Evolution - Chapter 7
Chapter 7
A crooked line of what, upon closer inspection, appeared to be a dozen or so stone houses of various sizes stood before them. Everyone seems to value their privacy, Ji Changqing thought, rather inappropriately.
The task of scouting naturally fell to Pencil. After nearly a month with just the two of them, they would have become friends unless one of them was a truly detestable person. Humans, after all, have a desire to communicate. Even the most tight-lipped brother, when his only outlet for conversation is Ji Changqing, Ji Changqing, and more Ji Changqing, will eventually open up. And so, Ji Changqing learned that Pencil was better at ranged combat than close quarters, and that he was also skilled in reconnaissance.
The two had even teamed up to become DIY masters, crafting ranged weapons like bows and arrows.
As for why she had chosen a military dagger when selecting her weapon? Please. In a forest, the effectiveness of ranged weapons was severely limited. Besides, you could make them yourself from materials on hand. They might not be perfect, but they were good enough.
About half an hour later, Pencil gave her a hand signal from a distance, indicating that it was temporarily safe. Ji Changqing put away her longbow and walked over. They chose a house near the center, large enough for three or four tents. It had only two advantages: one was its moderate size, and the other was a small, recessed hollow in the natural stone wall it backed up against, about six or seven meters up. Pencil had climbed up to check it out and found it perfect for a lookout post. It was relatively spacious for one person, a bit of a squeeze for two, but completely inaccessible from above or below.
So, it seemed the layout of these houses, big and small, was not without reason. A rotating watch would only require three to four people.
Having received a crash course on all things military, Ji Changqing, now practically half an expert herself, nodded appreciatively to show she had learned her lesson. Pencil was a soldier who took immense pride in his profession, a fact made clear by his lack of denial when his identity was first revealed. Ji Changqing was happy to learn new things, so the two had developed a certain rapport along the way.
Although it was only a little past three in the afternoon, they had planned to rest here for two or three days anyway and see if they could find anyone to team up with. To successfully lie in wait for people, staying for seven or eight days wasn't a major issue. They might even run into someone they knew.
The probability of Ji Changqing running into an acquaintance was low enough to be negligible. There were only a few people she had arranged to play the game with, and even if their progress was similar, the chance of meeting here after waiting seven days was still just a sliver of hope. Pencil was a different story. Not to mention the "Pencil family" from his company, fellow soldiers were reliable, high-quality teammates.
After setting up their tents, Ji Changqing leisurely began to prepare food. Having stopped early for a change, she had plenty of time to whip up a feast to reward them. Pencil moved around the perimeter, unhurried, inspecting this and that, occasionally touching or knocking on something, sometimes even digging a small hole. He was busy for nearly two hours before returning to their chosen stone house.
The aroma of food drifted from the house as the setting sun cast a golden glow over everything. The distant roars of beasts echoed, and despite knowing that this seemingly safe place was fraught with danger, there was an inexplicable sense of "tomorrow is the weekend" cheerfulness.
Filled with this strange anticipation, the two huddled together over their meal, quietly discussing their plans. He had signaled that it was temporarily safe, so they would proceed with Plan 4, just as they had arranged.
"There are some recent tracks in those two houses over there. Looks like they're no more than three days old," Pencil said in a low voice. The insides had clearly been cleaned, but not thoroughly enough to hide all traces.
"Okay. You rest first after we eat. I'll take over at two in the morning," Ji Changqing said, a little tense. She turned her head. "I'll set up the rest of the arrangements in a bit. Worst case, we all go down together."
Pencil smiled slightly. "It won't come to that. It's more likely they're just robbing people. There was no blood." This was a game, after all. Getting killed in the game, aside from accidentally dropping some items, just meant the player lost experience and was banned from logging in for seven days to prevent deep psychological trauma. But the killer would also face certain penalties, which made robbery a more cost-effective option. "I think they're just after items, trying to get ahead."
Hearing this, Ji Changqing frowned. "Trying to get ahead?" She took a bite of roasted meat, then several gulps of soup, organizing her thoughts as she spoke. "If that's all it is, then it's not so bad. But trying to get ahead could also mean one group is intercepting others while another group pushes forward."
As she spoke, her thoughts became clearer. "Besides, you don't have to kill someone with your own hands. This is a forest, after all."
Pencil's expression grew darker as she spoke; he had thought of it too. In principle, while the news of an alien civilization had never been officially announced, it wasn't hard for discerning people to guess. And if they couldn't get confirmation? It didn't matter. Making extra preparations and striving to be first in everything was never a mistake. Since the holographic game was the first step in contacting an alien civilization, it made sense to seize the advantage within the game.
Besides, was killing and robbing in a game really considered murder? It wasn't against the law! And they could repeatedly kill the players who were ahead, dragging down everyone's progress. Stalling for about a month in real-time would be more than enough.
