Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Ji Xinghai sat cross-legged amidst his spoils, rinsing his wounds with mineral water and swabbing them with iodine.

He paid little heed to any potential backlash from the outside world. If they dared to let him do as he pleased, then let them see the confidence behind those words: "I am a malevolent spirit. Are you prepared to work with one?"

Moreover, he needed monsters, and JiuZhou needed treasure chests; their interests were aligned. Even for this reason alone, JiuZhou would have to step forward and share the burden.

And what if public opinion turned against him?

He was unwilling to forsake his own interests for a good reputation, nor would he bind himself by such constraints.

The reddish-brown iodine poured directly onto his wounds, which were extensive gashes that looked ghastly. Only now did the audience see the demon-dispelling incantation carved into his palm, the exposed red flesh causing goosebumps and phantom pain.

Carving a demon-dispelling incantation into his body, using his blood as a medium...

No wonder the blond vampire couldn't move once caught; he was truly ruthless.

Moved by this display of suffering, the audience forgot his earlier madness, only feeling pity for their student.

Yes, he had bitten the vampire, but it was the vampire's fault. The vampire had struck first, and he was merely defending himself. Look at the state he was in, all for the sake of victory.

My Brother Hai is barely an adult! He's still a child!

"But he had a hunting rifle..."

A slightly puzzled voice echoed within the Black Tower. The minister didn't turn around; the answer was simple: "When a cat is hungry, it will use the fastest and most effective method to kill and eat a mouse. But if it isn't that hungry or has other intentions, the cat might play with the mouse until it can no longer resist before killing it, or even just bite it without eating."

In short, for Ji Xinghai at this moment, killing these vampires was the primary goal, but hunting was also part of it.

While the minister couldn't be sure whether this was 'play', 'training', or 'venting' for Ji Xinghai, his choice to abandon his gun for a knife and the pleasure he took in his physical pain indicated that he enjoyed it.

He was like a solitary wild feline, possessing the vitality and wildness that tamed animals lacked. Felines have a natural inclination to kill; they are born killers, especially when survival is at stake.

As part of nature, humans have long been in a hunting environment during evolution, so occasional displays of animalistic behavior aren't surprising. Most people choose to restrain it, but Ji Xinghai chose to strengthen it.

This child must have spent a long time in a precarious situation, where growth meant survival. It wasn't just a year or two, but possibly ten or twenty years, or even longer. This led to the instinct to constantly hone his combat skills.

It was a misfortune for the student, yet a blessing for the nation.

Others wanted to say more, but the minister raised his hand to silence them:

"Rest assured, Ji Xinghai knows his limits. All his wounds are superficial, not even endangering his muscles. He isn't acting without reason; on the contrary, he is very calm, perhaps calmer than you."

He eats with restraint and even controls his injuries, likely aware that in the scenario, as long as he doesn't die, he will be fully healed.

Initially cautious and protective of his body, he suddenly became fearless.

Facing this game of survival in this state, who knew what would come of it.

The battle within the scenario had ended.

After treating his wounds, Ji Xinghai stored all his spoils in his game backpack, planning to examine them later. He sent the quarter ticket to the informant.

He wanted more clues and was willing to offer bait.

The grateful response came almost immediately.

"You dealt with those terrifying monsters? I didn't expect it to be so soon... but please take back this quarter ticket. I may not need it. Thank you, may everything go well for you."

The quarter ticket was returned, bearing the marks of tightly clenched fingers and sharp fingernails—indicating that the person really did want it but had given it up for some reason.

There might have been moments of struggle in those few seconds, but ultimately, it was sent back.

Ji Xinghai stared at the unique quarter ticket for a while before privately messaging, "Were you infected by a vampire?"

Silence followed, with no reply.

"Just a moment."

The audience watched as Ji Xinghai left the car and returned to the fire scene. One arm covered his mouth and nose, while the other reached for the dried corpses of the dead vampires, removing their fangs.

He returned to the car with several teeth, took a deep breath of filtered air, clenched his fist, and then released the teeth, which had become powder.

"This is powdered vampire tooth. Drink some and sprinkle the rest on your wounds to neutralize the poison." He sent the tooth powder and the quarter ticket together to the informant.

If a deal was made for the ticket, it must be honored; this was a matter of integrity.

He didn't have many virtues, but keeping his word was one of them.

In another part of the exam area, inside an abandoned roadside mailbox, a cadaverous-skinned student suddenly sat up. He looked at the white powder and the small piece of paper before him.

