Chapter 85

Ma Le let out a long breath: "You really scared me to death..." He took the notebook and began to carefully read through the information.

Sure enough, as Lingzhi had said, these guys' strength far exceeded that of ordinary beginners. Each of them had at least two attributes over ten points, and some even exceeded twenty points. Moreover, three of them had already awakened their energy. Although, from the data, these people currently did not pose a threat to Ma Le, anyone who could fight to the death in the city battle system was at least ruthless. In a real fight, the situation could change in an instant. If he faced multiple enemies at once, the outcome would be unpredictable.

"Just tell me who I need to pay attention to!" Ma Le couldn't bear to read through the dense information and asked straightforwardly. Lingzhi smiled slightly and held up three fingers: "According to the information I have, there are three people with the strongest strength, far above the others. One is in the second district, Helias from Holy City, a European, nationality unknown, a believer of the Cross Sect. His strength is as high as 27 points, stamina 24 points, agility 18 points, a typical assault type. He has a jumping skill that allows him to forcibly jump to the target's vicinity to attack. He has already awakened holy power in the physical category, and his talent is likely to deepen damage. His attack power is astonishing, and he has once killed an ordinary adventurer alone. His strength cannot be underestimated."

Ma Le found his information on the computer. The photo showed a muscular man with a clear and devout gaze. "What is this Cross Sect you mentioned? Are all the people from Holy City part of this sect?" Ma Le asked Lingzhi.

Lingzhi shrugged and explained: "Holy City, like Miracle City, is a very selective city-state. However, while we mostly take Chinese people, they mostly take Christians. Christians are nothing special; they are one of the world's three major religions, all promoting goodness. However, a group of fanatics infiltrated Holy City. They are religious chauvinists in the real world and have secretly formed a mysterious society, engaging in terrorist activities targeting followers of other religions, aiming to make Christianity the only religion in the world. They are quite like the religious fanatics of the Middle Ages."

"Although the members of this mysterious society are few, years of terrorist activities have made them fearless. They quickly grew in the city battle system. Over time, they infiltrated the upper echelons of Holy City, forming a faction and calling themselves the Cross Sect! So, now Holy City is mainly divided into two factions. One is the normal believers in the real world, whose values and worldviews are similar to ordinary people, just more devout, making up more than 70% of the population. The other, though fewer in number, is very dangerous: the Cross Sect and the adventurers brainwashed by them, all religious fanatics! While they can勉强团结对外, internal conflicts are constant, making the situation in Holy City very chaotic and dangerous."

"That person needs to be watched out for; faith brings strength!" Ma Le nodded. "What about the others?"

Lingzhi pointed to another person, this time a woman. She wasn't particularly beautiful but had a certain allure, the type that could make men lose their heads. "This one is called Yuehu, in the fifth district, from Lingdong City, a South American, a seductive vixen! Her highest attribute is charm, at 25 points, with spirit power over 20 points, and perception and mental strength also high, both over ten points. She excels in summoning and illusions, often using her high charm to win the favor of characters in mission worlds, maximizing benefits. Her talent is likely to be seductive... Humph, with a face like a middle-aged woman, she still dares to seduce people!" From the tone of the twin-tailed glasses girl, it seemed she didn't think much of such a flirtatious woman. However, Ma Le, looking at her regrettable chest, said provocatively, "You're just jealous, aren't you, with your elementary school figure?"

Lingzhi's forehead veins bulged. She raised her hand, and a paper figure flew out, circling Ma Le's head twice before suddenly turning into a fat pig and falling down. Even with Ma Le's physical strength, he was caught off guard and ended up face down in the dirt.

Ma Le hurriedly admitted defeat and begged for mercy. The twin-tailed glasses girl then retracted the shiki, but her expression still showed some lingering anger. Ma Le patted his clothes and got to the point: "What about the others? Didn't you say there were three?"

The twin-tailed glasses girl glared at him and said irritably, "The other one is you, a defense-specialized tank with high strength, agility, mental, and perception. I don't know which direction you're enhancing. If it weren't for this time, I wouldn't have known there was such a character among Miracle City's beginners!"

Ma Le smiled proudly: "That's right. There are many things you don't know. You'll have plenty of opportunities to see me show off!" "Humph, now you're getting cocky. Shameless!" Lingzhi stuck out her tongue at Ma Le.

