Chapter 587: Diluting the Players
"It seems..." Qian Xuwen wanted to say something, but immediately stopped himself as he opened his mouth. He took out his phone and found the signal was blocked, so he had to type a message for Xu Huo to see.
"The people across from us aren't the same two groups that left earlier."
"Let's go in and take a look first," Xu Huo said calmly.
Across the lake, players from both sides entered the resort building through different doors. Although they didn't speak, they could see each other. However, after taking the elevator up to the eighth floor, the dozens of people on the opposite side vanished without a trace.
"Everyone can first learn about the founding history of Twin Serpents," the black-robed man said. "We always hold a prayer before the big gathering. It won't take long, about ten minutes. Twin Serpents provides convenience for everyone, but you must also respect Twin Serpents' rules."
"Do you plan to recruit members?" a player asked. "Can't we attend the trading gathering without joining Twin Serpents?"
"Of course you can," the black-robed man said. "The big gathering is mainly to provide a platform for our fellow players. Besides, our Twin Serpents has very strict standards for selecting members. Not just any player can join. You must share the same beliefs as all Twin Serpents members to be accepted."
"Oh, how impressive," another player said mockingly. "So what benefits come with being a Twin Serpents member?"
"How can believing in Twin Serpents be entirely about benefits?" the black-robed man said with an affected air. "Shared faith is the greatest wealth of Twin Serpents."
"You'd think this was some ancient religion with a long history," someone muttered under their breath. "Twin Serpents only appeared after the evolution began, right?"
"So what? Being able to develop to this scale in just a few months is a skill in itself. And with all those potions, they either have capable people or strong backing. Joining wouldn't hurt," another person said. "It's not like you're really selling your life to Twin Serpents. Grab some benefits and run if things go wrong. With a ticket, are you afraid of dying here?"
This sentiment represented the mindset of most players present. Since they were already here, they might as well see what Twin Serpents was really selling.
Twin Serpents had prepared thoroughly. The front of the eighth floor was a spacious corridor. On one side of the hallway were wide floor-to-ceiling windows, and on the other were about a dozen small rooms without doors. Each room contained plaster statues, ranging from the intertwined twin serpents symbolizing the organization, to the four founders whose faces were left un-carved, to several spiritual symbols representing the organization's beliefs and complete written records—all showcasing Twin Serpents' depth.
With so many players, the black-robed man couldn't personally guide everyone, so he let them browse freely and handed each a wristband, stating they could exchange it for another potion after the gathering ended.
Xu Huo walked forward a few rooms, looked at the statues inside, and said, "Don't they look familiar?"
Yan Jiayu was beside him. "This enforcer guardian looks like an angry vajra, just without a face. Majestic, compassionate, transcendent—they've cobbled together other people's things to fool people. They're definitely up to no good."
Xu Huo swept his gaze over the other players in this room, moved his finger, and the Silent Figure was in his hand. "Some of the players who came here tonight are part of the Twin Serpents organization. Some of those who came from across the lake have been swapped. It looks like everyone is together, but they've actually been split twice already. If nothing unexpected happens, there will be a third split later."
The first split was the invitation verification. Although it was hard to tell what tricks the invitations had been tampered with, it was clear someone was remotely dividing the players into batches. The black-robed man just served as a mouthpiece. The players were split into four groups, though it couldn't be ruled out that they were categorized by player type.
After they arrived by car, the other players they saw were no longer the same ones who had set out from the factory. That was the first split.
The second split happened after entering this building. On the surface, other players were converging, coming and going, but in that brief moment, the players who had come on the same car as Xu Huo and his group had been diluted and replaced again.
Whether it was the invitations or the masks, they were all markers for Twin Serpents to identify and split them.
The wristbands just handed out were new markers. There would be another, finer split later.
"What are they dividing?" Yan Jiayu asked, puzzled. "And there are way too many Twin Serpents members."
The players here didn't show their real faces, and there were so many people that confirming each player's identity was very difficult. So splitting the players repeatedly might be a way to filter out those who didn't meet the standards, just like the players from the Special Defense Department who came earlier, attended a boring gathering, and then went back.
"They're probably selecting their real targets, but it's unclear what their criteria are," Xu Huo said.
"Whatever the criteria, they're likely tampering with the things they're giving us," Yan Jiayu said, stepping closer. "I have height-increasing shoes."
Their eyes met, and both understood immediately. Xu Huo put away the figure, and Yan Jiayu's voice echoed in the room at a moderate volume, "A whoosh sound that makes your eyes light up!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the lights in the room suddenly burst into a blinding glare, then returned to normal after two seconds.
"What's going on!" Guan Sheng, who had been standing protectively behind Xu Huo, warily eyed the other players.
"It might be a power issue. Why are you so tense?" a player who had been dawdling at the door said irritably. "Making a mountain out of a molehill!"
Guan Sheng and Qian Xuwen exchanged a glance and silently retreated to Xu Huo's side. The former said, "Better to go out first."
Xu Huo nodded, and the three of them left the room first. Meanwhile, Liang Ge's two companions also called Yan Jiayu to find the black-robed man. These exhibits really weren't worth seeing.
The players gradually regrouped with the black-robed man, still about twenty-some people, and then took the elevator to the third floor.
The third floor was the gathering venue. As soon as the elevator doors opened, the first thing they saw was a crowded mass of people. Everyone was wearing black robes. When they turned to look, there were only six faces.
"Wow, there must be at least a hundred people," Guan Sheng said.
The players who came down from the elevator quickly merged into the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, no one could recognize anyone anymore.
The three black-robed guides walked to the front and clapped to signal everyone to quiet down. "There are too many players here today. One prayer hall isn't enough. The wristbands we gave everyone have a lottery function. Based on the number that appears on your wristband, go to the corresponding prayer hall. Today, several highly respected senior members will lead everyone in prayer."
"After the prayer ends, everyone can trade freely."
A "three" appeared on Guan Sheng and Qian Xuwen's wristbands, while Xu Huo's showed a "two."
"Should we split up?" Qian Xuwen asked Xu Huo.
Xu Huo shook his head and walked toward Door Two first. Guan Sheng and Qian Xuwen exchanged a look and followed.
Many others were doing the same. The three black-robed men at the front watched with smiles but didn't stop them.
(Chapter End)