DHMB - Chapter 23
Chapter 23
In her prolonged confrontation with Lu Que, Kai Yun's muscles in her limbs had suffered significant damage. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be able to maintain her powerful attacks for long. But this was a full simulation after all; in reality, there was only a slight soreness from prolonged muscle tension. As long as her willpower was strong enough, it could be overcome.
When it came to competing in willpower, Kai Yun had never lost.
Furthermore, the Sanyao system, for the protection of the examinees' bodies, would directly block pain or realism when it exceeded a certain threshold. So, throughout this killing spree, aside from clearly feeling her physical functions being forcibly lowered, she didn't encounter any major danger.
Lu Que had been following behind her, and later he also started clearing the field and pursuing examinees. They happened to be from different factions, quickly reaching a tacit agreement for scoring cooperation.
Kai Yun proactively yielded the students from the Rescue Army faction to him. However, because of Lu Que's notorious reputation, the first reaction of many lone students upon seeing him was to turn and run, which meant Kai Yun could no longer use her 'fishing' tactic, severely slowing down her scoring speed and making her a little depressed.
Meanwhile, Lei Kaiding kept sending her messages, his voice sounding like he was about to die, subtly urging her to come back quickly.
"Kai Yun, I'm almost done for. I might not last until the end of the match."
"Be careful, you absolutely must come back alive! You don't have to think about me, but you must think about your Mapo Tofu!"
"Is Lu Que still in the arena? Don't get caught by him alone. If you really can't, just beg him, maybe he'll let you go."
"Which faction has the advantage now? Tell me about the outside world, I want to see it!"
"Kai Yun! How about you stop fighting for now, let's eat first. After we finish our last supper, we can send them on their way."
At first, Kai Yun replied a couple of times, telling him to hang on, but later she found him too annoying and even considered ending this brief friendship.
"I'm so bored!"
After not receiving a response for a long time, Lei Kaiding wailed and complained to her, "I've been lying in the exam hall for several hours and can't do anything! I've counted the bodies over a dozen times, and I can now loudly tell you that we took out 39 people in one go!"
He had sacrificed too much for the C position!
Kai Yun sighed and turned to look at Lu Que.
Lu Que didn't look very smart either, it was just that Lei Kaiding's foolishness was external, while his was relatively low-key.
She was truly having a difficult time.
Unwilling to endure the annoying noise, Kai Yun could only speed up, circling the exam map repeatedly to search.
Generally, in team maps with faction rules like this, examinees would be scattered in the later stages. After all, it was impossible to be sure if the people around you would betray you, and too many people made it difficult to hide.
Kai Yun's principle of action was: As long as I run fast enough, no one can hide from me.
Eventually, even Lu Que couldn't keep up with her.
The audience hadn't expected that after the massive consumption in the early stages, she could still maintain such a high level of activity. Carrying a heavy saber, she moved with the agility of an assassin. Most students were caught off guard and killed instantly by Kai Yun suddenly appearing while they were taking a tired break.
And those eliminated students, who initially thought it was a tragedy to die at the hands of an unknown girl, felt instantly relieved when they compared notes outside and realized everyone else had suffered the same fate.
More and more people gathered in the live stream channel, waiting for the moment Kai Yun would collapse from exhaustion.
"Which lap is it?"
"Looks like the fourth lap, or maybe the fifth. Anyway, another three hours have passed."
"Oh my god, it's terrifying. From now on, if your stamina isn't good, you won't dare participate in the Alliance Military Academy Tournament. How did it turn out like this?"
"Because her Lightness Skill is good, she's completely running on internal energy. Her internal energy must be beyond what a normal student possesses, right? So why didn't the Alliance Military University recruit her?"
"The only difference between her and a birdman is that she doesn't have wings. Where she's superior to a birdman is that she doesn't have wings, but she can still fly."
"I've never seen players on a map get beaten so badly. Next time before the exam, you absolutely must pray not to be assigned with them."
"Lu Que got a raw deal. He wasn't that enthusiastic about ordinary students before."
"Look, doesn't their smiling look like they're coveting your points?"
"The crusher of conspiracies, the destroyer of exam rules - the Soul Reapers, Black and White Impermanence."
Amidst the audience's various disgruntled complaints, this human perpetual motion machine finally stopped.
The moment she sat down, everyone collectively let out a sigh of satisfaction.
