Chapter 71

After her birthday, Auntie Xiao's niece, Xia Yuhan, fell seriously ill and even lapsed into a coma, losing her mental clarity. She was sent to the best hospital in SH City, but they couldn't determine the exact cause of her illness. In the end, she had to be sent abroad for convalescence.

The marriage between Zhao Zhu and Xia Yuhan was thus called off, as neither set of parents wanted to continue pushing for the marriage.

On the third day after Auntie Xiao's birthday, Zhao Zhu and Xiong Zhiqi flew back to SZ City. The bug they sold earned them 3,000 points, with Zhao Zhu taking 1,500 and the remaining 1,500 going to Zhu Jianping. Xiong Zhiqi, as agreed, gave him the blood jade, not taking any profit from the bug.

About a week after Zhao Zhu and Xiong Zhiqi returned, they were having lunch at the dining table, with the food delivered from a hotel, all very exquisite. As they were eating, they suddenly noticed a figure on the sofa opposite. Zhu Jianping, who had completed his task, had returned, just as suddenly and quietly as before.

Zhu Jianping seemed to have become numb to the mental stimulation of entering and exiting task worlds and escaping from death. He sat on the sofa for less than a minute before walking to the dining table and sitting down, saying quietly:

"I'm hungry."

Xiong Zhiqi served him a bowl of rice and handed him a pair of chopsticks.

The three of them ate in silence. After the meal, Zhu Jianping went back to his room to rest, while Xiong Zhiqi went to the rooftop of the apartment building to absorb the energy from the blood jade into his palms under the sunlight. Zhao Zhu continued to practice hand seals, which he had already made some progress with, as he could clearly feel his mental energy being drawn out and concentrated in his hands, then released with the completion of the hand seals.

This was a transformation of energy, a very peculiar feeling.

This routine continued for another week. During this time, Zhu Jianping slept at home for a day, then took Xiong Zhiqi out to play for two days. After that, he returned to school, going in and out with his schoolbag every day. Of course, Zhao Zhu and Xiong Zhiqi knew exactly what he was doing at school, and it certainly wasn't for the sake of studying hard and making progress every day.

The color of the blood jade in Xiong Zhiqi's hand had faded significantly, indicating that most of its energy had been absorbed into his hands.

On a peaceful weekend, after Zhao Zhu finished practicing the hand seals and some mental exercises taught by Zhu Jianping, he took a shower, wrapped himself in a towel, and walked to the living room. He poured himself a glass of juice and sat on the sofa, ready to turn on the TV when he suddenly felt a sense of unease.

It was as if he felt a huge chill, a feeling he had experienced before. It lasted for about half a minute. When the discomfort subsided, Zhao Zhu picked up his phone from the coffee table, opened the group chat, and checked the group announcement. Sure enough, his name was listed among the next task world participants, and he had been @-mentioned by the group owner.

Upon seeing the name of the new task world, Zhao Zhu gritted his teeth and threw his phone.

...

In the afternoon, Xiong Zhiqi returned from outside, holding a phone box with a new phone inside.

"Hehe, Brother Zhao, I saw the new group announcement and noticed your name. I tried calling you but couldn't get through, so I guessed you must have smashed your phone in anger. I bought you a new one on my way back. Here, change your SIM card."

Zhao Zhu took the phone box, removed the phone, and started changing the SIM card.

At this moment, Zhu Jianping also "came home from school." As soon as he entered, he walked straight to Zhao Zhu, patted his shoulder, and said, "Brother Zhao, don't lose heart. Don't be discouraged. Remember, you still have nearly 2,000 points left. It's not too late to adapt."

The reason for all this was that the name of Zhao Zhu's next task world was "Jurassic." Just from the name, one could tell it was a terrifying web novel world, likely to be dangerous and brutal, filled with various large and ferocious dinosaurs. However, it had little to do with ghosts. Zhao Zhu had recently gathered items and practiced techniques to deal with ghosts. Was he supposed to use hand seals and talismans against a T-Rex? The compass could trap a ghost, but could it trap a pterodactyl or a velociraptor?

"Forget it, I'll find a shooting club to practice my gun skills recently," Zhao Zhu decided. He had guns and his shooting skills were decent, but now was the time to improve them.

"I'll lend you a G-level plot, and you can use your 1,000 points to exchange for a mental skill based on your mental constitution. This should help you run faster when being chased by a T-Rex..."

As he spoke, Zhu Jianping opened his phone and messaged the group owner YY.

Zhao Zhu didn't stop him or refuse. This wasn't the time to be formal. The "Jurassic" world, though not as bizarre as a supernatural web novel task world, was more bloody and brutal. The bloodthirsty dinosaurs wouldn't hesitate to tear you apart and eat you alive!

"Bro, if you can get through this, it'll be all good. Most newbies can't survive the third task world. It's a hurdle, but once you overcome it, you'll be a veteran. Even a fart in the group will be taken seriously. I believe in you. Anyway, I have evening classes tonight. What about dinner? Fatty, don't tell me you didn't order anything!"

Xiong Zhiqi scratched his head and said, "I was so focused on buying a phone for Brother Zhao that I forgot to order food."

"I~ damn... How can I have the energy for evening classes without eating!"

...

Just like last time, Zhao Zhu prepared a backpack, but this time it didn't contain talismans or ghost-fighting items. Instead, it was filled with military equipment, making him look like he was going camping. He even prepared two pistols, a replica rifle, and various types of tear gas. Zhao Zhu wasn't sure how much he could bring into the task world, as the group owner might remove some items.

But it was better to bring more, and if the group owner was picky, at least some would remain.

Zhu Jianping and Xiong Zhiqi sat across from Zhao Zhu, waiting for him to leave and enter the task world. Any entry into a task world could be a permanent farewell, so it was necessary to see him off.

Finally, the time came. Zhao Zhu felt his vision blur and then clear again. He was surprised to find himself still sitting on the sofa, still in Xiong Zhiqi's home. He took off his backpack, and all the items, including the guns and other equipment, were still there.

"What's going on?"

Zhao Zhu was puzzled. The scene hadn't changed, and the equipment was all there, but... where were the dinosaurs? And where were Zhu Jianping and Xiong Zhiqi?

This was a city, SZ City. Could it be that the dinosaurs were landing on the coast like Godzilla?

As Zhao Zhu was wondering, the group owner's voice sounded in his mind:

"Side Mission 1: Reach Jurassic Theme Park within 48 hours. Complete the mission to earn 500 points. Fail the mission, and lose 1,000 points. If you don't have enough points, you will be eliminated!"

"Side Mission?"

Zhao Zhu was taken aback. Then his gaze fell on the table in front of him, where a passport and a plane ticket were lying. The destination on the ticket was Isla Nublar, the island where the dinosaur breeding facility in the novel "Jurassic Park" was located.

"So, I've already entered the task world."

Zhao Zhu thought for a moment and then threw his backpack aside. The reason was simple: how could he pass airport security with all this equipment?

Moreover, it was clear that there were no direct flights from SZ City to a fictional location in the real world. Even if he tried to use connections to bring some prohibited items, it would likely backfire. The group owner's move was truly efficient and decisive.

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