Chapter 179
Captain Xu's probing gaze was almost undisguised.
Xie Xubai seemed caught off guard, unconsciously biting his lip and saying with a troubled expression, "Captain Xu, dodgeball tests reaction speed and stamina. My stats are average, and I might hold you back..."
Seeing Xie Xubai looking like he wanted to run away, Captain Xu immediately stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder, saying with a smile, "It's okay, we're not afraid, what are you afraid of? The dungeon will only get more and more dangerous later on, so it's better to develop more in the early stages and increase your combat power. Judging from how nobody seems to be playing this activity, we should be among the first to participate—maybe we'll even get special reward items on our first attempt!"
Xie Xubai was dragged over by him without any ability to resist.
“But I…” Xie Xubai glanced at the dark amusement tent, a clear look of fear appearing in his eyes.
Captain Xu lowered his voice and earnestly advised him: "You've seen it yourself, the rules state that each participant must have at least twenty people. Our team doesn't have enough people, and the others are afraid to step up. Are we just going to stay in this stalemate? Look behind you, look at those elderly people and children. Are you going to let them go first?"
Yes, even the elderly and children are not immune to being forced to participate in dungeons.
Although not old enough to need a cane, or small enough to wear diapers, seeing the old man's full head of white hair and thin body, and the child's tearful eyes and height less than an adult's waist, one can't help but curse the system for being utterly heartless.
Captain Xu spoke from the heart.
After the peak reorganization, it was no longer entirely composed of regular soldiers, but the belief in protecting their homeland and showing compassion for the weak was always engraved in their bones, which also made them unable to erase their determination to fight against the Infinite Game.
However, with the current breakdown of order, such moral values can only be used to restrain oneself; it is truly unreasonable to force others to comply.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the young man stopped struggling. He looked at the pitch-black tent and then at the frail old man and child behind him. Finally, he closed his eyes, seemingly resigned to his fate, and mustered his courage, trying to suppress the slight tremor in his voice: "Then I'll give it a try."
The character of a young man who was forced into battle, hesitant and timid, but who could grit his teeth and step up when it mattered most was immediately portrayed vividly.
Captain Xu never expected Xie Xubai to suddenly agree. In order to verify whether the other party was really hiding something, he was even prepared for the other party to struggle and for him to half-drag and half-force the other party to participate.
It was at this moment that Captain Xu happened to touch Xie Xubai's shoulder.
The thin young man was indeed very thin, and Captain Xu did not expect that he could press on the bone so easily, which in turn made his hand feel uncomfortable.
Facing Xie Xubai's anxious yet resolute face, his wary heart finally revealed a hint of wavering and hesitation.
Xie Xubai noticed this subtle change in emotion.
Captain Xu wanted to test him, but wasn't he also testing the other party's character?
After learning about the reputation of the Peak from the magician, Xie Xubai had a feeling that the upper echelons of the Peak would want to know the truth, and he had been planning to find a contact person to introduce him to them.
Magic Johnson was no good; the other party insisted that he had no connection with the peak of his career, and they had almost become mortal enemies because of their differing views.
Xie Xubai's identity is problematic. The entire Peak community harbors intense hostility towards the Infinite Game, and he cannot guarantee that he, as a part of the game (NPC) in the public's perception, will receive special treatment from them.
The most crucial issue is that the trial dungeons are not difficult, and the surviving human population is not lacking in elite experts.
Why do they repeatedly experience cycles of rebirth, only to end up with a tragic failure?
Xie Xubai has one advantage over others: he is calm and collected. He prefers to play it safe until he gets an answer, which is why he chose Captain Xu.
Gaining Captain Xu's favor at the beginning wouldn't be difficult; Xie Xubai could easily have disguised himself flawlessly, but that wasn't what he wanted.
What he wanted was to gain the complete trust and respect of the members of the Peak Third Squad.
Building trust from scratch in a lukewarm manner is far less profound than breaking down and rebuilding in a life-or-death crisis, where emotions collide and waver amidst intense, near-death experiences, and then undergo a dramatic transformation during a surge of dopamine, from doubt to shock to complete trust.
But the cloaked man seemed to have anticipated his thoughts.
This made Xie Xubai wary.
Currently, those entering this instance are all elite members of the Peak Third Division. Since they are elites, their numbers cannot be too large.
Led by Captain Xu, the team consisted of 12 people, with 2 logistics personnel left behind in case of emergency.
Including Xie Xubai, we are still short 9 people.
The crowd fell silent once again, hesitating, when suddenly a deep, hoarse voice in English came from behind: "I'll go."
The simple word combination is enough for even elementary school students to understand that it means "to go".
The burly, light-blonde mercenary squeezed his way into the crowd, the bandages on his chest still seeping bright red blood, exuding an oppressive aura.
The crowd dispersed in a commotion.
Regardless of whether Brian is reliable or not, his overwhelming strength is undeniable.
But seeing Brian's face was deathly pale and cold sweat beading on his temples, she couldn't help but question whether he could actually do it: "Are you sure you can? Maybe you should just lie down?"
