Gamers Are Fierce
Chapter 66: Sets

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Sets

As soon as he squatted down, Li Ang realized there was a moderately long brush tucked into the back of his waistband.

He pulled out the brush and scrutinized it. The handle was made of fine bamboo, and the tip consisted of wolf hair—moderately long, firm, and pointed. The very tip was soaked in bright red cinnabar paint.

After discreetly activating his Cat’s Eye Spiritual Sense to inspect it, Li Ang still couldn’t find anything unusual about this script prop. It really just seemed like a cheap brush one could buy for twenty yuan at a stationery store.

This thing would break with just a bend...

Gingerly testing the sturdiness of the brush handle, Li Ang thought to himself, I can’t put it in my backpack slot, so my only option is to carry it. It could easily be damaged, or the cinnabar paint on the tip could be rubbed off. As for whether the brush would still work on talismans once the handle is damaged or the paint is worn off... only the System knows.

In other words, besides the mission requirements revealed by the System, there could very well be a hidden condition to "protect the brush."

Even though every player had a brush, considering that everyone would be chased by Ghosts, potentially leading to a reduction in team size, each brush was an important strategic resource.

Li Ang was thinking this over when he took out the large black umbrella from his backpack slot. He gestured for Chai Cuiqiao to keep silent. After she entered his body, he explained the current situation to her in detail.

Li Ang silently mused, The situation this time is very complicated. The Monsters we’re facing are exceptionally sensitive to sound and light. Once discovered, we cannot engage in combat with them, as it would create noise and attract the attacks of more Fierce Ghosts.

"...So that means our strength is assumed to be inferior to theirs?"

Chai Cuiqiao pondered for a moment and said uncertainly, "That’s actually quite strange. The strength of a Ghost is derived from the resentment they held during life and the Yin Qi accumulated after death. The majority of the Ghosts in this mall didn’t die under particularly grievous circumstances, so logically, they shouldn’t possess such formidable power."

Chai Cuiqiao, being a Fierce Ghost herself, had unquestionable authority on this matter.

Indeed, Li Ang was also puzzled. How could a bunch of Ghosts, who had died less than a couple of decades ago, surpass a group of seasoned players mostly above Lv5, according to the System’s evaluation?

Li Ang thought, It can only be that the System has performed some special manipulation, or there’s something strange about this shopping mall itself.

"Hmm," Chai Cuiqiao nodded and asked, "Do you need me to fly out and scout?"

"Not for now." Li Ang shook his head. "The situation is still unclear. Let’s wait until we encounter the specific Ghosts before making any plans."

Chai Cuiqiao’s scouting ability could largely be replaced by security cameras. Besides, considering the mall’s strange nature, having her outside could very likely trigger unknown consequences.

With this in mind, Li Ang stowed the Yin Qi-absorbing large black umbrella in his backpack slot and took out his phone. He pressed his palm against the screen, dimmed its brightness to the lowest setting, and only then opened WeChat to enter the group chat.

In the group chat, the other four teammates had already reported their locations.

Plague Doctor: "I’m on the 1st floor of Building C, near Tiffany’s Entrance."

Ao Yong: "Building A, 3rd floor, at Boucheron Entrance."

Liu Wu Dai: "Building B, 4th floor, at Woolworths’ Entrance."

Lost Airship: "Building A, Basement 1, near Panerai Entrance."

So, all the players were dispersed across different floors from the start... Li Ang adjusted his glasses, looked around, and typed, "Building B, 5th floor, at Jiupin Crab Emperor Fort Entrance."

After confirming everyone’s location, Plague Doctor typed, "Building A has the most open terrain. I suggest everyone make their way to Building A first. Lost Airship, head to the basement’s left corridor. I’ll take the first floor’s right corridor. Ao Yong, to the third floor’s left corridor. Wu Dai, to the fourth floor’s right corridor. And Li Rising, you go to the fifth floor’s left corridor."

The architectural style of Longheng Shopping Center was quite peculiar. The central building, Building A, was roughly spindle-shaped, with a lobby allowing visibility from the basement all the way to the fifth floor. The dome above the hall was a square of transparent glass, penetrable by moonlight, so even in the dead of night, it wasn’t completely pitch-black. Moreover, Building A’s terrain was open, making it quite easy to jump down or climb up along the railings. It could be considered the most reassuring place.

The benefits of everyone gathering in Building A were obvious: they could see each other and could immediately issue warnings or provide assistance. Additionally, with Plague Doctor’s strategy of positioning everyone on different floors and corridors, there would be at least ten to several tens of meters between them. This might allow them to avoid the System’s restriction that "players must not approach each other." This would also help evade the possibility of a teammate dying right at the start, which could lead to escalating disadvantages and an eventual team collapse.

It was a pretty smart method.

Indeed, the experienced ones always have a few tricks up their sleeve, Li Ang curled his lip, mentally approving of the suggestion.

After a brief discussion, Ao Yong and Lost Airship decided to head to the Building A lobby first, while Plague Doctor, Liu Wu Dai, and Li Ang would make their way there more slowly.

The passages from Building A to Buildings B and C were quite narrow and didn’t allow for vertical movement. If blocked by a Monster, one could only retreat. This made these passages arguably the riskiest parts of the entire shopping mall.

To avoid making noise while moving, Li Ang slowly took off his boots, standing on the floor in his socks. He also removed any metal objects from his person that might clang, such as his security badge.

Once ready, Li Ang crouched down, sticking close to the wall as he slowly advanced.

Lost Airship suppressed his breathing, crouching at a corner of Basement 1 in Building A, clutching a Short Dagger. This small, poison-coated blade had helped him escape peril more than once, even allowing Lost Airship to defeat many enemies far stronger than himself.

Ruthless, crafty, swift, a fatal strike.

This was Lost Airship’s combat style. Even against bizarre Resentful Spirits, the strange poison smeared on his Short Dagger’s blade could inflict immense damage.

Lost Airship silently recited the words carved on the dagger’s hilt. Lifting his head, he saw a silhouette on one side of the ground-floor lobby, seemingly waving at him.

Is that Plague Doctor? Lost Airship thought of Plague Doctor’s earlier arrangements in the group chat. He furrowed his brows and scrutinized the figure carefully, then noticed that the full moon was now shrouded by clouds. The dim emergency lighting around them had also faded considerably, making it impossible to discern the silhouette’s features.

Feeling uneasy, Lost Airship crouched lower, pressed the screen of his smartphone, and tagged Plague Doctor in the WeChat group: "Where are you?" All the while, he kept his gaze fixed on the figure in the ground-floor lobby.

Like Li Ang, Lost Airship didn’t trust the tablet Ao Yong had given out. He preferred to use his own smartphone.

After a long wait, the dim smartphone screen lit up again. Plague Doctor replied, "I’ve just stepped out of the corridor. It’s too dark there. I was afraid the light from my phone would attract Ghosts."

A chill went down Lost Airship’s spine. He distinctly saw that the figure in the ground-floor lobby was still waving—and hadn’t used a phone at all!