Surviving the Maze of National Destiny: Hints from the Chinese Characters I Understand

As usual, the first thing Lin Mo did upon entering the basement was to figure out the situation in several directions.

However, this time when entering a new location, the system gave an additional prompt.

[Congratulations on reaching a new milestone! You have earned 1 maze point, bringing your current score to 1. Your exploration progress on the first level of the maze is 25%. You will enter the second level after reaching 100%.]

I finally got some points! Not bad!

Moreover, the exploration progress has reached 25%, but this progress does not mean that 25% of the first floor of the maze has been explored. Rather, it means that 25% of the exploration conditions for entering the second floor have been met.

Some people have calculated that there are more than 10,000 terrain rooms in a single-level maze. This calculation is based on the probability of explorers meeting each other inside, and it is quite accurate.

The basement has four directions: front, back, left, and right.

The room ahead was quite lively, with over a dozen level 1 carnivorous plants growing inside, each with an attack range of 3 meters. This room is only 50 square meters, so it might be difficult to dodge. These plants are skilled at eating people painlessly, without experiencing any discomfort.

[There's a good spot behind here. There's a dried-up spring with only about 1000 ml of potable water left. It'll really dry up if we don't go soon. There are also two bitter herbs growing next to the spring. As the name suggests, this stuff is even more bitter than Coptis chinensis, but it's the main ingredient in medicine for treating wounds, and many people need it.]

[There's not much to see on the left, just a stretch of yellow sand and a few testosterone-fueled, level-two sand sculptures. That's it. (Sand sculptures aren't an insult, they're real sculptures!)]

[There's a Level 3 Vicious Ape on the right! This is extremely rare on the first floor of the maze. A friendly reminder: it's female and in heat. These creatures have poor recognition abilities; you might be mistaken for one of their own kind if you go in, and then...hehehe!]

Damn it, Lin Mo shuddered. He never expected that this maze game could not only cost him his life, but also his integrity.

Luckily, I could understand the hints.

However, if it were an Indian, they might be crying and wanting to go in and try it.

Having figured out the situation, Lin Mo realized that only the left side was safe, so he quietly slipped in along the left side.

"Snoring...snoring..."

As Lin Mo ventured deeper, he came across a toad that was about 1.5 meters tall but weighed at least 200 kilograms?

Lin Mo wasn't sure what kind of creature it was. It looked a bit like Tahm Kench from a game, round and chubby, and when it slept, its tongue would fall to the ground. It was sleeping very soundly.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Suddenly, the big-mouthed beast's nose twitched rapidly; it was awakened by the aroma of the roasted potatoes in Lin Mo's hand.

Opening its beady green eyes, it saw Lin Mo a few meters away, but the big-mouthed beast paid no attention to Lin Mo. Instead, it pointed its chubby little finger at the roasted potato in Lin Mo's hand, gesturing wildly and making cheerful noises. "Kabu! Kabu! (Translation: Potato, potato!)"

Lin Mo saw the health bar above the other person's head and a notification.

The young Big Mouth Monster (1 year old) is very interested in the potato in your hand, but it is a very gentlemanly maze monster and never steals.

Are you the one who calls this 1 year old? A 200-pound 1-year-old baby?

"Huh? But this monster is actually quite well-mannered." Lin Mo became more and more interested in this maze. It seems that not all monsters eat people.

However, explorers from all countries have reached a consensus: monsters eat people, so it is essential to strike first.

Because they didn't give any warnings, and in such a highly dangerous place, the explorers didn't dare to gamble, so they naturally started fighting as soon as they met.

As a result, the neutral creatures were forced to become enemies.

Lin Mo broke off half of a fragrant roasted potato and tossed it over. The big-mouthed beast, though seemingly silly and clumsy, was actually very agile. It leaped up and swallowed the potato in one gulp.

The reason we didn't throw it all over was to save money wherever possible. What if this guy could finish it with just half a potato?

"Kabujirigua la! (Translation: I didn't taste the potatoes!)"

Lin Mo was shocked. "You have such a big mouth, why don't you savor it properly? You swallowed it and say you didn't taste anything. Is that my fault?"

At that very moment, the game system displayed an astonishing notification.

[The Big Mouth Beast (juvenile, 1 year old) has a +5 affinity with you. When the affinity reaches 100, you can use the item "Monster Contract" to capture it as a spirit pet.]

