Chapter 485: New Type of Energy
“A smart person knows when to quit, but digging deeper…” Bai Kou looked at him. “Do you have a grudge against the Eerie Sound Knights?”
“Sort of,” Xu Huo said. “But I’m not so arrogant as to think I can challenge B-rank and A-rank players as a D-rank.”
“But you’re going anyway.”
Bai Kou set down the firearm she was half-loading, her violet eyes fixed on him. “Why?”
“Mr. Fan Xiao,” Xu Huo said with a faint smile. “He treats you like a daughter. I can’t take his things for nothing and then act like nothing’s wrong while you go off risking your life.”
“You’re just a D-rank player.” Bai Kou’s voice dropped slightly.
“I know. So what?” Xu Huo tapped his fingers on the desk. “With all these weapons, isn’t there one for me?”
Bai Kou stared at him for two full seconds before breaking into a smile. “Pick whichever one you like.”
Xu Huo knew she was planning to drag him into this. Better to take the initiative than to be passive.
Having earned a brief moment of goodwill from Bai Kou, she explained the usage of various weapons in detail.
The guns she had modified could fire bullets with the power of hand grenades.
“These firearms are extremely powerful. Under normal circumstances, they’re not allowed in the luggage compartment. You can carry some on your person, but there’s still a chance the system will filter them out.”
“However, the new energy firearms are different. They can be carried in parts. As long as the quantity isn’t too large, some can be placed in the luggage compartment. Especially the specially customized ones.”
As she spoke, Bai Kou dismantled the cannon barrel again. After breaking it down into parts, she installed them onto three different small machines. As for the energy chips, they were also detachable. With a light twist at both ends, the embedded teeth loosened and split into two chip-like objects.
“Compared to heavy weapons, ordinary items don’t measure up.”
“But you have to be careful. Time-space items can affect these brand-new energy weapons, and they usually malfunction.”
After listening, Xu Huo said, “The raw materials for making items include a new type of energy stone. Higher-level time-space items can affect lower-level items, and time-space items can also cause new energy weapons to malfunction. Can we understand this as both using the same type of energy stone?”
Time-space items were rare and powerful in the game, having certain effects on time and space. From another perspective, the game system’s control over players and game zones couldn’t be separated from these two major concepts. Did this mean the game’s foundation was built on some new type of energy or its derivatives?
“You’re not wrong,” Bai Kou said. “So you can imagine how important energy stones are in the game zones.”
“Does the game destroy certain zones for energy?” Xu Huo quickly thought of another matter.
“That’s part of the reason, but not all of it,” Bai Kou said. “The game’s operating mechanism is the biggest secret within the dimensional rifts. It’s still too early to uncover it. How about we focus on the firearms instead?”
Xu Huo made a gesture for her to continue.
Next, Bai Kou introduced about twenty types of large, medium, and small weapons. Among them, two or three would be kicked out of the luggage compartment even when dismantled into parts. She looked down on them but said they could be carried on the person to mislead others.
“What kind of place is the Platinum Eye?” Xu Huo asked during a break.
“A place full of metal,” Bai Kou said casually. “People who love war go there and never want to leave, but for most, it’s a nightmare.”
“To this day, countless people have died under the weapons created by the Platinum Eye.”
“The blade itself has no good or evil; it’s the person holding it who does,” Xu Huo offered in comfort.
Bai Kou stared at him and suddenly burst out laughing. “What are you comforting me for? It’s not like I killed those people.”
“I’m comforting myself,” Xu Huo said with a smile.
Bai Kou stroked the cannon barrel on the table and suddenly said, “I wonder what’s for dinner today.”
Mr. Dong, who had just reached the door, stopped in his tracks. “Sir, dinner is ready.”
Bai Kou seemed to enjoy seeing Mr. Dong displeased. She rose with a cheerful smile. “Did you prepare it according to my taste today?”
Seeing Xu Huo give him a look, Mr. Dong forced a smile that could be considered perfect. “Everything is ready.”
“Can a prop’s face cramp up too?” Bai Kou covered her mouth with a laugh.
With that, she went downstairs first. Xu Huo walked over and patted Mr. Dong on the shoulder. “Holding grudges is a human trait.”
“Mr. He Pu doesn’t hold grudges,” Mr. Dong defended.
“He holds a lot of grudges. Otherwise, who set all those fires?” Xu Huo chuckled and walked past him.
Just after dinner, Ran Ying suddenly invited him out for a drink.
Xu Huo politely declined, saying he had a guest at home.
“Playing hard to get?” Bai Kou had also seen the projection message.
“No, it’s called valuing my life.” Team Leader Ran Ying changed targets every so often. Who knew if the previous ones were dead or had run off? Keeping his distance was best.
“I think she’s got her eye on you,” Bai Kou said. “Tonight might just be a test.”
“If there’s a first time, there’ll be a second.” Xu Huo wasn’t concerned. The advantage of Zone 011 was that it had no random instances, but there were other game zones without random instances too.
Sure enough, a day later, after the club incident had completely died down, Ran Ying invited him on a cruise.
“It’s Rongxin Group’s ship. Viscount Meni and Duke Tal have both invited me, and I’m getting on that ship too,” Bai Kou said after learning of it.
Xu Huo immediately sensed something. “Could Rongxin Group’s arms deal be taking place on the ship?”
“With Zone 011 having consecutive incidents, the station is no longer a suitable place for transactions. Taking the ship to a lawless area far from the zone is also good for inspecting some super-heavy weapons,” Bai Kou said.
“So the cruise is just a front.” Xu Huo thought it over and replied to Ran Ying, also asking about the route, but got no definite answer.
Bai Kou investigated through her channels and only learned that the cruise would head to an independent ocean area not under Zone 011’s jurisdiction, a place the game hadn’t touched yet—meaning there were no instances there.
“That’s not uncommon. Desolate places have no value, so the game doesn’t even bother looking at them,” Bai Kou said. “But there’s a downside to such places—tickets can’t be used.”
“Only spaces incorporated into the game allow tickets to connect with the game. For example, during the rail journey between two stations, tickets are usually unusable.”
Their eyes met, and both sensed something else, then laughed in unison.
After three days of preparation, Bai Kou was picked up by Duke Tal with several large suitcases, while Xu Huo was taken by the uninvited Ran Ying. They arrived at the dock one after another.
The number of fellow travelers far exceeded Xu Huo’s estimate. More than a third were nobles, all of whom had been present at the club earlier. Each noble was accompanied by players—some for security, some for entertainment, and a few whose identities were unknown but who received noble treatment.
The rest were upstarts like Ran Ying.
(Chapter End)