Players, Please Board the Train

”Excellent! Now let’s take a look at our Warrior Number 67. The number of Mutants he has killed currently ranks third, but over half of them were dismembered. His technique is clean, and the quantity possesses a certain aesthetic beauty. He is a hot contender for the championship of this two-city reality show!”

”As everyone can see, just moments ago while I was introducing him, he killed another player! He is a truly deserving title of Bloody Killer! Viewers who enjoy his performance can place bets to increase the frequency and duration of Number 67’s promotional pushes!”

At this very moment, within the holographic square located at the top floor of Clown City, the entire square-shaped area was divided into countless small cubes. The cubes closer to the square’s periphery were larger, while those inside progressively decreased in size. The cubes higher up were larger, and those below were smaller. Especially the several holographic projection images situated at the very top, which were more than three times the size of the other projections. One of them was precisely Warrior Number 67!

Each cube was playing footage from within the cleanup area, allowing a 360-degree, no-blind-spot observation of the actions and behaviors of the figures within the images. Below each cube were three rows of numbers in different colors. As these numbers jumped and changed, the position and size of the cubes also shifted. Different images were constantly being swapped in and out, replaced and moved around.

The host’s impassioned voice continued to ring out, ”Next, let’s look at the most popular warrior right now — Number 227! Although he entered the show in a later batch, his Mutant kill count far surpasses the second-place contender. This is a contestant who grows stronger with each setback. He just experienced a small Mutant tide and, after resting only a few minutes, has already thrown himself back into a new battle!”

”Truly worthy of a hot-blooded warrior hailing from Clown City. His heroic posture deserves the praise of all Clown City residents!”

”Incredible! A friend from Subdivision 003 has supported Warrior 227 with one million White Bills, instantly boosting 227’s three key metrics to the top! Currently, his solo viewership stands at seventy-three million, a full ten million ahead of the second-ranked Warrior 145! The number of bets placed has reached one hundred million!”

”If nothing unexpected happens, 227 is very likely to be the final champion. So, let’s now see the request made by this friend who contributed one million White Bills!”

”Wow! This friend’s request is for Warrior 227 to prove himself as a real man once more! A real man, of course, must emerge unscathed from a Mutant tide. Within the next hour, our contestant 227 will encounter a second Mutant tide!”

After this demand was announced, 227’s solo viewership count rapidly climbed, but the number of betting participants did not increase. Meanwhile, the betting numbers under the images of the top-ranked contestants surged wildly!”It seems the audience isn’t very optimistic about Warrior 227, believing he might very well be overtaken by those coming from behind! However, only the arrival of the next Mutant tide will reveal the true outcome.”

The projection cubes within the square changed incessantly. During this, some projections suddenly turned gray and then vanished. A massive projection suddenly rose above the others, pushed to the very top. The host said:

”Right now, warriors from both cities are exchanging fire within the canyon. The death toll is skyrocketing, and several highly-favored contestants have unfortunately been caught in it. This is a regrettable event. However, vanguard units from both sides have already reached the canyon. According to predictions, warriors will land on the opposing side’s position within five minutes at the latest. Which side will set foot on the opposite bank first?”

”Only four minutes remain. Placing bets early may potentially influence the landing situation on both sides. Viewer friends can feel free to...”

The host’s high-pitched voice caused the square and various broadcasting platforms to stutter for a moment. Then, a new scene appeared on the large projection. Two individuals, not wearing glasses and who had never appeared in any promotional projection, stood on the Blue Faction’s side of the canyon, abruptly ending this warm-up phase of the charge that had just begun.

The two people standing atop the mountain ridge had no numbers. It could only be deduced from the items they carried that they likely belonged to the Red Faction. A second later, red numbers were added to the two figures on the projection.

”...It appears these two contestants are from the Red Faction. Cutting into the enemy position so unexpectedly is truly eye-opening!”

”However, these two have never once appeared on the leaderboards. It seems their style isn’t the hot-blooded martial combat type, but rather they’ve reached this point relying on exceptional wisdom and judgment. I boldly predict that these two may very well become the biggest dark horses of this reality show!”

The words were barely out of his mouth when the projection feeds of Xu Huo and Zhuo Wangsun rapidly surged to the periphery of the square, becoming the new popular contestants!

The host’s voice grew high-pitched again, ”For the rare brainpower-type contestants in a reality show, the viewer friends have not been stingy in expressing their support. Just moments ago, five friends have already supported these two contestants. Their requests are surprisingly consistent: they hope our brainpower-type contestants will display some real strength!”

”So, let us next wish these two contestants both wisdom and strength!”

”Thank you to all friends watching this Clown City reality show. I am Gao Yang, host of Sunset Clown City. Next, the hosting will be taken over by Lang Lang, the treasure of Sunrise Clown City, its most gorgeous rose!”

”Hello everyone, I am Lang Lang...” The host’s voice switched to a soft, delicate female voice. The moment she spoke, the number of betting participants in the projections surged drastically again. Meanwhile, the angle of the large projection feed had already been pulled back, vaguely showing that on the Red Faction side of the canyon, a Mutant tide was gradually gathering.

*

Xu Huo looked back across the canyon.

”Problem?” Zhuo Wangsun stopped walking. He wasn’t wearing glasses now, having switched to a gas mask.

”Nothing.” Xu Huo continued walking forward. ”The first and second tasks for clearing the dungeon are completed now. I’m thinking about the most suitable way to complete the third task.”

”The Battle Flag should be that little flag issued by Clown City, right?” Zhuo Wangsun rummaged in his bag and pulled out the small flag symbolizing Clown City. ”But I have no clue for now about the designated location.”

”We already know this is the Blue Faction’s territory, and there are no other prompts... It couldn’t be as simple as just sticking it anywhere, could it?”

As he spoke, he somewhat carelessly let go. The flag happened to stick into the soil. Immediately after, he paused, looking at Xu Huo in surprise. ”I cleared the dungeon!”

Xu Huo nodded. For an E-rank dungeon, reaching this stage should be sufficient.

Seeing him take no action, Zhuo Wangsun couldn’t help but show a hint of regret on his face. ”Shouldn’t have planted it here. Maybe going a bit deeper would have resulted in a higher rating.”

Xu Huo’s expression remained placid. ”There are only so few rating tiers. Clearing it here or clearing it two kilometers further in probably amounts to about the same thing.”

The real difference would definitely be the core position. If this were a war game, then the highest point of the enemy faction’s territory would undoubtedly be Clown City.

Zhuo Wangsun wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he followed him. Seeing Xu Huo walking with his head down, focused on the journey, Zhuo Wangsun couldn’t help but be astonished. ”You’re not thinking of fighting your way to the other Clown City, are you!”