I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

"There's a good view and cover over there, let's go." Chen Hao shaded his eyes with his hand, looked around, and immediately selected a piece of ruins.

"Great, now we just need to leave it running and wait for the person with the permissions to come over."

"Then kill them? But will the authorization be transferred?"

"Please be patient and let me sit down and think about it."

"I never knew you were so intelligent. Playing games really can improve your intelligence?"

"You little rascal, I've always been a wise man who pretends to be foolish!"

As the two talked and concealed themselves, on the other side of the same ruins, the Corridor Research Department also hid behind a dilapidated wall.

"Shen Xi, Shen Xi, what will happen to Cheng Fei now that we're here?" Zhou Han breathed a sigh of relief, but then became worried again.

"Who knows, that jerk told us to ignore him." The aloof girl stroked her chin thoughtfully.

“Miss Zhou Han, don’t worry. My junior is so smart, he must have his own plan!” Milian said without hesitation.

"But... but... okay." Zhou Han hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

Lin Xuanqi and Ye Shuang exchanged glances but offered no comment.

Let's return our attention to the Authority Tower.

After the players interacted, the towering gate of the Authority Tower slowly opened, and a layer of purplish-red light curtain isolated the inner and outer spaces. It looked the same type as the giant shield at the core, leaving everyone stunned.

However, someone soon discovered the trick: when a player gets close, the shield will automatically partially deactivate to allow passage.

"You can go in!"

"Hurry up!"

Players who were defending against the out-of-control machinery outside the gate filed in upon seeing this.

The enemies that followed rushed forward, trying to break through the shield. Before the player could even fire, they were like hitting a solidified wall, and were then melted into a red-hot liquid at a visible speed.

Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Idiot, you can rest now." Cheng Fei pinched Nagasaki Asuna's cheek, stopping the girl who was raising her golden staff to release a shield.

As the glow of the buff faded, the air seemed to quiet down. The players who had successfully entered the Tower of Authority looked at each other and began to survey their surroundings.

The tower of permissions has a vast, open space, and in the center of this empty space stands a small interactive panel.

"That must be where you get the authorization..."

"The announcement said that you can gain access by placing your palm on it..."

"Is it okay now...?"

Amidst the hushed murmurs, the sound of swallowing could be heard.

Then, someone took the first step forward, though it's unclear who did.

A rustling sound came from all directions, and everyone raised their weapons, this time targeting the strangers who had fought alongside them.

In an instant, everyone's eyes changed. With wary expressions, they stood back to back with their companions, their fingers on the triggers subtly tightening, ready to fire at any moment.

The atmosphere inside the Authority Tower was so solid it seemed almost tangible.

Asuna Nagasaki blinked at the scene, then turned back and whispered, "Cheng Fei, what should we do?"

"Don't worry about it." The boy said nonchalantly, gently stroking her soft face.

After entering the permission tower, the two retreated to the edge, showing no intention of competing for permissions.

The sweet girl obediently tilted her head and rubbed her face against the boy's palm, her eyes slightly closed and her pink lips gently pursed. "I was so tired from being stared at by so many people just now. Kitty wants the antidote, is that okay?"

The boy simply pulled her into his arms, letting the girl's soft body press tightly against him.

Nagasaki Asuna breathed a sigh of relief, hugged the boy tightly, buried her face in his, and completely ignored the situation around her.

The players, wary of each other, grew increasingly serious, as if an invisible string was being stretched taut to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

If there hadn't been no cover inside the control tower, even the most confident person wouldn't have been able to survive in such a chaotic battle; a firefight would probably have already broken out.

Under these circumstances, the tall man holding a sword and shield stepped to the front, turned around, looked at everyone, and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, I have something to say."

The giant whale looked around and said seriously, "Even if we fight here and win, we won't be able to take away many pieces of equipment. It's not worth it at all. So I propose that we put down our weapons and resolve the issue of permissions peacefully through negotiation."

Almost all of those who made it here alive were veteran players, or top-tier lone wolves even without a guild. Each of them had spent a lot of time crafting their equipment. The thought of risking all of that to compete for the last chance to survive made most of them hesitate and lower their guns slightly.

