Chapter 266: Mantlescramble Battle (Part 1)
Chapter 266: Mantlescramble Battle (Part 1)
Since Feng Bu Jue hadn’t used any consumables in the previous scenario, he skipped the mall’s supply run and directly entered the queue.
【Mad Bu Jue, Level 28】
【Please select the game mode you wish to join.】
【You have selected Kill Game Mode (Free-for-All). Please confirm.】
【Confirmed. Team size randomly set to: six players.】
After this message, Feng Bu Jue experienced the longest wait time since entering the game. He waited over three minutes, yet the next prompt still hadn’t appeared.
“Come on,” Feng Bu Jue muttered. “Since it’s Free-for-All, they should just throw six players with similar levels in here. Why’s it taking so long?”
What he didn’t realize… was that this was just the beginning.
Twenty-five minutes of agonizing wait later, Feng Bu Jue still hadn’t entered the scenario. Worse, he couldn’t interrupt the queue or perform any other actions.
“Is the server frozen?” He was about to force a logout when—
【Match complete. Coordinating nerve connection. Scenario generation in progress...】 This prompt finally appeared.
【Loading started. Please wait.】
“Mwahahaha… Let your enemies tremble! Let them taste true horror!”
Feng Bu Jue froze at the voice. “Though I’ve heard this line before… that eerily familiar tone and that unmistakably creepy laugh… what gives?”
【Loading completed. You are now entering Kill Game Mode.】
【This mode provides a scenario overview and may feature side quests/hidden tasks and special worldviews.】
【Scenario Victory Reward: Randomly select one usable Flawless-Grade Equipment.】
【Scenario overview will now play. The game will begin immediately afterward.】
The moment Feng Bu Jue saw the reward, his eyes widened. “Wait—this means winning guarantees a Flawless-Grade Equipment drop, and it’s even labeled ‘usable’? This is insane!”
But the surprises were just getting started…
This time, he didn’t enter the passive CG-watching mode. Instead, the plot summary appeared directly on the touchscreen.
Simultaneously, the elevator he stood in began moving upward at high speed.
【Gotham City, 2009.】
【After Bruce Wayne’s death during combat with Darkseid (also known as Darkseid, the Dark Lord, and ruler of Apokolips—the strongest New God), Gotham City’s law enforcement collapsed. Gangs ran rampant, and supercriminals like Two-Face and Penguin launched brutal infighting to seize control of the city.】
【Nightwing (Dick Grayson, the first Robin) and Batgirl formed the “Net of Gods”—a team of reliable allies—to stabilize the situation. However, this crisis lasted far longer than they anticipated.】
【The city spiraled into a vicious cycle. Gangs realized Batman was gone, recognizing this as the perfect opportunity to redraw Gotham’s underworld hierarchy. Everyone joined this criminal frenzy—not just seasoned veterans, but ambitious newcomers eager to rise.】
【The Gotham Police teetered on collapse. Officers endured endless dangerous patrols while fearing for their families’ safety. Many found… resignation was their only escape.】
【Riots and looting erupted everywhere. The mayor declared Gotham City under a state of emergency.】
【The people of Gotham yearned for a savior—a hero who could restore order to the streets.】
【They awaited… Batman.】
【Meanwhile, the city’s heroes fought among themselves to decide who would inherit Batman’s legacy.】
The subtitles and voiceover ended as the elevator halted.
Feng Bu Jue recalled the key rules of Kill Game Mode, especially the most critical one: 【Kill Game Mode centers on player-versus-player combat. The scenario’s horror elements are weakened. Any worldview or task may appear. The map’s scale and structure generate based on player count and individual abilities.】
Thus, Feng Bu Jue understood this worldview’s emergence was perfectly normal.
【Main Quest Triggered】
【Become the only surviving player in the scenario】
As the prompt appeared, the elevator doors opened, signaling the scenario’s official start.
