"Are you all ready?"

Outside the supermarket, Xu Lang looked at Zheng Kai and ten other players, asking aloud.

"Ready. I've gone all in!"

The group had converted all their assets into pioneering supplies, even borrowing a good deal from neighbors.

When a top player leads an expedition, you have to go all out!

……

Ginkgo Avenue.

Nightfall couldn't dampen people's enthusiasm. Players gathered in clusters, watching the edge of the Blood Mist.

"Liu Zhen's team has been in there for almost two hours, right? I don't think they'll get out. Ahu, go stand by their door, see if the room key shows up."

"Haha, he went all-in on this assault;his home's probably emptied of coins. Even if you get the key, you can only strip the door and the turrets."

"Still, that could make a decent profit!"

"I have a combined map of Ginkgo Avenue. Who wants one? Selling cheap."

"Look, a squad just came out of the Blood Mist World!"

A five-man team staggered out of the mist, in a pitiful state.

Onlookers swarmed over in an instant, eyes shining with greed, emotions varying all across their faces.

This squad was Liu Zhen's team.

"Holy crap, Liu Zhen, only five of you came back? Tell us what you got, what zone you reached!" A group of players blocked Liu Zhen's squad, shouting.

The five members hurriedly stuffed their items into their packs, not letting others look.

Still, some players managed to probe out a few details.

"I swear, I saw a level 11 rare dagger!" one player exclaimed.

That made everyone's eyes light up further.

Liu Zhen's expression grew guarded. "What are you trying to do? Back off a bit, we're heading back to the dorm to recuperate."

"Back to the dorm? Forget it. With so many people watching here, you're safer, no need to risk going home and getting ambushed." A pale-faced player stepped forward, smiling as he produced several bottles of potions. "My stuff is high-grade healing items, selling cheap."

Liu Zhen hesitated, then traded items for the pale player's healing supplies.

He had no copper coins, so he could only barter. Although he lost a bit in value, he'd recover faster and raise his safety margin.

Besides, the pale player was from Floating Life Play;buying from him would at least ensure the seventh-floor players wouldn't touch him.

These were the rules of favors and face!

People around watched greedily but didn't make a move.

Liu Zhen was a first-floor player;Kui Zi was domineering and protective of her floor, so most players avoided trouble.

"Gulp——cough cough!"

Liu Zhen took a swig of a recovery elixir and immediately started coughing violently, then retreated to the side as if shocked.

Everyone felt something odd and turned to follow Liu Zhen's gaze, making similar movements.

"Lang Ge!"

"Lang Ge, hello!"

"Lang Ge is here on Ginkgo Avenue!"

Players whispered in low voices, careful not to shout.

The players trailing behind Xu Lang strutted like proud roosters, as if trying to puff their chests up to their chins.

Those who recognized them were furiously sending private messages.

"Lang Ge, the main teams stationed at the Ginkgo pioneering spots are Xiao Yan, Zhai Ren, Floating Life Play, and my team." Zheng Kai introduced them to Xu Lang.

Xu Lang nodded. Passing a player who was vending maps, he casually took the map from the seller's hand.

The seller dared not object and forced a smile. "This is the latest map of Ginkgo Avenue."

Besides terrain, the map marked monster spawn points and looked legitimate.

"Those players' explored ranges aren't wide, can't compare to our internal map." Zheng Kai had already shown his map to Xu Lang earlier.

"Combine them, shouldn't lose out." After Xu Lang glanced it over, he tossed the map back to the vendor and casually handed over a silver coin.

Watching Xu Lang's group enter the Blood Mist, the vendor's mouth fell open.

My map was priced at thirty thousand copper coins or five silver coins...

Suddenly, he realized something.

—Xu Lang, the Great Demon King, is going into the Blood Mist World!

News of Xu Lang entering the Blood Mist World spread like wind into every player's ears!

The speculative possibilities were enormous!

Countless people were eager—hoping Xu Lang wouldn't return, or at least wondering what he'd bring back from the Blood Mist World!

……

"What? Lang Ge is entering the Blood Mist World?!"

At another stronghold, Wu Huihui led a group of girlfriends out of the Blood Mist World and heard the news, instantly growing anxious.

Xu Lang was powerful, yes, but the Blood Mist World held so many dangers!

Even if you were strong, could you pierce through the Blood Mist World?

Nobody can cut through the Blood Mist World, not even gods!

"Huihui, are you worried about Lang Ge being in danger?" Zhu Yan stepped up, his expression oddly playful.

He felt like a commoner worrying whether the rich man had money to spend.

"What? Zhu Yan, aren't you worried about Lang Ge's safety?" Li Yu snapped angrily.

"Of course I am. Lang Ge is stronger than us, but if he goes deeper, it's even more dangerous!"

"Lang Ge has always protected our Mad King Building—Zhu Yan, so heartless!"

The girls left behind swarmed Zhu Yan.

"No, that's not what I mean. I just think us worrying about Lang Ge is unnecessary!" Zhu Yan suddenly broke into a cold sweat.

He felt the tenth-floor girls were all a bit crazy!

Zhu Huihui's mindset was something Kui Zi, standing to the side, could understand a little better.

Many women worry about their idol being mistreated, even if that idol's single performance equals ten years of their salary.

Understanding aside, Kui Zi still found such behavior idiotic.

"Wu Huihui, what did you guys bring out of the Blood Mist World?" Kui Zi cared more about loot.

Zhu Yan used the chance to break free from the circle and returned to the third-floor players' cluster.

He then noticed Li Wenwen, who was helping someone reinforce gear, frowning at him with the same expression those tenth-floor girls had.

Damn it!

Have I violated a heavenly law?!

"Still haven't cracked the boxes, don't know yet." Wu Huihui stared at Kui Zi and casually twirled her spiked club, looking light on her feet.

Nie Xiaozhu and Wang Tingting carried packed backpacks.

Given Wu Huihui's personality, she would usually open her boxes on the spot and flaunt the results, but her worry for Xu Lang made her leave without checking the item info, bringing the girls to Ginkgo Avenue.

Kui Zi's mouth twitched at the sight.

Other players were speechless—finally understanding the phrase "the eunuch is more anxious than the emperor."

"Shit, it's broken!!!"

Before Wu Huihui's trio had left the Art Institute, a scream erupted—equal parts shock, anger, disbelief, and utter heartbreak.

The sound was so tragic that people couldn't imagine what had happened!

If pressed for a first reaction, you'd say a blushing young man had been violently cursed by a boar spirit.

Wu Huihui followed the sound to see a pile of shattered fragments at Li Wenwen's feet, while a short-haired man staggered, pale, and collapsed into a companion's arms.

"This is a dream, this has to be a dream, right?" the short-haired man murmured, as if he'd lost his soul.

Onlookers all wore expressions of pity.

"Another unlucky bastard who failed a +11 shock reinforcement."

"I told him not to try it. He thought he was chosen."

"Heh, he got lucky reinforcing once before, so he thought it was his fate!"

Equipment reinforcement above +7 can fail, and above +10 there is a chance of shattering.

This player's weapon had just shattered.

Durability dropped to zero and exploded on the spot!

Half a lifetime's savings, gone!

Players protecting Li Wenwen waved it off with practiced indifference.

"Carry him away, next!"