Chapter 203: The Rules of the Game
Xu Huo stepped forward to finish off the mermaid, then looked at the other iron boxes that had been broken open one after another, saying to Dai Wenqian and the others, "Get to work."
"Get to work on what?" Zheng Liang subconsciously responded.
Xu Huo thrust his sword into the mouth of an alien creature that suddenly stuck its head out from a nearby box, waiting until it stopped struggling inside before pulling the blade out.
A mixture of blood and fluid seeped from the opening in the iron box. He then dragged the mermaid's corpse over and stuffed it inside, plugging the hole.
"From above," Dai Wenqian said. A metal long spear suddenly appeared in his hand. He leaped onto another iron box, pierced it through in one strike, and after a few seconds, the alien creature thrashing violently inside went still.
He nodded to one of his companions, and the sword-wielding player lightly jumped onto another iron box.
After dealing with the most violently reacting iron boxes, the echoing thumping sounds gradually subsided.
The crowd watched Xu Huo and Dai Wenqian return from different directions, instinctively stepping back.
"Let's first go over the information we've gathered so far." Dai Wenqian gestured for Xu Huo to speak.
Xu Huo found a spot to sit down, laying his sword horizontally across his lap, and said, "When we came down from the tenth floor, one hundred and thirty people were split into twelve elevators."
"Eight of them had thirteen people, one had nine, one had seven, plus the elevator I was in with six, and Gu Yu's group of four."
"Three elevators were attacked: one with thirteen, one with nine, and the one I was in."
"The rest of the fully loaded elevators and the two with fewer people were not attacked."
"Elevators matching the number of floors won't be attacked. The extra elevators are randomly attacked regardless of the number of people inside."
"Our earlier deduction is correct: the number of descending elevators can only be equal to or less than the number of floors."
"Are you satisfied now?" Tie Ge shot a displeased look at Dai Wenqian. "We almost died just now."
Dai Wenqian gestured with his chin toward Xu Huo. "There's someone here who survived an attack. Have a little faith in yourself—maybe you could have lived too."
"Right, how did you guys manage to be fine?" Gu Yu quickly asked. "Was there something special about it?"
"Everything else was the same, except for the mutated plants I brought down from the thirteenth floor," Xu Huo said.
Openly and covertly, many eyes focused on the cart.
"Are you saying the mutated things are also afraid of these potted plants?" Zheng Liang looked in surprise at the items on the cart. Aside from the plant that could corrode skin and kill instantly, the others taken from the glass room didn't seem as aggressive.
"It could also be the scent," Wei Bin said, rubbing his nose. "Some plants can emit odors that repel snakes, insects, and rodents. Humans can't smell it, but animals find it very off-putting."
"It doesn't seem like mutated animals," Jiang Yihua frowned at that moment. "I think they're mutated plants."
Xu Huo turned to look at her.
Jiang Yihua explained, "My trait is sensitive to plants. Even though I haven't seen the real thing, my intuition tells me so."
"Then let's assume it's a plant for now," Xu Huo said.
"It's probably the mutated plants masking your scent," Gu Yu analyzed. "That's why you avoided an attack."
"Then we should hurry back to the thirteenth floor and grab some potted plants!" Zhang Biao slapped his thigh. "If everyone carries two pots, we'll be safe!"
"That's just one possibility," Wei Bin said. "The risk is also high."
"First, going back to the thirteenth floor means being attacked by mutated animals."
"Even if there are no mutated animals, there are so many plants in the glass room—which ones do we take, and how many pots are enough to be safe?"
"What else? The more, the better," Zhang Biao said. "No matter what kind of plant, grabbing more can't be wrong."
"That's not the safest method," Dai Wenqian said, taking off his glasses to wipe them. "If the enemy can't find a target, everyone becomes a target again."
"Since the number of elevators can't exceed the number of floors, and having fewer people than the capacity is safe, then we have to pick a target in advance."
He slowly put his glasses back on and said to Xu Huo, "Last round, you were the random pick, and you came out alive. A bet's a bet. The next floor is yours to arrange."
"But you've probably already thought of something."
Xu Huo's method was the same as his. "Create a target."
"From the fifteenth to the fourteenth floor, the elevator that was attacked was the overloaded one. Besides the rule of reducing the number of elevators floor by floor, overloading might also be a factor."
"So you want to deliberately overload one elevator?" Jiang Yihua said. "But if that's the case, wouldn't that overloaded elevator be extremely dangerous?"
"Dangerous? It's practically delivering meat on a platter!" Zheng Liang said. "Who would agree to get into that elevator with you?"
No one present was willing.
Dai Wenqian scanned the people around him and said with a smile, "Actually, there's an even simpler method."
"Leave thirteen people on each floor, or kill thirteen people. The rest can safely reach the first floor. Once you're on the first floor, the instance time will be almost over."
These words filled the onlookers with fear. If that were the case, all the ordinary people who came in would die!
"That's completely inhumane!" Jiang Yihua said angrily.
Dai Wenqian replied, "This is how the game is played."
The rules were laid out plainly: either someone goes out as cannon fodder to buy a chance at survival, or you abandon your companions, or you fight over the elevators.
Your life, or someone else's life.
"I've been saying we should do this all along!" Tie Ge immediately agreed, then said to Xu Huo, "You, Gu Yu, and Zheng Liang are old acquaintances. Why get mixed up with players you've only just met?"
Another player had just died, leaving a total of seventeen players. If Xu Huo sided with Gu Yu and Dai Wenqian's group, the situation would change again.
Jiang Yihua's group of four was on high alert. Kang Hong immediately said, "I can get into the overloaded elevator."
"You might be willing, but others might not be," Tie Ge said, glancing at the people shrinking back. "You don't think this round is going to sacrifice all of us players, do you?"
"Whatever bet you made has nothing to do with me. I'm not getting in."
Zhang Biao, the bald player, and the square-faced player, who were on his side, immediately nodded, indicating they would absolutely not go along.
Dai Wenqian smiled at Xu Huo and said helplessly, "Don't blame me for this."
Xu Huo's expression didn't change. He nodded and said, "Then you and your friends can go in."
Dai Wenqian's smile vanished.
"I'll go too," Gu Yu said.
But Xu Huo waved his hand and pointed out Dai Wenqian's two people, plus Jiang Yihua, Zheng Liang, and Wei Bin.
Those who were pointed at hesitated only slightly but didn't object.
"I'll go too," Da Zhi said.
Jiang Yihua, however, pressed his arm and shook her head.
Thus, Xu Huo's side of five people contributed two, including himself, and Dai Wenqian's side of twelve people contributed four.