"It's been cloudy lately, so there haven't been any sunsets." Wen Shi said, "It's almost completely dark at 8 pm. How about setting off at that time?"
Fatty: "Sure."
The two separated on the fourth floor. Wen Shi continued to go upstairs. The fat man did not take a step immediately. Looking at Wen Shi's figure walking up, he knew that he had to be careful of this man tonight.
A side quest that does not have a clear deadline for completion has a generally controllable difficulty. Normally, the player's focus will be on how to deal with the principal after choosing a camp, but the other party did not discuss any camps along the way.
Wen Shi returned to the dormitory, locked the door, and asked Jian Qingrong directly: "What stage has your pollution source plan reached?"
Jian Qingrong said truthfully: "I've fed you enough blood, and now I'm ready to devour you."
Wen Shi leaned against the table with his arms folded, and pondered, "How long will it take to devour time?"
"After losing the heart, that part of the body shrank quite a bit, about half an hour."
Wen Shi: "It's faster than I thought."
Taking out the little octopus that was struggling to fly towards Wen Shi, Jian Qingrong said calmly, "Otherwise I wouldn't have brought it out."
The purpose of bringing the little octopus along is to use it to work as a porter and a devourer.
Both sides start devouring at the same time, doubling the efficiency.
"..."A good capitalist, when he gets ruthless, will not forget to squeeze even his own eyeballs.
"I can use the pollution source to take the body to another place to devour it, but there is a problem."
Wen Shi nodded directly: "I know."
Watering the pollution source will not attract the attention of the Mermaid King. After all, the principal has done this kind of stupid thing many times before. The trouble is that once the absorption begins, it is very likely to be noticed by the Mermaid King, and then it will notify other mermaids to come to the rescue.
With the principal present, it is not easy for mermaids outside the school to enter Mingzhu College. The trouble inside the school is Teacher Ruan and the mermaids lurking in dormitory building No. 32.
Wen Shi: "When the time comes, I will lure away one of the mermaids, and you will immediately take the torso to another place to devour it, and I will be responsible for suppressing the other one."
Jian Qingrong suddenly looked at him.
Wen Shi: "I know what's going on."
The plan seemed very dangerous, but in fact, it was not risky at all, and he was absolutely sure of success.
"Luring the mermaid away is secondary," Wen Shi said calmly. "My main goal is to see what tricks the people at Wangcai Bank use to deceive people."
The coin that was split into two by the IOU made him feel vaguely uncomfortable. Wen Shi needed to figure out what hidden dangers might be around him.
Finally, he whispered the detailed plan. When Yarlin heard Wen Shi mention that the Mermaid King didn't completely trust his people, he suddenly laughed: "You missed a possibility. If that happens, we can close the net early."
·
At eight o'clock in the evening, Wen Shi went downstairs to find Fatty on time.
It gets dark early on cloudy days, and there are still two hours before lights out. The dormitory management currently doesn't care much about the players coming in and out.
There are countless rumors about Dormitory No. 32. Normally, no students would take the initiative to approach it. After the two of them left, they walked all the way in that direction. Even the fat man with a huge body looked very small in this cold and dark environment.
Wen Shi mentioned: "Old students who performed with me said that accidents often happened when the building was being built here."
Upon hearing this, the fat man released a set of advanced drone assembly props, and the electronic screen in his hand received the images sent from above in real time.
After a moment, he stared at the screen. "How could this not happen? Look at this from above, what does it look like?"
The zoomed view on the electronic screen allows for a better overview of the outline.
There are three long, narrow roads ahead, all of which intersect at a central point. Dormitory Building No. 32 is built at the intersection, like a long nail, firmly fixed on it.
"nail?"
Fatty: "In the past, there were always strange things happening when abandoned mass graves were developed. In the end, many of them were used to build schools. I'm sure you've heard a lot of these rumors."
Wen Shi nodded.
"Besides being low-cost, legend has it that Wen Qi can suppress evil spirits. Young people have strong yang energy and don't believe in such things, so they can scare away evil spirits." The fat man pointed to several small paths in the picture and said, "These paths are designed to attract Wen Qi. Look, they all connect to the teaching buildings. If we build a dormitory building at the intersection and a group of young and energetic students live there, it may be possible to suppress evil spirits."
He put away his props and looked forward seriously: "But the things here are obviously not able to be suppressed. The building is not even finished."
Wen Shi thought that was in the past. The heart of the Mermaid King contained great power. Now that the heart was gone, this piece of land would naturally be much better.
What he has to deal with tonight is not some monsters, but mermaids and a colleague beside him.
