The following hours naturally descended into necessary repairs and extensive discussions, particularly regarding the gains and losses of the recent operation. It turned out that the completion rewards—both the bonus points and the direct rewards from the side mission—went to Zhao Yingkong, Cheng Xiao, and Luo Gandao. This confirmed the notion that the randomized aspect of the rewards was indeed real. Zheng Zha, who had exerted the most effort, only received points for eliminating the Giant Crawlers and Stalkers: 50 points per Stalker, 25 per Crawler, amounting to a windfall of 3,000 bonus points, though still less than the trio who lucked into the main mission rewards.

Beyond the point disparity, the sheer combat power displayed by the Central Continent Team left everyone, including Zheng Zha, inwardly startled. While they had an impression of the team’s strength, only by fighting together at full capacity did they grasp the extent of their terrifying coordination. This strength, however, was a synergistic power—a blend of the extremely potent and the acutely specialized. For instance, Ling Dian’s supreme sniping capabilities contrasted with his near-zero close-quarters combat ability; Zhang Heng possessed a terrifying burst of one-hit power; and Luo Gandao commanded infinite power through his high-tech combat robots. Yet, a single mental controller capable of telepathic manipulation could easily slay or even subjugate him… In essence, the Central Continent Team's might derived from the cohesive effort of every member; removing any single component would significantly weaken that power.

By the time all immediate tasks were seen to, dusk had settled. After a casual meal at Zheng Zha’s place, the group agreed to meet again the next day for detailed planning. This would cover the utilization of mission rewards, the injection of the TBD original fluid, and final arrangements before the next horror movie—The Lord of the Rings—commenced.

Once all these matters were concluded and everyone departed, Lori finally collapsed into Zheng Zha’s embrace, initiating a period of intimate reunion. Meanwhile, as Zhao Yingkong walked out of Zheng Zha’s room with the others, the young girl turned back for a brief, inexplicable glance. Just as the door swung shut, she caught sight of Lori throwing herself into Zheng Zha’s arms. For some reason, a faint ache pricked at Zhao Yingkong’s heart, but her nature was inherently detached and icy.

So, she simply turned away. Lowering her gaze, she headed toward her own room.

As she walked, Zhao Yingkong stumbled directly into the back of someone standing in front of her. Looking up, she found Zhan Lan watching her with an expression that was almost a smirk. Since they were among the few girls on the team, their rooms were situated adjacent to one another. Preoccupied by her thoughts, Zhao Yingkong had walked straight into Zhan Lan, who was moving in the same direction. Zhan Lan possessed extraordinary perception. She had noticed something amiss with the young girl as soon as Zhao Yingkong returned to the “Main God” space, though she couldn't articulate precisely what was wrong. But the fact that the usually vigilant Zhao Yingkong had bumped into her confirmed that something significant must have occurred.

“Yingkong, come to my room for a while. I redeemed some top-tier Immortal Tea from the ‘Main God’ the other day. Let me brew some for us to share,” Zhan Lan suggested with a gentle smile. She took Zhao Yingkong’s hand and steered her toward her own quarters. Although the tone was one of suggestion, her actions made it clear that Zhao Yingkong was coming with her. Zhao Yingkong was confused. Her inherent disposition was one of profound indifference; she was taciturn even with partners she trusted, always presenting a cold exterior to the world. But inexplicably, seeing Lori cling to Zheng Zha had stirred a slight, tart sensation within her—perhaps even a hint of sourness. Coupled with the seismic shock from the research base that hadn't fully dissipated, she felt bewildered and downcast. It wasn't until Zhan Lan proposed tea that the young girl tilted her head slightly toward her companion.

Zhan Lan said little more, merely smiling as she led Zhao Yingkong along, clutching her small, jade-smooth hand as they walked to her room. Only upon entering did she release Zhao Yingkong’s hand and busy herself with the preparations. More than ten minutes later, the two girls sat opposite each other beside a low tea table, sipping the brew. This Immortal Tea was an ancient strain extinct in the real world; when steeped, the liquid shone like molten gold, its fragrance rich yet never cloying, the perfect aroma for easing a strained mind.

“Is that so? Thinking about it, Zheng Zha’s strength has indeed increased rapidly during this time…” Zhan Lan commented, taking a sip of the pale gold infusion. Zhao Yingkong kept her eyes down, drinking her tea. After a long pause, she murmured, “I just want to know how he can elevate his strength so quickly. Increasing power isn't just about enhancement; without true integration, the higher the enhanced attributes, the more likely they are to harm oneself…” As she spoke, Zhao Yingkong recalled the process of her own death during Resident Evil 2.

