Chapter 43: Who Is the Undercover Agent? (2)

He Yu looked at the already shell-shocked Wanrenzhan and calmly emphasized with a blank expression:

“My combat power is 8. Really.”

“Impossible!” Wanrenzhan roared. “I don't believe you. You're definitely lying!”

Earlie's face was full of suspicion, his eyes dripping with mockery.

Who would believe that kind of bullshit?

Beside him, Duan Yuchen wore a serious expression.

“This isn't the time for jokes. We're discussing our plans going forward. You can't—”

His voice abruptly cut off.

Because He Yu had shared the combat power display from his smart-brain panel.

That clear and unmistakable number, “8,” appeared before everyone's eyes, accompanied by his lazy, composed voice:

“It really is 8.”

Qiong rubbed her eyes and looked at the number over and over again.

Siya pinched Earlie.

“Is something wrong with my eyes? What number are you seeing? Eight hundred?”

Earlie gritted his teeth.

“I. See. 8.”

8...

8...

8...

It really was 8...

The number seemed to echo endlessly through everyone's minds.

These famous Federation experts all froze at the same moment, their heads buzzing.

The area became so silent that a pin drop could have been heard.

The livestream chat had already completely lost it.

“Hahahaha!! I've been waiting forever to see their reactions when they found out He Yu's combat power!”

“Look at Wanrenzhan and the others questioning their entire existence. This is too funny.”

“Wanrenzhan isn't questioning life anymore. He's still refusing to accept reality.”

“Hahahahaha I'm dying.”

“We already knew his combat power was 8. We watched him get this far and still couldn't believe it. Imagine these contestants who thought he was some hidden expert.”

“Having a two-digit combat power is already a miracle. In their eyes that's weak. But combat power 8...? That's not a miracle, that's a freak of nature! Hahaha.”

“By the way, now that He Yu revealed his combat power, won't people instantly kill him whenever they get the chance?”

“What are you talking about? Teammates can't attack him in this instance, and the other groups don't know his combat power. As for the next instance... this is He Yu's death game. Do you really think there'll be a next instance for him?!”

...

The audience discussed the matter enthusiastically.

The scene itself remained silent.

For a very long time afterward, Duan Yuchen would occasionally hear He Yu's calm voice saying the number “8” inside his head.

Crystal clear.

That value had practically become a nightmare for all of them.

When they learned Ling Buchen's combat power was 99, they had wanted to kill him.

Wanted to beat him up.

Because in this competition, a two-digit combat power was already unbelievably absurd.

But now they had learned that He Yu's combat power was 8...

Even Earlie couldn't summon the urge to punch someone.

He couldn't raise his fist.

All they felt was despair and helplessness.

A thought emerged from the depths of their souls—

Give up.

Wait for death.

Ling Buchen was the first to speak.

He sounded surprised.

“Your combat power is really only 8? Didn't you get equipment that increased your combat power?”

“I did,” He Yu replied.

Everyone: “?”

And this was after getting equipment?!

Ling Buchen asked, “Then what was your original combat power?”

“2.”

Ling Buchen's eyes widened.

“Your original combat power was lower than mine? Mine was 19. I got equipment worth 80 points. Your equipment score is kind of low.”

He Yu nodded.

“Yeah. Two pieces of equipment. Six points.”

Ling Buchen comforted him.

“It's fine. Just pick up more equipment later. Combat power rises pretty quickly.”

He Yu replied,

“I don't think equipment is that important.”

Ling Buchen thought for a moment.

“I guess that's true. I didn't have much equipment either, and I still advanced.”

...

Everyone: “???”

Duan Yuchen and the others stared at He Yu and Ling Buchen in disbelief.

They simply could not believe that a contestant with combat power 8 and another with combat power 99 were seriously discussing this topic.

Listen to what they were saying!

Original combat power of 2?

Original combat power of 19?

Equipment worth 6 points?

Equipment worth 80 points?

Equipment isn't important?

—They didn't even know where to begin criticizing this nonsense.

What had they done wrong?

Why did they deserve teammates like these?

