"Why does this feel like playing an online game?"
"What is an online game?"
Cyan Wei looked at her digitized information, feeling bewildered by the sudden terms appearing in her mind.
While she examined her stats, the others took advantage of the remaining countdown to exchange brief introductions. Through their Survival Marks, they already understood they were trapped in a lethal game and that sticking together was their only hope of making it through this round.
The blonde woman with the striking figure was Erni; she claimed she had been stabbed to death.
The office clerk was Liang Zicheng. He had been strangled with his own tie. As the owner of a growing small company, Liang suspected a business rival was behind his murder.
The Japanese girl, Asama Ai, had fallen asleep on a bus and somehow woke up in the Survival Space.
The burly Westerner was Kent. He had been an innocent bystander in a crowd who was unlucky enough to be struck in the abdomen by a stray bullet. A classic case of living randomly and dying freely.
The high school girl in pajamas was Song Xinxin, who had died suddenly while chatting with people online. Xin looked around nervously.
The calm girl was Chen Xiaoxue. She had committed suicide by jumping off a building but Xue refused to discuss why.
The high school boy was Wang Jiangang. He had been struck on the back of the head with a brick during a fight and Wang died without ever knowing who threw it.
"I remember now! Isn't Samurai Shodown that Japanese swordsman arcade game? I played it in game centers before. But which version is Zero?"
Wang scratched his head, regretting that he hadn't paid more attention to the game in the past. Now he was completely in the dark. Since the veterans seemed unreliable, he felt he could only count on himself and his fellow rookies.
"Now that you mention it, I think I've heard of Samurai Shodown Zero. An old classmate recommended it to me and wanted to play online, but I was too busy with work back then..."
Liang sighed bitterly.
"Hey, little handsome guy over there, what's your name?"
Erni glanced at the frantic Wang and the miserable Liang before turning her curiosity toward the unsociable youth standing apart from the group.
Her question drew everyone's eyes to the boy with the vibrantly colored hair. If Erni hadn't pointed her out, no one might have noticed the expressionless youth sitting nearby, looking as if she were separated from them by an entire world.
Cyan Wei was a person of few words but sharp actions. Facing their gazes, she watched them warily, as if observing enemies. She said nothing.
She didn't feel she had anything to say to them. If anything, their stares made her feel uneasy and restless, instinctively putting her into a state of high alert. If provoked further, she was likely to strike first.
"You brat! Miss Erni is talking to you! Are you deaf?"
Thanks to the Survival Mark's built-in translation, everyone could communicate flawlessly regardless of their origin. Kent saw this scrawny youth ignoring Erni and saw an opportunity to show off. He stepped forward quickly, reaching out to grab her collar.
Bang!
Kent was sent flying backward, slamming hard against the invisible barrier. Because the countdown hadn't ended, the protection of the Survival Space prevented him from being injured, but he was left dazed, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Hiss—!"
Leo watched the youth with a flash of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected such a decisive strike from someone who looked like a rebellious punk. Even more baffling was the power and speed required to punch a large Western man across the clearing. This clearly wasn't the strength of an ordinary person; based on that speed alone, her Agility had to be at least 18.
"Rex, is this person a veteran too?"
"Likely. And their Agility is definitely high."
Rex stared intensely at the expressionless youth.
"I'd guess a survivor who has been through at least three rounds."
[Warning: Internal fighting between survivors is not permitted within the safe zone!]
Receiving the warning from the Survival Mark, Cyan Wei sat back down on the ground without a word, quietly waiting for the countdown to end.
The others watched her in shock. It was hard to believe that such a thin youth, who looked like she could be blown away by a strong wind, could knock back a man weighing nearly two hundred pounds. What was most terrifying was that they hadn't even seen her move; the man had simply flown into the air. It was the kind of scene you only saw in movies.
The countdown hit zero. The invisible barrier vanished, and the area that had been isolated from the world rejoined the reality of Samurai Shodown Zero. A sudden, icy wind brushed against everyone, sending shivers down their spines and raising goosebumps on their arms. Immediately after, a warm current flooded their bodies—the power of the attribute enhancement.
Except for the two veterans, all the rookies' attributes were increased by 100%.
"Is this the power of the Survival Space?"
The group felt the surge of strength and looked ecstatic. With this power, their hopes of surviving in this strange world skyrocketed.
"Die, brat! You're finished!"
Kent felt his new strength and clenched his fists, looking at the youth who had hit him with a vicious, excited grin.
"Don't forget, this little handsome guy's attributes were probably enhanced just like ours."
Erni saw Kent about to do something stupid again. She truly couldn't understand how someone so thick-headed had lived long enough to die once already. Did he grow up eating his own IQ, or was his brain made of muscle?
Hearing Erni's words, Kent abandoned his dangerous idea.
[Survivors, please enter Cloud Hunt Village within 10 minutes. The survival mission will be activated upon arrival.]
Everyone received the message. Seeing the village in the distance shrouded in a faint mist and noting the blood-red countdown timer, a sense of urgency took hold.
Rex and Leo began sprinting toward the village at speeds exceeding Olympic sprinters. The others scrambled to follow. Cyan Wei trailed behind the group, maintaining a consistent safety distance.
Ten minutes was more than enough time to reach the village. When they arrived at the entrance, they found two guards armed with bows and quivers.
"Stop! Who are you?!"
One man notched an arrow, watching the fast-approaching group warily. The other reached for a bronze bell; one pull of the rope would alert the entire village.
"Brothers, don't misunderstand. We are travelers passing through looking to buy supplies."
Leo flashed a friendly smile, holding up a gleaming gold bar.
"The village chief's daughter is getting married today. It might not be convenient for you to enter."
The two guards stared at the gold bar, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads. In all their lives, they had never seen a bar of solid gold.
"This is a small gift for you both. We were hoping you could make an exception. Since it's a day of celebration, I'm sure the chief wouldn't mind a few extra guests, right?"
Leo pressed the gold bar into one of their hands.
This 50-gram gold bar cost 100 Survival Points to exchange in the Space. Leo felt it was a fair price for admission; without entering the village, their mission couldn't progress.
"Of course, of course! Come in. I'll go inform the chief."
Under the charm of the gold, the guards' attitudes shifted instantly. They beamed at Leo and looked at the followers behind him with newfound friendliness.
One couldn't help but marvel at the power of gold.