Upon closer inspection, one could see how different this student was from ordinary people: his red-tinged whites of the eyes, the bulging veins on his neck, and his already-transforming teeth. These all spoke to the dire situation he faced—he had been deeply infected by the vampire monster.

It had been far too long since he was bitten, past the critical twenty-four hours. In a movie, he would already be a mindless, low-level vampire.

The student had struggled to stay alive, the sensation of being infected akin to breathing in boiling water, every organ burning and mutating. Yet, he refused to end his life.

His death would mean an abnormal disaster for the ordinary citizens of his country.

Among those ordinary people were his loved ones and countless others who simply wanted to live.

But by the third day of the scenario, he knew he was going to die. No matter how guilty he felt, he would inevitably bring calamity to his country.

This game was so difficult. He had given everything just to survive, yet he couldn't.

Since death was inevitable, he would do one last thing for that world.

So he told Ji Xinghai all the details about the vampire group. It didn't matter even if he didn't get a ticket. Every monster that died in this world meant an advantage for humanity in that world.

Ji Xinghai did not disappoint. He managed to do it and really sent over a fragment of a ticket.

Alas, this ticket was useless to someone who was about to die.

The ticket was sent back. The student closed his eyes, preparing to welcome death, but then a private message from Ji Xinghai arrived.

"Have you been infected by a vampire?"

He revealed the truth in one sentence, then sent another: "Wait a moment."

Wait?

Wait for what?

The student's heart, already dead and cold, suddenly sparked with hope. This was Ji Xinghai, the man who had created countless miracles. Perhaps... perhaps he...

His waiting bore fruit.

The dust from the vampire's teeth arrived, along with the ticket. He swallowed the dust and smeared the rest on his arm. His long-unhealed bite marks sizzled and burned, oozing a thick, tar-like black liquid.

He felt the burning sensation fade.

So...

Could he continue living?

"Do I not have to die? Do they not have to die either?" He pressed his fist against his eye and suddenly burst into tears, all his suppressed emotions erupting at once.

God, even though he was such a useless person, he still wanted to live, to not bring disaster upon his country, his home, his wife, and his newborn child.

"Wah wah wah wah, our country's students have it so hard. For him to persist until now is truly remarkable. He's done everything a normal person could do."

"Thank you, Ji Xinghai. You saved him, and you saved us."

The audience in his livestream were all crying too, as they had also prepared themselves for the worst.

Without any conditions, without asking for anything in return, he reached out a hand so casually, yet with such weight. Such unequal transactions were uncommon even in the Hunger Games.

When watching JiuZhou students help others before, they hadn't felt much. But now that it happened to them, they understood what it meant to see light in the midst of despair.

"The Federation actually slandered such a person as a monster. They're the real monsters!"

"Hurry, place orders with Ji Xinghai for enchanted weapons. We'll give it another shot. We can definitely survive until the end."

A few minutes later, the student's skin returned to its normal color. He felt the vitality of life coursing through him again.

Perhaps to express his excitement or to clear Ji Xinghai's name, the student posted the fragment of the ticket in the student channel and stated that Ji Xinghai was completely trustworthy.

Unlike "My Love Electric Mouse," who was eloquent, he could only clumsily repeat his gratitude.

But it was precisely this clumsy language that moved people.

However, the student did not reveal more information. Vampires, vampire teeth, curing infections—these he did not mention.

Someone might deduce Ji Xinghai's abilities based on these clues.

Students who had watched three years of Hunger Games knew that there was fierce competition among the top players. Therefore, the less personal information known, the better.

"Ji Xinghai, information for a ticket?" Universe's First Lucky had been closely following the student channel. He read the student's letter of thanks right away.

"Information for a ticket..." He repeated the words, lost in thought. Then he smiled, as if he had an idea.

"It's him again." Zhang Ziqing, parked in the shade under a tree, was also reading the student channel. He had always been bothered by this JiuZhou-style name, so he had seen many of Ji Xinghai's previous stunts, both actively and passively.

This wasn't the strength of a random student, and the more he saw, the less it seemed like typical JiuZhou behavior. It was too carefree.

"Am I overthinking this?"

But information for a ticket... If he had already collected enough tickets, he might have the resources to try it.

No, perhaps he could try it now.

He didn't need the ticket yet. He could strengthen himself through combat first; the ticket would come in time. Ordinary students were expendable in the instance. Using them to gather information would be putting them to good use.

Zhang Ziqing made up his mind but couldn't help taking another look at those three characters: Did this Ji Xinghai have the same idea? Or had he already defeated four monsters and collected four tickets?

It was intriguing.