“That’s perfect. On behalf of everyone, I thank you in advance.”
Picking up where Mo Shao left off, Wu Yingzhe continued to carry himself with impeccable propriety, showing his talent for smooth talking.
“Right... can we set out now?” Mo Shao didn’t bother with the hidden agendas lurking in his words and went straight to the point.
“We’ll head out as soon as the supplies are distributed,” Wu Yingzhe replied, his expression turning serious as he stopped the idle chatter.
The process that followed was quite simple. The Double Ninth cake and chrysanthemum wine were distributed until everyone had received a portion.
It seemed Wu Yingzhe had realized that his initial strategy of cultivating only elite members wasn’t working well, and he was shifting toward a more balanced, widespread team distribution.
Of course, he might also have been trying to win over the people’s hearts to prevent them from shifting their loyalty entirely to Mo Shao.
As for the paper kites—something that simple could be made by the individuals themselves.
There was plenty of tape and paper in the school supermarket, and as for sticks or branches, they were everywhere in the green belts.
...
During the distribution process, Wu Yingzhe took the opportunity to deliver another impassioned speech.
It was the classic routine: stating their goals, identifying potential dangers, expressing the determination to overcome the crisis, and boosting morale...
“May we arrive at our destination safely! Move out!” Finally, he raised a clenched fist and shouted to conclude his speech.
“Move out!!!” the crowd roared back in unison.
They certainly had momentum, and the boost in morale was quite effective for their overall combat strength.
However, Mo Shao wondered how many of this “mighty army” would actually be left by the time they reached Seven Hills City. It wasn't just a matter of morale or strength.
It was more about luck. If they were unfortunate enough to run into a high-risk Phantom Realm blocking their path... they would be screwed.
Watching the crowd ahead, Mo Shao’s thoughts began to drift.
She was currently riding her donkey at the back of the line to “bring up the rear”—though in reality, it was so she could escape more easily if they encountered danger.
After all, the path behind her was the world she already knew. At worst, she would just have to retread the path she had taken in her past life.
But the path ahead was entirely unknown... Mo Shao felt a hint of complexity in her emotions.
She didn’t know if this new choice in this life would lead her to new heights or into an abyss.
...
It wasn't just Mo Shao feeling this way. The others felt it too once they aggressively marched out of the school gates.
Those who quickly realized the reality of the situation felt a sudden sense of daze—and even a trace of fear.
After all, leaving their familiar “safe zone” to explore a completely unknown area was naturally a cause for hesitation.
Fortunately, their morale had just been boosted, so relatively few people were overthinking things the moment they left the school.
Individual fear didn’t matter; it would quickly be drowned out by the collective mindset. But if a widespread sense of fear were to emerge...
Then the team would fall apart.
However... Mo Shao glanced at the person beside her. Riding a horse (which she had managed to procure), Little Ka showed no signs of unease whatsoever.
On the contrary, she was exaggeratedly excited, occasionally drawing her sword to give it a few swings. She was just one step away from shouting, “A knight’s opponent has appeared!”
Still, having this kind of mindset was a good thing. One of the most important survival factors in the apocalypse was courage.
...
The journey to Dragonspine was relatively safe, as this area was a ruin where Tacet Discords existed.
The monsters had already been cleared out the night before.
Furthermore, the distance was only about thirty kilometers. With their enhanced physical attributes, it took them less than an hour to arrive.
This was even considering the poor road conditions and monster obstructions.
During the latter half of the trip, some Hilichurls did show up to cause trouble, proving that they had entered the territory of Dragonspine.
Of course, these Hilichurls were easily dealt with, as the strongest among them were only a few Mitachurls.
The only things that could be considered a bit troublesome were the occasional Fatui squads, consisting of those “Thunderhammers” and “Cryo-Gunners.”
But since the survivors had the advantage of numbers, the encounters were fairly easy—not to mention it was morning, so the monsters were weakened.
...
Finally, after about an hour, they reached the foot of the mountain. After a slight detour, they arrived at the “Snow-Covered Path.”
Walking along the main road was naturally much better than trying to scale the cliffs directly, and it allowed them to make better use of their numbers.
However, as they arrived, a chill swept over them. It wasn't just cold in a physical sense.
In this region, there was a “Sheer Cold” mechanic. Once the gauge filled up, their health would start dropping rapidly.
But this was easy to solve. Reality wasn't like a game where you had to find specific heat sources.
They could just light torches or wear warm clothing.
Consequently, upon seeing the actual Dragonspine, many people in the team felt a strange sense of joy.
After all, many people from Guangdong Province had never seen snow before.
For instance, Little Ka was already shouting, “Wow, is this real snow?!” while reaching out to catch the falling flakes.
...
“Alright, everyone, please calm down. We’re going to plan the routes for each squad now,” Wu Yingzhe stepped forward once again.
They didn’t intend to stay in one giant group, as there were about four hundred of them in total.
Their combat power was excessive for a single group, and it made them too sluggish, which would slow down their exploration progress.
There was more than one path up Dragonspine, and there were many areas to explore. They could gather various items along the way.
Thus, splitting into ten teams seemed like a good plan.
A team of forty was more than enough to handle anything on Dragonspine, as long as they didn’t go looking for a fight with a boss.
As for Mo Shao... she chose to act alone.
Her excuse was, “I can fly, so I can scout a large area. You guys won't be able to keep up, so I'll just act on my own.”
But in reality... south of Dragonspine was the ruin she was looking for, the one containing the Jewel of Life!
Naturally, she wanted to go get it by herself!
Rate on N.U.
