"Hey, Nightmare buddy!"
Just as Luo Jie was scanning the LED screen above the main hall for that emergency mission ID, a familiar voice tinged with surprise rang out behind him.
"Chief Bro?"
Luo Jie turned, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes.
He hadn't expected to run into the fitness trio again so soon – this was their third unplanned encounter today.
The towering Chief, clearly in high spirits – probably thrilled with his earlier equipment purchase – approached and landed a perfectly friendly punch on Luo Jie's shoulder, as if they were old pals. "Haha! Just talking about you with Dancer, and here you pop up! So... you here for this mission too?"
The genuine warmth in Chief's gesture spread through Luo Jie's chest. He returned the smile. "Just came to check it out... honestly, I don't even know what the mission is yet."
"Haha, well I snagged it! Let me tell you—"
Dancer frowned, her delicately arched eyebrows pinching together as she surveyed the noisy chaos around them. She tugged at Chief's sleeve. "Too loud here. Let's talk somewhere else."
"Oh, right." Chief scratched his head, looking slightly abashed, then threw an arm around Luo Jie's shoulders. "C'mon, let's grab a quiet spot for a drink."
Player Lounge Area.
"This is your Longjing tea. With the private room fee, that will be 50 points."
The young waitress in uniform carefully placed the teapot, cups, and bill on the table, bowed respectfully, and exited, firmly shutting the door behind her.
The clamor from outside vanished instantly. Inside the room, the silence was absolute – you could have heard a pin drop.
Dancer expertly poured tea for everyone, muttering under her breath, "Fifty points for this? Talk about highway robbery..."
Chief waved a dismissive hand. "Points come and go. Worth it for the privacy... damn good soundproofing, though."
Boxer, who had been largely silent since they met, gave a rare nod of agreement.
"Men. Clueless about managing resources," Dancer rolled her eyes dramatically at both of them. Her expression instantly softened as she turned to Luo Jie, a sweet smile replacing her annoyance. "Don't mind them, Nightmare. Here, tea." Her voice was warm.
"Thanks." Luo Jie took the cup, politely sidestepping the domestic commentary. What are their exact relationships? he wondered silently. No regular co-workers are this tight.
"So, Chief Bro, about that mission..."
"Ah, right!" Chief's face lit up with a triumphant grin. "I was already in the mission hall when it dropped. Snatched it right up!" He pulled out his phone and handed it to Luo Jie.
When a player accepted a mission, the market encrypted the details into a special SMS sent to their registered phone. Along with the mission code came exhaustive information – objectives, rules, and critical intel about the simulated realm involved.
"...Highschool of the Dead?" Luo Jie murmured, scanning the screen. Deep memories, dormant since his past life, surged forward. His expression tightened. Now I remember.
This was that event. Famous in his previous timeline.
Roughly four months ago, Japan's Okinawa zone had opened the Highschool of the Dead realm, based on the anime. At first, it was standard low-threat bio-hazard fare. After two routine clears, it unexpectedly spawned a terrifying prefix modifier and shifted into a brutal new mode. The difficulty skyrocketed, pushing a Level 1 instance to its absolute limits.
After two consecutive team wipes, Japan panicked. They put out the call for help, recruiting players from neighboring nations.
Hence, the emergency task.
"'Champion on the leaderboard: 30,000 points plus one gold F-grade gear. Runner-up: 20,000 points plus one purple F-grade gear. Third Place: 10,000 points plus one blue F-grade gear... All other participants receive a 1,000 point consolation prize...'" Luo Jie read the rewards aloud, shaking his head in disbelief. "No wonder... players would trample each other signing up. Japan's really emptying the vaults for this."
"Exactly!" Chief boomed, oblivious to Luo Jie's ominous undertone. "Just tagging along nets you a grand! Get lucky, grab a top-three spot... life-changing!"
Luo Jie suppressed a grimace at Chief's dangerously naive optimism. He couldn't just blurt out the realm's grim secrets. He had to tread carefully. "Chief Bro... isn't taking this mission kind of rash? Think about it. If it was truly as easy as you say... why would they offer rewards this insane?"
"We know."
It was Dancer who answered, setting down the teapot after quietly listening. She met Luo Jie's gaze, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her voice was calm, resigned. "We were all dragged into these realms by accident. Given the choice? I'd trade every scrap of power I've gained here for my old, boring, safe life. But that door's closed forever."
"Past realms taught us one thing," she continued, her gaze steady. "You can't hide from danger forever down here. The only way to outlive the others... is to walk into the danger. Find the chance to get stronger inside it."
"This mission?" She gestured at Chief and Boxer. "We decided together. Crazy? Sure. Feels like playing roulette with our lives. But tell me... isn't every time we step into a realm just another desperate gamble against fate?"
Luo Jie fell silent. She was right. Every player was a gambler. The only difference was the size of the stakes each time.
"Then... take me with you."
The abrupt request hung in the quiet room. Three pairs of eyes fixed on Luo Jie, wide with surprise. The sudden reversal – from cautious skepticism to eager participation – left them utterly baffled.