Xiao Honglu’s face flushed scarlet as he took several deep breaths. It took him a long while before he slowly settled back into his chair. However, the usual hint of mischief and the tendency to expose others' flaws were entirely absent; now, he looked like a genuine child. He hunched over, tightly clutching his knees, tears streaming down his face without cease.

“No, don’t let her fall into danger. If a woman falls into danger, doesn’t that make the man too useless? I don’t want to see that again—” Xiao Honglu mumbled, tears continuing their downward flow. After a long silence, he finally looked up and asked, “Is there no way to change it? What happens if we don’t go in?” Zheng Zha sighed. He could tell that something must have happened to Xiao Honglu in the past to cause such a breakdown. Although this boy was still just a child, his composure and detachment often surpassed that of adults; at least when facing death, he was more candid and carefree than anyone else—something Zheng Zha himself couldn't match. Yet, when Xiao Honglu heard that the two girls were also entering the horror movie world, he became utterly distraught, looking more panicked than if his own life were threatened. It was easy to imagine that something terrible must have happened before, involving someone very close to him who died during that incident, given the prior involvement of that beautiful, mature woman.

“If we don't enter the beam of light by the appointed time, the unentered portions will be erased. That means if your upper body is under the light beam, your lower body will vanish when the time is up, causing instant death upon entering the horror film. So, we have no choice but to meticulously study every detail of Alien 4, anticipate the missions the ‘Main God’ might issue, and then exchange for powerful technological weapons and sufficient, appropriate auxiliary items. This part, Xiao Honglu, relies on you to figure out.”

Zheng Zha looked at the young boy earnestly.

Xiao Honglu rapidly regained his composure. He closed his eyes and began plucking strands of hair from his forehead one by one. After a considerable pause, he finally spoke, “Basically, the weapons we need are: energy weapons, shockwave weapons, and highly corrosive weapons, if possible. These three types are what we need most because Alien 4 is set within a spaceship. High-explosive weapons might damage the hull itself, and high-penetration weapons might shoot right through it. Either scenario would place us at a significant disadvantage. Therefore, I lean toward those three weapon types.”

Zheng Zha stood up from his chair and smiled, saying, “It’s useless just discussing this here. Why don’t we go to the ‘Main God’ interface? We can discuss the weapons while looking at the actual items. The Captain’s authority offers a very convenient feature for quickly selecting suitable exchange items. Let’s go, everyone, let’s go take a look!” Everyone followed Zheng Zha out to the plaza, where they watched as Zheng Zha closed his eyes to commune with the “Main God.” A moment later, Zheng Zha opened his eyes and gave a wry smile. “The weapons you mentioned are all high-tech. The Air Cannon falls under the category of energy wave weapons, and energy weapons include Laser Guns and Neutron Guns. The Laser Gun has a lower exchange price and power than the Neutron Gun, and it consumes a massive amount of energy; one high-fission battery block can only fire fifty laser rays. The Neutron Gun, however, uses High-Energy Battery Blocks and can fire three thousand neutron rays. The power data suggests it's equivalent to a rocket launcher, which sounds terrifying. But the cheapest of these two series requires a D-level side mission plotline, and the battery blocks are also very expensive.” Xiao Honglu pondered for a moment before asking, “What about shockwave weapons? Can those also be called wave weapons?”

Zheng Zha spread his hands and replied, “Same situation. They fall into the high-tech weapon category. Furthermore, aside from the Air Cannon and another weapon called the Air Gun, most other shockwave weapons are large-scale, including exaggerated strategic weapons like the Continental Shelf Shockwave—never mind that Double-A-rated weapon for now. The Air Cannon and Air Gun also require personal energy conduits that you all cannot use, so that weapon category is essentially out. For the last one, corrosive weapons, I did find one weapon that might suit us very well: the Fusion Gun.”

“It also uses high-fission battery blocks, but its range is only fifty meters. This firearm can launch a basketball-sized ball of high-temperature energy that, upon contact with an object, can generate thousands of degrees Celsius or higher, capable of melting almost any enemy. The exchange price is only one thousand Reward Points, and each high-fission battery block costs only 200 Reward Points. One battery block can fire twenty of these energy spheres. If it hits a Xenomorph once, the creature is practically guaranteed to die.”

The expressions of the other four varied. Zhang Heng slightly regretfully stroked the Sky Wolf Bow in his hand, while Zhan Lan merely nodded. Zhao Yingkong watched Zheng Zha silently the entire time. Only Xiao Honglu seemed troubled, scratching his head. “That sounds pretty good, but how big is the gun? I’m afraid I won’t be able to lift it.”

