Chapter 84 Crimson Sunset Expedition
“The system is being repaired…”
“The repair is almost finished…”
“The system is being repaired…”
While the repeated prompt played back and forth, the players in the waiting hall could clearly sense the terrifying disturbance in the sky.
Apart from the monsters attacking every minute and a half, everyone else was surprised by the blinding sun. After mechanically fending off a few monsters, many shadows immediately turned their gaze towards the tour guide.
The cheerful tour guide put down the flag she was holding, her expression becoming serious. Clearly, she hadn’t expected this.
The calmest one was Yu Xingzhou, who suddenly and quickly swiped the neck of the thin man at this crucial moment.
Blood seeped out, and another member of the shadow team stunned by this sudden change. The next second, Yu Xingzhou accurately threw a dagger, hitting the other shadow right between the eyebrows.
“Aah!” An abruptly silenced scream shattered the silence.
The shadows had been operating in groups earlier. Now, from a distance, the others who were passively startled witnessed the scene. There was no time left to launch a rescue. Shadow Xiao Hua’s crimson eyes gazed at Yu Xingzhou, “Boss, so you’re really the spy.”
Despite the scorching heat, his mask still bore a cold sheen. Yu Xingzhou sneered and prepared to withdraw.
Shadow Xiao Hua: “Stop him!”
Li Nan and a few other players were prepared. They immediately moved towards Yu Xingzhou’s direction to provide support.
In terms of numbers, the shadows held an absolute advantage. If they could kill Yu Xingzhou, it would compensate for the loss of two shadows. Just as the shadows were about to strike, Shadow Xiao Hua’s expression changed, “Be careful, he…”
The game certainly hadn’t completely locked the opponents’ skills.
This reminder came too late, but even if it had been said earlier, it wouldn’t have had much effect. Yu Xingzhou’s skills were too unique.
Everyone’s movements froze for a moment. Although it was just a moment, for a powerful individual like Yu Xingzhou, it was enough to create distance.
As time resumed flowing, Li Nan cleared monsters from behind to assist him, creating a relatively spacious escape route.
“Should we chase?” someone asked.
To detain Li Nan and his team, they would need at least eight to nine shadows, otherwise, it would be a lost cause.
Shadow Li Nan squinted, his thoughts unclear. After a while, he shook his head and abandoned a large-scale attrition battle. “Prioritize the quest. Just like before, since they’re gone, one group is still responsible for tailing the players. Now, everyone find the lizard passenger.”
While speaking, Shadow Li Nan had been observing the teenager. Coincidentally, Yu Xingzhou had been grouped with two weaker and less reputable shadows. This was no longer mere chance.
The teenager couldn’t be bothered to offer excuses. He too wore a pendant replicated by the system, but this pendant was purely ornamental, lacking Jian Qingrong’s sentimental value.
However, the teenager possessed memories related to Wen Shi and Jian Qingrong. Shortly after the appearance of the other sun phantoms, like Wen Shi, he thought of the uniqueness of the big eyeball. While Jian Qingrong didn’t possess cross-server power, his eyeball could, surpassing the abilities of a normal in-game NPC.
Standing here further wasted time. Before the shadows resumed the quest, Shadow Crew Cut Guy suddenly spoke, “Will all nine suns really emerge?”
No one answered. Though it sounded pitiable and laughable, someone managed to squeeze out four words, “Believe in the game.”
Besides this, there was no other way out.
The game being believed in was currently madly compensating.
The entity in the void perceived everything with closed eyes: the big-eyed mini scarecrow was currently striving in cross-server battle.
He didn’t display any emotions about this. After a brief contemplation, he channeled most of his power into different organs. Following that, he separated the heart and limbs. In comparison, Wen Shi’s water tank figures appeared like a minor wizard next to a powerful sorcerer.
The ever-present will of the game seized the opportunity to duplicate the shell that remained after a drastic reduction in power, leaving only the essential core.
Even so, the strength of the duplicated power remained excessively formidable.
“You owe me a favor.” The hollow voice carried an intense pressure. The scattered limbs in the vicinity slowly returned to the original form. He resembled an enormous and frigid alien creature, exuding a terrifying aura that humans lacked.
Having spoken, he imposed a consciousness restraint on the duplicated shell and fell back into slumber.
…
While the ethereal entity slumbered, the horrifying heatwave in the world gradually dissipated. The outlines of the other eight suns vanished, and the expected silence returned to a certain space beneath the sky.
Though the air remained oppressively hot, it had become more bearable compared to just before.
