Chapter 150
In just two days, 38% of the taskers were eliminated, which is comparable to the previous plane crash copy.
There were still twelve days left. Song Yue pondered for a while and decided to hold back and act accordingly when the situation arose.
However, perhaps because the system heard the same thoughts as her or other taskers, a few minutes later, it issued a red alert.
[Attention, a strong sandstorm is approaching. The location is shown on the map (10-minute countdown)]
[Attention, a strong sandstorm is approaching. The location is shown on the map (10-minute countdown)]
…
It was sent three times in a row, ringing in my ears like an alarm bell.
At that time, No. 21 and No. 22 were sorting out the charcoal left over from last night's burning. When they heard the system's movement, they stopped what they were doing and clicked on the map to take a look.
"Oh my god, seven locations!" exclaimed No. 21. "That's too dense!"
No. 22's throat choked and he took a deep breath. "We have to find a way... We can't just sit there and wait for death."
Inspired by their expressions, No. 80 quickly sat up and opened the map.
In the vast desert map, there is an icon similar to a tornado marked on the top, bottom, left, right and middle.
This means that strong sandstorms will occur in these places in 10 minutes.
No. 80 couldn't help but complain: "Damn, isn't the icon in the middle right where we are?"
21, 22 nodded: "Yes."
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and the three people turned their eyes to Song Yue at the same time, as if silently asking for help on what to do.
Song Yue was looking at the map, sliding his fingertips across it to zoom in, his expression quite calm.
"Don't worry, the system won't force the tasker into a desperate situation. As long as you plan a route well, you can escape."
With her words, the three people suddenly felt confident.
Among them, No. 80 was the most excited, because only he and No. 12 knew that their rankings had been swapped. This meant that the most reliable person in the team was not him or the other two girls, but the last one in the game.
This really made him shocked and surprised.
He now doubted whether there was a bug in the system when judging the rankings. Otherwise, with the other party's strength, how could he possibly reach the end?
No. 80 couldn't figure it out, but he didn't dare to ask more questions. He could only look at Song Yue with expectant eyes, as if to say, "Boss, whatever you say is what I will do. I promise to listen to you."
The 10-minute countdown began and the four people set out on their escape.
"Look at the map. We're at point A in the middle, surrounded by three sandstorms: B, C, and D. So we have to take the only gap, which is here."
Looking at the direction Song Yue pointed out on the map, the three of them nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
"But we must be prepared." Song Yue put away the map and looked ahead.
Three people: "? What preparations?"
Song Yue: "If we can think of this path, others can think of it too."
hiss--
The three of them gasped and instantly understood what she meant.
With five minutes left on the countdown, they left point A and arrived at the gap.
As Song Yue said, there were indeed quite a few taskers gathered here, and most of them were men, with almost no women to be seen.
So the three girls plus the last one appeared and instantly attracted the attention of others.
"Heh, this isn't the elderly, weak, sick, or disabled group, is it? They've managed to hold on until now, that's outrageous."
"One is last, dragging down three girls. Hahaha, this team is such a rubbish!"
Some people made contemptuous ridicule, while others focused their attention on other aspects.
"In my opinion, only number 12 is a bit strong. By the way, this girl is pretty. Why don't we bring her in? She's a real eye candy~"
"Number 22 looks okay, but she's a bit too cool and aloof. Tsk, she'd better be obedient and well-behaved."
"Then pick number 21! I look like a little white rabbit, so I can do whatever I want to you, hehe~"
Once you enter the male group's field of vision, you will inevitably be subjected to some disgusting male remarks and gazes.
Song Yue had strong five senses and heard their words clearly.
He glanced over lightly, his eyes, though calm, carried with them the power to see through people's hearts.
Several people who spoke wildly felt a chill on their backs for some unknown reason and stopped thinking for the time being.
Countdown three minutes.
Throwing away all the distracting thoughts, the taskers' only thought at the moment was to escape from this siege from all sides.
Some people were very anxious and repeatedly checked the map and their own location, fearing that they would stand in the wrong place and be swept away by the sandstorm.
Some people look around and determine their position by observing the choices of others.
Some people were laughing and trying to force themselves to look relaxed.
The myriad aspects of the world were on display at this moment. Song Yue calmly retracted his gaze and emphasized to the three people behind him, "I'll reiterate, I won't stop just because you can't catch up, so do whatever you want."
The three of them nodded like chicks pecking at rice, not a single word of disagreement.
No. 12 secured a cabin for them and then found food for them. In this cruel promotion copy, he was considered loyal enough. If it were other people, they dared to say that 90% of them would ignore them. Not only that, some would even secretly dig traps to lure them in.
