Chapter 62
At the beginning, the members of Brad Guild, as the hunters closest to the mermaids, were almost besieged and attacked by all the hunters.
But later, everyone was bloodthirsty, and everyone here was their enemy. No one could remember what had caused them to kill each other in the first place.
Pieces of the body continued to fall into the sea and were quickly cleared away.
Until finally, when the noise faded away and the few remaining humans looked at each other, they realized—
At some point, they were the only hunters left alive.
Those low-level hunters were naturally the first to be cleared out, and none of the remaining ones were simple stuff. In addition, their magic power had been almost consumed, and the situation began to stagnate.
Brent counted the number of people, and his face, which was splashed with bright red blood, suddenly became even more gloomy.
There were seven people from Brad's guild who came here, and now only he, White and Derek are left alive.
This loss could no longer be described as heavy, the battle damage far exceeded the Brad Guild's expectations - in addition to the inestimable value of the A-level hunters, the space props carried by the dead hunters, and the supplies inside the props, also fell into the sea in the chaos.
Judging from the situation, it is 100% impossible to get it back.
Derek's magic power was almost gone. He was disassembling his limbs out of boredom while looking up at the few hunters standing there. There was an obvious flash of disgust in his eyes, as he saw his own kind.
The remaining hunters are all ruthless characters who are well-known internationally.
One of the men even made international news.
Yuji Inochi, who came from a gang, massacred a total of 71 people from the rival gang, including civilians in their sphere of influence, on the day he gained his ability. He was later wanted by many parties and was finally detained in a special prison. However, he was released on parole after making meritorious contributions in the J Country S-class portal explosion incident.
In the past two years, there have been no rumors of him killing people indiscriminately, but no one knows what the truth is.
What's more, after him, there were many copycat offenders with similar abilities. It is no exaggeration to say that his case led to the occurrence of many explosions.
"It seems like they have more people, but we have to fight alone. This is so unfair."
A female voice came, and then it turned into a male voice: "Humph, how do you guess they got so many passes? They are all the same, so don't blame anyone else."
The person who spoke was a woman, about thirty years old, very graceful and charming. The female and male voices just now were all made by her alone.
Derek rolled his eyes. Although he was usually weird and sarcastic, he hated this kind of guy the most.
"So it's Qiu Na - I remember you were originally from Country C? Thanks to your fast running, if you were still on Country C's wanted list, do you think you would still be alive and standing here talking to us?"
Derek spread out his five fingers, looked at his fingers breaking into sections, and sighed exaggeratedly: "Some people have to rely on luck to save their lives. No wonder they don't have any teammates~"
He said with a smile: "After all, who wants to be a teammate with a burden?"
Qiu Na's expression changed instantly.
"You question my ability?"
The situation, which had just calmed down slightly, showed signs of catching fire again.
"Derek."
Brent finally spoke up.
Derek shrugged and cooperated and said nothing more.
Brent raised his hand, put away his weapon first, looked around, and said:
"There are only nine of us left now, and we have no chance of winning against each other. And, as you can see, White, Derek and I are teammates. No one is sure that he can handle the siege of three people with ease, right?"
He continued, "We haven't entered Atlantis yet, so we don't know what we will face later. If there are monsters living in groups like in ordinary dungeons, one person's strength will definitely not be enough."
"Maybe... we can work together."
For a moment, the sea became quiet and everyone was thinking.
“Crash.”
Suddenly, a small sound of water was heard behind them. The hunters turned around and found that it was the mermaid who had not moved from the beginning to the end.
It was amusing itself by splashing the sea water with its beautiful tail. When it noticed they were looking at it, it blinked and gave a pure smile.
“…”
There was silence.
For a moment, everyone felt a huge sense of separation.
But in a short period of time, they couldn't find the reason for the sense of separation, so they could only quickly find other reasons for this strange feeling so that they would not be bothered by it.
Derek walked briskly, and in two or three steps he came to the stone pillar where the mermaid was, squatted down and looked at it: "I really envy you... You just need to watch others die for you."
It made him feel like a native of the underground city.
So, after entering Atlantis, could he just chop off a random mermaid's tail for his own use?
The mermaid boy in front of him had no idea what dangerous things he was thinking about. He just tilted his head slightly, not understanding what he was saying. His naivety made people want to laugh.
Derek suddenly wanted to pierce its tail and see if the expression on its face would become the painful one he was familiar with.
