Absolute Choice

Chapter 299: Protect Shi Xiaobai

“The thirty-third round shall begin immediately. Death Epaulette wearer has been randomly chosen. The wearer’s name is Shi Xiaobai!”

The moment the solemn voice that resounded faded, two images appeared in the minds of every rookie still in the fifth level. One of them was a compressed map of the entire mountain, with two blips of different colors.

As for the other image, it was that of a black-haired youth standing with the sword supporting his body. His eyes were closed and his delicate face looked overwhelmed with exhaustion. The back of his clothes was tattered, with blood flowing everywhere. The scene seemed to contain an indescribable sadness.

The scene slowly turned into one that overlooked the area. On the black grounds riddled in craters, the rookies stared at the youth, with looks of shock.

The youth was standing there quietly and looked extremely weak. Yet, it stirred the hearts of people. They wanted to know why he was in such a state at present, and wanted to know the story that had happened prior to this. They wanted to let him lie down and rest without worries.

This person was Shi Xiaobai?

This was the person with the most mysterious identity and astounding achievements in the trials, Shi Xiaobai?

Everyone’s eyes were focused on Shi Xiaobai, who had his eyes tightly shut and breathing extremely weakly. Their expressions were as though they had seen a ghost.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze for a second at that instant before it erupted into chaos!

“Heavens, Tu Dahei is Shi Xiaobai?”

“Holy shit, I was only impressed by two people in this trial. One was Tu Dahei and the other was Shi Xiaobai. Now, they are both the same person?”

“At the first level, I had just killed the first Nightmare Terror, and news of Shi Xiaobai clearing the level in less than twenty seconds was heard. I was so shocked that I nearly kneeled down. At the second level, Tu Dahei launched the counteroffensive on the Demon City, leading more than four hundred rookies towards victory. Back then, I was crying out loudly with tears streaming down my face ‘City Destroyer Hero’. At the third level, the Level Lord descended and my team was short of 200 points. I thought we were doomed when the news of Shi Xiaobai having conquered the Level Lord was heard. At that moment, I nearly called Shi Xiaobai my daddy while crying. And just a while ago, I was touched and shocked by Tu Dahei. I was even thinking who was better, Tu Dahei or Shi Xiaobai, and it now turns out that Tu Dahei is Shi Xiaobai. I’m convinced, I’m truly convinced!”

“Eh, I finally understand why I can’t help but associate the name Tu Dahei and Shi Xiaobai. It’s because the fucking name, Tu Dahei is the opposite of Shi Xiaobai!”

“Fuck, this is a god-like figure. From the first to fifth level, other than the fourth level, he created an astounding matter at every level. Shi Xiaobai, please accept my kneel!”

“Haha, I suddenly want to know who was the unlucky person who encountered Tu Dahei on the fourth level’s duel elimination.”

“Hey, so should we call him Tu Dahei or Shi Xiaobai in the future?”

“I suddenly have a sense of anticipation as to which level Shi Xiaobai can go to and what sort of things will he do in the trials later on.”

“In the trials later on? Sorry, although the names Tu Dahei and Shi Xiaobai are truly astonishing, it is because of that that there are numerous people who want to eliminate him. Look at his present condition…do you think he can survive this level?”

“Pardon me for butting in. Sunless is a goddess, so I could not bear to hurt her, but for Sunless…don’t forget about the existence of the Level Lord. How many ten minute rounds do we have to waste? So even if it’s taking advantage of his perilous situation, I have to be selfish this once!”

“I don’t know anything about launching a counteroffensive on the Demon City. When Shi Xiaobai conquered the Level Lord, I was already on the fourth level. I don’t owe him a thing. If all of you aren’t doing a thing… I’ll be going on up?”

“…”

The rookies’ emotional discussion suddenly fell silent. The news of Tu Dahei being Shi Xiaobai had indeed given them a big shock, to the point of a baffling sense of being touched, but it could not change a cruel fact. This round’s fugitive was Shi Xiaobai!

If they carried on being a member of the popcorn-eating crowd, another ten minutes would be wasted. The Level Lord’s threat would approach, so how many Life and Death Assaults were there left?

If they attacked the extremely weak Shi Xiaobai, it would not only be a shameless act, it would also very likely enrage the masses.

Therefore, although there were already rookies clamoring verbally to attack Shi Xiaobai, no one truly took action. Everyone was watching Shi Xiaobai blankly as they fell into a dilemma.

However, Mu Yuesheng did not have any such dilemmas. From the moment Shi Xiaobai fell unconscious, she had been standing beside Shi Xiaobai. At this moment, she was looking around at full alert. Icy-blue electric bolts darted around Shi Xiaobai, as though they were guardians protecting Shi Xiaobai.

If anyone dared to make a thoughtless move, she would absolutely not spare them!

At this moment, an armored youth walked out of the crowd. He had a stern expression on his face as he turned towards the crowd and said in a deep voice, “I do not know what all of you are hesitating for? I only know that at the third level, I might have very likely been eliminated by the Thousand Eye Demon Sovereign if not for Shi Xiaobai. I only know that Shi Xiaobai should not be eliminated here. He is our competitor, but he is also the pride of our organization faction! I would rather be eliminated here than to attack Shi Xiaobai. No, I, Feng Yuanlin, shall declare that whoever dares to make a move on Shi Xiaobai, that person will have to step over my dead body!”

Feng Yuanlin changed from his usual humorous image and said righteous words that sounded thought-provoking.

