# Chapter 68: Kill First
Half an hour later, several off-road vehicles drove into the construction site. The car doors opened, and Zhou Xiao, hands bound, was kicked out first. Then three men got out, shoved him to the front of the building, and shouted toward it from over ten meters away.
The construction site had crane tower lights, and the open area outside was fairly well-lit, though the inside of the building was hard to see. Soon, a dark figure walked out from within.
Zhou Xiao recognized Zhou Ning at a glance and shouted, "Sister!"
Zhou Ning walked out, glaring hatefully at the people across from them. "Release him!"
"Where is Zhao Sheng?" The dandy with shiny leather shoes got out of the car and looked Zhou Ning up and down. "Not bad looking. How about you come with me, and I'll let your brother go?"
Hu Wenhu, hiding behind a pillar, dragged out the unconscious Zhao Sheng, his fingernails digging into the man's neck flesh. "Less nonsense! Release Zhou Xiao!"
The dandy looked at them in surprise. "You don't really think I care about the life or death of some hired thug, do you? I'll give you a chance—behave obediently, and I'll let you live today."
"Stop wasting words with him!" Hu Wenhu threw Zhao Sheng aside and lunged at the dandy. But at that moment, the crane tower lights went out, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness!
"Ambush!" Zhou Ning shouted. "Fall back into the building first!"
"Trying to run?" Relying on his memory from before the lights went out, the dandy precisely dashed toward Zhou Ning's position. But the moment he lunged forward, he plunged into a mass of tough, prickly fine threads—like sinking into water. Those things not only entangled his hands and feet but also kept burrowing into his mouth and nose, twisting around him and dragging him into the building!
At the same time, Hu Wenhu and Tian Yun coordinated—one creating confusion, the other using speed to snatch Zhou Xiao back. Once the person was rescued, they didn't linger in battle and retreated into the building as well.
"Currently, there are three players directly ahead. On the crane tower, there's a woman in a skirt. Two more players have entered the second floor from the direction of the construction site gate."
In the darkness, Liu Jia used binoculars to report all the captured information.
"On my side, there's only one, but he's holding a very strange object—shaped like a dragon. It should be an item." On the other side facing the light, Yu Xiaoyu spotted Ma Yu. "He's a long-haired man, also on the second floor."
"Tap!" The Painting Woman, responsible for monitoring the rear of the building, tapped her earpiece.
"At least nine players have come so far—one on the crane tower, three on the second floor, five on the first floor. First, try to keep the other players on the first floor as much as possible, and kill the three on the second floor." Xu Huo said in a low voice.
"No problem..." Zhou Ning said. "What about the one I dragged in? He's not dead yet. Should we keep him to interrogate about the Holy Sword Society's whereabouts?"
"No need. For any player who comes in, prioritize killing if possible; otherwise, delay them." As Xu Huo finished speaking, a sound of something cutting through the air came straight at his face. He raised his hand to grab it, and the "Omnipresent Strings" pulled him backward, letting him dodge the attack.
By now, his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could vaguely see a figure standing in front of him. He leaped into the air and kicked the man's temple!
"Bang!" The man slammed heavily into the wall. The sound drew the attention of the other two players on the second floor. Hearing two sets of footsteps approaching, Xu Huo acted swiftly. Using the strings, he hoisted the player up, grabbed his legs, and twisted. With a crack, the struggling man immediately went still.
After putting the body down, he stabbed the man's heart once more before standing up, then crouched in a corner using the strings.
The thick smell of blood quickly lured the next player over. The man stepped over the stone threshold, then immediately looked up and aimed whatever he was holding at Xu Huo's hiding spot. A jet of flame shot out!
Xu Huo rolled to the ground, flicked his lighter, and said, "Burn, burn, burn!"
Three flames ignited on the man's body, but they didn't catch fire. The man laughed. "I use fire myself—do you think my clothes wouldn't be fireproof?"
Xu Huo narrowed his eyes. When the flames flared up, he barely made out the man's face. This was the long-haired man Yu Xiaoyu had mentioned. He was holding a dragon-shaped toy gun, but the flames it shot were real.
"Since you play with fire too, how about joining the Holy Sword Society?" Ma Yu patted the toy gun. "There are plenty of good things there. This thing came from the Holy Sword Society."
Xu Huo gave a faint smile. "A ragtag group led by some low-tier cannibal player—what future does it have? Within three days, the Holy Sword Society will completely disappear from Ting City."
Ma Yu burst out laughing. "I know you ordinary players have traits and think you're something special, looking down on cannibal players. But traits take time to develop. You're unlucky to have run into me."
"Is that so?" Xu Huo raised two fingers. The strings that had already crept up to Ma Yu suddenly yanked his neck taut, forcefully dragging him into the air!
Ma Yu was shocked. Seeing the man across from him charging over, he immediately raised his toy gun. But before he could pull the trigger, Xu Huo—whose speed was in no way inferior to a cannibal player's—kicked the gun away and slashed at his chest and abdomen!
"Shiiing!" The blade cut through the fabric but failed to wound Ma Yu. He was wearing a tight black undershirt underneath—thin as it looked, it could block blade attacks!
The failed strike gave Ma Yu a chance to catch his breath. He grabbed the strings, tilted his head back, and after scraping off a layer of skin, broke free from the control. He kicked to force Xu Huo back, then followed up, his fists crackling as he threw a fierce barrage of punches!
Xu Huo retreated step by step, his arms crossed in front of him unable to fully block the onslaught. Finally, Ma Yu's fist punched straight through the brick wall behind him!
Just as he stood up from the rubble, Ma Yu was already upon him again. At the same time, another Holy Sword Society player on the second floor had circled around from behind to block him!
"I'll help!" Huang Junjie, who had been on the second floor with him, rushed over upon hearing the commotion. He intercepted the other player's attack with his blade, pulling him away from Xu Huo.
Xu Huo glanced over, then tore off his right glove. Lifted by the strings, he charged at Ma Yu from midair!
Kicks against punches—both sides moved so fast that only afterimages remained. But after dozens of exchanges, Ma Yu couldn't take it anymore and retreated. Looking at his hands, his knuckles and forearms were swollen high, with a faint pain of bone fractures!
"You're a cannibal player too?" he asked, shocked and uncertain. "Then why are you opposing us?"
Xu Huo didn't stop. He manipulated the strings to chase after Ma Yu, stomping him through the brick wall. Before the man could get up, he stomped down again!
Ma Yu rolled frantically, leaving a trail of craters in the ground, all the way to the balcony!
Seeing that Xu Huo said nothing and only attacked relentlessly, Ma Yu grew furious. "Who the hell are you? Are you from the Special Affairs Bureau?"
"Guess." Xu Huo intercepted him at the balcony window and swept his leg to push the man trying to jump from the second floor back inside!
Ma Yu landed back on the floor. His eyes flickered, and he lunged toward the dragon-shaped toy gun in the corner!