Ethan focused on the new chats.
[Game Analysis]
Johnny: Damn, these game chats without moderators are a real pain.
Zombie_432: I feel you, brother.
Uncle_404: (o,o) Zombie, you cause the chaos.
Zombie_432: Oh, bother, I was just letting off some steam.
(mod) Armon_002: Guys, let's focus on the game, shall we? By the way, I'm the moderator of this chat group. You can follow me for a similar analysis.
Real_peice: Ok, mod. By the way, I like Viper's fighting. This guy has quick reflexes and a good head on his shoulders.
Itniza: Yeah, but too bad he won't be able to continue.
Ethan frowned, and this time he wrote his doubts.
B_dog: Guys, is Viper strong? Sorry, this is my first time, so I don't know much.
Armon_002: Don't worry, all of us are also a newbie. As for your question, you're comparing this game with what you saw in reels, right?
B_dog: Yeah.
Cool_stick: I'm also new, and yeah, in those reels, all the hunters kill small creatures in a hit or two.
Armon_002: Well, I wouldn't say those were fake. But after looking at the trial so far, did you think finding something like a sword or machete is that simple?
As Ethan read that, it hit him he missed this point. Sure, most of those reels had flashy weapons, but how the hell would one find something like that in the city?
Cool_stick: But I even saw a few reels where hunters killed dogs with a punch or two.
Itniza: Well, in the trial game, all hunters have the same strength they do in real life. Now, there may be some powerlifters who can kill street dogs with a single punch, but Viper didn't fight with street dogs.
B_dog: Yeah, before the dogs showed up, I thought it was going to be some street dog. I've never seen these muscular pet dogs like in the reels.
Uncle_404: Well, the reels never show anything too graphic, and fights against mid-sized dogs would always be too graphic for the kids, you know. Some kids might go into shock when they see blood.
This hit Ethan. He was in a similar condition when he saw the dead dog, but he didn't know why. When he saw the bloody fight, his fear of blood decreased. Well, it might have been because he was looking at it through a screen.
Johnny: By the way, you guys also have to keep in mind that beating a dog and killing it are two separate things.
Real_peice: Yeah, if not for Viper interlocking the dog's leg, I'm sure that thing would have run away from there.
Johnny: Are you sure? I am sure a normal dog will run, but you guys saw that even when Viper slammed the dog against the wall, it showed no pain. I think rabies already dulled the dog's mind.
Itniza: I have a different opinion. Did you see when Viper went for the choke? The dog instantly reacted and tried to attack his neck. I'm sure rabies affected its mind, but it still had survival instincts.
Armon_002: Even when it slipped out Viper's hand might not run, but it would've attacked Viper back. Well, we'll find out soon.
Zombie_432: Guys, look, Viper is moving on a motorcycle.
What?! Ethan was so immersed in the chat that he forgot to look at the screen. When he checked, he saw Viper going inside the hospital. His eyes widened.
He asked in chat,
B_dog: Did Viper refuse to log out?
Zombie_432: Nope, you'll see the warning soon.
As Zombie said, a 2-minute countdown flashed before Viper, but he ignored it and moved to the emergency area. The doctor in charge checked his wound, and they talked about something.
Ethan felt shocked that Viper was able to talk with the doctor. He knew that inside the hunt game, everyone felt the same level of pain as they would in real life.
He imagined himself in Viper's shoes, and a shiver ran down his spine. Sure enough, he wasn't ready to be a hunter. He almost glued his eyes to the screen, waiting for Viper to choose.
Less than 10 seconds remained when he saw Viper shaking his head and tapping "yes."
Another notification popped on the screen.
[Viewer Announcement: Hunter Apprentice Viper has left the game!]
Now Ethan felt bad for Viper. If only the dog hadn't attacked him by surprise, then maybe... He shook his head and looked at the chat again, seeing even these senior guys were showing excitement.
…
Uncle_404: Damn! This Viper guy sure has guts.
Zombie_432: Fck it, I take all my curses back. I'm following this guy.
Cool_stick: How the hell did he endure so much pain? Is there any trick to it?
Johnny: Kid, don't think of any nonsense. I am telling from experience that even if you consumed drugs to numb your brain, it would be ineffective in suppressing that kind of pain in the game.
Cool_stick: Then how?
Armon_002: Endurance. This guy must've trained his mental endurance and pain tolerance.
B_dog: You can train those things? How?
Itniza: Simple, by inflicting self-harm in a controlled manner. You can join any martial arts center like boxing, karate, or others. All of them will help you increase your pain tolerance.
Uncle_404: Yeah, if you guys are planning to join the game, I recommend you start as soon as possible. I've seen many games where strong hunters died because they lost themselves in pain.
Ethan gulped. If someone had said these things before, he would have laughed at them, but after seeing Viper, he couldn't dismiss it.
Johnny: By the way, even with all that, this Viper guy is a different beast. Heck, he dared to walk with a punctured leg and constant blood flowing from his shoulder. Many would be desperate to leave the game in that situation.
Real_peice: Well, it's hard to tell if this guy was a reckless buffoon, but I'm ready to rate him.
Body: a solid 7 (strong and can endure pain). Skills: 6 (knows a few basic things but nothing special). Mind: 5 (hard to tell as I didn't see much). Luck: 1 (poor guy started in the worst location). Future potential: 8.
Ethan looked at this rating with interest. He wasn't sure what was going on, but soon a few other members started rating.