chapter 46

[An additional 1,776 people have liked Bai Liu's small TV, 2,006 have bookmarked it, and 345 have tipped him, for a total of 345 points.]

[2,004 new viewers are now watching Bai Liu's small TV. Over 1,500 likes in a single minute—player Bai Liu is finally getting serious!]

[Yo~ your performance is back on track~ yo~ my punishment will not be delayed~ yo~ you'll keep soaring high~ yo~]

[To leave the Graveyard Disco Zone, player Bai Liu still needs 47,294 more likes, 50,860 more bookmarks, and 14,724 more points in tips.]

…

Mu Sicheng had run countless laps around the train before finally catching his breath at the new platform, only when the horde of "passengers" disembarked. Lying on his back, he gulped down a stamina potion, wiped the sweat-soaked hair from his brow, and cast a dark, unfriendly glance at Bai Liu, who was also resting.

"Bai Liu, did you know all along that my personal skill was theft?" Mu Sicheng echoed Wang Shun's suspicion. "You baited me by stealing my things, making me believe your skill was theft, lowering my guard."

"And at the game's entrance, you deliberately pretended not to guess my skill, spouting nonsense about facial enhancement, but you already knew it was theft, didn't you?" Mu Sicheng's gaze was sharp as lightning, his eyes fixed on Bai Liu.

"Yes," Bai Liu admitted without hesitation.

Mu Sicheng took a deep breath, staring hard at Bai Liu. "When did you know?"

Personal skills were an unspoken taboo on the forums—no one discussed them openly, for fear of making enemies. Only those like the Puppet Master, who needed to recruit players, ever revealed their skills. For a newcomer like Bai Liu, the only way to know Mu Sicheng's skill would be to buy his game videos.

But viewers couldn't see a player's skill panel. Bai Liu could only guess by repeatedly purchasing Mu Sicheng's videos or discussing with veteran players. Yet Bai Liu had never bought Mu Sicheng's videos, and he was the first to find Mu Sicheng after logging in—there was no chance to consult anyone.

How did this guy know his personal skill?

"I knew the moment I met you after logging out of 'Siren Town,'" Bai Liu replied.

Mu Sicheng stared in disbelief. "At the exit of 'Siren Town'? I found you almost as soon as you logged out—there's no way you could have known my skill!"

"At first, I just wanted to trick you out of a bottle of mental bleach, not set up a long con," Bai Liu said, rubbing his nose. "But your reaction gave you away. You said you were ranked fourth on the rising stars list, and you seemed strong, so I thought, since you're here, I might as well get something out of it. It would be a waste not to."

What the hell—'since you're here, I might as well get something out of it'? Is he some miser, picking up every scrap?

Mu Sicheng's chest heaved with indignation. "How did my reaction give me away?"

Bai Liu turned to him. "Because after I 'stole' your mental bleach, your first reaction was to assume my skill was theft."

"What else could it be?" Mu Sicheng retorted. "What other skill could take something directly from my system inventory?"

Bai Liu replied calmly, "But you knew theft was forbidden in the system hall. When I took your stamina potion the second time, you still insisted my skill was theft. A normal player would have considered other possibilities—like maybe I could manipulate you into giving me things. But you never did."

"Even before I entered the game, you never changed your mind about my skill."

Mu Sicheng was momentarily stunned.

Bai Liu glanced at him. "That's your subconscious at work—it shows you have a deep fixation on theft. Personal skills are tied to desire, so I guessed yours was probably related to stealing."

"Damn," Mu Sicheng interrupted, face darkening. "Even if you planned to use me from the start, you couldn't be sure I'd follow you into the game. If I hadn't, all your groundwork would have been wasted!"

"I couldn't be one hundred percent sure," Bai Liu admitted, "but I was about eighty percent certain you'd come."

He looked up. "Because I had something you wanted to steal—the Mermaid's Amulet, right?"

Mu Sicheng's breath caught.

"I always wondered why you came to find me at the game's exit," Bai Liu continued. "You're a strong player. Even if you were curious about my skill, you wouldn't have stuck around after losing two thousand points unless you were after something. You're not stupid; you wouldn't show up for nothing. I must have had something you wanted, and you were confident you could get it. So you came to confirm I had it on me. In your world, that's called 'casing the mark,' isn't it?"

Mu Sicheng's face turned completely black. "You knew all along I wanted to steal your Mermaid's Amulet? You used it to bait me?"

Bai Liu offered a gentler phrasing, smiling amiably. "How can you call it bait, Mu God? I was seeking your cooperation. Consider it a gift. See, I can control you now, and I haven't asked for it back, have I?"

Bai Liu's ability to lie with a straight face was unparalleled. In truth, he couldn't force Mu Sicheng to return the amulet; their skills only allowed for cooperation, not compulsion. But Mu Sicheng's expression eased a little—at least Bai Liu wasn't like the Puppet Master, who would flay his puppets alive. For now, he was safe.

