Chapter 56: Sacrifice

There was only thick smoke placed in the pigpen. Yang Can went in and warned everyone not to speak after coming out, then led them into the workshop.The Skinner took out a skinning knife and sliced each person’s back once. Within seconds, the pigskin lost its moisture and naturally peeled off.

“We’re saved!” The group burst into tears of joy, especially the pregnant women, who trembled as they kept thanking everyone else.

“Brother!” A child ran toward Xu Huo. Sima Xiao Er was holding something in both hands and couldn’t move easily, so he quickly crouched down. The child jumped into his arms, and he whispered, “Be good and stand over there by sister. Don’t talk, understand?”

This child was the little pig that had jumped out of the pigpen earlier. He nodded and squeezed over to the pregnant women.

Sima Xiao Er breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to the Skinner. “Release all these people, and I’ll return the painting to you.”

The Skinner huffed and puffed. “The others can be released, but those six little ones cannot.”

“No matter what, they have to be released!” Sima Xiao Er brought the flame closer. The painting’s frame blackened and burned, while the woman inside reacted more violently, desperately trying to jump out. A pair of arms squeezed under the tape.

“Think carefully. You only want the little pigs. You can catch more anytime, but where would you get a second set of these props?” Sima Xiao Er threatened, while mentally calculating the time. Even if the Skinner was reluctant to part with this prop, if his left leg recovered, nothing would be guaranteed anymore!

“Release them quickly!” Qin An tightened his whip. Time was running out!

At that moment, the Skinner raised his right hand holding the knife. Several players watched him tensely. Suddenly, a cold sneer rang out, instantly like a bucket of cold water splashed over everyone!

“The other Skinner is out!” Qin An shouted. Before his subordinates could act, a few flashes of cold light streaked by, breaking his whip into several pieces that fell to the ground—the Skinner slowly stood up.

“I don’t like this factory, but business is business. Once a deal is made, it can’t be broken. That’s a rule in any industry.”

He looked at the terrified and trembling people behind the players, his mouth curling into a smile. “Dead pigs or live pigs, it’s all the same.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved through the workshop at an unbelievable speed. In the blink of an eye, several figures slammed against the walls one after another. Short gasps abruptly stopped mid-sound, and clouds of blood mist splattered everywhere…

Everything happened too fast for anyone to fight back. At the other end of the workshop, Xu Huo saw that gray shadow appear right before his eyes, his pupils involuntarily widening!

“Boom!” He only had time to dodge to the side before a tremendous force slammed him through the wall behind him, sending him rolling into the fur storage area!

The hanging furs suddenly seemed to come alive, wildly surging toward him. Each one tried to stick to his skin!

Xu Huo reacted quickly, rolling to the window on the opposite side upon landing. He swiftly tore off the beast skin covering him and pulled out a lighter. But before he could light it, the Skinner chased up and kicked him sideways into the bedroom wall!

“Cough!” Xu Huo spat blood, his vision darkening.

Less than ten seconds passed.

Peng Fengnian and the others were severely injured. Among the ordinary people, seven or eight had their throats slit, their bodies still standing in place. The remaining were spiritless, still in shock… In less than ten seconds, the Skinner had turned the tide!

“You’re the one hiding in the pigpen,” the Skinner said, staring at him.

Xu Huo wiped the blood from his mouth and stood against the wall.

The Skinner and Red-Nosed Karl shared one body, but they couldn’t share vision. So the Skinner didn’t know that Red-Nosed Karl had a visitor, and Red-Nosed Karl didn’t know the Skinner had discovered an anomaly in the pigpen and flayed a player alive.

However, they were aware of each other’s existence. Red-Nosed Karl maintained the office’s cleanliness, and the Skinner left places in the cabinets for magazines and photo albums. So when Red-Nosed Karl couldn’t handle a situation, the Skinner would appear.

Failing to end things quickly and get Red-Nosed Karl to release the prisoners meant their plan failed. Facing the Skinner’s personality, they absolutely couldn’t rescue anyone!

His gaze flickered between the Skinner and the two furs pinned with human skin: to leave or not to leave?

At that moment, Sima Xiao Er suddenly stood up, holding two children and running toward the warehouse, shouting, “If we came from there, we can definitely get out!”

Everyone seemed to be awakened from a dream. The once-still workshop began to move.

Tang Pei’s injuries also healed when the Skinner’s left leg self-recovered. After hesitating briefly, she imitated Sima Xiao Er and held a child in each arm. Unfortunately, she was not as lucky as him. Before she could enter the warehouse, a flying skinning knife slashed her throat!

“The little pigs must be kept alive,” the Skinner said, emerging from among the furs.

“Tang Pei!” Xian Dazhi shouted and grabbed a fur remover machine, smashing it at the Skinner!

This bought Peng Fengnian and Qin An some time. The two rushed to the warehouse, wanting to save the children and pregnant women before leaving. But the others had realized the situation and were frantically running toward the warehouse, blocking the entrance so tightly that Peng Fengnian and Qin An couldn’t get in!

“One at a time!” Sima Xiao Er shouted from inside. “Stop them! Get the children and pregnant women inside first!”

The people outside exchanged sharp glances. Peng Fengnian gritted his teeth, turned to face the Skinner, and suddenly a white light ball emitting a strong glow appeared in his hand. He shouted to Xian Dazhi, “Come quickly!”

Xian Dazhi responded and looked over. Before he could move, a spray of blood burst from the side of his neck.

This honest player collapsed at the Skinner’s feet. The Skinner hooked his hand in the air, and a long needle threaded with string pierced out from the other side of Xian Dazhi’s neck, returning to the Skinner’s hand.

Peng Fengnian and Qin An, both engulfed in strong light, saw this and shivered. The former forced himself to stay calm. “Players seen by the ‘Eye of the Strong’ lose item effectiveness for three minutes. At least for those three minutes, we are safe…”

But before he finished speaking, a piece of skin suddenly fell from the sky, covering Qin An beside him. The originally upright man’s limbs bent, his waist sagged, and within two seconds he turned into a Shar Pei dog, then was dragged out of safety by the string tied to its tail!

“Impossible!” Peng Fengnian’s pupils trembled. The Eye of the Strong should affect every player. The Skinner shouldn’t even be able to see them clearly, let alone use items!

The Shar Pei Qin An’s stiff body was dragged in front of the Skinner. The Skinner stepped on his head, about to cut his throat, but suddenly sensed something and turned around:

Xu Huo held burning firewood stolen from the secret room, pointing the flaming end at a suspended wolf skin, staring directly at him!