Chapter 114

What?

The masked man met the magician's mocking gaze and suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. He quickly looked at the projection of the inner world.

The sky was dim, the houses were dilapidated, and the dark, gaping floors were eerie and terrifying. Huge shadows moved through the mist, emanating roars like those of ferocious beasts. The whole world seemed shrouded in a scarlet gloom, as if the end of the world had arrived.

This was a scene that the Masked Man and his organization had anticipated, and it was also the scene they wanted to show the Magician.

But in their original plan, there was absolutely no golden exclamation mark in the center of the projection!

Standing beneath the exclamation mark was a handsome young man, whose face seemed to have been sculpted by God, making him unforgettable once seen.

The masked man was deeply impressed by Xie Xubai. Not only him, but most of the people in the organization behind him also had that face etched into their minds.

—If it weren't for Xie Xubai, that jinx, appearing during the trial, how could Hu Chang, the organization's mole, have been exposed?

Seeing players constantly drawn by the exclamation mark and rushing forward with the frenzy of someone who'd just won the lottery, the masked man's temples throbbed uncontrollably: "Damn it! Wasn't it said that special NPCs weren't in this instance? Where the hell did these come from?!"

He turned his head, took out his communication device, and gritted his teeth: "The plan is..."

Before the word "change" could even leave his lips, playing cards slashed at his wrist like cleavers, and with a snap, the communication device was knocked away. The masked man retreated in a panic, stepping into the inconspicuous shadows. As if triggering a mechanism, countless puppet threads shot up from the ground, spreading out a net to surround and annihilate him!

The magician cut the cards with both hands and casually walked over: "You dare to daydream in front of me? You really think too highly of me?"

Suddenly, his expression hardened, and the playing cards instantly unfurled, forming a semi-fan-shaped barrier. In a flash, a crisp "clang!" rang out, and a black scythe slashed down from the sky. The two forces collided, scattering intense sparks!

The magician took small steps back, and the attacker wielding the crescent scythe was thrown back. As he landed, he swung the blade, hooking the puppet's threads and pulling open a gap like parting a curtain.

The masked man quickly seized the opportunity to break free of his restraints, and the prop he was holding burst forth with an intense, blinding flash of light.

The magician covered his eyes with his hand, and when he opened them again, the rooftop was empty, the quilts drying in the wind were swaying, and the two people had disappeared without a trace.

The magician's expression was not good that the guy had gotten away so easily.

When the scythe-wielding man appeared, he instinctively cast an Appraisal spell on him. But when he looked down at the result, he couldn't help but freeze in place.

"Only a C-level? How is that possible?"

Whether it's the way he conceals his presence or the force with which he strikes the barrier of playing cards, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him an A-level!

And whether it was the magician's imagination or not, when that person appeared, he seemed to glance at Xie Xubai's projection intentionally or unintentionally.

The combination of features—scythe, black hood, young man—made the magician suddenly think of that infamous madman on the leaderboard, and he clicked his tongue in disgust.

On the other side, the masked man, panting heavily, retreated to a safe position and, still shaken, berated the newcomer: "I told you to stay right behind me, where did you run off to? If you had been a step slower, I would have been torn to pieces!"

The man with the scythe who suddenly appeared was wearing a black hoodie, his exposed hand was pale and bony, and half of his face was covered by the shadow of the hood, making him look very young.

Hearing the question, he tilted his head, and before anyone could see how his hand moved, the scythe flashed out in an arc, pressing against the masked man's neck.

The masked man was stunned. Looking down at the blade so close to his face, he roared in horror and anger, "You're going to betray the organization?!"

"Ha...betrayal? Are you kidding me?" The scythe-wielding man burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and his mocking voice was like a viper's hiss. "But it's all about getting what you want. You're really delusional. If you hadn't promised to help me find Xie Xubai, do you think you'd still be alive?"

"So you didn't even know Xie Xubai had appeared? What use are you then?"

Before the masked man could say anything, the scythe slashed forward, cutting his skin. Instantly, his limbs stiffened, and he was drenched in cold sweat.

This madman, he really has no scruples!

The scythe-wielding man craned his neck and leaned closer, grinning maliciously as he commanded the masked man: "Open the passage to the inner world for me right now, or I'll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!"

*

Just as the masked man had predicted, the players united by Xie Xubai became an unexpected variable, unleashing astonishing cohesion and finalizing their attack strategy in less than three minutes.

They decided to split their forces into multiple groups, first targeting several small pharmaceutical factories in the suburbs with poor security, and then concentrate their efforts to overwhelm them!

Just before setting off, they suddenly remembered the previous mission prompt: "You have obtained a new team communication channel." The players clicked on it with a try-it-out mentality.

Let's try chatting.

[It actually works! I was so frustrated when the chat function wasn't working. I was always on edge, afraid that some NPC would overhear me even when I was sending a message to my teammates.]

