Scrambling in Panic

The environment was gloomy and terrifying, making Jiang Tang’s little heart pound wildly.

Standing beside her was Cheng Shuili, whose expression remained calm as she quickly sized up the surroundings.

"B-Boss!" Jiang Tang’s voice carried a hint of a sob as she subconsciously gripped the hood of her little dinosaur onesie. "This is too sudden! My afternoon tea! My chips!"

Cheng Shuili interrupted her expressionlessly: "Keep whining and you won't get to eat them even if you go back."

Jiang Tang immediately clamped her mouth shut. She shuffled her feet, edging closer to Cheng Shuili.

It was as if being near her made everything safer.

Once she quieted down, the two of them began to seriously examine the dungeon panel that had popped up before them.

This dungeon was a treasure-hunting type that Cheng Shuili had never participated in before.

【Welcome to the Depths of the Gloom Mine team dungeon!】

【Dungeon Goal: Please find the treasure hidden within the Depths of the Gloom Mine within two hours!】

【You may utilize all friendly units to provide you with clues, but also be wary of the dangers that hostile units may bring! Finding the treasure within the allotted time is victory; otherwise, it is failure!】

【Note: After clearing a team autonomous dungeon, every player can receive attribute point rewards; there is no penalty for failure!】

Cheng Shuili finished reading the text carefully. After closing the panel, she happened to notice the little dinosaur onesie Jiang Tang was wearing.

She frowned: "Why didn't you change your clothes?"

Jiang Tang felt wronged: "I got pulled in right after I clicked it. I thought there would be a waiting period."

Cheng Shuili: "......"

Cheng Shuili remained silent for a moment, ultimately deciding not to say anything more.

She had pulled the girl in at the last minute, so she couldn't really blame her.

Cheng Shuili shifted her gaze to the deep, dark cave entrance ahead. She pulled two tactical flashlights from the Abyss Ring, tossed one to Jiang Tang, handed her a dagger, and then briefly explained their purpose for being here.

Jiang Tang understood immediately. She blinked and asked: "The thing you want to find, Boss—is it the treasure?"

That was quite possible.

Cheng Shuili wasn't sure herself, so she simply didn't answer, saying only: "Time to go down."

After all, they only had two hours, so they needed to hurry.

The beam of the tactical flashlight tore through the thick darkness, illuminating the winding tunnel that sloped downward.

Cheng Shuili walked in front, with Jiang Tang following closely behind her.

This was the first time she had ever acted alone with the Boss, and without any preparation at that.

Jiang Tang bit her lip gently, feeling a bit self-reproachful. Fearing that she might hold the Boss back, she gripped the dagger Cheng Shuili had given her tightly, while her other hand clutched the tail of her dinosaur onesie.

The air was damp and cold, carrying a strange odor of rust and rotting earth. Occasionally, cold water droplets fell from the rock crevices above, making a "drip" sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent mine.

The path underfoot was not easy to traverse, littered with gravel and puddles of varying depths.

Abandoned mine cart tracks and rusted pickaxes remained on the rock walls, telling of the human presence that once existed here, now leaving behind only desolation and deathly silence.

The two of them moved forward quietly for a few minutes before a fork in the road appeared.

Cheng Shuili frowned. After a moment of thought, she silently took a step back and let her gaze fall on Jiang Tang: "Which way?"

"We... are we listening to me?"

Jiang Tang pointed to her own nose, stunned.

There was no information right now, and she had no idea what the situation was. A fork like this was just a matter of luck.

Cheng Shuili glanced calmly at the koi bracelet on Jiang Tang’s wrist. She hoped good luck would favor the both of them.

While she pondered, Jiang Tang had already made a decision: "Let's go this way? I feel like the other side is a bit more gloomy..."

As she spoke, she looked up at Cheng Shuili, still asking for confirmation.

Cheng Shuili nodded and continued forward along the path Jiang Tang pointed out.

Jiang Tang trotted to keep up: "Boss, what if I didn't pick right? What if there's danger on this path?"

Cheng Shuili didn't even lift her head: "If there's danger here, it only means there's even more danger on that other path."

Before Cheng Shuili had finished speaking, a heavy, heart-stopping grinding sound erupted without warning from deep within the tunnel ahead.

Jiang Tang froze instantly, the flashlight beam trembling violently as it shot straight toward the source of the sound.

At the very end of the flickering beam, a huge, twisted shadow was projected onto the rock wall at the tunnel's turn! One could clearly see the silhouette of a hideous head and the shadows of thick limbs waving, as if it were about to break free from the wall and pounce out the next second!

Jiang Tang instinctively jumped backward, huddled down, and covered her head with both hands. Her entire sequence of movements was shockingly fast. "Boss, there's a monster! I'll protect myself, don't you worry!"

A textbook example of scrambling in panic.

Cheng Shuili twitched the corner of her mouth. She took a step forward, her tactical flashlight locked steadily onto that section of the rock wall, while her other hand had already quietly gripped Night Hunt, clearly prepared for combat.

The massive shadow swayed on the wall twice more, accompanied by a sound more like clumsy crawling. A creature slowly moved out from behind the corner.

The cold light of the tactical flashlight hit it.

It was a fairly sturdy creature, covered from head to toe in dark red scales.

It supported its body with four short, thick legs, and a thick tail lazily swept the gravel on the ground behind it.

On its prominent, oversized head, a pair of large, amber eyes squinted under the harsh light. It blinked, seemingly confused, and even let out a yawn that carried a few tiny sparks.

It looked... a bit dull, even bordering on foolish.

But... with creatures like the Screaming Chicken, Cheng Shuili naturally didn't dare to let her guard down.

【Insight Successful】

【Giant Fire Lizard】

【Description: A large, physically powerful reptilian creature. Its body is covered in dark red scales as thick as armor, which can effectively resist physical attacks and insulate against the high temperatures it generates. Its oral cavity and glands contain a large amount of flammable chemicals, which can be mixed with saliva to spray high-temperature flames or thick smoke. It has a relatively gentle temperament, usually remaining in a semi-dormant state to conserve energy, and often inhabits areas with active geothermal energy or concentrated mineral energy.】

【Weakness: A large creature with absolutely no aggression; killing it is not recommended.】

Absolutely no aggression.

The tense atmosphere instantly solidified, then leaked away completely like a popped balloon.

Cheng Shuili’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and her hand gripping her weapon loosened.

She looked silently at this giant fire lizard blocking their path, then looked back at Jiang Tang, who had been clinging tightly to her at some point.

Cheng Shuili: "......"

Not bringing her next time. Seriously.

The atmosphere deep in the cave plummeted from extreme terror into an awkward silence.

Cheng Shuili looked at the giant fire lizard that seemed to still be out of it, then glanced at Jiang Tang, who was gripping her hem tightly and wishing she could shrink into a ball, and let out a silent sigh.