Xi Xi instantly became alert, her nerves taut to the extreme, like a fully drawn bow, her sharp gaze sweeping across her surroundings.
This mirage instance looks somewhat familiar, but because the entrance is different, the surroundings are completely different from when I entered the instance before.
The lighting here is similar to that in reality. At this moment, due to the sudden, all-encompassing sandstorm, the sky is dark, just like the day of the apocalypse in her previous life. Xi Xi couldn't help but feel a tightness in her heart.
In the woods, the sun, which should have been high in the sky, had long since disappeared, and even a sliver of its afterglow was too stingy to bestow upon the earth, leaving behind a deep and eerie atmosphere.
It can be said that this is completely different from Xi Xi's first experience when she entered the Mirage instance; it feels both familiar and strange.
The faint light barely penetrated the dense canopy of trees, dappling the grass in a mottled pattern, unable to dispel the gradually spreading gloom and chill.
Xi Xi weaved through the bushes, trying to discern her direction.
The birdsong I remembered seemed to have vanished without a trace, and the vibrant vegetation habitat I recalled was now as if gently covered by an invisible veil, becoming exceptionally enigmatic.
She hurried forward anxiously, glancing back every now and then.
Behind him, a vast expanse of yellow sand swept across the sky, creating a stark contrast with the gloomy and dark forest before him. The contrast was so jarring that it seemed as if two completely unrelated worlds had been forcibly pieced together.
We must find the water source as soon as possible! After all, that water monster is the core boss of this entire dungeon. This is Xi Xi's only advantage in her second run of the dungeon.
If other players in the instance find the water monster's hiding place first, wouldn't I have made a wasted trip? Thinking this, Xi Xi quickened her pace.
But should she really rush off to kill the boss like this? Xi Xi couldn't help but hesitate again.
After all, at this very moment, a powerful sandstorm is raging outside the instance. In comparison, the inside of the instance is much safer.
Thinking about it this way, Xi Xi suddenly felt that she was in a dilemma where she couldn't move forward or backward.
But if you think about it carefully, even if you don't kill him, other players might still get there first.
In the end, they may end up neither getting the crystal treasure chest nor being exposed to the sandstorm.
Thinking it over, Xi Xi seemed to have made up her mind and walked forward with firm steps.
The outlines of the trees became blurred in the dim light, like faded old photographs, devoid of vitality and color.
As Xi Xi walked deeper into the woods, she could faintly hear a few bird calls.
The flock of birds seemed to be disturbed by the dark prelude to the sandstorm, and returned to their nests one after another, leaving only one or two lonely cries echoing in the empty forest, adding to the loneliness and eeriness.
Xi Xi wandered around for a long time, trying to find a familiar path, but still couldn't hear the sound of flowing water.
She had to open the light screen map, shrink the light screen to its smallest size, and quietly hide it beside her.
The light grew dimmer, and the path beneath her feet became increasingly difficult to discern. Every step seemed to tread on the edge of the unknown, making her involuntarily wary.
The air around them was filled with a damp, slightly musty smell.
It was the unique smell of dark corners that the sun couldn't reach during the day, and now, under the cover of night, it seemed even stronger and more oppressive.
Xi Xi would occasionally chop down the surrounding low trees, using the presence or absence of system drop notifications to determine if they were game dungeon textures.
Unfortunately, the entrance to the instance seemed to be quite far from the water source. She walked for a long time without encountering a single entity.
Just then, a cluster of bright blue dots suddenly appeared in the upper right corner of the map.
Xi Xi immediately took a deep breath. Could these be the other players mentioned in the game notification?
Filled with doubt and vigilance, she quickly zoomed in on the map and counted the dots, only to find that there were four blue dots.
So, including myself, there are a total of 5 players in this place?
Xi Xi wasn't quite sure what the maximum number of players in a dungeon was. Five might be the limit, or it could be much more.
With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Xi Xi cautiously and quietly made her way towards the blue light.
Before long, flickering flames could be faintly seen not far ahead.
She immediately bent down and squatted down, her movements swift and graceful.
Immediately afterwards, she reached into the golden lucky bag she carried with her and retrieved the night clothes she had obtained earlier.
This night-clothes is entirely black, made of a thin yet incredibly durable material that blends seamlessly into the darkness, providing excellent concealment.
Xi Xi quickly put on her night clothes and cleverly used the surrounding bushes and leaves for cover, slowly approaching the firelight.
The group's conversation began to reach her ears intermittently.
"Could it be a police officer?" A slightly hoarse female voice reached Xi Xi's ears first.
The voice sounded as if it had been sanded, carrying a hint of vicissitude and unease.
"Nonsense! What era are we in? Why are you still talking about the police? This isn't the world we used to live in, understand?"
The next response came from a man, who sounded like an elderly man with a slightly deep voice that conveyed a sense of nonchalance after experiencing the world.
"It's not as scary as before, who knows what kind of trouble will come up next? Why wasn't there any announcement when we came in?"
"Shh—keep your voice down, aren't you afraid someone will hear the dirty things you're doing?"
"You old fool, you're talking as if you weren't involved."
"Fine, fine, fine, you Liu Guilan, now that I'm not in charge anymore, you dare to ride on my head, huh?"
Xi Xi listened intently, holding her breath, and the more she listened, the more familiar the voice seemed.
As a muttering sound rang out, Xi Xi finally realized what was going on, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
That's clearly the voice of that shifty-eyed old lady from the big family in 601!
The other voice arguing with her was actually an old man?
Xi Xi was slightly surprised, as the sound she heard was somewhat different from her previous guess.
She vaguely remembered that besides the two girls, one big and one small, brought by the old woman, the little boy who had slipped out, and the man who started the fire, there was indeed another figure in the car that day.
At that time, Xi Xi judged from her intuition and experience that the figure was very likely the mother of these children.
But now I know it's an old man.
So, this family consists of three generations, a total of six people. Then why are there only four blue dots here?
"Get out of here if you make another sound!"
Suddenly, the middle-aged man burst out with an extremely impatient roar, which sounded like a thunderclap, instantly pulling Xi Xi back to reality from her thoughts.
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