Plot Kill (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Boundless Mountain Dormitory Fifth)

Night fell, and the bonfire blazed brightly.

After drinking two bowls of Wild Vegetable Soup, Li Wei wrapped himself in his only sheepskin blanket and sat beside the fire. He was not too tired today; his body had recovered in every way, and he was gradually adapting to the rhythm of this place.

But just as he was starting to feel drowsy, a message suddenly jolted him awake.

[Apprentice Artisan*** has initiated a Plot Kill, hoping that mother Phila will die of illness within twenty-four hours. Do you agree? Friendly reminder: the other party has used a special item. Whether you refuse, agree, or abstain, you must pay 20 Experience points, and your choice will have far-reaching effects on subsequent mission plots.]

"What the fuck?"

Li Wei instantly snapped awake. He looked at Penny in alarm, but she was wrapped in her sheepskin blanket, looking half-asleep, not even glancing at him.

Phila sat to one side, tossing a piece of firewood into the flames.

Good grief. Just moments ago, the two of them had looked like such a loving mother and daughter.

As Li Wei sat there stunned, another message appeared.

[Apprentice Chef*** has initiated a Plot Kill, hoping that daughter Penny will be bitten to death by a venomous snake within twenty-four hours. Do you agree? Friendly reminder: whether you refuse, agree, or abstain, you do not need to pay Experience, but your choice will have far-reaching effects on subsequent mission plots.]

What the hell!

Li Wei froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. Initiating a Plot Kill was not some higher-level system authority, or a privilege belonging to some Main God. Players themselves could use it.

Still, the cost of initiating a Plot Kill had to be steep. It probably required a huge amount of Experience.

But was that really necessary?

Was it really? Couldn't everyone just happily farm together and build the camp together? Wasn't that better?

Why did they have to use Plot Kills?

He got it. He got it now. His cheap father had probably been voted out by these two bitches through a Plot Kill.

But what was the point?

No, wait. Was this a three-player game?

His cheap father had been voted out through a Plot Kill, which was why he, a new player, had joined.

And a new player would receive a new identity.

Just like how his identity was George, the son of the household.

Could the new player be his cheap son? Ahem!

But how was he supposed to choose?

It seemed he had only three options: side with Penny, side with Phila, or reject them both.

There was no need to consider morality, because this was not real murder. It was merely elimination. After being eliminated, the relevant memories would be erased, and they would never have another chance to awaken. They could only live as ordinary people.

Then what about the mission plot?

First, Penny was young and strong. She would be a useful helper in the future.

Phila, meanwhile, looked sickly. Even without a Plot Kill, she probably would not live much longer.

Logically, he should side with Penny, but she was far too domineering.

If another new player appeared next, what identity would they have?

They definitely could not be his son, because the mission plot would not make sense. He did not even have a wife.

So the new player would either be male and become Penny's husband, or female and become George's wife.

But given how domineering Penny was, Li Wei could not guarantee that after some time passed, she would not hit him with a Plot Kill herself.

The key was, what were the conditions for initiating a Plot Kill? Was there a certain cooldown period, or did it require paying Experience?

Second, if he sided with Phila, what identity would the newcomer have?

They definitely could not be Phila's old lover. Perhaps they would be Phila's lost son, or George's wife.

Li Wei thought rapidly.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and made his decision.

First, he rejected the Plot Kill proposed by Phila, refusing to let Penny be bitten to death by a venomous snake.

Then, he rejected the Plot Kill proposed by Penny, refusing to let Phila die of illness.

Though 20 points of Construction Experience were immediately deducted from him.

That was right. This was his choice. He wanted to maintain the status quo.

The instant he made his choice, Phila and Penny both seemed to receive messages. Yet the two of them acted as if it had nothing to do with them and continued looking drowsy.

But without question, he had offended them both.

Would Phila and Penny hit him with a Plot Kill next?

Li Wei did not know.

Nor did he gamble on it, because he was not qualified to gamble.

Besides, as a newly arrived rookie, he probably was not worth the costly price those two bitches would have to pay to vote him out.

Lost in thought, Li Wei quickly drifted off to sleep.

Penny also seemed to have fallen asleep. Only Phila remained seated by the fire, occasionally adding a piece of firewood, looking every bit like a kind old mother.

The night passed without incident.

Penny was not bitten to death by a venomous snake.

Phila did not die of illness either.

Life had to go on.

A loving mother and dutiful daughter. A harmonious sister and brother.

Phila still cooked a clay pot of Barley Porridge, and naturally, that required paying Experience as well.

After last night's Plot Kill and the food expenses, Li Wei had only 5 points of Logging Experience and 6 points of Construction Experience left.

All the effort he had put in over the past three days had been stripped away by those two bitches.

It was basically all for nothing.

But there was nothing he could do. Li Wei had figured it out: players could not attack one another in reality, could not discuss matters unrelated to the plot, and had to play their assigned roles, acting like a loving family with filial fathers and sons, loving mothers and daughters. Yet they could use Plot Kills as weapons to remove certain players.

That required even more scheming and bargaining over interests.

"George, today we need to continue reinforcing the house, but we have two options. One is to use logs for the walls. The other is to carry more stones, stack them into stone walls, and pack them with mud. The first option will be faster, while the second will be slower. Which do you think is more suitable?"

After eating the Barley Porridge, Penny spoke up. It was truly rare for her to ask Li Wei for his opinion. Was this bitch planning some new trick, or laying the groundwork to vote him out with a Plot Kill?

"Mother's health is not very good. I'm worried there may be another heavy rain in the next few days, so the sooner we finish the house, the better. Let's chop trees."

Li Wei glanced at Phila and directly gave his choice.

Granted, he knew that stone walls packed with mud would make the house sturdier, but that was undoubtedly skilled work. Penny was an Apprentice Artisan, so she would definitely be the one building the walls, meaning she would gain a large amount of Construction Experience from it.

Helping the enemy grow stronger was not a good choice.

There was another reason as well: Phila's health really was getting worse by the day. Sleeping in that damp shack every night was certainly no good. If another heavy rain came, followed by another bad cold, she would definitely be finished.

So by making this choice, Li Wei was effectively currying favor with Phila.

At the same time, he was indirectly preventing those two bitches from joining forces to hit him with a Plot Kill.

But what Li Wei never expected was that Phila, who had always had no opinion on building the house and never expressed a view, suddenly spoke.

"It probably won't rain in the next few days. Building a house is not easy, so naturally we should choose the more reliable option. Let's use stone walls. They'll be sturdier."

"Also, we don't have much food left. Penny will be responsible for building the house. George, you should gather firewood. If you can hunt a few rabbits or pheasants, that would be even better."

"I agree. We need to stockpile as much firewood as possible. Otherwise, once the rainy season arrives, we won't have a chance to gather any."

Penny and Phila actually began playing along with each other.

Li Wei was stunned for a few seconds, but he still nodded in agreement. However, he made one request.

"I think we also need to build a fence and plant something inside it, so I'll keep chopping trees whenever I have time."

The moment he said this, he clearly noticed Penny and Phila both pause slightly. Their expressions were subtle and hard to read.

"That's fine, but George, your health isn't very good. Don't exhaust yourself," Phila finally said to him lovingly.