Chapter 68: Chapter 68

【Apartment Announcement: Congratulations to Xing Man for becoming the first player in this apartment to reach Level 6! Reward: Black Iron Treasure Chest ×1!】

What, just a level-up announcement? Scared the sh*t out of me!

Inside Room 2025, Jiang Ye couldn’t help but mutter “FML” to himself.

Mainly because he was right in the middle of running a pretty sketchy experiment—

The 【Lucky Lantern】 had already been smashed to bits.

But the 【Lucky Bracelet】 was still intact.

Ever since the woman in white left, he’d been itching to mess with it.

Of course, he wasn’t about to use his own blood—so he ended up using the blood of Replica No. 3.

And it was through that bloodletting process that he gained a much deeper understanding of how players unleash their 【Combat Power】.

The Apartment 9999 veterans had explained it before: players without professional training could only bring out about 80% of their actual Combat Power.

At that moment, Jiang Ye felt it firsthand—

Once he lost blood and his body weakened, the combat output dropped below even that 80%.

So, how much Combat Power a player can use is clearly tied to their physical state.

Fatigue, injury, weakness—any of these could lower combat effectiveness.

Which is exactly what made Replica No. 2 so strong—

Under the effects of 【Absolute Focus】 and 【Combat Stance】, he operated in a perfect peak state and could unleash 100% of his Combat Power!

Then, when fused with other Replicas, the effects went through the roof.

So in the case of Replica Fusion, having No. 2 involved far outweighed any fusion without him.

Good thing the Golden-Tier Duel Machine was bound to Replica No. 2.

While Jiang Ye was feeling grateful, he was also getting ready to drop the Lucky Bracelet into a bowl full of his blood—

That’s when the Apartment Announcement popped up.

He wasn’t really fazed by the announcement, just confused— Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel~fire~net

Wasn’t Xing Man supposed to be on the third-floor hallway, helping Bai Ruowan kill Wang Lingling’s group?

Logically, it should’ve gone one of two ways—

Either Wang Lingling, Gao Chang, and their group got wiped out,

Or Xing Man got ambushed and taken out.

But it had been a long time already, and it seemed like neither group had made a move.

Instead, now Xing Man suddenly leveled up.

Don’t tell me... he ran deep into the third-floor hallway to farm monsters and grind EXP?

Jiang Ye didn’t think too hard on it. He was just glad that when he dropped the Lucky Bracelet into the bowl of his blood, it didn’t explode like the Lucky Lantern had.

He couldn’t quite describe it.

But the color of the blood in that bowl—looked darker.

No—scratch that. It was darker!

At first, the color of his blood still allowed him to see the Lucky Bracelet submerged inside.

But as time passed, the blood darkened so much that the bracelet was completely obscured from sight.

He couldn’t see it at all with the naked eye anymore.

At the same time, the quiet class group chat suddenly lit up with a new message from Xing Man.

And it wasn’t directed at Bai Ruowan or Wang Lingling—

It was aimed straight at Yang Wenchao.

Xing Man: 【@Yang Wenchao, I’ve got time now. Out of respect, give me your coordinates and I’ll come find you.】

Xing Man: 【Judging by how cocky you were before, I’d say I’m ‘walking into death’! I’m bringing my head from miles away—don’t tell me you’re too scared to take it? @Yang Wenchao】

These two messages made it obvious to anyone paying attention—

Xing Man was about to make a move on Yang Wenchao!

And it wasn’t like before where both sides were probing and avoiding direct confrontation.

This time, he was coming in hot and full of confidence!

All this just from hitting Level 6? Why the sudden boost in confidence?

Could it be that after Level 5, each level gives more than just one attribute point?

But even so, it probably wouldn’t be that big of a difference, right?

Jiang Ye was puzzled but still waiting for the show to unfold.

But Yang Wenchao didn’t reply in the group at all.

So Xing Man and his Class 9 crew started throwing verbal jabs, bombarding the group chat and spamming mentions.

Xin Hang: 【You’ve been tagged this many times and still won’t show? Looks like Yang Wenchao is just a coward hiding in his shell!】

Ran Ziyi: 【Heh, acting all tough before, saying he was waiting for Brother Xing on the rooftop—turns out it was all just talk. Dude was faking it the whole time!】

Dou Heming: 【Seems like all these goody-goodies are just gutless weaklings. Getting trashed and not even making a peep—no backbone at all!】

【Screw it, let’s just wipe them all out!】

For a while, the group chat was flooded with Class 9’s aggressive shouting.

That previous atmosphere of terror once again blanketed the entire apartment.

Deep in the second-floor hallway, where Wang Lingling’s group had already set up traps for an ambush, things were starting to feel tense.

Especially as they watched those Class 9 players insult their Class 1 and Class 2 classmates—it obviously didn’t sit well.

Gao Chang couldn’t hold back and cursed under his breath: “F**ing born with sht luck!”

“Why the hell haven’t they come to the second-floor hallway? And how the hell did Xing Man level up?!”

