The two men, thoroughly shaken, were secretly communicating through private messages, while Xuan Sheng looked at Yi Qing with concern.
"Did you really get enough sleep? It was less than four hours."
"I'm fine now."
When she noticed Zhao Min among the newcomers, Yi Qing sat down beside Xuan Sheng expressionlessly and sent him a private message that was almost coquettish:
I'm hungry.
Hah...
Xuan Sheng took out the noodles he had casually bought earlier and once again marveled at the wonders of this world.
As long as food counted as something that provided a buff, it could be stored as an item, remaining in perfect condition forever inside the backpack.
[Crude Potato Noodles: F+ After consumption, slowly restores 25% of Life.]
A restorative item that could be sold for nearly half a Silver Coin outside had been completely reduced to an everyday consumable by Xuan Sheng, who casually handed it to the girl beside him.
"...Thanks."
After considering whether she should put the item away and eat it later, Yi Qing suddenly remembered that Xuan Sheng could make restorative items himself. She picked up the chopsticks without any further hesitation.
Wait... Do these people eat restorative items as rations???
The children of poor families had been driven crazy by hunger. Zhang Zhan was utterly dumbfounded.
Seeing the newcomer staring with his mouth agape, Xuan Sheng nodded slightly.
Zhao Jun and Zhao Min were both decent people. They were worth dealing with.
When they said they would keep something confidential, they really did keep it confidential. It seemed they had told this Comrade Zhang nothing at all.
Xuan Sheng had originally thought that, as a platoon leader, he would know at least a little about the situation...
"So, what are all of you busy with right now? When are you planning to set out?"
It wasn't easy for all those soldiers who had arrived two or three days late to reach Level 10. They were probably working overtime to level up right now?
"To conserve their stamina, they're all resting."
"??? Don't you need to increase your levels?"
There were actually people with more free time than him. Xuan Sheng couldn't understand it!
"No... It seems we weren't part of the first wave of people to arrive, so there's no quest to reach Level 10 in our quest panel..."
Could this count as exploiting a bug? Still, the pressure to survive was already immense. If they were also forced to reach Level 10, there probably wouldn't be many of them left alive.
[Ding~ The number of players who have currently reached Level 10 or above has exceeded ten. The following announcement is hereby issued:]
The system's notification rang out in the minds of all players, immediately causing an uproar.
[Attention: All players who arrived in the main city during the first wave have three days and twelve hours remaining before you reach Level 10.] [Additionally, players who have already reached Level 10 should not let their guard down.] [Three days from now, after eliminating all unqualified players, every player who arrived during the first wave will participate in a one-on-one ranking competition.] [The player who takes first place in the final rankings will receive a special reward! So, even if you have reached Level 10, please continue working hard.] [At the same time~] [The Level 10 instance, Magic Qi Cave, has now opened. All players may enter this instance while out of combat. It offers generous rewards, and the first player to clear it will receive a hidden grand prize and leave a record in the instance.] [However, the maximum level is 15. If you have not cleared this instance by then...] [You will be eliminated!] [That is all. Please survive tenaciously...]
"Hah, reaching Level 10 isn't enough, and now there's an instance that must be cleared afterward..."
Was it really that difficult to live a stable life...?
Xuan Sheng, who only wanted to slack off and play at being a god, shook his head in dissatisfaction and looked at the people in front of him.
"Did you receive the message?"
"Mm." x2
Zhao Jun and Zhao Min both nodded solemnly.
"I received the message, but I was told I'm not eligible to participate..."
Zhang Zhan raised his hand, a hint of relief on his face.
It seemed that those who had used the Conscription Order to enter the city were not considered part of the first wave of arrivals, so they were not subject to these requirements or competitions.
However, the Magic Qi Cave seemed to be an instance that all players had to clear, so they could enter it.
"Fine. Got it."
After taking one last look at Elf Forest on the map, Xuan Sheng slowly spoke:
"How long will your food last?"
"At most one day."
If they waited any longer, some of their teammates might collapse before they even reached the village in that Elf Forest...
"You have one more day to prepare? Good. We'll contact each other tomorrow morning."
Xuan Sheng had other plans, so he nodded and immediately began to see them out.
"Huh? But... Fine..."
Knowing that his group was only causing trouble for the other party, Zhang Zhan naturally didn't dare complain. The fact that the other party was willing to help was already extraordinarily generous.
"So you're going to the temple to continue your quest afterward, right?"
"Mm."
After finishing the noodles, Qingyi nodded and had already begun making plans concerning the cave.
"We can't form a party..."
With no outsiders present, the girl's expression finally became a little more animated, and a small trace of regret appeared on her face.
"Mm. We'll each clear it separately..."
After seeing Yi Qing leave for her quest, Xuan Sheng opened the public chat...
Anyone want to form a party and clear the cave together? Girls get priority.
Are you stupid? This is a solo trial instance. There's no party system.
Damn, the danger level is extremely high? Is there any expert willing to scout ahead and then compile some information or a guide?
Why don't you go first? Why not provide everyone with a free service?
After the new round of announcements, countless messages appeared in the public chat. Most of them were complaints about this new instance.
They had to clear it before reaching Level 15, or they would be eliminated.
Another enormous burden had been placed on everyone's shoulders. This instance, described as extremely dangerous, had not provided them with even the slightest bit of information. Entering rashly would probably end badly...
[Magic Qi Cave: A cave contaminated by magic qi. It contains various mutated monsters. The magic qi itself will also corrode players who enter, dealing damage to Life and Mana every second.] [The monsters inside mainly consist of magic-qi-infected bats, snakes, scorpions, and the like.] [The final boss is a magic-qi-infected brown bear (Lv. 10).]
When the Eye of God focused on the instance page, a vast amount of related information immediately came into view, leaving Xuan Sheng momentarily unable to take it all in...
In that short span of time, even the map of the cave's interior had been completely seen through by the Eye of God. Hidden chests, lurking monsters... everything appeared before his eyes without any obstruction.
[The first clear will grant additional experience and Gold Coin rewards, as well as an increase in earnings.] [One hundred percent exploration will grant additional rewards.]
"Hmm?"
As the first player to clear it, he would receive a special reward.
What could it be?
Golden light flickered faintly in the youth's eyes. The sight of something he couldn't see instantly stirred his excitement!
"Let's have a go at this first clear..."
Before you continue