"How do you think about him?" Hong Lang asked Shen Yi, lighting a cigarette for himself, but Shen Yi quickly snatched it away.
The four of them stood together, while Fatty kept his distance, not daring to interrupt their conversation.
He knew that this was the moment his fate would be decided.
"I don't think he's suitable," Jin Gang said. "This guy, although he acts cowardly due to his danger perception, we are in the bloody city. The reason doesn't matter, the outcome does. Fatty's fearfulness is a fact, and he's not bright either. Having him with us will only bring trouble."
"I think he's worth considering," Wen Rou interjected. "First, his ability to sense danger is useful for us, especially since we have to deal with mutants and other adventurers in this mission. With Fatty, many potential troubles can be solved. Secondly, his psychic armor is quite useful. And thirdly, we indeed need to expand our achievements. With Fatty, we can utilize his abilities without spending any bloody points."
"Don't be too optimistic. We have to protect the guy, and if we have to share some of the mutants with him, it means four of us will have to do the work of five," Hong Lang remarked.
"Shen Yi managed to do the work of seven people alone in the last mission," Wen Rou pointed out.
"You do have confidence in me," Shen Yi smiled.
Hong Lang interjected, "You're almost ready to devote yourself to him."
Wen Rou snapped back with her whip. Ever since she bought that whip, she had developed a habit of using it on others, teasing Shen Yi that she would become a queen if she dressed in leather.
Jin Gang looked at Shen Yi, "There are gains and losses, pros and cons. It's your call."
Shen Yi gazed at the sky, stroking his chin in thought.
He beckoned to Fatty, who scurried over eagerly.
"Luo Hao, you still have about four thousand bloody points, right?" Shen Yi asked.
Fatty jolted, "How do you know?"
Shen Yi smiled faintly.
After seven missions, given Fatty's capabilities, earning two thousand bloody points each time was already impressive. But considering his initial gains as a newcomer, it was likely that his total earnings from all missions would not be less than thirteen thousand.
Fatty's strength, agility, and willpower were all basic attributes and quite low, indicating he hadn't upgraded them. His original physical condition must have been relatively high, Shen Yi guessed he started with a constitution of 10. Also in terms of spirit, probably around 10 at the start. This meant he had spent about 5000 bloody points on attribute enhancements. A D-level skill like psychic armor cost 3000 points, totaling eight thousand.
Subtracting some necessary expenses, it was clear how many bloody points Fatty had left.
If it were any other adventurer, they would convert these four thousand bloody points into combat power to increase their chances of passing the next stage. But for Fatty, he would likely hold onto them tightly, always ready for mission failure. However, he had been lucky so far, having completed all the main tasks safely until this competition mission.
"Hand over all your bloody points to me," Shen Yi said.
He didn't explain his reasons, just coldly stared at Fatty.
In Shen Yi's view, if Fatty was reluctant, wanted to negotiate, or outright opposed and resisted, then there was no need to accept him. Someone like Fatty could mess up due to cowardice but could also be obedient for the same reason.
To incorporate such a person into the team, it was essential to establish a decisive authority in his mind. Only by making this authority override his fear could Fatty be trusted not to betray them out of fear in crucial moments. From a management perspective, this was entirely feasible.
As the generals often say, "The way to make soldiers unafraid of death is simple: make them fear you more than death."
Fatty hesitated briefly but eventually handed over all his bloody points, trembling.
For him, not ranking meant death, so holding onto any amount of bloody points was pointless.
A total of 4300 bloody points thus transferred to Shen Yi.
Shen Yi dropped the cigarette butt to the ground, stamped it out, and said indifferently, "From now on, you follow us. During a battle, your only job is to bolster everyone with psychic armor and then find a place to hide. After each battle, we'll try to leave some mutants for you. Of course, you can hide in a corner and take some shots, but make sure you hit your targets. If the danger is too great, I allow you to run first, but if you do run… don't come back."
Fatty was overjoyed.
By this time, the hillside was already deserted, as all the adventurers had left.
The competition had begun, and no one wanted to fall behind the others.