[Strange, I just checked, and I can't track previous chat history, nor can I contact friends. Game functions aren't available in the channel. Wow…! That's pretty impressive.]

I've discovered it too, this is truly a god!

【Huh? It's powerful even though it can't use anything? Can anyone explain this?】

[For example, consider the official game server and private servers built by individual players. The key point is that Xie Xubai was able to bypass the system's monitoring and reopen a chat channel without being interfered with! Either he has system privileges, or his privileges are greater than the system's. If he can max out his favorability rating with this, he'll definitely be a golden goose!]

【What time is it and you're still chatting?! How's the situation on your end?】

Player B sent this message with a sense of frustration and despair, and cautiously crept forward, but he did not notice a subtle change in the wall next to him.

It was at this moment that a gentle warning pierced his ears.

[Triggering "crisis awareness"!]

[Warning! A monster is approaching from your left! 10 meters, 8 meters, 5 meters...! Jump up!]

The electric shock-like feeling jolted Player B awake, and without thinking, he jumped with all his might following the prompt.

Immediately afterward, a dark shadow slammed into the spot where he had just been standing with a "bang!" The floor cracked and rubble flew everywhere. Player B barely managed to stand before he could see that it was a large red tongue, and the monster that had launched the attack was a mutated chameleon that could turn invisible!

This chameleon was exceptionally large, with its brown skin covered in jagged bumps. Its eyes were dull, with red swirls in the whites. Not only did it move without making a sound, but it could also hide its reflection in the light.

Player B stared at the floor cracked into a spiderweb pattern, sweating profusely. If it weren't for the warning that reminded him to take cover, he would probably be in grave danger!

The perspective shifts to player C's squad, who are attacking another pharmaceutical factory.

Before arriving, I thought it was just an ordinary pharmaceutical factory, but halfway through the exploration, I discovered that there was actually a secret biological laboratory underneath!

Deformed, ferocious, and mutated animals kept pouring in from the entrances and exits, inevitably forcing some people into dead ends.

As the massive foreleg slashed down from mid-air, shattering the low-level protective shield, player C stared wide-eyed in despair.

At the critical moment, a golden light appeared, forcefully blocking the attack for him.

Player C's breath hitched, and he escaped the encirclement at the fastest speed he had ever been. When he looked back at the golden light, he seemed to vaguely see a slender figure in it, with a face like jade and a body like an evergreen pine or cypress. Just by appearing, he gave people a strange sense of security.

The figure suddenly turned around and glanced back, his gentle and calm eyes conveying a sense of reassurance: Don't be afraid.

Player C froze for a moment, then his cheeks suddenly felt hot!

Meanwhile, on player D's side, their situation was relatively better. They didn't encounter as many mutated creatures and fought their way into the management office. While searching for information, they discovered several employees hiding there.

The pharmaceutical factory workers, trembling and clutching their heads, pleaded in tearful voices, "We didn't do anything, we don't know anything, we're just working here. We have wives and children at home, please spare us!"

The players stared coldly at them as they wept, their grip on their weapons tightening.

"Don't hesitate. Haven't you suffered enough losses before? This is probably all an act."

"If we don't nip it in the bud, who knows what kind of big trouble it might cause?"

"What if we let them escape and then inform them later?"

"Do you remember that streamer who believed a ghost child's pleas for mercy, only to have the ghost tear him to pieces and spill his intestines all over the place?"

As has happened countless times before, when NPCs and players are on opposite sides, they cannot take any risks for the sake of the bigger picture.

Player D met several pairs of horrified eyes, his expression growing colder and colder, and slowly raised the weapon in his hand.

At that moment, his conscience felt as if it were being roasted by raging flames, burning with pain. It was at this moment that a gentle male voice rang in his and his teammates' ears.

[No malicious intent has been detected yet; should we let these people go?]

The players present were stunned, looking at each other for a long time, and decided to believe that the hint meant no harm.

"Why don't we let it go for now, observe the situation, and then take action if there are any problems?"

Player D hesitated and put away his weapon.

Suddenly, specks of golden light appeared and fell upon the heads of the employees.

The group's pupils were unfocused and empty. They stood up, swayed to the door, and then regained their senses, their faces blank with a look of "Who am I? Where am I? What happened?" They dispersed shortly afterward.

The players watched nervously from behind, only breathing a sigh of relief when they saw those people leave.

Player D lowered his eyes, touching the cold blade. No one knew what he was thinking, including himself, until the gentle male voice rang out again.

Congratulations on obtaining the achievement "Undying Kindness"! Your favorability with the special NPC "Xie Xubai" has increased by 10.

Staring at the words "not devoid of kindness," Player D's pupils trembled, and then his tense muscles suddenly relaxed, as if he had been redeemed.

At the same time, players saw the announcement posted on the communication channel.

