The world has turned into Hell's Game, why should I stay human? Chapter 1351 824: Niu Ma: Your Friend Bumped My Wife's Butt!

"If you put it that way, there's nothing I can do. For the sake of your father, I'll at least leave your corpse whole."

Jing Shang declared icily, then extended his otherwise frail hand to seize Xia Kai.

The arm, initially thin and short, ballooned impossibly in Xia Kai's vision, ultimately morphing into a monstrous claw, larger than a human's. It descended upon him, its sharp nails like blades, painlessly impaling his eyes.

He wished to flee, but found his legs utterly unresponsive.

In truth, a common animal's initial response to peril isn't evasion but feigning death. The reasons behind this are intricate, stemming from both inherent genetic predispositions and learned behaviors.

As a human, Xia Kai's instinct for playing dead had long been diminished, and he had never acquired such an ostensibly useless skill. Yet, confronted by Jing Shang's grotesque claw, his primal animal instincts were forcefully reawakened.

The consequence of this compelled awakening was his transformation into prey for Jing Shang, the hunter.

"Move, you damn legs!"

Xia Kai screamed internally, desperate as the claw loomed closer.

However, regardless of his frantic struggles, his legs remained stubbornly immobile.

In his desperation, Xia Kai resorted to employing a skill.

"Spirit Revitalization: Spirit attribute increases by 30 points, duration one minute. Limited to three uses per instance."

A chilling sensation coursed from the crown of his head down his spine, instantly invigorating him and restoring full command over his body.

Yet, Xia Kai's immediate action after regaining bodily control wasn't to escape, but to execute an exceptionally difficult maneuver.

He leaned backward, lifting his right foot straight into the air while maintaining his balance solely on his left foot.

Xia Kai lacked natural flexibility, and this dance-like pose appeared precarious, making his short, stout frame seem even more comical.

Jing Shang, however, paid no heed to his performance, striking directly at his chest.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a piercing scream rent the air.

But the cry did not originate from Xia Kai; it was Jing Shang who screamed.

"Damn beast, what have you done?!"

Jing Shang demanded furiously.

His monstrous claw had reverted to its original size, but a deep, bone-chilling wound marred his palm, nearly severing it and presenting a ghastly spectacle.

"What did I do?"

Xia Kai regained his upright stance and deliberately unbound the silk thread encircling his wrist.

This thread was not acquired from the System Mall; it was obtained through a trade with another player during a prior instance.

It wasn't merely an item but possessed arcane properties.

Ordinarily, it behaved as a simple thread, but upon being struck, it transformed into something sharp and resilient. The greater the force of the attack, the more potent its performance became, rendering it an ideal tool for an ambush.

To procure this thread, Xia Kai had paid a considerable price, and as it turned out, it was proving invaluable at this very moment.

"Of course, it's..."

He deliberately let his words trail off, then turned and fled before completing his sentence.

Successfully deceiving Jing Shang once was already a fortunate outcome; he harbored no illusions of truly besting him in combat, especially with a hawk-faced attendant observing him.

"Attempting to flee? Go and join your deceased father, obediently!"

Jing Shang roared with rage and unfurled another hand toward Xia Kai.

A cavity opened in the center of his massive palm, revealing a vertical eye in place of flesh.

This malevolent eye unleashed hundreds of needle-like projectiles, hurtling towards Xia Kai's back.

"Keep him alive; the dead are of no use."

The attendant with the bird-like features interjected.

The deceased could only serve as mere fodder or fuel, whereas the living possessed numerous applications, even those unrelated to the individual himself.

"Hmph!"

Jing Shang grunted with displeasure but reeled back the majority of the rays, allowing only a few to continue their trajectory toward Xia Kai's limbs.

As the assault bore down upon him from behind, Xia Kai hurled a black pot over his shoulder without looking back.

"Name: Trouble-Free Black Pot (Disposable)"

"Type: Tool"

"Quality: Excellent"

"Effect: Upon activation, all ranged attacks within a three-meter radius (regardless of attacker or target) will be drawn into the pot. Duration: ten seconds. If the pot absorbs more than its capacity, it will break prematurely."

"Remark: Why must the black pot endure attacks, while the white pot simply cooks? Such unfairness!"

"Can be taken out of the instance: Yes"

The moment the black pot materialized, all incoming rays were instantly siphoned into it.

Though needle-like protrusions bristled from its base, the pot itself remained intact.

"Phew~"

Xia Kai exhaled in relief, despite suffering internal injuries.

This was one of the rewards obtained from the settlement of the instance prior to the last. Originally intended to enhance task evaluations during critical junctures, it had instead been pressed into service for survival before the instance had even progressed a tenth of the way.

Indeed, this Hell trial was not designed for the likes of him, a mere minnow.

The notion of seeking fortune amidst peril was a fallacy; for ordinary players, the prudent course was to maintain a low profile and accumulate modest gains.

Unfortunately, while Hell's Game exhibited a degree of leniency in other aspects, its method of distributing tasks, much like other Main God Spaces, imposed no prerequisites.

Xia Kai reflected inwardly with a mocking tone as he sprinted desperately on foot.As Jing Shang witnessed his assaults swallowed by the ebony pot, he surmised its capability and pursued with a flourish of his arms. Though Xia Kai's legs were obscured from view, his swiftness was remarkable, enabling him to close the distance to Xia Kai in an instant. Sensing the rushing wind at his back, Xia Kai was seized by dread. With no other recourse, he procured a syringe and injected it directly into the carotid artery of his neck.