Chapter 2741: The First Stop

The route map corrected by the instance will only officially take effect after the player acquires the first token. Before that, the route map can still be exchanged, as long as a player is willing to do so.

Zhou Juanjuan and Levi have already chosen a place. Now that the map suddenly added new locations, they started thinking about changing their route map. Xu Huo’s group was definitely not an option, so they waited nearby to see if any other player needed a map exchange.

Surprisingly, there were quite a few people who wanted to exchange their maps. They gathered in small groups, probing each other’s basic routes.

Of course, not all of these people were players who genuinely needed to clear the instance. Not many people were here with other intentions, but it seemed someone was specifically collecting players’ route maps.

Zhou Juanjuan and Levi didn’t delay much and quickly swapped maps before setting off together with Xu Huo’s group.

There were three different route maps, all starting at the same point—a distant mountain and water town from Youzhu Station. When Xu Huo and the others arrived by aircraft, the locations corresponding to each person’s route map began to light up—indicating the maps were now in effect.

From this point onward, no one could change their route maps.

"Checking out scenic spots is no big deal, but how will the tokens appear?" Levi looked around. "It’s called a small town, but it’s not small."

According to the strategy of Beneath the Dimension, tokens could appear anywhere without specific hints, and they might not even appear in places crowded with people.

"Sir, why don’t you try an ice cream?" The town’s shops were scattered, and Xu Huo’s group was standing in front of a cold drinks shop. The automated cold drink cart proactively attracted customers and made products without manual supervision, so the owner wasn’t present.

Xu Huo went up and bought some ice creams, taking a bite before saying to the others, "There are many players passing through here. Locals have seen a lot, they should know where it’s easiest to find tokens."

"The shops are all automated, with owners gathered together for leisure. They may not speak the truth," Zhou Juanjuan said.

Especially considering they might see us as entertainment.

Walking further, they encountered some elderly men playing cards. One of them greeted Xu Huo’s group, "You must be players from out of town. Earlier, quite a few people checked in at the Fairy Stone and left joyously. Instead of wandering aimlessly, why not try your luck there?"

Players with astonishing hearing, even before Xu Huo’s group moved, saw several nearby players vanish.

"Fairy Stone..." Xu Huo flipped through the brochure in his hand, casually saying, "Is it a stone that looks like a fairy? I wonder what the fairies here look like..."

The old man laughed heartily, "What fairy-like stone? It’s a stone with the word ’fairy’ written on it. Originally, the place was named Fairy. Later, a natural disaster buried the town, leaving only a stele."

"It’s quite miraculous, not a single person died in that natural disaster. They say a few days before the disaster happened, the Fairy Stone rolled into the river and everyone helped retrieve the stone. Since no one remained in the town, there were no casualties."

"Really so magical?" Zhou Juanjuan asked, "Even the children went along?"

"How would I know, I’m not a local." The old man naturally said, "I’m here for business and retirement, all I know is what I’ve heard."

"If you want to inquire about old stories, head to the riverbank ahead. There are still original residents there," another old man suggested.

Thanking them, Xu Huo headed toward the riverbank.

There was still quite a distance from their current spot, and small boats were one of the paid services here. Xu Huo’s group called for two boats and drifted down the river.

The distinctive local tunes played on the boat, cruising slowly on the calm water. Turning past a water bay, they came across a grove of red and yellow trees, the vibrant colors seemingly expanding the boundaries of earth and sky.

Xu Huo opened the terminal to capture the scenic beauty, scooped a leaf from the water, and sniffed it beneath his nose, "The scent is very unique."

"They produce a kind of perfume here, the raw material might come from these trees," Zhou Juanjuan speculated, "Don’t know if the token is related to the perfume."

The small boat automatically stopped at the dock, unlike the commercialization of the previous town. This place deliberately retained some old buildings, and the added facilities were unique yet matched the overall style.

The population here was sparse, but each household displayed handmade items for sale—mostly wooden and woven grass products. The locally produced perfume was contained in wooden vessels, many places had ropes threaded through wooden bottles, the scent permeating through the string holes, balancing intensity with variety.

"Are you buying perfume?" A teenage boy emerged from the house, glanced at them decisively, then lost interest in making the sale, casually quoted a price, and sat beside them, resuming his carving of wood.

"Hey, little brother, what kind of perfume would suit a young girl like me?" Zhou Juanjuan asked with a smile.

"We only have three types of perfumes: for clothes, shoes, and rooms." The boy looked up at her, "Which one do you want?"

His lack of welcome was clear, but Zhou Juanjuan still bought two bottles. When paying, she heard him say, "If you’re looking for tokens, head to the new town. You won’t find what you’re seeking here."

"Why say that?" Levi asked, "Can’t we be here just for fun?"

The boy clearly remained skeptical, pointing to a nearby flying surveillance camera, "If you break my stuff, you’ll be fined."

He spoke from experience, Xu Huo’s group understood, realizing that without any clues, players had to try their luck everywhere. The lack of gains might lead some to vent their frustrations—not major disruptions, but small outbursts.

"We won’t break your things." Xu Huo smiled, pointing to a target nearby, "You can carve small animals, can you carve people? How long would it take to carve one in my likeness?"

After studying him for a while, the boy turned to call out his mother from the house, "My mom can carve people, but a human figure is more expensive than an animal."

"That’s no problem." Xu Huo readily agreed, emphasizing his request, "Try to carve me a bit prettier."

The woman appraised him and quickly delivered her emotional support, "Sir, you’re already quite handsome. Wearing our local outerwear will make you look even better. How about I carve you with that?"

Xu Huo didn’t refuse.

The boy moved a chair for him to sit, gesturing at a passerby, "That’s our town’s traditional flower-patterned outerwear, the taller the person, the better they look wearing it. My second aunt can make it; she has quite a few ready-made at home."

Seeing him energetically promote it, Xu Huo nodded, adding, "Is there someone who can take a photo for us together?"

The boy energetically departed, returning to say they could help post the photo beside the grass waterfall under the Fairy Stone. While posting photos or recorders there typically incurs a fee, locals could post them for free.

"That’s great." Zhan Erliu chimed in, inviting Zhou Juanjuan and Levi together.

The four each bought matching outfits, cooperated with the boy to take several photos, and half an hour later, when they climbed the mountain to see the Fairy Stone, one of the photos was already posted on the must-pass route of the stone wall.

"They’re quite efficient." Xu Huo said from afar, under the Fairy Stone was a cliff, only a waterfall formed by vines called the grass waterfall by locals. The scientific name for this plant is the Fragrance Vine. Initially, people carved names on the stone wall for local contributors. Later, as visitors increased, photos and recorders appeared, even some places were showing various clips.

Upon reaching the mountaintop and seeing the Fairy Stone, after waiting awhile, no tokens refreshed, and seeing other players similarly lingering, it was clear this was futile.

Nevertheless, Xu Huo still took a photo for himself.

"Does it matter?" Levi asked while learning the technique.

"It’s a journey, after all; you have to try all the famous spots." Xu Huo registered an account on the Collection of Information Terminal, simultaneously posting a travel log.