Chapter 10: Yin Sequence
The pain level in Blazing Front is officially fixed and can't be modified by players. For adults, it's set at 80%, and for minors, it's 60%. That means dying in the game isn't much different from real life.
Unsurprisingly, this feature has sparked a lot of complaints. The official response is that it's all about creating a more realistic experience, and that getting used to low pain levels in the game could affect how you react in real life.
This is also what makes it so appealing - it's real and intense. After all, what's more thrilling than death itself?
Most federalists are adrenaline junkies, and that's what draws them to this game. They love the rush.
As a result, players in Blazing Front treat the game with the same gravity as real life, giving it their all in every match, as if their lives depended on it.
Shi Chu observed that there were no snipers or firearms on the opposite side, so she wasn't in a hurry to move her position.
She adjusted her posture and aimed at someone again, her eyes fixed on the target, her whole body focused, her finger lightly touching the trigger, ready to pull.
Suddenly,
"Swish" - something was coming straight for her from behind.
Shi Chu's expression changed instantly, her heart racing with alarm. Danger!
She dropped the sniper rifle and rolled to the right, barely avoiding the flying dagger.
As she landed and looked back, she saw the dagger quivering in the ground, mere inches from where her heart had been.
Shi Chu's eyes turned icy. The memory of dying from a pierced heart was still etched in her mind - excruciating pain that she'd experienced a few times while being hunted by Schippers.
A tall figure emerged from the shadows, flashing towards her in a blur. Before she could react, he was upon her.
The alpha's blade glinted coldly, brushing past her cheek so closely that the wind from the blade sent a shiver down her spine. A strand of black hair drifted to the ground, sliced clean by the blade's edge.
A low voice whispered in her ear, "Long time no see... I've missed you."
Shi Chu's eyes locked onto his, her pupils contracting in recognition - the guy she'd stabbed in the heart.
Before she could react, he charged, blade flashing in the light. Shi Chu drew her dagger, meeting his strikes with swift blocks, using the force to push herself back and create some space.
"It's you."
Yin Xu stood still, his eyes fixed on the girl before him. Her long black ponytail was slightly disheveled, and her cold, red eyes watched him warily. His gaze lingered on the ornament on her right ear, a new addition since their last encounter that suited her surprisingly well.
"It's me," he said, his voice low. "I told you to wait for me."
Their separation had been long, but fate had brought them together again today. Yin Xu's mind flashed back to their last meeting, recalling the unexpected turn of events that had led him to this moment. He had only logged in to kill time, but things hadn't gone as planned - he'd been surrounded and severely injured.
He had originally planned to wait out the game time and teleport out automatically. However, he didn't expect to be discovered, chased relentlessly, and finally forced into a desperate situation.
The pain of his heart being pierced inch by inch by the blade still lingered vividly in his memory.
The cold blade slowly pierced into his burning heart, and pain surged like a tide, a gradually intensifying torture that seeped deep into his bones.
The agony radiated outward, sweeping through his entire body, every inch of skin and every meridian consumed by the extreme pain.
His strong vitality as an alpha kept him from succumbing to death immediately. Every breath was a torment, each minute and second an eternity of suffering.
Through his blurred vision, he saw the girl's face, her features both gorgeous and chilling, her black hair whipping in the wind, and her red eyes flashing with bloodlust.
She was a devil returned from hell, yet also a flower that had bloomed from his own flesh and blood.
His consciousness slowly sank, consumed by the endless pain, as if he was falling into a bottomless abyss. Darkness and agony wrapped around him like shackles, pulling him down into the void.
The pain would stay with him forever, etched in his memory, just like the image of the girl slowly pulling the knife out of his heart. Her cold gaze had left an indelible mark, a look that treated him as nothing more than a mere object.
What kind of look was that? Her eyes were empty, devoid of emotion, as if he was gazing into the abyss itself. The indifference in her gaze was suffocating, reducing him to a mere speck of dust.
That look seared his already shattered heart, leaving it smoldering in agony.
He could hear the frantic beating of his torn heart, the blood in his veins boiling with a maddening desire for the person before him. Whispers of death echoed in his ears, a haunting melody.
Pain and desire twisted together, and as death loomed near, he saw a vision of an enchanting flower blooming from his own flesh and blood, its beauty both mesmerizing and grotesque.
It was a flower blooming from the depths of despair, a solitary splash of red in the darkness.
His eyes devoured the girl, filled with an unquenchable passion and obsession, as if he wanted to etch her image into his very being.
The memory of that feeling still lingered, persisting even until he returned to the square.
That intoxicating sensation that drove people mad.
Finally, he'd found her again.
Yin Xu's gaze locked onto the girl, his eyes burning with intensity. He couldn't help but lick his fangs, his hand instinctively rising to cover his racing heart. Every cell in his body seemed to be screaming in anticipation.
Shi Chu's eyes narrowed warily as she sized up the alpha before her. The sudden attack had caught her off guard, and everything was happening too fast.
Last time, she'd taken advantage of his weakened state, but now he was at full strength. This wasn't good.
Her gaze darted to the twins, still locked in fierce combat.
With no other options, she made a split-second decision: she'd make a beeline for them. Facing this alpha head-on was a losing proposition.
Time to divert this trouble elsewhere.
"What are you looking at?" a low voice whispered against her cheek, the hot breath caressing her skin like a scorching flame, sending a sudden jolt through her heart.
She hadn't expected him to be this fast in his prime.
Spinning around, she stabbed backward with the dagger, but Yin Xu was too quick. With a swift motion, he blocked the blade mere inches from his throat. Despite her speed, her strength was no match for his.
He seized the opportunity to strike, his hand closing around hers, exerting pressure until the dagger fell from her grasp.
Yin Xu dropped the dagger, his right hand wrapping around her waist, pinning her close. His other hand grasped her wrists, rendering her immobile. The petite beta struggled futilely in his grasp.
"Let go!" she snarled, kicking viciously at his calf in an attempt to break free.
"No," he replied, his voice low and husky. His legs remained steadfast, his body wrapped around hers, as if trying to meld their forms together.
Every inch of his skin thrummed with excitement, his cells vibrating with joy as he absorbed her warmth and scent, his body instinctively responding to her presence.
The alpha's towering frame enveloped her, his scorching body heat searing her skin. The primal intensity in his gaze sent a chill down her spine, making her feel like prey stalked by a predator.
Shi Chu suddenly dropped her head, slamming it back into the alpha's face. She stomped on his instep, and as he recoiled in pain, she landed an elbow strike to his ribs, using all her might to break free.
Without bothering to retrieve her dagger, she sprinted toward Schippers' location. But before she could take a few steps, a powerful gust of wind closed in on her from behind.
She attempted to dodge, but her efforts were futile against the alpha's crushing strength and speed.
A massive impact sent her crashing to the ground, her vision blurring. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her internal organs screaming in agony as if they'd been rearranged.
Damn, that hurts.
She couldn't help but tear up from the pain. Hunting this alpha had been a thorn in her side, and he always managed to escape at the most crucial moments. The repeated failures had left her fuming with irritation and anger.
So, she'd made him pay, slowly inserting the knife into his heart, torturing him to vent her frustration.
Now, she realized the gravity of her mistake. If only she'd just killed him quickly last time, but she had to indulge in her sadistic tendencies.
Falling into the hands of the one she'd severely wronged, her prospects looked bleak. She might not survive this encounter.