"It's unnecessary. It's not good to hurt innocent people."
Regarding Cao Ren's suggestion, Shi Li shook his head: "Besides, that would be too troublesome."
If we have to control the blood in every game, how long will it take to win?
"I agree, don't force it."
Rhodes nodded.
For poker players, playing too many games in a row is a bad thing for their health.
Even if the opponents are all minions, they will get tired after fighting for a long time.
Because it's not the minions that drain your energy, but the card table itself is maintained by the spirit of the players. Simply standing at the card table will drain your energy.
If we force our way into the town, we might end up playing into the hands of the other side.
By the time they have spent too much energy on the minions, the right-minded players hiding in the dark will come out to reap those who are in poor condition.
"And now there's another problem."
Shi Li continued, "We only know that the opponent's player should be hiding in the guard team, but who exactly is it..."
"I can only use a mirror to look at them one by one."
Rhodes stated the only solution.
They didn't know how many people there were in the guard team, but just hearing about it was enough to make them feel overwhelmed.
So Shi Li could only start analyzing on the spot.
"Generally speaking, those who can directly negotiate with Atu Bo in the name of the guard must be upper-class figures."
"Plus, there is only one person on the other side, so we should ignore those low-level minions."
"Start at the top of the guard team, one by one, and search from the top down."
When he said this, Mushroom and Rhodes looked at each other.
"Palan." x2
The first alternative, and also the most suspicious name, appeared.
"I didn't like that captain from the beginning. This guy might be an insect elf, or he might have used some disguise."
Rhodes came and spoke afterward.
"You can find him."
Shi Li agreed with this suspect selection: "If it's him, we'll just do it. If not, explain the whole story to him and ask him to help find the real culprit."
"But how can we find Palan accurately?"
Mosaichou asked again.
"We won't go to him, let him come to us."
Shi Li said this, then looked at Rhodes: "Go find Xixi."
"You want me to kidnap her again?"
Rhodes was stunned.
"Uh, of course not."
Shi Li was stunned in turn.
"You can shrink, right? I asked you to call her over."
During the previous prison break, they saw Rhodes’ talent as a poker player.
It can shrink itself and become like a real moth.
"Okay, then give me some time and I'll look for her, but is that girl really trustworthy?"
Rhodes stretched his muscles and prepared to start.
"Explain the whole story to her and let her decide whether to come or not."
"If she refuses, we'll make other plans."
Shi Li said this.
"OK."
Then Rhodes' body gradually shrank, and then flapped his wings and flew towards the town.
"He's in this state. I don't think he'll be eaten by a bird, frog, or gecko along the way."
Mushroom looked at each other and flew away.
"Forehead……"
Shi Li saw that Rhodes' flight trajectory paused obviously.
Several hours had passed since Rhodes left, and he didn't know whether everything went smoothly or not.
It was not until the sun rose and illuminated the entire town that they saw Xixi's figure walking towards them from a distance, looking around.
Buzz!
A tiny flying insect landed first and turned into Rhodes.
"See, I didn't lie to you."
He pointed to Shi Li and others to Xixi.
"you……"
Xixi came to Shi Li and didn't know what to say.
She had no trust in Rhodes.
What's more, what they said was so mysterious, like the devil's messenger was trying to subvert the world with the deteriorating disease, and they were the messengers of justice and so on.
If the location had not been within the town, and if he had not mentioned Shi Li's name, she would have immediately called the guards.
After a long period of thinking, I finally decided to come and take a look.
"So, what exactly do you want to do? What do you want me to do?"
Although there were a lot of other questions, Xixi decided to ask this first.
"It's simple. Tell us where Palan is."
Shi Li replied.
"Don't look for me, I'm right here."
Unexpectedly, before Xixi could answer, a team of guards emerged from the darkness of the house.
And Palan stood among them.
"Palan! Are you following me?"
"Activate the barrier and don't let them escape."
Palan simply ignored Xixi's questioning and raised his hand.
"yes!"
The adjutant next to him crushed the crystal in his hand.
Buzz!
A transparent barrier suddenly rose up and covered the entire Shupan Town.
And they are at the edge of the town, which is like having an extra wall behind them.
"not good!"
Rhodes reached out and touched the transparent wall, his expression changed.
It was so airtight that not even a mosquito could fly out.
"What are you afraid of, damn!"
The straw man turned around and punched the wall.
Bang!
As a result, it was hit hard by the recoil, while the wall was completely unharmed.
Obviously, there was no possibility of violent escape this time.
"Captain Palan, would you like to have a private chat?"
Shi Li was not panicked and tried to negotiate with the other party.
"Hey, there's nothing to talk about with him."
But at this time, the Moshigu next to him patted him.
The Palan reflected in the mirror in its hand was actually a reversed image.
This guy is a right-minded person, it’s proven.
In that case, there is nothing more to say.
The four of them exchanged glances instantly, and then marked together.
Whoosh! x4
The four marks hit Palan's body almost in no particular order.
Almost, it means that there is no real order of priority.
The first to hit Palan's mark came from Rod.
Buzz!
A blue beam of light descended and the card table was spread out.
"Huh?"
