Roit Town lay at the foot of the Alps. Distant mountains, nearby wooden cabins, grass and flowers carpeting the ground, and several cows grazing with their heads lowered on the slopes—it was an idyllic scene.
Lara got out of the car and took a deep breath of fresh air. "Mm, it really is beautiful here."
"This is when the Alps are at their most beautiful," Jiang Hao said.
They put on their gear, each carrying a large backpack as they headed into the mountains, looking like hiking backpackers. The scenery was beautiful, but after two hours, everyone was panting from exhaustion. Bryce especially was a stereotypical tech nerd and programmer; physical endurance was not his strong suit. His legs were already trembling.
"About another two hours," Jiang Hao said.
"Oh my God, treasure hunting is this exhausting?" Bryce cried.
Lara looked at him and said, "You call this tiring? This is just simple walking. Do you know what dangers we faced on our previous expeditions? We barely escaped with our lives. What does walking a little count for?"
Bryce grimaced. "Boss, I'm in charge of technical support. Manual labor isn't my forte."
"As a member of a treasure-hunting team, you need to be capable in every area. You can't lack either technical skills or physical fitness. You may even have to fight in the future. Bryce, if you want to become a core member of the treasure-hunting team, you'll need to undergo a certain amount of training."
"Oh God, I choose to quit," Bryce cried.
"You know our secrets. There's only one outcome for quitting," Hori said viciously from beside him.
Bryce naturally knew Hori was joking, but he also knew Lara was not. It seemed his miserable fate was about to begin.
The two bantered while they rested, treating