Players, Please Board the Train

”The appearance of wormholes indicates that the external environment of a certain space has begun to change. Those who adapt fastest to this change become Evolvers. However, this disrupts the normal human evolution process, leading to various side effects, such as cannibalism.”

”But as long as one survives the initial stage and obtains the potion, these symptoms can be alleviated.”

”If this is a natural evolutionary phenomenon, why didn’t any new players emerge in Fairy Tale City later?” Xu Huo looked at her.

”That’s easy to explain. After a period of rapid increase, the number of Evolvers will decline. Therefore, many game zones later used special methods to cultivate new players. However, the vast majority of Fairy Tale City’s population died, so it’s normal that no new players emerged among the small remaining population,” Sun Jirou stated confidently.

After a few seconds of silence, Xu Huo said, ”You mean that because wormhole points appeared, the spatial matter changed, and normal people in this environment naturally underwent changes.”

If the emergence of Evolvers is due to this reason, then could the organization that developed the Dimensional Rift game, or other organizations, control this process?

That’s hard to say.

The evolution process has two outcomes: mutating into Mutants or dying from illness. The number of Mutants in Fairy Tale City is abnormally high. He didn’t believe that potions alone could produce so many Mutants in such a short time. One possibility was artificial control.

Assuming this speculation direction is correct, then someone deliberately turned Fairy Tale City into its current state.

Transforming an entire large city into a Mutant breeding zone—was it because the number of players sharply declined?After entering the game, Evolvers and players are considered the greatest assets in each zone. Losing players means losing value. Ordinary people might be even less valuable to the game than Mutants. So from the perspective of higher-dimensional beings, demolishing an ordinary game zone to establish a breeding zone is neither troublesome nor regrettable.

Thinking along these lines, things become clear. And Granny Bai’s statement that ”Zone 014 would be safe if a large number of players appeared in a short time” also becomes logical.

The incident in Zone 014 stemmed from a Super Item. Who knows what caused Fairy Tale City’s situation...

”...I’m asking you a question.” Tao Chengxin waved her hand in front of his eyes. ”When did you figure out the clearance method? And how did you know this dungeon was established for the players of Fairy Tale City?”

Xu Huo withdrew his thoughts and glanced at the three people staring at him. ”At the Fresh Meat Sausage Shop, when the Government Hall players gave us the item.”

”Some clues were visible before that too.”

”The Government Hall and Granny Bai are mortal enemies, but Government Hall members don’t dare enter or leave Fairy Tale City freely. The owner of the Fresh Meat Sausage Shop preferred giving us an item rather than leaving his residence. This shows they fear the players controlling Fairy Tale City.”

”The dungeon’s three tasks could be completed as long as Granny Bai or someone who knew about the Great Contamination twenty years ago appeared. Granny Bai obviously didn’t tell the whole truth about the Great Contamination, but she personally confirmed we cleared the dungeon. Given her abilities, she had no need to deceive us. This proves my earlier guess that the ’correct story’ doesn’t need to be completely true was right.”

”Granny Bai also showed no intention of harming the dungeon players. The dungeon tasks were so simple, plus Fairy Tale City opposes the Government Hall, and the Government Hall employs extremely cruel players without discrimination. Comparing the two, it should be clear that while the players controlling Fairy Tale City hold power, they are also protecting it.”

”But she led us to the Government Hall’s killer players,” Sun Jirou retorted. ”If she had no malicious intent, why send us to our deaths?”

”Didn’t I already tell you? Government Hall members might be mixed among the players,” Tao Chengxin replied.

”That’s only a small possibility. If the Government Hall really sent low-level players into the dungeon, and they communicated with each other, then survivors from those places might include Government Hall players,” Xu Huo added. ”However, we can’t rule out those who escaped by luck. But as a high-level player, Granny Bai likely has her own methods of identification.”

Sun Jirou and Tang Yuan shuddered simultaneously, thinking of the interrogation under the item’s effect earlier.

”But isn’t this unfair to us dungeon players?” Tang Yuan couldn’t help saying. ”Shen Tai died for nothing.”

”Reason with a dungeon boss?” Tao Chengxin looked at them in astonishment. ”Are your brains okay?”

”It’s not that their brains are faulty, but that they bully the weak and fear the strong,” Xu Huo said somewhat coldly. ”Because compared to the ruthless Player-Eaters, Granny Bai is easier to talk to. Otherwise, they should seek revenge against the players who actually killed.”

Sun Jirou, who had been gnashing her teeth, immediately reddened with rage. ”Fine words! What kind of good person are you? Starting from the tour bus to the later Bear Claw Restaurant, her target was always you!”

Granny Bai first gave Xu Huo discount coupons for the Bear Claw Restaurant and Beauty Aromatherapy Shop. Then, as a tour guide, she told him about the Bear Claw Restaurant and Long Nose Nut Pie. Actually, she was only setting a trap for him alone! But to complete the game tasks, he lured others into taking the bait!

As the words spilled out, her hatred turned into overwhelming fury. With a wave of her hand, the ground of the small cabin suddenly shook violently. Then the wooden planks splintered, and inch-long sharp spikes grew from below, spewing white smoke like red-hot branding irons!

”Hell’s Judgment!”

With Sun Jirou’s shout, the spikes under Xu Huo’s feet abruptly grew to two meters long, piercing through his clothes as he dodged!

”Holy crap!” Tao Chengxin, who was next to him, was nearly hit by mistake. She quickly stabbed her fishing rod into the wall to hang herself mid-air.

Xu Huo grabbed the piano wire to leap upward, evading the continuously extending spikes while using flying arrows to disrupt Sun Jirou. He held the lighter but hesitated to start a fire.

”What are you waiting for? Set her on fire!” Tao Chengxin yelled from her hanging position. ”This woman is so unreasonable! You even saved her once at the Building Block Buns shop.”

Sun Jirou dodged the flying arrows and said bitterly, ”If I hadn’t said I had clues, would he have saved me?”

With that, she clasped her ten fingers together. The previously sporadic spikes suddenly multiplied into over ten, piercing the roof into a honeycomb in the blink of an eye!

After the roof was torn off, Xu Huo exited the cabin upward. Looking around, he found the surrounding forest distorting, causing the ground around the cabin to slowly undulate as if water flowed beneath.

While he was distracted, Sun Jirou leaped up from below, throwing a triangular spike dagger. Landing a step later, she pressed her palms together and then pulled them apart, several thin threads appearing between her palms!

Xu Huo swung his sword to deflect the triangular spike dagger. As he retracted his sword, he used one hand to twist the back of her hand aside, then spread his fingers to seize both her wrists. Pulling her back into the cabin, he casually took out a potion bottle and sprayed it in her face:

”Pssht—!”