Ma Le shifted his gaze back to the computer. According to Lingzhi's information, the fifteen people he knew about shouldn't pose a threat. The eleven unknown participants were the ones to watch out for. Since the characters in the mission world looked different from those in the movies, Lingzhi didn't know if the unfamiliar ones were adventurers or characters. She listed all the uncertain ones, adding four more.

Ma Le looked at their photos one by one. Suddenly, he noticed a strange participant. He quickly turned the computer to Lingzhi and asked, "What's up with this guy?"

Lingzhi leaned over to look and casually replied, "What's wrong? Is there something off?" Ma Le pointed to the participant's photo and stared at Lingzhi, "What's off? Look, his face is full of wrinkles like a peach pit, and his white beard hangs down to his chest. Does that look normal to you?"

Lingzhi, who hadn't noticed before, reacted after Ma Le's reminder: "That's not right. Such an old age, anyone can see it doesn't meet the criteria. How could he be selected?" Ma Le nodded: "So, he's suspicious. I'm young and handsome, and I was still questioned by the staff. This guy managed to pass the review? He must have some very strange ability, and we need to watch out for him!"

Although Lingzhi despised Ma Le's self-praise, she had to admit that the old man was indeed strange. She secretly remembered his aged face.

The two continued to study the information, making some adjustments and verifications. Ma Le then copied the information to the Miracle Emblem and left Lingzhi's room.

Back in his room, Ma Le opened the storage space with the hidden camera and took out the T-800's battery and a spear. These two items were small and looked like they were taken from his pocket.

Last night, while resisting the high voltage, Ma Le had felt a sign of breakthrough. However, after that, no matter how he meditated, he couldn't find the same feeling. He concluded that external energy had to enter his body to trigger the internal force's resistance, so he planned to simulate the situation.

Ma Le held the spear's tip and activated its electric mode. A strong current instantly surged into his body, and he immediately used his internal force to resist! One second, two seconds, three seconds, the power was exhausted, and Ma Le took a deep breath. The feeling reappeared faintly, but he couldn't grasp it. He looked at the spear in his hand, his eyes showing determination. He recharged the spear with the battery and activated the electric shock again...

For the next two days, Ma Le spent his time in this self-torturing training. Each electric shock cost him 60-70 health points. Once his health dropped below one-third, he would stop and rest, sometimes secretly opening the storage space to take out food and medicine to recover.

After two days, Ma Le remained in his room, only leaving for necessary activities. The train was about to reach Capitol, and his Nine Yang Divine Skill had not broken through. Instead, his supplies were almost depleted, leaving only a few precious items he hadn't used.

Despite being over ten kilometers away, the capital of Panem was already clearly visible. This city, nestled among the mountains, was a magnificent and futuristic metropolis. Compared to the movie, this Capitol was even more grand, more dazzling, more enchanting, and more imposing.

The train slowly passed through a tunnel and finally stopped at the station. Thousands of Capitol residents gathered at the station, eager to see this year's "tributes." Yes, they didn't call the Hunger Games participants contestants or fighters; in their eyes, Ma Le and the others were "tributes," objects for their entertainment and to satisfy their bloodlust.

Arriving in the real Capitol, Peeta and Katniss finally realized that Effie's attire was already quite dignified and elegant. Whether it was the welcoming party at the station or the pedestrians on the streets, almost all Capitol residents wore exaggerated and ridiculous costumes. Most of them, regardless of gender, had long fake eyelashes, and their eyeshadow and foundation were in gold, pink, green, and other bizarre colors. The bizarre hairstyles made the teenagers from District 12 feel like they had landed on another planet.

Amid the crowd, Ma Le didn't look as dejected as Katniss. He waved his arms vigorously, sending flying kisses to the audience, like a superstar. Lingzhi couldn't bear to watch but couldn't remind him to be low-key in front of everyone.

While Ma Le was being high-profile, he also paid attention to every street, every building, every shop, and every passerby. The Hunger Games world was only at the beginner level because the adventurers were arranged to face ordinary teenagers on the arena. However, this Capitol, built in a post-apocalyptic era, contained technology and military power that could serve as a platform for experienced adventurers without seeming shabby.

The group soon arrived at the preparation room of the exhibition hall. Each participant was assigned a preparation team of one man and two women. Ma Le jokingly called them the "shampoo, haircut, and blow-dry trio" because their job was to remove body hair and clean the participants. Ma Le's skin was tough, and his hair was very hard. To clean him up, the trio had to work hard, and the male hair remover even complained about needing overtime pay.

After the cleaning, Ma Le finally met his dedicated stylist.

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