The Regret Routine Begins to Take Shape, Gao Linzhi's New Tactic

Gao Linzhi believed that these people were capable of causing some big trouble.

It's better to do something big; if things develop step by step, how will he obtain the Source Energy?

Without Source Energy, how could he possibly achieve his ambition of becoming Chess Player?

The argument continued within the group of ten.

They quickly found an ordinary spear and used it to pull the man out of the mud.

After the "Wandering Shadow" came up, it was met with complaints from the crowd.

"Shadow, you still have the nerve to call yourself Big Yard Athlete? You've caused the most trouble the whole way."

"When there's no danger, you're practically the biggest source of danger."

"We've circled this area for ages and haven't seen a single monster," someone else said.

"If you ask me, we should go back to the wilderness mountains and grind rats. If we waste any more time, others will overtake us in levels."

"Time is all about experience, it hurts to think about it—the advantage I gained by grinding all night."

"That's right, our allowance is now strictly controlled."

"Search for another twenty minutes. If we still can't find it, we'll turn back immediately. I'll hire another Gold Farming Team to take us there."

"Everyone, stay alert! Don't die! The experience we lose from dying once is enough for our Gold Farming Team to grind for three or four hours straight."

"Yuanzi, when are you finally going to master your Resurrection Skill? Doesn't the official website say that Priest can save people in the late game?" the Captain asked the only Priest in the group.

"You think I don't want to? We Priest are just doing odd jobs now, and everyone dislikes us," said "Add Oil Little Round," the only Priest in the team, feeling frustrated.

"If we can't learn how to resurrect, no one will want to team up with us anymore."

"Is our greatest value just saving that little bit of experience? We can't heal effectively, and we can't beat them in combat. It's so frustrating."

"Moreover, there's a large group of Priest who can't even get into a team; they're just coasting along and even Wildling Team won't take them in."

"Don't you already have Chongxing like Chongxing in your profession?"

"The future of Priest's career is still bright; don't give up easily."

"When I finally meet the real person, I'll go and ask to become their disciple. Maybe then I'll take off on my own."

"Wandering Shadow," who had just been helped up by his teammates, interjected.

"The Chongxing is Priest is just speculation; there's no concrete evidence yet, since no one has ever seen him in person."

"That weapon on the equipment leaderboard might not even be his. He probably leveled up so fast by hiring people to upgrade it. He's probably just grinding even harder than us."

"Anyway, I don't believe that Priest can level up that fast on their own—if it weren't for you guys leading the way and paying for Gold Farming Team, I probably wouldn't even have been able to finish the newbie quests."

"Add Oil Little Round" was equally curious about the player "Chongxing".

"Look, isn't there someone up ahead?"

"Really? Venturing into such a deep area alone? Are there any players this reckless? Let's go check it out."

One of the mages in the team suddenly pointed in the direction where Zhang Mingzhen was.

A figure gradually came into focus in the distance.

The person's face was covered by a mask, making it impossible to discern their features, but judging from their build, they appeared to be an adult male.

Although all basic information is hidden, it can at least be confirmed that this is not Ordinary Player.

It's quite rare to run into a lone player in a place like this.

Some players already knew that the equipment shop sold masks that could conceal information.

Some players prefer to keep a low profile or do not want to reveal their appearance, so they choose to wear them.

However, the game name will usually still be displayed.

This was the first time they had ever encountered someone whose name was completely hidden like this.

"Wandering Arrow" stepped forward and greeted, "Hey friend, we're a few friends who play together and we're looking for a leveling spot."

"Brother, when did you get here?"

"We're all players, so feel free to share any discoveries we make. Let's share resources."

He skillfully employed moral blackmail; he was far too adept at it.

"Don't worry, you must be capable to dare to walk around here alone."

"If we find a suitable location, we can team up and farm together. Our team is definitely tough and resilient."

"I just arrived recently and haven't found any monsters yet."

"Which direction did you come from? Have you been over there before?" Zhang Mingzhen raised his hand and pointed to the direction where dark clouds were gathering in the distance.

"This swamp area is quite large, and we haven't been exploring it for very long. We haven't even explored the area you pointed to yet."

"It's a good opportunity for us all to go and take a look together, so we can look out for each other. What do you think?" "Wandering Arrow" was well-mannered from a young age and always handled people with care.

This humble yet assertive, helpful, and skillful use of moral blackmail personality is also why his group of wealthy friends made him their Captain.

You won't lose out.

Zhang Mingzhen did not object.

They are below level 10 and have not yet received any related tasks, so it does not conflict with their goals.

"OK."

The group then set off together.

"Hey bro, could you give me a brief introduction? At least I'd like to have someone to address you by."

"My name is Wandering Arrow, and these are my friends who hang out together."

On the way to their destination, "Wandering Arrow" noticed that the other party didn't seem inclined to reveal any information, so he took the opportunity to ask.

"I just want to understand the Level Profession so I can have a general idea."

