As evening approached, the silhouettes of ancient plants along the swamp reflected the fading sunlight. The countdown on their wristbands had reached 10—it was time to head back.
Tonight might be their last night here. Lin Jing, whose stamina level was closest to natural recovery, had unknowingly become the group’s reference point.
Elena had been extremely quiet ever since the submarine incident, silently taking landscape photos with her camera.
Meanwhile, Black Jacket was busy trying to create all kinds of opportunities to strike up a conversation with Lin Jing.
In the same team, some were ambitious, some diligent, some troublemakers, and some just killing time. Black Jacket clearly didn’t care about winning or losing. That much had been obvious from the first day, when he’d nearly gotten himself killed. Now, all his attention was focused on Lin Jing’s mecha piloting skills.
“Even if you’re in the Mecha Department, there’s no way you could reach this level in just a year or two. Have you piloted ships before?”
Lin Jing was getting a headache from his questions. He gave a half-hearted nod. “Yeah.”
Black Jacket’s eyes lit up. “I was super into mechas when I was a kid too! Let’s add each other after we get out?”
Lin Jing: “?”
Why does it feel like Black Jacket is turning Survivor into a social networking game?
Lin Jing sighed. “Fine.”
Since they had left markers earlier for an easier return, they retraced their steps through the rainforest. However, as the evening light dimmed, the jungle suddenly felt far more dangerous.
As they walked, Ke Lingxuan suddenly let out a piercing scream.
Karl was startled and quickly reached out to support her. “What’s wrong?”
“My foot.” Ke Lingxuan’s face was pale, her brows tightly furrowed.
Everyone then noticed that she had accidentally stepped into a patch of thorns—a nest of writhing, mid-sized ants, packed so densely it was terrifying.
Ke Lingxuan was frozen in place, afraid to move. Her voice trembled as she said, “Help me out, please. Thanks.” Blood streamed continuously from the wound, staining her blue jeans red. The only small relief was that the ants hadn’t actively attacked her. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes, bent down, pushed the thorns apart, and carefully pulled her leg out.
Karl asked with concern, “Can you still walk?”
Ke Lingxuan nodded. “Yeah, it’s just a small wound.”
The short-haired girl snorted from the side. “So delicate.”
Karl, who had long been annoyed by her, finally snapped. His expression was full of disgust. “I’ve had enough of you, you fat slob. Do you really think you’re the best one on this team?”
The short-haired girl sneered sarcastically. “Did I say that? Or are you some kind of mind reader who knows exactly what I’m thinking?”
Just as it looked like they were about to start a full-blown fight, Ke Lingxuan frowned and interjected, “Enough. Let’s just get back already. The stealth function on our wristbands is gone—we’re completely exposed in the rainforest, and that’s dangerous.”
Karl clenched his jaw but didn’t argue further. Instead, he turned back to Ke Lingxuan. “Are you sure you can keep walking?”
Ke Lingxuan didn’t try to act tough. “I can, but I’ll be a little slow.”
The short-haired girl immediately let out a mocking laugh. “Well, you take your time then. I won’t be waiting for you. We may be on the same team, but I’m not about to let you drag me down to die with you.”
Even with her normally good temper, Ke Lingxuan was thoroughly enraged. She looked over coldly. “Do I look like I need you to wait for me?”
The short-haired girl played the victim, twisting the situation. “I was just being honest. You really can’t take a joke, huh?”
Ke Lingxuan lowered her head, bottling up her frustration. Even looking at this woman was irritating.
Lin Jing had been watching from the side, his expression slightly complicated. The environment he grew up in was relatively simple—he rarely encountered people like this.
With his decent upbringing, he never formed prejudices or quick judgments about others.
Even when Elena had harassed him early on, his response had simply been to avoid her.
But this short-haired girl? She was giving him a textbook demonstration on how to be utterly obnoxious and destroy team morale.
This group was never truly united to begin with, so as things progressed, it was natural that people’s true colors and conflicts would surface.
At the front of the group, the near-sighted guy was leading the way, while the short-haired girl—who had no sense of direction whatsoever—was pretending to follow along confidently.
Ke Lingxuan was grinding her teeth in frustration, but Karl tried to comfort her. “That’s just how she is. Lazy, selfish, completely useless in a crisis, and somehow still thinks she’s amazing.”
Ke Lingxuan took a deep breath. “Right.”
Karl continued, “You could tell from the first day, from the way she talked to Elena—no manners, no skills. She has nothing to show for herself, yet she somehow finds the time to mock others at every turn. Honestly, I don’t get it. Where does she get that confidence? From God?”
Ke Lingxuan couldn’t help but laugh. Her bright, cat-like eyes curved into a smile. “Karl, want to add me as a friend when we get out?”
Karl had been rambling on, trying to help her vent, but when he heard that, it was like a bolt of lightning had struck him. He froze for a moment, then lit up with excitement. “Yes, yes, absolutely!”
It was like honey had been poured over him, leaving him dazed and completely out of it. His walking speed instantly slowed.
“We’ll take it slow—you shouldn’t strain your wound.”
At this rate, it looked like Karl was ready to walk through the jungle forever.
