I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 133

Chapter 133: Boss, You Call These People “Corpses,” Right?

Abdul’s current train of thought was now very close to Zhang Yangqing’s.

At first, when watching the footage, he couldn’t understand why the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master was so brutal in the Rule-Breaking World.

Because the NPCs in the Rule-Breaking World seemed like flesh-and-blood people, many ordinary folks who had never been inside felt that their own rule-breakers slaughtering them was nothing short of massacre.

Most humans are inherently averse to killing.

Regardless of right or wrong, many adopt an indifferent stance, standing on moral high ground to proclaim that killing is wrong.

When particularly gruesome scenes played out on the rule-breakers’ screens, audiences watching the live broadcasts often couldn’t bear to look.

Some viewers even took it upon themselves to lecture, insisting that avoiding bloodshed was the “correct” way to clear the challenges.

Yet, none of these people dared to enter the Rule-Breaking World to put their so-called “correct theories” into practice.

Abdul, too, had once questioned the Dragon Country Celestial Master’s methods. After all, if the Celestial Master was already so strong, was such ferocity really necessary?

Many dangers could have been avoided with his abilities.

That was the kind of naive thinking Abdul used to have.

But now—

From doubting the Dragon Country Celestial Master…

To understanding the Dragon Country Celestial Master…

To emulating the Dragon Country Celestial Master.

As the saying went on Blue Star: Only those who have entered the Rule-Breaking World will never question the Dragon Country Celestial Master’s methods.

Not a single survivor who made it out of the Rule-Breaking World ever criticized the Celestial Master’s actions.

Because the Rule World demanded such behavior to clear its challenges—otherwise, you’d be left gambling with your life.

If you didn’t want to gamble, you had no choice but to take lives.

Even the Red-Robed Cardinal, during his first entry into the Rule-Breaking World, had slaughtered his way through.

Abdul realized that as long as he stopped thinking like a normal human—as long as he abandoned conventional logic and shed his sense of mercy—he could connect the dots between intel and rules.

Take the rule stating that the “kind, fat prison guard” would help you once—but you also had one chance to kill him.

Given the terrain and the presence of eerie plants, this was clearly designed for rule-breakers to exploit.

In a straightforward one-on-one fight, Abdul had no confidence in defeating his opponent.

Especially when the opponent held control devices that decided prisoners’ fates.

Next was the second rule Abdul could now comprehend after discarding his humanity:

[Rule 2: Once a plant is full, it will stop feeding. Before harvesting, ensure it is satiated.]

Combined with another piece of intel Abdul had obtained—above the Color Fruits, there existed something called Exotic Fruits.

According to the old prisoners, Exotic Fruits were the hardest to catch and extremely dangerous. Handing them over to the guards could reduce one’s sentence.

Of course, the latter part about sentence reduction could be ignored.

Anyone who obtained such a treasure and willingly gave it up was a complete fool.

The key details were hardest to catch and extremely dangerous.

This implied that Exotic Fruits were undoubtedly carnivorous.

“Hard to catch” suggested they could move, while “extremely dangerous” confirmed they were aggressive.

What else could they be but monstrous fruits?

Abdul speculated that consuming Color Fruits might grant strength.

So what would happen if one ate an Exotic Fruit?

Would it bestow even greater power?

Given that Exotic Fruits were far more valuable than Color Fruits, Rule 2 of the Botanical Garden’s guidelines was essentially teaching rule-breakers how to capture them.

The method was simple: Feed them until they’re full.

To satiate a carnivorous monstrous fruit, one needed meat.

And the only “meat” in the botanical garden?

The prisoners themselves.

By locating an Exotic Fruit, killing enough prisoners, and feeding it, one could harvest it. This was the conclusion drawn from combining rules, intel, and terrain.

A complete strategy emerged.

For ordinary rule-breakers, the only way was to kill a guard, steal the control device, and then eliminate other prisoners—just for a chance at harvesting an Exotic Fruit.

Otherwise, it was impossible.

This was what Abdul had spent so long figuring out.

It was also why Zhang Yangqing had earlier told his snake-eyed assistant that the corpses were crucial.

In the botanical garden of the Rule-Breaking World, only the two of them could truly access the ultimate reward.

Grigori wasn’t lacking in ruthlessness—he was simply hyper-focused on removing his restraint bracelet. Rewards meant nothing to him.

As long as he could wield divine energy, he believed nothing could stop him. He didn’t need enhancement items or other perks.

Abdul pondered: Where would the Exotic Fruit most likely appear?

