Absolute Death Game

Xiao Buli stood in front of the prison cell door, looking at the familiar figure inside with a chill in his heart—it really was Li Baocheng, the person he knew. Although the leather armor he wore looked extremely tattered, making him appear different from before, his obliging and pleasing face was exactly the same as when they had first met.

It couldn't be said to be completely the same, at least the stiff smile on his face made Xiao Buli feel somewhat estranged, somewhat eerie, and his name was not just Li Baocheng but 'Li Baocheng (The Lost Adventurer)'.

Looking at the avatar, the color was that of a yellow neutral NPC.

A person who can still smile so happily in prison is either a fool or a character in the game, an NPC.

But how did he turn into an NPC? And to end up being captured by the Black Mountain Bandits and locked up in prison.

Xiao Buli pondered this question. He had already witnessed a player turning into an NPC before, which was the case with Xia Zuowei. However, in that instance, Xia Zuowei had died and was later resurrected in the game, a result that Xiao Buli could still accept.

But Li Baocheng had entered the game alive; he hadn't died, so how could he have turned into an NPC?

Xiao Buli didn't believe that Li Baocheng had died in the game and been resurrected. Not to mention whether Li Baocheng knew the methods to resurrect, even if he did, where would he get so many Merit Points from?

Therefore, there was only one answer: evidently, Li Baocheng had become an NPC due to some kind of transformation. Opening the prison cell door, Xiao Buli walked up to Li Baocheng, "Li Baocheng, do you still recognize me?" he asked, very uncertain.

Li Baocheng had no reaction. Xiao Buli asked again twice, but still, there was no response. Li Baocheng just stood there, motionless, with a smile on his face.

Xiao Buli moved the mouse over to him and suddenly noticed a dialogue icon popped up. He hesitated not a moment to click on it.

A dialogue box popped up on the screen, which sent a chill through Xiao Buli's heart. Generally speaking, NPCs with high autonomy can communicate directly through dialogue, while those generic-faced NPCs with poor autonomy require dialogue boxes for communication. Could it be that Li Baocheng not only became an NPC but also the lowest level of NPC?

Regardless, he had to communicate with him to understand the full situation. This was not only about Li Baocheng alone but was also related to the consequences for all those people who had entered the game world through the Teleportation Portal. It also related to the outcome he himself might face in the future.

When he clicked on that dialogue box, Li Baocheng finally reacted, "You don't seem to be part of those bandits; are you here to rescue me?"

1. Yes.

2. No.

This time, Xiao Buli didn't dare to close the options. NPCs with high autonomy can naturally communicate directly, but this Li Baocheng seemed dull and foolish; it was wiser to play it safe.

Xiao Buli directly chose 1.

"Yes, I am here to rescue you."

Li Baocheng said, "Thank heavens, someone has finally come to save me. But could you please do me a favor? I have been here so long, I'm almost starving to death, I have no strength left. Can you find me some food?"

System Prompt: You have triggered the quest 'Li Baocheng's Emergency Lunch'.

Quest Content: Gather enough food for Li Baocheng to restore his Physical Strength. Do you accept? Yes/No.

Of course, Xiao Buli accepted, and then directly traded the food from his inventory to Li Baocheng. It took the trade of more than a dozen steamed buns before the quest was completed.

System Prompt: You have completed the quest 'Li Baocheng's Emergency Lunch.' Li Baocheng's favorable impression of you has increased by 50 points.

After gobbling down a large amount of food, Li Baocheng's complexion seemed to improve a bit.

Li Baocheng: "Ah, it feels great to eat my fill after so long. Thank you so much. But could I ask you for another favor? My leg was broken by the bandits, can you heal me?"

System Prompt: You have triggered the quest, 'Li Baocheng's Urgent Rescue'.

Quest Content: Heal Li Baocheng's injuries. Do you accept? Yes/No.

Xiao Buli glanced at the top of Li Baocheng's head and, sure enough, there was a DEBUFF named 'Fractured Bones.' He naturally chose to accept. This time he didn't need to go out; he used Touch of Healing on Li Baocheng a couple of times, and soon his injuries were healed.

System Prompt: You have completed the quest, 'Li Baocheng's Urgent Rescue.' Li Baocheng's favorable impression of you has increased by 50 points.

"Can we leave now?" Xiao Buli asked once again.

Little did Li Baocheng anticipate that he would continue to speak, saying, "Great, my legs can finally walk again, but my weapon, the 'Peerless Divine Bow,' was hidden away by the jailer, in a chest in the jailer's room. Please help me retrieve my equipment, and then we can make our escape."