Unknowingly, Lin Jing, who had been trailing at the back, had now overtaken them.
Lin Jing kept glancing back. “What’s going on? It’s almost dark, and they’re still walking so slowly. Did he give up on the game?”
Xu Wanzhi replied lazily, “Even if he loses points this round, I think he won’t mind.”
Lin Jing was puzzled. “Why?”
Xu Wanzhi hesitated for a moment. “The power of love?”
Lin Jing: “……”
Please. Every time he heard “the power of love,” he couldn’t help but think of that fire in the last script.
Xu Wanzhi chuckled.
Meanwhile, the nearsighted guy suddenly stopped walking. The others gradually caught up, only to find that something was blocking the path ahead—a giant centipede.
The swamp mist had begun to rise, and the centipede, with its massive body, was slowly moving through the forest. It was about two meters long, entirely black, segmented, and had hundreds of legs. As it crawled over the fallen leaves, a faint rustling sound followed. Its flat, glossy shell reflected the dim light, and two dark compound eyes swept the surroundings, searching for something.
Centipedes and snakes had a way of triggering primal fear in people.
The nearsighted guy didn’t even dare to breathe. The short-haired girl shivered and shrank to the back.
The path was narrow, meaning they had to pass dangerously close to the giant centipede.
After surviving the Dunkleosteus encounter in the previous dungeon, the players had learned a crucial survival skill—knowing when to give up.
Right now, staying alive was the priority. No one was dumb enough to lift a camera. The only thought on their minds was getting back safely.
“Why is everyone just standing there?”
Lin Jing found the situation baffling. Did they have a death wish?
The male player stammered, “Th-there’s a centipede up ahead.”
Lin Jing was even more confused. “And? You’re all just standing here admiring it?” He glanced forward. “It’s not even that impressive.”
The male player: “……”
Lin Jing sighed. “We’re nothing but air to it. Just walk past.”
He had already taken photos of this kind of centipede before. On land, he truly thrived.
With that, he took the lead, striding forward.
The giant centipede was in the middle of foraging, its body coiled around a tall tree. The wristbands hid the players’ presence, and as they passed by, it didn’t even glance at them.
Seeing Lin Jing go first, the others finally dared to follow.
Ke Lingxuan and Karl soon caught up with the group.
The short-haired girl, however, was too scared to move. She stayed frozen in place, face pale.
Karl saw this and immediately mocked, “Oh? Waiting for us? No need to be so polite—you wouldn’t want us dragging you down, would you?”
The short-haired girl glared at him furiously.
Ke Lingxuan chuckled. “You should tone it down.”
Karl scoffed. “Xuan, you’re just too nice. People like her shouldn’t be coddled. She needs a good scolding, maybe even a beating—she’s useless.”
The short-haired girl trembled with anger, her face darkening, but she didn’t dare confront Karl head-on. Instead, she sneered, “This team is full of weirdos. Can’t go anywhere without a man, huh?”
“….” Ke Lingxuan wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Instead, she calmly responded, “I swear, is there ever a moment when you’re not bitter and nasty?”
The short-haired girl retorted, “You supervising me?”
Ke Lingxuan turned to Karl. “Let’s go.”
Karl, now in high spirits, nodded eagerly. “Mhm.”
In the end, only the short-haired girl and a male player—who had practically no presence—remained behind.
The male player hesitated, clearly afraid of the centipede, but in the end, he scratched his head and forced himself to move forward.
The short-haired girl gritted her teeth, gathered her courage, and quietly followed close behind him.
The last rays of sunlight cast an orange glow over the jungle, amplifying every sound.
She focused on the ground, forcing herself not to think about anything else.
The centipede continued moving leisurely through the undergrowth, absorbed in its foraging, showing no interest in them.
Lin Jing checked his wristband. It was already 7.
They were close. They should make it in time.
Suddenly, the giant centipede lifted its head from the undergrowth. The leaves rustled as its compound eyes slowly rotated, and the hundred legs scuttled, making a chilling, hair-raising sound.
A bad feeling surged through the short-haired girl.
That premonition became reality moments later.
“Aah!” She screamed, her face going deathly pale. “My leg! Something bit me!”
The sharp sting of insect mandibles shot through her. It was tiny but excruciating. And this—this was only the beginning.
She looked down and let out an even more piercing shriek.
The jungle floor teemed with small insects, now moving as if roused by the darkness. A long, black line of ants crawled toward her, while the underbrush writhed with hidden creatures. Even the air buzzed with uninvited guests.
The giant centipede raised its head higher, its grotesque face turning toward them.
The male player beside her was stunned. He hadn’t expected his luck to be this bad. Seeing the situation, his instinct was to run.
But the short-haired girl clung to his arm, tears streaming down her face. “D-don’t leave me! Take me with you—I can’t run!”
The male player hesitated, then nodded. “Alright.”
Her screams had already alerted the others ahead.
Karl turned back. He wasn’t surprised in the slightest. His eyes were cold. “I’d think twice before helping her. She’s already marked—every creature in the jungle is going to target her now. If you stick with her, you’ll die too.”
Turn to Zero.
The conversation before leaving the cave suddenly resurfaced in everyone’s minds.