《The Abyssal Garden: No Room for the Idle》 Chapter 1 - 1 Su Qi "Bang!" Liu Yishou pushed open the door to the interrogation room directly. Inside sat a young man in his early twenties. His gaze sharpened. Those who often commit murder know that crime and appearance are hardly related. Yet he still found it hard to imagine that the good-looking young man before him could commit such a cruel and inhumane act. A month ago. A family annihilation had taken place in Linjiang City, leaving a family of five dead at home, all valuables cleanly picked. The murderer had not been found. But today, the perpetrator was suddenly apprehended. At this moment, two investigators saw Liu Yishou enter and were about to get up. Liu Yishou raised his hand to signal them to stay put, his gaze coolly fixed on the young man as he interrogated him word by word, "Two months ago in the family annihilation, all five members were killed with precise cuts, and there were no fingerprints or footprints in the house, nor did the community''s surveillance capture anything but a fleeting shadow." "I''ve been on the trail of this case, and I''ve found quite a few clues." He watched the young man with a deterring gaze, "You''re definitely not an ordinary criminal." "But a dangerous recidivist skilled in knife work, with ample criminal experience, and thoroughly premeditated and planned in action!" The young man faced the interrogation with a slight smile. Liu Yishou''s expression slightly darkened, impressed by his composure in the face of danger... "Uh... that..." An investigative officer, cautious, interrupted him, "Chief, you''ve got the wrong person." "This young man isn''t the criminal; he''s the enthusiastic citizen who subdued the perpetrator." Liu Yishou''s expression stiffened, his aura quickly fading, silent for a while, then he asked, "Where is the criminal then?" "Suffering from twelve fractures all over his body, currently undergoing emergency treatment in the hospital." ----------------- Liu Yishou stood outside a hospital''s single-occupancy room, looking through the glass at the murderer wrapped in bandages, still unconscious. Tragic. Apparently, the perpetrator had soiled himself when he was put into the ambulance. "Beep beep beep." His phone rang, delivering him a file. It was the young man''s information. He glanced at it: "Su Qi, 21 years old, an orphan, hasn''t graduated yet, experience..." Liu Yishou suddenly paused. He realized that this young man had a broad range of interests. He had participated in various city competitions such as archery, combat sports, rock climbing, swimming, was a member of extreme sports clubs, and had won multiple community mahjong and chess competitions... It wasn''t until Liu Yishou finished scanning this information that he looked up thoughtfully, "It seems the statements hold no issues, the hand was slightly heavy, but the guy''s got something." Bold yet meticulous, rich in experience. Painstaking in his actions. Such a person might actually be a good fit for the Investigation Bureau. At that moment. A call suddenly came through on his phone, and a somewhat hesitant voice spoke, "Chief, I think I''ve found some more information about that young man." "Hmm?" Liu Yishou sensed something off in the caller''s tone. "He filed a leave of absence from school a month ago, dropped out of the club, and stopped participating in any activities." "Then..." The voice on the phone hesitated, with an air of disbelief, "He began to do some strange things." Strange? Liu Yishou raised an eyebrow. In his years busting illegal activities, he''d seen men dressed as women; how strange could this be? He said in a stern voice, "Go on." "There was a complaint before, someone reported their cat went out to play and came back with its fur shaved off its forehead, and his figure was caught on camera." Hmm, might just dislike cats, not strange. "He sneaked into the school''s locked music room late at night and played several pieces..." Uh... could be nostalgia for the school, the behavior is not encouraged, but understandable. "After Ghost House closed, he moved the body out of a coffin and laid there himself for the night." ? Liu Yishou eventually couldn''t hold back, asking, "Where did you get all this from?" "From the complaint calls we received before... we didn''t prioritize it because it seemed trivial." Liu Yishou: "...." Retracting his previous thoughts. Such a guy definitely shouldn''t be recruited into the Investigation Bureau; who knows what kind of influence he might bring. Suddenly, Liu Yishou heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see two strangers, noticing the distinct air about them, he asked with a hint of caution, "Who might you be?" The middle-aged man took out his ID, "Linjiang City Investigation Bureau Action Team Chief Liu Yishou, right? You''ve worked hard. From now on, we''ll take over the person in the hospital room." Liu Yishou recognized the emblem on the ID card, belonging to a secretive department of the Investigation Bureau, a group of people who seldom appeared within the bureau and were rarely seen by others. Rumors were they didn''t work yet they still drew salaries, truly enviable... The middle-aged man''s gaze shifted to the dreadful sight of the murderer in the hospital room, clicking his tongue in disapproval, "So, you took the law into your own hands?" "That...it''s a long story. I''ll give you the written record later," Liu Yishou coughed, voicing his doubts, "But why...why are you guys taking over this criminal?" "Confidential. Not at liberty to disclose." The reason this branch was so mysterious was because its work was strictly confidential. "However..." The middle-aged man pushed the door to the hospital room and then suddenly turned around, "You should find out soon." ------------- Right at this moment, At the side of the street with the traffic lights, Su Qi looked at the wary gaze of the person across from him, trying to find the right tone to start, "First, I need to clarify one thing." "I''m not a pervert, there''s a reason for this." "Second, I don''t have any peculiar fetishes either." "Finally," Su Qi paused for a moment before looking at the businesswoman in professional attire on the electric scooter, "Would you sell me the stockings you''re wearing on your feet?" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The office lady''s face changed color slightly, "Pfft! Pervert! Creep!" As she spoke, she sped away. Su Qi watched the scooter disappearing into the distance, "See, the world is so cold and insincere. Honest communication earns no trust." A month before, He had developed a problem with his eyes, he started seeing punctuation marks. At first, he saw a "[?]" above a cat''s head. Out of curiosity, when he made contact, he saw a message from the inner thoughts of the kitten, "[What is this stupid servant staring at?]" Despite being insulted, Su Qi wasn''t angry and generously went to buy a pair of scissors to give it a haircut. From then on, Su Qi knew he had acquired a special ability, which he tested numerous times in search of understanding. Currently, it was divided into two types, Question marks and exclamation points. After triggering a "[?]," you could obtain some related information. "[!]" required completing a specific action beforehand, then you would obtain a hidden special item. It was like finding an Easter egg in a game, Jumping along the wall in the Sword Battle Room to make a machine gun fall, Cutting off your own meridians a hundred times in a martial arts online game to get an Immortal Body, with one palm not only breaking the Martial Arts Alliance Leader but also crashing the server. Of course, for the sake of testing his ability, he had done all these things, which resulted in his accounts being banned for cheating. Games can be illogical, after all, But reality is different. He laid down as a corpse in Ghost House, played the piano at night school, all to trigger Easter eggs, and what he got were only a Finger Bone and a sheet of music, "Currently, I have no clue what they''re for." Su Qi crossed the street, and although it was already evening, the commercial center was even busier. With more people, The frequency of question marks also increased. The beef pancake shop didn''t use real beef, but synthetic duck meat instead, The roadside vending machine was broken, put in one yuan and two bottles of drink would fall out, There was a man and a woman in the coffee shop on a blind date, the woman said she was too busy at work to date, but Su Qi could see the number 55 over her head. It can only be said that the question marks are relative, When you see a question mark, your own heart places one there as well. At this moment, The crowd suddenly buzzed with commotion, people raised their heads, pointing and saying with a hint of fear: "What is that?" On the huge screen outside a commercial building, an image of a Ghost Mask appeared, It occupied the entire screen, opening its crimson eyes as if watching everyone. You couldn''t make out the face, but you could feel it sneering darkly. "Tsss" It extended several thin, pale fingers, and blood-red words were shakily written across the screen. The grating sound of the writing sent shivers down people''s spines. "[Do you...wish to understand the true meaning of life?]" Such a strong sense of dj vu. Everyone shuddered involuntarily, feeling a chilling sensation rising from deep within their hearts. Could it be that something big was about to happen? Then the screen suddenly flickered, the Ghost Mask chuckled lowly a few times before vanishing in the flickering light. Messages began to scroll one after another. "[Abyssal Paradise is going into public beta tomorrow. Developed by Magic Cube Company, this is a brand-new virtual reality game in a world full of endless mysteries....]" "......" "Scared for nothing, turns out it''s just an ad, so it''s nothing." "No, I do have a problem, where can I buy pants around here?" In the midst of the noisy crowd, Su Qi stood rooted to the spot. Just as the Ghost Mask appeared, Question marks and exclamation points filled the screen in utterly immeasurable quantities! It was like a vast tsunami pounding at his trigeminal nerve! As if it sought to drown him. Chapter 2 - 2: Abyssal Paradise, Activate! Su Qi returned home and cooked a bowl of noodles. He didn''t like soup noodles; the essence of noodles lay in dry mixing, where each strand could be fully coated in savory meat sauce, blending into the rich flavor. He brought it to his computer screen. He began browsing the official forum of "Abyssal Paradise." It had to be said, the game was incredibly popularthough not yet in open beta, the number of followers had already exceeded three million. Some complained about Magic Cube Company on the forum, saying it was heartless to sell the game cabin and game as a bundle, and furthermore, the cabin could only play "Abyssal Paradise," which was quite expensive compared to others. But defenders quickly emerged. "How is it expensive? Stop talking nonsense, sometimes you should look for the reasons within yourself." "Love it or leave it. Those who don''t play Abyss are doomed to a failed life." "People are acting like filial sons before the game''s even released." Su Qi skipped over those pointless, jumbled, and crazed messages. He read some valuable content, summarized as follows. "Abyssal Paradise" had a six-month confidential test phase with data deletion. Many of the testers posted on the forum, seemingly forming factions to attract naive new players. Additionally. The game''s structure was extremely large. According to Magic Cube Company insiders, the game boasted an unlimited number of instance worlds for players to explore, offering infinite possibilities. Also, the cheats that other games detested would never appear in "Abyssal Paradise." "Is that so, zero cheats? It seems I must play then, as I hate cheaters the most." ----------------- On the morning of the open beta. Su Qi got up early for a run, had a bath and breakfast. Then he lay down in the game cabin, refreshed and ready to enter the game. He tapped the narrow walls of the cabin and watched the automatic door close. "The designer of this game cabin must''ve worked in funerals before; this feels no different from lying in a coffin at Ghost House." [Neural connection in progress] [Connection successful] [Welcome, player number 985211, for using our company''s product] [Please be aware, during gameplay, you may experience nausea, dizziness, or other discomfort, as well as potential negative emotional effects. Players are expected to bear the consequences. If any discomfort arises, please cease gameplay immediately and seek medical help promptly] [Have a pleasant game] After a brief moment of distraction. Su Qi found himself in a dark room, where beyond the system''s faint glowing messages there was nothing but deep darkness. Weird and mixed noises came from outside the roommonsters howling, ghostly laughter. Listening to the bizarre sounds continuously emerging from outside, he mused, "Personal login space made like this, is it to make players feel immersed, or just to create a scary atmosphere?" Ordinary people might indeed panic, staying motionless in the well-lit area. But Su Qi was already making his way through the darkness, trying to open the door to find out what lay beyond. The door handle, however, would not turn. Instead, a message popped up in front of him. [This area is not yet available] He could only knock on the door, "Enough with the effects, it''s too loud." It was unclear whether the game had heard Su Qi''s words, or if it was just the game''s design, but the noises outside the room quickly faded away. [Please enter your in-game username now] Su Qi hadn''t considered using his real name; after a moment of thought, he made up his mind. [Is the username confirmed as: Su Buxian?] [Confirmation successful] [Player Su Buxian, do you wish to immediately enter the single-player instance? Upon entering the instance, character panel will be unlocked] "Yes." The next moment. The system''s light vanished, and the room fell into complete darkness. A faint sobbing sound rose from the darkness. It seemed far away, yet suddenly it was close to his ear, a hoarse voice as if from a scorched throat: "Welcome, to the Abyss." ..... After a brief wait, the darkness receded like a tide. Su Qi, with a dark expression, touched his ear, "If you''re going to scare someone, why get so close? And why do I feel like I''ve been licked?" He looked up. The original login space had transformed into a wooden cabin. The cabin was dim, with rays of