TAG Chapter 10

Qiao Jingting swallowed a red pill that he had in his hand. It was a Power Pill that had fallen off a crocodile’s body, capable of increasing one’s combat power by 30% for one minute. As soon as he swallowed the pill, he felt an electric surge rushing through his body. His brain instantly became energized, adrenaline surged, and his body was filled with strength.

He cursed inwardly. This was basically doping. He had been forced to take similar drugs twice when someone held a gun to his head during underground fights. Eventually, even the underground fighting arenas started conducting urine tests, and such drugs became almost extinct.

With no time to spare, he had to make the most of this one minute. Zheng Wei’s curved knife was already slashing fiercely towards him, but Qiao Jingting blocked it with his own knife.

A loud clang echoed as Qiao Jingting’s hand numbed from the impact. He let out a low roar, pushing Zheng Wei’s knife aside and simultaneously swinging his own knife horizontally. At the same time, his right foot flew up, aiming to kick Zheng Wei in the abdomen.

Zheng Wei evaded by sidestepping and countered with a stab towards Qiao Jingting’s chest. Qiao Jingting parried with his knife and kicked Zheng Wei’s extended arm with full force, using his foot to target Zheng Wei’s elbow joint with all his strength.

Zheng Wei cried out in pain as his curved knife slipped from his hand. Qiao Jingting felt triumphant. Although he didn’t manage to dislocate the bones in Zheng Wei’s hand with that kick, it gave him a great opportunity. Without hesitation, he leaped high into the air, raised his heavy steel knife above Zheng Wei’s head, and brought it down with a dominant position!

Zheng Wei quickly dodged, reaching for the fallen knife on the ground. Qiao Jingting adjusted his posture mid-air and kicked him on the shoulder.

Zheng Wei was sent rolling by the kick but swiftly regained his footing. He kicked up a nearby chair and hurled it towards Qiao Jingting.

Qiao Jingting sliced through the air with his knife, cleaving the solid wooden chair in half!

It was worth spending 100 points on this.

In the next second, his vision blurred momentarily, and before he could see Zheng Wei’s movement clearly, he was sent flying by a powerful punch.

Zheng Wei rushed forward, grabbing Qiao Jingting by the collar, and landed a knife strike on his shoulder.

“Ah!” Qiao Jingting screamed in agony as his steel knife slipped from his hand. The strike had nearly severed his entire shoulder!

Zheng Wei raised his knife, intending to completely disable Qiao Jingting’s remaining hand. He wanted to turn Qiao Jingting into a lifeless body.

In this desperate moment, Qiao Jingting found himself defenceless. A momentary blankness filled his mind, and despair overtook his features. If Zheng Wei really disabled his hand, he would be finished.

In a split second, a brilliant idea flashed through Qiao Jingting’s mind. Something with a silvery sheen appeared in his left hand, and he fiercely stabbed it into Zheng Wei’s waist.

Caught off guard, Zheng Wei was solidly stabbed and he lowered his head to see what it was. It turned out to be a Silver Ice device!

While Qiao Jingting summoned a healing scroll to repair his arm, he transformed the Silver Ice device into a wolf tooth club inside Zheng Wei’s body and twisted it forcefully.

Although the Silver Ice device had the advantage of being able to transform and move at will, its lightweight and insufficient hardness made it unsuitable as a weapon. However, it was more than enough to disrupt soft internal organs.

Zheng Wei let out a high-pitched scream as his insides were churned into a bloody mess! He barely raised his hand, and his curved knife plunged into Qiao Jingting’s vest, piercing through his body!

Qiao Jingting was in excruciating pain but did not let go. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he bit down on Zheng Wei’s neck, shaking his head ferociously, tearing the wound into a gaping hole in a short amount of time.

Zheng Wei’s howls reverberated throughout the Heart Moon Fox, sending shivers down anyone’s spine who heard it. Qiao Jingting was pushed to his limit. He pulled out the curved knife and ruthlessly stabbed it into Zheng Wei’s hand that was stuck in his waist, devoid of any technique, just pure madness.

Qiao Jingting’s shirt was instantly soaked in blood.

The chubby guy shouted from outside the window, “Brother Wei, if you kill him, you will die too!”