"We agree to cooperate." Inochi Yuji's lazy voice came from behind him, interrupting his idea that he was about to implement.
"But... you need to share the merman, and we will take turns supervising him."
Brent and White looked at each other and nodded, "Okay."
An uneasy cooperation was thus achieved.
Although the hunters were still highly wary of each other and could attack at any time, at least the chaotic situation was temporarily stabilized.
Everyone tacitly agreed not to proceed with the next action. Instead, they each found a stone pillar far away and silently adjusted their states.
These hunters were so busy that they never stopped, whether they were fighting or regulating their breathing.
The only one who looked very relaxed was Xiu Xingyuan, who was pretending to be an Atlantean.
Just as he thought, after possessing the [Assimilated Fish Tail], he was no longer on the same track with these hunters from the very beginning.
Just sitting back and reaping the benefits until the last hurdle is not a dream at all.
However, although Su Xingyuan was very happy to watch the show, he still did his job.
He looked at the various space props that appeared in his backpack, and the smile on his face became a little more sincere.
These hunters had made sufficient preparations to enter the secret realm, but after they died, in the melee, the equipment on their bodies had no time to be taken away and sank into the sea. What a pity.
Su Xingyuan couldn't stand watching these things. He carried the title of "Legendary Fisherman" and kept his eyes and ears open. Whenever these people were too excited to pay attention to him, he would take out a fishing rod and sink it into the sea, holding only a piece of transparent fishing line.
As expected, a game that can make stupid decisions like "being killed by the building" when the player crashes into it never disappoints.
Even if he only holds a small section of the fishing line, when the hook is put into the water, the game can judge that he is fishing.
More and more hunters fell into the sea, and he kept catching more and more items. Seeing that the remaining most valuable hunters were no longer being hunted, Su Xingyuan felt a little regretful.
Then he heard them say they wanted to cooperate.
Su Xingyuan: “…”
Su Xingyuan almost couldn't control the ignorant expression on his face, revealing a sarcasm that could greatly increase the chances of being exposed.
——From the beginning to now, from Tinghaimen where hatred can be concentrated to these levels, they are just traps before entering Atlantis.
Did they think that the Atlanteans didn't know that the more high-level hunters there were, the more dangerous it would be for the Atlanteans?
Therefore, no matter what the next level is, there must be only one main theme.
——That is to lead them to kill each other.
However, weak cooperation cannot withstand temptation and provocation.
Soon, the hunters finished their repairs. White walked up to Su Xingyuan and asked, "You should know what to do next, right?"
Su Xingyuan blinked his eyes and jumped directly into the sea.
Derek, who had been watching the mermaid's movements, narrowed his eyes. "The mechanism is on the seabed like before? No, that's not right. The same design can't appear a second time."
Moreover, during the previous fights, people kept falling into the sea. Even though they were afraid of the piranhas that would swarm over them at the smell of blood, it was enough to make them see the darkness deep in the sea.
What's more, if the mechanism is really at the bottom of the sea, it would be meaningless to bring the hunters to the stone pillars - let all the hunters jump into the sea and compete to see who can swim the fastest?
"Wait, Derek," White's pupils shrank slightly, and she took a step forward, "The mechanism is not on the bottom of the sea..."
"The mechanism is these stone pillars!"
The blue-haired boy was about to show a puzzled expression on his face, but he paused instantly. Then his face became extremely ugly. He directly stretched out his legs to increase his altitude, putting himself in a higher position where he could overlook the overall situation.
——Then he saw the whole picture of the stone pillar.
The stone pillars that were originally very far apart finally revealed themselves when viewed from a far enough distance.
Those stone pillars were not arranged randomly, but were just for hunters to stand on tiptoe.
They gathered together layer by layer, forming perfect circles, just like the magic circle Derek had seen on the seabed before.
As the mermaid boy swam on the seabed and magic power was injected, the stone pillars lit up layer by layer, and the mechanism was activated.
So simple.
…so simple!
Derek's temples were throbbing. He couldn't accept that the way to pass the level was so simple. It was so simple that he couldn't control the murderous intent that was bursting out!
What a peaceful trial it is! There is a stone pillar under each hunter's feet. All they need to do is inject magic power into it, and they will naturally pass this level without anyone dying.
But there happens to be a mermaid in this level, and a [prize] right in front of you!
