Chapter 72: Conspiracy

For these heroes, what they sought was not a method, but a way to avoid death, a path through the ordeal. Even after hearing the method, their hearts were unsettled; they could not trust Zihui, believing she was unwilling to save them sincerely.

Witnessing their state, Zihui felt nothing but sorrow. These people had no real sense of the difficulty of the "Survival" mission. If not for Qin Hao back then, even with her mastery of two divine abilities, two sacred artifacts, and a thousand evolved warriors at her disposal, what difference would it have made? In the end, so many still perished.

They thought sheer numbers would guarantee success, but that was naive. Although Zihui had completed a mission before and reaped considerable rewards, this time, she dared not take such a risk again.

"I've already told you my method. Believe it or not, that's up to you," Zihui said, taking her people and leaving.

"Everyone, follow me. If we unite, we'll make it through. Besides, our Wild Zone has three thousand evolved fighters ready to join the battle at any moment, ensuring everyone's safety," Lu Shaohua called out again.

Thus, most of the heroes stood beside Lu Shaohua. Only a small handful hesitated, then stepped toward Zihui.

Lu Shaohua, backed by the Northern Capital Base, was powerful, but his character left much to be desired. Not everyone liked him. Compared to Lu Shaohua, many trusted Zihui more. Yet their numbers were too few—only six in total.

"Zihui, having proposed such a method, are you really going to go through with it? Do you plan to face the alien creatures alone?"

"Yes," Zihui replied after a moment's thought, hiding nothing. "We plan to find an area with no people, then each face the task individually. If anyone cannot withstand it, they can escape, and the others will help eliminate the aliens."

The questioner's eyes brightened. This approach wasn't bad.

"Can I join you? Of course, I can offer some compensation. If you save me, I'll give you a sum of Star Energy Gems," he considered, then gritted his teeth and said, "One thousand Star Energy Gems, one hundred thousand Hero Points. How about it?"

That was equivalent to the earnings from hunting a thousand Fang Demons.

Zihui looked at Qin Hao.

Qin Hao nodded indifferently, "Agreed."

The man finally felt at ease.

Other heroes, hearing this, mulled it over and decided to pay as well, joining Zihui’s group to weather the crisis.

Lu Shaohua watched as Zihui’s group grew by six, overheard their transactions, and couldn’t help but mock, "Zihui, I thought you were a savior, but it turns out you're just after money, looking to make an extra profit off others. You really lack any sense of responsibility, only caring for yourself. Our Northern Capital Base is different, backed by the military, orderly and regulated, guaranteeing everyone’s safety—and we don’t charge a single coin."

Everyone agreed that while Lu Shaohua was usually annoying, he proved useful in times of crisis, which was why they sided with him.

"We walk different paths," Zihui said coldly, then led her group away.

No one else would join them anyway.

After leaving the Grand Theater, Zihui began searching for a suitable place to complete the mission.

"First, we need to ensure there are no people around, and each must have a separate residence. If we choose an apartment building, will the invading civilization count all occupants as a group total? If so, it’s best not to stay together in the same building."

"In that case, we should look for a villa complex."

"Isn’t there an unfinished villa development near the Northern Capital Scenic Area? That location is suitable."

"Yes, I’ve heard of that property—it’s so remote, there’s not even a bus line."

"Hmph, what need have the rich for buses? They have cars."

"Now, even the cars are gone!"

They discussed among themselves, and finally Zihui decided to check the area out.

Whether or not it was ideal, distancing themselves from the city was the right choice, lest innocent people be drawn in.

Soon, Zihui and her companions headed to the outskirts of the Northern Capital and found the villas.

These townhouses had small yards; apart from the central villa, which had been sold, all the others were empty, and even the one that had been sold was uninhabited—the lack of stores and food nearby made it impossible to survive a month.

Qin Hao chose the central villa; the other sixteen selected the remaining houses.

That night, they gathered together, using their resources to strengthen themselves as much as possible.

Qin Hao taught some martial arts techniques and pointed out strengths and weaknesses in combat. A few words from him opened minds and won respect.

Just after instructing someone, Qin Hao’s mind stirred. "I’m stepping out for a moment," he said.

He walked outside, activated his divine-grade bracelet, The Stealth Walker, concealed his presence, and slipped away.

In the darkness, two figures hid on the hillside outside the complex’s wall.

"Major Lu, they should be staying in the central villa tonight. Judging by today’s arrangements, that Qin Hao must be in the middle house. Should I go to that villa tomorrow?"

"Yes. Take ten people with you, enter from the side, and be careful not to let him notice," Lu Shaohua instructed.

"Rest assured, Major Lu. My ability isn’t great in attack, but for hiding, no one can detect me. However, if you give me more Star Energy Gems, I can enhance my Mind Power—maybe tonight I can break through to the second-level Mind Gene Lock and become a Level Two Evolver. Then I’ll be able to hide fifty people."

In the Hero System’s shop, the Mind Lock Potion was uniformly priced at ten thousand Star Energy Gems, with no dissent among the heroes. The Evolvers, unaware of this, always thought the unlocking potion was invaluable.

The man conspiring with Lu Shaohua hoped to extort a sum, oblivious to the item’s true value.

Lu Shaohua didn’t care and agreed without hesitation.

"Fine. Tonight, upgrade quickly—I’ll unlock your gene lock. But Liu Si, remember: if you mess this up, even if you don’t die here, I’ll make sure you do."

"Rest assured, Major Lu. I’ll do exactly as you say. If he deals with those monsters though..."

"That’s none of your concern."

"Yes, Major Lu."

Neither realized their plot had already been discovered by Qin Hao.

Qin Hao’s eyes were icy, his lips curled in a disdainful smile.

He had been considering hunting more alien creatures, and now, as if someone had handed him a pillow when he was sleepy, these people were so considerate.

Qin Hao returned to the villa.

The night passed without incident. At dawn, everyone woke, hurriedly ate, and, as agreed, entered their respective villas. The central, largest villa was left with only Qin Hao.

Elsewhere, a group of people, hidden in the shadows, quietly approached the villa complex.