Xu Huo glanced at the deformed metal framework ahead, then met the wary, alert eyes of the players, and came to an obedient halt with a gesture of "please."
There were a total of four players chasing the battle doll, and two had already reached the framework. For safety’s sake, both were wearing protective suits and had activated defense props. However, just as they touched the framework, the heart device of the doll let out a sharp and urgent warning sound, followed by an explosion!
The small device released an unbelievably powerful blast, directly penetrating the players’ layered defenses. Accompanied by the explosion was a splattering of a tiny amount of black liquid that landed on them. The intense poison spread swiftly, causing them to scream in agony. Even though they hurriedly consumed antitoxin, they couldn’t slow the poison’s spread. Within a few breaths, both had turned black and collapsed on the ground.
Their lives were gone, leaving the remaining two players standing at a distance. Their defensive clothing had timely blocked the poisonous splatter without causing any adverse effects, yet they were quite terrified. After thorough inspection, they were finally relieved and then looked back at their companions, whose bodies had become unrecognizable due to the poison’s corrosion.
"These toxins will spread," stated Gao Ming while surveying the surroundings. "They should be burned, but they need to be covered while burning to avoid polluting the forest."
Within the game, there are simple tools for such situations, but handling more complex chemical substances often requires more manpower and better equipment. As for the poison in the doll’s heart position, it’s likely to be sourced locally, a certain type of mutated bacteria toxin that can be dealt with by fire.
Seeing Gao Ming preparing to cover both the framework and the contaminated ground for burning, two local players approached to stop him, "We need to take the metal framework."
Xu Huo stared at them and made another gesture of "please."
His agreeable demeanor made the two falter, with one hesitating before asking fiercely, "Did you know beforehand there was an issue with the doll?"
"How would I know?" Xu Huo sneered, "I just think you have issues with your brains. The battle doll is equipped with so many devices; what’s strange about hiding some other traps? Who would be as brave as you guys?"
In fact, those two who died were also cautious, having layered their protection, but they forgot the previous explosions. The game’s energy bombs can be made very small, let alone the device at the heart position, which wasn’t small and could obviously accommodate more energy.
"Stop wasting time with him, take him back, maybe he knows the situation about these battle dolls!" the other said to his companion.
"You better think it through; if I go with you, this won’t end well," Xu Huo said calmly, "After all, I’ve just arrived near the canyon, and this battle doll charged straight at me. If I’m not mistaken, you were the ones fighting it. Are you not putting on an act to use these dolls to slaughter Outer Zone players?"
He looked at the two, waiting for an answer.
The two players were momentarily undecided, not that they didn’t want to, but considering whether they could succeed.
"Let’s burn the ground first," suggested Gao Ming, "because if the wind blows, these toxins could spread far."
Xu Huo ignored the two, covered the ground with a spatial barrier, then tossed in a burning agent, and the flames quickly engulfed the metal framework and two corpses.
The multiple layers of space defense barriers were released one layer at a time, ensuring the burning agent had adequate conditions to burn thoroughly.
The two players did not leave, waiting to recover their companions’ remains and the metal framework.
"Are there many dolls like this?" Xu Huo asked the two, "Given Zone 039’s situation, such sophisticated battle dolls shouldn’t appear."
The two didn’t refute this statement, merely saying, "Yongta Country had two."
During the wait, several more local players arrived. Though their expressions weren’t good, they didn’t cause trouble for Xu Huo, who was a passerby.
Once the burning was almost done, Xu Huo closed the spatial barrier and went forward to inspect the metal framework, which had changed color.
The framework bore no special markers or serial numbers indicating mass production.
"We need to take all this," one of the later players walked out to negotiate with him.
Xu Huo didn’t stop them, since there were no markers. Just from the metal materials and craftsmanship, it’s tough to determine the origin of the battle doll.
"These dolls seem to have a marking function," reminded the player upon leaving, "they occasionally pursue a single player relentlessly."
"Thanks," Xu Huo nodded.
After watching the group leave, he turned back to speak with Gao Ming, "Doctor Gao, you’re from Yu Country, could you tell me about Yu Country’s situation?"
Doctor Gao was a warm-hearted person and certainly wouldn’t refuse. Xu Huo then suggested helping him pick mutant plants, and thus the trio set out towards a seldom-visited area by Gao Ming, during which he thoroughly explained Yu Country’s situation.
Yu Country and Zone 039 have been in turmoil since entering the game. Initially, powerful players occupied the country, exploiting ordinary people to the max, causing population outflow. Naturally, local-born players stood up in resistance, resulting in frequent small-scale wars.
In such an environment, ordinary people would choose to live in the wild rather than cities, prompting many to flee, and resulting in numerous deaths.
About twenty years ago, a batch of players in Yu Country successfully killed most of the previous Chief Governor’s strongmen, taking over the country. That was also the most chaotic period for Yu Country, and during that time, Gao Ming had moved around many places.
The emergence of the new regime didn’t stabilize the country because Yu Country is grounded in faith. Every ruler must successfully inherit the country’s treasure to be legitimate—for the fracturing country, faith meant little, but when people want power, legitimacy serves as an excellent excuse.
The former Chief Governor vanished with the country’s treasure, and the new one was strong but not strong enough, leading many others to vie for the position, plunging the country into a new round of struggle.
It was then Gao Ming truly despaired for the country, overestimating human nature and underestimating power.
His attempt to leave Yu Country with his wife coincided with a large-scale player war. Luckily uninjured himself, his wife was severely hurt and although saved eventually, never fully recovered. After leaving Yu Country, the couple became wanderers, meeting people along the way, both ordinary folks and players.
Most of those able to wander the wilderness were ordinary people. Yu Country people naturally banded together, aspiring to find new habitats, but as soon as they crossed the border, war erupted between Yu Country and Moon Corner Duchy, where almost everyone traveling with them died, leaving scattered survivors held hostage at the frontline, including Gao Ming.
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