He gripped his chopsticks tightly. "Alright, we'll prepare for that." He thought for a moment, then turned to her. "You know, for a girl, you've got a real 'an eye for an eye, never take a loss' kind of personality."
Ji Changqing scoffed. "Simone de Beauvoir once said, 'One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.' All that toxic 'chicken soup' about how girls should be is just in service of the patriarchy, designed to make women easier for men to control."
Pencil was taken aback. Who was Simone de Beauvoir? But he understood what she meant. "So you're a feminist? Things aren't so bad now, are they? Life is hard for everyone."
"Oh? Do you think when elders tell boys they must work hard and provide for their families, it's based on responsibility? Maybe a small part of it is. But the root cause is that the economic base determines the superstructure. When you control the finances, you control the power and authority over the rest of the family."
She poked the fire and looked at Pencil's bewildered expression, suddenly losing interest. "This isn't about feminism; at best, you could call it a push for equal rights. But most men and most women think there's nothing wrong with the way things are. It's not because they're stupid, but because of ignorance and selfishness."
"There's no such thing as true empathy in this world. Just think about how you feel when you face unreasonable arrangements, when you're wronged, when your merits go unrewarded, when you're constantly taking the blame for the children of the powerful, when you're completely suppressed by authority. What does that feel like? That's the daily experience for most women in a family."
Pencil wiped his face, looking flustered. Fine, although he was proud to be a soldier, he had experienced those things. The feeling of suffocation was indescribable. But was the daily life of a woman in a family really that terrible?
Ji Changqing couldn't be bothered to say more. The agony of playing for a cow! Anyway, she wasn't interested in men. She just needed to focus on being good to herself.
After they finished their meal in silence, Pencil went into his tent to wash up and treat his wounds. Ji Changqing wandered out, casually pouring the water they had just used here and there, a ladleful at a time. After emptying the container, she went back, took out a medicinal powder, and carefully sprinkled a circle around the stone house—a rather large circle.
Only after all this was done did she enter her own tent, wash herself, apply medicine to her wounds, and change out of her filthy clothes. Then, whistling, she slung her bow and arrows over her shoulder and climbed up the rock wall.
Although she had never played games before, she knew that the evil in human nature was often more vividly displayed in them. Weren't there always stories of people gathering a posse to kill someone over a single disagreement, killing them over and over until their level was reset? In reality, you couldn't just do whatever you wanted, but in a game, there were far fewer constraints. As long as you had money and people, you could throw your weight around. That "I'm the king of the world" feeling was highly addictive.
Though she usually appeared calm and detached, she was not the type to swallow insults. Bring it on. Let's fight head-on. Let's go down together!
No fear, just do it. The thought was a little thrilling.
She sat there quietly, watching as night fell and the moon climbed to its zenith. She figured they wouldn't come so early; they would at least wait for a more opportune moment to act. In truth, even if she wasn't up here on watch, the preparations outside were enough to give them a hard time. She might as well use the time to practice her Physique techniques. Practice makes perfect, after all. A day of practice is a day of progress; a day without is a hundred days wasted.
Her Physique was now almost at 60% of the way to level two. In terms of pure combat ability, she was on par with Pencil, but in a life-or-death fight, she might still fall short. So, diligent practice was never a bad thing.
Sure enough, after she finished her practice and climbed back up, it was still quiet. She felt a little envious of her soundly sleeping teammate. Alas, it was her turn for the first watch tonight. It had been a long time since either of them had slept more than five hours a day. She had allotted Pencil seven hours this time, figuring that a night attack was most likely in the early morning. That way, she could finish the fight and then sleep like the dead.
Waking up for a fight after only a short nap was just too draining.
They had avoided all the places where traps might have been laid today. Assuming the enemy didn't know their traps had all failed, she was quite curious what kind of attack they would use, and why they were so confident.
Well, it was a shame there were only two of them. A small, weak force looked like an easy target. If they had enough people for two tables of Fight the Landlord, she probably could have gotten a good night's sleep too.
She sat leaning against the rock wall, her head bowed. The warning perimeter they'd set up wasn't very large; she only needed to see about fifty meters in front of the stone house. From a distance, it looked as if she had succumbed to drowsiness and fallen asleep. The occasional twitch could be explained away as just adjusting an uncomfortable sleeping position.
Finally, just as Ji Changqing felt her body stiffening from holding the same position, the enemy approached rapidly. The moment the last person stepped inside the circle they had laid out, Ji Changqing tossed a small stone at Pencil's tent, simultaneously leaping to her feet and letting out a few sharp whistles.
Startled by their quick reaction, the attackers cried out inwardly. Crap! They hadn't fallen for the bait, but they themselves had walked right into a trap. In the two or three seconds they were stunned, Ji Changqing and Pencil showed no mercy. They drew their bows and fired, one shooting at the people, the other at objects, activating the small traps they had set earlier.