sunset seeping through the gaps of the ill-fitted wooden door, casting light upon the somewhat dirty floor. Dirty and messy? Su Qi looked down at his feet, noticing what appeared to be dried liquid on the floor, flies buzzing chaotically inside the room, and his nose quickly caught a whiff of an indescribable odor. Before he could get a clear view of the cabin''s interior, His vision blurred suddenly, as the game''s introductory CG screen began to slowly emerge, and a detached voice sounded in his ear. "You had a flat tire and were stranded on the desolate roadside, and, with no other options, you accepted an invitation from a passing local to stay at their home." "Their home is in a secluded small town nearby. The town doesn''t have many residents, but each one you meet is overly enthusiastic. You decide to stay the night and deal with your car the next day." "Only the vague traces you''ve incidentally discovered make you uneasy." The CG showed the scenes he had passed on the way thorny shrubs, a church used for prayers, and enthusiastic smiles on everyone''s faces. The next moment, the mission prompt appeared. "Mission: Escape the town or survive for three hours." sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As the images slowly faded, Su Qi finally had a moment to survey the cabin with his gaze. Apart from a bed, there wasn''t much inside the cabin. It seemed to be temporary lodging arranged for visitors, but obviously... he wasn''t the only outsider who had come here. Su Qi touched the dried liquid on the ground and brought it to his nose to sniff. "The smell of disinfectant, but there''s more" There was also a faint stench that even disinfectant couldn''t mask. Although he looked around the cabin, he didn''t see anything. Suddenly, Su Qi''s gaze froze. A small question mark was quietly sitting in a corner by the bedside. "Looks like you can see them in this game, too." After approaching, he saw the message. "This plank is loose." Su Qi pried the plank open, his eyebrows arching at the spine-chilling sight. Beneath was a hollow space filled with skeletons, a few bodies that hadn''t fully decomposed, their flesh hanging more densely than the pork ribs sold at the butcher''s by the entrance of his residential complex. He pinched his nose, almost knocked over by the stench as he opened it. "So, it means all the outsiders who were invited here were killed." Su Qi, with sharp eyes, spotted a plastic bag in the chest cavity of one of the corpses and reached out to pull it out. The bag was covered in blood. Upon opening it, he found a small voice recorder and an ID badge inside. "It seems this was a journalist, who also stumbled into this place." Su Qi skipped the previous voice entries and went straight to the last day. A man''s voice soon came from the voice recorder. "6:26 PM, my luck couldn''t be worse, my car broke down, and reluctantly I had to seek shelter in this remote little town. But the townspeople are very hospitable, even bringing me dinner, which was delicious." "7:00 PM, just as I was about to leave the house, the enthusiastic neighboring maid, Mary it seemed like she was waiting for me, voluntarily showed me around, and I noticed that even though the town has less than fifty residents, there''s a church with decorative patterns that felt strangely familiar, but I couldn''t place them." "7:40 PM, as the sun has set, it seems everyone in the town goes to the church for prayers at this time. Although it''s a bit odd, it is their custom." "7:47 PM, I can no longer stand the smell of dead mice in the cabin. Can''t they detect it? I wanted to mention it, but seeing their warm hospitality, I couldn''t bring myself to complain... I''ll clean it up myself." The voice did not hang up; it was apparent he had found the source of the stench and was creaking the floorboards. Su Qi knew what would happen next. After opening it. "Snap!" The recorder had a clear sound of being dropped, followed by his panicked, trembling voice: "God, what the hell is this... this damn thing?" The voice cut off there. Clearly, he had discovered the skeleton storage below. Su Qi shifted his gaze to the last voice recording, dated 8:00 PM. The voice recorder emitted a shaky voice, clearly discernible despair and fear throughout, a stark contrast to the beginning. "Why... why are there so many bodies here? Could it be... I remember now, the patterns! Damn it! Everyone here is a wicked believer, and each outsider is sacrificed to the Demon." The man tried to flee, footsteps frantic, but they suddenly halted, as if he saw something terrifying outside the window. "They... they have finished their prayers and are all standing outside the cabin with torches." His voice grew quieter, a feeble and trembling sound of ultimate despair. "I''m already... trapped." "Crack!" The sound of the cabin door being opened came from the recorder. At the same time, Su Qi heard the same sound from the door behind him. "Click." Chapter 3 - 3: Everyone in Town Has a Unique Skill The woman at the door, dressed as a housemaid, pushed it open with a smile, holding a dinner plate with an exquisite dinner on it. "Esteemed guest, here is your dinner. You must be famished," she said. Su Qi had already put down the plank the moment the door opened and then stood up calmly to meet her. He remarked politely, "Thank you." Then he glanced at the dinner, frowning, "Wait a minute, why isn''t there any coriander? I love eating coriander." The smile on the housemaid''s face stiffened. The outsiders she usually encountered would sincerely thank her, showing a gentlemanly demeanor as they accepted their meal and then praised its deliciousness. Who would ask her about the absence of coriander? "I can''t eat without coriander." She was silent for a moment, then compromised: "I''m sorry, if you really want it, I''ll make it again." But Su Qi waved her off, "Nevermind, nevermind, I''m already too hungry. Just give it to me." "...." The housemaid clenched her fist and handed it over. Su Qi took the dinner plate and said, "By the way, after I finish eating, I''d like to see if there''s a place in town that can fix a flat tire. Could you show me around?" "Of course, guest," the housemaid bowed. "I''ll wait outside for you, so I won''t disturb your meal now." As she was about to turn around and leave, "Oh, right." Su Qi stopped her, asking, "What''s your name?" "Ma....." "Nevermind, I''m not interested." Su Qi ''slammed'' the cabin door shut. Mary, the housemaid, had bloodshot eyes as she clenched her fingers until veins showed. Damn it, if you''re not interested then why ask at all! Rude bastard! Once the time comes, I''ll tear you into pieces! "Whoosh" Su Qi immediately dumped the dinner into the hollow space beneath the plank. The dinner might or might not have been tampered with, but it was best not to eat it. He leaned back on the bed and thought to himself, "It seems my guess wasn''t wrong, I''m still safe as long as I don''t have to pray at the church." "Of course, the condition is that I can''t run away or show any flaws and must appear completely harmless." While pretending to eat, Su Qi opened his character interface. [ID: Su Buxian] [Level: 1] [Vitality: 100%] [Physical Strength: 100 (Moving, fighting, and using skills consume Physical Strength, which increases proportionally with the Physical Strength attribute)] [Strength: 10] [Movement Technique: 10] [Physical Strength: 10] [Spiritual Power: 10] [Item Slot: Not opened] [Skill Bar: Locked] [Note: Non-fatal injuries first deduct Physical Strength. Fatal injuries can directly reduce Vitality. If Vitality falls below 10, a severe injury buff is applied, continuously deducting Physical Strength until Vitality reaches zero, resulting in death.] [Note: Spiritual skills are not included in the above. Running out of Spiritual Power results in death.] After scanning over it, what caught his attention was the damage assessment. The term "high offense, low defense" came to mind. No matter how high the attack, if it''s not fatal, Physical Strength is deducted first. But no matter how great the Physical Strength, a fatal injury could still lead to instant death. "Encouraging players to fight and find enemies'' weak spots, huh?" Having roughly understood, the interface slowly disappeared. After guessing that enough time had passed, he pushed the door open and stepped out, as Mary almost simultaneously emerged from the next cabin. Not only that, but there were also several seemingly inconspicuous gazes glancing over. See, being watched like a hawk. Along the way. He also saw some Skills on some of the small town residents. [The Woodcutter is practicing chopping with an ax] [The Hunter is loading bullets into the hunting rifle] [The butcher has been sharpening his cleaver for twenty minutes] Good grief, each one of them had a remarkable skill. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, each person also had their own panel, with their Strength attribute at around 15. After a tour around, Su Qi finally saw the church. Just like in the recording, there were strange patterns on the pillar in the middle of the church. Looking closely, countless evil spirits with wings spread out were entwined upon it, and atop the pillar sat a Sheep Head Demon. This was the God worshipped by this small town. "Welcome, our guest." At this moment, a warm and husky voice sounded. An old man dressed in Priest robes, was standing on the street corner, staring at Su Qi with his round and pale eyes, a smile spreading across his face. "I am the Priest of the church and also the mayor of this town." Su Qi also responded with a smile, "Mayor, I''ve had a flat tire and cannot drive. Does your town sell tire repair tools? It would be even better if you have gasoline." The Old Priest said with a smile on his white, wrinkled face, "Of course, but they''re all in the storeroom, and the keyholder won''t be back until tomorrow." This was a lie. Su Qi, feeling resigned, said, "It looks like I can only stay here for the night." The Old Priest smiled, "May you have a pleasant night here." Although there was a smile on his lips, his eyes watched like a hunter viewing prey. Yes. Prey. Su Qi had already realized that everyone here seemed to regard him as prey, sharpening their knives, preparing for the harvest. And at that moment. Su Qi also saw the [?] above the Old Priest''s head. It read. [Likes the struggle and despair of the prey] Old Bieden. Su Qi also replied politely, "Thank you, I hope you all will also have a pleasant night." The Old Priest gently caressed the symbol of faith in his hand, a Sheep Head ring, and said meaningfully, "Yes, we certainly will." He looked towards the distant mountains. "It''s getting late; the sun is about to set, and we''re preparing to start the church prayers. Mary, please escort our guest back to the cabin." "Okay." The maid nodded. Su Qi offered no objections. Following the maid Mary, he headed towards the direction of the cabin. He also saw every resident of the small town, one by one, opening their doors and going out, their gazes fixated on him all the way. Against the darkening sunset, they looked somewhat excited and eerie. Su Qi acted as if he hadn''t noticed and returned to the cabin. "A town full of Killing Demons, a moment of inattention could lead to an instant death." However, there was also a chance. "Next, everyone will enter the church for a twenty-minute prayer. When the bell rings at the end, it will signify the start of their hunt." "That means, within these twenty minutes... I have to choose whether to run like mad or to hide." The condition for completing the task is to escape the town or survive for three hours. Running like mad seemed like the best choice; even if he couldn''t get out, he could still hide in the woods. But in reality, running away was undoubtedly nightmare difficulty. It was already dark, and in the jungle, there were all sorts of spikes and traps that appeared vaguely in the CG imagery. A person unfamiliar with the area daring to enter would likely die terribly. Moreoverthere was someone guarding the jungle at the town''s exit. Although he was extremely well-hidden, Su Qi still caught a glimpse of his hovering question mark. Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "No matter which option I choose, both are extremely dangerous." And time was pressing, after all, every Killing Demon in the town would begin the hunt the moment the bell rang. "But..." Su Qi looked toward the deep and serene town outside the cabin, where the atmosphere of terror permeated the streets. "Perhaps I could try a third option." The next moment. Without any hesitation, Su Qi pushed open the door of the cabin and walked onto the empty streets. Chapter 4 - 4 This is so interesting, take me to play. All the villagers had already entered the church, meaningevery home was now deserted. Su Qi, following the information he''d seen today, began to break into each house one by one. Soon. He found an axe at the woodcutter''s house and slung it over his shoulder. Then, at the hunter''s house, he found a hunting rifle, thoughtfully stocked with ammunition by the owner. Su Qi had no plans to flee or hide. He was arming himself with the enemy''s resources. At last, in the butcher''s home. Su Qi suddenly halted, his gaze slightly startled, for he saw not only the bloodstained butcher''s knife but also a mysterious symbol[!]above it. "Is there an unexpected find? It never appeared before." Upon triggering it, the information also revealed itself. [If you can use it to peel an apple and keep the peel unbroken, perhaps you''ll discover something] "Sure enough... it''s this style again." Su Qi shook his head yet his expression wasn''t surprised. Because the previous few exclamation triggers had also been like this, the prerequisite actions somewhat abstract, puzzling, but rewarding upon completion, so he endured it. After a brief half minute, he completed the prerequisite action. It must be said, the thing was indeed good at peeling apples, albeit a bit unnerving. The exclamation symbol flickered lightly, then gradually faded away. The next moment. The butcher''s knife seemed to absorb a special aura, changing its appearance, and a panel popped up along with it. [Name: Hundred Man Slaughter Blade] [Type: Equipment] [Quality: Ordinary (Low-quality, Ordinary, Excellent, Perfect, Immortal, Legend)] [Function: When slashing, it can increase movement technique and strength by +15 each (also consuming more physical strength)] sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Can be taken out of the instance: Yes] [Note: A knife that has killed too