Life Dungeon Game

"There's no other way here; to get through, we have to go through the area of ​​these man-eating mushrooms."

The young man glanced at He Ao cautiously and spoke slowly.

"It's alright, you can continue giving directions."

He Ao remained calm.

The young man stared at He Ao's face for a long time, trying to see any unusual expression on it.

But all he received in return was Heo's expressionless face.

Then he looked up at the rearview mirror and saw that Annie in the back also had her eyes closed. Although he didn't know what she was doing, she seemed to have resisted the temptation of the ghost mushroom.

At this moment, he finally understood that the two people in front of him were not afraid of the ghost mushroom at all.

His natural resistance to ghost mushrooms is also gone.

However, he quickly adjusted his emotions, and his expression remained largely unchanged, still maintaining a flattering smile. "Go forward, to that rock, turn right."

The large off-road vehicle moved slowly and bumpily through the dark mountains.

He Ao didn't dare to drive fast anymore, after all, the night road was dangerous, and it was raining, so it would be troublesome if the car overturned.

Of course, you can't stop there either; the longer you stay in the Ghost Mushroom area, the stronger its attraction seems to become.

However, perhaps because the Ghost Mushroom continuously preys on the surrounding life, there are basically no surviving alien beasts on the edge of the Ghost Mushroom's territory, and He Ao and his group have not been attacked by alien beasts.

We walked here quietly and peacefully.

He Ao glanced out the car window.

All the animals that could move around in this area and might come here have probably been killed by the Ghost Mushroom, leaving this place in a vacuum of life.

During the time he escaped the convoy and moved to the area near the Ghost Mushroom, he did not encounter any alien beasts.

At first, he thought it was because the road was built to be safer, but now it seems that it was all thanks to the ghost mushrooms.

The night was so quiet, as quiet as a dead zone.

Ghost mushrooms are a threat not only to humans, but to any living organism.

Guided by the young man, He Ao slowly drove away from the area where the Ghost Mushroom was located. Gradually, he heard some sounds under the cover of night.

Those were the chirping of insects, and

The sound of some weak wild animals running through the grass.

After an unknown amount of time, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the bright moonlight appeared in the sky.

A faint glow appeared in front of He'ao.

These lights were hidden in a valley, with a cliff on one side and stone walls on the other three sides, forming a small 'camp'.

This encampment is different from the one described by Heo in that travelogue. Clearly, the Andavi family has changed their encampment during this period.

That's how the wilderness wanderer family is; they frequently change their settlements.

If all the prey in the area has been hunted, or if a powerful beast appears nearby, then move to another location.

They will not suffer the same fate as Ronald's camp, which encountered the migration of A-level alien beasts and had to relocate painfully, losing a significant amount of strength.

However, such behavioral habits also determine that their family size will not be too large.

However, this also means that families of wilderness wanderers are generally very united.

chirp——

Before He Ao even got close to the camp, he could hear the clear chirping of birds all around him.

This was actually a notification sound from the nearby sentries, meaning 'A guest has arrived.'

He Ao gradually slowed down the car.

That 'bird call' was also intentionally made for He Ao to hear.

If you are a person living in the wilderness, or someone who knows the rules of the wilderness, you will slow down when you hear birdsong and wait for your 'master' to come and greet you.

If someone is unaware of the rules of the wilderness, or if they come with ill intentions, they will not react, and the 'master' may need to prepare for battle.

This can give a rough idea of ​​a person's identity and whether the person has good intentions.

Shortly after He Ao slowed down, lights appeared in the distance, and a motorcycle hidden in the bushes burst out from the surrounding grass, blocking He Ao's path.

The person riding the bicycle was a middle-aged man with light brown hair and some wrinkles on his face.

He glanced at the SUV, his gaze darkening slightly. "People of the Merck family, what are you doing here?"

He Ao opened the car door and got out.

The middle-aged man instantly stiffened.

A soft rustling sound came from the surrounding grass.

He Ao politely raised his arms to show his empty hands, then walked to the passenger side, dragged the young man out, and threw him to the ground. He glanced at the middle-aged man and said, "This car isn't mine."

