Absolute Death Game

Xiao Buli followed the leader of the Green Dragon Group out of the room, and the latter immediately turned around and shook his hand enthusiastically.

"Hello, I'm Zhang Yaoyang, the leader of the Green Dragon Group. From now on, we are colleagues, and we must help each other out, okay?"

His enthusiasm startled Xiao Buli, making him wonder who the newcomer really was.

"Come with me, come with me; our Green Dragon Group is just over here." As he spoke, Zhang Yaoyang dragged Xiao Buli into the corridor of the Green Dragon Group and pushed open the door to the computer room, where they both entered.

Compared to the newcomer's computer room, the Green Dragon Group's was much more luxurious; not only the machines, but the interior layout was also much more spacious. There was a mini-bar, a smoking room, and all kinds of small amenities, even with windows—a prime location in an office building.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"How about that, not too shabby, right? Let me tell you, our Green Dragon Group is one of the most capable teams under the company's management. We're not on the same level as those poor, low-class guys from the White Tiger Group."

As he spoke, Zhang Yaoyang took off his coat, casually hung it on a coat rack, and handed Xiao Buli a Coke from the bar's fridge.

Xiao Buli accepted the Coke and looked around. Some members were absorbed in playing games, including two female members. A guy who seemed somewhat disheveled sat on a high stool in the bar, pouring himself a drink of amber-colored alcohol, seemingly unalarmed about drinking during work hours. Noticing Xiao Buli's gaze, the man turned around and raised his glass to him.

Xiao Buli responded by lifting his Coke, and the casual atmosphere made him feel quite relaxed.

"Hey everyone, take a break for a moment," Zhang Yaoyang called out, but no one responded; the clattering of keyboards continued alongside the whispers, showing no sign of quieting down.

Zhang Yaoyang, resigned, shrugged at Xiao Buli and raised his voice again, "This is Xiao Buli, our new member—a healer."

Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their gaze toward them.

Wu Tao, brimming with excitement, peeked out from behind a computer, "Nice, boss, I told you that you were reliable. See, you've quickly brought us a healer." But then he paused abruptly when he saw Xiao Buli clearly.

A girl, average-looking but with a bold temperament, approached. She wore baggy sweats and a green plastic hair clip on her ponytailed hair. She eyed Xiao Buli skeptically, "You're a healer? What profession?"

"Daoist."

"Hehe, then we're in the same line of work. I'm an Exorcist—the advanced profession of a Daoist. You can stick with me from now on."

"Wooow, someone's caught Hua's eye."

"Hua, that's not fair. Are you treating our great leader Zhang like he's invisible?"

"Boss, aren't you going to keep her in check? Hua's getting more and more arrogant."

Zhang Yaoyang seemed used to being ignored by his subordinates, and amidst the teasing, he sighed and said, "Don't mind them too much; they're used to being lax and can be a bit disrespectful. Let me introduce you around. There aren't many of us in the Green Dragon Group, but each one is an elite of elites. First is this one, Hua Yueying, our Green Dragon Group's top nurse."

Seemingly dissatisfied with being called a nurse, Hua Yueying defiantly turned and gave him the middle finger. Zhang Yaoyang, however, spread his hands with an expression of 'who's afraid of whom.'

"Next up is our Necromancer, Bai Yunfei, the one with the pretty boy face."

Xiao Buli took special notice because Wu Tao had mentioned him before. Bai Yunfei was indeed very pale, almost unnaturally so, the kind that usually comes from spending too much time indoors, but it seemed particularly abnormal among this group of people.

"Five Elements Warlock Du Yibo, our Green Dragon Group's top artillery, an expert in clearing the field." A glasses-wearing man with an indifferent look gave Xiao Buli a nod.

"Those three are our group's major magic users, and now that includes you too," Zhang Yaoyang said, smacking his lips with an envious expression, "Then there are our four tanks: the chubby one is Wang Gang, the burly one is Zhang Qiang, both Shield Bearers by profession, the one with the buzz cut is Wu Tao, a Qigong Master, and that handsome young guy is Zhao Yunlong, a Martial General.

That's all four of our Dragon Group's tanks."

After finishing, he pointed to a young girl with heavy black eyeshadow and nail polish, exuding a gothic vibe, "Assassin Yaoyao, her real name unknown."

"Wanderer Li Chuang, the one with the unshaven face. Swordsman Liu Xing, the one who was drinking earlier. Alright, anything else you want to know?"

"What's your profession, team leader?"

"I'm a Beast Tamer," Zhang Yaoyang answered with a smile — "Called the 'Dog King'." Suddenly, a mischievous voice came from the side, causing Zhang Yaoyang to curse and laugh.

While they were joking around, Zhang Yaoyang's phone suddenly rang. After a brief conversation, he hung up.

"The higher-ups want to see me; it might be about the dungeon. Who can explain the rules here to the newbie, OK?" With that, he nodded to Xiao Buli and walked away.

Before anyone else could speak up, Wu Tao quickly approached, "My name is Wu Tao, I'll explain things to you."

Xiao Buli nodded and followed Wu Tao to a pair of computers sitting side by side in the corner.

Sitting down in front of one computer and looking into the eyes of his subordinate from the past, Xiao Buli didn't quite know what to say for a moment. The atmosphere turned a bit awkward, so he looked around and noticed many slogans on the walls. Written in bold brush strokes, they had a postmodern elegance to them.

The first slogan read: Please try not to use the toilet during the game — or at least quit the game before going to the bathroom.

The second: Do not log off in the path of cavalry patrols.

The third: Please feed your pets on time and ensure your bag is stocked with sufficient food — especially if your pet likes meat.

The fourth: If you see a pretty female ghost, remember to run and don't even think about flirting.

There were at least a dozen such slogans. Xiao Buli pointed at them curiously, "What's all that about?"

"Hey, it's a long-standing tradition of our Green Dragon Group," Wu Tao explained. "Every time someone in our group dies because of a mistake, we write down the lesson and hang it on the wall, like what you see there. Of course, it's not just from our Dragon Group.

For instance, last month, some poor guy from the White Tiger Group forgot to log off when he went to the bathroom and ended up killed by a Saber-Toothed Wolf, hence that slogan about not using the toilet during the game. You'll get used to it. Don't be fooled, even though we all are experts, there are plenty who've died due to accidents."