many people, filled with a terrible sinister energy] This was the first piece of equipment Su Qi could see the panel for, he didn''t know whether it was because he had discovered its special property, triggering the equipment attribute. Or because he did those things, changing from an ordinary item, directly creating it out of thin air. The former... was still normal. The latter... would be outright cheating. However. None of that was the most important thing at the moment. Su Qi tucked the blade into his belt and then strode to the storeroom door, sniffing the smell of gasoline inside. Right now, there was only one thing on his mind. He was about to embark on a massacre! ----------------- At this very moment. The town''s church was bustling, its doors tightly shut. The space inside wasn''t large; though it could accommodate nearly fifty people, they were all squeezed together. In the middle of the open space stood a column with the statue of a sheep''s head on top, surrounded by patterns drawn in fresh blood. Clearly, this was a ceremony. Nearly fifty town residents were standing shoulder to shoulder in a circle. The Old Priest''s voice echoed as he bowed his head and chanted the prayers, his tone filled with utmost devotion. "Great True God, in this world, only we recognize your might. Please accept our unwaveringly loyal faith." "When the bell tolls, we will offer up the sacrifice to you, completing the ritual with the flesh and blood of the desperate one." Torches burned around the column, and in their shadowy glow, the shadow of the sheep''s head lengthened across the front wall of the church, reaching all the way to the hanging bell. All the residents of the small town had eyes bloodshot, their expressions brimming with immense excitement as they watched the scene unfold. Because they knew what was about to happen. The great True God would ring the bell, answering their prayers, and then the night''s revelry would begin. "Dang!" The bell tolled, struck by a shadowy figure! The Old Priest watched everything, arms spread wide, his eyes lined with red veins. His devout expression appeared terrifying under the firelight as he said, "My friends, the True God''s response has arrived, and today''s prey seems quite promising, I hope you all enjoy yourselves." The Hunters, Butchers, and Woodcutters raised their heads. Mary, the maid, was even more filled with madness and excitement. Yes, she had thought of a hundred ways to deal with that guy, just hoping this rude and disrespectful man would last a little longer. Before. Some guests would foolishly stay in the cabin, clueless even as the ritual started, and when tied to the post, still begged for mercy, ultimately being cut into pieces amidst desperate screams by each person. Some guests were smart and noticed something amiss early on, then attempted to escape, but most were wounded by traps in the jungle, and even if they barely made it into the jungle, that was just the beginning of their hunt. The prey that had lasted the longest before was an active-duty security guard, physically strong and experienced, having sensed the abnormality earlier than others. But what of it, isn''t he now just another corpse beneath that cabin? "It''s time, let''s see if our guest is still foolishly staying in the cabin, or is a bit smarter and has already started running." All the people stood up, their silhouettes elongated by the central firelight. They walked towards the church doors with horrifying expressions on their faces. Mary, the maid, couldn''t wait to be at the front; she finally got to the moment when she could tear off her fa?ade. She was already imagining the terrified and desperate look on that damned man''s face, his constant pleading screams. Her grotesque face couldn''t stop laughing maniacally, then she reached out and pushed the door with force. "Click!" Mary''s smile froze on her face. The door did not open as she wished, but remained utterly still. Others crowded in from behind but also felt a strong resistance. The Old Priest noticed this and squinted, asking, "What''s the matter?" "The door won''t open; there seems to be something blocking it from outside," someone muttered in confusion. "Let''s push it open together." To hide the small town''s biggest secret, even the windows in the church space were sealed, and the space was not large, so even if the residents all rushed forward, they could only cram against each other. It took quite some effort to crack open a small gap in the door. Through the door''s slit, someone saw a blood-stained agricultural machine outside, topped with three heavy oil drums. "It''s the harvester from the storage room." Although it was a machine for harvesting crops, it had never cut grassit was their prop for revelry, putting people inside to listen to the crunching sound of breaking bones as flesh and blood spewed out, quite entertaining indeed. "I''ll break it open!" The Butcher''s body was all fat, and with a fierce bump, the door cracked open, and with a few more thrusts, the gap grew larger. The Hunter looked out into the dark night: "This seems to be a very clever fellow; tonight might be a bit interesting. Where has he run off to now? The town entrance or deep in the jungle?" The Woodcutter was an old man with a face full of wrinkles, his beard somewhat grayed. He rolled up his sleeves, his voice hoarse: "No matter where he runs, it''s no use, I will split him in half with my axe." "That would be so boring... I''ll do it," the Butcher said breathlessly. He had already opened up enough space to pass through, his body fat jiggling as he squeezed through, trying to get out first. He snarled with a grin: "While a hundred cuts go down, ensuring he''s not only still alive but also has the strength to scream, that''s the most fun..." The Butcher hadn''t finished speaking when he suddenly froze, his eyes fixed. Outside the church, a figure stood next to the harvester, holding an axe, with a somewhat familiar blade strapped to his waist and a hunting rifle on his back. And he was watching them. "If it''s that fun, count me in." Chapter 5 - 5 Emergency, Forced Logoff! The Butcher''s entire body stiffened, his pudgy face trembling slightly. His first thought was, how dare this guy show up here! His next thought was, what was he going to do? Because. He had seen Su Qi with a trace of a smile, the axe in his hand raised high in the dark night, gleaming with a cold light and with a ''snap'', he chopped off the rope tied to the harvester. The next moment. The three huge oil drums on top of the harvester toppled over as they lost balance! Not only did they knock the Butcher back! "Whoosh!" A large amount of liquid also poured out from the oil drums, drenching their bodies and the ground beneath their feet, and the unpleasant smell left the other Killers stupefied. Is this gasoline?! Maid Mary, ignoring the liquid on her body, lifted her head, her gaze fixed intently ahead. She let out a sharp sound from her throat, "It''s you, you bastard!!" All the Killers looked towards that direction, their pupils glowing. The prey they had been talking about all this time hadn''t been hiding or running at all. Instead, he had appeared right at the entrance of the church! Facing so many gazes, Su Qi seemed completely at ease. Leaning against the harvester, he looked at them and sighed slightly, speaking in an accusing tone, "Leaving a guest aside while you lot are selfishly partying, is this your hospitality? American bullying just doesn''t cut it." Su Qi''s figure in the darkness seemed quite lean as he watched a group of Killers slipping and struggling, their eyes shining fiercely with the desire to pounce, he pulled out a matchstick, revealing a smile: "But it''s okay, I''ll add a bit of atmosphere to the party." The matchstick dropped onto the gasoline. The raging fire shot up fiercely! Not only the front area of the church doused in gasoline, but the surroundings of the church quickly turned into a sea of fire! "Aah! It''s so hot! I''m going to burn to death!" "That damn beast! Kill him! Kill him!" Screams and curses were incessant. The fire, as if wishing to burn everything away, enveloped everything around the church. However... This group of Killers wasn''t ordinary either, each one a madman. Some, ignoring the flames covering them, struggled to break through and leaped towards Su Qi. "Snap!" Su Qi swung his axe without hesitation, the axe''s momentum heavy and sufficiently sharp, like cutting through a cake, cleaving the man in two. [Physical Strength -3, current 75] As mentioned earlier, all actions would consume physical strength, and moving items in the storehouse had already taken a toll. "Bang! Bang!" Su Qi also raised his hunting shotgun, aiming not at those burnt by the fire but at others behind, their faces filled with shock and rage. One shot, one head, no missed shots. The church was completely enveloped in flames, the walls splitting from the fire, and thick smoke billowing. Those at the forefront were already emitting the scorched smell of meat, and inside, people were falling or roaring, trying to escape through the smoke. And for those trying to break through the fire, Su Qi was merciless with his axe. Other than the Hunter, the Woodcutter, and the Butcher, the rest had only ordinary human physiques, and their combat abilities weren''t high once attacked by the great fire, barely managing to flail before getting their heads chopped off. The Butcher had fallen, his body obese, sizzling with oil as it burned. The Woodcutter had his head blown off by Su Qi''s hunting shotgun at the first chance. And the Hunter was vigilant, using the thick smoke and others'' bodies as cover, while also finding the opportunity to leap over the flames on others'' bodies. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Su Qi fired three consecutive shots, all dodged by the Hunter. He frowned; the man''s Body Movement Attribute was somehow boosted by a temporary burst. "Die!" The Hunter towered over him, holding a spiked plank, his eyes terrifyingly ferocious as he charged at Su Qi. Su Qi unhesitatingly drew his butcher knife from his waist. In the instant the knife swung. Su Qi suddenly felt quicker, stronger, and he roughly knew the score. The chill of the butcher knife slashed through under the Hunter''s eyes filled with shock and doubt! He tried to block with what he had in his hand, but nothing could withstand the momentum of this knife! Blood sprayed out profusely! Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At the same time. Su Qi also saw the words [Physical Strength -12, current 43], the consumption startling him, but the effect it brought was quite remarkable. The Hunter''s head hit the ground before his body fell down with a thud. He slowly sheathed the butcher knife; it was powerful, but the physical strength it consumed was too much. For now, he had to rely on this axe. Ten minutes later. Su Qi stood among the embers, covered in blood, surrounded by charred bodies with severed limbs, the church completely collapsed, and the fire gradually dying down. "Although I didn''t follow the system''s mission, killing them all should count as completing the instance, right?" He was nearly at his limit now, with only 11 points of physical strength left, almost depleted; excessive consumption of physical strength reflected in his physical state as fatigue. Once below 30%, he could regain strength with a bit of rest. The lower the physical strength, the faster the recovery, with the chance to restore up to 30% this way. After Su Qi''s physical strength had recovered to 30, he gradually breathed evenly and walked towards the ruins holding his butcher knife. A [?] symbol appeared on the central Sheep Head pillar, he decided to explore it. Along the way, he saw the tragically dead Mary and couldn''t help but lament, "Next time, remember to add coriander." Su Qi bypassed the burning ruins and walked straight to the open space in the middle. Strangely, even though the church had collapsed into this state, the open space remained undisturbed. His gaze turned to the ground. The old priest lay stiff on the ground, having slit his own throat with a ring and poured a large amount of blood onto the pattern around the Sheep Head column. The old man had committed suicide to complete the ritual. But... was the ritual finished? Su Qi looked at the Sheep Head, its two long horns inscribed with various spells, its eyes tightly shut. Questions marks appeared with information. [Abnormal God''s Shrine] [It is a terrifying entity from the Abyss] [It holds ancient and evil power] [It is one of the sources of the Despairing World''s collapse] [It is now somewhat angry; its ritual was disrupted, but its power cannot penetrate this world, and it is currently observing you through the shrine with a trace of thought] One message after another appeared. "No wonder I felt a chill at my back," Su Qi said, looking at the Sheep Head. So it was peeping? At that moment. Su Qi''s eyebrows suddenly raised as a deep red [!] popped up on the Sheep Head. The darker the color, the more dangerous it indicated, and the higher the reward would be. [If you kick its head around like a ball and juggle it twenty times without letting it touch the ground, you might receive an extremely astonishing reward] Su Qi: "..." Look at this... there''s nothing normal about this behavior. At the same time. Su Qi also understood the malice in this message; once he started kicking, he would stir up trouble with such a terrifying entity. But the reward seemed quite tempting. Should he give it a try? Moreover, the entity''s power still couldn''t infiltrate here. Su Qi hesitated for only a second, then decided the next moment. Damn it, just do it! After all, this instance was almost over, and once he left this world, it would be goodbye. Su Qi had indeed practiced ball games, not only basic juggling but also knee bumps, sidekicks, and all kinds of fancy moves. And at this moment, a figure in the distance was staring blankly at this scene. He was the guard at the town''s exit. After waiting a long time without any movement, he grew curious and hurried over. What he saw were all his companions turned into charred corpses. Most importantly. The horrifying god''s Sheep Head that they revered was being kicked around like a ball by that young man! Su Qi''s eyes naturally noticed this guy. But he didn''t pay him any mind. All his attention was now on the Sheep Head before him, whose [?] was about to burst. [This terrifying entity feels violated] [Its rage is rising!] [It is beyond furious!] [It wants to kill you!] [It is trying to use