"You can't say that." A young man in white clothes retorted unconvincingly, "Although we don't have a new power system, our talents are not bad! Look at what we have here, basically Innate Full Soul Power, the best Martial Soul. In the original work, these are genius-level talents! As long as we are given enough resources, reaching Titled Douluo in the future will not be a problem at all!"
He paused and continued, "Those big forces are not stupid. They must also know that not all Otherworldly Visitors are as powerful as Luolock. But even if we can only be thugs, the treatment must be much better than going to the Spirit Hall to be a small deacon, right? Maybe with luck, it is not impossible to reach the sky in one step!"
"Getting to the top in one step? You are overthinking." The tall and thin man sneered, "Do you think those forces are philanthropists? They recruited Otherworldly Visitors, and they essentially used us as tools. When it is useful, we will give you some sweetness; when it is not useful, we will throw it away. If you dare to have second thoughts, you will die without knowing how. Do you think those of us with no background and no backing can outplay those old foxes who have lived for hundreds of years?"
"That's better than going to the Spirit Hall!" The man in Bai Jin's uniform raised his voice, "If you go to the Spirit Hall, you will have to be someone else's pawn all your life and live by looking at other people's faces. If you respond to the recruitment, at least you will have a chance to give it a try!"
"Give it a try? Risk your life?"
"It's better than living a lifetime of doing nothing!"
The two of them had a heated argument, and the others also divided into two groups and started arguing.
The entire basement was a mess.
Suddenly, a loud slamming on the table sounded, interrupting everyone's argument.
The middle-aged man who had been drinking heavily with his head down suddenly stood up, his eyes were red and his whole body was shaking.
"That's enough! Stop arguing!" He roared, his voice full of long-suppressed unwillingness and anger, "You are fighting over who is better as a dog, aren't you?"
Everyone fell silent and looked at him.
The middle-aged man gasped and glanced at everyone present. "We are time travellers! We are from another world! We have read the script, we know the future! Logically speaking, we should be the protagonists of this world! We should be like what is written in the novel, waking up to control the world, lying drunk on the knees of beautiful women, dominating the world, and controlling the world!"
He pointed out the window, his voice getting more and more excited. "But what's the result? Luolock, a child, has become the focus of the entire continent inexplicably. Everyone is holding him up and providing for him. Those who have a system can upgrade by just signing in, and get Soul Bone by completing any tasks, and they are all prosperous. But what about us? Who are we?"
"We can't even get in Shrek! We can't even touch a blade of grass from Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well! Now we have to fight over who will be the dog! Why?! Why have we traveled through time and can only be supporting characters?! Why do we have to live in the shadow of others all our lives?!"
His words were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart hard.
Yes, why?
Who hasn't dreamed of being a protagonist?
Who didn't imagine that they would become the savior of this world and a hero that attracted everyone's attention when they traveled through time?
But reality gave them a hard slap in the face.
They are not the protagonists, they are just passers-by whose names will not be remembered.
Their time-travel did not bring about any changes, it just made them struggle to survive in a strange and cruel world.
The basement fell into deathly silence again.
This time, no one spoke.
Only the sound of suppressed breathing and the heavy breathing of a middle-aged man echoed in the empty basement.
After a long time, Brother Dao slowly spoke, his voice was tired and hoarse. "Old Zhou, stop talking, this is life."
"Fate? I don't believe in fate!" Old Zhou roared and punched the table, making a deep hole in the hard wooden table. "I'm not willing to live like this for the rest of my life! I'm not willing to not even have a tombstone after I die!"
"What can we do if we are not willing to give in?" Brother Dao smiled bitterly, "We have no system, no golden fingers, and no incredible luck. It is already very difficult for us to survive."
He paused and continued, "As for responding to Otherworldly Visitors's recruitment, I advise everyone not to think about it. It's too dangerous. The waters of those big forces are too deep. If we go in, we can't even make a splash. In comparison, although Spirit Hall is not a good place, at least it has strict rules. As long as you work honestly, you won't lose your life casually."
