It’s no wonder Ning Li is so cautious.
When an ordinary person dies, some social ties automatically dissolve, but he was just resurrected, wasn’t he?
It’s always better to ask and be clear than to muddle along blindly.
Ning Li lay on her bed, separated by a single door; her new teammate was lying quietly on the living room sofa.
He was a roommate with a strong sense of boundaries—calm, quiet, and didn’t bring her any trouble.
She was grateful to the Peripheral Guide Academy for providing such comfortable dormitory life for Guides.
If she lived in a regular dorm, it would have been difficult to accommodate him.
She began to replay the conversation from tonight.
At one point, Ning Li asked in a low voice, “Xiao Hei, how did you know he’s badly injured? Did you sneak a peek?”
Indeed, Xiao Hei had sneaked a look and hurriedly changed the subject, “Master, you two haven’t exchanged names yet.”
Ning Li said nothing.
They were just temporary teammates; exchanging names wasn’t necessary.
First, they needed to deal with the Water Jellyfish Commander.
“No more next times, got it?”
After saying this, Ning Li suddenly recalled when she first picked up the new teammate—he was wearing a sleek black combat suit.
The material was unknown, smooth and cool to the touch, highlighting his tall, lean frame with broad shoulders and narrow waist.
By the time she returned, her teammate had changed into a white short-sleeved shirt and white trousers.
The all-white outfit made his eyes appear even darker and his whole figure even more refined.
It seemed that while she was in class, he hadn’t been idle—at least he changed into a set of inconspicuous clothes, perfectly blending into the new environment.
Xiao Hei looked exhausted, as if drained of all energy, “Got it. Got it.”
The next morning, Ning Li got up early to buy breakfast at the cafeteria.
She returned to the dorm just past six o’clock.
After having breakfast with her new teammate, Ning Li began to organize the supplies for their trip to the Forbidden Zone.
Water, bread, flashlight, umbrella…she stuffed all the miscellaneous items into one large bag.
When she opened the door, she found her new teammate was already ready.
He wore a black baseball cap pulled low to shadow his slightly darker-than-average eyes, along with a matching black sun mask that completely covered the lower half of his face.
Ning Li eyed him with suspicion.
“Did many people know before…?”
The two omitted words were “that you died.”
Yin Que lowered his gaze.
“Yes.”
Five years ago, his subordinates, close friends, and all his subjects had heard news of his death.
Because he still had some matters to settle, he couldn’t show his face openly yet.
Ning Li frowned slightly.
She hoped her new teammate’s background would be simple, but it seemed her hopes might be dashed.
She didn’t say anything more.
Whether their cooperation would go smoothly and whether her teammate was reliable—these all needed time to prove.
She would not jump to conclusions.
Ning Li and Yin Que took a bus all the way to a spot three kilometers from the Forbidden Zone.
The last stretch had no transportation, so they had to walk.
There were many others with the same goal.
Along the way, Ning Li could hear sentinels nearby discussing things.
But amid these discussions about the new Forbidden Zone, an unpleasant voice suddenly cut in.
“Did you hear? The recruitment age for sentinels has been lowered—to 15.”
This announcement caused a strong reaction; the crowd was caught off guard.
“How could they lower it so much at once?”
“Fifteen is way too young!”
“Tell me about it.”
“Looks like the situation on every front is tight. Too many sentinels have died, or they wouldn’t have made such a foolish policy!”
“I say, going to the battlefield should require adulthood. Fifteen? They’re still kids!”
“Hmph, who knows what the Commander’s thinking? He actually came down personally to District 191—didn’t even stay at his Heavenly Island. Who knows why he came here?”
Hearing this person slandering the current Commander, others quickly shut him down.
“What are you saying? The Commander truly cares about us common folk! That’s why he came to District 191!”
“Ha, do you really believe that? You don’t even believe it yourself. When the Former Commander was around, we could say whatever we wanted. Now, we don’t even have that right! We have to say only good things, only flattering things. But those lies? Even holding my nose, I couldn’t say them!”
“Enough, enough. Let’s talk about the new Forbidden Zone instead. Usually, Forbidden Zones are dangerous but full of rewards. Maybe this time we’ll find something valuable inside! A decent weapon would be great, or at least some Mental Stones.”
“Yeah, I’d be satisfied just picking up a single Mental Stone.”
Others deliberately changed the topic to avoid further debate, but the man stubbornly pressed on, “If the Former Commander were still alive, would we need 15-year-old kids on the front lines? Too bad he died too soon!”
“Stop talking nonsense. Shut up.”
“Yeah!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
His companions dragged him away from the crowd.
Ning Li was already used to the nationwide frenzy for Yin Que.
The Guides around her were even more fanatical.
Listening to this conversation, she felt no particular emotion.
Everyone worshipped one man as their faith—is that truly all good?
That man bore countless people’s expectations; his shoulders must be heavy.
For the deaths of a hundred thousand ordinary subjects, Yin Que’s end could be considered well-deserved.
Ning Li noticed her new teammate growing even quieter; he was taciturn to begin with and said nothing during the remainder of the walk.
Fortunately, Ning Li did not feel lonely.
Xiao Hei chattered noisily inside her Spirit Sea, never stopping.
[He looks very sad.]
“For the Former Commander’s death, right?”
[He’s unhappy.]
“The anniversary of Yin Que’s death is coming soon. During this time, Yuan Zi and Lu Shuangshuang have also been low-spirited. It’ll be better after this period.”