the barriers between worlds to send its power over!] [It is being intercepted] [It tries again] [Intercepted again] [It tries again] [It''s successful!] Su Qi: "????" This wasn''t what was supposed to happen. All of a sudden. The entire night sky turned blood-red! Thick clouds opened up an abyss-like giant hole. Wild winds came from all directions! The Sheep Head''s apparition suddenly rose from the column, forming a colossal shadow of a thousand meters! An overwhelming evil aura shot into the sky! The guard immediately rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot. Meanwhile, Su Qi''s vision became bloodshot, a cacophony of strange shrieks filled his ears, and his spiritual power dropped rapidly. This horror wasn''t just for show. Just a mere apparition was enough to bring him to the brink of a mental collapse. At that moment, Su Qi hurriedly grabbed the eyeball that had fallen from the Sheep Head, which should be the so-called reward. But it was too late to see what attribute the eyeball had. A warning panel suddenly popped up. [Instance no. 6823765 has encountered a severe error, data anomaly!] [Correcting! And forcibly expelling players from the instance!] The next moment. Everything went black before Su Qi''s eyes. He was sent back to the login space. Chapter 6 - 6 Reward: Evil Gods Eye Su Qi stood in the landing space, taking a while to recover. As soon as that phantom appeared, his mind felt as if it had been filled with blood, his spirit completely relegated to a lightless abyss, as if it was about to explode any moment. Fortunately, he was forcibly logged out in the end. His 10 points of spiritual power only provided him with 0.5 seconds of clarity in front of the opponent. And that was just a phantom projected across realms by the opponent. He couldn''t help but say, "What kind of world view is this, where the worshipped Evil Spirits not only truly exist but also possess such terrifying power?" Suddenly, Su Qi felt that kicking the opponent''s Sheep Head Shrine around like a ball was not a wise decision. Wait a minute. Su Qi suddenly realized something. Where''s my clearing reward? A system notification appeared before him. [Due to anomalies in the instance, compensation is granted to player 985211 Su Buxian] [You have earned triple the experience and Game Coins rewards for perfectly clearing this Nightmare-level dungeon] [Your level has been raised to 5, and you have earned one opportunity to draw a reward] [Item Slot has been opened] [Skill Bar has been unlocked] Su Qi leveled up five times and obtained 3000 Game Coins. At the same time. He also gained 25 attribute points due to the level up. A Nightmare-level dungeon? Is this how they bully new players right off the bat? However, this dungeon could also be described as fraught with danger. Both running away and hiding were of Hell-level difficulty, especially since he was facing nearly fifty Killing Demons, each with a clear role and combat strength above an ordinary person. Su Qi''s own choice had multiplied the difficulty several times. Of course, without the information from the [?] and his own combat skills, there was no way he could have managed this; a single mistake in the church, leading to a loss of Physical Strength, would have meant his end. "After playing through this one dungeon, it''s clear that Physical Strength is particularly important; it''s not just the main cost of dungeon exploration and combat, but it also pertains to survival," Su Qi had few hesitations and directly allocated all 15 points to Physical Strength. He divided the remaining 5 points each between Strength and movement technique. He didn''t yet know the use of spiritual power, and even if he allocated all 25 points to it, he could at best only stand before the phantom for an extra second. And the next moment. Su Qi suddenly widened his eyes, seeing his spiritual power surge by 75 points to 85. "??? How did this happen?" He was somewhat surprised. He hadn''t done anything, so why did his spiritual power increase? Su Qi suddenly thought of something and opened his Item Slot. There were only five slots, corresponding to his Levels. One slot contained the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade from the dungeon. In another slot, there was an eyeball covered in various Runes. Its panel appeared before Su Qi. [Name: Evil God''s Eye] [Type: ???] [Quality: ???] [Function (Passive): When you allocate points to other attributes, your spiritual power increases by three times the same amount of points] [Note: You have deprived the Evil God of some of its power through improper means, and this terrifying being has sworn that it must turn you to ashes!] Su Qi: "..." No wonder the opponent suddenly became so enraged at that time; he was puzzled, wondering why kicking its head like a ball would provoke such a reaction from a mighty Evil God, even crossing realms to kill him. It was indeed a low blow. The reason lay here. However. Su Qi also understood how powerful this item was; he would have three times the attribute points than other players out of thin air, even if it only effected the currently useless spiritual power, it was more than enough. Thinking this way, the cost of being targeted by a terrifying existence seemed bearable. Settling his thoughts here. Su Qi simply stopped thinking and walked to the middle of the room. After the upgrade, the login space had changed its appearance, not only had it lights now, but there was also an extra box in the middle with a number on it: 1. It meant he could make a reward draw. "Confirm the use of draw opportunity?" "Let''s go." The box shook violently and, after a brief few seconds, it burst open. Inside was a sphere of light; touching it, Su Qi saw the information. [Name: Thunderbolt] [Type: Consumable Skill (can be used 3 times)] [Function: Can release a burst of very fast lightning forward within a five-meter range, which will automatically explode upon touching any solid object or reaching five meters, explosion radius ten meters] [Consumption: 120 Physical Strength] [Usage Conditions: Movement technique must reach 12] [Note: If you''re not fast enough, be careful when using this.] Su Qi remarked, "What kind of kill-a-thousand-enemies-at-the-cost-of-eight-hundred-of-your-own suicidal skill, no wonder it has requirements on movement technique, you''re supposed to not outrun the range and die together, huh?" He put it in his skill bar, which currently only had two slots. Although the skill''s consumption was a bit scary, it seemed very powerful indeed. Just as Su Qi was getting ready for the second instance match, a popup appeared. [External interference detected, would you like to exit the game or enter interference-resistant mode?] Since this gaming pod offered a fully immersive gaming experience, it completely isolated all sounds from the real world but still detected external noises. Sounds exceeding a certain decibel level or someone opening the gaming pod would trigger an alert. Players could choose to continue or exit on their own. In the login space, however, the threshold for sound decibel detection was set lower. Alerts for phone rings, doorbells, and so on were provided, ensuring that players wouldn''t miss important real-world eventsa rather humanizing feature. Su Qi exited the game and upon opening his eyes, he heard a doorbell ring. He checked the time. "It''s two in the afternoon, it''s been two and a half hours since I entered the game." In "Abyssal Paradise," if an instance lasted less than five hours, game time would sync with real-time. Once the time inside an instance exceeded five hours, no matter how long you stayedbe it ten days or half a month, only five hours would have passed in the real world once the instance ended. This applied to all players. It ensured a degree of synchronicity among all players. Su Qi got up, ruffled his somewhat messy hair, then went to the door and through the peephole, saw two faces. One was Liu Yishou, dressed in casual clothes, a man of impressive build despite being in his thirties, with well-muscled physique. The other was a young man with an unfamiliar face, who looked much younger than Liu Yishou but stood in front of him as though he held a much higher status. It seemed the young man noticed Su Qi''s gaze. The youth cracked a faint smile; he had faced many situations and could instantly notice prying eyes. "Hello, we are" Just as he was about to identify himself, S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi''s voice came through: "Just leave the takeout at the door." "..." The youth choked, "We''re not takeout, we are" "Then it must be a delivery, leave it at the door too." The young man''s expression turned urgent just as he was about to continue explaining. Liu Yishou placed a hand on the youth''s shoulder, resignedly said, "He''s messing with you." The youth: "???" Liu Yishou shook his head slightly. Despite the young man''s remarkable talent in another world, he seemed too na?ve, having never dealt before with idle people like Su Qi. He said, "I''m Liu Yishou from the Lin Jiang Investigation Bureau. We''ve met before. Please open the door, we have some matters concerning your personal safety to discuss." Then he paused and added, "It''s regarding your personal safety." Chapter 7 - 7 Do You Believe in the Supernatural? "Sorry, sorry, I thought it was the delivery guy. Come in, have a seat." Su Qi warmly welcomed the two in. The young man walked through the door and sat somewhat preoccupied on the sofa beside, his gaze suddenly fixed on the gaming pod in the living room. He paused slightly and after exchanging a glance with Liu Yishou, he spoke up. "You also play Abyssal Paradise." "Of course, it''s quite interesting." The young man said, "You must have played it at least once, right? Did you clear it? How was your score?" "Well, let''s see Cleared, well, not really cleared, and as for the score I don''t know." Su Qi pulled out three bottles of cola from the fridge and placed them in front of them. "But is this a bit off-topic? Does this have something to do with my personal safety?" Liu Yishou extended his hand and pulled out a photo from his pocket and handed it over. "Let''s cut to the chase, take a look at this." On the photo was a tattoo pattern, a circle in the center with strange lines inside, like pairs of vertical pupils; around the circle was a ring of flames. Su Qi squinted his eyes, "I feel like I''ve seen this somewhere." "It''s from that murderer, isn''t it?" the young man spoke up at this point. "This photo was taken from him." Su Qi did not deny it, but it was not only the murderer; he felt that the ritual the Old Priest performed in the chapel of the instance town had some similarities to this. He asked, "So what does this represent?" "It signifies some kind of evil belief. Now, take a look at this." Liu Yishou seemed to know something but did not want to say too much. He reached out and pulled out his phone, keyed in the password, and opened a video. The video showed a solitary prison cell where a man in bandages lay with open eyes on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Su Qi recognized him; this was the murderer. "He woke up the same day he left the hospital, but he became expressionless, as if deaf to anyone speaking to him. Then something strange occurred. I need to warn you, what you''re about to see might disturb you..." In the video. The man''s eyes suddenly bulged out, and his body began to shake violently as if possessed by some force. The restraints around him were stretched out to create noticeable gaps, showing the immense strength at play. Then his trembling became more intense, and the guards surrounding him could barely hold him down. Eventually, he broke free of the restraints. The man leapt out of bed and crashed into the wall. There was a loud "bang!" The wall was coated in red. The video ended there. Liu Yishou had been watching Su Qi''s expressions throughout; he noticed that the latter was not much affected by the bloody scene in the video. After the video, Su Qi spoke up curiously, "What kind of fit is he having?" Sear?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "This is not just a fit," the young man said lightly, his expression grave and serious as he looked at Su Qi intently. "Do you believe in the supernatural?" Su Qi didn''t immediately answer, "You tell me first." The young man began slowly, "First, you should know that this world is not as simple as you imagine, like what you just saw in the video, strange and foul forces can erode a person''s mind through a terrifying invasive power." He continued, "This force isn''t a figment of imagination, it''s filled with terrible evil." "Though it may sound vague and hard to believe, this strangeness might come after you, especially since you already have a significant connection to this person." Su Qi pointed to the phone screen, "You mean, I could end up like this too, psychologically broken, then smashing into a wall." The young man nodded and then added, "Of course, you might also jump off a building or stab yourself, usually depends on your first impulse after a breakdown." Su Qi''s expression did not show fear or anxiety, he clicked his tongue lightly, "Quite intelligent." The young man looked puzzled, "You aren''t scared... or you don''t believe it?" "I believe it. Why wouldn''t I when two official agents from the Investigation Bureau came to my door personally?" Su Qi glanced at the question mark above the young man''s head, knowing his identity from the start. [Member of Department 9, Xu Linqiu] He said, "But obviously, you''re here not just to announce my impending demise; there must be other methods to handle this, right?" The young man nodded, "Naturally, after all, you''re not the first ordinary person it''s set its sights on." "But..." He paused for a moment, pointing at the game pod in the living room, "It seems, however, you may have already found a solution." Su Qi froze, his expression changing slightly: "Are you referring to Abyssal Paradise? This game is linked to the strange happenings in the real world?" If this were true, then everything would be very different for Su Qi. "You can think of it that way. If you want to break free from the bizarre, you''d better pay more attention to your Spiritual Attribute, and also..." The young man then abruptly changed the topic, "Because you have shown a certain potential in previous cases, and it seems that you are entangled by the bizarre, so...." The young man handed over a card: "Like other ordinary people in the same situation, I''m offering you a chance." He paused and continued, "The