They were so grateful for everything No. 12 did that it was impossible for them to ask anything more of her.
One minute countdown.
A voice suddenly came from beside Song Yue.
"Want to make a deal?"
It’s number 4.
Song Yue turned her eyes to the side, no emotion visible in her eyes: "What deal?"
Number 4 smiled faintly: "I drew an item, an oasis map, which shows where there are oases. If you help me kill someone, I will give you the map."
Song Yue retorted without hesitation: "Share first, then kill."
Number 4 was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay."
As he spoke, he began to control the process in the background.
Song Yue thought of something and added, "Number 80, not 12."
Number 4 suddenly stopped moving, as if he had heard something incredible.
Song Yue pretended not to see it and continued: "Don't make a mistake in entering it, or I won't be able to receive it and the transaction will be void."
No. 4 was silent for a long time before continuing with the operation.
With a ding sound.
Song Yue received a system prompt and received a map sharing from Tasker No. 4.
There was a green icon in the northwest corner of the map. When I clicked it, I saw that it was indeed an oasis.
The props shared through the platform could not be forged. Song Yue believed that the existence of Oasis was real, so he accepted it: "Transaction established."
The countdown ends, and sandstorms appear simultaneously in seven different locations!
In the distance, rows of huge black sand walls began to advance in all directions, and the taskers started running.
Since Song Yue had repeatedly emphasized that she would not care about them, 21, 22, and 80 rushed out desperately at the moment the countdown ended, trying not to hold her back.
However, Song Yue himself disappeared after running for a distance.
She stared at a male tasker running in front of her. He had a Mohawk head and tattoos on his arms, making it hard to ignore him.
She quickly caught up with him and stabbed the knife into his back without mercy.
The Mohawk-haired man made a quick "hmm" sound and turned his head sharply.
As a result, when I turned around, there was a gap in front of me.
Song Yue moved sideways in front of him and stabbed him in the chest again.
Phew!
Blood spurted out of his chest and spilled all over the floor.
Number 3, the man with the mohawk, turned around and glared. When he realized it was her, his eyes were as fierce as a beast's: "How dare you sneak attack me!"
As he spoke, he got started.
Song Yue was not in a panic. He took several steps back, then suddenly stopped, gripped the knife handle with his backhand, and rushed straight forward, leaving a long bloody mark on No. 3's tattooed arm like cutting open a fish belly.
"It should be about time." She muttered.
The voice was very soft, but to No. 3 it was a huge mockery of him!
No. 3 suddenly jumped up and wanted to fight back.
Next second.
Click.
A dagger appeared on my neck at some point.
The throat was cut and blood was gushing out.
No. 3 didn't even have time to see who attacked him from behind. He just fell forward, blood splattered under his body, staining the yellow sand and gravel scarlet.
[Tasker No. 3 has died]
After hearing the system announcement, No. 4 wiped the blood off the blade with No. 3's clothes and stood up: "Thank you."
Song Yue: "It's just what we need."
She could guess why No. 4 wanted to kill the other person.
Killing the first three people can earn you a lot of points, and this has become an unspoken rule among the taskers.
In every promotion copy, there are people who are eager to get into the top three.
However, only a few are truly successful.
Song Yue is not interested in points. As of now, she has enough points and there is no need to attack anyone else.
But since they made a good deal today, she was willing to take action.
First stab No. 3 to make his health bar drop significantly, then stop in time and let No. 4, who wants to get points, give the opponent a fatal blow.
The transaction was completed smoothly.
The sandstorm continued to chase the tasker in the direction of his escape.
After Song Yue stopped, he continued on his way, glancing at the sandstorms behind him while calculating the best escape route.
Diagonally behind her, No. 4 was running at a distance from her.
Song Yue's eyes flashed, but she said nothing.
Soon, she caught up with No. 21 and the others in front.
"Go northwest, there's an oasis over there."
He didn't stop while talking, just passed by the three of them.
No. 21 opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but No. 22 stopped him with his hand.
"Don't be like that. We have no obligation to ask her."
No. 21 had no choice but to lower his eyes and said "okay" in disappointment.
Song Yue ran very fast, but No. 4 behind him also kept pace.
She chuckled in her heart.
He clearly has the ability to kill No. 3, but he insists on using a trade to get her to do it.
I don’t know what’s going on.
However, no matter what kind of medicine it is, the oasis on the map cannot be fake, and it is enough for her to confirm this.
The sandstorm is still moving.
They seemed to be programmed to rush to wherever there were more people.
Along the way, Song Yue kept hearing the system's death prompts.