Siya, who usually wore a charming smile and carried herself with irresistible allure, now looked completely hopeless.

In a state of collapse, she grabbed her beautiful hair and shouted:

“What the fuck are we supposed to do?! How are we surviving this round?!”

She no longer cared about maintaining her image.

Compared to death, nothing else mattered.

Qiao Yuan muttered,

“We're finished this elimination round.”

Harvey nodded.

“We can't survive.”

Earlie sighed.

“Just give up. We're waiting to die.”

Qiong quietly said,

“...It's over.”

Wanrenzhan turned his stiff neck toward He Yu.

“Your combat power is really only 8?”

He still couldn't accept it.

Zhante looked utterly dead inside.

He glanced at He Yu and Ling Buchen and sincerely lamented:

“Seriously. For the rest of my life, I never want to meet contestants from Blue Star again...”

First there was Ling Buchen, whose combat power of 99 had tortured him through two entire competitions.

And then there was He Yu, whose combat power of 8 was somehow even more mentally devastating.

He remembered Blue Star now.

—The planet that specialized in producing freak contestants.

Duan Yuchen's fingers trembled slightly.

Struggling to maintain the last remnants of his sanity, he took a deep breath.

“This round, everyone find your own solution. If you can beg the audience for votes, then beg. If you can't, then wait for death.”

Ling Buchen blinked.

“Do we really need to be that pessimistic?”

Earlie exploded.

“Shut the fuck up!”

His eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at He Yu and Ling Buchen.

“One of you has combat power 99, the other has combat power 8. Any random person can kill either of you with a single strike!”

None of the eight of them were particularly strong.

Not compared to Eugene or Zhen Xing.

Against nine allied teams, surviving would already be difficult.

Protecting teammates with combat powers of 99 and 8 on top of that?

Absolutely impossible.

Ling Buchen shrank his neck and obediently shut up.

Suddenly, Siya seemed to think of something.

“Wait... do you think it's possible neither of them are undercover agents?”

Hope briefly lit up in everyone's eyes.

Then it immediately died.

Would they really gamble total elimination on that possibility?

He Yu said calmly,

“I am an undercover agent.”

Earlie glared at him.

“Bah! You think we'll protect you just because you say you're the undercover agent? Keep dreaming!”

Qiong sighed helplessly.

“He Yu, a lie like that won't work.”

Thinking back on the previous round, it was genuinely hard to believe He Yu only had 8 combat power.

But if she thought carefully, the signs had always been there.

Getting scratched would leave him severely injured.

He had never attacked even once.

For someone with combat power 8 to survive this long was a miracle anywhere.

But for them, it was a disaster.

No one believed He Yu would actually admit to being the undercover agent.

—He was obviously saying it now because he wanted everyone to protect him during the first stage.

The livestream chat exploded.

“...He's telling the truth!!”

“Why won't you believe him?!”

Unfortunately, Wanrenzhan and the others couldn't see the chat.

And deep down, they simply refused to believe him.

Duan Yuchen looked at Siya and answered calmly:

“The two of them will definitely claim to be undercover agents if it helps them survive. And if the real undercover agent is among us, they obviously won't expose them. This round is unsolvable.”

He rubbed his temples.

“At least, I can't think of any solution.”

Were experts like them really going to die in only the second elimination round?

Regret.

Pure regret.

—Why had they ever teamed up with He Yu?!

Despair and anxiety spread through the group.

No one felt like talking.

No one had any energy left.

Ling Buchen turned toward He Yu and lowered his voice.

“What are you thinking about?”

Although he spoke quietly, everyone in the tree hollow could hear him clearly.

Even those who weren't looking over instinctively listened.

Ever since declaring himself the undercover agent, He Yu had fallen into thought.

His gaze was unfocused, as though he were contemplating something.

Hearing the question, He Yu looked up.

“I'm thinking of a solution.”

Earlie sneered.

“A solution? What, are you going to negotiate with Eugene and Zhen Xing? Get them to promise not to hurt you during this competition?”

Ignoring the mockery, He Yu merely muttered:

“You all received the details of this round, right?”

Nobody answered.

Only Ling Buchen nodded.

