The sudden realization of the intent to kill brought about a shift in his judgment, one aspect being a change in how he viewed his own survival. To possess the heart of a killer was his prerogative; as long as he remained true to his core intention, killing only those who deserved it, such acts were not entirely unacceptable.

Yet, there had to be a line. While the philosophy was to kill with a focused heart only the deserving, who exactly qualified as deserving? "Chu Xuan, modifying the created lifeforms into Stalkers shouldn't be an issue. I recall that when creating lifeforms under the 'Main God,' one could select every characteristic, even instilling no consciousness, leaving only a physical body obedient to orders. If that's the case, we could acquire powerful warriors for five hundred reward points—warriors capable of unlocking the first stage of the Genetic Lock. But... is that truly appropriate?" Zheng Zha contemplated for a long time before finally asking Chu Xuan, who was nearby.

Chu Xuan continued studying the documents in his hands without looking up. "Guilty conscience? Do you need me to offer you some psychological counseling?" "No, no need."

Zheng Zha hurriedly clarified. He knew Chu Xuan better than anyone; undergoing any sort of counseling from him, even if he didn't go completely mad, would likely result in severe brainwashing, or at the very least, schizophrenia.

So he quickly added, "It’s not about conscience. If they only have bodies without consciousness, they can essentially be treated as vessels for physical training. Stalkers are strong, but is mass-producing them truly the right course of action?" Only then did Chu Xuan turn to glance at Zheng Zha, a rare flicker of surprise in his eyes. He then continued, "Correct. That's why I didn't say we must manufacture them in large numbers. I merely informed you that this TBD raw fluid can create Stalkers—and we aren't the only ones participating in the horror world. Our next scenario is The Lord of the Rings. If we gain 'leverage' there, and capture inhabitants to turn into Stalkers, we wouldn't need to spend any reward points on upgrading them, would we? We’d only need to equip them with basic melee weapons, essentially acquiring a bodyguard force out of thin air. That is my actual plan."

Zheng Zha’s concern was simple: manufacturing Stalkers would inevitably require redeeming weapons or other enhancements for them. Even if major upgrades were unnecessary, creating a powerful Stalker would still cost at least 3000 reward points. The twenty Light-tier blessings bestowed by the 'Main God' were finite, and Stalkers had large frames. If they brought Stalkers into the horror movie world from the 'Main God's Space,' they couldn't transport large numbers. Therefore, the combat strength of each individual Stalker would need significant boosting, resulting in a net loss by consuming vast reward points or even Subplot Points—a clearly disadvantageous trade-off.

However, Chu Xuan had evidently already considered this angle. His idea was ruthlessly pragmatic: since they were entering a horror world that inherently contained inhabitants, they could convert those locals into Stalkers to serve as reinforcements. This way, they could create Stalkers in bulk—say, several dozen. Even armed with rudimentary weaponry, they could exert tremendous fighting power.

"...Since we have found a method to instantly increase our strength, regardless of the resulting efficacy, if we are to use it, we must maximize its potential. We have previously discussed the merits of spending our reward points and Subplot Points to create thugs; such expenditures detract from our own necessary enhancements. Instead of that, wouldn't it be better to enter the Lord of the Rings world and generate our enforcers there? Based on this data sheet showing the TBD synthesis method, I estimate we can create eighty doses of the Stalker modification serum before entering The Lord of the Rings. I presume you wouldn't object if we used this serum to transform the Orc soldiers in Middle-earth, would you?" Indeed, Zheng Zha felt greatly relieved. Chu Xuan’s methods were often unspoken, but always meticulously sound. He had worried Chu Xuan might resort to this method of strengthening through puppet enhancement simply to rapidly boost the team's short-term power, which, while effective momentarily, would severely compromise the team's organic strength growth. Since this was Chu Xuan's intent, he was happy for the Central Team to display their might in the next horror scenario.

The group had now moved from the forest into this abandoned gold mine. Though the entrance was tightly sealed, the sharpness of Zheng Zha’s Tiger Soul Blade allowed them easy entry. The last to enter was Wang Xia. As the scout, he knew numerous ways to mask their tracks. Furthermore, he fabricated signs of their passage leading elsewhere before he finally stepped inside. Only then did Zheng Zha reseal the passage.

