Hot, irritable, and dull.
The train was shaking like an electric train. Wen Shi closed his eyes and said nothing for a long time. Even he himself couldn't tell whether he fell asleep or fainted from the heat.
The most sober one was Li Nan. Every once in a while, he would go to the pool to fill the water tank. The temperature was too high, and the water in the tank evaporated faster.
While adding water, Li Nan carefully observed the player's amputated surface. There was a thick layer of black scars there. The scars were shaped like tree rings, one circle after another, and there were things like black tadpoles swimming on each mark.
...a walking curse.
This thought suddenly popped up in Li Nan's mind.
Da da da.
Li Nan turned around and saw that the old lady in the box had half of her body exposed. She was fanning Wen Shi kindly while her body slightly tilted towards Li Nan.
She didn't like to look people in the eye, and her eyes were always fixed on the ground. Her timid behavior made people feel nervous.
The sound just now was the old lady knocking on the handle of the suitcase. She was reminding Li Nan not to meddle in other people's business.
Li Nan received the warning and sat back in his seat.
He calmly thought about the other party's abilities. Except for a few rare skills, the First Guild almost mastered all the skills that players might have, and Li Nan did not find any similar ones among them.
"Black blood, curses..." He suddenly remembered a dungeon he had played before, in which there was an NPC with similar characteristics.
The general background of the story defines it as: witch.
"We're about to arrive at Pufengtuo Station. We'll stop there for 30 minutes—"
The train announcement sounded, injecting a bit of vitality into the lifeless carriage.
Pufengtuo does not provide any shade in the high temperature, but players can at least temporarily get rid of the dizziness of a full car.
The tour guide was already standing at the door, clapping her hands and saying, "Everyone, please be ready. Capture the flag will begin half a minute after I leave!"
Wen Shi got up from the bed, sweat dripping from his face. He was dizzy from lying there for too long. When his vision returned, he asked, "There's no tour guide in the opposite car. How are they supposed to know about this game?"
The tour guide was full of energy and patiently answered him: "There will be an announcement over there."
Wen Shi was thoughtful. From the crew to the broadcasting, everyone was so cooperative, which meant that the train and Sunset Red Travel Agency also had a cooperation. He had to pay attention to anything related to the travel agency to avoid being cheated accidentally.
There was no delay when entering Fengzhang Station. This time, the platform was visible in less than five minutes after the train slowed down.
The game prompt sounded without any surprise:
[Collective side mission: Capture the flag
It's time to test your speed and endurance! Be sure to find a way to catch the tour guide first and snatch the flag from her hand.
Please note that the temperature inside the car will rise another five degrees before the group that fails to capture the flag reaches the terminal.
Although he knew it was bad to keep asking questions, Song Yan still couldn't help but ask, "When will the main quest usually be released? Or will we automatically declare victory after clearing all the shadows?"
Seeing no one answered, Song Yan felt a little embarrassed and subconsciously looked at Wen Shi.
After he came here, Wen Shi taught him a lot of things. It can be said that Song Yan has an inappropriate fledgling complex towards Wen Shi.
"I've only experienced one team battle, and that was the main quest that was launched the next day." Wen Shi rested his hands on the edge of the bed, his fingertips moving slightly, proving that he was in a state of contemplation.
After a while, Wen Shi spoke again: "If
If necessary, it's best not to kill the shadows, just let them be half-dead and lose their fighting power."
In a normal life-and-death team battle, the penalty for mission failure should be to reduce the number of members of the opposing team, but this time it was too abnormal.
Like Song Yan, the atmosphere was very quiet after Wen Shi finished speaking. He thought that everyone just disagreed and misunderstood that he was too soft-hearted, so he raised his head and prepared to explain.
"Is it this kind of half-dead?"
Before Wen Shi spoke, Xiaohua pointed at the two water tanks and asked in an uncertain tone.
Wen Shi was stunned for a moment and did not answer immediately, which was taken as his consent.
Everyone's thoughts were unprecedentedly unanimous: He has such a cruel heart!
The ruthless Wen Shi, burdened with false charges, waited for the train to stop at the platform.
