Survival in the apocalypse, teammate Xia Shiyu at the start

In the vast forest covered with snow, the roars of monsters rose and fell.

Shen Zhao and Asuna stood on the edge of the cliff, activated their laser pointers, aimed them at the cave where the Skull Beast's lair was located, and quietly waited for the aerial bombardment to begin.

This wait lasted for more than half an hour.

The Skull Beast squad, which had scattered in other directions to search, gradually approached the cliff where the two were.

As the monster in the dense forest behind them drew ever closer, the chestnut-haired girl's expression grew increasingly tense.

Shen Zhao remained calm.

However, they were not entirely satisfied with the response speed of the world's military's aerial bombardment.

He realized where the difficulty lay in this side quest.

The laser designator has a limited range, and players must get close to the Skullbeast's lair before they can lock onto the target and guide the bombing.

However, the bombing would not arrive immediately after the laser designator issued a call signal.

During this waiting period, there is a high chance that the Skullbeast will discover them and a battle will break out.

They were relatively lucky this time, as they were able to locate the nest from several kilometers away on this cliff.

If the terrain is more complex, they might have to move to a location several hundred meters or even closer to the nest.

That would also increase the risk of the guide being discovered by the Skullface.

The safest approach is to lock onto the target, leave the laser pointer behind, and then immediately withdraw.

However, the manufacturers have specifically implemented preventative measures to address this issue.

After the laser pointer is activated, you need to press the reset button every three minutes; otherwise, the call signal will automatically turn off.

This prevents users from leaving for extended periods; they must remain near the laser pointer until the bombing is complete.

Shen Zhao estimated that this design was likely intended to prevent the guiding beam from deviating from its target due to unforeseen factors after the user left, thus causing the bombing to fail.

It seems that in the eyes of the world's military leadership, a successful bombing is more important than the safety of the soldiers carrying out the guidance mission.

However, this insurance measure greatly increased the risk of this side quest, indirectly causing trouble for the players who were doing it.

Shen Zhao didn't care about this risk.

What annoyed him was that the bombing came too slowly, delaying his return to rest.

Standing on the cliff in the cold wind, there's no better way to relax and enjoy yourself than in a warm little cabin with a busty mother and daughter.

Last night, after Eri Kisaki inexplicably changed her attitude, she became incredibly obedient and compliant, and together with Ran Mouri, Shen Zhaoyu's daughter who had long been at his beck and call, she made him extremely happy.

Just as Shen Zhao was savoring the moment...

"Hooho-"

The trees swayed violently a few hundred meters away, and the brutal roars sounded incredibly close.

The chestnut-haired girl's muscles slowly tensed, and she assumed a battle-ready stance, holding a rapier and facing the deep forest.

At that moment, a deep, resonant rumble came from above.

Shen Zhao looked up at the sky: "They're here."

High in the distance, two tiny black dots, as small as dust particles, slowly approached.

Shen Zhao, with his extraordinary eyesight, recognized them as two heavy bombers.

Large, heavy bombs were hanging from the long, wide wings.

Two bombers flew slowly but actually quickly over this snowy forest.

The large bombs mounted under the wings detached one by one, tracing arcs as the aircraft swooped down toward the snow-capped mountain indicated by the laser designator.

call out--

A series of swift, dark shadows shot precisely into the cave at the foot of the snow-capped mountain.

There was a brief period of calm.

Immediately.

Boom boom boom!

A dull, thunderous explosion rolled in.

A few seconds later, raging flames erupted from the cave.

The towering snow-capped mountain, thousands of meters high, was shaken violently by the explosion.

The snow layer that had accumulated on the surface was shaken down and rushed down the mountainside in a mighty torrent.

The sheer scale of the scene made Shen Zhao wonder if the two bombers had dropped several small nuclear bombs.

What happened next only deepened his suspicions!

The shaking of the snow-capped mountain was just the beginning.

Rumbling--

As the shockwave spread, the ground between the snow-capped mountain where the skull beast's lair was located and the cliff where Shen Zhao and his companion were staying trembled violently.

Immediately afterwards, a large area of ​​forest and snowfield collapsed with a rumble, forming a super-giant sinkhole with a diameter of several kilometers!

The sinkhole is densely covered with honeycomb-shaped tunnels, just like those in the cave.

Shen Zhao was suddenly moved.

Asuna was completely dumbfounded.

"This is... the real lair..."

The chestnut-haired girl murmured absentmindedly.

The next moment, thousands upon thousands of skeletal beasts emerged from the tunnel, opening their gaping maws filled with barbed, sharp teeth and roaring to the sky.

The two people standing on the edge of the cliff were immediately spotted by the skeletal beasts that emerged from beneath their feet.

"Hoohoho!"

Amidst a high-pitched roar, hordes of skeletal beasts swarmed in from both flanks below the cliff.

