Chu Zhiqin sighed, shook her head, and said with some regret, "I've looked two or three times, but it's really gone."

After thinking for a moment, Xi Xi said, "Then let's follow this road ahead." With that, she turned to look ahead.

Chu Zhiqin followed Xi Xi's gaze and saw the highway tunnel that ran across the end of the train. Its appearance was exactly the same as that described in the fragment of the train conductor's diary.

Indeed, in those surviving fragments of diaries, the Departures were traveling along this very road.

“This road is perpendicular to the railway tracks and is an east-west highway tunnel. We were heading east anyway, so we might as well collect the dungeon fragments along the way.” Xi Xi said to Chu Zhiqin while taking out a vehicle talisman and releasing the RV.

After all that trouble, it was already evening, but Xi Xi and Chu Zhiqin hadn't even had lunch. Only now, back in their car, did they feel incredibly hungry.

Nevertheless, neither of them had much of an appetite. Their eyes darted back and forth between the scenery outside the window and the central control screen, not daring to relax for a moment, lest they miss any important details.

However, Xi Xi did not notice any difference between this highway tunnel and the roads she had traveled before, because there was no particularly distinctive terrain like that that should be present in the copy.

Considering that food is essential for survival, Chu Zhiqin eventually cooked two packets of instant noodles and handed one bowl to Xi Xi.

The mother and daughter sat in the driver's seat and the passenger seat respectively, each holding a steaming bowl of instant noodles, gazing out the window as they slurped up their noodles.

Xi Xi then realized that she was really hungry.

Spicy chili oil floats on the surface, emitting a fragrant aroma; the numbing spiciness and savory flavors intertwine, with egg drop soup floating on top.

This noodle dish is simple, but very delicious.

With a gentle stir of chopsticks, Xi Xi coated each noodle with the spicy broth and quickly finished the whole bowl of spicy bamboo shoot instant noodles.

Time passed second by second, and just as Xi Xi finally finished the last sip of instant noodle soup, her pupils suddenly dilated, and she was clearly stunned for a moment.

She quickly called for the RV to stop.

Chu Zhiqin seemed to have seen something as well, and her astonishment was evident in her expression.

Their eyes met, and they both spoke almost simultaneously: "Did you see that just now...?"

Before they could finish speaking, they nodded to each other knowingly.

After receiving a positive reply, Chu Zhiqin stayed in the car, while Xi Xi took out a Radiant Lollipop, quickly jumped out of the car, and ran to the back of the car to examine it carefully.

Sure enough, she immediately noticed a round, scorched mark on the ground.

Xi Xi squatted down and carefully extended her finger to gently touch the charcoal-black ground. To her surprise, she could actually feel a faint warmth.

A sense of foreboding washed over Xi Xi. Without hesitation, she stood up and looked around warily.

Soon, she made a new discovery—a large piece of moss that had grown on the huge rock next to the tunnel wall was now missing, making it look particularly out of place.

Clearly, someone had been here before, and judging from the signs at the scene, it must have happened not long ago.

Thinking of this, Xi Xi felt a chill run down her spine. Without thinking too much, she quickly turned around and ran back into the RV, telling her mother, Chu Zhiqin, everything she had seen and heard.

After listening to her daughter's account, Chu Zhiqin's face instantly darkened. The mother and daughter exchanged a glance, both seeing deep worry in each other's eyes.

They knew that if other strangers got involved in this instance, the journey ahead would likely become extremely difficult, even dangerous.

Xi Xi continued to use the autopilot. Neither mother nor daughter spoke, and for a moment, the car fell into an unusual silence.

Outside the car window, the road ahead was still shrouded in deep darkness, and the only way forward was by the light from the headlights.

Chu Zhiqin had no interest in cleaning up the dishes. She hurriedly tossed the bowl of instant noodles she had just finished eating onto the standing table behind her, and then sat back down in the passenger seat.

She scanned her surroundings warily, listening carefully to the sounds around her.

The headlights shone like two invincible swords, trying their best to pierce through the boundless darkness before them.

The stone bricks on the tunnel walls are mottled from age, and occasionally water droplets drip from above, making a crisp sound that seems particularly loud in this quiet space.

Xi Xi's breathing became heavy and rapid, her beautiful eyes fixed on the front, fearing any sudden change. The air inside the tunnel seemed to solidify, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Just then, the faint roar of a car engine suddenly came from not far away.

Xi Xi frowned immediately, feeling a surge of tension and unease. She hadn't expected to encounter other players in the same instance so soon!

Chu Zhiqin also stared intently ahead, her heart pounding in her chest.

A car not far away, its headlights blazing like a runaway beast, pierced through the night and sped straight toward them.

Isn't this a two-way one-way street?! How could someone be driving the wrong way?!

Ignoring the smooth operation of the autonomous driving components, Xi Xi quickly pressed the horn.

The sharp, piercing horn instantly shattered the silence of the night, but the oncoming vehicle showed no sign of slowing down.

As the distance between the two cars drew closer, a scene that left Xi Xi speechless and horrified suddenly came into view—

The car rushing towards her from the other end of the tunnel looked exactly like the RV she was driving!

Whether it's the car model, the color of the body, or even the distribution of the tiny stains on the car body, it's all like a copy and paste, without any difference.

Xi Xi could hardly believe her eyes. She was horrified, cold sweat beading on her forehead, and she wondered if what she was seeing was just a terrible hallucination.

But the car was indeed stationed at the other end of the tunnel, and it sped towards her at lightning speed.

Chu Zhiqin, standing nearby, was equally terrified by this bizarre scene. She screamed in horror, "Oh my god! What's going on?"

The distance between the two cars was rapidly decreasing, and they were about to collide in the blink of an eye.

At the critical moment, Xi Xi felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her throat, pounding violently.

Her hands involuntarily tightened their grip on the steering wheel, her palms sweating profusely from the tension, her whole body taut like a fully drawn bow.