“Yeah. There are six stages total. The competition area is a towering mountain. Stages one and two are at the foot of the mountain. Stages three and four are halfway up. Stage five is near the summit. Stage six is at the peak. The first stage is called <Passing the Mountain Gate>. The second stage is called—”

The information had been transmitted directly into their minds after entering the instance and learning the rules.

Everyone had received the same information.

Hearing this, He Yu raised a hand and adjusted the rimless glasses resting on his nose.

A smile slowly curled at the corner of his lips.

“I think...”

“I have a solution.”

Everyone looked at him.

He Yu rose to his feet.

When seated, he was easy to overlook.

But the moment he stood, it was as if he suddenly became infinitely tall.

An overwhelming presence radiated from him.

His gaze swept across the crowd from above.

Confidence.

Pride.

The bearing of someone looking down upon the world itself.

Everyone unconsciously focused on him.

It was as though the rest of the scene faded into the background while only He Yu remained clear.

The camera zoomed in on him.

—“If you want to safely pass the first stage... listen to me.”

The first stage of the second elimination round of <Top Talent Show> was called <Passing the Mountain Gate>.

And it was incredibly, unbelievably difficult.

“Fuck!” Eugene cursed. “How is this something humans are supposed to clear?!”

Beside him, Gedai wore a dark expression and, for the first time, silently agreed.

Ahead of them stood a towering mountain gate.

Beneath it was an open field.

Two stone guardians stood beneath the gate, each holding a massive blade.

At first glance, they didn't seem particularly remarkable.

Yet they had been stuck here for an entire day.

Zhen Xing's team had failed their attempt and now stood some distance from Eugene's team.

Everyone was injured.

From the morning's hostility to the current moment, neither side even bothered looking at each other.

Yuan Ze and Cheng Zhao led their team toward the gate.

Their original ten-man team had already been reduced to eight.

Four remained outside on guard while Yuan Ze led the other three into the challenge area.

The moment they approached, the two stone guardians moved.

All experts.

Perfect coordination.

The four of them attacked simultaneously.

Bang!

Clang!

BOOM—

Less than thirty minutes later, Yuan Ze coughed up blood and shouted grimly:

“Retreat!”

The four escaped with injuries.

The stone guardians stopped moving and returned to their peaceful stance.

But nobody could forget the ferocious display they had just witnessed.

After withdrawing, the four guarding teammates rushed forward to support them while warily watching the surrounding groups, afraid someone might attack while they were weakened.

Gedai said expressionlessly,

“No one has the energy for that.”

Yuan Ze exhaled deeply and sat down.

“The team leaders should have a meeting.”

It was as though everyone had been waiting for those exact words.

Zhen Xing, Eugene, and the others immediately stood and approached.

All weapons were put away.

The leaders gathered in the center.

The remaining members stood behind them—

Close enough to hear the discussion and provide support, but far enough to avoid making other teams nervous.

Clearly, nobody wanted a fight.

Eugene sat down and let out a long breath.

“We should've talked earlier. Killing opponents isn't as important as advancing. If you can't advance, it doesn't matter how many people you kill.”

Zhen Xing nodded.

The leader of Team Eight sighed.

“This is only the first stage, and it's already this difficult.”

Yuan Ze endured the urge to use a recovery potion and replied:

“Yeah. Those stone guardians are too strong. Four or five people simply can't beat them.”

The Team Eight leader added:

“But the guardians adjust their strength based on the number of challengers. You saw what happened to Team Six and Team Seven.”

Both teams had entered with all ten members.

When Team Six entered, another team attacked from outside and wiped them out completely.

Total elimination.

After that, no team dared send everyone inside.

No matter what, some members had to remain outside as guards.

Yet after an entire day, nobody had succeeded.

An hour earlier, Team Seven entered together.

No one attacked them.

But the stone guardians' strength increased accordingly.

One contestant died during the battle.

Bad luck.

The undercover agent died.

The entire team was eliminated.

Now only seven teams remained.

And nearly every team had suffered casualties.

Some died to the stone guardians.

Some died to other contestants.

