It is not uncommon for each guild to govern themselves internally.
Little Fatty Fang Bai may appear ordinary, but he is actually very skilled at communicating with people.
As for the middle-aged man with a simple and honest appearance... his face shows that he is still not completely accustomed to the panic in this place.
After a brief introduction, the group left the guild headquarters.
Outside, they were greeted by an incredibly long winding mountain road. Since the guild headquarters was built on a flat area in the mountains, the environment here was particularly desolate and gloomy.
There were sporadic streetlights along the worn-out road, but the dim and eerie light only added to the uneasiness.
In the distance, the mountains and forests occasionally revealed unknown figures flitting by.
Clearly, these dangers were beyond the reach of current players.
However, bound by the rules, they wouldn't deliberately enter lower-level areas either, so the players were relatively safe on this road leading to the abandoned station.
In the mist at the end of the road, a few figures could also be seen from time to time. They were all players attempting to complete world quests.
After walking along the road for two kilometers, a dilapidated and shabby small platform appeared in the distance. The canopy above was riddled with holes, and the nearby area was covered in overgrown grass and mold. The walls of the entrance were marked with grim and ominous scratches, as if it had been specially taken care of by something dreadful and unknown.
The thin mist was chilling.
The players arrived here, and few felt comfortable.
Standing on the blue stone steps at the entrance was a young man with colorful hair, smoking a cigarette. His eyes were sinister, and he had several lackeys beside him.
These people had pale faces, some of them clearly just vomited, and there were vomit stains on the ground.
"Xiang Wei Shan, how's the situation inside?"
Fang Bai took a step forward, revealing a cunning expression.
The dyed-haired man with a murderous aura glanced at him without caring much, but when his gaze fell on Zhao Yi, he suddenly squinted.
"Oh, isn't this the top-ranked player?"
"What? Do you also want a piece of the pie?"
Zhao Yi's appearance made many people nearby become alert and gather around. After all, they had seen exciting clips of Zhao Yi's livestream and knew that this guy was not only strong but also... a bit crazy.
Having such a person come to snatch the reward naturally made them nervous.
"I know this reward is very rich, and no one wants to give it to someone else... but have you all considered that this is just a guiding quest? There are still many quests and rewards ahead. If everyone gets stuck here, then nobody will get what lies ahead."
"Are we going to get rich together or starve together?"
Zhao Yi flashed a friendly smile.
The phrase "get rich together or starve together" subtly changed the mentality of many people.
Xiang Wei Shan threw away his cigarette butt, his complexion slightly changed.
"Alright."
"If you want to go, I'll give you a chance."
"However, I remind you that many people have already died in the game."
"Also... I can tell you the rules of the previous clown game."
"The clown game requires at least three people to participate and play rock-paper-scissors. They take turns, with one person guessing ten times. The loser cuts off a finger. If the player wins three times within ten guesses, they win the game. Otherwise, the players participating in the game will be thrown into the storage room behind it. I'm not sure what terrifying things are in there, but no one who has entered has ever come out."
"After the player who plays rock-paper-scissors with the clown fails and is killed, the next player participating in the game continues to play with the clown and the game is reset, starting over!"
"Furthermore, we have discovered that the clown's third and sixth rounds of rock-paper-scissors are fixed. It will always choose scissors for the third round and cloth for the sixth round."
Fang Bai curiously asked, "If this pattern continues, shouldn't the ninth or tenth round also be fixed? Why haven't you completed this task yet?"
Wei Shan sneered as if he was looking at an idiot when he looked at Fang Bai.
"So, are you willing to risk your life to find out the fixed choice for the later rounds and sacrifice yourself for others?"
Fang Bai fell silent.
Indeed.
While the previous trials gave people hope and made them eager to try, the final trial had no one willing to do it.
Their fervor had cooled down, and they were not willing to risk their lives for the sake of others.
People are selfish.
Why should they suffer while others enjoy the rewards?
Under Wei Shan's signal, his subordinates cleared a path for Zhao Yi and the others. Regardless of whether Zhao Yi succeeded or not, they would benefit from it.
It was just a matter of gaining more or less.
After the group entered the station, a young man with a nose ring and ear studs approached Wei Shan and asked, "Boss, did you tell them wrong?"
"I remember that the clown's fixed move for the game is not..."
Wei Shan glanced at him, and the muscles on the man's face twitched slightly. However, he obediently took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it for Wei Shan.
Wei Shan took a puff of the cigarette, and a cruel and vicious look appeared in his eyes as he looked towards the interior of the station.
"Mao Yao, are you stupid?"
"Do you know who he is?"
"He's ranked first on the Newcomer Leaderboard!"
"Didn't you notice the strange look in Liu Ruoxing's eyes when she looked at him in the lobby on the first floor?"
"As long as this person is alive, do you think the guild managers will let us rise to power?"
Mao Yao suddenly realized what Wei Shan meant and a hint of fear appeared in his eyes when he looked at Wei Shan.
This guy truly deserved to be a twisted serial killer. He was so devious!
It would be good if Zhao Yi died!
That way, there would be one less powerful competitor for rewards and women in the future!
Hehe...
Those rich and beautiful women in the guild were strong and attractive. If he could have a relationship with them in the future, wouldn't he rise to success?
...
Inside the station, a pungent smell of blood filled the darkness.
Tian Tian held her tattered teddy bear and looked around curiously, while Bai Shuiji, dressed in a somewhat flamboyant manner, walked up to Zhao and kindly warned him:
"Zhao, that guy just now seemed off. I think he might have been lying."
Zhao nodded in agreement, "He does seem a bit off."
Seeing that Zhao was wary, Bai Shuiji said no more.
Soon, the group headed towards a delicately lit general store not far away.
Scattered around the entrance of the general store were... bloody fingers.
The sight was chilling, like something out of a horror movie.
A clown, dressed in a bizarre and eerie manner, waved enthusiastically at Zhao and the others.
"Welcome to the Clever Ghost General Store!" he greeted them warmly. "Are you here to buy something or to play a game?"
The clown was short, about five feet tall, wearing a brightly colored, grandma-made cotton coat, with a very friendly smile on his face.
Approaching the counter, Zhao rested his hand on it and asked, "What are the benefits of playing the game?"
The clown clapped his hands and said cheerfully, "Oh! My dear guests, if you're willing to play rock-paper-scissors with me, and if you win three times out of ten, then I will provide you with unlimited access to all the goods in the general store, free of charge, forever."
Nodding slowly, Zhao asked, "And what if we lose?"
The clown politely smiled and replied, "If you lose, then you will have to pay a small... price."
"After all, as you know—without stakes, a game loses its appeal!"
He explained the rules of the game, which were exactly as described to Wei Shan.
"Also, I must emphasize one thing... do not attempt to disrupt the game by killing me or cutting off my fingers during the game, otherwise..."
The clown paused, revealing a chilling smile.
Slowly, the door to the back room behind him creaked open a crack.
Inside, countless pairs of terrifying emerald eyes glared greedily at the group...