Absolute Death Game

Xiao Buli quickly brought over the map as soon as he heard, and Qin Shimoon looked at it for a while, then used a compass and a strange device to take measurements all around, circling and marking on the map. Finally, she pointed at a red dot she had drawn and said, "It should be only about a hundred kilometers away."

Xiao Buli watched intently at the colorful map in front of him and Qin Shimoon's magically moving fingers, but sadly he really had no expertise in this area. Other than being forced to pretend to know about scales while learning geography in school, his practical experience with maps was mostly limited to video games.

Therefore, now watching Qin Shimoon control their journey entirely on a piece of paper, he had no choice but to put on a front and express his belief, grateful that their current disparity in strength was such that he was not afraid of the woman pulling any tricks.

"Go ahead, step by step into the trap set by others. Pitiful, pathetic." The voice in his head, as if knowing his thoughts, popped up to nag at the right moment, and Xiao Buli chose to ignore it. He continued to contemplate the situation at hand, "Then it looks like we have to walk from here. Can you tell me our destination now? I feel like you're blindly leading me all the way to China's border." Deficient as his geographical knowledge might be, Xiao Buli knew that Inner Mongolia was at the very edge of China's map.

Qin Shimoon looked at Xiao Buli and smiled, "I thought you would never ask. Our current location is Hangjinqi, Yikezhao League in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. If we keep going, we will enter the Kubuqi Desert. I could tell you the exact location of the base, but I doubt you would understand. Don't worry, I won't sell you out." Qin Shimoon ended with a teasing smile, making Xiao Buli feel as though he had been overthinking things.

Well, a hundred kilometers indeed didn't sound far. If they were driving, it would only take an hour or two. Even if they were walking without pushing themselves too hard, two or three days should be sufficient.

"Thank goodness we brought plenty of equipment." It was as if Qin Shimoon was mocking Xiao Buli's joke from earlier that they didn't need any equipment, she said while defiantly slinging her backpack over her shoulder, leaving Xiao Buli embarrassed but amused.

Xiao Buli looked at the food in the back of the vehicle and frowned slightly. What about food and water? If the two of them were to walk aimlessly for days in the desert, they could not afford to lack either, so they had to bring as much as possible. Thankfully, the desert in front of them didn't seem to be the kind of barren wasteland without any vegetation. A glance revealed sporadic signs of plant life.

If it came down to it, they could only hope for a miracle in the desert, hoping that after some walking, they would discover a water source. However, such instances in the desert were minimal.

"There's always a way when you reach the mountain, and we still have guns. If worst comes to worst, let's see if we can come across any game." While saying this, Xiao Buli stuffed as much food and water as possible into a backpack and scanned it with his ring; the backpack filled with food disappeared in an instant.

Qin Shimoon, having witnessed this strange scene, suddenly showed a surprised expression, "So this is where you've been hiding your things. But why haven't I seen anyone at the base use a similar skill?"

Xiao Buli smirked proudly, "You should know, even among gamers, there are noobs and pros. Top-tier equipment naturally only falls into the hands of the skilled players."

Qin Shimoon rolled her eyes, appearing somewhat unable to tolerate Xiao Buli's self-praising tone.

"All right, let's set off. We still have a long way to go."

After shouldering the remaining food and water, Xiao Buli took a few steps, then turned back to look at the off-road vehicle with a sense of regret. For someone accustomed to poverty like him, even though it was a rented item, it still seemed like a waste.

Qin Shimoon, however, seemed unconcerned, as if discarding unnecessary equipment was essential in a mission. Not to mention an off-road vehicle, even human lives appeared inconsequential in her eyes at times.

The two, laden with equipment, walked through the endless sands. From a distance, it must have looked like a beautiful painting, but for those walking in it, it was nothing but an ordeal. Even though it was already autumn, in the unobstructed desert, the sun was still scorching. After walking for a while, Xiao Buli felt unbearable discomfort, as if the dust kicked up by every step was sticking to his sweaty skin, forming a thick crusty shell. This shell was not only sticky and uncomfortable, but Xiao Buli often felt that it was this very shell that made him feel increasingly stifled and hot, and this was from someone already enhanced by the game. One could only imagine that Qin Shimoon, walking ahead, must feel even more unbearable.

However, walking had at least one advantage over driving—there was no longer the drowsy feeling, or to be exact, no condition to sleep.

Having walked for a while, Xiao Buli felt the atmosphere between them grow somewhat oppressive, and he really hoped for something to distract him from his attention to the dust-covered shell. Thus, he brought up the question that had previously gone unanswered.