Lu Shen furrowed his brows and immediately analyzed: “That doesn’t make sense. Based on our scouting, monsters in the third-floor hallway cap at Level 3.”

“Xing Man was already Level 5—he shouldn’t get any EXP from killing Level 3 monsters. So how did he hit Level 6?”

As soon as he said that, he noticed a shift in Yang Xiaoman’s expression.

He quickly followed up: “Yang Xiaoman, do you know something?”

But Yang Xiaoman just gave a slight shake of her head and pressed her lips together:

“No, I’m only guessing—”

“Guessing there might be some kind of secret deeper in the hallway.”

“What kind of secret?” Lu Shen blurted.

But Yang Xiaoman just shook her head again, as if she really didn’t know anything and was only speculating.

Wang Lingling’s expression grew heavier too. She turned to everyone and said in a low voice:

“Whatever Xing Man went through, the fact that he’s suddenly picking a fight with Yang Wenchao means he’s got a reason.”

“Maybe he found something in the depths of the third-floor hallway—some secret that gave him power.”

“Or maybe it’s something else entirely.”

“But one thing is clear—he’s stronger now!”

“And right now, I have two ideas—”

“One: we stay here and continue the ambush, wait for the opportunity to strike Xing Man.”

“Judging by what he said in the group, he should be heading our way soon.”

“But he seems to have regrouped with his lackeys and gotten stronger. Whether we can pull off a successful ambush… that’s becoming more and more uncertain…”

The Mutual Aid Group members had also grinded some monsters deeper inside the second-floor hallway.

But the highest-level monsters on the second floor were only Level 2.

Everyone had reached Level 2, and a few even hit Level 3.

Still, compared to Class 9, they were way behind.

At this point, continuing to lie in wait for Xing Man really had a slim chance of success.

So everyone quickly asked Wang Lingling about her second idea.

She turned her head and looked toward the deeper part of the hallway.

“I was thinking—if there really was some secret in the third-floor hallway that made Xing Man stronger…”

“Then maybe… there’s one in the second-floor hallway too!”

The moment she said that, the rest of the group immediately caught on—

Wang Lingling’s second idea was to continue exploring deeper into the hallway!

Lu Shen was the first to respond with analysis: “That is a solid idea!”

“I’ve felt for a while now that Yang Wenchao seemed to know more than us.”

“For example, it’s like he already knew the third-floor hallway only has monsters up to Level 3.”

“I even suspect he already knew there was some secret in the depths of the third floor!”

“So if we can uncover a secret on the second floor, maybe we’ll have a chance to deal with Xing Man.”

As he spoke, Lu Shen once again looked into the depths of the second-floor hallway.

Before the grind, they had bought flashlights, candles, and other lighting tools from the 【Low-End Mall】.

But the deeper they went, the darker the hallway became.

The range of their lighting tools also got smaller and smaller.

And the further in they went, the creepier the monsters got.

Still Level 2, and still dropped the same amount of Energy Points,

But monsters with that eerie, shadowy aura were clearly stronger than the regular ones.

So whether it was the third-floor hallway or the second, they’d only killed some of the “normal” monsters before deciding not to go any deeper.

Now, if they really planned to explore further, they’d have to accept a certain amount of risk…

Lu Shen weighed the pros and cons, then suddenly looked to Yang Xiaoman:

“Xiaoman, what do you think? Should we keep waiting to ambush Xing Man, or head deeper into the hallway to explore?”

Yang Xiaoman frowned and was just about to speak—

When her expression suddenly shifted: “Check the group chat.”

The Mutual Aid Group quickly glanced at the apartment group.

Out of nowhere, the normally silent Ranking Board player, Zhang Jintian, had suddenly spoken.

Zhang Jintian: 【WTF! Jiang Ye!】

Jiang Ye was hiding out in his apartment, munching on drama.

Then he saw that message—and was totally confused.

What? Wasn’t Xing Man just challenging Yang Wenchao to a fight?

Why the hell was his name suddenly getting dragged into it?

This Zhang Jintian hadn’t said a word this whole time,

And now that he did, it was just to throw shade his way?

What, did they have beef or something?

No way. Jiang Ye thought it over—they didn’t know each other at all.

Unless this guy somehow crossed into Apartment 9999 and discovered one of his secrets?

Now that it involved him, Jiang Ye could no longer just sit back and watch the show.

While keeping an eye on the Lucky Bracelet soaking in blood, he crouched and stared at the group chat.

Right then, a bunch of Class 9 players immediately fired back at Zhang Jintian:

【What the h*ll are you yelling about? @Zhang Jintian】

【Didn’t we make it clear that this apartment group is a private chat for our Class 9 bosses? Only Class 9 gets to speak!】

Xing Man even tagged him directly: 【If you’re looking to die, drop your location. I’ll personally send you off. @Zhang Jintian】

Everyone expected Zhang Jintian to turtle up like Yang Wenchao and just ghost the chat.

