Gamers Are Fierce-Chapter 738 - 736: The Machine Gun
It was now... 11:40 PM.
Bai Haozheng glanced at the mechanical watch on his wrist and, after synchronizing it with the corridor clock, rolled down his sleeve.
During the day, the Black Holy Son had cast the final vote for everyone to gather. Following the principle that the minority conforms to the majority, the eight remaining survivors would spend tonight together on the twelfth floor—where the Ghost of Hidden Eye had died—to endure the penultimate night.
The choice of the twelfth floor was primarily Li Ang's suggestion. Players had confirmed deaths on floors 12, 11, 10, 9, and 1. On the eleventh and tenth floors, it was possible to move between rooms 1108 and 1008 through cracks in the floorboards; the old woman in red might exploit this vulnerability to attack.
The first floor only required defense against attacks from the same level or above, without needing to guard against anything below. However, the figures in Bamboo Hats had reached the first floor initially. Setting up defenses there would leave insufficient reaction time and hinder strategic relocation in an emergency.
The players planned to pool their strength to resist the corridor anomalies. If the tall figures in Bamboo Hats appeared, they would retreat into the elevator bay and elevator shaft. The elevator shaft possessed the inherent safety feature of eliminating anomalies and might withstand the tall figures in Bamboo Hats. This would allow the players to attack them safely from within the shaft. Eliminating them would be ideal. If the enemy proved too strong and the situation became untenable, everyone would retreat to their respective floors. As for who might be taken by the tall figure in a Bamboo Hat, that would be left to fate and individual luck.
Considering these factors, the players moved to the twelfth floor. The tall figures in Bamboo Hats made noise when entering the hotel and ascended via the stairs. Staying on the twelfth floor offered a longer reaction time compared to the ninth floor.
I wonder who will survive tonight... Leaning against the wall, Bai Haozheng let out a long sigh and suppressed the unease in his heart.
During the day, he had told his companions that the note he received simply read, "Don't get killed." He claimed that, like the Plague Doctor and others, he had been attacked by some monster. He further claimed he had relied on his own combat prowess to kill it and had then seen the Black Holy Son arriving to provide support.
In reality, Bai Haozheng was the only one who knew he had lied.
Last night, he hadn't encountered any monster. On the contrary, just like the Ghost of Hidden Eye before its death, he had received a note that read, "Please go to sleep." In his dream, he even saw the woman in a kimono and wooden clogs whom the Ghost of Hidden Eye had described. It was from her that he learned the hotel's true nature and the truth behind its anomalies.
So that's what the video Wanli Fengdao saw on TV meant... Bai Haozheng gently pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, his mind swirling with thoughts as his gaze swept over Mule and the others, who were repeatedly checking the corridor defenses.
"This should do it." Crouching on the floor, Mule sighed in relief. He replaced the corridor carpet and, pressing his hands to his knees, stood up.
This script task had no friendly fire protection; even teammates from the same guild who queued together could accidentally injure one another. Consequently, Mule, Liu Wu Dai, Yuyi Xinzhong, the Plague Doctor, and others retrieved various manually-controlled or passively-triggered traps from their inventories. They planted these traps in different corners of the twelfth floor, aiming to counter corridor anomalies that might attack in groups during the curfew. To avoid friendly fire, the players had already discussed the traps' triggering mechanisms and explained the special effects of some of their equipment and skills. They had even rehearsed during the day, preparing coordinated attack and retreat plans.
Hollywood movies often feature montages showing a protagonist diligently training a skill through rapid cuts, ultimately achieving outstanding results in a short time. Unfortunately, reality isn't a movie. Even players couldn't meld into a cohesive unit within a single day, especially since everyone had their own agendas. It would be an achievement if they could simply fight effectively without hindering one another; expecting more was unrealistic.
The Mechanical Statues capable of firing high-intensity beams were placed at the entrance of room 1225, set to remain invisible and serve as a firepower output point. Spider landmines that automatically tracked enemies were positioned at both ends of the corridor. Guardians with Spiritual Sense, designed to detect hostile units, were placed one each at the entrances of rooms 1270 and 1201. Two machine gun turrets were set up in rooms 1226 and 1246, aimed down both sides of the corridor. They were loaded with standard caliber 7.62 x 51mm heavy bullets, personally blessed by an enlightened monk and capable of inflicting effective damage on Spiritual Bodies. Each reload required about a liter of Holy Water to be splashed on the gun's body, cooling the barrel while simultaneously re-enchanting the machine gun with holy properties.
Carrying the defense layout map discussed during the day, Mule reminded everyone for the last time, "Mr. Bai Haozheng has already drawn a Vajra Circle between rooms 1230 and 1250. Although this circle is a low-grade version of the one drawn by Sun Wukong's Golden Cudgel—the Great Sage Equaling Heaven from 'Journey to the West'—it doesn't possess the high-level mystical pressure that deters tigers, leopards, wolves, insects, monsters, and ghosts. However, it's more than enough to withstand one or two attack waves from corridor anomalies, including the terrifying old man. The time it takes for anomalies to breach the Vajra Circle will be sufficient for Wanli Fengdao and Yuyi Xinzhong, who are operating the machine gun turrets on the periphery, to retreat into the inner defensive layer. This area is within the range of the Plague Doctor's healing barrier, where any minor injuries can be rapidly healed..."
The players set up the defensive position between rooms 1230 and 1250 in the middle of the corridor, allowing them to retreat to the other side regardless of where the corridor anomalies attacked from. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
"So why do I have to be the one operating the machine gun..." Wanli Fengdao sighed, patted the Longsword at his waist, and muttered, "Isn't my Sword Qi more effective than machine gun bullets?"
"Because your ranged attack ability is too weak," Li Ang, wearing the Dragon Head Mask and a white lab coat, stated calmly. "Your overall Spirit Energy Value is relatively low, limiting the amount of Sword Qi you can release. It's better for you to stay inside the Vajra Circle and use the machine gun. When the enemy charges right at you, you can still draw your sword for close combat. After all, archers have always been the strongest close-combat units since ancient times."
"You really trust me, huh?" Wanli Fengdao retorted with a sidelong glance, but he still dutifully took out a small stool, sat down behind the machine gun covered in yellow Talismans, and placed his hand on the trigger.
Most of the others possessed some form of ranged attack. Only Wanli Fengdao and Yuyi Xinzhong specialized purely in close-quarters combat. In a battle of this level, their ranged attacks would be akin to merely tickling the enemy. Therefore, it made more sense for them to man the machine guns, creating space for the others to deal damage.
"Don't worry," Li Ang reassured him. "The two blessed machine guns Miss Liu provided are high-end equipment, sold in the mall for several thousand Game Coins each. They won't increase the script's difficulty just because they're industrially manufactured weapons.
"I also have some understanding of military strategy and deployment. Back when I was the leader of a mercenary group in Africa, I specialized in commanding mercenaries on the battlefield, pulling off all sorts of incredible micro-maneuvers. For example, I'd have machine gun emplacements moved forward five meters to sit in puddles, using the water for rapid cooling. Or I'd organize a ten-person band of troubadours with guitars, suonas, gongs, and erhus on the battlefield to inspire the mercenaries under my command to fight bravely with their beautiful music. Unfortunately, my personal charisma seems to be lacking, as I could never recruit enough mercenaries."
