Chapter 31

Zhao Zhu stood on the sofa with a backpack, feeling the scene before him blur for a moment, and then he suddenly felt uncomfortable under his buttocks.

Immediately, Zhao Zhu realized that the scene around him had changed again, just like the last time, but this time, he was mentally prepared.

He was now sitting on a stone by the roadside. There were seven other people around him, both old and young, but they all seemed to be prepared. Each person had a backpack, which should contain items prepared for this mission world.

Xiong Zhiqi had analyzed the list before. None of them were complete novices. Two of them, like Zhao Zhu, had only experienced one mission world, and four had experienced two mission worlds.

The last person, Yan Xing, had already completed four mission worlds, and this was his fifth.

Yan Xing and Xiong Zhiqi had a good relationship. They had experienced mission worlds together and saved each other's lives.

Moreover, during the crisis at the hospital, Xiong Zhiqi had called Yan Xing for help. After all, Yan Xing specialized in the Daoist profession and had enhanced Daoist abilities, so he was very knowledgeable about supernatural things. Later, Li Fan appeared and took the phone from Xiong Zhiqi.

In fact, before Zhao Zhu entered this mission world, Xiong Zhiqi had already contacted Yan Xing on Zhao Zhu's behalf, but whether Yan Xing would really take care of Zhao Zhu was uncertain. Xiong Zhiqi wasn't very confident about it. The key still depended on Zhao Zhu himself. After all, in this place, no veteran would risk their life to protect an unrelated person. Only if Zhao Zhu demonstrated his abilities and value would Yan Xing consider helping him. Otherwise, no one's favor would matter here.

Yan Xing was wearing light yellow clothes, somewhat like a Daoist robe but not quite, making him look a bit out of place. His face was somewhat gaunt, giving the impression that he was not easy to get along with. The reason he maintained a good relationship with Xiong Zhiqi was that they had shared life-and-death experiences. In fact, Yan Xing was quite reclusive and liked to stay in his room to study Daoist scriptures when he had nothing to do.

At this moment, even if Yan Xing was reclusive, he had to speak up. After all, he was the most experienced among the eight, and he was also the strongest. In an eight-person team, unless they wanted to go their separate ways, they needed a leader to coordinate their actions, and Yan Xing was the only one qualified for the role.

"Alright, let's introduce ourselves. You might have seen each other's IDs in the group, but this is the first time we're meeting in person," Yan Xing began. "My name is Yan Xing. This is my fifth mission world. It's almost impossible for everyone to survive and return alive, but I still hope that fewer people die and more people live. So, don't entertain any unrealistic ideas. Only by sticking together can we increase our chances of survival and successfully completing the mission."

"My name is Zhao Zhu. This is my second mission world. I am a doctor. If needed, I will do my best to help everyone," Zhao Zhu said with a sincere smile. He controlled his expression and tone perfectly. Emphasizing his profession as a doctor was to reduce the hostility and suspicion of the others. Of course, Zhao Zhu introduced himself first to leave a good impression on Yan Xing. He noticed that when he mentioned his name, Yan Xing's gaze lingered on him.

Next, a young man in his early twenties with dyed yellow hair spoke up: "My name is Huang Tiance. This is my second mission." Huang Tiance had a noticeable Guizhou accent and dark skin. Despite his dyed yellow hair, which made him look like a punk, his eyes revealed a sharpness, indicating he was not an ordinary thug.

"My name is Wang Ye. This is my second mission." Wang Ye was wearing a camouflage jacket and military boots, giving him a rugged appearance, but he didn't seem to be a soldier.

Zhao Zhu, Wang Ye, and Huang Tiance were the least experienced among the seven, having only experienced one mission world.

The next four also introduced themselves. Ma Ruixi was a short, middle-aged man in his forties who looked somewhat sleazy.

Li Liangjian was a man in his thirties wearing dark sunglasses. He explained that his enhancement hadn't been fully controlled, so his eyes were very red, and he usually wore sunglasses. He didn't specify what his enhancement was, and Yan Xing didn't ask. However, Zhao Zhu knew that Yan Xing was aware of it, and it was enough that he knew. Everyone liked to keep some secrets.

Shi Chong and Xiao Ge seemed to know each other. They stood together, both around twenty-five years old. Zhao Zhu noticed that Shi Chong's temples were prominently bulging, and his arms were longer than average, indicating he was a martial artist, and a practitioner of internal martial arts at that. His level was definitely higher than Zhao Zhu, who only practiced for leisure and did some kickboxing. In a fair fight, Zhao Zhu knew he wouldn't stand a chance against Shi Chong.

Xiao Ge, on the other hand, was dressed casually and carried a smaller backpack than the others, suggesting he hadn't packed much. His face had a soft, almost feminine quality, giving the impression of hidden strength. They stood together, indicating they were a small group within the eight-person team. Their expressions were calm, as if they were very confident about completing the mission.

Just as everyone finished their introductions, a piece of parchment floated over from the side of the road, as if carried by the wind, and it landed right in the middle of the group.

"Side mission issued: Enter the ancient tomb within 10 days. Reward for completion: 500 points; Penalty for failure: -500 points. Those with negative points will be eliminated."

The group leader's voice echoed in everyone's minds. The first side mission had arrived.

Yan Xing bent down to pick up the parchment and said, "Everyone, take a photo of this for backup. It's a map."

No one was surprised, as they had all experienced at least one mission world and knew that sometimes the group leader gave them seemingly far-fetched instructions to guide the next plot, sometimes so far-fetched that it felt like a bug.

Since they had found a map on a piece of parchment, they decided to start exploring. However, most of the eight people didn't have the spirit for adventure.

After taking photos, Yan Xing led the way with the map, and the other seven followed. They left the road and entered the forest. They walked all night until dawn, when they reached a wide area near a small stream. Yan Xing signaled that they could stop to rest, and no one complained, as time was tight and they couldn't afford to waste it.

Zhao Zhu noticed a detail: as the sun rose, a light mist formed in the forest. This was likely miasma. The miasma rose due to the sunlight and higher temperatures during the day, so traveling at night was the safest option. It seemed Yan Xing had known this all along.

However, if they kept traveling at night, wouldn't they eventually encounter danger?

After all, the dead of night was when all sorts of things came out, and their goal was to enter an ancient tomb, where they would surely encounter such entities.