Thriller Paradise - Chapter 127

Chapter 127: Intermission (32)

Feng Bujue already met the requirement to equip this weapon. Compared to the wrench, both weapons’ Offense Points were ‘medium’, and they came with their own element. In terms of special effects, the wrench would deliver more damage on humanoid enemies while the blade would prove immensely useful when facing off against mechanized enemies.

For Feng Bujue, he believed that the blade had two points better than the wrench as a weapon. Firstly, this was a conventional bladed weapon and thus had a bigger attack range. Secondly, they were both elemental weapons; however, electricity could not only hold back the mechanized enemies but could also inflict the paralysis effect on other life forms. Furthermore, the weapon would not be bound once equipped, and the price of five hundred Skill Points was not that expensive. If he found a better weapon to replace it in the future, it could be sold at the auction house for at least several dozen thousand Game Coins, so there was no loss in purchasing it.

After making the purchase, Feng Bujue’s inventory was full. To upgrade his current ten slot newbie inventory to the fifteen-slot standard inventory, he would need 1,000,000 Game Coins that he did not have. Plus, the price of the Tessaiga earlier had scared our main character a bit, so after purchasing Robots-Must-Die, he left Thriller Box.

He went to the market to check the changes to the ranking. The competition for the team combat ability and overall ability ranking was very tense. Other than the first two spots, the changes for the rest of the ranking were huge. However, the ranking for personal combat ability and level were relatively stable. It was worth nothing that Fearless Champion, who was the first to reach maximum level during the closed beta, had fallen out of the top ten fighter ranking, and he was no longer at the top of the level ranking. Some unknown names had squeezed into these two rankings, and these people were the main power of Regulation.

…

Feng Bujue bought four magazines of ammo at the shop and sold the dagger that he had gotten during the hunter island scenario. That cleared up a space in his inventory. Then he returned to the log-in lobby, ready to queue up for his next challenge.

Currently, his level was sixteen.

———

Title: Plot Explorer. EXP: 3,236/16,000 Skill Points: 2,080. Game Coins: 214,800

Mastery: General Ability D, Workmanship E, Sleuthing E, Fighting D (Buff from the mask), Marksmanship D, Medic F, Sorcery F, Summoning N/A

Inventory 9/10: Mario’s Wrench, Eye of Hostility, M1911A1 Pistol, Echo Armor, Life Points Recovery Potions (M) x4, Flashlight, Bench, SCP-500 (20/20), Robots-Must-Die

Equipment: Jazz Shoes, Casey Jones’ Mask, Death Poker (Sorcery Weapon)

Storage: Puzzle Card: Monkey, Puzzle Card: Sunglasses, Puzzle Card: Spin

Skill: Hasty Repair, Below-the-belt Shin Kick, Body Enhancement Spell, Strategic Victory

———

Temporarily, Feng Bujue would not challenge Solo Survival on nightmare mode again. One could only attempt that kind of depressing and exhausting mode at most twice a week; doing it daily would crush anyone’s spirit.

While for Team Survival Mode, queuing them with Xiao Tan and the rest was more worthwhile because there was a guild EXP buff. Even though their guild only had four members, everyone would have an additional three percent EXP, which did not show up in the rating review, and that was better than nothing.

Therefore, Feng Bujue felt like trying out Killing Game again. The previous 1v1 that did not have an ending left him with a taste for more. Fighting between players was indeed quite interesting. Even though the horror factor drastically decreased for the Killing Game mode, PvP could still provide a surge to the players’ adrenaline, bringing an alternative exciting experience.

With that in mind, Feng Bujue was ready to queue for another 1v1. But at that moment, when his eyes moved to the touch screen, someone sent him a communication request.

“Hmm… It’s him again,” Feng Bujue mumbled. The player who had sent the request was Flashes of Sword. Feng Bujue pressed agree and quickly said, “What do you want?”

“Hello, Brother Feng, are you free now?” From Flashes of Sword’s voice, he seemed to be in a good mood.