Zheng Wei suddenly woke up as if from a dream. He, a level 2 player, felt fear for the first time towards Qiao Jingting. He regained his clarity and landed a heavy punch on Qiao Jingting’s temple.

Qiao Jingting was hit so hard that his vision blurred, and he instinctively released his grip. Zheng Wei pulled out his curved knife again, intending to sever Qiao Jingting’s hand that was stabbed into his waist.

Qiao Jingting forcefully held on to his consciousness and withdrew his hand. If he entered the void space at this moment, it would be all over.

Both of them were heavily injured and resorted to using healing scrolls.

One minute had already passed, and Qiao Jingting knew that his chances of winning had decreased by a few points. However, he heard some valuable information from the chubby guy. Zheng Wei must have killed players of lower levels before, so he wouldn’t dare kill Qiao Jingting, or else the system would erase him directly.

At this moment, despite the excruciating pain tormenting his nerves like a devil, Qiao Jingting couldn’t afford to delay any longer. He grabbed his steel knife and charged towards Zheng Wei.

Whether it was the ability to endure pain or the tenacious will to survive in desperate situations, Zheng Wei couldn’t compare to Qiao Jingting. After all, before entering the game, Zheng Wei was just an ordinary person.

The injuries on Zheng Wei’s waist and neck had only slightly healed when he saw Qiao Jingting rushing towards him covered in blood. The crimson eyes and surging killing intent made him feel as if he had encountered a demon from hell. His heart tightened, and he took two steps back.

The trace of fear that he had tried to conceal was now clearly visible to Qiao Jingting. Zheng Wei was scared, and that was good. Fear meant he was close to death.

Zheng Wei let out a roar, one hand covering the bleeding waist, and the other raising the curved knife to strike. Perhaps due to blood loss, his speed had significantly decreased.

Qiao Jingting charged in front of him, swinging his knife, and once again the blades collided, producing a cold metallic gleam. Suddenly, Qiao Jingting’s body lowered, and he half-lying on the ground, delivering a powerful kick to Zheng Wei’s lower leg.
Zheng Wei jumped in place, performing an incredible backflip with remarkable agility. He landed smoothly, but the intense movement caused fresh blood to gush from his wounds on the waist and neck.

Qiao Jingting wasn’t faring any better. One of his hands was almost useless, his back riddled with bloody holes. He looked like he had crawled out of a pool of blood. While using a healing scroll to mend his injuries, he relentlessly pursued Zheng Wei, fighting against the pain.

The healing scroll’s recovery speed, though fast, struggled to repair the forcefully torn wounds. Both of them were losing excessive amounts of blood, and either of them could collapse at any moment.

Qiao Jingting exhausted all six of his healing scrolls in a short time, barely keeping himself alive. He knew that dragging the fight on would only benefit Zheng Wei. Zheng Wei surely possessed countless healing scrolls, and given half a minute to catch his breath, he would be fully restored.

Realizing this, Qiao Jingting summoned his last ounce of madness and pounced on Zheng Wei like a ferocious beast, pushing him against a wall with no escape.

Zheng Wei refused to show weakness, wildly swinging his curved knife to prevent Qiao Jingting from approaching. He had completely lost his technique, his pale lips and sunken eye sockets making him look like a zombie.

With a loud roar, Qiao Jingting fiercely swung his steel knife toward Zheng Wei, and the two blades clashed once again in the air. Every small opening could result in significant damage.

In the midst of the battle, Zheng Wei, driven to desperation, pulled out a handgun. At this point, he likely didn’t care whether he killed Qiao Jingting or not, because if he spared Qiao Jingting, he himself would probably die.

Qiao Jingting’s eyes widened, and he kicked away Zheng Wei’s hand gripping the gun.

A gunshot rang out, and the bullet grazed the temple of Qiao Jingting, hitting the chandelier on the ceiling. Sparks flew, followed by a loud bang as something exploded, emitting a brief intense light. Zheng Wei, facing the chandelier, instinctively closed his eyes, causing a momentary delay in his actions.

Qiao Jingting clenched onto that half-second opportunity. With his long legs, he hooked behind Zheng Wei’s knee pit, causing Zheng Wei’s body to tilt backward and crash to the ground. Qiao Jingting raised his steel knife high and thrust it down toward Zheng Wei’s heart with incredible force!

