Chapter 65

Chapter 65

The journey to the abandoned mining area required traversing a long, uninhabited stretch—a necessary route. The weather today was far from pleasant; the sky was overcast, the wind strong, whipping up sand and stones that obscured distant views, everything shrouded in a gray haze.

It seemed no students remained outside, but NPCs continued living in this virtual world according to their programmed routines, including the radio hosts who performed crosstalk comedy. They appeared unaffected by the dramatic change in climate.

Ji Xinghai, seated in his vehicle, heard the sound of small stones pattering against the body and windows. Finding the noise unappealing, he switched the radio to a music channel. Passionate love songs filled the air, enlivening the entire world with their vibrant surround sound.

In the rapidly receding rearview mirror, remnants of wrecked cars flashed by.

The deeper they ventured, the more car wrecks they encountered, and the road conditions worsened.

These were genuine wrecks, often overturned or violently smashed, with drag marks and signs of acid rain corrosion. Exposed frames and shattered glass littered the ground.

These wrecks weren't neatly distributed to the sides but scattered randomly on the road and its edges, unevenly sized and positioned without any pattern. They served as natural obstacles, capable of taking out a new car with a single misstep.

This likely explained why the number of crash sites increased the further one traveled.

He saw corpses within these car wrecks—men and women of various skin tones. Some had become brown, desiccated mummies, while others were still fresh, attracting scavengers that had gnawed them down to bones.

On the path to the Ark, one could see dried bloodstains and yellow fat. It was clear how gruesome the impacts had been.

It seemed the pursuit of truth was fraught with obstacles.

Ji Xinghai didn't slow down. His car drifted through the obstacle-laden road, its pristine body occasionally brushing past car wrecks—mostly glancing blows, but there were a couple of direct hits.

Yet his car emerged unscathed, not even a scratch on the paint, while the wrecks were pushed back tens of meters, reduced to rubble.

This gave Ji Xinghai a sense of invincibility, emboldening him to continue colliding. The fragile wrecks were no match for his car, which had undergone four upgrades, clearing a path through the once-obstructed road with ease.

Ji Xinghai plowed through, even a forming tornado couldn't stop him.

His SUV passed through the center of the tornado. If it had been a lighter vehicle, it would have been lifted into the air, but his SUV unscientifically penetrated the vortex and extinguished the young twister.

Though the tornado dissipated, the car wrecks remained, and he continued his bumper-car rampage.

The livestream followed his perspective, causing viewers prone to motion sickness some discomfort.

"Is Brother Hai finding this fun?"

"He's doing it on purpose. Everyone else's cars show the wear of time, but his is so new, so he's intentionally denting it. As long as the functionality isn't compromised."

Others readily accepted this explanation, believing their student always had a grand strategy, envisioning ten steps ahead, their admiration thick as a ten-meter filter.

However, this reckless approach had its benefits. In just an afternoon, he traversed the uninhabited zone where countless students had met their demise, arriving at the abandoned mining area covered in grayish-white rock layers before nightfall.

Upon entering the mining area, the boisterous songs on the radio ceased. He and his car were cut off from signals. Even the student channel wouldn't open.

This confirmed his arrival at the destination.

Ji Xinghai turned off the radio, leaning back in his seat with one hand loosely gripping the steering wheel. He hummed a tune, smiling, his amber-yellow eyes shining like flames in the dim environment.

At the very center of the mining area, several dim mine lamps guided the visitor from afar.

Outside, Ji Xinghai's audience erupted in cheers, though they had already learned about the situation inside through other students, none were quite like Ji Xinghai, who was special.

Just two scenarios had cultivated a dedicated fanbase—though, wasn't there an unusually high number of foreign IPs among them?

Following the dim yellow glow of the mine lamps through the darkness, the car entered a clearing surrounded by several mines. Ji Xinghai stopped, sitting in the car as he observed the brightest spot.

It was a cave, illuminated from within, but what lay inside remained unknown.

Many cars were parked outside the cave, all having evolved at least twice, haphazardly stationed wherever space allowed.

Ji Xinghai glanced at the row of stuffed dolls on the backseat. He grabbed a black backpack, hastily stuffing the dolls inside along with two bags of bread, two bottles of water, and some unused props, then exited the vehicle.

The cave appeared small from a distance, but upon closer inspection, it revealed a vast interior. Apart from the long-abandoned wooden tracks and carts, the ground was strewn with boxes, ropes, and scattered, worthless fragments of amethyst. This had once been an amethyst mine.

What caught his attention most was the simple, inconspicuous mine elevator. Footprints led to the entrance of the elevator, suggesting it might reveal his next step.

"How many levels deep?" Ji Xinghai examined the Ark ticket closely. Its backside contained specific coordinates and a simple map, while the front featured the words "Ark Ticket," anti-counterfeiting codes, and a string of numbers representing a serial number.

