Mu Anqi wasn't sure if the other opponent had seen her match, but since she had fought so many rounds, it was likely that she had been noticed. Early the next morning, Mu Anqi got up and put away the substitute paper doll, then counted the bullets in her handgun and replaced them with a new bullet card—smoke grenades, hand grenades, and the two new items she had bought to try this time.
Perhaps after this game ended, she could go to the item shop to see if there was any close-fitting soft armor or other protective gear. As for weapons… ordinary bullet cards weren't very effective. She wondered if there were any "armor-piercing" bullets. Of course, the price would probably be almost as expensive as the special bullets for ghosts.
Using a small handgun was actually quite inconvenient; it couldn't provide suppressive fire. Gatlings and the like—Mu Anqi had only thought about them, but even if she got one, it would probably be inconvenient to carry. She could, however, consider a portable rifle. Unfortunately, the weapon shop didn't sell rockets, otherwise Mu Anqi could carry a rocket launcher into battle, directly leveling the arena with firepower, or even blowing up Mr. Black's rest hall, eliminating the need to be so cautious.
After checking her items, Mu Anqi changed her clothes and went out. She hesitated for a moment but didn't return the white whistle to the front desk. Instead, she spent one "polluted resident" to activate assistance in the "movement" aspect. This time she could try to see if the whistle could be used in the Inner World; if it worked…
In case of any accidents where she might be surrounded and chased, there would be an escape route. Shooting while riding a flying carriage should also be a pretty fun experience.
Once ready, Mu Anqi attached her identity card to the mirrored road. It was time to continue clearing the "polluted residents."
It would be nice if there were a shortcut; clearing them alone was still too slow. The arena had been open all along, so perhaps… she could start with the animal people in the White Lady's faction?
Other players couldn't bribe the residents here, but Mu Anqi could! Even though the currency was different, Miss Bluebird had shown great interest in Guansi, even willing to pay the inverted city's currency for it. Of course… this was partly because Miss Bluebird wasn't short on money, but it also proved Guansi's immense charm!
Even if it was simply treated as a candy bean containing a hint of emotional energy, it could still be sold.
"If only I could get in touch with the person in charge of the arena…" Mu Anqi thought, then realized it probably wasn't a big problem. As long as she could control a small one and let it escalate layer by layer, she would eventually reach the decision-maker of the arena.
With this in mind, Mu Anqi entered the Inner World of the Upside-Down City .
The familiar sensation of weightlessness and inversion… if there was anything she was dissatisfied with, it was the experience of being teleported into the Inner World. The sensation was unbearably uncomfortable and inhumane. But if she did this a few more times, Mu Anqi felt that her fear of heights might not be insurmountable; she could get used to it.
After observing the direction, she saw that the arena was the tallest building in the Inner World. Just by looking up, it was visible. Once Mu Anqi confirmed the approximate direction of the arena, she walked directly along the path toward it.
However, for some reason, there wasn't a single resident on this road. Mu Anqi had a vague bad feeling. As she was about to pass a dark alley, she clearly heard rustling noises. At that moment, her reaction skills honed by General Ji allowed her to instantly use the substitute paper doll she had been clutching in her hand!
Several transparent potion bottles were thrown from the alley. The moment they hit the paper doll, they shattered, and the liquid inside instantly soaked the paper doll. Using the paper doll, Mu Anqi appeared a few steps behind it, narrowly avoiding the barrage of potions. The air was filled with a strange smell—not exactly unpleasant, but slightly bitter. However, just as she was about to utter a blessing, Mu Anqi realized she couldn't speak?!
Two smoke grenades hit the ground. Mu Anqi quickly retreated and, one by one, threw the remaining roughly made hand grenades from her storage ring toward the alley entrance.
That guy… was he using potions? She couldn't speak, so neither sudden windfalls nor blessings or curses could be used. Fortunately, Mu Anqi was a full-fledged paying player. She used the substitute paper doll again, leaving it in place to pretend to be herself. Mu Anqi quickly bypassed the smoke grenade area, then took out a specially made Molotov bottle and hurled it into the alley.
Once again, there were several crisp sounds of potion bottles shattering. The moment the Molotov bottle was thrown, a freezing potion extinguished the flames. The alchemist's expression grew serious—he had never imagined he would be trapped by smoke grenades. On top of that, the hand grenades were terrifyingly loud, making it impossible for him to rush through the smoke.
The balance of offense and defense shifted like that.
"That player didn't control me, but my potions didn't work either. That skill… does it only activate if I can see the opponent? Or must it be accompanied by words? …Fortunately, I added voiceless powder into the potion. Paralysis didn't take effect, but it still prevented him from speaking," the alchemist thought, his mind racing. He took a deep breath, activated his ability, and conjured a self-enhancing potion out of thin air. He then drank the pale red liquid in one gulp.
