Chapter 3 Mission Begins
"No matter what, your kidney deficiency is curable now," Li Qianxia placed her hand on her brother's shoulder.
Li Changzhou felt that this hand was not comforting but mocking.
"Is your instinct active or passive?" Yang Qinglan asked.
"Passive," Li Changzhou replied, his eyes reflecting her snow-white face under the baseball cap, "It can be enhanced through training and real combat to strengthen the body."
"It can't immediately transform into combat power," Yang Qinglan mused.
"Big bro, you're too weak," Li Qianxia complained discontentedly, "We pulled you in thinking an extra hand would help, but you're useless."
She didn't ask about the other instinct.
Li Qianxia, who possessed "Twins", seemingly hadn't shared it either.
So, was he really abnormal rather than just overly indulgent? Fantastic!
While he was delighted, Li Changzhou felt strange. He vaguely knew what "Physical Enhancement" was for, but "Mysterious Black Fog", just like the mysterious name of this instinct, enveloped in a black fog, even he, the owner, knew nothing about it.
'Do a push-up,' he ordered in his mind.
The humanoid black fog stupidly stood there, whether it was looking at the distant forest or the endless seaside highway, it was unclear which side part that functioned as its eyes was facing.
Seeing Li Changzhou silent, Li Qianxia scrutinized his expression.
"Bro, are you angry?"
"Angry?" Li Changzhou came back to his senses.
"I dragged you into this dangerous affair and even mocked your instincts."
"It's only if you didn't tell me that I would be angry," Li Changzhou said, "How many times have you participated?"
Knowing her brother wasn't angry, Li Qianxia's expression and voice perked up again, forming a scissor gesture with her fingers as if snapping a photo, "Twice."
She continued, "Qing Lan and I, we both participated twice. I survived thanks to her. To avoid dragging her down, I had to sacrifice my kinship and pull you in."
Li Changzhou remembered her suggesting to take a taxi back at the bus station.
The siblings exchanged a glance; the sister chuckled with a bit of embarrassment, the brother said nothing.
"Miss Yang, thank you for taking care of my sister," Li Changzhou gratefully looked at Yang Qinglan.
"In a survival game, having companions is more advantageous than fighting solo," Yang Qinglan didn't take it to heart.
"I have a question—" Li Changzhou eyed both their outfits.
Li Qianxia in a white T-shirt, a pair of sweatpants with elastic ankles costing 68 Yuan, the bag she had carried was missing.
Yang Qinglan wore a shirt and skirt, the fabric looked high-end, such straight legs...
Li Qianxia leaned towards Yang Qinglan, whispering in her ear, "He glanced over several times."
Yang Qinglan whispered back, "To be precise, he glanced at the legs several times."
Their "whispering" was just a posture of being "quiet", the volume unchanged.
"Ahem," Li Changzhou shifted his gaze, "I have a question, since you've both participated twice, why are you still dressed like this?"
"Because it's weird to wear too much in the summer," Li Qianxia naturally said.
"...Are you serious?"
"Anything not obtained from the instance or bought with value coins can't be brought in," Yang Qinglan explained, "We tried it during the second event."
"Got it," Li Changzhou nodded.
Although he still wondered why Yang Qinglan wore a skirt instead of comfortable sweatpants like his sister, discussing what to wear on the lower body upon their first meeting was still too soon.
"So this survival game instance, we definitely have to participate..."
(All participants have arrived, the mission begins)
A voice came from the signboard, exactly like the female voice from the bus announcements.
Since a while ago, the normally relaxed expressions of both Yang Qinglan and Li Qianxia had turned solemn.
"Let's go!" Yang Qinglan took the lead towards the depths of the desolate island.
"What's going on?" Li Changzhou, following behind his sister, asked quietly.
"The number of teams participating is equal to the number of platforms in the instance. Before the mission starts, no one can leave the platform. Once it begins..." Li Qianxia's voice deepened, "the fight also begins."
