Zuo Lin'an had no idea what the player he had captured was thinking.
He was merely performing his duty, executing his Death Rule.
But to the player, it felt like falling into hell.
He could even feel the ice-cold knife slowly being pulled out of his neck, and then the tip of the blade began to slice down his back.
It... it was a specter!
It was skinning him!
“Ugh...”
With his neck pierced and his throat severely damaged, he couldn't speak at all.
In the end, he could only be brutally killed by Zuo Lin'an, bit by bit.
“First one.”
He stood up, ignored the corpse on the ground, and found a random spot to hide. In reality, he shifted his attention over to his living body.
By this time, several players had already arrived at the bonfire.
“Excuse me, young brother?”
Leaning against a withered tree, Zuo Lin'an slowly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings, seeing eight people.
“Can I help you?”
The speaker was the oldest among them, looking about fifty. Standing next to him was a younger man; judging by their looks, they were probably father and son.
“The night is late and the dew is heavy. Would you mind if we rest here for a moment?”
Zuo Lin'an waved his hand dismissively. “Suit yourself.”
The young man helped him sit on the ground. “Father, be careful.”
They really were father and son.
Furthermore, Zuo Lin'an could sense a well-hidden sense of superiority from this young man.
If he wasn't mistaken, this was likely a veteran player.
He just didn't know if the man had been selected for the National War Dungeon before.
Besides them, there were some unfamiliar men and women around. Before Zuo Lin'an could finish observing, more people began to arrive from the distance.
They didn't bother asking Zuo Lin'an and simply sat down nearby.
Some were highly wary of their fellow players, clearly keeping their distance as they cautiously observed their surroundings.
Others chose to band together for warmth.
And some were observing him, the NPC. Their gazes were brazen and unscrupulous. Zuo Lin'an couldn't help but look back. Only when the person noticed his displeased expression did they look away.
About ten minutes passed before all the players finally gathered.
Nineteen in total, not a single one missing.
Hiding on another mountain in the distance, his specter body pulled out a phone to record a video. He zoomed in on the distant scene, capturing all the players in the frame.
Although the distance was a bit far, the new phone's performance was clearly excellent, and the recorded video was quite clear.
He opened his chat with Feng Xingyun and sent the video over.
【Zuo Lin'an: See if you recognize anyone.】
Feng Xingyun was currently standing outside the white mist.
Ever since Zuo Lin'an stepped into the white mist, he had been waiting quietly and patiently.
Sure enough...
“A video?”
He tapped the screen with his finger, and the video began to play.
It was only about a dozen seconds long, and he finished watching it quickly.
There were twenty people in the video, nineteen of them excluding Zuo Lin'an.
“Hmm?”
【Feng Xingyun: Didn't you say there were twenty?】
【Zuo Lin'an: I killed one. That one wasn't important. Look at the rest.】
Only then did Feng Xingyun realize he didn't seem to know what Zuo Lin'an's Death Rule was.
Judging by how none of the players in the video showed any panic, they probably hadn't realized someone was dead yet.
Which meant that in just a few short minutes, a player had not only triggered the Death Rule, but Zuo Lin'an had also killed them without being noticed by any of the other players.
“Just what is his Death Rule?”
He didn't ask Zuo Lin'an. Although he would find out sooner or later, since this concerned personal secrets, he definitely couldn't bring it up himself.
Besides, these nineteen people...
“I didn't expect to see some old friends.”
Feng Xingyun scrutinized all nineteen people thoroughly before sending Zuo Lin'an a message.
【Feng Xingyun: That father and son are from the Jin family of Mount Jinfeng. The elder is named Jin Qianwen. He used to have half-step Xiantian Rank strength, but because he coveted the imperial court's bounty, he secretly ambushed me. I crippled him with a single palm strike, and now he is nothing but a useless invalid.】
【Feng Xingyun: The young man beside him is his son, Jin Youwu, who is currently around the First-Rate Rank.】
【Feng Xingyun: As for their talents and specter items, specter items are quite secretive, so I don't know if they have any. However, I do know a thing or two about their talents.】
【Feng Xingyun: A few years ago, after recovering a bit, I wanted to find an opportunity to take revenge on the Jin family, so I investigated them in secret. Although I ultimately didn't make a move for certain reasons, I accidentally learned about Jin Youwu's talent, which is called Golden Cicada Sheds Its Skin.】
Zuo Lin'an carefully reviewed the message.
“Golden Cicada Sheds Its Skin?”
【Feng Xingyun: This is a special talent. When attacked, he can make his true body slip away quietly, leaving a decoy shell in his place. Once the shell is killed, his own Death Lock is completely cleared. However, these decoy shells must be made using dying people. He can only make one every ten days and can hold a maximum of three at a time.】
【Feng Xingyun: Right now, Jin Youwu must have three decoy shells in his possession. As for his father, he should be a new player, so I don't know his talent.】
Zuo Lin'an instantly raised player Jin Youwu's danger level by a notch.
According to his Death Rule, if he were to attack Jin Youwu once every hour and succeed each time, it would take four attempts to kill him. The first three times would only destroy his three stored decoy shells, and that wasn't even factoring in the specter items of unknown effect he might hold.
A veteran player couldn't possibly be without any specter items to protect themselves, right?
He muttered to himself, “So, can I fake an attack to trick him into using his decoy shells?”
【Zuo Lin'an: Does he have to face a genuine attack to trigger the decoy shell?】
【Feng Xingyun: I don't know.】
Zuo Lin'an let out a soft sigh.
True. Feng Xingyun had definitely never seen Jin Youwu actually use his talent; it was just information he had gathered.
“In that case, I'll have to go try it out myself.”
He just didn't know if his father possessed any powerful talents after becoming a player.
There was a high probability he didn't have any specter items.
【Zuo Lin'an: How is the relationship between this father and son usually?】
With a little thought, Feng Xingyun understood what Zuo Lin'an meant.
【Feng Xingyun: The father and son have an extremely close relationship. Jin Youwu is very filial, which is why he entered the dungeon alongside Jin Qianwen to protect him. It has nothing to do with whether his father has a powerful talent.】
Zuo Lin'an curled his lips.
Fair enough.
This meant he couldn't use their relationship to judge whether Jin Qianwen's talent was good or bad.
【Feng Xingyun: The man with the prominent scar on his face is Zhou Shan, a bounty hunter who has risen to fame in recent years. He specializes in completing all kinds of bounties.】
【Feng Xingyun: However, he isn't picky. Whether it's a bounty from the imperial court, the Jianghu, or even some bandits and outlaws, he will take it as long as the pay is right.】
Rate on N.U.