The two men walked forward with their own ulterior motives. The fat man kept finding topics to talk about, just to see if Wen Shi would mislead him about anything. However, when they were about to reach the abandoned building, Wen Shi always played the role of a listener.
The desolate building had no windows, and the dark, square openings seemed poised for something to emerge at any moment. Snake and rat holes were common in these dark, damp, and cold places, so Wen Shi treaded cautiously. The dormitory building was built later, and the mermaid's torso was undoubtedly buried underground.
Looking around, he and the fat man saw the well under the big tree almost at the same time. There were several very thick iron chains tied to the side of the well, which looked very out of place here.
Wen Shi took out his phone to illuminate the well. A few drops of dark red blood lay on the edge of the well, a fresh-looking color. It should have been a terrifying scene, but Wen Shi had only one thought: What a waste.
The blood was most likely accidentally spilled by the small octopus during transportation.
The fat man quickly looked out and saw that the bottom of the well was pitch black.
Wen Shi pointed the flashlight at the well, and it was still dark. The fat man put a piece of anti-mental pollution candy in his mouth, and instantly spiral black mist spread out in front of his eyes, and the upper torso without limbs was directly exposed in front of him.
"Oh my god." The fat man got goosebumps all over his body. Although he was mentally prepared, there was a hideous crack in the middle of the pale skin and the empty hole under the chest was facing his face. The fat man was still scared.
He cried out in surprise, "Could desecrating a corpse mean ripping out one's heart?"
"..." You misunderstood Jian Qingrong. At most, he was just pumping blood into the open chest cavity.
After sighing twice, the fat man pulled Wen Shi to hide behind a tree, waiting for the uninvited guests tonight.
Wen Shi's focus was on the fishy smell he smelled in his nose, which was similar to the surging water vapor when the mermaid appeared last night. Now he was completely certain that the mermaid was nearby.
For the next ten minutes or so, the fat man stared ahead with one eye and watched the movements of the people around him with the other.
It's abnormal that no props were taken out for defense.
Just as a severe alarm sounded in his heart, Wen Shi finally took action. He took out the [Aoki Sword] from his backpack.
Among Wen Shi's numerous skills, he used his sword skills in nearly every dungeon, yet few in the virtual world knew about them. Those players who had survived dungeons with him and witnessed the power of the longsword were generally reluctant to speak of them. Some spoke of them out of gratitude for having been helped through the dungeon, while others simply shared their experiences as firsthand witnesses, wishing they could forget them forever.
The fat man glanced at the ordinary longsword and rolled his eyes. "When the blasphemer comes later, we will attack him from both sides. You take the lead and attract his attention, and I will flank him from behind."
Wen Shi smiled and said, "Are you going to run away from the back?"
The fat man said bluntly: "If you don't trust us, we can sign a contract."
Wen Shi didn't respond, but changed the subject and said softly, "The moisture in the air is very abnormal."
They were standing by the well, and it was normal to feel a little wet and cold, but after he specifically mentioned it, the fat man also felt that it was too humid, much more so than the usual campus.
Once you notice this factor, even the smell in the air feels a little off.
Wen Shi asked, "Is there any way to find the source of the moisture?"
This was the first time Wen Shi had guided Fatty to do something since they arrived. While Fatty was being vigilant, he also had to look for possible sources of danger.
He had many tricks up his sleeve. He took out something that looked like a metal weather vane. The weather vane spun around like a fly for a few random times before finally stopping at a location: the intersection of the edge of 32 abandoned dormitory buildings and the road extending to the east.
The lush crowns of the ancient trees made the area darker than all the shadows, and Wen Shi couldn't even make out the outline clearly.
Staring at the weather vane, Wen Shi smiled: "Want to make a bet?"
The fat man became more alert.
Wen Shi didn't use any anti-eavesdropping props, so the NPC couldn't hear the discussion about game elements: "I'm giving you a chance to team up with the NPC to kill me. Let's bet on whether you can successfully help the NPC kill me."
When fighting monsters, players always have no shortage of ways to trip them up.
The fat man was speechless: "You dare to mention it, which means you have taken precautions and countermeasures in advance."
Wen Shi turned his gaze towards the shadows. Given the cunningness of the mermaids, if he didn't take the initiative, they would definitely hide in the shadows and watch them both suffer losses before considering whether to take action. In that case, he might as well maximize his benefits.
He threw the written contract scroll to the side. When the fat man saw the treaty on it, his face changed.
[Bet: 10,000 points.]
Bet content: 1. Player 460872 actively attacks an NPC hiding in the dark. Player 444444 can assist the NPC. If the attacker survives that night, player 444444 must pay 10,000 points.
