As the saying goes, one who eats someone's food is soft-hearted, and one who takes someone's money is soft-handed. This principle is not only understood by smokers, but also by all the stranded people.
Zhuang Li proposed a condition, and everyone agreed to meet it in exchange for their lives. There was nothing to argue about. This was the law of the jungle.
"What kind of contract do you want us to sign?" asked the smoker with a frown.
She was worried that Zhuang Li would ask for too much. If he wanted everyone to work for him from now on...
This condition can actually be agreed to. Being able to get out is better than dying here.
The smoker kept calculating in his mind, and his face gradually revealed an expression of powerlessness. Yu Chuan shook his head slightly at her, indicating that she should not act rashly. As long as she could get out alive, there was hope.
The others were also indignant and helpless.
Xiaodao and Huangmao thought this request was normal, as they did the same in the wilderness.
Only Zi Wei felt sorry for it, but he didn't dare to speak.
Zhuang Li looked around at everyone and asked, "Is there anyone who wants to stay? I can send him back right away." He pointed to the collapsing building, and everyone's body sank down.
Obviously, this is a warning.
This world is completely controlled by Zhuang Li. Whoever he wants to die here will disappear forever.
"Okay, what contract? Just tell me." One of the stranded people shouted loudly, and the others nodded.
Zhuang Li was very pleased with everyone's timely approach. He raised a finger and drew a magic circle in the sky. His voice was gentle, "The contract is simple. I can return all of your lost power, instantly returning you all to peak form. In return, you must promise that one day in the future, when I'm in danger, you will do your utmost to protect me. Just this once, and you'll be free. How about it?"
The smoker breathed a sigh of relief.
Saving Zhuang Li once can exchange for a life and peak strength. This deal is really worth it.
"I promise you!" She raised her hand first.
Yu Chuan, who was lying in her arms, also raised his hand tremblingly.
In just a few seconds, everyone raised their hands in agreement, without a trace of dissatisfaction. They had expected Zhuang Li to make unacceptable and harsh demands, but he was surprisingly so reasonable. The huge psychological gap made everyone involuntarily feel good about this demon.
Seeing everyone's grateful eyes, Xuan Ming couldn't help but look up at the sky silently.
So, the devil is best at playing with people's hearts. He sells others out, and they happily help him count the money.
Zhuang Li withdrew his fingertips, and a massive magic circle composed of light points appeared in the sky. Many people present were proficient in magic and naturally knew that this magic circle was used to establish a contract and did not set any foreshadowing or traps.
Under the witness of the law, the contract was concluded, and a small hexagram was branded on the knuckles of each person. At the same time, those who were emaciated, weak, and on the verge of death were instantly restored to their peak condition.
The taskers or players who can be summoned to the forbidden land are definitely the elite among the elites and the masters among the masters.
Smoker was right. The team led by Zhuang Li was indeed the weakest in terms of average strength.
Zi Wei looked around and saw only a few S-rank taskers or players scattered among the dense crowd. The rest of them exuded a terrifying aura. They hung in mid-air, seemingly insignificant compared to the boundless black clouds and surging lightning. Yet, they felt like black holes, unfathomable and deep.
Even the smoker who had previously staggered and stammered was now an SSS-level player. Yu Chuan, who had been held in her arms, had now stood up, and the aura he exuded was surprisingly similar to Xuan Ming's.
He has definitely reached the upper limit of SSS and is only one step away from breaking through to the demigod realm.
And there are actually dozens of such taskers!
This clearly illustrates the purpose of forbidden areas. They serve as tombs for masters, and also as tools for the Lord God to absorb energy. Just as a fattened pig must be slaughtered, so too, when a tasker becomes strong enough, they too become food for the Lord God.
Part of the energy devoured by this world is used to support Lin Shiyu's existence, and another part may be continuously supplied to the main god.
Zhuang Li looked around at these people and gradually understood the meaning of the existence of the forbidden land.
Noticing everyone was observing the brand on the tiger's mouth, he chuckled and said, "Don't be nervous. Once you get out, you'll be able to repay this favor quickly."
"What do you mean?" Xuan Ming frowned.
"I just have some guesses." Zhuang Li smiled and waved his hand, then pointed to the sky and said in a light tone: "Go out."
As soon as he finished speaking, countless pillars of light descended from the sky, illuminating the earth, driving away darkness and igniting hope.
Everyone reached out their hands, embracing the light, their faces lit with joyful smiles. The beams of light grew more numerous and denser, finally shattering the entire world of despair in a blinding display of brilliance.
Tens of thousands of stranded people instantly appeared in the starting square.
The task manager inexplicably returned to their wrists, and each of them uttered a cold, inorganic voice: "Welcome back."