"Gan!"

Shen Zhao cursed under his breath.

Donning the Mark 7 Iron Man suit, he grabbed Asuna's waist before she could react, and picked up the laser pointer with his other hand.

We need to get out of here as soon as possible!

The thrusters emitted a bright white light, and the golden-red figure carrying the chestnut-haired girl soared into the sky.

From the dense forest on the ground, a large horde of skeletal beasts rushed toward the direction the two had flown off in.

Compared to the journey that took more than half an hour, it took much longer.

Wearing the Mark 7 suit, they flew at high speed and returned to the village in just two or three minutes.

Shen Zhao landed outside the wooden house with Asuna and let go of her hand.

Eri Kisaki and Ran Mouri had received advance notice from the Red Queen and were waiting at the door.

Commander White summoned all the Dark Soldiers to guard the area closely.

Upon seeing him return, the mother and daughter didn't even bother to find out who the chestnut-haired girl with him was.

Eri Kisaki rushed forward and asked, "Shen-kun, what happened?"

Shen Zhao replied casually, "We accidentally stirred up a hornet's nest, and the enraged swarm is coming after us. We need to leave here and find somewhere else to stay."

This is the huge advantage brought by flight equipment; they can easily escape most dangerous situations.

An ordinary player would have already fled in panic by now.

If you're relentlessly pursued by the monster army, you might not be able to escape.

Shen Zhao made the retreat arrangements: "I need to be ready to fight at any time. Dark soldiers will carry you away by air."

Eight dark soldiers walked to the left and right of Asuna, Eri, Ran Mouri, and Commander White, and each grabbed one of the four women's arms.

Their rocket boosters have limited power, so two Dark Soldiers carrying one person can fly faster.

The chestnut-haired girl hesitated for a moment, then let the dark soldier grab her arm without resisting.

Logically, since she refused to team up with this man, she shouldn't be acting with them right now.

But now is not the time to get serious about this issue.

The most important thing right now is to get away from that gigantic sinkhole as quickly as possible.

The roars of the skeletal beasts came from afar.

Shen Zhao activated the thrusters of his Mark 7 suit and took off into the sky.

Eight dark soldiers, each carrying four women, took off one after another to follow.

The last two Dark Soldiers covered the rear.

The entire team flew westward at high speed.

After flying for hundreds of kilometers, all that could be seen on the ground were desolate snow-capped mountains and forests, with no trace of towns or villages.

After flying a distance further, a frozen river appeared below.

At the same time, heavy snow began to fall from the sky, the cold wind howled, and visibility rapidly decreased.

Shen Zhao decided to stop: "Let's find a place to camp here."

It wasn't just because of this blizzard.

Flying aimlessly also carries risks. Especially if it strays too far from its initial landing point, it can easily enter more dangerous areas.

After all, they are playing a low-risk survival game, and the game space will not teleport them to places that are too dangerous.

Staying near the landing point is the safest option.

As for that sinkhole nest...

In fact, it is more than 50 kilometers away from the initial landing site of Eri Kisaki and Ran Mouri.

Under normal circumstances, this distance is safe enough.

However, Shen Zhao possesses the Iron Man suit and a Gundam, making his mobility far beyond what ordinary players can match.

Shen Zhao led the way again, and the group flew towards the frozen river below, landing on a low hill that was sheltered from the wind.

Shen Zhao took out a field tent from his spatial backpack: "Let's stay here for the night and see how things go tomorrow."

Commander White ordered the Dark Soldiers to disperse and set up a perimeter.

Eri Kisaki took the tent and said, "Ran and I will be in charge of setting up the tent."

Ran Mouri nodded and said, "Yes, Shen Jun, you've worked hard. Leave these chores to me and Mom."

The mother and daughter worked together seamlessly to set up the tent.

Shen Zhao looked at Asuna: "Asuna, did you bring a tent? If not, I can lend it to you."

The chestnut-haired girl instinctively replied, "No need, I brought my own."

Only after she finished speaking did she realize that she had unknowingly joined the other party's team.

After thinking it over, Asuna did not suggest leaving alone.

Given the unclear situation, it's safer for everyone to gather together and set up camp.

She just didn't want to team up with unfamiliar players she didn't know, which didn't mean she should stay away from everyone.

Of course, the most important factor is the presence of the two female players, Eri Kisaki and Ran Mouri.

This made the chestnut-haired girl lower her guard a little.

Before long, two tents, one large and one small, appeared behind the low hill.

After telling Asuna to get some rest, Shen Zhao followed Eri Kisaki and Ran Mouri into the tent.

It's not that he doesn't like Asuna.

The main problem is that winning over this seemingly gentle but actually strong-willed girl isn't so easy.

The best approach is to first gain her approval in the battle to eliminate her defensiveness, and then gradually open her heart.