Su Shan, Lin Qin, Qin Dingdong, and Zhang Chenze emerged from a game venue labeled “Centaur,” each looking visibly exhausted.
“Hey, Flash…” Qin Dingdong stretched her neck and called out to Su Shan, who was leading the group, “Are we done for today? All this brainpower and speed training—you’re putting us through some serious drills, aren’t you?”
“But it’s still not enough…” Su Shan muttered to herself. “Is it really like Qi Xia said—do we have to abandon part of our humanity, become more unhinged, to survive?”
“What did you say?” Zhang Chenze asked beside her.
“I mean… we might need even harsher ‘games,’” Su Shan shook her head. “You’re all smart. These ‘Human-level’ games are way too easy for our team.”
Lin Qin pondered for a moment before asking, “Are you seriously thinking of taking on ‘Earth-level’ games?”
“Yes,” Su Shan nodded.
Qin Dingdong blinked and glanced at the darkening sky. “It’s almost evening. You really want to jump into an ‘Earth-level’ game now?”
“You two…” Su Shan looked at Qin Dingdong and Lin Qin. “You’re seniors, right? So you’ve already ‘Echoed’?”
Lawyer Zhang frowned. “‘Echoed’?”
Qin Dingdong and Lin Qin, having seen their fair share of the world, both wore calm, knowing expressions.
“You dragged us through five ‘Human-level’ games today just to force yourself to ‘Echo’?” Lin Qin asked.
“Yes,” Su Shan nodded. “And I’ve realized… earning ‘Dao’ isn’t that hard.”
“You’re smarter than most, so it’s not hard for you,” Lin Qin agreed. “But even if you win every ‘Human-level’ game, there’s no guarantee you’ll collect 3,600 ‘Dao’ within ten days.”
“Really…?” Su Shan replied ambiguously. “But I have this feeling—I’ll find a way to gather 3,600 ‘Dao’ in a short time.”
Lin Qin sighed. “I’d advise against it.”
“Against…?”
“Don’t misunderstand,” Lin Qin shook her head. “I’m just worried for your safety.”
“Is it that dangerous?” Su Shan considered. “From what I’ve seen, ‘Human-level’ games don’t threaten your life.”
“That’s all I’ll say,” Lin Qin replied. “Try not to openly collect 3,600 ‘Dao.’ If you’re really set on it, don’t trust anyone from the ‘Land of the End.’ Do it quietly, on your own.”
“What…?”
Qin Dingdong shot Lin Qin a wary glance at those words. Lin Qin met her gaze, and the two fell into a silent understanding.
“Everyone,” Zhang Chenze interjected, “Should we find a place to rest first?”
Su Shan turned to her. “I want to take a gamble.”
“A gamble?” The others looked at her.
Su Shan pointed down the winding alley ahead. “Let’s follow this path all the way to the main street. If we happen to run into an ‘Earth-level Zodiac,’ that’s fate. We’ll join their game.”
“Flash…” Qin Dingdong shook her head. “You call running into an ‘Earth-level Zodiac’ ‘fate’?”
“Maybe not yours, but it’s mine,” Su Shan said. “I have to thank Qi Xia. He showed me how to preserve my memories. If he hadn’t pulled me out of the endless cycle, I’d probably still be struggling alone with deadweight teammates.”
“So?” Lin Qin pressed.
“So I have to find a way to ‘Echo’ as soon as possible, or I’ll be at a disadvantage again.” Su Shan then turned to Qin Dingdong. “By the way, Dingdong, you mentioned we used to be close. What exactly is my ‘Echo’ ability?”
“Huh?” Qin Dingdong froze. “Flash, you ‘Echoed’ last time but don’t know your own power?”
“Right,” Su Shan nodded. “Qi Xia’s methods were too clever. I died less than a minute after ‘Echoing.’”
“Oh…” Qin Dingdong gave a wry smile. “We were really close back then, seeing each other all the time… but I honestly don’t know what your ‘Echo’ is.”
“Hmm…?” Su Shan, being a former policewoman, quickly caught the inconsistency. “So even though I didn’t remember you, I still kept a ‘close friendship’ with you…?”
“Uh… yeah…” Qin Dingdong laughed awkwardly. “I’d always seek you out and reintroduce myself.”
“Then why did you stop?” Su Shan pressed.
“I…”
Seeing Qin Dingdong falter, Su Shan chuckled lightly—this wasn’t an interrogation, no need to make things tense. “Just kidding. We’ve been together all day. Of course I know you’re my good friend.”
“Oh, really?” Qin Dingdong exhaled in relief. “You scared me for a second.”
Lin Qin watched the two with interest. She knew Qin Dingdong’s specialty was playing the role of an obvious liar, hiding her real deception amidst glaring flaws.
The more you thought you’d caught her in a lie, the more likely you were falling into her trap.
Whether Su Shan had noticed Qin Dingdong’s act was unclear, but she simply urged the group to regroup and move on.
In today’s five ‘Human-level’ games, Su Shan had shone brightly. She seemed to be deliberately emulating Qi Xia’s way of thinking—her ideas were wildly unconventional, often involving risky gambles that made others tense.
Like now, leaving it to ‘fate’ to find an ‘Earth-level’ game.
Even in this small alley, deliberately searching for an ‘Earth-level’ could take hours with bad luck.
But fate had a way of defying expectations.
When they spotted the gaunt, dog-headed figure crouching silently around the corner, their expressions shifted.
His attire was slightly different from other ‘Earth-level’ Zodiacs—he wore no shirt, just a suit jacket draped over his shoulders, exposing his lean, fur-covered abs as he lounged lazily on the ground.
“‘Earth Dog’?” Qin Dingdong whispered.
Lin Qin suddenly recalled the first time she’d teamed up with Qi Xia for a real game—it had been an ‘Earth Dog’s’ “Letter Carrier” challenge.
But this Earth Dog was different from the last—a sleek, unidentifiable breed of brown short-haired hound, radiating sharp efficiency.
“Uh…” Earth Dog blinked at the four women standing before him, his face blank. “Ladies… really? It’s almost quitting time.”
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