Instance: Plains Ambush

Saturday morning. Wang Ji boarded the train bound for Military Base No. 8. Military Base No. 8 was not only home to a division tasked with defending the base city, but also served as a hub for many martial artists to resupply and rest. It was, in essence, a small fortress city.

"Little brother, are you a martial artist?" A greasy, middle-aged man sitting nearby was quite talkative.

Wang Ji replied perfunctorily, "Yes!"

"That's amazing! You're a martial artist at such a young age! But, didn't you come with a team?"

Wang Ji said, "I arrived early. We're meeting at the base." When out and about, a mix of truth and lies was sufficient; there was no need to be too earnest.

The greasy man said enviously, "I really envy you guys! The speed at which martial artists make money is truly impressive. People like us aren't so lucky; we just earn a bit of errand money."

Wang Ji asked calmly, "What do you do?"

The greasy man looked surprised, then laughed heartily. "Outside the wilderness, there is wealth everywhere. In this Military Base No. 8, I don't know how many people rely on the wilderness to make a living."

As he spoke, he pointed to the wilderness outside the narrow bulletproof glass. "Look at those trees—decades-old camphor wood that two people could barely wrap their arms around. If you haul that back, wouldn't it sell for a hundred thousand or so as high-end timber? Look at that grass; the wild medicinal herbs inside, even the cheapest ones, go for dozens of dollars a catty, and it's normal for slightly rarer ones to fetch thousands or tens of thousands. Look at the countless mushrooms and wild game; which one isn't a good product once brought back to the base city? You won't even see these in ordinary restaurants!"

"The military logistics department, the HR Alliance, and the acquisition departments of the martial arts schools handle the big business of high-end monster materials, but these small trades... they don't look down on them, so people like us do it... haha, just earning some errand money."

Only now did Wang Ji feel the reality of the wilderness. The wilderness was not just for martial artists, and it wasn't just about killing monsters and harvesting materials worth hundreds of millions. The wilderness was also a place for ordinary people who dared to take risks.

Military Base No. 8 was 80 kilometers from Yangzhou City, and they arrived in the blink of an eye. Wang Ji stepped out of the station and saw a scene of bustling noise. Behind him stood the stern and menacing steel-and-concrete military fortress; in the square before him, stretching all the way to the open space outside the city gates, were stalls of all sizes, some buying and some selling. Herbs, mushrooms, unknown mineral crystals, wild game, monster meat... all sorts of strange things were on display.

"Forming a team! The Iron Stone Exploration Team is about to leave! We have three professional martial artists for protection! Anyone wanting to explore with us, hurry up! Leaving in 30 minutes, destination East Mountain Hollow, returning by evening! Fee is 1,000 credits plus 30% of the haul!"

"Iron Blood Exploration Team! Only recruiting explorers at the level of Advanced Student or higher! Heading to Boulder Beach! Those with the strength, come over!"

Wang Ji's mouth twitched. This was completely different from what he had imagined! The vibe had shifted entirely. If these people had text boxes floating over their heads, it would be the perfect aesthetic for a game party.

"Hey! Little brother, since you're a martial artist, you should head to the South Gate! That side is dedicated to villas and shops for martial artists to rest. Once you pass through the South Gate of the city wall, you're straight into the outer wilderness!" the greasy man from earlier said with a smile.

Wang Ji pulled at the corner of his mouth awkwardly. "I'll just look around!"

At the wide, heavy city gate, the reinforced concrete wall was a full ten meters thick, and the gate itself was made of alloy over a meter thick. Atop the gate, an elderly man with graying hair and beard, dressed in military uniform, sat ramrod straight on the battlement. His eyes were cold and profound.

The moment he locked eyes with the old soldier, Wang Ji felt his body stiffen. What a terrifying gaze! So full of death! Wang Ji shivered before regaining his composure. Only then did he notice the old man was missing his left arm and bore a hideous scar across his face.

The old man suddenly spoke, "Martial artists should go to the South Gate! Go to the wilderness and kill more monsters!" His voice was gravelly, his gaze cold and dark. Wang Ji couldn't help but nod, then shifted his eyes away.

Turning and heading south, things became much quieter. There were fire points and bunkers, clean streets, and rows of villas that exuded a sense of weight and history.

"Ding! Instance discovered: Dianyuan Defense. Please move within the entry range!"

Wang Ji was ecstatic. He had finally found another instance. He had known that hiding inside the city wouldn't lead to finding any. Wang Ji looked around; this was the intersection of a villa area and a secluded little park. The park was only forty or fifty meters wide and long, with a monument standing in the center.

Wang Ji looked closely. The inscription read: "Dianyuan Defense Memorial Monument!

In 2018, the 112th Division of the Jiangnan Military Region was ordered to cover the evacuation of 3 million people in the Jiangnan region. At Jiangkou, Little Stone Mountain, and Dianyuan, they held off the beast tide for seven days and nights. The 112th Division suffered 400% casualties, successfully completing the defensive mission and buying precious time for the establishment of the Jiangnan Base City. After the war, this monument was erected to commemorate the soldiers and civilians who sacrificed their lives in the Tieyuan Defensive Battle!"

"The Dianyuan Defense?" Wang Ji suddenly realized. "This is a defensive battle recorded in history textbooks! The textbooks only had a short paragraph, a few dozen words. But looking at this monument, it must have been incredibly tragic." As he thought this, Wang Ji looked around.

"Is the instance here?" Wang Ji moved toward the monument. Sure enough, as soon as he got within 10 meters, he heard the prompt: "Ding! Instance discovered: Dianyuan Defense. Entry available! Remaining entries (3/3)."

Huh! This instance can only be entered three times? That's a bit troublesome.

Time would pass within the instance as well. Ten minutes in the instance was roughly one minute in the outside world. Wang Ji wasn't sure how long this instance would take, so he certainly couldn't stand here to enter it. Wang Ji checked his surroundings and then walked forward.

The Martial Artist Service Hall.

"You're alone? No teammates? That's very dangerous! I suggest you join a squad," the soldier in charge of registration asked with surprise.

Wang Ji nodded. "Just me. I won't go deep."

"Wait! You're still a prospective martial artist!" The soldier scanned Wang Ji's credentials and looked even more surprised. "This... I'll have to ask..."

Before long, Wang Ji finally managed to check into a villa reserved for martial artists. He chose one in the furthest corner of the villa area, as it was closest to the monument he had seen earlier.

Once inside the villa, the familiar prompt sounded: "Instance discovered: Dianyuan Defense, entry available, remaining entries 3/3."

"Haha! It works. Enter! Enter!"

A cold wind howled.

The sky was a gray, oppressive haze. Wang Ji emerged from a ruin. Outside, the scene was one of chaos and turmoil. Vehicles of all kinds roared past on the road, each packed with people clutching their belongings.

Not far away, one car collided with the one in front. The endless stream of traffic ground to a halt. Many people rushed out of the vehicles ahead and behind. The lead car tested its engine and then continued on without looking back. The car behind it was likely totaled; without much discussion, dozens of people, under the temporary command of an older man, lifted the multi-ton vehicle and tossed it into the ditch on the side. The flow of traffic resumed.

Refugees! Evacuation!

"Ding! Instance main mission: 1. Cover the Great Evacuation; 2. Hold the line for 7 days."