Chapter 285: Luring the Wolf into the Trap
Having already lost his qualification to answer questions, Xu Huo was excluded by the game's power. In the blink of an eye, he was already outside the castle, standing in the woods not far from the main entrance.
He didn't leave the woods immediately but found a spot to hide.
As time passed, more and more players emerged from the castle. However, these people didn't linger outside the castle; after coming out, they plunged into the woods and scattered in different directions, including Brother Tu and the white-haired player.
The two of them probably wanted to wait for their other companions, so they didn't leave directly after coming out. Instead, they chose a shaded spot. After waiting for a while, Brother Tu whispered a few words to the old man, and then the two left the castle.
They moved quickly, warily watching their surroundings all the way, but they didn't cast a glance toward Xu Huo's location until their figures completely disappeared into the depths of the woods.
Xu Huo casually glanced at the number "8" floating in the bushes, then stepped out of the woods and returned to the castle.
In the woods more than seventy meters away from the castle, Brother Tu stared gloomily at the figure disappearing into the castle entrance. "Old Yu, is that the one?"
The white-haired player, Old Yu, nodded. "Wearing a mask, that's right. Judging by his fighting style, he's at most a D-level player. His evolution rate should be around 28. But he's experienced and uses his items skillfully. He's probably been grinding in instances for a long time, just hasn't leveled up."
"That's not unusual. Going from E-level to D-level requires at least three B-rank outstanding evaluations. The lower the instance evaluation, the more instances you need to clear to level up. Over time, most players who successfully reach D-level have considerable combat experience."
"He's probably got his eyes on us. I wonder if he's connected to that man and woman we saw earlier."
"Whether he is or not, since he's coming for us, it's best to take care of him here." Brother Tu pushed his tongue against his cheek. "Can't let him delay our clearance."
"Could the twins and Cai Fang already be dead?" Old Yu said.
Players die in instances all the time. It wouldn't be strange for the three to have died in the game.
"Then consider them dead." Brother Tu said coldly. "Let's deal with this nuisance first."
Xu Huo pretended to search the castle for a while, and soon Brother Tu and Old Yu found him. A marble shot through the corridor, aimed directly at the back of his head. After he dodged it, it bounced back from the front, creating a second attack.
Brother Tu chose his position cleverly, right before a turn in the corridor. The marble blocked Xu Huo's path forward, forcing him to retreat, which naturally cut off his escape route as well.
Xu Huo had just dodged the bouncing marble when he turned to meet Brother Tu's flying kick. He crossed his arms in front of his shoulders to block, but the impact sent him crashing through the stone wall. As he rolled into the room, the mask on his face was knocked off!
"It's you." Brother Tu's eyes turned cold. A toy sword appeared in his hand, and he swung it down toward the room!
The toy sword, less than a meter long, grew as it descended. By the time it reached Xu Huo's head, it had become over five meters long. He raised his sword to block, but he was pressed down onto his knees, and the ground beneath him shattered.
"Boom!" Xu Huo fell through to the second floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the white-haired old man hiding not far away. He immediately grabbed the string and, without touching the ground, fled toward the window.
But at that moment, a figure intercepted him first, striking him back with a sword. "You killed my people and think you can run?"
Xu Huo's face darkened. He leaped onto the broken bridge behind him. Constrained by Old Yu, he didn't dare land, so he could only move forward by grabbing the string. But the string's speed was far slower than his running, and soon Brother Tu caught up. The other man swung his sword, and Xu Huo had no choice but to let go of the string and land on the bridge.
Before he could even steady himself, the man from ten meters away was already upon him. Their swords clashed, and Xu Huo was pushed back step by step.
Realizing that Brother Tu was incredibly strong, Xu Huo suddenly stopped, used all his strength to push him back, and then took the initiative to swing his sword.
After his perfect evolution, his evolution rate of 20 was at least equivalent to an ordinary evolver's 30. Most players of the same level he'd encountered so far were similar in strength, but compared to the man before him, there seemed to be a huge gap.
After being slashed several times, Brother Tu showed clear anger. He suddenly tightened his grip on the sword, met the Crimson Sword head-on, and without even a pause, knocked it away!
Xu Huo's right arm went numb, and the sword almost flew out of his hand. He quickly scanned the other man's hand and wrist, then shifted his gaze to Brother Tu's face. "Are you a high-level player?"
Brother Tu sneered contemptuously, not bothering to answer his question. Instead, he swung the toy sword.
Without a word, Xu Huo pulled out another glove, grabbed the string, and jumped over the broken bridge.
He hadn't been mistaken. When Brother Tu exerted force, the skin texture on the back of his hand changed subtly. So his strength must come from his hand, not an item.
"Looks like your item has quite a few usage restrictions." Brother Tu's voice came from behind. Xu Huo turned around, only to find that the toy sword had grown even longer. He couldn't dodge in mid-air, and his arm and back were both cut, causing the string in his hand to loosen.
"Old Yu!" Brother Tu called out. Old Yu quickly closed in, and the two jumped over the broken bridge simultaneously, flanking Xu Huo.
There was a subtle undulation beneath the stone slab again. Xu Huo narrowed his eyes, tore off his torn coat to wrap around his hand, and grabbed the string again to rise into the air.
Seeing this, Old Yu shot a glance at Brother Tu, who swung the toy sword again, madly slashing at Xu Huo from a distance of over ten meters.
With two attacking and one retreating, the three maintained this state as they moved back toward the castle building. Xu Huo had two more wounds, but he stubbornly refused to enter the castle. Brother Tu sneered, "Trying to guard against my item?"
As he spoke, he switched from sword to fist, landing a heavy blow on the shield that sent Xu Huo flying into the castle building. At the same time, the two marbles began to fly around again, using the building's structure to their advantage.
Xu Huo had to deal with the marbles coming from unknown directions, fend off Brother Tu's attacks, and remain wary of Old Yu's dirty tricks, forcing him to scurry around the rooms.
The toy sword in Brother Tu's hand didn't stay in its enlarged state. Instead, it gradually shortened with increased use. When the sword returned to its original size, he became visibly impatient and his attacks grew even more ferocious.
After a while, the toy sword, which couldn't be lengthened again, was replaced by a black dagger. Although Xu Huo was holding a sword, he was slightly slower and didn't gain much advantage. Instead, he was beaten back step by step.
"Bang!" In a contest of strength, his right arm, which had suffered repeated injuries, finally gave way. The Crimson Sword flew out with a clang, and the black dagger slashed toward his throat!
This move seemed unavoidable, but just as the blade was inches away, Xu Huo raised his right arm in front of his neck and grabbed the dagger's edge with his bare hand!