Mu Sicheng stopped talking to Bai Liu, who aggravated him to the point of liver pain, and checked his own panel:

[Player Mu Sicheng's Personal Panel]

[HP: 94 (reduced by fire damage)]

[Stamina: 30 (depleted, recovering)]

[Mental: 75 (mildly corrupted by passenger attacks)]

If he'd run alone, his stamina wouldn't have dropped so low, nor would he have been burned by the monsters. It was all because he'd carried Bai Liu, burning through stamina to maintain speed.

Mu Sicheng didn't know how much control Bai Liu had over him, so he dared not harm him, but that didn't stop him from mocking Bai Liu: "You ran out of stamina just from being carried by me? With stats this weak, you should have died long ago."

"If not for Mu God's helping hand, I would have," Bai Liu replied lazily, opening his own panel. "Misfortune breeds fortune. We've triggered the first Monster Book."

['Explosive Last Train Monster Book' updated—Explosive Passenger (1/3)]

[Monster Name: Explosive Passenger]

[Traits: Extremely fast (1,000 speed, with fire bonus)]

[Weakness: ??? (to be discovered)]

[Attack: Fire from Explosive Passengers reduces both HP and Mental]

"What's the use of triggering the first Monster Book?" Mu Sicheng sneered, draining his stamina potion. "Don't tell me you want to collect the whole Monster Book in a level two dungeon? Even I wouldn't dare attempt that in a game no one's ever cleared."

"There's a first time for everything," Bai Liu replied with his infuriating calm. "This time, you have me. Why not try collecting them all, Mu God? Let's cooperate."

The word "cooperate" was a thinly veiled threat—Bai Liu was warning Mu Sicheng he could force him to help collect the Monster Book.

Mu Sicheng felt his hard-won calm evaporate, anger rising again. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself. "Your HP is almost zero, and you're still thinking about collecting the Monster Book. You really would risk your life for profit."

Bai Liu accepted the charge without shame. "You're right. That's exactly who I am."

Mu Sicheng: "…"

Mu Sicheng was right—Bai Liu's stats were pitiful compared to Mu Sicheng's A-rank panel:

[Player Bai Liu's Personal Panel]

[HP: 31 (reduced by Mu Sicheng's attack and fire damage)]

[Stamina: 8 (depleted, recovering)]

[Mental: 90 (mildly corrupted by passenger attacks)]

Mu Sicheng exhaled deeply, forcing himself to remain calm. Now that he and Bai Liu were in the same boat, he tried to reason with him: "You've already experienced the consequences of losing mental points, but you may not realize how important HP is. Let me explain."

"HP is the only stat that can't be restored in-game. If it hits zero, you die—no item can save you. Listen, Bai Liu, you're down to 31 HP. That's dangerously low. In a level two dungeon, a single monster could finish you off. I advise you to forget about collecting the Monster Book."

Bai Liu didn't agree or disagree, but changed the subject: "We still have to collect the mirror shards."

Mu Sicheng closed his eyes to rest and recover stamina, but Bai Liu continued his analysis:

"This game seems to have passengers boarding and disembarking at each station. When passengers board, we face a chase; when they disembark, the doors close. If there are no shards on the train, and they're in the station, we only have one chance to search for them."

Bai Liu mused, "That's when passengers are boarding—we have to search the platform before the doors close, or we'll be trapped with the 'passengers.' I suspect the Puppet Master already searched the platform during the last chase."

"How do you know?" Du Sanying, who'd been hiding in the corner, finally asked.

He was in the best shape of the group, though his bumper car was splattered with blood and his cartoon pony was smeared with charred flesh, Du Sanying himself was unharmed.

"Because we ran back and forth through the whole train during the chase and never encountered anyone else," Bai Liu said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Either we kept missing the Puppet Master by chance, or he wasn't on the train at all."

"Ah—!" Du Sanying grew anxious. "Doesn't that mean the Puppet Master could quickly collect all the mirror shards and clear the level?"

"Not necessarily," Bai Liu replied, glancing at Du Sanying. "I doubt he found any shards on the platform."

Du Sanying was puzzled. "Why do you think that?"

"If I were him, and I confirmed the shards were on the platform, I'd do only one thing." Bai Liu raised a finger, his gaze steady. "I'd come looking for us."

"Why would he come for us if the shards are on the platform?" Du Sanying was more confused than ever.

"The train only stops for two minutes at each station. I've measured the platform—it's impossible to search the whole thing and return in time, even with three puppets as fast as Mu Sicheng." (Mu Sicheng ground his teeth at this.)

"Searching takes time—it's not just about speed," Bai Liu continued. "There are eleven stations on Line 4, not counting the start/end station, Antique City. That's ten platforms. Each leg takes over five minutes, so the whole line is about fifty minutes. With only an hour before the explosion, we get just one chance to search. The Puppet Master's three puppets can't search an entire platform in two minutes."

