301 – The Invisible Man! A Nostalgic Encounter With an Anomaly!

“Hehe, let’s go in together then… It doesn’t matter to me.”

Wang Ping smiled and said no more.

Seeing Wang Ping say this, the cold woman also remained silent, waiting quietly for the game to start.

The other people’s eyes flickered as they looked towards Grim Wraith Street, contemplating something unknown…

Wang Ping also had no intention to waste time, he turned around and said in his heart: “System, I want to start a Free Simulation.”

“Ding, Life Simulator activated, Free Simulation starting.”

The System’s voice sounded.

Then, in front of Wang Ping, a familiar screen appeared, only visible to him. Familiar text began to emerge.

【You quietly wait for the game to start. Once the game begins, you and the other four players all start moving, each choosing a shop to enter. You walk into the first shop.】

【As you enter the shop, its doors suddenly close. You frown and try to open them, but find it impossible.】

【At this moment, a deep blue flame lights up, illuminating the shop. An eerie voice tells you to stop these futile attempts. Once you enter here, you can’t get out… unless you pass his anomaly game and win anomaly coins from him…】

【Hearing this, you squint at the anomaly dressed in strange robes. Then, you act, summoning the Holy Light Staff and shining it on the anomaly.】

【However, faced with the Holy Light Staff’s light, the anomaly remains unresponsive. Even more, it shows a mocking expression, stating that no matter what tool you use, due to the game rules, you can’t harm him. The only way to get anomaly coins and survive is by passing the anomaly’s game.】

【Ignoring his words, you stomp on the floor, using strength ten times that of a normal human, and launch a terrifyingly fast punch at the anomaly’s head.】

【Yet, when your fist hits the anomaly’s head, it passes right through, causing no damage.】

【Seeing this, you furrow your brows, beginning to believe seventy percent of the anomaly’s words.】

【As you frown, the anomaly mocks you even more, calling you a fool for not understanding him. He keeps saying it’s useless, yet you insist on embarrassing yourself.】

【Ignoring his mockery, you maintain a calm expression and ask for the anomaly’s name, the game, and how it starts.】

【The anomaly grins wickedly, stating you can call him ‘Transparent Anomaly’. The game here is called ‘Half Past Ten’. He is the dealer, and as long as your final points are higher than his, you win.】

【Hearing the game’s rules, you squint, not expecting such a game. While surprised, you’re also aware the game can’t be that simple and must have hidden rules.】

【Next, you start asking for the game rules. The anomaly does not hide and explains them.】

【He states that ‘Half Past Ten’ means he deals the cards. After the first card, if the points are low, you can draw more until you stop. The result is whoever has the higher points wins. However, if during the draw the points exceed ‘Half Past Ten’, you die instantly, being disqualified.】

【If both sides have the same points, the one with fewer cards wins. If the number of cards is also the same, the highest card wins. If that’s also the same, suits are compared; spades are the highest, and so on.】

【Other than face cards, which count as half a point. Although ‘Half Past Ten’ is the highest, if five face cards are drawn, face cards become the highest. If both have face cards, the above rules apply.】

【Listening to the anomaly, you squint your eyes, memorizing all the rules and calmly stating the game can start.】

【The anomaly chuckles and starts shuffling the cards. Then he deals the first card to you. You glance at your first card and see it’s a nine of spades.】

【You squint, ponder for a while, and choose to hold.】

【The anomaly gave you a disdainful look and dealt himself a card. His first card was a six of spades. His eyes flickered, and the next card was a six of hearts.】