“I’m standing inside the log-in lobby of an online game, talking to you, so do you think I’m free or not?” Feng Bujue shot back.

“Haha… you have a point.”

“Don’t tell me, you wish to team up for a scenario with me?” Feng Bujue asked in a strange tone.

“What’s wrong with that? Aren’t we friends?” Flashes of Sword replied.

“Let me guess… Killing Game?”

“Yup.”

“No, no, no.” Feng Bujue repeated thrice in an impatient tone.

“Why not?” Flashes of Sword grumbled.

“I can’t beat you anyway,” Feng Bujue answered cleanly.

“Ha ha…” Flashes of Sword laughed. “I’m asking you to join me for a 2v2.”

Feng Bujue was confused when he heard that. “Wait, what? You’re from a big guild and one of the famous players. For a professional gamer, don’t you have a fixed group you usually play with?”

“I’m not supposed to be free to come online this morning, so this is counted as my personal free time, so I plan to just wander about,” Flashes of Sword explained. “It just so happens that the rest of my friends from the studio are currently in-game, so I came to you.”

“Your guild should have more than enough normal players, right? Can’t you find anyone at a similar level to queue with you?” Feng Bujue asked.

“I’ve looked through the list. Even for non-professional gamers, there aren’t many who are online at the moment. There are only about three people whose levels are close to mine and are free,” Flashes of Sword said. “Before I logged into the game, I was looking through the guild members’ information at the office, and I remember these few IDs. They are noobs with five fighting points. I would rather queue with you than with them.”

“You sure are a straight-shooter… The members from your guild are noobs with five fighting points. Shouldn’t you be hiding facts like that from an outsider?” Feng Bujue said.

“Ha ha… I’m just telling the truth. Capability is something you have or you don’t. Even if I give them face, they might not be able to sustain it. The only way to change other people’s view of them is for them to grow stronger.”

Flashes of Sword had a point, but Feng Bujue was one who cared about other people’s feelings, so he merely smiled and did not provide any extra comment. Instead, he changed the subject. “Then… by bringing along a teammate like myself whose fighting point is slightly higher than five, your faith in winning this 2v2 will greatly increase?”

“Brother Feng, excessive humility is also a form of pride,” Flashes of Sword said. “At least both of us know very well how good you are at this game. Let me tell you, the Sorcery weapon that you got last time might be the first such item that Thriller Paradise has ever seen. In fact, it might even be the only such weapon the game contains so far.”

“Hehe… Fine, fine. Since you’ve praised me so much and so passionately just to invite me, I’ll deign to play one round with me.” Feng Bujue was being extra shameless. He was going to play Killing Game anyway, and now he was hugging another person’s leg. And the leg of someone like Flashes of Sword was definitely a huge leg to hug. In terms of equipment, level, and fighting ability, he was among the top of all fighting focused players.

After hearing him say that, Flashes of Sword fired off the team invitation and added, “Then, I’ll queue for the game now.”

Chapter 128: The Earth’s Wastelands (1)

“Flashes of Sword, level 17.

“Feng Bujue, level 16.

“Please select the game mode that your team wants to join.

“You have selected the Killing Game (2v2), please confirm.

“Your team has joined the team queue. Currently searching for other readied players or teams.

“Adjusting nervous connectivity, generating the scenario…

“Please wait a moment. Downloading.”

This was the system announcement that Feng Bujue received on his end. It was slightly different from the one that he got when he was the team leader. This time, he heard the system say in a Beijing accent, a hoarse, male voice, “Make your opponents cower in fear, have them understand the true meaning of terror!”

“Download complete. You are currently in the Killing Game mode.

“This mode comes with introductory cinematic and the chance to unlock side/hidden missions and special world-building.

“Reward for victory: 30% of current maximum EXP.

“The introductory cinematic is going to begin soon. The game will start immediately after the cinematic is over.”

In the cinematic, a voluptuous woman wearing a white coat walked down a dim corridor.