As soon as the Sierra door opened, the tour guide rushed out like a flash of lightning.
Xiaohua checked her watch, waiting for half a minute to pass, and asked, "Who will guard Shadow this time?"
Although it is not fair, players signed up enthusiastically. The sun is so strong outside and no one wants to run under the scorching sun.
Li Nan revisited his previous discussion with Wen Shi about the orcs. When mentioning the tour guide's resemblance to a silver ant, one player had a bad word: "Silver ants run very fast, and the tour guide is very good at withstanding fatigue. Given our current state, we'll be exhausted within a kilometer or two at most."
Not to mention anything else, when the tour guide went out earlier, his speed was at least three meters per second, far exceeding that of ordinary silver ants. Moreover, the tour guide was smiling the whole time on the train, but they were almost suffering from heatstroke, not to mention the physical strength.
The time is almost up, and some players take the initiative to stand at the door, ready to participate in the flag capture.
"If you don't want to run, then don't run. There's no need to overdraw your body." Wen Shi half leaned against the bed, gently pinching his brows. "Just pretend to run, but you need someone who can be sure of it and observe Shadow's movements at all times."
He paused and then spoke of his plan: "I have an item that refreshes the side quest. When the Shadow Group gets very close to the tour guide, I'll refresh the quest."
"…"
Wen Shi glanced at the player at the door and said, "Don't be stunned. Run a few steps first, otherwise it will easily arouse suspicion."
Shadow Yu Xingzhou sneered: "Any props you can use, your shadow also has them."
"It will take some time for him to come up with this method."
Wen Shi's face flushed abnormally from the heat, and his words were tinged with heat: "During my rebellious period, I hated the idea of doing good deeds every day. It was hard for me to think of using it in group tasks."
He looked out the window: "Actually, it doesn't matter even if I thought about it."
Shadow won't give up on capturing the flag; giving up would be like handing victory to someone else, but relentless pursuit would be a fool's errand. The solution is simple: Shadow Wenshi willingly offers his refresh item, creating a balance of power with Wenshi.
But the other party will never do it.
"Because he's a shadow," Wen Shi said with a smile, "How could he be willing to waste such a good life-saving prop on a collective side quest to serve the public?"
For the first time, Shadow Yu Xingzhou felt that sometimes good is more difficult to deal with than evil, and selflessness is more troublesome than selfishness.
Wen Shi said softly, "I've been kind enough to that child. As long as he behaves well and doesn't say anything, I'm willing to be mute again."
Otherwise, he could have used this incident to have the other party ostracized by the Shadow Group.
At this stop, a total of four players got off the bus. For flag-grabbing missions, you usually only need to send those who can run fast and have good endurance. Fewer people will not arouse suspicion.
The task of observation fell to Li Nan. His cell phone was always in communication with Wen Shi, ensuring that if he saw any signs of the guide being caught up, he could notify him immediately.
Know.
Shadow Yu Xingzhou frowned, unable to understand why the other party would be willing to use precious props in such an insignificant link.
"Severe heatstroke can be fatal." Even with medicine, the body's negative state wouldn't be eliminated in a short time. Wen Shi knew what he was thinking even with his eyes closed. "The game keeps draining our energy. We can't rule out a battle royale at Sunset Station."
Shadow Yu Xingzhou suddenly thought of a way to break the deadlock: "Exchange of benefits. Your shadow can completely ask others to give corresponding benefits in exchange for props for refreshing tasks to make up for the losses."
After he finished speaking, without waiting for any rebuttal, he looked up and found Wen Shi looking at him with a smile.
After a brief moment of shock, Shadow Yu Xingzhou immediately realized that he had been tricked!
Shadows are all selfish, whether they are willing to make an exchange or not is another matter, but his words are completely reminding everyone how selfless the person in front of them is. In order to protect the team, he will take the important props without hesitation.
Now even the people in the water tank felt a sense of peace of mind.
Wen Shi's efforts gave them hope of leaving the dungeon alive.
