Chapter 740 - 96: Ai
The muscle-bound man who lost his arm is called Zhong Qijun, and the female player holding a hand crossbow is called Huang Yeying.
After Zhong Qijun and Huang Yeying treated their wounds, they came over and repeatedly thanked Su Changxing, expressing immense gratitude.
"The people in this world are really crazy, to slaughter a city so easily without considering any consequences."
"If Brother Mu hadn’t hidden us in time, the three of us might not have escaped death. During the city’s destruction, even more rune warriors appeared than now, blocking all the roads. Very few people got out!"
Huang Yeying said with a face full of relief, her expression steady, as if the wounds just now didn’t really affect her much.
Su Changxing was not very interested in the details of the city’s destruction, so he changed the topic and bluntly asked:
"How long have you been in this world?"
This was what he truly cared about; he wanted to know what kind of status the players in this world were in.
Mu Donglai and the others exchanged glances, having some silent communication.
Mu Donglai said, "We haven’t been here long, just a few months, three to be precise."
Three months isn’t long, but it’s not short either; they should have gathered a lot of information about this place.
"Have you been to the Ninth Dimension?"
Hearing this, Mu Donglai was momentarily stunned, then shook his head and said, "No, players who come here seem to all head towards the Ninth Dimension. We have also been looking for a way to get there."
"We met a player before who said he’d been to the Ninth Dimension using a fragment channel, but it could only be used once and the time spent there was limited."
It’s unclear if it’s gratitude for Su Changxing saving them or fear of his strength, but they answered all of Su Changxing’s questions openly.
"Do you have any clues?"
Mu Donglai shook his head and sighed, "No real clues, mainly because this world is too hostile to us players, we must be cautious not to be discovered, making it difficult to gather information."
"We were planning to head to the Empire’s Southern Islands, but didn’t expect to run into all this."
Mu Donglai and the others are in a similar situation to him, not knowing much about this world. They were originally going to the Ninth Dimension but got trapped here instead.
Mu Donglai added, "Brother, you seem to have come from outside, is there anything you’re here for? We might be able to help."
Su Changxing was momentarily taken aback, not expecting them to say such a thing. Most players are profit-driven and wouldn’t do something without benefit easily.
Of course.
Mu Donglai and his group might be exceptions, and it’s not fair to generalize all players.
He didn’t hide anything and straightforwardly said, "I want to retrieve something from the Black Dog Gang’s territory, probably in that building ahead."
Mu Donglai also looked towards the half-destroyed building, which was still structurally stable despite being half-demolished.
"We can help you as a way to thank you for saving our lives," Mu Donglai said sincerely, his eyes full of earnestness.
Su Changxing showed some hesitation, "That’s not good, you all are injured, and there are quite a few rune warriors on that side, it’s very dangerous!"
Mu Donglai patted his chest, looking very gallant, "It’s not a big deal, it’s just minor injuries, nothing too serious."
"Minor injuries?" Su Changxing inclined his head slightly, looking at the mechanical arm Zhong Qijun was now using.
Zhong Qijun was silent for a moment and then said, "Even though I’ve lost one arm, with this mechanical arm, my combat ability won’t be greatly affected."
Huang Yeying also added, "I can use electricity to paralyze those rune warriors, which should be very helpful at critical moments."
Su Changxing waved his hand repeatedly, sincerely saying, "That’s not what I mean, it’s my personal business and I don’t want to involve you guys. You should leave, the way I came seems to be safe."
Hearing Su Changxing say this, Mu Donglai became even more enthusiastic, "It seems, Brother, you are also a righteous person, then we must help you. That place is somewhat eerie, so it’s better to be careful."
Eerie?
Su Changxing raised an eyebrow and asked, "What’s wrong with it?"
"On the day of the massacre, there was an intense battle here, and we could feel it from the other side. The army of rune warriors seemed to be attacking the Black Dog Gang’s building."
"But surprisingly, they never managed to take it down, instead losing some of their rune warrior guards."
"And every night there seems to be some commotion here, we even heard something like a monkey’s scream before."
Mu Donglai explained with a serious expression.
Su Changxing thought it over and found it even stranger, "If it’s so dangerous, then why do you still want to come with me?"
Mu Donglai patted his chest with a carefree expression: "You just saved us, so it’s only right that we help you. Even if we die, it evens things out, and we owe each other nothing."
