Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Kuang Xin found Dai Lian and the others weaving through the crowd.

"Let's talk outside." As they brushed past each other, Dai Lian's lips barely moved as he delivered his words into Kuang Xin's ears.

They had never appeared together at the arena, so the people there were unaware of their connection.

Keeping their relationship hidden might give them an advantage in their operations; it was always better to keep some cards close to the chest.

"Hmm." Kuang Xin nodded in agreement and moved past.

After circling around aimlessly for a while, they left the arena, resembling a drafty, abandoned factory, from different directions, and made their way to the prearranged meeting point.

"What's the word?" Dai Lian, who had been waiting, asked softly as soon as he saw Kuang Xin.

They had wandered the venue for a bit and noticed that although there were many bystanders roaming chaotically around the venue, appearing completely ungoverned, the control in certain areas was actually very strict—a floor above, underground... Any average visitor trying to head in those directions for whatever reason would be explicitly forbidden to proceed.

The upper floor seemed to be the management center of the organizers, where, through the completely open gaps between floors, one could glimpse the edges of monitors and figures moving about.

But as for below ground... it was unclear what purpose it served.

Even when they intentionally observed, they felt as though they were being watched... In the chaotic gladiatorial venue where one appeared able to act without restraint, the situation was complex, with countless eyes watching.

In the short term, they couldn't think of a way to sneak in and investigate.

Seeing Kuang Xin approaching them on his own volition, Dai Lian knew that the big brute must have come across some findings of his own.

"An idea, not necessarily correct." Before speaking, Kuang Xin braced himself to avoid being ruthlessly dissed.

"To have an idea is already impressive." Gong Yan looked at Kuang Xin, encouraging him with a smile, "We haven't even got a clue yet."

"Hmm..." Kuang Xin pursed his lips and shared the thought he had just come up with, then looked at the group with hopeful eyes, "Does it seem feasible?"

"Can you fight?" Instead of addressing the issue directly, Dai Lian looked at Kuang Xin with contempt, "It's a fight to the death. The opponent they arrange for you is likely to be of the same level. Don't you go dying in the arena..."

Players weren't overly fearful of their characters' deaths in games, but that didn't mean they could die at will.

Especially in this game, with its severe death penalty; not to mention the three-day cooldown period, one had to start all over again.

All the attributes and skills acquired would vanish, and one had to start from scratch as a blank slate character; the punishment couldn't be more severe.

When Dai Lian first started playing the game, he couldn't understand why the publishers designed such harsh death penalties; wasn't it pushing players away?

But the longer he spent in the game, the more he felt he was got grasping the publishers' mindset—

To ensure the game's lifespan.

The world was so real that if there existed a mass who could challenge everything without fearing death, using countless lives, it would be an unimaginable shock to the world.

Under the impact of players who didn't fear death, either the world couldn't maintain its reality, or the game's progress would accelerate drastically.

Intentionally controlling death was undoubtedly the most beneficial tactic... It wasn't likely due to the publishers' technical limitations, right?

Besides, in this game, it wasn't easy to die, provided one got past the initial stage where a stray bullet could ambush and headshot. After a slight advancement in physical fitness, whether it was defensive power, recovery ability, or stamina, all were greatly enhanced.

If you couldn't beat them, run—that's it. There was no set sequence in the game, no mandatory bosses to fight, and rewards came from a variety of sources, all waiting to be discovered.

In such a world that was both realistic and entertaining, not wanting to die was not hard at all.

So the punishment for death wasn't really a big deal.

But now... what was Kuang Xin facing?

A fight to the death!

This was the first mission they encountered in the game that forced a direct link between the player and death.

Once on the arena, life and death were out of one's hands.

A 50% chance applied equally to both contestants.

Setting aside the thoughts of the mission strategy and success rate, Dai Lian's immediate concern for Kuang Xin's personal safety jumped to the forefront of the conversation.

After playing together for so long, he had grown fond of this dependable and somewhat goofy companion.

Kuang Xin looked at Dai Lian strangely, raised his arm, and showed off his aesthetically pleasing, streamlined muscles, "Look! Pure War God right here. Think I'll lose? Just tell me if the plan sounds solid."

"It does..." Dai Lian furrowed his brow, seriously analyzing the situation.

There hadn't been a death match for a while, and the timing of the big man's mission release probably wasn't random.

Perhaps this truly was a breakthrough point, that could lead to discovering more of the "truth" about this gladiatorial arena.

"It's worth a shot, but if you die..."

"As long as it's possible." Kuang Xin turned and ran off, waving his hands dismissively behind him, "If I die and restart, I'll still come find you guys. I hope the big man will still want me then, haha~"
Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

Upon hearing Kuang Xin's willingness to participate in the death match, the staff member in charge of registration was immediately overjoyed, "I'll arrange it for you right away!"