Absolute Death Game

Xiao Buli sat in the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle, fiddling with his newly purchased mobile phone. The vehicle was rented from a car dealership in Beijing using a fake ID in the name of Qin Shimoon. He had just bought the phone and SIM card in some county; because he was not much interested in the local-sounding place names, he remembered nothing but the word "county." He had not registered the SIM with an ID, planning to dispose of it after use, which was in line with his current status as a fugitive.

Upon turning on the phone, he listened to the startup sound and ringtone hesitantly, debating whether to call Gu Shaobang and the others. This was indeed the thought that crossed his mind when purchasing the card, but as his fingers lingered above the call button, Xiao Buli felt uncertain. On one hand, he wanted to know how his brothers were doing, but on the other, he didn't know how to explain his situation to them.

The words "Soul Departure Syndrome" and "fugitive" wouldn't put his closely-knitted brothers at ease. Glancing at the desolate desert scenery emerging before him, Xiao Buli wasn't sure if the phone signal would remain available; however, he thought it was better to inform them anyway. Even though he wasn't ready to begin, the most important thing was to give them an understanding of Soul Departure Syndrome. If they stopped playing the game now, perhaps they could avoid the onset of the condition. Although he felt they were unlikely to give up, the decision should at least be theirs to make.

Xiao Buli's hand pressed down the call button decisively, as if afraid that further hesitation would cost him the courage to do so.

As the ringback tone played, Xiao Buli organized his thoughts one last time. He couldn't tell them he was fleeing, but he needed to inform them about Soul Departure Syndrome without making it sound too severe. He assured himself that he would find a solution; since he had led them into this game, it was his duty to lead them out alive.

"Hello?" Gu Shaobang answered warily to the unfamiliar number—it had taken several rings before he picked up, and his voice was very polite.

"Yes, it's me, Xiao Buli," Xiao Buli replied solemnly, his voice deeper than before after all they had been through.

The other end paused for a few seconds. Clearly, Gu Shaobang was struggling to accept that their long-missed leader was finally in touch. "Damn, Boss, where are you now? What have you been up to? Why did it take so long for you to call? The brothers have all been worried about you, did you know that?" As he reached the last sentence, even the typically carefree Shaobang's voice choked up.

Though the words sounded like a reproach, they conveyed their concern for Xiao Buli. He understood their feelings all too well; images of Shaobang's ever-smiling face came to mind, and unexpectedly, a sourness touched his eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't die," Xiao Buli quickly changed the subject to avoid the sentimentality. He pressed on, "How are you guys doing? Is everything going well?"

"Yeah," Shaobang seemed eager to shift away from the emotional moment as well. He cleared his throat with a confirming sound, then continued, "Doing great, Boss. I can use spells now, and so can Xiao Ge—they've changed classes to Weapon Master and are now working on improving their Taoist Heart. Xiao Ge said he wants to combine his Weapon Master abilities with his spells. Han Wenhuan got a Divine General class quest thanks to Zhang Haojie, although we've had to 'bleed' a little, providing some design plans to them. Oh, and Li Shuren, he..."

Shaobang's voice regained its usual optimism—especially now that he had definitive news from the boss. To him, this was more thrilling than any in-game leveling or monster hunting. In front of Xiao Buli, Shaobang always acted like a child who never grew up. Now that the boss had asked, he eagerly reported the good news, as if all their achievements were intimately connected to him. On the other end of the phone, Xiao Buli listened with growing amazement; he hadn't expected them to have made such progress in his absence.

"Right, we've also found a teleportation array in a cave, which leads deep into the Southern Barbarian Mountain Range, to a large ruin. But the place is teeming with fierce monsters we've never seen before, as well as followers of the Amara Evil Cult. We're not daring to target it just yet, planning to gear up before exploring further," Shaobang's mouth flew non-stop, recounting their achievements and discoveries to Xiao Buli.

"Alright, be careful. I may not return for a while. Prioritize your lives over everything. I've been to the Land of the Southern Barbarians once, and the power of the monsters there is not something you should engage with. Avoid going if possible. I might meet up with you in the game after some time, and then we can talk in more detail," Xiao Buli counseled.

Shaobang on the other end hastily agreed to everything.

"Is that the boss? Let me talk to him too," came a voice.

"And me, me too!" another chimed in.

