Chapter 2781: Game Energy
Xin Qin was naturally very grateful to Xu Huo. This was an outcome she had never expected under the various desperate measures she had considered. The two wanted to repay him, but Xu Huo didn't propose any other conditions. He only accepted a small carved item signed by both of them.
However, this matter involved the District Government. Although the other side didn't seem to say anything or intend to pursue it afterward, Gu Huifeng and the other person didn't dare to stay in Earth Star City any longer. They planned to travel abroad for a while and only return once the matter had completely settled down, or perhaps they would settle down in another country altogether.
Nong Zheng also wanted to leave with them. Moving to an outer district required not just money but also courage. As long as he could stay in Zone 022, living in another country was fine too.
Nong Zheng had helped Gu Huifeng, and Gu Huifeng was happy to take him along.
After bidding farewell to the three, Xu Huo didn't rush to the next city. Instead, he found a place to use "Darkened Heart" in detail.
Rachel Lian had mentioned that the more people thrown into the black space, the larger the area of darkness coverage, and consequently, the weaker the holder's body would become.
Whether the black space was related to a black hole or not was beside the point. Xu Huo simply referred to the other space flooded with darkness as the "black space." This dark substance itself had the effect of limiting temporal and spatial forces as well as human senses. Staying inside for a long time would likely have other effects. However, after entering and exiting multiple times, he didn't feel any obvious changes. He guessed that Rachel Lian's physical condition was poor, and she hadn't prepared any protective items, just using it recklessly.
As for the claim that the more people it devoured, the larger the range, that description wasn't accurate. Although its coverage was directly related to the architectural space the holder was in, even in the absence of buildings, it could still cover an area with a radius of over a kilometer.
Of course, this coverage didn't mean completely saturating that two-kilometer space with another substance. Its height and depth were also limited. In other words, the mere envelopment of the dark substance couldn't restrict a player's movements. Even if items were interfered with, over such a short distance, a quick dash on foot could easily escape.
Therefore, when not using the black space, "Darkened Heart" was more suitable for use as a defense item.
What Rachel Lian said couldn't be completely dismissed either. Under the right circumstances, it might be worth trying to see if the coverage of "Darkened Heart" could indeed be expanded through the method she described.
However, the existence of "Darkened Heart" served as a reminder to him. The game, as the rule-making entity, had actually left some loopholes that could be exploited. For example, items like this one had originally been obtained by an ordinary person.
Bai Kou had once said that her mother couldn't be killed. It was likely that she had obtained such an item, making her immune to items and instruments. This was where the true manifestation of game energy lay.
"Ding dong!" After he posted his new log, people started contacting him privately one after another. Some were just venting their emotions out of boredom, others were asking about the authenticity of the "Bone Remains" and wanting to purchase it. But this time, the new message that popped up was from a new contact group.
Inside were not only Lei Xiaohe and his companions, but also Zhan Erliu, Levi, Zhou Juanjuan, as well as Chai Sheng from Punishment City, the curly-haired woman Cong Hui, and the burly man Min Chi.
The first messages that came out were from Lei Xiaohe and the others warming up the group. They were basically all praising Xu Huo, then they got down to business, suggesting that everyone could exchange resources. They also put Xu Huo on a pedestal, hinting that in future transactions, they should be conducted in his presence so that both parties could feel at ease.
Xu Huo didn't take the bait, because Chai Sheng had sent him a holographic video about intelligent xenomorphs.
He said he had found it among the belongings of a certain player from Punishment City. Intelligent xenomorphs were indeed real. The video recorded a delivery scene between a biotech company and an outer district. The player who filmed it had taken a peek at the "goods" during the delivery and suffered a severe mental attack, requiring multiple treatments afterward.
"That player was hired for odd jobs. The biotech company was probably trying to use the intelligent xenomorph to research neurological drugs. I checked, and that company's most famous products are all neurological treatment drugs, basically used to treat players."
"You know, players who spend a long time in instances often have some issues. Some people gradually develop mental problems. Irritability and aggression are minor issues. A very small number of people lose control and kill people when enraged. The longer they stay in the game, the higher the probability of problems. Zone 022 is an old district, and many retired players have severe conditions, so the market for neurological treatment drugs is huge."
"Aren't you interested in intelligent xenomorphs? I'll send you the address I found. You can go check out their lab."
Xu Huo replied and noted down the address, then followed the route to the next city.
After abducting Rachel Lian and leaving, he hadn't changed his disguise. So when he walked out of Earth Star City, there were always a few players watching him from near and far. They didn't seem to want to offend him, keeping a great distance and not interfering with his actions, just watching.
With these people around, the kind of frame-up attempts like the one on the aircraft earlier didn't happen. He arrived smoothly at Lake City.
Lake City was a city composed of five islands built in a giant artificial lake. Each city wasn't very large, but the scenery was beautiful. However, the most eye-catching thing wasn't the natural scenery, but the people here. Both men and women were beautiful. They were the scenery as they walked down the streets. Many tourists came specifically for the people of a certain place, like the owner of a certain shop, the staff of a certain street, or a certain performer.
In the wider streets, groups of three to five people were performing from time to time. Some did it out of interest, others to earn some extra cash. The performances varied, but overall, they were pleasing to the eye.
"Big brother, want a photo?" A young and beautiful girl danced over with light steps, circled around him, and gently lifted her skirt. "This is our fixed photo spot. Many guests leave a photo with us."
As she spoke, she pointed to the memorial wall beside them.
Xu Huo went along with the local custom and paid one hundred White Notes for a photo.
The young girl smiled and called out all the staff from the shop. They gathered around him, freely displaying warm smiles, making sure the instrument recorded this moment that was well worth the price.
After the photo, they pulled him to taste some wine, then introduced him to the local cuisine, helped him arrange special accommodation, and even promoted a special project: underwater sightseeing.
"Beneath the lake are the carved masterpieces of old artisans from years past. The carving master Gu Huifeng is from our town. It's definitely worth the ticket price!"