Chapter 2916: Super Item "Two Hundred Equal Parts"
The young woman, also one of the survivors of Zone 017, Jin Zi, looked at the man before her with a tumult of emotions swirling in her eyes.
A large portion of the Zone 017 people now living here had been sent out by Xu Huo through container items. Although he hadn't appeared again afterward, Jin Zi and the others had always known that those who settled them were doing so out of regard for Xu Huo.
Whether it was the materials for rebuilding houses or the tools needed for reclamation, including this very district, everything had been prepared for them by others.
But Jin Zi's feelings towards Xu Huo were complicated. After all, their previous encounter in Zone 017 hadn't been pleasant. He had originally come to Zone 017 for the super item, but compared to others, he had some principles (di xian).
Their motives were the same, which made it impossible for Jin Zi to feel purely grateful towards Xu Huo, yet she couldn't hate him either. And she had long anticipated this reunion.
The two moved to the meeting room upstairs. Jin Zi spoke first, "I'm very grateful that you saved so many people from Zone 017 and found us a place to live, but I won't give you the super item."
This girl was young but clear-headed. "For the sake of one item, Zone 017 was almost wiped out. There's no way I'm handing the item over to anyone."
Xu Huo smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not here to snatch the item."
Before Jin Zi could breathe a sigh of relief, he added, "But I've run into some trouble recently, and I'd like to borrow your super item."
Jin Zi tensed up again. Her eyes were filled with suspicion and distrust. Although the Zone 017 annihilation incident was long past, her nerves were still constantly on edge, and trusting no one had become her psychological defense.
"Think of it this way," Xu Huo said. "I already guessed the super item was with you. Even if the item had been transferred to someone else and was hard to find back then, after so long, it would definitely have returned to your hands. This is evident from your status among the players in the new district."
"If I wanted to steal the item, I wouldn't have bothered to show up and greet you."
"And if I really wanted to do something, you couldn't resist anyway, especially with so many hostages here."
"In such a short time, you've become an A-level player." Jin Zi's wariness was mixed with envy. She quickly adjusted her mindset and said, "I can lend you the item, but you have to leave something as collateral."
"Anything comparable to a super item that I could use as collateral, I currently need and can't part with," Xu Huo mused. "How about this: when I return the item, I'll pay a fee, at least enough to make life better for the people here."
"If I die, or if the item is lost or damaged, my district will also pay compensation in items or resources equal to the value of a super item. Even if it can't be done immediately, it will be possible in the future."
Hearing this, Jin Zi fell silent instead. After a moment, she said, "Is it a district war?"
"Not far off from a district war," Xu Huo said calmly.
Game district fusion isn't as brutal as a district war, but it can last for an extremely long time. Ticket players don't just come in one wave; they keep arriving until the district stabilizes.
"It looks like I have no choice but to lend it." Jin Zi said, "Is there any room for negotiation?"
Xu Huo's expression softened. "You can slowly make a list. Write down everything this place needs, and I'll send you as much as I can find later."
Jin Zi slowly nodded. "I'm willing to trust you."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and placed a thin thread, like a white hair, on the table. "This is the super item that caused Zone 017 to be annihilated: 'Two Hundred Equal Parts.'"
Xu Huo reached out and took the item. The game panel immediately popped up with a prompt:
[Congratulations to player Passerby A for obtaining the super item "Two Hundred Equal Parts."]
[This is a naturally occurring super item. Its original owner was a math teacher with obsessive-compulsive disorder. She was fixated on measuring everything in life with numbers. Numbers of varying lengths caused her pain, so she developed the habit of categorizing items using the same numbers.]
[Including every single hair that fell from her head.]
[That math teacher died long ago, and most of her belongings were subsequently destroyed or discarded. By chance, this single strand of hair remained in her original residence. As the district evolved, this hair also underwent a change.]
[It was the two hundredth strand of hair the math teacher kept that closely matched the perfect number in her mind. Therefore, when it was born, it seemed to develop an obsession with the number two hundred. When this item is used, it will take the holder as its center and release two hundred spatial cutting lines at intervals of fifteen centimeters, sweeping across the entire surface space of a district within one second.]
[Please note: When it is close to the ground, it deals almost devastating damage to the district space. The holder should pay attention to the height of use.]
[Limited to three uses per day.]
Xu Huo already had a few super items, but aside from "Three Seconds of Life," which could rewind time in a space, the others like "Time Tower," "Inversion Ring," and "Sky Light Domain" had range limitations. This "Two Hundred Equal Parts" truly demonstrated the lethality of a super item.
Fifteen-centimeter intervals, two hundred equal parts, a span of up to thirty meters... In one second, it could destroy a district!
"Have you tried it?" Xu Huo asked Jin Zi.
"No, I didn't dare," Jin Zi admitted honestly. "I also thought about trying it in an uninhabited district, but I was afraid of being noticed."
"Are you going to use it in your own district?" she pressed. "I'm afraid it will implicate many innocent people."
Back in Zone 017, there was no choice. The local players were too weak, unable to even serve as a distraction or bait. Moreover, compared to the outer zone players, the local population made up the vast majority. Using a super item to drive out or kill outer zone players would likely result in wiping out one's own district first, truly embodying the concept of the district as a hostage.
And given the situation at the time, killing only a few players couldn't reverse the tide. Once a super item was used, it would be difficult to use it a second time, so naturally it couldn't achieve a deterrent effect. There was more than one or two super players in Zone 017 at the time.
Additionally, many players, like Xu Huo, chose to rescue some people and leave, managing to save a few.
Of course, the most important thing was that, perhaps due to the chain reaction triggered by the super item, Zone 017 was abandoned by the game. With a massive influx of xenomorphs, the district was bound to collapse. Zone 017 lacked the strength to turn the tide.
But Zone 014 was different. Xu Huo didn't need to use this super item to kill many ticket players; killing a few troublesome ones would be enough.
Jin Zi observed his expression and immediately understood. "You've already figured out how to use it?"
"Mm." Xu Huo tied the strand of hair around his wrist and looked at her solemnly. "I will return the item."
First update! Mid-Autumn Festival, I wish everyone good health and all the best, and I hope every reader is happy every day! ^_^