Players, Please Board the Train

The command center in Capital City, the main command center established in the Harbor City suburbs, and five temporary command centers within Harbor City remained continuously connected.

”The bodies of police officers and civilians who died outside the skyscraper have all been removed. The Special Affairs Department personnel and Special Forces have completely withdrawn and are currently evacuating surrounding civilians.”

”Our helicopters cannot approach the skyscraper for observation, and we cannot determine the number of players hiding inside.”

”Based on estimates, there are at least two thousand hostages inside, but after our personnel withdrew from the building, the other side stopped killing people. Their intentions remain unclear.”

”Special Affairs Department personnel are currently attempting to communicate with the players inside.”

Personnel at the Harbor City main command center were providing a brief report:

”Additionally, as of now, there is still no effective method to prevent the explosions. The only survivor also died during the second round of the life-and-death round.”

”Aside from twenty fire incidents, numerous players remain trapped within the life-and-death round area. Special Affairs Department and Special Forces personnel were attacked after entering, and there have been seven severe incidents of players from other zones massacring our country’s players.”

”Besides the skyscraper, there are forty-seven major hostage situations, sixteen of which have been resolved. The remaining thirty-one include the Defu Shopping Mall with the highest number of people—over two hundred trapped individuals, including nearly thirty children.”

”Due to restrictions from the life-and-death round, rescue teams have only just arrived near the mall. However, the surrounding surveillance lines have been destroyed. The last video detected from the trapped people was two hours ago.”These brief reports sounded like just a few sentences, but the reality behind them was bloody and brutal.

Three and a half hours had passed since the Phantom Sound Knights declared war. The death toll within the life-and-death round area was difficult to calculate, with at least over one hundred thousand people trapped. The highest number of deaths occurred during the first half hour and the first twenty minutes after the small roulette wheels appeared.

Especially during the second round, when the large roulette wheel was divided into countless small ones. Without being informed of the rules, dozens of people died simultaneously within each wheel. In some densely populated rescue waiting areas, the highest single death toll reached nearly five hundred people!

This didn’t even include the rescue personnel rushing around. Whole vehicles of people drove out of the roulette wheel range unknowingly, causing everyone to explode and die, subsequently leading to car accidents and fires...

”Aside from twenty fire incidents, numerous players remain trapped within the life-and-death round area. Special Affairs Department and Special Forces personnel were attacked after entering, and there have been seven malicious incidents of players from other zones massacring our country’s players.”

But rescue efforts couldn’t solve the fundamental problem. The real way to control the situation was to find the Phantom Sound Knights members.

Although they most likely seemed to be hiding in the skyscraper, everyone who entered ended up queuing to jump off the building. Even helicopters would mysteriously crash when approaching. Negotiations couldn’t be reached, and their side had made no progress.

The fake news about super items that Capital City released in advance to attract attention also seemed ineffective. If the Phantom Sound Knights didn’t leave, the other scattered players were insignificant. More people seemed to treat the Phantom Sound Knights as a benchmark, with increasing numbers gathering around Harbor City. Emergency incidents grew rapidly, and distress calls through all channels never stopped for even a second.

”Special Affairs Department personnel have submitted a proposal,” said the elderly man from Capital City. ”Since attracting players to other cities hasn’t worked, why not use this life-and-death round to trap players from other zones? If our players can’t break the game, players from other zones might not be able to either.”

”This isn’t a bad approach,” said Dr. Sun, responsible for Evolver research in Harbor City. ”But currently, we don’t have any players who can handle this task, unless we have super items.”

The elderly man fell silent. Without super items, it would be difficult to convince others. If Zone 014 could develop a bit longer, they might produce convincing fake items, but currently, they truly had nothing.

”Regardless, we must try this approach,” the elderly man said after a moment. ”We can’t just hang our hands and get beaten. Even if we have to bite, we must bite hard enough to make it hurt! We must make all players from other zones understand that invading another country comes with heavy costs!”

”Players from Capital City who can be useful have already deeply entered Harbor City. They can all enter the life-and-death round area within three minutes.”

”Harbor City’s city-wide evacuation work must accelerate. Strive to quickly send ordinary citizens who aren’t trapped out of Harbor City. First, rescue those who can be saved.”

”Yes!”

At that moment, the secretary of Harbor City’s chief commander received an external call. He immediately reported: ”It’s Captain Xing calling. There’s important new developments on his end. He requests video connection.”

”Connect it.”

The video connected quickly, showing the interior of the shopping mall. At a glance, one could see the situation within several black and white roulette wheels. The ground was almost completely covered with blood and flesh chunks, with the number of people reduced by one-third.

”Were the players from other zones eliminated by you?” the chief commander asked.

”Those three players from other zones were already two dead and one escaped two hours ago,” Captain Xing said, turning the camera to the side where a group of elderly people, women, and children were gathered. Unlike others in the mall, these people appeared relaxed, especially the children who were playing together.

”These people were also trapped in the life-and-death round ten minutes ago, but now the roulette wheel patterns on the ground have disappeared!” Captain Xing’s voice was filled with excitement. ”Commander, a player in Harbor City drove away the players from other zones and solved the multiplayer life-and-death round!”

”What! Where is that player?! How was it solved?!”

”L-leaders, hello,” Wang Chaoqing greeted the camera awkwardly. ”Brother Xu has already left. He asked me to tell you that the method to solve the multiplayer life-and-death round is to not spin the pointer for twelve consecutive rounds.”

The fake news about super items that Capital City released in advance to attract attention also seemed ineffective. If the Phantom Sound Knights didn’t leave, the other scattered players were insignificant. More people seemed to treat the Phantom Sound Knights as a benchmark, with increasing numbers gathering around Harbor City. Emergency incidents increased sharply, and distress calls through all channels never stopped for even a second.

”What else is there?” Dr. Sun quickly asked.

”He didn’t say anything else, but I can tell you what I know. However, you need to give me antidote to cure the Mutant poison in my body,” Wang Chaoqing started negotiating. ”Not just me—Brother Xu was also injured by that explosion from the player from another zone. It was all to save people. If not for us, these women and children might have all died.”

The command room wasn’t afraid of him negotiating—they were afraid no one would dare to come forward and make conditions. The chief commander immediately said: ”Harbor City has inhibitors available. I’ll immediately send someone to deliver them.”

”First, tell us about the life-and-death round situation.”