I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 158

Chapter 158: What Is the Standard Answer? This Is the Standard Answer!

Gregorio could understand Holy Knight Sidney to some extent.

After all, he had been the same at first—losing the sense of holy power made him deeply uncomfortable.

Because he had always relied too heavily on holy power.

When other Church members asked him what to do, he could only say: “I hope Sidney’s faith is strong. May the Lord protect him. If he cannot change the bizarre world, the only way is to adapt. That is the only solution.”

The first two sentences were naturally nonsense, but the latter part was indeed the truth.

According to him, so-called adaptation meant following the procedure, i.e., going along with the plot.

The bizarre world has its own set of plotlines. If you don’t have a better way, you can only follow the plot and survive.

In the previous round, Gregorio collaborated with plot-related NPCs, which was how he made it to the end.

Otherwise, he would have faced certain death.

In this round, Sidney had absolutely no advantages and instead had numerous disadvantages.

The mechanical body could not sense holy power, and he no longer had his powerful physical form.

In other words, neither holy power nor physical strength could be used.

In this situation, Gregorio pointed at the screen of the Dragon Nation’s Heavenly Master, as if to say: Look, this is the standard answer!

It must be said that while Gregorio himself had little skill, he managed to show off a bit by referencing Zhang Yangqing.

Although everyone was unconvinced by the Dragon Nation’s Heavenly Master, unconvinced or not, this one was truly steady.

Even the Church members felt that the Dragon Nation’s Heavenly Master remained completely unflustered in such an absolutely disadvantaged situation—truly a regular in the bizarre world.

What they didn’t know was that it was others who were at a disadvantage; Zhang Yangqing was not disadvantaged at all.

Inside the bizarre world, after reading the rules and combining them with what he had encountered along the way, Zhang Yangqing had a preliminary understanding of this bizarre world.

In the eyes of other chosen ones, the goal of this bizarre world was: protect humans, protect Tianwei City, protect yourself, protect the transported goods.

As long as these four protection tasks were accomplished, they could survive.

In Zhang Yangqing’s view, who said he had to protect humans?

That was just a “rule” mentioned by mechanical guard Number 255.

The rules did not say he had to step forward if humans were in danger—only that he could not personally kill humans!
He was now an emotionless mechanical being. Why should he care so much?

In his view, humans were actually the greatest danger.

Those familiar with Zhang Yangqing knew that the best way to deal with danger was to eliminate it.

This was one of Zhang Yangqing’s strategies.

However, before truly deciding to eliminate humans, Zhang Yangqing needed to see whether humans were easy to get along with.

If they were easy to get along with, he could spare their lives.

If not, why keep them?

With a goal in mind, Zhang Yangqing’s actions became much clearer.

Next was the weapon selection process.

Mechanical guard Number 255 introduced a bunch of weapons to Zhang Yangqing.

Then came target practice. There were plenty of bullets here, allowing the chosen ones to train freely.

They might not hit every shot, but at least they could hit the target.

Whether it was due to the mechanical body or the chosen ones’ innate talent for firearms,

They were all quite accurate, mostly hitting the target, and those who weren’t as accurate weren’t too far off.

Moreover, the mechanical body’s strength was immense, and many weapons had no perceptible recoil.

In this bizarre world, those with military experience had a significant advantage.

The Eagle Nation’s S-class survivor, the veteran, regretted not entering.

He had long wanted to experience a mechanical body and advanced-era weapons.

As for those who didn’t know how to use guns, their movements were somewhat clumsy.

Especially when reloading—magazines often jammed.

At this time, one chosen one attracted a lot of attention.

He was the Bullfighting Nation’s chosen one, Blanco.

When he was selected for this bizarre world, it caused nationwide celebration in the Bullfighting Nation.

Even the expert panel felt that this round was secured.

Because before entering, no one actually knew what the content of this bizarre world would be.

But after entering, the Bullfighting Nation’s audience realized that this chosen one was perfectly suited for the task.

In the Bullfighting Nation, Blanco was an active-duty special forces soldier.

He even held the title of “Gun King” in the Bullfighting Nation.

