Chapter 663: Eliminate a Safe Zone
After the initial chaos, the gathered players searched everywhere but found no trace of the intruder. They began to disperse their forces. Apart from the key positions in the safe zone, the conference building was also being searched floor by floor from the top down—until some players suspected that the office workers running around were the intruders and resorted to violent arrests.
But before these people could cause much trouble, they discovered that the building was collapsing!
Once cracks or gaps appeared, the entire floor began to crumble. Accompanied by piercing screams, the building collapsed from the upper floors. The weight of the falling floors and the heavy roof would then punch through the next level below. After that floor collapsed, the accumulated weight would destroy the next one, and so on, until the entire building was reduced to rubble!
The players who escaped were stunned, especially those who had acted violently: What kind of shoddy construction was this!
However, the high-ranking officials of the safe zone knew this was far from normal. When designing the safe zone, every building in this area, including the walls and public facilities, and even the underground, had been reinforced with metal layers to guard against players who used water or fire. How could such a building collapse naturally!
"Hurry up and catch them! This is definitely the work of that intruder!" A core government member slammed his fist into a nearby trash can.
The large metal trash can tipped over, clattered, and rolled to the base of a streetlamp. Then, the entire lamppost began to powder!
Not only that, but the bases of all the streetlamps on the road outside the building were powdering. As the lights went out, the view suddenly became dim. But this wasn't the end—nearby buildings also began to collapse one after another. As the public area lights continued to go out, this powdering symptom spread from the conference building as the center toward all directions of the safe zone!
"What's powdering is metal! Seal off the safe zone quickly!" Players who had noticed a clue began to act. Initially, they thought this item effect might have conditions like being unblockable, or "visible," or distance-based. But trying to protect a single metal object or a single building individually had no effect—the metal objects would still bypass them and powder more metal.
This safe zone was not built under extreme emergency circumstances, so it was large in scale with many buildings inside. When the Y Country government personnel realized they couldn't stop the metal powdering, they shifted their goal to try to preserve the buildings. As long as they didn't collapse immediately, at least there would be fewer casualties.
Unfortunately, in the panic, no one wanted to stay inside the buildings. And in crowded places, once people started running and created resonance, the building was not far from collapse!
Everywhere they looked was devastation, and everywhere they listened was screams. A long-haired player stood before the ruins of the building, his eyes blazing with immense hatred. "The item effect is centered on the building. The person must still be inside the building. Find them for me!"
A group of players responded loudly and rushed into the ruins.
But the building had already collapsed. There might be some small gaps in between, but unless they blew up the top, they wouldn't be able to dig the person out even if their hands were ruined. And how much could items move? Many people were also buried inside.
"Surround this place for me. I don't believe they can fly away!" The long-haired player said furiously.
Although others felt it was more likely that the intruder, being alone, had struck once and then hidden in the game, they still followed his orders.
But before the armored vehicles could encircle the area, a figure lightly brushed past a player who was rescuing the injured.
"They're out!" A player quickly intercepted the figure ahead. He clapped his hands together, and collapsed buildings on both sides crashed toward the center!
The figure leaped into the air to avoid the attack, moving as if weightless, quickly crossing through the high sky and heading out of the safe zone!
"Chase!" The long-haired player gave the order, and a large number of players swarmed after them, leaving a small group of non-combat players to assist ordinary personnel in rescuing the injured.
"There's another person here!" A player pulled Xu Huo, who was lying face down, to his feet. Seeing his head covered in blood, he immediately called for a stretcher and instructed his companion to carefully take him for treatment.
A temporary treatment point was nearby. Many seriously injured people were waiting for help. The doctor briefly questioned Xu Huo, who had "just woken up," and gave him a sticker for minor injuries, telling him to wait outside.
Disguised, Xu Huo followed the bustling crowd away from the treatment point and mixed in with the people heading toward the safe zone gate.
The safe zone gate no longer existed. It had turned into a pile of powder along with the fence. Rescue vehicles and armored cars had collapsed the ground as they entered, with many vehicles stuck on the road, causing a brief traffic jam.
The safe zone already had ordinary residents living there, and now more people were fleeing outward.
The Painting Woman shook off the Y Country players and then came back. The two hid in a concealed spot. Xu Huo changed his clothes, put the paper-like Painting Woman on his back, and smoothly reached the main gate.
At that moment, he unexpectedly saw Nyx rushing back in a hurry. Without using items or traits, and having put away "Three Seconds of Life," Nyx pushed through the people ahead of him, urging them impatiently.
"Too late." Nyx first glanced at the now-nonexistent safe zone, then swept his gaze over the crowd passing by, and asked, "Where is the person!"
"Philip went after them," a player said.
Nyx didn't relax his vigilance because of this. His eagle-like eyes scanned the crowded people around him. "Be careful—they might have an inside collaborator. Space items can't be used. If the target hasn't entered the game yet, they might still be nearby. Set up checkpoints. No one is allowed to leave."
Xu Huo realized that Nyx might have arrived near the safe zone while using a space item to track him, which was why he was late. Because Xu Huo had arrived first and used "Three Seconds of Life" to seal off the space-time items in this area, Nyx couldn't have returned so quickly after receiving news of the safe zone attack.
Sensing the other's gaze locking onto him, Xu Huo smiled slightly and directly used "Shortest Straight Line Between Two Points" for the second time.
Nyx followed again.
The second location was still a safe zone. This time, Xu Huo was clearly luckier. The place he landed was a small square with a bronze statue—a bullfighting sculpture within arm's reach!
Placing one hand on the sculpture, he used "Same-Sex Repulsion" and "Beautiful Ray" in combination. Nyx, rushing toward him at high speed, dodged the ray and leaped above his head. He threw three black pellets downward and grabbed the head of a rubber doll hanging from his waist!
Xu Huo, who was about to dodge, suddenly felt a splitting headache, his movements freezing for an instant. Just as the pellets were about to fall, the Painting Woman flew out from his collar, caught the pellets, flicked them, and sent them toward Nyx, who had landed behind him.
The pellets exploded with intense electric current in midair. The blinding electric light forced both Xu Huo and Nyx to retreat simultaneously. But as they separated, both sides made their moves!
(Chapter End)