“Heart Concentration, rated at 79 points, is suitable for individuals who possess great strength but weak wills, and is ideal for personal psychological training. When this skill is used, the entire person enters a state of Heart Concentration, greatly enhancing focus. Heart Concentration possesses the passive effect of Psychic Remolding; every use of Heart Concentration alters the psyche to a certain degree. Long-term use results in a permanent increase in concentration and calmness. It requires one B-rank sub-plot selection right and rewards 2,500 points.”

After Zheng Zha introduced this skill, he continued, “I hope you can enhance this skill. Its duration is tied to your inherent weakness level, but during its active time, you will be able to face any situation with absolute calm. In fact, this skill has virtually no offensive power, but based on its description, I feel it’s very similar to unlocking the first stage of the Gene Lock—just not as potent. You have already unlocked the first stage of the Gene Lock, but you have some personality issues, so go ahead and enhance this skill.”

Zhang Heng was both shocked and delighted. He quickly stepped under the “Main God” and connected with it. Once the enhancement was complete, he opened his eyes and looked around strangely. Everyone else looked at him with equal curiosity.

“Zheng Zha, lend me your knife.”

Zhang Heng said, looking at Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha looked puzzled but pulled out his military knife and tossed it to Zhang Heng. Everyone watched as Zhang Heng caught the weapon.

He examined the knife closely, then lightly sliced his own finger, drawing a small cut from which blood immediately began to seep. Zhang Heng then stuck out his tongue, licked the wound, and burst into laughter, “Hahaha, I’m finally not afraid of blood anymore, nor pain! That’s fantastic, I’m finally unafraid of blood! Hahaha!” Everyone shared a slight smile.

But what Zhang Heng did next startled them. He kept slashing at his hand with the knife, oblivious even when a blood vessel was severed. He watched the blood spray onto his face and laughed maniacally, exhibiting truly insane behavior.

Everyone rushed forward, their faces filled with bewilderment, to pull Zhang Heng away. The man suddenly began to weep while murmuring that he wasn't afraid anymore, leaving everyone unsure how to comfort him.

Cheng Xiao said with a wry smile, “This team is certainly interesting: a kid, a big-chested girl, actually two of them…” Thwack! Cheng Xiao rubbed his two darkening eye sockets and continued, “…then a sex-obsessed one, and me, the lecherous captain. You truly have your work cut out for you.”

“It’s good that you have self-awareness.”

Zheng Zha looked helplessly at Zhang Heng, who had now recovered from the Heart Concentration state. He touched the blood on his hand and began to tremble again, then immediately had the “Main God” repair his body.

Zheng Zha didn’t know what to say. He had clearly underestimated how much Zhang Heng valued overcoming his own personality flaw. But it made sense; because of that cowardice, he had abandoned the woman he loved and fled alone. Even though he later mustered the courage to return to the scene, such a person was detestable. He probably hated his own weakness, which was why he displayed such frenzy. He likely thought that if he had possessed Heart Concentration back then, his future might have changed completely.

Zhang Heng sat down, still shaking uncontrollably. Everyone watched him intently, afraid he might do something erratic again. Zhang Heng managed a bitter smile, “Don’t worry, I still have some self-control. That was just sheer excitement. It won’t happen again, I swear, I really won’t act like that anymore.”

Zheng Zha sat beside him and patted his shoulder. “This skill is just an external force. Inner demons must be overcome by yourself. When you conquer your inner sickness, only then will you be truly strong, rather than relying on a skill to prop up your convictions like now.”

Zhang Heng clenched his fists. “Convictions?”

“Yes. The conviction to survive, for your comrades, for your brothers, for your loved ones, for your family, for your nation, or perhaps simply for a sense of justice. When you fully embody such a conviction, you will become strong,” Zheng Zha said quietly.

After Zhang Heng had finally calmed down, Zheng Zha turned to Zhao Yingkong. “Yingkong, I’ve considered two options for your enhancement. I’m leaning towards strengthening a skill, primarily because the next horror movie will involve challenges from other teams, so a skill’s power would manifest sooner, and there are several inherent skills related to the Flash enhancement. Which do you prefer: weapon enhancement or skill enhancement?”

