Ming gazed into the flying leech's eyes, shimmering with a faint red glow, and stroked its soft, velvety fur. The touch was gratifying, and he could confirm that the creature had evolved, advancing another rank.

It used to have dark gold eyes, indicating an epic tier. But this light red hue... what rank does it represent? The fur feels similar to the unique coat Frank has when he transforms into a werewolf. It seems the injection I gave it last time worked. No wonder it's faster now. Honestly, I'm quite pleased with Napoleon's arrival.

Wait a minute!

Holding Napoleon, Ming froze. It seemed Napoleon carried several hidden quests with it.

Oh no...

A voice resonated in his ear:

[Hidden quest detected. Noting your participation in a group hidden quest. The Apocalypse Game System is trying to access similar event-handling procedures. Access failed. This issue has not been encountered before, please wait...]

[System detects other survivors present. Individual hidden quests cannot be added. To maintain fairness and transparency, adjustments are being made...]

[Group hidden quest will continue, individual quests will overlay.]

"Darn it."

Ming stood in shock. This was madness. To put it simply, it was like garnishing an already perfect cake with unnecessary nuts, sausages, and mushrooms. Though it looked more colorful, it seemed Alan, Mike, Digennaro, David, Hawkins, and the Lamb would have a harder time now.

Well, a good brother is one who shares his problems and learns to share them.

A humming sound echoed as beams of light descended upon various parts of the city. Everyone looked up in awe, "What's happening now?"

Ming shrugged, "New monsters, probably. No worries. Let's just think the more that come, the more we gain. Don't stress it."

"..."

Everyone exchanged glances, feeling the weight of the pressure.

Hawkins remarked, "We didn't trigger any quest, did we? What's going on?"

Alan shook his head, equally baffled.

All eyes turned to Ming, who said, somewhat helplessly, "Maybe... the system just wants to mess with us. At this point, nothing it does should surprise us."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Seven questions?"

Mike counted on his fingers, "If you include Davie on the rooftop, there's only six of us, right?"

Digennaro interjected, "Don't forget about the sheep."

Mike smacked his forehead, "Right, that darned creature."

Silence

The screen displayed:

[The first question, as an appetizer, it won't be too difficult. If answered correctly, your combat strength will double. If answered incorrectly, it will decrease by four times. If you exceed the time limit, a penalty of 10,000 Apocalypse coins will be imposed.]

[Question: Setting everything else aside, do you think this rule system is male or female? Please answer within 10 seconds.]

[Option 1: Female][Option 2: Male]

Everyone stared blankly at the question.

This is the easy one?

Mike cursed loudly, "This damn foolish thing is clearly trying to trap us!"

[Swearing will result in a fine of 10,000 coins.]

"I..."

Enraged, Mike brandished his sword, decimating a crippled zombie at his feet.

Silence.

Hawkins, facing the screen, said, "Only 5 seconds left. It's obviously trying to trap us. Make a choice."

"Male or female, how do we decide?"

Alan, with a furrowed brow, gazed at the beams of light crashing down in the distance. Each beam signified the arrival of a BOSS-level monster. Despite having the support of the new puppet, the rules were becoming increasingly perverse. Would they be able to hold off?

Just as Digennaro was about to voice his frustration, Ming covered his mouth, "My dear, let's save some money."

He was genuinely worried about Digennaro; every time she opened his mouth, it seemed to cost them.

"How should we choose?"

Recalling Janice's journal and analyzing the emotional undertones of his records about Little A, Ming made a decision: "Choose female."

[Are you sure?]

"Absolutely!"

[Congratulations! All members' strength has doubled.]

"How wonderful!" Mike chuckled, "That wasn't so hard."I think you should take a look at

Everyone shot him a glare. Really, at a time like this? Such words could be fatal.

[Oh, you think it's easy? Very well. I do admire your wit. For the second question, only you may answer. The others must remain silent. Answer correctly and everyone will be awarded 10,000 coins. Answer incorrectly, and you'll be fined 100,000 Apocalypse coins. Fail to answer in time, and you'll be fined 200,000.]

