“How is that possible?!”
Seeing the pink-haired girl’s pale face, Brother Li also looked horrified. He hurriedly checked his system and discovered that the interface was fully locked in red. Within each large red frame it read: “Due to unknown reasons, this instance is temporarily sealed. Technicians are working hard to resolve the issue. Players, please try to avoid dying during this period.”
“Warning! Death of a player might lead to unforeseen consequences. Please play cautiously and wait for the developers to fix the bug!”
“Damn it! These fuckers didn’t even say when it’ll be fixed! Once I’m out, I’m giving the developers a hundred one-star reviews!”
Brother Li cursed aloud as he read the announcement. His face reddened, veins popping in his forehead, his expression contorted with anger.
He had been playing “Tales of the Unusual” for a long time and no one understood the terror of this instance better than he did.
Normally, playing these highly realistic levels wasn’t much of an issue, as you couldn’t truly die.
But being trapped here indefinitely would be a fate crueler than death.
In this world, when humans die, they don’t disappear but instead become part of the island, turning into mindless monsters that are slaves to this hellish island, forever craving flesh.
He’d read so many guides and knew that some players had experienced this horrific transformation. Everyone described it as an incredibly agonizing experience. That’s why the developers later introduced a fear threshold to prevent players from getting stuck in the game after death.
But now, if the developers couldn’t control this instance and they were to die, wouldn’t they experience the same agonizing fate as the early players?
“Damn it! Change of plans! Curse the game company and their entire family! They’re playing with our lives!”
Brother Li’s face turned grave, “We need to hide well for the next few days. We can’t afford to die now; the consequences would be dire. Even if we could return, the trauma would linger for a long time!”
Brother Li briefed the group on the strategies he knew. The mood became tense; even the usually lax pink-haired girl looked worried.
After all, no one wanted to experience turning into a monster. Even if the pain was reduced to fifty percent, it would still be unbearable!
Rock, who had always been pessimistic about Tales of the Unusual, was now even more pessimistic. He sighed despondently, “I knew it. The news about people turning vegetative were true. We’re screwed now. Even if we don’t die, we’ll be left incapacitated!”
“If you had listened to me earlier and stopped playing, wouldn’t everything be fine now?” There was a hint of blame in Rock’s voice.
He had warned them about the game being problematic when they were on the cruise, but no one had taken him seriously.
While what Rock said had some truth to it, pointing fingers after the fact wasn’t helpful, especially given the current state of panic.
Dollar, already on edge, shoved Rock away in annoyance, “Enough of that shit, Rock!
Things were already chaotic, and this fool just made it worse! As if it wasn’t chaotic enough!
Hearing this, Rock glared at Dollar and turned away sullenly, unwilling to deal with these idiots who wouldn’t listen.
He had finally realized it. These people looked down on him! They dismissed his words as nothing!
They’d always been this way. Rock felt he had endured enough.
All of them were pretending to be his friends. They acted earnestly, but treated him like a fool!
They never sincerely asked for his opinion. Even after things went wrong, they refused to admit their mistakes!
With a dark expression, Rock remained silent. The attitude from Rock also upset Dollar, making the atmosphere among the group tense.
In the end, it was Brother Li who tried to smooth things over with some platitudes before discussing their next plan.
Brother Li suggested they continue resting at the slaughterhouse during the night since it was safe. But in the morning, it would be best not to appear within the sight of the Judge as they might be targeted.
“Why not head to the abandoned town on the left side of the island during the day?”
Abandoned town?
The pink-haired girl didn’t know of such a place. Brother Li had to explain in detail.
Apparently, the abandoned town was a refuge diagonally opposite the slaughterhouse, located at the edge of a secluded forest. Not far from the slaughterhouse, it was often hidden under thick fog and hard to find.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Players had died many times before they managed to discover it.
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Everyone agreed with the plan and decided to head to the town during the day, then return to the slaughterhouse to rest in the evening.
So, they began their journey towards the abandoned town, guided by their smartwatches.
As they walked, Brother Li suddenly recalled the rich ‘pretty boy’ they had caught when they first arrived on the island. With a hint of regret, he remarked, ” That guy sure can run. As expected of an NPC who survived till the final days in the original storyline. Even handcuffs couldn’t hold him. If he had not run off, he could’ve been our meat shield!”
He still could not understand how the NPC, who was great at drawing the boss’s aggro, had just escaped like that.
