29: The leader must have a deep meaning behind this...

“Leader,” an indigenous NPC said to Cheng Zhen, “Where should we go next?”

“Hmm…” Cheng Zhen wasn't yet clear about this dungeon and planned to gather some intelligence first.

Seeing how respectful these NPCs were towards him, getting information shouldn't be difficult.

“Everyone, rest where you are. We will move forward once I’ve made a decision.”

Cheng Zhen waved his hand, signaling those kneeling to sit down, then pointed to the NPC who had just spoken to him: “You, come discuss this with me.”

“Yes!”

That NPC’s ornaments were slightly different from the others, and he was the only one who spoke directly to Cheng Zhen, suggesting he might be a deputy or similar rank.

He had no objection to Cheng Zhen’s arrangement and obediently followed him to the side.

“Relax, you’ve always been the one I trust most.”

Despite it being their first meeting, Cheng Zhen spoke as if he had known him for many years, smoothly deceiving the clear-eyed indigenous man.

“You can freely express your thoughts on this matter, and I will consider your suggestions.”

Although he didn't know where he came from or where he was going, the goal was to get the other party to reveal as much information as possible.

The indigenous man, having received ‘genuine trust,’ was extremely moved and immediately knelt on one knee before Cheng Zhen again.

“Thank you for your trust! A Kun Duo will not let Leader down!”

A Kun Duo, that indigenous man, stood up again at Cheng Zhen’s signal, then began to relay various pieces of information—

“Leader, we have now reached the designated location from the prophecy. All we need to do is find hao sa du's scepter, and we can become the King of this Desert!”

“However, besides our Sand Fox Tribe, the Viper Tribe, Golden Scorpion Tribe, Vulture Tribe, and Giant Camel Tribe, among other competitors, have also entered this forbidden land. The battles ahead will undoubtedly be extremely perilous.”

“This is the map given by the Shaman. A Kun Duo dares not interfere with Leader’s decisions. No matter what path you choose, I and the other Warriors will advance resolutely!”

After listening for a while, Cheng Zhen basically understood what this dungeon was all about.

As the saying goes, the world’s great trends, after long division, unite; after long unity, divide.

The previous King who ruled the Desert tribes, Hosa Du, suddenly died here without naming a successor. As a result, everyone below him wanted to be the boss, leading to the tribes fragmenting into multiple factions, fighting each other for years without anyone submitting.

Later, the tribal Shaman received a prophecy: whoever could obtain hao sa du's scepter would be Hosa Du’s successor.

Thus, the leaders of several tribes each led a hundred Warriors into this forbidden land, initiating a thousand-person battle royale to find the scepter.

It seems this dungeon doesn’t involve any puzzles; the main quest and clear conditions are unified.

Cheng Zhen, as the tribal leader, must lead a hundred indigenous NPC Warriors to eliminate the other tribes and unify the world.

The dungeon’s participant count is five, which perfectly matches the five tribes A Kun Duo just mentioned.

Thinking of this, Cheng Zhen frowned slightly.

Unlike the ‘survival-type’ Mountain Sacrifice Child, this dungeon is ‘confrontational-type.’

Endless Game has many different types of dungeons, such as ‘puzzle-solving’ (deciphering mysteries, finding a way out), ‘combat-type’ (testing martial prowess, fighting monsters to advance), ‘role-playing’ (various storylines, immersive performances), and so on…

However, the type most Raiders are least willing to face is the ‘confrontational-type’ of faction battles.

In other types of dungeons, opponents are mostly various monsters. Although their stats are high, in terms of intelligence, humans usually have the advantage.

But the ‘confrontational-type’ dungeon is different: your opponents are humans, just like you.

Humans with skills, strategies, and full of cunning.

Cheng Zhen didn't believe he possessed an intelligence that could dominate all others, like an ancient military strategist who could make mighty fleets vanish in a puff of smoke while chatting.

Moreover, he had no experience leading armies in large-scale brawls, and he wasn't entirely confident in a head-on confrontation with others.

If it were a confrontational-type dungeon where cooperation and alliances were possible, that would be fine. At worst, there would be fewer rewards, and it wouldn't be impossible for everyone to clear it together hand-in-hand.

But looking at the word ‘unique’ in the clear quest, it's likely that everyone else is already figuring out how to kill each other.

This is tough… Cheng Zhen felt a bit tricky.

He took the map from A Kun Duo’s hand and examined it carefully.

Then he was surprised to find—this tattered piece of leather was completely incomprehensible.

After all, it was hand-drawn by the indigenous people on animal hide, with a strong local style, and Cheng Zhen had no experience studying maps, so it was normal not to understand it.

Cheng Zhen tried hard to understand, while A Kun Duo stood for a long time, not daring to ask why the Leader kept staring at the back of the map.

Well, the Leader must have his profound reasons for doing so…

Unable to decipher it, Cheng Zhen returned the map to A Kun Duo, then, with an encouraging expression, asked him: “Where do you think is appropriate to go? I want to hear your opinion.”

“Leader, our tribe’s Warriors do not fear battle, but in this Desert, we need water and food to ensure survival and combat effectiveness.”

A Kun Duo pointed to several black dots and said: “These three places are Green Oases where water sources might exist. If we can occupy one of them, we should have an advantage when fighting other tribes.”

As the dungeon prompt said, the most important thing in the Desert is a water source.

In a confrontation, if our side occupies the water source and the enemy has nothing, we can just drag it out and let the sun kill them.

Cheng Zhen now understood why this dungeon rule prohibited a bunch of things, including the item bar.

This dungeon was like the strategy game “Mount & Blade,” where participants act as battlefield commanders, occupying advantageous positions and leading troops into battle.

It focused less on individual ability and more on how to arrange the Warriors under one’s command. If someone had a pile of compressed biscuits or military rations in their item bar, their advantage would be significantly greater than others.

These indigenous NPCs currently only had wooden spears as weapons; if you suddenly pulled out an AK and mowed them all down, what would be the point of fighting?

Presumably, others, after obtaining information and the map, would also try every means to occupy a Green Oasis.

If he were to proceed towards a Green Oasis according to the map's direction, there was a high probability of encountering other tribes.

If others had skills that could assist NPCs in combat, Cheng Zhen might be in trouble.

After all, they were on the move. The bodyguards summoned by striking the wooden fish were immobile, so even if released, they would be useless.

Thinking of this, he opened the [Tomato Novel APP].

[Dear Tomato Member, you have entered a new dungeon, ad slot +1.]

[Current available ad slots: (1/2)]

[Currently registered ad: “overbearing fierce immortal”]

Every time he entered a new dungeon, he could add a new ad slot.

Now Cheng Zhen could choose a new ad to insert, and turn its contents into reality.

The previous “overbearing fierce immortal” could still be used, but its contents didn't seem to help the current situation, so Cheng Zhen needed to choose another aid for himself.

Cheng Zhen scrolled through the ads, pondering his choice.

Various different ads dazzled him. He had to consider how to assist hundreds of NPCs while also avoiding being prohibited by the dungeon rules.

It wasn't until he again saw a certain unscrupulous author poisoning readers late at night in a food novel that an idea suddenly popped into his mind.

Large quantity, satisfying, and not against the rules.

Then, it’s decided—it’s you!