“Gate of Death…”
A bizarre thought began to swirl in Old Sun’s mind. He had anticipated many scenarios, but never expected that there wouldn’t be a single soul here.
What made him feel even more helpless was that, as the team leader, he couldn’t contact any other leaders at this critical moment. He had to tackle the problem alone.
“What the hell is this…”
Old Sun stepped forward to inspect the nearby buildings. The entire area was in ruins—there was no way a game venue could exist here.
Yet, strangely, there were numerous footprints in the middle of the road, as if people had been active here just moments ago.
But if there was no game venue, why would so many people gather here?
Old Sun slowly approached and noticed that all the footprints vanished abruptly in the center of the road.
This eerie situation left him utterly baffled. It was as if these people had reached the middle of the road, encountered a helicopter, and then simply left aboard it.
He had heard that the games of “Dragon” were absurd, but he never imagined they could be this bizarre.
“This time, we’re really screwed.”
……
“Damn it, girl, speak up! What are you spacing out for?” White Snake frowned. “You look downright worrying like this.”
“I…” Yan Zhichun felt her mind in chaos.
White Snake had no idea about the plan. The best news Yan Zhichun could think of right now was that she had chosen the “Gate of Death.”
The reason this was good news was that the other seven gates would ensure everyone else’s survival. As the “King of the Extremists,” she was supposed to face the most difficult challenge.
But if she considered the worst-case scenario—what if none of the other “Zodiacs” knew about the plan either?
That would mean Lamb’s plan had a critical flaw. Out of the eight “Zodiacs” marked on the map, not a single one was on their side.
Fortunately, she and White Snake had some history, so there was still a chance she could pass through White Snake’s “gate” to reach the “train.” But the other members of the “Extremists”… that was another story.
“Wait…” Yan Zhichun suddenly furrowed her brows, sensing a breakthrough.
Since Zhou Mo hadn’t sent her any messages, she couldn’t communicate with the others through her.
But the key to the problem lay precisely in this.
Zhou Mo’s silence meant everything was proceeding normally on her end—she must have successfully met their ally among the “Zodiacs.” From Zhou Mo’s perspective, the other teams should be in the same situation, not requiring immediate assistance.
Therefore, it was highly likely that she alone had drawn the “Gate of Death”—and coincidentally, it was White Snake, someone she had a connection with. In that case, everything was actually working out perfectly.
“Fine, if you’ve got something upsetting to say, just say it.” White Snake sighed and sat down. “Consider this me completely losing to you, you freeloading brat. What else can I do?”
“White Snake, I do need your help with something very important.” Yan Zhichun nodded bluntly. “I need to pass through your ‘gate’ to board the train.”
White Snake stared at her expressionlessly for a long moment, neither refusing nor agreeing—just watching.
“I expected some kind of reaction from you,” Yan Zhichun said. “Not just silence.”
“You always remind me of someone from the past. It makes me… nostalgic,” White Snake murmured.
“Is that so?”
“That way you have of saying things that catch people off guard… It’s strangely familiar.” White Snake tilted her head. “So, what’s your goal? Are you planning to storm the train with these seven or eight people behind you?”
“Something like that. But the actual number is far greater,” Yan Zhichun replied.
“You do realize that by voicing this plan, you’re already treading on thin ice, right?” White Snake lowered her gaze indifferently. “The ears of ‘Paradise’ are still flying overhead.”
“I’ll bet the entire ‘Land of Finality’ is in chaos right now. There’s no way they can monitor every sound.” Yan Zhichun countered. “Since you haven’t refused, I’ll take it as a sign that you’re inclined to agree.”
“I never said anything.” White Snake picked up a book, feigning busyness. “I didn’t hear a word just now. But given our history, you and your people can rest here for a while.”
The group behind Yan Zhichun frowned at White Snake’s ambiguous response. A young man leaned in and whispered, “She still doesn’t seem willing… Should we—”
“No, she agreed.” Yan Zhichun cut him off.
She knew White Snake couldn’t speak too plainly—she could only hint. Now, all they could do was hope the other “Extremists” succeeded in their respective missions.
……
Old Sun stood frozen for a long while, unable to make sense of the situation. He decided to regroup with the other “Extremists” elsewhere to strategize.
As he turned to leave with his team, he found a strange woman in a monkey mask standing behind them.
Old Sun’s expression instantly tensed. The “Extremists” quickly dispersed into combat formation.
But after a moment’s scrutiny, they realized there was only one “Zodiac” before them—and it was the least threatening, a mere “Human-Level” Zodiac.
“What do you want?” Old Sun demanded warily.
“I…” The Monkey’s cold voice hesitated before continuing, “I’m not entirely sure. Are you all… the ones trying to board the train?”
Her question was so direct that Old Sun and his team couldn’t answer.
“I was sent here by a friend of my teacher. I didn’t expect to actually find you.” The Monkey scratched her head awkwardly. “So… do you want to board?”
“What the hell are you talking about…?” Old Sun narrowed his eyes. “Who’s your teacher? And who’s this ‘friend’?”
“My teacher is a ‘Tiger.’ His friend is a ‘Rat.’ The ‘Rat’ told me you might run into trouble here and that I should guide you to the ‘Tiger.’ He also said, ‘Sometimes the fence needs patching up.'” The Monkey explained. “If you trust me, please follow me to my teacher to continue your plan. Is that alright?”
Old Sun exchanged uncertain glances with his team. How could they possibly trust a random “Zodiac” at such a critical moment?
“Of course, I don’t have any solid proof to convince you.” The Monkey smiled sheepishly. “So if you don’t believe me, that’s fine. Just pretend I was never here.”
Old Sun fell silent. Time was running out—dusk was approaching. If they didn’t resolve the issue with “Dragon” soon, the entire “Extremists” operation would be jeopardized.
Though it seemed like a simple matter of trust, Old Sun had very few options left.
“I believe you,” he finally said. “Lead the way.”
“Good. This way, please.” The Monkey nodded and turned, guiding them deeper into the city.
They passed through a residential area before arriving at a small building. Sitting at its entrance was a massive white-furred tiger.
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