Dollar laughed, “Don’t worry, boss. That guy won’t last long. In the original storyline, he survived by betraying his companions. But now, with no one else around, who can he betray? He’s probably already inside a monster’s stomach as we speak.”
Thinking of that delicate-faced NPC, Dollar laughed with malice.
Being trapped in the game, the NPCs would need to suffer horrendously to alleviate the players’ frustration. The more brutally the NPCs died, the happier they were.
Rock disapproved of their merry banter and said sarcastically, “Who knows? He might be doing better than you guys. After all, as a rich scion, he must have some survival skills, right?”
Dollar retorted mockingly, “Rock, feeling superior? Have you forgotten how I lent you money? You think he’s doing better than we are? On what basis? Or do you think he’s offering his ass to the monsters with that pretty face of his?”
Rock’s face turned red in anger. The two argued back and forth, trading insults. Listening to their comical bickering, the pink-haired girl couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Brother Li just shrugged. These two were always quick to argue.
Yao Ye, who had heard the comment about him offering his ass, was speechless.
Damn you all fuckers! You’re dead!
Following the trail of Brother Li and the others, Yao Ye finally caught up them and was met with an earful of profanities, making his face flush red with anger.
“You done laughing?”
Yao Ye emerged from the bushes, his expression dark.
Brother Li looked at him in surprise, then laughed, “Speak of the devil! Is the system compensating us? This meat shield has delivered itself to us.”
Both Dollar and Rock ceased their argument, looking coldly at Yao Ye.
Though they were at odds with each other, they still stood united when facing outsiders.
“You still want to stare? Are you still itching for a beating? Keep staring and I’ll rip your eyeballs out,” Brother Li threatened, brandishing his gun with a fierce look.
Facing the cold muzzle, Yao Ye stilled, but his hesitation soon turned into rage. He had backup now. Who would he fear?
Thinking of the large figure behind him, Yao Ye’s arrogance surged, “You guys are too brazen! Killing so recklessly! Aren’t you afraid of getting locked up?”
Hearing this, Brother Li and the others paused and then erupted into uncontrollable laughter, their earlier tensions somewhat eased by the absurdity of the situation.
“Bahahaha! That’s hilarious!”
“Of course not! Do you think you’re human? What a joke!”
“How am I not human? You lot are the beasts! Today’s your death day!”
Seeing the group’s blatant disregard, Yao Ye was close to exploding.
Although his youthful features dripped with malice, his threats seemed more comical than menacing.
Brother Li and the others were almost in tears laughing. They never imagined this NPC could be this funny.
“This long-dead thing is still acting so arrogant!”
“Come on! Kill me if you can, you useless fuck!” Brother Li, laughing even louder, spread his arms wide in invitation.
Thump.
A heavy footstep stopped behind Yao Ye. Seeing the looming figure, Brother Li’s laughter froze on his face, leaving a comical expression.
It was the Judge!
The group’s laughter ceased instantly, and everyone was paralyzed with fear.
“What… the… hell…” muttered Dollar, refusing to accept the grim reality.
Were they seriously face-to-face with the Judge?
How unlucky were they? Was their misfortune so persistent that they’d choke even while drinking water?
Just after realizing they couldn’t log out and getting screwed over by the game’s developers, they were now face-to-face with the final boss. This was too brutal!
The color drained from their faces, as they scrambled to think of a way out.
The Judge was a killing machine. If they didn’t have someone to distract it, no one could escape!
But none of them would offer themselves up, so how should they…
Then it clicked. They could have someone else keep the Judge occupied!
A collective realization dawned upon them, and all eyes settled on the unsuspecting Yao Ye, the rich ‘pretty boy’.
With the hulking figure behind him, Yao Ye smirked, ready to humiliate the group. Instead, he heard their loud accusations.
“Judge! Kill him!!! He’s the one who bullied you back in junior high! It’s time for revenge! We brought him to you!” Brother Li shouted with distorted features.
“Judge!! Kill him! He’s the one who started all the bullying! He deserves to die!”
Hoping to see Yao Ye meet a brutal end, the pink-haired girl shouted, unable to contain her excitement.
Looking at the gang, Yao Ye was puzzled. Had they lost their minds? Him, with his tiny frame, bullying the huge Judge?
“Ha… Haha… Hahaha!”
Yao Ye, watching their incomprehensibly insane behavior, couldn’t help but laugh, his voice escalating with glee.
