Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 1326 - 1327 High Temperature Zone

Chapter 1326: Chapter 1327 High Temperature Zone

Xu Huo and the player with the headscarf were extremely quiet over there, not at all like they were in a duel, but from the outside, it was impossible to see what was happening inside. So, once Qiu Ming finished over here, the masked man and others, being companions, began to devise a way to enter the building.

However, before they could take any action, the sealed building reopened, and Xu Huo and the player with the headscarf walked out simultaneously.

Neither had any external injuries, and the building remained intact, not at all like they’d been in a fight.

"How did it go?" Qiu Ming couldn’t help but ask as Xu Huo came down.

Xu Huo signaled him to get in the car; meanwhile, the player with the headscarf cleared the way for them.

Willing to admit defeat, the group with the headscarf player no longer interfered with their passage.

As the car drove past, Qiu Ming still couldn’t understand, "Are they really willing to concede? I thought with their numbers, they were sure to play dirty; there must be more players here than just those."

"Proposing a bet actually indicated their concession," Cao Qinglin explained, "They knew that going all out would lead to heavy losses, so they opted for this kind of compromise. A fifty-fifty chance doesn’t really hurt them, especially since we still have wounded on our side. No point in risking everyone’s life for a loss."

It was just a desperate gamble at the lowest cost.

Of course, it’s unwise to rely on the morality of strangers, so she added, "It’s best to disguise ourselves after leaving here."

Xu Huo agreed and nodded.

The journey ahead was indeed uneventful, only some parts of the road were severely damaged, forcing them to take two detours.

Once they left this abandoned city, the interference device could no longer cover this area, allowing them to use props again.

The three then resumed their journey using a hot air balloon.

As they traveled further, the temperature continued to rise. Under the cloudless sky, it felt as if two suns were blazing directly above them. Even with the props providing some barrier, sitting in the hot air balloon became unbearable. After extended exposure, the balloon itself became scorching to the touch, making it uncomfortable to even stand inside, let alone sit.

"Should we just go down?" Cao Qinglin suggested, wiping her sweat-soaked hair and removing her protective suit.

"It’s scorching on the ground too." Qiu Ming was shirtless, sweating like a stream; he drank water while saying, "Without the protective suit, what happens if we encounter something unexpected?"

"This area is so open, and it’s hard for flora and fauna to survive in this heat; there shouldn’t be any poisonous insects or plants." Cao Qinglin was struggling to endure, "I feel like my insides are boiling."

Even evolved players found it difficult to endure such extreme heat for long, so Xu Huo agreed to land.

The ground wasn’t much better; however, the temperature on Cao Qinglin’s thermometer dropped by two degrees.

The air was as hot as boiling water, and a degree or two made little difference. They used props to proceed, but the high-temperature zone seemed endless.

"Looks like it’s this weather all around here," Xu Huo said, holding the "Umbrella of Justice." Though this umbrella was originally capable of producing rain, in such extreme climates, it couldn’t. Before long, even the handle became too hot to hold.

"Try this," Qiu Ming pulled out a large parasol and a remote control, "A floating parasol with cooling functions. However, using this means we can’t use long-distance movement props."

"It’d be great if we had a Spatial Transmission Device."

"Spatial transmission devices are too expensive, and most don’t teleport very far; it’s not worth it," Cao Qinglin said.

Xu Huo had just sold some props, but the prices were average. Considering the spending back in Card City, the remaining money wasn’t much. The Spatial Transmission Device was prohibitively expensive, likely due to a technological embargo. Common devices were for individual use and consumable, with limited ranges that didn’t achieve the desired portal effect. Long-distance teleportation props or spatial teleportation devices could suffice, merely requiring more uses.

Larger spatial devices, such as the cross-space transmitters bought by the District Government in the Night City of Zone 002 or the stolen multi-user devices in Card City, were generally sold to district governments and were similarly consumable. They might be scrapped after one or two uses, making them costly single-use products.

Overall, such devices can be bought, but it’s unnecessary for simple travel.

"Those things are scarce and costly at ordinary exchanges and auctions, but district governments and some local powers surely have them." Qiu Ming drained the last drop from his water bottle, licked his lips, and said, "Would be nice if we ran into one or two."

Cao Qinglin was beyond speaking; for someone as seriously injured as her, the environment was even more grueling.

"Perhaps things will get better when we reach Twin Cities." After resting a bit, Xu Huo spoke.

Common modes of transport were available; Qiu Ming brought out three small carts, "Fortunately, the road is passable, or we wouldn’t be able to use these."

The High Temperature Zone was so vast that not even long-distance teleportation devices could get them out quickly, so this was a way to conserve energy.

The three of them sat in the carts, hiding under the shade of the parasol, using the opportunity to eat something.

Taking breaks as needed, an hour later, they came across more ruins ahead, seeming to be a small city. It was nowhere near as big as the previous one. Before getting close, they discovered a camouflaged trench around the city’s perimeter, along with several fresh footprints not completely covered up.

"There’s actually someone living here," Cao Qinglin remarked.

"Maybe ordinary Evolvers," Xu Huo said, getting off the cart and walking along the trench, finding a hidden passageway beneath a building, and motioning for them to come down, "It’s cooler underground."

The underground passage was wide enough for two or three people to walk upright, though littered with plenty of small traps—low-level trap props that were largely ineffective.

A few minutes later, Qiu Ming returned from a nearby fork dragging a boy of about thirteen or fourteen. The boy was bound by a prop and couldn’t escape, shouting and spitting at Qiu Ming.

"Behave!" Qiu Ming grabbed his head, "Want a beating?"

The boy stopped, but his eyes glared intensely, filled with defiance.

Qiu Ming laughed, ruffled his hair, and pulled out a bag of jerky, showing it to him, "Want some?"

The boy’s nostrils flared, his eyes swiveling involuntarily, but he quickly turned them away.

"Playing tough, huh?" Qiu Ming untied his hands and was about to give him the jerky when the boy suddenly produced a broken knife from behind his back and lunged.

Qiu Ming, while saying "Kids shouldn’t play with dangerous things," caught the boy’s hand and took the broken knife, forcibly stuffing the jerky into his hand.

Nevertheless, the boy’s wariness didn’t decrease a bit; he dropped the jerky and ran. Qiu Ming instinctively went to chase after him, but Xu Huo gestured for him to stop, "Let him go; just leave something here."