Chapter 1833: Whoever Moves First Is a Dog
"Wait, can xenomorphs evolve the ability to play dead?" Juan Er turned back. "Don't think we're all clueless here!"
Ye Xiaoshan looked bewildered. "This is my first time encountering this too. I've never seen dried-up xenomorphs before. If it's not evolution, then are they moving after death?"
Juan Er was momentarily speechless. Obviously, the xenomorph evolution theory held more weight. Corpses could move, but that absolutely wasn't the corpse itself acting—it would require external force. However, these xenomorphs moved flexibly, could run and screech, clearly alive.
"Playing dead shouldn't be the case," Deng Xiahei said. "They probably entered a dormant state due to lack of food, and their hunting instincts woke them up again. But it looks like even if we ignore them, they won't last much longer."
These xenomorphs were so thin they were practically skin and bones. They didn't have enough energy to keep attacking the defense barrier.
"This is too bizarre," Gao Dawei couldn't help taking two steps toward the barrier's edge, staring at the xenomorphs violently crashing outside. "I never knew things like this were still alive..."
Before he finished speaking, he was suddenly knocked aside by a force. Before he could figure out what happened, he saw a blue light arc rise from where he had just been standing. This light arc passed right through the middle of the defense barrier, slicing it cleanly in two.
The screeching xenomorphs surged in immediately. Gao Dawei was so startled he quickly pulled out an attack item, but his position was too close to the barrier's edge. Three xenomorphs charged straight at him. After barely blocking them with a defense item, he instinctively reached for a bomb. Before he could act, a hand pressed down on his shoulder.
Xu Huo stood behind him. "Do you want to call every xenomorph in the city over for a feast?"
With that, he swung his black blade and cleanly killed the few xenomorphs in front of him.
The xenomorphs were incredibly fast. Even though players weren't slow, facing multiple opponents wouldn't be this effortless. Defense items weren't that flexible—while protecting the player, they also imposed certain limits on the player's attack items. So maintaining point defense and directly engaging the xenomorphs in close combat was more convenient.
Gao Dawei could see it clearly. Xu Huo's defense item was as flexible as an intelligent machine. Before he killed the first xenomorph, the second couldn't get close. Even when the xenomorphs changed positions in various ways, as long as he didn't let up, they were all blocked outside the barrier.
So he moved with remarkable ease.
Gao Dawei hid behind him, following the damage to the main barrier to look up at the building across the street. Suddenly he shouted, "Someone's up there!"
It wasn't just one person. Xu Huo and the others happened to be walking down the street, and people were on the buildings on both sides. When Gao Dawei called it out, the player directly in front of him turned and ran. At the same time, Brother Wu and Juan Er had already rushed to the other side to intercept another person.
Sounds of fighting came from inside the building. On the ground, the xenomorphs were all killed. The slick-haired guy said "Go help" to Xu Huo and chased after Brother Wu and the other two with another companion.
After the four of them went up, Ye Xiaoshan said, "This might be a diversion. We'd better not split up."
"Follow them." Xu Huo casually grabbed Gao Dawei.
But just as they reached the upper floor, the four—Brother Wu and the others—who had been locked in combat with the enemy were suddenly covered by a green light released by the player ambushing them. Accompanied by a spatial fluctuation, the five of them vanished from sight!
"What's going on! They're kidnapping people?" Deng Xiahei took two steps closer to Xu Huo, warning at the same time, "Their item level isn't low. It didn't interfere with my spatial item."
Normally, spatial items, due to their coverage range and activation time, don't constantly interfere with each other just by being worn. Deng Xiahei said this because his spatial item was currently in use and covering this building.
"They're not here anymore." Ye Xiaoshan and the other three cautiously spread out to check before quickly regrouping.
"If I'm not mistaken, those are also outer zone players. Are they trying to interfere with your instance clearance?" Gao Dawei interjected.
But teleporting four B-rank players away at once showed that the opponent's strength wasn't low either.
Just then, soothing music suddenly played throughout the city:
"Cradle rocks, gently sways, little baby needs to sleep."
"Close your eyes, plug your ears, sleep soundly till the dawn breaks."
The sound came from very far away, but after hearing those two lines, Xu Huo felt his vision go black. At the same time, his ears seemed blocked by a layer of something. Accompanied by a buzzing vibration, his hearing was greatly reduced.
With weakened hearing and inability to see, even B-rank players with greatly enhanced perception would be hampered. Perception could never match the accuracy of eyes and ears. Especially since some items and traits had usage ranges far exceeding perception range. In this situation, they were passively taking hits.
"I'll dig up your ancestors' coffin boards! If we're going blind, let's all go blind together!" Deng Xiahei roared, pulling out a lens-like item and placing it in the sunlight. The sunlight passing through the lens reflected into dazzling patches of light spots, drifting around with Deng Xiahei's movements.
This nearly blinded two players who had just approached. But these were just light spots—wearing the right item could avoid them.
From several hundred meters away, one of them adjusted his glasses, pulled out a gun item, and aimed at Xu Huo and the others.
"Bang!" The item bullet hit Deng Xiahei's defense barrier, making a sound that was barely noticeable to him. But Deng Xiahei, based on the bullet's direction, threw out an item. "One, two, three, wooden man! Whoever moves first is a dog!"
Needless to say, the opponent had definitely moved. The item he threw out made "woof woof" barking sounds from a great distance, helping him pinpoint the enemy's location.
Deng Xiahei immediately chased after them.
He only locked onto one person. After that person lured away the sole B-rank player, his companion changed position and arrived at the building across the way. Crossing his hands, he made a cutting motion forward. In an instant, the entire building split and collapsed from the middle, as if shredded by countless scissors.
Of course, it wasn't just the building being cut—it was also the people inside. But the next second, this player's expression paused. "Interesting."
Xu Huo, who had teleported Gao Dawei, Ye Xiaoshan, and the others out of the building, appeared behind the ambushing player almost simultaneously. However, he was stopped fifty meters away. It wasn't a spatial barrier ahead—he simply couldn't go any further.
Perhaps it was some peculiar trait or item. Since he couldn't get close, long-range attack items would likely be blocked too. Xu Huo swung his blade forward, sensing the opponent turn and block the attack. He raised his hand and lightly hooked, opening several spiritual gates in succession, teleporting the person straight down into the ruins, along with a tangent combo as a bonus.