Splat!

The steel knife pierced through Zheng Wei’s heart!

A commotion erupted outside the room.

Zheng Wei’s eyes widened, his hand suddenly producing dozens of healing scrolls. Like a madman, he desperately tried to repair his heart.

Qiao Jingting straddled him, pulling out the steel knife and stabbing it mercilessly, repeatedly, withdrawing and stabbing again. He mechanically repeated this motion, blood and flesh splattering over his body and face. His pupils were pitch-black, bottomless.

Qiao Jingting relentlessly stabbed Zheng Wei’s chest, puncturing it again and again until Zheng Wei ceased to move, until a row of fluorescent words flashed before his eyes. However, he couldn’t make out what they said anymore.

Zheng Wei’s eyes widened, his pupils dilated, his mouth agape, unable to close in death.
Qiao Jingting’s knife fell to the ground, and he stood there as if his soul had been drained, staring blankly at the pool of blood and flesh on the floor.

Silence filled the surroundings, and the people outside the room trembled with fear, their legs cramping and their teeth chattering.

After a long while, Qiao Jingting snapped out of his trance and leaned against the wall, struggling to stand up.

He glanced at Han Bin outside the window, meeting his incredulous gaze. Qiao Jingting weakly raised his hand, pointing at Han Bin with blood stained fingers, and said with a feeble voice, “Next, it’s your turn.”

His voice was as thin as a thread, almost devoid of volume, but everyone clearly saw his lips form the words. The appearance of his demonic and bloodthirsty expression sent shivers down their spines.

In the next moment, Qiao Jingting finally couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed on the ground. He had used up all three of his healing scrolls on himself.

Shu Ai, with her hands and feet bound, slowly inched her way from the base of the wall.

Qiao Jingting wearily looked at her and whispered, “Are you alright?”

Shu Ai’s eyes were red, and she forcefully shook her head, saying, “I’m fine.”

“I’ve repaid your favor by using the healing scrolls,” Qiao Jingting managed a weak smile.

“Yes, you have,” Shu Ai bit her lip, her voice choked with emotion.

“Alright, I hate owing people,” Qiao Jingting gasped for breath. “Once I kill Han Bin, I’ll have repaid my debt to you.”

“Why are you talking about this now?” Shu Ai kicked him. “Untie me.”

Qiao Jingting regained some strength and stood up, cutting through Shu Ai’s ropes.

The two of them stood up, leaving the onlookers outside in shock.

Shu Ai walked up to the window, staring straight at Han Bin with intense hatred in her eyes. “Han Bin, even if it means I have to die, I won’t let your lackeys get their hands on my points. I will definitely kill you, personally.”

Han Bin coldly smiled. “I have shown some consideration for our past relationship by keeping you alive until now. But I didn’t expect you to show no gratitude at all.”

“You killed him!” Shu Ai screamed hoarsely. “You, this beast! He trusted you, treated you like a brother, and you killed him!”

Han Bin’s expression flickered, and he shrugged. “I just wanted to stay alive, that’s all.”

Qiao Jingting took off his blood-soaked and sticky clothes, revealing his well-built muscles. He threw the clothes out the window. “Give this to Zheng Wei as a burial shroud.”

A low, teasing laughter suddenly came from the crowd.

Everyone turned their heads toward the source of the sound, and a man walked out of the darkness.

He appeared to be in his thirties, with a crew cut and a scruffy beard. His sharp features and eagle-like, piercing gaze gave him a slightly mischievous and nonchalant air. He wore a loose old-fashioned shirt, but his sturdy physique was evident. It was the image of a tough guy.

Qiao Jingting recognized his camouflage pants and combat boots, and of course, the player’s name and level displayed above his head. This person was Zou Yidao, the Level 9 Arbiter.

The people around lowered their heads, and even Han Bin politely said, “Brother Dao, let’s give you some rest.”

“It’s such a waste not to watch the excitement,” Zou Yidao didn’t even spare a glance at Han Bin. Instead, he squinted his eyes, giving Qiao Jingting a smirk as he stared at him. Blowing a smoke ring, he used his fingers holding the cigarette to gesture towards Qiao Jingting and said with a smile, “Big chest, no brains.”