After everyone became exhausted, they finally dared trust one another just enough to sit down and talk.

Mostly because they had run out of options.

Suddenly, Zhen Xing spoke.

“I've been observing. The highest success rate comes from sending the entire team in together.”

The leader of Team Nine frowned.

“Team Seven failed.”

Eugene snorted.

“They were weak. If my entire team enters, we won't lose.”

Silence followed.

Everyone knew a full-team attempt would likely succeed.

The real problem was obvious.

How could they guarantee nobody attacked from outside?

And who would go first?

The leader of Team Ten sighed.

“The first issue can barely be solved. We all want to advance. But the second issue...”

The rules clearly stated that only the first team to clear the stage would receive equipment rewards.

Only first place got the equipment.

Who would willingly give that up?

Gedai's mechanical voice sounded from behind.

“No solution. Unless someone voluntarily gives up... or we join forces, eliminate some teams, and negotiate afterward.”

“Absolutely not,” Eugene immediately objected. “Once the killing starts, it won't stop.”

The weaker teams were already gone.

The remaining teams were all strong.

And because of people like He Yu, team compositions had become too complicated.

Once the purge began, who could guarantee they wouldn't become the next target?

Even the strongest team couldn't survive six teams working together.

Silence returned.

As always, conflicts involving benefits were the hardest to resolve.

Suddenly, someone had an idea.

“What if we all enter together?”

Everyone stared at him expressionlessly.

He blinked.

“...That won't work?”

Gedai sneered.

“You'd really fight shoulder to shoulder with people you don't trust?”

“...”

The speaker immediately shut up.

No one argued.

Everyone had good reason to believe that if multiple teams entered together, someone would absolutely attack another team while they were busy fighting the stone guardians.

And if they happened to kill an undercover agent?

Instant team elimination.

A golden opportunity.

—That was the essence of this round.

There was zero trust between contestants.

Silence again.

Finally, Yuan Ze gritted his teeth.

“I don't want to waste more time on the first stage. Eliminating undercover agents and advancing are the priorities.”

His gaze swept across the others.

“We'll draw lots to determine the order.”

Nobody objected.

It was the best—

And only—

Solution available.

Otherwise everyone would keep fighting until mutual destruction.

“But how do we guarantee safety?” Team Five asked.

After thinking for a moment, Zhen Xing answered:

“Other than the second-to-last team, everyone should be safe.”

The meaning was obvious.

If the first team entered, the remaining teams wouldn't dare attack.

Because if they attacked now, others would attack them later.

Mutual deterrence created temporary security.

But the second-to-last team was different.

The final team would have no one watching them.

They could attack freely.

Eugene stroked his chin.

“Then the final team just needs to be one nobody feels threatened by. Pick a weak team.”

Team Five shook their head.

“There are no weak teams left.”

From behind Zhen Xing, Annie's eyes gleamed viciously.

“Then we make one.”

As though recalling something, Cheng Zhao suddenly asked:

“Where's He Yu's team?”

Everyone froze.

Right.

Where was Team One?

They had spent the morning searching for them.

But after an entire day of exhausting battles, they had completely forgotten.

Eugene frowned.

“They disappeared all day. I haven't seen them once since entering the competition. What about you?”

Zhen Xing shook his head.

Yuan Ze shook his head.

The other leaders did the same.

Gedai let out a cold snort.

“They're afraid of retaliation. They're probably waiting until we clear the stage before showing themselves. Hiding works for the first stage, but not afterward. Being a turtle won't save them.”

Annie sneered.

“If Team One appears, we'll cripple them first and leave them for last. Then we'll deal with them properly in the next stage.”

Tang Ke asked curiously,

“But where did they go?”

Suddenly, Cheng Zhao seemed to sense something.

He looked up.

“They've arrived.”

Eugene rolled his eyes.

Exchanging a glance with Zhen Xing, he muttered:

“He Yu really is crafty. He waited until we spent all day fighting and weakened ourselves before showing up. He's planning to take advantage and deal with m—”

His voice abruptly stopped.

Because the team approaching looked even more miserable than they did.

Eugene's eyes widened.

He almost didn't recognize them.

