Absolute Death Game-Chapter 226 - 16 Reunion with an Old Friend
Xuan Zhenzi!? Xiao Buli was stupefied when he saw these three words on the screen; he could not for the life of him link the NPCs in the game with a hacker in real life.
If Xuan Zhenzi were a player, that might have made sense, or if this were an ordinary online game, but this was no ordinary online game. How could Xuan Zhenzi be both an NPC and a hacker? Therefore, for a short while, he was completely dumbfounded.
However, Xiao Buli was not someone incapable of flexible thinking; on the contrary, he was very good at considering issues from different angles. Thus, he quickly came up with two different answers. Perhaps this hacker had encountered Xuan Zhenzi in the game and, like him, casually used the NPC’s name as their codename.
But there was also another possibility, that this hacker had some unknown connection with Xuan Zhenzi in the game, allowing them to share a name. Regardless of which it was, Xiao Buli felt that if he wanted to unravel the secrets of this game, he had to find the person behind Xuan Zhenzi, whether in the game or in real life.
He Suoju saw Xiao Buli in a daze for a long time and asked curiously, "Hey, are you alright? Why are you so interested in this?"
"It’s nothing," Xiao Buli replied. He did not continue to delve into the topic and instead asked, "What are your plans now?"
"Of course, I’ll stay near Nine Dragons City to see if there are any worthwhile targets. To be honest, after playing the game for so long, besides farming a few rare elites in the wilderness, I’ve never really fought any BOSSes. The places where dungeons are more likely to appear have all been occupied by the great guilds. Trying to get involved is harder than reaching the heavens.
Now that I’ve finally got a chance, I must look for an opportunity to reap some benefits."
He Suoju spoke with a touch of bitterness, showing that solo players like him weren’t faring well.
Speaking of dungeons, Xiao Buli remembered the information about the five-person dungeons he had obtained from the Green Dragon Group. It seemed that the ’Nine Dragons City Library’ dungeon had not been tackled yet. He wondered whether it had been discovered by now. If not, it might be worth trying to farm it.
However, even though it was a white-level dungeon, he was not likely able to solo it with his own strength. Glancing at He Suoju, the two could be considered friends. Although they weren’t that close, tackling a dungeon together was feasible.
He asked, "I happen to know of a dungeon, and I’m not sure if it’s been cleared yet. Interested in checking it out?"
He Suoju’s mood immediately brightened. "Of course, I’m interested! Let’s go."
Xiao Buli said, "Hold on, I need to check the auction house for some things. Let’s meet at Taibai Tavern in the city later."
He Suoju nodded, then slapped the table, "Server—check, please!"
After parting with He Suoju, Xiao Buli walked towards the auction house.
The surging crowd heralded the prosperity of Nine Dragons City’s auction house. Outside was packed with people, NPCs and players alike, a kind of prosperity unique to times of chaos. Xiao Buli squeezed his way into the auction house, took a cursory glance at the auction items, and cursed under his breath.
All items related to combat, including equipment, elixirs, talismans, and skill books, had all become outrageously expensive. Both NPC and player merchants seemed to see the Demon Clan’s invasion as a major business opportunity, intent on making a fortune. They didn’t seem to consider whether their goods would even sell.
Xiao Buli had intended to buy some general-use skill books to take back for the others to learn, but this trip seemed to be in vain. After all, spending a high price on basic low-level skill books would be a waste.
Checking his inventory, the golden-quality giant axe still lay inside. After hesitating for a while, he decided it would definitely fetch a good price at auction now, but Xiao Buli decided it was better not to sell it just yet. He wasn’t short on money at the moment, and it might still be useful later.
After leaving the auction house, Xiao Buli headed for Taibai Tavern. Taibai Tavern was a pub he often frequented. In addition to its pleasant atmosphere, it was a place where one could gather lots of information and hire NPC mercenaries.
Furthermore, Taibai Tavern served a special kind of alcohol, which, after consumption, could provide a buff reducing Stamina Points consumption speed by 20% for an extended period. This was very useful for many melee players, making the tavern a natural gathering spot for players.
When Xiao Buli walked into Taibai Tavern, he found it more prosperous than ever. The room was packed with a variety of NPCs and players, all dressed as adventurers or mercenaries. Some were whispering, others were shouting loudly, some wore armor with sharp blades, others in robes, holding magic wands—it really had the air of a gathering of heroes.
Xiao Buli scanned the crowd and easily found He Suoju, but he didn’t go straight over. Instead, he surveyed the crowd again for any targets worth noting. He didn’t spot any, but caught sight of a familiar figure.
