Chapter 2229: Filthy Rich
Several A-level players were still waiting behind, so Xu Huo couldn't waste time talking to her. Ignoring her confusion and calm demeanor, he spread Tangents throughout the entire second carriage, cutting off her escape route before making his move.
The female player had no time to use an antidote. The first carriage ahead was already occupied by the tattooed man and his group, and even if she made it there, she would have nowhere to run. So she focused on the second carriage, blocking Xu Huo's attack before quickly shifting positions, trying to dismantle the Tangents and break out.
But Xu Huo wouldn't give her that chance. He pulled up over a dozen barriers to block the carriage door, then struck again as she turned her back to him.
However, the Black Blade still failed to break through her defense barrier. A white arc of light flashed on her body, and she charged headfirst into the second carriage without looking back!
A Space item—she intended to use an item to forcibly crash through the Tangents and escape.
Of course, if her Space item was sturdy enough, it wasn't impossible.
Xu Huo casually slipped his hand into his pocket, letting "Three Seconds of Life" drop out for an instant before quickly stowing it away again.
But that was enough.
The female player, who had successfully escaped the second carriage, was reduced to scattered chunks of flesh the moment she stepped out of the carriage door.
After telekinetically stripping the items from the corpse, Xu Huo retracted the Tangents and the Black Blade, changed into a new protective suit, and opened the door to the third carriage.
The door had been closed by the A-level players themselves, originally intending to separate the two Mental Evolvers. Now that the door was reopened, the three A-level players in the front carriage were all dead. As for the situation behind...
The Mental Evolver named Yong'an was still alive, though heavily injured. He had been facing four A-level players on his end, and his survival was entirely thanks to the help of fellow passengers—the carriage was so packed that any fight would inevitably affect others. Those accidentally injured naturally wouldn't let it slide, especially since this group had poisoned the carriage upon boarding, making the travel environment extremely unpleasant. That score had to be settled too.
Of the four A-level players, two were already dead, and the remaining two were putting up a desperate fight. They had boarded the train to make money, but they might just become someone else's cash cow.
"These A-level players are filthy rich," the tattooed man and his group remarked from the transition car between the first and second carriages.
"Instance ratings aren't low, so players can get decent same-level items. Add in Trait Evolution and other rewards, and you don't get too many good items per clear. Even if you score high ratings on every instance, how many A-level items can you accumulate in a year? Buying them is expensive too... Murder and arson really pay off," sighed the tattooed man's companion. "These guys' A-level items are like wholesale goods."
"A-level items also vary in quality," the tattooed man countered. "I think those A-level players' items aren't as good as this brother's. You don't need many good items—just a few reliable ones will do."
They had been watching the fight from the sidelines. At first, Xu Huo used quite a few items, but later he cycled through just a few, especially the "Space Sphere." Almost no same-level item could get past its defense. And his Mental attacks were truly eye-opening—he could actually command an A-level player to commit suicide!
The "Space Sphere" had exceeded Xu Huo's expectations. He had stolen it from Zheng Yuci. Items stolen with a theft item could sometimes be used and sometimes not. Usually, after enough time passed, most became usable. But the "Space Sphere" was usable from the moment he got it. At first, he thought it was due to the theft item's effect, but later he realized the "Space Sphere" had become ownerless the moment it was stolen.
Zheng Yuci was ninety-nine percent still alive. Not only was she alive, but she had also played the role of a generous benefactor, practically gifting him the item.
What a bold move.
The train had long since turned off its lights. The two A-level players in the back didn't seem likely to make it to the front. The second carriage had been overrun by poisonous creatures, and the original passengers had moved to the rear to avoid them, unlikely to return. So Xu Huo went back to the first carriage.
Once he entered, the tattooed man and his group sealed the door.
"Now we can finally get a good night's sleep," the tattooed man's companion gave Xu Huo a thumbs-up. "You're something else—taking on three A-level players solo and still handling it with ease."
Xu Huo smiled. "The setting wasn't ideal. They probably didn't get to use their full strength."
That wasn't a lie. How could those A-level players not have better items? They were just worried about damaging the train. And they died so suddenly—if they had known their lives would end here, they would have blown up the train to take him down with them.
"Hey, you can't say that. We're all on the same train, aren't we all holding back?" that player said. "My name is Yuan Youming. This is my big brother Tong Wei, third sister Xie Shanjun, and fourth brother Gao Xiucheng. The four of us swore brotherhood in the last district. I can tell you're a man of true character—let's be friends."
Xu Huo readily exchanged contact information with them. Yuan Youming then familiarly invited him to watch a competition together, saying, "Once you become an A-level player, you'll definitely rank high on the wormhole point leaderboard. Come check it out with us—maybe these people will become our opponents in the future."
Xu Huo declined. "I still have things to do."
Tattooed man Tong Wei said, "Earlier you mentioned going for revenge. What kind of grudge is worth a special trip?"
"Could it be related to the bounty at wormhole point B37?" Xie Shanjun added. "If it's an opponent of that caliber, going alone might be a bit tough."
"It's nothing too serious," Xu Huo said. "But I have to make the trip myself to honor the deceased."
They were only passing acquaintances, so Tong Wei and the others didn't press further, but they all generously offered to help if he needed it.
Xu Huo thanked them for their kindness. A moment later, a carriage at the rear exploded. The impact nearly lifted the entire train off the tracks. The front carriages and the engine rose briefly before crashing back down heavily, followed by sounds of overturning and collisions from behind—some carriages must have derailed.
But most of the carriages weren't severely damaged. Only the last three carriages had been blown up, so the train could still keep running.
By the next day, the crowded players began disembarking.
Since many were heading to the same place, their drop-off points were close. Tong Wei and his group said their goodbyes to Xu Huo in advance and quickly got off.
The train was much emptier now. Players from the rear carriages, fearing further incidents, voluntarily cleaned up the second carriage, packing the poisonous creatures and tossing them out through the damaged rear carriages onto the tracks. Then they regrouped in the front carriages.
"You haven't gotten off yet?" Yong'an came to the first carriage, greeting Xu Huo proactively before sitting down beside him with a weak smile. "I didn't dare close my eyes all night. You doing okay?"
Xu Huo understood what he meant. "You can catch up on sleep during the day. No one should make a move now."