Chapter 1885: The Feeling of "Fate"
Xu Huo was not the only one inside the highest building. To create the illusion of an A-Class player's overwhelming strength, Brother Wu and Xiao Hui were helping from the side, striving to kill the intruders as quickly as possible. When the flag was severed, Xiao Hui happened to see Pink Hair standing on a distant building, staring right at him as he deliberately cut the flag.
"That guy did it on purpose," Xiao Hui muttered, lowering his binoculars uncertainly. Seeing that the other party was still staring in their direction, he grumbled, "I thought he had given up when he quieted down earlier. Turns out he was waiting for this."
Xu Huo also looked out. His spiritual world allowed him to see far beyond normal vision, so he didn't need binoculars to read the expression on Pink Hair's face.
After their conversation during the rain, Pink Hair had stopped slaughtering people in Zone 010. Xu Huo had assumed he had shifted his hatred elsewhere, but it seemed after all this brooding, he still wasn't willing to let Zone 010 off easily.
"That kid is getting in the way," the slicked-back-haired man said as he walked over, discussing with Brother Wu whether they should drive him away. Otherwise, if he kept pulling stunts like this every now and then, they might never clear the instance.
"He doesn't plan to leave Zone 010 alive," Brother Wu said with a frown. "Besides, he's no pushover. Don't provoke a lunatic like that. As long as he doesn't come near the building, we can just re-plant the flag when it's cut."
Outside, Juan Er had already re-planted Zone 010's flag.
Although the Sand Sea players wanted to swap the flag back, they couldn't get close to the building. In the end, they had to settle for planting flags on nearby buildings. But that didn't change the tide. One by one, Sand Sea players began putting away their props and withdrawing from the battlefield.
The small group still putting up a stubborn fight inevitably fell into a disadvantage as more Zone 010 players gathered. However, the number of clearance players lingering near the highest building increased.
They were no longer focused on Zone 010's internal war—they were coming for Xu Huo.
After repelling another wave of players who entered the building, Xiao Hui couldn't help complaining, "Are these people crazy? Aren't they afraid of an A-Class player?"
"They probably have ulterior motives," Brother Wu said, glancing at the cloak Xu Huo was wearing. It was a prop that couldn't be easily removed by traits or other items and perfectly concealed his identity. Anyone would be tempted.
But since Xu Huo was still here purely to help them out, Brother Wu naturally didn't say much. He focused all his energy on dealing with the clearance players who kept popping up.
Seeing that time was running short, Xu Huo found some cloth and fashioned a larger Zone 010 flag, then handed it to Brother Wu. He told them to find Liao Xiaoyi and make sure she climbed to the top of the building with them to plant the flag.
Success or failure hinged on this moment. Brother Wu and the slicked-back-haired man didn't waste any time. They took the flag and went to find her.
After all, this battle for the safe zone was Zone 010's internal affair. They needed a representative from Zone 010, and Liao Xiaoyi, who had been taking care of Little Melissa, was the perfect symbol of the hero who reclaimed the Sand Sea center.
Brother Wu and the others quickly found Liao Xiaoyi. To add "drama," they ran toward the highest building carrying the flag on their shoulders. It might have looked a bit childish, but it certainly drew attention. Both Zone 010 residents and players from other zones couldn't help focusing on them.
There were a few minor obstacles along the way, but nothing major. When they finally reached the highest building, Liao Xiaoyi, flanked by Deng Xiahei and the others, planted the flag on the rooftop. Her voice echoed through the area, amplified by a prop:
"From this moment on, the Sand Sea Safe Zone is back in the arms of Zone 010!"
Whether it was her or the other Zone 010 players, everyone's eyes were red. After a few seconds of silence, cheers erupted from all directions. Players climbed onto rooftops, waving their flags high toward the building, responding to the good news.
Deng Xiahei and the others, who had already cleared the instance, stepped back and retreated into the building. They greeted Xu Huo while checking their gains from this operation. Xiao Hui had already cleared earlier, and Deng Xiahei, like him, had completed the instance before the time limit. They could leave Zone 010 without facing a high-risk instance. Juan Er and the others were also lucky—they still had time to tackle next month's instance. By the time they reached three months and had to face a high-risk random instance, the difficulty wouldn't spike too much. Of course, as B-Class players, "high-risk" for them wouldn't be easy by any means.
"Did anyone hitch a ride and clear the instance with us?" Deng Xiahei asked curiously, still riding the high of victory.
Given Zone 010's unique environment, many instance clearances were one-time-only. Now that the Sand Sea Safe Zone was back in Liao Xiaoyi's hands, the Lighthouse instance would probably never appear again. It remained to be seen if there were any other instances related to the Sand Sea Safe Zone.
There were, of course. A few players who had been stranded in the Sand Sea Safe Zone for a long time suddenly vanished from their spots the moment Liao Xiaoyi announced the reclaiming. They had likely been stuck for over three months and were teleported directly to a super-high-risk random instance.
Since only a handful of players disappeared or left immediately, it was hard to tell how many had "cleared" alongside them.
By then, Xu Huo had already put away his "Mysterious Person" outfit. He stood up and followed Deng Xiahei to meet up with Liao Xiaoyi and the others.
There were still quite a few stranded clearance players. Brother Xia had run off with his group, and decisions still needed to be made about the Sand Sea Safe Zone's future. Liao Xiaoyi and the others strongly urged them to stay—at least for a celebratory feast before leaving.
"I've been to so many districts, and I've never been welcomed like this by the locals. Of course, I'm staying for the meal," Deng Xiahei said enthusiastically.
"We're not in a hurry either," Juan Er added. "Maybe we'll even get a thank-you gift afterward."
"There's plenty of time before the next instance," Brother Wu agreed, also in favor of staying to rest.
The Sand Sea Safe Zone had plenty of stored food. Liao Xiaoyi and the others were generous this time, bringing out everything for the banquet. They even fetched Chang Shoujie and Melissa.
Returning to the Sand Sea Safe Zone, Chang Shoujie was filled with emotion. But he didn't say much. He simply held Melissa and looked down at the city, whispering to her, "Do you see this? This is your home, and it will be your responsibility in the future. You must grow up safely. Zone 010's future is in your hands."
Such heartfelt words made even Xu Huo want to praise him as a model worker.
Chang Shoujie didn't care about Xu Huo's opinion. He gently stroked Melissa's head. "Before I die, I will teach her well."
"Uncle..." Gao Dawei, who had followed the main group to the Sand Sea center, stood behind the three of them and couldn't help speaking up.
Chang Shoujie turned around with a smile and gestured for Melissa to look at Gao Dawei. "Little Melissa, remember his face. From now on, he will be the one protecting you."
Gao Dawei, who had gone from "successor" to "bodyguard," felt a bit disappointed but quickly rallied. He walked up to Little Melissa, crouched down, and took her outstretched hand. "Hello there."
Xu Huo stood to the side, watching the three of them huddled together. Suddenly, he felt as if he were witnessing "fate."
(End of Chapter)