Chapter 224: The Meat Grinder (Part V)

Chapter 224: The Meat Grinder (Part V)

"Wake up."

Jie Fangcheng really did want to slap her senseless, but given the unclear circumstances, he had to restrain himself. Even though he had held back, it was still a slap from Jie Fangcheng after all!

The elf convulsed twice and then spat out a mouthful of blood. It was unclear if she was already unconscious to begin with or if the slap had knocked her out again.

Startled, Jie Fangcheng exclaimed, "I only tapped you, why are you coughing up so much blood? You make it seem as though I'm some brute."

The fallen elf gave no response, but Yan Xun seemed to chuckle softly, then said, "Let's move her onto the vehicle first."

After all, surrounded by yellow sand and with unpredictable winds that might arise, it was safer inside the vehicle.

Jie Fangcheng didn't even need to lift a finger; the land vehicle automatically extended two mechanical arms from its sides and, with the ease of picking up a vegetable, hoisted the fallen elf back into the car.

Jie Fangcheng followed and boarded the vehicle. It was only then that Yan Xun inquired, "Do you know her?"

Jie Fangcheng nodded, then shook his head.

"I've met her before," he replied.

There was no need to probe further; Jie Fangcheng's expression clearly conveyed that this particular encounter wasn't a pleasant memory.

Indeed, he soon explained, "You might not remember this part, but she's one of the five who killed you."

Hearing this, Yan Xun took a more discerning look at the fallen elf.

At first glance, the elf possessed the unique beauty associated with elves. Pointed ears, pale skin—although her eyes remained closed and her appearance was marred by visible injuries and a tattered cloak, the hallmark features of elvish beauty were still evident.

She belonged to a race unseen in this mini-world. The mechanical arm inside the vehicle didn't retract. Instead, it produced a device resembling a scanner, scanning the elf from head to toe.

"What's happening?" Jie Fangcheng asked.

"Registering her genetic data," Yan Xun explained. "Our current genetic database contains the genes of millions of species. Even if all living beings were to perish from the world, as long as the world persists and a new civilization arises, this data might enable the recreation of some of our current species."

This reminded Jie Fangcheng of a scenario from another game where humanity similarly chose to preserve the seeds of their civilization during an apocalypse.

Although "Do Not Respond" and "The Three-Thousand Worlds" are entirely distinct games—the former, strictly speaking, operates on preset programming with endlessly rebooting instances, and NPCs that never truly die.

"The Three-Thousand Worlds", on the other hand, encompasses events that truly transpire within real mini-worlds.

Despite originating from two different worlds, when faced with an apocalypse, humans tend to adopt the same methods to leave a testament to their existence.

This is the essence of civilization.

After Yan Xun finished explaining, Jie Fangcheng jokingly extended his arm under the scanner, "Want to scan my genetic sequence?"

Before he could finish speaking, the genetic detection system automatically sounded an alarm.

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Jie Fangcheng was taken aback, "Your detection system is quite advanced, huh?"

If it could detect even his potent presence, it was truly a testament to Professor Zhang's genius.

Yan Xun merely cast him a brief glance, "My system automatically identifies entities posing significant threats to me."

"Hmm? Do I pose a significant threat to you?"

"The possibility of a robot losing its sanity is the most substantial threat."

His words were so roundabout that Jie Fangcheng momentarily couldn't decipher his meaning.

It took nearly ten minutes of driving before Jie Fangcheng could discern any other implications.

"Is this robot... subtly confessing feelings to him? It's too oblique to make out!"

The car was silent for a moment, until the fallen elf, bound to the car's interior like a prisoner, stirred. Initially disoriented, she murmured, "No."

Shortly after, she opened her eyes, realizing she had escaped the dreadful demonic realm.

"Where is this place?" The elf weakly inquired.

Jie Fangcheng, sitting in the passenger seat, slowly turned to face her.

！！！

Though the current Jie Fangcheng sported short hair, a white T-shirt, and jeans, contrasting starkly with his previous ethereal appearance of white hair and heterochromatic eyes, his impression on Xiaoqi was so profound that she recognized him instantly.

"It's you!" She exclaimed.

"Not bad."

"That saves me the trouble of introducing myself," thought Jie Fangcheng.

Jie Fangcheng only had a vague idea about the origins of these five individuals.

He knew they were players who entered the hunting ground, but he was unclear about their purpose in his world. If Zhang Dao'an's death was their doing, what about Dongyue Shenjun?

Xiaoqi was in agonizing pain, especially her head, which felt as though it had been struck hard. The pain was bone-deep.

She asked, "Why am I here? Is this the hunting ground?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Jie Fangcheng replied expressionlessly, "Why are you here?"