"Forget it, negotiation? How can we negotiate?" The middle-aged office worker, who was also holding a gun, spoke up. "Just tell me who goes first and who goes last? Which guild here doesn't have the strength to challenge the BOSS? Whoever gets the privileges first just kills the BOSS and expects the other guilds to hand over the opportunity to you? Dream on."

The others looked at each other.

A failed attempt where each floor can only be conquered once, the dropped materials can be used to craft extremely rare special equipment, there is absolutely no possibility of negotiation, and everyone present can only be competitors.

Realizing this, the players tensed up again.

The whale frowned and stared at the crow, catching a hint of malice in its eyes with their dark circles, but couldn't find a good way to refute it.

The crow grinned with a smug look on its face, huddling close to its men.

He held a gun in one hand and concealed the other hand in his cloak, tightly gripping a strangely shaped metal ball.

"Absolute Defense Field: Once deployed, it blocks all external attacks for the duration of the attack and also prevents the user from attacking the outside world."

This rare, one-time-use item was something he had gone through a lot of trouble to obtain, and he had kept it all this time just for today.

Once the free-for-all begins, he can establish a protective stance for his guild members, wait until the players finish fighting each other, and then reap the rewards. At that point, everyone's top-tier equipment will be theirs to choose from, making even the right to challenge the BOSS seem insignificant in comparison.

Thinking about this, middle-aged office workers feel as if they are about to have a long vacation after a year of continuous overtime work. They are so excited that they are trembling all over, feeling that there is nothing better in the world.

When the out-of-control machinery outside became powerless against the shield and ceased its assault, time ticked away inside the Authority Tower.

Each person's finger tightened on the trigger, getting closer and closer to the moment of firing, yet they were also terrified that they wouldn't survive to the end.

In this atmosphere, Nagasaki Asuna seemed to sense something, frowning and showing an expression of unbearable discomfort, "Cheng Fei, they are disgusting, I... feel like throwing up."

"Silly girl, don't try to sense things at a time like this," the boy said, stroking her head repeatedly to comfort her.

As Nagasaki Asuna closed her eyes, buried her face, and took a deep breath, the boy cupped her face again, looked into her eyes, and whispered, "Now I have a task for you."

"A mission?" The sweet girl swallowed hard, letting the boy cup her gentle and soothing face.

“Go now, tell them you’re getting access, and then you’ll help everyone get into the core to challenge the BOSS together.” The boy leaned down and gave her the antidote.

"Okay, kitty understands." Nagasaki Asuna's full chest heaved as she regained a little clarity, and she nodded, gripping the healing staff in her hand.

Then, just as the players were on edge, about to unleash a chaotic brawl, a sweet-looking girl in a white dress slowly stepped forward and said softly with a hint of nervousness, "Um..."

As the one who protected everyone who came here, Nagasaki Asuna's appearance made them all pause for a moment, and they subconsciously looked at her.

“I can help everyone get the permissions, and then we can all go into the core to challenge the BOSS together. How about that?” Nagasaki Asuna blinked her innocent and naive eyes, revealing a harmless expression.

Under the gaze of such a sweet girl, everyone couldn't help but relax a little, and even the tension in the air seemed to lessen.

"Asuna is so cute, maybe we should listen to her..."

"That's right, she must be doing it for everyone's good..."

Some comments arose as if they were about to surrender at any moment.

"Your Corridor Research Department also wants to fight the BOSS! Why should we believe you?" Han Ya gritted his teeth and raised his voice, completely unaffected.

"Indeed, those idiots who can't resist looking at other people's pretty wet nurses..."

"Don't listen to her..."

Immediately, voices of agreement followed.

Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Asuna shrank back and cast her pleading gaze in a certain direction.

The giant whale frowned, looked around, and finally fixed its gaze on the boy hiding outside the crowd. It then spoke loudly, "Cheng Fei, what are your plans? Tell me."

The crow kept instigating everyone, giving him a bad feeling. If he could, he really didn't want to fight here.

