After taking a walk around the second floor, Ji Xun and the girl with the mechanical arm returned to room 2013.
This was the location where they planned to ambush the Fallen Witch.
Their teammates had no intention of venturing into other floors, and Ji Xun naturally had no such plans either.
Both of them intended to stay here after killing the monster and wait it out.
This alternate dimension was in "survival mode," and they would be able to leave after three days.
The plan was to survive tonight first.
...
"Finally finished setting it up."
The girl with the mechanical arm placed the last card in the room, muttering to herself, "If it weren't for the limitations of this space, I wouldn't have had to go through such a troublesome process to set up this barrier."
The most important thing was finding the right bait. Once that was in place, the disaster would inevitably come to this room.
Ji Xun silently watched as she arranged the cards in specific positions around the room, not asking any questions.
In addition to room 2013, she had set up nine rooms in total—2022, 2034, 2045, 2066... with a total of 108 cards.
There were also a few rooms that seemed like decoys, likely to avoid revealing her full arrangement.
Ji Xun noticed, but he said nothing.
What caught his attention more were these cards themselves.
These cards, decorated with mysterious runes, were the source of the "magic" he had seen earlier.
They were cards imbued with incredible magical power.
Ji Xun had heard the term "Spell Card Master" from the girl more than once, and he began to suspect that the power system in this world seemed to be closely tied to cards.
But it wasn't just the magical cards; there was something else odd about the human bodies in this world.
Previously, Ji Xun had quietly observed the girl's every move.
She could easily open the iron door that he had struggled to push, her reflexes were outrageously fast, and her physical strength seemed abnormal...
Ji Xun estimated that just her strength alone must have been at least a "5.0" or higher, which was many times stronger than his own "0.71."
Even professional athletes from his past life wouldn't reach this level.
Moreover, judging by the girl's words, this wasn't some sort of innate divine strength; rather, humans in this world could possess such abilities.
Extraordinary power, magical cards, disaster monsters, steam-powered equipment...
Each piece of the puzzle was forming a more bizarre picture.
Only now did Ji Xun realize just how unique this world was.
...
After finishing everything, the girl sat on the floor.
Her cloak covered her entire body, adding a touch of mystery.
There was nothing else to explore on the second floor; all they had to do was wait for the night and wait for the witch to come to them.
At this moment, she glanced at Ji Xun, who was sitting on the bed, as if remembering something. She took out a test tube filled with red liquid and said, "This is an Energy Elixir produced by the Hydray Alchemy Factory. Drinking it will improve your condition. Of course, it costs 8,500 per bottle. If we make it out, the money will be deducted from your share of the spoils."
"Alright."
Ji Xun didn't hesitate to catch the test tube thrown at him, pop the cork, and drink it in one go.
The liquid was cool, and his body, which had felt as dry as withered grass, was instantly revitalized.
Looking at his status screen, he could see his health slowly recovering with the naked eye.
Seeing how decisively he drank the elixir, the girl with the mechanical arm was a bit surprised and asked, "Aren't you afraid it's poison?"
A light, indifferent smile flashed in Ji Xun's eyes as he casually replied, "Is it poisonous?"
After being drained to half his life by that disaster monster last night, Ji Xun was gasping for breath after a short walk. If he didn't drink the elixir, he probably wouldn't even have the chance to escape if anything went wrong.
There was no time for hesitation when there were no other options. It would just waste time and serve no purpose.
The girl paused for a moment, then coldly responded, "No."
Her gas mask obscured her face, so it was impossible to tell her expression.
But she felt that this kind of decisive teammate would save them a lot of unnecessary words during cooperation.
Very good.
Ji Xun didn't linger on this topic, instead asking, "By the way, how should I assist you tonight?"
Hearing that they were finally discussing the plan, the girl with the mechanical arm immediately became serious and explained, "The Fallen Witch specializes in mental control. Its physical body is impervious to knives and guns, and it can repair itself if damaged. So, don't act recklessly... Once it needs to absorb a person's essence, it will expose its vulnerable mouthparts. That will be our best opportunity to strike."
"..."
