Chapter 602: You’d Rather I Die, I’d Rather You Perish
[Broadcast from Evil King Building—]
[Building War match successful!]
[Evil King Building, Mad King Building, Heaven’s Judgment Building, and Amusement Park Building will engage in a Building War together!]
[Mad King Building—Dormitory Traits: Shared Glory and Shame, Mad Judgment, Chaotic Knowledge]
[Heaven’s Judgment Building—Dormitory Traits: Forbidden Power, Divine Verdict, Heaven’s Judgment Stroke]
[Amusement Park Building—Dormitory Traits: Happiness Knocks, Candy Tower, Charm Time]
[Abyss awaits, evil forever feasts!]
[We have begun the path of True Kings!]
The Evil King Building’s broadcast was sinister to the extreme, a sliver of sound slipping into living ears like crime and catastrophe. The surrounding space twisted with that voice, as if wrinkles had formed from gnawing flesh.
At the instant the broadcast ended, the jet-black heart suspended high in the sky suddenly contracted, then made a snapping, tearing sound like flesh splitting, and grew malformed, misaligned facial features.
Those features were cobbled together haphazardly, every inch of expression exuding unbearable pain and contortion, the lips rasping in a scream so brutal it seemed as if it had endured ten thousand years of purgatorial torture.
Suddenly, the murmured chorus of ten thousand fiends fell silent.
Boom!!!
The black heart ruptured, bursting like a gigantic black nocturnal blossom, yet also like the grandest firework of a voided sacrificial rite!
The fluid that spilled out was not blood, but something more like a living, active substance.
It sprinkled outside the Evil King Building, then as if alive, converged and took shape, eventually solidifying into three humanoid evil gods a hundred meters tall!
These three evil gods flanked the Evil King Building, standing as its most authoritative guardians. Even the Dharmapala statues in a temple could not match one ten-millionth of their regal savagery.
The left figure wore ferocious bone armor, wielding a cruel blade wrapped in ominous black mist, the edge reflecting battlefield scenes and the shadows of the defeated.
The right figure hoisted a shield as heavy as a mountain on one shoulder, gripping a serrated greatsword in the other hand. Its aura was as dense and immovable as an ancient reef, as if able to resist and crush any assault.
The central figure was the most terrifying: bare-chested, tiger-and-dragon tattoos carved across its skin, black hair pouring down like a waterfall. Its fists hung between its thighs, dark ripples visible on the knuckles. Those ripples merely trembled and already made the surrounding space groan under the strain.
At this point, Evil King Building became calm.
The three evil gods stood motionless.
No players emerged from the building either.
It looked as if the only change was three additional building guards—nothing more.
…
“This promotion Building War seems harder than usual, but it shouldn’t be impossibly difficult, right?”
At Demon King Castle, Xu Lang still lounged in thought, unaware of the conditions in the other dormitory buildings.
After all, Mad King Building hadn’t even announced a True King Duel.
What needed to be hidden was hidden.
Not a shred of useful information leaked.
Actual support—there was virtually none.
If Xu Lang knew the other three buildings’ situations, he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep from anger.
Compared to the other three, Mad King Building was like a stinking beggar.
That said, calling them a stinking beggar wasn’t quite right.
Mad King Building deliberately disgusted people—no basic information support, they’d trap you to death without mercy.
For the relationships between players and dormitory buildings to degenerate to this extent in the early stage was extremely rare.
Before players rose up, there’s usually a honeymoon period with the buildings. Once wings harden and players gain too many extraordinary powers beyond the building’s control, relations rapidly sour.
Xu Lang’s growth had been too fast, and the deterioration with his building happened equally quickly.
Of course, maybe Mad King Building just had a bad temper.
“Dorm owner, do you want to say a few words?”
At that moment, Su Yuan, Zhou Ye, Wang Lie and other Neighborhood Committee members arrived.
Beside them were Sheng Qi, Li Shuwen, and Floating Life Play—several floor leaders who also served on the committee.
Around those floor leaders stood groups of tenants and confidants.
The wide corridor was packed with people.
On the other side, Wu Huihui also led a cluster of sisters from the twentieth floor over.
Xu Lang pondered, recalling the scenes from school rallies.
This was undoubtedly a morale-boosting event, the kind used by ancient armies before setting out.
Yet he didn’t like such pumped-up displays.
Life and death are fate; wealth and honor are heaven’s decree.
Everyone should only be responsible for themselves.
Still, as the leader of a force, he had to do something, even though his subordinates often attempted to mutiny and sometimes went berserk.
“Mary, distribute all supplies below Legendary grade,” Xu Lang turned to Mary and said.
Instantly, Han Zhixiu, Cao Yaxuan and the others wore expressions of shock.
As members of Demon King Castle, they knew all too well how abundant Xu Lang’s resources were.
Even throwing away a bit could crush someone!
Describing them as magnanimous compared to the vast universe was inaccurate, but before joining Xu Lang’s household, they had truly endured hard times.
“Thank you, Dorm Owner!”
“Lang Ge, I love you!”
“Below Legendary—does that mean we might get Excellent-grade gear?!”
Shouts and cheers surged like tidal waves. The female players of the twentieth floor were especially excited; if Xu Lang hadn’t presented himself so imposing and if Cao Yaxuan and the others weren’t beside them, they would have charged forward.
Players downstairs didn’t yet know what had happened and were losing control.
Everyone knew a Building War was coming, and mental states were off.
The whole building’s collective SAN value peak dropped again and again!
When they learned Demon King Castle’s moves, SAN values fluctuated violently—some rising, some falling.
Each person’s mindset differed, so increases and decreases varied.
…
Fifteenth floor.
Snake Lord opened his door and welcomed Wu Man inside.
“Heh heh, our dorm owner sure is generous,” Wu Man chuckled as he entered.
Snake Lord said nothing, quietly taking his seat on the sofa.
“Not in a great mood, Snake Lord?” Wu Man asked oddly, then grinned wickedly, “I know you’ve always had a thought about the dorm owner. Isn’t this Building War a good opportunity? Heh heh.”
Snake Lord’s expression shifted subtly. Before he could ask, Wu Man continued.
“Snake Lord, you need to understand the player system more. I just learned a bit of ‘master-level psychological profiling’ and I can see lots of things,” Wu Man spread his hands. “It’s not even a transcendental skill—can’t reach Excellent rank.”
“What are you trying to say?!” Snake Lord had few friends in Mad King Building—perhaps only the one before him.
His snake-like eyes sharpened, flashing a faint cold light.
If Wu Man really knew about the “Kill the Cheater” mission, he would have to die!
Wu Man felt a bone-deep chill and shrank his neck. “Don’t be so fierce, Snake Lord, we all came through the Gate of Ten Thousand Lies…”
“Say another word and I’ll kill you!” Snake Lord’s eye shadow darkened further; forbidden power surged within him.
“All right, all right!” Wu Man leaned back, inhaled, composed himself, and said, “This Building War—we want to test that person!”
To avoid alerting Xu Lang, Demon King Castle, or Cao Yaxuan’s special mechanisms, Wu Man typically referred to Xu Lang as “that person.”
It’s a common survival trick among the transcendental domain: great ones must not be called by name.
“Us?” Snake Lord raised an eyebrow.
“Heh heh heh.” Wu Man grinned wickedly again, “The Taleblade Demon Box can monitor us, that’s true, but there are ways to crack it, so… it’s us!”