Among them were those who mocked them, but Song Yue just glanced at them and looked away without any reaction.
There are no numbers 21, 22 or 12 on the remaining death list (currently boy number 80).
Song Yue breathed a sigh of relief and continued on his way.
More than four hours later, a bright green appeared on the horizon ahead, forming a sharp contrast with the yellow desert.
When you step into it, you will see crisscrossing streets and rows of houses, where residents live. It is simply a paradise.
This is the first time I have seen a living person other than the tasker in the promotion copy.
Song Yue stopped and observed for a while, and soon she realized that these were not living people at all, but NPCs.
They are programmed to behave in patterns, repeating the same words and actions in the same scene, and then starting over again after completing a whole set.
It was strangely lively.
But Song Yue liked it very much.
Isn't this easier than dealing with scheming taskers?
A faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
But in the eyes of No. 4, it has a different kind of charm.
"What's your name?" he asked, looking at her profile.
Song Yue glanced at him calmly: "You chased me all the way just to ask this question?"
Number 4 smiled and said bluntly, "Yes."
"I admire your strength. Although I don't know why your actual ranking is only 80, I believe that your strength is definitely in the top three."
Song Yue: "So, what do you want to express?"
No. 4: "I want to get to know you."
Song Yue said coldly: "No need."
Number 4 was slightly anxious: "Why?"
He paused, then suddenly seemed to understand, regaining his calm demeanor as if he'd seen through everything. "Oh, I know. People like us may survive today, but not tomorrow. We're struggling on the line between life and death every day, so there's no need for acquaintance. I don't think you need to worry about that. The fact that I got the No. 4 position proves that I'm quite capable. You saw the whole process of my attack on No. 3 just now."
"My goal is to clear the S-rank dungeon. I won't die."
"You don't have to worry too much. There's no harm in making more friends."
It was rare for No. 4 to talk so much to the people in the copy. He thought that with his appearance, conversation and strength, he was enough to attract the girl in front of him.
Who knows.
A light sigh.
"But I don't like friends who test me."
Number 4's pupils shrank slightly.
Song Yue: "You used the pretense of a deal to test my strength, and after the test, you discovered that I was stronger than you expected, so you kept chasing me, wanting to get to know me."
"What if my strength doesn't meet your standards and greatly disappoints you? Will you treat me like a complete stranger and not even look at me?"
The adult world is full of utilitarianism.
Song Yue was very clear about this.
However, precisely because sincerity is so rare and precious, she cherishes every person she meets who treats her sincerely along the way.
For example, Aloyna, No. 21 and No. 22, and Shen Xin, who I met for the first time in the polar region.
Unfortunately, No. 4 does not have this sincerity.
It is even possible that the plan was made starting from the moment the 38th parallel was drawn in the cabin.
Song Yue's words were so blunt that No. 4 was speechless.
The latter pulled the corner of his mouth slightly awkwardly, his eyes returning to their initial indifference: "In that case, sorry to bother you."
After saying this, he left Song Yue with a cold back, which was in stark contrast to his enthusiasm just now.
Song Yue didn't take it to heart and went to an inn.
Since most of the taskers have not arrived here yet, and many people don’t even know about the existence of the oasis, the inn is very empty, with only a few NPCs hanging around to attract people.
Song Yue originally wanted to see how the accommodation price was calculated, whether it was paid with points or other currencies, but she saw the four big words "Free Accommodation" written on the small wooden board.
If it's free, there are bound to be pitfalls.
Song Yue turned around and wanted to go to other inns to see if the situation was the same.
After a round of searching, I discovered that this was the only inn in the entire oasis.
It seems that this pit has to be stepped into, Song Yue secretly complained.
Night falls.
The oasis finally welcomed the fleeing taskers in small numbers.
Some of them, like No. 4, were extremely lucky and drew the oasis map, and have been heading in this direction since it was released; others stumbled into the oasis by accident.
In short, whether intentionally or unintentionally, when they discovered this great place in the desert, everyone couldn't help but look like they had been saved.
This feeling of surviving a disaster was further heightened when he discovered that the inn could be accommodated for free.
"Great... I didn't expect there'd be such a treasure trove in this dungeon! We really came to the right place!"
Through the door, Song Yue heard the discussion in the corridor.
"I found the main difficulty of this dungeon was in the desert. First, it's easy to run out of water and get tired, and second, you're constantly being chased by sudden sandstorms. Actually, as long as you find a way out of the desert, the difficulty will be much lower later on."
"Indeed, there's everything in the oasis. At worst, we can just exchange it with points. It's definitely better than being in the desert."