They fought so hard to win the prize, the key to passing the level, that they almost beat their brains out. But in the end, they told him that the key to passing the level was not with the mermaid at all, and it didn't even have anything to do with the mermaid!
Derek did not feel sorry for the dead hunters. He was the one who enjoyed the most fighting. But he absolutely could not bear the thought that he, who always played tricks on others, would be played tricks on like a monkey one day!
In addition to Derek and White, the other hunters below obviously also figured out the key.
They didn't even know about Haimen's intelligence, and they didn't have a mermaid to lead the way. They searched the seabed inch by inch by themselves, and had a deeper impression of the magic circle. But even so, they had never expected this.
Suddenly, everyone's expression became as ugly as if they had eaten shit, as if everything they had done before was a joke.
Not to mention this joke, there was a fish that saw it all from beginning to end!
They racked their brains for it, and it watched the show peacefully with the answer in its arms!
If the mermaid boy didn't look ignorant and naive, and it seemed like he didn't do it on purpose, and it wasn't known whether he would be useful later, someone would definitely not be able to hold back their anger and punch him twice.
Facts have proved that even if some people put on a beautified shell and a cheerful mask, their annoying characteristics will always leak out at various times, and their true nature will be exposed.
Su Xingyuan himself was in a very calm mood.
First, the method to pass the level is actually very simple, but these idiots fell into a misconception when they saw the mermaids.
Second, as a player, it is basic literacy to look at the minimap first after arriving at a scene.
The stone pillars on the small map were clearly connected in a regular pattern; he was not blind.
However... the last step to pass the level is quite interesting.
He popped his head out from under the water, blinked, and dived again.
Inochi Yuji glanced at the mermaid boy who popped his head out like a little mole, and jumped down without hesitation.
Seeing this, Qiu Na complained, "My clothes are going to get wet again. I hate this part."
Although she complained, her movements were not slow at all. She raised her right hand, and before she finished her words, a human figure that looked like a combination of the remains of various creatures appeared out of thin air and protected her as she entered the sea.
Derek also released his ability. He was very annoyed about how to pass the level, so he was too lazy to do anything and just let himself fall.
All nine people quickly went under the sea.
They still subconsciously looked for the mermaid boy as soon as possible.
Almost no one noticed this. It was a natural behavior. If someone noticed it, they would probably rely on this intuitive reminder to look for clues revealed earlier.
However, when they saw the mermaid boy, the complicated thoughts in their minds slowed down involuntarily, like the state of water flowing slowly through their minds when they were drowsy.
The mermaid's long black hair fell behind her, swaying slightly with the ripples in the water. She raised her head and gazed quietly at the sky above the sea.
The next moment, the beautiful blue fish tail just swayed slightly, and it suddenly accelerated like an arrow and rushed out of the sea directly!
The moment it rushed up from the bottom of the sea and touched the sea surface, the top of the stone pillar simultaneously spread out a white light, illuminating the entire sea surface, like a fan...
Large portal!
"I see……"
Derek's eyes suddenly lit up. He bit the tip of his tongue and roughly pulled at his earrings with his right hand. The pain from his earlobes calmed his extremely excited emotions.
He already understood the design of the mechanism here.
Using magic power to light up the stone pillars in the sea was the hint given by the previous formation, and the way to the next level was also given to them early on.
When they arrived at the stone pillar, all of them "fell" out of the sea.
The moment they broke through the sea surface, gravity was reversed, the world turned upside down, the original fall turned into an ascent, and they came to the next level of the dungeon.
That is why, if the way to enter is to fall, then the way to leave is to rise!
The blue-haired boy swam upwards without hesitation, crossing the surface of the sea.
A white light flashed before his eyes, the world spun around, and he fell directly from a high altitude, hitting the hard ground hard.
Derek: “…”
The blue-haired boy raised his hands and covered his face with all his strength, so as not to let the mermaid boy who was waiting here safely see his expression, and then began to distort his facial features to his heart's content.
Fortunately, he was not alone. Even though the others were prepared to fall, they all lost stability and fell to the ground due to this upside-down transmission method.
Fortunately, although it hurts, it is just pain for advanced hunters. They quickly adjusted their posture and looked around.
This is a space like a palace in the sea, but it is not filled with sea water. What is contrary to common sense is that the sea surface is right above their heads, as if blocked by some force.
In addition, the palace is filled with large and small, connected pools, and at the end of the pool is a holy spring.
