Although everyone present, as well as everyone watching this confrontation in the livestream, already knew in their hearts that D would use the living beings as hostages to force Xu Yuan to sacrifice himself, when D actually asked the question out loud, everyone still felt their hearts tighten sharply.
At this moment, the players inside Black Blade's livestream instantly exploded with reactions.
"Where are the hackers?! Where are the physical hackers?!! Still not done yet?!!! There's no time left!!!"
"I'm dying from anxiety!! Why do I live 1000 kilometers away from Zero Point Company!! At a time like this I can only stare helplessly! I can't do anything!!"
"So he finally asked it… now it's really hard to deal with…"
"Yeah… even though everyone knew what he wanted to say, guessing and actually saying it are two completely different things…"
"Even though I don't want to sound pessimistic, honestly… it's already too late. The question is already right in front of him. Whether he wants to or not, not answering is basically just avoiding it…"
Anyone with even a bit of insight could clearly see the current situation.
At this moment, most people felt as if there were a tangled knot wrapped around their hearts. Conflicted and contradictory emotions mixed together, making it impossible to feel at ease.
Deep down, they all desperately hoped Xu Yuan wouldn't respond to D at all. At the same time, they also hoped he could find another way, some effective method to escape this predicament.
But how could they not also understand that if Xu Yuan really did what they hoped, then the seed of doubt would be planted in that very instant?
That seed would take root as time passed, break through the soil, and keep growing. By the time it grew into a towering tree with lush branches and leaves, that thick canopy would completely block out the firm belief people once had in Xu Yuan.
Although most people could more or less guess what choice Xu Yuan would ultimately make, knowing and doing were two entirely different things.
So-called knowing was nothing more than subjective speculation, but actually doing it would become an undeniable objective fact.
Facts always speak louder than words.
The real reason most people felt conflicted was simple. They didn't fully trust Xu Yuan.
They hadn't met Xu Yuan like Steve, Grayfist, Black Blade, and the others had, so they couldn't believe in him unconditionally the way those people did.
Simply put, to them, Xu Yuan was like a celebrity who had always been very active on screen.
Even though that celebrity had a good reputation, they had no way of knowing whether that image had been carefully manufactured.
Just like Rookie had said before, if Xu Yuan were still only the king of Entity 303, Black Blade, and that small group like before, then he wouldn't need to prove anything at all.
But now, he clearly no longer belonged only to that small group.
If Xu Yuan truly wanted everyone's recognition and to become everyone's faith, then this was a step he had to cross.
While Black Blade's livestream was in chaos, outside the Trial Grounds things had also erupted.
Some players voluntarily began protecting the nearby living beings, while another group rushed straight toward Xu Yuan and shielded him behind them.
Then they all began cursing D at the top of their lungs.
"I ****** your ******!!!"
"Bro calm down, didn't they say he's not from Earth? He can't understand our language. Forget it! Damn it! I can't hold it in either! *******!!"
"Can you shake the water in your brain until it evens out? Even if you succeed, what's the point? If even one person in this game world likes you, I'll take your damn last name, alright?!"
"What? You trying to play some 'the whole world is against me' storyline? Worst case, we all quit the game! If there are no players left, how is this game supposed to keep running??"
The players' curses echoed one after another throughout the entire area. At this moment, they weren't just venting their anger. More importantly, they were trying to buy time for Xu Yuan.
Most of the people inside the Trial Grounds had interacted with Xu Yuan before. They were the ones who trusted him without conditions.
They knew what kind of person Xu Yuan was. He didn't need to prove himself to them at all.
All they wanted was for him to find a way to solve this crisis.
In this noisy, chaotic, boiling atmosphere, the emotions of the crowd were like a lit powder keg. Some were excited, some afraid, some furious.
Yet amid all this chaos, only one person remained as calm as still water, without the slightest ripple in his heart.
That person was Xu Yuan, standing at the very center of the storm.
In truth, as early as the moment the living beings inside the transparent space appeared before him, Xu Yuan had already understood everything.
The instant he saw those living beings, a firm thought flashed through his mind like lightning, he would sacrifice himself.
From that moment until now, during these short dozens of minutes, Xu Yuan had been deep in thought the entire time.
However, what he was thinking about was not how to save himself from danger, but another question that even he couldn't fully understand, why, when those unfamiliar living beings appeared before him, was the only thought in his mind that he was willing to give his life for them?
After all, these living beings were complete strangers to him. There had been no past interactions, no emotional bonds between them.
Yet for some reason, the moment he faced them, what surged from deep inside him was a determination to sacrifice without hesitation or regret.
Originally, Xu Yuan's only wish had been to protect the family by his side and keep them safe from harm.
But as time quietly passed, the meaning of the word "family" began to expand.
The once clear boundaries gradually blurred, until in the end they became impossible to distinguish.
It was no longer limited to blood relations or closeness. It seemed to include all living things in the world.
Even Xu Yuan himself hadn't realized how much he had changed.
And he didn't feel any reluctance or sorrow at all.
He understood his own thoughts very clearly. His willingness to sacrifice himself was not about proving anything.
In his subconscious reaction, he simply felt this was what he was supposed to do.
Even if this moment hadn't been broadcast live, even if no one else in the world knew about it, he still would have made the same choice without hesitation.
Having reached this point in his thoughts, Xu Yuan slowly flew in front of D. His calm gaze looked straight at D, without the slightest ripple in his eyes.
Then, in a steady and resolute voice, he said, "I accept your proposal."
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