Die, Replay, Repeat

Lu Ziming smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Fang, you seem to have some reservations about me. Is it because I'm the former Chief Commander? Rest assured, even if we leave this place, I would never compete for power. The headquarters chose you as Chief Commander for a reason. I've been stuck here for nine years, completely out of touch with the outside world. I don't even understand the current situation, let alone have any intention of reclaiming the position. Even if there are still people in the headquarters who support me, I would willingly step aside for you."

His tone was "sincere," but Fang Xiu found it laughable.

He could see through Lu Ziming's game—those words were clearly meant to stir up tension. By making himself appear considerate and humble, Lu Ziming's display would only paint Fang Xiu as petty and insecure if he responded defensively.

Suddenly, Fang Xiu spoke coldly, "Who do you think you are to talk like that?"

The air immediately grew thick with tension.

Lu Ziming's expression darkened, but he quickly masked it. "Mr. Fang, I didn't mean anything by that. Please don't misunderstand me."

Li Xiaoru and the others looked uncomfortable.

On one side was the Chief Commander they currently trusted wholeheartedly; on the other, the former Chief Commander they had long admired.

Caught between the two, they didn't know how to react.

As Lu Ziming continued to explain himself, Fang Xiu grew even more suspicious of him. There was a strong likelihood that Lu Ziming was in league with Wei Xin.

It wasn't baseless speculation—after all, their group had encountered Wei Xin first. When Wei Xin failed to trick them and even lost 10,000 bills to Fang Xiu, it seemed inevitable that he would seek revenge.

Fang Xiu suspected Wei Xin had provided information about their group to Lu Ziming, orchestrating this seemingly coincidental meeting in the wilderness.

As the silence stretched, Yang Ming stepped forward to cut through the tension. "Mr. Lu, you still haven't answered my question. Can I buy cigarettes here with Spirit Money?"

Lu Ziming seized the chance to lighten the mood, his smile returning. "Spirit Money can buy many things, but sadly, cigarettes are not among them."

Yang Ming's face fell, his excitement deflating like a popped balloon.

Lu Ziming continued, "In Whitestone, Spirit Money is the only currency. Since everyone in Whitestone is dead, they don't accept traditional money—only Spirit Money.

"As I mentioned earlier, gathering one hundred million Spirit Money can buy you a way out of the Land Between. That wasn't an exaggeration. It's been proven true over the years, though the cost has been many lives.

"But with your group joining us, we may finally be able to accelerate the process. The more people working to earn Spirit Money, the sooner we'll reach the goal."

This piqued the group's curiosity. "How do we earn Spirit Money?" someone asked.

Lu Ziming gazed into the distance. "By killing Specters. For example, killing one of those snake-like Specters will earn you one bill."

Yang Ming's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Holy crap! So you're saying we'd have to kill a hundred million of those things?!"

Li Xiaoru furrowed her brow. "Wait a second. Killing one hundred million Specters doesn't sound that impossible. Sure, it'd take time, but Chief Commander, you've been in the Land Between for three years, and you've reached the fifth tier. Are you saying you still haven't managed to gather one hundred million Spirit Money?"

The group found this difficult to believe. Even for weaker ones like them, given enough time, such a goal should be achievable.

Lu Ziming let out a bitter laugh. "If only it were that simple. The reality is—"

Before he could finish, his expression changed abruptly. His body tensed, and he shouted, "Something's coming! It's a Brainfeaster! Everyone, be on your guard!"

As soon as Lu Ziming's warning fell, grotesque creatures emerged on the narrow mountain path—giant brains with limbs.

These monstrous brains were enormous, nearly half the size of a grown adult's body. Without skulls to shield them, their exposed folds and grooves pulsed visibly.

Beneath these grotesque organs were short, hairy limbs resembling monkey hands and feet, lending them an eerie and unnatural appearance.

Lu Ziming's tone turned grave. "Whatever you do, do not kill a Brainfeaster. They travel in groups. If even one dies, the entire mountain's worth of Brainfeasters will sense it and swarm us."

As he finished speaking, the Brainfeasters seemed to react to their presence. Their pace quickened, and they charged directly toward Fang Xiu and Lu Ziming.

The group instinctively tensed, preparing for a fight.

But then they realized something odd—the Brainfeasters completely ignored them, rushing past to target only Fang Xiu and Lu Ziming.

The ignored group was stunned.

Lu Ziming's earlier words replayed in their heads: "Brainfeasters devour brains, but they only target smart ones."

The realization hit all at once as they exchanged glances.

The Brainfeasters had deliberately bypassed them.

Their expressions darkened. 'Even all of us together aren't as appetizing to these creatures as Fang Xiu and Lu Ziming?'

It was both embarrassing and oddly reassuring. In truth, they hadn't needed to use their brains much since they'd started following Fang Xiu—he always had the answers.

Meanwhile, Fang Xiu stood unfazed as the Brainfeasters surrounded him. He felt a subtle wave of energy attempting to penetrate his mind.

"A mental attack?" he muttered. Activating his Nightmare ability, he effortlessly blocked the intrusion.

Lu Ziming, for his part, summoned his Mindflare. A radiant white light enveloped his body, deflecting the Brainfeasters' psychic assault with ease.

Lu Ziming cast a curious glance at Fang Xiu, noting how effortlessly he handled the situation.

"Let's go," Lu Ziming commanded, sweeping his palm forward. A wave of energy blasted the Brainfeasters aside, clearing a path for their escape.

The group followed him as they descended the mountain. On the other side, Whitestone finally came into view—the elusive town they had been trying to reach all along.

However, the outskirts of Whitestone were crawling with Specters. Snake-like ones and countless other grotesque forms clustered together.

Among them were powerful Class-B and even Class-A Specters, exuding a terrifying presence.

"Quick! Get to the town!" Lu Ziming shouted.

The group didn't need encouragement. The moment they appeared, the Specters turned their attention toward them and began swarming.

A deafening buzzing sound filled the air, the high-frequency vibrations of wings rattling their nerves.

Lu Ziming roared, activating his Mindflare fully. The energy spread across his body, and his sword began to glow brilliantly.

SLASH!

He swung his sword, releasing a wave of radiant sword energy that carved through the Specter horde like a hot blade through butter. The path cleared briefly, but the horde threatened to close in again.

"Move!" Lu Ziming commanded.

Under his leadership, the group sprinted into Whitestone.

Upon entering, they discovered the town was protected by a mysterious barrier that kept the Specters from crossing its borders. Outside, the creatures roared and clawed, unable to breach the boundary.

However, the town was not free of danger. The oppressive Grey Fog still enveloped everything, draining their Spiritual Energy.

Although they were safe from the Specters, survival in Whitestone was a constant battle against the fog's relentless energy depletion.

Eventually, they would succumb to exhaustion—everyone except Fang Xiu.

The weakest among them, Xiao Chuxia, was already showing signs of strain. Her Spiritual Energy had been drained significantly, leaving her visibly fatigued despite her versatile abilities. Nearly half of her reserves were gone.

As they ventured deeper into Whitestone, they were greeted by a sight that starkly contrasted with the chaos outside.

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