Jin Qiaoqiao—an NPC known for selling information, the third in command of the Rat Association. As long as one was willing to pay a certain amount of money, one could buy information about the Nine Dragons City area from this underground organization member.
Xiao Buli hadn’t interacted with them before due to having the support from the Vermilion Bird Group, but now it seemed necessary to give it a try.
Moving closer, he clicked to trade; Xiao Buli threw five silver coins upfront.
"What do you need?"
The cute and innocent-looking Jin Qiaoqiao casually asked, "I’m looking for some people—the former members of Qilin Hall, Zhang Yaoyang, Bai Yunfei, Liu Xing, Yaoyao... just information on one person will do. Do you have any news on them?"
"No, but I do have news on another person—Du Yibo. Interested to know? Just give me ten more silver coins."
Xiao Buli snorted coldly and threw another ten silver coins, "Where is he?"
Jin Qiaoqiao said, "Right behind you."
Xiao Buli was startled for a moment, and as he turned around, he saw a fellow in a grey cloth robe walking in from outside. The hood concealed his hair and the name was hidden as well, but that face was so familiar—it could only be Du Yibo.
(Damn, I’ve been played.) Xiao Buli thought to himself. By the time he turned back, Jin Qiaoqiao had already walked away, smiling at him from a distance. Xiao Buli sighed and said, "Come over here," and sent a Secret Sound Transmission message to Du Yibo.
Du Yibo looked stunned for a moment, then followed him to a table in the corner.
"Hey, is this gentleman a friend of yours?" He Suoju saw Xiao Buli sit down with another person and couldn’t help but ask curiously.
Before Xiao Buli had a chance to answer, Du Yibo asked warily, "Who is he?"
"He Suoju, a solo player, I’ve had some contact with him before."
"I didn’t know you still knew solo players," Du Yibo was still somewhat alert.
Xiao Buli went ahead and shared the embarrassing incident that had happened between him and Liu Xing.
Now understanding, Du Yibo couldn’t help but laugh and typed ’hehe’ twice.
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
"You weren’t caught?" Xiao Buli actually already had an answer in his heart. If Du Yibo had been captured and had turned to that organization, there would be no need to hide anymore.
"No," Du Yibo said as expected, "I escaped and have been looking for the team leader and the others."
"Looking for the team leader and the others? Weren’t you together?"
"No." Du Yibo recounted everything that had happened in the basement, including his last conversation with Bai Yunfei. An unwitting listener, Xiao Buli became somewhat anxious after hearing Du Yibo’s words. Bai Yunfei struck him as a very mysterious and scheming person, always giving off the impression that he knew more than others.
If he said there was something ominous behind the door, then it was very likely they had encountered some misfortune. But if Bai Yunfei truly had such a premonition, why did he follow them inside?
This question seemed unlikely to be answered anytime soon, so it was better to focus on the current problems.
Xiao Buli asked, "Do you have any plans recently?"
"Not much of a plan. In the game, I’ve been looking for them; in reality, I’ve been hiding out. Luckily, I brought a hard drive with me, so I can still log into the game. Right now, I’m hiding in a place where no one can find me, focusing on the game—it’s temporarily safe."
Xiao Buli didn’t ask where Du Yibo was hiding; had someone else asked him the same question, he wouldn’t have disclosed it either.
"Why don’t we stick together? It’s good to have someone to watch your back."
Du Yibo said, "I would be grateful for that." He remembered teaming up with Xiao Buli and knew that, although Xiao Buli hadn’t played as long as he had, his strength was still formidable. Xiao Buli also highly valued Du Yibo, as the Five Elements Warlock had several powerful moves that could turn the tide of battle.
Xiao Buli said, "We’re planning to go to the next dungeon. Wanna join us?"
Du Yibo said, "Do you even have to ask?"
The three of them left the tavern and headed in the direction of the Nine Dragons City Library.
The Nine Dragons City Library was located behind the City Lord’s Mansion, in a very secluded area. While it housed many books, none were of the sort to draw players’ attention; they were mostly historical records and such, with only NPCs and players interested in the game’s storyline bothering to browse them.
Xiao Buli had always been too busy upgrading his abilities to care about the game’s historical plot.
When they arrived at the library entrance, several librarians guarded the door as if bracing for trouble. The library’s entrance was blocked by a light screen, and Xiao Buli felt a mix of excitement and concern.
He was thrilled that the dungeon was still available, yet alarmed that the light screen was light blue, indicating a much higher difficulty level than the five-man dungeons he had previously cleared.
Should they enter? That was the question. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
