Players, Please Board the Train

The wormhole flower was the one he brought back from the Little Flower Red Red Building, with purple and red dual colors. When he brought it back, he didn’t know what kind of flower it was and simply planted it. It was only on Deep Blue Island that Dr. Deng mentioned the name and function of that flower.

The amount of red on the wormhole flower stalk can indicate the evolution level of a game partition. Just like the players who initially evolved due to environmental changes, the wormhole flower also changes according to the environmental shifts within the partition. The higher the partition’s evolution level, the more red appears on the wormhole flower.

Xu Huo wasn’t entirely clear about the source and direction of this evolution, but one thing was certain: the higher the evolution level, the greater the degree of integration with the game. Besides people and animals, everything in Zone 014, including resources above and below ground, would likely be affected.

Were the ores that could be used to craft items, or the Nüwa Stone, and other required raw materials, all generated only after the partition evolved?

Did the arrival of an Artificer signify that Zone 014 was about to completely fuse into the game?

The Painting Woman called on video. Her face and Yu Qingqing’s were pressed together, distorting them. Two seconds later, the Painting Woman, relying on her superior strength, squeezed Yu Qingqing out of the frame. She happily gestured in sign language, ”You’re back. Was it fun outside?”

”Not bad.” Xu Huo smiled. ”Are you staying at my place?”

”We’re living together!” Yu Qingqing’s voice came from behind. ”Cousin, you’re so inconsiderate! You came back and didn’t even tell me. Are you coming to Capital City to find us? Or should I come find you instead? Anyway, I’ve already completed my dungeon for this month.”

”How is that potted flower doing?” Xu Huo asked.

The video shifted, now squarely facing the flower on the windowsill. The Painting Woman used the phone’s text-to-speech to say, ”I’ve been taking very good care of it, watering it every few days.””Cousin, don’t believe her. She hasn’t watered it at all and even secretly poured milk into it.” Yu Qingqing chimed in from the side, poking holes in her story. The two of them started bickering again.

Xu Huo saw the flower. Sure enough, the red on the flower stalk had increased slightly compared to when he first brought it back.

”I’m currently in Yang City. Come find me if you have time.” He left this instruction and hung up, then went out to eat with Sima Xiao Er.

The more prosperous the area, the better the public security. Though it wasn’t dark yet, many restaurants were still open. Sima Xiao Er picked an old establishment, ordered all their signature dishes, and called for a case of beer, determined to drink his fill.

”Brother Xu, I really envy smart people like you and Captain Nie,” Sima Xiao Er said. ”You guys aren’t afraid to go anywhere. Many people in our Special Defense Department don’t dare to wander around, afraid they might accidentally stumble into a Random Dungeon.”

”Are Random Dungeons becoming more frequent?” Xu Huo asked casually.

”Absolutely. The trigger points are also bizarrely varied. Many people died before they were discovered.” Sima Xiao Er sighed. ”Who knows what it’ll be like in the future.”

”If Zone 014 produces super players in the future, there probably won’t be Random Dungeons anymore.” Xu Huo stated. That’s how it was in District 011.

”Is that so?” Sima Xiao Er was surprised, then couldn’t help but shake his head. ”Super players... how long would we have to wait for that? I doubt I’ll live to see that day.”

”Times are different now. Maybe we’ll have to live like this forever from now on. I just hope our current sacrifices will let our families and future generations live better lives.”

He had drunk quite a bit. After his impassioned speech, he slumped over the table and cried. ”I’m really scared of dying. I don’t want to live in constant fear anymore...”

Xu Huo listened to his words without much reaction. After a while, he asked the boss for a bowl of hangover soup. Then he got up, walked outside the shop, lit a cigarette, and in the rising smoke, he subtly counted the heads watching him from near and far.

Eight people in total, staring at him from different locations.

He extinguished the cigarette butt and walked towards the hospital across the street. Before he even entered the hospital gates, a man who had been loitering near the emergency outpatient department changed his expression and ducked inside.

Xu Huo didn’t have much trouble cornering the man not far from the back door. He broke one of his legs and dragged him into a storage room.

”What do you want... I’m warning you, don’t do anything reckless...” The man kneeling on the ground wore a fearful expression.

”Talk. Who sent you? Answer well and there’s a reward.” Xu Huo stood in front of him.

”A... a reward?” The man seemed not to understand his words.

”I’ll let you go.” As Xu Huo spoke, he lifted his foot and kicked, breaking the man’s right arm without even blinking. ”Don’t try anything clever. Unless you can escape into a dungeon.”

The man let out a shriek, but the sound didn’t travel outside. Xu Huo picked up a small toy that had fallen from the man’s hand, played with it for a moment, then said, ”Special Defense Department? First Association? Or the Double Snake organization?”

”Looks like it’s the First Association. Do you want revenge for Bao Jiali?”

The man was drenched in cold sweat, stammering incoherently when suddenly the storage room door exploded, smashing towards Xu Huo!

Xu Huo dodged to the side, but then the soles of his shoes seemed glued to the floor, preventing further movement. Before he could free himself, a figure rushed in from outside the door, grabbed the man on the ground, and tried to run.

However, just a few steps from the door, they were yanked back by something tightening around their neck. The newcomer dropped the injured man and immediately turned to charge at Xu Huo, a rather long fluorescent sword appearing in their hand.

But before they could get close to Xu Huo, a large door suddenly materialized. Unable to stop in time, the person slammed headfirst into it, and the fluorescent sword instantly shattered into several pieces!

Forcibly tearing the piano wire off their neck, this player then leaped onto the door, pulled out something resembling an iron hammer, and smashed downwards—only to hit empty air. Xu Huo, who should have been behind the door, was gone!

”Watch out!” the injured man shouted from outside the door. Before his voice faded, the large door suddenly vanished again. The player, before even landing on the ground, was tightly bound by lines.

Xu Huo stood in the corner of the room, ignoring the player’s struggles. ”Both of you are from the First Association?”

”Kill me if you want! Let’s see if you can walk away unscathed after killing someone from the First Association!” the young player raged.

”How many of you came in total?” Xu Huo asked again.

The young player seemed to have a strong backbone, stubbornly refusing to yield even at the cost of his life.

The one outside was different, hurriedly spilling the beans, ”Three. There are three of us in total. But we mean you no harm, absolutely no other intentions...”

The young player stared in disbelief. ”Why are you betraying the First Association?!”

Xu Huo kicked this fool a bit farther away, then turned to the person outside. ”While you were watching me, did you notice anyone else?”

”I saw two others. They’re also players, but not from the First Association. They’re members of a small organization in Yang City. Their purpose isn’t clear...”

”That makes three others.” Xu Huo retracted the kite string and said to the two, ”I currently have no grudge with the First Association, but if Tan Yang sends people to follow me again, that might change. Go back.”

After saying this, he left the hospital. Using nearby buildings for cover, he circled back to the place where they had eaten. He entered the seventh floor of a residential building, walked straight to one of the units, and rang the doorbell. ”Open up. Neighborhood committee delivering warmth.”