"Who's there?" Lu Chen asked vigilantly, tightening his grip on the dagger hidden in his clothes.
"Don't be so tense," the voice chuckled softly. "I'm just very interested in your story."
A figure stepped out from behind a tree, and in the faint moonlight, Lu Chen made out her appearance. It was a young woman wearing a fiery red dress, her long, dark hair draped casually over her shoulders, with bright eyes that sparkled with mischief.
"Who are you?" Lu Chen asked, maintaining his guard.
The woman gave a light laugh. "You can call me Huo Yao. As for you, how did you end up being hunted by those people?"
Lu Chen hesitated for a moment before briefly recounting the whole sequence of events to her. He knew he needed help, and this mysterious woman before him might just be the person who could help him.
"Interesting, simply fascinating!" Huo Yao listened to Lu Chen's account, excitement flashing in her eyes. "I never expected such a secret to exist in this small town."
"You believe my story?" Lu Chen asked, somewhat surprised, since after all, it all sounded too far-fetched.
"Why wouldn't I?" Huo Yao shrugged. "This world is full of the unknown to begin with, isn't it?"
She walked up to Lu Chen. "You want to expose Sam's crimes and save this town, right?"
Lu Chen nodded, a glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes.
"I can help you," Huo Yao said, a playful smile curving the corners of her lips, "but I need you to agree to one condition."
"What condition?" Lu Chen asked.
"Go on an adventure with me." Mischief danced in Huo Yao's eyes. "I know what you want, and I can help you get it, but you must also help me achieve my goal."
Lu Chen looked at the unfathomable woman before him, knowing he had no other choice.
"Alright, I agree."
Just like that, Lu Chen and Huo Yao reached an agreement. They decided to first find Thomas, the town's most famous treasure hunter, and Alice, the archaeologist. The former was rich in experience and the latter was knowledgeable, making them indispensable helpers for exploring ruins.
Led by Huo Yao, they soon found Thomas and Alice. Thomas was a heavily built middle-aged man who had spent years exploring the wilderness; his skin was weathered and dark, but his gaze was extremely sharp. Alice was a young woman wearing gold-rimmed glasses, appearing intellectual and elegant.
When Lu Chen and Huo Yao told Thomas and Alice about their plan, both expressed their willingness to join. Thomas was full of passion for treasure and adventure, while Alice hoped to uncover the truth of history through studying the ruins.
Thus, a team consisting of a transmigrator, a system-bound individual, a treasure hunter, and an archaeologist came together for their respective goals. In the time to come, they would embark on a thrilling adventure to explore the ruins and fight against Sam. And this was only the beginning...
Huo Yao's proposal played right into Lu Chen's hands. Fighting alone carried too much risk, and with Thomas and Alice enjoying a stellar reputation in town, getting their help would increase his chances of exploring the ruins successfully.
Early the next morning, Lu Chen and Huo Yao found Thomas. The experienced treasure hunter lived in a humble wooden cabin on the outskirts of town, piled high with various maps and exploration tools. Hearing about the chance to explore a legendary ancient tomb, Thomas's eyes lit up, and he agreed to join the team without a second thought.
Finding Alice took a bit more effort. The young archaeologist was so absorbed in her research that she spent almost all day in the museum. When Lu Chen and Huo Yao found her, she was buried in a stack of ancient parchment scrolls, completely unaware of their arrival.
"Miss Alice, we have an important matter we'd like to ask your help with!" Huo Yao's crisp voice finally made Alice raise her head.
"What is it?" Alice pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose, her gaze carrying a hint of inquiry.
Upon hearing Lu Chen's account of the ancient tomb and Sam's conspiracy, Alice was stunned for a moment before excitement washed over her face.
"This is incredible! If we can really find that ancient tomb, it will be a major discovery for the archaeological world!"
Just like that, a team consisting of a transmigrator, a system-bound individual, a treasure hunter, and an archaeologist came together for their respective goals.