While chosen ones from other countries were struggling to hit the target, he was already familiarizing himself with the body, accurately hitting around the eight-ring.

Occasionally hitting the ten-ring made the Bullfighting Nation’s audience cheer.

It could be said that his firearm proficiency was very high.

Entering this bizarre world was a perfect match for his skills.

After all, a chosen one with relevant professional skills had a huge advantage to some extent.

Like some chosen ones on the Mary Cruise ship who were crew members, familiar with ship work and less prone to errors.

Although the main storyline of this bizarre world hadn’t started yet, everyone guessed it involved patrol, guard, combat, etc.

Thus, the Bullfighting Nation’s chosen one, Blanco, as a special forces soldier, was very proficient.

This made audiences from other countries envious, wishing they had sent special forces soldiers.

As Blanco trained, he gradually began to resemble a mechanical guard, and his marksmanship became increasingly unbelievable.

Of course, in the bizarre world, there was no “most outrageous,” only “more outrageous.”

When audiences opened the Dragon Nation’s screen, they even rubbed their eyes, unable to find the chosen one at first.

Because this chosen one was just like a mechanical being.

Even more like a mechanical being than the nearby mechanical beings—there was no sense of incongruity at all.

Just as the Dragon Nation’s audience was wondering if Zhang Yangqing could use firearms,

Bang! Bang! Bang!
With several gunshots, all the targets in front of Zhang Yangqing were hit dead center in the ten-ring.

These targets weren’t stationary but moving targets.

The training base even displayed a banner congratulating him on his perfect accuracy.

It gave the feeling that the bullets Zhang Yangqing fired could track their targets.

His accuracy made some special forces kings on Blue Star shudder.

Accuracy alone was tolerable, since Zhang Yangqing was a superhuman after all.

But besides accuracy, Zhang Yangqing was also fast, which was hard to accept.

The Dragon Nation’s audience stared intently at the screen, seemingly trying to confirm if this was really Zhang the Heavenly Master.

: Does Dragon Tiger Mountain offer firearms courses? I feel like Zhang the Heavenly Master is even more accurate than that special forces soldier.

: No need to feel—Zhang the Heavenly Master can hit targets without even aiming. That’s too strong.

: I seriously suspect that before becoming a Taoist priest, Zhang the Heavenly Master was a special forces soldier.

: Sir, times have changed. Nowadays, Taoist priests use physical exorcism to catch ghosts.

: Haven’t you noticed? Zhang the Heavenly Master doesn’t just know firearms—he seems to know everything.

Reminded by this viewer, everyone realized it was true.

No matter what weapon in this training base, Zhang Yangqing could use it as if he had honed his skills through practice.

Not to mention outside audiences, even nearby training mechanical guards turned to look.

The mechanical guards wondered: When did this guy unlock the aimbot program?
As for weapon selection, Zhang Yangqing chose only a pistol placed at his left waist and a bio-hand cannon mounted on his right arm.

After connecting to the body’s circuits, this bio-hand cannon could release energy.

It could be said that he was the chosen one with the least equipment in this bizarre world, bar none.

He took traveling light to the extreme.

If not for considering that these weapons “might be useful later,” Zhang Yangqing wouldn’t even have bothered carrying them.

The Dragon Nation audience’s thoughts were simple: Zhang the Heavenly Master must have his reasons for choosing these weapons.

On the other hand, the equally “closely watched” Holy Knight Sidney finally moved.

He seemed to have figured something out. He stood up and asked the newbie guide mechanical guard Number 255 if he could add heavy armor.

His slender body gave him no sense of security, even somewhat inferior.

In this world, without muscles, only hiding inside thick armor could make him feel at ease.

He needed to wrap himself up.

Mechanical guard Number 255 said it was possible but sternly told him that adding heavy armor would consume a lot of energy during movement and also slow down his actions. Aside from increased defense, there were no benefits.

Sidney nodded. That was exactly the feeling he wanted.

Then mechanical guard Number 255 took him to the training base, which had not only firearms but also shields and heavy armor.

However, most chosen ones felt it was unnecessary. Rather than being hit, they preferred to be the ones doing the hitting.