2. After player 460872 survives, he cannot maliciously retaliate against them in the future because of this incident.
When Wen Shi wrote the IOU, it had the fat man's player number on it, which was quite easy to remember.
"What if the NPCs attack indiscriminately?"
Wen Shi shook his head: "No, the one hiding is not a blasphemer, but a mermaid observing us."
The fat man was stunned. Considering the strong water smell and the mermaid's style of doing things, this sentence was very credible.
It doesn't really matter whether he is a mermaid or not. The main thing is that the content of the contract is very tempting. The bet does not mention at all what benefits he can get if he wins, but there is a previous loan relationship. Now that Wen Shi is dead, most of his things can be recovered by [Wangcai Bank].
"how?"
Wen Shi stated that as long as the other party signed the contract, he would take the initiative to attack the mermaid.
The fat man thought quickly and soon sorted out a logical chain. Pei Wenwei was most likely an accomplice of the blasphemer, otherwise he would not have turned against them inexplicably. In other words, whether he signed or not, he would confront the mermaid.
But Pei Wenwei could also inform his accomplices at any time that they would not come tonight, or he could simply not show up and let his accomplices be killed, thus completing the mission.
The fat man didn't know what kind of character this person was.
Opinions vary widely in the virtual world. Players who create a second-round deadlock upon entering a dungeon are, at the very least, not considered good. Other bosses are willing to take them on, often because of the 3S dungeon, so it's unclear how much this has to do with their personal virtues.
"It's a good deal." Wen Shi raised the corner of his mouth.
Gambling on your life is not expensive.
Ten thousand points are nothing to the fat man. When chased by mermaids, he only needs to slow down their pace, and the mortality rate is as high as 90%.
The contract specifically states that there will be no malicious retaliation afterwards. In other words, if an attack is launched directly without signing a treaty, the other party will retaliate at all costs.
"I have a lot of good stuff." Wen Shi lowered his eyes and rubbed the hilt of the sword with his fingers. "It's easy to hire a big guy to kill you. If you want to do it, you have to spend money."
Fatty: "If…"
Wen Shi knew what he was going to say: "Ji Yuanzhi and the others won't help me deal with the mermaids."
While Wen Shi was answering, the fat man silently used the skill [Abacus].
Wen Shi knew exactly what Pan Pangzi was doing. He once said that there was a 70% probability of predicting a player's chance of survival.
In just a few seconds, blood came out of the corners of the fat man's eyes, and Wen Shi's mouth twitched. Even though they knew that the skills would backfire, everyone used them without mercy.
"Bet." The fat man always believes in probability.
The system prompts that the contract item has taken effect, and Wen Shi, whose survival rate was calculated to be low, picks up his sword and walks towards the shadows.
Just as Wen Shi thought, the mermaid hiding in the dark was ready to wait for them to attack the blasphemer later to judge whether they had really surrendered.
When the mermaid saw Wen Shi coming, the gloomy aura around her became heavier, and she had a feeling that the sword in the other's hand was pointed at her.
Without any nonsense, he activated his skills directly when Wen Shi stopped.
"One sword, flatten it."
The Qingmu sword slashed through the air, and the overwhelming sword energy rushed towards the mermaid in an instant.
"What the hell!" The fat man was shocked and stepped back repeatedly.
No one said Pei Wenwei was an attack skill.
It was clearly a very powerful move, but after Wen Shi used the skill, he did not stand still like a mountain as usual, but retreated.
The sword energy mainly went towards the mermaid's tail. The scales suspended in the mist were instantly covered in blood. The sharp sword energy should have chopped off the tail, but it was blocked by a force at the last moment.
Blood trickled down along the curve of the tail. The mermaid, who had a beautiful face, looked almost like an icy lake, as if the thin layer of ice would break at any moment, and she would sink into an abyss.
Standing in front of the well that seals the Mermaid King, the mermaids can borrow the Mermaid King's power to the maximum extent.
Wen Shi was not surprised by this result. If he used the sword skill again, the power would be even greater. In terms of strength, it would not be difficult to kill a merman in seconds. However, as early as when he used the sword dance in Fengguan Village, he found that no matter how powerful the sword skill was, some NPCs would be protected by the game mechanism.
The fact that the sword didn't completely defeat the mermaid meant that it wasn't that easy to kill.
Wen Shi chose to run away.
How could the fat man let him get away so easily? The prop he had prepared long ago, [Thousand Spider Silk], was about to extend towards Wen Shi's trouser legs.
Wen Shi, who was running in front, suddenly turned around and smiled chillingly. Almost at the same moment, a figure appeared beside him, and the zombie that was summoned back activated the skill [Sound of Nature].
clang!
