novelraw Chapter 165: Crossing the Sea, a Burning City Looks Even More Beautiful
Chapter 165: Crossing the Sea, a Burning City Looks Even More Beautiful
What did Greed bring to Lu Ce.
Besides madness and reckless plundering, more importantly, it brought cunning and sharpness.
After playing the game for so long, everyone’s an old fox — don’t try to trick another fox with ghost stories.
In every game, the most specific and crucial game tasks were either prompted directly by the mechanical voice of the game or appeared directly on the player’s game panel.
Whenever a “character” was used to read out the rules, there was always some shady business involved.
Like Tom from Demon Asylum, or the last game, where the game between the Slimes was triggered only at the very end.
So this time, selecting players from among ordinary people to act as guides and explain the rules — it was clearly a shady move!
Moreover, most likely, they used a montage-style lie.
Montage-style lie — every sentence is true, but the real information is hidden through semantic misdirection.
Just like what the bald guy said earlier, he really didn’t know where the players were — but he did know where the drivers picking up players were.Also, the bald guy said if anything came up, he could be contacted, but Lu Ce had already left before hearing him out. Although not 100% certain, he figured it was probably a trap.
The game rules weren’t fully honest.
That escort bald driver wasn’t fully honest.
But... Lu Ce himself hadn’t been fully honest either...
"Heh heh...."
Black Knight roared with an engine noise like a giant steel dragon, carrying Lu Ce through the streets.
Speed and the roar of combustion engines — these are the most adrenaline-pumping things. At this moment, Lu Ce’s Blue Mask showed an unrestrained smile, savoring the thrill.
And besides, this was the real world!
Finally, he could go wild in the real world, experiencing his own power and abilities.
So he had no intention of exposing the game’s conspiracy — quite the opposite, he wanted to fuel it.
"What a beautiful city....." rushing through the streets, the scenery of this so-called Number One City of Asia turned into flowing light, pouring into his eyes.
"If it were burning... it might be even more beautiful."
Greed carried a bit of an antisocial vibe — well, this definitely wasn’t Lu Ce’s own true intention...
Looking at the map he had just plundered from his game panel, he saw over a hundred flashing red dots.
These hundred red dots were a hundred escort cars, their movement trajectories weaving a giant web across Tokyo.
Besides, the bald guy had mentioned he could be contacted at any time. Lu Ce had ignored that, but seriously, just a phone call?
What good would that do?
"Surely, I’m not the only one searching for others."
"And surely, I’m not the only one who knows they’re holding this map."
"Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their talents. First real-world game — there better be a few interesting masters for me..."
Thinking this, he glanced at the dots on the screen and said to Black Knight:
"Bro! Step on it!"
......
Meanwhile, all one hundred players had already met their guides — either taxi drivers or other professions, but all arriving with the same line: get in.
Most players still hadn’t adjusted to playing a game in real life and didn’t understand what was the point of these missions issued by random people.
But just like the bald guy had said earlier — this time’s matches were all with well-performing veteran players.
Surely there would be experts!
Taito Ward, inside a taxi.
A cloaked figure held a crystal ball, seemingly sucking the soul out of the driver, who stared blankly ahead.
"Tell me... what are Hunters exactly, and where are the other players...."
......
Under an overpass in Shinjuku Ward, a car wobbled as it drove.
The driver's face was full of terror, while in the backseat sat a man wreathed in flames, looking like he stepped straight out of a fantasy novel.
"Hurry up, hurry up, I’m getting excited to see my peers, hahaha!"
"F*ck all that Hunter and Prey crap! I’m the Hunter! I’ll just kill them all!"
Meanwhile, a flaming fireball floated silently above the passenger seat, ready to explode at any moment.
The driver was drenched in sweat, not from fear but pure heat, and now steam was rising as he was forced to find other players.
......
Ota Ward, a relatively remote district — Xie Antong stepped out of a black car.
The driver had fallen asleep, but judging by his breathing, he wasn’t dead yet.
And on her game panel, a new holographic map had appeared, showing a hundred flashing light points.
"Why...." Xie Antong’s expression was one of confusion and a bit of numbness.
"There should only be a few Hell Mode games..."
Why had she matched into one again?!
A nameless sense of foreboding welled up inside her.
......
After getting closer to an area dense with light dots, Lu Ce casually picked one and locked onto the target, telling Black Knight to sprint full speed toward it.
No need for nonsense — grab one first, break open a path, at least figure out how players were being eliminated.
However, among all Lu Ce’s masks, the Greed Mask was the most intelligence-oriented.
On the way, he noticed something felt very wrong about this city.
He hadn’t hidden his abnormality at all, practically flaunting himself as a player.
But what he saw wasn’t surprise at recognizing him — what he saw most was arguments breaking out every few seconds.
Shop owners getting into street fights.
People tossing things off high-rises.
Cars smashing into each other over parking spaces like they were trying to kill each other.
It wasn’t anything huge, but it was happening way too often — the whole city didn’t feel normal anymore, more like a violent, crime-ridden city.
If he didn’t know he was in Tokyo, he would’ve thought he was in Los Santos from Grand Theft Auto.
And just then, the road ahead was completely jammed — a massive chorus of honking filled the air, making his brain feel like mush.
"Holy sh*t! Is the city breaking down? Or are Tokyo streets just always this full of 'martial virtue'?"
The bizarre situation made the expression on the Greed Mask even more excited, and he asked Black Knight under him:
"Hey, got any good ideas?"
"Just crash through." Black Knight’s voice was casual and confident.
"And if I wanna be a little gentler?"
"Then hold on tight!"