Chapter 23 Landing on the Island
7:59 AM, July 7th, Ocean Calendar Year 1.
Sunlight filtered through sparse clouds, casting its glow on the shimmering sea. A gentle breeze carried the salty scent of the sea and the mysterious allure of the distant horizon.
All the players stood on the raft, their faces filled with anticipation and tension. Some were looking down at their equipment, while others gazed up at the distant horizon, as if searching for the island that was about to appear.
Suddenly, a dazzling light descended from the sky, slowly enveloping the entire raft, and the players' hearts raced.
They knew that at this moment, they were about to embark on an unknown adventure.
The sea breeze carried away their whispers and excitement, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against the raft, as if cheering them on.
Luo Qing opened her eyes and found herself in a completely unfamiliar environment.
The surroundings are lush and green, with towering trees blocking out the sky, and only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves, creating dappled light and shadow.
The air is filled with the moist scent of earth and the rich fragrance of flowers, and occasionally you can hear birdsong and insect chirps from afar, creating a natural symphony.
She looked down and found herself standing on a soft patch of moss, with damp soil and scattered fallen leaves beneath her feet.
A thin layer of mist permeated the surroundings, giving it a mysterious and unpredictable feel.
Luo Qing couldn't help but feel a mix of tension and curiosity. She knew that she had been transported by the system to a brand new adventure scene—the tropical rainforest.
Luo Qing quickly asked where the other members of the group were.
【First Squad of Huaguo Mountain】
Luo Qing: "Has everyone arrived at the competition venue yet?"
(Tropical rainforest.jpg)
Mu Qimeng: "I'm also in the rainforest, and I look a bit like you. I'm going to find you."
Fang Tai: "I've arrived. I feel like I'm in a swamp."
(Desperate crying.jpg)
(Legs stuck in swamp.jpg)
Mo Ming: "There's a small dot in the upper left corner of the system screen. Clicking it will show you your teammates' locations."
Luo Qing: "Alright, Mu Qimeng, come find me, and Mo Ming, go save Fang Tai."
Luo Qing carefully stepped on the slippery moss, making her way forward with difficulty in the direction of Mu Qimeng on the map.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating her face and highlighting her determined gaze.
With each step, she carefully discerned the path beneath her feet, fearing that she might accidentally slip into the swamp.
The surrounding trees stand tall and lush, and the occasional birdsong adds to the mystery and tranquility.
As she walked, she suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from ahead.
Luo Qing immediately stopped alertly, gripped the Silver Dragon Spear tightly, and cautiously looked in the direction of the sound.
A brightly colored tropical parrot flew out from the bushes, its wings flapping and creating gusts of wind that broke the surrounding tranquility.
Luo Qing breathed a sigh of relief and continued moving towards her goal.
A dozen minutes later, Luo Qing finally spotted Mu Qimeng. He was standing in an open space not far away, looking around.
Their eyes met, and both of them smiled with surprise.
As they approached, Luo Qing was surprised to find that Mu Qimeng's name appeared above his head—Mu Qimeng, like a floating label.
At the same time, she realized that she must also have the same name above her head.
Luo Qing couldn't help but reach out to touch the top of her head, but she couldn't touch anything. However, she could clearly feel that her name was floating there, as if it were an invisible symbol.
"What's going on?" Luo Qing asked Mu Qimeng curiously.
Mu Qimeng scratched her head. "We really have entered a game world. These names must be identifiers that the system automatically gave us."
"Wouldn't that make it easy for people to hold a grudge?" Luo Qing checked Fang Tai and Mo Ming's positions; their positions had overlapped, so it seemed they had joined forces.
【First Squad of Huaguo Mountain】
Fang Tai: "Mo Ge and I have already left the swamp."
Just as Luo Qing was about to call the two of them over, the system's voice rang out.
[Ding—Good morning, dear players! This is the system hosting this competition. Welcome to the first Island Conquest Tournament!]
A yellow smiling emoji appeared on the screen.
[Next, I will explain the rules of this competition. This competition will last for three days, with one match per day for a total of three matches.]
Today is the first match. Players, please capture tokens in the rainforest. The system will display player rankings in real time, and the top 50 players with the most tokens at 8 PM will receive points. Good luck, players!
Luo Qing asked in confusion, "Does 'seizing the token' mean you can steal it from other players?"
Luo Qing's words echoed in the air, catching Mu Qimeng's attention.
His gaze shifted from Luo Qing's face to the system screen, then back to Luo Qing, his eyes flashing with thoughtful intent.
"Theoretically, it should be possible. The system's purpose should be to let players compete for tokens with each other." Mu Qimeng's voice was deep and firm, as if she was giving Luo Qing confidence and also encouraging herself.
"Sister Luo! Brother Mu!" Fang Tai's voice suddenly rang out.
As his voice came, their figures gradually came into view.
Luo Qing and Mu Qimeng looked up and saw Fang Tai and Mo Ming walking out of the woods one after the other, both with tired but determined expressions on their faces.
Fang Tai's trousers were covered in mud, indicating that he had struggled quite a bit in the swamp.
Mo Ming, on the other hand, remained calm, as if no difficulty could shake him.
Their arrival brought Luo Qing and Mu Qimeng a sense of relief, after all, in this unfamiliar tropical rainforest, unity was their greatest support.
The four stood in the open space and briefly discussed the current situation.
Mo Ming suggested that they should find the token as soon as possible and be careful of attacks from other players.
Fang Tai looked annoyed and said that he had wasted a lot of time in the swamp and hoped to make up for it in the next match.
The four decided that Luo Qing, who was the luckiest, would choose a direction to go.
Luo Qing closed her eyes, quietly feeling her connection with this mysterious rainforest. When she opened her eyes again, her finger was pointing in a direction.
“Let’s go this way.” Her voice was firm and confident.
Without hesitation, the three of them followed Luo Qing. They traversed the woods, stepping carefully over the slippery moss.
Mo Ming's eyes were sharp, like a cheetah eyeing its prey, his gaze fixed intently on his surroundings.
"Look over there." Observer Mo Ming noticed metal reflecting light in the bushes nearby.
He walked over with light and quick steps, as if afraid of disturbing something.
Luo Qing, Mu Qimeng, and Fang Tai followed closely behind, their hearts beating faster involuntarily.
Mo Ming stopped in front of the bushes, reached out and gently parted the bushes to reveal a small metal box.
Sunlight shone on the small metal box, making it shine brightly.
The box was covered in rust, as if it had weathered countless years. But beneath that rusty exterior, one could still sense a mysterious and ancient aura.
Fang Tai and Mu Qimeng quickly stepped in front of Luo Qing.
Mo Ming took a deep breath, gripped the box tightly with both hands, as if pouring all his strength into it. Then, he pulled hard—
The box was opened.
A faint light emanated from inside the box, illuminating the entire bush.
Luo Qing, Mu Qimeng, and Fang Tai couldn't help but move closer, wanting to see what was inside the box.
Inside the box lay a token. The token was round, about ten centimeters in diameter, and its surface was engraved with exquisite patterns and mysterious symbols.
At the center of the token is a crystal-clear gem, resembling a dazzling star.
"This must be the token the system was talking about." Mo Ming picked up the token and tried to hand it to Luo Qing.
[Player Moming has obtained a token.] The system's mechanical voice suddenly rang out in the rainforest.
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