Sidney truly armed himself like an iron bucket.

He was a size larger than other chosen ones.

Seeing that his physique was larger than nearby mechanical guards, Sidney’s confidence gradually began to recover.

However, in this round, he had no advantages and could only follow the plot and procedure.

He carefully listened to mechanical guard Number 255’s explanations, not daring to miss a single detail.

The Church members breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Sidney return to normal.

The Pasta Nation’s audience thought this was some clever strategy Sidney had “pondered deeply” and discussed what profound meaning it might have.

Only the Church members knew that this guy simply liked the feeling of heaviness—there was no profound meaning at all.

Although Gregorio said he might as well have gone up instead, he actually had no confidence either.

Inside the bizarre world, after the chosen ones completed their training, they had about half an hour of free time.

At 2 p.m., the mechanical guards were to assemble at the [Preparation Hall].

According to mechanical guard Number 255, they would soon arrive at the first stop of this journey, and the chosen ones needed to be prepared for battle.

This confirmed most chosen ones’ speculation that obtaining weapons meant they were going to fight.

Thinking of this, the chosen ones couldn’t help but feel somewhat nervous.

The moment the chosen ones stepped out of the training base, some information appeared on their visors.

Whenever the chosen ones scanned certain items or creatures, basic information about them would appear.

The chosen ones were currently on the second level of Tianwei City, where mechanical guards were stationed.

With half an hour to freely explore, the chosen ones quickly moved through various areas, hoping to gather more intelligence.

The first level of Tianwei City, the lowest level, was in contact with the ground.

There were many elevator platforms, transport vehicles, armed vehicles, heavy mechs, etc.

It was said that to avoid attacks, Tianwei City never landed—it only made contact with the ground via elevator platforms.

The cockpits of these heavy mechs were very small, likely meant for humans to operate.

The mechs’ legs were mostly treaded, facilitating quick movement.

The Preparation Hall where the chosen ones would assemble later was located here.

Next was the third level. The lower three levels could be accessed via spiral staircases, with guards near the passages.

The chosen ones were mechanical guards and could move freely through the lower three levels. The guards didn’t give them trouble.

The third level housed Tianwei City’s most important biological cultivation farm, which was also key to this transport mission.

It must be said that Tianwei City was enormous, like an aerial nation. The chosen ones walked for a while before reaching the so-called biological cultivation farm.

But upon arriving, all chosen ones were stunned.

The “creatures” locked in the biological cultivation farm were actually “humans”?
They looked similar to humans on Blue Star.

But the information scanned on the visors showed several tags.

[Sub-human species (captives)]

[Primary transport targets]

[Status normal]

These sub-humans had chains on their hands and feet and were locked in cages in groups.

There didn’t seem to be many of them—less than a hundred.

Additionally, there were many empty cages.

The chosen ones naturally followed habit and asked the mechanical guards here for some intelligence.

Mainly asking where this journey was headed, where these sub-human species came from, what the mission of this journey was, etc.

The armed mechanical guards, seeing they were on the same side, shared what they could.

Where this journey was headed, the mechanical guards here didn’t know because their rank was too low, and they lacked sufficient authorization. They knew very little.

Some of the intelligence was relatively key.

[Sub-human species are important labor for humans, with long service lives.]

[Not only are they cheap to produce, but they can also increase in number through reproduction.]

[Weak combat ability, easy to control.]

These words made the chosen ones pause.

Indeed, mechanical beings had strong combat abilities and weren’t afraid of death.

But building this suit of mech wasn’t cheap.

Additionally, they could obtain other intelligence.

This Tianwei City was essentially a massive aerial “raiding ship.”

It survived by robbing resources from other species on the ground and seizing labor.

Hearing this, the chosen ones generally understood their mission.

The third level was a massive detention center, not only holding the sub-human species just seen in cages but also semi-beast species with beast-like features.

 Even in some small cells, they could see dwarves with big beards and muscular builds.

Seeing this, the chosen ones found it relatively normal.

After all, beastmen had appeared in previous bizarre worlds, so their appearance in this bizarre world was acceptable.

Next, in the final detention room, many chosen ones saw a scene they would never forget.