“In the year 2000, in the Crystal Lake lab, an unkillable murderous fiend was detained—Jason. The government’s science team wished to turn him into an experiment, conducting research on the body’s recovery on a cellular level.”

Following the narration, the female researcher walked through a door. The camera did not follow her and stopped in the corridor.

“But Jason was not so easily detained. Any careless mistake, a lowering of one’s guard, would lead to irrevocable and unimaginable results.”

The cinematic skipped over most of the shots in the movie. It used darkness and screams to skip over the scene where Jason went out of control and when he was frozen by that female researcher.

“In the year 2455, human beings entered the space age, and the humans’ former home became known as ‘Old Earth’, a place filled with savage storms, toxic swamps, and polluted oceans.

“A human research team returned to Earth for an archaeological mission. They found Lauren and Jason’s bodies and took them back to their carrier ship…”

That was where the cinematic ended. When Feng Bujue could move, the system announced in his ear, “Main quest activated. Kill all the members of the enemy team.”

“So, this scenario is based on that horrible series.” Flashes of Sword stood next to Feng Bujue. They were standing in the corridor that was shown in the cinematic. For some reason, the lights in the corridor were on, meaning that this place was supplied with electricity.

“Something’s not right,” Feng Bujue said. “Why are we in the lab and not on the spaceship?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Flashes of Sword commented.

“The fifteenth series of Friday the 13th basically occurs on a spaceship, but this place… Cough… Cough…” Feng Bujue suddenly coughed twice. “This place is not even habitable for human beings.”

After taking in the air around them, Flashes of Sword was overcome by bouts of discomfort. He opened his menu to take a look. He was not affected by a negative effect, but his Life Points had decreased by one percent. The air around them seemed to possess some kind of effect that would lower their health indiscriminately.

“They have found Lauren and Jason’s bodies and brought them back to the carrier ship…” Feng Bujue mocked the plot. “After they all left, are we supposed to act out the movie’s epilogue in this underground lab that has been abandoned for hundreds of years?”

“In other words… this scenario is merely borrowing the movie’s setting and has no connection to Jason or the characters in the movie?” Flashes of Sword added. “Haha… Isn’t that great? There is no need for us to get entangled in the complicated plot; we only need to fight for a victory in this enclosed space.”

“There are three things that I hope you understand.” Feng Bujue raised his left hand and pushed out his index finger. “One, according to the movie’s setting, even if we do not leave the lab, just standing here will kill us. The only reason we’re not dead is probably because we are ‘players’, and this is a special set up by the system.”

He extended his second finger. “Two, this is something I noticed when I watched this movie for the first time. The creative liberties taken by the scriptwriter and the director’s lack of ability aside, the setting for this movie falls under the sci-fi category, containing things like self-repair modules on the spaceship, androids, and so on. In other words, this is a world with very advanced technology. If we can find a way to communicate with the human civilization in this world and send out a rescue signal to leave this lab, the reward that we get will be much greater than by just killing the enemies.

“The two from the enemy team will eventually die in this lab. Even with life potions, that will only buy them some time. We can make use of this opportunity to harvest some items, equipment, skills, and so on and perhaps even take advantage of this world’s technology to strengthen ourselves.”

Feng Bujue raised his third finger.

“Three…” He coughed again. “The third point, and also the most important, I suggest you pay close attention to this… I seriously suspect that Jason is not the only monster held here.”

He withdrew his sword and added, “For a lab this size, it would be normal for it to contain more than ten monsters on a similar level to Jason. If I were the scriptwriter, that would be my focus should I want to expand the plot… Even though 455 years have passed, if the system wishes to add more flair to this 2v2, adding some living monsters into the mix is the best solution.”

After hearing all that, Flashes of Sword gasped internally, Sounds like you’re the real monster here…

“Brother Feng, how did you manage to come up with so much just from the cinematic?” he asked with the reverence of a new convert.