"My surname is Zhang, just call me Zhang Zi." Zhang Mingzhen naturally didn't want to discuss the details of his rank.

With his current fame, if he talks about it too much, the other person will be able to guess who he is after a little thought.

"Alright, Brother Zhang."

"Why did you come here alone? It would be dangerous if you encountered a monster, and the penalty for death is too severe now."

"By the way, have you reached level eight yet? Do you know roughly at what level Priest can learn the Resurrection Skill?" "Wandering Arrow" asked, pretending to be afraid of an awkward silence.

Actually, he was testing the other person, which is why he took the initiative to start the conversation.

At this moment, "Add Oil Little Round" interrupted, "How could one person possibly reach level eight? I've worked so hard, and I've only just reached level seven!"

"The Resurrection Skill will probably be available at level 10 or higher."

"Once I learn it, you'll all be begging me for it—so you'd better do your best now."

"Haven't we been considerate enough to you? Looking across the entire server, how many Priest are higher level than you?" someone immediately retorted with dissatisfaction.

"Didn't we all work hard to level you up? Even when we were grinding monsters, you hid at the back and only showed up to steal experience when it was time to deliver the final blow. Did any of us ever complain?"

"Exactly, being this picky is a bit unreasonable. I've never even brought my own girlfriend to the team."

"Why did you bring your girlfriend in here when you're constantly changing girlfriends?"

"If our new and old flames are arguing in the dungeon every day, will our Fixed Team still exist? Everyone, please be careful not to randomly recruit people into the team."

The crowd was noisy and argumentative, but their conflict was not ultimately destructive.

Zhang Mingzhen found this scene utterly noisy.

But there was also a touch of envy.

That's what friends are all about.

Although they often betray you, demonize you, slander you, spread rumors about you, and cheat on you... they still manage to make you feel good and provide emotional value in most situations.

He certainly didn't reveal a truth—that even at level ten, Priest hadn't yet learned the Resurrection Skill.

He listened to their banter, but remained silent and unresponsive.

Unbeknownst to them, the group had arrived at a Mountain Hollow shrouded in dark clouds.

Suddenly, a cave entrance leading underground appeared before them.

They actually made it?

It seems the game does provide some guidance.

It's not entirely true, after all.

Completely realistic games aren't actually that fun.

"Based on my years of experience in the martial world, there must be something fishy about this place," said "The Wandering Shadow," uttering a common-sense, obvious statement.

"Shield Guard and Swordsman lead the charge, Priest keep a close eye on their health."

Guided by the Wandering Arrow, the group immediately began to cautiously advance deeper into the cave.

They say they want to lose experience points, but they'd rather Farm BOSS and get equipment than gain experience.

After all, equipment doesn't drop.

"It gets darker the further in you go, let's light some torches."

"Luckily, I still had torches left from grinding monsters all night last night."

After passing through a narrow, pitch-black passage, the view suddenly opened up ahead.

The group stepped into a stone chamber. The walls were empty, except for five coffins neatly arranged in the cave.

Zhang Mingzhen's mind raced: the "Silver Corpse" mentioned in the mission prompt might be inside these five coffins.

If a fight really breaks out, I'm afraid I won't be able to maintain my disguise.

However... it doesn't matter.

"Add Oil Little Round!" her voice trembling as she saw this. "What do we do now? Should we go in? I feel a chill down my spine..."

"Could it be a zombie?"

The Wandering Arrow decisively replied, "How can we know what opportunities are hidden here if we don't investigate thoroughly?"

"Mumu, Chaoyang, you two Shield Guards, go in first to scout the area. If things don't look good, retreat immediately to protect yourselves."

As the only two Shield Guards in the team, "Mumu" and "Chaoyang" stepped forward without any objection.

They moved quietly and slowly approached.

The two stopped about three meters away from the coffin.

Immediately afterwards, a piercing scraping sound was heard from all five coffin lids.

Bang!

The coffin lid suddenly flew off, and five black shadows shot out from the coffin, heading straight for the two Shield Guards.

"Retreat! Engage!"

Before they could even make out the monsters' appearances, the red light surrounding them already signaled their hostility.

The Wandering Arrow immediately directed the troops to focus their fire on the red figure closest to Mumu.

A series of tiny damage numbers floated up above the red figure's head.

Although the damage per hit is not high, their attacks are very frequent.

The monster's health bar dropped by nearly half, clearly indicating that its maximum health was not high.

However, the next second, the monster swung its claw and struck "Mumu," instantly reducing the Shield Guard's health by 70%.

Only then did everyone finally see the monster's attributes:

[Zombie (Level 8)]

[Health Points: 500]

[Physical Attack: 557]

[Physical Defense: 437]

[Spell Resistance: 428]

[Special Effect [Bleeding]: After being attacked by a zombie, you will continuously suffer bleeding damage equal to 30% of the damage dealt, lasting for 10 seconds. This effect can be Dispel.]