But the fallen elf remained silent.

Jie Fangcheng didn't have much patience for the five of them to begin with. Seeing her reluctance now, a surge of killing intent rose within him.

The killing intent was palpable. Elves by nature are a sensitive race, and only now did Xiaoqi realize with a jolt that the man before her wasn't an ordinary player. With just a flick of his sword, he almost obliterated all five of them previously. Now, she found herself inexplicably in this hunting ground. If she continued to resist, he could kill her in a mere heartbeat.

Her own death didn't matter; without Yan Ge and the others, life held no meaning for her.

Fallen elves are not recognized by most elven races. Even in Zone D, they are a rare sight. Had it not been for Captain Yan Ge and his team's acceptance, Xiaoqi would have been dead long ago.

As for revenge... Given the opponent's strength, Xiaoqi knew she'd never achieve it.

But whether she lived or died was irrelevant. The captain was still in the hospital, and if she died, she had to relay a message to him.

With this thought, Xiaoqi finally spoke, "Do you know Satan?"

"Who?" The unfamiliar name caught Jie Fangcheng off guard.

"Yes," Xiaoqi elaborated, "He's one of the chairmen of the six major guilds and also one of the current game administrators."

From Jie Fangcheng's reaction, it was clear he didn't know Satan. This realization gave Xiaoqi a slight reprieve.

She seemed somewhat lost, her thoughts drifting back to everything that had transpired in the demon realm.

"After leaving the hunting ground, we went to Zone A1 due to the captain's severe injuries."

Their primary reason for arriving in Zone A1 was to treat the captain's wounds, while Yan Ge took the acquired Ghost Eye artifact for appraisal.

For them, it was just another hunting mission. However, the outcome was unexpectedly dire, marking the first time the team had sustained such grievous injuries since its formation.

They had ventured into the S-level hunting grounds before, but never had they encountered a guardian as terrifying as that white-haired man.

Although shaken, once they returned to the game lobby, the team relaxed.

However, none of them expected that after Yan Ge went for the Ghost Eye artifact appraisal, he would vanish without a trace. Every message sent to him was met with a "connection unavailable" error.

None of them had experienced this kind of situation. Even when entering a dungeon or hunting ground, the system notifications shouldn't behave this way.

With the captain still unconscious in the hospital and the other three unsure of what to do, Yan Ge seemed to have evaporated from the earth.

A week into their growing anxiety, Xiaoqi's friend notification lit up suddenly. "Yan Ge" had sent them coordinates.

Although they suspected it might be a trap, they had fought side by side for years. Standing by and watching a comrade fall into danger without trying to help wasn't in their nature.

Thus, the three of them entered the teleportation point and input the coordinates.

A flash of white light, and they found themselves in the terrifyingly infamous demon realm.

The demon realm, a renowned personal skill of Satan, allowed him to create a world entirely his own, rendering him god-like within its confines.

At that moment, one of the six guild chairmen and the universally known game administrator, Satan, stood before them, greeting them with a cruel smile.

"What game shall we play this time?" He tilted his head, excitement illuminating his lone demonic horn. "Ah, I've got an idea."

The next moment, Yan Ge, who lay unconscious beside Satan, was gruesomely torn into multiple pieces before their very eyes, as if being drawn and quartered.

"Yan Ge!!!"

Yan Ge's mutilated form vanished instantaneously.

The demon chuckled, "I've hidden your comrade's limbs and organs throughout my realm. The one who finds the most parts will be granted exit from my domain."

Xiaoqi could hardly bear to recall the subsequent events.

Satan's power was overwhelming. Initially, they contemplated joining forces, hoping to break free from the demon realm.

But there wasn't a glimmer of hope.

The injuries on Xiaoqi weren't inflicted by her comrades. Instead, upon realizing they couldn't escape Satan's grasp, the trio made a swift decision.

"Xiaoqi, among us, you possess the highest bloodline sequence. You have boundless potential ahead."

Miraculously, the demon kept his word.

But for reasons unknown, when Xiaoqi reopened her eyes, she wasn't in the player lobby but this unfamiliar hunting ground.

"Can you tell me where we are now?" Xiaoqi inquired.

"The hunting ground," Jie Fangcheng replied tersely.

Xiaoqi sat in silence, hugging her knees, eyes brimming with tears.

"What was your intent entering my world?" Jie Fangcheng had no empathy for the killers of Professor Zhang. He was blunt, "Answer truthfully, or I'll cut you down and toss you out right now."

With nothing left to hide, Xiaoqi began, "We received a private mission to retrieve the artifact known as 'Ghost Eye'."