“Poor souls, have you gone mad?” Yao Ye looked at them provocatively, full of disdain.
However, the group sneered back, thinking this delusional NPC was about to get his just desserts.
Was he oblivious to the imposing Judge right behind him? Such a fool, fit only to be a sacrificial lamb!
The towering Judge, wrapped in bandages, looked tenderly at Yao Ye’s proud posture. The muscles in its arm tensed as it gripped its broad-bladed weapon.
It’s happening! The insane NPC was about to die!
The pink-haired girl and Brother Li, along with the others, looked on in anticipation, ready to bolt at any moment.
The perfect time for them to make their escape would be when the Judge was overwhelmed with the pleasure of revenge.
The Judge made his move. Slowly, he stepped forward, raising his massive blade, aiming it straight ahead.
“Big guy, kill them for me! They are bad guys!”
Yao Ye’s eyes widened in excitement, a bright smile hanging persistently on his face, growing ever more radiant.
Hearing this, Brother Li wore an even more sardonic expression. He wanted to mock the NPC who had seemingly lost his mind. How could he ever command the Judge?
But before he could utter a word, a scenario beyond his wildest imagination unfolded before him.
Ignoring the closer Yao Ye, the Judge headed straight for them, his murderous intent evident. Even from several meters away, they could feel the chilling aura emanating from him, laced with the intent to kill.
“Impossible! What’s going on?”
Brother Li couldn’t believe his eyes. Terrified, he yelled, “Judge! Why? Isn’t he your enemy? Why not kill him?”
The tall, muscular Judge remained silent. With a swift move of his blade, Brother Li’s arm was severed.
“Why?”
Yao Ye gasped excitedly, clearly delighted by his enemy’s incredulous reaction. Behind the Judge, he explained, exhilarated, “Of course, it’s because we are the best of friends!”
Yao Ye, feigning modesty, covered his mouth, but his eyes overflowed with malice.
“Big guy even promised to torture you to death. Don’t you dare die so easily!”
Yao Ye’s laughter was wild and unhinged, a stark contrast to his once genteel demeanor.
Watching this incredible scene unfold, Brother Li felt like he was on the verge of a breakdown.
This wasn’t how the story was supposed to go!
Could it be that this NPC and the Judge truly were friends?
If they had angered the boss, did that mean certain death? Brother Li, ignoring the pain of his severed arm, tried to flee. His shocked companions, who hadn’t forgotten to run, had already moved to a safer distance, firing their guns to cover him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several gunshots rang out, and the Judge’s body now had multiple bloody holes.
No ordinary creature could withstand bullets from such large-caliber guns.
As he was shielding his dear friend behind him, the Judge showed no signs of retreat, letting the bullets hit him without flinching.
Black and red tainted blood oozed from the bandages that wrapped around the Judge’s upper body, staining the already yellowed wrappings with fresh blood. Yet he seemed immune to pain, slashing off Brother Li’s other arm.
Though the pain had already been halved, Brother Li’s face still contorted in acute agony.
Brother Li’s agonized screams were heart-wrenching. The pink-haired girl and the others couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Guns blazing, they tried to put more distance between themselves and the Judge.
Suddenly, Yao Ye’s laughter ceased.
Stunned, he stared at the bullet holes in the Judge’s body, as blood splattered with every movement.
Despite his fast healing, the continuous gunfire left the Judge’s body covered in blood, with chunks of flesh falling to the ground.
Plop…
After a moment, Yao Ye slowly brought his trembling hand to his cheek. His eyes, filled with confusion, welled up with tears, which trickled down his thin arm.
What had he been doing? Letting someone who cared for him get hurt… was this really right?
“Damn it! He’s truly a monster! The health bar doesn’t drop even after shooting him! It’s like he’s got some health-lock cheat activated!”
Observing the Judge’s long, red health bar floating above his head in combat mode, the players despaired.
And the most tragic part? Its damn health would regenerate! They’d barely make a dent before it replenished!
How were they supposed to fight this? How the hell were they supposed to defeat it?
Guns were useless against blades in this bizarre game!
The pink-haired girl and the others gritted their teeth, constantly reloading from their system storage. While they seemed calm, they were already slowly backing away, ready to run.
And as for Brother Li, who was now reduced to a mere torso?
Sorry, they weren’t about to die alongside him!
Thank you for the chapter!! ( ˘ ³˘)🩷
Many thanks for the chapter ☺️