Absolute Death Game

Perhaps it was because Wu Tao spoke too loudly, but several people began to notice the commotion over here.

"Yaoyao, you little trickster, why didn't you mention your lock-picking skills earlier?" It was Li Chuang who spoke.

With a charming smile, Yaoyao turned around. However, her tone was far from polite, "It's free activity time, not a dungeon raid; there are no strict rules. If you're not satisfied, why don't you learn it yourself?"

As she said this, she opened the cell door that held the corpse. By this time, several people had gathered behind her screen, curious about what this corpse might yield and whether it would trigger a quest.

Yaoyao, too, was curious. She tapped on the corpse, and a loot box instantly popped up.

26 copper coins and a tattered hemp shirt.

Tattered Hemp Shirt (Gray - Junk): This tattered shirt, stained with blood, seems to silently speak of its previous owner's tragic fate.

"Man, that's harsh!" Wu Tao commented from the side. Of course, he wasn't talking about the severity of the NPC's suffering; the interests of veteran gamers no longer lay with the plights of NPCs. What he meant by 'harsh' was how pitiful the loot was.

"I thought it would at least trigger a quest or something," Wu Tao said, disappointed.

"Yeah, I thought so too," Bai Yunfei added unexpectedly from the side.

"Hey, the boss is back!" someone exclaimed. Turning around, they indeed saw Zhang Yaoyang enter with a complex expression, which quickly drew everyone's attention.

"I have one piece of good news and one so-so piece of news. Which one do you guys want to hear?"

"Boss, stop with the suspense, just spill it," someone urged.

"The good news is that the higher-ups are very pleased with our recent haul. Each person will receive an extra bonus of ten thousand for equipment this month, which can be collected along with the salary tomorrow—of course, except for Yaoyao. You didn't participate in the BOSS fight, so you'll receive a bonus for the dungeon but no equipment bonus," Zhang Yaoyang said.

Yaoyao shrugged her shoulders, indicating she didn't mind.

Zhang Yaoyang continued, "Additionally, Wang Gang and Zhang Qiang each received a severance pay of one hundred thousand on top of this month's bonus and salary."

This indeed sounded like good news. Wang Gang and Zhang Qiang had fought alongside everyone and could very well be a reflection of others' futures here. The fact that they received money was good news for them as well.

"As for the second piece of news, due to the loss of two tanks, the higher-ups have decided to transfer two people from the White Tiger Group to join us. We will decide who to pick, and we have three days to discuss it. If anyone has a suitable candidate in mind, feel free to suggest. All options are open for consideration," he said.

Wu Tao disdainfully commented, "From that bunch of losers in the White Tiger Group, I really can't see anyone who would qualify."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Don't say that, Li Jian and Gao Lianyu aren't too bad, and how about bringing over Zhang Hao?" someone suggested.

"Come on, we already have two healers. If we bring in Zhang Hao, Wang Yifan would surely come after us in fury," someone else remarked.

The group argued for a while but couldn't reach a conclusion. Fortunately, there was plenty of time to discuss.

During dinner, the cafeteria was bustling. The folks from the White Tiger Group all glanced over this way, whispering among themselves. It seemed they had also caught wind of something. The leader of the White Tiger Group, Wang Yifan, was visibly displeased with the situation but could do little about it.

Xiao Buli was quietly eating when a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears, "Hey, I heard you guys made a decent score this afternoon."

Looking up, Xiao Buli saw Li Baocheng looking at him with a mixture of envy and ingratiation.

"What, you want to join the Azure Dragon Group?" He directly exposed the other's intentions; it was clear to him that unsolicited generosity was either villainy or thievery.

Li Baocheng, however, laughed and shook his head, "Heh, I'm well aware of my own limits. I don't have the strength yet, but in the future, the Green Dragon Group will surely need more people, my strength will also grow stronger, and your position within the Green Dragon Group will definitely rise with the tide.

