Chapter 1556: Few and Many
Bai Kou quickly gave a positive reply, and even lent him two larger-capacity container items on the side.
The items weren't the problem; rather, loading people into the items was actually a very time-consuming process.
The most convenient and quickest way to move a large number of people into a certain space at the same time was through instance and location items. Xu Huo did have random instances, but once an instance was deployed, it couldn't be moved, and closing it was also very troublesome, so it wasn't the first choice.
Although location items could also hold quite a few people at once, once deployed, they became a fixed location and couldn't carry people away.
Container items satisfied both conditions of accommodating a large number of people and flexible movement, making them the best choice. The only troublesome part was that the item holder had to be in close contact with every person being loaded into the item.
"Isn't there a more convenient container item?" Xu Huo sent a message.
"I don't have one," Bai Kou replied succinctly. "There's no way I'm lending you a space starship."
Xu Huo knew that was impossible, so he asked another question: "Do space items have any effect on people?"
Although people could survive for a period of time inside a space item, once they reached the limit, they would die forever inside the item. If they left the item before the time limit expired, they could survive, but it was hard to say whether there would be any effects on the human body.
"The survival time inside a container item is directly proportional to the side effects," Bai Kou quickly sent another message. "But for people who are about to die, there's no need to worry about it."
Xu Huo didn't ask any more questions. He began to swiftly shuttle through the small city, collecting everyone he could into the items. To save time, he contacted the Special Defense Department players still in Zone 017 through the game channel, asking the players closest to him to help move people outdoors.
Coincidentally, a Special Defense Department team leader was near the small city. He rushed over as soon as he received the message. At first, he couldn't believe it, but when he actually saw Xu Huo loading people into the items, he incredulously moved closer. "How many people can you save like this?"
This was just a small city next to the Capital Safe Zone. A small city had at least tens of thousands of people. Considering the losses from moving around, even if he worked twenty-four hours without rest, how many people could he take away?
With the help of "Cube Space" and the spiritual realm, Xu Huo moved very quickly, and ordinary buildings couldn't hinder him. However, this state absolutely couldn't be sustained for too long.
"If you know that, then go help. Prioritize bringing out the children." Xu Huo slowed down slightly but didn't stop.
The team leader chased after him. "But where are you going to put all these people? Take them back to Zone 014?"
That was the Special Defense Department's biggest concern. Zone 017 had xenomorph intrusions, and some people were gradually becoming xenomorphized through various means of infection. Among the people Xu Huo was collecting into the items, who knew which were safe and which were infected? Putting them anywhere would be a problem, especially in Zone 014, which had only recently evolved!
"I've already found a place to settle them," Xu Huo glanced at him. "Either stay and help, or go further away."
"It's not that I lack compassion," the team leader gathered his courage and said, "Zone 014's situation isn't optimistic either, especially with what happened recently..."
"I'll go back and check on things after I'm done with Zone 017," Xu Huo said. "If the Special Defense Department needs my help."
Seeing that he showed no emotion, the team leader couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. "Mr. Xu, you are a man of great righteousness. Many players in our Special Defense Department have benefited from your kindness... Rest assured, I will definitely help!"
That was what he said, but there weren't many Special Defense Department players nearby. Even if dozens or hundreds came, it would still be insignificant compared to cities with populations of hundreds of thousands or millions.
After about ten minutes, Xu Huo filled the first container item. After transferring the item and the people together to Bai Kou through the Under Dimension, he took out the second item.
He repeated the same action tens of thousands of times. Before long, the team leader, who had been searching for children in the residential buildings, hurried over to him, suppressing his excitement. "Good news!"
As he spoke, he played a video sent by a companion on his communicator for Xu Huo to see. "Yue City isn't far from the Capital Safe Zone. Our people, while observing the super players, accidentally discovered that when the Capital Safe Zone exploded, a fluctuation appeared over Yue City."
The person filming had initially been filming the explosion scene in the Capital Safe Zone. Only after being reminded by someone nearby did they turn the camera, just in time to capture a flash of scale-like refracted light streaking across the sky over Yue City. It looked like it was attached to the surface of a huge spherical object.
"What's in Yue City?" Xu Huo immediately asked.
"A starship!" the team leader said quickly. "It should be a super starship capable of directly crossing space. It formed a defensive barrier around the entire city and simulated the surrounding environment. From outside the city, you really couldn't tell at all. If it hadn't been caught in the crossfire of the super players' battle, it wouldn't have attracted any attention at all."
"Our people initially thought some high-level player had taken control of the entire city, but they didn't expect to be able to get in from underground. That starship was actually hovering above the city, and the whole city's population was lining up to get on board!"
If that starship had already appeared before the Capital Safe Zone exploded, there must already be a lot of people inside by now. Wouldn't loading people from there be more convenient than running all over the city?
That's why the Special Defense Department had rushed to send this information over.
"The whole city's population is lining up to get on board? Someone is in charge of the evacuation?" Xu Huo frowned. "Who is it?"
"No one knows who it is," the team leader said. "But I doubt they're doing it out of the goodness of their hearts."
Who would specially drive a starship over to save ordinary people in Zone 017? Were there really such good people in the game?
The usual assumption would be population plundering.
After a moment's hesitation, Xu Huo gave up on this small city and prepared to head to Yue City.
"Take us with you!" A little girl, holding her younger sister, stumbled and fell from the balcony. Xu Huo caught them from a distance. As he brought them over, more cries for help sounded from all around.
People had been around all along, all ordinary people. Xu Huo hadn't used any silencing items either. Whether they sensed he meant no harm or heard that there was a starship picking people up in Yue City, these ordinary people who had been waiting to die finally had a sliver of hope to grasp.
"Please, save us..."
"Even if you just save the children..."
"I'll kowtow to you!"
...
Some even imitated the two little girls and jumped down.
Xu Huo remained unmoved, coldly watching those two people fall to their deaths.
The sound of bones shattering momentarily drowned out the cries for help all around. The night was suffocating for a moment.
"There's not much time left here..." the team leader said in a low voice. "The xenomorph swarm will probably enter the city in about ten more minutes."
Xu Huo placed the two sisters into the container item. "I'll head over in ten minutes. Is there a B-level player in Yue City? If the starship is about to leave, have them stall it."
(Chapter End)