It wasn't out of kindness, but because I was afraid that this guy would faint when he should be doing his job, causing more trouble.
Brian glanced at them, said nothing, picked up a stone from the ground, and then his entire arm went from shoulder to shoulder in a blur.
People didn't even see him throw the stone clearly; they only heard a loud sonic boom in their ears, and the next second a violent explosion rang out not far away, smashing a huge hole in a half-story-sized iron billboard.
As the large hole drew closer, it reflected the gaping, astonished expressions of the people present.
The billboard's metal pole, unable to bear the weight, creaked and collapsed.
crowd:"……"
Brian looked at Captain Xu, his initial arrogance gone, and simply asked, "Can we participate?"
Captain Xu naturally welcomed the applause with delight.
He wouldn't have allowed this group to follow behind the main force if he didn't value their combat capabilities.
Seeing that even the blond-haired foreign devil dared to participate despite his serious injuries, the crowd was somewhat aroused and their fighting spirit was stirred.
A short while later, a girl with a slightly robust build stepped forward, raised her hand, and said, "I'm a B-level player, but before entering the game, I was a shot putter on the school's track and field team. I've unlocked the talent related to [Increased Throwing Accuracy], which might be of some help."
Another man stepped forward, with a pointed face and a sleazy air. He grinned and said, "Before I entered the game, I was a thief... Hey! Don't look at me like that, I've reformed! I don't have any other skills, but I'm quick-witted, so the dodgeball won't hit me!"
"Then... count me in!"
"Since we're all going to die anyway, I'll be there for you!"
"Yeah, we're not really going to die, count me in!"
Sometimes, whether people can come together depends on just one person breaking the silence.
Twenty people were quickly gathered, and there were even extra players who were placed in the next batch.
*
Seeing the players' unprecedented enthusiasm, the cloaked figure from the ink painting space placed a piece on the chessboard.
*Smack*
*
The group strode confidently through the tent flap and shouted inside, "Is anyone there? Where's the boss? We've got a customer! Come out and greet us!"
When I turned my head, I was almost scared out of my wits: "Holy crap!"
A human-shaped silhouette was standing at the front desk, huddled in the corner between the front desk and the tent, almost blending into the dim background.
The shadow was only a table's distance from the nearest player, close enough that the player could clearly see the predatory, sinister glint in the shadow's eyes, close enough that the shadow could reach out and snap his neck.
There were so many people standing at the entrance having a heated discussion, but they hadn't heard any noise from inside the tent, so they thought no one was there.
Little did they know that not only were there people there, but they had also been listening to their conversation silently for an unknown period of time.
"Ahhhh—"
The player closest to the commotion was so frightened that his legs went weak and he quickly hid to the side, while the third squad anxiously peered inside after hearing the noise.
With a whoosh, the curtain was flung open, and the dim, gloomy sunlight shone on the shadow. It moved, stood up, and only then did everyone see the creature's true form, causing them to shudder again.
The first thing that catches the eye is the gruesome large-area burns. His entire face is ruined, and one eye is burned out, leaving only a cloudy white film, making it impossible to see his original appearance.
Redness and blisters appeared all over his body, with yellow pus seeping out. Two long, thin tubes were inserted into his nasal cavity and extended all the way to the portable ventilator around his waist.
The charred and ugly scars were crooked and twisted, like old tree roots, spreading from his face down to his waist, and even his thighs were not spared.
The devastation caused by the fire is evident.
Most people would instinctively feel pity upon seeing someone so badly injured, but the players present couldn't feel any sympathy, simply because this person slowly took out something hidden under the front desk counter right in front of them.
The object hit the table with a soft thud.
It was a large, hard-made cleaver, also known as a pig-slaughtering knife.
The blade reflected a chilling white light under the illumination; it was very sharp and had been sharpened at least once recently.
The blade was stained with reddish-brown marks, bloodstains that could not be washed off after being repeatedly soaked.
The players then realized that the man's arms were incredibly thick, his palms and the area between his thumb and forefinger were covered in thick calluses, and his fingernails were full of black grime.
It's like they were born to do slaughtering.
In the dead silence, the man suddenly blinked and grinned broadly: "Oh, welcome everyone! I was asleep earlier and didn't have time to come out and greet you. Are all of you standing here playing dodgeball? Haha, it's been a long time since I've seen so many people. It's an honor to have you here."
Someone couldn't help but correct: "It should be 'humble abode shines with honor'."
The boss was surprisingly good-natured, casually wiping his hands on his apron: "It's all the same. I'm just a roughneck, I don't know anything about these things. Alright, have you all read the rules? Best two out of three. Those who want to participate, follow this path in."
As he spoke, puffs of white mist shot out from the transparent tube with his rapid breathing. His suppressed breaths, thick and sticky with nasal tones, sounded particularly heavy in the quiet tent, like the panting of a cow.
Everyone felt uncomfortable watching this, but the boss was still smiling kindly.
As if by accident, the boss glanced at Xie Xubai, his smile deepening.
