The driver took out a key and unlocked the transparent partition beside him, then immediately got off the bus as though his task were complete. His retreating figure gradually disappeared from everyone's sight.
For a moment, only the woman in colorful clothes remained outside. She smiled and looked up at the players inside the bus:
"Hello, everyone. I'm the Guide here, and I'll be showing you around this brand-new world."
The woman who called herself the "Guide" wore her hair in a simple ponytail. On her right wrist was something resembling a digital watch, but its screen was dark.
Her voice was gentle as she spoke, and her smile looked too sincere to be an act.
Yet the more sincere she seemed, the warier the players became, as though trying to see through the sinister intentions hidden beneath her friendliness.
Even Li Xian took the Jadeite Rough that could detect danger out of his backpack. Yet its coolness against his palm seemed to tell him that the Guide before them really was as friendly as she appeared.
Still, he couldn't let his guard down. That only meant she was harmless "for now"...
Seeing that no one was moving, the Guide made an inviting gesture. Then her gaze traveled over the group before finally settling on Lin Shiming.
"Please get off the bus."
At her words, Lin Shiming stepped forward without expression. The others followed him off the bus and began looking around uneasily.
Behind them, a wall roughly three meters high encircled the area, completely blocking their view of the outside. An electric fence about half a meter high ran along its top, making the place look heavily secured.
A massive iron gate was set into the wall. It appeared to be where the bus had entered, but it was