CHAPTER 1688: CHAPTER 6: MATURE BLACK LONG STRAIGHT

Although they had anticipated the difficulties of the Holy Land War, the Silver Trojan’s words still made everyone shudder.

"Everything is passive, how the hell are we supposed to survive? Might as well kill us outright." Yu Deye cursed, venting his anger on the newbies. "What are you looking at? Squat down, or I’ll crush your eyeballs under my foot."

Tang Zheng rarely intervened, letting Yu Deye abuse others as he pleased. He casually scanned the group and noticed a few newbies had odd expressions, but with time pressing, he couldn’t afford to question them further.

"Tch, I guessed it would be like this." Lu Fan swung his Magic Wand Fiery Stardust and shot a middle finger toward the cube.

"Excuse me, what is the Holy Land War? And where is this place?" A middle-aged white-collar man stepped forward and asked Qin Yan calmly and respectfully.

The newbie showed keen insight, immediately recognizing Qin the elder sister as the type of person who seemed approachable.

"Oh, look at that, there’s even a policeman hiding in here." Yu Deye laughed loudly, kicked several squatting newbies to the side, and walked up to a police officer. He grabbed his collar and dragged him up.

"What are you doing? Trying to assault a police officer?" The policeman roared back, his years as an officer giving him an air of authority that unconsciously showed.

Smack—Yu Deye swung his hand, slapping the officer hard and knocking out several of his teeth.

"Serves you right for being arrogant." Yu Deye followed up with a knee strike, sending the policeman sprawling to the ground.

"Yu Deye, that’s enough." Dong Zixuan stepped forward and scolded him.

"Tch!" Yu Deye ignored the female police officer and spat a mouthful of saliva onto the policeman’s face.

"You’ll see. The government will definitely bring justice to you all." The officer, who had initially wanted to rely on his status to question the situation, found himself silenced when he saw the group of thugs armed with weapons. From his professional judgment, he could immediately tell the weapons were real and had stayed quiet to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yet, misfortune found him anyway.

Even so, the officer’s temper wouldn’t allow him to take this lying down, so he barked out a threat.

Bang—Yu Deye’s heavy boot landed on the officer’s face, snapping his nose.

"I told you to stop!" Dong Zixuan yelled furiously, aiming her revolver at Yu Deye.

"Enough! Everyone, stop!" Jiang Xiuming couldn’t stand watching anymore. The war hadn’t even started, and they were already tearing into each other.

Tang Zheng was about to say something to calm the newbies when a flash of white light stunned him into silence.

"Sister Shangwu?" Bai Guo, seeing Yin Shangwu in her white lab coat, was surprised. The Natural Stupid wouldn’t forget the woman who had originally played the game with them.

"Who are you?" Perhaps due to years of wielding surgical knives and seeing organs up close, Yin Shangwu remained composed even while staring at the sea of dismembered heads in the room. She frowned in thought.

Before Bai Guo could answer, sealed memories came flooding back to Yin Shangwu like a tidal wave, surging into her mind.

"Bai Guo? Qin Yan?" Yin Shangwu rubbed her temples, then glanced over the Warhammer team’s members. "Why haven’t you left yet? By now, you should have earned enough points—ten thousand at least."

"It’s complicated." Li Xinlan sighed. "But your luck is clearly lacking; it’s another Holy Land War."

"Oh, I’ve heard about it before. Incredibly difficult—almost a guaranteed death for everyone." Yin Shangwu showed no signs of nervousness and turned to Tang Zheng. "What’s your current strength level?"

"Who is she?" Jiang Xiuming was shocked by how nonchalant this woman was, as though life and death mattered as little as going on a picnic.

"An old companion." Lin Weiguo explained.

"You’ve gathered quite a crowd here, Tang Zheng. Looks like your kind-hearted nature hasn’t changed a bit—Hero Level 3? My former group leader was barely Hero Level 1." Yin Shangwu shook her head emotionally. Having been away from the game for more than a year, she found it hard to adjust. Even Bai Guo, once a goofy newbie, now surpassed her in strength.

As her memories returned, so did Yin Shangwu’s abilities, though she remained an ordinary Third-order player. Other than the revolver she had gifted Tang Zheng, she didn’t even own a single S-grade weapon.

"Stop pretending—you hardly seem impressive for a mere Level 3 player, not even good enough to carry the luggage." Yu Deye scoffed, though he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the alluring black-stockinged legs beneath Yin Shangwu’s hemline, swallowing quietly. This woman was quite a sight.

"Shut up. Her mentality is leagues above yours." Jiang Xiuming’s eyes brightened. Yin Shangwu was exactly his type, and he stepped in to support her. "True strength isn’t just about brute force. Intelligence, experience, and composure in dangerous situations are equally important. This woman clearly surpasses you in all these aspects."

Despite being praised, Yin Shangwu showed no sign of pride and barely spared Jiang Xiuming a glance.

"Thank goodness for your Resurrection Card—it helped me survive a game and avoid team annihilation." Tang Zheng hesitated, truly wishing they hadn’t met here again.

"As long as it was useful. But now, I hope I won’t become a burden to you all." Yin Shangwu looked at Lu Fan and lightly ruffled his hair.

"Your mentality is off—you’ll get yourself killed." Mu Nianqi frowned, initially expecting a valuable ally, only for this woman’s lifeless gaze to disappoint her.