[Master, he looks pitiful. Should I comfort him?]
Ning Li: “Before feeling sorry for others, you should pity your master first.”
After all, she wasn’t short on money; any watch she wore was worth six figures.
What did she have?
Enemies, maybe?
Xiao Hei fell silent.
As they neared the Forbidden Zone, sentinels and guides became more numerous.
Most of the Guides and Sentinels were drawn by the reward of 10,000 Universal Coins.
Those willing to enter could receive this sum if they survived.
But was it really that simple?
If it were, more sentinels and guides would have shown up today.
Ning Li looked toward the blurry area designated as the Forbidden Zone.
It was as if a blur filter had been applied, obscuring the real scene inside.
She could only faintly make out a soil-yellow base color that looked desolate and dilapidated, with dust swirling everywhere.
Only crossing a certain boundary could one be considered truly inside the Forbidden Zone.
At the entrance stood guards and patrols.
Those entering could receive an Entry Card from the gatekeepers—an essential item for claiming any money later.
Ning Li showed her Registration Form to the gatekeeper and exchanged it for a card.
The gatekeeper looked at her Registration Form’s information carefully, then sighed, “Good luck.”
Ning Li: “Thank you.”
The next moment, she and Yin Que stepped into the Forbidden Zone together.
Once inside, the environment changed instantly.
Ancient buildings surrounded them, styled in a vintage fashion but not shabby—the walls looked freshly painted, and the roads were in good condition.
The clothing of passersby was very different from theirs, evoking a strong sense of a past era.
The bustling voices around them sounded genuine rather than fake.
Ning Li looked back.
Behind was still the Old City District, but the exit path had disappeared.
The place where she had just entered had become a crowd of unfamiliar pedestrians.
The gatekeepers, patrols, and sentinels who came for the Universal Coins were all gone.
Her usually quiet new teammate finally spoke, “Forbidden Zones and Domains are both recreations of past scenes from certain periods. They share similarities but also have differences. Domains are usually formed by the cooperation of two or more Abnormal Species. Once all Abnormal Species within are killed, the Domain breaks.”
“Forbidden Zones, however, are more complex in origin, and survival is harder. The appearance of Abnormal Species has always been a mystery—no one knows how they come to be. It’s said the secret lies in the past.Therefore, the secrets of Abnormal Species may be hidden within certain Domains or Forbidden Zones.Information from each Forbidden Zone is vital. Perhaps one day, when all such information is integrated, the secrets of the Abnormal Species will be unveiled.Information about Forbidden Zones is never open to Guides; it’s not included in Guide courses.”
“Forbidden Zones have always been the battlefield of Sentinels. Guides don’t need to enter Forbidden Zones. Knowing too much about Forbidden Zones isn’t a good thing; it could become a heavy burden. The more you know about this world, the more despair you might feel, losing the will to resist. This new Forbidden Zone is the first ever to be opened to Guides.”
After this detailed explanation, Ning Li’s understanding of the world deepened a little more.
She asked, “How do we find a way out?”
Since Guide courses never covered Forbidden Zones, she boldly asked this question; it was not out of place in the current environment.
It was normal not to understand.
Yin Que’s answer was straightforward: “Each Forbidden Zone is different. Generally, you need to find one important item inside. The path to survival is not unique. Don’t worry.”
Though her teammate said not to worry, Ning Li’s adrenaline surged, raising her alertness to full.
She was different from the others.
Many around her viewed the Former Commander as their faith, as their lighthouse.
But her faith would only be herself.
She would never place all her hopes for survival on others.
Even if her new teammate seemed responsible and extremely reliable.
Yin Que continued, “Inside the Forbidden Zone, all the people present are from the past—some are key figures, others are passersby. Getting into conflicts with them is the most unwise thing to do. We must look for clues from their words, actions, and behavior. Try not to do anything that doesn’t fit this era; standing out will cause trouble.”
Ning Li: “Understood.”
After learning about the Forbidden Zone, Ning Li began observing the pedestrians passing by.
They seemed peaceful—no Abnormal Species, no Forbidden Zones, no Sentinels, no Guides.
All were ordinary people.
Ordinary, but peaceful.
No war, no ever-present threats, life was calm yet lively.
Xiao Hei had returned to her Spirit Sea; in such an environment, it wasn’t suitable for him to appear.
As Ning Li walked, she suddenly noticed several small followers trailing behind her.
Yin Que’s steady voice lowered and whispered into her ear,
“Three Sentinels have come.”
Three Sentinels.
The Water Jellyfish Commander must truly think highly of her.
Ning Li did not look back but lowered her voice as well, “Is the Water Jellyfish Commander here?”
During their long chat last night, Ning Li had briefly shared with Yin Que the series of events triggered by the bead.
Though her description was concise, Yin Que had extracted key information and formed a rough profile of the Water Jellyfish Commander.
“He’s here. Fortunately, none of the three are Sentinels who were once under him or have spirit bodies of Jellyfish.”
Behind them, a few Sentinels lazily followed, chatting idly.
“Boss, you said the Guide found a helper.”
The Water Jellyfish Commander didn’t pay any attention to the person beside him.
“I know all the capable fighters in District 191. Most didn’t come today. This one is probably a panicked little Guide who rushed to grab a makeshift strongman. Not worth worrying about.”
Still, for some reason, the Commander vaguely sensed a faint familiarity from this strange man.
Where could this feeling come from?
He shouldn’t have met this man before.
Maybe it was just an illusion.