The reason for splitting into two small teams was that the mutated creatures on the third level were entirely different from those on the first two. If the first and second levels were dominated by packs, then on the third level, each area was dominated by individuals.
While speaking, Xi Wen mentioned the corpse of the giant black snake, stating that its size strongly indicated it was a mutated creature that had emerged from the third level.
The danger of the third level during the beast tide was precisely this: what should have been areas dominated by individuals would all surge together under the influence of the beast tide!
This was akin to an ordinary person already finding it dangerous to face a single fierce tiger, but now having to confront an entire tiger pack simultaneously. Therefore, upon entering, the absolute priority was not to get bogged down in combat but to immediately distance themselves from the beast swarm.
Entering half an hour later was also based on Xi Wen's experience.
"Affected by the beast tide, the primary objective of all mutated creatures is to break through the electric fence. If you enter too early, you might encounter us, leading to a pincer attack."
"After you enter in half an hour, first disengage from the beast tide, then fire a signal flare."
After Xi Wen finished his final instructions, he suddenly called Li Chonglou aside.
"Little Li, your stamina isn't fully recovered. How about you be the one to guard the electric fence later?"
From Xi Wen's earlier explanation, the passage connecting the second and third levels was a protective electric fence constructed by the base. It was several meters deep, and generally, no creature could breach it.
However, under the influence of the beast tide, these mutated creatures had lost their minds. The black snake that had come up earlier likely climbed over the corpses of many of its kind.
It was just that Li Chonglou hadn't actually seen this so-called electric fence defense layer, as they were still several kilometers away from the passage.
"Is there anything I need to pay attention to?"
Xi Wen's expression suddenly turned serious: "You must ensure that the beast crowds from both the second and third levels do not simultaneously charge the electric fence. Otherwise, it could easily cause circuit disruptions, temporarily disabling the fence."
Li Chonglou immediately understood. No wonder they hadn't truly rested only after reaching the passage; it wasn't just because of the mutated spiders, but more importantly, they couldn't lead the beast tide towards the electric fence.
At that moment, Li Chonglou felt a bit troubled. This meant he would have to guard the electric fence. But he also had a task from the elder to retrieve an artifact from a designated location.
However, seeing the hopeful look in Xi Wen's eyes, Li Chonglou finally nodded.
If they hadn't also earned Li Chonglou's approval, he would have surely refused this request at this moment.
After all, with this time, he might as well have applied to enter the third level to continue refining his acupoints. Once he accepted this task, it meant he could only stay by the electric fence and could not stir up the surrounding beast tide.
This, in turn, meant he couldn't use the beast tide to train his acupoints.
When Xi Wen saw Li Chonglou agree, his face immediately lit up with a happy smile.
"Then it's settled. This arduous task is entrusted to you."
Xi Wen patted his shoulder, gave him an encouraging look, and then returned to the crowd to continue giving instructions on other details.
After he finished explaining the details, Old Niu suddenly leaned in and asked in a low voice.
"Did the captain ask you to guard the electric fence?"
Li Chonglou looked at him confusedly and said, "Yes, what's wrong?"
"As expected, the captain is already looking out for you."
Old Niu chuckled and gave Li Chonglou a knowing look.
However, his demeanor made Li Chonglou's eyebrows twitch, as he vaguely guessed something, and he couldn't help but say, "Oh? What do you mean?"
"You still don't understand, kid. The electric fence doesn't really need much guarding. If a large-scale assault were to happen, how could you possibly handle it alone?"
"It's clear the captain is giving you a relatively safe environment, especially since your stamina hasn't recovered, and the third level is too dangerous for you."
Just as he thought, Li Chonglou's originally gloomy mood immediately cleared up. He confirmed, "So, I don't actually have to stay there?"
Old Niu was taken aback by the question and instinctively replied, "What do you want to do if you're not staying there properly?"
Alright, I get it.
Li Chonglou smiled and said, "No, I was just asking."
Old Niu immediately sized Li Chonglou up with some suspicion and warned, "You really shouldn't run around, kid. Although the electric fence doesn't need much guarding, if the beast tide on the second level really gets stirred up, it could indeed break the fence prematurely."
At this moment, he already regretted coming to tell Li Chonglou these things. After all, his reputation for being eager for a fight was deeply ingrained. Old Niu was genuinely afraid that Li Chonglou might not be able to resist and rush into the beast tide.
However, Li Chonglou, who now understood his meaning, smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, Brother Niu, I'm not someone who doesn't know the gravity of the situation."
Old Niu rolled his eyes, but still emphasized again, "I'm not joking about this. If the electric fence fails early, we might be fine for a while, but the people in the base outside will be in trouble."
Li Chonglou nodded seriously, "Don't worry, I understand."
It would be good if he truly understood! Old Niu felt a mix of amusement and despair, realizing he might have done something foolish.
He had just seen Li Chonglou looking preoccupied, thinking he was worried about the difficulty of the task, so he came up to try and counsel him. He didn't expect that his counseling would make him preoccupied himself.
However, out of pure trust, Old Niu didn't say any more, only sighing and silently retreating back into the crowd.
Seeing this, Li Chonglou's heart warmed.
In this situation, others might have already changed their minds on the spot. After all, not only was he a newcomer, but this matter was indeed extremely important to everyone, otherwise their risking their lives to come here would be meaningless.
But Old Niu ultimately chose to trust him. Not only him, but Li Chonglou now also understood Xi Wen's intention was for his safety, even though his decision went against his original wishes.
But on the whole, it was for his own good. Li Chonglou had understood this sentiment.
The group rested for only about ten minutes before Xi Wen led a team of seven towards the entrance of the passage. Since they couldn't draw the beast tide there, the other team members created noise as they departed to attract the attention of the beast tide.