Chapter 46: Beer, Peanuts, and Mineral Water (Asking for a recommendation~)

The woman had suddenly launched an attack on someone, calm and collected, with the steadiness of a veteran—there was no doubt she wasn't a newcomer. So... could it be... Xiyan's gaze shifted toward the mouth of the tunnel. Could it be that IDs only appeared in this open area? If someone stayed outside the tunnel, would their ID remain hidden? If so, by sending people to ambush newcomers at the tunnel entrance, they could control the number of people in the open area, allowing for cooperation and even prioritizing someone's escape. By extension, the tunnel entrance could become a choke point, regulating the influx of people—this would essentially allow perfect control over the game.

Xiyan was pleased with his deduction, but how did things actually stand?

"Brother, you're blocking the way." Ayuan's voice snapped him back to reality. Xiyan pulled his wandering thoughts back and realized that a woman in blue overalls was pushing a cart toward him.

"Beer, sodas, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, grilled fish snacks—hey, player, please make way."

Hearing this familiar chant, Xiyan almost thought he was back in his previous world—it was exactly the sort of thing you'd hear on a train. To hear it here brought a sudden wave of nostalgia, as if he were a stranger in a strange land.

"Player, please move, you're blocking the way."

This seemed to be an NPC—her speech was emotionless, her manner cold and mechanical.

The one blocking her path was the girl who had just taken the wooden plaque. With twin pigtails and large, curious eyes, she stared at the NPC.

"Ma'am, why do you say I'm blocking the way? Look, there's plenty of space beside me." She pointed to her side, and indeed, there was a wide stretch of road there.

But the spot where she stood had a line drawn on the ground, and the NPC was following that line.

The NPC merely repeated herself in response to the girl's words. "Please, player, you're blocking the way. Kindly move aside."

The girl with pigtails didn't budge. Instead, she looked at the NPC mockingly, then reached out and took a bottle of mineral water from the cart, twisted open the cap, and gulped down the entire thing. The empty bottle she hurled at the NPC.

The NPC's icy face showed not the slightest reaction. Seeing this, the girl grabbed a bag of peanuts from the cart, tore it open, and began eating, tossing the shells onto the ground.

The previously bustling open area fell silent, every eye fixed on the scene.

Yet the girl with pigtails seemed to relish being the center of attention. Popping a peanut into her mouth, she addressed the crowd: "You people are so inflexible, like a bunch of corpses."

No one replied. Xiyan, though irritated, kept his composure; in this situation, it was clear he shouldn't butt in.

When the girl finished her peanuts, she still refused to move, standing her ground against the NPC.

At that moment, the NPC, who until now had remained motionless, finally acted. She looked up at the girl with an icy stare and said, "One bottle of mineral water, one bag of peanuts—total cost, thirty points. Littering—one red crystal deducted."

After this, the NPC continued, "Please move aside."

Hearing her bill, the girl was stunned for a second, then flew into a rage, kicking the cart hard. "Move aside? Go around me, do you understand? Let me tell you—my sister is from the Main City!"

The Main City. Again, the Main City. Just how powerful was this Main City anyway? Xiyan's gaze grew pensive.

The NPC, however, didn't react at all to the girl's words, as if she were a mere automaton.

"Main City?" The NPC frowned, then continued, "Three warnings, all rules ignored. Death penalty."

Her tone remained flat, utterly devoid of emotion. As she finished speaking, a pitch-black hole suddenly opened beneath the girl's feet.

Without warning, the girl dropped straight down. The black hole didn't vanish immediately; everyone in the open area could hear the girl's screams and the suspicious sound of chewing.

After a moment, the black hole closed, as if the girl had never existed.

Everyone on the open ground watched silently; not a word was spoken.

The first to break the silence was the NPC.

"Beer, sodas, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, grilled fish snacks—anyone need anything?"

No one responded. The NPC pushed her cart onward, repeating her chant as she walked: "Beer, sodas, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, grilled fish snacks—anyone need anything..."

Not until the NPC had moved on did anyone speak, and slowly, the area returned to its previous state.

"Ayuan, let's just stay here tonight," Xiyan said, squatting down and sitting on the ground.

Ayuan nodded, then crawled into Xiyan's arms. Xiyan held Ayuan close, staying in the "safe zone" to gather information.

A burly man with a bushy beard sidled up, asking amiably, "Is this your ability?"

Xiyan didn't want to expose anything about Ayuan, so he nodded, tacitly agreeing.

The man went on, "The woman at the top of the rankings here—her ability is a lot like yours. She can conjure people too."

"First place? Sir, how did she manage to collect so many crystals?"

The bearded man, clearly delighted to have found someone to talk to, launched into an enthusiastic explanation.

He told Xiyan that the woman was formidable. Her ability allowed her to materialize two people, who always stuck by her side. Because they were manifestations of her power, they couldn't be killed or injured, and never needed rest—as long as her ability held out.

This woman spent her time outside, hunting newcomers. Usually, very few new players managed to make it to the open area.

Listening to the man's account, Xiyan realized this "first place" was most likely the woman he'd encountered at the tunnel. So her name was Konar. She looked frail, but it turned out she was ruthlessly efficient.

Then again, in this world where everyone struggled to survive, ruthlessness was hardly surprising.

Xiyan thought of himself—he still believed he couldn't abandon his principles, couldn't kill wantonly. Everyone had only one life; he had no right to take it from them.

"Kid, you already have a child—so where's your girlfriend?" the man pressed on.

The question stumped Xiyan. He didn't have a girlfriend; the man was just making things up, but Xiyan let it slide.

"Ah, she..." Xiyan lowered his head, searching for an excuse, trying to cover the lie.

But seeing Xiyan's hesitation, the bearded man kindly supplied an excuse for him. He patted Xiyan's shoulder, speaking with heartfelt sympathy: "I understand, son. Don't be sad. In a place like this, just surviving is hard enough."

Xiyan was left bewildered, unable to fathom how the man had come to such conclusions.