Zhan Lan chuckled softly. “I’m not sure about the nature of great strength, but perhaps you are overthinking things, Yingkong? If you want to ask him about it, just go and inquire. I imagine that with Zheng Zha’s open heart, he wouldn't hide anything from you, would he? Or perhaps you’ve simply complicated the matter in your mind?” As she spoke, Zhan Lan used the purple clay teapot to refill both their cups. Zhao Yingkong felt a surge of internal agitation. She drained her cup again, then looked up at Zhan Lan. “I feel like I’ve fallen ill. I thought it might be TBD poisoning, but even after returning to the ‘Main God’ space and having my entire body repaired, this sickness persists…” “Oh?” Zhan Lan now looked intrigued. She poured more tea for Zhao Yingkong before asking curiously, “What kind of illness? Isn’t Cheng Xiao very skilled at healing? Why don’t you ask him to treat you?” Mentioning her ailment caused Zhao Yingkong’s face to heat slightly. Though she couldn't fathom why her cheeks were flushing, she instinctively resisted voicing the strange, bittersweet feeling in her heart. She swiftly finished her tea, then sat in silence, refusing to speak further.

Zhan Lan felt a deepening curiosity. While pouring tea for Zhao Yingkong, she carefully studied the girl, noticing the deep crimson spreading across her face. Zhan Lan’s understanding began to dawn. After a moment’s thought, she stood, approached Zhao Yingkong, and leaned down, whispering a few words into her ear. Indeed, after considering the advice, Zhao Yingkong nodded slowly.

“Silly girl, you aren’t sick. This is clearly a case of… this is clearly…” Zhan Lan started to say with a smile, but the final words caught in her throat. Since Zheng Zha was a married man, naming the affliction would bring Zhao Yingkong face-to-face with a harsh reality, potentially creating a severe mental block for her.

“Sigh.” Zhan Lan sighed, saying no more, and simply sat quietly beside Zhao Yingkong.

Setting aside the private musings of the two women, the next day saw the Central Continent Team diving back into preparations for the next horror world. Beyond reviewing The Lord of the Rings trilogy nearly a dozen times, they utilized the rewards gained from the side mission completed in the Resident Evil world. The team exchanged several crucial items. Because, after completing one horror movie, the opportunity for mutual exchange among members was limited to once. Having just completed a movie, resurrected teammates, and distributed bonus points and side mission enhancements, the team had already exhausted their single mutual exchange quota for this cycle. Consequently, the three members who received the side missions had to keep their specific rewards, while the bonus points were pooled to acquire necessary items for the team’s survival in the upcoming group battle.

First, the Lord of the Rings world was identified as a massive horror setting, dwarfing previous experiences like Alien. The scope was immense. It was estimated that completing the mission, even within just one segment of the trilogy, while also facing other teams, would certainly take several weeks. If a large-scale battle occurred, resulting in lost limbs or severe injuries, the inability to return to the “Main God” space for full restoration would drastically weaken the team and potentially lead to member deaths. Therefore, their item choices focused entirely on auxiliary gear. The Central Continent Team’s weaponry and inherent combat power were already formidable; acquiring support items was the best way to boost overall survivability.

Thus, at a cost of 500 bonus points each, they purchased ten Sanqing Dao Charms. These charms reportedly could reconnect severed limbs—short of absolute fatal injury—and restore seventy percent of peak combat power within an hour, marking them as one of the best cost-performance auxiliary items available. Next, using 1,000 bonus points plus one D-grade side mission reward, they acquired the Ice Condensation Pill. According to its description, this immortal elixir, refined by ancient Chinese immortals, induced a deep slumber, during which metabolism, immunity, and life force increased a hundredfold. As long as the injury remained above the critical threshold, the sleep would not cease. This was deemed an excellent auxiliary item for preserving heavily wounded members, and they procured five pills. Other items included Strong Bandages, Hemostatic Sprays, and Cheng Xiao’s exclusive D-grade Gold Needles. All were placed into their space bags. Cumulatively, the Central Continent Team’s sustained combat capability far surpassed any previous state; they were now prepared for months of continuous fighting even within Middle-earth.

Chu Xuan’s TBD original fluid preparation proved complicated, resulting in several failed experiments that even led to his own infection with TBD. Fortunately, they were within the “Main God” space. By the arrival of the day for the Lord of the Rings transfer, he finally completed the cultivation and mixing of the TBD fluid. Aside from 80 doses of Stalker modification fluid, the team members who had not yet unlocked their Gene Locks also injected the TBD fluid. According to Chu Xuan, it would take about seven days of internal modification before they could unlock their Gene Locks. This meant that the Central Continent Team would virtually be composed entirely of Gene Lock openers—a state achieved only by the Devil Squad and the Heavenly God Squad among all Reincarnation Teams.

Beyond these internal upgrades, Chu Xuan handed Zheng Zha forty doses of TBD fluid. This was a possibility Zheng Zha had anticipated: Chu Xuan clearly intended to inject these TBD fluids into the other teams… Once members of rival teams were upgraded to Gene Lock openers and subsequently killed, the resulting profit increase would be manifold. Driven by this incentive, even Zheng Zha had to surreptitiously tuck the TBD fluid doses into his storage ring… Then, the day for entering the world of The Lord of the Rings finally arrived.

“Enter the light beam within thirty seconds. Target lock engaged. Lord of the Rings transfer commencing…”