Chapter 2743: Honey Trap

"A bottle cap, what kind of guidance can it offer?" Levi couldn’t imagine what kind of NPC would want a bottle cap.

Zhou Juanjuan smiled and patted his shoulder, "The items obtained when clearing the game have different levels. Generally, the higher the value, the harder to acquire, the rarer they are, the better the rating. You’ve already laid the foundation."

Levi laughed heartily, "It’s better than having nothing."

"That’s true," Zhou Juanjuan stopped smiling too, busy searching for her own souvenirs.

During their search, three more players obtained souvenirs. Two immediately left after getting their items, while one was unlucky enough to be eyed and had their souvenir snatched away.

Xu Huo noticed it was a very ordinary handicraft that could be seen everywhere here, so souvenirs at tour starting points were not hard to get, and the chance of a random award was quite high.

The instance’s difficulty should lie in the latter part of the journey. Besides a few fixed locations, there are fixed tasks and souvenirs. With many people and few items, the players’ competition should be quite fierce.

Until night fell, Zhou Juanjuan and Zhan Erliu had not gained anything. At this point, they were embarrassed to ask Xu Huo and the others to stick around, so they let them move on to the next scenic spot.

Anyway, the routes ahead do not completely overlap.

Zhan Erliu and Xu Huo had the same route, but he feared Xu Huo’s strength and was worried about becoming a competitor along the way, so he intentionally staggered his itinerary.

"If specified souvenirs appear later, let’s exchange information," Xu Huo suggested.

"No problem," Levi agreed readily, but lacking patience, he simply used the teleportation prop to go to the next scenic spot, not wanting to waste time on the road.

Xu Huo still took the sightseeing aircraft. The night views from some places along the way, illuminated by lights, showed the mountains and streams faintly, boasting a unique hazy beauty of the night.

The terminal recorded these seconds of light and shadow changes, and he still posted a travel log.

On the aircraft, someone was selling mutant butterflies. Just with a little special honey, butterflies could stay on a person until death.

Xu Huo beckoned the seller over, "Do these butterflies always come in pairs?"

The seller nodded with a smile, "These butterflies are loyal insects. They have only one partner in their lifetime; if either dies, the other quickly follows."

"Buy a pair." Xu Huo picked a pair of red ones, the tiny scales reflecting delicate light. After landing on the honey-smeared spot on his glove, they fluttered their wings without leaving, occasionally touching antennas.

Many people bought butterflies, and some asked if they could be released to survive or taken home to raise forever.

Unfortunately, these butterflies had short natural lives and couldn’t live long even with proper care.

When the aircraft stopped, Xu Huo released the butterflies from his hand, wiped the honey from his glove, and blended into the bustling city crowd.

The ball was very lively, with people dancing everywhere on the streets. Crowds spontaneously gathered around dancers, with people constantly joining in.

As the crowd thickened, Xu Huo was pushed forward. A masked woman in a red dance dress approached gracefully, inviting him.

"Go!" Someone nudged him.

Xu Huo went along, led by the woman into the dancers’ midst, guided to dance a duet.

Xu Huo needn’t move much; just turning in sync with the woman’s movements sufficed. Midway through the dance, the woman giggled and put a mask on him, her hand sliding down his shoulder, then clasped his palm.

The dance continued, but the woman tried several times to pull her hand away. When unsuccessful, she leaned closer to Xu Huo, whispering, "Believe me, if I shout, ten law enforcement people will jump out to arrest you?"

Xu Huo pushed her away, "I hear Zone 022 has strict laws. I wonder what the penalty for theft and robbery is?"

Her skirt’s spin prompted applause, and she said confidently, "Here, outer zone people are always below those from this zone."

"Oh?" Xu Huo arched an eyebrow, "So there are levels even among those from this zone?"

She chuckled lightly, her right hand brushed under his nose, then retreated into the dancers’ cover.

Xu Huo glanced at those stalling for time, stepped out, and chased the direction the woman left.

He followed unhurriedly, soon leaving the bustling area, entering a park, and as people thinned, the lights dimmed, until almost fully enveloped in darkness, those who’d been lurking nearby came forward.

The red-dress woman was among them. Her bulky skirt was tied around her waist, holding an energy gun, she stepped forward, "Just two small props, dear guest, don’t take it so seriously; you might lose your life."

Xu Huo was genuinely surprised, "I posted a log this morning saying everyone here is nice, and I’m confronted with robbery and murder by night? Law enforcement doesn’t care about you?"

"Family helps family, besides, you outsiders always cause trouble." She aimed the gun at him, "Be sensible; admit defeat. Not far is a law enforcement rest stop, they have a prop restriction device. If they really come, you won’t have a place to run, might even be jailed. Why bother?"

"Is that so?" Suddenly Xu Huo’s voice emerged behind her, and before she reacted, he pressed her shoulder, "There’s indeed a rest stop, but it’s empty. Are you sure they’ll come to save you?"

"Let her go!" The assisting players surrounded him, but their shock guns and electric capture nets were hardly high-end, easily blocked. Yet the goal wasn’t capture but forcing Xu Huo to leave, so someone lunged directly, reckless at any cost.

Wearing simple protective suits, their equipment and skill disparity seemed fearless, making one suspect something strange.

Xu Huo didn’t attack them, merely barricading them outside. Seeing several assaults fail, the red-dress woman suddenly untied her waist’s skirt!

A few blades swiftly shot out, Xu Huo released her, distanced himself, and, seeing her bleeding wound, said, "Was it necessary?"

"Very necessary!" She laughed, triggering the terminal alarm device on her wrist, "You got lustful, I resisted hurt, a jailable offense in Zone 022."

The law enforcement arrived swiftly, skipping routine inquiry, immediately encircling Xu Huo, "This is Zone 022, not your outsider haven. Drop your weapons, surrender, or be executed on the spot!"

Xu Huo remained still, "Isn’t it unjust to arrest without asking for antecedents?"

"Enough talk, you think this is some second-rate zone where players do as they please?" A team member threw automatic shackles.

Seeing them fly toward him, Xu Huo stomped and crushed them, seemingly angering the law enforcement who called for aid and requested execution as they activated interference devices, concentrating brain-impairing energy waves within range, the red-dress woman and accomplices retreating.

"Captain Ding, he hasn’t succeeded, he can pay a fine..." the red-dress woman protested.

Bearded Captain Ding slapped her remotely, sneering, "Interfering with enforcement, do you want a spell in Punishment City too? Get lost!"

"Fine, I’ll pay the fine." Xu Huo supported his head.

Captain Ding sneered dismissively, gesturing to comrades to attack. The interference device rendered other spatial instruments mostly ineffective, while controlling evolutionary power posed difficulties, primarily defending against evolvers, and controlling players had numerous options, like shock waves and sound waves—common measure in technologically advanced zones against players.

Plus restricted props, simulation instruments, to diminish player strength substantially.

"Is Zone 022 so broke it needs law enforcement to run scams?" Xu Huo gestured in the air, a miniature flight recorder appeared in the empty space, he turned to Captain Ding, "Look here, greet the friends on the collection of information terminal."

Captain Ding swiftly looked at his side, his companion nervously said, "Terminal’s cut off long ago, impossible..."

"Just a recording, no need to be tense." Xu Huo put away the recorder and gestured, cutting the interference devices to pieces on them. With the prop’s effect, one by one they were hung suspended.

"I doubt Zone 022 lacks cash; unsure if you’re after my props or me? Let’s talk it over."