Chapter 116: Chapter 115: The Hell Bus Carrying 18 People.
The voice of this middle-aged woman was filled with barely-controllable fear. However, as her words fell, a mocking laugh echoed through the carriage, its origin unknown.
Even Old Gao looked emotionlessly towards the next person.
As a veteran of the Jianghu, he had seen too many such tricks. Coming in and positioning oneself as the underdog made it a subconscious choice for others to overlook her, then at a crucial moment, deal a fatal strike, grabbing the best rewards or making teammates scout ahead.
What he hated most were these cancers.
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In his eyes, this middle-aged woman was just that. Could any normal person, upon receiving an invitation to an unknown event, not investigate at all and just agree?
Trying to fool a fool?
As a Level 21 archer, was she unaware of how dangerous the world was?
Or to say, how could someone rise to Level 21 without any brains?
...
Quickly—
Everyone in the carriage had roughly introduced themselves, except for that middle-aged woman. Each person briefly mentioned their strengths and specialties, to facilitate better cooperation in the upcoming battles.
But they didn't go into too much detail.
Although this fixed event required teamwork, during many crises, having teammates die meant you could live a bit longer.
The dog that got on the bus was also a supernatural being, from a Hidden Occupation, "Roaring Heavenly Dog." Basically, every Hidden Occupation has its own drawbacks, such as Sang Biao's "Mechanical Demon" from the hidden Gunman Profession, which required full mechanization of the body.
There was also his own "Gun Devil" Hidden Occupation, the drawback being the inability to use any weapon other than firearms, including fists.
The drawback of the "Roaring Heavenly Dog" profession was that the body would permanently transform into a dog.
The drawback meant missing out on normal human joys, after all, very few women would be willing... unless they were paid a lot.
Using such a body would come with many drawbacks.
But these drawbacks also had their advantages. Many times during espionage or stealth missions, they were quite useful, after all, no one pays attention to a naughty and cute dog that likes to run around.
It looked like a country mutt, less pampered than a pet dog, and more fierce like a stray; it was the kind of dog you definitely wouldn't want to pet if you encountered it on the street.
The dog could speak human language, and during its introduction, it claimed to specialize in speed.
Even though it had turned into a dog, perhaps retaining some human dignity, the dog wore underwear and clothes to protect its vitals, and even had a cigarette in its mouth during the introduction, which looked exceedingly odd.
The only child in the carriage was actually not a child at all, but someone in their 20s who was naturally a dwarf and thus appeared small, a Level 22 ordinary Magician.
And the old man had a Hidden Occupation, "The Undead." This Hidden Occupation had a pretty good Exclusive Effect—it could extend life up to 500 years and was unable to use any life-extending items, but could trade his own lifespan for temporary buffs.
The effects of those buffs were powerful, and the old man went into great detail about them. According to him, his real age was 31, but having sacrificed his lifespan too many times, his body had aged significantly.
It's worth mentioning—
The old man's buffs could be used on the group or just on himself.
Upon this revelation, everyone's eyes lit up; buffs exchanged for lifespan could not be weak, and if the old man was willing to use his own life to give them group buffs during battle, their chances of survival would greatly increase.
By then, the introductions were almost over.
Everyone had more or less come to terms with their fate, even if the difficulty of this Hell Bus ride had been turned up to the maximum, they still had to give it a shot.
They certainly could not just wait to die.
The few people Chen Miao remembered were just these; everyone else's self-introductions seemed mundane and forgettable, with no memorable aspects. After everyone had finished introducing themselves, the young man from Jingjiu City became the defacto leader by default.
After all, his Combat Power seemed the strongest among them.
An "Insect Tribe Priest" who wasn't short on money could unleash power far beyond just being Level 34; there was virtually no limit, depending on how much money he had in his pocket, and no one else objected.
And yet, no one asked Chen Miao about her Occupation or level.
It was as if everyone had selectively chosen to ignore Chen Miao.
...
The bus quickly resumed normal operation, as the 30 minutes for repairs had ended. Doctor Gou, seated behind Chen Miao, quietly leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Should we take care of the passenger behind us first?"
"Hmm."
Chen Miao nodded slightly, without elaborating; she already had a vague plan in mind.
To subdue a passenger and demand a fare seemed too difficult a task. It was still unknown how many more passengers would board; she couldn't possibly keep demanding fares. Perhaps she should simply prevent these passengers from boarding at all.
Prepare to board and then strike them down.