His side had been losing all day, but they could still stand.

Still fight.

The approaching members of Team One looked like they had crawled here on their hands and knees.

Duan Yuchen.

Wanrenzhan.

Earlie.

Zhante.

Qiong.

All famous experts.

They staggered forward.

The moment they arrived, they collapsed onto the ground.

Covered in mud.

Clothes torn to shreds.

Even Siya, the proud and glamorous Federation celebrity, had one leg of her combat pants sliced away into shorts.

One eye was swollen.

She lay on the ground gasping without a shred of dignity.

The only one who looked relatively decent was He Yu.

Standing atop his broom.

Clothes intact except for scattered mud stains.

Several smudges decorated his cheeks.

Rather than making him ugly, they somehow enhanced his beauty.

But no amount of beauty could hide how pathetic the group looked.

Eugene stared.

“What happened to you people?”

Earlie rolled his eyes.

“Ask He Yu. Fuck. I must've accumulated a hundred lifetimes of bad luck to end up on his team.”

Everyone looked toward He Yu.

He merely stood there with a profound expression and said nothing.

Gedai pulled out a weapon and sneered.

“Whatever. Attack.”

The moment he finished speaking, several contestants lunged forward.

As the saying went—

Strike while the enemy is sick.

Team One was in worse shape than anyone else.

Why wouldn't they eliminate them?

After all, surrounding and exterminating Team One had been the plan from the moment the instance began.

Duan Yuchen and the others remained sprawled on the ground.

Not moving.

Either they had given up resisting...

Or they genuinely lacked the strength to fight.

Just as Gedai's mechanical blade was about to slash toward He Yu—

He Yu steadied his breathing and spoke calmly.

“Everyone.”

“Let's talk.”

“I can help everyone advance.”

“And ensure that everyone gets equipment.”

Gedai's mechanical arm froze.

Everyone else stopped as well.

He Yu landed lightly on the ground and put away his broom.

Straightening his clothes, he looked calmly at the crowd.

“Give me ten minutes.”

“Trade ten minutes for a guaranteed clear of the first stage.”

“That's not a bad deal, is it?”

Eugene: “...”

—He knew this guy was full of schemes.

So why was he still tempted?

Zhen Xing spoke first.

“Okay.”

Gedai and the others withdrew.

No one objected.

Team One wasn't going anywhere.

They could afford ten minutes.

He Yu pulled out his familiar notebook and pen and walked toward the meeting area.

As he walked, his gaze swept across everyone.

“Tsk, tsk.”

“Looks like you've already lost quite a few people.”

Cheng Zhao replied expressionlessly,

“Your team only has nine people left too.”

He Yu looked surprised.

“All ten of us are here.”

Everyone froze.

Cheng Zhao stared blankly.

Duan Yuchen.

Wanrenzhan.

Siya.

Earlie.

Qiong.

Qiao Yuan.

Zhante.

Harvey.

Plus He Yu.

Wasn't that nine?

He counted again.

Then—

“Holy shit! Where did this extra person come from?!”

Standing behind He Yu was someone even cleaner than He Yu himself.

Ling Buchen.

He smiled honestly at the crowd.

Everyone: “...”

This man's presence...

Was absurdly weak.

If you stopped looking at him for even a second, you'd unconsciously forget he existed.

Everyone stared at Ling Buchen in confusion.

He Yu clapped his hands lightly and tapped the notebook with his pen.

“So.”

“Would you like to hear my plan?”

Yes.

Everyone immediately turned their attention back to He Yu.

—As for Ling Buchen...

He looked weak anyway.

Not worth paying attention to.

Eugene pointed a finger at He Yu.

“Don't screw us over. If you do, we won't let you off. There are six stages in this round. We have plenty of time to settle scores.”

He Yu pushed up his glasses.

A brilliant smile bloomed across his face.

“Why would I screw you over?”

“I'm here to join you.”

“And bring you—”

“Peace.”

Eugene: “...”

Without realizing it, he rubbed the back of his neck.

A chill ran down his spine.

It felt as though something had locked onto him.

The sensation made every hair on his body stand on end.