Chapter 26: Testing the Rules

Damn you!

Willpower burst!
All attributes +3!

Gripping the cold steel pipe tightly in his palm, the metallic chill seeped into his skin. The positioning ability granted by "Listen" allowed Bai Ming to clearly sense the enemy’s location.

And so—
Whoosh—!

The explosive force of tensed muscles surged from his arm straight to his wrist. The steel pipe whistled through the air, tearing it apart.

Bang—!

A dull sound of flesh being struck echoed, and the pipe met with solid resistance, as if hitting some sort of viscous body. A muffled grunt reached his ears, mingled with the spray of cold, foul-smelling liquid onto his face.

So they had physical bodies after all. What was there to be afraid of?

Whoosh—!

A sharp, piercing sound of air being sliced came from his right. Bai Ming kept his eyes tightly shut; he couldn't see a thing, nor did he know the size or range of the attack.

But it didn't matter!

The surrounding malice pricked his skin like needles. His 18 points of perception caused his hair to stand on end, triggering a warning in advance.

And since he had locked onto the target!
He could use "Cowardly Scoundrel" to dodge!
Then, a backhand strike—

Bang—!

It struck something, the tactile feedback like hitting a sandbag filled with sand. Then, he ducked sideways, the steel pipe following through with an upward swing.

Crack—!

The sound of brittle, hard joints shattering echoed. But the malice vanished; this ghost was likely dead.

Thump, thump, thump—!
Thump, thump, thump—!

A chaotic, heavy stomping sound surged from the front. More than one?
Ha, just as I intended!

Bai Ming grinned, swinging the steel pipe in a wide arc.

Bang! Bang—!

Two consecutive explosions rang out, the tip of the pipe transmitting feedback of different textures. The first felt like striking rotten wood, but the second splashed warm liquid onto the back of his hand, sticky and scalding.

So there were three types of ghosts.
Heh.
Trying to use the passengers as shields?
Too bad, I can hear your little tricks perfectly clearly!

***

Bang, bang, bang—!

The steel pipe swung, the dull thuds of bone and flesh shattering sounding in quick succession until the last shred of malice dissipated into the air. Bai Ming had killed six ghosts in total.

Squeak—!
Snap—!

With a harsh screech of metal, the bus doors slammed shut, and the bus started moving again, silent and soundless.

Bai Ming kept his eyes closed, refusing to open them immediately. Only when the sweet, cloying voice of "Marshmallow and Cat" spoke did he react.

"Brother Wutian is so amazing! Even the rule-based penalties couldn't kill you!"

Bai Ming opened his eyes to see "Marshmallow and Cat" holding her hands to her chest, her eyes sparkling with adoration.

"Actually, if you just believe in yourself and get out of your seat, you can do it too."

"Marshmallow and Cat," truly afraid that Bai Ming would drag her out by force, offered a strained smile. "No, no, how could a little kitty like me have the skills Brother Wutian has?"

Bai Ming grinned, the blood on his face making him look somewhat ferocious. "So that means you want to hide in the back and slack off? Want to reap the rewards of my hard work?"

As he spoke, he took a step forward. That single step nearly made "Marshmallow and Cat" jump out of her seat.

"One Blade Suppresses the Mountains" spoke up. "Big Brother Wutian, is there something you need us to do? If it’s reasonable, I’m willing to do it."

Bai Ming smiled. "It’s always simple talking to smart people. The Twilight Game is a cooperative effort; I can't be the only one putting in the work, right?"

"You must have noticed: the further we go, the more dangerous it gets."

"For instance, this crisis I just blocked for you all—if it weren't for me, are you truly confident you could have passed without injury?"

"One Blade Suppresses the Mountains" replied bluntly, "I couldn't. Even with my eyes open, only Big Brother Mo has the confidence to kill the ghosts directly."

"On my own, killing even one ghost is a struggle. If there were many, I’d probably only be able to stall until the bus started moving and let Rule 1 take care of them."

"And with my eyes closed, it’s even harder; it's extremely easy to suffer heavy damage. That I am unscathed is entirely thanks to Big Brother Wutian."

"Marshmallow and Cat" hurriedly chimed in, "Yes, exactly! Without Brother Wutian, I would have died long ago. With my abilities, I couldn't even kill a single ghost. It was Brother Wutian who saved me."

Although "One Blade Suppresses the Mountains" and the others hadn't clearly seen Bai Ming's full strength, they could tell from the sounds that there were at least three ghosts, yet he had fought them with ease while blindfolded.

In their minds, Bai Ming was worth at least five "Bus Ghosts" (Teacher Wang), and since he didn't fear Rule 1, his strength seemed truly unfathomable.

The silent "Ink-Stained Dust" finally spoke. "You S-level players are such a nuisance. You’re trying to get off at the ninth or even the fourteenth station to grind for an S-level evaluation, aren't you?"

