The woman in red high heels actually ran away?!!!
The players on the bus were stunned, their mouths hanging open in disbelief at this unexpected twist of events.
In the past, encounters with the woman in red high heels always ended with players being relentlessly chased by her, desperate to get off the bus at the next stop. No one had ever imagined that they could turn the tables and scare her away.
For a moment, everyone turned their gaze to the mermaid doll in Gu Jiu’s hands with a look of reverence.
Who would have thought that such a small doll could possess such power?
“It seems that when she turns into a pool of blood, the defenseless state of the blood is her weakness,” Chai Yingying concluded. “In the past, have you tried attacking her when she was in that form?”
Old Hei replied, “Of course we attacked! But it didn’t work—our tools had no effect on the blood.”
The others nodded in agreement.
The moment the first drop of blood fell from the red high heels, they had always tried to get rid of it. Unfortunately, no matter what methods they used, they could only watch helplessly as the blood gathered into a vicious and terrifying woman.
Chai Yingying pondered and said, “So, when she turns into blood, regular attacks don’t do much damage to her. The only way to harm her is to use something that can devour the blood.”
The woman in red high heels had two main types of attacks: blood threads and her physical self.
While her physical strength was considerable—her sharp nails capable of tearing people in half—her blood threads were far more dangerous. Formed from her own blood, these threads would envelop any area they reached. If a player stepped into the range of the threads, they would be bound and eventually consumed, shredded into pieces.
Her blood was the true source of her deadly power.
However, the woman rarely reverted to her blood form after appearing. This time, Gu Jiu’s actions—taking the hand she held—must have enraged her, prompting her to take the risky step of attacking with her blood.
Based on her behavior at the time, it seemed she had intended to dissolve into a pool of blood to drown Gu Jiu in it.
But Gu Jiu had thrown the mermaid doll just in time. With its ability to devour blood, the mermaid doll swallowed a mouthful of the blood, forcing the woman in red high heels to flee.
This outcome was the result of both human intervention and pure coincidence.
After piecing together the situation, Chai Yingying glanced at the mermaid doll resting on Gu Jiu’s shoulder and asked curiously, “Gu Jiu, what’s wrong with it?”
The mermaid doll had just made a major contribution, and everyone now regarded it with great affection. It had proven itself useful not only against the rats but also in devouring the blood, earning its place as a valuable tool.
But why did it now look so despondent, as if life had lost all meaning?
Gu Jiu looked at the doll, which seemed on the verge of collapse, and shrugged. “It’s feeling nauseous.”
Nauseous?! A tool could feel nauseous?
“Yeah, it just swallowed a mouthful of blood, and now it’s in a foul mood.”
“But isn’t it just a tool? Tools can feel disgusted?” Chai Yingying chuckled, reaching out to poke the mermaid doll’s tail.
Her poke, however, seemed to stir a hornet’s nest. The mermaid doll suddenly sprang to life, baring its sharp shark-like teeth and snapping viciously at Chai Yingying.
Inside its gaping mouth, razor-sharp teeth gleamed, and if Chai Yingying hadn’t dodged quickly, her beautiful face might have ended up missing a chunk.
Cold sweat broke out on Chai Yingying’s forehead. This little thing was far more ferocious than she’d expected.
As Chai Yingying dodged, the uncontrolled mermaid doll slammed into an iron pole, leaving a deep bite mark with its shark-like teeth. Its tail coiled deftly around the pole, spinning in several circles before springing off again. It flew straight toward Chai Yingying, its face twisted into a terrifying shark-like grin, cold glints flashing from its slender fingers.
“Watch out, Sister Chai!”
Chai Yingying had no choice but to pull out a shield, blocking the doll’s rapid assault.
This was Gu Jiu’s tool—what else could she do but use it to fend the thing off?
The mermaid doll latched onto the shield with its claws, swiftly clambering over it. Just as it lunged at Chai Yingying’s face with its razor-sharp claws, a hand darted out and grabbed the doll by its body.
The doll raised a claw to slash at the intruding hand, but Gu Jiu’s voice rang out.
