Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Teaming Up, Redemption of the Kidney Slicer
Lu Ce: …
The high-level player you mentioned… you don’t mean me, do you…?
You’re inviting me to help me?!
Why does this feel more and more off the more I think about it…
Also, what do you mean by “safer”? You sure it’s safer following me in the game? That didn’t seem to be your impression last time we were in one.
Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud. On the surface, it just looked like she had found some top-tier player to help her climb the ranks—and maybe lend him a hand too.
So he said,
“A pro, huh? You’ve really got connections. I haven’t met any powerful players myself.”
Xie Antong: …
“If we’re teaming up, maybe not for now. In the game, players are sometimes allies and sometimes competitors. Doesn’t feel like a profitable setup.”
Xie Antong stared into Lu Ce’s eyes for a while, then nodded and said:
“Alright.”
Even though she walked away with nothing, that uneasy feeling inside her only grew stronger.
Because Lu Ce’s words seemed fine on the surface, but actually had major implications!
The reason players in the same faction are both allies and competitors is usually because of endgame reward distribution!
And that kind of competitive reward split is mainly tied to Perfect Completion!
In other words, his offhand remark already revealed that his mindset was aligned with that of a top-tier player.
She felt awful. If only she could use the All-Seeing Eye right now…
Neither of them spoke, but Xie Antong began glancing at Lu Ce’s hand from the corner of her eye.
It was a pale and smooth hand—looking… almost like it was brand new.
Given his past and experiences, should he really have a hand that looked like it had never done a day’s work?
Or rather, did it look more like… it had just grown in?!
She didn’t have the All-Seeing Eye, so all she could do now was focus all her energy and brainpower on memorizing every inch of his skin, texture, bones, and joints.
Lu Ce was getting creeped out from being stared at like that. He instinctively pulled his hand back, not wanting her to see it.
A day passed quickly. The only official development in the past few days was the announcement of the Dragon Team’s formation.
But to those in the know, this organization had already been common knowledge for a while.
Back in his dimly lit room, Lu Ce prepared for the next game.
To be honest, after two straight days of no game updates, he was starting to get nervous.
He wondered if he had gone too far. If the game decided not to continue, that’d be rough.
After all, he had a goal. Whether the game was using him or not, he still needed to use the game to gain power.
And now, Xie Antong was contacting him.
In other words, Blank was contacting him.
Through the game system, it was their first time talking since becoming in-game friends.
Xie Antong was very straightforward in her message: she wanted to team up in the next game.
She was very clear—“With your strength as Sin, there’s no way you’d be worried I’d steal your Perfect Completion, right?”
“It feels like there’s something wrong with the game. We’ve been matched together several times now. Who knows what level of conspiracy is behind it.”
“To avoid unnecessary trouble, I personally want to team up directly to minimize risk—at the very least, I won’t be placed on the opposing faction.”
Her words were blunt. Lu Ce read them and didn’t see any real reason to refuse.
So you really were trying to help me earlier today, huh?
Also, he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but her words earlier in the day had felt like a test.
So, adjusting his tone to match how Sin would normally speak, he calmly replied:
“Alright.”
And just like that, after the game started, Lu Ce entered his first-ever team game.
A first-time exploration of a new feature.
On Xie Antong’s side, seeing that one simple “Alright” from Sin left her momentarily unsure.
“Tch…”
Hugging her knees and curling up in her computer chair, her expression was filled with confusion.
That… was Sin’s reply.
Even though it was unbelievable that he’d agree to team up, it actually kinda fit his “I don’t care about any of this” personality.
And maybe, he was agreeing just to come beat her up.
Thinking about how she actually took the initiative to ask Sin to team up—Xie Antong felt like she had lost her mind.
If this were the past, she would’ve been running away from Sin!
Just because of a flash of insight today, she’d really gone all-in.
“Maybe I’m overthinking it.”
“These two people… are on completely different levels…”
Xie Antong mumbled to herself, unsure and uneasy—when suddenly, a message from Chiyo Eine popped up on the game interface.
—“Wanna team up?”
Xie Antong declined without hesitation.
“Forget it. I’ll just observe once I’m in the game.”
“If I’m wrong, then… Lu Ce, I really just asked for death for you!”
【Please make all necessary preparations.】
【Please choose: become a Spectator, or a Player.】
“Player!”
【Esteemed Strongest Player, welcome to the game. This time, you’ve chosen Team Mode and will be playing alongside [Blank].】
【Team Mode is the same as Normal Mode. The only difference is that you and your teammate will be on the same faction.】
【As for how you recognize and help each other, that will be up to you both to decide.】
The basic game prompt sounded more or less the same as always, with no major differences.
Only this time, it included a prompt about being on the same faction.
Looking at that line, Lu Ce realized this team-up wasn’t exactly what he thought it’d be.
It didn’t seem like the usual idea of teaming up to clear a Game Instance. It just guaranteed you’d be in the same game.
If this counted as teaming up, then the game had basically already been matching them by default.
【Please prepare for the initial phase. Please check your backpack and items.】
【Player Sin, please select: do you wish to reuse a previously used Sin Mask? Your options are…】
“No! Go random!”
Lu Ce was decisive. After last time, he figured it was best not to pick the other masks casually.
【Player selection confirmed…】
【Game initialization complete…】
【Please prepare accordingly.】
【Game Difficulty: Hell Mode!】
【Loading game… Redemption of the Kidney Slicer!】
Then came that familiar wave of dizziness...