Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

She also saw Zheng Zha and his group in the camp, Zhao Yingkong who was practicing hard by herself, and... Zhang Jie who had arrived at the temple entrance at some point and was leaning against a stone pillar, silently smoking.

"Zhang Jie," Alice murmured the name. "Since you're here, please come in."

“I’m sorry, I know it’s not the right time to bother you. But if I let you continue to decipher it, you’ll soon be able to command the tomb guards, the remains of the sacred beasts, and even directly control the Sphinxes buried at the bottom. That won’t do.”

Zhang Jie tossed away his cigarette butt and walked step by step into the temple. His usually unassuming presence suddenly became as immense as the sun. As he stepped onto the first brick in the temple, an invisible wind swept around him.

“I had long suspected you were hiding a strength far greater than the others. But I didn’t expect you to be even stronger than I anticipated… You must have done something else before coming here.” Alice narrowed her eyes slightly. “It seems my move to strengthen the Central Continent Team has infringed upon your interests.”

“You’re wrong. You’re not infringing on my interests. I’m not stopping you for my own sake.” Zhang Jie shook his head slightly, his eyes burning like stars!

"It's for everyone in the Zhongzhou team!"

Author's Note:

............................................................

I'll never do something like that again. At least I managed to save face a little...

As for book clubs and such, to be honest, when I create groups now, it feels like all the people who come are people urging me to update... and my QQ level is too low to create a group either _(:з」∠)_

Chapter Twenty: The Witch Falls to the Ground...

There is an ironclad rule within the God Realm: 'The God will never issue a mission that guarantees certain death.'

Regardless of the team, whether they are fools or wise men, newcomers who have just watched a horror movie or seasoned veterans, everyone knows this ironclad rule and firmly believes in it, as if it were part of their own worldview. And it has never disappointed the reincarnators.

But this raises a problem. Who exactly proved this ironclad rule? Why don't the reincarnators who painstakingly escaped these near-unsolvable horror movies attribute their survival to strength, courage, luck, and effort? Instead, why do they attribute the greatest credit to the rules of the Main God Space?

This is the power of authority, and within the God Realm, only the God himself truly possesses authority. Or rather, the God's representative.

The Guides are the spokespeople of the Supreme God. They are responsible for infiltrating a small team in its very early stages and informing the initial few reincarnators of necessary information. Their stay within the reincarnation team is relatively short, often equivalent to the duration of one or two horror movies. They then bestow their power upon the most promising team member, unlocking their first-tier genetic lock and granting them the authority of a team leader. The Guides themselves then disappear, ceasing to exist.

Zhang Jie is a special kind of guide. He is the fusion of newcomer and guide in the first horror movie, and has survived five horror movies so far, while the Zhongzhou team still does not have a captain.

The Supreme God requires each reincarnation team to have a captain. If not, the Supreme God will judge that the team has too few people with potential, thus increasing the difficulty, eliminating the weak and introducing new people with more potential. Therefore, the horror movies for the Central Continent team become more and more difficult. And based on this increase in difficulty, the Supreme God will further adjust the difficulty according to the team's performance.

Without a captain, the difficulty for the Zhongzhou team will only increase, not decrease.

At the same time, in accordance with the ironclad rule that the Supreme God would not issue missions that were guaranteed to result in certain death, the greater the advantage that the Central Continent team gained before the team battle, the higher the difficulty would be adjusted accordingly. It would be so high that most people could not survive, and the weak would be completely wiped out.

......................................................

Several hours later...

"Imhotep's body has been exhumed, and the curse has fallen upon the Americans. According to the plan, now all we need to do is wait for the right moment to trigger the plot," Xiao Honglu said to Zheng Zha and the others, munching on an apple. He had taken a nap in his tent while the Zhongzhou team was setting up. After all, he was just a twelve-year-old boy; he couldn't carry heavy loads and needed to conserve his energy for thinking. Therefore, no one objected to him resting.

"The only thing we need to confirm now is how Alice's preparations are going." Xiao Honglu turned his head to look at Zhan Lan. "Are you able to contact Alice?"

"…………" Zhan Lan frowned. "Sorry, I can't get in touch with her. I think she might be in a period where she needs to concentrate."

“Is that so…” Xiao Honglu gently tugged at his hair. “Tsk, although I understand the principle, I still can’t comprehend magic for the time being. Oh well, let’s just put it off until tonight. In the original story, a small team of tomb guardians will come to attack tonight. Although I’ve made some preparations, the people coming this time should be a large force. But the possibility of an advance team harassing and reconnaissance at night is still very high. So…”

He looked at Zheng Zha, Ling Dian, and Zhang Jie, who had been rubbing his temples since the beginning, as if he had been staying up for several nights. "Although the Americans have increased their manpower, the tomb guardians may become stronger. So the battles to come are up to you."

