Chapter 2739: Zone 022

Xu Huo did not return to the Rose Castle; after leaving Hua Han’s residence, he went straight to the train station.

Through the game channel, he contacted Mr. Xi to advise him to hide and avoid the spotlight.

The old man didn’t hesitate to pack his things and seek refuge when told that his prop may be lost in a Super Player’s instance. He repeatedly instructed Xu Huo not to contact him for the next year or two, nor to disclose which Super Player was involved; he didn’t want to know any details.

Seeing that his spirits were high, Xu Huo could only wish him good luck.

On the train, a female Player sat opposite him and smiled, "Hey handsome, we’ve been on the same train for a day and a half. Our destination should be the same. Instead of feeling unfamiliar and looking for companions, why don’t we get to know each other beforehand? It’ll make it easier to take care of each other when we arrive at the dungeon venue."

Xu Huo turned off his communicator and nodded in greeting, "My name is Xu Zhi."

"Zhou Juanjuan." The female Player motioned beside her, "I have two companions as well."

A man sitting on the adjacent sofa tilted his sunglasses down with his finger and glanced at Xu Huo, "Zhan Erliu. Brother, I see you have extraordinary potential, not a mere mortal. Want to have your fortune told? I’m spot on!"

Xu Huo politely declined.

"Levi." Another Player came over and sat opposite Xu Huo, "It must be fate that we’re on the same train. I’m from the D12 Wormhole Point, what about you?"

Xu Huo casually mentioned a Wormhole Point, Levi didn’t care if it’s true or not, and naturally began to talk about the customs of his hometown, mentioning how he’s been away for several months and misses the local food.

Zhou Juanjuan checked the tickets and confirmed that Xu Huo was on the same Zone, "Before departure, I already investigated. There’s only one instance near this train station, it’s highly likely we’re on the same one. You should know about the instance’s situation."

"Beneath the Dimension has a strategy," Levi immediately said, "It’s not a very difficult instance; the key is that the clues are rather scattered."

Zhan Erliu waved his hand, "Misfortune reigns where fortune relies, and fortune reigns where misfortune relies. The easier an instance seems, the harder it might be to clear. How about I do a live fortune telling and see our luck?"

Zhou Juanjuan wasn’t interested and propped her chin watching Levi join in.

Levi leaned over Zhan Erliu’s table, watching him arrange some engraved stones on the table, murmuring incantations, and then showcasing his characteristic... That’s right, the main point was the characteristic. After it was performed, his hand uncontrollably landed on one stone.

"What’s the result?" Levi asked impatiently.

Zhan Erliu adjusted his sunglasses, stroked his chin, and said, "It’s hard to say, there’s both good and bad."

"Is it more good or more bad?"

"Half and half," Zhan Erliu sighed, "It seems to be risk within opportunity, and opportunity within risk."

"That’s essentially saying nothing," Levi lost interest.

Zhan Erliu, however, smiled, "It’s not a bad prediction; my previous ones were always a near miss."

"You’re still alive, which shows the fortune-telling wasn’t accurate," Xu Huo said.

Zhan Erliu raised his index finger and shook it, "When luck fails, strength compensates, it simply means I’m extraordinarily capable."

"Let’s get back to the instance," Zhou Juanjuan said, "It’s very likely we’re going to a seek-and-find instance. Not sure if you’ve bought any instance strategies, my strategy information mentions that there are several routes to clear the instance, some easy and some difficult. But these routes keep changing, so choosing wisely is crucial."

Xu Huo has also bought strategies.

This isn’t a simple seek-and-find instance but has evolved from traditional culture into a festival project. In simple terms, someone will provide a fixed route map, and those who get the map must follow the sequence into each node, then retrieve an item as proof from each node.

The locations on the routes are not fixed, and neither are the tokens. Of course, it’s never as easy as picking a flower in a park. In previous strategies, some even opened a Blind Box at the District Government.

Overall, it’s an instance where luck is needed everywhere.

The only advantage is that the instance allows teaming up, and the whole team doesn’t need to explore each fixed location together. Some forked paths can be taken separately; as long as one person retrieves the token, that stage is considered complete.

Zhou Juanjuan is very prepared; she did data analysis beforehand, "No one knows which places are on the route map until it’s opened, and some places on the map won’t unlock until the preceding locations obtain tokens. But from my observation, maps with these locations generally have lower risk. If we can’t get them, we can trade with others later."

Xu Huo glanced at it, "One-third of these locations appear frequently, almost every route map includes them."

"So, it’s crucial to see which of the remaining places appear more," Zhou Juanjuan confidently said, "Some will definitely trade route maps before starting. Even if we don’t find a suitable map, there’s no need to worry."

Levi and Zhan Erliu had no objections. Yet, to be safe, they still felt it wouldn’t hurt to enquire with locals once they arrived.

Another day passed before the train finally reached the Zone.

Outside Youzhu Station.

Xu Huo and the others looked at the busy flying vehicles and the layers of buildings erected high in the sky, feeling uneasy.

The more advanced the technology within the Zone, the more methods there are to restrict Players. Laws are more comprehensive as well. Triggering an alarm might lead to a manhunt.

"Excuse me, could you please step aside?" A guide leading tourists from the Outer Zone approached, gesturing for them not to block the door.

The vibrant, well-dressed tourists scrutinized them, chuckling and whispering.

"They must be Players from the Outer Zone; their clothes are so unremarkable and unfashionable."

"Wonder what route maps are available this year. The past routes are becoming tiresome."

"Wasn’t last quarter’s route quite interesting? Some Players made quite a spectacle, very amusing..."

The tourists talked and laughed as they walked away, residents of this Zone returning from travels in other Zones, dispersing right after leaving the station.

Xu Huo bought a local communicator from a nearby shop and logged into the Collection of Information Terminal to learn about the instance information.

The locals were so interested because the instance they were undertaking this time was quite famous in Zone 022. The route maps require visiting various places to "check in," which not only boosts the local economy but also provides leisure activities for the residents of Zone 022. Many are even willing to propose locations voluntarily, with some gambling on different route maps, well-known locations seeing a lot of betting action.

"We’re being made into a spectacle," Levi spoke with displeasure.