Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 606: Murmur Sphere

Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Murmur Sphere

Nie Xuan’s expression also became serious, "Do you have any evidence?"

"No, just my intuition," replied Xu Huo, impassively. "You can choose to believe it or not."

Nie Xuan believed that Xu Huo wasn’t one to make baseless claims, and after a moment of thought, he said, "I will find a way to verify your suspicion."

Xu Huo smiled and nodded. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to provide more direct proof, it was that he genuinely lacked evidence at the moment. However, the fact that an Artifact Maker would enter the zone before the zone and the game fully merged was enough to illustrate some issues. At the very least, that type of ore resource was a very important asset. Even if Zone 014 didn’t currently have precise information on the ore’s location and usage, the emergence of The New Energy District could signify changes happening quietly within Zone 014. It wasn’t impossible for special mineral resources to arise later than expected.

"The Special Defense Department, even in exchange for props, wouldn’t expose the location of the ore," Nie Xuan said. "They still have that much sense of crisis..."

He paused before asking, "When do you plan to go to Jing City?"

"It depends," answered Xu Huo. "At first I intended to hitch a ride with Chief Song, but now I’ll have to figure it out myself."

Nie Xuan’s expression was one of amusement. "There are quite a few players tailing near the hotel. You’re playing quite the big game; be careful not to lead yourself into a ditch."

Xu Huo, however, appeared quite confident and indicated for Nie Xuan to fulfill the trade conditions.

Nie Xuan was forthcoming and didn’t go back on the deal just because Xu Huo had made a vague statement. He generously brought out three Rank-C items, "Take your pick."

[Center Stage Control: A prop that allows the user to become the center of attention on stage. Anyone within a ten-meter radius will be compelled to pay 120% attention to them, making them a true center of focus, and it also enhances the effects of similar items by 5%.]

[Clearly Happy: You should maintain a smile when you’re clearly happy. But the ’clearly’ doesn’t refer to any specific person; it refers to all who hear the happy code word. As soon as the code "Clearly Happy" is called out, everyone who hears it will involuntarily smile for ten seconds. According to psychologists, a smile can bring good fortune.]

[Thunder Drop: Firecrackers, popular among children in the various game zones, have seen increasing sales, encouraging designers to see a bright future in their careers. They have improved the design based on the original foundation, creating a reusable Thunder Drop that, when thrown forcefully, can produce an explosion rivaling that of a hand grenade. Note: The effects are similar whether thrown on the ground or at a person; the latter just increases the likelihood of getting hit.]

Xu Huo chose "Center Stage Control."

"The addition of 5% to the effect seems substantial," commented Nie Xuan casually, "but it only works with similar props and can’t be stacked on top of traits."

Xu Huo didn’t choose the prop for its effects but because upon obtaining it, a new set of prop upgrade prompts appeared on his personal panel:

[Based on the player’s prop information, your "Star-binding Sphere," "Center Stage Control," "Aimless Firework Launcher," and "Highlighted Non-Essential Location" can be combined and upgraded into a Rank-B prop. Do you wish to upgrade?]

All four items were Rank-C, and merging them would only yield one Rank-B prop. But what Xu Huo currently lacked were better props.

He chose to upgrade.

The four items turned gray, and a few seconds later, the upgrade was complete.

[Congratulations to the player Passerby A for obtaining the Rank-B prop, Murmur Sphere.]

[Legend has it that there is a desolate city called the Abandoned City at E19 Wormhole Point. No one has ever discovered its entrance or exit. Anyone who enters does so under extreme coincidences and accidents.]

[Because its existence is full of mystery, no one can pinpoint its exact location. However, players who claimed to have come from the Abandoned City said it was filled with sound. Every moment, every inch of soil, every plant, even the air itself continually emitted signals that only those chosen could perceive. Those selected would immerse themselves in this indoctrination until they left the Abandoned City to spread its grandeur to the outside world.]

[Given that this player’s psychological rating was deemed Rank-A high-risk, and they had been nearing twelve days without sleep when they made their statement, their words were not accepted by the game, and the props they carried were confiscated by the Game Government.]

[A special note: The Murmur Sphere is an indiscriminate attack prop, but ineffective against players who have lost their hearing. The holder may consider induced deafness.]

Xu Huo’s gaze lingered on the last sentence before he nonchalantly continued his conversation with Nie Xuan.

Their words contained probing, but both stopped short of pushing too far. By the time the meal was nearing its end, Nie Xuan mentioned Abel, saying that during the search of the Taole Club, they discovered him trapped in a prop, and that place harbored many of the club’s materials.

"It’s likely he took advantage of the chaos to reap some benefits. The Special Defense Department would usually just expel such people, but he claims to be your good friend."

Indeed, Abel had disappeared during the mid-fight, but many players had been forced into a subgame then, so his absence was not strange. Unexpectedly, this man also possessed a bit of cunning.

"His Return Ticket should be near Ting City. Sending him out means he’ll have to come back anyway," Xu Huo said.

"Fine, I’ll let him go after a fine," Nie Xuan got up to pay the bill. "There are three cars outside the hotel; we’ll meet at the back door."

Xu Huo expressed his gratitude and returned to the hotel, instructing Zhou Ning and Hu Wenhao to wait for Yan Jiayu in Yang City, while he and the Girl in the painting would head back to Ting City first.

"According to the investigation by the Special Defense Department, she likely entered a random subgame."

"No problem," Zhou Ning replied cheerfully. "We’ll wait near the resort; random subgames don’t usually take many days."

In the evening, Xu Huo left the hotel and boarded the Special Defense Department’s car back to Ting City.

Although Nie Xuan had arranged two cars to travel to Jing City via different routes, they were still followed all the way. More and more followers accumulated as they entered the boundaries of Ting City. On the commercial street, someone even boldly scrolled their contact information on the big screen inviting Xu Huo to join a certain Player Organization, offering props and potions with a bold tone as if gearing up for a big venture.

"Full of themselves," scoffed Sima Xiao’er, rolling his eyes. "If you wanted to join a Player Organization, none could compare to the Special Defense Department."

Nie Xuan phoned the information department to have those "advertisements" removed and increased patrol vehicles near the branch. However, after hearing the report from the other end, he looked at Xu Huo, "Leave soon if you can, and it’s best not to come back for a while."

The car stopped on the street corner, Xu Huo got out, and then turned back to say, "Trust in the deterrent power of the Special Defense Department."