Players, Please Board the Train

Xu Huo finally showed a slightly more serious expression, but upon further questioning, he discovered that the woman also had only a partial understanding of the dimensional storm and the process of crossing the wormhole point. She had reached Wormhole Point E27 entirely by luck and didn’t dare to continue using train tickets, so she could only hide in this remote place.

”The third question, why are there no random dungeons here?”

”Because there’s a base established by the Game Government here...” The woman used her remaining hand to clutch his calf. ”You haven’t been in the game for long, right? You can’t guarantee getting a train ticket every time either. I can tell you everything I know, even help you complete game missions. I can sleep with you too, no problem, as long as you...”

Before she could finish, a glint of cold light flashed from between her fingertips, sweeping towards Xu Huo’s throat. ”Die!”

”Shick!” A sharp blade sliced open her windpipe. The Cheongsam Woman’s eyes widened as she fell to the ground.

Xu Huo picked up the slender scalpel that had fallen from her hand. A game prompt sounded in his ears:

[Congratulations, player Passerby, for successfully hunting down a wanted criminal. You can claim a bounty of 50,000 White Bills.]

”Please now receive the deceased player’s belongings.”

Xu Huo quickly opened his panel:

[Wanted Codename: Human Skin Umbrella][Bounty: 50,000 White Bills]

[Player Classification: Red Player]

[Player Level: D]

[Affiliation: Wormhole Point E15]

[Primary Characteristic: Skin Garment Maker]

[Items: ① Human Skin Umbrella ② Makeup Artist Tools ③ Cicada Wing Scalpel]

[Additional: Rose Castle Invitation]

There were also some potions and supplies.

If you haven’t eaten people before the initial trial, but do so after boarding the train, you become a Player-Eater who still has characteristics, though those characteristics won’t continue to grow.

If you can resist the gluttonous desire before boarding, but take one wrong step and become a Player-Eater, the fall is so complete. Xu Huo sensed the deep malice with which the game toyed with its players.

Putting the several items into his own item slots, he briefly glanced at their usage methods before walking over to pick up the Human Skin Umbrella. Looking at the torn white skin on it, he simply ripped it all off.

[Ding!]

[System prompt: Item Human Skin Umbrella has been updated. View?]

Opening the item slot, the original ”Human Skin Umbrella” position had been replaced by ”Umbrella of Justice.”

[Umbrella of Justice (Note 1: It opens, it rains, it rains down with hatred, reducing the item effectiveness of Player-Eaters by ten percent.)

(Note 2: Because the person who made it was average, it only works on average items, but has an unexpected suppressing effect on Player-Eaters, and also possesses a corpse storage function. Note: The two effects cannot coexist.)

(Note 3: Its function was altered using human skin by an evil Artificer, so its targeted effect has rebounded to fifteen percent.)]

”An unexpected boon.” Xu Huo twirled the now-black large umbrella. When he was setting the fire earlier, he found it strange. The rain brought by the Human Skin Umbrella had an item-suppressing effect, but after entering this alley, even though the rain intensified, the lighter’s effect returned to normal.

Additionally, the woman, in her agitated state, might not have noticed, but her speed and strength had decreased later on. He had initially thought it was due to exhaustion from prolonged combat, but now it seemed it was because the Human Skin Umbrella was burned, revealing the Umbrella of Justice’s original utility.

Although the note says it only targets average items, the fact that it can suppress a D-grade item like the lighter and specifically targets Player-Eaters is nothing short of impressive.

Turning around, he stored the Cheongsam Woman’s corpse inside the umbrella and left the alley.

*

From dusk onwards, Rose Castle was shrouded in a blanket of rain clouds. The heavy, leaden clouds and the thick, ancient castle walls squeezed the light from the lamps, making the vast ancient castle feel incredibly oppressive.

The time was nearing midnight. Six guests still sat in the great hall. Some drank, some played cards or games, but all were distracted, frequently glancing at the wall clock.

”Ding-dong!” The doorbell outside the entrance hall rang.

”A guest has arrived.” The middle-aged butler swiftly and steadily went to open the door.

With a ”click,” the large door opened, revealing a young man in formal attire in everyone’s view. Although he had an umbrella tucked under his arm, he was soaked through. Holding a yellow rose, he smiled as he presented the invitation. ”I’m late. My surname is Xu.”

The middle-aged butler with graying temples took out a pocket watch. His lips and teeth didn’t move, but a voice emerged: ”Not too late. However, the master personally received two guests earlier and has already retired. You may see him after breakfast tomorrow.”

Ventriloquism.

”Oh? Are those two guests also in the great hall?” Xu Huo’s gaze lingered on the butler’s unmoving mouth for a moment before shifting away.

”Mr. and Mrs. Ma have already retired,” the butler said. ”There are three other guests in the recreation room. Would you like to go greet them now?”

”No need.” Xu Huo declined the servant’s gesture to take his umbrella and handed the rose over instead. ”Please put this in my room.”

”Shall we prepare some food for you?” the butler asked.

Xu Huo swept his eyes over the people in the drawing room with their varied expressions, pausing briefly on the baby-faced man inside, then smiled slightly. ”No need, I’ve already eaten.”

The gazes of several players in the drawing room fell upon him, each carrying varying degrees of wariness.

The baby-faced man wasn’t as composed as Xu Huo. They had met on the train; he hadn’t expected such a coincidence of entering the same dungeon.

After a pause, he sprang up from the sofa and stretched his hand out towards the others. ”You all lost, pay up!”

A dark-faced man gave him a stack of White Bills. The others also took out money.

The butler was already preparing to take Xu Huo to the guest room. As they passed through the hall, the latter stopped and looked at the group, asking, ”What were you betting on?”

The baby-faced man grinned cheekily. ”We were guessing whether you were a man or a woman. Only I won.”

Xu Huo’s expression rapidly darkened.

”Haha! Just a joke, don’t take it so seriously.” The baby-faced man laughed, trying to salvage the situation.

Xu Huo’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes held immense pressure.

Within a few short seconds, the baby-faced man could no longer maintain his smile. The other five players grew tense as well.

”Sir, please follow me.” The butler timely interrupted them.

Xu Huo followed him silently to the second floor.

After he left, the baby-faced man said with a gloomy expression, ”I ran into him when I arrived. I didn’t realize he was a Player-Eater back then.”

”What’s strange about Player-Eaters? They’re in every dungeon. At least we can eliminate one player now,” said the only female player among the six.

”I won’t cooperate with a Player-Eater,” the dark-faced man stated.

”Don’t make it so obvious,” said another young man holding a wine glass. ”You all know the game mission. There’s no guarantee a situation of internal strife won’t arise. Making things tense beforehand benefits no one.”

The other players looked at each other, tacitly accepting this reasoning. They didn’t continue chatting and instead returned to their respective rooms.