Are you back?
The stranded people looked around with confused eyes, and a feeling of being in another world involuntarily emerged in the hearts of each of them.
Seeing so many questers and players appear together, and their levels were all ridiculously high, the people standing in the starting square were all shocked. They quickly retreated, with expressions of fear on their faces.
Is this a team? With such a high level and so many people, this is too exaggerated, right?
Zhuang Li fell among the stranded people and was held tightly in Xuan Ming's arms.
"You can go home now." Xuan Ming lowered his head and kissed the top of his head.
"It seems not yet possible." Zhuang Li pointed to the billboards erected in the square.
All of these billboards displayed Zhuang Li's photo and comprehensive evaluation information, followed by a scrolling message: [Congratulations to player Zhuang Li for successfully completing the Forbidden Land? World of Despair dungeon and receiving the following rewards: SSS-level skill Dream Stealing, SSS-level technique Returning to Origin Dance, SSS-level technique Hun Tian Jue, SSS-level technique...]
A series of SSS-level skill cards, item cards, energy cards, and special effect cards flashed across the billboard like flowing water, making everyone's eyes hot and their hearts beat fast.
This was the legacy left behind by all the players who died in the world of despair. The first to die were often the strongest, so the items that fell into Zhuang Li's hands were almost without exception SSS-level items, with SS-level items being rare.
And they were all hidden in the ball of light that Lin Shiyu's soul had transformed into. Now, this ball of light was held in Zhuang Li's hand.
Seeing the blood-red characters scrolling across the billboard, the players gathered in the starting square, waiting for the dungeon to begin, grew restless. They kept turning their heads, straining their gaze, trying to find the secret as quickly as possible.
How could the other party, a mere D-rank player, possess so many treasures? This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. The weak, unable to protect their treasures, would ultimately be devoured by the strong.
The desire to kill and plunder burst out from the depths of everyone's heart.
At the same time, those huge billboards began to flash a dazzling red light, and a voice resounded through the sky: "Attention, all players, world quests have been issued. There is no limit on the duration, level, or number of people. Please claim them as you please."
This broadcast was repeated three times in a row.
Everyone looked down at the task manager, where they saw a line of large red characters: [World Quest: Kill Zhuang Li and obtain the card in his hand.]
Every player smiled with bloodthirsty smiles. Even if the Lord God hadn't issued this quest, seeing those SSS-level treasures on the billboard would have piqued everyone's greed.
He's just a D-level player. How easy is it to kill him?
People kept searching for Zhuang Li in the starting square, and Zhuang Li clapped his hands softly and said loudly, "Everyone, it's your turn to fulfill your promise."
Smoker and others: "..."
Damn it! What our ancestors said was right! Never make a deal with the devil, or you'll be screwed!
Look! They were tricked right after they left the dungeon!
Zi Wei, Huang Mao, and Xiao Dao looked at Zhuang Li in disbelief and asked hastily, "Captain, you had anticipated this, had you?"
"What else? There are so many billboards erected in the square. They can't be just for decoration, right?" Zhuang Li skillfully hid behind Xuan Ming, while Xuan Ming exuded his full aura.
Zi Wei, Huang Mao and Xiao Dao: "..."
They actually thought these billboards were just for show because they were never operational.
So, the captain's brain structure is really different from that of ordinary people, and the world he sees is also different from that of ordinary people.
Had he already guessed the purpose of these billboards when he discovered them? So he forced the stranded people to sign a contract of protection with him. He knew exactly what the Lord God would do, and he had a plan in mind.
The captain's brain is so sharp! A hundred other people's brains are not as useful as his one!
Zi Wei, Huang Mao, and Xiao Dao took up their positions while sincerely praising: "Captain, you can do it!"
Zhuang Li didn't feel nervous at all. He pointed to the largest billboard and said, "Take me up there."
Xuan Ming immediately carried him up, tiptoed, and jumped onto the billboard.
Seeing this familiar face appear high up, someone below the square immediately shouted, "Zhuang Li is on the billboard!" As soon as the words fell, several fireballs attacked Zhuang Li, but were kicked away one by one by Xuan Ming.
Yu Chuan raised his hand and extinguished the person who released the fireball. He said in a deep voice: "Return the favor, what are you waiting for?"
Smoker and the others gritted their teeth and immediately started fighting.
An unprecedented war broke out, involving as many as one hundred thousand people. This scene will definitely be recorded in the annals of the gaming world.
Although Yu Chuan, Smoker, and the others were incredibly powerful, they were outnumbered and would inevitably collapse if they continued. They knew this was a losing battle, and they might even perish here the moment they left the dungeon. However, a contract was a contract; once signed, it had to be honored.
