The virtual empire starts from the game

Chapter 633 Taking a gamble, a bicycle can become a motorcycle! (Seeking monthly votes)

Orange Juice was thrilled and praised Qihuahua for being clever and quick-witted.

But when everyone looked at him, waiting for him to lead the way to the Cave Explorers Association, he stood there awkwardly, frozen in place.

"What's wrong? Lead the way!" Huan Yue urged.

"Um... I don't know where the Cave Explorers Association is. Does anyone know?" Orange Juice laughed awkwardly.

They exchanged glances and immediately understood:
Do not know at all.

Looking at the live stream chat again, many viewers knew the names of the places, but the long list of street names they mentioned were all unfamiliar.

So Qi Huahua readily suggested, "Let's ask for directions ourselves and find our way there?"

At first, the brave sniper team thought it was a waste of time—just searching for a map of Yayuan Town in Mengjin wouldn't take much effort.

But then they thought: it's a bit of a shame that such a large town is right in front of them and they haven't had a chance to explore it properly for over a week.

So he nodded in agreement.
-
These player courtyards on the edge of the cliff seem to have used some kind of mirroring technology.

No one in the town, whether NPC or other player, will come in.

The sound also seemed to have been meticulously processed, with just the right volume—perfectly balanced to create a lively atmosphere without being noisy or disruptive.

But once you step out of the courtyard, that sense of distance immediately disappears.

Playful children, adults greeting each other loudly, shop owners beckoning customers... the slightly humid air carried all sorts of sounds to my ears.

It's like stepping from a paradise into the bustling city streets, completely enveloped by the atmosphere of life.

This relaxed atmosphere gradually eased the tension in the three brave snipers who had just survived a life-or-death escape.

—Their cave exploration trip wasn't just about Qi Hua Hua seeing those few short minutes.

They followed the rules of the local cave explorers exactly, starting from the surface elevator and venturing step by step into the Great Cave of Abyss, traversing the entire first level [Abyss] before reaching the second level [Upside-Down Forest].

Then, after walking a long, long way out of the perilous second level, almost reaching the third level [the Great Fault].

Unfortunately, due to a lack of experience, their supplies ran out prematurely, forcing them to risk searching for food in the underground forest.

That's how she accidentally fell into the trap, being deceived by the man-eating flower's fruit bait, which ultimately led to the massive plant chase that Qi Huahua witnessed.

This arduous cave exploration trip put a lot of pressure on them – and this gradually accumulating pressure was a major reason why they made more mistakes and lost their vigilance later on.

Now, strolling leisurely along the bustling town streets, with no crisis and no urgent task at hand, their nerves finally began to relax.

Unaware of the thought process of the three people behind her, Qi Huahua enthusiastically took on the task of asking for directions.

Asking for directions went very smoothly.

The Cave Explorers Association is famous in this town. Ask any passerby and they will immediately nod to indicate that they know the location and enthusiastically point out the way.

The only problem is that the buildings in this town are too close together!

The streets and alleys are crisscrossed, and even with directions, finding the association's location is not an easy task.

Fortunately, she wasn't in a big hurry.

While asking for directions and observing the surrounding shops and NPCs, they slowly led their three teammates toward the Cave Explorers Association.

We were also drawn in by the enticing aroma of a dessert, which led us into the dessert shop.

Without saying a word, they bought four portions and gave one to each person.

When she asked for directions again, she would add, "Are there any good places to eat nearby?"

We kept asking around and searching.

It was an hour later when they finally arrived at the gate of the Cave Explorers Association.

All four of them were so full that they kept burping.

Contrary to the Cave Explorers Association's renowned reputation in the town, the building was not as grand and imposing as the four had imagined.

On the contrary, this place, like other buildings in the town, has a kind of thrifty spirit of "making the most of limited space".

If it weren't for a local pointing the way, it would be hard to believe that this three-story building, which looks no different from any other building from a distance, is actually the place they are looking for.

However, the dense crowd of players at the association's entrance quickly dispelled their doubts—

The rest of the town was lively, but nowhere was as lively as this!

These players were shouting at the top of their lungs in the street:

"Newbie seeking a cave exploration team! Guaranteed to follow instructions and hit wherever you're told!"

"Three cave exploration experiences, the deepest point reached 2600 meters below the surface, sincerely seeking a group!!"