From now on, players will be able to determine the good/evil value of NPCs and monsters. Defeating "evil" monsters or rescuing "good" monsters will earn points, while deducting points for doing the opposite!

[Points can be exchanged for items after completing the mission to wipe out Fu's Pharmaceutical Company, with a chance to obtain top-tier rare items!]

In an instant, all the players erupted in cheers!

"A top-tier rare item? Am I seeing things? Someone punched me in the face! This is an item from an S-rank dungeon! Aaaaaaah!"

"The question is, who can withstand it? Who can?"

"I've never experienced such a useful buff in my life! I don't have to worry about monsters ambushing me at all, and I can be rescued no matter how dangerous the situation is. This isn't just a golden thigh, this is my dad!"

"Have you noticed? It can even display a real-time map and share coordinates!"

"Immune to mind control, effective even against Class A monsters!"

"The system is full of surprises for the strong. Who is moved to tears? Compared to this, the system is just like a ruthless tyrant."

"I used to think Xie Xubai's fans were too crazy, but I'm sorry for being presumptuous. May the Xie family live on forever! Please save me one more time, big shot!"

"May the Xie family live on forever!"

"Praise the Xie family!"

...

The management of Fu's Pharmaceuticals also received the news.

When they first heard that more than twenty people had carried out a surprise attack, they didn't take it seriously. But after the meeting, when they heard that three of their pharmaceutical factories had been destroyed, they were instantly shocked and furious!

"A factory with over a hundred employees was vandalized by just over twenty people? Are you kidding me?!"

The subordinate trembled, not daring to look directly at his superior's terrifying expression: "Master, it's not just twenty-odd people, they have other accomplices, almost forty-odd people! And each of them is exceptionally skilled!"

The director's face was grim: "Were they sent from the survivor base?"

"Our people are monitoring Pei Yuheng, but the numbers don't match! They all seem to have suddenly appeared! It's like we're seeing ghosts in broad daylight!"

The director roared menacingly, "What nonsense are you spouting! Call the security team right now to deal with this. They dare to go against the Fu family? I think they have a death wish!"

A few minutes later, the Fu's Pharmaceutical security team, fully equipped, headed to the pharmaceutical factory to maintain order. Half an hour later, several senior executives inquired about the situation and, upon learning that the fighting was raging, their expressions turned serious.

But it didn't matter; the Fu Group was a large and powerful company with plenty of bodyguards. So the directors asked with confidence, "Are the attackers still struggling? How many of them are left?"

"Reporting to the directors, they are too cunning. They are fighting and retreating at the same time, as if they can predict our movements in advance. We can't catch them at all. There are still more than eighty people left!"

"No, that's not right, another group of people has arrived, making at least a hundred in total!"

The directors: "???"

A mere hundred or so people caused damage comparable to a natural disaster, and the trouble they brought was more troublesome than a missile! The Fu family had no choice but to send a large number of people to rescue their pharmaceutical factory, little did they know that the players were waiting for their internal defenses to be weak so they could take advantage of the chaos to invade!

Xie Xubai stayed by Pei Yuheng's side, his spirit linked to every player.

He possesses exceptional mental strength and a remarkable memory, enabling him to cleanse the mental impurities of nearly a hundred patients in a single day. However, this was the first time he had ever performed such a feat.

To ensure everything went smoothly, Xie Xubai equipped all players with location tracking devices. What the players saw and heard was like a virtual 3D image, appearing in his mind and gradually being constructed into a real-world map of half the city.

Xie Xubai is like someone standing in the sky above the city, looking down at the earth. Through this constant feedback of information, he can plan routes and arrange strategies for players who are trying to escape, detect any dangers in the surrounding area, and calculate scores...

At this moment, he was no less than a top-of-the-line computer with its computing power fully utilized, and he received an unexpected surprise: the faith index of hundreds of players in him was increasing rapidly!

Specifically, this is reflected in the fact that his mental strength is slowly but steadily increasing, and he is also more likely to establish a spiritual connection with players who have faith.

The more players trust him, the stronger he becomes; the stronger he is, the more powerful the assistance he can provide, making players trust him even more. This creates a positive cycle!

However, this clever and rapid improvement method also puts a great strain on his mental health. Before he knew it, Xie Xubai's face grew paler and sweat beaded on his forehead.

Seeing him like this, Pei Yuheng couldn't continue his experiment at all. Feeling sorry for Xie Xubai, he took a towel and wiped his sweat, his hands clenched into fists and his brows furrowed.

—If he also had mental power, could he help reduce A-Yu's burden?

Before the thought had even faded, Xie Xubai suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them, and turned to Pei Yuheng, saying, "They've found someone, and you have to come with me to see him."

Author's Note:

Apologies for the late update. This dungeon is almost finished, so I'm experiencing some lag. I'll be giving away 100 small red envelopes as compensation in the comments QAQ First come, first served. I'm very sorry.