bookrandom Chapter 7 Stepping Out of the Ivory Tower
Chapter 7 Stepping Out of the Ivory Tower
"Collecting supplies is definitely out of the question," Wang Yang interjected. "The supermarkets have been emptied. Going to collect supplies now is a waste of effort unless you're robbing other people."
"Hunting is out of the question." Jiang Ming shook his head, glancing at his pitiful 4 points of physique. "Let alone the fact that with our physiques, it's questionable whether we can even survive if we encounter wild beasts."
"Then all that's left is exploration," Li Bin concluded. "Exploring unknown territories."
"Where is considered an unknown area?" Wang Yang asked.
"It definitely doesn't count at school." Li Bin stood up, walked to the balcony, and looked out the window through the gap in the curtains. "The control panel won't give us these easy questions."
Jiang Ming followed his gaze.
Outside the window, the familiar city skyline has disappeared, replaced by dense primeval forests and rolling mountains in the distance.
"You mean, leave the school gate?" Jiang Ming's heart skipped a beat.
"That's right." Li Bin turned around, a cold glint reflecting off his glasses. "Only by leaving this 'starter village' can we truly begin our exploration."
Wang Yang shrank back: "Do we really have to go out? We have so much food, can't we just stay in the dorm?"
"No way." Li Bin refused decisively. "Sitting around and living off our savings is suicide. Besides, everyone else is getting stronger. If we stand still and wait until we run out of resources, we'll just be easy prey in their eyes."
Jiang Ming remained silent for a moment, then stood up.
"I'll go."
He has the trump card of [Synthesis], and if he doesn't go out to find more materials, this amazing skill will be wasted.
There are no materials in the dormitory, so it's impossible to synthesize any powerful items.
Only by going out into the unknown world can we find more possibilities.
"I'll go too," Li Bin followed closely behind.
Their eyes both fell on Wang Yang at the same time.
Wang Yang scratched his head in frustration, glanced at the truckload of supplies, and then looked at his two brothers.
"I...I think I'll stay and watch the house." He gritted his teeth. "I don't feel safe leaving so much stuff unattended. What if someone breaks in? With all this muscle, I can still be useful as a doorblock."
"That's what I think too." Li Bin nodded. "Old Wang, your task is the most important. If anyone tries to force their way in, don't hold back, just smash them with chairs. As long as we get some good stuff out there, we can arm you when we get back."
Clear division of labor.
Jiang Ming found a prohibited item he usually used for peeling fruit—a fruit knife—and tucked it into his belt.
Li Bin then disassembled a mop handle, held it in his hand, and weighed it in his hand.
"Be careful." Wang Yang stood at the door, his fat face taut. "Don't die out there."
"Don't worry, you two will be a menace for a thousand years." Jiang Ming patted his shoulder.
The door opened and then closed.
A strange smell permeated the corridor—a mixture of sweat, dust, and some inexplicable fear.
Books, shoes, and even trash left behind by some unscrupulous person were scattered on the ground.
Some dormitory doors were wide open, empty and in a mess; others were tightly closed, with suppressed crying and arguing coming from inside.
Jiang Ming and Li Bin pressed themselves against the wall, trying to avoid the students who were still wandering around in the corridor, looking dazed.
When I went down to the lobby on the first floor, the scene before my eyes was even more shocking.
Several girls hugged each other and cried bitterly, while several boys, who were obviously in relationships, were trying to find a signal on their phones, cursing desperately.
Someone was even starting a fire in a corner, burning textbooks, and the choking smoke made it hard to open one's eyes.
"This could be made into an apocalyptic movie," Li Bin remarked softly.
"Look over there, they all seem to be heading towards the school gate."
Jiang Ming immediately spotted a number of students, some carrying backpacks and others with suitcases, heading towards the school gate.
Without lingering, the two quickly crossed the hall and headed towards the school gate.
However, the closer one gets to the school gate, the fewer people continue forward.
Most people instinctively fear the unknown primeval jungle outside the school gates.
Perhaps it was just a burst of enthusiasm before, but after getting here, that enthusiasm has mostly cooled down.
As a result, most people started to travel in fits and starts.
But not everyone is like that.
A group of more than a dozen people not far ahead caught Jiang Ming's attention.
The group was dressed uniformly in sportswear and sneakers, carrying various bows on their backs and quivers at their waists.
"They're from the archery club." Li Bin recognized them at a glance. "The one leading them is the club president, Zhao Yanzhi. I heard he's won a provincial-level award."
Although the group was well-equipped, they looked nervous and were clearly not prepared to deal with the situation.
Fortunately, their goal was firm, pointing directly to the jungle outside the school gate.
Besides them, there were several scattered small groups, carrying simple weapons such as wooden sticks, planks, and iron pipes, who were also cautiously exploring outwards.
"It seems we're not the only two smart people."
As Jiang Ming spoke, he subconsciously reached into his pocket, gripped the handle of the fruit knife, and his palms were slightly sweaty.
"Follow them," Li Bin said in a low voice. "Let them scout ahead, and we'll follow behind like the predator."
"That's what I think too."
The two mingled behind a few scattered students and slowly approached the school gate that originally symbolized freedom but now led to the unknown.
The original electric sliding gate was twisted and deformed, stuck halfway in place.
Outside the door, there was no longer a bustling road and a technology park, but a patch of weeds half a person tall.
The smell of car exhaust was gone, replaced by the earthy odor and the smell of rotting plants.
The group of archery club members paused at the door for a few seconds, seemingly making their final mental preparations.
Then, Zhao Yanzhi, the president of the archery club, waved his hand and led the way across the deformed iron gate.
The instant their feet touched the ground, Jiang Ming clearly saw that the bodies of those people trembled slightly, as if they had passed through an invisible membrane.
"It seems..." Li Bin's voice carried a hint of excitement, "Only by crossing this door can we truly enter the 'unknown area'."
Jiang Ming's heart began to race.
It wasn't just fear, but also a deep-seated, primal yearning for the unknown.
His gaze swept across the grass outside the school gate, where there was a strangely shaped rock and an unidentified shrub with purple berries.
The crafting panel flashed before his eyes.
[Limestone] + [? ? ?] = [? ? ?]
Although the synthesis formula is incomplete, this is enough to prove that he cannot see the complete synthesis formula without leaving the school.
"Let's go." Jiang Ming no longer hesitated and took a step.
The two of them, one in front of the other, crossed the dividing line between life and death.
The feel underfoot changed from hard cement to soft soil.
At the same time, a new notification popped up on the panel in front of Jiang Ming:
You have entered a danger zone!
[Current Location: Outer Edge of Tranquil Forest - Dimly Glowing Woodland (Lv.1-Lv.5)]
[Exploration progress started: 0.01%]
Jiang Ming suddenly turned around.
The school gate behind me still stands, but the familiar school buildings look somewhat unreal and hazy.