Chapter 180: Hide-and-Seek Challenge 2

These people held all sorts of weapons: longswords, bows, crossbows, sniper rifles, rocket launchers...

In short, they had both modern firearms and traditional weapons.

Their outfits were very similar, and they all wore the same emblem on their chests: a roaring, red lion.

It seemed these people were all from the same place.

After the game began, these twelve people and one dog didn’t immediately start searching. Instead, they first scanned their surroundings, taking stock of the environment.

"Looks like our luck is good. This mission should be over quickly," one of them said.

"Don’t celebrate too soon. I just received confirmation that there’s a Croupier among the players here. Anyone who can become a Croupier is a different breed from ordinary players. Be careful not to trip up."

A woman to the side, who had her hair in a neat high ponytail and an ice-blue bow slung across her back, frowned and warned them.

They had originally thought this would be a simple mission, but they never expected a Dealer Player to be mixed in.

"Croupier... The word I hate most in this world is ’Croupier.’ If I get my hands on that Dealer Player, I’ll crush her head myself," the man who had spoken first said viciously.

Just then, a slightly mocking voice spoke up. "Crush a Croupier’s head? Just make sure they don’t crush yours first. Have you forgotten the painful lesson a Croupier taught you not long ago? I seem to recall you couldn’t even fight back."

"Alright, this isn’t the time for infighting. Get to the mission. If you encounter the Dealer Player, kill them on sight. No hesitation, and don’t get any funny ideas about getting lucky.

Hadimaya is right. No player who becomes a Croupier is a pushover. We have to handle this carefully."

The mission had changed the moment they learned of the Dealer Player’s presence.

Meanwhile, Perry Yates, hiding underground not far away, couldn’t help but tremble as she heard their conversation.

’Seriously? Did Croupiers break some kind of divine law? Why does everyone hate them so much?’

Outside, the dog among the Hunters suddenly stirred.

It twitched its nose, sniffed the air, and then walked over to the patch of grass directly above Perry Yates’s location.

"What is it, Megatron? Did you find a clue?"

"WOOF."

The dog called Megatron barked once, then began sniffing around the patch of grass with even more vigor.

However, after a few minutes, under the expectant gazes of the group, it found nothing. Instead, it lifted its leg and took a piss.

Seeing this, one person complained, "I told you not to feed it before the game. Now look, we just wasted several minutes for nothing."

"I didn’t feed him," Megatron’s owner said, sounding aggrieved.

At that moment, Perry Yates, hidden underground, was incredibly thankful that she had buried herself quite deep for safety. The dog’s urine couldn’t reach her position for now, which was truly a stroke of luck in a bad situation.

Just as Perry Yates breathed a sigh of relief, the Hunters also began to move.

Through the plants, Perry Yates learned that these people were well-coordinated. They started by bombarding large areas with wide-range, destructive weapons.

And what do you know, they actually found a few unlucky souls.

These players had transformed into objects that were too large and lacked any Skills or items to change their size. They could only hide out in the open using Invisibility, and as a result, they were found.

[Player Dustin Dutton Eliminated]

[Player Luke Lowell Eliminated]

[Players Remaining: 8, Hunters Remaining: 12, Croupiers Remaining: 1]

’Wait, why is the Croupier listed separately? Hey! This is blatant targeting! I want to file a complaint! A complaint!’

Perry Yates screamed inwardly, but on the surface, she remained perfectly still, not showing a hint of emotion.

Ignoring the number of players and Croupiers, Perry Yates noticed that the number of Hunters was twelve.

’What does that mean? Why is the number of Hunters—twelve—specifically pointed out? And why is it listed alongside the player count?’

Suddenly, inspiration struck Perry Yates. Her eyes widened. ’It couldn’t be what I’m thinking, could it?’

’The Hunters can be killed too?’

Based on the Hunters’ earlier conversation, she wasn’t sure about ordinary players, but Perry Yates guessed that a Croupier could most likely kill Hunters.

’So...’

’Should I give it a try?’

With that thought, Perry Yates quickly dismissed the idea. ’Better not. There’s not enough time to set anything up. If I can’t kill them in one hit, I’ll probably expose my current position and bring unnecessary trouble on myself.’

Although that was her reasoning, the idea of hunting the Hunters was like a seed that had taken root in Perry Yates’s mind, sprouting and growing rapidly. She was waiting, waiting for the right moment.

’Anyway, there are still several rounds left in the game. I’m not in a hurry.’

After successfully dealing with two players, the rest of the group completely let loose. Like twelve huskies off their leashes, they began a "demolition mode" across the entire game area.

Perry Yates had been wondering earlier how they could possibly search such a large game area in an hour, not with just twelve people, but even with twenty-four.

But Perry Yates had forgotten a saying: brute force overcomes all tricks. These people weren’t searching at all; they were just smashing everything around them with their weapons.

After a round of bombardment, they successfully sent another three people packing.

Now, only five players were left on the field.

Perry Yates checked the time. Half an hour had passed, and there was only half an hour left until this round of the game ended.

The remaining five players, including Perry Yates, were all hidden extremely well. This was where the dog came in handy.

The dog sniffed around the surrounding ruins, and soon, two more players were found. At this point, only three players remained.

As the dog continued toward the next player’s hiding spot, Perry Yates decided she couldn’t just sit back and wait for death. ’I can’t deal with the people, but taking care of a dog shouldn’t be a problem.’

Coincidentally, there was a patch of grass in the dog’s path.

Perry Yates quickly took control of that patch of grass. Just as the dog, Megatron, passed through it, the once-soft leaves instantly became incredibly sharp. Before anyone could react, they riddled the dog with holes, turning it into a pincushion.

Megatron let out a pained cry and collapsed, blood pouring endlessly from its body.

"Megatron!"

A heart-wrenching scream rang out.

"Don’t be scared, Megatron, you’re going to be okay."

The man began to treat his dog with trembling hands, but it was no use. Perry Yates had dealt a fatal blow; it was too late for any medicine to work now.

’Sorry, Megatron, but you had to die.’

Perry Yates apologized to Megatron in her heart.