Kill him.
Kill them all first!
The smoker roared as he killed, "Zhuang Li, fuck your mother! Zhuang Li, if I can get out of this alive, I will definitely dig up your ancestors' graves! You wicked thing!"
In her rage, she was slashed on the thigh by a knife that was poisonous, causing her to feel dizzy. Just as she was about to cry out in disbelief, a healing card suddenly fell from the sky, landing on her head and instantly restoring her to full health.
She took a moment to glance in the direction the cards were flying from, and saw a ball of light dangling in Zhuang Li's hand. Cards kept flying out of the ball of light, some were healing cards, some were energy cards, some were skill cards...
And these cards always fall accurately on the stranded players who need treatment, energy, and special skills to suppress their opponents.
Zhuang Li seemed to have a hundred thousand eyes, able to watch the battle of a hundred thousand people at the same time, and quickly distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of both sides, and provide timely assistance.
Rather than describing this as a melee involving a hundred thousand people, it was more like he was manipulating the course of the battle alone. All he had to do was kill, kill, kill, and kill those who had signed a contract with him.
If you lack skills, Zhuang Li can provide them; if you lack treatment, Zhuang Li can provide them; if you lack energy, Zhuang Li can provide them...you don't have to worry at all.
With his assistance, the killing was as smooth as a knife cutting wheat ears and as unstoppable as a tsunami.
While the enemy was still frantically swallowing healing potions or loading energy cards, the stranded ones' butcher knives had already cut off their necks.
Smoker had never fought so passionately before. She didn't even need to worry about whether anyone was attacking her from behind, because the moment the hidden arrow came, Zhuang Li would immediately give her a defensive card.
The only thing Smoker needs to do is to release his killing move, release his killing move, release his killing move...
All the stranded people were like her. They had unknowingly become obsessed with killing, addicted to it, and their hearts were burning with killing.
All the negative emotions accumulated in the desperate world were vented by them at this moment, in this place.
Countless golden cards flew out of Zhuang Li's hands and fell like raindrops precisely on the heads of every stranded person who needed this card.
The plunderers, who were numerous and powerful, were hacked to pieces and fled in all directions.
Xuanming did not join the battle. He was only responsible for staying by Zhuang Li's side and blocking all attacks from below.
Zhuang Li doesn't have to worry about anything. He just needs to observe the battle situation quietly and then distribute the cards reasonably.
Hours later, the starting square was a river of blood. The looters were either dead or fleeing, but the stranded remained standing safely. Not even a single one of them was seriously injured, let alone dead. Zhuang Li generously used the cards he had obtained in the world of despair on them.
Doesn’t the Lord God like killing?
Then he will show you what killing is.
A thick stench of blood permeated the air, a faint bloody mist enveloped the surroundings, and the blood on the ground was enough to cover the toes of shoes. The starting square created by the Lord God had been transformed by Zhuang Li into a bloody hell.
All the surviving plunderers had fled, and no one dared to attack Zhuang Li. Only the billboards were still scrolling and playing Zhuang Li's personal information, which looked so pitiful and ridiculous.
Smoker spat at the billboard and said regretfully, "Is that the end? I haven't had enough kills yet! Teaming up with Zhuang Li in team battles is so fucking satisfying! I don't even have to look back!"
She spoke for everyone, and everyone burst into laughter. Seeing the brand on the tiger's mouth slowly disappear, for some reason, a trace of regret rose in their hearts.
Zhuang Li held the ball of light and chuckled, "This little thing is the product of Lin Shiyu's soul. It is also the essence of the world of despair, so it has the power of devouring. Watch carefully."
The "you" he mentioned did not refer to those who were stranded.
He used his mental power to activate the small ball, and the skills and props of the killed plunderers turned into golden cards and were absorbed by the light ball.
Countless points of light rose from the corpses on the ground and sank into the sphere one by one, making it even more dazzling.
Zhuang Li had indeed spent a lot of cards, but he'd also taken back even more. If another player dared to rob him, he could fight another round. He feared nothing more than a massive attack.
Everyone stared at the ball in amazement, then burst into laughter. The world quests issued by the Lord God were ridiculous! They were simply giving Zhuang Li a head start! He could get rich just by harvesting the quest takers who came to him!
"I'm too free to worry about you." The smoker waved his hand lazily.
The billboards seemed to be able to see this scene. The scrolling characters paused for a moment, then hissed for a while, and finally went out. They became decorations again.
A moment later, everyone's task manager vibrated. Looking down, they saw a notification from the system. It was a simple sentence, yet it was filled with helplessness—[Please note, players, due to a risk assessment error, the world quest has been canceled. Please do not proceed without authorization.]
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