Go Forward (The Card Player) Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Helpless Act

Inside the game, there is no right or wrong—only a battle for survival where it’s either you or your enemy. Li Xiaojing had faith in her own vitality. With a trove of healing items at her disposal, she was a veritable tank among novice players. Coupled with her substitute doll, death seemed impossible no matter how she looked at it.

This confidence made her all the more resolute. In combat, mindset is crucial—especially in a fight to the death. When enemies meet on a narrow path, the brave will prevail.

The gunshot rang out, scattering Li Xiaojing’s shadow but also revealing her opponent’s position. She swept her submachine gun toward the enemy’s location. Her glasses completed their scan, locking onto the target, and she fired in rapid bursts.

After emptying a magazine, Li Xiaojing wasn’t sure if she hit her mark. Her vision was poor; she could see the enemy’s general location but not the details. She herself was grazed, but the Book of Life quickly restored her health.

Panting, Li Xiaojing sat on the ground, weapon at the ready, her breathing ragged. The physical exertion wasn’t extreme, but the recent fight set her heart racing.

She pulled out a grenade, yanked the pin, and hurled it at the enemy—only to see another grenade arcing toward her through the mist. In that instant, her reflexes peaked. She swung her baseball bat, returning the grenade. Two explosions shook the floor in quick succession, heat waves churning the air.

Shrapnel wounds slowly healed under the aura of the Book of Life. The pain was sharp, but Li Xiaojing forced herself up. The system hadn’t announced her victory, meaning her adversary was still alive.

“I see you now.”

“Damn it!”

Her baseball bat came down in a brutal arc. The opponent, who had survived by using some unknown item, rolled away. Li Xiaojing, reading through her glasses that the enemy’s stamina and mystique were both lower than hers, closed in for melee combat. As the Mouse Fang effect ended, she immediately used another.

The enemy scrambled to his feet, firing his pistol. Li Xiaojing gritted her teeth and charged headlong, knocking the gun from his hand with her bat.

Neither side had any fancy offensive skills. Li Xiaojing might have gained an edge if she’d chosen the Book of Flame, but she had opted for the Nightmare Piece instead. Now, after the grenades, they were forced into close combat.

Armed with a baseball bat and superior strength and agility, Li Xiaojing held an overwhelming advantage. Before coming, her sister had hypnotized her, ensuring she would show no mercy in battle.

With the blessing of her combo ability and the boost from the War Altar, Li Xiaojing’s attacks became terrifying. One blow to her opponent’s right shoulder burst a spray of blood.

Amid his screams, she paused for a heartbeat. With a crash, the substitute doll shattered on the ground. The doll could block only one mortal wound—Li Xiaojing’s attacks, however, would not stop at one.

“Shadow Bind!” The enemy, barely able to scream, unleashed a skill resembling her own Shadow Split. Shadowy tendrils snaked out, wrapping around Li Xiaojing’s wrists and ankles.

He tried to catch his breath, clutching his shoulder and reaching for a healing item. But Li Xiaojing roared, ripped the shadows from her limbs, and swung her bat once more. She finally left her foe bloodied and broken, dead on the spot.

Blood spattered the bat and her own body. Li Xiaojing gripped her bat, taking deep breaths. Unlike her sister, she did not suffer a panic attack after killing—she had seen enough already. Dissecting corpses, battling Liu Ming’s puppets, being burned by the Sunflower of the Queen of Hearts—after all that, she was long accustomed to pain and blood.

She even reached out to search the corpse, hoping to scavenge some equipment.

The system notified her of victory. She now had half an hour of free time, or she could choose to end the game and return to reality.

“Another Nightmare Piece... this series seems common. Enhancement crystal to improve an item’s stats, two coins...” Li Xiaojing searched for a while but found little else—mostly bullets and such.

There was also a player’s phone, which she left behind. Last time, taking Liu Ming’s phone had dragged her sister into this wretched game.

“Nightmare Piece: Life Altar. When the Life Altar is present, allied units nearby recover health slowly.”

It looked similar to the War Altar.

Li Xiaojing was increasingly curious about what kind of series the Nightmare Pieces belonged to. They sounded like they were playable, not just items from other games.

As for the enhancement crystal... she’d give it to Wu Hui. He had helped her so much, she owed him a favor.

Li Xiaojing exhaled deeply, spent half an hour in the city to complete another challenge, earned three more coins, and at last ended the game, returning to reality.

This time, unlike previous games, she didn’t instantly recover upon return. Her clothes were still stained with blood and marked with burn holes—exposing more than she would have liked in front of Wu Hui.

But considering Wu Hui had seen her in worse situations, she didn’t dwell on it. She returned the items to everyone, pondering the five hundred points she had earned.

The next game was in nine days: “The Playwright,” difficulty one.

Her performance this round was rated “lance”—the third highest—meaning she had done well.

“This is for you.” Li Xiaojing handed the enhancement crystal to Wu Hui, her expression full of gratitude and other, more complex emotions. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done. Without you, I wouldn’t have survived this long.”

Li Xiaoyue, standing nearby, kept her composure but bombarded Li Xiaojing with telepathic gossip. Wu Hui accepted the gift without ceremony, took back his glasses, bid them goodbye, and left.

He, too, had to prepare for his next game.

Li Xiaojing and Li Xiaoyue’s affection for him had been rising in bizarre ways—something Wu Hui didn’t quite understand. But he suspected that such feelings, if left unchecked, might not be a good thing. As for the glimpse of Li Xiaojing’s exposed skin—he saw it, but acted as if he hadn’t.

Li Xiaojing was indeed very attractive, but their acquaintance was short, and the effects of adrenaline, gratitude, and the bridge effect could easily be mistaken for love by a young girl.

But such emotions rarely endure, and a quarrel could even disrupt their teamwork. If it ever came to romance or physical needs, Wu Hui was more inclined toward Ren Yin, whose personality matched his own, or Wu Tong, who had grown up with him but was not related by blood.

“I’m leaving too.” Ren Yin rose and departed, leaving behind Li Xiaoyue, who teased her sister only to be swiftly subdued.

“Hmph, next time I’ll send Wu Hui your bath photos,” Li Xiaoyue threatened after being released, only to be overpowered by Li Xiaojing again and forced to beg for mercy. “Alright, alright, I give up!”

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