Everyone immediately shifted their attention.

"Huh? Me?" The boy, still carrying a bunch of borrowed staffs, put his hands in his pockets and, once he became the center of attention, gave an indifferent look. "Our guild is all dead. You can do whatever you want with us. All I want now is to retreat alive."

As soon as the boy finished speaking, the players, including the big whale and the crow, immediately began searching and found that, just as the boy had said, only he and the healer remained as members of the Corridor Research Department.

"All dead? Are you kidding me? When did you become so selfless?" Han Ya asked suspiciously.

"Believe it or not." The boy rolled his eyes. "Anyway, let my healer get the permissions. Do you think the two of us can shake you off and run in to fight the BOSS by ourselves? I just think it's better for everyone to go in and fight together than to have a chaotic melee here beforehand."

His words made everyone look thoughtful.

"That seems to make sense. Their guild only has him and the healer left..."

"The two of them can't escape even if they want to, so it's good that they have the authority..."

Han Ya frowned as he stared at the boy, constantly calculating in his mind.

Assuming everyone enters the core together as the boy suggests, it doesn't seem to affect his original plan. After all, he only needs to use items to ensure his own survival after the melee begins.

Thinking this through, the middle-aged office worker nodded reluctantly, "What you said isn't impossible; I think it's acceptable."

The big whale then spoke up, "Then I propose accepting Cheng Fei's plan and letting the nanny in the Corridor Research Department take over the authority."

Once the two strongest guilds made their stance clear, the remaining players gave up their hesitation.

"That's it, fighting here is just too stupid."

"agree."

"We agree!"

Soon, almost all the guilds had given their opinions.

Cheng Fei nodded slightly to Nagasaki Asuna.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the sweet girl walked to the control panel in the center of the permission tower, covered it with her fair palm, and followed the instructions in the previous announcement.

After a series of beeps, the panel lit up with a blue light, seemingly scanning. A moment later, the progress bar filled up. The girl raised her palm to look at it, but found no special changes, and tilted her head.

"Once you have the authorization, leave. Everyone, protect Asuna as she returns to the core." The giant whale breathed a slight sigh of relief and spoke again.

"No need for protection anymore."

A sudden voice came from beside Nagasaki Asuna.

Without anyone noticing, Cheng Fei quietly appeared behind the sweet girl.

He stretched out his arms and pulled Nagasaki Asuna into his embrace. The sweet girl did not resist at all, letting the boy touch her slender waist and smooth thighs. She looked at him obediently, seemingly a little puzzled.

The players, unaware of what was about to happen, also looked puzzled.

"Finally, they've fallen for it..." the boy murmured softly, embracing the sweet girl and giving everyone a meaningful smile. "Thank you all for your cooperation. Well then, goodbye."

Then.

Start at zero speed, slowed down by fifty times.

The next moment, everyone's expression changed drastically.

980. Cheng Fei claimed to have killed everyone.

The boy, with a meaningful smile on his face, along with the girl he was holding in his arms, vanished in a blur, as if they had never existed.

Those who witnessed this scene felt a chill run down their spines, a bad premonition rising within them.

Because everything happened so suddenly, some people even rubbed their eyes, probably wondering if they were hallucinating.

The crow instinctively turned around and saw the gate shield of the Authority Tower closing. It seemed as if something unseen had just passed by. Its pupils contracted sharply, revealing an expression of disbelief, and it couldn't help but cry out, "They ran away with the authority?!"

He had a vague feeling that his meticulously planned scheme was about to be ruined by that guy again.

"How is this possible?!" The giant whale's eyes trembled as it recalled the boy's words and actions over the past few days. It finally realized that everything was a disguise, and a strangely comical look of horror appeared on its usually stern face.

"He just ran away like that?!"

"How on earth did they do that?!"

"Stop asking, hurry and chase after them!"

The players finally came to their senses, but when they rushed out of the permission tower, they were met with a large group of out-of-control machines still lurking around them. Faced with the dense flashing red lights in front of them, everyone turned pale.

"We're doomed, will we even be able to get out without Asuna...?"