However, Rhodes was stunned when he saw the card table in front of him.
Because he suddenly realized... he was the only one!
Shi Li and his companions, each holding a mushroom and a grass, were actually frozen!
"Are you surprised?"
Palan seemed to have expected this situation.
This is his talent as a poker player – [Outnumbered].
When other players initiate a PVP life-and-death game against you, you will not enter NV1 mode, but will instead switch to multiple 1V1 games.
"What the hell is this!"
This made Rhodes a little panicked.
What’s more, the opponent is one level higher than me, and is a LV26 player.
Back to Shi Li's perspective, he didn't know what had happened.
All I knew was that I saw Palan standing opposite me, with a trace of fatigue on his face.
"Why am I the only one here?"
He looked around and saw that the straw man and the mushroom were still frozen, and Rhodes was nowhere to be found.
[Successfully marked the other player, the life and death PVP game begins]
[Winner's Reward Card Draw Times]
[The loser will be expelled from the dungeon and the number of card draws will be reset to 0]
[Detected that the other player is LV26]
[Level ratio is 6:26]
[If you defeat the opponent, you will get 10 card draw opportunities]
As soon as these subtitles popped up, he roughly understood what was going on.
Although I don’t know what went wrong, now it’s 1V1 between me and the opponent.
"Shh...Level 6 player?"
Palan couldn't help but smile.
The oppressive feeling of winning the hard-fought battle just now disappeared in an instant.
"Forget it. As a newcomer, you have already done a great job just to be able to stand across from me at the poker table."
He spread his hands and began to lay out the cards.
“…”
Seeing the other party's attitude, Shi Li said nothing more.
Now that the card table has been set, there is really no way out.
What's more, 10 card draws.
How awesome is this!
The first thing to determine is the scene card.
Perhaps because the Shupan Town barrier fell into the hands of the opponent, there was one less scene card to choose from this time.
[Wrath of Nature]: Select a target each round and attack it 50 points
[Natural Nourishment]: Select a target each round and treat it with 50 points of [Healing]
The previous [Town Tree Plate] is gone.
But no matter what, this D-level scene card that has been blessed by the copy is better than my own.
Without any hesitation, he chose [Natural Moisturizing].
You should know that even if all 7 cards you put up are monster cards, [Night Parade of a Hundred Monsters] can only restore 35 HP at most in one round.
And this [Natural Moisturizing] directly gives 50 points.
How can a steady flow of water be as refreshing as a long flow of water?
Then, his deck was laid out.
After the two of them had placed their cards, they went straight into the unveiling phase.
Bang!
The first thing Palan revealed was his scene card.
【rumble!】
His half of the card table suddenly turned into scorched earth burning with flames.
Burning Land
Scene, C
[Attach]: A direct attack from your own card can cause the target to become [Ignite] for 1 round
[Raging Fire]: Each round, the enemy will be dealt 1 card, and gain [Warm-up] for 1 round
(【Ignite】: All healing effects are halved)
(【Warm-up】: Your own Fire Card can trigger additional effects)
"Huh?"
What Shi Li noticed immediately was not the effect of this card, but... it was only a C-level card?
If I remember correctly, LV25 players like Rhodes can get B-level scene cards here.
The opponent is level 26, there is no reason why I can’t get it.
"Could it be that you have been rejected by the will of the world?"
But he immediately thought of the answer.
"Humph, so what."
Palan did not deny it.
Then, he revealed his three first-row cards in one go.
【Roar!】x3
Three cards, all identical.
A humanoid monster with flames burning on its body, its skin is cracked and uneven like lava.
【Fireman】
Rage, 30 points, D
Attack 30, 100/100
[High-Temperature Fist - Passive]: When Blaze attacks a target with [Preheat], it deals an additional 10 points of true damage
These three cards are typical attacking first-row cards.
And combined with the [preheating] effect, it can bring greater benefits.
Even though it's a D-level card, the [True Damage] alone is enough to make it valuable.
Shi Li looked at the cards on the other side, then looked at Palan.
After a brief thought, he decided to try another style of playing poker today, the nonsense style.
"Some players, especially in the first row, like to use the three-of-a-kind strategy."
“This tactic has several benefits.”
He just stretched out his finger and talked eloquently.
"First, the cards are exactly the same, and the card labels are also the same, which makes it easier to create a linkage bond, or it is easier to create a linkage bond when the cards are revealed later."
"Second, it's like playing three cards, so the opponent can't tell where your trump card is."
"Overall, it is a practical tactic used by quite a few people."
"But I don't like this tactic, you know why."
He looked at the other person.
"Why?"
Palan is also an experienced poker player, and he put on an attitude that said, "Let me see how you plan to show off."
He had seen this kind of routine before. As long as he was mentally prepared in advance and kept his emotions under control, he would not be affected by the other party.
"Because this tactic has its advantages but also disadvantages."
"That's because the cards are too uniform and lack flexibility."
“And it is also easier to be targeted later.”
Shi Li gave the reason.
"Are you done? That's it?"
Palan was a little disappointed, as he thought the other party would be able to analyze the situation.
It seems that there is still nothing to be expected from players at level 6.
"Well, that's all."