"!" As he studied it, a sudden gust of wind approached. Ji Xinghai sidestepped, the ticket flipping and disappearing between his fingers, replaced by a silver, gleaming axe.

Without turning his head, he swung the axe's back like thunder, striking the attacker's neck, followed by a merciless kick that sent them flying.

"Ah—" The assailant crashed heavily against the cave wall, sliding down, leaving cracks in the grayish-white stone. Their dagger flew out of their hand, clattering against the wall with a light clang.

"Cough! Cough, cough." They lay on the ground, coughing violently, spitting out pools of blood mixed with shattered internal organs.

Ji Xinghai approached, wielding the axe. He hadn't yet regained full control over his recovering body, explaining the cracks in the wall.

The attacker was a male student, pale-skinned with black hair and a Jiu Zhou face. He looked up at Ji Xinghai in disbelief. "It's you?"

A familiar face, someone who had once impersonated a Jiu Zhou student, nearly meeting a grisly end at the hands of truffles.

Ji Xinghai recalled the encounter, looking down at the student sprawled on the ground. "Waiting at the entrance for tickets? Was your invisibility innate or aided by an item?"

"I didn't want to kill anyone, I just wanted the ticket." The student on the ground dared not meet the gaze of the silver axe, nor tell the truth, realizing their precarious situation.

Ji Xinghai sensed the lie but held back, producing another ticket. "I happen to have an extra Ark ticket."

The student raised their head sharply. "What do you want? I'll do anything."

Regardless of the deal, this might be their last chance.

Ji Xinghai observed their pleading eyes and smiled faintly: He had intended to handle things alone, but a cute little pawn had delivered themselves to him.

"It's very simple, all you need to do is..."

Level Seven Underground.

"It's been quiet for a day now; everyone who was going to show up has already arrived."

The waiting hall, devoid of load-bearing walls or large stone pillars, offered an unobstructed view from any vantage point and was now filled with the majority of the students.

This was the first time such a large number had gathered for two consecutive scenarios. The earliest arrivals had come several days ago, while the latest had shown up only the day before yesterday.

"Those still outside are either elite students, secure in their ability to continue hunting monsters, or ordinary students barely hanging on, waiting for their salvation in the form of a ticket."

"Isn't that the truth?"

A crisp chime echoed through the hall, signaling the first movement from the mine elevator in a day. The students instinctively turned their heads towards the sound.

The door opened, revealing a small, green creature less than half a meter tall. It opened its tiny eyes and addressed those inside the elevator: "Please wait here with peace of mind. If you have any questions, you can ask our staff. We offer paid services."

A newcomer?

Countless gazes shot over like beams of light.

Two people emerged, one after the other.

The one in front had an Eastern appearance, carrying a large black backpack that bulged as if filled with numerous items.

"We're here?" This student had a bold demeanor, resembling a wealthy young man pampered in reality. However, no one dared to underestimate him. With one hand casually placed in his pocket, experienced observers could tell by the bulge that he carried a gun.

Tsk, another one not to be trifled with.

The second person was entirely different.

This individual kept his head down, with one arm missing and bloodstains covering his clothes. His disheveled hair obscured most of his face. He carried nothing and appeared weak, causing the scrutinizing glances to subtly withdraw.

An ordinary student who had barely made it here, not worth worrying about.

Only a few individuals' expressions changed momentarily, but they quickly returned to their previous activities, turning away or resuming conversations.

Among them were those who had sought help from 'Ji Xinghai' late at night and had indeed received assistance. They recognized the missing arm immediately. Of course, Ji Xinghai recognized them as well.

Their gazes briefly met.

Pretend we don't know each other.

Pretend we don't know each other.

The luxurious marble hall, despite being crowded, still had many empty seats. The two newcomers headed in opposite directions.

"Hey! You!"

The bold Eastern student collided with someone. After a brief glance, he intended to walk away, but the person he bumped into wasn't one to tolerate rudeness: "You, you bumped into someone and don't even apologize?"

"Oh? Was it me who bumped into you, or did you deliberately seek a confrontation?" The student pulled out a silver-plated semi-automatic pistol from his pocket, adorned with intricate demon-repelling patterns.

He slid the slide back to chamber a round, his finger hovering above the trigger guard, clearly conveying a threatening intent. "Who should be apologizing?"

The atmosphere in the hall shifted subtly.

"You." The person who was bumped took a step back, eyeing the pistol with fear. Even though it was the penultimate day, those with firearms were still few, and having a gun meant having power.

"Hmph." The bold student holstered his gun and sat down nearby, prompting others around him to give him some space.

"That gun... Is that the guy?"

"Shh."

There was only one silver-plated pistol they knew of, belonging to the scoundrel with the ID 'Universe's Luckiest.' Their gazes lingered on the new student.

The student with the missing arm went to a corner on the other side, but no one paid him much attention.