The snow-white sculpture with a human body and a fish tail stood there quietly, without saying a word, holding a round bead in its hand. Living water flowed from the bead and into the spring, filling the entire spring with magical power of terrifying concentration.
The moment they felt this magical power, the verbal cooperation between the hunters began to break down.
——Even though they were so far away from the spring, when the magic power dissipated over, they could feel that their magic power limit had increased.
What if... we go a step further and find ourselves in a spring?
Just at this moment, a comic strip slowly appeared on the mirror-like sea surface above their heads.
The comic strip depicts the humans in the holy spring and the palace.
Humans with legs came from the land and found this palace. They also saw the holy spring that revealed its extraordinary power.
The first human who entered the holy spring received the eternal friendship of the Atlanteans. He came among countless glittering gold and silver treasures and happily chose from them.
The remaining humans were considered by the Atlanteans to be trespassing into the holy land. Not only did the holy spring frantically absorb their magic power, but the mermaids with weapons also surrounded them, like livestock to be slaughtered.
Almost the moment the painting appeared, White's heart sank, knowing that their fragile cooperation was over.
Frankly speaking, the discord in this painting is too obvious. If a normal team were standing here, they would never act rashly, but would exchange information and stabilize people's hearts first.
But the problem is, few of the hunters who enter the palace trust each other, and most of them have very problematic character!
Waiting for everyone to calmly discuss the solution together?
But no one would trust a guy with a weird personality and who kills people without hesitation. Those guys would definitely take action immediately. In that case...
——It’s better to strike first!
In a flash, the nine hunters present launched attacks on each other at the same time!
The blue-haired boy's arms spread out instantly. Seeing this scene, he laughed crazily:
"It's true - we are so in tune with each other!"
Without hesitation, Yuji Inochi threw his explosive slime towards White, who was closest to him, but White had anticipated this and while holding up the moving wall, he turned his head and raised his hand to grab it!
The hunter who wanted to take the opportunity to sneak into the holy spring was instantly grabbed by the neck, followed closely by the sharp silver axe in Brent's hand!
Qiuna controlled her puppets, letting one of them protect her and the other to kill the hunter in front of her, but she suddenly heard a close whisper behind her: "Would you like to try the feeling of having your body shattered into pieces?"
No one held back. In order to avoid death here, almost everyone used their best skills.
Every move is deadly and vicious!
Explosions, metal collisions, shrill laughs and screams rang out at the same time, and blood gradually dyed the ground red. Brent used a long axe to support himself on the ground. There was a penetrating wound on his shoulder, and dark purple blood flowed out of it.
The woman whose puppet was coated with deadly poison laughed "ho ho" and her trachea was severed.
White used the last of his magic to crush Inuchi Yuji's internal organs, then crawled on his knees to Brent and said, "How are you?!"
Brent managed to say, "Derrick's space tool... has a repair potion..."
White immediately found Derek's location.
The blue-haired boy was lying on the ground, covered in blood, with one arm broken, and he seemed to be dead.
White walked over and quickly searched for his space props, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
“…”
She slowly lowered her head and saw an arm made up of puzzle-like pieces passing through her back.
That was what she thought was Derek's broken arm.
The blue-haired boy opened his eyes and said with a smile, "I'm sorry, Ms. White, I've wanted to do this for a long time. Are you surprised?"
He said generously: "Don't worry, you won't die immediately. At least you can linger for a while and go to hell with your brother - thank me."
Derek stood up humming a song. He had become the final winner and walked leisurely towards the spring.
However, the moment he touched the spring water, what came towards him was not a warm current that replenished the magic power in his body, but a whirlpool that madly devoured his magic power like a vampire!
Derek's pupils suddenly shrank, and he wanted to pull away immediately, but found that he was completely sucked in, and it was useless even if he used his ability to cut off his limbs!
Seeing this, White laughed intermittently and said in a harsh voice: "Hahaha... Is this the victory you are pursuing...? There is no so-called first prize at all——"
...Encourage?
The woman stared at the figure in the spring and suddenly felt a ringing in her ears.
The mermaid boy, who had been forgotten by them since he came here, slowly emerged from the water. It revealed its familiar face and swam leisurely from the center of the spring to the edge.
The "Mermaid Boy" sat slowly beside the snow-white sculpture, supported his chin with one hand, and smiled at them.
It's like the uncrowned king who sits on the throne of victory from beginning to end.
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