Chapter 2811: Settled “It’s us.” Zaka immediately said, “I’m Zaka. I was invited to participate in the Western District Federation’s recruitment. We just heard the broadcast and came to help.” There was a pause from the other side of the carriage, followed by the rustling sound of movement. The door slowly opened a crack, revealing several dark muzzles. Once the door was fully opened, the young guard sized up the carriage behind Fang Heng and his group. Seeing no trace of the spider monsters, he furrowed his brow and asked, “What about the spider monsters? Didn’t you see them on the way here?” “We took care of them.” Huh? Took care of them? So strong? The guard raised an eyebrow, then nodded and said, “Come in and talk.” Fang Heng and the others immediately entered the carriage, with the guard closing the alloy metal door behind them. Inside the carriage, several people had gathered. They all looked up and examined the new arrivals, casting scrutinizing glances at Fang Heng and his group. A group of guards gathered together, firmly guarding the back and the entrance of the last section of the carriage, preventing anyone else from entering the front. Zaka sensed something was off and gestured toward the guards, asking, “Hey, what’s going on here? We came to protect Miss Lexi after hearing the emergency broadcast. Where is Miss Lexi?” “It looks like everyone is here.” A middle-aged man walked out from among the guards at the front of the carriage. The man had a sharp, angular face, giving off an imposing presence even without speaking. “Everyone, I am Bakal, the leader of the security team, responsible for Miss Lexi’s safety. Miss Lexi was just startled and suffered a heart attack. She’s currently receiving emergency treatment, and her condition is temporarily under control. She’s resting in the back carriage now.” “What? She’s already fine?” Many of the people present had only come after hearing about the danger to Lexi. Upon hearing that the crisis had been resolved, they began to murmur discontentedly. Wasn’t this a waste of time? “It’s only temporarily stabilized,” Bakal continued, his voice steady. “The doctor has advised immediate transport to a large hospital for further treatment, or there’s a real risk of the situation worsening at any moment.” “The train is currently in a black fog zone, all signals are blocked by the fog. The Federation is unaware that the train has derailed and can no longer continue its journey.” “You don’t need to be too pessimistic. Once the Federation realizes the train didn’t make it to the next station, they’ll quickly notice the anomaly. Based on our predictions, the Federation’s reinforcements will arrive in 5-8 hours. However, as I’ve already mentioned, the young lady’s condition is very unstable and requires immediate medical attention.” “I understand.” One of the players snapped his fingers, then said, “So, you want us to protect Miss Lexi during this time, and escort her out of the black fog zone, right?” “No, no, it’s not like that.” Bakal shook his head, “The monsters outside, you must have seen them when you passed through the carriage. They’re extremely dangerous, and their thick exoskeletons can even resist gunfire. Trying to escort the young lady out in this situation is too risky.” “So, what do you plan to do? Stay here and wait for reinforcements? Or try to fix the train?” “We’ve already checked the train. The front section is completely derailed, and repairs will take time. Considering the possibility of monster attacks during the repair process, even under the best circumstances, it will take at least ten hours to complete the repairs.” “Enough with the small talk.” A middle-aged man with a fierce expression stepped forward and asked, “Just say it straight. What exactly do you want us to do?” Bakal said, “We need to completely destroy the black fog and obtain the core of the black fog. Once the black fog is lifted, we can guarantee the young lady’s safety during evacuation.” At this, the entire carriage fell silent, listening intently to the words of the military officer. Fang Heng glanced around at the others, feeling puzzled. The core of the black fog? What in the world was that? The middle-aged man glared fiercely at Bakal, “Bakal, do you think we’re idiots? You want us to go take down the Tower of Black Fog? What’s the difference between that and sending us to our deaths?” “We understand the risks involved,” Bakal replied, unfazed. “However, anyone who manages to acquire the core of the black fog will, within my authority, be exempt from all future approval processes. I will grant you direct access to the recruitment list for the Western Region Star Map Project.” Bakal scanned the group, “This is the best plan we’ve come up with so far. If you’re unwilling, we won’t force you. You can stay here and guard the area, hoping that Miss Lexi holds on until reinforcements arrive. If everything goes smoothly, once the situation is resolved, you’ll receive a compensation package from the Federation.” The players exchanged whispers among themselves once again. There was no way they were going to risk their lives for this. The players gathered here all had some level of strength, and staying together would increase their chances of survival. Not to mention, they could still trick their way into some compensation. Fang Heng quietly turned to Zaka and asked, “Zaka, what exactly is the core of the black fog?” Zaka looked at Fang Heng with some surprise, thinking to himself that this guy’s power was terrifying, but how could he not know about the black fog core? “The core of the black fog is a special unknown metallic core. Its appearance is similar to an ordinary stone, but it has faint energy ripples.” Su Guantong, who had been listening nearby, spoke up, “Recently, many game and real-world passages have been spreading through the black fog. The Federation discovered that the source of the black fog spread is a special Pillar of the Game. Once the Pillar of the Game is destroyed, the black fog will dissipate. The core of the black fog is a residue left behind after the Pillar of the Game is shattered.” “Currently, there is very little information about the specific function of the black fog core, but we know that federations from various regions are collecting them.” Ah, I see. Fang Heng nodded secretly. Since the frequent black fog incidents began to emerge in the real world, Fang Heng had mostly been occupied with the Holy Realm and Ouroboros, so he hadn’t paid much attention to the black fog. It sounded like the black fog core was some kind of central artifact. What he needed to do was to completely destroy the source device of the black fog. Not a big problem. After thinking it over, Fang Heng raised his head and said, “Everyone, I’m going to check the situation outside. Anyone want to join me?” “Hey! Are you crazy?” Zaka immediately stopped him, his voice filled with concern, “Fang Heng, don’t be impulsive. The outside is a black fog zone, with a lot of monsters…” “It’s fine. I’m just going out to take a look. If anything dangerous happens, I’ll come back.” Zaka and Zate exchanged a cautious glance, shrinking their necks a little. They didn’t say anything more. “Well, if you’re going, we won’t stop you. Just be careful.” Look? What’s there to look at? Was he going to observe the big spiders? The spider monsters were too powerful for them. If they were in the game, they might have some confidence in facing the creatures, but outside the game, with the number of monsters, they definitely wouldn’t dare to take them on. The players in the carriage looked on with mixed expressions as they saw Fang Heng leave alone and head to the back of the train. Good grief, there really were people who were fooled into running out to their deaths? Still, just one person? Everyone knew that the Pillar of the Game was located in the source area of the black fog, which was also the place where monsters poured out. It was the most dangerous spot. Su Guantong watched Fang Heng’s departure with a peculiar glint in her eyes.