Chapter 1827: A Helping Hand
Not only the Sand Sea Safe Zone players, but even those from the Polar Safe Zone were rooted to the spot because of this trait. However, the Polar Safe Zone side was prepared. They had reserved a few players on the periphery, and while everyone was frozen stiff, they charged in to slash at the Sand Sea Safe Zone players.
In an instant, six or seven players were killed without any defense. Only two managed to escape through teleportation items after the sudden attack. Of course, although the trait couldn't be defended against, that didn't mean the Sand Sea players had to stand still and be killed. After losing a few companions, they quickly reacted. Even if their bodies couldn't move yet, defending and escaping weren't difficult.
The "Line Up" trait didn't last long either; it failed after about five seconds. The Sand Sea Safe Zone players instantly broke free. To avoid being controlled again, they automatically split the battlefield, dividing the Polar Safe Zone players into six or seven groups. Both sides mixed together in a scattered melee, which not only avoided long-range thermal weapon attacks but also minimized the threat of traits as much as possible.
However, the Polar Safe Zone side had a numerical advantage. Since this location was closer to their safe zone, players from the city could continuously come to reinforce.
Xu Huo, like the other players who had followed, kept a certain distance from the battlefield, having no intention of participating.
From a third-party perspective, the two sides involved in the battle were in a state of irreconcilable conflict. Even after the transported xenomorph died, neither side showed any intention of retreating, as if they were determined to kill the opponent at any cost.
This differed from the impression of Zone 010's safe zone given in Chang Shoujie's account. In Chang Shoujie's story, Zone 010 players, after repeatedly being attacked by outer zone players from Sand Sea, tended to prioritize self-preservation and accumulating strength. But the current situation didn't seem to be the case. The Polar Safe Zone must have dispatched players as soon as they learned the Sand Sea players were passing nearby. Whatever the Sand Sea players intended to do, they would simply disrupt it, and not a single one showed fear of battle.
From this perspective, Zone 010's safe zone wasn't afraid of the outer zone players from Sand Sea and had the strength to fight.
His train of thought paused here. Xu Huo tilted his head, glancing at the player who had flashed to his side. His gaze darkened, and he activated "All Things Want to Cut Everything" within his spiritual realm. The outer zone player who thought he could sneak attack from close range directly crashed into the tangent net. If not for his defense item blocking it and his quick reaction to immediately retreat, he would have died on the spot.
Then he saw Xu Huo turn his head and stare at him. The look in his eyes, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, seemed to warn him that there would be no next time.
This player had also come from the Polar Safe Zone and had been in the small tavern just now. Seeing Xu Huo alone, he thought he could take advantage, but he didn't expect to run into such a tough nut. A real man knows when to bend and when to stand; he retreated without a second word, not attempting to gnaw on this hard bone.
Xu Huo's gaze returned to the battlefield ahead.
The safe zone players were fighting farther and farther apart, becoming more dispersed. The few vehicles that had been smashed were left unattended. He changed his position, moving closer, and found a small black box among the scattered debris. Opening it, he saw it contained several vials of medicine.
A pale red liquid flowed within the syringe needles. The name noted on the side made Xu Huo raise an eyebrow.
This was a hormonal agent, used to induce estrus in animals, generally applied to mutated animals for observation and breeding purposes.
The Sand Sea Safe Zone was trying to get the xenomorphs to reproduce?
They couldn't possibly be bored enough to come here just to cultivate new xenomorphs. There could only be one reason for doing this. Just as he was looking at the medicine, a Sand Sea player moved behind him and, from several dozen meters away, swept his hand horizontally. A nearly invisible arc of light cut through the yellow sand, heading straight for Xu Huo.
The "Inviolable Domain" barrier blocked this attack, and Xu Huo teleported behind the opponent, stabbing his back with a single thrust—a cannibal player, nothing more to say.
Killing one person brought a second. Pulling out the black blade, he flicked his wrist and attached the ring to the hilt, then swept it towards two players charging from different directions.
The black thin light, extended a hundred meters, wasn't as powerful as the black blade itself but still had strong lethal effects. However, because it was just a thin light, its coverage wasn't very wide, making it easy to dodge. Of course, they were then teleported together by the "Spiritual Gate" and surrounded by the flying paper released by the "Snow Dagger."
The effect of the "Snow Dagger" might not necessarily kill, but it was enough to obstruct vision. Coupled with the wind and sand kicked up by the nearby players' fighting, Xu Huo's spiritual power materialization easily approached these two, bisecting them at an extremely fast speed, and then conveniently dealt with two other Sand Sea players who were close by.
The Polar Safe Zone players who had been struggling in battle suddenly saw their opponents cut in half. They instinctively scanned the surroundings, and upon discovering Xu Huo, nodded to him from afar.
Xu Huo returned the nod and smoothly joined the battle. He didn't need to fight hard; just interfering with the Sand Sea players at critical moments was enough to affect the entire engagement.
Both sides suffered losses. After a prolonged stalemate, the Sand Sea players finally decided to retreat. Xu Huo didn't interfere with their use of teleportation items to leave. Only after the last person had gone did he wipe the blood off the black blade and put it back into his item slot.
The Polar Safe Zone side began cleaning up the battlefield, also collecting the items left behind by the exploded vehicles. A man with a knife scar on his forehead walked over to Xu Huo. "I'm Fei Xian. What should I call you, brother?"
"Xu Zhi." Xu Huo nodded to him.
"Thanks for your help. Those cannibal players—every one that dies means fewer victims." Fei Xian looked at him. "We'll head back to the safe zone as soon as we finish cleaning up. Brother Xu, come with us. Let us show you some hospitality!"
"You're too kind," Xu Huo said. "I still have two companions on the way."
"What's the problem with that? Come together. We may be poor, but we can still afford a meal and some drinks!" Fei Xian, while directing the other players, guided Xu Huo towards the vehicles. He wasn't the only one who had helped; two other outer zone players also got into the car together.
After cleaning up and starting the return trip, the Polar Safe Zone players lost the solemnity they had shown while clearing the battlefield. Having dealt a heavy blow to the Sand Sea Safe Zone players, they were all in high spirits. They were probably already used to the deaths of their companions. They even drank with the corpses, occasionally speaking a few words to them, making the scene look a bit strange.
"Don't mind them," Fei Xian said to Xu Huo and the others. "Too many of our people have died over the years. We can't cry for everyone. Everyone has come to terms with it. We just keep them in our hearts."
They could certainly find joy in hardship. Xu Huo and the other outsiders at least had to ensure respect. Fortunately, the return trip wasn't long. When they entered the safe zone, some players got off first, carrying the remains of their companions at the very front of the convoy.
Some people were dead, but not completely dead...