So, she needed him to cooperate to kill the monster. Ji Xun wasn't surprised.
He understood the plan: he would use himself as bait, wait for the monster to reveal its true form, then strike?
The risk didn't sound small.
The girl had already formulated a complete plan, and there was no need for him to intervene.
But he was more curious about something else.
After a brief pause, Ji Xun asked a question that had been on his mind, speaking with implied meaning, "You seem to know quite a lot about this monster."
His teammate seemed to know too much.
It was like playing a game: such a mature killing strategy was impossible unless she had faced this monster multiple times.
But she had previously mentioned that no one had ever killed this monster. In fact, almost everyone who had encountered it had died.
Trust was the foundation of cooperation, so this question wasn't out of place.
The girl with the mechanical arm seemed to expect this question and answered directly, "Although the archives in the city of Innocence are scarce, I happened to come across a rare disaster record in one of the books I've read. I also received information from an intelligence merchant that this alternate dimension contains a Fallen Witch, so I came to investigate."
Innocence City?
That seemed to be a place name.
Ji Xun silently noted it down.
He smiled noncommittally, but he didn't believe everything she said.
Although they had only known each other for a short time, there were enough details to reveal a lot about a person.
The girl was well-equipped and casually threw him a test tube that was likely expensive. Clearly, she wasn't lacking in money.
Though she tried to hide it, her actions subtly revealed an air of sophistication that could not be masked by pretense.
She had money, knowledge, and refinement... Why would someone like her personally take the risk of hunting a monster?
Unless she was sure she could make it out, or unless there was some other compelling reason.
She was shrouded in mystery.
But Ji Xun didn't think it was a bad thing. The stronger his teammate, the better it was for him.
After all, the death rate in this alternate dimension was nearly 70%.
Ji Xun wisely didn't press further. The two of them sat in the room in silence.
Before long, he noticed that the girl, sitting cross-legged opposite him, was surrounded by an invisible energy field that gradually formed around her.
This seemed like some sort of breathing technique or meditation—perhaps a kind of cultivation method?
Ji Xun watched quietly, secretly intrigued.
The two of them remained in this calm, silent companionship for several hours, each of them immersed in their own thoughts.
The Energy Elixir had worked wonders. After a few hours of recovery, Ji Xun's physical stats had improved by about 20%.
Although the "Weakness" label was still there on his status panel, he was now much stronger than before.
At least now, holding the large revolver didn't make his hands shake.
Finally, night fell.
...
Inside room 2013.
Before long, the familiar "click, click" of metal sounded.
The iron doors on the second floor were locked shut.
It was nightfall.
This was the time for the monsters to stir. They would roam the hallways, and any human who didn't hide in their rooms would be killed.
The girl with the mechanical arm glanced at the pocket watch on her arm, then turned to look at Ji Xun, who was casually lying on the bed. She sounded slightly surprised, "You're calmer than I expected."
A B-grade disaster was about to arrive, and she couldn't understand why this man was so calm.
Ji Xun also sat up, casually replying, "Panic is just a useless negative emotion for humans. It only disrupts hormone production and leads to bad judgment. It doesn't help solve the problem."
"..."
The girl with the mechanical arm didn't comment.
She knew that his calmness wasn't an act. During the last few hours of waiting, she had noticed how he had been observing her.
And she had been watching him as well.
In an alternate dimension with a death rate as high as 70%, it was rare for someone to remain this composed, especially when facing a B-grade disaster.
She just couldn't figure out why such a rational guy would come here so recklessly.
Then, as if she remembered something, the girl added, "When the monster arrives, if you're still conscious, try to stay as calm as possible. The monster doesn't like food with a strange odor."
"Mm."
Ji Xun smiled, thinking to himself: Is she
worried I'll piss myself from fear?
Before he could say more, the girl suddenly stiffened, as if sensing something, her expression instantly turning serious. "Get ready. The witch is coming!"
Ji Xun also sensed it.
He saw the familiar prompt in his mind: Mental Corruption Immunity
The distance was too far, so the mental pollution hadn't caused any substantial harm yet.
But it was clear that the monster was right outside the door.
And getting closer.