The First Confrontation: A Veteran’s Dilemma

‘Are there such people in every game?’ Xiang Qi wondered, her gaze unwavering as she observed the man moving through the crowd, engaging everyone in conversation. She simply watched him, seemingly convinced of his own cleverness, as he rallied the others.

It had to be admitted, the man possessed a certain capability. While his efforts to spark conversation were clearly deliberate, his chosen topics were perfectly pitched, preventing any significant animosity from those he drew in. He effortlessly seized the initiative, skillfully building momentum in his favor.

Yet, this was precisely the type of person Xiang Qi found herself disliking. For one, she had an aversion to overly familiar individuals—like Shu Xun, and indeed, like Shu Xun again. Such people, in her experience, typically harbored ulterior motives. And secondly…

‘Next, he‘ll try to isolate me, won’t he?’

Xiang Qi sighed inwardly, patting her pristine white dress before rising from the jagged reef. She nodded faintly at the man who was now approaching her.

“If you’re looking for me, just say what you need to say.”

Having already anticipated the man’s intentions, the girl decided to seize the initiative herself. They weren’t far from the other players, and Xiang Qi had overheard most of the previous conversations.

Since she was going to be targeted anyway, she saw no need to conceal herself. Ultimately, this situation stemmed from her inexplicable identity as a ‘veteran’ player. If she were merely an ordinary player, she wouldn’t face such troubles, but our Miss Xiang was clearly no ordinary player.

As the sole ‘veteran,’ her authority might have been somewhat diminished by her youthful appearance and age, but it still carried significant weight for newcomers who had already experienced one game. Unless they were completely new players who had never participated in a game, most other players possessed some understanding of veterans.

This identity was a disadvantage for those who wished to remain hidden, yet for others, it presented a considerable boon, proving to be an invaluable asset in the early stages.

“Miss, if I’m not mistaken—you’re actually a veteran, aren’t you?” The man seemed slightly taken aback that the girl knew his purpose, but it wasn’t a crucial detail. He simply needed to proceed with his original plan.

“Yes.”

‘So, he‘s here to isolate me,’ Xiang Qi thought, her pale purple pupils narrowing slightly, a clear sign that her owner was growing annoyed.

Nevertheless, it was, she had to admit, a rather poor move.

When people find themselves in an unfamiliar environment, they often seek to join a group to gain a sense of presence, which makes them feel safe and needed. What the man was doing now was precisely that. A group requires sufficient targets to maintain stable existence, and xenophobia has always been a human inclination. Identifying an outsider undoubtedly strengthens the sense of belonging among other group members and can psychologically exert immense pressure on the excluded individual.

Exclusion was not wrong, nor was isolation. However, the mistake lay in his choice of an opposing identity, which significantly diminished the intended effect.

Indeed, newcomers and veterans could form two distinct factions. Yet, the antagonism between these two factions wasn’t as strong as he presumed. Veterans represented seasoned experience, greater power, and a more accurate judgment and understanding of the game.

When genuine disagreements arose, would people choose to trust an inexperienced newcomer with some prestige, or a seasoned hunter with extensive knowledge?

The answer was obvious; many had likely already made their choice in their hearts.

Truthfully, Xiang Qi had no desire to associate with these people. She noticed that at least half of them had turned their attention to the interaction between her and the man, which was unwelcome news.

Excluding those who simply enjoyed a spectacle, this meant a significant number of people harbored their own ideas, potentially stirring trouble and acting as unstable elements.

Xiang Qi didn’t believe that all six players in this round had already experienced a game; such a probability was incredibly low. If even one person was a pure newcomer who had never played a round, it implied that this game mode could only be ‘Hunt.’

In a proper ‘Hunt’ mode, grouping together was not a wise choice. Xiang Qi personally preferred to operate alone, each hiding independently. Aside from certain powerhouses with explosive combat and execution abilities, this was the most effective way to maximize survival.

As the one being chased, one should not constantly think of counterattacking. Since the name was ‘Hunt,’ it was naturally meant for playing hide-and-seek; the game was never designed for the mouse to directly bite the cat to death.

However, Xiang Qi always believed that caution prevented major mistakes. Since someone had offered her a stepping stone, Miss Xiang naturally used it without hesitation. After all, it cost her nothing, and there was no disadvantage in doing so.

“What, do you have a problem with that?”

Displaying a suitable measure of firmness, Xiang Qi wanted to see how the man would handle the situation next.

“Nothing, I merely hope you can look after us newcomers a bit more,” the man said with an embarrassed smile. “We newcomers don’t understand much about this game, so we hope you can bear with us. It’s truly a bother.”

He seemed sincere, yet his constant ‘you’ and ‘us’ made his intentions transparent. Who couldn’t see through that?

Since he hadn’t stated his intentions outright, Xiang Qi had no desire to create trouble for herself. She simply nodded, responding gracefully and earning no small amount of goodwill from the onlookers.

Xiang Qi was a truly beautiful girl now, and skillfully leveraging her physical advantages was a form of capability.

Thus, the first brief confrontation concluded just as the system notification sounded simultaneously and perfectly timed.

[This game is a Versus Mode. Players are divided into Group A and Group B. Group A consists of five players, and Group B consists of two players.

Group A Mission: Locate the five beacons on the map and destroy them in the correct sequence. Victory is achieved upon the correct destruction of all five beacons, followed by the settlement phase.

Group B Mission: Prevent the destruction of the beacons. Kill all other players before the island sinks. Victory is achieved upon completion, followed by the settlement phase.]

A familiar sensation of mental disorientation washed over Xiang Qi, and she found herself in a small wooden cabin, the others having vanished.

‘How unexpected,’ she mused. ‘To actually encounter such a low probability. I suppose that counts as being lucky enough.’

Xiang Qi would never admit that her own assumptions had, once again, been flawed. Fortunately, she hadn’t made any outrageous moves earlier, or the situation would have been rather dire now.

Concurrently, the system notification chimed once more.

[Notification: You have been selected as a Group B player.]