TAG Chapter 0

A rough iron rod swept across, viciously striking his side, colliding with his flesh, accompanied by a painful muffled cry. Qiao Jingting trembled and curled up, gasping for breath, but before he could recover, another heavy blow landed, spreading intense pain across his back. In his mind, he saw an image of a spine cracking open like the bark of a tree.

Qiao Jingting couldn’t hold on any longer, numbly collapsing to the ground, limbs twitching slightly. Fresh blood flowed down his forehead, mixing with the blood in his eyes, painting a horrifying red vision.

…Beast…

Laughter erupted from the surroundings, full of triumphant mockery.

A short, skinny man with a coarse appearance shouldered the iron rod, circled around Qiao Jingting, then viciously stomped on his head, growling, “Kid, want to act tough again for me?”

Qiao Jingting’s eyes blurred, his mind buzzing, the pain making it almost impossible to speak. This man, who was a whole circle thinner than him, possessed astonishing strength, speed, and reflexes, leaving him defenseless.

The man pressed his muddy shoe against his head and stared ferociously, saying, “Act tough again, huh?”

Qiao Jingting blinked his wet, sticky eyelashes, mustering all his strength to spit out a mouthful of blood-speckled saliva. “…Scum.”

The man’s ferocity revealed itself as he raised the iron rod, mercilessly smashing it onto Qiao Jingting’s head.

The force behind that blow felt like ten thousand pounds, and the sound of the skull cracking was like thunder resonating in his eardrums. The sharp pain seemed tangible, cruelly tearing at his nerves. Unconsciously, he clenched his fist so tightly that his nails embedded themselves in his flesh.

The icy iron rod was sticky with black-red bloodstains, dripping, dripping, rolling onto the emerald green rough ground.

“Brother Wei, stop hitting him. He’ll really die if you keep going! Should we use a healing scroll on him?”

“Healing my ass! Go find someone of the same level to collect him. Hurry up, it’s worth 1,000 points. Don’t waste time.”

“Hurry, he looks like he’s about to die.”

Die… Will he die… die in this incomprehensible place?

No, he couldn’t die. What about his grandmother if he died? He had to go back, he had to leave this place, he had to kill these beasts!

The man called ‘Brother Wei’ grabbed Qiao Jingting’s blood-drenched hair, forcibly turning his face towards himself, and sneered, “Kid, you’re tough and can fight. I used to admire you. If you had been obedient, you could have become a good dog. But you had to be disrespectful…”

Qiao Jingting was barely clinging to life, but as he looked at that repugnant face, boundless hatred surged in his heart. His murky eyes suddenly flashed with a gleam.

Brother Wei was taken aback, subconsciously releasing his grip and cautiously preparing to step back.

Qiao Jingting, as if fueled by a dying flame, suddenly pounced forward, hands viciously gripping Brother Wei’s throat!

Kill him! Kill him! Even in death, he would take this beast with him!

Brother Wei’s face immediately turned red, his eyes bulging, trying to reach for Qiao Jingting’s throat, but his arms were too short. Instead, he ruthlessly kicked Qiao Jingting’s abdomen and shins.

Qiao Jingting forcefully spat out a mouthful of blood, the pain reaching its peak. In fact, he was numb, no matter what kind of attack he endured. His hands remained tightly locked, refusing to let go!

Several people rushed forward, punching, kicking, pulling and tugging at Qiao Jingting, but they couldn’t budge his grip even slightly.

Brother Wei clenched Qiao Jingting’s wrists with such strength that he seemed on the verge of crushing the bones!

Qiao Jingting was covered in blood, his eyes widened, veins bulging beneath his skin. He resembled a demonic ghost from the depths of hell, devoid of any trace of humanity, radiating a chilling aura of murderous intent.

“Quick, get him off! Brother Wei is being strangled to death!”

“Damn it, where did he get this strength from?! Kill him!”

“No, we’re all higher level than him. If we kill him, the system will punish us!”

“What should we do then?!”

“Kill… kill…” One person raised a long knife gleaming with a sharp metallic sheen and viciously swung it towards Qiao Jingting.

Qiao Jingting felt as if everything around him had turned into slow motion. He watched as the blade descended without mercy, as his skin tore open, tendons and bones shattered. He watched as his right hand, adorned with a strange silver-white bracelet, and his forearm parted ways.

With a single stroke, his wrist was severed, and blood gushed out!

“Ah–”

Excruciating pain struck!

A crimson blood curtain fell before his eyes.

Qiao Jingting collapsed to the ground, his face pale as paper, his bloodshot eyes staring like bronze bells, fixed on his severed hand. His legs kicked the ground unconsciously, and a desperate moan escaped his throat.

This game was real… Suffering, pain, death, all of it was real, and he hadn’t even done anything yet, and now he was going to die like this?!

He couldn’t accept it!

In his muddled mind, memories of his entry into the game flashed like a carousel…

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