The enemy also had an archer, whose bow was likely a system-issued item. Both its range and power surpassed theirs, but his personal skill was lacking.
Three arrows flew toward Ji Changqing. She was in a high, confined space with no room to maneuver. But she had no intention of dodging. With a swoosh, she pulled a tiger carcass out of her storage space and shielded herself completely. With stone walls on three sides and the only exit blocked, what could they do to her?
Pencil's first shot was aimed at the enemy archer. The man dodged nimbly, avoiding the first three arrows, but as he dodged the fourth, he was hit by the fifth.
"Well now, since you're here, don't be in a hurry to leave," Ji Changqing's spirits soared. She waved at them cheekily from her perch. "Hmm, eleven of you. Thanks for thinking so highly of us."
The enemy leader gritted his teeth and was about to charge forward. It was only thirty or forty meters, a matter of four or five seconds. Pencil fired a few more arrows, hitting two more people, this time aiming for those at the very front. Ji Changqing, from her high vantage point, also fired a few arrows and hit one person.
As the enemy dodged and weaved, they found they could no longer advance.
"Stop right there!" Ji Changqing shouted sharply. "One more step, and we can at least achieve mutual destruction!"
The enemy leader did indeed stop. They now had four wounded. Seven against two seemed like a huge advantage, but with the enemy controlling them with ranged attacks, a full-on assault would likely result in four against two. If their opponents fought desperately, achieving mutual destruction was a very real possibility.
Their job was to intercept others and slow their progress. But there were benefits for them, too. After robbing just one or two more groups, their squad would have enough points to safely catch up. Getting injured was fine, but it was best not to die. So their mission directive had always been clear: don't bite off more than you can chew, and stick to the policy of ganging up. If they could do four-on-one, they wouldn't do three-on-one. They never touched squads with more than four people. And when they did attack teams of four or fewer, they tried to use drugs whenever possible.
A head-on fight? Not a chance. It wasn't worth risking their own interests just to clear out opponents for someone else.
Who knew these two would be so troublesome today? They had turned the tables and set a trap for them.
So, was it worth going all out? That was the question.
"Whether you want to kill us or rob us, or rob us then kill us, it's not happening today," Ji Changqing said slowly. "We were just planning to rest here for a few days and see if we could team up with another group. All we wanted was to find enough people for a game of Fight the Landlord, but you just had to come and mess things up. That makes us very unhappy!"
The enemy group collectively rolled their eyes. It was infuriating, but circumstances were against them. If they had the upper hand, they would have already charged up and beaten this person senseless. Who cares if you're happy or not?!
"What do you want?" The enemy leader was remarkably flexible. In that short time, he had already adjusted his mindset, his voice betraying no anger.
"Is this about what we want?" Ji Changqing retorted righteously. "You forced our hand!"
The enemy's cold snort, accompanied by the groans of the wounded, sounded exceptionally pleasant.
"How about this: show some sincerity, buy some antidotes for your wounded, and compensate us for the scare. Then you can leave."
"And if we want to leave now, can you stop us?" the leader sneered. They couldn't attack, but surely they could retreat?
"Trying to stall for time? Thinking that since killing is punished by the system, you can just wait for the wounded to die, weakening our combat strength, and then you'll have another chance? You're overthinking it. Think about the methods you've used before. If you can use them, why wouldn't you think others could too?"
You can use drugs to knock people out, and I can use them to attract wolves. Who's afraid of whom?
A jolt of fear went through the enemy group.
"You know there are wolf packs nearby, right? From the moment you stepped into that circle, you lost any ability to bargain with us!" Ji Changqing said coolly, glancing down at the time. "Oh, and I have a bad temper. If someone prevents me from achieving my small goal of gathering enough people for a game of Fight the Landlord, then I'll just have to achieve mutual destruction instead."
Is she a lunatic?
The men, who had never been so brazenly threatened, were so angry their eyes turned red.
What teammates do you need? You could stir up an entire ocean all by yourself.
"Hurry up and hand over the goods!" Ji Changqing said impatiently. "That way, you'll still have time to run before the wolves get here! And don't even think about trying to snatch medicine from me. I have a whole mess of different drugs on me. If you try them one by one, you might just accidentally summon a hundred-beast siege."
Do you dare?! Are you scared?!
When paths cross, the brave one wins. Or, as they say, the barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes. The one with more to lose is always less willing to risk it all.
For Ji Changqing and Pencil, the worst-case scenario was just dying once in the game. Mutual destruction didn't feel like such a loss. For the other squad, letting each other go was far better than perishing together.
As for the possibility that Ji Changqing was bluffing, should they risk it?
No, no, better not. If they parted ways now, they would only suffer a confirmed, minor loss of items. They could just write it off as one job gone wrong. But if they gambled on that possibility, the uncertain risk was far too high.
How could these well-off, refined egoists possibly go head-to-head with the barefoot proletariat? It was better for everyone to just say goodbye.
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