The match had a time limit of 24 hours, and it was actually just past the halfway point, but there were no other examinees left in the arena.
Kai Yun sat by the roadside and rested for a while, meeting Lu Que who arrived shortly after.
A gentle breeze blew past, and she could still smell a faint, nauseating scent of blood.
Kai Yun stated, "I'm really not going to have a final showdown with you at the Forbidden Peak."
Lu Que responded flatly, "Oh."
Kai Yun paused for a moment, then asked, "Well, I'm going to eat. Are you eating?"
Lu Que hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Kai Yun immediately said, "Lei Kaiding is still in the training building. I'll go back for the tofu, can you carry him out?"
Lu Que frowned, "Lei Kaiding?"
Kai Yun said, "He should be the only person alive in the building. You can identify him by his garrulousness."
Lu Que accepted the task and left.
Lei Kaiding managed to rummage through everyone's backpacks in the room, finding them filled with tools and equipment recommended by the school, or various small hidden weapons.
It was at this moment that he finally understood what it meant for an interesting soul to be one in a million. How great would it be if there was a second Kai Yun who died in front of him?
He sat cross-legged and fiddled with his communicator.
"Hello? Hello?"
Kai Yun didn't reply.
He waited for a while, then sent another message, "Lu Que's here, Lu Que's here! Kai Yun, are you still alive?"
This time, Kai Yun gave a simple response: "Oh."
Still alive!
Lei Kaiding continued, "How many people are left outside the arena? Leave the rest to Lu Que. Maybe we'll run into each other in the next exam, it's really not good to offend him. You don't know, people who offend Lu Que will be chased by him to the ends of the earth. He's such a ruthless man, he absolutely must kill them..."
He turned his head and saw a pair of black boots suddenly appear in his line of sight. The boots were stained with blood, and the Alliance University emblem was attached to the side.
Lei Kaiding slowly moved his gaze upwards, unexpectedly meeting those cold eyes. He immediately screamed as if he had seen a ghost, "Holy crap!"
Lei Kaiding had shouted "Holy crap" countless times today. His body, which had been judged as severely injured by the system, stubbornly bounced back with vitality like a dead fish.
"Don't come over!" he cried in panic, "Bullying the injured and disabled doesn't conform to martial ethics, let alone the demeanor of a master! I would absolutely never do such a thing! Stop right there!"
Lu Que lowered his eyelids, looking at him with a gloomy expression.
Lei Kaiding yelled into the communicator, "Kai Yun! Lu Que is going to take me hostage to threaten you! My life isn't important, you must kill him first!"
Lu Que's ears hurt from his startled shouts. He grabbed his collar with one hand and dragged him towards the door.
Lei Kaiding struggled desperately, while also feeling his health bar rapidly decreasing.
Just then, Kai Yun's leisurely voice came from the communicator: "I told him to bring you to eat."
Lei Kaiding's movements froze for a moment, unable to process the sentence smoothly.
He could ignore the logical and causal relationships...
"Why are we eating with Lu Que?" he asked in confusion, "He's not in our faction."
Lu Que stopped.
Lei Kaiding was about to speak again when he felt the hands behind him slowly slide towards his neck. Cold fingertips pressed against his pulse, as if a little force could make blood splatter three feet on the spot.
Lei Kaiding: "..."
"I mean, thank you for your trouble then." Lei Kaiding was adaptable; after preparing himself mentally, he was a lively hero again: "Eating is always more lively with more people!"
Lu Que continued dragging him outside.
Kai Yun chose a well-ventilated and bright spot, quickly building a stove with small stones and starting a fire.
As Lu Que carried him along, Lei Kaiding could already smell the aroma of rice in the air. The fragrant scent lifted the stifled frustration in his chest, making each breath feel easier.
In that instant, he deeply experienced the power of food.
The three of them sat around the small pot. Lei Kaiding and Lu Que both quieted down, staring at the pot in the middle.
The rice was already cooked, only needing to be heated. Perhaps the programmers had watched her previous cooking process and found it too troublesome, so they made improvements.
Feeling the temperature was about right, Kai Yun scooped out the rice, loosened it, and divided it into three bowls.
She poured clear water into the empty pot, boiled it, blanched the tofu, and set it aside.
Kai Yun poured oil back into the pot.
