North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 544 - 315 Ending the Endurance Part 1

"Only six slots to pass the game, even with so many of us?" someone exclaimed.

If what the voice from the collar said was true, then losing the qualification to play meant death, didn't it?

There were still twenty players on the ship.

If only six people could survive in the end, then the remaining fourteen would have to die!

This mission was enough to shatter the fragile trust that had only just been established between the other two teams due to Barton's coercion.

"Idiots! Task One is the key! There's no water or food on the ship now. If we don't solve this, forget about six survivors—all of us will starve to death, unless you're willing to eat 'rice meat' and drink 'red water'!"

Some astute people realized that if Task One wasn't solved, Task Two wouldn't even matter. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Murmurs of dissatisfaction arose from the crowd in the cabins and on deck.

...

THUD THUD THUD.

Barton and a few others returned, dragging Kaxiu, whose mouth was gagged and limbs were twisted. Because of the mission's sudden announcement, they hadn't yet had time to deal with the unfortunate Kaxiu.

They regrouped and found an inconspicuous corner to discuss this mission.

Barton tore at his shirt in frustration, his eyes slightly bloodshot, as he said, "Task Two is easy to handle. My side has four people, your side has two. That's exactly six, perfect for qualifying together! But what about Task One? If we fight now, we'll easily fall into that bizarre state. Whether it's snatching food from those cargo ships or turning other players into food, it's all very difficult!"

Dean gave Barton a covert glance. This guy, spurred by the mission and the threat of death, was becoming emotionally unstable again.

After a moment's thought, Dean pointed to the cruise ship anchored a hundred meters away and whispered, "The mission provides a hint. The people on that cargo ship don't know our situation; they still see us as their hope for survival. Their food supply might not be abundant, but it should be enough to sustain a few people."

Nearby, Cheston En gave Dean a peculiar look. He didn't know why, but he felt Boss Dean's tone and rhythm were somewhat different from usual. It reminded him of his high school days, making him want to yawn and fall asleep.

"Handsome!" Spider Woman, standing behind Barton, spoke up since their captain hadn't said anything. "We can't leave this cruise ship. The food is on the cargo ship. To get it, we first need to figure out how to bring that food to our cruise ship, and we also need to prevent others—both from the cargo ship and our own—from trying to snatch it. How will you solve these problems? Furthermore, if a conflict occurs, how can you guarantee we won't turn into monsters like Yobani?"

Yobani was the Barton's Team member who had previously gone berserk.

"Getting the food onto our cruise ship? That's easy to solve!" Dean pointed again towards the distant cargo ship. "Look at the side of that cargo ship. Emergency lifeboats are hanging there. The people on the cargo ship see us as their hope for survival. We can use the pretext of food resources to unite with the others on our ship. Together, we can trick the people on the cargo ship into transferring the food first, and then we'll refuse to let them board our vessel! If they try to resist with force..."

Dean lowered his head slightly, a chilling expression on his handsome face. "Then we'll throw this guy over to them!"

Everyone followed Dean's gaze. He was referring to Kaxiu, who lay there with twisted limbs, glaring at them with resentment.

Spider Woman curled her lip. "Detective, I must remind you, this guy has endured far more stress than Yobani or Captain Barton. Yet, he hasn't shown any sign of transformation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easily subdued, even with his limbs broken." She seemed to have an issue with Dean, her words sharp and confrontational.

Dean shrugged. "I'd considered that possibility. The appearance of Task One confirmed a hypothesis I had."

"What hypothesis?" Barton shook his head vigorously, exhaling two hot breaths from his nostrils.

For some reason, he felt a bit dizzy. His already muddled thoughts grew even more chaotic, and his body felt light, as if floating. The sounds around him seemed to recede and approach, lacking reality, as if he had fallen into a dream.

Seeing this, Dean unobtrusively stood up and moved away from Barton before continuing with a smile, "Since Task One requires us to survive for fourteen days, it suggests that not everyone will undergo the same kind of transformation your teammate did due to emotional fluctuations. Alternatively, the manifestation of such changes might vary from person to person. Either way, it implies these transformations were predetermined from the very beginning. Whether we fight or not, those susceptible to emotional influence will eventually be affected. Conversely, those who aren't susceptible are unlikely to be affected, even if they do engage in combat. Therefore, you don't need to be afraid of using force!"

The moment Dean finished speaking, a mocking expression appeared on Spider Woman's face. She stepped on Kaxiu, who was lying on the ground, and said disdainfully, "What a load of nonsense. So, according to you, this Kaxiu is one of those who won't be affected? In that case, he won't be able to stop the people from the cargo ship!"

Faced with her challenge, Dean remained serene. "Kaxiu might not be capable, but what about Barton?"

The moment he spoke, Spider Woman and the other two members of Barton's Team instinctively looked at their leader, Barton. Bado was no saint, and he had almost lost control just moments ago. For Dean to say such a thing in Barton's presence—wasn't he afraid of death?