The middle-aged man looked at the young man who was tightly bound, and asked He Ao with a puzzled expression, "So who are you, and why are you here?"

“I’m just a refugee,” Heo said calmly, “coming here to find a place to stay temporarily, and incidentally…”

He paused for a moment, then said, "Find the Fountain of Youth."

The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly.

······

after an hour,

After the middle-aged man made several radio inquiries to certain high-ranking members of the family, Heo was brought into the camp.

The construction of the entire camp was very simple.

A simple enclosed space was created using wood and a canopy, and it was used directly as a house for living.

Those still awake in the camp looked curiously at these uninvited guests who had arrived in the middle of the night.

The young man He Ao captured was taken away by the middle-aged man, and shortly afterward, men claiming to be the middle-aged man's subordinates came to He Ao's camp.

A fairly spacious tent was pitched in the middle of the area.

The tent's frame is made of sturdy and highly resilient alloy steel. Inside, there are two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, each furnished with basic furniture. It's clearly a high-end residence.

This is a sign of respect for He Ao's abilities.

In the wilderness, the strong are respected.

During the process of entering the camp, the middle-aged man had already subtly learned from the young prisoner of the Merck family what He had done.

Break through the Merck family's encirclement, suppress the Merck family's snipers, and in the skirmish, turn the tables on the snipers despite being out-equipped.

These things are enough to earn the respect of wilderness wanderers.

After seeing the middle-aged man set up such a tent for He Ao, the way people looked at He Ao and his daughter changed.

Annie had never been looked at like this before.

She leaned close to He Ao somewhat cautiously.

She was beautiful and academically excellent, and was considered the most admired princess at school.

However, the attention in the city is somewhat subtle; everyone follows the rules and maintains basic rationality.

The gaze from the wilderness was truly aggressive, as if they wanted to strip the father and daughter naked.

He gently shielded his daughter, blocking the view of the surrounding wilderness wanderers.

He smiled gently at the wandering people in the wilderness around him, took his daughter and their luggage, and went into the tent, closing the curtain behind him.

That's how it is in the wilderness.

Whether male or female, wilderness wanderers crave companionship with the strong, as this means their offspring are more likely to survive.

This is human nature.

Of course, there are also reserved people in the wilderness, but because they cannot find a strong mate, they ultimately leave no offspring, and their genes disappear.

This is evolution.

······

"So we survived?"

After entering the tent, Aini gently slapped her own face.

"What? You think you're going to die?"

He Ao smiled as he packed his luggage.

"There were several times when I thought I was going to die."

Annie let out a long sigh, then looked around with some concern. "Is this the wilderness... Dad, is it really safe for us to stay here?"

"The Andavi family probably still follows the rules."

He Ao sat on the living room sofa and looked at his daughter. "You go find a room to sleep in first. I'll keep watch tonight."

Judging from the travelogue that He Ao found, the fact that the author was able to enter the Andavi family's camp, obtain information, and come out safely proves that the Andavi family is not completely uncommunicative.

The author also says that the Andavi family is very warm and hospitable.

However, He Ao expressed doubt about this "hospitality," as the rules in the wilderness are different, and almost no nomadic family in the wilderness is hospitable.

The camp might still be a possibility, since they need to make money, and they can still fake a smile.

The harsh environment makes the people of the wilderness more straightforward, especially the families of those wanderers. It's considered reasonable and law-abiding if they don't overcharge their customers, let alone be hospitable.

However, considering what Heo saw when he entered the camp, and the information Ronald remembered, it seems that...

The Andavi family is a law-abiding faction and would not lure people into their camp and then secretly kill them.

After He Ao let his daughter go inside to rest, Aini did not leave.

She glanced at her father, slowly sat down next to He Ao, and said softly,

"Dad, get some sleep. I know you probably took some kind of medicine to suddenly become so strong. You almost passed out last night after the injection. Don't push yourself. I'll be relying on you in the future. What will I do if something really happens to you? This is the middle of nowhere..."

He looked at Aini's cheek.

The little girl's eyes were already brimming with tears, looking sparkling.