Chapter 339: The Umbrella of Justice
Xu Huo finally showed a slightly serious expression, but upon further questioning, he found that the woman's understanding of dimensional storms and the process of crossing wormhole points was also superficial. She had only gotten to the E27 wormhole point by sheer luck and didn't dare to continue using her ticket, so she could only hide in remote places.
"Third question, why aren't there any random instances here?"
"Because there's a base established by the Game Government here..." The woman used her remaining hand to grip his calf. "You must have entered the game not long ago, and you can't guarantee getting a ticket every time. I can tell you everything I know, and I can even help you complete game tasks, sleep with you if that's what you want, as long as you..."
Before she could finish, a glint of cold light between her fingertips swept toward Xu Huo's throat. "Go to hell!"
"Pfft!" The sharp blade sliced through the windpipe, and the cheongsam woman's eyes widened as she collapsed to the ground.
Xu Huo picked up the thin scalpel that had fallen from her hand, and the game prompt sounded in his ears:
[Congratulations to player Passerby A for successfully hunting a wanted criminal. You have earned a bounty of 50,000 White Notes.]
"Now, please collect the player's remains."
Xu Huo quickly opened his panel:
[Wanted Codename: Human Skin Umbrella]
[Bounty: 50,000 White Notes]
[Player Classification: Red Player]
[Player Level: D]
[Affiliation: E15 Wormhole Point]
[Primary Trait: Leather Garment Maker]
[Items: ① Human Skin Umbrella ② Makeup Artist Item ③ Cicada Wing Scalpel]
[Additional: Rose Castle Invitation]
There were also some potions and supplies.
He hadn't eaten anyone before the preliminary trial, but after boarding the train, eating people would result in becoming a Cannibal Player while still retaining traits, though the traits wouldn't continue to grow.
To have resisted the urge to devour before boarding, yet fallen so completely after one wrong step into becoming a Cannibal Player—Xu Huo felt the game's deep malice in toying with players.
He stored the items into his own item slot, briefly reviewed their usage instructions, then walked over to pick up the Human Skin Umbrella. Glancing at the torn white skin on it, he simply tore it all off.
[Ding!]
[System notification: The item Human Skin Umbrella has been updated. Would you like to view it?]
Opening the item slot, the original "Human Skin Umbrella" position had been replaced by "Umbrella of Justice."
[Umbrella of Justice (Note 1: It opened, it rained, and with hatred, it washed away ten percent of the item effects of Cannibal Players.)]
(Note 2: Because its maker was mediocre, it only works on ordinary items, but it has an unexpectedly strong suppressive effect on Cannibal Players, and also has the function of storing corpses. Caution: The two effects cannot coexist.)]
(Note 3: Its function was altered by an evil Artificer using human skin, so its targeting effect has rebounded to fifteen percent.)]
"An unexpected surprise." Xu Huo spun the large umbrella, which had turned black. He had found it strange earlier when setting the fire—the rain brought by the Human Skin Umbrella had a suppressive effect on items, but after entering this alley, although the rain had intensified, the lighter's effect had returned to normal.
Additionally, the woman might not have noticed in her agitation, but her speed and strength had both decreased later on. He had initially thought it was due to exhaustion from prolonged combat, but now it seemed that burning through the Human Skin Umbrella had revealed the Umbrella of Justice's original function.
Although the note said it only worked on ordinary items, being able to suppress a D-level item like the lighter and targeting only Cannibal Players made it remarkably impressive.
Turning around, he stored the cheongsam woman's body into the umbrella and left the alley.
*
Starting from evening, Rose Castle was shrouded in a cloud of rain. The heavy clouds and the thick, ancient castle compressed the glow of the lights, making the vast castle feel extremely oppressive.
As the time neared midnight, six guests were still seated in the hall. Some were drinking, others playing cards or games, but all were distracted, occasionally glancing at the clock.
"Ding-dong!" The doorbell at the entrance rang.
"A guest has arrived." The middle-aged butler walked quickly and steadily to open the door.
With a "click" as the door opened, a young man in formal attire appeared in everyone's view. Though he had an umbrella tucked under his arm, he was soaked through. Holding a yellow rose in his hand, he smiled as he handed over the invitation. "I'm late. My surname is Xu."
The middle-aged butler, with graying temples, took out a pocket watch. Without moving his lips, a voice emerged: "Not too late. However, the host personally received two guests earlier and has now retired. You can see him after breakfast tomorrow."
Ventriloquism.
"Oh? Are those two guests also in the hall?" Xu Huo's gaze lingered briefly on the butler's motionless lips before shifting away.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ma have already rested," the butler said. "There are three more guests in the recreation room. Would you like to go greet them now?"
"No need." Xu Huo declined the servant's attempt to take his umbrella and handed over the rose instead. "Please put this in my room."
"Would you like me to prepare some food?" the butler asked.
Xu Huo swept his gaze over the people in the living room, their expressions varied, and paused briefly on the baby-faced man among them. Then he smiled. "No, I ate before coming."
The eyes of several players in the living room were fixed on him, carrying varying degrees of wariness.
The baby-faced man wasn't as calm as Xu Huo. They had met on the train, and now, coincidentally, they had entered the same instance.
After a pause, he jumped up from the sofa and reached out to the others. "You all lost! Pay up!"
A dark-faced man handed him a stack of White Notes, and the others reluctantly paid as well.
The butler was about to lead Xu Huo to the guest room. As they passed through the hall, the latter stopped and looked at the group. "What were you betting on?"
The baby-faced man grinned mischievously. "We were guessing whether you were a man or a woman. I was the only one who got it right."
Xu Huo's expression quickly darkened.
"Haha! Just kidding, don't take it so seriously." The baby-faced man laughed, trying to smooth things over.
Xu Huo's expression remained unchanged, but his gaze was intensely oppressive.
Within seconds, the baby-faced man's smile faltered, and even the other five players grew tense.
"Sir, please follow me," the butler interjected at the right moment.
Without a word, Xu Huo followed him to the second floor.
After he left, the baby-faced man's face darkened. "I ran into him when I arrived. I didn't realize he was a Cannibal Player back then."
"What's so strange about a Cannibal Player? They're in every instance. At least we can rule out one player now," said the only female player among the six.
"I won't cooperate with a Cannibal Player," the dark-faced man stated.
"Don't be so obvious," said another young man holding a wine glass. "You all know the game tasks. It's hard to avoid internal conflict. Making things awkward early on won't do anyone any good."
The other players exchanged glances, tacitly accepting this reasoning. They stopped chatting and returned to their respective rooms.
(End of Chapter)