The crowd fell silent.

[Second question: What is the name and ID of the homeowner of Room 302, Building 1, No. 11 on Third Avenue in City H? You have 20 seconds.]

Silence persisted.

seconds later.

seconds later.

Ming showed no reaction. After all, he had no money on him. The rest glared at Mike, who scratched his head, "Rest assured, I won't be speaking out of turn again."

[Your Napoleon jumps from your hand, sensing powerful zombies nearby. Preparing to welcome new members, he leaves behind the giant zombie and mantis, riding away on an armored boar.]

[Napoleon feels that it's a day for military expansion, and he finds this place quite suitable.]

[Question three: What are the seven differences between 'heap' and 'stack' in C language? Answer correctly, and your agility will double. Answer wrongly, and you'll be immobilized for 30 minutes. Fail to answer on time, and a fine of 100,000 will be imposed.]

Silence.The group exchanged glances, communicating through their expressions: Have you studied this?

Do you know?

Does anyone know?

Are we doomed?

Ming suggested, "Don't answer. Let the time run out."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Being immobilized for 30 minutes in their current situation, surrounded by approaching zombies, was no joke.

Mike internally lamented a collective fine of 200,000, averaging over 30,000 per person. Why was nearly 50,000 deducted from him? Was it because someone had insufficient funds, leading others to pay more?

The boss undoubtedly had money. Hawkins, always frugal, had money. Both Alan and himself, being frequent adventurers, had funds. Digennaro, being supported by thousands, had money.

David also had money. Right, it must be that sheep.

[Napoleon, atop his armored boar with the flying leech hovering above and the Cyclops and its new subordinate following closely behind, traversed the streets. He approached a three-headed black dog. Looking up, they communicated. The dog shared its intent to feast on humans. With a gleam in his eyes, Napoleon proposed that, coincidentally, they too were on a similar mission and invited the dog to join. The dog nodded in agreement.]

[Napoleon's army grows by one.]

~~

[The system notes that your knowledge base seems lacking and has decided to give you a pass. Please choose from the options below for the topic of the fourth question.]

[1. Finance knowledge.]

[2. Computer programming knowledge.]

[3. Music knowledge.]

[Choose within 10 seconds.]

Silence.

Everyone exchanged glances.

"I'm clueless about finance. Maybe David would've been of help," Hawkins sighed.

On the 42nd floor of the bank building, David clung to the fire escape staircase, panting heavily. He thought descending would be quick and easy. Clearly, he was mistaken. Moreover, why was his money being deducted as he moved? Was he being targeted?

"We should opt for music. At least we've had some exposure to it in our daily lives," one suggested.

"Right, the last question was about computer programming. We shouldn't pick that again," another pointed out.

"Music seems like the better choice."

Mike finally interjected, "I do have some background in music. I used to play the saxophone and even performed on stage as a singer. I know a bit about lyrics and composition. Just so you know, I was once quite the rocker."

"Are you sure?"

Everyone turned to him, awaiting his decision.

Mike nodded confidently, "Trust me this time."

[Selection: Music knowledge.]

[Fourth question: The piece "Serenade" has been passed down through generations, where did its composer draw inspiration from? Reward: Double physical constitution for 12 hours. Penalty: Quadruple reduction in the physical constitution for 24 hours. Answer within 15 seconds. Failure to do so will lead to an eightfold reduction in the physical constitution for 48 hours.]

Silence.

All eyes were on Mike, who wore an expression of utter cluelessness. "Guys, I can't remember. Who'd recall such specific details? This game is trying to trap us!"

[Profanity detected, penalty: 100,000 coins!]

Silence.

Meanwhile, David, now on the 36th floor, sat on the stairs, completely disheartened. This time, a direct deduction of 50,000! The main issue was, for some unknown reason, he felt weaker with each passing moment. His stamina was depleting rapidly!