"Okay, leave it to us. The sniping at midnight is all yours. Zhang Jie, the two of us will go and keep watch on those stone pillars over there," Zheng Zha replied. The tasks were quickly assigned.

"The rest of you will proceed according to the pre-arranged plan. I won't say more. Zhan Lan and Saito Ichiro, get some rest. Zhao Yingkong, protect the newcomer and Xiao Honglu. With a major battle imminent, I hope everyone is prepared."

Zheng Zha nodded to the others and walked towards the stone pillar. Zhang Jie paused for a moment, then took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and followed Zheng Zha at a leisurely pace.

Xiao Honglu gently tapped his forehead.

There's something just not right... Hmm, is there some oversight? Or is it simply a matter of incomplete information?

He looked at Zhan Lan and asked, "Sister Zhan Lan, could you tell me about the Zhongzhou team's past? I'm very curious about it and would like to learn more about everyone."

“Okay,” Zhan Lan said with a smile. “That’s a very, very long story, it all starts from the very beginning of Resident Evil…”

They found a clean stone slab to sit on. Zhan Lan began recounting the Zhongzhou team's experiences in several past horror movies, while Saito Ichiro continued deciphering the incantations in the scriptures. Zhao Yingkong stepped aside slightly to stand watch for the two, lest any characters in the plot overhear and cause the main god to deduct points. At this moment, Qin Zhuiyu and Gao Hongliang exchanged a glance and silently left the camp…

..........................................

Zheng Zha jumped onto a stone pillar, brushed off the dust, and sat down in a stable spot.

"Want a smoke?" Zhang Jie sat down and tossed him a cigarette. Zheng Zha caught it casually, a flame suddenly appeared at his fingertips, lit it, and then took a deep drag.

"You look tired," Zheng Zha said casually. "Is something on your mind?"

"Tired... ah, a little." Zhang Jie exhaled and remained silent for a while.

"After all, this is a world where you could die at any moment, or encounter a crisis at any time. Every moment, every minute, every second... is filled with unrest."

“Everyone dies eventually.” Zheng Zha rested his hand, holding a cigarette, on the edge of a stone pillar. The sky was dark, and the embers of the cigarette flickered. “In fact, after teetering on the edge of life and death so many times, I’ve become somewhat indifferent to it. And I’m not afraid of death, because I believe that even if I fail, my companions will inherit my will and continue to move forward.”

"Companions...?"

Zhang Jie remained silent.

“If…” He took a deep breath, as if making a decision. “…Brother, do you know why our Central Continent team always faces such difficult horror movie worlds? Those near-death experiences…we always barely escape with our lives. Aren’t you curious…how did the other reincarnation teams survive? And how did the Indian Continent team become even stronger than us…? Central Continent is the largest continent in the world, just like Asia in the real world…”

Zheng Zha casually tossed aside the burnt-out cigarette butt and said nonchalantly, "So, I've been waiting for you to tell me."

“…Give me a little more time. After this battle is over, no…after defeating the Indian team, I will tell you everything I know, as long as you survive…and then…never mind, that’s it.”

He looked up at the dust rising on the distant horizon.

"The vanguard of the tomb guardians has arrived. Let's take care of them first."

Section 21 - We Have a Great Advantage

"Ugh... that guy really went all out." Alice rubbed her head and climbed up from the bottom of the central altar in the temple. She felt as if she had been hammered from head to toe by a water-powered forging hammer. Every part of her body ached, her arms were weak, and even speaking was difficult.

Extremely unlucky.

But it's not that there's no way.

[Instant cure...]

[Increased energy...]

[A clear mind...]

[A Stream of Life...]

She gathered a vast amount of curses, which she swiftly transformed into magical power, becoming a body-repairing spell. This was accompanied by a faint glow caused by the enrichment of information flow. Her metabolism accelerated dramatically; dead cells were broken down, and damaged tissues were renewed. Her energy reserves were immediately replenished by free energy from the outside world. A few minutes later, she exhaled a long breath and sat up, supporting herself on the steps before the altar.

She snapped her fingers, and the hemispherical protective shield around her vanished silently.

Zhang Jie can't kill her. At least not here.

As long as she doesn't leave the temple, Alice's magical reserves can be considered limitless. Although her absolute output is insufficient and her control isn't very precise, it's at least enough for self-preservation.

Furthermore, Zhang Jie didn't use his full strength. He seemed to be holding back on something, and even during the battle, he didn't use any moves that were too destructive or would cause too much noise. He simply exhausted Alice's energy, preventing her from continuing to break through Hamunaptra.

"Aren't you going to start a full-blown fight yet? But I'm not one to swallow my pride..." Alice raised her hand, and an observation mirror appeared in front of her. She could clearly see the advance team of the tomb guardians charging towards the camp, only to be stopped outside by the Americans and Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie, and others with heavy firepower, ultimately forced to retreat.

