Chapter 1053: Rumors of the Holy Sword Society
After hiding the woman and child behind a nearby tree, Xu Huo slowly covered the area with his spiritual power.
A considerable number of people were approaching—eight individuals, all bearing varying degrees of injury. Among them was Zhou Yuanzhu, who had just left the villa.
According to Chi Minghong, Zhou Yuanzhu was likely a Super Evolver. Her fingernails could grow rapidly, which fit the characteristics of body control among Super Evolvers, though it was unclear if she had any other evolutionary abilities.
"We're almost at the villa." Zhou Yuanzhu, walking at the front, stopped. "Normally, a new Instance shouldn't generate so soon after the last one ended, but let's play it safe and hide in the woods."
The group found a relatively flat spot to rest. Aside from using some Concealment Items, they didn't dare turn on any lights and kept their voices low.
"I thought we could score big, but those Armed Robots were tough enough to deal with." One of the Bearded Men took a drink of water and complained, "I lost a lot of potions and items. No idea when I'll be able to restock."
"If it gets too bad, we should just run. Who knows how long the fight between Zone 002 and the Holy Sword Society will last... I've never heard of the Holy Sword Society being this righteous before, meddling in other districts' affairs." Another person snorted. "I've never heard of a murderer condemning an arsonist. They're both cut from the same cloth."
All the players present had heard rumors about the Holy Sword Society. Some had even encountered its members and didn't have a favorable impression of them. A man with a small braid said, "I once ran into a group of Holy Sword Society players. They had taken over an Instance location and robbed almost everyone who entered. Some female players were even assaulted. They're scum!"
"Then the ones you met probably weren't real Holy Sword Society members." Zhou Yuanzhu interjected at this point. "I have a senior who dealt with them. The current Holy Sword Society is nothing like the original one. The founding team had a falling out, and the original members split off long ago."
"So there are two Holy Sword Societies?" The Bearded Man chimed in. "Now their members seem to be spread across different zones. Which one is this?"
Zhou Yuanzhu shrugged. "That, I don't know. But I've heard the Holy Sword Society was originally founded to oppose the game. You all know the potions we use have defects, right? The Holy Sword Society believes the game controls the defect-free potions."
This topic successfully captured the other players' attention. The Braided Player asked, "Do those potions really exist?"
"There are rumors." Zhou Yuanzhu said. "I've heard it from more than one person. Have any of you heard of Dr. Wu?"
"Dr. Wu?" Most of those present looked confused. A long-haired female player sitting at the edge said, "I've heard of him. It's said that the potions Dr. Wu developed have no defects and don't cause any evolutionary side effects."
Zhou Yuanzhu nodded. "According to an old senior, Dr. Wu was originally part of the Game Government. For some reason, he fell out with them. He's the one who developed the defect-free potion, and the Game Government has been looking for him ever since."
"So if we find this Dr. Wu, we might have a chance to avoid evolutionary side effects?" The Bearded Man said.
"It's not that easy. Even the Game Government can't find him. And think about it—how many Advanced Players came before us? Don't they all face the same evolutionary side effects?" The Braided Player said. "Take Lawrence Li, for example. He's a Super Player."
"That's true." The Long-Haired Female Player added, "But it's not just because Dr. Wu is hard to find. There's also a strict requirement for using potions: you have to take them at the very beginning of evolution. If you've used Evolution Agent more than three times, using a defect-free potion won't work anymore—the foundation of your evolution is already set."
This cooled the fiery gazes of the others. The Bearded Man slapped his thigh. "Damn, I knew it was too good to be true."
"Is there any connection between Dr. Wu and the Holy Sword Society?" The Long-Haired Female Player asked Zhou Yuanzhu.
"Not really," Zhou Yuanzhu said. "But it's said that after Dr. Wu developed the defect-free potion, he planned to make it public. However, the Game Government banned its sale to control the players. That's why the Holy Sword Society wants to get their hands on it from the Game Government."
"Of course, finding Dr. Wu is another path. But it's hard to say if he's even still alive. The Game Government, on the other hand, is always there."
"This isn't an easy task. The Game Government's foundation is deeper than most people can imagine. Even if you gathered dozens or hundreds of players, or even an entire zone's population, it wouldn't be enough." The Braided Player stated the reality.
"That's probably why the Holy Sword Society split." The Long-Haired Female Player said. "Sacrificing yourself for the sake of others—most people aren't that noble."
"I think so too." Zhou Yuanzhu took a drink of water. "So the people we saw today are most likely the original Holy Sword Society members. Otherwise, who would care about which zone Zone 002 is attacking?"
The group fell silent for a moment. The Bearded Man said, "I think the Holy Sword Society is just so-so. They haven't accomplished anything yet. They might have already been surrounded."
The Braided Player sighed. "I kind of admire them."
"Don't go thinking of the Holy Sword Society players as saints." A middle-aged player with graying hair spoke up. "Whether the Holy Sword Society split or not, and whoever these current people are, aren't they still looting Zone 002? The scope of their actions is huge, and a lot of ordinary people have died."
"You can't just kill people indiscriminately just because you claim to be doing it for the greater good."
"I think they're all the same—just acting in their own self-interest, putting on a grand show."
Zhou Yuanzhu tossed her water bottle on the ground. "You're right. Everyone just minds their own business. Who cares about anyone else?"
The atmosphere grew tense. None of the eight spoke again, each resting on their own.
But before two minutes of silence had passed, the sound of an aircraft engine roared from deep in the forest. With a series of sharp whistles, several shells dove down from the sky, heading straight for the forest's depths!
"Not good!" Zhou Yuanzhu immediately stood up. "Players from the Government Hall are chasing us!"
Just as the group was about to scatter and flee, they were shocked to see the shells veer off course, landing fifty meters away from their position!
The explosions, along with the heat and flying debris, blasted outward. The Bearded Man, who had used a Defense Item to block the shockwave, couldn't help but complain, "What terrible aim does Zone 002's artillery have!"
The Braided Player beside him rolled his eyes. "It didn't hit you because you weren't the target. Look ahead!"
(End of Chapter)