Chapter 27 - 26: Arrival at Jarilo-VI

While Pei Guang and March 7th were fooling around, Stelle and Dan Heng walked over. As Dan Heng approached, both looked at him. Feeling the gazes of the two, Dan Heng had a bad feeling and looked at them in confusion. "What? Is there something on my face?" March 7th smiled expectantly. "I was just thinking about what fun things we might encounter during our mission." Pei Guang curiously added, "Same! I wonder what special items this world has, and if we can bring some back." Seeing the eager and curious expressions on their faces, Dan Heng sighed. "This world really is troubled, now that you two are eyeing it." Stelle chimed in, "Not just two! It's three of us! Let's hurry up and get going!" Dan Heng sighed again. "Sigh!" He could already sense how troublesome this journey would be, and suddenly he understood why Himeko insisted he join them. March 7th, meanwhile, stood with her hands on her hips, beaming brightly. "Jarilo-VI Expedition Squad, move out~" The four of them boarded a vehicle and safely descended to the planet's surface. The way the vehicle worked was quite interesting—it didn't just drop them straight from space but rather selected a designated spot, then used a teleportation method similar to warp travel, arriving several dozen meters above the ground before landing. The way back was similar: once they were back inside, they would be teleported back to the train. The feeling during teleportation was also similar to warp travel—arriving at the destination in the blink of an eye, though with some deviation when going far. But on the return trip, the deviation would be negligible. And why choose to descend from the sky? Because the ground conditions were unknown. If the landing spot wasn't suitable, they could quickly teleport to a safer location or return to the train. The four of them landed in a snowy field. As they walked on the thick snow, Pei Guang shivered involuntarily. "So cold! I didn't expect the cold in a game to feel this real." Dan Heng looked ahead at the vast white expanse. "We've arrived at Jarilo-VI." "What an icy, snowy land!" March 7th couldn't help but marvel at the surroundings. On the other side, Stelle echoed, "It really is an icy, snowy land!" Pei Guang joined in, "It really is an icy, snowy land!" March 7th: "Are you guys just repeating each other? But, with everything so white, which way should we go?" Dan Heng looked in a direction. "According to the target location, it's not far ahead." March 7th excitedly put a hand on her hips and one in the air. "What are we waiting for? Let's move out!" Stelle looked at Dan Heng curiously and asked, "If that's the case, why didn't we just land directly at the destination?" Before Dan Heng could reply, Pei Guang spoke up first, "You haven't played enough games to understand how deep the water runs here. Remember, when you know there's a hidden boss in a mission, never teleport directly to it. If you do, the boss will bring a bunch of minions and bombard you with attacks. Even if you're the Ashen One, you won't survive! And if the boss has some special mechanics, you're not just wasting time, but it's a complete disaster." "Besides, if you skip straight to the destination and miss the story, the NPCs won't know who we are. If they treat us as enemies, it'll be a pain to build up favor again. It's better to teleport to a safer spot and progress while scavenging along the way. Who knows? Maybe the stuff we pick up will be useful against the boss. Also, meeting NPCs on the way to build up favor will make our movements in the city easier." Dan Heng pondered for a moment, "His explanation is a bit convoluted, but the general idea is correct. Last time, March teleported directly to the location and ended up causing quite a bit of trouble." Pei Guang added, "It's not a big deal: everyone makes mistakes when they first play. When I first played Dark Souls, I thought it was a hack-and-slash game and rushed in..." March 7th, still not entirely following, curiously asked, "And then what happened?" Pei Guang replied in pain, "And then? I found out it was a game where monsters hack and slash you. I got hammered, do you know what it means to get hammered?!" It was a painful memory. From that moment on, he had officially accepted those challenging games. Of course, when the suffering got too intense, he liked to immerse himself in system games. March 7th shivered, "That sounds like a painful experience." Dan Heng interrupted their chatter, "Let's move out. Remember, be cautious with every step! We know very little about this world." March 7th confidently replied, "Don't worry! With the four of us here, what can't we handle? Stelle has a Stellaron inside her, I have the unique 6-Phased-Ice, Pei Guang... uh... and Dan Heng... Anyway, we all have mysterious pasts! Anyone who messes with us is out of luck." Stelle echoed, "Yeah, out of luck!" Pei Guang chimed in, "Out of luck!" March 7th exclaimed, "Ugh, do you two have to repeat everything I say?" Pei Guang responded, "Doesn't that show how spot-on your decision is?" Stelle added, "Doesn't that show how spot-on your decision is?" Pei Guang and Stelle exchanged a glance, smiling in unison. Only those who enjoy echoing each other know the joy it brings. Watching the three of them, Dan Heng didn't know what to say. What do they mean by others messing with them? It would be a miracle if these three didn't cause trouble for others! "Alright, let's stop messing around. Let's bravely explore the unknown—that's the adventurer's spirit!" The four of them moved forward in silence. The creatures in the surrounding Fragmentum were weak, mostly bird-like constructs made of various elemental crystals. These creatures were so weak that even ordinary brave people could handle them. After all, they were close to the city. If the Fragmentum creatures were strong enough that regular soldiers couldn't deal with them, this world would have been wiped out long ago. However, Dan Heng still noticed some stronger ones nearby. Judging by their locations, if the Stellaron problem isn't resolved, this world's human civilization might be completely destroyed within a few years, or even sooner. "We need to move faster." As Dan Heng led the way forward, Pei Guang, feeling a bit bored, started humming a tune. Pei Guang was humming the melody of "Counter-Strike," but after just a few notes, March 7th placed a hand on his shoulder. "Pei Guang! Promise me, don't just hum—sing it out loud, boldly! The song will have more emotion when you sing it." Stelle nodded in agreement, and even Dan Heng found himself nodding. Because Pei Guang's humming was, how to say... completely off-key. Others might be tone-deaf, but he lacked any sense of pitch. Humming along was pure torture: at least singing with the lyrics would allow some self-consolation. Pei Guang found himself in a dilemma, "I can't do that! I only remember the melody, not the lyrics. How about I sing something else?" March 7th nodded eagerly, "Anything's fine! Anything is better than that awful off-key humming with no emotion." To be honest, March 7th actually liked listening to Pei Guang sing. Even though he was tone-deaf and his pitch was terrible, the emotion in his singing gave it a strange, comforting quality. After thinking for a moment, Pei Guang said, "You know, I do have a song I can sing that fits our current situation perfectly." March 7th asked curiously, "What's it called? What's it about?" Pei Guang reminisced, "It's about the story of a struggler." March 7th encouraged, "Then sing it already! It's so boring in this icy wasteland." At this moment, Stelle quietly covered her ears, and when Pei Guang started to sing, Dan Heng quickened his pace, deciding to lead the charge. Don't underestimate those few steps—they could lessen the damage to his ears and brain!