The rules outlined by the wolf butler were straightforward. The fourth game would be a survival competition.
Including Su Xiao, seven participants would enter the Forest of the Strong and need to survive for five days. The game would end after five days.
However, just surviving for five days wasn't enough. There were only six slots for advancing, meaning one person would be eliminated. In the context of the Devil's Castle game, elimination equalled death.
No one wanted to die. At the end of the fourth game, the participant with the lowest score would be eliminated. Additionally, from the wolf butler's tone, it was clear that the animals and 'guests' in the Forest of the Strong could be formidable, though their exact numbers were unknown.
Besides gaining points, another way to advance in the fourth game was through eliminating other participants. This way, the remaining six wouldn't have to worry about being eliminated.
Alice was a schemer who enjoyed watching the game, so she added a reward to create competition among participants. At the end of the five days, the player with the highest score could choose any item from Alice's treasure vault—a very enticing reward.
Survival, competition, deceit, attractive rewards, ambushing 'guests,' and various creatures inhabiting the forest—the fourth game appeared simple, but it was not.
Compared to the previous three games, the fourth had much more freedom. Although dangerous, this danger could be avoided with strength. Su Xiao preferred this type of game, where every move mattered and survival was paramount. The third game had been too mentally taxing.
Su Xiao understood the rules but was puzzled about the backpack he received. He didn't need these supplies as he carried a large amount of food, water, and recovery potions in his storage space.
He took out a piece of jerky from the backpack to check its properties.
[Deer Jerky]
Quality: WhiteType: FoodEffect: Relieves hunger and replenishes energy.Rating: 8Description: Blessed by the Devil's Castle, this jerky can remain unspoiled in the Forest of the Strong for a long time.
Seeing the properties, Su Xiao's pupils contracted. He quickly took out some food from his storage space, also jerky.
As soon as it left the storage space, the jerky began to decay, crumbling into dust before Su Xiao's eyes.
Seeing this, Pipa and others tried the same. No matter what food it was, once taken out of storage, it would decay instantly, turning to ash. Water evaporated immediately upon removal.
"Your food cannot withstand the environment of the Forest of the Strong, including any strange medicines," the wolf butler smirked, having anticipated this reaction.
Was it the environment of the Forest of the Strong? Su Xiao doubted it. If foreign items decayed, some of his clothing would also rot. This was Alice's doing.
Su Xiao took out a low-quality white potion from his early days. With his physical attributes now, this potion's effect was negligible. He had kept it stored away.
As soon as he took it out, the potion began to evaporate rapidly, even the glass bottle started to decay.
After some testing, Su Xiao found that food, water, and recovery potions would decay as soon as they left storage. Functional items and equipment were unaffected, as were ordinary items like fire starters and tents.
The meaning of the backpacks became clear. The food, water, and medicine inside were usable in the Forest of the Strong.
Water sources would be present in the dense forest, but food and medicine would be scarce. Who knew what kinds of creatures and 'guests' inhabited the forest? If they were energy beings or summons, their meat wouldn't be edible.
Most summoned creatures' meat couldn't be eaten due to their space attributes and various states their summoners could bestow, like poison or curses. Eating such meat could be fatal, let alone replenish energy.
Su Xiao estimated the amount of jerky in his bag. Given his and Bubuwang's appetite, it might not be enough for even one meal. The only way to get more food would be to steal or kill.
While not good at reasoning, Su Xiao excelled at robbing and killing. His eyes instinctively drifted to others' backpacks, a subconscious action.
In the Forest of the Strong, without guaranteed food and recovery items, the cost of combat would be high. Fighting meant using up energy, possibly getting injured, and hastening hunger, leading to a slow death.
Su Xiao's strong physique required a lot of energy. He wasn't a cultivator who could survive without food. The stronger he was, the more energy he consumed. His strength wouldn't appear out of nowhere; it wasn't supernatural but grounded in reality.
If he didn't fight and had enough water, he could maintain his combat strength for about two days. After that, he'd weaken rapidly. Without enough water, he could stay at peak condition for about 36 hours.
"Damn, this is messing with me," Pipa grumbled, his face twitching. For him, fat equalled combat power. Without food, his strength would wane.
"It's time to enter the Forest of the Strong. You go first," the wolf butler said, pointing at the little detective. Understanding the situation, she clutched her backpack and sprinted into the forest, fast as lightning.
"Five minutes later, the next player will go," the wolf butler was preventing a chaotic start.
Su Xiao tossed his backpack to Bubuwang, the supplies were precious and he couldn't afford to lose them in battle.
Five minutes later, Golden Glasses Man departed, quickly disappearing into the forest. Next was the Third of National Soccer.
While waiting to enter the forest, Su Xiao quietly approached the demon servant, remembering Sha's hint.
The demon servant sat motionless on the stump. Golden Glasses Man had tried negotiating with it but failed due to his low charisma. The demon servant hadn't even looked at him.
As Su Xiao neared, the demon servant didn't react. Seizing the moment while the wolf butler was distracted, Su Xiao activated the demon mark on his arm, extracting a bit of demonic power and gathering Qinggang Shadow energy at his fingertips.