The whole nation is trying to survive on the cable car; I'm choosing one of three options at ea

Zhou Zhenguo continued, "Their three lines combined have over 100,000 men, which sounds terrifying. But this area is so vast, they can't possibly concentrate all their forces in one place. As long as they spread out to search for the unlocking stones, we'll wear them down. If we can't win, we'll hide—hide in the ruins, hide in the forests. When the enemy is exhausted, we attack; when the enemy advances, we retreat. The fighting methods of our ancestors are more effective than any other tactics in this kind of terrain."

Han Lei chimed in, "We have the home advantage here. They've just arrived and don't even know the terrain yet, while we at least know where to hide and where to take detours."

After listening, Su Mu nodded: "Okay. If there's any situation, I'll definitely help if I can."

Zhou Zhenguo glanced at him and shook his head: "No need. Your current task is to level up. The stronger you are, the more stable we will be later. If the people from the three cable lines really surround us, we will naturally come to you when we can't hold them off. But until then, focus on leveling up."

Su Mu did not refuse.

Zhou Zhenguo pulled out a stack of handwritten slips of paper from his pocket and handed them to Su Mu: "This is the monster information we've gathered since we came in. Take a look."

Su Mu took it and looked through it one by one.

"The outer area spawns Loulan Guards, level 10 to 13; Loulan Archers, level 11 to 14; and Priests, level 12 to 15. They have simple tactical coordination, move in groups of three to five like tribal patrols, and generally do not appear alone."

Su Mu continued reading.

"Deep in the forest area, Loulan elites, chariot golems, and high priests are spawning, ranging in level from 15 to 20. They have an army structure and can form formations, encircle, and suppress from a distance. We cannot see specific information because those monsters are too strong, and our detection methods are basically ineffective against them."

Zhou Zhenguo added, "Killing these monsters has a chance to drop Unsealing Stone fragments. Collecting a certain number can be combined to create a complete Unsealing Stone, which is used to remove the barrier in the core area. The core area has not yet been discovered."

Su Mu wrote down the information and then put the note away.

"I'm going inside," he said.

Zhou Zhenguo nodded: "Be careful. The people from the three lines should be arriving soon. If you encounter their main force, don't engage them head-on, retreat first."

"Know."

Su Mu turned and walked deeper into the forest. Lin Yuwei followed behind him, took a few steps, and then stopped.

"Su Mu".

He turned to look at her.

Lin Yuwei stood at the edge of the ruins, her shoulders slightly relaxed, her tone calm: "I'll wait for you here. If you go to fight high-level monsters, me following you will only slow you down. Besides, Zhou Zhenguo and the others need someone to help keep an eye on the outside."

Su Mu glanced at her and nodded: "Okay. Message me if you need anything."

"Um."

Lin Yuwei turned and walked towards Zhou Zhenguo, her steps crisp and decisive, without looking back.

Su Mu watched her walk away, then turned around and strode towards the forest.

The further you go in, the more lush the trees become.

The branches of those broad-leaved trees were so thick that it would take two or three people to encircle them. Their canopies almost completely blocked out the sky, with only tiny specks of light leaking through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the ground.

The ground beneath my feet gradually transitioned from the ruins of stone slabs to soft, humus-covered soil, making a dull thud when I stepped on it. The stench of decaying vegetation in the air grew stronger, mixed with an indescribable, fishy smell, like the territorial markings of some large animal.

Su Mu frowned.

Logically, the ancient city of Loulan should be predominantly desert.

But this forest not only existed, it was incredibly dense. The trees were unlike any he had ever seen on Earth; their leaves were thicker, their color darker, and the veins on their branches looked as if they had been twisted by some force.

Without giving it much thought, he continued walking forward.

The light in the forest grew dimmer, the layer of humus beneath their feet thickened, and a faint, metallic rust mingled with the fermenting scent of vegetation. After walking several hundred meters, Su Mu encountered the first group of monsters.

Six Loulan guards, ranging in level from eleven to thirteen, wore tattered leather armor, carried rusty spears, and wore wooden masks with distorted facial features. Their patrol route was fixed, moving back and forth along a well-trodden forest path, their formation loose but maintaining a constant distance.

Su Mu did not stop.

He summoned his spear from thin air and plunged into the center of the guards' formation, the tip piercing the first guard's throat with pinpoint accuracy. The remaining guards reacted swiftly, spears thrusting from both sides simultaneously, while two more raised their shortbows from behind. But Su Mu was far faster than them. He sidestepped the first volley, swept his spear across, knocking the second guard away, and with a backhand thrust, pierced the chest of the third. Then, using his charged speed, he circled around to the side of the shortbowman, finishing him off with two more spear thrusts.

In less than fifteen seconds, all six were wiped out.

[Defeat a Lv12 Loulan Guardian, experience points +0.1.]

[Defeat a Lv12 Loulan Guardian, experience points +0.1.]

There were six tips in a row, each offering little experience, but they were reliable.

Su Mu continued to delve deeper.

The further he went, the higher the monster density became. He saw more patrols, groups of five, eight, and occasionally a dozen or so. Their levels also gradually climbed from level twelve or thirteen to level fourteen or fifteen. But what really caught his attention were the signs of battle and the presence of living people along the way.

In a clearing in the woods ahead, a team of more than a dozen people was fighting four monsters.

Su Mu glanced at them from afar. The four monsters were Loulan Guardians, around level ten, tall and imposing, with dark green light flickering in their eyes behind their masks. Their coordination was highly skilled; two held the line in front, while the other two flanked from the sides, their movements almost flawless.

The dozen or so people surrounding them were generally between level eight and nine, with varying equipment, but they coordinated quite well. Shield bearers held the front, damage dealers flanked from the sides, and ranged attackers provided cover from the rear. A dozen people fighting four level ten monsters wasn't easy, but they maintained a steady pace. If a shield bearer was knocked back a couple of steps, someone would immediately cover for them; if a flanking attack was blocked, they would immediately change angles; and the ranged attackers' damage was almost non-stop.

Su Mu stood behind a tree in the distance and watched for a while.

"Level eight or nine fighting level ten, a dozen people fighting four or five, and they can still put up a good fight." He thought to himself, "They are indeed not weak. If these people were to split up and fight one-on-one, they probably wouldn't even be able to handle a level ten monster. But if they get together and practice their teamwork, they can suppress it. It seems that the people on this cable line are not entirely relying on luck."

Someone in the group noticed Su Mu's presence. An archer who was changing arrows glanced in their direction and then froze. He tugged at his teammate's sleeve and whispered something. Several people turned around one after another, their eyes falling on Su Mu.

Then their expressions changed.

Someone opened their mouth, as if to shout something. Someone subconsciously took a step forward, then stopped. Someone lowered their weapon by half an inch, their stance momentarily relaxed.

Su Mu saw something in those people's eyes, something he had seen in the core team members he had met before. Excitement, exhilaration, and a pure, almost primal light, like "finally seeing them in person."