Several women with skin so pale it seemed to glow, pointed and slender ears,

High, elegant noses, and red lips with white teeth appeared before them.

These women were well-maintained, mostly appearing as charming, mature beauties.

Even after being locked in cages and frightened for a long time, their faces weary, it was still difficult to hide the allure in their eyes.

And around them, a layer of white light shimmered, giving them a hazy beauty.

The chosen ones were astonished—were these the legendary elves?
The kind that only appeared in fairy tales?
But since there were already beastmen and dwarves, the appearance of elves here was also acceptable.

After all, the current bizarre world’s dimension might not be very low.

Some chosen ones had a bad premonition but couldn’t quite place it.

At this time, some chosen ones were already searching for one species.

But after searching around the cells for a while, they couldn’t find it.

Just as the chosen ones were puzzled, they finally saw it.

But not in a cage—outside, and moreover, tall and imposing.

That was the green-skinned people, also known as goblins often seen in fantasy worlds.

People’s impression of goblins was that they were short and ugly, the lowest form of life in fantasy worlds.

But the “goblins” here were not like that. They were tall and straight, with robust muscles all over, wearing special armor and holding weapons.

In groups of three or five, they patrolled the area in an orderly manner.

The chosen ones’ visors also displayed some information.

[Human warriors]

[City guard army]

[Status normal]

This left the chosen ones stunned—these were humans?
The sub-human species locked in cages looked more like humans.

The current situation left many chosen ones in a “crashed” state.

They seemed unable to adapt to some of the identities in this world.

Smart chosen ones waited for these green-skinned people to leave before asking the nearby mechanical guards.

The mechanical guards simply told the chosen ones about the relationship chart in Tianwei City and the identity of the green-skinned people.

They received many complex pieces of information, giving the chosen ones headaches.

“Wait, let me sort this out.”

Argentina’s chosen one, Ramírez, was relatively clear-headed.

He seemed to understand what this desperate journey meant.

First, they needed to recognize the various roles here.

In other words, in this bizarre world, these “green-skinned people,” who should be goblins, were the true “humans.”

They were the species the chosen ones must not harm and, when necessary, protect.

These green-skinned people had created mechanical beings, so this setting was normal.

The green-skinned people were also at the top of this world’s food chain.

They had the noblest genes but also had a drawback—low reproductive ability.

They could only give birth once every ten years, and not in large numbers.

To survive and develop, they needed to enslave other species and plunder their wealth.

Relying on advanced technology, they created highly destructive weapons and mechanical guards unafraid of death.

The chosen ones could understand themselves as the green-skinned people’s tools of slaughter, harvesters for plundering other species.

More clever chosen ones had already guessed some hidden information through observation.

These imprisoned species were actually so-called “samples.” This journey would pass through the regions where these species lived.

The mechanical guards’ mission was to assist the green-skinned people in capturing labor and seizing resources.

Rather than a desperate journey, it was more of a journey of slaughter.

Because, in all previous bizarre worlds, ordinary chosen ones had to escape and hide—surviving was the ultimate goal, seeking survival in the cracks of the bizarre world.

It had to be incredibly frustrating.

Since that was the case, the chosen ones felt that this bizarre world intended for them to become emotionless, painless killing machines.

You didn’t like hiding, right? This time, you can kill to your heart’s content.

It was just a matter of whether they could survive amidst the slaughter.

After all, killing and being killed were interchangeable.

How the chosen ones survived in combat was the key to this journey.

There was also the most important point: normal people could not get used to killing.

When facing living beings, they would hesitate and feel reluctant to strike.

Because the original inhabitants of the bizarre world were also flesh-and-blood beings. No one wanted to see bloody scenes.

Although audiences might talk big about fighting and killing in front of the screen, when it came to actually doing it themselves, who could without hesitation deliver a fatal blow?

This made the vast majority of audiences worried about their chosen ones.

However, the Dragon Nation’s audience didn’t seem worried at all.

In this bizarre world, wasn’t Zhang the Heavenly Master like a dragon stranded in shallow waters?
He would show everyone what it meant to kill without blinking an eye.