The most selfish person present was the crew cut man who had once stepped on someone else's life to successfully board the train. Even he was somewhat moved. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, the other party had indeed made a great effort. He finally understood why Pei Wenwei had so many secrets, but the players who participated in the dungeon with him rarely leaked them.
When Wen Shi received a lot of praise, Shadow Yu Xingzhou noticed that the other party deliberately moved the phone he was talking on closer to him to ensure that the person on the other end of the phone could also feel his kindness.
"…"
The greatest falsehood appears true, and the greatest treachery appears loyal.
Shadow Yu Xingzhou thought with great headache, no matter how you look at it, this person looks more like a shadow.
I thought Wen Shi would say a few more proud words next, but when Shadow looked over again, he found that the other party seemed to be holding something in his hand, and was actually praying and muttering something.
He began to doubt the man's mental state.
…
The real shadow Wen Shi was running in the sun. The girl saw that he was sweating profusely and wanted to find water for him everywhere.
Unfortunately, although Putuo Station stops for 30 minutes, the platform is very deserted. It is completely different from Fengzhang and there is not a single vendor to be seen.
"You rest here first, I'll go capture the flag."
The young man shook his head and found a rare shady place to lean against. The mission mentioned that the main participants of this round were tourists. He had a hunch that if they got involved, it would be more harmful than beneficial.
The girl finally found a large piece of cardboard and used it to fan him.
It was a little cooler, and the boy looked around and didn't see anything.
See Wen Shi.
Didn't you come down?
"Something's wrong." The young man held the hot steel pipe and watched the skin on his palm turn red. The stinging sensation further stimulated his brain.
He lowered his head and remained motionless for a few seconds until a thought flashed through his mind, and his expression became completely gloomy: "Props."
The girl nodded in confusion, but continued to fan him vigorously.
"When I'm halfway to death, that hypocrite will use the item to refresh the mission."
The girl thought the question was simple: "Then you can use it too."
The boy shook his head: "The real journey hasn't started yet. Using it here is a complete waste of resources."
From a self-interest perspective, his thinking was not wrong; the greatest value of this item lay in resolving difficult individual tasks. As for him serving the team, the boy admitted he lacked the qualities to do so.
Regardless of whether the girl could understand or not, the boy explained a few words with a bit of frustration. The girl said: "Then give up the flag."
"If that happens..." the young man sighed, "The opponent won't even have to waste any props and will directly win."
Girl: "Then you use it."
The boy was tired and didn't want to repeat the same conversation again. It seemed that this girl was not very smart.
As he pinched his brows helplessly, the girl asked softly, "My dear grandson, are you being dominated by him?"
It was visibly visible at this moment that the boy's hair was slightly blown up by anger. He took a deep breath and adjusted his mood as quickly as possible.
When the boy was lost in thought, he had the same little habit as Wen Shi, moving his fingers gently in the air as if playing the piano.
The girl didn't dare to disturb him and fanned him hard.
The thin and frail body leaned against the pillar, and the dark aura around it overlapped with the small reflection of the pillar.
The young man suddenly looked up the long staircase. He had chased the tour guide here earlier, and the waiting room was just up there. He stared at it for a long moment, then straightened up, thinking, "Reckless action is the most foolish. There's another way we can try."
The train stops for thirty minutes, which is enough time for a long tug of war. The waiting room at Pufengtuo is the same as the departure station. The people inside do not look like passengers, but more like people who are staying here for a long time.
The waiting room is divided into two floors. Players are on the second floor when they come out, and the tour guide is on the first floor.
Most of the monsters are on the first floor, and there are some on the second floor at intervals, which are under control.
The common characteristic of these monsters is that they are very hostile to people coming out of the platform. After Shadow Linan killed a few of those who were close to him, the monster passengers around him dispersed.
However, they just retreated to their original positions without much fear on their faces. The monster stared at these people who were allowed to board the train, still ready to make another attack, as if it would launch another attack at any time.
Shadow Flower calculated the time: "One and a half minutes."
From the moment they enter, monsters will attack them every one and a half minutes.
"The flag is here!" It was so hot that even talking was tiring, but there were people shouting tirelessly.