Immediately, another rookie walked out and said loudly, “If not for Tu Dahei, I would have been eliminated in the second level. He darted through the plains filled with demonic beasts and that scene of him destroying the Demonic Tree is still fresh on my mind. He is the hero in my heart. Whoever wants to touch him, ask my saber first!”

A stout rookie walked out and said with a deep voice, “The counteroffensive on the Demon City and the Level Lord was something I didn’t experience. But in the past few minutes, Shi Xiaobai’s performance was witnessed by me. Feng Yuanlin’s statement resonated with me. Tu Dahei should not be eliminated here. He should become one of the ten people of the collective training. He will be the pride of the organization faction! As a supporter of the organization faction, I choose to protect Shi Xiaobai!”

The voluptuous girl, Zhou Chuchu, who held a whip, walked out and said, “Shi Xiaobai’s protection of Sunless was absolutely so cool. I don’t care, no one is to touch him!”

Liu Yu waved his whisk and said with a laugh, “This penniless priest had a fortuitous meeting with Shi Xiaobai.”

An Mo said softly, “Liu Yu’s intentions are mine as well.”

Even Pulp Farmer spoke up, “Regardless of the case, I owe Shi Xiaobai a favor. I will protect him for ten minutes.”

The few of the rookies that were forecast to be in the top ten stood forward. Very quickly, one rookie after another stood forward.

“No one is to touch Shi Xiaobai. He is our City Destroyer Hero!”

“I was so close to being eliminated on the third level if not for Shi Xiaobai. This debt of gratitude has to be paid!”

“The scene of Shi Xiaobai risking his life to protect Sunless had touched me!”

“Shi Xiaobai should not be eliminated here!”

“Protect Shi Xiaobai!”

“…”

There were constantly people stepping forward, but Mu Yuesheng remained highly vigilant. None of the rookies rashly approached Shi Xiaobai. Instead, they formed a circle ten meters away from Shi Xiaobai.

There were more and more rookies as the encirclement began increasing in number. They faced outwards as though they were guardian statues.

In less than a minute, there were only about a dozen rookies still standing in their original spots.

The dozen or so people were feeling indignation, but with such a fearsome battle force, no one dared to do a head on clash. Under the stares of more than a hundred rookies, they eventually left dejectedly.

Shi Xiaobai was in deep sleep at the moment. The exhausted expression on his face gradually relaxed, but his weak breathing betrayed his extreme feebleness.

Mu Yuesheng guarded by the side and remained extremely vigilant. Although the rookies encircling a distance of ten meters away had declared that they would protect Shi Xiaobai, it was possible that there were people faking it in the hopes of finding an opportunity.

The rookies clearly understood this reason, so they remained bound to not step a foot beyond the ten meters boundary. Occasionally, there would be people engaging in whispers, but most of them were silent and serious, observing their surroundings vigilantly. They even observed the actions of the people beside them. These were the people who wanted to protect Shi Xiaobai from the bottom of their hearts.

During the trials, Shi Xiaobai had intentionally and unintentionally helped a large number of rookies. Now, he was receiving the dividends of good faith for his efforts.

If Shi Xiaobai had not chosen to launch a counteroffensive on the Demon City on the second level, conquer the third level’s Thousand Eye Demon Sovereign or protect Sunless without any qualms that resulted in making the rookies willing to protect him, it would be very difficult even if Mu Yuesheng sacrificed her life to protect him from the rookies since he lacked the power to protect himself in his present weak state.

These valuable ten minutes of protection seemed predestined to be a long time ago.

However, would the ten minutes, that did not seem too long or short, be successfully tided through?

Slowly, rookies who did not participate in the Life and Death Assault on Sunless arrived. Seeing more than a hundred people protecting Shi Xiaobai, they were confounded.

After receiving an explanation, some chose to join the ranks to protect Shi Xiaobai, while there were others who left in resentment despite feeling indignant.

During this period of time, a retarded rookie, who did not know better nor understood the situation, believed that Shi Xiaobai was being surrounded. As if having water for brains, the person thought the crowd was discussing as to who would obtain the epaulette, so the moment the person came, he shouted, “Let Shi Xiaobai go, I’ll do it.”

Feng Yuanlin immediately cursed angrily, “Fuck, destroy that retard!”

The retarded rookie ended in a tragedy with him being taught a lesson. Thankfully the rest were restrained and did not destroy his Life Epaulette like hunters.

Time slowly passed and with that, five minutes were over.

The rookies gradually relaxed and began chatting and laughing. With more than a hundred people protecting Shi Xiaobai, no one could break through the encirclement. In another five minutes, Shi Xiaobai could clear the level!

This made their hearts suddenly feel a baffling sense of achievement.

The various things Shi Xiaobai had done in the trials would definitely cause a sensation throughout China. When the time came, ‘Protecting Shi Xiaobai’ might become one of the stories. They felt an inexplicable sense of honor being participants of that story.

As the rookies engaged in discussion, no one noticed the blood on the ground having fully coagulated.

Suddenly, the blood distorted upwards, turning into a crimson-colored head.

The head opened its mouth and let out a cold voice:

“Tu Dahei…Shi Xiaobai…Kill!”

A strong smell of blood suddenly emanated in the air as everyone in the crowd turned their heads in shock. A bloody figure with a blood-colored sickle in hand had just formed. It stood within the encirclement and was less than ten meters away from Shi Xiaobai!

Translator’s Note: I have revamped the Patreon system, providing advanced chapters to Patreon supporters. At least Chapter 300 is available for all supporting patrons. The weekly release rate is currently at 12 a week, with the one-chapter days being Tuesday and Wednesday.