Chapter 2226: Unceasing Interceptions
No matter who it was, offering a bounty on players through this method would certainly come at a high price. Although Mental Evolvers make up a small proportion of Super Evolvers, the game world is vast, and it's hard to say how many might pass through the B37 wormhole point. From this indiscriminate attack, it was clear the bounty issuer hadn't provided detailed personal information either, meaning anyone who killed a B-level Mental Evolver on a train nearby could claim the reward. This showed the issuer's deep pockets and their "kill by mistake rather than let off" attitude toward the targeted players.
The tattooed man had killed that one player, but there was no guarantee other passengers on the train hadn't accepted the same bounty.
"I'm really curious how big the bounty is to make someone willing to destroy the train to complete it," a female player stepped forward, nudging the corpse on the floor with her toe. "Serves him right for dying. I was in the back carriages too—if he'd succeeded, wouldn't we all be done for?"
"So some people should stop gloating and think about whether they'll drag others down. This is a train—if someone makes a move when we encounter Xenomorphs or natural disasters, there's nowhere to run."
That made sense. For now, it seemed there were only two Mental Evolvers on the train. Keeping them in one carriage would be safer for everyone.
Some players suggested sending them to the last carriage, so the others could vacate it for them to do whatever they wanted.
But Xu Huo wouldn't agree.
"No way!" The other Mental Evolver's face turned ugly. "If someone blows up the carriage, I'd be dead for sure. I'm going to the first carriage."
Going to the first carriage was a safer choice for everyone—at least there, no one would dare blow it up.
But it also increased the risk for other players to some extent. If an accident happened, the situation might become irreversible.
"Besides, can you guarantee there aren't any Mental Evolvers among those who took this mission?" someone redirected the topic back to Xu Huo and the other.
"If you're going to pick a fight, at least make some sense. It's clearly targeting all BA-level Mental Evolver players. Who would be stupid enough to go die for nothing?" The other Mental Evolver finished speaking and looked at Xu Huo. "Friend, what do you think?"
"Go to the first carriage," Xu Huo said. "To avoid someone blowing up the train again."
"Right," the tattooed man volunteered. "I agree they should go to the first carriage."
The tattooed man's companions sided with him. Some other dissatisfied players wanted to object but couldn't directly attack, so they had to agree to the proposal.
Thus, Xu Huo and another Mental Evolver named Yong An were escorted to the first carriage by the tattooed man and his group. To avoid misunderstandings, the other players in the first carriage moved back, no longer sharing the carriage with them, though they didn't close the carriage door.
"Two people taking up a whole carriage—it's really spacious," Yong An said, lying comfortably on the sofa. "Much better than squeezing in with them. Friend, have a seat too."
Xu Huo sat down across from him and asked if he was also going to watch the ranking tournament.
Yong An nodded eagerly. "It's rare to see a life-or-death battle between A-level players. Of course I'm going! If not for that, I wouldn't have passed through B37. Looks like I'll have to be careful when entering instances from now on—I'll need to watch out for B-level wormhole points. Who knows which train might pass through B37?"
No one knew for sure, but any instance entering B37 would definitely be near that wormhole point.
It wasn't until dawn that Xu Huo received a reply from Nie Xuan. He had already left B37. To avoid revealing their identities and being targeted by the Eerie Sound Knights, the Special Defense Department personnel had also left. They couldn't obtain firsthand information about Zone 008, but they did know a bit about the Eerie Sound Knights' movements.
The Eerie Sound Knights hadn't caused trouble in B37-008 like they had in Zone 011. Instead, they had suddenly vanished without a trace. The Special Defense Department had used all their channels but couldn't find any sign of them.
At that time in Zone 008, there was another person suspected to be with Dou Shengnan, but they never participated in the action. In the end, Dou Shengnan was forced to use a ticket to leave Zone 008 due to pressure from the district government. Yet she had dragged things out to that point and still refused to leave, clearly having other goals. It was unclear if someone else had completed them.
The transaction between Dou Shengnan and the Tian Clan was likely for a relatively important instrument, one that the Eerie Sound Knights absolutely needed. That was why Dou Shengnan had spared no expense to buy time.
Of course, her judgment had also been flawed. She had come to kill two B-level players but ended up having her eyes gouged out and losing a Super Item.
Dou Shengnan was probably still alive, but whether she could still directly control even high-level players like before was questionable.
She was likely still in a high-risk random instance, or she had escaped with severe injuries. The Eerie Sound Knights' silence might mean they had gone to rendezvous with her.
At the very least, the overall strength level of Zone 008 wouldn't allow them to cause a scene like they had in Zone 011 and then just walk away.
As for the bounty on Mental Evolvers, it didn't seem like the Eerie Sound Knights' style. Besides, Xu Huo didn't think they were that wealthy—otherwise, they wouldn't be robbing everywhere. The Tian Clan was more likely. Only a player family like theirs, located in a highly developed district, would have that kind of financial power.
But regardless, Xu Huo would have to go back to B37-008.
A whole day passed peacefully on the train, but just before lights-out, a few more players boarded. They were teleported to the spacious first carriage. One of them immediately locked onto the other Evolver, Yong An, and attacked without a word.
Yong An was already on guard. After blocking the attack, he unleashed his trait indiscriminately:
"Qingming Season!"
In an instant, all the players in the carriage froze in place, their faces involuntarily showing sorrow. Two people even couldn't control themselves and started crying!
Seizing the moment, Yong An jumped over the transition car and entered the second carriage, hiding among the other players and shouting, "These are also bounty hunters! They want to kill me!"
The tattooed man and his group, who were already in the transition car, immediately blocked the middle, advising the newcomers not to start a fight on the train. Lights-out was coming soon, and if they encountered Xenomorphs attacking the train, everyone would be in danger.
This group had clearly boarded the train after getting information. They not only knew the train number but had also bought the corresponding tickets. They came prepared and naturally wouldn't give up so easily. One female player stepped forward, holding a handful of black dust in her hand. She blew it backward, and the dust easily covered the tattooed man and his group, then swept through the several carriages behind that hadn't closed their doors.
Not all players had put on protective suits in advance. Even if they immediately held their breath, the dust would seep into their skin upon contact, quickly forming large burn-like scars.
"It's poisonous!"