chance to see the other side of the world." ----------------- Half an hour later. Xu Linqiu and Liu Yishou had driven back to the Investigation Bureau. Liu Yishou lit a cigarette and said, "I''ve almost made contact with a hundred newcomers, but I feel this kid might actually be pretty good." "Is that your definition of ''pretty good''?" Xu Linqiu flipped through the file, "Brother Liu, you don''t even know anything about him, not even his performance in the game, and yet you''re so positive about him?" Liu Yishou laughed, "Although I''ve only just been transferred to your department, I have a knack for sizing up people. It''s a skill honed over many years, and anyway, I think he''s capable." Xu Linqiu shook his head: "Among all this data we have, there are less than ten people who have passed the Difficult Dungeon three times and scored at least 80 points on it." "Brother Liu, you yourself have gone through two solo Difficult Dungeons, you know the level of difficulty. The Difficult level alone has a 50% failure rate, not to mention the Nightmare level." He paused, "Anyway, we''ll see later on." At that moment, the office door was pushed open. A set of steady footsteps walked in from the doorway. Xu Linqiu, seeing who it was, quickly became more cautious, "Teacher, you''re back." Liu Yishou also stood up from his seat. Ever since he left the hospital that day, he had submitted an application to the higher-ups, never expecting to be actually approved, and thus, he had encountered a lot of unimaginable material in the past few days. The middle-aged man rubbed his tired eyes and asked, "Have you finished your tasks?" "Yes, we are currently observing some newcomers with potential," replied Xu Linqiu. Suddenly pausing, he noticed that the middle-aged man''s brows were furrowed, his expression not very relaxed. He asked, "Teacher, has something happened?" The middle-aged man''s gaze was deep, his tone not too pleasant, "Just an hour ago, there was a major disturbance in Paradise." "That terrifying being in the Abyss suddenly burst forth with terrifying strength without any warning. Although we don''t know the reason and it has been stopped, it''s clear that it has caused quite a bit of turmoil, affecting many people with insufficient spiritual power." Xu Linqiu quickly asked, "Is it serious?" "It''s under control now, but... what''s strange is that the target of that strength turned out to be instance 6823765, a very Ordinary Low-level World." "Why would it be targeted?" Xu Linqiu was startled. "It''s unclear, the data from that place has been cleared, Paradise cannot capture it, but the Black God Guard has already gone to investigate; there should be news soon." Xu Linqiu could hardly contain himself, "I want to help." "Although you''re strong, your spiritual power isn''t enough. That world has already sunk into the highest level of Pollution; it''s not possible," the middle-aged man said sternly, his face cold, promptly refusing. "But..." Just as Xu Linqiu was about to argue, confident he had a few Tools that bolstered spiritual power, he was met with the middle-aged man''s serious look and could only shamefacedly lower his head. Liu Yishou, observing the somewhat silent mood, broke the silence by voicing a question, "Is the Spiritual Attribute really that important? Although I''ve only experienced a few instances, it seems that none of them required the use of the Spiritual Attribute." Xu Linqiu sat back down, turned on his tablet, and found an internal set of data, "Take a look at this. It''s the success rate for each level of difficulty in Paradise after today''s public test." [Ordinary Dungeon, success rate 78%] [Difficult Dungeon, success rate 50%] [Nightmare Dungeon, success rate 9%] Below was another line of data. [All Pollution-type Dungeons, success rate 1%] Liu Yishou froze for a moment, "What''s a Pollution-type Dungeon?" "Pollution-type Dungeons are directly linked to spiritual power." The middle-aged man seemed to see a distant future, saying, "Right now, although everyone overlooks it, but once they enter Paradise... they''ll understand." "The importance of the Spiritual Attribute." Chapter 8 - 8: Entering the New Instance It was already noon. Su Qi didn''t immediately return to the gaming pod; after ordering takeout, he wandered around the house. "That weird power spoke in mysteries; I don''t even know if my eyes can see anything." He wandered for a while and then discovered, to his surprise... Everything in the room was normal. There was nothing special at all. Su Qi walked towards the bedroom and opened the cupboard. The finger bone and a piece of sheet music were still there, unchanged Still in a state of "..." chaos. Just as Su Qi was about to put these two items back into the cupboard, He suddenly paused and looked back at the gaming pod in the living room, then a thought occurred to him. Half an hour later. After finishing lunch, Su Qi lay back in the gaming pod once again. "Neural connection in progress." "Connection successful." "Welcome, player Su Buxian, to your Personal Space." "You have now unlocked the matchmaking feature, allowing you to select dungeon modes and difficulty levels." Several selectable modules appeared in front of Su Qi''s eyes. "Solo Dungeon Mode" Note: Experience and Game Coin earnings are 20% higher in solo dungeons compared to multiplayer dungeons. "Multiplayer Dungeon Mode (unlocked at level 6)" Note: Multiplayer dungeons require players to explore together, main quest progress is shared, and any player who kills a teammate will have their main quest blocked and cannot receive completion rewards. Both modes allowed for the selection of difficulty: Ordinary, Hard, Nightmare. "Huh?" Su Qi noticed the Nightmare option was greyed out and unselectable, with a tooltip saying, "During matchmaking, there''s a one percent chance of entering a Nightmare-level dungeon, and the higher the average rating of the dungeon, the higher the probability." "So it turns out this difficulty can only be encountered, not sought. My very first dungeon was a Nightmare-levelcan''t tell if that''s good or bad luck." After reading everything, Su Qi did not rush into a dungeon; he had another matter to verify. After opening the Item Slot, Su Qi''s gaze flickered. Tow familiar items had appeared in the Item Slot. "Polluted Finger Bone" "Polluted Sheet Music" Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "As expected..." The two special items obtained from the real world could indeed be brought into "Abyssal Paradise"! Su Qi looked serious. What it implied was self-evident. It also proved what Xu Linqiu had said, that Abyssal Paradise was not just a game. "The ''other side'' he spoke of must be in this Abyssal Paradise." But these two items didn''t seem to be equipment; they lacked attribute panels, and their purpose was unclear at the moment. He closed the Item Slot and began to make his selection. "You have selected Solo Hard Mode, now matching." "Match found." The experience and Game Coin rewards for solo mode were a bit higher, allowing players to adapt to gameplay and level up while accumulating basic attributes and advantages. After unlocking multiplayer mode, players could then avoid holding other people back. Soon. The lights in the login room flickered. The next moment, the room plunged into darkness, devoid of any trace of light. A low chuckle arose, its husky tone indistinguishable between male and female. "Welcome to the Abyss." ----------------- The darkness in front of Su Qi slowly receded. By the time he opened his eyes. He found himself in an apartment room, where dim light shone on the not-so-clean floor, making the surrounding bed and table seem particularly cramped. And the strangest thing. The room had no windows. Or rather... the windows had been completely sealed off, not just clumsily welded shut with sheet metal, but even the cracks that revealed glass were painted over with black paint, blocking any view outside the window. This time. The CG image gave no explanation. "It seems I have to explore on my own before I can trigger the main quest," Su Qi looked around the room, found nothing but a suitcase on the bed, and it appeared he had just moved in, not even having a chance to clean up. "Click." After he opened the suitcase, aside from some clothes, there was only a rusty-looking small clock. [Name: Clock] [Type: Dungeon Tool] [Quality: Low-quality] [Function: Turning the clockwork will grant you 90% immunity to pollution for five minutes; can be used three times per day] [Can it be taken out of the dungeon: No] [Note: Always hold it tightly; it will be the key to your survival] This thing could not be stored in the Item Slot. Su Qi hung it around his neck and searched the suitcase again, finding nothing else. "It seems there are no more clues in the room." Su Qi''s gaze naturally fell on the room''s door; he was curious about what was outside, and the current eerie atmosphere seemed to tell him not to act rashly. He reached out and cautiously pushed the door open. Outside was a deep, dark corridor, lit only by the room''s light, barely revealing five other closed doors beside his own. Each door seemed to have a number. Su Qi was number 5, and directly opposite was number 4. At that moment. A [?] suddenly appeared on the door opposite his own, number 4. It displayed. [The occupant of door number 4 is peeking at you through the peephole] Is someone there? Someone isn''t necessarily a good thing. [It is waiting for you to knock on the door] The information on the question mark changed again. The character ''it'' made him wonder how he could possibly knock. The entire apartment exuded a strangeness, and these other five occupants were likely no ordinary people. Without understanding what was going on, it was generally best not to do anything unnecessary. Just then. A bell rang out from the stairwell at the end of the corridor, like a bronze bell shaking. Sounds like these often signaled information, such as gathering, meal times, or class notifications. Immediately after. Footsteps could be heard from the corridor stairwell. The sound was heavy, like walking in wet shoes on wooden planks. The rhythmic sound echoed in the deep, dark corridor. Su Qi looked over, with a premonition of what might happen next. And the next moment. Something unexpected happened to Su Qi; the door of room number 4 suddenly opened, and a tentacle reached out. It pulled Su Qi straight over. Without any hesitation, Su Qi held the butcher knife in front of him, but then he heard a voice. "Don''t be rash, I mean no harm." The next moment. With a "thud," Su Qi was pulled into room number 4 and the door was shut behind him. But Su Qi was not someone who liked being passive; the moment he entered, he swung his knife, with explosive power he pinned down the being that had pulled him in against the wall, holding the murderous butcher knife at their throat. This creature with tentacles turned out to be a human, and even wore glasses, looking somewhat refined. His pale face trembled with fear as he immediately knelt down without hesitation. "Don''t, don''t kill me!" Chapter 9 - 9 Are All Apartment Residents Abnormal? Su Qi kneeled so abruptly that he didn''t even have time to react, and his first thought was that this brother must have practiced this motion, as it was executed seamlessly. He didn''t lower his knife and was about to speak. At that moment, the footsteps and ringing in the corridor became increasingly prominent. Tentacle Man''s face was ashen, filled with fear and anxiety. He struggled to make a "shushing" gesture with his tentacles, signaling Su Qi desperately not to make a sound. It was as if the owner of the footsteps outside might skin them alive. Su Qi didn''t make any sudden moves; he too sensed a dangerous aura. He still wasn''t sure about the worldview of this world, but judging from the tentacled man in the room, there was definitely a presence of strength beyond ordinary people, no longer just the Killing Demon type from the town. Soon. The footsteps and the ringing gently faded. Tentacle Man finally heaved a sigh of relief, then looked at Su Qi, only to become tense again. Because Su Qi''s knife was still positioned at his throat. Although his smile seemed harmless, his tone carried an icy indifference as if saying, "If you don''t explain, I might just make my move," "So, can you explain to me now what exactly is going on?" Tentacle Man, trembling, said, "Didn''t you read the apartment notice when you moved in?" "Such as?" "The apartment manager prepares food on the first floor. The ringing bell signifies a call for all residents to gather in the dining hall on the first floor to eat. Moreover, the apartment manager dislikes people seeing its face, so it returns to its own dwelling on the third floor during meal times." "What happens if someone sees it?" Su Qi asked with a hint of curiosity. "The previous tenant of Room Five didn''t make it back to his room in time, and then I never saw him againnext thing, you moved in." Su Qi mused, "So it seems you saved me just now? Thanks for that." "Don''t mention it," Tentacle Man replied with a tearless sob, but could you please put the knife down while you''re saying thank you? At that moment, the sound of a door opening came from outside, and footsteps resumed one after another in the corridor. "It''s time to go eat," Tentacle Man hurriedly said, "The apartment notice is on the first floor, you can go and take a look." Su Qi stowed the knife in his Item Slot. Inside an "instance," retrieving something from the Item Slot didn''t conjure it out of thin airit automatically connected to various pockets or linings of the clothing, making the items accessible from a spot invisible to others. The same logic applied to storage. After the door opened, they saw a bandaged monster, its body wrapped entirely in bandages with only one eye peeking out from a gap. It showed no reaction to Tentacle Man but upon spotting Su Qi next to him, the monster''s eye suddenly widened, displaying extreme madness and greed. It didn''t say a word. Then headed towards the staircase down to the first floor. Su Qi observed the "It wants to eat you" above the bandaged monster''s head and, without changing his expression, followed Tentacle Man down to the first floor. Tentacle Man whispered, "Be careful, don''t mess with the others, they are... very terrifying." There were six tenants in total. Two of them had already taken their seats. One was a woman with Split Mouth, whose body was sewn with various threads, and her eyes gray and lifeless. The other tenant was Swollen Man, whose back was covered