Shi Li snapped his fingers.
bite!
【Ahhh! 】
A huge, muscular half-zombie crawled out from the card.
"?"
Palan looked at the cards and fell silent: "..."
He repeated all the advantages and disadvantages that the other party had just listed.
"The cards are homogeneous, so the opponent can't tell which column the trump card is in."
“The cards are uniform and lack flexibility.”
“It’s easy to be targeted.”
"Isn't your first row of cards like this too?"
This makes it impossible not to complain.
"No, it's different."
"What's the difference?!"
"I only have one card."
“…”
Palan felt that the blood vessels in his forehead were slightly swollen, as if his blood pressure was a little high.
(Damn it, he was the one who got it.)
He really didn't expect that after all the preparations, the other party would adopt the same tactics as himself.
Well, let's call it a minor variant.
But in practical terms they are the same.
After the unveiling, both parties started the operation.
In the first round, Shi Li did not hesitate at all.
I directly chose [Defense]. After all, the passive skill of [Giant Zombie] is here, and only [Defense] can make it play its greatest value.
【Roar!】x3
Just as it covered its head to defend itself, three fire monsters on the opposite side rushed over.
Each of them punched mercilessly.
-10, -10, -10
Three damage numbers popped up, followed by three explosions.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
-10, -10, -10
The real damage triggered by [Warm-up] was dealt.
After all the attacks were over, a green light fell down and shone on the zombie monster.
+25
The effect of [Ignite] reduces the healing by half.
To be honest, Palan's [Burning Land] is quite restraining against [Natural Nourishment], turning it into half a card.
However, in this round, the [Giant Zombie] lost 35 health points, which is still acceptable.
If I hadn't [Defended], I would have taken 120 points of damage by now. Even if I added 25 points of [Healing], I would only have 105 points of health left.
During the substitution phase, Palan replaced a card.
Shi Li used dazzling tactics to make the opponent wonder whether he had a substitute card or not.
The unveiling phase has arrived.
"There are also differences in high and low levels among the same type of cards in the first row."
"This round, you are totally at a loss."
Palan had the advantage and his momentum recovered.
“It’s not a loss to lose first.”
But Shi Li smiled mysteriously: "Where do you think the points I left from the first row of cards went?"
After hearing this, Palan frowned slightly.
Indeed, the other party saved 30 points in the first line.
Generally speaking, at this time, there will definitely be a big card worth 60 points in the second row.
"Come, let me show you."
Sure enough, he immediately heard Shi Li say this and snapped his fingers.
bite!
【Keep reading! 】
A woman with a fox head jumped out from the card.
“Hmm!”
Palan subconsciously covered his chest: "Are you kidding me?"
This card is just an ordinary split card.
【Fox Head Guard Officer】
Listen to the Wind, 30 points, C
Attack 30, 100/100, 3/3
[Reading Accumulation - Passive]: When the Fox Head Guardian reveals the card, gain 3 energy points
[Vine Seed Burst - 3 Energy]: The Fox Head Guard chooses 3 targets to reveal their cards, dealing 20 damage to each, causing them to become [Entangled] for 1 round.
([Entangle]: The target cannot [move])
And after looking at the cards, he suddenly felt a little relaxed.
The Wind-Listening card that can be used for AOE at the beginning of the game looks good, but it is not enough.
Fortunately, I had my own tactical ideas and was not disturbed by the other party's language.
"Say goodbye to your big body."
Palan put away his cards.
Bang!
[Flame spear, attack! ]
The card turned over, and a guy who looked like Ghost Rider rushed out from the light column on the card.
But what came out of it was not ghostly green gas, but blazing flames.
The same goes for the horses under him.
【Fire Knight】
Chasing the Wind, 40 points, C
Attack 30, 100/100, 0/4
[Burning Wind - Passive]: Fire Knight's attack power -10, but for every 1 energy point, attack power +5
[Flame Spear Explosion - Passive]: When the Fire Knight attacks a target with [Warm-up], its [Defense] is ignored.
This is a card that requires warm-up, sacrificing 10 attack points, but after warm-up is completed it has up to 50 attack points.
And it only takes 2 rounds to gain attack power equal to the score.
Even though this is still just a C-level card, this deck is specially built to match with [Burning Land].
It can be said that under [warm-up], the combat power of these C-level cards is no less than that of B-level cards.
From the very beginning of the game, Palan grasped a key point.
That is, ignore everything else and quickly kill the opponent's first row of cards.
If you kill one card, the opponent will have no entire row of cards left, and the back row will be completely exposed to you.
【Tied them all up! 】
【Roar!】x3
[Flame Spear! ]
The action phase arrives, and the card projections of both sides fight back and forth.
After this round, the cards of both sides are as follows:
【Cover】【Cover】【Knight】
【Burning Man 80】【Burning Man 80】【Burning Man 80】
VS
【Giant Death Monster 100】
【Fox head】【Cover】【Cover】
Palan lost 60 points of health and Shili lost 100 points of health.
Judging from the cards, Shi Li is already at a clear disadvantage.
"What? Aren't we going to say goodbye?"
"But my cards are still standing here."
But Shi Li didn't seem to be panicked.