Chapter Fifty-Four: Arena of the Empty Tower

"Fight! Win glory with the blood of your enemies!" — The Gladiator

Wu Hui surveyed the transforming surroundings and understood that the game had begun. He had come to find Ren Yin, mainly out of concern that this fellow's persistent gloom would become a problem if they ended up as teammates or in a cooperative state in the future.

Yet, after just a few words, Li Xiaojing’s favorability towards him shot up dramatically, leaving him quite perplexed.

The heart of a young girl was beyond Wu Hui's comprehension.

The psychological formulas he had mastered failed him at this moment.

Such is the fate of those who apply formulas mechanically without grasping their essence.

He found himself alone, and the game rules had already been transmitted into his mind.

"Welcome to the Sky Tower Death Arena."

"Each defeat costs you one hundred points, and death an additional hundred. Each victory grants one hundred points, with an extra hundred for killing an opponent. Game points can be used in the rest area to purchase items and recover status."

"Those who reach the top of the tower may choose to leave."

"The top of the tower?" Wu Hui caught the key phrase. "Is this the rest area? And points are game points?"

Moreover, resurrection was possible, so there was no need for mortal combat with certain people. Not bad.

But if you lose all your points, death awaits.

The room was circular, with a platform at the center. Wu Hui stepped forward and saw an electronic screen on the platform’s surface.

Displayed were the available goods.

"Standard firearms and ammunition, swords... and a Tome of Falling Stones. I'll buy the Tome of Falling Stones first." Wu Hui spent three hundred points to purchase it.

It summoned a massive boulder to fall from the sky, with a thirty-second cooldown.

The boulder could be used to crush enemies, block paths, or serve as a step. Quite practical.

As for the rest...

Wu Hui took out his firearm, fastened his grenades, donned a suit of red armor, and set out for the battlefield astride his direwolf.

At the edge of the cylindrical room was a large door marked "To the Battlefield."

Upon stepping through, he saw a long bridge flanked by clouds, with blue skies stretching on either side. Suspended in the sky were cylindrical towers, connected by bridges, arranged in a majestic, staggered pattern.

Looking up, the towers grew fewer the higher they went. The one he was heading towards now rose just above the rest area.

"Sky Tower Death Arena?" Wu Hui narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

True to its gladiatorial spirit, the rules were simple and brutal—you didn’t even need to read them. Just go out and fight.

The bridge seemed endless. The direwolf ran for ages without drawing any closer, nor did it tire. Wu Hui guessed this was akin to the game's loading time, waiting for his opponent to enter.

The next instant, the bridge shortened abruptly, and Wu Hui found himself inside the Sky Tower.

"This round's random terrain: Small Steel Floating Island."

"Begin."

The moment he stepped inside, the environment changed. His direwolf stood upon an island of steel, and his enemy waited at the opposite end.

Scattered across the island were large, broken machines that could serve as cover. But between the two of them lay a barren expanse.

His opponent clutched a small pistol, reeking of poverty. When he saw Wu Hui riding a direwolf in full armor, bristling with bullets and grenades, and pointing a submachine gun at him, all he could exclaim was, "What the—!"

He immediately turned to run, lucky not to be hit, while Wu Hui pursued atop his direwolf.

"A level one player... This is a level three difficulty match, so you’re just unlucky to have ended up here," Wu Hui thought, but his hands showed no mercy as the direwolf charged.

A level one player, armed only with a pistol and meager stats. The only thing to watch for was any special items.

Just like Wu Hui’s own pocket contained a teleportation die and a trump card.

He had also recently acquired a Peasant Chess Piece, which could be sacrificed to summon a Black Knight.

"Damn, damn, this garbage matchmaking system is so unfair!" The player, desperate and fleeing, was blocked by a falling stone. The direwolf pounced, and a single bullet ended his life.

In his panic, he forgot to forfeit, resulting in a two-hundred-point penalty.

Wu Hui, meanwhile, gained two hundred points.

Steel and seawater faded away, returning him to the so-called rest area. It seemed he had ascended another level.

How many floors did the tower have? Probably no more than ten. That would grant the victor up to two thousand points—enough for a top-level evaluation at level three difficulty. That meant the number of wins needed to exceed losses by about ten.

He had only spent a bit of ammunition in the last round. And since learning his sister’s identity, Wu Hui never lacked bullets. Cocoon Corporation apparently manufactured weapons, and Wu Tong was at least the regional manager for a whole province, so he could buy ammunition internally at extremely low prices.

That was a kind of employee benefit. If you didn’t take tens of thousands of bullets at a time, no one would care. Even selling a few hundred rounds wouldn’t yield much profit.

Of course, that was nothing for a level nine player.

With such a powerful backer, Wu Hui’s path of advancement was far smoother than most.

So far, he hadn’t sought much help from his sister—apart from the blessing awarded in every round. But any intelligence Wu Tong casually provided could save Wu Hui a great deal of time and effort.

His only thought was to grow stronger quickly, so he could in turn help and protect his sister.

He couldn’t rely on being her stepping stone for resources; it was too humiliating. Even Wu Hui, who usually only weighed profit and loss, knew that couldn’t go on.

He estimated he could reach level nine in two to three years and stand as Wu Tong’s equal, though by then she might have advanced another level or two. So, it might take four or five years to fully surpass his sister.

During the rest period, Wu Hui’s thoughts wandered far ahead before he finally approached the platform.

It was still mostly firearms and similar items. But now there was a Potion of Might for sale, priced at five hundred points. He was tempted, but couldn’t afford it; he had just over four hundred points.

On to the next floor, then.

There was a staircase at the edge of the wall leading upward, straight to the next level.

Wu Hui rode his direwolf up the stairs, exited, and set foot on another long bridge. In the distance, on another bridge, he spotted Li Xiaojing, but they were too far apart to do more than exchange glances.

They probably wouldn’t meet so soon.

By the way, this game could have up to level three players. His combat power might not be the highest, so caution was best.

"This round's random terrain: Small Arena."

"Begin."

"I’ve been waiting a long time for you." A male voice came from the other side. "So, tell me—how do you plan to compensate me for wasting my time?"

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