at least wouldn't sabotage him.

Behind him, the monster roared, clearly irate at him for slashing open its abdomen.

Although Yue Qin was incredibly fast, maintaining such a pace for an extended period was unfeasible.

Faster... just a bit faster!

Gritting his teeth, Yue Qin, just before the point of exhaustion, turned a corner and spotted the figures of two other players.

Yue Qin paused momentarily.

Only Lu Tonghe remained standing. Before him, a woman who looked human and dressed in a goose-yellow gown was attacking him fiercely.

Aunt Li lay at Lu Tonghe's feet, her fate hanging in the balance.

This is bad!

Yue Qin snapped back to reality instantly.

Their focus had all converged onto this creature, forgetting that this place was the city lord's mansion!

The city lord and that celestial master are both in the mansion! They are the true formidable bosses in this instance!!

With a "clang" sound, Yue Qin got distracted for just a moment, and the monster seized the opportunity, its arm stretching out to strike swiftly.

Although Yue Qin twisted his body violently to dodge the arm, he was still grazed by the passing force, slicing open his arm.

Unable to maintain the form of "Angry Bird", he reverted to human form, spat out a mouthful of blood, and rolled to Lu Tonghe's side.

Lu Tonghe quickly threw over a potion vial, yelling at him.

"Take Aunt Li with you! Go!!"

Without further ado, Lu Tonghe, who had already been struggling to fend off the celestial master, somehow found a burst of energy. Extending the weapon in his hand, he blocked the creature that was pursuing Yue Qin.

Yue Qin quickly gulped down the potion, rolled over, and with Aunt Li in tow, hastily retreated from the battlefield.

In the last moment of his escape, he couldn't resist looking back.

Behind him, Lu Tonghe was slapped on the back by the monster.

After spitting out a mouthful of blood, his frame wobbled slightly before he firmly stood upright again, exhausting his last ounce of strength to valiantly block the monster that was after Yue Qin.

He stood like a trembling yet resilient mountain range on the verge of collapse, staunchly shielding Yue Qin and Aunt Li from the jaws of death.

Yue Qin's eyes welled up with tears.

He took a deep breath.

The overuse of skills caused every breath he took to be tinged with the metallic scent of blood, yet without hesitation, he activated the "Angry Bird" skill once more.

It was a perilous and painful flight for survival.

But at this moment, Yue Qin couldn't help but ponder—

He couldn't shake the feeling that in this horror game, it was the malevolence of humans that seemed the norm.

Much like the players in the courtyard who, despite being new to the instance, had instinctively mastered the cruel rules of survival in this game.

Selfishness, indifference, sacrificing others for one's own benefit.

This is human nature.

Yet, the Lu Tonghe standing behind him proved once again that sometimes... humanity could be tens of thousands of times more magnificent than one might assume.