A commotion broke out on the other end. Xiao Buli smiled and greeted each person, offering a few words to everyone according to their progress, and after ending the call, his face still bore an irrepressible warm smile. He hadn't mentioned Soul Departure Syndrome, but it didn't matter. Xiao Buli believed he would eventually find a solution. Until then, he preferred to spare Shaobang and the others from worry.

Qin Shimoon was driving, and she discreetly glanced over at the happy smile on Xiao Buli's face, a rare sight for her.
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"Are those your friends?" Qin Shimoon couldn't help asking. By now, she had changed into outdoor gear—a fleece jacket, hiking boots, and a fully equipped backpack sat in the back seat of the off-road vehicle.

She had handpicked this equipment herself and, with her military background, was far more experienced in these matters than Xiao Buli.

Xiao Buli's own gear was very simple, just his clothes and the non-professional attire on his body. When Qin Shimoon gave him a noncommittal smirk, Xiao Buli couldn't help boasting, "For someone who knows qinggong, Earth Escape Skills, and Cloud Thunder Leap, a lot of equipment can be disregarded."

Xiao Buli heard Qin Shimoon's question and snapped back from his thoughts. He turned his head to glance at her, giving a slight nod, while taking a moment to assess Qin Shimoon's condition.

Although she appeared to be as strong and icy as ever on the surface, Xiao Buli could tell that she was somewhat fatigued. No wonder, after driving the off-road vehicle for four straight hours, any normal person would be tired.

Xiao Buli glanced at his watch. There were still thirty minutes left before the time they had agreed to switch driving. But to hell with it. Whatever she had done in her past, she was still a woman, right? Who says a man can't show a little chivalrous spirit?

"I'll take over the driving," Xiao Buli said. Qin Shimoon looked at her watch, showed no particular reaction, and just nodded slightly.

The vehicle came to a stop, and the two switched seats. As soon as Xiao Buli pressed on the accelerator, the car sped off into the endless wilderness ahead.

Exhausted, Qin Shimoon lowered the passenger seat, finally giving her sore back a chance to rest.

"So, what do you plan to do once all this is over?" Xiao Buli asked idly while driving.

A moment passed and Xiao Buli did not receive the response he expected. Curiously tilting his head, he saw that Qin Shimoon had leaned back in her seat, eyes closed, breathing evenly, already asleep.

Xiao Buli smiled, noting how truly exhausted she must be. It was no surprise. After all, she was just a regular person, and she couldn't compare to his kind of 'little Superman.' Xiao Buli reached out to adjust the sun visor and continued chasing the sun at high speed.

Ker-chug, ker-chug, ker-chug. The car made a wheezing sound like an old asthmatic, giving Xiao Buli a sudden bad feeling. Glancing at the fuel gauge—which showed there was still some left—he cursed inwardly. Damn rental cars are not to be trusted, he thought, realizing the fuel gauge must be inaccurate.

That was just great. He stopped the car and stepped out, realizing this part of Inner Mongolia was more desolate than he expected. He had planned to refuel and restock at the next stop, but now the situation seemed serious. Looking out at the yellow sand gradually encroaching the grassland, Xiao Buli knew finding a supply point anytime soon would be unlikely, and how far the base still was remained a complete mystery to him.

Upon opening the trunk, the sight of several empty fuel cans extinguished the last glimmer of hope in his heart.

Damn it. Xiao Buli thought, now what? He slammed the trunk shut with force.

"What's going on?" Qin Shimoon, roused by the noise, yawned and stepped out of the car.

"There's good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" Seeing Qin Shimoon's sleepy eyes, Xiao Buli asked with a smile.

Qin Shimoon smiled back, clearly not too fond of the humor Xiao Buli occasionally try to show, "Stop beating around the bush. Your sense of humor really isn't as good as you think it is."

Xiao Buli was speechless for a moment; this woman really didn't recognize favors.

"Fine, I'll just tell it straight then. We're out of gas. But the good news is, you have me with you, so there won't be any grassland wolves coming to eat you tonight."

"Out of gas?" Qin Shimoon was taken aback. How long had she been asleep? Surveying the surroundings, Qin Shimoon noticed the terrain around them had changed. Before she fell asleep, they had still been driving on the grassland. Now it seemed they had reached the boundary where grassland meets desert. Although there were still some wild grasses growing on the sand, the proportion of yellow sand was noticeably larger, and the road seemed to be coming to an end.

"Alright, I also have some good news," Qin Shimoon said, turning to face Xiao Buli. "We must be close to the base by now."

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