Zuo Chengan had a sudden inspiration and decided to act on it.
Under his control, the obstructive eyeballs in his vision gradually turned semi-transparent, though the barrage of comments remained crystal clear.
There was no time to admire the emerging canyon scenery.
Zuo Chengan focused on the scrolling text, carefully extracting crucial information about the dungeon.
...
[Huh? There's even a cute little dog in this batch of players! So adorable! I bet if you kicked it in the belly, it'd yelp pitifully.]
[Hehe, so cute I almost want to sit on it and crush it to death.]
[Another batch has arrived. Anyone wanna bet how long they'll last?]
[Three days. Definitely three. I've been watching the Sunlit Resort stream since it went live. The longest survivor held out till day seven. The rest either fled or died by the third day.]
[Agreed. The difficulty ramps up every three days. The record wipeout happened on day four.]
[I bet five days. See that guy sitting in the front row of the tour bus? I've seen him in other dungeons. Ruthless and cunning—I like that. This kind of player will last.]
[Not enough eye candy in this stream. Only two women? I'm out.]
[Instead of betting how many days they'll last, let's guess how many will fall during the monkey ambush.]
[Good idea! I'm betting at least one!]
[I say two will fall. The little dog's definitely getting snatched by the monkeys.]
...
The barrage provided plenty of clues.
For example, why did players from Tidal Surge bother tying themselves to the vehicle with ropes when simply holding onto the railings would suffice?
Items brought into dungeons were limited and valuable. Even a reusable item cost a fortune.
That rope, whether bought or borrowed, must have been a hassle to obtain.
The answer was clear: they secured themselves because a monster attack was imminent.
Zuo Chengan scanned his surroundings, searching for potential enemy hiding spots.
Through earlier experimentation, he had discovered that the Eye of Truth had three levels.
At its highest setting, he could see countless eyeballs surrounding him.
At the mid-level, he could read the barrage comments.
At the lowest level, he could see the health bars of hostile creatures and annotations when focusing on specific objects.
For now, Zuo Chengan kept the skill at mid-level, avoiding the obstruction of the eyeballs while retaining most of the skill's practical functions.
To the left of the canyon, a dense jungle canopy stretched below, shrouded in mist. Regular wildlife wouldn't trigger the skill, and distant creatures were undetectable.
To the right, a stone wall stood unremarkable.
The view above was another story.
Within the dense shrubs clinging to the cliffside, faintly visible were hundreds of health bars—hidden yet undeniably present.
And these bars were moving, tracking the tour bus!
At the bus' current speed of 60 miles per hour, this was anything but normal.
If the bus defied logic, the monsters apparently did too.
Since the barrage didn't specify when the "mountain monkeys" would attack, Zuo Chengan warned Li Yueqiu and Zheng Ren, urging them to rip their clothes into strips and secure themselves to the vehicle.
Leading by example, he removed his jacket.
Thanks to his 20-point Strength stat, the ordinary polyester garment from the real world was soon ripped into strips with a series of *ziiiip* sounds.
After connecting the strips, Zuo Chengan tied himself to Mo Dou, the dog, and then secured them both to the car's railing.
The car wasn't going to tip over. As long as they stayed tied, they'd be safe.
Feeling the tug of the makeshift leash, Mo Dou's confidence soared.
What had started as timidly poking its head out now became full-body leaning into the wind, eyes squinting in pure bliss.
Worried about the tragic scenario of the collar choking the dog, Zuo Chengan adjusted the rope into a chest harness.
This way, even if Mo Dou fell out, it wouldn't strangle itself.
With Zuo Chengan's demonstration, Zheng Ren eagerly copied the idea.
Li Yueqiu, however, hesitated…
...
[Haha! The little beauty's about to strip! Slurp… slurp… Lemme get a taste!]
[Move! Get out of the way! Who's controlling the camera? You're blocking my view!]
[Stop crowding! The signal's lagging! Don't make me buy out all your camera controls—you won't get a sip of the action!]
...
The floating eyeball cameras buzzed with excitement, swarming around Li Yueqiu, jostling for the best view.
These eyeballs were made of a special material that allowed them to phase through dungeon objects and even players' flesh without resistance.
Otherwise, they'd constantly be smashed in the chaos of combat.
Avoiding surveillance required tools capable of blocking the eyeballs—a rare commodity.
Watching a cluster of fist-sized, veiny eyeballs, trailing long, tangled blood vessels, phase in and out of her body was hardly a pleasant experience.
Fortunately, Zuo Chengan had switched his skill back to mid-level as soon as the eyeballs grew agitated, sparing himself the discomfort.
Li Yueqiu was dressed in a standard school uniform: a short-sleeved shirt and a knee-length skirt.
After estimating the amount of fabric, she tore off a section of her skirt and fashioned it into a rope.
Finding it too short, she ripped two more strips from below her chest, transforming her loose student outfit into a trendy crop top.
Unaccustomed to the new style, she squirmed slightly. "Is this long enough now?"
Zheng Ren's eyes were glued to her, and he swallowed hard. "Not long enough!"
Only when the tour bus hit a bump, jolting him, did he quickly turn back and sit properly.
It seemed the rope hadn't just emboldened Mo Dou but had also stirred Zheng Ren's audacity.
Previously, he wouldn't have dared to let go of the seat and lean over like that.
The actions of Zuo Chengan and the others didn't escape the notice of the four players in front.
A girl in a tight-fitting tracksuit snickered. "Brother Zhang, they're copying us!"
Clearly, she assumed Zuo Chengan's group had mimicked their safety measures after seeing them use ropes.
The man with a thin mustache, sitting at the front and referred to as "Brother Zhang", waved dismissively.
"Huihui, don't mind them. Players who can't even afford proper gear are just cannon fodder in the dungeon."
"Pfft, I just think it's funny."
Despite her words, Tan Huihui held great respect for her "Brother Zhang" and obediently sat back down.
Her tight sportswear, though revealing no skin, perfectly accentuated her well-proportioned legs, drawing frequent glances from the male player sitting beside her.