After dropping off the young participants, the van drove another thousand meters and stopped beside an ordinary streetlamp.
Stepping out of the vehicle, Professor Qin ran her hand along the surface of the streetlamp, searching for something. A hidden verification device clicked open.
Clack.
A staircase leading underground appeared by the roadside.
The stairs descended to a depth of fifty meters, ending at a subterranean research facility responsible for overseeing and managing this practice session.
“Good morning, Professor Qin!”
“How are the preparations? Those young participants should have started climbing the hill by now.”
“All departments have conducted self-checks more than three times, and all equipment is in green status.
Additionally, the health parameters of the four participants are above average, with one of them nearing the excellent range.
This practice session is bound to be a success. Oh, by the way, Professor Qin, would you like to join our betting game?”
One of the staff members held a transparent square box filled with folded paper slips.
Despite her stern demeanor, Professor Qin did not refuse. She slipped a pre-written paper slip into the box and placed a bet of a thousand rubles.
Her wager was on which **object** the four high school students would choose—a little side entertainment amidst their work.
Although she participated in the game, Professor Qin sternly reminded everyone, “Entertainment is fine, but the priority is ensuring the flawless execution of the simulation. Any errors will result in strict accountability for the responsible project lead.”
“Understood.”
At that moment, the monitoring department reported, “They’ve started climbing the hill!”
Any staff members who were free gathered around the monitoring area.
The monitoring center was an open circular space with numerous electronic screens arranged in a grid. Standing in front of the screens, one could easily access all information about the practice area.
Over three hundred surveillance feeds were managed by AI algorithms, which automatically prioritized important footage, moving it to the central screens.
The participants’ monitoring footage was permanently displayed in the central area, with additional auxiliary screens for closer observation and recording.
Everyone silently prayed in their hearts—some for the smooth progress of the practice, others hoping their bets would align with the objects chosen by the four participants.
---
[Five Minutes Earlier]
At the roadside, at the foot of the hill.
Wu Wen was doing standard stretches, her eyes fixed on the 35-degree incline of the hill. “If the timer only starts once we step onto the hill, we might as well make some preparations here.”
Following her suggestion, everyone took out gear they might need for the climb.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
It was the height of summer, and the scorching heat made their short-sleeved shirts and shorts prone to scratches from the dense foliage.
Wu Wen’s preparations were impressively thorough, including knee pads, leg wraps, gloves, and a collapsible trekking pole.
Luo Di, on the other hand, had given no thought to such things and came completely unequipped.
Fully geared up, Wu Wen continued, “So, should we split up to look for the objects, or stick together?
According to Professor Qin, the practice won’t officially start until we find and activate the relevant objects, which is when the real danger begins. Splitting up to search might not be a bad idea.
After all, we only have thirty minutes to find the objects. I suggest we split up first and regroup in the last ten minutes.”
Her proposal seemed reasonable. The group gathered together to activate the wristbands’ **real-time location sharing** feature.
---
[07:10]
The climb began.
Each of the four participants headed in completely different directions, moving as quickly as possible given the time constraints.
Anna, with her blonde hair tied back, was the fastest and most professional among them, disappearing from sight first.
Luo Di was momentarily impressed by her physical fitness and survival skills, but Wu Wen’s voice called out from the side.
“Heh, our Anna is pretty amazing. Not only does she excel in sports, but she’s also skilled in various wilderness survival techniques. Don’t let her outshine you later.”
Luo Di didn’t respond, focusing instead on climbing in his chosen direction.
Once he was entirely separated from the group and could no longer see anyone around, he felt a sense of relaxation.
His thoughts drifted back to a time years ago when he had gone hiking with his family, and a rare smile crossed his face.
But the pleasant memory didn’t last long.
A sudden Yin Wind swept through the mountain, brushing against his exposed arms like icy fingers. Every hair on his body stood on end.
Alert, he stopped and observed his surroundings.
His fingers instinctively rested on the chainsaw’s ignition button.
Scanning the area, he saw no signs of life, but his gaze fell upon a peculiar tree.
Unlike the other trees on the mountain, this one was larger, thicker, and eerier. Its trunk twisted unnaturally, earning it the nickname Crooked Neck Tree.
The chilling wind seemed to emanate from this tree.
Though Luo Di’s academic performance was average, he recognized this type of tree—it was a Chinese scholar tree.
The Yin Wind continued to blow, as if the tree itself were calling out to him.
Such an anomaly was almost certainly connected to the practice’s object.
Approaching cautiously, Luo Di’s eyes locked onto a pitch-black hollow in the tree’s trunk.
The wind was seeping out from this hollow, accompanied by a faint hissing sound, like the dying gasps of an old man.
Taking out a flashlight from the side of his backpack, he shone its beam into the hollow.
The light illuminated a small box hidden within the tree—a redwood gold-inlaid box.
Mindful of potential risks inside the hollow, Luo Di didn’t reach in directly. Instead, he found a suitable stick to carefully maneuver the box out. After some effort, he finally retrieved it.
The moment the box left the hollow, the Yin Wind ceased abruptly.
It was as if the old man had exhaled his final breath and passed away in peace.
---
Meanwhile, on another part of the mountain.
Anna, the fastest and most experienced in the group, paused to check her wristband’s shared location feature. She had already put significant distance between herself and the others.
“Not bad, Wenwen’s so-called amazing guy doesn’t seem that amazing after all,” she muttered.
Just as she was about to begin searching the forest, a sharp **clicking sound** echoed from the woods.
“Who’s there?”
It couldn’t be one of the others catching up; she had just checked their locations a few seconds ago.
Unlike most high school girls, Anna didn’t panic. Instead, she gripped her tactical axe tightly, remaining on high alert.
Her thoughts were clear—according to the research institute’s rules, no direct danger should occur before the practice officially began. The clicking sound was likely related to one of the objects.
Anna immediately moved toward the source of the sound and soon discovered a clearing in the forest. This wasn’t an ordinary clearing—there were no trees, not even weeds. The barren ground was cracked and dry, emitting an inexplicable sense of heat.
In the center of the clearing, a visible fissure in the ground seemed to beckon her. It was just wide enough for an arm to reach in.
Click.
The sound echoed again.
There was no doubt—the source of the sound was coming from within the fissure.
Anna crouched down, flashlight in hand, and cautiously approached the crack. As the beam of light angled downward, she leaned in to peer into the depths.
For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a charred black tongue writhing inside. Startled, she recoiled instinctively.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she leaned in again for another look. This time, there was no tongue—only a metal box engraved with a hexagram and goat head symbol.