"Moon Flute Master is leading the team, aiming for the fourth floor [Giant's Cup]! Looking for skilled players! Monster Hunter pros preferred!"

"Looking for a team with the ability to silence all sounds during team operations! Are there any strong teams that need members? Please don't invite teams from the first two levels."

"Full Relics Team Open for Registration! Experts with useful relics are welcome to join!"

"The Abyss Expeditionary Force has arrived! There are already 800 men; let's gather 1000 and set off!"

……

Hearing about this primitive method of recruiting people, Qi Huahua was once again shocked:
"A lot of people."

Although I had heard from Orange Juice before that many players who love adventure and finding the big Easter egg Xu Meng mentioned are now gathered in Cliff Town, trying their best to explore the Abyss Cave.

Hearing it is one thing, seeing it with your own eyes is another.

This is so lively!

"So fanatical? Finding people on Mengjin would be much faster, wouldn't it?"

The valiant sniper and Phantom Moon were also somewhat surprised, but Orange Juice shook her head and sighed, "The three of you..."

"What's wrong with us?" Qi Huahua asked, puzzled.

“You were among the first batch of honorary players, so you might not be paying much attention to this kind of information,” Orange Juice explained to them. “Now, any information related to honorary players will attract the attention of tens of millions of players.”

"When the Mansheng Club was rebuilt, so many people participated, at least half of whom were aiming for the [Honorary Player] spot. Unfortunately, there was only one spot, and it was given to a super hardcore player named [Cat Tea]."

"After that, there were no more designated spots."

"However, many people speculate that the person who first discovers that unknown city is very likely to receive a spot."

"Then the first person to reach the deepest part of the Abyss Cave will also have a good chance of getting a spot."

After a moment's thought, the three of them all felt that this guess was very likely.

This is exactly Mr. Xu's style.

"So," Orange Juice concluded, "those of us who still yearn for honor as players can only now hide in the Abyss."

"Oh, oh, oh." Qi Huahua finally realized that among the four of them, only Orange Juice wasn't an honorary player yet, and it seemed like they were still very far from achieving that title...

But aside from offering sympathy and expressing their full cooperation and willingness to help explore deeper, there's nothing more they can do.

Unfortunately, they only obtained the title because the Dream Building project was just gaining momentum.

The competition was still fierce, but it was a completely different concept from what it is now.

Even now, they have absolutely no confidence in securing a spot. "Let's go, quickly ask if there are any skilled NPC cave-exploring teams!"

The three of them pushed a cart full of orange juice and squeezed into the lobby of the Cave Explorers Association.

Although no one was shouting to form a team in the hall, there were still a lot of people there.

Clearly, finding powerful NPCs to team up with at the Cave Explorers Association wasn't Qi Huahua's unique idea.

Many players had similar thoughts and were squatting here, hoping to catch a few powerful NPCs.

Qi Huahua squeezed in front of the young girl in charge of reception—for some reason, the female NPCs in Yayuan Town all looked youthful, even adult women had some baby fat, and looked like young girls, making it difficult to judge their real age.

"Hello! Are there any skilled cave exploration teams setting off recently? We'd like to join them!" Nanaka got straight to the point.

The receptionist, with a round face, rubbed her face and temples, and said painfully, "You are the 800th person to ask the same question today!"

"But I cannot answer your questions."

“You’re not even members of the association, how can I possibly give you information about the esteemed Black Flute Cave Explorer?”

?

Qi Huahua blinked, and said uncertainly, "You mean... there's a very skilled team of cave explorers who are about to set off?!"

She didn't know what "Black Flute Cave Explorer" meant, but it sounded very impressive!

The round-faced receptionist's expression froze instantly.

Then a look of despair slowly appeared on his face: "Waaah... I'm doomed!"

She covered her face with her hands and lamented, "My sister will kill me!"

Seeing her adorable reaction, Qi Huahua reached out and patted her head reassuringly: "It's okay."

"If you don't tell, if I don't tell, and if my teammates don't tell, no one will know."

The round-faced girl blinked: "This... isn't a good idea?"

“Great! Excellent!” Qi Hua Hua nodded vigorously, then added, “Just tell us more detailed information!”

Round-faced girl: "???"

"If you don't tell us, we'll keep talking here and attract a lot of attention," Nana whispered wickedly in the receptionist's ear as she bent down.

