Global Fog Survival

Chapter 48: Hesitation Leads to Defeat

“Are you Li Chou, the third on the resource ranking?” Colin let go of his axe, dropping it to the side. The strange, watched feeling disappeared. He recalled seeing this name among the top three on the resource ranking.

Without waiting for a response, Colin glanced at Li Hang. There wasn’t an imposing aura, but Li Hang felt an inexplicable jolt in his heart. Clearly, without this guy leaking some information, Li Chou wouldn’t have locked onto him so decisively. Outside, Li Hang tried to explain something, but their voices couldn’t get through. However, Colin could read his lips, guessing he was saying, “Boss, it’s not what you think, let me explain…”

What a lame excuse…

“That’s me. I thought you wouldn’t remember me like most people, considering I’m just the third. People only remember the first place,” Li Chou said, sounding self-deprecating, but his face was brimming with confidence. Ranking third among billions was something to be proud of.

Following Colin’s gaze to Li Hang, he continued, “Li Hang is a decent guy, though a bit talkative. Since you’re his boss, I’ll let you continue working together under me. Now, since we’re all unfortunate souls forced into this ‘game,’ I’ll give you a chance. Apologize, call me Brother Chou, surrender immediately, and hand over everything you have, and I’ll forgive you.”

Li Chou’s voice came through his steel helmet, dripping with smugness. This setup he found yesterday in some ruins gave him an edge over 90% of the other candidates, securing his spot in the top three of the resource ranking and ninth in the hunting ranking, making him proud.

“You talk a lot. Nervous?” Colin asked curiously. There was still a minute before the fight began. Aside from the three rules, this duel, initiated by a mystical item, was barely fair.

“Nervous? Do you think that’s possible… Do you really think you can win?” Li Chou sneered. Although Colin’s calm demeanor made him hesitate, he saw no way Colin could turn the tables. This armor boosted all his attributes by 0.3 and offered excellent protection, making him nearly unbeatable.

Confidently, he believed only the top ten hunters could challenge him, and they weren’t in his zone. Even if they were, once locked in a duel, they couldn’t beat him. The mysterious, top-ranked Colin was the only exception, but was he here? No.

Li Chou dismissed the thought: “Friend, there’s still time to apologize. I’m just doing to you what you did to me. Your subordinate was right; life is precious. Why die stubbornly?”

“We’ll see after the fight,” Colin said nonchalantly. He realized he could still use “Hunting Time,” something bound to him, straddling the line between a mystical item and not.

Li Chou laughed, “Barehanded and unarmed, you think you can beat me? You think you’re Jackie Chan? Even he needs props. Surrender now, and I’ll spare your maid and take the rest. How about that? Fair, right? Or I might accidentally kill you later, and that wouldn’t be good. Surrender now…”

“Nervous? Scared of killing? Boosting your courage with this act?” Colin saw through him, recognizing a novice who, like himself, hadn’t killed anyone before.

Li Chou’s expression under the helmet stiffened, then he retorted angrily, “Wait till I make my move, and we’ll see how tough you talk.”

“Getting anxious?” Colin didn’t react to the outburst, as a voice echoed in both their minds.

“Duel start!”

Colin and Li Chou heard the same command.

“Now it’s too late to surrender.” Li Chou, wearing his heavy yet intricately designed silver armor, started moving towards Colin, gaining speed with each step.

However, just as he was about to charge, he hesitated. Colin’s demeanor had changed—cold, ruthless, devoid of emotion. If he had been calm before, now he exuded an aura of sheer lethality, making Li Chou feel like prey. But he knew, hesitation meant defeat!

In the sound of metal scraping, Li Chou charged at Colin like a silver humanoid tank, unstoppable. “So slow…” In Hunting Time, Colin saw everything in slow motion and easily dodged Li Chou’s attack.

Li Chou sensed something was wrong but felt a sharp pain in his jaw as Colin’s right elbow smashed into it. His mind blanked, and he staggered back. Colin didn’t let up, pressing down on Li Chou’s upper body and slamming his knee into his abdomen repeatedly. The rusty armor dented, his ribs cracked, and pain exploded through him. All Li Chou could think of was escaping, but Colin’s grip was ironclad. Blood gushed from his mouth, dripping from his helmet. When Colin released him, he swayed and collapsed with a thud.

The fight was over.

Li Chou, struggling, looked up at Colin with a mix of confusion, shock, fear, and disbelief. The battle had lasted less than a minute, and he didn’t even understand how he lost. When he realized it, he was already on the ground, pain coursing through his body. “What the hell… happened?” he croaked.

“Maybe I’m just lucky?” Colin wiped the blood off, looking around, realizing it wasn’t over yet. Li Chou, even while fading, managed to summon the strength to say, “I surrender…” before passing out.

He didn’t know if he’d wake up, but he knew that if he didn’t admit defeat, the rules would kill him when the countdown ended. At the same time, Colin felt the distance to the outside world return to normal. Sanna and the others were back by his side, while Li Chou lay ten meters away on the ground.