The taskers were very happy, but Song Yue remained expressionless.
Later, Song Yue saw that the three people No. 21 had finally arrived at the oasis. She picked up something and threw it over to them to attract their attention.
The three of them chose to stay in the rooms to their left and right. Before going to bed, Song Yue reminded them: "Don't sleep too deeply at night. It's best to put something by the door and window so that if someone comes in and knocks something over, they can hear it."
Now Song Yue has become their leader. Her words are like imperial decrees, and everything she says is carefully noted down by the three of them.
They each returned to their rooms and fell asleep.
Around 2 a.m., people enter the deep sleep stage.
At this moment, the sound of even breathing could be heard in every room.
The door of a room at a certain location suddenly creaked open, and a black figure slowly walked towards the bed, seeming to be holding something in his hands.
As the clouds outside the window dissipated, the faint moonlight shone down, and the shape of the object in the figure's hand was revealed.
An axe.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The figure raised the axe, aimed at the head of the bed and brought it down with a bang!
After doing this, he mechanically picked up the chopped thing on the bedside and slowly left the room.
The whole process was extremely terrifying.
It was even more creepy when I thought about what the figure was holding in his hand.
Song Yue sighed and jumped down from the beam.
I walked to the bed and found that the pillow at the head of the bed was gone.
The pillow was taken away by a figure, who didn't seem to realize that he was not chopping a person, but a dead object.
This made Song Yue understand even more clearly that these NPCs did not distinguish whether the target was a person or an object. As long as the time came, they would sneak into the room according to the program and chop off the bed.
Then pick up the chopped things and leave, completing the whole process.
There is no need to delve into who the figure is or what his motives are.
Because the figure was deliberately blurred, Song Yue squinted his eyes and looked at it for a long time on the beam, but couldn't make out what it looked like. This showed that the system did it deliberately and didn't want the tasker to know the logic behind it.
So what they need to do is be on guard.
As long as you avoid the NPC's beheading behavior, you can survive safely until dawn.
The fourth day of the copy.
Nothing happened in the entire inn.
Song Yue told No. 21, No. 22 and No. 80 what happened in her room last night.
Successfully obtained the big eyeballs of three people.
"Oh my god! Being beheaded next to the bed in the middle of the night! This is too horrifying!" No. 80 touched his neck, as if it was not the pillow that was chopped last night, but himself.
It's very immersive.
Number 21 kept touching the hair on his arms and hissing, "This is horrible! I won't sleep tonight!"
No. 22 was thinking about how to strengthen the door lock so that the other party could not get in.
Song Yue shook her head: "It's no use trying to lock the door. I already tried that trick yesterday."
The dark shadow still opened it easily.
"It must be a mechanical problem. No matter how hard we try to block him, he can still get in."
After hearing this, No. 22 held his forehead and said, "What kind of free inn is this? I think it's a beheading inn."
"Then why don't we stay at the inn? Can we sleep on the street?" No. 80 thought quickly. "There are four of us anyway. If we hear anything, we can just run away."
Song Yue looked at him as if he were a mentally retarded child, and tilted her chin toward the window. "Why don't you take a look outside?"
No. 80 was suspicious and didn't know why Song Yue said that. No. 21 and No. 22 were also confused.
The three people walked to the window with question marks in their eyes.
Outside the street, a group of detectives were parading a cart of executed prisoners through the streets.
While looking around, suddenly, No. 21 widened his eyes and covered his mouth with his hands.
“That’s number 4!”
After she reminded them, No. 22 and No. 80 saw the person in the iron cage at the same time!
"It's really him..." No. 22 was stunned.
They had all seen No. 4's strength. He had easily dispatched several taskers in the cabin, and judging by his ranking, he was indeed capable. But such a strong person...
He actually died in the iron cage!
The news shocked them.
The next scene left the three of them speechless with shock.
No. 5, No. 8, No. 19, No. 23...
Several taskers appeared in front of them one by one, and were dragged out for a parade according to their numbers, from the smallest to the largest.
"These people..." No. 80 suddenly realized and turned to stare at Song Yue in surprise, "Are they the ones who didn't stay at the inn last night?"
Not all taskers choose to stay in the inn.
Just as Song Yue had thought before, free things are always full of traps. If she can notice it, others will naturally be on guard.
It’s just that No. 4 and the others made a different choice from her.
There is no right or wrong choice. The mistake was that they underestimated these NPCs and thought they could escape danger by sleeping on the streets.
Song Yue nodded her chin and hummed, as a response to No. 80.
Only then did the three people in the room truly understand how many pitfalls were waiting for them in this so-called oasis.
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