If the Rule-Breaking World followed its usual patterns, the greatest treasures were always hidden in the most dangerous places.

That would be the deepest part of the botanical garden.

The logic was simple. The old prisoner had warned them not to waste time near the entrance.

The first wave of prisoners would have scoured the outer areas for Color Fruits. Grabbing five would have allowed them to leave.

So by the time Abdul’s group arrived, the chances of finding Color Fruits near the entrance were slim.

Let alone something as rare as an Exotic Fruit.

The deeper one ventured, the greater the dangers—especially since there were no paths, forcing rule-breakers to explore blindly.

If they discovered what the monstrous plants feared, sticking to sunlit areas would suffice.

Otherwise, they’d have to follow Abdul’s lead and fully embrace inhuman tactics.

After changing into a guard’s uniform, he captured two prisoners and forced them to scout ahead.

The alternative was death.

The two unlucky souls had no choice—prisoners couldn’t defy guards.

Older prisoners had sharper instincts and could more easily avoid carnivorous plants.

Even if these two died, Abdul could always grab others.

But he kept the number to two or fewer—any more, and he risked being overpowered.

The control device only worked when aimed precisely. If he couldn’t see the target or misaligned the direction, it was useless.

As an ordinary human, Abdul had to tread carefully.

These prisoners were formidable. In a group fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

This was the strategy he had tested.

The two prisoners had no idea why a “guard” was here, but with the controller in his hands, they had no choice but to obey.

Secretly, they exchanged glances, silently plotting to kill the guard at the first opportunity.

Prisoners attacking guards wasn’t unheard of. In life-or-death situations, most would rather take on a guard than a carnivorous plant.

Abdul anticipated this. The moment he noticed anything suspicious, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill.

In this world, survival was all that mattered.

He couldn’t care less about the audience’s opinions. If he didn’t make it out alive, nothing else mattered.

…..

As Zhang Yangqing and Abdul searched for the Exotic Fruit, the live broadcast screens continued to go dark.

Of the already dwindling number of rule-breakers, only 75 remained.

Even those who had deciphered the monstrous plants’ attack patterns struggled to survive if their physical skills fell short.

The remaining rule-breakers were either exceptionally bold, highly observant—or just plain lucky.

Some had stumbled upon Color Fruits hidden by other prisoners.

Prison gang leaders would immediately confiscate any fruits they spotted in others’ pockets.

Most rule-breakers adopted similar strategies—burying their finds and marking the spots.

The markings were meant to prevent losing track, but sometimes others found them instead.

Whether rule-breakers or prisoners, collecting five fruits meant a return to the prison’s rest area.

As time passed, everyone grew more familiar with the terrain and the types of carnivorous plants. Avoiding them became the priority.

…..

The rule-breaker from Football Country was having an unusually lucky run—currently holding the record for the most Color Fruits found.

But that wasn’t all. By sheer chance, he had also dug up two additional Color Fruits buried by other prisoners.

He had already hidden three elsewhere.

Retrieving them would make him the first to clear the challenge in the shortest time.

But fate had other plans.

When he returned to his stash, he found the spot dug up.

His three hard-earned fruits were gone.

The Football Country rule-breaker erupted in fury: “Who the hell steals someone else’s fruits? If I catch you, you’re dead!”

His outrage was ironic, given that he had stolen others’ fruits too.

Unbeknownst to him, danger was closing in.

In moments like these, luck ran out fast.

The moment he realized his stash had been looted, he should have fled.

The thieves likely knew he’d return and were lying in wait.

For most prisoners, stealing was far easier and safer than searching.

The looters assumed he’d come back with more fruits.

Sure enough, footsteps approached from behind. Three orange-clad prisoners closed in.

“Thanks for the fruits, kid,” one beastman warrior sneered. They were seasoned thieves.

“Enough talk. We’ve got plenty. Kill him and go—no loose ends,” a superhuman interjected.

The Football Country rule-breaker had allied with the crocodile-man gang. If spared, he could report them, sealing their fates.

To eliminate the risk, the superhuman decided to execute him.

Panicked, the rule-breaker pleaded, “I won’t say anything! I’m lucky—I can find more for you! Please, let me live!”

His desperation was palpable.

Robbed and now begging for his life.

Football Country’s viewers ached for him. Survival in the Rule-Breaking World was brutally hard.

Even Edson, a veteran survivor from the last Rule-Breaking World, admitted he wouldn’t have fared well here.

Last time, NPCs were friendlier, and allies existed.

This time, as prisoners, rule-breakers couldn’t even cooperate with others per the rules. The difficulty was staggering.