The waiting room wasn't air-conditioned, barely two or three degrees cooler than outside. The tour guide was playing cat and mouse. She stood on a metal chair on the first floor, holding a flag, and said cheerfully, "Come and chase me!"
Shadow Linan glanced downstairs, paying more attention to several players who were also on the second floor but hiding in the distance.
Ever since they started chasing the tour guide, the player didn't seem to be paying much attention and always fell behind them. Now he seemed to have given up.
"Why are you standing there like an earthbound spirit?" Shadow Xiaohua also looked in one direction in surprise, and the doubts in his heart deepened.
Li Nan and the players stood together at the entrance and exit away from the monsters in the waiting hall. The environment was safer, but it also meant that they were a long distance away from the tour guide and had no advantage at all when capturing the flag.
The heat made Shadow with a crew cut a little impatient. "Who cares what they do? We should focus on capturing the flag first."
Shadow Flower: "Capturing the flag isn't difficult, but we'll need to get close to the guide and then break through the monsters, which will take a lot of energy. The monsters on the second floor don't attack very often, but I'm worried it's just a smokescreen."
The first and second floors are connected by a straight ladder, and that distance is the most troublesome and dangerous. Once they go down, they may face the non-stop killing of monsters on the first floor.
Another shadow spoke up, "I'm more worried about any mistakes that might occur during the flag-grabbing moment."
Shadow Linan was also worried about this, so his original body kept watch from a safe distance, clearly having a backup plan.
The shadow with the buzz cut thought for a moment and asked, "Could it be that he
Are they deliberately setting up a trap? Do they want us to give up the peach we have got?"
"Where is Pei Wenwei's shadow?" Shadow Li Nan suddenly asked.
Just as he finished speaking, the young man came late. He came up by freight elevator and avoided the players at the stairs.
The girl was like a little tail, following him wherever he went. She swept her eyes full of murderous intent over the monsters in the waiting hall and for no reason, she twisted the neck of a passenger who was blocking her way nearby.
When she killed people, her movements were as light and quick as a cat, but her strength was beyond imagination, and she crushed the monster's larynx.
The boy glanced at her, and before he could scold her, the girl quietly admitted her mistake: "I know, I will definitely change next time."
"I'll say this one last time. This mission emphasizes the subject of 'tourists.' Don't act rashly."
This woman has the ability to deal with monsters, but the game doesn't restrict her. She must be setting herself up for failure.
Shadow Li Nan walked straight up to the boy, as if certain he was holding back. "I don't want to waste my energy. You'd better tell the truth."
The girl who said she had changed her temper just a second ago slapped Shadow with a piece of cardboard. If Shadow hadn't dodged quickly, his face would have been swollen.
"No one can speak rudely to my dear grandson!"
Li Nan, who was watching from a distance, shook his head and said, "It must be very painful."
The edge of the cardboard scratched Shadow's neck, creating a tear. Compared to that, the old lady in their car was so gentle.
Shadow Li Nan wiped the blood from his neck expressionlessly.
He was not afraid of the girl. The game would balance all unbalanced factors. The more powerful and arrogant the girl was, the more likely it would accelerate the demise of the boy around her. The latter should also be taking this into consideration and not relying too much on the power of others.
Shadow Linan was mainly focused on thinking about another thing.
Could it be that the player's focus is not on the tour guide, but on these shadows?
The tour guide ran into the waiting room. If the players wanted to observe their movements, they had to follow them in, which would definitely lead to them being discovered. Even so, these people were still watching them openly, as if waiting for them to capture the flag and then do something.
There must be some impossible reason why this must be done.
He looked at the boy, a cold and sharp light flashing in his eyes. After staring at each other for a few seconds, he suddenly thought of a possibility: "You have..."
"Food chain," the young man interrupted calmly. "This instance resembles the Animal Kingdom. The tour guide is petite. When she was running earlier, her skin shone silvery-white in the sunlight. She must be the incarnation of some animal. We need to find the orc species above her and use the power of the higher-level food chain to help us hunt down the tour guide."
Find the orcs who can suppress the tour guide. They can threaten or bribe them to negotiate terms, but the most likely thing is that the orcs themselves have tasks that can be triggered.
