Chapter 104: Struggle

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While Xu Zhi was out shopping at the county supermarket, a mere two hours had passed for him, but approximately eight years had elapsed within the game.

Eight years was just the beginning for Xu Zhi.

Most of the less capable participants had been eliminated, leaving only about twenty players in the entire sandbox. Seven of these were serial killers.

During this period, the serial killers from the thirteen-person round table conference were fully exposed.

Their red-named IDs were "Bell, Apex Predator," "One-Sword Tortoise Breath," and "Nameless Dragon."

These seven red-named IDs were publicly denounced and furiously condemned.

"It turns out there were seven hidden killers!"

"It's terrible! Of the remaining six muscle players, only two survived their rampage: the bigshots 'Xue Bai Xue' and 'Autumn Mountain Speed,' barely clinging to life."

Countless people discussed this intently.

"While these two muscle player bigshots were impressive in escaping the pursuit, the remaining ordinary organ players also caused quite a stir."

"What's even more outrageous is that before they were caught, they were copying books, music, and brewing alcohol, leading to the flourishing of a vibrant bar culture in the wizarding world. Inside these bars, people enjoyed music, drank ale, and listened to bards narrate 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'! (Terrifying)"

"The importance of copyright! They were infringing on other authors' copyrights, copying music and books everywhere, only to be arrested by the red-named players! (Hilarious)"

"Even copycats get their comeuppance! (Gritting teeth)"

Many were quite excited.

Even though they couldn't defeat the killers, spending a year or two inside felt like a vacation, and they were quite satisfied. They had enriched the wizarding world's otherwise barren spiritual civilization and entertained the common people of that other world, which was incredibly rewarding.

"After two hours, the eliminations are mostly complete, with just over twenty people remaining," Xu Zhi said as he carried the rice bag into the kitchen and set it down. "Eight years... these people are truly good at hide-and-seek; there are more of them left than I expected."

Chen Xi had already left the game earlier.

Just as Xu Zhi had predicted, she was found after more than three months inside.

At the time, she was storytelling in a wizard's bar, narrating Chapter 27 of Journey to the West, "The Corpse Demon Trice Plays Tricks on Tripitaka, the Saint Monk Abhorringly Banishes the Handsome Monkey King." It was the thrilling segment featuring the Three White Bone Spirits, and countless merchants and witches cheered and offered rewards.

However, a terrifying giant beast attacked the bar, forcing her out of the game. She had just called Xu Zhi to complain, and he had comforted her, suggesting she simply view it as a three-month trip to another world.

Now, eight years later, all seven muscle players had generally become Level 3 wizards, and three of them had even reached Level 4.

Xu Zhi frowned slightly. "That's terrifying. Li Shengjiang only reached Level 4 in his twentieth year."

The intelligent sub-brain whispered, "They have optimal strategies provided by their own research institute. As muscle players, they control various collected body parts and have researched a multitude of special abilities."

"Oh?" Xu Zhi paused, then grew interested. He leisurely sat in a chair and silently brought up the display.

In a forest.

Rumble! The ground was shaking.

A colossal, seventy-meter-tall warped, stitched monstrosity was trampling lush green trees.

Its body was composed of countless fragments of decaying giant beast limbs, stitched together like a grotesque abomination from Western legends, exuding a putrid stench. It held a meat hook in one hand and a scythe in the other, displaying a monstrous, bloody grin.

"Damn it, I've been spotted by a red-named player! It's that terrifying Bell!"

Ahead, a beast resembling countless hanging bones, armored in appearance, fled frantically, its voice filled with dread. "Bell the Butcher, known as the apex predator of this other world! He devours all giant beasts and assimilates them into his body."

Bell had already become one of the most infamous Cthulhu evil gods, referred to by the witches as Nyarlathotep, the "Crawling Chaos."

"Trying to escape?"

Bell sneered, his massive, putrid, and clumsy stitched body suddenly swinging the meat hook.

Whoosh. A bone hook, smeared with terrifying blood, was flung dozens of meters away, connected by a straight chain of crimson muscle.

The bone-clad giant beast was quickly hooked back. It struggled furiously, attempting to escape.

"Rot." He laughed.

Instantly, countless decaying masses on his body emitted a vast expanse of acidic mist, forming a terrifying mental force that corroded the bone beast's body, quickly rendering it immobile.

"Dismember." He lowered his head and swung the scythe in his other hand, swiftly dismembering the bone giant, turning it into pieces of flesh. He took a huge bite, chewing with a crunching sound. "Mmm, tastes good. Eight times the protein of beef."

Crack. Suddenly, the sky flashed with electricity. Thunder roared, and the abomination's entire body was instantly dismembered and charred black by the shock.

A legendary wizard descended from the sky, looking at the abomination's corpse. "Damn it! Is he alive or dead?"

Somewhere underground, a piece of muscle, red like an earthworm, revealed a cold sneer. "Good thing I was controlling my kin from a distance. Anyway, I got what I needed and killed another one. Time to go. I'll come back for revenge later... The day the three witch kingdoms rule won't be far off."

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

"Why won't they let me pursue an individual sword-wielding style? I'm clearly a traditional swordsman," Yamada grumbled. He was also a small giant beast, carrying a large animal hide bundle on his back. "Those damn research institute members are studying some portable grand graveyard path; it's completely uninspired."

At this moment, a ripple suddenly appeared in the distance.

"Damn it, surrounded again," he cursed, then suddenly dropped the animal hide bundle from his back, revealing a pile of large, crimson flesh chunks.

"Tombstone."

Then, the flesh began to writhe, gradually accumulating to form a three-meter-tall black tombstone.

The flesh tombstone resembled a gigantic hive. As the flesh writhed, lumps dropped to the ground, transforming into dog-sized ghoul-like creatures that emerged.

"Go plunder! Provide the Grand Tombstone with nutrients for mass production! Produce more of your kind."

"Reproduction is art."

Whoosh! In no time, the entire forest was covered by a gloomy sky. Countless dog-like creatures swept through, transforming the whole land into a desolate wasteland, like the depths of hell, as plants and giant beasts perished en masse.

Dragged back to the graveyard, grotesque decaying zombies emerged one by one from the Grand Tombstone in less than half a day. They spread across the entire mountain range, rushing towards the witches entering the forest.

The witches from various academies and sects grimaced. "Though not the strongest in combat, this is one of the most disgusting Cthulhu evil gods, known as Shub-Niggurath, the 'Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young'."

They silently gazed up at the towering black Grand Tombstone, built from countless corpses, which resembled a dark and majestic mountain from hell.

"These monsters are all formed from the scattered organs of Cthulhu evil gods. This creature can reproduce so prolifically, giving birth to thousands of offspring... Could it be a terrifying demonic creature evolved from *that* place?" Their throats went dry as an unnamed dread flashed through them.