Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

Amid the thorn cage, 022 had hidden a slab. Every night of the death match, he would curl up inside this thorn cage and quietly wait for time to pass.

This thorn cage was 022’s safe haven, where he could easily relax his mind, unable to resist falling asleep by eleven at night.

Yet tonight, he was unaware that his territory welcomed an unusual guest.

In the eerily dark forest, a lean man dressed in a black coat, with a wooden spike cane, walked at a leisurely pace to a dense tangle of thorny vines.

He stared at the thorn forest intertwined with the branches above, looking impenetrable, his cold, pale face filled with undisguised killing intent.

He did not speak, but exuded an aura of pervasive danger, emanating from him in all directions.

Suddenly, 022 awoke from his slumber, listening intently for any movements outside.

Who came?

A beast?

Or did a combat doll happen to pass by outside?

Holding his breath, he listened for half a minute but heard nothing at all.

Was it just his imagination?

But the oppressive sense of danger suffocating him, preventing him from relaxing, was undeniable.

hesitated, then, like a cat, lay gently on the slab and peered outside through the tiny gaps between the roots of the thorn forest.

Through the gaps, he saw nothing.

Cautiously, 022 turned and chose another angle, peering through a slightly wider gap. Expecting to find nothing, he saw a pair of black combat boots!

Flat, 12-hole, the black combat boots blended into the night.

His heart clenched, and his gaze stealthily moved up, from the boots to see some excessively long legs and a fine waist.

Further up, nothing was visible.

There really was someone outside!

A male combat doll!

It wasn’t even midnight yet, with over six hours until the game’s end; he couldn’t afford to expose himself too soon. The earlier he revealed himself, the more attention he attracted, reducing his chances of surviving to see dawn.

Until he was clear on the other’s intentions, 022 decided to play dead.

Perhaps they were just passing by.

held his breath, pretending he didn’t exist.

He played dead as long as the person outside stood quietly.

The person outside neither acted nor left, making 022 extremely frustrated.

Brother, what exactly are you here to do?

As 022 was wondering, the sound of flowing water suddenly broke the silence, followed by some water seeping along the vines.

widened his eyes, recognizing the distinctive smell, his heart skipped a beat.

That bastard was peeing on him!

Suddenly standing up, 022 spoke sinisterly to the person outside, ”Brother outside, did you come specifically for me?”

”How did you know I was hiding here?” This spot was incredibly obscure, known to none but him, a rare safe haven in the Toy Pool.

The outsider hadn’t spoken, and after finishing, still showed no sign of departing.

thought for a moment and tentatively asked, ”Are you perhaps a newbie who joined this month? Did you follow me on the livestream before?”

Beyond that, 022 couldn’t fathom any other reason.

”Heh...” A clear laughter, like water droplets hitting stone, abruptly echoed in the dead of night. ”022... long time no see.”

The voice was unfamiliar to 022.

In his memory, no one matched this voice.

Who was he?

”Who are you?” 022 asked warily.

He realized the person was coming for him.

Huo Wen’an stared through the gap between the thorn forest’s roots, seeing the light shift as 022 moved inside.

Who was he?

Apparently, the curiosity about who he was spurred more than just 022.

Huo Wen’an tilted his head back, gazing at the stars above.

The celestial spread was breathtakingly beautiful, seemingly unreal, a fabricated illusion.

As he lifted his head, staring directly at the starlight, all the players gathered around Huo Wen’an and 022 saw his appearance clearly.

It was the first time they saw 099’s face.

This man, standing in the night, drew people irresistibly close, and once near, they would fall into the abyss like a devil.

He was also like the red plum blossom blooming alone in icy snow.

He was the one who, upon first sight, even Xu Xingguang, a monster alive for nearly a thousand years, couldn’t resist giving an An Shen Wood Bracelet, a unique token of affection only for Huo Wen’an.

The moment his face was revealed, a bug occurred in the chat feature of the Dark Desires livestream site, as all the holographic players in the Hell Palace held their breaths.

[Divine looks!]

[No one told me 099 looked like this!!]

[Seeing him, a phrase comes to mind: peerless elegance!]