Chapter 39: Return to the Bus
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The reason for choosing [Blood-Colored: Instant Preparation] was simple.
It allowed him to produce a weapon in an instant.
The difference in combat power between an unarmed human and one carrying a weapon was like the difference between heaven and earth.
The two-meter length of [Long Staff Type One] made it cumbersome to carry around in everyday life.
Even if he stored it in his backpack, the six seconds required to retrieve it could prove fatal.
And even if he kept it close at hand, how could that compare with the speed of drawing it instantly through the [Instant] specialty?
Moreover, the very concept of “instant” had given Bai Ming plenty of ideas for underhanded tactics.
For example, he could pretend to be unarmed, then suddenly close in on his opponent.
Of course, this trick would work only against people unfamiliar with [Instant Preparation].
Players, naturally, would know better.
It was much like a martial artist remaining wary of an attack hidden in a handshake.
Players would be on their guard against such things.
Even so, being able to bring a weapon into his hand in an instant was of vital importance to Bai Ming, who was constantly surrounded by danger.
What was more, as a Blood-Colored specialty, [Blood-Colored: Instant Preparation] also came with bonuses to damage and accuracy, giving it tremendous burst power in a first-strike kill.
The pawnbroker whispered ominously, “Since you spent one thousand Netherworld banknotes, I’ll give you a piece of information free of charge.”
“It’s no lie that Route 444 runs very infrequently. If you don’t leave now, you won’t make it in time.”
Bai Ming caught the crucial point at once. “Then what about the return bus?”
The pawnbroker gave a derisive snort. “Who knows?”
Bai Ming understood immediately. There was probably no return bus either.
That meant that once they reached the eighth stop or beyond, there would be no bus back before the mission world ended.
In other words, the mission would fail because of the time limit.
Thanks to the effect of [Inability], Bai Ming would not be erased.
But the Dusk Game might not provide transportation after a failed mission.
Therefore, the safest plan was still to stop at the eighth station and complete the mission there.
An SS rating?
What a pity.
But given his own strength, trying to force an SS rating in [The Last Bus] had always been wishful thinking.
He had earned that rating in [Campus Life] only because Bai Xiaozhi had assisted him.
[The Last Bus], however, offered no such additional help.
The chance to obtain an extra specialty was already an unexpected delight.
With that in mind, Bai Ming stopped dwelling on the matter and led Bai Xiaozhi out of the pawnshop.
Once they were outside, [A Newbie] hurriedly apologized. “I’m sorry, boss [Wutian]. I didn’t know Route 444 ran so rarely. I nearly left you with no way back.”
Bai Ming replied indifferently, “It’s fine.”
[A Newbie] hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “Boss [Wutian], I have a favor to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
[A Newbie] took a deep breath. “After becoming a villager, I probably won’t be able to return to the human world. But I still have a younger sister there. I was hoping you could deliver something to her for me.”
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As he spoke, he handed over a box. Resting atop it was a [Yellow Springs Contract] and five Netherworld banknotes.
“I wouldn’t ask you to make the trip for nothing, boss. The [Yellow Springs Contract] and fifty Netherworld banknotes are your payment.”
“Those fifty Netherworld banknotes can’t be used in the human world, but they can be exchanged with the Dusk Game system for five hundred game coins.”
Bai Ming raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were going to have me sign a contract with the [Yellow Springs Contract].”
[A Newbie] shook his head. “How could I? I trust your character, boss.”
Bai Ming gave him a half-smile. “That confident?”
[A Newbie] answered seriously, “I may not look like much, but I’m very good at judging people. You took pity on me and let me guide you to the pawnshop. You must be a good person.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
[A Newbie] grinned. “Then I’ll just consider myself blind.”
Bai Ming thought it over. Although [A Newbie] had wanted to make money from him, he had at least helped him obtain a specialty.
Otherwise, given Bai Ming’s cautious nature, he would never have ventured into the mist so rashly.
Besides, with the fog so dense and the wilderness stretching endlessly in every direction, he probably would not even have found the faintest trace of Mist-Hidden Village without [A Newbie] to guide him.
Bai Ming shook his head. “Forget it. You have my permission to use my name in Mist-Hidden Village.”
“But remember: don’t commit crimes.”
“Otherwise, even if you hide in Mist-Hidden Village forever, I’ll find you and kill you.”
“Believe me. I have the ability.”
[A Newbie] nodded so vigorously that his head bobbed like a pecking chicken. “Of course I believe you! Even an S-rank player can survive this long. You’re stronger than an S-rank player. The boundary between the living and the dead is nothing that can stop you.”
“Thank you, boss [Wutian]. Thank you so much!”
After hearing the information [A Newbie] had to share, Bai Ming said, “Then that settles it. Goodbye.”
[A Newbie] waved. “Goodbye.”
…
“Bai Ming.”
On the way, Bai Xiaozhi suddenly called out to him in a hesitant voice.
“What is it?”
Bai Ming glanced sideways at her.
“I… I’m sorry about pretending to be your girlfriend. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Her voice grew quieter and quieter as she lowered her head.
Bai Ming: “?”
He replied calmly, “You adapted well to the situation. There’s nothing to take the wrong way.”
Bai Xiaozhi still looked uneasy. “But I barely helped at all…”
Bai Ming knew that because of her past experiences, she suffered from psychological trauma and dependent personality disorder, always believing herself to be worthless.
He reassured her firmly. “You helped a great deal. Resisting Black Mountain’s rules on my behalf was already a major contribution. After all, I’m not a villager of Mist-Hidden Village, so I have no immunity to the rules here.”
Bai Xiaozhi looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes. “Really?”
“Really.”
Only then did her features relax, and a happy smile spread across her face.
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…
Route 444 slowly came to a stop—but not at a station.
[Wind City Detective] kept his eyes tightly shut, his knuckles white from clenching his fists too hard.
[The Last Bus] was a six-player instance. In theory, as long as all six players worked together and cooperated after deciphering the theme of the instance, they could clear it without injury.
Unfortunately, the system’s matchmaking mechanism was random.
Among the players who had boarded, some had carried grudges from previous instances.
They had secretly tripped one another up and schemed against each other, until everything escalated into a bloody internal struggle.
And afterward?
Naturally, everyone with a grudge was dead.
But three severely wounded players remained, including [Wind City Detective].
“This is the seventh stop. The eighth is almost here. Hold on. I’ll definitely survive…”
[Wind City Detective] bit down hard on his lip, but he could not stop his body from trembling.
The bus doors creaked open.
“One… two…”
He held his breath and listened to the footsteps climbing aboard.
“Good. Only two ghosts. Our luck isn’t too bad. But…”
Could they really win?
Against merely two wandering ghosts, two players working together would have been more than capable of handling them at full strength.
But now, every one of them was seriously injured.
He was in the best condition of the three, with only a broken left arm.
One of the other players had a gaping hole through his abdomen. The other had both legs broken and lay collapsed across a seat.
Could they really win?
[Wind City Detective] began trembling even more violently as cold sweat slid down from his temple.
He tightened his grip on the greatsword in his hand, as though it alone could give him courage.
Thud. Thud. Thud—
The footsteps were light, yet they continued drawing closer.
It was over!
He had been chosen first!
It was truly over!
Don’t come over here!
Bang—!
The dull sound of flesh being struck suddenly exploded through the bus.
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