C8 Escape from Death

Xiao Hao's heart pounded uncontrollably, yet he remained motionless.

Sweat dripped from his nose to his lips. Clamping his mouth shut, Xiao Hao could still taste the salty tang.

"Don't hide anymore, I can see you now..."

The voice echoed just above Xiao Hao's head, separated by only a thin layer of earth.

Drenched in cold sweat, Xiao Hao felt as if he had been plucked from water.

In the darkness, it seemed as though myriad eyes had sprouted all around, mockingly fixing their gaze on him.

He was aware it was all in his head, but the sensation of being watched was piercingly vivid, as if some monstrous entity was lurking behind him, its blood-red eyes locked onto him.

Numbness crept into Xiao Hao's legs, but he remained perfectly still.

The mental strain was mounting, his heart racing as if it would leap from his throat.

Escape was futile.

Xiao Hao had to take a chance!

He bet on the hope that it wouldn't find him!

Silence enveloped the area.

Minutes dragged on, feeling like centuries.

Sweat trickled from his brow into his eyes, the bloodshot whites growing denser, the stinging pain gnawing at Xiao Hao's sanity.

His hands shook with barely controlled tremors, yet he persisted, his breath feather-light, fearing the slightest noise might summon the specter.

"Get out here!"

At the ghost's furious demand, Xiao Hao breathed a sigh of relief.

He had won the bet!

It hadn't found him!

A thunderous roar filled the air as the ghost, in a fit of rage, wielded its Sickle Finger, slicing through earth as though it were butter.

A vast pit was dug.

With one swipe.

It was filled.

The rumbling drew nearer, and Xiao Hao could only watch helplessly as the last exit was sealed.

The once rugged terrain was now a smooth plain.

Time passed, unmeasured, until the soft earth stirred.

A hand burst forth from below!

It was Xiao Hao!

Caked in mud and looking worse for wear, a triumphant smile spread across his face.

Messages flooded the live stream's chat.

He had made it out alive!

Little did the ghost know, the host had been right beneath its feet all along.

He'd rather be buried alive than come out—that streamer is seriously hardcore.

Honestly, I've seen a lot of players, but he's the first to dodge a ghost's chase like that.

Rookie players are usually pretty bad, but the streamer really made me take notice.

I'm following him just for his incredible resilience.

If it were me, with a ghost constantly floating around, I'd have bolted for sure.

...

He had planned to keep grinding for monsters, but then this happened.

Good thing he was bound to a guardian; it significantly boosted his physical condition, or he never would've made it out.

With Xiao Hao offline, the only option was to head back to the Shellfish House for some rest.

And on his way, he didn't miss the chance to crack open a few extra treasure chests.

Now, Xiao Hao hardly has to worry about his food supply.

Turning on the shower, he felt a bit grimy—the water was actually seawater.

Makes sense, though—if it were freshwater, there'd be no need to get it from a treasure chest.

Suddenly, Xiao Hao remembered the blueprint for the water purifier back in the Synthetic House.

Was there any raw material he didn't have?

Time to synthesize!

Showering with water purified by the water purifier was blissful!

Fresh from the shower, Xiao Hao lay in bed and pulled up the long-neglected forum. He could view the game's interface floating in space without even holding his phone.

He was curious about the other players' status, hoping someone might have found the soul tonic herb so he wouldn't have to deal with ghosts.

Sadly, no one had.

And there were a few more competitors now.

Xiao Hao didn't mind them—in fact, he felt a sense of camaraderie.

You only need the soul tonic herb if your soul is damaged.

They were all unfortunate souls.

"Number 666: Help! Help me! My leg's broken! Please, anyone, give me a blood agent!!!"

"Number 666: I'll trade food for it—please, just save me!"

Surely, Xiao Hao wasn't the only one who'd ever received a blood agent, but nobody seemed willing to make a trade.

Opening a treasure chest would surely yield food, but there was no guarantee of finding a blood agent. Xiao Hao, spurred on by bullet messages, cracked open over a dozen chests before he managed to unearth just four bottles.

Experience points weren't the only thing Xiao Hao was accumulating from these chests; they would respawn in various locations and had a two-hour window before disappearing. Miss it, and the opportunity was lost.

Despite his pleas for help, no one offered up a blood agent. When he posted a photo brimming with snacks, Xiao Hao instantly recognized the player—a top-tier gamer known for a bed overflowing with treats.

It was only day two of the survival game, and blood agents were exceedingly scarce at this stage. Those who could secure them rarely worried about food.

Others who had once pursued him now callously suggested he was as good as dead and should hand over all his food.

Brother Lu was on the verge of madness, yet still, no one was willing to trade. Instead, the moralizing voices grew louder, trying to guilt him into submission.

Xiao Hao glanced at the blood agents in his spatial pocket—not an abundance, but a respectable stash nonetheless. Securing treasure chests and a steady supply of blood agents wasn't a challenge for him.

With this in mind, Xiao Hao snapped a photo of his blood agents using the game's camera feature, and the forum's lurking players erupted into action.

"What do you need, Boss?"

"I've got iron, coral, copper, gold—all of it! Just please sell me a blood agent!"

"I can offer wood, cotton, fabric, even the components for a water purifier. All I'm asking for is some blood agent!"

The forum was bombarded with offers, and friend requests flooded in non-stop.

"User 666: Boss! My apologies! Take all my snacks. My health is nearly depleted. I'm begging you!"

The blood agent was more scarce than Xiao Hao had anticipated, and the demand was overwhelming.

He checked the items offered on the forum against his inventory and realized he already had everything they were offering. There was nothing he needed.

As friend requests continued to pop up, Xiao Hao simply blocked them. He inquired about the soul tonic herb, but still, no luck.

It looked like he'd have to harvest the soul tonic herb himself.

"Number 666: Big bro, boss man, I'm begging you, I messed up, I really did. I'll give you all my snacks if you just save my life, okay?"

"Number 666: Big bro, a huge chunk of my thigh's been bitten off, my bones are shattered, and I can't stop bleeding. I won't act tough anymore. Have some mercy, please save me..."

Sigh.

A whole bed of snacks couldn't just go to waste.

Xiao Hao accepted Brother Lu's friend request.

"With a bed full of snacks, why would you even think of leaving the house?"

"I've seen lots of people on the forum getting all sorts of stuff from treasure chests..."

He was green with envy...

But you've got to admit, the kid's got guts to venture out with plenty of food at hand.

Xiao Hao spotted the snacks up for trade and didn't hesitate, swapping them straight up for a blood agent.

"Thank you, big brother! Thank you, pops! I can't thank you enough!"

Xiao Hao certainly didn't want to acknowledge this 'son'...

After a quick scan of the forum and finding nothing of value, he logged off, leaving behind a chorus of lamentations.

In the game, death turned your avatar black, logging off made it gray.

Did you guys see that? A Peacock Mantis Shrimp showed up a kilometer away!

For real! I saw it!

The Peacock Mantis Shrimp is an exceptionally rare wild monster. With it around, you won't get instantly taken down by a Level 10 or higher ghost.

That got Xiao Hao moving.

While scouring the ocean floor, it wasn't like he hadn't come across other wild monsters.

But none could withstand even a basic hit from a ghost.

When he finally learned of a suitable wild monster amid the flurry of messages, the previously weary Xiao Hao snapped to attention.

What more was there to say?

Time to head out!