It seemed reasonable, but things usually aren’t calculated that way.
Su Changxing nodded and did not object any further: "Alright then, since you’re not afraid of dying, let’s go together. What I’m looking for is a statue, a cracked Ratman Statue. Do you know about it?"
"I don’t know, is it a Mysterious Item?"
"Almost, it’s quite important to me."
There were originally five Rune Warriors guarding the front of the building. Since one was taken out by Mu Donglai and his group and two were lured away, only two remained.
Huang Yeying volunteered and said, "I can set up an electrical trap that will paralyze the Rune Warriors temporarily. We can first take out the other one, and handling the remaining one will be easy."
Su Changxing had no objections and was curious to see what these players could do, "Good plan."
Huang Yeying took a few steps forward, pulled out a palm-sized iron box from her chest, and placed it on the ground. In an instant, it flashed with dazzling electric light, expanding on the ground to two or three meters, very thin, like a mat.
At the same time, the electric light caught the attention of the two Rune Warriors, who walked over to check the situation.
Heavy footsteps approached step by step, but none of the people exposed themselves immediately.
When they were close enough, Zhong Qijun raised his massive firearm with his mechanical arm and pulled the trigger on the closest Rune Warrior. The bullet hit the chest armor, creating a hole.
The two Rune Warriors spotted him and charged towards him.
Something unexpected happened.
The two Rune Warriors jumped over the pre-arranged electrical trap.
Su Changxing stood up and fired, a bullet piercing through the opening in the chest armor, hitting the Rune Warrior, with sparks trailing electric currents.
A Crossbow Arrow followed, exploding in the chest of the Rune Warrior. Su Changxing fired another shot, and the Rune Warrior collapsed completely.
Mu Donglai and the others looked surprised at the scene. They had taken down a Rune Warrior so easily, and the power of the bullets Su Changxing fired was unbelievably strong.
Mu Donglai conjured a giant arm in front of him and punched it at the Rune Warrior.
A loud bang.
The Rune Warrior was forced back a few steps, but Mu Donglai didn’t look good either, as this method seemed to consume him significantly.
Su Changxing seized the opening left by the Rune Warrior and fired a bullet that pierced its chest armor, leaving a hole not too big, not too small.
With the defense broken, the rest was simple.
Huang Yeying played his old trick again, a cone-shaped current appeared between his hands, shooting towards the Rune Warrior’s chest, penetrating its body, causing a temporary paralysis.
Zhong Qijun hoisted the massive firearm and ran to the front of the Rune Warrior, shooting it continuously in the chest four times, penetrating its body and taking it out.
"Impressive, brother, having you join us makes dealing with these mechanical monsters much easier," Mu Donglai couldn’t help but commend.
Previously, they were chased and nearly killed by these things, mainly because they couldn’t afford to get hit by the Rune Warriors. One hit and it would mean death or serious injury.
Su Changxing had a general estimation of the strength of these three, "There’s strength in numbers."
The group headed towards the building, the iron door already destroyed, twisted and fallen to the ground. Corpses piled up at the entrance, almost blocking the entire passage.
"This looks strange, as if when the massacre happened, all members of the Black Dog Gang gathered here for a last stand and didn’t retreat a single step."
Su Changxing analyzed looking at the scene and didn’t rush inside. Instead, he carefully perceived the surroundings first.
If Mu Donglai hadn’t lied, there would absolutely be something else in this place, and it was most likely related to the Ratman Statue.
Standing at the entrance felt like nothing could be sensed. It seemed empty inside, with no anomalies.
Mu Donglai and his group also showed serious expressions, standing behind Su Changxing looking into the building but not stepping forward.
Su Changxing turned his head to Huang Yeying and said, "We need someone to scout ahead. Your perception and Speed are good, you might be a suitable choice."
Upon hearing these words, Huang Yeying’s face became rigid: "I’m injured, so I might not be suitable..."
Before she finished speaking, Su Changxing stepped on the pile of corpses and walked into the building, "Never mind, follow me, since I’m the one coming to get something. If anything happens, you can leave on your own."
As Su Changxing entered the building, Mu Donglai and the others exchanged glances and quickly followed.
The building was full of ruins and bodies. These people did not seem to be killed by the Rune Warriors. Many had a large hole in their chest, with smooth bone edges as if polished by a grinder, reflecting fuzzy shadows.