God's Imitator

The size difference between the two was significant, so the punch could only target Zhao Heng’s chin.

Zhao Heng sneered, having anticipated this situation. He didn’t need to move much; simply tilting his head slightly backward was enough to make Huang Shengjie’s punch miss.

However, the next second, his pupils suddenly contracted, and all the blood in his body froze instantly.

Because he saw the dagger with a cold gleam in Huang Shengjie’s hand!

Huang Shengjie’s attack from behind was not a punch aimed at his chin but a thrust of the dagger towards his heart!

If Huang Shengjie didn’t have a weapon, such a change in attack would be meaningless; a punch to Zhao Heng’s chest would be nothing more than a tickle.

But a sharp dagger could change everything.

Zhao Heng was stunned; he couldn’t figure out where it came from.

But in a flash, Zhao Heng’s mind raced, suddenly thinking of a possibility.

"Could it be something from the ’Miscellaneous’ category of raw materials?"

In the ’Medication’ category, there were drugs used for pain relief that had already played a significant role in the game.

But the ’Food’ and ’Miscellaneous’ categories hadn’t been opened by anyone yet.

Based on common assumptions, they would only contain some food to stave off hunger or useless odds and ends, unlikely to have much use under the current game rules.

Only the ’Medication’ raw materials were considered valuable.

And every time something was opened, it counted as a violation, with not enough chances to waste.

Since a dagger appeared now and it couldn’t have been brought from outside the game, it must be hidden in a weight block from the ’Miscellaneous’ raw materials.

But using a dagger to kill would be a severe violent behavior threatening player life, had Huang Shengjie gone mad? Was he willing to go one-for-one?

Yao Yuan shouted, "No! Shengjie, the Immunity Coupon shouldn’t be wasted like this!"

Zhao Heng’s pupils contracted again, instantly considering a dire possibility.

The Immunity Coupon!

The mechanism of the Immunity Coupon in the Walkway is special. When used in advance, it can negate a sudden death penalty for the player.

If a player commits serious violent behavior endangering other players’ lives, they face a sudden death penalty, but it won’t take effect immediately; there’s a very brief grace period.

If the player is quick and strikes a fatal blow, they might indeed kill the other before the sudden death penalty takes effect.

Though, can this method really work out? Can an Immunity Coupon save someone from such a murder?

These are unknowns, as Zhao Heng has never encountered such a scenario before.

Nonetheless, in that flash, Huang Shengjie’s dagger was already thrusting straight at his heart!

Zhao Heng suddenly felt his blood surge, nearly instinctively dodging and delivering a hard punch to Huang Shengjie’s chest!

Huang Shengjie’s dagger didn’t pierce Zhao Heng’s heart, but it still stabbed his side ribs.

—Even someone with professional fighting training is likely to flounder when facing an armed opponent.

Disarming a weapon barehanded is, in most cases, mere fiction found in movies.

What’s more, Zhao Heng deliberately allowed Huang Shengjie close, reducing his own reaction time.

However, Zhao Heng looked down in shock; his side rib didn’t feel a chill but was merely poked by something hard and harmless.

The tip of Huang Shengjie’s dagger had retracted.

It was a prop dagger for magic tricks, incapable of harming Zhao Heng, not even considered violent behavior.

...

Huang Shengjie was hit off balance, stumbling back several steps before falling, unable to stand for a moment.

Zhao Heng was stunned, his brain somewhat frozen.

His entire body instantly fell into a paralyzed state, lasting much longer than the first time he was paralyzed.

Huang Shengjie didn’t speak; he just coughed violently a couple of times, looking toward the open space, seemingly expecting something.

[Player Zhao Heng from Community 23 has exceeded the violation limit, triggering a special penalty.]

[Any two players from Community 23 must donate all gold pounds through any device within 10 minutes, no less than 20,000 in total.]

[Otherwise, Zhao Heng will suffer a sudden death penalty.]

Since it’s a special penalty, it will be broadcasted to the whole area.

All players’ badges also vibrated, syncing this information.

Zhao Heng was stunned, quickly recalling the synced information from his rest time and fellow community players.

The first to unseal raw materials for medication was Wu Xiufang, one violation;

Zhao Heng used violence against Li Mao in the cell, two violations;

Li Mao dismantled raw materials to enter the confinement room in the second round, three violations.

This means Community 23 could still have two more violations, and Zhao Heng himself one more.

Even after Zhao Heng punched Huang Shengjie, it was still within the allowed rules.

Now the only explanation for this situation is that other players from Community 23 secretly committed more violations, reaching the violation limit.

Moreover, they did it secretly without Zhao Heng’s knowledge.

Zhao Heng stared at Yao Yuan: "It seems I really underestimated you.

"You are not like those other communities digging at people without any other strategy I met before.

"But unfortunately, the game’s mechanism this time is special. Even if you painstakingly make me trigger the special penalty, I won’t die.

"As long as two people donate ten thousand gold pounds each, it will be enough to waive the penalty.

"Wu Xiufang will definitely save me.

"And once Wu Xiufang donates, even Li Mao, the fence-sitter, will surely donate too."

Yao Yuan ignored him.

"Then just wait for a bit."

Zhao Heng was still in a paralyzed state, unable to move.

Huang Shengjie, supported by Zhou Wanlin, stood up, each holding contraband, passing by Zhao Heng as they went to transport it to the cells in Community 2.

...

Earlier, Zhao Heng had just set off to intercept players from Community 2.

The other players were also each carrying out their assigned roles according to Zhao Heng’s arrangement.

Li Mao continued receiving raw materials and producing gold pounds in the cell;

Wu Xiufang still served as the examiner, heading over the bridge to the Review Room to conduct a ’thorough review’ of Community 2’s goods for fines at the last moment;

Zhou Xiaoying was responsible for the steam train, relaying contraband.

During Peng Xinyuan’s time as a dispatcher, he placed a batch of ’Medication’ raw materials outside Community 2’s Review Room in the 12-minute span when the steam train transported raw materials.

It was the spot near Community 2’s Review Room and bridge corner below Safe Zone 2.

It was an excellent blind spot with unobstructed view, well within the steam train’s area, avoiding train stalling.

If in round three of the game those contrabands were moved all at once, the distance could be cut by half compared to the original route.

But such raw materials were not chosen as contraband.

So Peng Xinyuan could only transport contraband from the raw material warehouse, though Zhou Xiaoying could cover part of the distance.

However, just as Peng Xinyuan was about to transport contraband, he saw Zhou Xiaoying, having set the train loading program, tear open a package of ’Medication’ raw material, and fall into a brief paralyzed state.