Heading to the Mission Site! A Hefty Mission Reward!

Morning.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains into the living room, scattering flecks of golden light.

Fang Yi took a deep breath and slowly concluded the Golden Sun Breathing Technique. A fragrant scent drifted in from outside the door.

"My cousin is making breakfast again."

He had to admit, having a cousin who loved cooking was truly wonderful.

Breakfast was different every day.

Fang Yi stepped out and entered the dining room. Lin Yiyi was already seated across from him. Breakfast was soup dumplings; one bite sent the juices bursting out.

Wonderful!

Fang Yi alternated between soup dumplings and soy milk, his stomach warming pleasantly.

Lin Yiyi sat across from him, eating quietly, taking small bites of her soup dumplings. By the time Fang Yi had finished an entire steamer basket, she had only just finished one. Throughout it all, her beautiful eyes remained fixed on him, as if she wanted to speak but held back.

Gulp.

Fang Yi took a swig of soy milk and looked at her helplessly.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Why do you keep staring at me?"

At that—

A faint smile actually appeared on Lin Yiyi's usually expressionless, icy face.

"Cousin, I have a mission here. I don't know if you'd be interested. One of my team members posted it."

"Have I met them?"

Fang Yi recalled the faces he had seen during the Aerial Vines incident.

Lin Yiyi shook her head. "You haven't. She's very mysterious."

"How mysterious?"

"Very, very mysterious."

Lin Yiyi's words gave Fang Yi something to think about.

Even his cousin, who was on the same team as this person, found her mysterious. There had to be some unspeakable background behind her.

The mission she posted was probably no small matter either.

"What's the mission?"

Hearing that, Lin Yiyi put down her chopsticks, her face turning serious.

"Cousin, have you heard of the Extremely Dark Zone?"

The Extremely Dark Zone... Fang Yi truly had never heard of it.

"According to the mission, it's a mysterious region shrouded in the Dark Attribute. It's extremely dangerous, and the country has never conducted a deep exploration of it."

"I heard it's a cradle for abnormalities, the origin of all abnormalities. Many of the abnormalities in our city may have seeped out from there."

Lin Yiyi's tone was grave. This mission really was difficult.

Dan Mo Wenzhu had mentioned it as well. The Dark Attribute was the most troublesome attribute, and the Extremely Dark Zone was a paradise for abnormalities.

To complete the mission, they had to assemble a powerful vanguard team. Ordinary Pioneers would only drag the team down if they went in.

So when she heard Jialan's request, Lin Yiyi immediately thought of her cousin.

Her cousin was Divine Axe Fifth Star, with High-level Attributes. Lin Yiyi knew his combat strength better than anyone.

After listening to Lin Yiyi's description, several abnormalities he had encountered before surfaced in Fang Yi's mind.

"The Extremely Dark Zone, a place shrouded in the Dark Attribute?"

"From the abnormalities I've encountered before, the Dark Attribute really is troublesome—bloodthirsty and filled with hostility toward humans..."

"Are those mutation traits of the Dark Attribute?"

Fang Yi remembered the rabbit he had killed first. When it appeared, it was covered in blood. It had probably injured someone, fought with them, and escaped, revealing its bloodthirsty nature.

Then there had been the Great Serpent and the small beast that trapped the Spirit Association inside an abandoned factory on that rainy night. They were intelligent and even cooperated to set up a killing trap. They had clearly been aiming to kill the Pioneers.

Cunning and fond of slaughter—those were the traits of the Dark Attribute. If they had all escaped from the Extremely Dark Zone...

Then just how terrifying was the Extremely Dark Zone?

And there was one more crucial point.

"Abnormalities are incredibly cunning. They seem to be deliberately avoiding the military defenses along the city borders."

"Although we don't know what methods they're using, abnormalities are appearing more and more frequently within the city. It's already becoming difficult to contain."

"So making a trip to the Extremely Dark Zone is urgent..."

Lin Yiyi's brows furrowed tightly. She could tell that this mission was extremely dangerous, far beyond their usual minor skirmishes.

It was a place that even the country had little information on.

It was filled with abnormalities mutated by the Dark Attribute.

But if they wanted to fully protect ordinary people, Pioneers like them had to make a trip inside.

"Sure. When are you going? I'll go with you."

Fang Yi barely considered it before agreeing readily.

He had always been curious about the Dark Attribute. This was the perfect chance to take a look.

Lin Yiyi nodded. "We leave now."

The sun hung high overhead, illuminating every inch of the city.

Cicadas chirped noisily, and the sunlight stretched everyone's shadows long.

At the subway station.

A man and a woman entered through the ticket gates. It was Fang Yi and Lin Yiyi.

People packed against people, crowding into more people. Lin Yiyi had been holding a cup of milk tea at first, but the moment they got onto the subway, it was knocked flying. It was unclear which unlucky person's clothes it had intimately embraced.

"So many people..."

Fang Yi looked at the sea of heads and sighed toward the sky.

There was still an hour before rush hour. Did it really have to be this crowded?

"It's already pretty good that we got on."

Lin Yiyi's little face remained expressionless. Her fingers tapped rapidly against her phone screen, likely contacting the group about the Extremely Dark Zone.

"Oh, right. The reward for this mission is one million per person."

Hiss.

One million?

Fang Yi raised his head. That much?

For an ordinary city resident, one million was enough to buy a house and retire outright. What kind of astronomical reward was this?

Seeing Fang Yi's astonished gaze, Lin Yiyi's lips curved slightly. "That's why I said Sister Jialan is mysterious. The rewards for missions that pass through her hands flow like water. Pick any one of them, and it'd be enough to live on for a year—provided you have the ability to complete her mission."

Jialan seemed to be the Mysterious Man's ID.

Fang Yi could not help feeling a little more favorable toward the Mysterious Man.

No other reason. She was generous with money.

"If there are good things like this in the future, please come find me more often."

Ding—

They had arrived at a station.

Fang Yi and Lin Yiyi had originally been standing while holding onto the handrails.

But just then, two passengers got off in front of them, leaving two empty seats—one for each of them. There were still ten stops to their destination, and standing the whole way would make their legs ache terribly.

The two cousins exchanged a glance and sat down in tacit agreement.

"Ten stops, and it'll still take an hour... Luckily there are seats."

Lin Yiyi looked at the map on her phone and sighed softly.

The locations of the Great World Changes were different every time. Whenever she hurried over, she could not avoid exhausting travel. Worse still, she was already a little prone to motion sickness. Every time she got off, she felt half dead.

Fang Yi was uncomfortable sitting there too. How could the seats on this train compare to the beanbag sofa at home?

Thinking of the generous reward, he made up his mind.

"After this mission, when we get back, let's buy a car. Then we won't have to squeeze onto buses or subways anymore."

"I agree!"

Lin Yiyi's beautiful eyes lit up.

At that moment, the doors closed.

Another batch of passengers flooded into the subway. An elderly woman with a child struggled through the crowd, her gaze searching everywhere. When she saw Fang Yi, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Young man, please give up your seat!"

"..."

He had only just claimed the seat, and his butt had not even warmed it yet before the elderly woman ruthlessly took it over.

Fang Yi could neither laugh nor cry.