Chapter 1818: A Name Carries Weight
Buzz Cut's expression stiffened. "Don't you want to know where that person is..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Tian Min beside him was lifted by the neck.
"You..." Buzz Cut was startled, then looked at Xu Huo in shock.
"Regardless of the reason, I did you a big favor," Xu Huo said lightly. "I don't expect gratitude, but at least basic reciprocity should be clear. Opening your mouth to coerce me into helping you—that's a bit disheartening."
"How about we switch things up? I'll trade the safety of you and your companion for the location of the man with the black snake tattoo."
Buzz Cut knew he was in the wrong, but he wasn't willing to give up the information so easily. As he hesitated, Xu Huo added, "Or I could just turn around and go find the players in the small town."
Buzz Cut's eyes darkened, and he finally said, "No need. I'll tell you."
"He's in the safe zone ahead, isn't he?" Xu Huo suddenly said.
Buzz Cut couldn't hide his surprise and blurted out, "How did you know?!"
Xu Huo gave him a faint, knowing smile. He hadn't known before, but now he did.
"Judging by your expression, you probably don't know his current situation either," Xu Huo pressed.
Buzz Cut realized there was no point in hiding it, so he laid it all out. "He really is in the safe zone ahead. Uncle Fu told me. That man's name is Chang Shoujie. No safe zone in Zone 010 was willing to take him in. He had nowhere to go, so he ended up settling where the cannibal players gather."
"But I don't know what disguise he's wearing now, or if he's left in the meantime."
Xu Huo had already set Tian Min down and signaled her to contact the small town.
She did as instructed. "They'll be here in a bit, but they can't get too close."
That was a minor issue. Xu Huo made a trip to deliver them, then entered the city ahead.
As Gao Dawei had mentioned earlier, this city was a decoy. Although people lived there, it was essentially an outpost. After the earlier conflict, the players originally stationed there had already fled. The difference was that they didn't have long-distance teleportation items and could only take temporary refuge in the station.
By now, the B-rank player Brother Lou had been running for a while. Presumably, the other two B-rank players in the safe zone had also received the news. They hadn't gone to the small town, nor had they come here—they were most likely waiting for him in the safe zone.
Xu Huo pulled a few people out of the city to get a rough idea of the players' abilities in the safe zone. Then he released Gao Dawei from the "Staff Dormitory" to cross-check.
"There's no need for all this trouble! I'll tell you everything you want to know without holding back!" Gao Dawei had no qualms about betraying his companions. He spilled everything about the core members in the safe zone.
These players didn't have traits, but to stand out, they definitely had a few decent items. Gao Dawei, fearing Xu Huo might fall into a trap, recounted every item effect he knew in detail, including those of the three B-rank players.
He had already seen Brother Lou. Gao Dawei said, "He has an item that can turn the ground into sand, and another that lets him move through sand. But both items share a common weakness—they can't touch water. As long as the ground is even slightly damp, the items become useless."
Brother Lou had just recently advanced to B-rank.
The original B-rank player in the safe zone was called Ao Quan. He was the one calling the shots. He had an item that could create a tornado, with a record of directly killing two C-rank players by rolling them up inside it. Besides that, his combat ability was also very strong—he could take on three C-rank players in hand-to-hand combat alone.
The newcomer went by the code name "Deng Xiahei." Everyone in the safe zone called him Brother Hei. Ao Quan had brought him in, and he hadn't made a move yet, so no one knew what his abilities were. But he had a terrible temper. In just two or three days, he had killed several people who brought him food. Ao Quan didn't object, so no one else dared to either.
Xu Huo then asked if he had ever heard the name "Chang Shoujie."
Gao Dawei looked completely clueless.
"Forget it. We'll talk later." Xu Huo was about to put him back into the item when Gao Dawei quickly said, "Brother, when we get back to the safe zone, can I go find my uncle first? I want to take him out of the city and only come back when it's safe."
"I swear I won't betray you!"
He even raised his hand to swear.
Xu Huo said it was fine.
Three minutes later, based on Gao Dawei's directions, he directly entered the commercial building where the safe zone players usually lived and operated.
The fact that the safe zone could hold its own against the small town meant it didn't have too many standout players. But for an environment like Zone 010, two or three B-rank players, a few C-rank players, and a bunch of E-rank players were enough to control a city.
When he arrived, Ao Quan had already sent out all the E-rank players to monitor the city's movements, so no one could sneak in without them knowing. The remaining D and C-rank players had been killed by Xu Huo in two batches. Now only a handful were left, and the main force was still the three B-rank players.
Brother Lou had already explained the situation. From their brief encounter, Xu Huo wasn't just a powerhouse with over-level items—he was also a Super Evolver. And judging by how he could make lower-level players "turn on each other," he was most likely a Mental Evolver.
Zone 010 didn't have many Super Evolvers, but that didn't mean Ao Quan and the others had never seen one. Super Evolvers were talented, and their Super Evolution powers were very strong. But that strength was tied to the player's own evolution level. Super Evolution had to be taken step by step. If someone was only a C-rank player, no matter how talented, they couldn't make their evolution power strong enough to bridge the gap in items.
In other words, based on Xu Huo's strength, stronger items—like B-rank or A-rank items—should be enough to counter Super Evolution powers.
Since Brother Lou had managed to escape unscathed—setting aside the fact that he had fallen into Xu Huo's trap—the three B-rank players should have no problem.
"Since you've come to my place, I haven't properly welcomed you yet. Later, after we kill that arrogant brat, you can pick two good items first," Ao Quan said to "Deng Xiahei."
"Deng Xiahei" was a middle-aged man with a hostile expression. He seemed very uncomfortable with Zone 010's environment. Just sitting there made him sweat profusely. Hearing this, he stopped wrapping bandages around his hands and warned, "Don't be careless. If he dares to come alone, he must have something to rely on..."
Before he could finish, his expression changed drastically. He stood up and looked in Brother Lou's direction.
The person they had just been talking about had already entered the room. Without wasting words, Xu Huo swung his black blade through the air, aiming straight for Brother Lou's head. At the same time, the entire room was pulled into a pure white space. The three men, who had been right next to each other, were suddenly separated as the ground beneath them shot backward.
But that wasn't what shocked "Deng Xiahei" the most. Seeing the black blade in Xu Huo's hand, he blurted out, "Passerby A!"
(Chapter End)