North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 542 - 314: Mutation, The Game Begins! (Two in One)_3

That was very strange.

"Anyway, thanks, guys."

He looked up at Dean, an imploring look on his face. "I'm afraid the situation is about to reverse."

Dean shook his head resignedly, looking at Cheston En beside him. "Buddy, keep an eye on the other two teams. We're going to be more passive from now on."

"Okay, Boss Dean, but I'm a bit confused..."

Cheston En waved the steel pipe he had just dismantled from the glass cabinet and said with a smile, "I've learned some techniques with two-handed greatswords; dealing with three to five people is a breeze."

In his view, now that he had a weapon, his combat power had greatly increased. Even if the other two teams got weapons, they still wouldn't be a match for them. How could the situation possibly be reversed?

"But if we start fighting now, it's going to be very dangerous."

Barton sighed and took over the conversation.

He pointed to himself, then to his three remaining teammates. "Because we've been active on the battlefield for a long time, we all have psychological issues, more or less. Especially when we fight, our emotions run high. If Dean's speculation is true, then it will be very dangerous for us to continue fighting now. We could fall into danger, and you wouldn't escape being affected either. Besides, can you ensure that the people from the other two teams, if they continue to be oppressed, won't end up like Yobani?"

Cheston En recalled Yobani's eerie display—sending several people flying with a wave of his hand—and visibly shrank. "Alright, I get it. But I suggest we take those people up to the deck and explain the situation. The cruise ship is only so big; if a few more out-of-control people show up, I can't even imagine that scene."

"That's a good suggestion."

Dean patted Cheston En on the shoulder and pointed toward the cabin ahead. "Go on, buddy. It's all up to your eloquence now."

Cheston En reluctantly headed into the cabin, looking back with every few steps, pitifully aware he risked being ganged up on at any moment.

There was someone even more speechless than Cheston En: Kaxiu, the game expert who had betrayed his own small group.

To survive, Kaxiu had betrayed his teammates and sought refuge with Barton. He hadn't expected that, only a few hours later, the strong backer he had just found would turn into a bunch of dangerous powder kegs.

Where could he even begin to complain about this?

Kaxiu wasn't stupid. He knew that once the two sides made peace again, he would become the biggest outcast among them all, and the most suitable scapegoat.

Since everyone is at risk of losing control now, I'd be safer alone!

Kaxiu's eyes darted about. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he quietly began to retreat.

Dean's ears twitched slightly. He turned his head and glimpsed Kaxiu sneaking away. Grinning, he gave Barton a knowing look. "The freighter will take some time to get here. I think you can find someone to test things out on first..."

Barton followed Dean's gaze and saw Kaxiu attempting to flee.

He wasn't a pushover; he instantly understood Dean's implication.

Barton gestured with his chin towards a teammate who was still in relatively good condition. "Catch that guy."

There was one thing he didn't say.

Even after calming down, he felt the flames in his chest had cooled considerably but hadn't been extinguished. They were just waiting for a spark to ignite them again.

But so what?

He couldn't speak of this, because if he did, he would be the one experimented on. Barton would rather die with everyone than be treated as an unstable element and sacrificed at will!

That's human nature!

Not long after Cheston En entered the cabin, several relatively strong men, armed with weapons, followed him out.

The rest remained in the cabin. Because of Barton and his team's previous actions, the other two teams didn't trust them much anymore.

Cheston En jogged over to Dean and whispered, "Because most people saw the strange transformation of Captain Barton's teammate earlier, they've agreed to maintain peace for now. But they won't allow any of us back into the cabin."

The few who came out did so because the freighter was approaching. They were keeping watch outside to avoid missing the chance for rescue.

"Not bad."

Dean nodded and looked at Barton. "We still have some time before the freighter arrives. Go deal with Kaxiu now. We need to figure out the patterns of those weird changes as soon as possible."

As he spoke, he hinted meaningfully, "I feel like our current situation is like a bunch of lab rats in an experiment. We're being watched no matter what we do. Even if we get out, we'll probably still be threatened by those surveillance videos."

Barton nodded silently and, with his teammates, disappeared from view.

He'd worry about the future later. Right now, all he wanted was to survive, by any means necessary!

Watching them depart, Dean's eyes flickered with pity. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Barton was beyond saving! Still, he could be of some use. For example, if he lost control—influenced by my earlier hint—he might destroy some of the ship's surveillance systems. That would give me a chance to connect Little Mike's hacking device to the ship's network and perform a counter-hack! His teammate's outburst was too sudden, and with all the deck surveillance cameras mounted so high, I didn't have an opportunity. Now, Barton is my target. I'm certain he's beyond saving because I know the cause of these changes: the drug injected into them by the Lucifer Game Organization.