After all, the guy had always kept a low profile and barely spoke in the group.

But to everyone’s shock…

Not only did he not back down from the Class 9 powerhouses,

He even tagged Xing Man directly!

Zhang Jintian: 【Emmm, bro, you didn’t know Jiang Ye before, did you? @Xing Man】

Zhang Jintian: 【By the way, you guys—@Xin Hang @Ran Ziyi @Dou Heming—you probably don’t know Jiang Ye either?】

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

It was like “Jiang Ye” wasn’t just pronounced “Jiang Ye,” but rather pronounced “Li Gang” or something.

Xing Man, being the hothead he was, instantly snapped in the group:

【If you’ve got something to say, just f**ing say it. Cut the cryptic bullsht!】

【Jiang Ye is just some nobody—so what if I don’t know him?!】

And Jiang Ye, on the side, was thinking the same: Yeah! I am a nobody! Why the hell are you forcing me into this plotline?!

Zhang Jintian’s next message stunned everyone following the group chat:

Zhang Jintian: 【If you’d even met Jiang Ye and seen what he looks like, you’d realize—】

【That guy standing right next to you, the one you’ve been clinging to like a big shot…】

【He looks exactly like Jiang Ye.】

Looks exactly like me?!

Jiang Ye immediately checked over all his Replicas.

Replica No. 2 was inside the Golden-Tier Duel Machine going for a Five-Win Streak.

Replica 1, 3, and 4 were all with his main body.

The Mirror Replica had just been fused into No. 2, also doing the win streak.

All his Replicas were accounted for!

Then who the h*ll was the person Xing Man was clinging to?!

Jiang Ye suddenly looked toward the Replica Reflection Mirror.

The faint humanoid pattern on it made his skin crawl.

That out-of-control Mirror Replica in the Blood Mist Space—

Could it be… still alive??

But now Xing Man’s “big shot,” and came back to the apartment with him?!

Wait! Wasn’t that thing stuck in the Blood Mist Space?!

How the hell did it get here?!

He—he—he couldn’t possibly be after the Replica Reflection Mirror, right?!

What kind of power did that guy have? Could he even beat him?!

Jiang Ye was so utterly shocked that his mind flooded with a thousand thoughts.

But his classmates were even more stunned than he was!

Xing Man latched onto Jiang Ye’s thigh? And was still talking smack in the group like, “Jiang Ye is nothing”?!

What kind of sci-fi plot twist was this?!

In the depths of the second-floor hallway, Wang Lingling and the others were also dumbfounded, their hearts filled with shock.

At that moment, the group chat, which had gone silent for quite some time, suddenly lit up again with Xing Man’s message:

Xing Man: 【Anyone from Class 9 know what Jiang Ye looks like?】

Before any Class 9 student could respond,

It was actually Teacher Zhou—who taught both Class 1 and Class 9—who replied.

Zhou Qiong: 【I know.】

Xing Man: 【OK, Teacher Zhou, come over to the third-floor hallway and help identify someone.】

The rest of the students stared at this message with more anticipation and anxiety than waiting for their exam results.

They all wanted to know—

Was Zhang Jintian full of crap?

Or had Xing Man actually latched onto Jiang Ye's thigh without even realizing it?

Meanwhile, in the depths of the second-floor hallway, the Mutual Aid Group members exchanged looks.

Lu Shen suddenly analyzed: “No, that can’t be Jiang Ye.”

“On the Ranking Board, Jiang Ye is currently Level 3.”

“That’s decent among our classmates, but still below Xing Man.”

“Besides, if it was Jiang Ye, he’d be able to see Xing Man talking sh*t about him in the group.”

“In that case, there’s no way he’d play along and let Xing Man cling to him.”

That reasoning made a lot of sense.

However, Gao Chang added: “What if Jiang Ye used some trick to pretend to be strong and bluffed Xing Man?”

“He made Xing Man think he was powerful, but really, he’s still just a small fry, so when Xing Man called him nothing in the group, he didn’t dare say anything and just played it cool?”

That theory also sounded possible.

But Yang Xiaoman stepped forward to back up Lu Shen:

“Do you remember what we were just talking about?”

“Xing Man went deep into the third-floor hallway and uncovered some kind of secret.”

“I suspect the person he’s clinging to—who looks like Jiang Ye—is actually the secret he found.”

“So, could our classmate Jiang Ye have shown up deep in the third-floor hallway? Not very likely.”

“That’s why I think this Jiang Ye lookalike… is probably some kind of dark entity in disguise.”

“And yes, I believe he really is strong. I don’t think Xing Man is the type to get tricked into treating a small fry like a big shot.”

“Rather than debating whether that thigh is Jiang Ye or not, what I’m more interested in is—”

“Why disguise as Jiang Ye?”

“And more importantly—how did he become Xing Man’s thigh?”

“What method did Xing Man use to make that ‘big shot’ follow him?”

“If we can figure that out… we might just be able to turn the tables!”