“We won’t do anything bad. If the Black Flute Cave Explorers don’t want us to join, we’ll just ask them some questions and then leave. We won’t let you get scolded because of us.”

Upon hearing this, the receptionist did not relax at all; instead, her eyes welled up with tears.

Even Qi Huahua felt a little sorry for her.

Huan Yue frowned even more deeply: "How about... we just forget about it?"

Orange Juice only had "Honorary Player" in his mind, without a trace of romantic feelings: "Seriously, you're looking for a wife again?"

"You son of a bitch..." Huan Yue's fist hardened.

"Forget it, forget it." The valiant sniper shook his head and squeezed to the front, saying, "We won't ask anymore."

"As you can see, we also plan to successfully register as official cave explorers. What materials do we need to prepare?"

"After registering, we plan to set off as soon as possible. Our equipment and supplies are ready. Could you tell us which route the cave explorers from the association take down?"

The receptionist thought the brave sniper didn't seem like a good person either.

But his questions weren't excessive, and they were all part of her job duties, so she had no choice but to suppress her suspicions and help them handle it.

Registration is simple; you only need to pay a small fee to get a trainee cave explorer certificate and a red flute.

—It’s called the Red Whistle, but it’s actually just a red whistle that looks no different from a real whistle.

I asked the receptionist again, and she confirmed that there was indeed no difference.

Its only use is that it can be blown.

"If you get separated from your teammates, you can blow it to find them, or blow it when you encounter danger, and passing cave explorers will hear it and come to your aid," the receptionist explained.

"Understood, thank you." The valiant sniper turned around. "I'm off."

Before leaving, Qihuahua whispered in the girl's ear to comfort her, "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone! I'll treat you to sweet peas and roasted mushrooms another day!"

After leaving the Cave Explorers Association, the valiant sniper immediately explained his plan to his teammates: "Let's quickly replenish our supplies and then wait at the association's designated hot air balloon landing pad."

"When the Black Flute Explorers appear, we'll get on the same hot air balloon as them!"

"The rest can be taken care of in the air!"

“Exactly!” Orange Juice immediately agreed. “Even if they disagree, we can force our way in! We’re all in the same association, so they should at least look out for us as juniors!”

They quickly secured their supplies and carried their bags to the hot air balloon launch and landing site.

Then a new problem was discovered:
There are just too many people here!

A huge number of players gather here.

They don't care about the money or the rising load from the first and second floor boundary; they all come here to ride in hot air balloons.

Of course, there are NPC cave explorers, but they are all mixed in with the players.

Unless they take out the black flute and hold it in the air, they won't be able to find their target at all!
The four men, carrying supplies, looked at the endless stream of cave explorers and the hot air balloons taking off in front of them, and were somewhat at a loss.

The viewers in the live stream were laughing heartily, mocking their naivety.

Until Qi Huahua suddenly noticed two rather unusual figures in the crowd—

An adult male cave explorer wearing a monocle and carrying two backpacks, one large and one small, and a little girl wearing mini cave explorer gear but without a backpack.

Qi Huahua's eyelids twitched violently.

There's nothing unusual about men; there are men everywhere here.

But that little girl was rather strange—what kind of cave explorer is that young? And she didn't seem professional at all!
Add to that the combination of an adult man and a young girl...

'These two...could they be Xu Meng and Xiao Meng?'

She immediately brought up the operation interface and went to check if Xu Meng and Zhu Meng's accounts had started a live broadcast.

The answer is no.

But this still did not dispel her doubts.

Not long ago, Xu Meng even disguised herself and took Xiao Meng to play "Deep Space Echoes". Now, she is mixed in with the players and secretly exploring the Abyss Cavern. It's not impossible!
Seeing the two of them follow another group toward the hot air balloon, Qi Huahua quickly patted her teammate on the shoulder: "Come with me!"

"You found the Black Flute?" Orange Juice asked in surprise.

"What Black Flute or whatever!" Seven Flower said excitedly in a low voice, "I might have seen a cave explorer even more awesome than the Black Flute!"

"Maybe?" Huan Yue keenly noticed the keyword.

"No time to explain! Keep up, keep up!" Qi Huahua strode forward and quickly walked towards a hot air balloon that was about to take off.

"Give it a try and your bicycle will turn into a motorcycle!"

(End of this chapter)