Several people in the group gasped simultaneously.

"Is this attack power real?"

"So tall!"

The Mumu is continuously falling, nearing its bottom.

"Add Oil Little Round!" Her eyes welled up with tears.

She tried her best to treat the bleeding, but could only barely stop the damage.

At this moment, Chaoyang's health was also critically low, and the other team members also began to lose health to varying degrees.

"+!"

As five brilliant healing rays randomly fell upon the five people, the situation, which was on the verge of collapse, was suddenly stabilized.

Everyone turned to look at "Go, Add Oil Little Round!": "Wow, Yuanzi-jie was hiding her true abilities all along!!"

"It wasn't me... I don't know what happened..."

"Little Yuanzi" stared blankly at Zhang Mingzhen beside her.

"Zhang Zi... it's you? You're actually this strong?"

"Focus on the battle," Zhang Mingzhen said calmly. "I will ensure everyone's safety."

"These monsters don't have much health, concentrate your firepower and eliminate them as quickly as possible."

"What are you guys standing there for! With a big shot here, let's just push through!" Wandering Arrow immediately guessed Zhang Mingzhen's true profession and identity, and was overjoyed.

His mind quickly flashed through the essential routine for second-generation leaders to rise to power. "Making friends, forming alliances, exploring secrets, and betraying."

Long Xiaoyun was able to become a great hero back then thanks to Li Xunhuan; he could have done even better!

With Zhang Mingzhen's promise, the entire team quickly regrouped.

The Shield Guard hold the front line firmly, while the damage dealers launch a full-scale attack.

It's much more comfortable to fight when you're not worried about your health.

Within minutes, the zombies in the Secret Room had been completely wiped out.

"Boss... you wouldn't happen to be 'Chongxing' himself, would you?" Wandering Arrow asked Zhang Mingzhen, feigning caution.

This Healing Ability is astonishing; not only is the amount of healing incredible, but it can also perform group healing spells that Xiao Yuanzi hasn't yet mastered—its level is definitely above hers.

Furthermore, since he has consistently refused to reveal his name, all clues point to that legendary figure.

The entire team's eyes were focused on Zhang Mingzhen, holding their breath and waiting for an answer.

"Um... it's me."

Zhang Mingzhen paused briefly, then could only admit, "But I don't want my identity to be revealed. You all understand what to do."

"Understood! Don't worry, boss! We promise to keep it a secret! If anyone dares to tell anyone, I'll be the first to object!" "The Wandering Shadow" pounded his chest loudly, making a solemn promise.

At this very moment.

Gao Linzhi's gaze had already swept over this area.

He couldn't help but shake his head.

This time traveler, Zhang Mingzhen, will probably follow the "Regret Routine" trope again.

These ten people are all second-generation rich kids.

It's not that the second generation lacks loyalty; on the contrary, many of them are far more virtuous than ordinary people.

However, they have too many connections, too many circles, and too many interests at stake.

Even if they themselves want to be loyal to Zhang Mingzhen, others will eventually come after them and force them to betray Zhang Mingzhen.

Although Zhang Mingzhen is a time traveler, he has always been a homebody and lacks real social common sense.

However, the other party was also very wary.

The premise is that you shouldn't be fooled by those empty friendships.

Gao Linzhi understood perfectly well that in the face of Immortality, wealth, and power, friendship was truly like a rag that Zhu Yuanzhang could throw away at any time.

He found it quite amusing.

At that time, he can use the "Body Swap Rebirth" trick on the other party again to harvest another wave of Source Energy.

Upon hearing this, everyone had no choice but to agree at the same time.

After the five zombies fell, a passage leading deeper into the Stone Wall was revealed.

"It seems this Secret Room is just the beginning. There are probably other monsters ahead. Boss, shall we continue?" the Wandering Arrow asked.

"Of course! With Chongxing here, what do we have to fear?"

"Expert, why not join our team? That way we can share experience."

"I'm so sorry you didn't encounter any monsters just now~"

"Add Oil Little Round high-pitched, affected voice immediately silenced the people around her. "Is she treating us like we're invisible, so blatantly trying to curry favor with the big boss?"

"Can."

"I'm looking for a quest item called 'Skyride Crystal'. If you find it, please leave it for me."

"No problem, no problem, we're just here to gain some experience."

"Chaoyang, you guys go first. We can't let the big boss clear the way, can we?" The Wandering Shadow quickly chimed in.

The crowd's morale soared, and they quickened their pace.

Along the way, Add Oil Little Round sidled up to Zhang Mingzhen and asked, "Boss, was the healing skill you just used a group heal? What level do you need to be to learn it?"

She thought to herself, "There's a master in this profession standing right next to me, might as well ask."

"Level 10, you will be able to learn one area-of-effect attack and one area-of-effect healing skill."

Zhang Mingzhen naturally wouldn't keep these basic facts a secret.

But then he suddenly noticed a faint sound coming from ahead, as if a large number of monsters were moving about.