Absolute Death Game

Seeing these three drops, everyone immediately understood why Zhang Yaoyang had let out a wry smile.

These three items didn't seem like they would be shared with them; they were bound to be handed over.

"Haha, not bad luck, huh? This means we can get a bit more bonus this month." Wu Tao didn't think there was anything bad about it, on the contrary, he was excited. As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chuang and Zhao Yunlong also laughed along.

"Right, right, and with the reins of the Devil's Realm Warhorse and the Skill Book from the Demon Spirit Cave, and that transformation tool, we've got six items in total this month, definitely an overachievement, the bonus must be substantial!"

The three of them chatted for a bit but noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat off, as everyone didn't seem too happy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Liu Xing's face was gloomy, Hua Yueying was indifferent, Du Yibo smirked coldly, and while Bai Yunfei forced a smile, a trace of disappointment was still discernible in his eyes—the Soul Reaving Touch was an incredibly powerful skill for him.

Xiao Buli observed everyone's different reactions and gradually gained some insights into the internal dynamics of the Green Dragon Group. It seemed that quite a few people were aware of the game's true nature or, at least, realized there was something off about it.

When he looked at Zhang Yaoyang, he found that Zhang was also looking back at him, and they shared a glance as if trying to discern something in each other's eyes.

Zhang Yaoyang's gaze held a hint of inquiry. Xiao Buli hesitated, then gave a slight nod. Seeing this, Zhang Yaoyang immediately smiled. With a tacit understanding, both turned their heads away as if that brief exchange had never happened.

Everything was left unspoken.

"Yaoyao, has the light curtain at the dungeon entrance disappeared?" While feeling sorry for the remains of the hound lying on the ground, Zhang Yaoyang asked.

"It has disappeared," Yaoyao replied softly, "So can I go in now?"

"Go ahead, the dungeon is over, you can all move freely now. But don't wander off alone, there might be some Minor Monsters lingering. Everyone is in bad shape, so it's better not to draw unnecessary attention."

After Zhang Yaoyang finished speaking, he stood up and patted Wang Gang, who had a gloomy expression, on the shoulder, "Stop looking so downcast; with these three treasures, your bonus is definitely coming, and you might even get a bigger severance. Come on, let's go report to Manager Qin."

After the two left, the room became instantly chaotic. Wu Tao and Zhao Yunlong eagerly discussed how much the bonus would be this month, and Li Chuang wanted to join the conversation but was punched by Wu Tao.

"Damn, why are you hitting me?" Li Chuang complained, but he didn't dare to fight back, knowing he was in the wrong.

"Who asked you to try to kill me just now!" Wu Tao wasn't really that angry, but still, he couldn't let Li Chuang off easily.

"What's it got to do with me? It was the captain's order, and I just reacted subconsciously."

Wu Tao snorted, "Enough talk. Come on, Yaoyao, I'll take you to a nice place."

"I've already arrived," Yaoyao's voice came from the opposite side. Xiao Buli and Wu Tao turned around just in time to see Yaoyao's figure disappearing into the dungeon entrance.

"Don't run so fast, wait for me!" Watching Wu Tao hurry after the dungeon outside, Xiao Buli didn't follow. He was truly tired by then. Watching Wu Tao's tireless excitement, he felt somewhat contemplative—not knowing might indeed be bliss. To Wu Tao, the life-and-death aspect of the game probably wasn't that terrifying, while for him now, enjoying the fun of the game had become a luxury.

"How is it, can you still adapt?" A voice sounded beside him. Looking up, Xiao Buli saw Liu Xing standing there with an indifferent expression.

With a bitter smile, he nodded, then shook his head, "Does every operation in the Azure Dragon Group end in such a life-and-death scenario?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xing couldn't help but smile understandingly, "Not really. A dungeon of this difficulty is not something we can run once or twice a month. And before each run, extensive research, preparation, and simulations are needed before officially starting the raid. Otherwise, the Azure Dragon Group wouldn't have enough lives to lose."

