Chapter 20 Let's Set Sail, ███! [2. A host can also...]
Wang Song likely hasn't had the "trump card" for long, and it's even possible that this is the first time he's used it in this instance. He was blinded by the so-called "divine equipment," like a shot of alcohol or a weight that's been added, causing his desire and self-righteousness to ferment wildly at this critical moment, reaching a point of blind delusion and pushing him into the abyss.
This trench coat...it might have a spirit.
In other words, to some extent, this thing is a "living thing".
Xue Chao suspected that at the last moment, the trench coat might have abandoned Wang Song, or pretended to be powerless and let Wang Song die. In the worst case, the "divine armor" that Wang Song had risked his life for might have tricked and harmed him.
But with that thought in mind, Xue Chao didn't hesitate. He immediately draped the trench coat over his shoulders, and the product details appeared in his field of vision:
Product Name: Death's Legacy
[Product Description: It is said that a Grim Reaper, after his death, used his own bones to forge this trench coat, his only legacy in the world. (Can a Grim Reaper die? Is this a paradox?)]
People say that a trench coat is not only the bones of death, but also the soul of death; it is death itself, there it is, always.
[Rank: S]
[Instructions for use: Once you put on the trench coat, you cannot take it off throughout the entire dungeon unless you die.]
[Buff 1 "Hidden in Death": When the condition of being targeted by a dangerous group is met (i.e., not being explicitly targeted by the opponent), as long as there is one or more people around, you will not become the primary target.]
[Buff 2 "Blood for Blood": All damage dealt to the Grim Reaper (Trench Coat) will be reflected back at him in equal measure.]
[Debuff 1 "Walking with Shadows": Guaranteed to trigger all item debuffs.]
[Debuff 2 "Death's Reward": Upon death, all loot obtained in this instance goes into Death's legacy.]
The final debuff, "Death's Reward," states that once the owner of the trench coat dies, everything that person acquires in this instance will become part of the trench coat, known as "Death's Legacy."
If this trench coat were to actually do something—collect more money, amass more wealth—that would be the most fitting reason and purpose.
Moreover, the next person to receive the trench coat will temporarily inherit this ever-expanding estate...
So, is the location of the camera considered part of "all income"?
[…sizzle…sizzle…]
[Player status detected...]
[Contribution assessment in progress...]
[Target met]
[The camera position has been reopened!]
The pattern of the All-Seeing Eye flowed across his deep blue iris and, because of their shared consciousness, was simultaneously displayed on Pu Fengchun's watch face, but was immediately erased by Xue Chao.
[Game Host Rules]
[2. The host can also be a player.]
As soon as the rules were updated on the small blackboard, Xue Chao immediately felt the sensation of being watched.
It was as if an eye was watching his every move from above, but to his surprise, he couldn't find any emotion in it. There was neither encouragement nor malice. It was like an eye trapped in a triangle, with each side being the same length and the angle perfectly aligned, looking down on everything with equal arrogance.
Is this what it feels like to be a "player"?
He actually managed to find a loophole...
In the game room, the last-ranked machine was flashing static when suddenly the screen appeared. A handsome and imposing face appeared on the screen, very close to the camera. As if sensing an invisible gaze, the man glanced precisely at the camera.
The audience off-camera was still immersed in the sudden close-up beauty overload, but as soon as they met his eyes, they immediately understood Wang Song's butcher-like retreat. His glance was like a knife cutting through their eyes, sharp and oppressive. They had to take a step back and keep a safe distance before daring to appreciate his beauty.
The comments section erupted with a barrage of phrases like "husband," "I'm your dog," and numerous other outrageous remarks marked with asterisks.
Her ranking jumped to third place instantly; beauty truly is the primary driving force.
The player's nickname at the bottom of the small screen has changed from [Wang Song] to [██].
After the initial excitement of admiring his looks subsided, viewers belatedly began discussing the matter:
"Why was someone else chosen?"
"The machine was reassigned. Wang Song was in fifth place, just barely meeting the number of machines. Now that he's dead, the players behind him have met the requirements, so the machine has been reassigned to the new fifth place player."
"Isn't this the key point? The new husband isn't an NPC, he's actually a player???"
"And the name is still hidden, is it a new player protection mechanism? Is he a new player like Glasses?"
"You just realized? He's been manipulating Wang Song's emotions the whole time. Although he was reluctant to leave, he clearly knew there was a 'time bomb' in the dungeon, and he was even more troublesome than the host. He was also E01, the closest to the bomb. From beginning to end, he wanted to use Wang Song to leave, but that idiot Wang Song thought this place was a treasure trove and turned against him. Of course, he went along with it. Maybe he deliberately wanted to kill him from the beginning..."
"Damn, so he's been eyeing Wang Song's props all along? This trench coat must be an S-grade item he stumbled upon from a wandering merchant, the first time he's worn it."
"He's so cunning. He was clearly tricked, but he couldn't bring himself to get angry. Who understands that!"
"I get it! The trench coat on Wang Song looks like a black garbage bag. But on him, I understand what 'trying to hide something is all about'—that superior shoulder width, those beautiful and powerful biceps, and the outline of his pectoral muscles! He's so hot!!"