Li Changzhou had already stopped caring about what his sister was saying.
Yang Qinglan, walking in front, unfastened her skirt buttons. The light, dream-like skirt slipped from her smooth thighs to the fern-covered ground, getting dusty.
Beneath the skirt, Yang Qinglan wore a pair of hiking pants with rolled up cuffs.
Yang Qinglan walked ahead while rolling up her pants.
"Stop staring at other people's thighs," Li Qianxia reminded someone.
"I like her personality, no, her style, no wait, style is part of personality."
"Yes, yes, I know you like her."
"Even if you are my sister, you can't falsely accuse me without proof. Show me evidence."
"Twin telepathy."
"I see," Li Changzhou nodded, "It's you who likes her, so you transmitted it to me through telepathy. Now that makes sense."
"Does that explain why you like her?"
"It explains why I was constantly staring at her legs."
"That's your own hobby, brother, what does it have to do with being twins?"
During their rapid conversation, the ahead-walking Yang Qinglan had already changed clothes, transforming from a fashionable girl into an agile mountain-climbing girl.
"Mr. Li," she turned around, "please walk at the very front."
"I don't mind, but why?" Li Changzhou asked curiously.
"Because you keep staring at her butt." Li Qianxia relentlessly blackened her brother.
Yang Qinglan silently gave Li Qianxia a glance and, in an instant, Li Qianxia fell silent, pretentiously surveying their surroundings.
"Where's the weapon?"
"Oh!" Li Qianxia spread her hands, and within about five heartbeats, a red steel spear emerged from the mist, appearing in her eagerly waiting hands.
A ten-centimeter-long tentacle trailed from the end of the spear.
The tentacle, like a parasite, drilled into the base of Li Qianxia's palm, connecting to her body.
Li Qianxia frowned, her beautiful, slender hands gripping the spear tightly.
Li Changzhou recalled the black 'Identity Card,' written in blue flames, which shifted from [Inventory: 'Empty', (Li Qianxia: 'Mosquito Style Blood-sucking Gun')], becoming [Inventory: 'Empty'].
The 'Mosquito Style Blood-sucking Gun' had been taken.
With the weapon in hand, Li Qianxia exuded a more compelling presence.
She said to Yang Qinglan, "Qing Lan, let me lead. My brother is just an ordinary person."
"No," Yang Qinglan coldly refused, "The only one with real combat ability here is you, you can't be the bait."
Bait... Li Changzhou scratched near the corner of his eye by his temple.
Yang Qinglan continued, "He's injured, if we win, he might be saved; if we get injured, he's done for."
"But..."
"I agree," Li Changzhou interrupted his sister.
"Brother!" Li Qianxia looked at him, then twisted to look at Yang Qinglan, "Then give the weapon to my brother."
"Besides when cleaning, has your brother ever handled anything resembling a gun?"
There were some—Li Changzhou didn't voice it out; now was not the time for dirty jokes.
"And Qian Xia, you've been familiar with it for at least a week."
"A week..."
"Qian Xia," Li Changzhou again interrupted his sister, "Now is not the time to discuss feelings. You won't let me lead, but as your brother, can I let you walk ahead of me?"
"..."
The brother patted his sister's shoulder and stepped forward.
Yang Qinglan quietly said to Li Qianxia, "Stay alert, I'll watch your brother, trust me."
"...Mm." Li Qianxia pursed her lips, her hand gripping the spear tighter, her expression tensed.
The world seemed to stop, no wind, no chirping of insects, only the footsteps of the three of them, the rustling of leaves as they passed.
The whole deserted island was shrouded in a deadly silence and a terrifying atmosphere.
The sun was scorching hot, but Li Changzhou felt a chill inside.
On this island now, were killers, evolvers with magical powers; he could have his neck snapped before he even noticed.
If he had a choice, he would never walk in the front, even if this small trio had no truly safe spot.