in clusters of abnormal growths resembling abscesses. The last one, arriving last, wore a long robe that covered their face, but one could vaguely see their body was rotten, emitting a foul stench, much like a corpse. This guy seemed to live in Room Six, the one closest to the third floor. The commonality among them was evident the moment Su Qi appeared. Their gazes all converged on him, expressing astonishment at first and then a greedy desire. "They all want to eat you." Okay. Everyone''s purpose is aligned and simple. Tentacle Man sat down with his head bowed, trembling, not daring to speak in front of these abnormalities. But Su Qi pulled out a chair, did not sit, and facing the many greedy eyes that looked down on him as if they were ants, he smiled, "Everyone, look at me, I have something to announce." "I am the new resident, Su Buxian, and am happy to be neighbors with all of you. I have many usual hobbies and hope to get along well with everyone." Su Qi''s words elicited a few low chuckles from the abnormalities, their expressions appearing to mock. Happy to be neighbors and interact, huh. Only Corpse Man kept his head down, emitting a hoarse voice, "Let''s eat first, otherwise it will get cold." The food in front of each person at the table was covered with a lid, with a knife and fork placed beside it. Su Qi lifted the cover, and the food inside was beyond his expectations. The aroma of red wine wafted through the sauce, poured over half a steak, which surprisingly seemed appetizing. The others, as if starved, were the first to begin eating. Bandaged Monster held the knife and fork, cutting the steak forcefully, making a squeaky sound, his gaze firmly fixed on Su Qi. It was as if he was not cutting that piece of meat, but Su Qi himself. Split Mouth Woman opened her mouth wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth, chewing on the steak with the sound of chewing wax, also staring intently at Su Qi, as if he was about to take him as a dish. Swollen Man and Corpse Man did not look towards Su Qi, just ate somewhat voraciously. Tentacle Man, however, was quite inconspicuous, even refusing to make a sound while eating. Su Qi picked up the knife and fork and cut the steak. This was a normal piece of meat, but rather special, as a system message popped up. "After eating, your spiritual power will decrease by 1, but you will gain a special ability." "Note: Death occurs (return to login space to recover) when spiritual power reaches zero." Decrease by 1? Su Qi looked at his 85 points of spiritual power, no big problem. After eating. Spiritual power indeed decreased by one, but at the same time, Su Qi felt a strange and peculiar strength beginning to activate. An itchy, bizarre eye slowly appeared in the middle of his palm. "You have gained a temporary ability: Palm Eye." "When activated, it will emit a blinding light." "Great... useless ability." When the others saw the eyeball appear in Su Qi''s palm, none of them showed a strange expression; instead, their looks were cold, as if mocking. Su Qi noticed this. He had a guess. At this moment. Everyone else finished eating, and Corpse Man spoke in a raspy voice, "Whose turn is it for the duty today" Tentacle Man shuddered, frightened, lifting his tentacles, "Me" "Then it''s up to you," Corpse Man revealed an ugly smile, terrifyingly terrifying, "I hope you don''t become the next person to disappear." Corpse Man stood up, under Su Qi''s somewhat strange gaze, stepped on the stairs, and returned to his room on the second floor. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The others gradually departed as well, all turning back to look at Su Qi once more, not hiding their greedy eyes. Soon. Only Tentacle Man, busy collecting plates, and... Su Qi, reading the apartment''s notice board, were left. Chapter 10 - 10: Main Quest Trigger [Apartment Notice] [1. Do not make any contact with the manager.] [2. The manager is responsible for cooking and will notify residents when meals are ready.] [3. Every day, according to room number, a resident is designated for duty which includes cleaning up the dining hall plates, cleaning the first floor, and purchasing groceries for the next day.] [4. No resident is allowed to enter the third-floor area.] This notice was somewhat old, and the handwriting on it was not fresh, meaning these rules had been set in place a long time ago. Even though the residents of the apartment might have changed several times, they had never been altered. "It looks fairly normal, but considering the bizarre circumstances within the apartment, each rule seems to have deadly dangers, like..." Su Qi turned his head to look at today''s on-duty resident, Tentacle Man, who was trembling with plates in his tentacles, standing outside the kitchen too scared to enter, wearing an expression of fear. "You keep shaking like that, and you''re going to drop the plates." Tentacle Man jumped with fright and, seeing Su Qi still on the first floor, said in a quivering low voice, "You should go back to your room. It''s my duty today, there''s no need to drag you into this." Su Qi replied, "Then you... tell me what exactly is going on here." "And this Palm Eye of mine..." His Palm Eye was tightly closed; it would only open when activated. Tentacle Man gave Su Qi a strange look, fell silent for a moment, "It seems you... are an outsider, no wonder you don''t know anything and haven''t been contaminated." He waved his tentacles, "We have all been contaminated. While pollution has given us special abilities, prolonged exposure leads to mental breakdowns, and eventually, we become monsters completely." "There are many terrifying things inside the first floor, and every resident on duty has to be extremely careful. If one isn''t careful, their contamination will worsen." Su Qi quickly understood what he meant by pollution. Because when some sauce from the plates accidentally spilled onto the carpet, a terrifying low growl emitted from the kitchen. Then. Tentacle Man became rigid. Su Qi also felt a ringing in his ears that made him feel faint. [Spiritual Power -1] So that''s it. In other words, it''s a loss of sanity value; reflected numerically, it means decreased Spiritual Power, and the lower the Spiritual Power, the more severe the transformation into a monster. But Tentacle Man''s reaction seemed even more intense, not only was he trembling all over, but his tentacles were spraying water. Did he just wet himself? Su Qi dodged the water and then steadied the plate in his hands; otherwise, if the plate broke, more terrifying things were likely to happen. Thankfully, the low growling only lasted a few moments. Tentacle Man came back to his senses, his face deathly pale: "It''s over, I''m definitely going to die, definitely going to die." Su Qi looked toward the dusky kitchen, "You won''t die; just complete everything properly without making mistakes, and you''ll be fine." "No... that''s not the point, it''s going out to find groceries next that''s the scariest," Tentacle Man trembled, "Although we have to be careful of pollution in this apartment at all times, it''s already the safest place. The city outside has long since collapsed." "We can only gain abilities by being contaminated, gaining the strength to survive." Su Qi paused and then asked, "What happens if you don''t find any groceries?" Tentacle Man was silent, opening his parched lips, and said faintly, "I will become food." Everything became clear; so this is the worldview of this world. At the same time. After learning this information. The system also popped up an information panel. [Main Quest Triggered] [Survive for ten daysInvestigate the third-floor roomFind the source of the ruin.] [Choose one of the three main missions to pass.] The main mission finally appeared. Su Qi looked over, and the difficulty of the three missions was obvious at a glance. Surviving ten days was the simplest, but of course, that was only relatively speaking. Whether it was the duties of the day or going out to forage for food, there was a risk of losing spiritual power. Most importantly, he had also been targeted by the guests. To explore the third-floor room meant he would become enemies with the manager. And finding the source of the breakdown was the most difficult mission, the source was definitely in the city outside, which had fallen into complete pollution, likely filled with all kinds of monsters everywhere. Su Qi suddenly asked a question. "By the way, do you know why those guests are targeting me?" "Because you''re normal," Tentacle Man said with a bitter smile. "Being normal here makes you an anomaly, and it also means you haven''t been contaminated. If they eat you, they can alleviate the symptoms of their contamination." "I see." Su Qi''s gaze flickered slightly. He didn''t say which mission he would choose first but seemed to think of something. "How about this, I''ll take over the duties for today, alright?" "Why?" Tentacle Man was shocked. "Because I''m a bright and cheerful big boy, always happy to help," Su Qi patted his shoulder. "Plus, I have something I want to verify." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tentacle Man trembled, wanting to agree, but then violently shook his head: "I can''t do that. You''ve just gained your ability and you know nothing. You will die." Su Qi smiled and said, "You''re not a bad person at heart, but are you sure you can get through today?" "Don''t worry, leave it to me." Tentacle Man looked hesitant but ultimately, his fear of death won over. He reached out his hand, took out a notebook, and gave it to Su Qi: "This has all the things you need to be aware of during my time on duty. You must read it carefully. You''ve just become contaminated. As long as there aren''t any major problems, you won''t run into trouble." Su Qi took the notebook and nodded: "I''ll keep it in mind." Once Tentacle Man returned to his room on the second floor... Su Qi opened the notebook and flipped through it, then picked up the plate and went straight into the dark kitchen. [Kitchen Notices] [Make sure to wash the plates thoroughly, and never look up while washing them. Make sure the freezer door in the kitchen is locked.] Su Qi placed the plate under the faucet and turned on the running water. But instead of looking down, he did the opposite. He lifted his head and looked up, where a bizarre monster''s body was impaled, hanging on a hook, staring back with its unblinking oily green eyes. In an instant. Su Qi felt a sting in his eyes, as if various strange hallucinations appeared before him. [Spiritual Power -1] The weirdness disappeared after he looked away. Su Qi had a strange expression, somewhat at a loss for words. "Indeed, there''s a problem here." "Is this ''pollution'' damage not a bit too low?" Why is it all -1? Didn''t they see my 85 points of spiritual power? How long will it take to reduce that? Su Qi fell into deep thought. He didn''t try again, though. Although the cost of trial and error was low, there was no need to waste it. And he realized something. "My spiritual power seems to be higher than the normal level for this instance?" If it were other players, such an intensity would be reasonable. Normal players have limited attribute points and would definitely prioritize Physical Strength, Strength, and movement techniques, which can be quickly converted into real power. No one would initially put attribute points into spiritual power, which doesn''t seem to have much use at present. So players generally only have the initial 10 points of spiritual power, allowing only a very few mistakes. But Su Qi. Clearly, he was an exception. Chapter 11 - 11 The Source of Collapse Every resident had a special ability that grew stronger with the worsening of their pollution level, and this also greatly altered their appearance and mind. So, they were very greedy for themselves. The ability of Tentacle Man was to secrete a potent toxin from his tentacles, which was also his reliance for survival. This was something Su Qi had learned from his notes, which also contained cautionary advice on how to stealthily avoid powerful abnormalities when going out and how to ambush them, among other things. To survive, he really put in a great deal of effort. Su Qi had also finished cleaning the first floor; the apartment''s contents were indeed dangerous - shadows lurked in the bathroom mirror, blood boiled in the toilet, and the freezer in the kitchen seemed to contain something alive. "Well then, it''s time to go out and buy groceries." Su Qi was not afraid; although this was a spooky instance, shopping for groceries was one of his favorite activities. The joy of haggling with the aunties and uncles at the bustling market, driving down the prices, was a pleasure in its own right. Only this time he was facing abnormalities, and the price would have to be slashed in a more physical sense. He put the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade in his hand and stepped out with confidence. Stepping outside, he could see the desolate city streets, the cold wind blowing from unknown corners; the streets were littered with abandoned cars and mottled walls, signaling that this condition seemed to have persisted for quite some time. Occasionally, he could hear a heavy panting sound, like that of a wild dog shaking itself, coming sporadically. Upon stepping onto the street, Su Qi saw the information. [Every minute spent in the land of pollution, Spiritual Power will be -1] From this, it seemed he could at least stay here for a little over an hour, and he also had a timepiece that could isolate 90% of the pollution on him. "Looking for ingredients is just one part of going out, the more important thing is... to see if I can find the source of collapse." With Su Qi''s supermodel-like spiritual power, he naturally would not settle for just surviving ten days or entering the third floor. He was a grown man now; he wanted all three tasks! He continued along the street. Soon enough, Su Qi saw an abnormality resembling a hyena. It was half the height of a person and pierced with various metal scraps, its flesh turned inside out, yet this did not impede its movements in the slightest. [Name: Level 1 Pollution Abnormality] [Strength: 20] [Movement Technique: 20] [Physical Strength: 500] [Spiritual Power: 0] It twitched its nose and noticed Su Qi, then lunged with a crimson tongue, in a brainless, frenzied manner. "Swoosh!" The Hundred Man Slaughter Blade radiated a malevolent aura, brimming with cold light. Su Qi did not hesitate to charge forward; his Physical Strength was full now, and he could fully wield the deadly