Zhao Yingkong nodded without hesitation. “Skill enhancement, then.”

Zheng Zha smiled. “These skills are Gale Step, Enhanced Flash, and Symbiosis with Flash. I think these three suit you best. Unfortunately, the other two are quite expensive, so let’s focus on Enhanced Flash. It can extend your inherent Flash duration from ten seconds to a full minute. Think about it: you, moving at several times your speed, sustained for a whole minute. Your close-combat power could potentially surpass mine. It requires one B-rank sub-plot right and 3,000 reward points, which is quite a bargain considering the effect.”

Zhao Yingkong crisply nodded again, seemingly uninterested in exploring other options, but she asked, “What are the effects of the other two skills, and how many reward points and sub-plot rights do they cost?”

“Gale Step requires one A-rank sub-plot right and 8,000 reward points. It allows your skin to refract light for three minutes, rendering you invisible to others, while simultaneously making you unable to perceive your surroundings. Your movement speed increases threefold. In this state, paired with Zhan Lan projecting scanned data into your mind, you become practically invincible. You just need to be careful not to let anyone smell your body odor,” Zheng Zha said with a smile, failing to notice Zhao Yingkong’s slight blush as she subtly twitched her nose, perhaps contemplating her own scent.

“Symbiosis with Flash requires one A-rank sub-plot right and 10,000 reward points. It can generate a protective entity, akin to a spirit, which can block any attack—any attack, be it physical or supernatural—for one minute. This skill is also extremely useful, though an overwhelmingly powerful attack could likely destroy this spirit, probably dependent on your inherent constitution.”

Zhao Yingkong nodded and quietly walked over to stand under the “Main God.” After the enhancement was complete, she turned back to the group. For a moment, a silver flash seemed to streak across her eyes. Then, in a single step, she covered a distance of ten meters, appearing as though she had merely taken a single stride, much like the masters described in Wuxia novels. In just those two steps, she was among them. Before anyone could clearly perceive her movement, Zhao Yingkong sat down and rattled off a couple of sentences so quickly that the others couldn't make out what she said.

About a minute later, Zhao Yingkong spoke again. “The skill is excellent, but it’s hard to master the distance; even I feel my movements are too fast when I watch myself. It will take more time to fully control it. Also, speaking while using the skill is difficult because my tongue moves too quickly, causing the air to rush out too rapidly. Those are the only two drawbacks.”

Everyone stared at her, slightly dumbfounded. Zheng Zha gave a wry smile. “It’s already incredible. That speed is definitely much faster than my Qigong techniques. Just practice more. We still have plenty of time before the next horror movie starts. By the time you master it, the next movie will just be beginning, so don't worry.”

Zhao Yingkong nodded, then settled back into quiet repose, seemingly unwilling to utter another unnecessary word.

Since everyone was already familiar with the girl’s temperament, Zheng Zha turned his attention to the newest member, Cheng Xiao. “Your inherent constitution is actually quite good, truly, at least two to three times stronger than an ordinary person, equivalent to someone who has undergone two or three film enhancements. However, you have a fatal flaw: you haven't unlocked the Gene Lock, which results in very low intuition regarding danger. While your danger awareness might be high compared to a regular person, it’s completely inadequate for the horror films. If you want to survive in these movies, you must constantly face life and death. Strive to unlock the Gene Lock! Therefore, I don’t think enhancing you is necessary right now, as you won’t be able to utilize the full power of any enhancement without unlocking the Gene Lock. It would be better to redeem two types of items: protective gear and high-tech combat weaponry. This should compensate for your existing deficiencies. For now, focus on trying to unlock the Gene Lock!”

“That said, given your expertise in medicine, both Traditional Chinese and Western, my recommendation is this: redeem one C-rank defensive item, preferably magical in nature, then redeem one C-rank high-tech weapon, preferably mid-to-close range, as Zhang Heng already covers long range. For the final C-rank redemption, it would be best to choose something related to medical practice—that depends on your preference: Gu poisons, Western surgical equipment, or the Golden Needles of Immortality from TCM?”