Chapter 1110: Show Me Something Real
Jiang and Zheng still found it hard to believe, as this completely overturned their understanding of this high-risk instance.
"I still can't believe this is man-made," Zheng Da said.
"If it's not man-made, then the only possibility left is that Xiaohe City itself has a problem," Xu Huo said. "Although this is completely at odds with the environment of the entire high-risk instance, if there really is such a city here, it's not entirely impossible."
"But that brings us back to my earlier question. Since staying in Xiaohe City carries the risk of 'being disappeared,' why couldn't dozens of people simply move somewhere else to live? Even using a location item could solve the problem."
"Unless you're unwilling to give up the non-players in Xiaohe City?"
This reasoning did seem to make sense, but Jiang Wenzhang still retorted, "Since we've found a way to avoid the risk, staying inside Xiaohe City is the safest option."
"That also makes sense," Xu Huo said. "But I'm more curious why the rules of this high-risk instance only target players."
Jiang Wenzhang couldn't refute this point. They had previously experimented with bringing ordinary people into the commercial building, but even if some disappeared, players still made up the majority.
Of course, Xu Huo's speculation that the cause of the disappearance incidents was related to players wasn't based solely on these two points. There was also circumstantial evidence: Mr. Kang insisted on linking the disappearance incidents with the arrival of outside players.
These two matters actually had little connection. Even if they were related, the significance was unclear to either Xiaohe City players or outside players. In other words, this supposed causal relationship neither necessarily prompted Xiaohe City players to use outside players as cannon fodder, nor was it a prerequisite for outside players to be hostile toward Xiaohe City players—the mere fact that players were disappearing was enough to put both sides at odds.
Forcing a causal relationship where none existed could only be explained by an attempt to cover up certain facts.
Why was Xiaohe City different from other places in the high-risk instance?
Why did the disappearance incidents occur at regular intervals?
If leaving Xiaohe City meant being unaffected by the chaotic space, didn't that prove they could start over and build a new base elsewhere?
Sooner or later, someone would investigate these questions, and once they did, the cause would be traced back to insiders.
The players in Xiaohe City weren't static. Newly settled players would inevitably go through this mental process. The first ones they would suspect were naturally the original Xiaohe City players, just as Xu Huo and Uncle Guan and the others had suspected on their first night that the disappearance incidents were the work of Xiaohe City players.
And if the space chaos incident was disconnected from the high-risk instance itself, then the separate timekeeping rules within Xiaohe City would also arouse suspicion. Although the black rain causing hunger could easily be confused with hunger caused by time issues within Xiaohe City, the fact that hair and nails grew too fast was absolutely impossible to conceal. Coupled with new players disappearing after being stranded for about twenty days, it was hard not to be suspicious.
Similarly, if the disappearance of newly stranded players and Zheng Da's fabrication of remains to create the illusion of chaotic space recurring led to the inference that time was problematic, then the claim that "space chaos exists within the instance itself" would also be called into question.
Of course, because the hunger issue was easy to confuse, combined with Mr. Kang and Jiang Wenzhang's concealment and interference regarding time, "Xiaohe City's time is problematic" was even harder to isolate as a separate issue.
Going back to the point, the disappearance incidents represented an unknown risk to Xiaohe City players. Even if they knew certain avoidance conditions, some players in Xiaohe City still disappeared. Compared to a known risk, choosing an unknown risk seemed illogical to Xu Huo.
Of course, people like Jiang Wenzhang made their own trade-offs, but Mr. Kang didn't seem like that kind of person.
Zheng Da frowned and pondered for a moment. "I still don't understand. If there's no connection, then there's no connection. What's the point of dragging outside players into it?"
Xu Huo looked at Jiang Wenzhang.
Jiang Wenzhang shot Zheng Da a hateful glare. "Are you an idiot? If someone deliberately makes us think this is a rule of the high-risk instance, would you bother to investigate the instance rules?"
Taking a breath, he lowered his head slightly and continued, "This matter couldn't withstand scrutiny anyway. Back then, I also discovered that Xiaohe City's time was different from outside before I voluntarily cooperated with Mr. Kang. I also wondered why he refused to give up a place where both time and space were chaotic. I had all kinds of guesses, but it never occurred to me that he might be the one controlling it."
"I can't figure it out. Xiaohe City's time is faster than outside. Even if players have longer lifespans, their remaining lifespan inside the city is reduced to a quarter. And he never leaves Xiaohe City. What reason could compel him to stay?"
"Isn't it to build a nation?" Zheng Da chimed in. "Once the nation is built, we'll be the supreme rulers. Having a few thousand people to play with isn't bad either."
Jiang Wenzhang took a deep breath, ignored him, and turned his gaze to Xu Huo.
"People make choices either actively or passively. Maybe he's forced into it?" Xu Huo said calmly.
"If he really has the ability to control an entire city, what's this about being forced?" Jiang Wenzhang didn't believe it.
"Really?" Xu Huo asked meaningfully. "Has he really controlled an entire city?"
Jiang Wenzhang paused. A few seconds later, a look of realization dawned on his face, and he murmured, "So that's it... so that's it..."
"What the hell is going on?" Zheng Da couldn't help pressing.
Jiang Wenzhang ignored him. Zheng Da struggled in his direction, about to say something else when his eyes suddenly widened, and then his head drooped.
Xu Huo had killed him.
At the same time, he stood up and said with a smile to Jiang Wenzhang, "Let's end our discussion about Mr. Kang here."
Jiang Wenzhang forced a smile. "The topic we just discussed wasn't that closely related to Mr. Kang's personal information. If you spare my life, I'll definitely tell you everything about his commonly used items and the information on Gong Jiaji and the others!"
Xu Huo didn't believe him.
"It's absolutely true! I really can tell you everything!" Jiang Wenzhang said quickly. "Otherwise, how are you going to deal with several B-rank players? Since you're all hiding in this high-risk instance, do you think they'll turn around and help you once they learn the truth?"
"That's not necessarily true," Xu Huo said unhurriedly. "I can see that quite a few players in Xiaohe City are convinced by him. Obeying someone might be forced, but being convinced requires some real skill."
"Are you enough on your own?" Jiang Wenzhang said rapidly. "At the very least, you need a few helpers. Your companion is still trapped in my trait. Without me removing that auxiliary item, it'll be hard for them to wake up..."
Xu Huo looked at him with a half-smile. "There's no need to repeat such petty tricks. Besides, Mr. Kang had already taken control of Xiaohe City before you arrived, which means he should also have items or traits that can interfere with a player's mental state. Oh, he's a cannibal player, so items are more likely."
"If you want to live, show me something real."