"So he'll come for us," Bai Liu concluded.

Du Sanying's eyes spun. "Why?!"

Bai Liu's last sentence didn't seem to follow from his logic at all! Three puppets can't search the platform in time, so the Puppet Master will come for us? Why? We're not going to help him search—wait!

Du Sanying suddenly understood, staring at Bai Liu in shock.

"Because he needs manpower," Bai Liu said, gazing into the empty end of the swaying train. "Once he's sure the key is to search the platform for shards, he'll do everything he can to make us his puppets."

"But until he's sure, he won't make a move."

——

"Master, there are no shards on the platform," Li Gou reported in a whisper, his posture as cautious as if treading on thin ice. "The three of us couldn't search the whole platform, but we checked most of the area near the tracks—there's nothing."

"Not a single shard?" Zhang Gui's puppet face narrowed to a thin black slit. "Strange. The game should allow us to find shards on the platform. Is it because you didn't search the whole thing?"

Li Gou replied softly, "Only the upper platform remains, but there are too many burning passengers—we can't get up there."

"I know. I was at the door, controlling you. I have eyes, I can see." Zhang Gui waved him off impatiently, tugging the transparent strings so Li Gou dropped to his knees. "I'm thinking about our next move. Don't interrupt!"

Li Gou gritted his teeth, then, seeing Zhang Gui lost in thought, couldn't help but suggest, "Master, if we're out of ideas, why not go after Bai Liu and the others?"

Li Gou had always resented Bai Liu for taking his promotion slot. If he were alone, he might not have dared, but now, with a powerful backer who also disliked Bai Liu, he was eager to get rid of the upstart who'd stolen his chance.

If not for Bai Liu, he'd have collected all the points needed to escape prison and would be enjoying freedom by now!

He couldn't stand another second in that cell!

"Don't touch Bai Liu until I know where the shards are," Zhang Gui said coldly, looking down at Li Gou as if he were a fool. "If we start a fight, Mu Sicheng—who hates me—will interfere, and we'll suffer losses. This is a level two game; clearing it is our top priority. Once we know the key, we can deal with side issues. Don't get your priorities mixed up."

Li Gou gritted his teeth and agreed, "Yes, Master."

After a moment, he asked, still unwilling, "If the shards aren't on the platform or the train, where are they?"

"Wait—" Zhang Gui's face suddenly changed. "Could it be—"

——

"Mu Sicheng, have you ever tried stealing from monsters?" Bai Liu sidled closer and asked.

Mu Sicheng impatiently pushed him away. "Impossible. I can steal from players—even Spade—but not from monsters."

"Why?" Bai Liu mused, resting his chin on his hand. "Is it a system restriction?"

Mu Sicheng shot him a look. "I don't know what you're plotting, but I'll tell you straight: I can steal certain items from monsters, but once I do, that monster's aggro locks onto me until the end of the game. I'll be hunted relentlessly, and it's easy to die—even in a level one game, let alone level two. If you want to use me, don't waste me on a one-off stunt."

"Aggro, huh…" Bai Liu pondered, idly spinning a coin in his fingers, then glanced at Du Sanying, who was munching cookies in the corner.

Bai Liu's eyes narrowed, and he smiled with the sly benevolence of a wolf to Little Red Riding Hood. "Du Sanying, have you ever played a large-scale online game?"

Little Red Riding Hood Du Sanying, crumbs still clinging to his lips, blinked in confusion, then answered honestly, "I have."

"Do you know about aggro transfer?" Bai Liu crouched beside him.

Du Sanying felt a chill down his spine, edging away as he swallowed nervously. "I—I know a little. Like OT and stuff, right?"

"Exactly!" Bai Liu snapped his fingers, his smile growing ever more genial. "For example, if Mu Sicheng steals from a monster, its aggro locks onto him. But if I attack the monster, I can transfer aggro to us, kite it away, and let Mu Sicheng steal safely. You know, kiting a train of monsters behind us…"

"Wait!" Du Sanying, not noticing Bai Liu's shift from "I" to "we," interrupted, stammering, "Isn't this a collection game? What does this have to do with MMOs, kiting, or aggro? Isn't our main task to find mirror shards?"

"Exactly." Bai Liu looked up, spreading his hands. "If the shards aren't on the train or the platform, where else could they be?"

Du Sanying was more lost than ever. "…Where else?"

Bai Liu's lips curled. "I always thought it unlikely the shards were outside the train, since the mirror exploded inside. If they're not in the carriage, could the explosion have embedded the shards in the passengers' bodies?"

Du Sanying: "…"

Mu Sicheng: "…"

Fuck (a kind of plant)!!

"So—" Bai Liu looked innocently at Mu Sicheng. "Mu God, it seems you'll have to try stealing from these non-human entities after all."