Players, Please Board the Train

Xu Huo didn’t go far. He stopped right at the exit of the underground parking garage. He sliced a runaway empty car that came barreling toward him clean in half, kicked out a player who had been sent flying toward the parking garage, then dragged a broken streetlight pole over and wedged it across the entrance, slapping a ”Do Not Enter” sign on it.

It wasn’t just the copilot who saw what he did. Several players still locked in a standoff nearby also witnessed the whole thing. One of them sneered, ”And who do you think you are? You say no entry, so it’s no entry?”

Xu Huo said nothing. He simply made a ”please” gesture.

He stood behind the streetlight, seemingly unaware that his actions were a provocation. His expression didn’t even change, let alone show any hint of wariness.

That player laughed in anger. ”If I weren’t busy right now, I’d teach you what it means to get a taste of the real world!”

Xu Huo turned and walked away.

The player’s opponent didn’t hold back their mockery. ”Look at you. Even without a fight, anyone can tell you’re all bark and no bite!”

Clearly, that player couldn’t stand being provoked. He actually broke away from his group and charged straight toward the underground parking garage. But just as he reached the horizontally placed streetlight, he suddenly stopped dead, his brows furrowing darkly as he stared at Xu Huo a few meters away.

The sky was dim, and with several streetlights having been torn down around the area, it was actually darker outside than inside the parking garage. At least, that was how it should have been. That was how it was a few minutes ago when the two fighting parties first arrived nearby.

But now, the lights in the underground parking garage had gone out at some point, plunging the ramp into darkness. The player who had been peeking around back there had vanished too. Only Xu Huo remained standing ahead, half of his body swallowed by shadow. His face was still barely visible, but he looked more like a dangerous warning sign, a glaring reminder that getting close would lead to unforeseeable consequences!That player’s nerve gave out instantly. Instinct told him to retreat, but just then, the man who had provoked him released an item that sent him sliding straight into the underground parking garage!

Darkness flooded in from all directions like water. Caught between shock and suffocation, the player clawed at his throat as he scrambled back. But when he turned around, the way he came from had also become pitch black. The streetlights, the streetscape, everything was gone. Reaching out, his hand only grasped something that felt like thickened liquid!

Within seconds, his mouth was forced open, and the viscous substance pressed into his throat. Just as he was about to choke to death, he caught a glimpse of Xu Huo appearing up ahead, with the streetlight right behind him!

Forgetting everything else, he sprinted forward, ducked under the streetlight, and collapsed to his knees, vomiting violently.

He hadn’t actually swallowed anything real, so what came up was only stomach acid. But his condition genuinely startled both his companions and his opponents. To them, he had only been inside for a few seconds before running back out. He hadn’t even exchanged blows with Xu Huo, and yet he came out looking like this!

A steel cable shot out and pulled the young player away. After his companion caught him, they pressed for answers. ”What just happened? What did he do?”

The player, tears and snot streaming down his face as he heaved, waved his hand frantically. ”Don’t ask... let’s go... he’s probably a mental evolution-type player...”

Mental evolution players were indeed rare among the countless players out there. But anyone who managed to survive long-term in the game had proven they had at least evolved one killing move. Ordinary players could resist a certain degree of mental interference, and if someone wasn’t strong enough, they would have died at the hands of others at lower levels long ago.

Xu Huo daring to pull a stunt like this in public was definitely not blind overconfidence, and they had just learned their lesson the hard way.

Zone 009 was currently packed with players. There was no irreconcilable hatred here. Dying over a momentary fit of pique wasn’t worth it.

The young players retreated decisively. A few seconds later, the other group retreated as well.

The area outside the parking garage returned to calm.

Xu Huo stood there thoughtfully for a moment before turning back.

The player who had been tossing trash neatly put the lid back on the bin and obediently followed him back to the vehicle.

After all, this was the Capital Safe Zone. Although there had been small-scale fighting, no large-scale demolition of buildings had occurred yet. Aside from the two groups that had brawled their way to the parking garage, the night had been relatively peaceful.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Yan Jiayu crawled out of her sleeping bag to exercise. Ordinary fitness equipment could no longer keep up with her physical capabilities. Her dumbbells had to be custom-ordered from other districts.

She also had a stance-training session.

Seeing how busy she was, Xu Huo went out to buy breakfast himself.

The electronic screen on the main street was playing footage of the violent incidents from the night before. At least fifty ordinary people had been caught up in player fights and killed overnight. The government had opened several parks, urging everyone camping on the roadside or sleeping in their cars to crowd into the parks instead. They also publicly announced that the Capital Safe Zone was temporarily sealed, with no new entrants allowed.

”Might as well have stayed out in the wild,” someone grumbled, but there was nothing they could do. Players responsible for city security had already started driving people out.

When Xu Huo returned carrying breakfast, the streetlight that had been stuck outside was already removed, and several players in matching uniforms were now in the underground parking garage.

People could take their personal belongings, but anyone who drove in couldn’t take their vehicles out.

”Where’s the logic in that!” the copilot shouted indignantly. ”How are we supposed to leave without our cars?”

Quite a few people gathered to protest, but today’s players weren’t having any of it. After a warning shot, someone climbed onto a vehicle and announced, ”This isn’t a negotiation. Everyone must relocate to the parks by noon. If you don’t want to leave on your own, we can give you a ride!”

The players didn’t care. The ordinary people on site were angry but dared not speak up. They could only shoulder their luggage and go along with the crowd.

The copilot cautiously sidled up to Xu Huo. ”Boss, are we leaving?”

Xu Huo glanced at him. ”What do you think?”

The copilot went to grab his backpack.

Yan Jiayu munched on a meat bun and asked Xu Huo, ”Where are we heading next?”

”Let’s check out the mall,” Xu Huo said. ”There are dedicated player shops in the safe zone that sell items and potions.”

The copilot trailed behind them. ”Boss, sis, what about me...”

Yan Jiayu waved a hand. ”Goodbye.”

The copilot suddenly felt reluctant to leave, but he wasn’t tactless enough to force himself on them. He hoisted his bag and merged into the crowd.

Soon, Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu split off from the main group and headed for the player mall.

The player mall itself was run by players. The fact that it was still open meant there wouldn’t be much genuine merchandise inside. Only some low-level items were put on display. Everything else had to be purchased through electronic screens.

Yan Jiayu had a particular fondness for potions of all flavors. She bought a huge pile and even splurged on a jelly potion blind box. She eagerly tried a flavor and, one second later, her face twisted in disgust. ”Tastes like canned herring...”

Xu Huo couldn’t help but laugh. He casually handed her a bottle of water.