"So, after all this is over, what do you plan to do?" Xiao Buli quickened his pace to catch up with Qin Shimoon, who was walking ahead. Right now, Qin Shimoon's complexion didn't look good either. Although she was equipped with sunglasses and a scarf to shield from the sunlight and sand, it seemed to do little to reduce the heat, flushing her cheeks red with warmth.

"After it's over? What to do?" Qin Shimoon, upon hearing his question, murmured it to herself, a look of bewilderment crossing her face. Her goals had always aligned with those of the Ancestral Dragon; she had never considered what she should do on her own. When all these sudden changes occurred, she simply did not have the time or energy to think beyond survival. Now, she let hatred occupy her heart. But what other dreams did she have to fulfill, aside from that? Indeed, what should she do after all this ended?

Right then Qin Shimoon suddenly realized how ironic her life seemed.

However, thinking back to the words the old man in her dream had told her, Qin Shimoon felt a sense of calm wash over her. If what he said was true, then perhaps she didn't need to worry about this question anymore. With that thought, Qin Shimoon spoke up, "Trust me, you'll have an answer to this question soon enough."

Xiao Buli felt that Qin Shimoon's response was rather mystifying, but since it was just idle chatter, he shrugged it off indifferently. Meanwhile, that inner voice of his chose just the right moment to speak up again, "See? I told you she has ulterior motives. You're walking straight into her trap, poor, pitiful thing."

The relentless sun finally began to sink below the horizon after hours of scorching the earth, and the cool, crisp air of night followed suit, descending at last. Xiao Buli felt that stifling heat and stickiness on his skin gradually fade away. If the nighttime was this comfortable, he wouldn't mind marching through the dark; however, Qin Shimoon seemed unable to go on any further and sat down heavily at the base of a wind-shielded dune.

"Then let's camp here for the night," he said, seeing her condition and naturally not pushing to continue. Qin Shimoon nodded deeply in response, each movement seeming to require tremendous effort from her.

Xiao Buli took a simple tent out of her backpack and set it up, then scraped together some dry grass from nearby. Because the grassland wasn't too far away, such dry wild grass was often visible. Mr. Zhan walked some distance away and gathered quite a pile; he also picked up some dry branches, hoping to keep the fire going longer.
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The temperature difference between day and night on the grassland was drastic, and it was particularly cold at night. Although it was only early autumn, the temperature had already plummeted. A fire was necessary to withstand the cold, something an ordinary person wouldn't easily endure. Of course, Xiao Buli was indifferent, for with the power of the Yi Wood Xuan Yang Scripture, he wouldn't feel cold at all. The fire crackled to life, and even without coldness, Xiao Buli still sat beside it, perhaps due to a natural human longing for light and warmth.

The two drank a few sips of water and ate some simple food along with it. It was far from delicious, but having something in their stomachs seemed to improve Qin Shimoon's spirits considerably.

The sky was vast and unobstructed, studded with countless stars, looking as if a jade plate had been sprinkled with pearls, making the two mortals under the heavens feel utterly insignificant. Accustomed to the hazy night of cities, the scene in front of them came as a pleasant surprise to both. No words were exchanged as they lay on the ground beside the fire, gazing up at the night sky—one side cooled by the night air, the other side warmed by the fire—a true experience of fire and ice. Other than the occasional crackling of the fire, the silence was so profound that one might wonder if they'd fallen asleep.

After a long time without such peaceful tranquility, Xiao Buli's heart also became exceptionally calm. He suddenly realized that his previous pursuits seemed a bit too utilitarian. Actually, even without any superpowers, this kind of itinerant life wasn't bad at all. Why hadn't he ever enjoyed any of this before? He was like a racer constantly competing, racing against time, money, and life itself.

Howl! A mournful howl rose in the distance, interrupting Xiao Buli's reflection on life. Qin Shimoon jerked awake, drawing her handgun in a flash and sitting up to scan the surroundings vigilantly.

In the night, some dark shadows slowly moved across the distant dunes.

"I think I know why I never went on hiking trips like this before," Xiao Buli muttered to himself, watching the approaching wolf pack, "For those without strength, such travel is indeed a risky endeavor, and once danger strikes, is it still possible to maintain this relaxed and easy feeling?" The thoughts that had been echoing in Xiao Buli's mind just a moment ago now fled as swiftly as the appearance of the wolf pack.

"What did you say?" Qin Shimoon, who hadn't heard him clearly, asked.

"Nothing much. We just need to be careful now, looks like they're wild wolves." And they were wild wolves with hungry stomachs. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to QiDian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)