In the waiting hall, Shadow Crew Cut Guy found a lighter in an abandoned small shop, while Shadow Xiao Hua managed to procure a bucket of oil from somewhere. “Are we really going to…?”
The teenager directly took it from her hands.
Shadow Xiao Hua frowned. “Perhaps sticking to the route to find the lizard passenger would be safer.”
A cruel glint flickered in his icy, cool pupils.
“Don’t want to wait.” They still needed to return to the train. The teenager leaned towards arson, decisively pouring the bucket downward, then proceeded to remove his outer clothing, ignited it with the lighter, and tossed it out.
The teenager perched on the railing, hoping that this raging fire would fulfill a certain fantasy within his heart.
The clothes aflame emitted a charred odor as they hovered mid-air. Just as they were about to hit the ground, a man suddenly materialized on the first floor of the waiting hall. The ground beneath his feet still bore traces of recently spilled gasoline.
The entire waiting hall filled with monsters paled in comparison to the oddity of this man. He lacked eyes, his chest cavity was hollow, and his limbs were almost entirely composed of gloomy black energy. This darkness had now extended to about half a meter around him, rendering his features indiscernible to ordinary people.
The barely noticeable curve at the corner of the teenager’s lips vanished. He was quite sure that there hadn’t been such a creature on the first floor earlier.
The clothes were enveloped by the black energy, and the arrogant flames were extinguished before fully coming into contact with the gasoline.
Whether it was the teenager pouring the gasoline or the man who suddenly appeared to put out the fire, the tour guide merely watched with indifference. She glanced at the time and saw that there were only thirteen minutes left until departure.
Regarding the unexpected appearance of the man, the teenager had vague speculations but didn’t bother to further confirm. He took out his phone and sent a message: “Have you found the lizard passenger?”
About half a minute later, Shadow Li Nan replied: “Just found him, it’s a bit complicated. We need to figure out how to get him a train ticket.”
The ticket booth was a distance away from the entrance, making success possible but risky. Not to mention, they needed to leave this area first, walk in the opposite direction from the exit to avoid the monsters on that floor.
Shadows were inherently selfish. None of them wanted to bear excessive risks for a group quest.
Shadow Li Nan followed up with a message: “Keep trying to start the fire. Delay until the last few minutes, then we retreat. Leave a few fast members to guard the entrance. When the tour guide comes out, snatch the flag just in case. Along the way, leave two more people.”
His strategy shifted swiftly, with a success rate almost equivalent to going out to buy tickets.
First, the tour guide would certainly return to the train. Pretending to leave was like throwing a smokescreen, which could draw the monsters out. Second, even if things went awry and they didn’t encounter her on the way, they could flexibly choose to return to the train.
Attack when possible, defend when needed. It was currently the most advantageous approach.
The teenager found Shadow Xiao Hua and inquired about where the gasoline had come from.
“Monsters are lingering here for various reasons. Some passengers have flammable and explosive items on them.” Before Shadow Xiao Hua finished, she suddenly tensed with extreme vigilance.
The eyeless man from the first level had actually ascended.
“Arson, not a good idea.”
The voice was icy and hollow.
“What if I insist on doing it?”
The teenager smiled, but his eyes lacked any trace of mirth. He began probing with his words.
If his assumption was correct, the man represented Jian Qingrong’s shadow. He probably wouldn’t object to the idea of starting a fire.
The black energy coiled around the teenager’s fragile limbs like serpents, rendering him a trapped animal, unable to move. Shadow Xiao Hua heartlessly evaded him, even widening the distance between them.
The teenager struggled to use the force of the steel pipe to pry open the chains of black energy, but his efforts were in vain. He gritted his teeth and pleaded, “Grandma…”
There was no response. He turned slightly, only to see that the girl’s black energy chains were much thicker than his own. She sheepishly whispered, “I’m being controlled too.”
“……”
•
The one appearing with the eyeless, heartless, limbless man was Big Eye.
The train in the instance maintained its early iron-sheet construction, boasting excellent heat conductivity. As the nine suns were about to simultaneously appear, the entire carriage transformed into a massive oven.
Preferring to endure the scorching sun outside, everyone dashed out, carrying buckets and heading to the entrance. They used torn curtains as makeshift sunshades.
Peering through the layer of fabric from behind the curtain, they suddenly noticed the other suns had vanished from the sky. Before they could fully rejoice, a small black dot plummeted from above.
The other players instinctively moved aside, so did Wen Shi. However, after catching the scent of dry straw, he ended up retreating back to his original spot.
Crack!
The mini scarecrow, holding a miniature mechanical cat itself, landed securely in Wen Shi’s arms.
