Chapter 186: Tycoon Town (2)
Facing an instance like this for the first time, it was impossible for the players to keep calm. Much less Ji Ning, who had the second-to-last priority.
"Tycoon game," "twelve-sided die," "choose weapons in order"—each piece of information was more nerve-wracking than the last.
Though the system called it "Tycoon," no one believed it was just that simple. At most, it was probably a similar game type where you moved forward based on a die roll.
And then there was the rare d12 die. The probability of rolling any number from 1 through 12 was an equal one in twelve.
This meant the chances of different players hitting the same number and colliding with one another were lowered.
As the first person to pick a weapon and roll the die, Jiang Ting commanded extreme attention.
The other eleven players all watched him in silence.
Jiang Ting's weapon choice was straightforward. He took the one and only portable light machine gun, and rolled the highest possible number: 12.
Although the players still weren't sure what the 12 signified, seeing the maximum number stirred unavoidable panic and shock.
After casting his roll, Jiang Ting, submachine gun in hand, turned to look at Ji Ning. Then, while still in that posture, a ring of white light flared around him, and he vanished from the spot.
The remaining players' thoughts scattered. No one knew what they were about to face, or whether Jiang Ting's submachine gun would be aimed their way…
The leftover weapons still formed quite a heap when piled together, but what cold weapon could possibly compare to the power of a bullet? And no one had been given a bulletproof vest.
Second in the order was Qin Yanshu. He stepped forward and chose a slim, rigid, and agile Tang dao, rolling a 5.
The sequence that followed went: No. 8, No. 5, No. 2, No. 12, No. 3.
Everything proceeded orderly at first, until Player No. 3 rolled a 6, matching Player No. 8's number.
The first anomaly since the start had appeared. Player No. 3's nervousness intensified; her back gave faint tremors.
After No. 3, No. 7 and No. 10 took their rolls. Then the system suddenly updated with a notification.
【Player No. 3 PK failed. Complete death.】
【Weapons and items belonging to Player No. 3 are now the property of Player No. 8.】
These two messages instantly caused a great stir. The players still at the starting point, not yet within the game, turned pale with shock, gaining a far deeper understanding of the importance of the turn order.
Everyone had seen it. No. 8 had chosen a lithium chainsaw. No. 3 had only a kitchen cleaver.
So although no one was there to witness the scene, there was absolutely no suspense about how No. 3 had lost to No. 8.
Player No. 5, the female player who had already entered the game, broke down and covered her face, weeping on the spot.
It wasn't that she was overly fragile. This instance, from the look of it so far, was purely an every-man-for-himself war. She had a petite build, and even though an early pick had let her grab a spiked club, what chance would she have against a male player?
Livestream comments:
"So exciting, so exciting. This instance has a lot to watch."
"Feels like that encounter between No. 8 and No. 3 has scared the other players, who don't even know the details, clean out of their wits."
"I'm so worried about Ning-Ning. By the time it's her turn, there won't be much left to pick."
"Waiting for a female war god to rise."
Perhaps extreme pressure inevitably forces a rebound. The string of bad news actually made Ji Ning calm down instead.
She stared at the distant weapon rack for a long moment, then, standing beside Sheng Churan, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Heartthrob, do you see that pink and blue thing sticking out on the rack?"
Sheng Churan narrowed his eyes and looked for a while, then said in confusion, "Toy weapons…?"
The two exchanged a glance. Their deeply furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and their expressions settled into a half-enlightened, half-puzzled look.
Sheng Churan dipped his head, close to Ji Ning, and said quietly, "By the time it's our turn, the strong offensive weapons will be gone. If I'm seeing it right and those really are toys, I think their function is definitely different from offensive weapons."
That was obvious.
First of all, the game wouldn't give them completely useless things. The weapons only differed in the strength of their effect, or in the type of function. Secondly, even between a cleaver and a chainsaw, there was still a win rate, even if it was one in ten. Compared to all the earlier weapons, a toy's win rate was zero.
Even if the former could win, that would be due to the player's own strength, and unrelated to the weapon.
"What exists is reasonable," Ji Ning's eyes lit up. "This might be the key to our turnaround."
While they spoke, the turn order reached Sheng Churan.
He walked calmly into the departure room, rifled through the weapon rack, shoved aside a bunch of tiny knives and small scissors, and picked up the handle of a toy lightsaber. Turning his head toward Ji Ning, the corners of his lips lifted as he gave her a nod.
After rolling a 7, Sheng Churan also vanished from the departure room, transported into the game.
It was finally Ji Ning's turn.
She took a deep breath and walked forward. Although her calves trembled a little, her steps remained composed.
Even before reaching the weapon rack, Ji Ning spotted the patch of light blue Sheng Churan had taken out and placed on top.
Once she stood before the rack, Ji Ning first swept it with unhurried eyes. Her gaze passed over smaller weapons like nunchaku, a Swiss knife, and a little iron hammer, one after another, finally landing on the toy gun she had already noticed.
She lifted her hand and reached out for the toy gun. But just as her fingers were about to touch it, Ji Ning changed direction, shifted her hand to the right, and chose the pink, yellow, and blue toy magic wand instead.
Then, wand in hand, she turned and walked toward the metal d12 without a backward glance. She wrapped both arms around herself and tossed it into the air with her eyes closed.
The die dropped, rolled a few times on the floor, and came to rest with the face inscribed "1" pointing at the ceiling.
When humans roll dice, operating under a "more is better" mindset, they generally have affection only for high numbers.
Having thrown a 1, Ji Ning did not know what it meant.
Amid the unknown fear, she silently repeated the mantra "What is meant to be will be, what's meant to happen can't be avoided" three times, then, with her state of mind stable, disappeared into the white light.
Witnessing both scenes, Player No. 11, the one at the very end, stared with eyes wide as bronze bells.
He had thought he'd misread what Player No. 4 was doing. Now seeing No. 6 pick another child's toy, he shook his head in disbelief and muttered to himself, "Have they lost their minds? Giving up the fight and just walking to their deaths?"
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