In other words, if he continues to draw cards, he will definitely exceed ten and a half points and be eliminated on the spot…
However, the anomaly was not flustered at all, and directly used its ability to change the next card to a four of hearts…
Then, it calmly said it wanted a card.
As it spoke, it drew the four of hearts, then revealed its hand. It showed a sinister expression, indicating it had ten points while you only had nine points. In other words, you lost…
The anomaly, with a creepy tone, said that since you lost, you should prepare to become one of its cards and be kept here forever…
Hearing this, your expression turned grave. Without hesitation, you took out the five-digit special item ‘Cursed Doll’ and used it, tearing it apart…
As you used the five-digit special item ‘Cursed Doll,’ the anomaly’s expression froze, and its body shattered just like the Cursed Doll…
You looked at the dead anomaly and quietly sighed in relief. You had thought that this anomaly was truly invincible and could not be harmed. Now it seems that special items are still effective…
However, you started to get a headache again. To deal with the first anomaly, you used up the five-digit special item ‘Cursed Doll.’ How will you deal with the next anomalies…
Five-digit intermediate special item, always a god.
Wang Ping looked at the simulated text, secretly giving a thumbs up to the Cursed Doll in his heart.
However, he quickly narrowed his eyes again, feeling that he might have missed some detail.
After all, the Holy Light Staff was ineffective against the anomaly before, but now the five-digit special item ‘Cursed Doll’ worked.
Could it be that the anomaly couldn’t be harmed before the game started, but could be harmed after the game started or ended?
Or is it because the Holy Light Staff’s grade was too low to harm the anomaly?
It seems necessary to gather more information in the next simulation. The five-digit special item ‘Cursed Doll’ is a trump card; if it can be avoided, it must not be used…
Wang Ping thought silently in his heart.
While Wang Ping was thinking, the text simulation continued.
After killing the anomaly, you discovered its body gradually disappeared, transforming into a black coin that fell to the ground. This was the so-called strange coin…
You picked it up, then silently left the shop. Once you stepped out onto the street, you found no one there…
Seeing this, you judged that the others hadn’t yet cleared the anomaly game. But this is normal. After all, from entering the game, playing it, and then killing the anomaly, you only took a very short time. Others would need much longer unless, like you, they had special items…
Next, you had no intention of continuing to explore shops but waited quietly to see if anyone could clear the anomaly game and how long it would take…
However, after waiting quietly for half an hour, a sharp knife suddenly pierced your heart, making your expression freeze…
Your heart was furious; you did not expect to be ambushed. In response, you unleashed terrifying power, intending to explode the attacker. However, you hit nothing, as if there was nothing there.
Quickly, your consciousness began to blur. You pulled out the sharp knife, threw it away, and used the Holy Light Staff to heal yourself. The Holy Light Staff not only had the effect of purifying darkness but also healing effects…
While you were healing yourself and remaining vigilant, a scorching flame suddenly erupted from your heart, igniting you from the inside out, turning you into a man of fire…
The intense pain twisted your expression slightly, and your consciousness quickly blurred, causing you to collapse to the ground. You were about to die…
Just as you were about to die, a figure mysteriously appeared before you. That person was the cold woman…

The cold woman squatted down, looking at you with disdain, and picked up the black eerie coin you dropped, taking the Holy Light Staff from your hand.

With that, your consciousness plunged into darkness, and you died once.

However, because you possess the Six-Digit Talent: Revival of the Dead, you successfully revived.

Right after you came back to life, you instantly erupted with terrifying speed, smashing toward the woman.

Your physique far exceeds other players, coupled with the effect of Six-Digit Talent: Explosive Blade. Thus, your strike was fast, precise, and ruthless.

The cold woman did not expect you to revive, showing a terrified expression and tried to resist, but it was too late. Her head was directly blown apart by your punch, killing her instantly.

With the cold woman’s death, you began to inventory her belongings. You found two items. One was the Six-Digit Special Item: Flame Blade, which has the effect that once it wounds an enemy, it can inscribe a flame rune on the wound, and upon triggering, it can turn the person into a burning human.

The other item was a defensive type special item, also of six-digit level. Using this item, one can defend and offset part of the damage. The damage offset effect scales with the attack’s strength, being very practical. However, the stronger the attack, the smaller the offset proportion.