blade. The abnormality was extremely fast, but lacking in brain cells, it charged straight into the blade. Su Qi''s wrist twisted, and with the attribute bonus of the blade, the sharp edge sliced swiftly and accurately through, like cutting through tofu, easily claiming its head without any resistance. "Although its strength and speed are greater than that of an ordinary person, without a brain, it can''t even compare to the Killing Demons of the little town." He kicked away the abnormality''s head and kept walking along the street. Although some abnormalities appeared along the way, they were all about the same level as the first hyena-like creature - dangerous, but not enough. But when he reached the next block, Level 2 pollution abnormalities started to appear, their Strength and Movement Technique averaging around thirty, although Su Qi managed to deal with them. Now his Strength and Movement Technique attributes were both 15, and with the bonus from the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade, he could burst forth with comparable might. Plus, the most important thing. Combat was not just about comparing attributes for victory or defeat; if the opponent wasn''t bulletproof, sometimes it was a matter of a single blow, especially since Su Qi also possessed a powerful Skill called "Thunderbolt" in his hand. Su Qi moved on. "This is the Third Block; the pollution is even more apparent, and the abnormalities are getting stronger." "That means I''m not going in the wrong direction, the closer I get to the source of collapse, the more severe the pollution." Su Qi could already distinctly hear various spiritual pollution-like screams, resonating with his heart, making them hard to ignore; he looked at the prompt in front of him[Spiritual Power -4], then did not retreat but instead turned on the watch to activate it. [You will be immune to 90% of pollution, duration five minutes] Instantly. He felt a clarity wash over his mind, the surrounding screeches diminishing to a mere whisper. "The area up ahead is lethal now." Su Qi looked toward the end of the block and could also see some huge vague figures in the mist, standing 5-10 metres tall, some carrying objects as big as buses, footfalls thundering on the ground. "They are all monsters now." He quickened his pace, sprinting down the streets. This time, he must acquire the information he needed; Su Qi never returned empty-handed. The massive aberration moved slowly and didn''t notice Su Qi following behind, allowing him to quickly reach the end of the street. At this dilapidated intersection. Su Qi controlled his movements, then peeked out, and at that instant, he felt as if the hissing sound was a horde of demonic spirits howling into his brain! But with the immunity from the watch, he was instantly clear-headed. At the same time. He could finally see the streets a kilometre away. That was the city center. All the buildings were flattened, surrounded by astonishingly huge monstrosities. Jellyfish-like tentacle monsters shrouded the sky like black shadows. Disproportioned human-shaped monsters, their heads like two sirens, moved slowly. And a mountain of flesh full of abscesses, every lump of its flesh sprouting eyes. [Spiritual Power -1] Even the watch couldn''t completely ward off the sight. And at the center of it all. There seemed to be an item placed there, unclear from this distance. "Is that the Source of Pollution?" Su Qi could see [?] and [!] appear but was too far away to glean more information. However. Su Qi withdrew his gaze. Now that he knew where the source was, the information he had gathered was sufficient. What came next was to return and plan, because... each of those terrifying giant monsters was exceedingly dangerous, far beyond what he could currently contend with. Relying solely on the watch and the "Thunderbolt" Skill to bypass these monsters and reach the center had a success rate of perhaps less than 1%. Ten minutes later. Su Qi, carrying the body of a Level 2 abnormality, returned to his apartment. He placed it in the kitchen freezer, which was filled with various abnormal parts: eyeballs, tentacles, ears studded with rusted nails, and so forth. It seemed these were leftovers from what the administrator had cooked. And at that moment. A series of heavy footsteps began to echo, followed by a terrifying, deep voice: "It doesn''t seem to be your turn to be on duty today, what are you doing..." Su Qi turned around, the full body bandages making the identity of the person before him clear. The Bandaged Man. "But never mind." It stared at Su Qi, issuing a strange laugh, while holding a sickle in its hand. "Knowing you''re a hot commodity and still daring to wander alone." "I''m really quite lucky." Sar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 12 - 12: Entering the Third Floor Bandaged Man''s scythe, swift as lightning, swept out an impressive cold gleam, aiming straight for Su Qi! Su Qi sensed trouble and quickly retreated. The opponent''s strength was at least around Level 2 pollution, not just an Ordinary monster, and most importantly, it was intelligent. The scythe fiercely embedded itself in the nearby wooden board. This guy seemed to be a long-time resident of the apartment, well aware of the kitchen''s taboos, knowing what was safe and what would trigger punishment. Seeing that Su Qi had dodged, it grew even more excited, "I''ll thoroughly sever your limbs and slowly savor them inside." Bandaged Man charged again, his entire body''s bandages whipping out as if alive, coiling towards Su Qi. This appeared to be his ability. Su Qi chopped off the bandages surrounding him, but the scythe stirred up a cold wind in the dark kitchen, aiming to cut Su Qi at the waist with a lethal arc. "Bang!" Su Qi blocked with his sword, retreating several steps. At the same time, [Physical Strength -30, Current 120] Bandaged Man tore off the bandages from his face, revealing a lipless mouth and a row of blood-red teeth, "Those guys not taking action, allowing me to enjoy this alone! Hahaha! What luck!" "Hahaha your mom!" Su Qi burst forward, choosing not to use "Thunderbolt" since the Skill had a high consumption rate, which would deplete his Physical Strength. He stretched out his palm, revealing the Palm Eye on his left hand. "Snap!" The Palm Eye opened, erupting with a blinding burst of light! Su Qi originally intended to cover its vision and then strike. However, unexpectedly, at the moment the light appeared, Bandaged Man trembled violently, showing an extremely pained expression. Su Qi was surprised, is this thing Holy Light? And in that lightning-fast moment, it was enough for Su Qi; he stomped forward, thrusting his long sword from the right wrist and plunging it into Bandaged Man''s chest. His eyes widened, filled with bloodshot, he screamed, "Ssss, it hurts, it really hurts." "Pain is normal; it''s always like this the first time." Bandaged Man didn''t understand, but he went insane, "Killing me won''t let you escape! Those guys are all watching you, you''ve only got one way outdeath!" With blood on his face, Su Qi pulled out the sword, his expression unreadable to Bandaged Man, "Don''t worry, I''ll be visiting each one in turn, no one will escape." As Bandaged Man shuddered and collapsed, convulsing continuously, his body gradually lost life. Looking at the corpse on the floor, Su Qi already had an idea, a dangerous and bold idea. Of course, he needed assistance. Su Qi placed Bandaged Man''s body in a freezer, then cleaned the blood off himself and walked up the spiral staircase to the second floor. Just as he reached the second-floor corridor, a mass of [?] appeared. [They are all watching you, wanting a piece of you.] So they held back because they feared each other? No wonder Bandaged Man was excited when he found himself alone. Su Qi ignored this information, walking straight to the door of Tentacle Man at No.4, without even knocking, Tentacle Man cracked the door open, nervous yet somewhat pleased, "You made it back alive?" In his eyes, Su Qi was just an ordinary person who had recently acquired special powers. Although proficient with a knife and capable of handling a weakling like him, he was no match for the other residents and the monsters outside. "Let''s talk inside." Su Qi didn''t hesitate, pushing the door and entering. "You''re injured?" Tentacle Man saw the blood on Su Qi and immediately reached out, "I can secrete a coagulating slime." Su Qi: "...Stop! I''m not injured, this blood belongs to some unlucky guy." "So you''re saying, you found some ingredients?" Tentacle Man said excitedly; his duty was replaced by Su Qi, but if Su Qi hadn''t succeeded, he too wouldn''t have escaped death. Su Qi nodded, narrowing his eyes, "That''s not the point, first a question." "How potent is the toxin in your tentacles? What level of abnormality can it affect?" Tentacle Man was stunned, "I don''t know..." "Hmm?" Tentacle Man hurriedly said, "Because I only dare to attack the abnormalities around the apartment. If it''s that kind, it would knock them down instantly." "Then lend me some, I''ll give it a try." "A little bit is totally fine..." Tentacle Man''s voice suddenly cut off as he stared wide-eyed at Su Qi pulling out a large jar stolen from the kitchen, a 2L one at that. Tentacle Man''s face turned green. Is this borrowing a little? This is killing me! "Bite the bullet, you can do it." Su Qi revealed his pearly white teeth, smiling sincerely. Tentacle Man, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears, could only extend two tentacles, continuously secreting poison. One minute later. "One tenth is done, I can''t take any more." "Hold on a bit longer." Five minutes later. "A third is done. I''m really going to die." "A man must not say he can''t." Under Su Qi''s urging, more and more poison filled the jar, eventually reaching halfway. Tentacle Man had already turned pale, his face gaunt as if he had lost a lot of weight, collapsed on the floor. Su Qi, satisfied, hugged the jar and opened the door. He turned back and said, "Oh, just a reminder, come out ten minutes later during tomorrow''s mealtime." "I need to discuss some matters with these neighbors." Tentacle Man stared blankly at Su Qi''s smile. He didn''t know what the other planned to do, but intuition told him something big was going to happen tomorrow. The next day. The manager, dragging his heavy body, appeared from a door on the third floor, his steps slowly touching the ground. The dim corridor was comforting to him. In this apartment, he was the existence everyone feared, nobody dared defy the rules stated on the apartment notice. Nor did anyone know his true face. Now, he was going downstairs to cook, make food from the ingredients, then pick some things he needed. As the manager walked down the second floor''s spiral staircase. Door No.5... cracked open slightly, then a figure walked out from inside the room. This figure was Su Qi. He looked towards the dark end of the corridor, sniffing the scent still lingering in the air, and without turning his head, walked toward the third floor. Su Qi aimed to use the time the manager was cooking to thoroughly check out the third floor. Time was tight, at most only ten minutes. Su Qi arrived at the stairs, the third floor was an attic, currently firmly locked with thick chains. "Although I don''t have the key, but..." Su Qi saw the [?], displaying [Insert a thin wire, move it up and down left left right right then rotate clockwise three times to open] Ten seconds later. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There was a click from the lock and the chain visibly loosened. Su Qi slowly pushed the door open, his hand also holding a butcher knife and a clock, ready to ward off danger. But the next second. The anticipated danger and horror did not appear. Su Qi frowned intensely as he looked into the attic, as if he had seen an unbelievable sight. He stood in the midst of the attic, his gaze gradually calming down: "If this is the truth, I can only say... in a world that seems mad, even this bit of warmth is crazy." It was a pink room, without a hint of darkness or horror. The room was filled with cute dolls and girls'' dresses. On the table, there was a photo frame. The photo framed inside displayed a beautiful little porcelain doll-like girl holding her father''s hand and smiling sweetly. But now. The girl''s corpse lay in a cradle, with a head intact... the rest entirely made of other abnormalities'' body parts. Chapter 13 - 13 The True Identity of the Administrator The bell rang. The manager, dragging his heavy steps, moved along the corridor after finishing the meal preparations. A minute after his footsteps had disappeared, the doors of the rooms began to open one after the other, Swollen Man and Split Mouth Woman headed downstairs. The door of Tentacle Man was tightly closed; he had heeded Su Qi''s advice and stayed in his room obediently. Another minute passed. The door to room number six opened, and Corpse Man, dressed in a thick black robe, slowly walked out of his room. As he stepped out, his gaze slightly trembled; he saw Su Qi, who was leaning against the corridor wall, apparently waiting for something. Waiting for that tentacle guy across the door? Corpse Man remained calm. These two were weak; it was normal for them to stick together, a smart choice. But in the face of so many dangerous abnormalities, it was hardly useful. It should be soon now to see the other residents making their move on this new guest. This had nothing to do with himself. After all, the tenants in the apartment would constantly change, and he was pleased to watch these people fight, though he was still unaware that one of them, Bandaged Man, was already gone. Su Qi placed the butcher knife inside his lining and, after checking his fully recovered Physical Strength from resting the whole day, got up and moved. "I hate beating around the bush; I prefer simplicity and brutality." "Next, it''s time to have a proper chat with these neighbors." ... Tentacle Man sat nervously on the edge of his own bed, occasionally glancing towards the door, wanting to go check the situation, but recalling Su Qi''s advice from yesterday, he sat down worriedly again. "He said yesterday he wanted to talk to the neighbors." "But those guys are all crazy terrifying abnormalities; how could he talk calmly with them?" As someone who had been there for a while. Tentacle Man didn''t lack ideas like Su Qi''s; he had indeed gifted some of his valuable possessions to other residents. sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although it hadn''t been much