Only after all these prompts had been delivered did the space finally offer up the notice everyone had been eagerly anticipating: "You are hereby reminded that we do not advocate for fleeing in the midst of battle. Therefore, you must pay the price of a three-point reduction in your highest attribute value and a deduction of five Merit Points to cover the cost of teleporting back to the safe zone. Given that you have successfully completed the first side mission we assigned, you may carry back all benefits acquired in this world to the Nightmare Space."

The moment this reminder flashed, another ten or so contractors among the remaining seventy-odd vanished in a flurry. These were clearly individuals who had already profited immensely and were unwilling to linger for another second. Those capable of making such a decisive choice at this juncture evidently possessed strong self-control, opting to forgo greater opportunities and richer rewards.

Immediately following this, another profound voice boomed forth.

"Warning! Warning! You have qualified to accept the Gold-tier Side Mission! This mission cannot be shared! Difficulty: Extreme!"

"Warning! Warning! The Gold-tier Side Mission has appeared! You must pay 3 Merit Points and 30,000 Universal Credits to purchase this mission!"

"Warning! Warning! This Gold-tier Side Mission is unique! Regardless of how many people accept it, only one person can ultimately complete it!"

"Hint: You have only one minute to consider whether to accept this mission. If time expires, the offer is void!"

Upon seeing this notice, Fang Senyan, who had been anticipating something, felt his heart pound uncontrollably. Such stringent prerequisites for acceptance, such a uniquely rewarding mission! "Reef" and "Mogansa" were equally stunned. Though they had been navigating the space far longer than Fang Senyan, this was truly the first time they had encountered a Gold-tier Side Mission, whether in terms of how it was offered or how the final rewards were structured!

At this point, Fang Senyan immediately turned to look at his two teammates. Reef and Mogansa both caught the indescribable, fervent blaze in Fang Senyan’s eyes! Reef took a deep breath, nodded, and shook his clenched fist toward Fang Senyan as a sign of support. The dark-skinned man, meanwhile, directly lit a cigar and gave a thumbs-up.

After paying the 3 Merit Points and 30,000 Universal Credits, Fang Senyan finally secured this formidable mission. Setting aside everything else, its mere purchase price certainly justified the "Gold" designation.

"You have obtained the C-rank Gold-tier Side Mission: The Sacrifice of the Cherokee."

"Mission Duration: None. However, if the mission is not completed upon returning to the space, it will be deemed a failure."

"Mission Objective: Kill the Cherokee Chieftain, excavate its heart, and offer it as a sacrifice."

And then, nothing more followed! Was it cut short like a web novel?! Fang Senyan was left somewhat stunned. This Gold-tier Side Mission was simply too excessive—it dispatched everything in three short sentences, completely bypassing any further hints or warnings. Thus, Fang Senyan currently faced two primary concerns: First, he needed to figure out precisely what kind of creature the Cherokee Chieftain was. Based on the literal meaning, it should be some sort of Na'vi clan leader, but one could not rule out the possibility of it being a powerful beast or a grotesque Pterosaur.

Second, the mission's difficulty was bound to be immense. Even this simple description hinted at the possibility of multi-stage challenges, such as finally killing the Cherokee Chieftain after tremendous effort, only to then be bogged down in the intricacies of the sacrifice—perhaps requiring the blood of a Six-Path Reaper Beast as an offering, or needing the Omaticaya shaman Mo'at (the protagonist's mother-in-law in the original plot) to chant some spell, and so on. Therefore, the most immediate necessity for Fang Senyan was intelligence—vast amounts of it! Clearly, this vital information could only be obtained at Hell's Gate Base.

More crucially, even setting aside the Gold-tier Side Mission, Fang Senyan still had two pressing matters: Within that dense jungle, while the two individuals, Li Er and Yu Ze, had always harbored ill intentions, the key catalyst for their action was the Tyrannosaur skull buried in an exceptionally bizarre location. Undeniably, this concealed a massive secret and immense profit, which would likely also require a trip to Hell's Gate Base to unravel.

Secondly, Fang Senyan possessed a critically important unique item: Chris Redfield's Lucky Bracelet. This item required the blood of the movie's protagonist to unlock. At this very moment, the protagonist Jake Sully’s Avatar body should be undergoing conditioning and cultivation. Yes, Fang Senyan was already eyeing that protagonist body currently residing in a growth tank, awaiting the infusion of a soul, with intense covetousness.