System Prompt: Quest 'Li Baocheng's 'Peerless Divine Bow'' triggered.

Quest Details: Retrieve Li Baocheng's stolen equipment. Accept the quest? Yes/No.

Xiao Buli rushed to the guard's room in a few strides, and indeed, there was a wooden chest there. Upon opening it, a quest item, 'Li Baocheng's Peerless Divine Bow', was found inside.

Note: It looks just like an ordinary bow and arrows, seemingly far from 'peerless'.

After taking the quest item, he returned to the cell and clicked to turn in the quest.

System Prompt: Quest 'Li Baocheng's 'Peerless Divine Bow'' completed. Li Baocheng's favorability towards you has increased by 50 points.

Li Baocheng said, "Now let's leave this cursed place. Please escort me out. There are many Black Mountain bandits on the way. Although I'm very strong and don't really need protection, please ensure my safety."

System Prompt: Quest 'Jailbreak' triggered.

Quest Details: Escort Li Baocheng out of the Black Mountain Stronghold. Accept the quest? Yes/No.

Xiao Buli felt a wave of impatience in his heart, thinking how troublesome it all was, but he knew such things couldn't be rushed and patiently selected to accept the quest.

After accepting the quest, Li Baocheng walked towards the outside, with Xiao Buli following close by Buli's side, matching his steps. Naturally, there were no monsters along the way, and the few militiamen from Thousand Pines Town showed no hostility at all.

Nevertheless, Li Baocheng remained cautious, at one point saying, "Ah, be careful, there might be enemies outside," and at another saying, "This is where they interrogated me, we must be vigilant."

After a tiresome journey of more than ten minutes, they finally reached the outskirts of the Black Mountain Stronghold, and Li Baocheng eventually stopped.

Li Baocheng: "Thank you so much. We've finally left that damned place."

System Prompt: Quest 'Jailbreak' completed, Li Baocheng's favorability towards you has increased by 50 points, his favorability towards you has increased to 'Friendly'.

The improvement to 'Friendly' status was evident, as the color of Li Baocheng's avatar frame changed from the yellow that signifies neutrality to the green that signifies friendliness.

Sitting down under a large tree by the roadside, Li Baocheng said, "Eh, you haven't left yet? Are you looking for a reward? I'm sorry, but I don't have a penny to my name right now. However, if you are interested, I could let you hear about my experiences."
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1. Yes, I would like to hear it.

2. Give me a break, I don't have that kind of spare time.

Xiao Buli hastily chose option 1, and Li Baocheng began to narrate his story.

Li Baocheng: "My expedition team and I passed through here not long ago, intending to head to the legendary site of the Demon Star's fall, the ruins of the Southern Barbarian Kingdom. Little did we know, the teleportation array leading to the ruins of the Southern Barbarian Kingdom was occupied by the Black Mountain Bandits.

To activate the array, we had to venture deep into the territory of Black Mountain and engage in combat with the bandits. Though I fought valiantly, in order to cover the retreat of my team, I was captured in the battle. The bandits, admiring my bravery, wanted me to join them, but how could I possibly associate with such a shameless bunch of thieves?

So, I righteously refused them, and in their anger, they locked me up and tortured me severely. Thanks to your bravery Xiao Buli, I have finally regained my freedom."

After saying this, Li Baocheng stood up.

"Ah, I've rested long enough; I think I should leave now."

Xiao Buli hastily typed and asked, "Don't go, we haven't clarified everything yet. Where did everyone else go?"

Li Baocheng, however, did not say anything more and continued walking down the mountain on his own. Xiao Buli hurriedly followed after, trying several times to get a response, but Li Baocheng had no reaction, as if he truly had become an NPC controlled by the system.

Thus, Xiao Buli followed him all the way down, for over an hour straight, several times thinking of giving up. But seeing his former teammate in such a state, how could he leave him with peace of mind? Most importantly, when Li Baocheng had first encountered him, he was a neutral unit, which means he appears as a neutral to other players as well.

In this game, neutral units are always the most dangerous, as both monsters and players can attack them, especially players. Such a rare elite, when encountered by a group of players in the wilderness, is like a meat bun thrown to a pack of dogs.

As Xiao Buli followed Li Baocheng, he continued to try, aiming to figure out what exactly was going on and where the others had gone.

While following, a voice suddenly came from behind, "Boss, does that NPC have any quests?" It was Han Wenhuan who had become curious.

Xiao Buli sighed, "He's not just any NPC; he's a former teammate."

"A former teammate? NPCs can be teammates? That's quite interesting."

Xiao Buli shook his head, "No, he's a player. But afterward, when he entered the game, he turned into an NPC." (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)