As for how Wang Ping could blow her head apart with one punch, it can only be attributed to the fact that Wang Ping’s outburst of strength was simply too powerful. Wang Ping’s control over his strength was already astonishing, on top of being ten times a normal person’s physique and the Multiplication effect of the Explosive Blade. The unleashed power was far beyond what other players at the current stage could withstand. Even with some power reduced, the cold woman couldn’t withstand it.

After taking these two items and reclaiming your Holy Light Staff, you coldly said, ‘Self-seeking evil must bring self-destruction,’ and then used the Flame Blade’s effect to burn the woman’s corpse to ashes. Next, you intended to continue clearing the eerie game.

Seeing the content of the text simulation, a cold gleam flashed in Wang Ping’s eyes.

‘In the Heavenly Tower game, other players indeed are not a good sort. This cold woman obviously used some stealth capability to deceive others, creating the illusion of entering a shop. In reality, her intention was to wait for the prey.’

‘Indeed, compared to venturing into dangerous eerie games, ambushing other players to gain their eerie coins and equipment is far safer and reaps great rewards.’

‘It seems that before the game begins, I’ll have to deal with this woman; otherwise, getting ambushed and losing a life would be very troublesome. Of course, before making a move, it’s crucial to understand other players’ talents and what special items they possess.’

While Wang Ping silently made a decision, the text simulation continued.

When you arrived at Shop No. 6, you saw an eerie sight that was very familiar to you.

This anomaly was the very shop anomaly you had once exterminated with Lin Yuanyuan and Cai Yonglong in Qin Tian’s world. Back then, without the cooperation of your talents, including Lin Yuanyuan’s and Cai Yonglong’s, he really couldn’t have been killed.

However, what puzzled you was why the anomaly, which Lin Yuanyuan had thoroughly eliminated, would appear in the Heavenly Tower game. Could it be that there’s a mysterious connection between the Heavenly Tower and the anomaly? Does the Heavenly Tower reclaim all anomalies defeated by orderly forces like the chat group?

When you saw the shop anomaly, it also looked at you. Its eyes widened, displaying an incredulous expression.

Then it began cursing, accusing you of having deceived it in the past. You squinted your eyes, not expecting the shop anomaly to retain its previous memories. This only increased your curiosity about the relationship between the Heavenly Tower and the anomalies.

Next, you remained indifferent, stating that he’s an anomaly, you’re in different factions, and whoever dies can only blame their lack of skill. Besides, humans have a saying, ‘To die under the peony flower is a poetic destiny for a ghost.’ You’ve enjoyed yourself, so you died with merit.

Hearing your words, the anomaly was furious, continuing to curse, saying he is an anomaly, and what kind of poetic life is that? If losing freedom and being treated as an NPC to be hunted counts as a poetic life, he’d rather truly die.

Hearing this, you raised an eyebrow, gaining more information. It seems the Heavenly Tower does indeed reclaim anomalies, setting them up as revivable NPCs. They can revive but have no freedom, forced to be hunted by players in each Heavenly Tower game.

Of course, from this, it can also be inferred that each player might encounter different anomalies on Grim Wraith Street. After all, how long has this shop anomaly been dead compared to the existence of the Heavenly Tower? If every player team faced the same anomaly on the second level, the timing wouldn’t match.

Next, you had no intention to continue idle chatter with the shop anomaly and asked what the eerie game was here, and if, considering your acquaintance, it could let you pass easily.

Hearing your words, the shop anomaly gritted its teeth, saying what an acquaintance, and vowed to mess you up to death today.

The shop anomaly then explained the game rules here. The rules were simple: draw cards. You draw one, he draws one; whatever card you draw, you suffer that effect. Eerie coins are also among these cards.

Hearing this, you raised an eyebrow, feeling this game quite similar to the shop anomaly’s ability. However, instead of fulfilling wishes at a cost through drawing cards, it’s modified here, requiring both of you to draw cards.

