Vol. 3 Chapter 11: Conspicuous

 Chapter 11: Conspicuous

"You're telling us you don't have any money?!" The two towering paramedics stood up abruptly, their heads almost touching the ambulance roof. They bent down, their imposing figures leaning over Lu Li. "Kid, you need medical help right now, and you still dare to act tough? If you have money, hand it over. If not, we'll take you straight to the morgue. Your organs are still worth a few bucks!"

Lu Li looked at the two aggressive paramedics and smiled. "I might not have money, but these masks are treasures, priceless treasures."

As he spoke, Lu Li unwrapped a bundle. This bundle was wrapped in the clothes he had taken off earlier, containing masks connected to him. Excluding the ones he was wearing, there were still seven masks left. With a wave of his hand, the seven masks spread out and floated in mid-air, emitting a faint glow.

The paramedics' faces turned greedy as they reached out to grab one of the masks, examining it closely.

Lu Li's expression turned serious. The floating masks displayed supernatural power in the real world. He had taken out the masks to test the locals' reaction to supernatural forces. If they were surprised or frightened, Lu Li could use supernatural power to threaten them. If they remained indifferent, it would indicate that supernatural forces were common here, and he would be more cautious, possibly giving them two masks capable of summoning his shadow soldiers.

Their greed, shown by grabbing the masks without hesitation, suggested that while supernatural forces existed in this world, they were rare and precious. These paramedics knew about them but couldn't access them.

"These are indeed masks with divine power..." The aggressive paramedic's face lit up with joy. He reached out to grab another mask, only to see several masks fall into Lu Li's hand.

"Kid..." He was about to curse but was stopped by his partner. Despite his greed, the other paramedic remained rational. "Sir, let's not beat around the bush. You need medical attention, and we need money. You clearly have means, which implies you're not ordinary. You seem confident, so you must have some backup plans. If we get too greedy, it might backfire."

"We're not greedy. Besides you, there are four of us here. We'll take four masks and ensure you receive the best treatment at the hospital," the more rational paramedic said seriously. "We have connections at the hospital and can get you a specialist slot right away. How about it?"

"I'm curious. Why would someone like you be involved in this kind of work?" Lu Li handed him two masks and asked with genuine curiosity.

"Why not? This city has mask incidents daily, and people need emergency care constantly. Other jobs are exhausting and don't pay as well as this. Money talks," he replied disdainfully. "There are many like me—capable but without resources or connections—relying on some relationships to make ends meet. You wouldn't understand."

"Mask incidents?" Lu Li wondered but didn't ask, knowing it might be common knowledge here and asking could draw unwanted attention. The paramedics called the nurse and driver, discussed briefly, then resumed driving.

Lu Li watched them carefully stash the masks, realizing they were valuable but not rare enough to cause excessive greed. If they were, the paramedic wouldn't have restrained his desire.

Examining the masks, Lu Li sensed his connection remained intact. If anyone wore these masks, the intelligence he embedded would erode their will, making them his puppets. This was why he willingly gave them the masks. [TL: Free slaves]

As the ambulance sped down the highway, it slowed down due to a small truck blocking its path. No matter how much the ambulance honked or signaled, the truck remained in front, driving at the minimum speed limit.

"Looks like being clever backfired," Lu Li thought, realizing his mistake. Normally, ambulances can bypass tolls and other vehicles should yield. This was why he chose an ambulance. But in this competitive dungeon, the obvious target made him vulnerable. He should have taken a taxi or another vehicle, less conspicuous but safer.

The truck blocking them was likely manipulated by another player, using hypnosis or bribery. This player was smart but not ruthless enough.

Lu Li assessed the situation, then smiled, asking the paramedic, "Is this highway the only route to the hospital?"

The paramedic paused but quickly replied, "For vehicles from the west side of the city, this is the fastest route. There's another route from the east. These two are the quickest."

"With ten players, and this immediate debuff, the game likely balances difficulty around here. Players should be equidistant from the hospital."

"My starting point was in the west, and there's a player ahead of us. Assuming an even split, there should be five players in each direction. If there's only one player ahead, there should be three behind."

"But even if not..." Lu Li chuckled, taking out a shadow assassin mask and asking the nurse, "Can you open the window? I need to throw something out."

The nurse exchanged glances with the paramedics, nodded, and opened a window. Lu Li glanced at the cars behind, aimed, and released the shadow mask.

The mask floated behind the ambulance, landing on the highway due to its weight. Timing it perfectly, Lu Li summoned a shadow assassin, which grabbed onto a car's undercarriage, making room for another summoned assassin.

The second assassin nodded, understanding Lu Li's command, and drew its shadow dagger...