Notes danced in the air.
"Yulia!" The fat man's expression changed slightly.
This was an unexpected helper.
The moment the piano music sounded, a feeling that was ten times more painful than in class exploded in his mind, and the mermaid and the fat man moved slowly at the same time.
The fat man spat it out, still analyzing Wen Shi's actions. He chose to escape after a blow, and his purpose could only be to lure the mermaid away. His purpose for this trip was obvious. When the mermaid left, the blasphemer would do something to the Mermaid King's torso.
No wonder they wanted to make a bet, they wanted to lure me away at the same time.
The fat man hesitated whether to stay while vomiting violently, but the situation of the Mermaid King's torso seemed to have nothing to do with him, and the side quest of killing the blasphemer did not give a clear punishment.
I have to say that Pei Wenwei is really good at calculating people's hearts. After calculating that the other party's survival rate is extremely low, the fat man is eager for the mermaid to hunt him down.
After more than ten seconds, the mermaid regained its ability to move, but the serious injury slowed down its speed.
The fat man tempted at the right time: "He must not be able to use that trick, otherwise he wouldn't run away."
The mermaid was already furious. Even if it disturbed the king today, it would kill this damn traitor!
Wen Shi spent 300 points to buy a single speed-up item. The effect of the item was not as good as [Rush], but it was better than nothing. Along the way, he felt that his heart was about to jump out of his throat while running.
The zombies were always one step ahead of him.
Wen Shi really wants to take this rebellious son back, but he needs the help of zombies to deal with the fat man's difficult props.
There are still eight hundred meters to go.
The distance advantage gained by running fifteen seconds ahead was shrinking. The cold wind blew in his face, hurting his eyes, and Wen Shi ran in one direction with purpose.
In the last five hundred meters, the mermaid's curly hair spread out wildly, and the props in the fat man's hand were blocked by the zombies.
The zombie couldn't get rid of the sticky silk thread for a while, and the fat man frowned. Props like [Thousand Spider Silk] were obviously used to cheat people. The game would impose many restrictions on its efficacy and power. He had no way to use it again in a short time.
The fat man didn't hesitate at all. His eyes darkened as he took out the coin that had turned into the IOU and said in a low voice, "Freeze."
Using the IOU, the people at Wangcai Bank can freeze the debtor's points and action power for two seconds. When they use this right, the backlash to themselves is also very serious, and it is only used twice.
Wen Shi, who was about to run to the lake, paused. The mermaid was not as fast as the fat man after being seriously injured, but in these two frozen seconds, the terrifying hair reached Wen Shi first.
"I see." Wen Shi had always wanted to test what tricks the people from Wangcai Bank had up their sleeves, and this is how it was.
Similar to time stop, but not as powerful as Yu Xingzhou's time stop skill, and can only limit a single target.
After knowing what was going on, Wen Shi sneered inwardly. He had already seen how the mermaids killed people, so he released the old ghost directly. The old ghost blocked the hair that was cutting towards Wen Shi's neck.
The tough hair was like a chainsaw, almost cutting his hand bones.
The old ghost was in tears. Why was it that every time he was called out, nothing good happened?
Wen Shi had already retreated to the lakeside. The mermaid behind him suddenly moved her cheeks and spit out an ice cone made of condensed water vapor from her mouth.
The ice cone came rushing through the air, and the mermaid looked a little tired, but the attack power of the ice cone was unquestionable. It went straight through the thin chest, and blood splattered.
When the fat man and the mermaid saw the ice cone successfully pierce the target's heart, they both felt a moment of relief.
Wen Shi's body fell straight towards the lake behind him. The moment it touched the water surface, it did not create any splashes, but turned into nothingness.
The game prompt sound came——
"You have triggered the hidden map."
"Goodbye." Wen Shi mouthed to the fat man, the coin representing the debtor that belonged to him shining between his fingers, exuding a sense of provocation in silence.
Triggering the hidden map alone is the reward for completing the quest to find the lost heart.
If he did not trigger the map immediately, Wen Shi would use [One Sword to Settle It All] a second time. Ten thousand points is the total possible expenditure tonight, and someone needs to reimburse him. Fatty is the best choice.
The mermaid rushed to the lake, but found that there was no one in the lake except the blood in the lake that proved Wen Shi's existence.
Ignoring the furious roars from the shore, Wen Shi thought expressionlessly the moment the world turned dark. Once he recovered half of the Mermaid King's heart, it wouldn't be long before he could force the principal to step down. He even had a new name for Mingzhu Academy in mind.
Carp leaps over the dragon gate.
Let's call it Dragon King Academy to celebrate this memorable day.