As for the passenger on the bus... once we reach the first station, let's test the difficulty.
...
Before long, the bus's speed gradually slowed down, and everyone's emotions tensed up. Some even started to tremble uncontrollably, unable to remain calm in the face of death's threat.
As the vehicle was about to come to a complete stop, a panel popped up in front of everyone once again.
"First Station": Mile Park.
"Station Information": This is a place that adventurers adore. Here, treasures are scattered all around. Once unearthed, they will temporarily be stored in the trunk of the bus. After adventurers successfully reach the final destination, they will take their spoils home.
The instant the panel appeared,
excitement was etched onto many faces. Before the bus even came to a halt, several people were already jostling near the door, ready to rush out the moment it opened.
This is why, despite the fact that the Hell Bus event is so dangerous, people still choose to participate.
The more people there are, the more dangerous it becomes, but conversely, it also means the rewards are richer.
Out of these 11 stations, not all are dangerous; many, like "Mile Park," offer reward levels with bounties ripe for the picking, a prospect that excites many.
...
The bus doors soon opened!
Everyone inside, their faces alight with enthusiasm, rushed out. This level had no dangers, just pure reward, and how much one could grab depended solely on how quick their hands were.
Even the "Hungry Monkey," who had been dozing off in the backseat this entire time, dashed out with avarice glinting in his eyes, suggesting that this particular 'passenger' could also participate in the rewards. Perhaps that was the reason these passengers rode the bus.
Only three people did not disembark.
Chen Miao, Doctor Gou, and the driver.
The driver was leaning back as if resting, showing no intention of departing, and Chen Miao couldn't even tell if the driver was human. Meanwhile, the bus had stopped on a narrow country dirt road.
The ground was muddy from a recent rain.
On both sides of the road lay vast fields, not sown with any crops, but dotted densely with treasure chests of various colors. The chests were so numerous that nearly every step brought one within reach.
Perhaps because it had just rained, the weather was a bit foggy, and visibility was low.
By this time, others had already begun their frantic looting, barely glancing at the objects they unearthed before rushing to the next treasure chest.
The periodic sounds of excitement confirmed the richness of the chests.
"Damn, this is the Archer's Hidden Job Transfer Book! It sells for at least 1 million outside, and here I've just picked it up so easily!"
"30,000 Star Coins, 30,000 Star Coins, I've just found 30,000 Star Coins!"
"Fighter's Fourth Turn Occupation Promotion essential A-grade material, worth 3 million, hahaha!!!"
After all, the levels of those on the bus were not low. Aside from Chen Miao, the lowest was the 18th-level Sword Emperor. Most people understood the principle of not flaunting wealth. Even if they found good items in the chests, they kept it to themselves, but there were still those who got too excited to stay silent.
...
By this time, Chen Miao and Doctor Gou had alighted from the bus and, after opening a few chests, had to admit that the rewards were indeed good.
"1,000 Star Coins," three D-grade "Soul Hook Grass" materials, and the blueprint for the Magician's First Turn Occupational Weapon "Soul Staff".
The spoils were many times higher than those of a usual secret realm. His perfectly cleared first F-grade secret realm had only yielded a few F-grade materials, and these were just level 1 chests, which were white.
Further in, there were even higher-level chests.
Higher-level chests also yielded better rewards.
The dog had already vanished from sight, leading the pack. With its speed advantage, it had gone to the deepest parts to seek out the highest-level chests and gain higher-level spoils.
Everyone, though nearly overwhelmed by the wealth before them, still retained enough reason to know that the bus would only stay for 10 minutes. While opening chests, they kept glancing at their watches, careful not to stray too far from the bus.
They were leaving themselves just enough time to make it safely back to the bus.
Chen Miao glanced at Doctor Gou by his side and strode deeper into the field, casually saying, "Doctor Gou, you don't seem too eager. If you don't pick up more now, you might regret it later."
Doctor Gou, with a complex expression, glanced at the exuberant crowd and spoke hoarsely, "What's the use of picking up more now? Of all these people, how many can actually make it out alive with their loot?"
"Chen Miao, our chances are likely slim this time, a full bus has never not encountered complete annihilation in the past."
"We're basically just waiting to die."
"Don't be so pessimistic."
Chen Miao wasn't feeling overly pessimistic. Instead, he casually opened another chest nearby and stuffed the reward into his bosom. "People always have to die, but does that mean you're going to stop eating and sleeping now just because you'll die eventually?"