While waiting for the pot to heat up, she caught a glimpse of Lei Kaiding staring into the distance with a profound expression, which startled her. His eyes held contemplation and sharpness, his lips pressed down, making his features appear more defined. It seemed he was preparing to adopt a cool and aloof persona.
Kai Yun shook her head and added the pre-made seasoning from Sanyao into the oil.
The aroma of chili and Sichuan peppercorns was instantly stimulated in the hot oil, accompanied by a pungent, choking sensation, producing a puff of white smoke.
Then she added the broth, tofu, and minced beef. She waited for it to simmer and absorb the flavor.
The bubbling sound in the pot, the crackling of burning firewood, combined with the unique, dominant aroma of Mapo Tofu, filled the entire air with warmth.
Lei Kaiding swallowed, then suddenly asked, "Won't this attract other examinees?"
Kai Yun: "Where are there any other examinees?"
Lei Kaiding was confused, "Then where are the other examinees?"
Kai Yun said uncertainly, "...They should be eating now too, right?"
Lei Kaiding: "Huh?"
Lei Kaiding didn't dare ask more, afraid of appearing stupid. He pondered in silence, finally aligning with his persona.
Finally, Kai Yun lifted the lid of the pot.
The heat, accompanied by rising white steam, magnified the aroma tenfold.
Bright red oil, soft tofu, and finely minced beef bobbed slightly in the pot with the bubbles.
Finally, she added starch, sprinkled Sichuan peppercorn powder, and turned off the heat.
Lei Kaiding felt his life had been elevated. What feeling could be better than sitting on the land he had conquered, looking at his achievements, receiving the attention of countless people, and enjoying a unique reward?
Kai Yun really knew how to do things!
Lei Kaiding gave Kai Yun a look of mutual understanding, then held out his bowl with both hands.
Kai Yun used a large spoon to ladle the Mapo Tofu onto his rice. The spicy oil immediately soaked into the rice and flowed down the rim of the bowl.
A chorus of wails erupted in the comment section, all from netizens who couldn't bear it anymore.
"Why am I so damn addicted to this segment!"
"Lei Lei, eat slowly, look at your snot running, slurping like that makes you look especially like a pig. You're not as cute as Pigsy, can you occasionally pay attention to your image?"
"The Mapo Tofu in our cafeteria... let's not talk about it!"
"I used to watch the Alliance Military Academy Tournament to lose weight, now I can't control myself anymore."
"Please, this food blogger, focus on making food, stop running around just to fill time!"
"Guess how many insane examinees will bring food to the next exam?"
Lu Que wasn't very interested, especially in spicy things. For him, the only purpose of food was to fill his stomach. He asked wearily, "Do you really like eating?"
Kai Yun held her chopsticks, slightly stunned, then said, "Eat well, be a good person, and you can grow up well. Master said, you must cleanly swallow everything that can make you stronger, and tomorrow will come."
She vigorously shoveled two mouthfuls into her mouth.
The scalding spiciness entered her throat, making her cough violently twice.
Growth was this choking, tear-inducing taste, numbing the tip of the tongue, yet making one crave more.
There were too many things that could only be done after growing up.
Kai Yun put down her bowl, rummaged through her backpack for a while, and pulled out a piece of white cloth. She ran to the highest point, unfolded the white cloth, and hung it in a windy spot.
On the unfurled cloth, a line of large black characters was revealed:
"Recruiting Citizens - Rebuild Rebuilt Barren Star!!"
The clear writing stated an absurd goal.
"Lao Qin, you're still interested in watching the university tournament? Isn't it just kids fighting? When did you have so much free time?"
A woman in a long red dress walked through the crowd and placed her hand on the man's shoulder.
The man was nearly two meters tall, with well-developed muscles. If not for a few strands of gray hair at his temples, his age would be almost completely indiscernible.
Around them were noisy conversations, the smell of strong liquor permeated every corner, dark lights shone down from above, and the bartender pushed a light-colored drink in front of him.
His gaze was fixed on the screen for a long time, not even noticing that the cigarette he held between his fingers had burned down to the end.
Eat well, be a good person... become the strongest person everyone remembers.
That voice overlapped with a certain annoying face from his memories, as if the hand on his shoulder was still warm.
That shameless fellow!
"Lao Qin... are you crying?" the woman asked in surprise, "Qin Linshan, don't scare me!"
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