In the next moment, the veins under his skin bulged, and his entire body was shrouded in a strange crimson. Almost a second later, the crimson faded, and his figure instantly grew two feet taller. His previously frail body filled out with muscle—fully enhanced!
Taking a gas mask from his backpack and putting it on, the alchemist grabbed a handful of green liquid potions from inside and hurled them toward the alley entrance, then pulled his black robe and charged straight into the smoke.
"Boom—"
Another hand grenade exploded. The alchemist could hardly understand why this player had so many items—smoke grenades, hand grenades, handguns… Could this player's awakened ability be some kind of arsenal or weapons dealer? Could they make these things themselves like him?
Another pale green potion was thrown, and the white smoke gradually dissipated, replaced by green smoke full of toxins. However, when the alchemist rushed out of the alley and forcefully threw the potion, it was frozen instead—a humanoid paper doll?! —That player?
"How is this possible?!"
Just as he clutched the potion bottle in confusion, Mu Anqi looked down from the white dove carriage in midair. In her hand, an arc hand grenade was tightly gripped, silently counting down…
Instant detonation!
"Boom—"
A dazzling blue arc instantly crawled over the alchemist's body. Even after drinking the enhancement potion, he was in no way comfortable under the sudden blast of the arc hand grenade. What made it worse was the shock and paralysis caused by the electricity. Mu Anqi didn't stop inside the carriage. The moment the arc hand grenade exploded, she ruthlessly hurled the remaining two Molotov bottles. The flames instantly engulfed the green toxic smoke!
At this moment, a rifle would have been perfect. Even without aiming, a few bursts would have cleared everything. But Mu Anqi didn't have one, so she had to hold a hand grenade in one hand and an arc hand grenade in the other, preparing to strike again.
Just then, as the alchemist hurled a bottle of colorless potion, the green toxic smoke completely dissipated. In the next moment, countless ice blocks rose from beneath his feet, extinguishing all the flames from the Molotov bottles. As for the flames that accidentally touched him? The enhancement potion ensured his body wasn't harmed, and the fire couldn't burn his black cloak at all.
Clearly, this cloak was a defensive item.
Two more grenades were dropped. Under Mu Anqi's control, the carriage changed direction and descended, closing in. Mu Anqi tried to speak again, and finally, with a slightly hoarse voice, she struggled to utter the four words: "Longevity equal to the heavens!"
Her throat stung; Mu Anqi had never found speaking so difficult. This dog—she was even more meticulous than the alchemist in observing her. She had been affected by the scent, and as for the effect of the liquid hitting her… Mu Anqi didn't dare think about it.
The familiar sensation of doing sit-ups!
With the alchemist's movements, the potions inside the cloak occasionally collided, producing crisp sounds. To Mu Anqi's slight surprise, these potions didn't shatter outright… perhaps this had something to do with the alchemist's skill?
"You actually…" Doing sit-ups like this, the alchemist finally spotted the carriage in the air. The white dove pattern was so glaring that his eyes turned red. "This isn't fair!"
"What do you mean fair or not fair? This is the 'movement' part of the 'food, clothing, housing, and transportation' that the rest hall provides. What, you didn't spend a polluted resident to rent one?" Mu Anqi said in a slightly cheeky, surprised tone. As she spoke, she deliberately took out the white whistle and waved it in front of the alchemist, then added a blessing: "Good fortune and prosperity."
Clearly, the alchemist hadn't.
He had quickly realized the existence of the "Inner and Outer Worlds" and entered the Inner World, so naturally he hadn't gathered enough intelligence in the Outer World. As for the rest hall that covered "food, clothing, housing, and transportation," he had only treated it like a safe house—sleeping there each night and replenishing food and water.
Mu Anqi, on the other hand, had spent quite a bit of time gathering various information. Some of it was useful, some not, but overall… it had given her certain advantages.
"…I lost." The alchemist gritted his teeth. His entire aura suddenly weakened, and the next second his muscular body abruptly reverted to its original frail state—his enhancement potion had worn off. Yet, before the game was forcibly ended, he still ground out his question through clenched teeth: "Handgun, hand grenades, smoke grenades, Molotov bottles, arc hand grenade… and that thing that let you escape—was that the substitute paper doll? These are all Nirvana Space items? You didn't draw any skills at all, nor visit the training hall? …How do you have so many points!"
"That, huh." Mu Anqi smiled slightly and activated her rich-player aura. In the next instant, brilliant golden light and various dreamlike effects appeared around her. She raised her handgun, aiming at the alchemist's head. "Because my ability is like this. Goodbye."
"Bang—"
This was Mu Anqi's first time witnessing a player's death firsthand. However, perhaps because the world of the Upside-Down City was unique, the alchemist's death effects appeared especially fantastical. One shot to the head, and the colors on his body continuously drained, fading to black and white, before finally exploding with a "bang," dispersing into countless black and white cubes throughout the world.
Nothing remained.
—But Mu Anqi's game was not over.
She still had six days to survive.