"This is the safest way I can think of." Brother Dao looked at everyone, his eyes full of helplessness, "In three days, those who are willing to follow me to Spirit City will gather here. If you don't want to, I won't force you. Let's all get together and go."
At this moment, the man in the black hood who had been sitting in the corner without saying a word suddenly raised his head.
His face was hidden in the shadow of the hood, and only a pair of cold eyes could be seen.
His voice was low, with a hint of hoarseness, but it reached everyone's ears clearly:
"Maybe... we are all wrong."
Everyone was stunned for a moment and looked at him in unison.
This person's name is A Mo. He only joined the stronghold half a year ago. He has a withdrawn personality and seldom talks. No one knows him well.
"What do you mean?" Brother Dao asked with a frown.
A Mo's eyes slowly swept over everyone present, and his tone was terrifyingly calm. "We have always complained about why we traveled through time, but there is no protagonist aura, no system, and no opportunity. We have always wondered why the protagonist is Luolock, those who have a system, not us."
He paused and said word by word, "But have you ever thought about it, maybe there is no natural protagonist at all. If a time traveler is the protagonist, then if so many time travelers appear in this world at the same time, will it mean that... only one will be left in the end?"
"It's like raising a gu."
"Put all the bugs in the same jar and let them bite and devour each other. The one who survives in the end is the real Gu King, the real protagonist of this world."
There was silence in the basement for a moment.
You can even hear the sound of a pin dropping on the ground.
The candle flame jumped suddenly, distorting everyone's shadow into a ferocious shape.
A Mo ignored everyone's shocked expressions and continued, "I know you think I'm talking nonsense. But I can tell you that as far as I know, some brothers have already started doing this."
"Last month, Lao Wang, who lives in the west of the city, suddenly disappeared. Everyone thought he was eaten by Soul Beast. But I was on the black market yesterday and saw someone selling his Soul Bone."
"Also three months ago, Xiao Li, who awakened the ninth-level innate Soul Power, said he was going to Star Dou Forest to hunt Soul Ring alone, but he never came back. Some people said that when they last saw him, he was with another person in our stronghold."
A Mo's words were like a thunder, exploding in the basement.
Everyone's faces turned pale.
They subconsciously looked at the people around them, their eyes full of shock, suspicion and fear.
Yes, there have indeed been a few geniuses missing in the past few days.
Everyone thought they had an accident while out on an adventure, and never thought about it.
But now that A Mo said this, all the doubts were connected in series.
If it's really about raising gu, if it's true that only the one who survives in the end can become the protagonist...
Then everyone around you is no longer a fellow stranger from another world who shares the same problem, but a tonic on your own growth path.
A Mo also seemed to realize that he had said the wrong thing. He lowered his head suddenly and hid his face in the shadow of the hood again, his body trembling slightly.
But it's too late.
That terrible guess has taken root and sprouted in everyone's heart like a seed.
No one spoke.
The entire basement was eerily quiet.
The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and gunpowder.
The previous warmth and sympathy for each other disappeared in an instant without a trace.
Instead, there was cold vigilance and undisguised hostility.
Someone subconsciously tightened his grip on the dagger at his waist.
Someone quietly took a step back and distanced himself from the people around him.
Some people's eyes flickered, wondering what they were thinking.
Brother Dao opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but found that he couldn't say anything.
He wants to refute A Mo and tell everyone that this is not true.
But he knew in his heart that what A Mo said was probably the truth.
Otherwise, there is no way to explain why there are so many time travelers appearing in this world at the same time, but they all live such miserable lives.
The candlelight is still flickering.
The shadow is still twisting.
More than a dozen figures faced each other in the dim candlelight, but no one moved.
They were once the only kindred spirits in this strange world, brothers who could rely on each other.
But now, they have become each other's prey.
"Why..."
I don't know who it was, but whispered something.
The voice was full of despair and madness.
"Why should I become someone else's supplement?"
"If you want to be a supplement, you should be my supplement!"
Before he finished speaking, a cold light flashed through.
Be obedient and be devoured by me!
Woooooooooo~
PS: I won't be able to control it as I write it.