"I should have died long ago." Yin Shangwu’s reply stunned Queen Mu, who then nodded in understanding. After all, she had experienced the same despair after surviving her team’s annihilation.

"Shangwu, don’t say that. If you’re not afraid of death, why fear living?" Qin Yan tried to encourage her. Yin Shangwu might lack strength, but as Jiang Xiuming said, she excelled in other ways.

"The meaning of my life has already been lost." Yin Shangwu smiled faintly. "Originally, living meant being a good doctor, saving more lives, and accumulating some good karma for my teammates. But now, even that goal has been taken away."

"Auntie, you’re not a nun, so why act so enlightened?" Lu Fan pouted in dissatisfaction. "You’re just a spiritual weakling."

"Say what you want. Oh, and by the way—I haven’t washed my hands since finishing surgery."

Yin Shangwu’s casual remark made Lu Fan shiver and instinctively swat her hand away from his head. Even though he suspected she was bluffing, the thought still unsettled him.

"Go collect your equipment. I have some extras; you can take them." With so much team battle experience, Tang Zheng had amassed plenty of resources, even from taking down backup Seeds.

"No need—mine’s already here." Yin Shangwu rolled up her sleeve, revealing the Space Wristwatch on her wrist.

Tang Zheng and Dantai exchanged glances before turning their focus to the newbie group.

"Looks like Trojan is hellbent on causing us more trouble." Jiang Xiuming sneered.

When former Conquerors returned, the Silver Trojan conveniently provided them with Space Wristwatches, making camouflage easier.

Newbies posed little threat to the team, but having Conquerors among them could spell disaster. A backstab during battle could send the Warhammer team spiraling into ruin.

"If you’re Conquerors, step forward now." Lin Weiguo didn’t want the Warhammer team to collapse from within.

"Sorry, but I wanted to assess your character first." A man in his thirties raised his hand and stepped forward, calmly explaining, "I’m sure you understand—it’s natural to be cautious when suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar team."

"You’re Hero Level, I assume?" Lu Fan asked while eyeing the crowd for potential targets.

"Not much to boast about—only slightly weaker than your group leader..." The man kept his expression neutral, but his voice carried a hint of smugness. Before he could finish, Lu Fan cut him off.

"Enough with the nonsense—Hero Level 2, I already know." Lu Fan feigned impatience, intent on undermining his ego.

"How do you know?" The man’s composure faltered, his next words frozen on his lips.

"If you were Hero Level 3, you wouldn’t waste so much time talking—heck, you might even try a power play. If you were below Hero Level, you’d already be cowering and wouldn’t dare speak boldly." Lu Fan delivered a deliberate show of authority to assert dominance over the man, ensuring future compliance.

"But how can you be sure I’m Hero Level 2?" The man was puzzled.

"You clearly overheard Bai Guo and the others talking about their levels, didn’t you? So only being Level 2, you showed that smug smile of superiority." Lu Fan wouldn’t reveal that if he denied it, she had other ways to extract the truth.

Ordinary minds were no match for the precocious Lu Fan, who had previously outwitted kidnapping perpetrators with her genius.

Tang Zheng and Dantai were disappointed—someone’s mannerisms, speech, and unconscious behaviors often revealed plenty of intelligence. While the man was a Hero Level 2, his ordinary caliber couldn’t resist Lu Fan’s mental games. Tang Zheng wouldn’t even need to fight; a single military talent could easily crush him.

"You stepped forward to ask for some S-grade equipment, didn’t you?" Lu Fan intentionally ignored the crowd, raising her voice for effect. "Lucky you—Group Leader Tang here has faced all seven major Seeds in the top ten rankings, endured over a dozen team battles, and his wristwatch is packed with rare S-grade or higher equipment!"

The group stirred. A duo of men and women stepped forward, admitting their identities as Conquerors, both Hero Level 1.

"Shangwu, take this." Tang Zheng handed a set of Power Armor to the Black Long Straight elder sister, leaving the three Conquerors green with envy.

"Give it to me—I can perform much better with it." The Hero Level 2 man volunteered eagerly. In his previous team, only the leader and vice leader had armor, and he couldn’t help but covet it.

The two Hero Level 1 players had enough tact to recognize Yin Shangwu’s close relationship with Tang Zheng and refrained from vying for the equipment.

"Group Leader, I’m Hero Level 2. Give me a set, please. I know you have extras." Another man stepped forward, announcing his level.

"Extras? Are you kidding? This Power Armor costs over ten thousand—it’s not cabbage!" The Hero Level 2 man scoffed, assuming this newcomer had lost his mind.

"If the Group Leader is giving away armor, it means he’s already distributed it across his team and still has surplus. Can’t you even deduce something so simple?" The man, sporting a buzz cut and sharp eyes, exuded strength.

"Impossible!" The Hero Level 2 man refused to believe him.

"Good deduction!" Tang Zheng indeed had several Hellfire suits. Holding onto them wasn’t practical, so he handed one to the buzz-cut man.

"Thank you." The buzz-cut man accepted generously, offering his own assistance. "From observation, those two are likely Conquerors as well."

"Holy crap, you actually have more." The Hero Level 2 man’s burst of arrogance was instantly deflated as he eagerly sidled up to Tang Zheng, unable to wait for his own Power Armor.

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian.com to cast your votes or subscribe. Your support is my greatest motivation.)