In that instant, Xie Xubai's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and he heard a baby's heart-wrenching cry coming from the depths of his own heart.
Wow!
Wow--
The sound was deafening.
Xie Xubai thought he could be calm and composed now, but he didn't know if it was because the separation of his spiritual body affected his state, but he was suddenly gripped by a strong emotion and his mind went blank.
Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Xie Xubai suddenly snapped out of his daze and turned around to find that it was one of the logistics members of the Peak Squad who had been left to observe. He quietly slipped the talisman into Xie Xubai's palm.
The man lowered his voice and said, "The captain is just a bit paranoid, don't worry about him. We used our skills to detect that there's a lot of yin energy in this tent, so there might be something like that around. Take this, it might help you ward off disaster."
Besides Xie Xubai, everyone else was also given exorcism talismans. Each talisman cost 200 points in the shop, which wasn't expensive for a large, well-funded guild, but very few people were willing to spend them.
With this extra layer of protection, the tense crowd immediately relaxed considerably.
"You don't have much combat skill, it must have been tough for you to reach Rank B." The logistics member winked at him with deep sympathy, and while no one was looking, Xie Xubai had two more talismans in his hand.
This was an exception; the logistics staff paid out of their own pockets, while everyone else received one.
He said, "You look kind. Be careful, and whatever you do, don't die."
Perhaps the logistics staff genuinely liked him, or perhaps this was just a tactic to win people over.
But because of this little episode, Xie Xubai completely broke free from that intense emotion.
Xie Xubai blinked slowly, looked at the talisman in his hand, and suddenly smiled at him: "Okay."
The young man spoke softly, as if making a promise: "But it's not enough for me to die alone; everyone has to survive."
The logistics staff were stunned for a moment before they came to their senses. Looking at Xie Xubai's retreating figure, they couldn't help but touch their noses and mutter, "He's not that bad-looking, but he's actually quite handsome when he smiles."
As for Xie Xubai's last sentence, he took it as a naive fantasy of a young man.
This is an S-rank dungeon, how could everyone possibly survive?
The inside and outside of the tent were clearly not the same space; the further we went, the deeper we went, far beyond the tent's boundaries.
The group tugged at the hem of the person in front of them, suppressing their unease as they passed through the narrow, dark passage, until finally the view opened up before them.
They thought they would arrive at a spacious refuge venue in the public's mind, like a beach or a football field.
But unexpectedly, it appeared in... an underground parking lot?
The LED lights were working normally, and the bright, dazzling white light stretched in rows into the seemingly endless depths of the garage. The dark plastic floor was so shiny that it reflected the outlines of people clearly.
The parking spaces on both sides were filled with vehicles, including large cars, small cars, and electric cars.
The player stands at a crossroads, and the layout is almost the same whether looking left or right.
The square corridor, white pillars, white painted parking spaces and road arrows, and blank blue metal signs look like they were copied and pasted on.
The surroundings were quiet and empty; you could even hear an echo when you spoke.
But there wasn't a single NPC to explain the situation, and even the boss who was walking at the front had disappeared, which was a bit strange.
Anxiety spread through everyone's hearts.
Someone asked the crucial question: "Are we supposed to play dodgeball here? Boss! Hey—at least give me a hint!"
"Wait a minute, everyone look! There's a newspaper here!"
Those who heard the sound quickly gathered around.
The first person to find the newspaper tried to pick it up, but it was stuck firmly to the ground.
There was a clear rut on it, with mud mixed with blood, fresh flesh and white fat.
It looked like someone was walking by with a newspaper when they were suddenly hit by a car, and part of their body and the newspaper were crushed into a bloody pancake by the speeding tires, inseparable.
The player, suppressing his nausea, tried hard to decipher the information on the newspaper.
Someone read it aloud: "At around 2:30 a.m. on [date], a man was repeatedly run over in the underground parking garage of [community name] and died on the spot."
The owner of the vehicle involved in the accident is a resident of the community, and the lock was broken half an hour before the incident.
The perpetrator was wearing a dark brown coat, a mask, and a baseball cap. After confirming the victim's death, he dragged her into a storage room in the hallway and then escaped through a ventilation duct in the basement that had been illegally opened up by a resident on the first floor of the apartment building…
"The underground parking garage mentioned here... could it be... the parking garage we're in here?"
Everyone looked up, exchanged glances, and saw an ominous premonition in each other's eyes.
The most crucial question is, how are they going to play dodgeball here?
Where's the ball? Where's the opponent?
Xie Xubai frowned, quickly glanced around, and his brain was working at high speed.
Underground parking garage.
The person who was hit and killed without warning, the hit-and-run driver, and the car.
They huddled together like headless flies, facing an unseen opponent, the ball...
Suddenly, Xie Xubai's heart sank, and he shouted urgently, "Get out of the way and find cover! Those cars are like balls!!"
The next second, all the driverless vehicles started up without warning, their headlights blazing! Swish, swish, swish, illuminating the quiet garage as bright as day!
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