"Damn, I've been fooled by this book so many times. Everyone's so good at pretending. I'm not even surprised when a cat suddenly appears at the end shouting 'I'm the BOSS' :)"
For players, live streaming is a bloody battle, no matter who they are fighting against, but for viewers it's just entertainment. They discuss the life and death of these crickets in the box, just like giving advice to Sherlock Holmes or Saw through a TV screen. Whether it's high intelligence or bloody murder, it's all "plot". They only care about which part of the plot is "designed" to be interesting, or more primitively, they just want to see handsome men and beautiful women.
Xue Chao's handsome face could be described as "enchanting" no matter where it was placed. He was used to being praised by everyone from grandmothers to children, regardless of their orientation. He had a set of "peacock spreading its tail" techniques to remain calm in the face of praise and criticism. If he didn't have to maintain the persona of not being able to see the comments from players, Xue Chao would really raise his eyebrows and say "You flatter me".
But the debuff didn't give him time to act tough. He suddenly curled up his upper body to brace himself against the gate—the sudden electric shock spread throughout his body, as if it started from the nerve endings and permeated his entire body in the blink of an eye.
Cold sweat streamed down his forehead and splattered on the ground. He felt like a broken robot that had fallen into water, leaking electricity from every angle, crispy on the outside and crunchy on the inside.
Xue Chao realized what was happening and, sure enough, a new message had appeared in his field of vision:
The "Walk with the Shadows" debuff from the item "Relic of Death" has been triggered.
Product Name: Signal Transmitter
[Debuff "Electric Shock" (Updated): The signal's parent system will experience electrical leakage due to nervous system disorder. The lower the SAN value, the easier it is to trigger. (You've really pulled off some tricks. Don't worry about running out of power; it's been stored in the transmitter's signal all these years.)]
[SAN value: 11/?]
"..." Thanks for the reminder. Damn it, this game will go bankrupt sooner or later.
The "end" of the dungeon was updated, and the guards cautiously stepped out. Each of them was as strong as a mountain, holding guns and clubs, but not one of them stepped forward. It was as if they were pulling a donkey with its waist pulled in the opposite direction, and they all hunched over and shrank back, their muscles trembling.
The corridor lights are always so dim, stretching the corridor horizontally. Even though there are fewer rooms, it gives people the illusion that it is "longer".
The newly opened cell at the end of the tunnel had a narrow crack, and the dust from the vibrations still lingered, filling the air with a rotten and musty stench.
The iron cages on both sides emitted belated screams as they scrambled through the cracks in the doors, like vengeful ghosts seeking death.
The overhead lights flickered twice in response to the screams. The guards looked at each other in fright and had to slowly approach, just a little faster than a tortoise.
After finally grinding to the finish line, just as I was about to push open the door, it closed first—there's no wind in a closed dungeon, so there must be someone inside!
Everyone raised their guns and stun batons, the air tense, robbing people of the sound of breathing. In the vast dungeon, you could hear a pin drop, and the desire to retreat intensified in their eyes.
One of the older guards, undeterred, stepped forward and knocked on the door.
A deep male voice came from inside the room, each word spoken lightly and without uttering a sound: "Wait a moment..."
Bang! As soon as the old guard heard someone was there, he kicked the door open, and a swarm of guards rushed in.
"Tsk."
All gun barrels and flashes of light were aimed at the tall figure in the middle of the cell. Xue Chao slightly raised his eyes and looked over. His two calm and cold blue eyes were intimidating, causing the nearest guard to react instantly and pull the trigger. Unexpectedly, the fierce-looking man first "weakly" spat out a mouthful of blood.
Guard: ...?
Xue Chao wiped the blood away unhappily, and the black trench coat quickly licked it clean. Once his convulsing body calmed down, he waved his hand impatiently, a gesture that made everyone raise a bunch of weapons on alert: "I didn't paint any targets on my face for you to practice your feather-throwing skills—go ask your boss."
The stiff-headed guard, whose brain was probably as sharp as a zombie's, finally reacted and immediately contacted his team leader: "Report! In the dungeon passage..."
The team leader's voice, even more impatient, came through the communicator: "Are you even dealing with something important? Can't you tell the difference between the big and small kings? Hurry up and clean this up, I'm about to suffocate in the office—throw them all out, including that troublesome one at the entrance, and let them go back to their 'nests'! Don't fucking bother me again!"
Xue Chao had Pu Fengchun submit the application, and then he approved the connection to the equipment on behalf of the team leader. The audio was simulated by AI, but the old equipment would blur the sound, making it impossible to distinguish the differences.
Without waiting for the team members' reply, the "team leader" unilaterally ended the conversation, his temper as usual. The guards looked at each other and resignedly went about their work.
At the dungeon entrance, Zhu Wen had already gotten two rounds of information out of him. Just as he was about to use him and then discard him, he instinctively cried out "Ouch!" to avoid the danger—Xue Chao was in so much pain that he couldn't grab him to cushion his fall and ended up lying flat on the ground, curling up and simply lying flat.
All the guards retreated to the dungeon, and the door slammed shut. Zhu Wen, who hadn't had a chance to enter, gave the middle finger in displeasure, but the child's attention quickly shifted to his new toy. After staring at Xue Chao for a while, he suddenly said, "You killed that man in the trench coat?"
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