"We're just your tools for testing the rules."

Bai Ming admitted, "Calling you tools is too harsh. With my strength, as long as you help me test the rules, I can ensure your survival even if you get injured."

"This should be a mutually beneficial arrangement."

This wasn't arrogance on Bai Ming's part. With so many powerful specializations stacked on him, he possessed the combat power of five Teacher Wangs. He was the most powerful player present. If he couldn't pass the level normally, then ordinary players had no hope at all.

However, having experienced the SS-rated "Campus Daily Life," Bai Ming was no longer satisfied with an ordinary clearance evaluation. This wasn't just about grinding points; it was for the long term. If you want to survive until the end in the Twilight Game, you must get as strong as possible. Whenever you have the ability to improve a dungeon's rating, you should do your best to achieve it.

"One Blade Suppresses the Mountains" responded immediately, "Alright! What does Big Brother Wutian need me to do?"

Hearing the guarantee of survival, "Marshmallow and Cat" immediately lost interest in "Ink-Stained Dust." She had only been flirting with him to ensure she passed; now that she had a more reliable guarantee, her attitude shifted naturally. "Brother Wutian, I will definitely follow your orders. Whatever you want me to do, I will do it."

***

Bai Ming certainly wouldn't blindly trust "Marshmallow and Cat's" empty words; if he really asked her to do something suicidal, she certainly wouldn't be willing.

He turned to "Ink-Stained Dust." "What about you? As a level 6 player, using prohibited items to enter a low-level dungeon—you aren't just here for the basic rewards, are you?"

"You say I’m using people as tools, but aren't you doing the same?"

"Or are you simply trying to survive for another month?"

After going through three Twilight Games, players could choose to wait a month before entering another game. They didn't have to face the immense pressure of one every eight days, like Bai Ming.

The true value of prohibited items lay in grinding high dungeon contribution points, improving the clearance evaluation, and obtaining generous rewards. If one could truly succeed, it was even possible to extend one's life by several months.

"Ink-Stained Dust" admitted, "Surviving another month is meaningless."

"That's right, I'm here to grind points. But I never expected to encounter an S-level player like you."

"Clearance evaluations are determined by contribution points, and every dungeon has a limit on resources, quest chains, and hidden elements."

"If one person completes them, they monopolize the contribution. If multiple people do it, it has to be split. So, it's best not to have two competitors in a point-grinding dungeon."

Bai Ming smiled. "Are you going to compete with me?"

"Ink-Stained Dust" replied, "Of course."

Bai Ming said, "Very well, come and try."

"Ink-Stained Dust" added, "But the competition must take place after the minimum clearance conditions are met, to ensure we can retreat at any time."

Bai Ming agreed, "No problem."

"One Blade Suppresses the Mountains" asked cautiously, "Then can I ride on your clearance evaluation? I mean, like, getting off at the ninth or tenth station."

"Um, I don't mean to steal contribution points from the big boss."

"Relevant departments have long since studied this: if your contribution doesn't reach the next tier, it's a waste. For example, A-level is 10,000, S-level is 50,000; 49,999 is still A-level, which is effectively wasting 39,999 points."

Bai Ming readily agreed, "Sure, you’ve already made contributions by testing the rules."

"Marshmallow and Cat" also hurried to ask, "Brother Wutian, can I ride along too?"

Bai Ming replied, "As long as you make a contribution, it’s fine."

"One Blade Suppresses the Mountains" probed, "By the way, Big Brother Wutian, don't you get tired of just standing there?"

Bai Ming made a gesture to sit down. "Oh, I'm tired. I’ll sit down and rest for a while."

The ghost corpses Bai Ming had killed earlier had already vanished, most likely dragged into the shadows by the dark forms beneath the seats.

"One Blade Suppresses the Mountains": "..."

Bai Ming stood up with a smile. "Just kidding. I'm going to test some rules."

The situation seemed to have come full circle, as if repeating the scene where Bai Ming had to fight for a seat while the bus was in motion, but in reality, it was completely different.

This time, the cooperation was led by Bai Ming, allowing him to fully utilize the initiative of "One Blade Suppresses the Mountains" and "Marshmallow and Cat." Of course, this wasn't just relying on words; without demonstrating real strength, even the title of an S-level player would be of no use.

Bai Ming walked to the last row and, under the shocked gaze of the girl in the JK uniform, smashed her neighbor to death with a strike of his steel pipe. Foul blood splattered onto the JK uniform, staining it red.

Bai Ming said gently, "Remember, this is what happens when you try to steal a seat."

The girl in the JK uniform, along with the ghosts around her, nodded in a hurry.

"The Ghost Market Night Market station has arrived. Passengers, please exit through the rear door. Please watch your step when the door opens, and mind the gap."