"Only if the people of Zhongzhou team survive as much as possible can I get the most out of this horror movie. But that doesn't mean I'll be willing to be a babysitter."

The surrounding information converged, and the light in the temple subtly dimmed. A terrifying aura permeated the air, as if something utterly horrific was about to be born.

However, at that moment, Alice suddenly saw a line of words left by Zhang Jie on the ground.

Want to know how to bring someone into the Main God Space?

..................................................................

Zhang Heng let out a soft breath, gripping his longbow tightly, his eyes fixed on Evelyn, who was sitting in a newly excavated hall within Hamunaptra. His eyesight was excellent, and the distance was great; Evelyn, having just been distracted by the tomb keepers' harassing attack from the outside and was engrossed in studying the Book of the Sun, was completely unaware that she was being watched.

The plan was simple: Qin Zhuiyu would distract Evelyn, while Gao Hongliang would ambush her from behind. If anything went wrong, or if O'Connor and Jonathan noticed what was happening, Zhang Heng's arrows would take care of them.

Zhang Heng knew perfectly well how foolish this plan was. A bunch of newbies trying to steal the Sun Gold Scripture? Even if the veterans didn't kill, it was only because the gains didn't outweigh the losses, so they were hesitant to act. He could see the strong traces of war on the veterans of the Central Plains team at a glance, and he knew what such people would do when pushed to the limit.

Newcomers can't die, so breaking their arms and legs is the same. And this kind of team battle rule clearly only applies to this horror movie. But once they return to that so-called 'God Space'... Zhang Heng has witnessed firsthand just how cruel people can be to each other—a truly dark glimpse into that reality.

But...

Do you really enjoy watching women be humiliated and die in front of you?!

Qin Zhuiyu's voice echoed in his ears. No... it was more like Ming Yanwei than Qin Zhuiyu. The woman who had been tortured and humiliated by the thugs, yet whose body and soul were broken because of his escape!

This is wrong! This is suicidal!

But having already made so many mistakes, what difference does it make if I make one more?

Ah... in the end, I'm just a piece of trash...

He watched helplessly as Qin Zhuiyu and Evelyn began to talk. Gao Hongliang quietly approached Evelyn from behind and reached out his hands, which were about to strangle her...

'Clang—!'

An arrow grazed Evelyn's nose and killed a rattlesnake crawling in the stone hall.

Evelyn screamed loudly.

"Sorry." Zhang Heng walked over expressionlessly, casually pushing aside the astonished Gao Hongliang. "There was a snake there, so I was a little hasty."

"How can you be so rude!" Evelyn screamed. O'Connor, who had just defeated the group of attacking tomb guardians and was nearby, rushed over after hearing the noise. He looked at Zhang Heng and Qin Gao, who had put down their weapons, with a wary expression.

He instinctively steadied the gun, shielding Evelyn behind him.

"Hey buddy, that's not gentlemanly at all when you're being rude to a woman."

“You can go and complain to our captain,” Zhang Heng said calmly, but he subtly shifted his position a few steps, blocking Qin Zhuiyu who was about to pounce.

O'Connor reached out and tapped Zhang Heng's chest. "Heng Zhang, right? I'll talk to your Captain Zheng, and I'll also tell Ms. Alice about this. I'm going now." He put his arm around Evelyn, quietly comforting her while watching the three of them leave from the other side of the hall warily. Of course, Evelyn didn't forget to take the Book of the Sun with her.

Only then did Qin Zhuiyu scream loudly and rush up to Zhang Heng, kicking and hitting him.

"You've ruined us all! You idiot!"

"Oh," Zhang Heng replied casually.

Everyone makes mistakes in life, but that's no excuse to keep making the same mistakes. Zhang Heng is prepared to face it, and whatever awaits him, he will not regret it.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the desert outside the ruins…

Eleven people stood inside the protective shield shrouded by the main god, quietly watching Hamunaptra in the distance.

"The Supreme God has given us fifteen minutes to explain things to the newcomers. We'll be officially descending into this world in about ten minutes. The target of this team battle is the Central Continent team. Imani, you'll be the first to probe them," a handsome young monk in a moon-white robe said calmly. He clearly held the highest position, with the other members of the Indian Continent team surrounding him like stars around the moon.

“No problem, Captain.” A tall, muscular man with dark skin and bulging muscles chuckled in a deep voice. “My brother Toguro’s muscle enhancement has reached 80% of Rank B. With Lamb’s telekinetic guidance, he’s like a cannonball. An ordinary veteran would be smashed into mincemeat in one hit, hahaha.”

"That's good." The little monk looked at a blond European man dressed in a doctor's uniform behind him. "Arot, how is the quality of the new recruits? It took some effort for Shenai to hypnotize them at the beginning, so there should be a good seed among them."