“Try scratching me, and see what happens.”
The mermaid doll froze for a moment, then, with no hesitation, swiped downward.
The players around them were stunned. The doll was so furious that it even dared to scratch its own owner!
Chai Yingying lowered her shield and, observing the doll’s reaction, clicked her tongue. “Gu Jiu, where in the world did you get this tool? It’s ridiculously fierce—it even retaliates against its owner!”
The others nodded in agreement.
They had seen many tools, but this was their first time encountering one so vicious and temperamental. It wasn’t just aggressive; it also refused to tolerate being touched or provoked.
Gu Jiu held the mermaid doll aloft, glancing at the scratches on her wrist. She smiled lightly and said, “Mermaids are all like this. You’ll get used to it.”
Despite her words, her actions said otherwise.
With a ruthless grip, she slammed the doll against the wall of the bus and addressed the other players, “Who has a rat carcass? Bring one over.”
The players exchanged confused looks, their expressions asking the same question: What do you need a rat carcass for?
“To feed it, of course. Its ability is to devour paranormal trash,” Gu Jiu replied matter-of-factly. “Since it’s a tool, it should perform its duties as one.”
The mermaid doll, pinned so tightly against the wall that its face was almost flattened, struggled with all its might.
It didn’t want to eat rats!
“Keep struggling, and I’ll make it two rats,” Gu Jiu’s voice came, light as a breeze. “Or maybe three? No rush. This Death Train has no shortage of trash—I can save it all for you.”
The mermaid doll froze.
Moments later, it sat obediently and quietly beside Gu Jiu, its hands folded primly in its lap, pretending to be a beautiful and well-behaved little mermaid.
Chai Yingying glanced at the unbothered Gu Jiu, then at the subdued doll, and gave her a big thumbs up.
“As expected of our cold-hearted boss lady—only someone this tough could keep such a feral doll in check. I’m impressed!”
Wan Xingzhou was equally moved. Seeing the once-wild mermaid doll now completely tamed, he silently thought to himself: This is exactly how it should be!
Lu Ji gently took Gu Jiu’s hand to inspect it. There were several fine scratches left by the doll’s claws. His gaze shifted to the now-meek mermaid doll.
Under the unrelenting glare of Lu Ji’s dark, emotionless eyes, the doll grew visibly more rigid. In the end, it climbed into Gu Jiu’s hand, silently begging her to store it away in her personal inventory.
The mermaid doll, although just a tool created by the game’s rules, carried the temperamental nature of a real mermaid. It loathed being confined in the dark void of the tool space. Ever since Gu Jiu released it, it had clung to her persistently, refusing to return to the tool storage. It would rather hide in her pocket than be locked away again.
But now, faced with Lu Ji’s unyielding gaze, it could no longer hold its ground.
“Why go back?” Gu Jiu asked softly, her voice deceptively gentle. “We might encounter more trash later. Stay obedient and get ready to clean up the garbage.”
The mermaid doll: “….”
Lu Ji applied ointment to Gu Jiu’s scratches, watching as the wounds healed completely. He couldn’t help but glance at the mermaid doll again.
The doll sat with its back to them, exuding a sense of quiet resignation.
—
The train arrived at the 18th station.
Beep, beep, beep.
The doors opened, and passengers began disembarking.
Unlike previous stops, the 18th station appeared relatively safe—remarkably so, in fact. Not only was there no immediate danger, but the platform was also bustling with numerous other players.
As players descended from the upper floors, Wu Yang, Wan Xingzhou, and others grew visibly tense, immediately recognizing who they were dealing with.
“Miss, it’s them!” Wan Xingzhou ran over excitedly, reporting, “These are the pathfinding players we ran into at the fifth station!”
The players descending from the lower platform hesitated momentarily, recognizing Wan Xingzhou and his group. These were the players they had trapped back at the fifth station. To their surprise, they had survived.
However, the pathfinding players quickly composed themselves.
Yes, they were pathfinders. So what? They doubted anyone here would dare to act against them directly—not unless they had a death wish and wanted to be wiped out by the game’s rules.
