Chapter 98: Player Count: 1

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Player Count: 1

Lan Lan turned to see Wang Gang approaching.

"Brother Wang, what are you doing here?"

Wang Gang replied, "Didn’t it rain last night? My house is leaking, so I came over to cut some reeds to patch it up. Did Shi Zhile give you the axe? If she did, why don’t you let me do the cutting?

Reed leaves can cut you easily. You’re a girl; you wouldn’t want to scratch up your face."

Only three players were left on the island. For Wang Gang to have found her so precisely, he must have been secretly following her the whole time.

She didn’t for a second believe he was just there to cut reeds.

Lan Lan covertly sized up her surroundings. Behind her was a swamp with standing water; in front of her were dense reeds and a predatory Wang Gang.

She couldn’t say Shi Zhile hadn’t given her the axe; if she did, any wariness Wang Gang had would instantly vanish.

But she couldn’t stall forever, either. The moment he grew suspicious, he would attack.

"Brother Wang, it’s not that I don’t want to give you the axe. Sister Zhile specifically told me not to give it to anyone, in case someone tried to harm me. I’d be in danger."

Wang Gang’s expression was as calm and reserved as ever. He had a strong, proper face that made him look like a righteous man.

He smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "Of course. It’s good that you’re cautious. I was just worried you’d get cut by the reeds.

By the way, you need to be careful of Luo Jiuyin. If my guess is right, she’s probably the ’non-existent player’ on the island."

Lan Lan looked surprised, but she took two steps closer to Wang Gang.

"Brother Wang, you’re saying that too? Sister Zhile warned me about her just yesterday."

Wang Gang’s brow furrowed slightly. "Shi Zhile figured it out too?"

"Yeah. Actually, Sister Zhile also told me to be careful of you that day, but I think you’re a good person, Brother Wang.

Say, Brother Wang, since we both know Luo Jiuyin is the ghost, should we take this chance to kill her?"

Wang Gang said, "It would be too difficult with just the two of us. If only Shi Zhile were here."

Lan Lan took another two steps closer, her face showing no hint of caution. "Sister Zhile and I had already come up with a plan to deal with her, but then Sister Zhile got too sick.

How about the two of us go ahead with the plan and capture her alive?"

Wang Gang looked skeptical. "What plan?"

Lan Lan glanced around, and after confirming no one was nearby, she gestured for him to lean in closer.

The moment Wang Gang leaned in, a large machete appeared out of thin air in Lan Lan’s hands, and she swiftly swung it at his waist.

Wang Gang was already on guard and instantly dodged aside. Although he was fast, the distance between them was just too short. A large gash was torn open on his side.

Just as Lan Lan was about to attack again, Wang Gang gritted his teeth, pulled out a whip, and lashed it at her arm.

The whip cut through the air with a SWISH, striking Lan Lan’s arm. Her relatively thick down jacket was instantly shredded, revealing the bloody flesh underneath.

The machete was already heavy. With her arm struck by Wang Gang’s whip, Lan Lan almost dropped it from the pain.

Wang Gang stared greedily at the machete in Lan Lan’s hand, his eyes filled with envy. "Now that’s a real prize. Looks like one of those big swords from the war of resistance. It’s a waste in your hands."

Lan Lan snorted coldly. "Of course it’s a prize. It’s the prize that’s going to send you to your grave."

She was no match for Wang Gang in terms of strength; she would be at a great disadvantage in a direct fight. But it was too late for clever tricks now.

Remembering the small stones she had put in her backpack last time, she unexpectedly took them out and quickly threw them at Wang Gang’s head.

Wang Gang dodged easily. He wielded the Black Whip in his hand with formidable power, and not a single strike missed, each one lashing across Lan Lan’s limbs.

Lan Lan dodged pathetically, but even so, it wasn’t long before she was covered in bloody welts.

"If you kill me, Sister Zhile will definitely kill you!"

Lan Lan retracted her machete and quickly dove into the reeds.

But she had already missed her best chance to escape. Wounded, she was easily caught by Wang Gang.

Wang Gang pulled out a large rock and pinned Lan Lan down with it. He didn’t kill her in one go; instead, he seemed to want to torture her to death.

He took a smaller stone and smashed it viciously against Lan Lan’s head. Blood streamed down as a look of grim satisfaction appeared on his face.

"Weren’t you trying to hit me with a stone just now? Go on! Let’s see who smashes who to death first."

Lan Lan’s breathing grew faint. Just as the final stone was about to fall, an even larger rock smashed into Wang Gang’s head.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed across the island. Lan Lan struggled to open her eyes and saw Luo Jiuyin’s face.

"Sister Jiu Yin, save me."

Luo Jiuyin moved the rock off her body and squatted down to stop the bleeding.

"Can you hold on? Give me your machete, I’ll cripple him first."

Lan Lan shook her head with difficulty. "No..."

"This is no time for that! If we smash him to death with a rock, he’ll turn into a monster tonight and attack us. Right now, the only way is to chop off his legs. As long as he’s crippled, he won’t turn into a monster.

Lan Lan, he can’t die, and you can’t die either. Today is the sixth day. The instance ends tomorrow."

The machete lay beside Lan Lan. Luo Jiuyin let go of Lan Lan and picked it up.

In an instant, the anxious look on her face completely vanished.

"Silly girl, your Sister Zhile was right. I am the ghost on the island.

Actually, you can die, of course. You just couldn’t die by his hand."

Seeing that Lan Lan was about to breathe her last, she swung the machete down and finished her off completely.

Soon, two decapitated bodies lay on the ground.

The machete dripped with blood. Luo Jiuyin casually wiped it clean with a reed leaf.

"When a ghost kills a player, the player doesn’t turn into a monster. But players who become monsters will also kill me when night falls.

So, you two just had to go on ahead."

In the wooden cabin, Shi Zhile kept a close watch on the number of people in the island chat group. When Lan Lan and Wang Gang’s avatars turned gray, Shi Zhile knew the final stage of the instance had arrived.

"System, I won the bet. The survivor is Luo Jiuyin."

[Acknowledged.]

"I want to make two wishes today."

[This System suggests you save one of those wishes for tomorrow.]

"Will it be dangerous tomorrow?"

[Who knows!]

’The System might be unreliable, but it comes through in a pinch.’

Shi Zhile took its advice.

But she still hadn’t made her wish for the day.

"Today’s wish: The monsters on the island at night will only attack Luo Jiuyin."

The wish card didn’t disappear. The System’s mocking laughter echoed in her mind.

Shi Zhile thought for a moment, then said, "Today’s wish: to be able to freely enter and exit the Planting Space."

A golden light flashed, but the wish card still didn’t disappear.

Shi Zhile asked the System, "What’s going on? If the wish can’t be granted, what was that flash of golden light just now?"

The System’s tone was tinged with a hint of confusion.

[Hold on, let me check.]

A moment later, it replied:

[The wish you made could have originally been granted. However, this instance has a requirement regarding the number of items, and the instance’s power has suppressed the wish’s fulfillment. That’s why you saw that brief flash of golden light. You can make a new wish.]