The words "Rules" hung in the air, casting a silence over everyone.
"What do these rules say? Are they the same ones we saw at the beginning in the zoo?"
No one answered.
They were all engrossed in carefully reading the rules displayed before them.
The more they read, the more their hearts sank with fear.
The rules weren't drastically different from the ones initially displayed in the zoo.
However, some minor adjustments had been made, fundamentally altering the meaning and creating a stark contrast with the original set of principles.
Even Duan Chen couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
"This place is truly dangerous."
The others nodded in agreement.
It was fortunate they hadn't resorted to large-scale fighting.
This wretched zoo actually prohibited large-scale combat; otherwise, it would have undoubtedly attracted security guards, and confronting them would likely result in death.
"Rules are the most detestable thing," Jun Ci said, his brow furrowed deeply, a look of profound disgust in his eyes.
Duan Chen wholeheartedly agreed.
"So, are we going to continue?"
"Of course, we have to."
Duan Chen raised his hand and pointed to the very bottom of the stone tablet bearing the rules.
"It mentions how to leave the zoo here."
"I don't think this is the only method."
The inscription stated that the sole way to leave the zoo was to collect enough badges.
One could leave by purchasing a ticket.
However.
Duan Chen couldn't shake the feeling that there must be another way; there couldn't possibly be only one path to survival.
If there were only this one path, very few people would be able to leave this cursed zoo, or perhaps no one at all.
The longer one stayed in the zoo, the more taboos one would inevitably violate.
It was a complete dead end.
"Could it be that we have to fight our way out?" Yuan Yuan asked hesitantly, glancing at his arm.
Moreover, his sister hadn't been found yet.
Leaving by force was out of the question.
Duan Chen shook his head, dismissing the suggestion outright.
"Regardless, it was mentioned that the area behind the stone tablet is safe, but we still need to proceed with caution. What if these rules are also false?"
This was a valid concern.
They had to be wary of the consciousness that birthed this secret realm, this sly entity. Could it really do something so outrageous?
"In any case, our next destination should be the feline enclosure, but I have some other thoughts."
"Do we have to enter the actual enclosure, or is it considered a successful check-in as long as we are in a sufficiently concentrated area of felines?"
The tickets they held would vanish into thin air upon entering each animal enclosure, leaving them with a momentary sense of relief.
Duan Chen had to ponder such questions.
The remaining…
The felines and the gorillas always struck him as particularly dangerous; it was best to avoid them if possible.
However, when he tried to find alternative methods, to achieve this objective in a roundabout way, he discovered that for some unknown reason, the animals that had previously gathered around them had vanished. Not vanished, but rather, the animals were gone.
"It's probably not that simple."
Rubbing his temples, Qin Nanyuan, who had just woken from a dazed state, heard these words. She instinctively let out a wry smile in response.
Jun Ci turned back with a hint of surprise.
"You're awake?"
Qin Nanyuan sighed softly, barely managing to support herself as she stood up, swaying unsteadily.
"I'm awake. Thank you for your trouble."
"Although I was unconscious during this time, I could hear what was happening outside. Thank you for your persistent efforts on my behalf."
Her fiery red hair now seemed somewhat disheveled.
Glancing around and not seeing Yuan Qingqing, Qin Nanyuan's expression turned grim.
She forced a smile.
"When I was cornered, I heard a multiple-choice question."
"It was a choice between saving me or saving Yuan Qingqing. I couldn't give you any hints."
Everyone else present froze upon hearing this.
Yuan Yuan instinctively responded.
"Does that mean my sister heard it too?"
Did that mean Yuan Qingqing knew she had been abandoned?
His face turned ashen.
Qin Nanyuan shook her head.
"I don't know, but I would assume so."
She slowly inhaled and exhaled.
"Regarding this zoo, I actually gained some information from where I was trapped."
"It's probably not going to be easy for you to get out, because if you want to take the person who was chosen with you, you'll need to buy additional tickets and explain the reason for the evasion."
Everyone's faces turned grim.
They instantly understood why the Serpent of Desire had let them go so easily.
Without any excessively aggressive actions.
"I was an escaper," Qin Nanyuan said softly.
"The strangeness within this place is profound."
Her eyes held a hint of melancholy.
"My place of origin must be very far from yours, otherwise, I wouldn't have been unable to find any trace of you on the map, and I would have circled around for a long time without seeing you."
"It was through countless repetitions of this cycle that I discovered a problem."
"A large area of a strange phenomenon exists right beneath our feet."
"It can even be said that the entire secret realm is a form of void domain."
As Qin Nanyuan finished speaking, Duan Chen narrowed his eyes.
He exhaled softly.
"That's right."
Duan Chen's sudden interjection drew everyone's attention.
"I felt the same way."
"If there are no issues, we are indeed in a very special void domain, where all rules are defined by the owner of this place."
"Is there a way to leave?"
Jun Ci bypassed trivialities and asked a question that struck directly at the soul.
No.
Duan Chen didn't say a word, shaking his head gently.
Or rather, he hadn't figured out how to leave yet.
"Perhaps we can only wait for the secret realm to open."
"But the other party might not truly allow us to leave."
Otherwise, after so much time had passed, he refused to believe that no one could escape this place.
Yet, none had.
Those outside even believed this was a special secret realm.
How laughable.
"Let's not worry about that for now."
Duan Chen pondered for a moment, unable to come to a conclusion, and shifted his gaze to his immediate surroundings.
"Whether we can leave the secret realm is a separate matter. Let's first consider if we can leave this zoo."
That made sense.
Yuan Yuan stepped forward.
He spoke voluntarily.
"I have a way."