Zheng Zha paused, then burst out laughing. “Energy weapons usually aren’t very large; we couldn’t afford the truly massive ones anyway. But Zhang Heng, Zhao Yingkong, Zhan Lan, I have prepared other things for you! Zhang Heng, you can definitely keep using the Sky Wolf Bow. I saw some arrows just now that I think you’ll like. One type is called a +3 Enchanted Keen Arrow; ten of them cost one hundred Reward Points. Of course, there are +4 arrows—one hundred Reward Points each—and +5 arrows for one thousand Reward Points apiece. I think the +3 Enchanted Keen Arrow’s power should be sufficient. The description says it significantly boosts the arrow’s power without affecting range or rate of fire, and it can pierce unusually sharp objects. Want to try it?” Hearing this, Zhang Heng was immediately delighted. He had inexplicably earned 3000 Reward Points from the Final Destination horror film. If he didn’t need to exchange for the Fusion Gun, he could certainly afford a thousand or more Reward Points worth of +3 Enchanted Keen Arrows. Of course, he needed to buy one first to test the power.

Zheng Zha continued to Zhao Yingkong: “There’s a weapon you will definitely like: Memory Metal Filament. This metal adjusts to the temperature of the first person who touches it, with sensitivity down to 0.001 degrees Celsius. So, after your initial contact, it will be virtually impossible for others to use it at your body temperature. When in contact with your warmth, it will be soft as silk, but once away from your body temperature, whether hotter or colder, it becomes incredibly hard. Crucially, it’s over eight meters long, nearly as thin as hair, extremely tough, and corrosion-resistant. If you can master its use over these ten days, this weapon is exceptionally suited for an assassin.”

Zhao Yingkong froze at this. The usually aloof girl suddenly asked, wide-eyed like a child, “Metal wire? Could it be like those special forces soldiers in the movies, instead of using a dagger to stab someone’s heart, they use a metal wire to wrap around their head?” Hearing that, it sounded as if those movie soldiers were quite incompetent. Zheng Zha could only wipe sweat from his brow. “If you don’t like it, I can find something else for you—”

“No, no.” Zhao Yingkong’s eyes lit up as she declared, “I’ll try this weapon. It sounds quite potent!”

“It costs 2500 Reward Points and requires no side mission plotline. Go ahead and try it.”

The other four wore expressions ranging from amusement to exasperation. In fact, besides Zero Point, Zhao Yingkong was the most reserved person on the team, yet no one expected her to have such a childlike side. With her eyes shining now, she possessed a unique sort of beauty.

Zheng Zha then turned to Zhan Lan. “Mental Emanation Metal Plates. These plates use a special alloy that can temporarily strengthen a person’s mental power. The description notes, however, that unless the user is already a mental skills applicator, they will suffer from mental decay. I believe this is a suitable weapon for you; it can briefly interfere with, or even control, creatures or humans with weak mental powers, but only for a very short duration. One plate lasts for about thirty seconds, and each one costs 1000 Reward Points. My suggestion is that you exchange for three of these plates. During normal combat, we will handle the Xenomorphs, but in a critical moment, we must rely on your strength. What do you think?” Zhan Lan nodded obediently. For some reason, after the Final Destination horror film, she had become much more compliant toward Zheng Zha, yet also strangely more distant—an emotion that was hard to articulate.

Zheng Zha sighed inwardly. He then looked at the remaining four. “That’s basically it. Before the next horror film arrives, I hope everyone can quickly familiarize yourselves with our weapons. For instance, Zhang Heng and Xiao Honglu, you can use one-third of your weapon ammunition to practice their power; controlling the range is also a necessity for the next film. Of course, the Memory Metal Filament is an unlimited weapon, so Zhao Yingkong, you can practice with it to your heart’s content. Heh, Zhan Lan, you should constantly use mental scanning to train your mind. Mental power is also a form of energy; it can definitely be improved through self-training, though it requires a lot of time.”

After speaking, Zheng Zha paused, then looked up toward the sphere of light, the “Main God.” “This is the first time we are facing a horror film world as a true Reincarnation Squad. Perhaps later we will encounter other squads or even more dangerous films, and newcomers will constantly join or die. But I hope the four of you will stay with me until the very end, until we either fight side-by-side to the death, or leave this cruel world together! Side-by-side! Until death!”

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