Radical or Safe?

“Exactly. Is it even possible to entrust such an important responsibility to a buffer? Think with your brain before you speak.”

“Care to make a bet? I’m putting fifty thousand federal shields on the Second Young Miss of the Order Court.”

“Sure, I’ll match that. I’m betting fifty thousand on the Abyssal White Flower. I trust my eyes. Having a main attacker as the Label Catcher allows them to break the defensive line while maintaining high mobility. It’s only logical.”

“I’m sticking to my view. Dark Gold Rose will choose Akabane Tsubaki. I’ll follow with fifty thousand as well.”

While the discussion was heating up, inside the dungeon, the five members of the second group stood face to face before the Skyline Special Express.

“Boss, we really got matched against Dark Gold Rose. Who are we picking?” Pennywise, dressed in a clown outfit, scratched his head.

“Hmph.” Jason, wearing a hockey mask, let out a cool grunt and hoisted his blood-stained axe onto his shoulder.

“Let me go. I’ll tear them apart.” Michael’s voice was calm as he toyed with a kitchen knife, his heavy breathing audible from beneath his white mask.

Leatherface remained silent, merely pulling the cord of his chainsaw to express his thoughts as the violently rotating chain roared, sending bits of shredded meat flying amidst the sparks.

Their gazes collectively landed on the tall, thin figure in the center. The man’s face was severely burned, his red and green sweater soaked in blood. His eyes were narrowed into slits, from which a sinister gaze peered out, and his rusty iron claw glove sent shivers down one’s spine.

He said nothing, merely rubbing his iron claw glove together, producing an ear-piercing metallic screech that set teeth on edge.

In the Slaughterers’ live stream, countless bullet screen messages flew by.

“Great! It’s my favorite slasher combo!”

“Who is the opponent? Who is the Slaughterers’ opponent? Light-Chaser Garden? This match is definitely going to be worth watching!”

“They’re all young girls with fair, delicate skin. Just thinking about how they can be cruelly killed and torn apart makes me excited.”

“Just killing them so easily isn't enough. They definitely have to be slowly tortured to death. We have to enjoy the process of their painful wailing; that’s where the fun is.”

“Those fools from the Age of the Dead don’t even enjoy the slaughter itself; they’re just into the low-level fun of cannibalism. They don’t understand the art of slowly pulling bones and sinew out of flesh, as if peeling a person’s soul from their body~ The feeling of enjoying those melodious screams and wails in my ears is even more beautiful than a piano concerto.”

“Holy crap, why is this live stream full of perverts?”

Due to the Slaughterers’ way of doing things, most players were terrified of these slashers and avoided them at all costs, yet they also attracted many viewers with morbidly twisted values. Many had even become their die-hard fans, and most of those posting on the bullet screen were of this type.

“Jason, you go this time.” Freddy’s voice was raspy and low. “Hunt to your heart’s content, but do not underestimate the enemy. Think about Nanjiamu and Smiling Jazz; Dark Gold Rose and her team are no soft little lambs.”

“Hmph.” Grunting coolly again, Jason lifted his axe and vanished into a pillar of light.

The other four strode toward the train. Their diverse outfits, bright red labels, and the thick, heavy stench of blood surrounding them terrified the nearby androids. Some even grew weak in the knees, collapsing to the ground with pale faces.

Any android who got too close was instantly decapitated, falling to the ground as pools of blood gathered beneath them.

As the car doors slowly closed, screams erupted from within. Blood splattered against the windows, and a terrified human face appeared, leaving a crimson handprint before being pulled away.

Returning to the perspective of Light-Chaser Garden, the five had not yet entered the carriage. Xu Xiaoyou still hadn’t made her decision.

“Who do you think the big boss Dark Gold Rose will choose?”

“Akabane Tsubaki. Although she’s a bit immature, her strength is unquestionable. She was a somewhat famous booster before joining Light-Chaser Garden. I only recently learned about her past as a little family head.”

“Probably Bai Youyou. Her personality is more stable. More importantly, she has experience hunting down criminals.”

“It’s definitely got to be Angelina. She’s a main attacker. One Thousand Slashes of Crimson and they’re all finished.”

“Xin, you go.” Xu Xiaoyou looked at Tang Xin and spoke with a serious expression.

“Okay.” Tang Xin nodded and was enveloped by a light, vanishing from the spot.

[???]

“Wait, am I still dreaming?”

“She... she just decided so casually?”

“What is the big boss Dark Gold Rose doing? She really sent a buffer to be the Label Catcher. Has she already given up?”

Beneath the big screen, an analyst spat out his salted soda on the spot.

“Pfft! Is Dark Gold Rose serious? Even if a buffer’s attributes are reinforced, they won't be that strong, right?”

“I can’t keep up with this person’s thought process at all.”

“Why on earth would she pick Little Blue Bird as the Label Catcher?”

The expression on the glasses-wearing man’s face also froze. The youth beside him teased, “It seems you still don’t understand your own chairman well enough.”

The man smiled wryly in helplessness. “It seems so.”

Not only were the viewers and analysts confused, but even the girls of Light-Chaser Garden were stunned. They looked blankly at Xu Xiaoyou and then at the spot where the blue-haired girl had just been teleported from.

“What are you doing?” Bai Youyou’s expression was far from pleasant as she confronted the golden-haired girl.

She wasn’t just participating in this league for Light-Chaser Garden, but also for the Order Court. Now that Xu Xiaoyou had suddenly played such an unpredictable card, she would be under a lot of pressure.

“Yuzu, is it really okay for Big Sister Tang to go?” Akabane Tsubaki asked.

“Actually, you don't need to mind this girl.” Angelina sighed; she was already used to it. “If she sets her mind to something, no one can stop her. But most of the time, she has her own considerations.”

“Anya knows me best after all.” Xu Xiaoyou spread her hands quite helplessly.

“Regardless, you should have discussed it with us before making a choice,” Bai Youyou said calmly.

“Sometimes communication just makes things more troublesome.” Xu Xiaoyou waved her hand. “When I want to take a risk and can guarantee that it has a higher chance of winning, as long as I say it out loud, everyone will try to stop me.”

“Don’t keep such a long face. Let me tell you my thoughts,” Xu Xiaoyou said at the right moment.

“Think about it from another angle. In this chase, it seems all the information is guiding us to send out strong members to ‘attack,’ trying to make us subconsciously ignore ‘defense.’”

“Xin’s agility is too low. Not only is it inconvenient for her to move, but her stamina is destined to be unable to support the consumption of such a long pursuit. Rather than dragging the entire team down and causing us to fall into a passive state because of her, she would surely rather be the Label Catcher. That’s why she agreed so readily.”

“Killing all enemy team members is certainly a very good way to win, but don’t forget that the dungeon itself must also have a way to be cleared. From the perspective of traditional level design, the more a designer intentionally tries to make us ignore something, the more important that thing usually is.”

“In that case, we might as well abandon the ‘kill all enemies’ method of clearing the level. We should ensure our defensive capabilities and seek a second method that seems radical but is actually safer.”

After hearing her explanation, the girls’ expressions softened, and they took on thoughtful looks.

“The most important thing is,” Xu Xiaoyou pointed out the key, “as long as we are still in Skyline City, the buffing methods of the Starry Singer cover the entire map.”