NOVEL NEXT Chapter 254 - Choice
This question… Jiang Hui and the others were also considering it, but as the prey in their situation, they had to think about a lot more.
Having completed five rounds of shooting in one go, especially with such high energy-consuming long-range shots, Jiang Hui was physically and mentally exhausted, feeling as though she could hardly catch her breath. But she had to admit that the process had been exhilarating, almost as if her blood was boiling with excitement.
However, she still had enough rationality to remind herself not to get lost in the immediate gains, as powerful enemies were lurking not far from them, watching them closely.
They had accumulated about forty star points at this energy point, and with only about thirty more star minutes left until the second round of charging ended, she thought they might finally run into Huo Qi and the others.
But after thinking it over, Jiang Hui ultimately felt that it wasn’t the right time to meet up yet.
After reflecting on Huan Xian’s earlier advice, Jiang Hui felt somewhat relieved, but the core issue remained unresolved, so no matter how much she tried to relax, she still couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“We should leave here,” Jiang Hui said in a low voice.
Xierman and Zhou Xiuwen exchanged looks. The former seemed indifferent, while the latter showed a hint of contemplation on his face.
Huan Xian and Clarens silently looked at Jiang Hui, but didn’t respond immediately.
They hadn’t come yet.
Huan Xian was right. She wasn’t afraid of Huo Qi, or rather, she wasn’t afraid of anyone in the arena. Wanting to win was one thing, but she didn’t fear failure—she just didn’t want to fall in an unclear, chaotic way.
If a confrontation with the opponent was unavoidable, then they had to always be prepared to secure the greatest chance of winning for themselves.
And clearly, this was not the best time to engage in combat.
Even after this round of charging ended, there were still about seven star hours left in the competition, with more than 200 participants remaining in the arena—far too long until the end.
They could fight Huo Qi’s team. Two tigers fighting would surely result in one dying. If they won, R256 would be eliminated. If Huo Qi’s team won, there was an 80-90% chance they would be eliminated. It seemed like no matter what, this would be the outcome.
But in a fight to the death between them, the space they cleared would only be filled by someone else.
Other participants might be watching the map right now, hoping they would clash with Huo Qi’s team, even wishing for both sides to perish so they could benefit from the situation. Wasn’t this just setting up a trap for others to benefit from?
Jiang Hui felt that they needed to hold on a bit longer. At the very least, she wanted to hunt down eight more teams before facing Huo Qi and the others.
So staying here and waiting for R256 to come to them would make them passive and completely lose the initiative. Therefore… it was time to leave.
By now, the simulation chest had about 80% of its energy charged. Even if they couldn’t find a suitable place to recharge in the remaining half star hour, the remaining energy would be enough to carry them through.
So now was the best time to retreat. After careful consideration, Jiang Hui made up her mind.
But before that, she needed to get her teammates’ opinions. If they disagreed, there was nothing she could do—after all, moving forward together wasn’t just a phrase.
If they were unlucky and Huo Qi and his team showed up halfway through the discussion, then they wouldn’t have to worry about this problem anymore. They would just fight it out. It would be a real showdown to see who would make it to the end.
Jiang Hui had prepared a lot of reasons and planned to present them to her teammates, but in the end, she didn’t have to say a single word.
“Okay.” A series of agreements followed, and Clarens nodded in approval as well.
Alright, it seemed she didn’t even need to persuade them.
Jiang Hui didn’t hesitate. She quickly called everyone out of the trench, buried it right there, moved the grass and shrub branches used for cover back into place, and hurriedly wrapped up the cleanup.
Actually, the proper way would have been to stamp it down, fill it in, and smooth the surface. The cover should also maintain a natural state with grass, plants, and sand so that later people wouldn’t easily notice the pit they had dug. Even if they did, it would be unclear how it was used. This was to avoid aiding the enemy in a different way. However, there wasn’t enough time, so they could only do so much.
They had charged about forty star points, so it seemed like Huo Qi’s team would probably be arriving soon as well.
When asked why Jiang Hui thought Huo Qi’s team would definitely come to this area, someone wondered if they could have gone to another energy point, and maybe it just hadn’t shown up yet… but no, if they had gone to another energy point, they could have reached it within an hour, but it would take that much time only to come from L7 to the very remote L11.
But such a long distance was almost over now.
R256 could appear right in front of them at any moment. Whether they met or not—it would happen in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Hui stayed vigilant, watching her teammates quickly cover the trenches. She was both nervous and relieved as she led them away from L11, disappearing from the map under the sky.
There were about thirty-four star minutes left until the second round of charging would end.
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“Damn it!” Mu Kun watched R186 suddenly disappear from the map. Gripping her laser gun, she unconsciously tightened her grip, making a clicking sound. “These cowards, running away at a time like this.”
“Boss, should we chase after them? They can’t run far.”
I have to say, the timing of Jiang Hui’s retreat was very delicate. Just as R256 was nearing the L11 area, they were only two or three kilometers away from entering Jiang Hui’s sniper range.
If they had been even a bit slower, they probably wouldn’t have been able to escape.
But Jiang Hui left first. Even if they arrived at L11 now, they wouldn’t be able to locate the R186 team. These troublesome prey once again vanished from the map, and their whereabouts were lost after they had spent almost an hour tracking them.
Mu Kun had a short temper, and she couldn’t accept this result. She was furious at these cowards who only knew how to hide and run.
If only they’d been a bit slower, huh?! Why did they have to pick this moment to make their move? It was as if they were treating them like fools. Just watching this made her want to scream.
At this point, Mu Kun could only hope that their captain, Huo Qi, wouldn’t tolerate being played with like this. Otherwise, they’d really have to swallow their frustration.
“Captain, should we still go to L11?” Xiao Li, surprisingly, stood with Mu Kun for once. They rarely agreed with each other, likely because they had similar abilities but different personalities, and often found themselves at odds with one another.
But he could also see that continuing this way wasn’t right. Whether because of cowardice or strategy… the R186 team clearly had no intention of confronting them head-on, at least not for now. Given this, if they chose to proceed with the original plan to go to L11, it would mean accepting this setback and completely undoing the previous setup.
If they didn’t go… what should they do instead? Xiao Li, who had always followed and trusted Huo Qi, now found himself feeling uncertain.