“Hiss…”
Chen Junnan scratched his head after hearing this: “If you put it that way, it’s not hard to figure out. For someone who can’t ‘cross the river,’ doing so could mean ‘losing a character’ at best, or ‘losing their life’ at worst… This complicates things. Some ‘characters’ might have to be snatched from the opponent’s side.”
“Not necessary,” Qi Xia said. “Chen Junnan, your ‘psychological attack’ should have already taken effect.”
“That fast?”
“Mm,” Qi Xia nodded. “By now, their main force has probably entered our zone. Under the chaos of your ‘psychological attack,’ they subconsciously believe we’ve ‘struck first.’ If they don’t ‘counterattack,’ they’ll feel passive. Plus, their team isn’t familiar with each other, so they’ll likely scatter. Stick to the plan—the ‘early phase’ is crucial for us to secure ‘characters.’ In our zone, we have more allies. It’s time to start scoring.”
“Got it,” the group nodded in agreement.
“Fists,” Qi Xia called out, turning to Qiao Jiajin. “Your target is still Zhang Shan. He’s loyal and dependable—I suspect he’s taken on the role of protecting Chu Tianqiu. The ‘character’ that can’t ‘cross the river’ yet ‘needs protection’… is most likely ‘Shi’ (Guard).”
“That big guy is ‘Shi’…?”
“Right. And you’re ‘Xiang’ (Chancellor),” Qi Xia continued. “Neither of your ‘pieces’ can ‘cross the river,’ so in theory, you two shouldn’t meet. Did you tell him what I taught you earlier?”
“Of course!” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “We agreed that if we meet at the ‘river,’ we’ll fight immediately.”
“Good,” Qi Xia said. “The ‘river’ is the only place you two can clash—unless Zhang Shan changes ‘characters’ later. But I should warn you… Your ‘Xiang’ and his ‘Shi’ are the most sought-after targets. Be wary of tricks.”
The group glanced at Qiao Jiajin. If anyone was hard to overpower here, it was Zhang Shan and Qiao Jiajin—yet they held the two most strategically valuable ‘characters.’
“Tricks…?” Qiao Jiajin shook his head. “Nah, the big guy wouldn’t pull that. He’d want a fair fight.”
“Zhang Shan wouldn’t, but others might,” Qi Xia said. “Anyone on their side could interfere during your duel. If that happens, call for backup—even I’ll step in if needed.”
“Ah…” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “Alright… I get it.”
Qi Xia patted his shoulder. “Now, head out with Chen Junnan. They’re probably ‘invading’ already. Find Zhang Chenze and Zheng Yingxiong as fast as possible—we need to ‘ambush’ them.”
“‘Ambush’…?”
“Right,” Qi Xia said. “Since all ‘doors’ here lead to ‘Human-level Zones,’ and I suspect those ‘Human-level Zodiacs’ aim to kill, avoid one-on-one confrontations inside rooms. Move in pairs—use force to seize their ‘characters’ without triggering any ‘Human-level Games.'”
Tiantian, standing nearby, hesitated. “Using ‘force’… Isn’t that a bit…?”
“Don’t worry,” Qi Xia reassured. “Their invading team likely excludes Zhang Shan and Jin Yuanxun. One’s guarding Chu Tianqiu, the other, like Zheng Yingxiong, is a scout shuttling back and forth. The rest—Yan Zhichun, Wen Qiaoyun, Xu Liunian, or Dr. Zhao—shouldn’t be a problem in a physical fight.”
“True,” Chen Junnan chimed in. “We might not be the best at ‘thinking,’ but ‘snatching’? No big deal.”
“Writer!” Qiao Jiajin waved at Han Yimo in the corner. “You’re with me later!”
Chen Junnan glanced at Han Yimo and noticed he was trembling. “Xiao Han, you okay?”
“Y-yeah…” Han Yimo shook his head.
As the group prepared to leave, they noticed Tiantian still caressing her ‘Shi,’ deep in thought. The ‘character’ was palm-sized, cold and gray-black.
“Getting the hang of it?” Qi Xia asked. “Figured out its structure?”
Tiantian clenched her ‘Shi’ and finally shook her head. “Qi Xia… This thing—it’s my first time seeing it today.”
“So…?”
“You overestimate ‘Ingenuity,'” she said. “I’m not familiar with it… Even if I master it quickly, it’s just this one ‘character.’ Plus, it sticks to the screen—who knows what mechanisms are inside? Without disassembling it, ‘Ingenuity’ can’t replicate it.”
“I see…” Qi Xia nodded. “And with no spare materials to craft from… ‘Ingenuity’ is useless here…”
“Not just ‘Ingenuity’…” Chen Junnan interjected. “Lao Qi, doesn’t this place feel off to you?”
“Off?”
“Dunno about your ‘Echo,’ but my ‘Scapegoat’ isn’t working right…” Chen Junnan said. “Should we send someone to check? I think my ‘Echo’ might’ve been wiped from the big screen.”
Qi Xia frowned. Zheng Yingxiong’s ‘Spiritual Scent’ was disrupted, and now Chen Junnan’s ‘Scapegoat’ was affected—just as he’d expected. To activate an ‘Echo’ here required immense ‘conviction.’
“It’s a good thing,” Qi Xia said. “If we compare ‘Echoes,’ theirs are stronger—’Soulsteal,’ ‘Heavenly March,’ ‘Dissociation,’ ‘Leap’—all troublesome. If Chen Junnan’s is failing, theirs probably are too.”
“Right…” Chen Junnan nodded. “No wonder Yan Zhichun didn’t use ‘Soulsteal’ on me earlier… She couldn’t, not wouldn’t.”
“Most likely,” Qi Xia agreed. “Otherwise, when she saw your pockets stuffed with ‘characters,’ she’d have made you hand them over.”
“Perfect…” Chen Junnan smirked. “Let’s show ’em how we fight with these ‘useless Echoes.'”
“But stay alert,” Qi Xia warned. “No matter how slim the chance, someone might still trigger an ‘Echo’ here—maybe after adapting, or just given time.”
“Got it.”
Qiao Jiajin took Han Yimo, while Chen Junnan paired with Tiantian. The two teams set off into the rooms, searching for Zhang Chenze and Zheng Yingxiong, who were gathering intel.
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