Facing this situation, Shen Yi and his team didn't waste any time and hurried down the slope.
It was then that Jin Gang and the others noticed the widespread devastation around them. The once bustling international metropolis of New York had become desolate and cold in the midst of the war between humans and mutants.
In the initial stages of the conflict, humans dominated with their superior numbers and technology. However, as the war progressed, the mutants began to unite. Leveraging their unique abilities and harnessing human technology to arm themselves, the mutants became increasingly powerful and challenging to deal with. They lurked in the shadows like terrorists, striking various parts of the city. These individuals, with their unique abilities, could cause significant harm on their own.
The entire United States had become desolate due to the conflict between humans and mutants. While humans had the advantage in numbers and technology, mutant organizations relied on their special abilities and disguised identities among the populace to contend with them, turning the powerful United States into a land of chaos and disaster.
New York was the main battlefield between humans and mutants.
Battles occurred daily.
The chaotic society inevitably led to poor security.
On a distant street, several burning cars were parked, and some hippie-dressed thugs laughed loudly around a bonfire.
A sign hung over a gas station: "Looking for mutants who can produce gasoline, though I wonder what they use to do that."
A coffee shop's sign read: "500 kilograms of explosives are buried here. Those who enter without paying will enjoy being blown away."
A car repair shop's sign stated: "You can have mutants repair your car, but they'll never fix your brake problems!"
A supermarket's banner warned: "Robbers, beware, we have guns!"
More signs declared: "Long live humanity, death to mutants!"
Desolate streets, ruined buildings, bizarre signs, and a wild, crazy world...
This was the post-X-Men era created by the Bloody City for its adventurers.
The five looked at the desolation around them, stunned for a while before coming back to their senses.
Shen Yi spoke gravely, "Hong Lang, check the map of New York and see exactly where we are."
Hong Lang pulled out an electronic map, bought for 200 bloody points, which detailed every street and building name in New York City, including architectural layouts. The map showed their position as a white dot. However, since it was unique to the X-Men world, it could only be used there.
Hong Lang's fingers moved rapidly over the map: "We are currently on Brook Street in eastern New York, on the outskirts of the city. There are three routes to the city center: Highway 49, Queen Street, and a park path."
"Check where the others went," Shen Yi ordered Wen Rou.
Wen Rou stepped forward, closing her eyes and listening intently. She had locked onto the voices of her companions, allowing her to hear them over considerable distances for a day.
After a while, she opened her eyes and reported, "20 adventurers, 10 chose Highway 49, 7 Queen Street, and 3 took the park path. The fastest are leaving my hearing range... they stole a car, not too dumb."
"Which way should we go?" Jin Gang asked.
"It depends on where these roads lead," Shen Yi took the map from Hong Lang, examining the routes. "New York has five districts: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Richmond, covering 828.8 square kilometers. Highway 49 passes through three of them, the most of any route. Those on Highway 49 are probably in groups of 10, needing to find many mutants quickly. The park path leads to Richmond and is fairly hidden, but has many deserted areas. Queen Street goes through a residential area, not big, but densely populated, likely hiding some mutants. I suggest we take Queen Street."
As Shen Yi finished, the Bloody Emblem suddenly beeped.
"Contestant N4236 has killed one mutant, earning one kill point, currently ranked first in the area, overall, and in the north."
The announcement of the rankings surprised all the adventurers.
Nobody expected the Bloody City to openly reveal rankings in this competition. It was a tool to stimulate the adventurers' nerves, telling each one a harsh reality: you are entering an elimination list.
This direct effect was far more intense than racing unknowingly.
As soon as the first adventurer gained a kill point, it ignited a fire in the hearts of the others.
The Bloody City was forcing every adventurer to give their all in the competition.
Seeing someone already earn a kill point, Hong Lang yelled, "What are we waiting for? We've already wasted an hour! Any road will do, let's go!"
Shen Yi's eyes flashed with intensity: "First, let's get a car, then head to the city center! GO! GO! GO!"
The five of them sprinted forward.
A hundred adventurers rushed towards New York City from different directions, starting a bloody and brutal contest!