Chapter 2577: He Only Got a Headpiece
The bloody slaughter made the spectators’ emotions increasingly high. As time passed, both mutant beasts were heavily wounded, especially the Cat Beast. The Tiger Beast’s thick hide made it impossible for the Cat Beast to bite, and its natural toxins were ineffective. Gradually, just as many people thought the Cat Beast was about to be killed, the Tiger Beast suddenly charged fiercely and broke through a barrier — the barrier devices were installed around the arena, both inside and outside. Earlier, the mutant beasts had accidentally damaged two when they trembled.
The arena has at least three layers of barriers, and only the innermost layer was destroyed, so these two mutant beasts couldn’t possibly escape the arena. However, it was somewhat surprising that the two mutant beasts were actually working together to attack the devices in one place. After the Tiger Beast launched its attack, the Cat Beast’s broken leg quickly recovered. Having failed to break through the second layer of the barrier, the Cat Beast even jumped onto the Tiger Beast’s back, attempting to climb over from above.
But what followed was two gunshots; both mutant beasts shook their heads and then collapsed to the ground, where robots came to retrieve them.
"Don’t underestimate these mutated animals and plants," You Xin explained nearby, "Once they start scheming, they definitely won’t cooperate in the competition. The organizers will send them to a scenic amusement park or directly to the slaughterhouse."
"Not just mutant beasts, mutated plants can also deceive people. Mr. Xu, if you plan to go to an instance next, you better be a bit more careful."
Xu Huo nodded.
The two mutant beasts were retrieved, and the guests who had placed bets could defer their bets to the next match, allowing them to choose their favored side again.
Xu Huo wasn’t very interested; after the second match ended, the Girl in the painting left after losing the money she bet.
Having had enough fun, before it got completely dark, they switched to another aircraft to head to the city where the writer Jing Shi was located.
By the time they arrived, it was already late, so they found a place to stay overnight. The next day, Xu Huo had the You sisters take the Girl in the painting out for some fun, while he, carrying a gift, visited based on the address Jing Shi had provided.
Despite being abrupt, Jing Shi still received him.
"I won’t be staying in District 001 for long, so I could only suddenly visit," Xu Huo said.
"That’s alright," the old lady adjusted her shawl and said with a smile, "It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a pleasant conversation. You’re a very thoughtful young man."
"The temperature changes quite quickly here. I have some prepared warm clothing for guests; take a set when you leave."
Xu Huo thanked her first, then gradually steered the conversation towards "Time Force."
Not only was Jing Shi imaginative, but importantly, she had a certain foundation in the use of Time Force, so her imaginations had tangible bases. Some of her viewpoints differed from Xu Huo’s, but they were interesting to listen to.
It was just ordinary chatting, not urgent. The topics twisted and turned, not all centered on Time Force. By lunchtime, an aircraft descended above the manor, and a teenager dressed in clothes with a clock pattern hurried down from it and ran to Jing Shi, "Grandma, I missed you so much!"
Jing Shi patted the boy’s head and introduced him, "This is Grandma’s friend, Mr. Xu. This is my grandson, Xiao Chuan, who is just beginning to learn watchmaking with his teacher."
Xu Huo’s eyes lingered on the boy’s clothing, "This outfit looks familiar."
"It’s apprentice clothes; many people wear it," Xiao Chuan said, "What you saw must be other apprentices. My teacher is excellent; many Outer District people come a long way, trying any method to become his student."
Xu Huo chuckled, "This sounds more like an Artifact Maker."
"His teacher isn’t an Artifact Maker, but a true Watch Master," Jing Shi said, "He is popular among players because time-related items have appeared in watches he made."
Xu Huo appropriately showed surprise, "He’s not an Artifact Maker, but he can create time-related items? How can the other Artifact Makers cope with this?"
Jing Shi shook her head, "Many naturally created items relate to the craftsmanship of the artisan and the environment where the item is born. As animals and plants evolve, perhaps these items also evolve. This kind of evolution is unfathomable and cannot be matched by humans."
After speaking, she sent Xiao Chuan to wash up and prepare for lunch since there were other courses in the afternoon.
No need to avoid, Xu Huo naturally heard the contents of their conversation and said with a smile, "You are a famous writer, and have no intention of introducing your descendants to it?"
"Everyone’s talents differ, forcing him to learn may not result in him learning well. If not genuinely interested, it’s hard to excel along the way, and a lifetime of effort may lead to mediocrity," Jing Shi said quite philosophically.
After lunch, Xu Huo stayed for another three hours before leaving. Before leaving, Jing Shi invited him to come again to discuss matters the next day. Not only would Xu Huo benefit, but she had also gained some new inspiration from the conversation.
Xu Huo agreed to go.
When he returned to the hotel, the Girl in the painting and the You sisters were already back. The room floor was littered with spoils, and the Girl in the painting had specifically bought him a horror mask—honestly, it was so realistic that it resembled a real human head, but somewhat swollen.
She also had one and was discussing with the You sisters about going out to scare people after dark.
This plan seemed to have been in the works for quite some time; the Girl in the painting confidently told the You sisters that they had to scare the thieves into never daring to steal again... Yes, she had been targeted by thieves again.
Surely there are many wealthy people spending money in District 001, but those who dare to be so ostentatious can’t be players; they certainly have hired bodyguards. Although the Girl in the painting had someone following her, she seemed too easy to target, and although the You sisters were locals, they would not make things too difficult for petty thieves.
The Girl in the painting was furious. If it weren’t for the You sisters stopping her, she would have really killed someone in the street.
Not sure how the You sisters convinced her, but she happily changed her idea from "killing the thieves" to "scaring the thieves to death."
The hometown of Teacher Jing Shi, Light City, was much larger than the city by the train station, with a larger population. Although it wasn’t as developed as the city at the train station, it had all the necessary infrastructure and beautiful scenery, making it a very developed tourist area. Within the city, there were designated tourist streets with performances every so often.
The abundance of horror masks was also due to some performances having ghost-themed events.
Xu Huo only got one mask. The Girl in the painting and the You sisters had a full set of equipment from head to toe. They wore the equipment under their jackets, and the masks were placed on their heads, covered with hats, just waiting for it to get dark to scare people.
"What if today is a horror theme, and the streets are full of demons and ghosts? Then you won’t be able to scare anyone."
There was indeed that risk, but the Girl in the painting didn’t care. She acted as if she hadn’t heard him, urging the You sisters to go out quickly.
He guessed right; they headed towards Cultural Street, and just after passing the gate, a puffy human face suddenly appeared in front of them. The swollen skin was oozing water, and it spoke with a twisted grin in an eerie voice, "Welcome to today’s Happy Fright Night!"