Chapter 3064: Cross-Zone
Mitchell tore open his protective suit in one motion, discovering that in just this short time, the toxin had already spread to his chest. He immediately pulled out a syringe he carried with him and jabbed it into his heart, but it only delayed the effects for a moment. After that brief respite, the purple-black patterns surged back, quickly covering his entire upper body!
"What kind of poison is this?!" Mitchell exclaimed in shock even as he continued injecting antidotes into himself.
Xu Huo didn't stop him, merely watching. "Got it from some zones that grow mushrooms."
Mitchell's expression shifted multiple times. Realizing there was no turning back, he let out a soft laugh. "I always knew I'd die from poison someday, but I didn't think it would be this soon."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow slightly. "Seeing how many toxins you carry around, I thought you'd evolved poison resistance."
Mitchell seemed not to catch the sarcasm and added, "It's a shame about all those venomous insects I raised..."
He then turned to the crowd outside, speaking to his companions. "Don't avenge me when I'm dead. You're no match for him. Just live well."
His few companions didn't share any deep bond with him, but with a man at death's door, they simply listened.
After he rambled on for quite a while, his voice growing weaker and weaker, Xu Huo cut him off with a laugh.
Mitchell turned his head back, his eyes now filled with a malice and satisfaction completely different from before. "Even if I die, I'm taking you with me."
"You mean these spores?" Xu Huo pointed at the powder floating in the air, gently waving it away, and smiled faintly at the man across from him.
Mitchell's expression froze, disbelief flooding his face. He seemed to want to say something more, but his earlier pointless chatter had consumed the last of his vitality. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees. With his remaining strength, he hurled a bomb. A thunderous roar erupted from the center of the arena, and the intense light forced all the watching players to avert their eyes.
The blockade barrier only trembled slightly, standing firm in place as the explosion's power rippled across the hundred-meter range before gradually subsiding.
Mitchell, who had been at the edge of the arena, was now nothing but a blur of flesh smeared across the blockade barrier. As for the other side...
"Thank goodness!" Ding Xiang couldn't help but exclaim.
Xu Huo was still alive. The multiple layers of defensive barriers he had stacked up had shielded him from the blast. Though he had been pushed to the edge of the barrier, he remained standing, apparently not too seriously injured.
The arena blockade lifted, and Xu Huo's points once again surpassed one thousand.
Ding Xiang and the others quickly rushed over, asking if he was alright. Ai Xin Cheng hastily handed him a purchased antidote.
"Brother, you're really something," Two-Headed said, stepping around the venomous insects scattered everywhere and rubbing his arms. "Just looking at these things makes my scalp crawl. Are you sure you weren't poisoned?"
Xu Huo showed the wound on his arm. "I took an antidote before landing on the island, and I have some natural resistance to toxins."
That wasn't surprising. Many players saw their drug and poison resistance increase after evolving. No one knew exactly what poison Mitchell had used, and now that it had been blown to bits, nothing was left.
"Hurry up and use those points. If someone else challenges you later, won't we be screwed?" Two-Headed immediately said.
And indeed, some people were thinking the same thing. Before the group could act, a challenge notification appeared in front of Xu Huo again. Judging by the surrounding situation, more than one person wanted to challenge him—they just hadn't been fast enough.
"Your score's over fifteen hundred now," Na Wei said with concern.
Losing meant death, but winning would likely push the score past two thousand.
Xu Huo frowned as well, looking at the player challenging him—clearly another formidable opponent.
"Give me that device," Xu Huo said to Ding Xiang.
The few of them had pooled their resources to buy only one long-distance teleportation item. With limited points, the device could only be used by one person, and Ding Xiang had been carrying it.
"Exceeding two thousand points leads to one of two outcomes: either you get killed, or you're forcibly cross-zoned. If it's the second option, whether there's a time limit or not, I'll cross zones immediately."
"Once I enter the wasteland zone, I'll stay nearby for half a day. If you still want to team up with me, cross zones too. Miss the deadline, and I'm gone."
Ding Xiang handed him the device, along with a jamming device and some dry rations. "You're the only good person I've met. Of course I'm following you across zones. Wait for me!"
The others nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Xu Huo turned his gaze to Yi Lan, who had come with the white-haired man to watch the match. He nodded at her.
Though a bit surprised, Yi Lan returned the nod.
The white-haired man and his companions merely glanced at them without interfering.
The two challengers stepped onto the arena. Xu Huo, still injured from the previous fight and facing a truly strong opponent, fought with great difficulty. Midway through, he used the jamming device, disabling most of both their equipment. Then, during a clash with his opponent, he suddenly looked toward Yi Lan.
The next second, a faint ripple of spiritual power stirred both inside and outside the arena. But his opponent suddenly stumbled, and the next moment, a blade slashed across his throat!
Not only Xu Huo's opponent but even the players outside were stunned. However, the moment the arena vanished, Xu Huo also disappeared from his spot—whether he had used a teleportation device to leave or had been forcibly cross-zoned was unclear.
"At least it wasn't a kill," Two-Headed muttered, then turned and waved at Yi Lan. "Thanks, friend we've never met before!"
Yi Lan ignored him. Facing the varied looks from her companions, she smiled faintly. "Shouldn't we be setting off too?"
On the other end, Xu Huo first used the teleportation device to put distance between himself and the challenge arena before opening his personal interface to check the notification:
"Player Xu Zhi's points have exceeded 2000. Please proceed to the Second Gate of Little Bear City within 1 hour to cross zones."
Xu Huo had already asked about the location of the Second Gate during his last visit. Without further delay, he headed straight there.
Unexpectedly, he ran into Yi Lan and her group at the entrance.
The white-haired man looked at the number 2203 above Xu Huo's head, a hint of regret in his eyes. With so many points not exchanged for supplies, and having wasted so many devices in the arena matches, even if he entered the wasteland zone, his best option would be to wait for Ding Xiang and the others.
But Ding Xiang's group wasn't particularly strong. If he only waited half a day, they wouldn't be able to stock up on much either.
Still, the white-haired man didn't invite him to join them. He simply nodded slightly and walked through the gate first.
Xu Huo and Yi Lan's eyes met for a brief moment before they both looked away as if nothing had happened.
Little Bear City was wedged between the barriers of the Bear Hug Zone and the Wasteland Zone. But no matter where you looked from within the city—whether toward the Bear Hug Zone or the Wasteland Zone—the scenery didn't differ much. However, the moment they stepped out of the Second Gate, a wave of scorching heat hit them. The air was so distorted that even the nearby plants seemed warped.
A bit of green could still be seen ahead, but after a few thousand meters, nothing remained but an endless, boundless desert.