One could easily surmise that Hell's Gate Base's armed guard contingent would allocate at least sixty percent of its strength to fending off intrusions from the terrifying external creatures, and another thirty-five percent would be dedicated to guarding the vault storing the valuable high-purity Pandora Crystals... This was an unquestionable certainty; anything valued over twenty million dollars per kilogram warranted such extreme security measures. Consequently, the defenses around the laboratory would logically be more relaxed. Clearly, this path offered the most convenient and swift method to acquire the protagonist's blood.

Thus, when boiled down, Fang Senyan needed to race against time to reach Hell's Gate Base as quickly as possible. Simply waiting there for eight hours was not something any rational person should consider. Fang Senyan keenly wished to deploy his carried Zerg Host for direct flight, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

Doing so would not only draw unwanted attention—Fang Senyan currently preferred to avoid anyone linking him to external Zerg influences—but also, the Host was fundamentally a flight-capable creature with zero self-defense capabilities. It was entirely possible that ferocious creatures like the Viperwolves or even the formidable Thanator might fancy a taste of something new. If these formidable beings were provoked, it would be far easier to summon them than to send them away.

However, at this moment, Zi approached them proactively—or, more accurately, she approached Reef. She stated bluntly that her Illuminati faction held the coordinates for Hell's Gate and proposed an alliance: ten thousand Universal Credits, and they would continue traveling together, maintaining cooperation upon arrival at the base.

Under Fang Senyan's instruction, Reef readily agreed and then played the part of the tough negotiator: "Our Alchemist's supply of potions is already critically low. Given the rising costs of various raw materials, inflation, and the current economic crisis, we are forced to charge a service fee in this regard." Reef’s overtly harsh stance was clearly targeted, immediately causing Zi’s expression to sour. Yet, despite her immense displeasure, she couldn't simply declare they didn't need their potions. As a team leader, one had a responsibility to the team members, ensuring their survival as much as possible. That extra six-point boost to base attributes during combat was incredibly valuable, and if it could be secured, it absolutely had to be fought for—in the end, through this back-and-forth, Fang Senyan's group actually managed to extract five or six thousand Universal Credits from them.

Faced with this disadvantageous situation, Zi felt an intense urge to grab a slipper and strike the persistent pest, grinding her teeth in annoyance before snorting coldly and turning to leave. Fortunately, Akahiel was present to maintain decorum and act as a lubricant, inviting Fang Senyan and his group to travel alongside them.

Although the remaining members of the Illuminati were generally arrogant individuals, the strength displayed by the trio of Fang Senyan, Reef, and Mogansa was undeniable, so they warmly welcomed the newcomers. It was common knowledge that arriving at Hell's Gate Base eight hours early meant receiving subsequent battlefield side missions a full eight hours sooner. Moreover, Hell's Gate Base might also offer numerous branching tasks?

In truth, this eight-hour gap seemed somewhat nonsensical, but it wasn't a blank space in the arrangement by the space. Under the normal flow of the Beast Tide mission or the Hunter mission structure, the defending side would face an exceptionally grueling fight, and these eight hours were allocated for them to recover stamina, treat severed limbs, and so on. It was simply unexpected that contractors from both sides could reach a compromise...

As the saying goes, an early lead often ensures subsequent success, especially when the lead amounts to a full eight hours! If they waited here for the transport ship, by the time they reached Hell's Gate, others might have already completed several subsequent battlefield branch missions. Therefore, under Zi’s deliberate feigned allowance, most of the contractors still remaining there were eager to join the convoy. Akahiel confidently assured them that they could reach Hell's Gate Base in just two hours.

The Illuminati charged each contractor another 1,000 Universal Credits for this service, netting a substantial sum, which finally improved Zi’s mood slightly. There was no more delay; they set off immediately.

The Illuminati proved to be wealthy and ostentatious, producing three AMP-Exoskeleton armored suits at this late stage, armed and ready to clear the path ahead. Following them were dozens of people of various sizes traveling together. Under normal circumstances, even encountering a Reaper Beast, the jungle overlord, could be handled with ease. It was estimated they could smash their way through anything, provided they didn't run into a large Na'vi tribe.

Along the journey, Fang Senyan and Yuan Zhan got along quite well. Fang Senyan’s role in the team was to apply beneficial status effects to everyone as soon as combat erupted, while Yuan Zhan, as a Summoner, was even less likely to charge into the front lines. Fang Senyan began discussing Summoners he had encountered previously, like Phil and Fanu, and he and Yuan Zhan quickly found common ground.