“Temporarily, that’s all I can figure out. If there’s anything else to add, I’ll inform you,” Feng Bujue replied.

“No wonder you’re the Plot Explorer. Color me impressed!” He was being sincere with that.

“By the way… we should take a look at the opponents’ condition first,” Feng Bujue said.

They opened their menu to look. From the enemies’ IGNs, it was clear that they were from the same team. One was called Doomsday Assault, and the other was Final Assault. They were both level nineteen. Other than IGNs and level, the only other information was that they were both ‘alive’.

“So, it’s the assaults…” Flashes of Sword claimed with a frown.

Feng Bujue astutely noticed something from his teammate’s expression. “Do you know them?”

“I can’t say that I know them personally, but I’ve encountered similar IGNs before,” Flashes of Sword said. “They should belong to the gaming studio, ‘Zombie Blade’… The members of Zombie Blade mostly have their names end with either Assault or Victor.”

“Oh? I remember seeing their guild in fifth place on the combat ranking,” Feng Bujue said.. “Higher than your Jiang Hu.”

“And that is where I’m annoyed at them…” The man’s tone was laced with helplessness. “Actually, these goons are not that powerful, but they have their ways of squeezing to the top.”

“Oh? You mean…” With Feng Bujue’s brilliance, he understood the words that was left unsaid. Therefore, he merely urged the man to continue.

“It might not be appropriate for me to say this, and it is up to you to believe me or not,” Flashes of Sword explained. “There is a shared consensus among the industry that Zombie Blade is bunch of cheaters.”

“Cheaters? You mean, the members from that whole studio are…”

“They have many tricks. Basically, anything that you can think of, they have done,” Flashes of Sword said. “Like coming up with some illegal support hardware, and in terms of software, they have apps like aimbot and so on… The normal players wouldn’t know about these things, and at most, it would merely be a rumor. However, for us professional gamers, after a few fights with these guys, we pick up on these things.”

“The gaming companies allow them to cheat like that?” Feng Bujue asked.

“It’s too hard to police activities like that, and it’s not worth it.” Flashes of Sword sighed. “The gaming companies’ main target is to earn money, and for many gray areas, they choose to close half of their eyes as long as it does not cut into their profits or raise too big a fuss.

“After all, one need to invest plenty of resource, manpower, time and technology to police these things… From how I see it, unless you can present the company with the evidence of their crime, they are too lazy to mind this thing.”

Flashes of Sword was suddenly reminded of something and added, “Oh, there’s one more thing. Like I said, the people from Zombie Blade have many tricks, but they might not be limited to the games alone. Sometimes, they might hire fifty cent armies to do some little tricks like releasing fake info on the forums to vilify another guild or purposely go to the official websites of the studios who are in direct competition with them to leave negative reviews. All in all, they’ll ruin other people’s reputation.

“The memory that stuck with me the most was during a previous game. The gaming company organized an open election for all the players to select the most powerful ‘gang’. Zombie Blade allegedly used money to purchase the votes and thus beat Regulation and Brahman. But no matter the result, the gaming company would earn money from this event, so do you think they would get involved or not?”

“Is that so? Sounds like you’re harboring plenty of resentment,” Feng Bujue observed.

Flashes of Sword shrugged and laughed sadly. “You won’t understand it. Only those in our field will understand this feeling. Many times, even if you think you’ve grown stronger, only failure awaits. Losing to cheaters like this is very demoralizing, but such is the reality of life.”

He paused and looked up at Feng Bujue. “I’m sorry. You probably think I’m being too biased in my assessment of the enemy…”

“No, I believe you,” Feng Bujue said. “And I believe Jiang Hu would not stoop to their level.’

“Of course, that’s a guaranteed.” When Flashes of Sword said that, he sounded like a young hero from a wuxia movie.

“And my philosophy has always been,” Feng Bujue said, “either join the dark side or step forth to vanquish the evil.

“Therefore… we should pick up some slack and make life kind of a living hell for these two to have them understand the true meaning of power.”