Players, Please Board the Train

Chapter 221: There are more than just people alive in the copy

Like Capital City, Ting City saw a significant decrease in people going out, but following the government's call, some stores still opened for business. After all, it was broad daylight, and patrol cars were still active on the streets.

When they reached the outside of the residential complex, Xu Huo took the flower pot from the Painting Woman's hands and gave her a card. "Buy whatever you want, but don't exceed five thousand. Consider it overtime bonus."

The Painting Woman wiped her tears, turned, and headed into the shopping mall.

Carrying the plant, Xu Huo returned to his rented apartment. Just as he took out his keys, the door opposite opened, and Yuan Yao rushed out, arms spread wide to hug him. "Brother Xu, you're finally back!"

Xu Huo raised his foot to block him, glancing over his dark circles and sunken cheeks. "Are you okay?"

"I've had it so rough!" Yuan Yao burst into tears on the spot. "I haven't eaten for days, there's no food delivery, if you hadn't come back I would have starved to death!"

Xu Huo opened the door and let him in. The moment he entered, Yuan Yao lunged for the refrigerator, pulling out snacks and dried fruits.

These were all things Xu Huo had bought for the Painting Woman.

Xu Huo poured him a glass of water and sat down to watch him eat.

Stuffing his face, Yuan Yao spoke indistinctly: "I took my parents to the countryside to avoid the trouble. During the days the out-of-zone players invaded, I didn't even dare sleep. I barely managed to wait until they left, and then it was time for me to enter the dungeon.""I went in completely unprepared. That dungeon's boss was a pervert who liked eating the flesh of young men. I had to sell twenty-five jin of my own flesh just to barely survive until the end of the game..."

"Look how skinny I am because of it! After coming out, I wanted to find something to eat, but I hadn't gone more than a few steps before I ran into thieves. They stole my phone and wallet. Then I got targeted by others. In my condition, I didn't dare linger outside, so I had to come back here."

"Luckily I had a spare key, otherwise I wouldn't even have been able to get through the door!"

So the people lurking near the complex were after Yuan Yao.

Xu Huo poured him another glass of water. "You didn't contact any acquaintances to bring you food?"

After drinking it, Yuan Yao let out a long sigh before continuing. "What acquaintances are there now? On the street, everyone looks like they want to eat people. Forget asking someone to come alone to an unfamiliar residential complex, I wouldn't even dare meet them in a public place."

He paused, then added, "Besides, I'm already being targeted. Calling someone over might just get them involved."

"You didn't call the tip line?" Xu Huo said. "You have a computer in your room. Contacting the Ting City Research Institute shouldn't be difficult."

Yuan Yao scratched his head. "Well... I didn't dare."

"After that incident earlier, some people said players with ill intentions had infiltrated the Research Institute. The Institute's player list was leaked. I heard several players have already died. Don't know if it was people from the Institute who did it."

"Brother Xu, do you think there might still be out-of-zone players remaining in Zone 014?" Yuan Yao asked cautiously. "Are the players watching me out-of-zone players?"

"No," Xu Huo said. "If they were out-of-zone players, they wouldn't need to watch you for several days."

Besides, the out-of-zone players had vanished completely in a very short time. Either they left Zone 014, or they went into hiding. They wouldn't expose themselves over a low-level player.

"At most, out-of-zone players would only stay in Zone 014 for less than two months," he added. "Unless they want to keep doing low-level dungeons forever."

Hearing this, Yuan Yao relaxed. Xu Huo picked up the phone and dialed the number he had seen earlier on the patrol car. "...Yes, I've spotted three Player-Eater Evolvers. Their location is..."

After hanging up, he looked back at Yuan Yao. "Tell me in detail about your dungeon experience."

"Okay." Yuan Yao wiped his mouth with his sleeve, sat down, and began recounting it carefully.

This time, he had entered a dungeon filled with ghosts and deities. The small village in the dungeon worshipped a god he had never heard of or seen before. This god held a scale and demanded meat every day.

If it was livestock meat, it required one hundred jin, but human flesh only needed five jin. The players were lured there by the villagers. At night, the god would come to life and demand meat. However, it claimed it was "buying meat." If the villagers used livestock, it would give them a little gold. If it was a human, selling flesh could buy one night of safety.

Xu Huo looked at him. "The game lasted ten days total. Why did you end up selling twenty-five jin of flesh?"

Yuan Yao looked ashamed. "It's not my fault! The first day I was tricked into going. Later, other players forced me into a corner; I had no choice but to go trade with the god."

"Were there other players who entered the temple and came out safely without any changes?" Xu Huo asked.

Yuan Yao thought for a moment. "There was one female player. I saw her when she came out; her chest was still full, her buttocks were still round, she hadn't lost any weight at all."

"Were there players who died inside?"

"No."

"While you were in the temple, did anyone die outside?"

"Yes," Yuan Yao answered honestly. "Died pretty horribly. Their flesh was completely eaten, their skull tossed in the pigsty."

"Both inside and outside the temple were dangerous! The game gave two tasks: survive ten days, and explore the village."

"I didn't dare! Staying alive was hard enough."

"There were others who didn't believe it and tried their luck, but they all died. Even that female player who came out of the temple completely unscathed died too."

"Game time was ten days. Completing one task meant clearing the dungeon," Xu Huo said. "The one you traded with probably wasn't the dungeon's boss. The real people-eaters were either players or villagers. The main subject of this dungeon was the village."

"Even so, I didn't dare not trade with that thing in the temple!" Yuan Yao said. "Who knows if it would go on a killing rampage if it didn't get its meat?"

"Are you sure it definitely wasn't human?" Xu Huo asked.

"It really wasn't human," Yuan Yao stated gravely. "It was a statue. It just came to life."

"Its scale was like a straw. It could just poke someone and suck the flesh right out. Efficient, no scars left..."

Xu Huo stared fixedly at him. Yuan Yao shut his mouth.

Just hearing the account of the dungeon process, Xu Huo couldn't confirm if his deduction was correct. If the meat-buyer was merely a statue, then it was very likely a sentient item like the Painting Woman, or at least a special item.

However, players could become dungeon bosses, so it was possible items had special uses too.

This also served as a reminder to him: in dungeons, the living aren't just people, and the killers aren't just players and Mutants.

The Painting Woman returned soon, bringing food with her.

"Sister Lichun, you're so good! You knew I hadn't eaten and specially bought me food!" Yuan Yao rushed to hug her, but received a kick to the chest for his efforts.

The otaku flew back onto the sofa, rubbing his chest and laughing. "Doesn't hurt, doesn't hurt at all!"

The Painting Woman pouted, portioned out some of the food for him, then served Xu Huo his meal, setting out his chopsticks properly before sitting down to wait for him to take his seat, presenting herself as the very picture of a virtuous wife and mother.

Under Yuan Yao's envious gaze, Xu Huo sat down at the dining table, picked up his chopsticks leisurely, and said, "The amount you overspent will be deducted from your allowance."