Next, you suddenly lashed out, aiming at the anomaly’s head in the shop. In the end, you discovered, just like before, you couldn’t harm him.

Seeing you suddenly attack, the shop anomaly snorted coldly, saying that you knew his abilities but still did this, which was simply a waste of time…

You did not care about the shop anomaly’s words, frowning slightly, suspecting that these shop anomalies were all protected by rules. Of course, this shop anomaly was different from the first anomaly because his ability itself rendered him immune to harm. The first anomaly, when facing your attack, was penetrated…

Thinking of this, you squinted your eyes, thinking that the first anomaly’s ability might be penetration. Because he could penetrate, the Holy Light Staff was useless against him. Perhaps, because of the penetration ability, he could see what the next card was, playing the game so effortlessly with you…

“No, the first anomaly didn’t necessarily see what the card was, he just altered the cards. Also, there’s no need to analyze the first anomaly at this moment; dealing with this one is more crucial. The information can be integrated later.”

The real Wang Ping looked at the screen, silently contemplating, then transmitted the information to the simulated Wang Ping in the text simulation.

After the real Wang Ping’s intervention, the simulated Wang Ping received the information.

【Because you received your information, the simulated Wang Ping directly abandoned thinking about the first anomaly, calmly suggesting that the shop anomaly start the game.】

【In response, the shop anomaly snorted coldly and directly started the game. A set of cards you are familiar with appeared before you. The shop anomaly drew a card, then gestured for you to draw one randomly.】

【You raised an eyebrow slightly and drew a random card.】

【Then, you flipped the card with strange patterns, revealing an odd expression. Because the card you drew was a black coin…】

【As you stared with an odd expression, the shop anomaly showed a triumphant smile, revealing his card, indicating he drew a doll card, obtaining a doll. Next, it was your turn to flip your card.】

【Facing the shop anomaly’s urging, you silently flipped your card. As you did, the image on the card became reality, and a black anomaly coin appeared before you.】

【When the shop anomaly saw your card, his expression froze completely, showing an incredulous look.】

【After all, out of his deck of one hundred cards, the probability of drawing the anomaly coin, influenced by his abilities, was only one in a thousand. How could you just draw it so easily?】

【For a moment, the shop anomaly’s expression twisted. This was such a good chance for revenge, and yet he bizarrely lost the game.】

【After a period of silence, the shop anomaly cursed, calling you a damn lucky person, telling you to take the anomaly coin and leave immediately, saying he found you an eyesore.】

【In response, you chuckled, saying, “See you again if fate allows,” and then left the number six shop with the anomaly coin.】

“Uh, the way to clear this level is really dramatic. I can only say that luck is also a part of strength. However, this method of clearing the level is not referenceable. The text simulation has no memory, and it’s the same for those cards. Next time drawing cards, luck may not be so good…“

Wang Ping looked at the content of the text simulation with an odd expression, silently thinking in his heart.

“Forget it, let’s take it slowly.”

Wang Ping shook his head slightly and continued staring at the screen.

As you came out, you saw a player coming out of the number two shop. That player was the male player who had previously taunted you. At this moment, he was covered in blood, looking rather miserable…

However, it was clear that although he was a bit miserable, he successfully passed the anomaly game.

In response, you squinted your eyes, thinking other players still had some skills. Well, if they didn’t, they wouldn’t dare to choose Abyss Mode.

At this time, as you gazed at the player, the player was also staring at you. Simultaneously, he glanced at a pile of black ash on the ground and a large amount of blood, instantly guessing what had happened.

You had previously chosen the number one shop, and now came out of the number six shop. This meant you had cleared two shops. Although it’s unclear whose body it was, undoubtedly, there was a conflict between a player and you, resulting in you killing them.

Who started the fight didn’t concern him. What mattered was one thing: you survived, meaning you had at least two anomaly coins. You might even have three anomaly coins on you.