Over the next few days, the four of them began preparing for the expedition. They purchased plenty of supplies, including food, water, medicine, tents, ropes, and more, striving to account for every possible situation they might encounter.
Lu Chen locked himself in his room, using knowledge learned from another world to craft some special tools out of available materials. These tools looked crude, but at a critical moment, they could play an unexpected role.
On the night before departure, the four of them gathered in the town square and held a simple ceremony by the moonlight. Holding hands to form a circle, they made a solemn vow to the night sky:
"We will face all difficulties together, protect each other, and never give up!"
Determination shone in everyone's eyes.
Early the next morning, they shouldered their packs, bid farewell to the familiar small town, and set off on a journey deep into the desert.
However, they did not know that danger had already quietly arrived. Not long after they left the town, several dark figures emerged from the shadows, watching their departing backs with cold gazes.
"Boss, they've set off," one of the dark figures whispered.
"Good, follow them. Don't let them get away!" The leading dark figure was none other than Sam's trusted subordinate—Black Wolf.
A heart-pounding chase was about to unfold across the boundless desert...
The scorching sun beat down like fire, and the endless desert resembled a golden ocean. Heatwaves rolled, distorting the scenery in the distance. Lu Chen and his three companions led camels, stepping heavily and unsteadily into this sea of death.
"Lu Chen, are you sure this way is correct?" Thomas wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked doubtfully. The needle of the compass in his hand spun ceaselessly, stirring a sense of unease in his heart.
"Don't worry, Mr. Thomas. In my early years, I followed an explorer and learned desert survival skills. Although this route is remote, it will definitely lead us to our destination." Lu Chen patted his chest confidently, though his gaze scanned his surroundings intentionally or otherwise.
He kept feeling like a pair of eyes was watching them from the dark, a sensation that had lingered ever since they left the town. Huo Yao seemed to notice Lu Chen's unusual demeanor; she calmly walked over to his side and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
"I feel like we're being followed." Lu Chen lowered his voice and shared his worry with her. Huo Yao's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she surveyed her surroundings, but apart from rolling sand dunes and the occasional passing vulture, she saw nothing.
"Stop being so paranoid. Out in these wilds, where would anyone come to follow us?" Alice was immersed in the excitement of exploring the ancient tomb and completely missed the exchange between the two. She flipped through the parchment scrolls in her hand, comparing them to the map from time to time in an attempt to find more clues about the tomb.
However, Lu Chen's premonition was soon confirmed. As dusk fell and they prepared to pitch camp and rest, a flurry of dust suddenly kicked up behind a distant sand dune, and several moving dark figures became faintly discernible.
"Oh no, they've caught up!" Lu Chen's expression shifted, and he shouted in a low voice, "Quick, prepare for battle!"
Before his voice had even faded, Black Wolf and his gang came barrelling toward them aggressively on desert motorcycles like a pack of fierce leopards.
"Bang!"
A gunshot pierced the silent night sky. Thomas reacted first, raising his hunting rifle and firing a warning shot into the air. However, Black Wolf's gang showed no intention of stopping; instead, they closed in even more recklessly.
"Damn it, they're out for blood!" Thomas cursed, quickly pulling the bolt to chamber a bullet as he took aim at Black Wolf, who was charging at the front.
"Don't shoot, Thomas, leave it to me!" Lu Chen pressed down on Thomas's arm, signaling him not to act rashly.
Facing the menacing Black Wolf and his men, Lu Chen remained unruffled. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a weapon of peculiar design—the "secret weapon" he had crafted using otherworldly knowledge and modern materials.
"What is that thing?" Alice asked curiously, having never seen such a strange weapon before.
"You'll find out soon enough." A confident smile curved the corners of Lu Chen's mouth as he pulled the trigger.
A blinding blue beam of light shot forth from the weapon, cutting through the night sky and heading straight for Black Wolf and the others...