Chapter 46: Testing the Depths

“…It’s very likely a random player. We don’t know if their mission is the same as ours, or if we need to watch out for an attack from them…”

Peng Fengnian, lying low in the grass, kept an eye on the factory. A quick glance revealed that Xu Huo, who had just been in sight, was gone. His eyes flickered in shock, but before he could get up, a sharp force locked his throat and lifted him off the ground!

“That paper phone of yours looks pretty good. Mind if I borrow it?”

Peng Fengnian flushed with disbelief as the young man stepped before him. “When did you notice?”

“Earlier than you think,” Xu Huo said, folding his arms. “If I were you, the first thing I’d worry about is whether I should consider you a friend or foe.”

Peng Fengnian glared fiercely. With his right hand controlling the “Strings That Are Everywhere,” he suddenly reached forward and snatched at the air in Xu Huo’s direction. A dozen darts materialized out of nowhere, shooting at him from all sides!

Xu Huo spun, catching three darts on his left, swiftly dodging the rest. Noticing green liquid on the dart tips, he raised an eyebrow, about to speak when Peng Fengnian yanked the strings back sharply—except Peng Fengnian himself slipped free, while the strings stiffened like iron rings, only reacting to Xu Huo’s control after a couple of seconds.

As Xu Huo reeled in the strings and retreated to avoid the dart attack, the distance between them widened rapidly. Suddenly, Xu Huo surged forward at Peng Fengnian!

Startled, Peng Fengnian recalled the darts that barely reached Xu Huo’s heels and instead poured a bottle of liquid onto the ground.

The red liquid spread spontaneously, radiating a distance of several feet. Xu Huo’s foot slipped, and he fell to the ground. Seizing the moment, Peng Fengnian conjured a pitch-black stone and swung it down at the back of Xu Huo’s head!

But at the same time, the “Strings That Are Everywhere” slipped under Xu Huo’s arm, yanking him forcefully to the side. Xu Huo used the momentum to stand, grabbed the strings through his clothes, and was lifted into the air!

The black stone flew after him, circling to strike the back of his head relentlessly.

With a flying kick, Xu Huo sent the stone away. He spun around and kicked Peng Fengnian, who was attempting to flee, knocking him flat on the ground. Peng Fengnian lay sprawled in the spilled liquid, his arms and legs slippery as if greased, unable to get up no matter how hard he tried.

Xu Huo caught the incoming darts and watched Peng Fengnian struggle for several minutes until he exhausted himself.

“What exactly do you want? If you want to kill me, just do it!” Peng Fengnian lay face down, unable to rise.

“Middle-aged men get hot-headed and tend to go bald,” Xu Huo said, tossing the darts back. “I’m a random player, alone and weak—I want to talk cooperation.”

Peng Fengnian craned his neck. “You don’t seem very cooperative.”

“Probing is never a bad idea, especially since you’re watching me,” Xu Huo shrugged. “Want me to give you a hand?”

“No need!” Peng Fengnian replied immediately. “The potion’s effect will wear off in two minutes.”

Xu Huo smiled. “Then I’ll wait,” and went to retrieve the black stone.

By the time he returned, Peng Fengnian was getting to his feet, brushing grass off his clothes with undiminished spirit. “You need to prove you’re a random player. What’s your mission?”

“Rare items, piglet, part-time job,” Xu Huo answered succinctly.

Peng Fengnian relaxed. “Our missions are the same.”

“But the paper phone is my tool. If it comes to a fight, it’ll be a battle to the death.”

“If I wanted to steal your tool, I could’ve killed you earlier,” Xu Huo said, softening his tone. “I’m sincere.”

“You lack combat ability, so you’re hiding here alone to avoid dragging the team down. But some of your teammates have already entered the factory. The three tasks from the Skinner—stealing relics or otherwise—aren’t so easy, are they?”

“We all want to get out alive. Our goals don’t conflict.”

That was true. Peng Fengnian hesitated, then asked, “Have you figured out a plan?”

Xu Huo didn’t deny it. “There’s some risk.”

Peng Fengnian’s expression turned solemn. “The Skinner raid has almost zero survival rate. Even C-rank players rarely clear it. We’re all D-rank this time, so the difficulty’s normal. That’s why we want to be smart.”

“We don’t intend to lose our lives for this raid.”

So they were D-rank players.

Xu Huo nodded. “You can’t outsmart it from the outside.”

Peng Fengnian’s face flushed as if defending himself, raising his voice, “My specialty is better suited for this, which benefits us.”

“Every raid has risks. Without taking risks, how could you clear it?” Xu Huo glanced at him. “Did you investigate the Skinner before coming? How much do you know about him?”

“There are multiple raids within a station city. Only those who survive the raid know which ones exactly. The information that gets out is scant and often unreliable. There’s even less about the raid boss.”

“I spent fifty thousand white banknotes to buy one solid piece of info—that the Skinner’s skinning knife can’t be used during the day.”

Peng Fengnian noticed Xu Huo’s gaze and explained, “Five other players know this too. Since your mission matches ours, it’s no secret.”

“Apparently, when the Skinner has his knife, he can dissect a person alive along muscle lines without leaving a trace, even skinning them completely alive. If his knife can’t be used during the day, acting in daylight is much safer.”

Normally, people thought night was better for stealth because the Skinner moves about the factory during the day, making time tight and timing poor. But that’s a deadly trap—when the Skinner wields the knife, his danger doubles. Being caught means a grim fate.

“Do you really have a plan?” Peng Fengnian pressed. To be honest, after hearing Tang Pei’s report, he still hadn’t found a good countermeasure.

Xu Huo thoughtfully stroked his chin but didn’t answer. Instead, he reached out, “Let me borrow the phone.”

Peng Fengnian gritted his teeth. “Give me back the tool first.”

Xu Huo handed over the black stone used to strike the back of his head. Only then did Peng Fengnian produce the paper phone. “This phone only connects to its paired paper phone and can’t send texts. You have to hold it to your ear to communicate.”

Xu Huo weighed the paper phone, noting its lightness—it felt weightless.

“Any range limit?”

“No,” Peng Fengnian said. “As long as it’s the paired phone, you can call anywhere, even if you’re not in the same station or space. But it’s call-only.”

He mentioned the same space—could the game train really traverse different times and spaces?

Xu Huo didn’t ask more. Placing the phone to his ear, he heard a dial tone, and moments later, a female player answered, “Peng Fengnian?”

He chuckled, “Not quite.”