Qiao Jingting ignored him and said to Shu Ai, “Go rest in the bedroom.”

The living room was completely destroyed, and he didn’t want to stay here with people gawking at them. He needed to discuss with Shu Ai what to do next. If they didn’t kill Han Bin, they would either be trapped inside this room or unable to return to the newbie village.

The two of them entered the bedroom, and Qiao Jingting closed the door and drew the curtains.

Shu Ai whispered, “How did you suddenly become so powerful?”

“Let me catch my breath,” Qiao Jingting’s hands were still trembling. In just half an hour, he had killed three people. He didn’t know how to describe his current state of mind. What made him feel uneasy the most was that he didn’t feel afraid at all because he wouldn’t face any legal punishment or moral condemnation. Instead, he would receive tremendous rewards. Moreover, he had to continue on this path of slaughter. What kind of twisted world was this, turning people into murderers?

Shu Ai fell silent for a moment and said softly, “I understand your feelings. I was scared the first time too.” Her tone turned somewhat cold. “But you will adapt, and it will gradually become normal to you. From this moment on, you can truly consider yourself entering this game, this… ‘Abyss’.”

Qiao Jingting tightly clenched his slightly trembling hands, exerting so much force that his fingers hurt. He took out a cigarette from his pocket, and the cigarette pack had been squashed. He managed to light the cigarette and put it in his mouth.

The bitter taste of nicotine brought a hint of clarity to his brain. He slowly recounted what had happened in the past two days.

After listening, Shu Ai let out a sigh of relief, her gaze filled with shock as she looked at Qiao Jingting. Since she first saw him, this man had given her an extraordinary sense of reliability. Even though he was only a Level 2 rookie at that time, standing next to him made her feel like he could protect her from anything. She still felt the same way now.

“And you?” Qiao Jingting asked in response.

“…Someone saw us sneaking in and out of the village at midnight and informed Han Bin. Han Bin’s people investigated and found out about me. That’s why…” Shu Ai whispered, “I had no choice but to take Zheng Wei to find you.”

“It’s not your fault,” Qiao Jingting interrupted her. “I was being too clever and tipped him off. Luckily, you’re safe. Otherwise, I would have to atone with my life.” He finished speaking and smiled.

Shu Ai sighed. “What do we do now?”

“Now that things have come to this point, there’s nothing left to hide. I’ll take you to kill the Shallow-water Crocodiles. We’ll strengthen ourselves and then come back to kill Han Bin.”

Shu Ai shook her head. “It won’t be that easy. Han Bin will definitely set up ambushes at every monster spawn point. No matter where we go, he will know it first and rush over to kill us. The difference in strength between him and Zheng Wei is like night and day.”

“How will he know where we are?”

“Of course, they have cell phones,” Qiao Jingting replied.

He scratched his head, feeling a bit bewildered for a moment.

“You should rest for a while. Our minds are all in chaos right now. We’ll talk when we’re more clear-headed. At least we’re safe here. You killed Zheng Wei and earned 3,000 points. Allocate them wisely.”

Qiao Jingting nodded and continued smoking, lost in thought.

Shu Ai got up and went to rest in another bedroom.

Qiao Jingting accessed the platform. His remaining points were 2,846.

He checked the details of point usage. Xiao Yuan had used them exactly as he requested. First, he spent 400 points on five Healing Scrolls. Then he increased his stamina and speed to 46.

The higher the level of enhancement, the more points it required. For example, in the beginning, it only cost 50 points to increase by 1 point. But once it exceeded 30 points, it became 100 points for 1 point, and after 40 points, it became 200 points for 1 point. After reaching 45 points, it became 300 points for 1 point. So after these two enhancements, he had used up 3,400 points.

Seeing that it now cost 300 points for 1 point of stamina or speed, Qiao Jingting felt a pang of pain.

300 points for 1 point, why didn’t he go and rob someone!

Before killing Zheng Wei, he only had 86 points left. After killing Zheng Wei and obtaining 3,000 points, he used 240 points to buy three Healing Scrolls. Therefore, he currently had 2,846 points remaining.

He was never one to fuss over trivial matters, but he had never counted money so carefully in his life. It was truly heart-wrenching.