Completing the quest and getting help from the orcs is more in line with the way out the game leaves.
His proposal was silently agreed by the other shadows.
There were a multitude of monsters downstairs, and the guide wouldn't just stand there and let them take the flag. Chasing them would probably cost him half his life. Using natural enemies to chase and intercept them was indeed the most labor-saving method.
After the cooling time, another monster rushed up without knowing the danger.
A nearby shadow, sweat dripping profusely, obliterated the monster passenger. The young man walked forward a few steps unmoved, leaning over to look down. Finally, with his eyes narrowed, he said, "It looks a bit like... a silver ant."
"Divide into three groups." He retracted his gaze. "One group will keep an eye on the players; one group will search for the lizard passengers. Silver ants don't have many natural enemies, and lizards can barely be considered one; the last group will be responsible for searching for flammable and explosive materials." Upon hearing the last sentence, Shadow Li Nan's pupils shrank. "Fire attack?"
"We always have to be fully prepared," the young man said with a cruel smile. "No matter how heat-resistant one is, there is a limit to how hot they can withstand. If we don't go down, let her come up on her own initiative."
There was a dreamy tint in his naturally light pupils, as if he had seen the building downstairs turned into a sea of fire.
Murder and arson.
That was the way Wen Shi suppressed his emotions when he was a teenager and wanted to take revenge.
Although the boy was well-rounded in every aspect, he conveyed extreme repression to those around him. Many shadows put away their contempt for him, as they could sense a terrifying desire to kill hidden beneath this very young body.
The idea was thought up by the young man. He divided the team quite naturally, assigning the thin man who followed Xiaohua to the toilet, and another shadow who had spoken rudely to him, together with Yu Xingzhou, to the group that would follow the players. The others were all assigned in a reasonable manner. When the shadows dispersed and hurried to complete the task, the young man tilted his head to look in the direction of Li Nan.
Li Nan knew what he was suggesting. The young man was undoubtedly hinting that he could take this opportunity to let Yu Xingzhou go back.
After Yu Xingzhou completed the task of hunting down the shadow, he certainly could not escape unscathed on his own, so he needed someone to support him.
It might not be too late to call other players now. If Li Nan and others choose to respond, they will not be able to stay and continue observing. Accordingly, Wen Shi will not be able to obtain the time node for using the refresh items.
His sweat-soaked sportswear clung to his body, and large beads of sweat trickled down his hair. The boy's lips moved as he mouthed, "Tell him, no one can control me."
From a safe distance, Li Nan responded with a smile, his true emotions hidden. Then, into his still-active phone, he spoke, "Your shadow has your own way of dealing with things. He's found a way out of this situation."
When it comes to the game, Shadow only has the memory of the players' dungeons. Theory and practice are different after all, so at the beginning their thinking lags behind the players, but as they participate in more links, Shadow will become more and more proficient.
Li Nan asked, "Do you want to fight?"
If you want to fight, you can only use the refresh props now, which is equivalent to the player suffering a loss in silence.
Not only did you not get the effect of depleting the shadow's strength, you also had to sacrifice a precious item.
"Let them do whatever they want." Wen Shi scoffed. "The penalty for failing a side quest is a temperature increase, but I'm afraid the game will be busy controlling the temperature soon."
Li Nan frowned. For the first time, he couldn't figure out the clues from a sentence. "What do you mean?"
He was answered with a sigh.
In the k6666 carriage, about twenty minutes ago, when the train entered the station, Wen Shi felt the pendant against his skin getting hot.
Jian Qingrong once said that this pendant made with his heart's blood concentrated the most serious source of pollution, which could be sensed by the eyes, and he would try to find himself through the pendant.
Wen Shi hadn't thought Jian Qingrong would be able to find him. Last time, he'd hitched a ride on afternoon tea, and only then had he entered Fengguan Village through A Sang. Normally, even the most powerful NPC couldn't cross servers without being summoned.
But the abnormal temperature of the pendant kept reminding him that Jian Qingrong might really come to him.
