After a brief pause, Luke continued, “Don’t think about Bob’s family. We can’t protect them, but I’ll try and help give them a fighting chance. So, trust me and follow my instructions. Got it?”
Selina trembled. “Got it.”
Luke said, “Be careful. Those guys won’t play fair. It’s possible that they’re observing us with night vision right now. Don’t think that the dark is our cover. They’re playing this game at night for a reason.”
He spoke quickly and in a low voice, and by then had finished wrapping up Selina’s feet for her.
Then, he told Selina to pretend to support him as they staggered into the woods.
Far away in their cars, the hunters were using various types of night vision gear to observe their prey.
Someone was surprised. “Hehe. The two young police officers are smarter. They’re running without teaming up with the family.”
Another person laughed. “What a pity they don’t know that this isn’t a fair game.”
Someone else was discussing Bob’s family. “Look at them. He’s a veteran policeman, but he can’t get his wife or his children under control.”
“I agree. It looks like they’ll just be as boring as our past prey, crying and begging until they die,” said a different person.
“Do you think we should call Charlie and ask for some time to have fun? It would be a waste to send this young woman and the girl into the woods.”
The second person thought for a moment, and nodded. “Right, both of them are beautiful. As for the mom…”
“Well, we can give her to Gus and his people. Their lives are too dull. She may be old, but she’s still usable,” said the first person.
His partner agreed with him and picked up the walkie-talkie.
Luke pressed forward into the woods with Selina.
Under the tree cover, he didn’t need to pretend anymore. He picked Selina up and started running.
He wished he had 40 strength! Had that been the case, he would have already half-recovered when the pickup was bringing them here, and that would’ve been enough for him to kill Gus and his minions, and to take back his gun.
With a pickup and a gun, there would be nothing to fear from these people.
His smarts were an advantage, but not of very much use in the face of these perverts. Besides, he had seen a lot of night vision gear on the hunters.
What Luke was up against was a bunch of players who were cheating.
For these players, Luke and the other victims weren’t humans, but NPCs in the game. Players didn’t need to be fair when dealing with NPCs.
But as it so happened, Luke was also cheating since he had his system. It remained to be seen whose hack was stronger!
Luke and Selina ran faster and deeper into the woods.
The night vision wasn’t omnipotent. The further they traveled, the more obstacles there were in the way, and it was impossible for the hunters to see them that clearly.
Luke was trying to get through the thicker section of the woods, and his strength was a big help.
His eyes were keener, and his reactions quicker. He barely fell, even with Selina on his back.
Just now, he had found the basic jungle battle ability in the system, and had paid 200 credits for it.
This separate ability, which cost as much as basic special combat, proved highly practical.
The unremarkable trees and bushes turned into the most obvious road signs in Luke’s eyes.
He moved quickly with Selina, and covered eight hundred meters in five minutes.
It was an inhuman speed, considering that Luke was drugged, barefoot, and carrying Selina as he ran through the woods.
A few players observed the two young detectives in passing. Finding it weird, they spoke over their walkie-talkies. “Hey, aren’t the two young officers too fast?”
“Huh? You think so, too?”
“Weird. Is my watch correct? Why are they already near the lake?”
“Charlie, has it been five minutes already?”
The man called Charlie frowned and looked at his watch. “It’s only been four minutes and fifty seconds. Does your watch say otherwise?”
Everybody was silent. Their times were obviously the same.
“F*ck! They jumped into the lake!” someone shouted into the walkie-talkie.
After a brief daze, everybody started whispering among themselves.
Charlie looked at his watch and said, “Five minutes are up. Let the hunt begin! Let me remind you, the two young officers are too important to kill right away, especially the girl. I want her alive, got it?”
“Charlie… can you not kill the guy?”
“You old fag, get lost!”
“Hey, it seems that someone wants to shoot him with a different gun!”
Charlie said peaceably, “Okay, but don’t be too careless. He’s a police officer, after all. Also, need I remind you that the main channel is only for business?”
The channel fell quiet. A moment later, the players discussed how they should play the game in another channel.
Luke and Selina had jumped into the lake? Well, that wasn’t a problem.
This place was the ultimate playground which they had selected after multiple games. The rich terrain here suited their craving for entertainment.
Hunting from boats was something they did often.
In the lake, Luke swam to the other side with Selina on his back, exerting all his strength like he never had before.
The cool water cleared his head even more. Even Selina also felt much more refreshed. “Ah, darling, you’re really a fast swimmer.”
Luke replied, “Young lady, I’m running for my life, alright? When you’re running, you have to do your best!”
Suddenly, he vaguely saw a couple of white dots.
Thanks to Luke’s dexterity and dynamic vision, he got a clear picture, and was surprised.
It was two yachts.
The yachts weren’t important; the important thing was that two people were standing on the pier where the yachts were anchored.
Luke slowed down and gently swam to the pier, before he said in a low voice, “Selina, good girl, be quiet.”
He spoke like that because Selina obviously wasn’t completely clear-headed yet, or she wouldn’t have called him darling and praised him for his quick swimming.