"This gold mine has been abandoned for quite some time; records indicate it ceased operations at least thirty years ago. However, the local geology is stable—no earthquakes for decades—so the mine has remained intact. Near the end of its operational life, they breached a stratum fissure. That fissure connects all the way through, leading into the city's underground sewer system just over a hundred meters away. That way, we are safe." Chu Xuan’s planning was, as always, flawless. While Zheng Zha acted as the decoy, Chu Xuan had been busy formulating details for the ambush and the subsequent escape strategy. Upon finding this gold mine, he immediately rushed with Zhan Lan to explore the subterranean fissure. After several confirmations, Chu Xuan secured this escape route, confirming the principle that the most dangerous places often offered the best concealment. No matter how advanced the Umbrella Corporation’s satellite surveillance, they would never find the team hidden within the underground water network. Once the time was up, they could use the initial alleyway to return to the 'Main God' Space.

As they traversed the tunnels of the underground gold mine, other issues were secondary to the air quality. Sealed for years, the atmosphere was suffocatingly stale. Although their physical conditioning far surpassed that of ordinary humans, prolonged exposure to such air was untenable. Moreover, the path was slick with mud, and the underground dampness exceeded their expectations. Fortunately, the dimensional bag contained over a dozen oxygen tanks, seemingly prepared by Chu Xuan in advance, alleviating immediate fears of asphyxiation. However, the constant dripping water was problematic. For others, it was a nuisance, but Ling Dian had only recently undergone cranial surgery. Although the hemostatic spray and powerful bandages possessed strong antiseptic qualities, and Cheng Xiao’s parasitic worms appeared to be of high quality, the continuous soaking of the wound by water meant that any bacterial invasion of the brain could have unpredictable consequences.

Regardless, they had to proceed. Zheng Zha took over from Ba Wang, carrying Ling Dian. Though unsure if it would help, he channeled his inner force into Ling Dian, hoping to bolster his immunity. This exertion couldn't last long. After several hours inside the mine, they finally reached the geological fault line at the mine's terminus. The path ahead became significantly more arduous; many sections required the use of Zheng Zha’s Tiger Soul Blade energy to proceed, forcing Zheng Zha to halt the slow infusion of internal force into Ling Dian.

The journey ahead involved not only rough terrain but also narrow passages that Zheng Zha had to slice open with his blade energy. To avoid compromising the geological structure and causing a catastrophic underground collapse, Zhan Lan’s psychic scanning proved critically important. The journey was fraught with difficulties, and everyone suffered through considerable hardship.

Finally, after Zheng Zha carved through a hundred meters of rock wall, the group managed to enter the city’s peripheral underground sewer system through the subterranean fissure. They emerged coated in mud and rock fragments, looking utterly wretched. Thankfully, Chu Xuan’s plan was interlocking; within the winding, hard-to-navigate sewers, he had located a semi-abandoned rest station. He claimed to have scouted this room beforehand, as it was unthinkable for them to remain filthy and smell the stench of the sewers for the remaining time. After another hour, everyone cleaned up in the resting room and consumed some simple rations. Only then did they fall into a deep slumber. Since the sneak attack on the two bases, they had endured continuous fierce battles, followed by the escape and the excruciating journey through the earth. By this point, everyone was utterly exhausted, collapsing fully clothed onto any available patch of floor. Within minutes, loud snores filled the entire room.

They slept soundly. When they awoke one by one, they realized it was already the evening of the twentieth day. In a short while, they would return to the 'Main God' Space, and based on the time remaining, only a few hours were left. After quickly consuming more simple food, they moved continuously through the underground sewers, relying on Zhan Lan’s psychic scans to maintain direction. After about two hours of travel, they finally emerged from the sewers onto a street curb, with only ten minutes left before their scheduled return to the 'Main God' Space.

"Follow the road straight ahead; the second intersection is the alley where we arrived," Zhan Lan informed them after a quick psychic sweep.

Everyone nodded. Zheng Zha, still carrying Ling Dian, took the lead. The walk was only a minute or two. The group moved forward quietly, showing no sign of panic. Only when they entered the side alley did Zheng Zha happen to look back toward the main road. A black sedan was speeding toward them. Inside, he glimpsed two beautiful women and two men, and yes, a little girl seemed to be pressed against the window, looking out. Unfortunately, she was gazing in the opposite direction and did not see Zheng Zha and the others.

Zheng Zha smiled faintly as the black car receded, then turned and walked deeper into the alleyway.

"We will return..." he murmured as he jumped.