Chapter 124: The Land of Wealth and Companionship

Everyone glanced at me, and I looked back at them. Suddenly, the captain, Lofi, and the team’s genius strategist, Su Xiaoke, wore expressions of deep concern. The members of the Seventh Squad were simply too weak, utterly unqualified to take part in the mission to eradicate dimensional creatures.

If they recklessly risked their lives chasing after the coveted X Crystals by plunging into such a perilous task, they had better steel themselves for the grim reality of casualties within their ranks.

The harrowing ordeal they’d faced last time still sent chills down their spines whenever they recalled it. Such luck could not be counted on every time to keep them alive.

“Besides,” Su Xiaoke reasoned, “although the abnormal creature outbreak on Hualan Mountain is severe, it remained relatively stable before our arrival. The sudden surge of massive mutant rats likely stems from senior superhuman warriors inside initiating a purge.”

“If those high-risk creatures inside can withstand the assault from these elite warriors, that’s fortunate. But if they can’t, where do you think they’d most likely flee?”

A nervous gulp passed through the group.

Yet abandoning a large cache of E Crystals and retreating empty-handed stirred a reluctant dissatisfaction among them.

After all, the old adage from their ancestors held true: “Cultivate the pen when poor, the sword when rich; wealth partners with law and land.”

Though the evolved superhuman warriors born from X Particle contamination were neither martial heroes nor cultivators, this wisdom applied just as well to them, the “Awakened.” Every ounce of extraordinary resource was crucial—not only for augmenting their power and armament, but more importantly, for survival in the brutal wilderness of the supernormal realm, where the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—reigned supreme.

Blindly avoiding risk was hardly wise for those constantly threatened by dangerous supernormal creatures.

As the organizer and leader of the team, Lofi was undoubtedly competent—none could match her in this role.

Yet, in terms of style, both Captain Lofi and strategist Su Xiaoke leaned heavily on caution and rationality.

It wasn’t that their decisions were flawed.

Rather, having only recently transformed from ordinary university students into supernormal operatives, they remained shackled by the instinctive female trait of subconsciously avoiding danger.

When facing critical choices, they instinctively opted for the safer, more prudent path.

But for the male members of the team, this approach was less fitting.

A brief moment of safety could not guarantee survival in this “black forest.” In fact, it hindered their progress in strengthening themselves.

Falling behind the overall evolutionary pace of supernormal creatures would condemn them to the same fate as countless extinct species throughout history.

Especially Bai Yuxi, whose craving for survival seemed all the more urgent.

Perhaps spurred on by the fierce Tiger Squad, his desire to rapidly grow stronger blazed intensely.

“We’re still quite far from the core region,” Bai Yuxi observed thoughtfully.

“We don’t even know if the LDH command is aware of the underground caverns beneath Hualan Mountain.”

“If the senior superhuman warriors inside can chase down the high-risk creatures and force them to flee, they certainly won’t let them escape freely. They’ll pursue and contain them. So we won’t be facing those dangerous creatures alone.”

“Besides, we don’t need to venture too deep into the core. As long as we move cautiously around the periphery, it should be relatively safe.”

He glanced at Captain Lofi and then at the Thunder Lizard perched on his shoulder before adding, “Even if we’re unlucky and run into trouble, as long as it’s not more dangerous than the Abyssal Thunder Toad, I believe that with myself and Xiao Lan, we can hold our ground.”

The Seventh Squad exchanged looks, suddenly reminded of this newcomer. Though still a rookie who had only recently awakened, Bai Yuxi’s combat prowess was vastly superior to theirs, all of whom were mere F-rank apprentice superhumans.

By some twist of fate, he had already slain unknown-dimensional creatures like the Abyssal Thunder Toad, whose danger level was impossible to gauge.

So, at the very least, surviving against E-rank supernormal beings, protecting their lives, and ensuring a timely retreat shouldn’t pose too great a challenge.

“Exactly!” Xia Youyou, the feisty girl, bounced excitedly. “With Xiao Bai here, we can totally take the risk!”

“Right, boss!” others chimed in. “We can’t always be so cautious. Fortune favors the bold!”

“Relying on grinding through scattered mutated creatures on routine missions isn’t going to boost our strength fast enough.”

Willy also voiced his enthusiasm, “Have you noticed since Xiao Bai arrived, we’ve only done two missions, but our combat power has skyrocketed?”

Lofi sighed helplessly, glancing at her teammates.

Except for Su Xiaoke, who remained composed and indifferent to their eagerness for battle, even Maya looked puzzled, clearly struggling to keep up with the rapid chatter.

Not to mention the ever-warlike Xia Youyou and Jason; even the normally steady deputy captain, Chicken Leg, wore a look of eager anticipation.

With morale so scattered, managing the team was no easy task.

All these changes stemmed from Bai Yuxi’s arrival.

Lofi sighed once more, shooting a frustrated glare at Bai Yuxi, the root cause of the team’s discord.

She began to question whether recruiting this potential supernova had been the right decision.

She wasn’t sure what unpredictable risks this shift might bring to the squad.

“Alright,” she relented, “since everyone agrees to take the risk… we’ll push deeper.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she gritted her teeth and added, “But safety comes first. If we encounter danger, we retreat immediately—no reckless fights.”

As the team’s organizer, her foremost concern was their safety.

She didn’t want to see her comrades become casualties of the “survival of the fittest” plan deliberately orchestrated by the LDH Supernormal Management Department.

A cheer rose from the group as they eagerly pressed onward into the depths of the underground cavern.

Thanks to the traps configured by their genius strategist, they traveled a considerable distance without encountering any mutant rats.

It seemed as though the entire Hualan Mountain had been hollowed out by the mutant rats, transforming it into a vast subterranean kingdom.

(To be continued.)