Wen Shi, holding a glimmer of hope, asked the knowledgeable Xiaohua in the car: "I have attracted a lot of hatred from NPCs in the dungeon. What if one day I encounter a BSS from another dungeon in this dungeon..."
Xiaohua burst into laughter, momentarily forgetting the discomfort she felt from the heat. "What are you thinking? Then the old players will have even more enemies. How will they survive? This situation simply won't happen, unless..."
Oh shit!
Here comes the disturbing turning point.
Xiaohua shrugged: "Unless you reach the legendary True Spirit level, it is possible."
Wen Shi was very sure that Jian Qingrong was not at that level, and he couldn't even beat the Earl.
"True Spirit..."
He muttered and repeated it, his nails almost piercing his palm unconsciously. Wen Shi realized that he had made a fatal mistake.
He took things as they came naturally. The dungeon was full of monsters and strange situations, so he didn't take the abnormality of Jian Qingrong's eyes too seriously.
Thinking about it now, that eye contained a power far beyond the person himself.
At the beginning of the game, he wanted to delete the files and kill Jian Qingrong with his own hands. Could there be other reasons?
The temperature radiating from the pendant grew hotter and hotter, but Wen Shi clutched it tightly, praying devoutly, hoping to convey his heartfelt wishes through the pendant.
Jian Qingrong, don't come over here!
Even if you ignore the abnormality of the eyes themselves, there is no bright side to the other person's character.
If his shadow appears again, who knows how much the temperature will rise.
"Grandma is Coming" has risen by more than ten degrees, but this is the result of a bug fix in the game. The initial temperature must have been much higher than this."
Wen Shi intuitively felt that if Jian Qingrong came over, things would get out of control.
Perhaps the heavens heard the call, but the temperature emitted by the pendant gradually decreased, and Wen Shi gradually breathed a sigh of relief: "Not bad."
Before he could completely exhale, the temperature around him suddenly rose sharply.
Passengers in other carriages exclaimed, "The sun!"
The players in the car subconsciously looked out the window. In the sky, there was a scorching sun and a few blurry shadows beside it.
"One, two, three..." When counting to nine, someone lost his balance and almost fainted.
Three suns are enough to destroy the world, and the other eight suns have not yet appeared. To use an inappropriate metaphor, it is like the sky is having a difficult birth. The suns are trying hard to be born, but cannot.
"Alert: Severely disordered data has been detected in this copy and adjustments are being made."
The blurry outline of the sun disappeared a few times, but soon it reappeared like bamboo shoots after rain.
"Reminder, repair in progress..."
"Reminder, repair in progress..."
Human eyes could no longer gaze directly at the sky without being burned. There was no thunder, but a roar erupted from the cloudless sky. It was as if something was awakening in the void. No living being dared approach.
This terrifying being clearly sensed that something was copying his power through his eyes, and it was the power of the dark side.
His eyes were closed the whole time, and he sensed that the omnipresent will of the game seemed very violent. On the one hand, it was foolishly trying to copy his power, and on the other hand, it was desperately patching it up.
The actual game is more than just violent. What comes in is the eyes, and under the setting of light and shadow, it can only copy the power of the eyes themselves.
Ignoring the game, the terrifying existence further uses consciousness to perceive the existence of eyes.
At this moment, outside a station entrance.
An invisible barrier is blocking the Scarecrow's entry.
After the tea party, Jian Qingrong spent the entire day in the lab, upgrading his straw husk to make it more suitable for the pollution source. He had originally planned to switch to a more powerful husk, but so far, it hadn't been successful. The newly developed husk could only house the eyes for half a day at most.
However, Jian Qingrong still brought the failed experimental products with him in case of emergency.
The failed product is a mechanical cat with a long tail and a delicate body. It is now being held in the hand of the scarecrow.
"Why can't I get in?"
The little scarecrow tried to use the pollution source to melt the barrier and launch a second sprint.
With a snap, just as half of the head was squeezed in, it was bounced out again. The little scarecrow and the mechanical cat sat down on the ground.
Try again.
The little scarecrow launched a third sprint stubbornly.
Wen Shi, here I come!