Chapter 8 Gemstone Appraisal - The Last Chance to Verify

[The system is currently making a random selection. Selection complete. Player No. 7, please proceed to the treasury immediately, or you will face game punishment.]

Upon hearing the broadcast, Player No. 7's entire body became unsteady. She turned her head stiffly and forced a difficult smile toward Bai Xiao next to her, pleading, "My name is Xu Lingling. If—if I don't make it out alive and you're still here, could you please call my parents for me? Try to make up a reason that's easier for them to accept. My father's number is 157****6039. Thank you."

Bai Xiao watched her figure disappear, leaving her alone in the vast space with three terrifying corpses.

An extreme silence surrounded her, as if invisibly isolating her from the world. In this moment, the empathetic fear she felt because of Player No. 2's death due to verification failure suddenly receded.

She didn't even feel like she was currently in danger; instead, she felt as if she were standing on an endless, desolate wilderness. It was as if she were the only living person left in the world, and an indescribable emptiness began to submerge her...

Yet, in such an atmosphere, she suddenly became extremely calm, her mind clearer than ever before!

Every event from the two rounds of the game flashed through her mind frame by frame like a movie.

Why did the monsters get angry when they heard a sound? Why did they get angrier the longer the sound lasted? Why did their attacks get stronger the angrier they became?

They were desperate to kill the source of any noise!

The monsters' weapons—the Jade Forks—were the real gems they were truly guarding!

When sound was produced, the monsters were disturbed, but they couldn't leave their Stone Pillars. Thus, they could only eliminate the sound by throwing the Jade Forks. When the guarded gems left their hands, they became anxious and therefore angry. If the sound continued, the Jade Forks had to be thrown again and again, repeatedly leaving their control. Consequently, their anger would stack, and their aggression would grow stronger and stronger!

She remembered when Player No. 1 died, he knocked over an entire Gem Display Rack, scattering all sorts of gems across the floor. If the real gems were truly on those display racks, how could the Guardian Creatures allow them to be destroyed?

These treasures from the real world were just a smokescreen for this game. It acted like a god, high and mighty, easily toying with everyone in the palm of its hand, watching them struggle on the brink of life and death.

[Player No. 3, please proceed to the treasury immediately, or you will face game punishment.]

It was time.

When she walked outside the stone door again, she unsurprisingly saw Player No. 2 Chen Jia and Player No. 7 Xu Lingling dead in front of the Verification Altar. Standing before the two of them, an unknown emotion welled up in her heart—a type of anger mixed with the helplessness of being unable to resist.

Bai Xiao clenched her hands tight, then loosened them after calming down. She then stepped toward the stone door. After entering, she didn't linger, going straight to the nearest display rack to grab a few random crystals before returning to the vicinity of the entrance.

She needed to test how the monsters would attack when multiple sounds were produced simultaneously.

If they all attacked one sound source together, and the Jade Forks only disappeared for about three seconds, she would have a chance to choose a spot closest to the door, take one fork within those three seconds, and then escape.

If the four monsters attacked different sound sources, since the Jade Forks only existed for three seconds after being thrown, she would have to stand outside the safety distance and act simultaneously with the throw. She would first grab a Jade Fork and then run toward the stone door. As long as she ran, she would inevitably make noise, and the sounds would be produced almost continuously without gaps. At that point, she would be simultaneously threatened by the other three forks. To dodge, grab a Jade Fork, and escape safely all within three seconds... the possibility of success was not high.

Having decided on a plan, Bai Xiao took a deep breath to mentally prepare herself. Once ready, she threw four crystals one by one in a single direction from near to far, trying to ensure the sounds of them hitting the ground occurred in succession.

Soon, the fish-headed, snake-bodied monsters moved again. With several whistling sounds, four forks were shot one after another into the spots where the four crystals had landed.

The worst-case scenario!

Bai Xiao stood in place, her lips pressed tight, watching the fish-headed, snake-bodied monsters return to peace since no more sound sources were produced.

She fell into thought. After an unknown amount of time, she moved again.

First, she selected the closest throwing spot to the stone door, then stood about five meters away from the throwing spot toward the door. This was a pattern discovered in the previous round: when a sound was made at a location, the four Jade Forks would be shot out in succession, with the throwing range covering a radius of about five meters.

If she used her chosen optimal throwing spot as the origin and threw three gems in quick succession from far to near, then three forks would be thrown one after another, with the third one landing on the designated optimal spot.

At that moment, she would simultaneously run toward that spot. As her first step landed, the fourth fork would be shot toward her. At the same time, the duration for the very first fork thrown would expire, and it would return to the monster's hand.

As she continued to run, the first fork would return to the monster and then be thrown again. She would have to dodge the attacks of both the fourth and the first forks within two seconds of starting her move, grab the Jade Fork at the optimal throwing spot, and open the door to exit before the third second arrived.

Only this plan could minimize the attacks she would receive to the greatest extent.

The plan was perfect, but she still felt uncertain about actually executing it.

Her body hadn't undergone years of high-intensity training like an athlete's; she only occasionally went to the gym for a run or took a couple of yoga classes when she had time. She didn't know if her body would be able to react in time.

How wonderful it would have been if she had exercised more to improve her physical fitness. It was too late for such thoughts now; she could only tell herself to do her absolute best.

Even if she lacked confidence, she had to act. She would rather die trying than wait around for death!

Bai Xiao took one last look around the room. The crystals clenched in her hand dug into her flesh, causing a sharp pain, but she didn't relax as if she couldn't feel it. Instead, she aimed at the positions and threw the three crystals according to her plan.

Whoosh!

The Jade Forks pierced through the air and stabbed into the planned locations. Just as the third fork was about to land, Bai Xiao moved.

She sprinted forward with all her might. As her first step landed—thud—the sole of her foot made heavy contact with the ground, producing a sound.

The fourth fork came whistling through the air, carrying the sharp screech of pierced currents.

Buzz! Bai Xiao was so nervous that a buzzing sound appeared in her ears. She felt as if all the blood in her body was flowing backward. She hadn't expected that after a period of silence, the monsters' rage would stack, making the Jade Fork's throwing speed even faster than the first time!

She had only run two meters—less than a second had passed—and the fourth fork was already before her eyes!

Bai Xiao's eyes widened in horror. She twisted her body forcefully, narrowly dodging at a bizarre angle as the fourth fork hit the ground with a metallic clang.

At the same time, her body lost control, carried forward by inertia. Bai Xiao gritted her teeth and simply went with the force, kicking off the ground with all her might to lunge forward desperately.

The lunging force was immense. She flew past the Jade Fork, her entire body slamming hard against the stone door. As she passed, she quick-handedly grabbed the fork's handle, and the momentum helped pull the Jade Fork out. The stone door was knocked open just a crack, and holding her last breath, she rolled out through the gap.

After getting out, she feared the three seconds would expire and the Jade Fork would disappear. Without a moment's delay, she scrambled and lunged toward the Verification Altar, pressing the Jade Fork she held tightly in her right hand onto it.

Only after placing it did she collapse onto the ground beside the altar.

Pain, it hurt so much. Her chest felt as if it had been broken. Her heart was beating violently, causing her entire chest to vibrate with a pain that felt like it was shattering.

A moment later, the Verification Altar emitted a white light.

[The gem is verified as authentic. Congratulations to Player No. 526 Bai Xiao for winning the 'Gem Appreciation' game. The game reward has been sent to the player's Personal Panel; please check it in time. The game is disengaging; please be prepared.]