Chapter 268: Humanity is the Last Line of Defense

"What's wrong with this person?" Yan Jiayu dragged back the barely-alive female player, making a pained expression as she looked at the man on the ground who was almost twisting his limbs off. "Is this a Player-Eater side effect?""Skin-Burrowing Worm side effect." Xu Huo pointed at the nearby tree and ground. "Be careful, don't let those worms touch you..."

Before he could finish speaking, one of the Skin-Burrowing Worms that had burrowed into the tree suddenly crawled out, landing right on the back of her hand.

Watching the worm immediately leave a bloody hole upon contact, Yan Jiayu widened her eyes in surprise. She immediately clenched her fist, causing her muscles to swell up, then gripped her upper arm with her right hand and exerted force. With a soft "squelch" sound, it seemed like something had been crushed.

Then she slid her hand down her arm a couple of times. After a trickle of blood flowed from the wound on her hand, she applied some potion upward. "All fixed."

Xu Huo stared at her for several seconds, then couldn't help but smile. "That worm might be poisonous. You'd better drink some antidote."

Yan Jiayu nodded, took out a bottle of antidote and gulped it down. "Milk-flavored antidote. I specifically traded for this in a dungeon."

Xu Huo retracted his thread, confirming she was truly unharmed before finishing off the man whose brain was almost completely eaten by the worms with one sword strike.

"His face skin is moving." Yan Jiayu poked at it with her stone staff, and the flesh worm broke through the facial skin and crawled out. Its size had expanded to three times its original, and its movements had become sluggish. After falling to the ground, it quickly died, while Brother Xue's cheek skin sank deeply inward.

"Are there really species like this in dungeons?" Yan Jiayu was also shocked. "They can hollow people out?"

"Humans are evolving, other species might also undergo mutations." Xu Huo had already received Brother Xue's player inheritance, and there was half a can of these worms in his luggage compartment.

"Looking at just this worm, it actually has some clever uses in this dungeon." Yan Jiayu scratched her head. "But I think doing this is a bit too inhumane. Although many people have lost their moral boundaries after starting the game, one shouldn't abandon their fundamental human principles."

"My Master said that abandoning humanity in critical moments isn't shameful, but one shouldn't give it up from the very beginning. Because humanity is a person's final boundary, not a choice made without internal conflict and suffering."

Xu Huo agreed with her statement. "Then how should we deal with these worms?"

"If we release them, they might accidentally harm others... What do you think?" she asked.

"Then let's kill them." Xu Huo said. "Treat it as part of the food chain. We just encountered danger, and now we're handling the danger."

Yan Jiayu thought this made sense too, so she said, "How many escaped? I'll go find them."

Xu Huo explained in detail, and then the two worked together to dig out the five Skin-Burrowing Worms hiding in the trees and soil, crushing them to death.

After finishing, Yan Jiayu pointed at the female player. "What should we do with this person? She says she has dungeon strategies, but she'll only tell us if we spare her life."

Xu Huo glanced at the person on the ground. "Kill her too."

The female player's pupils trembled violently, and she quickly begged for mercy. "I'm absolutely not lying to you! The amusement park games aren't that simple. The further you go, the more difficult they become, and there are even some players trapped in the dungeon who disguise game points to kill and rob. I know all of this! Trading this for my life is absolutely a good deal for you!"

Xu Huo gestured behind her. The female player gritted her teeth, then had no choice but to take out a blood-stained map. However, the map was just an enlarged version of the tourist guide route, nothing special about it.

"You need to use this item." She took out a magnifying glass. "The words on the map are written with special solution. You can't see them without using this item."

Xu Huo placed it on top and looked. Sure enough, the words all appeared. However, this map had probably changed hands multiple times, as the handwriting showed different ages, and the information about game points varied.

"A map that still requires personal verification of its authenticity." He shifted his gaze to the female player, his eyes gradually turning cold.

"You... are going too far!" The female player angrily surged up, but having already suffered broken tendons and fractured bones, both her speed and strength were greatly diminished. Before she could even stand up, Yan Jiayu sent her to the afterlife with one staff strike.

Without taking the two players' Small Hats, the two buried the bodies on the spot and left.

There was indeed a camp not far from here, but not where the two Player-Eaters had indicated.

The accommodation camp was a two-story Fairy Tale Castle, located deep in the forest, with very extensive grounds. In front stood a stone bridge, below which stretched a vast lake.

"This place looks so realistic." Yan Jiayu couldn't help saying. "Are we really in a dungeon?"

"The amusement park dungeon should be connecting to specific locations from other game worlds." Xu Huo glanced at the completely different vegetation around them, adding, "We just don't know exactly how many different places there are."

At this moment, it started to rain, quickly turning heavy. The two ran through the rain into the castle, where two Stuffed Rabbits hopped over to offer them towels, then took them to check in.

There were quite a few players lingering in the castle's main hall, some even sleeping boldly on the floor.

When Xu Huo saw the accommodation prices, he immediately understood the reason. He asked the Plush Bear handling registration, "Can we rest here without money?"

The Plush Bear stared at him. "Of course you can! The amusement park is very friendly to every visitor. Even if you're poor or stingy, we'll still reserve a sleeping spot for you. However, delicious food and restrooms cannot be provided for free."

"Even going to the bathroom costs money? This is more scammy than a real amusement park!" A player not far away cursed as he walked out from a long corridor. Seeing Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu looking at him, he glared back. "What are you looking at!"

Xu Huo paid the money. The Plush Bear's tone immediately became sweet, calling over two small rabbits to take them to their room, and informing them that the food and fruits in the room were free. If they needed other foods like candy or cake, they could order.

The two followed the small rabbits into the long corridor. Since it was a Fairy Tale Castle, the paintings hanging on the corridor walls were mostly childish and playful, with decorations mostly shaped like candy, balloons, or flowers. The air was also filled with a rich, sweet fragrance.

After entering the room, Xu Huo gave the Stuffed Rabbit a few pieces of candy. The small rabbit happily told him, "The amusement park doesn't welcome guests purchasing meat products, but we can provide fresh, tender vegetables. These vegetables are specially supplied from other districts, picked and prepared fresh daily. The children in the amusement park all love eating them."

"Are there really children in the amusement park?" Yan Jiayu pressed further, but the Stuffed Rabbit didn't answer, instead eating the candy and leaving.

"Clearly children were sucked into the dungeon, but we haven't seen a single one since entering." Yan Jiayu turned to look at Xu Huo. "Where could they have been taken?"

"The amusement park is so big, they could be anywhere." Xu Huo paused, then sat down. "Let's divide up the items."