The cheongsam-clad girl, folding fan in hand, quietly made her landing in Avenia.
The white cheongsam shimmered softly in the sunlight, the red peonies embroidered on it swaying with every step.
She walked slowly with a leisurely posture, looking more like a wealthy heiress on vacation than a participant.
She lightly unfurled her folding fan, concealing half of her face. Within those bewitching eyes, the prosperity of the entire island was reflected.
Meanwhile, inside the game.
Kraken was crouched behind a broken wall, vigilantly scanning his surroundings.
The ruins were silent. Occasionally, the wind would blow past, swirling a few scraps of waste paper across the ground.
Suddenly, the system interface before his eyes trembled.
Kraken immediately checked it.
He initially thought it was a new notification—perhaps a mission update or a rule supplement.
But a few seconds later, lines of text began to crawl across the screen.
The font was not the system’s original style; it looked more like an intruder from the outside.
The organizers of the Killing Competition game had undoubtedly implemented top-tier security measures. A technology capable of extracting the consciousness of hundreds of people and projecting them into a virtual space had to be backed by immense power.
A common intrusion should have been impossible.
However, for that girl in the cheongsam, it was nothing at all.
The text appeared line by line:
【I have hacked into your game system. Do not speak, and do not show any expression of surprise. I will appear in your field of vision in text form, and your system’s back-end will not be able to detect me.】
Kraken’s breath hitched.
He almost blurted out, "How did you do that?" but he managed to force the words back down.
The text continued:
【You are currently being monitored not only by the game system but also by the Order Alliance, who are watching your every move through a special method. Therefore, you only need to listen to me; do not make any response.】
Kraken maintained his crouched position, his gaze still vigilantly scanning the surroundings. His expression remained unchanged, though his heart was beating a bit faster than before.
【I will assist your movements and help you investigate and record various intelligence within the Killing Competition game.】
【I just reviewed the game rules. If you want to survive and win, the first thing you should do is immediately collect weapons and equipment.】
【I will mark all the weapon acquisition points on the map within your field of vision. You should be able to see them in a moment.】
【Regardless of the situation, I hope you prioritize your own safety above all else.】
With that, the text vanished.
Following that, a clear marker appeared in the upper right of Kraken’s field of vision.
The marker was semi-transparent and floated in the air like a quest guide in a video game, complete with a clear distance display.
He didn't even need the system map.
Kraken couldn't help but marvel inwardly. He hadn't expected the girl to actually follow him into the game.
After her intrusion, the original system interface had also changed.
Many markers had been added to the map. Kraken thought for a moment and selected the nearest weapon acquisition point.
It was only two blocks away.
He needed to confirm the status of these weapon acquisition points as soon as possible to decide his next move.
Hunched low, he moved quickly through the ruins.
The marked location was a construction site.
Steel and building materials were piled up like small mountains, surrounded by several tower cranes.
In the center of the site was a building that was nothing more than a hollow shell. The outer walls hadn't been laid yet, leaving the crisscrossing scaffolding visible inside.
With the girl’s guidance, Kraken didn't have to waste time confirming the location.
He stepped over the piles of debris and headed into the building.
The stairs inside had already been built. Though they were crude, they were at least functional.
Just as Kraken reached the entrance of the building...
Text suddenly flashed before him.
【Caution: Ambush ahead!】
Kraken stopped in his tracks instantly, reflexively crouching lower as he scanned the area.
He was well aware that any of the other participants in this Killing Competition could launch an attack at any time.
Furthermore, he currently had no supernatural powers. He hadn't brought his cards with him, so his poker magic was naturally unusable.
If he were attacked, it could very well result in mental death, leaving his body in a vegetative state—or simply killing him outright.
Because of this, he was exceptionally careful with every move.
He looked left and right but saw no hidden enemies nearby.
【Look up. Fifth floor.】
Kraken immediately complied.
Looking up, he only saw the walls of the fifth floor.
However, a red humanoid phantom appeared behind the wall in his vision—an X-ray marking the girl had specifically created for him.
The person lying in wait was in a half-crouched position, clutching a gun. The barrel was aimed directly at the stairwell. Their breathing was light and their body was almost perfectly still, patiently waiting for the prey to walk into the trap.
【I can see all the surrounding scenes. As long as it is useful information, I will project it onto your system panel for your reference.】
Kraken clicked his tongue inwardly. This was quite the cheat.
Having no time to marvel, he immediately began to study the terrain.
The ambusher was guarding the fifth-floor stairwell. Going up the stairs would be suicide.
He quickly scanned the surroundings, his gaze landing on the external passage. For an unfinished building like this, there were usually frames on the exterior for workers to pass through.
He moved to the outer walkway of the building and climbed up quietly.
The structure of the passage was somewhat loose, creaking with every step, but fortunately, the sound of the wind masked most of the noise.
He easily reached the fifth floor and looked toward the inner corridor.
The ambusher was still fully focused on the stairwell.
To the person's right, a box on the floor had been opened. It was empty; the contents had already been taken.
Waiting for his prey to walk right into his trap.
Kraken understood the other person's intention.
At this stage, most people were participating in the game for the first time. By lying in wait at a weapon acquisition point, it was easy to catch a target off guard.
With any luck, they might even get some dropped equipment.
Unfortunately for them, they had run into a cheater like Kraken.
Kraken didn't hesitate. He rushed behind the person.
The individual heard the movement and whipped their head around.
But it was too late.
Kraken’s hand was already clamped around their neck.
There was a soft crack.
The ambusher slumped to the ground, the gun sliding a good distance away.
【Kill Count: 2】
The system interface changed immediately, a new number appearing on the pale blue light screen.
Kraken looked down at the corpse and remained silent for a few seconds.
To some extent, these participants from all over the world might have been innocent.
They had simply been unfortunate enough to click a pop-up and were dragged into this bloody game. They had families, friends, and people they wanted to see tomorrow.
But in this situation, Kraken could not afford to feel pity for them.
Failure meant death.
He was a good man, but he wasn't willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others.
Kraken bent down and picked up the gun.
It was an ordinary handgun, not very heavy, with six rounds in the magazine. He searched the body and found two spare magazines.
With the conveniences provided by the girl and this gun, Kraken had successfully secured an early-game advantage.
Rate on N.U.