Tat-tat-tat—
The moment the doors slid open, Feng Bu Jue heard submachine gun fire. His immediate reaction was to duck and roll.
“Seriously? Ambushed the second I spawn?” Feng Bu Jue exclaimed. “That makes no sense!”
He’d overreacted… In this mode, all six players were randomly scattered across the map. The elevator doors for all spawns opened simultaneously.
The gunfire Feng Bu Jue heard was just a masked thug firing at the ceiling.
Outside Feng Bu Jue’s elevator was a bank lobby. As he emerged, a robbery was unfolding.
“Everyone, hit the floor!” a thug barked.
Feng Bu Jue had already flattened himself on the ground before the command finished. Glancing up, he quickly assessed the situation.
“One, two, three people…” Feng Bu Jue instinctively gathered visual details, forming rapid deductions. “Two appear physically fit. One has a sailor’s tattoo on his left hand, but his stance and grip suggest no professional training—definitely not military.” His gaze swept toward the bank’s entrance. “There’s probably another thug in the car across the street. Their getaway driver.”
“Don’t move! Did I say don’t move? Bastard! Show me your hands!” The thugs barked orders, successfully intimidating everyone.
Feng Bu Jue’s position was far from the counter, beside a pillar. As long as he stayed down, the thugs would ignore him.
“Jacket, jeans, hoodie, sneakers, dress shoes—all civilian clothes. They’re wearing cheap ski masks bought from a store,” Feng Bu Jue calmly analyzed. “The one at the door and the one stuffing cash each have a handgun. The tattooed one’s the leader—he’s got a handgun and a submachine gun.” He snorted inwardly. “Based on current intel, none of these three are Class Criminals. At best, they’re armed civilians. The driver in the car’s probably even worse…”
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!” The submachine gunner suddenly roared at his accomplice stuffing cash. “You think I’m blind? Hand over the cash you’re hiding in your shirt! Don’t pull anything stupid, idiot!”
“Hmm… Family gang? Unlikely,” Feng Bu Jue observed. “Three amateurs with no plan. The guy at the door keeps glancing around—he doesn’t know which direction police will come from. The one stuffing cash hasn’t even decided how much to take.”
“And the leader? One, he doesn’t know where the cameras are. Two, he doesn’t know how long until police arrive. If the driver across the street flees at the sound of sirens, he’s got no backup escape plan.”
Feng Bu Jue stopped watching. He hugged his head, burying his face in his arms, lying still. “Better stay out of this. The more amateurish the criminals, the more unpredictable their actions. If I resist, who knows how they’ll react? These three might panic and go into hysteria, making things worse.”
But five minutes later, Feng Bu Jue lifted his head again. “Should I warn them… to retreat?” He mused, “Not that I look down on you guys… but you’ve got no estimate of police arrival time. You’re just stuffing cash based on greed. This’ll take forever. When the sirens come, you’ll panic, mess up, and end up in a hostage standoff.”
“Damn it! Cops are here! Let’s go!” As expected, the thug at the door heard the sirens and shouted.
The cash-stuffer zipped two bags full of cash. The leader grabbed one, and the two dragged their loot toward the door.
The bags were stuffed to the brim, but this delay cost them the perfect escape window…
“Hey! Hey! Damn it!” The door thug shouted across the street, then turned to his accomplices, pointing. “That bastard ran!”
“F*!” “Damn it!” The other two spat curses.
Even if the driver hadn’t fled, the three had no time to cross the street…
Police cars screeched to a halt outside. Officers poured out, weapons drawn, aiming at the bank entrance.
A cop with a bullhorn shouted the classic line: “This is the Gotham Police! You’re surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender!”
“Back off, you bastards! We’ve got hostages!” The leader ducked behind a wall beside the door, shouting outward. Then he hissed at his accomplices, “What are you waiting for? Find another exit!”
Watching their clumsy performance, Feng Bu Jue sighed helplessly and lowered his head again. “Sigh… A bunch of idiots…”
(End of Chapter)
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