Simultaneous traversal: All Abyss difficulty.

Chapter 656 The Cabin in the Woods, The Cycle Begins

The protective shield vanished silently like a melting soap bubble, signaling the official start of the cycle.

The biting cold air and the distinctive humus smell of the primeval forest hit us.

Fang Yu scanned the crowd with sharp eyes and immediately issued commands within the mental chain network woven by Zhan Lan.

'At this moment, all communication must be conducted through the mind chain; otherwise, the words will be heard by the hidden watcher.'

Fang Yu: 'Zhou Juanjuan's identity is confirmed, the Fool's identity is unknown, but we can deduce it from the athletes' perspective: good stamina, can run and jump... Hmm... If Zheng Zha is alive, he must be that gorilla. So now it's definitely me.'

Fourthly, she is a scholar. Li Yingqi's pursuit of the ultimate truth is so strong that she embodies the very essence of a seeker of knowledge. She truly fits the bill.

Li Yingqi had no objection and nodded slightly.

Fang Yu: 'Sakura is definitely a virgin. She's young, tender, and clean.'

The women rolled their eyes, wondering if they were referring to her virginity or something else.
Fang Yu: 'Conclusion: Zhou Juanjuan is a prostitute, Zhan Lan is a fool, I am an athlete, Yingqi is a scholar, and Zhao Yingkong is a virgin—the order matches up.'

The group's consciousness quickly converged through the link, and they basically agreed with Fang Yu's rapid analysis.

Fang Yu: 'You all know why the main god threw us into this hellhole, right? To make us line up in order to die! To complete its damned sacrificial ritual. On the surface, we have the Resurrection Cross, and we can get back up and collect reward points after we die, so it seems like a good deal.'

'But the resurrection flower rewards more points, so it's a losing proposition.'

"Therefore! There's only one plan!" With an unwavering resolve, he etched his words deep into everyone's consciousness. "Starting with the first one, Zhou Juanjuan, not a single person can die! We must disrupt the script; everyone, everyone must survive to complete the mission!"

Zhou Juanjuan, with gratitude and a choked voice, said, "Thank you, Captain."

Fang Yu said irritably, "Thanks too soon! Survival is what matters! Now, take off those sky-high heels! Find a pair of flat sneakers to wear! You can't even run in those, and if something happens, you'll be the first one to get battered!"

Zhou Juanjuan suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly lowered her head to frantically try to pry open the frighteningly thin high-heel buckle, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.

Meanwhile, in a brightly lit, futuristic underground monitoring room, the atmosphere was the complete opposite of the tense and oppressive atmosphere in the forest.

The deafeningly loud heavy metal rock music filled the air with the mixed aromas of barbecue, beer, and coffee.

The technicians, dressed in their work uniforms, held drinks and snacks in one hand and pressed buttons rapidly on the control panel with the other, their eyes fixed intently on the huge main screen in front of them, which was divided into dozens of images—the Central Continent Team was cautiously approaching the cabin in the woods.

"The betting is open! It's 1 to 3! Let's bet on what the first 'little cutie' they trigger will be!" A male technician with a small braid excitedly slapped the table.

“I’m betting 300 on the fishman! The lakeside cabin has a great location!” someone nearby immediately responded.

"Foolish! Werewolf! It has to be a werewolf! The classic cabin in the woods!" A bearded man with exaggerated headphones shouted the loudest, drawing a chorus of agreement.

"The clowns aren't bad either; they seem pretty easy to scare."

"One vote from an Alien fan."

The sound of betting echoed throughout the room.

The monitoring data stream scrolled rapidly across the screen—the soil moisture at the edge of the forest, the subtle scratches on the cabin porch, the dust drifting from the attic vents—all seemed to silently warn of potential danger. Soon, the screen displayed the real-time voting results, with the bar next to the werewolf option showing the highest score.

"Haha! As expected, the werewolves got the most votes! I can't wait to see these poor little guys get torn to shreds!" The bearded man took a big gulp of beer, as if he could already see a meticulously planned, dramatic, and bloody opening scene.

In the forest, the members of the Central Continent Team remained vigilant. Under Fang Yu's silent mental command, they pushed open the creaking wooden door and carefully stepped into the dimly lit cabin, which reeked of decaying wood chips and dust.

Surprisingly, the cabin in the woods wasn't gloomy inside.

The ashes in the fireplace seemed to have just been extinguished, and the charcoal basket next to it was piled high.

On the square table in the living room, there were several unopened bottles of red wine and a large plate of smoked ham that smelled delicious. There was even a portable speaker in the corner.

"Wow! Pretty complete facilities, huh?" Fang Yu kicked aside a broken chair blocking his way with a loud bang, then swaggered over to the fireplace, squatted down, pulled out a lighter, and lit some kindling. "We have wine, meat, and fire! Brothers, let's get this party started tonight!"

Upon hearing the words "silver party," Zhou Juanjuan's deliberately flirtatious smile froze for a moment, and she subconsciously adjusted her leopard-print skirt, which barely covered anything.

Zhan Lan, Zhao Yingkong, and Li Yingqi looked at him with subtle expressions.

Within the mental chains, Fang Yu's utterly calm voice rang in everyone's minds: 'Act for the monitors! There's a colorless, odorless, potent hallucinogenic drug in the air, with a slightly sweet smell. Can you smell it? Those who can, hold your breath immediately and circulate your internal energy! Zhan Lan, protect Zhou Juanjuan's consciousness! And don't gasp for air! Ying Kong, open the window next to you naturally! Li Yingqi, go open that one!'

On the surface, Fang Yu was still rubbing his hands together with a lewd grin, as if he were really fantasizing about a sex party.

Zhao Yingkong walked to the window without making a sound, her fingers seemingly casually fiddling with the rusty latch. With a gentle push, fresh forest air rushed in.

Li Yingqi understood what he meant and walked to another window, pushing it open.

The smell of the drug had been diluted considerably.

The group sat around the crackling, relit fireplace, symbolically sharing the smoked meat.

"Eat and drink well, you'll have the energy to do the activities!"

Zhou Juanjuan looked at everyone nervously, and imitated them by taking small bites of the dried meat.

The monitoring room was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

"Hahaha! This idiot! Still thinking about throwing a party!" The bearded technician slammed his fist on the table, laughing maniacally, spitting a mouthful of beer onto the control panel. "Look at their stupid relaxation, I'm raising the stakes! 1000 bucks for 'Werewolf Door Opening Kill'!"

On the screen, the werewolf icon was highlighted and enlarged, with real-time odds flashing next to it.

The crowd was buzzing with excitement, but only a young girl with freckles, sitting in a corner, stared at the screen and muttered, "What if...they don't open the door?"

But her voice was instantly drowned out by an even louder roar: "Haha, Lilith, even with odds of 1 to 10, nobody's going to bet!"

"Exactly! Look at their stupid faces, they're just waiting to die! Open the betting! Bet on who's the first to scream!"

"I bet it's that scantily clad girl!"

(End of this chapter)