The explosion injured all three of them. Since Whale had thrown Hugo away first, Hugo was the least injured. He crawled to his feet against the wall, his arm scraping across its surface. The bacteria that had been gradually eating away at his body began spreading unchecked along the walls.
Xu Huo, who had already changed his appearance, glanced at the time on his watch. Holding Director's Right, he called through the slightly open door to the people ahead, "Cut!"
Director's Right was a memory-erasing item that could make someone forget, without realizing it, everything that had happened in the previous ten minutes. He had calculated the timing and acted just before trying to steal Hugo's severed hand. After that, the battlefield had shifted too quickly. The fight had been fierce, but it hadn't actually taken long.
The item wasn't high-level, and it would fail if a Player carried an item that could counter it. But the battle had already reached its climax, and the High-level Players had used up too many items. Hugo and Whale especially might not have replenished their supplies in the heat of battle. Xu Huo was betting on that possibility, and it was also a fallback measure.
After using the item, he opened the door again and appeared behind Hugo, slashing at his neck with his sword.
But just then, something unexpected happened. Hugo seemed to have sensed him in advance. The Dirty Needle appeared in his hand again, and he turned and shot it in Xu Huo's direction!
The thing was coated in poison that could even contaminate metal. Xu Huo made a feint and retreated, while Bai Kou, who had moved in from behind, snapped Hugo's neck without hesitation.
"Hugo!" Whale roared from nearby and charged toward them. At that moment, Xu Huo