Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 616: The Battle Begins

Chapter 616: Chapter 616: The Battle Begins

It was unclear whether someone was orchestrating the trend, but a video clip of Special Defense Department members using animal capture nets to drag sedated players skyrocketed to the top trends of major online platforms, at one point overshadowing the news of a residential building explosion. Public sentiment towards the Special Defense Department was extremely negative, especially because not all the captured individuals were Cannibal Players.

This caused existing players, those about to become players, and those hoping to become players, to feel anxious and fearful of becoming targets themselves.

However, within the Special Defense Department, there were personnel specifically tasked with handling this matter. Right after the captures were made, they quickly announced the purpose and process of the mission, stating that all those who were apprehended were in the act of plotting crimes. Two of the explosions were even confirmed to have been orchestrated by them, with corresponding evidence presented.

Subsequent incidents surrounding the Special Defense Department Headquarters were also gradually live streamed by drones. With an overload of information being leaked, netizens couldn’t keep up with commenting, which resulted in a brief moment of silence on the web.

But this silence didn’t last long, for the drone footage soon captured a team of rescue workers and the wounded they were helping, all being killed by a group of players they encountered. These Cannibal Players even provocatively challenged the drone by biting a dying rescue worker to death on camera!

Online hatred for Cannibal Players surged to an unprecedented high. For many, battles between players were only indirectly experienced through videos or secondhand accounts. Now confronted with such a direct and brutal display of violence, no one could remain unaffected.

"Exterminate them all!"

These four words dominated every online platform, and many nearby players spontaneously formed teams to offer their assistance.

In response, the Special Defense Department issued new evacuation orders, further clearing the area around the headquarters.

Despite the cold winter night, residents within a twenty-kilometer straight-line distance from the Special Defense Department Headquarters were also evacuated overnight, seeking refuge further afield.

The local armed police, having long prepared for such a situation, were already cooperating with the transportation department to clear the roads, ensuring an orderly evacuation for everyone. They also stopped players who wished to approach the headquarters, whether they intended to help or cause trouble, intercepting them all.

"Let’s not go in there!" exclaimed a player who was stopped, raising his voice to others, "At this time, going in would just add to the chaos. What if people with ill intentions sneak in?"

Faced with guns and cannons surrounding them from all angles, even the most hot-tempered players dared not break through by force. It wasn’t that they couldn’t breach the military defense; the cost of doing so would be significant and utterly unnecessary.

However, there were a few players who relied on their special abilities or items to stealthily make their way into the blockade, but that was no longer the concern of the armed police.

Xu Huo, along with members of the Chun Yu Association and Brother Liang, were situated at the edge of the blockade, with a clear view of a nearby checkpoint from their position.

"Lucky we got in early, or it would have been a hassle," said Brother Liang, now disguised as Xu Huo. He, including Zheng Liang, Guan Zuhong, and over one-third of the operatives, had either put on Xu Huo’s true face or fake faces used in the parlors.

Their mission was to buy time for Xu Huo and to draw scattered players towards his location.

"You’ll be divided into six groups. The first group’s delay time is three minutes," Xu Huo repeated to everyone, "If three minutes pass without my signal, join with the second group. The second group will have six minutes. Without fail, I will signal by then; bring the people to me once you receive it."

"If the first and second group’s delaying tactics fail to attract enough players, quickly rendezvous with the third group. The third group has an estimated nine minutes. Assuming the first two groups fail, at least half of the members should join you, which will lure even more players. Bring them to the location I signal, and your mission will be complete."

"The last three groups have a delay time of ten minutes each. The longer it takes, the more dangerous it becomes. Just do your best; there’s no need to sacrifice your lives. If you encounter absolute danger, prioritize entering the copy."

"Most players in Zone 014 are Level E; there won’t be many Level D, and they wouldn’t gather in large numbers. Ordinary Player Organizations have no such influence right now. If foreign powers get involved, they will prioritize targeting the Special Defense Department and large Player Organizations gathering at headquarters."

"Both abilities and props have certain activation conditions. These conditions are either distance or sensory related—whether it’s hearing, seeing, smelling, or even signals too high-pitched to hear or detect. Keeping a certain distance is crucial for survival. You have locators on you. If anyone remains in the same spot for more than five seconds, it means they are either controlled or in danger. Others must come to their rescue immediately to afford them the chance to escape into the copy."

"I still think five seconds is too short," said Brother Liang, "Depending on the situation, we might need to hide."

"You need to coordinate amongst yourselves. The five-second rule is just a simple Danger Prophecy. Once the battle begins, communication might not be so easy, but I think five seconds is the most appropriate. There are many players in the combat zone, and staying in one place too long doubles the danger," replied Xu Huo.

"Another thing to be wary of is the random copies. Although there aren’t many around the Special Defense Department Headquarters, we can’t discount the possibility that someone might bring a copy’s entrance here. Once you’re in the copy, it’s up to you."

"Don’t worry," Gu Yu said, "Since we’ve joined in, we’re prepared. Our parents and loved ones live on this land. Cannibal Players, of course, the fewer, the better!"

"Not to mention you provided quite a lot of resources."

Before coming, in addition to White Notes and Evolution Potions, Xu Huo had everyone use an Antitoxin in advance, and he promised that he would supply them with more Evolution Potions afterward.

Next to Tickets, Evolution Potion was the most sought-after item for players. Naturally, their participation was voluntary, and not motivated by material gain, but given Xu Huo’s generosity, they couldn’t bear to refuse. Although they weren’t sure how he would deal with the players, for now, they just had to complete the mission as planned.

Xu Huo glanced around at everyone and said solemnly, "Gentlemen, we’ll regroup after the matter is settled."

With those words, he leaped out of the window.

His movement was swift; the others had to take the elevator. Gu Yu and Brother Liang nodded at each other and then left the building, making their way into the wind.

Xu Huo didn’t take the ground path. Firstly, because there were too many players, and secondly, because it was easy to stumble upon random copies. So, he chose a group of not-too-tall buildings and traveled across their tops towards the location he had selected in advance.

Having changed his face with the help of Wen Xuelin, Xu Huo was detected by some players but didn’t care. As he moved past, he noticed plenty taking advantage of the chaos to vent their frustration through vandalism, but the Special Defense Department was quick to respond, sending people to take over immediately.