“You think we’d believe that? Dead men tell no tales!”

The three prisoners advanced relentlessly.

Cornered, the Football Country rule-breaker snapped. He tore off his glove and bit his own hand, drawing blood.

This triggered the monstrous plants’ attack condition.

“Fine! We all die together!”

Instead of fleeing, he lunged at them, smearing his blood on their clothes to mark them for attack.

The prisoners recoiled at his ferocity.

Even the strong fear the desperate.

Hearing the rustling of approaching monsters and seeing the rule-breaker’s manic resolve, they turned and fled.

In their eyes, he was already dead. Why risk themselves?

The three prisoners, physically superior, vanished in seconds.

The monstrous plants surrounded the rule-breaker.

Just as viewers braced for his demise, he licked his hand clean and clamped his mouth over the wound.

No blood scent meant no attack.

Rules were rules.

As the plants retreated, the rule-breaker exhaled in relief.

He’d only thought of this last-ditch move in the brink of death.

With the prisoners gone, he staunched the bleeding and bandaged his hand tightly.

The wound would clot in minutes.

For someone hardened, this was nothing.

A less resilient person would’ve been left weeping, waiting to die.

Luckily, his two dug-up Color Fruits remained.

The challenge allotted four hours, ensuring rule-breakers faced endless obstacles in their search.

For low-tier prisoners like him, stealing was the only option—but theft came with huge risks.

Some rule-breakers considered seeking gang leaders’ protection, believing it would prevent robberies.

But the rules explicitly forbade cooperation.

In truth, the rules weren’t lying.

The gang leaders almost certainly knew the Exotic Fruit’s secret.

They had likely consumed such fruits to gain their power.

Any rule-breaker joining them would inevitably be fed to the Exotic Fruit as bait.

Just like Zhang Yangqing’s current situation.

…..

“Keep going. It’s not full yet.”

Zhang Yangqing lounged beneath a tree, relaxing in the shade.

High above, on a towering tree, hung a fruit radiating tri-colored light—the botanical garden’s ultimate treasure, the Exotic Fruit.

The grunt work of hauling corpses to feed it fell to his snake-eyed assistant.

Dirty jobs weren’t for the boss.

What was the point of having underlings if not to exploit them?

Finding the Exotic Fruit wasn’t hard—just head deep into the garden.

The greatest dangers hid the greatest rewards.

Any monstrous plants blocking the path had been chopped down for fertilizer.

With no surveillance or guards, Zhang Yangqing operated with impunity.

He didn’t harvest the fruit forcibly because it wasn’t ripe yet.

Only when it stopped moving would it be mature.

In other words, once satiated, its energy reserves would peak, and it would cease feeding.

Harvesting it prematurely would yield subpar results. Feeding it was the optimal approach.

Though the snake-eyed assistant wasn’t particularly strong, as a hybrid human of this dimension, he had some muscle—especially after consuming the strength-boosting meal.

He’d even crafted a makeshift wheelbarrow from wood.

Crude but effective.

In one trip, he transported seven or eight corpses.

Two trips later, all fifteen bodies Zhang Yangqing had killed were fed to the Exotic Fruit.

The fruit devoured them ravenously, especially relishing the crocodile-man’s flesh.

Clearly, it favored powerful prey.

With an assistant handling the labor, Zhang Yangqing had it easy.

Abdul, on the other hand, was slogging alone.

First, he lured prisoners deep into the garden, then pressed the red button to kill them.

Afterward, he hauled their corpses to the Exotic Fruit for feeding.

Though slow, the four-hour time limit was ample.

Grabbing one or two at a time was manageable—just exhausting.

Equally worn out was the snake-eyed assistant.

After tossing the fifteenth corpse, he assumed the fruit would be full.

Instead, it gaped at him hungrily.

The assistant was floored. How can something so small eat so much?!

Exhausted, he slumped to the ground.

“Boss, it’s still not full. What now?”

His phrasing was deliberate.

As a subordinate, he’d never dare order the boss around.

This was a subtle hint.

A minion’s etiquette.

Stretching lazily, Zhang Yangqing replied, “No worries. There are dozens more corpses nearby. Take your time.”

The assistant blinked in confusion, scanning the area.

Then, figures emerged from the bushes and trees—led by the Lightning Man and the Mad Scientist, along with other prison gang leaders and their crews.

They had the place surrounded, sealing all exits.

The snake-eyed assistant gaped at Zhang Yangqing.

Boss… you’re calling these people “corpses”?