Wen Shi’s arm trembled slightly, causing a tingling sensation. He opened his mouth and took a breath.
Big Eye gazed up at him, light shining in its eye… Really beautiful.
Wen Shi’s appearance during his youth wasn’t drastically different from his current self. His eyes were bright, and when he lowered his head to look at the scarecrow, it seemed as if there were truly stars in his eyes.
A vibrant vitality emanated from Wen Shi’s entire body. Even the tattoo-like markings on his neck, reminiscent of a delinquent, couldn’t hide this fact.
During their eye contact, Wen Shi didn’t bring up the matter of the nine suns. By now, everyone had gathered around, curious about what it was. Before anyone could take a closer look, the sound of footsteps approached from a distance.
Li Nan, Yu Xingzhou, and the others were coming this way from behind. Yu Xingzhou’s shadow was bound and tied to the side. Without a doubt, the one returning was the original.
Xiao Hua glanced at him, nodded at the guild leader, and then continued examining the object in Wen Shi’s arms.
She had calculated well. None of the others paid Yu Xingzhou any attention.
Yu Xingzhou: “……”
So going out and returning was worth so little now?
What about Xiao Hua’s inappropriate desire-filled gaze, where did it go?
However, Big Eye wasn’t as friendly to others. Treated like a living toy for amusement, it manipulated the mechanical cat, and the cat’s steel tail swung directly toward nearby individuals.
The surrounding players hastily retreated several steps.
By now, Yu Xingzhou and the others had also arrived. The mini scarecrow had previously toppled due to inertia but had since regained its balance, hovering on Wen Shi’s shoulder.
A curious player asked, “Is that a summoned pet?”
The smile in Wen Shi’s eyes diminished as he met the gaze of Big Eye. One eye coldly fixed on the player.
Swiftly diverting the topic before the scarecrow could act, Wen Shi said, “The shadows still haven’t returned. It’s highly likely they’re making progress with the side quest.”
Xiao Hua sighed, “There are pros and cons. Their energy consumption must be greater than ours.”
The players who went out didn’t focus solely on the quest. They returned in less than ideal conditions, let alone the shadows.
Li Nan nodded, recounting the events, “We pursued the tour guide and the shadows all the way to the waiting hall, where we had to deal with monsters. It was quite draining.”
Wen Shi: “The broadcast notified us that today’s highest temperature is 43 degrees Celsius. It’s definitely exceeded that now. We should calculate compensation accordingly. Moreover, this instance has so many flaws. The game can’t escape blame…”
Boom!
A lightning bolt streaked across the sky. It seemed to extend for dozens of kilometers, accompanied by a deafening roar. The white light illuminated every face.
Wen Shi remained stunned for a few seconds. Big Eye’s straw body fluffed up. It gently helped Wen Shi tidy his hair, which had stood on end due to static electricity, feeling quite sorry for him.
Why would lightning strike unexpectedly under the bright sun? Truly, the heavens were blind.
While the other players didn’t express it openly, they felt the game was being unreasonable. However, they dared not voice their complaints.
An instance full of loopholes was practically using players’ lives to fill in the gaps.
Few people connected this incident with the scarecrow, including Big Eye itself. No one possessed such vivid imagination to believe a poorly developed straw demon could bring nine suns. Instead, they saw the mini scarecrow as a catalyst, pushing the already flawed instance over the edge.
“By the way, I and…” Yu Xingzhou had intended to say something but fell silent upon seeing Wen Shi’s distressed expression.
The scarecrow remained focused on carefully smoothing down Wen Shi’s unruly hair. Only Wen Shi’s hair was standing on end, looking more like a warning.
Someone sighed.
A warning for what? Was Pei Wenwei negotiating with the game?
Wasn’t it the game that was in the wrong here? The temperature did indeed surpass 43 degrees earlier. With this thought, players couldn’t help but feel a chill. The game was ruthless, but it was at least fair. Just because a player complained a little, a lightning warning was triggered. How exaggerated.
Wen Shi: “Forget it, at least I tried.”
Lifting the water tank, he struggled to board the train.
The grievance wasn’t too great, but he felt genuinely wronged. He felt wronged, just as this instance’s ‘heaven’ was wronged.
The tour guide returned to the train two minutes before departure, but she wasn’t holding a flag.
At the moment she returned, the synchronized system notification chimed:
“Failed to capture the flag in the group side quest.”
“Temperature in carriage increased by three degrees.”
From a five-degree rise to a three-degree rise, it was a concession. Wen Shi’s expression changed in an instant, “The game is still quite reasonable.”
The others, along with the three heads in the water tank, chimed in, “Yeah.”
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