He deliberately emphasized the word "die" as if it was an intentional mockery, suggesting something.

Xiao Buli was intrigued and wanted to probe further, but suddenly, Wu Tao's cheer rang out beside him, "Oh yeah, finally got it opened."

Turning around, Yaoyao had just unlocked the first prison door.

The lock-picking in this game was somewhat similar to that in "Elder Scrolls V," but it was more intuitive and a bit more complex. Yaoyao seemed to be quite skilled at it, quickly opening the door to the wealthy merchant's cell in no time at all.

Wealthy Landowner: "Oh my, thank you for saving my life, heroine. Here is a silver note that I risked my life to hide. It is not much, but please accept it with my compliments."

System prompt: You have received a 'Stinky Silver Note'.

Stinky Silver Note: A silver note emitting a foul odor, exchangeable for 500 silver coins at any main city's bank.

"Wow, that's a lot of money."

Five hundred silver coins are equivalent to five Gold Coins, a sizeable sum even for the experts of the Green Dragon Group.

Yaoyao was quite righteous, she gave two Gold Coins to Wu Tao and kept the remaining three for herself without any reservations.

"That's not fair, Yaoyao. I was the one who brought you in here after all. We should split it evenly," Wu Tao complained.

"Pfft, haven't I seen you guys raiding? Spare me the nonsense. If you're not happy about it, go learn lock-picking yourself," Yaoyao retorted as she moved on to the second prison door, spending a few minutes before successfully unlocking the cell holding Niu Dazhuang.

Niu Dazhuang: "Thank you for saving me, heroine. I'll help you kill those thieves."

Having said that, he ran to the corner and dug out a shabby piece of Leather Armor and a wood-chopping axe, which he equipped, and transformed into an Elite Level Axeman.

"All those thieves have already been killed by me. Do you have any money or equipment to give me? Consider it a repayment for saving you," Yaoyao asked bluntly without any reservation.

Scratching his buttocks, Niu Dazhuang replied, "I don't have that, but since you managed to beat all those thieves and saved my life, how about I follow you from now on? My demands aren't high; just make sure I have enough to eat, and 50 silver coins a month will do."

A row of red text flashed on Yaoyao's screen.

System prompt: Your personal Prestige with Niu Dazhuang has reached Worship level. The companion system is now available. Would you like to accept Niu Dazhuang's loyalty?

Note: Each player can only have one companion at a time.

"Ha, I didn't know you could have companions in this game," Yaoyao said with some surprise. However, after a glance at Niu Dazhuang's appearance, she shook her head, "Never mind, this big guy isn't much use to me."

She had her reasons for saying this; the assassin class specialized in stealth and sneaking. Having such a large and clumsy companion would defeat the purpose of hiding, so despite some regrets, she chose to decline.

"No way, don't just dismiss me like that! After all, he is an Elite companion," Wu Tao protested while speaking to Niu Dazhuang, "Killing those thieves had my contribution too. Why not stick with me instead?"

Niu Dazhuang retorted: "Hmph, you didn't bother to save me earlier, so I'm not going to hang with you. Since the heroine doesn't want my company, I'll take my leave. If you change your mind, come find me in Niu Family Village." With that, he turned and walked away.

"There are companions in this game?" Xiao Buli was curious, but after reviewing the previous system prompt and analyzing it, he understood that the mercenary system wasn't so straightforward. Achieving Worship level Prestige with an NPC was necessary to earn their loyalty, like with Niu Dazhuang. That instant Prestige boost to Worship was probably a rare occurrence.

Under normal circumstances, one would need to complete various tasks to increase personal Prestige, just as the seniors in Mystic Hollow Palace had done, expending great effort to reach merely Friendly level. Reaching Worship would be no easy feat.

Gaining Worship level with ordinary NPCs with white names might be easier, but even then, after all the trouble of raising Prestige to gain a companion, if they died, it would all be for nothing.

Realizing this, Xiao Buli's interest in the companion system faded significantly.