16: Chapter 16 Even a penny can stump a hero!

Afterward, Wang Lin wandered around the camp for another two hours, and he had roughly figured a few things out.

First, there were indeed explicit rules here, prohibiting robbery and killing.

In the center of the plaza, there was even an "Arbitration Office," where several organizations took turns sending people to stand guard and handle disputes.

Second, beyond the explicit rules, there were unspoken rules.

Like the robbery seen earlier, as long as you weren't caught in the act, it was fine; the people at the Arbitration Office wouldn't take the initiative to investigate.

Third, points could be traded.

Some people set up stalls to sell food and water, some sold medicine, and others sold weapons and equipment.

The prices varied, but none were cheap; even the most ordinary dagger was priced at 50 points.

Fourth, and most crucially, all transactions had to be completed through the wristband.

Wristbands could transfer points to each other, just like mobile payments.

However, transfers required the two wristbands to make contact, and every transfer was recorded.

This place was not a training camp at all.

This was a coliseum.

Three hundred people were thrown in, given a pitiful amount of starting points, and then left to figure out how to survive on their own.

There were only two ways to survive: kill Mist Beasts, or rob others.

Killing Mist Beasts required walking out of the camp, entering the deeper mist, and facing unknown dangers.

Robbing others was much simpler; you only needed to find someone weaker than yourself, and then...

Wang Lin lowered his head and glanced at his wristband.

[100]

These points were enough to survive for one day.

But what if he was robbed?

He recalled the person from earlier who had been robbed clean.

The way that person was trembling on the ground, and that glaring [0] on his wristband.

Wang Lin withdrew his gaze and turned to walk deeper into the camp.

It was time to find a place to stay.

He walked along the edge of the plaza and soon found a building that looked relatively intact.

Hanging at the entrance was a dilapidated wooden sign with a few crooked characters written on it:

[Laifu Inn — Accommodation 80 points/day]

Wang Lin looked at the price and was silent for two seconds.

Sure enough, accommodation was the most profitable business.

Although, one could also choose not to stay there.

There were plenty of corners and ruins in the camp; it wouldn't be impossible to just find a place to curl up for the night.

But Wang Lin knew clearly that if one spent the night outside, the probability of having one's points robbed was almost one hundred percent.

Those eyes wandering in the night were specifically watching for people with nowhere to go.

He didn't hesitate and turned to enter Laifu Inn.

80 points were deducted, in exchange for a room containing only a hard wooden bed and simple furniture.

He went back downstairs and spent 15 points to buy a bento box; the taste was bland, but it could fill his stomach.

Early the next morning, he used his last 5 points to buy breakfast.

Two coarse grain steamed buns and a bowl of thin congee in which one could see their own reflection.

After finishing, the number on his wristband became 0.

Wang Lin glanced at it, said nothing, and got up to walk outside the camp.

Just as he walked out of the camp, without the isolation of the formation, the mist changed instantly.

The mist seemed to come alive, clinging to his skin and burrowing into his pores.

A fine, numbing tingling sensation spread from his fingertips to his whole body, like countless insects crawling under his skin.

This was the initial effect of the mist on the human body: eroding perception and paralyzing nerves.

It would slowly devour your five senses, making you unable to distinguish direction or tell reality from illusion.

After a long time, one might even be unable to tell if they were human or a ghost,

eventually being assimilated by the mist and turning into those things in the fog, which were the Mist Beasts.

Not long after Wang Lin walked out, figures vaguely appeared in the mist.

One person was running in front, with three or four figures following behind.

The person running in the lead was a woman, her face wearing an expression of intertwined ruthlessness and severity.

She had injuries on her body, and her clothes were torn in several places, but she was running extremely fast.

The three people chasing behind were even faster.

The leader was a man in his thirties with a face full of flabby flesh, carrying an iron pipe, cursing as he chased:

"Lin Xue! You fucking stole our points and still want to run? Leave your life behind!"

The woman named Lin Xue didn't even turn her head, just running forward for her life.

Wang Lin frowned and prepared to change direction to bypass them.

He didn't know these people and didn't want to get involved.

But the moment he moved, Lin Xue's gaze swept over.

The instant she saw Wang Lin, her eyes flashed, and she suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs:

"I got the points! Run quickly! Meet at the old place!"

Before the words even faded, she rushed fiercely toward Wang Lin.

Her intention was very obvious: to bypass him and have Wang Lin block those people behind her.

Borrowing a knife to kill someone, diverting the trouble.

Wang Lin stood still in his tracks.

Three meters.

Two meters.

One meter.

She brushed past his side, kicking up a gust of wind, a glimmer of success flashing in her eyes.

Unfortunately, that glimmer hadn't even fully brightened before it was smashed out by a punch.

Wang Lin turned and punched her square in the face.

Lin Xue flew sideways, slamming heavily onto the ground.

She covered her face, letting out a muffled groan of pain as blood seeped out from between her fingers.

She hadn't expected Wang Lin to be so ruthless and decisive.

The three people chasing also froze.

The leader holding the iron pipe, named Chen Hu, had been hanging around this area for two months and was considered a somewhat reputable figure.

He stopped his footsteps, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Wang Lin and Lin Xue.

His two subordinates behind him also stopped; one was named Ma Liu, a thin, tall guy with a sinister look;

the other was Zhang Da, a big guy who was slow-witted but ruthless in his actions.

"Boss, this..." Ma Liu leaned over, lowering his voice.

Chen Hu didn't speak, just stared at Wang Lin.

Wang Lin withdrew his fist, not even glancing at Lin Xue on the ground, his gaze meeting Chen Hu's calmly.

"I don't know her."

"And I don't want to get involved in your business. Solve your own problems."

After saying this, he turned and walked in another direction.

Ma Liu watched his back and asked in a low voice, "Boss, should we also... that kid..."

Chen Hu stared at Wang Lin's back for two seconds and shook his head.

"This is a tough character."

"He hit that woman Lin Xue so hard she couldn't get up, without even blinking. It's best not to provoke this kind of person."

After he finished speaking, he looked down at the surrounded Lin Xue.

Lin Xue lay on the ground covering her face, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, her eyes full of unwillingness and terror.

She hadn't expected that her foolproof trick of diverting trouble would actually fail today at the hands of a seemingly ordinary young man.

Chen Hu squatted down, looked at her, and let out a laugh.

"Lin Xue, you have today too."

Lin Xue gritted her teeth and said nothing.

Chen Hu stood up and waved at Ma Liu and Zhang Da: "Take her away. Transfer the points back, and then teach her properly what the rules are."

Ma Liu and Zhang Da stepped forward, grabbing Lin Xue from the left and right.

Lin Xue struggled, but couldn't break free.

She was dragged into the mist, finally looking back one last time in the direction where Wang Lin had disappeared.

The mist churned, quickly swallowing their figures.

Wang Lin had already walked very far away.

He muttered to himself: "Sigh! Truly, a single cent can stymie a hero!"