How Am I Still Alive?

When did they start stalking me?

Was it when I bought the plant codex at the entrance and picked up a newbie's wristband for benefits?

Was it when I walked straight through the safe zone grassland and entered this dense forest with poor visibility and few people?

Was it when I focused on the joy of getting a job and ignored the extra shadows following me?

"I was careless, got to reflect on that..."

Lu Ping'an calmly flipped through the plant codex, scrutinizing the plants by the road.

The opponent's tracking skills were not remarkable, even somewhat amateurish. At times, he could even glimpse the corner of a black cloak out of the corner of his eye.

But at this point, anxiety and restlessness would only trigger the wolves to strike early. Better to consider how to handle them first.

Lu Ping'an's acting was adequate. Lei Shuiyun, who always said "I got it covered," had her arm trembling slightly.

"Didn't you say it's relatively safe in here? We haven't gone far yet."

"My brother and I have been here twice, and it's always been safe..."

Brother Lei Huoren? The one who came wearing a Bureau of Anomaly Management Secret Keeper uniform? It would be strange if it weren't safe.

Lu Ping'an sighed helplessly. It was his own fault for depending on noobs.

But Meow's ears and tail were raised, and she seemed about to expose herself. It was time for some reassurance.

"A good piece of news and a bad one, Shuiyun. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"...The bad news."

Lu Ping'an smiled and casually said,

"There are more than two of them, at least three."

"What's the good news?"

"There are at least three of them."

Lei Shuiyun wasn't dumb; she understood the implications after a moment of shock.

With more people stalking noobs but not daring to strike now, it meant their strength was not strong, relying only on numbers to win.

"Meow, are they a noob hunter team?!"

Why so sure? The plant codex in Lu Ping'an's hand clearly indicated a noob gardener with a low-level bodyguard. It was probably the weakest combination in the whole Secret Realm.

If everyone was a 0-tier or 1-tier noob, with Meow's beastification system advantage…

"Meow, leave it to me!"

For a moment, a confident Meow head emerged, successfully inspiring morale.

However, leaving it to her? Lu Ping'an wasn't that naive.

Newbies, especially those who haven't seen blood, were not worth relying on, even if she could kill him instantly.

"From now on, listen to me. We'll split up. You pretend to turn back while I head deeper into the woods. They'll surely follow me. Then it'll be up to you to hunt them down... In the trees, deep within the forest, that's your territory, right?"

Lu Ping'an smiled and gave the sudden puff of Meow's hair a stroke, which did feel nice.

"I... I..."

Meow was a little hesitant. Although "cat" combined with "spider walk" gave her the potential to be the king of the jungle, she didn't have the confidence.

"Slap!"

"Meow!"

Extending his hand, Lu Ping'an gave Meow's tail a twist and pulled it fiercely.

Without waiting for her to react, he jumped back and loudly scolded,

"You little girl, with your skills, who can depend on you to be a bodyguard? Didn't I hire you for that thing? Still pretending to be noble? Won't let me touch? Fine, get lost! I can handle the rest on my own. Don't even think about the final payment!"

After yelling, Lu Ping'an turned and walked into the forest, leaving a perplexed Meow behind.

Nobody could deny that Lu Ping'an was quite fast and soon disappeared into the woods.

"Let's go, follow that fat lamb..."

From the shadows, four cloaked figures quickly followed.

An obvious beastified bodyguard on one side and a newbie gardener boss on the other; it didn't require much thought to decide whom to target first.

As Lu Ping'an entered the forest and heard hurried footsteps behind him about ten minutes later, he smiled happily.

"Sometimes, the roles of hunter and prey can change at any moment..."

This was the safest Secret Realm because there was no death.

This was also the most dangerous Secret Realm because there was no death... so cowards and wild dogs dared to try taking others' lives.

But once wild dogs tasted blood and turned into wolves, would they still be content with a vegetarian diet outside?

Was the Lady of the Forest really that kind? Lu Ping'an just wanted to give a sarcastic laugh.

He calmly leaned against a tree, flipping through his book while patiently waiting.

"Where's the guy?"

The four black-cloaked figures walked past him, not noticing him hidden by bushes and tree bark.

Lu Ping'an yawned, tears nearly escaping his eyes. He was a bit tired today; better to go back to sleep soon.

"Hey, nice to meet you guys."

Suddenly appearing in the middle of the group, Lu Ping'an greeted them.

He had his arm around the neck of one unfortunate person while waving at the others with a smile, a book still in his hand.

"You...you..."

At that moment, the newbie killer team was terrified.

The others pointed at Lu Ping'an but discovered the gruesome state of their comrade first.

Around the neck of the cloaked figure held by Lu Ping'an, a purple-red "magical vine" was rapidly spreading. It was visibly growing wildly on the head, chest, and arms.

"This? Well, have you guys heard of Baseliga Bloodsucking Vine? It lodges in wounds, germinates in blood vessels, quickly parasitizes the whole body, drains blood, and turns the victim into a dry mummy."

Instantly, the faces under the cloaks turned pale.

"I have some questions for you guys, so don't make any sudden moves, okay?"

How could a noob handle such a crazy and terrifying thing? Did they hit a brick wall this time?

"Stop it! Stop it now!"

"Don't do this, man. Please don't move, just don't."

Seeing the purple vine growing wildly and the hapless victim too afraid to breathe, nearly collapsing on the ground, the others cried out.