Old Hei, Chai Yingying, and others wore expressions of distaste, but their wariness also grew.
Facing malicious players was one thing, but dealing with pathfinding players was another. They were not only detestable but also dangerous, as one could never be sure when they’d be used as bait for the group’s benefit.
And there were plenty of them here—about fifty in total.
At the forefront stood a group of men and women. Their clothes were stained with blood—whether their own or that of others was unclear. Their eyes gleamed with malice, their gazes sharp and menacing. Some even smirked provocatively, mocking their opponents as though daring them to make a move.
Li Jing and the others were seething with rage at the shamelessness of these pathfinding players.
But not all of them were overtly hostile.
“Ah, what a coincidence! It’s rare to meet again at the 18th station. Why don’t we join forces?”
The one proposing cooperation was a man with an unremarkable appearance. His plain features and gentle smile exuded an air of friendliness, making him look like a harmless good-natured individual. If not for knowing his identity as a pathfinding player, it would have been hard to believe he was capable of ruthless deceit.
Unlike his companions, his demeanor was calm and approachable, his tone warm and disarming, designed to lower defenses.
“No need,” Chai Yingying replied sarcastically. “Everyone knows Captain Lu’s habits. In the end, his so-called ‘partners’ end up dead.”
Captain Lu raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Oh? You’ve heard of me?”
Chai Yingying’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Who hasn’t? You’re the infamous leader of the C-rank pathfinding players.”
Captain Lu nodded nonchalantly, clearly unbothered. He hadn’t taken Chai Yingying seriously—until a female player beside him whispered something in his ear.
Only then did understanding dawn on his face.
“So, you’re the infamous ‘Point-Hoarding Witch,’ Chai Yingying,” Captain Lu said with a sly grin. “I’ve heard you’re notorious for racking up points in the game world, willing to do anything for them. You and I are no different—two sides of the same coin. Since we’re alike, you shouldn’t be rejecting me. Don’t you think so, Miss Chai?”
The other pathfinding players chimed in with laughter, their smugness evident.
Chai Yingying nearly exploded with rage.
While she did have the nickname “Point-Hoarding Witch,” all her actions were aboveboard. She had never used others as stepping stones for her gain, nor had she resorted to underhanded tricks to harm people in secret.
Her face darkened as she spat, “You wish! Who’s anything like you? Get lost! I don’t want to talk to you scum—you’ll taint my purity.”
She waved dismissively, as if shooing away garbage. Her teammates immediately surrounded her, creating a protective barrier to block the pathfinding players from getting any closer. Their actions were a clear expression of disdain.
Even for the morally bankrupt pathfinding players, being so openly scorned left them visibly displeased.
Captain Lu narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone carrying a hint of regret. “Well, if that’s the case, I won’t force the issue. I had hoped we could reach a mutual understanding and work together to clear the game, Miss Chai.”
Chai Yingying rolled her eyes dramatically.
Work together to clear the game? More like they’d clear the game while everyone else became their stepping stones, dead beyond saving.
The pathfinding players, having arrived at the 18th station earlier, occupied the open area on the left side to rest.
Old Hei and the others chose the right side, keeping a clear boundary between the two groups—at least on the surface.
In reality, Wan Xingzhou and his teammates were seething with frustration. Seeing their enemies so close but being unable to act against them was infuriating. They felt as though their hearts were being clawed at.
Wan Xingzhou trailed after Gu Jiu, his head hanging low.
Though he had been quick to report the pathfinding players, he also knew they couldn’t actually do anything to them. Any attempt at revenge would violate the rules of the omniversal game.
Gu Jiu glanced back at him, raised her hand, and gave him a firm smack. “What’s with the gloom? Snap out of it!”
Wan Xingzhou clutched his head where he’d been hit, staring at her in confusion.
Suddenly, an idea seemed to dawn on him. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu offered no explanation and instead turned to Lu Ji. “Ah Ji, I want to change into something else. Come with me.”
Lu Ji: “…”