[Spirit pets can fight for you, and the life essence gained from killing monsters also belongs to their master. Spirit pets have adapted to the maze environment; they can survive by feeding on poisonous plants and even the flesh of poisonous monsters, and continuously increase their strength.]

Good heavens, good heavens, what have I discovered? I can summon pets?

Having a helper will make you safer and allow you to pursue greater opportunities.

However, it's clear that with the potatoes I have now, I can't raise the cub's affection level to 100, and I don't have the "Monster Contract" item either. I'll just have to wait for another chance.

However, this information is still important, as others may not understand the hint, let alone know that special monsters can become pets.

Looking at the big-mouthed monster sitting on the ground with a pitiful expression, its beady green eyes constantly scrutinizing the potato in Lin Mo's hand, Lin Mo was helpless.

He pointed to the bronze treasure chest that he had just used as a pillow, and then to the still steaming potato in his hand.

The creature immediately understood Lin Mo's meaning; it was determined to get food.

He ran straight over, grabbed the bronze treasure chest, and shoved it into Lin Mo's hands, his eyes seeming to say, "Don't be shy, take it, take it! Give me the potato!"

This time, Lin Mo divided the remaining half of the potato in half again and stuffed one half into each of Big Mouth's hands, afraid that the guy would eat it all in one bite and say that he didn't taste it.

Sure enough, this time it ate with great relish, savoring the food slowly. Its already small eyes were squinted shut because of its expression of enjoyment.

Lin Mo shook his head and waved at it. "Goodbye, you glutton."

Lin Mo, carrying the treasure chest, entered the new terrain with a spring on the left, and the system notified him again.

[The Big Mouth Beast (juvenile, 1 year old) has increased your affection level by 10. Current affection level is 15. At 100 affection, you can use the item "Monster Contract" to subdue it as a spirit pet.]

Lin Mo easily dealt with a bronze treasure chest, then sat down next to the spring and opened it.

The contents are exactly as indicated: 1 jin of rice, 1500 ml of water (3 jin), and 2 units of firewood.

Then, 1000 ml of water and two sprigs of bitter gall grass were extracted from the spring.

Unfortunately, I don't have an iron pot, nor enough fire element or wood. I've already used up my fire element, and I only have 2 units of wood, which is not enough to start a fire for cooking.

Let's talk about it when we're better off.

[Should the supplies be returned? 1 jin of rice and 1500 ml of water.]

"Yes! Return it immediately!"

A message in bold red appeared again in live stream room number 66, causing everyone in the room to erupt in excitement.

[Congratulations to Explorer No. 66 of the Dragon Kingdom for returning 70 jin of rice and 210 million jin of drinking water to the Dragon Kingdom.]

[Chinese netizens: Holy crap, it's back again? Brother Lin is amazing! He's ranked 2610th in terms of supplies obtained on the first floor of the maze. Keep in mind there are about 5000 explorers worldwide, and many of them are veterans. To have that ranking is incredible.]

[Chinese netizens: Yeah, and Brother Lin has only been here for a few hours.]

[Chinese netizens: Holy crap, all you guys know is eating! Didn't you notice that Brother Lin actually traded a potato for that toad's pillow? No, wait, the treasure chest?]

[Chinese netizens: 23333, Toad: I've lost a pillow.]

[A Chinese netizen commented: This is the first time I've ever seen a man making a deal with a monster. It's absolutely outrageous.]

[A netizen from China commented: I entered livestream room number 66 with the initial thought that this newcomer could bring about some change to China's current predicament. Now, it's more than just a change; it's downright abnormal.]

[Chinese netizens: Huh? Why aren't those foreign idiots saying anything?]

[Chinese netizens: What else could it be? They must have gone back to their livestream to tip them off, prompting them to start investigating Brother Lin.]

[Chinese netizens: Where are those who said Brother Lin wasn't good enough? Those who said they didn't care about Brother Lin's supplies? Have they all disappeared?]

Lin Mo couldn't see the comments from netizens. The air near the spring was humid and the temperature was just right, making it a good place to rest. Moreover, the room was very safe.

He simply took out the remaining roasted potato, added 100 ml of water, and made do with that for a meal.

At the same time, his gaze fell upon the Maze Mall and the trading platform.

Goodness, there's a dazzling array of things to see!

Huh? Someone wants to buy bitter gall grass? Let's see what's going on!