If there's a vacancy in the future, could you give your brother a hand, after all, we're from the same batch, aren't we? By then, we can look out for each other."

Xiao Buli smiled wryly to himself. To him, joining the Green Dragon Group was like embarking on a journey fraught with hardship and danger, yet some people were desperate to get in. Of course, he had no objections, although he wouldn't actively recruit people to the group, he wouldn't stop anyone who wanted to join either.

"Of course, if you really want to come."

"That's great, I owe you one," said Li Baocheng excitedly upon hearing Xiao Buli's words. Xiao Buli smiled, saying nothing further.

"Quick, the tank can't hold on any longer, who is going to take over!"

A loud shout caused Xiao Buli to look up. Raising his eyes, he was surprised to find himself standing in the middle of a great hall. Not far away, the three-meter-tall Demon Clan BOSS was laughing wickedly as it chopped Coal Ball in half with its sword.

The huge severed pig's head rolled to the feet of Xiao Buli. Coal Ball's pig face was more ferocious than ever, "Why didn't you save me?" it asked in a strange voice.

Xiao Buli was stunned. What was going on?

"Why did you send me to die?" The pig's head kept babbling, the brain matter and blood a mess on the floor, red and white mingling together like a dish made of mixed cream and ketchup.

"Quick, the tank is down, Xiao Buli, you take the monster."

"What? I'm a healer, for heaven's sake!" Xiao Buli opened his mouth in protest, only to find that a huge shadow had already enveloped him. Fear instantly gripped his heart, and turning around, he saw the towering figure of the Soul Reaper Yan Qi, with his sword ablaze with flames raised high—Die!

As the Soul Reaper's Blade struck from the air, Xiao Buli's mind went blank.

—No! He suddenly sat up, surrounded by darkness. As his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness of the room, he could make out his surroundings; he was lying in his dormitory bed, and everything that had just happened was nothing more than a nightmare.

Xiao Buli sat on the bed, breathing heavily, noticing that his pajamas were soaked with cold sweat.

He lay down again but found he couldn't fall back to sleep. Going into the bathroom, he turned on the faucet, allowing the cold water to jolt him awake. Looking at himself in the mirror, he saw a face weary and tinged with pallor. Maybe a drink would help.

(Why am I so restless? Why do I feel this after-fear, haven't I already prepared myself for the dangers I might encounter?) Walking to the rest lounge bar, he pondered over this question. The energy-saving lights illuminated the corridor, and arriving at the bar, he opened the liquor cabinet, which was full of a dazzling array of beverages.

Xiao Buli didn't turn on the overhead chandelier; instead, he just looked at a lamp on the bar counter, then took a glass from underneath and poured himself a rum.

Under the dim blue light, the rum in the glass shimmered with an odd sheen. Savoring a mouthful of the sweet yet spicy liquid, the answer gradually surfaced in his mind. He had known it all along.

Zhang Yaoyang was a very good leader, and his teammates were all very capable, but because of that, Xiao Buli's own strength seemed insignificant. In fact, he shouldn't have joined the Green Dragon Group at all. If it weren't for the fact that he played a scarce healing and support role, he would never have qualified.

In today's boss fights, although he had done his best, and the Ethereal Armor and healing spells had been useful, in the end, he was just there to make up the numbers. Every time the team encountered a problem, they relied on other members to unleash powerful moves to solve it, while he could hardly help, only watching and waiting for someone to save them. What if they all died?

Without any luck, he would also perish, without the slightest chance.

This sense of powerlessness, of his fate being in the hands of others and not under his control, was the greatest source of his fear.

He must become stronger, whether in the game or in reality, he must take control of his fate! He set the tone for his next plan, a plan that he probably had to achieve through the game.

Thinking this, Xiao Buli glanced over at the Dragon Group's gaming room. When he did, he couldn't help but feel a sense of strangeness; there was a faint light shining from behind the door that wasn't completely closed.

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