use. But fortunately, these monsters didn''t care about someone as insignificant as him. What was the situation outside now? Tentacle Man''s gaze turned towards the door; because the floor between the second and first floors was very thick and added to the spiral staircase, he couldn''t hear a thing. It had been five minutes now; he wondered what the situation was. "He might have already been killed." Tentacle Man actually had some guesses; although he was timid and not strong, he could tell Su Qi was not an ordinary tenant; he had guts. But guts didn''t serve as food. Ten minutes finally slowly passed. Tentacle Man stood up, gradually opening the door, the hallway was still engulfed in darkness. He tiptoed towards the spiral staircase. His mind already began to panic wildly. Perhaps... the next scene he would see was Swollen Man, Corpse Man, Bandaged Man, and Split Mouth Woman sitting at the dining table, knives and forks in hand, cutting into Su Qi on the table. Tentacle Man crouched down, holding his breath as he peeked his head out from beside the mahogany staircase. What he saw next was beyond belief. The entire first-floor hall looked as if it had just gone through an explosion; the carpet and surrounding walls were charred, and as for the dining table in the middle, it had long been blasted into pieces, splinters flying everywhere. And at this moment, on a patch of open ground, three figures were lying there. Swollen Man was bloody all over, hanging by his buttocks on the wall lamp, but being an abnormality, he still gasped for breath. Split Mouth Woman''s teeth had all fallen out; with disheveled hair, she looked utterly miserable, one arm blown off like a rag doll far away. The final Corpse Man had been torn apart, one piece east and one piece west. And as if that wasn''t secure enough, their entire bodies were tightly bound with white bandages, rendering them unable to struggle. Meanwhile, Tentacle Man stood still as a statue. What happened, Su Qi? At that moment, footsteps slowly approached, and Su Qi emerged from the kitchen, wiping the blood off his hands with a rag. "Stop loitering there, come down." His tone was oddly normal, as if he was calling me down to dinner! Tentacle Man didn''t know how he got to the first floor; all he felt were those three pairs of crimson eyes piercing his body like knives. He was trembling and tearless, "What exactly happened here?" "Nothing much, just some food laced with poison, coupled with a screech that activated all the pollutants in the apartment, and a small thunderball." Tentacle Man didn''t understand but was greatly shocked. What on earth happened in those ten minutes? The poison must have been the same one he had handed out yesterday. Activating all pollutants on the first floor of the apartment... how horrifying. He didn''t even dare to think about it, yet Su Qi acted as if nothing were wrong. As for the final thunderball, it was no longer significant. "I''ve already put all the pollutants back where they belong, there won''t be any problems now," Su Qi said indifferently. With a mere twist of a clock, activating all the apartment''s pollutants only cost him a minor -1 in spiritual powers. But for the others, it was lethal. "What about the bandaged monster..." Tentacle Man suddenly realized someone was missing and muttered. "Don''t you find the bandages on their bodies familiar?" Tentacle Man suddenly understood, "You made a deal with the bandaged monster!" Su Qi pointed overhead. Tentacle Man looked up and saw a body that had been dead for some time, hung upside down from the ceiling by bandages. "It was originally hidden inside the chandelier on the ceiling, but it fell out due to the explosion being a bit too intense." Tentacle Man shuddered as he trembled, looking at Su Qi. He was terribly wrong. He thought this new resident was just an ordinary person. Now, it seemed he was the most dangerous entity, kneeling before the boss. He had already knelt, so no harm done. After the shock, Tentacle Man remembered there was still an unknown horror in the apartment, and hurriedly said, "So what do we do now... clean up first? Otherwise, when the caretaker comes out tomorrow and sees this, he''ll explode." He looked with a grim expression at the ravaged first floor, "But how do we clean this up." Su Qi looked at the eager and anxious Tentacle Man, seeming genuinely considerate. He smiled: "Don''t worry, the caretaker won''t be coming out." "Huh?" "He has always been here." Tentacle Man started, shrinking back in fear, "Where? We should hide quickly, the notice clearly prohibits any contact with the caretaker." Su Qi slowly moved his gaze towards Tentacle Man. The anxious Tentacle Man, somewhat scared, adjusted his glasses, looked back, saw three shadows behind him, and hurriedly said, "Could it be one of them?" Su Qi simply smiled, glancing above Tentacle Man''s head where a[?]had been hovering since day one. The message simply read five words: [Apartment Caretaker] Chapter 14 - 14 I said we should have a good chat Su Qi''s gaze slowly fixed on Tentacle Man. After what seemed like a few seconds. Tentacle Man''s face stiffened slightly, and he let out a forced chuckle, "Are you saying I''m the one?" "You''re... not kidding me, are you?" He flicked the tentacles off his body, shaking his head innocently, "How could I possibly be the apartment manager?" Su Qi sniffed, "Why not? There''s a damp, sticky smell in the air of the hallway, and I''ve also found drops of liquid on the floor of the corridor." Tentacle Man said helplessly, "...people go downstairs every day; of course, there will be traces left behind, and it''s too dark in the hallway to see anything clearly." Su Qi gently lifted his palm, revealing the tightly closed Palm Eye on it, "Then I''m sorry, I specifically went to check during the manager''s cooking time, and you forgot, didn''t you? My eyes, they can glow." Upon hearing this, Tentacle Man wasn''t swayed but instead his bitter smile deepened, "Then it''s even less likely to be me. Yesterday, while the manager was cooking, I was clearly in the same room with you." Su Qi mused to himself, "That''s also something I found puzzling at the start, until I... saw ''it''." He walked towards Corpse Man, using the butcher''s knife to cut open the black robe on the body. Instantly, a foul stench hit them. You could also see that all the parts on Corpse Man were stitched together, and the flesh on them was starting to rot, oozing putrid blood. Tentacle Man, witnessing this scene, didn''t speak and slowly adjusted his glasses with a tentacle. His voice began to change, "What about it?" As if he hadn''t seen it at all, Su Qi spoke softly, "It... it''s just a patched-up puppet... just like that little girl in the third-floor room of yours." No sooner had he finished speaking! The veins on Tentacle Man''s face surged out like pulled-up tree roots, his expression raging to the extreme. Two tentacles, which previously seemed harmless, now violently swelled by several meters, a mass of sticky fluid mixed with poison hurtling towards Su Qi! The Palm Eye in Su Qi''s hand suddenly burst open, a fierce flash incredibly dazzling, stopping the deadly tentacles in their tracks from lunging further. At this moment. The originally refined face of Tentacle Man now turned unspeakably fierce and mad, "You went in there!?" "Of course." Su Qi sighed, "I saw a lot inside," Tentacle Man''s face twisted, his eyes full of murderous intent as he stared fixedly at Su Qi, "You deserve to die! Die, die!" His frenzied demeanor was as if Su Qi had defiled that little hut; the tentacles struck again, now faster and more ferocious! This guy had been hiding his true strength all along, wanting Su Qi to think he was weak, to foster a sense of shared enmity. But in fact. His strength was stronger than all the other abnormalities, otherwise, the previous batches of residents wouldn''t have been replaced time and again. Su Qi''s form retreated swiftly. He knew well that the tentacles were covered in poison; once ensnared, he wouldn''t even be able to utter a cry of resistance before being knocked out. Probably how those people before had disappeared. Tentacle Man growled, "You... can''t run away!" "Run? Hardly necessary." Su Qi, instead, watched the approaching tentacles with a calm expression, "Actually, there''s one more thing I didn''t mention, or rather, I lied to you about." ''?" "That is, I never put the Pollutant back." Su Qi''s eyes shifted to the kitchen behind Tentacle Man, "And I let all the Pollutants in the kitchen out." Tentacle Man''s eyebrows twitched violently. The air behind seemed to stir in response, as though some ancient fierce beast was lurking there, a horrifying roar erupting in the small first floor! Despair! Terror! Filth! Unspeakable! Spiritual impact! In this instant! The massive impact instantly engulfed the first floor! Su Qi activated the clock in an instant, yet even so... his spiritual power dropped by 2 points, sufficient to understand the terror of this impact. Tentacle Man fared even worse as his entire body collapsed to the ground, convulsing non-stop. He couldn''t withstand such a horrifying pollution either; every time he cooked, he would toss the core part of the abnormality into the fridge, which explained the extremely terrifying accumulation of pollutants there over such a long time. It was truly a case of reaping what one sows. "What do you say? Can you still stand up?" Tentacle Man, having suffered a great impact and nearly having his spirit shattered to the point of unconsciousness, clenched his teeth and lifted his head, his eyes full of hatred staring at Su Qi: "Even if I die, I will take you down with me! I will never let you defile my daughter!" Su Qi, with a dark expression, said, "...How can you slander someone out of thin air? When did I ever say I wanted to defile your daughter, and besides... your words make me sound like the villain." Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He walked up to Tentacle Man and said, "Didn''t I tell you just yesterday? I wanted to have a proper talk with you." Tentacle Man shivered slightly, looking at the young man in front of him. The madness in his eyes faded halfway. He had thought Su Qi was overestimating his capabilities by wanting to confront the abnormal residents. Yet he hadn''t expected those words were addressed to him. It was really quite ironic. "So, can you calm down?" Tentacle Man''s expression fluctuated, looking at Su Qi strolling leisurely in front of a pile of ruins. He knew he probably couldn''t outplay this guy. In the end, he compromised, his voice hoarse as he said, "What do you want to talk about? Do you want this apartment? Or is it something else?" Su Qi replied calmly with a smile, "Of course, it''s about cooperation. I seem to recall saying at the dinner table yesterday that I hoped to get along well with all the neighbors, rather than fighting and killing. It''s just that one after another, you''ve been provoking me, leading to the current situation." Tentacle Man stiffened, then gave a faint and miserable smile, as if that indeed was the case. "It seems.... everything is self-inflicted, just like it was back then." His tone of voice was slow as he lowered his head, sinking into memories: "Actually, this city was normal up until two years ago.... Back then I was an ordinary doctor, with a perfect and happy family...." Why had we suddenly entered a storytelling session? Just as he was about to continue. Su Qi suddenly waved his hand, interrupting him: "Stop, no need to go on, I''ve seen it on the third floor. It''s nothing more than that your daughter and wife were in a car accident, your wife died on the spot, and your daughter, barely clinging to life, was rushed to the hospital. Unaware, you were called to attend to the victims, and at the operating table, you saw your own daughter covered in blood, and before you could save her, you became twisted. After the descent of pollution, you moved into this kind of apartment, along with your daughter''s corpse, trying to resurrect her using the special ability of your tentacles and your medical knowledge." He added one more sentence: "Such a story, if put in a novel, is really quite clich." Tentacle Man: "....." If he could move, he would have flung out his tentacles once more to slay Su Qi. "I know it''s tragic, and I do sympathize," said Su Qi. "But... what you''re doing is pointless." Tentacle Man''s expression became agitated: "How could it be pointless, you''ve seen it." He pointed towards Corpse Man: "I''ve made significant progress. After I created it, it can move, speak, and even cook." Su Qi ruthlessly interrupted him: "It''s just a rotting shell, you know that better than anyone, so why bother?" Tentacle Man''s face showed alternating expressions of light and shade: "You don''t understand... You just don''t understand!" Su Qi looked at him: "I''m not here to discuss philosophy like the nature of consciousness and existence; I''m here to talk about cooperation." "To put it simply." Su Qi calmly said, "I can let you and your daughter talk." Tentacle Man''s head jerked up, his eyes bulging, his expression one of disbelief, his voice trembling: "Really?" "Of course, it''s true. It''s more hopeful than messing with these things, but..." Su Qi then spoke a sentence that made Tentacle Man show a look of fear: "You have to... help me with the source of the collapse." Chapter 15 - 15 Preparations for Going to the Source of Collapse Tentacle Man limped down the corridor, his facial expression uncertain, "Do you really want to go to the source of collapse?" "It''s an extremely dangerous place, filled with completely polluted abnormalities; no living creature dares to approach it." "I know, I took a detour to the city center yesterday," Su Qi knew the dangers there even better, "That''s why I''ve come to collaborate with you." Tentacle Man: "..." All the previous guests were monsters, each one crazy and abnormal; yet, even so, they were all extremely fearful of the outside world. Finally, there came a normal Su Qi. But it turned out... he was the most abnormal of all, showing interest in the source of collapse and possessed a must-go attitude. Tentacle Man sighed and walked to the door of the apartment''s storage room: "I understand, I''ll help you with all my strength." "But, can you really let me communicate with my daughter?" Su Qi replied, "I never deceive anyone." "Bullshit, you just said you had released all the pollutants back..." Tentacle Man''s face veins bulged, his limping was due to being too severely impacted, almost collapsing. Su Qi: "....." He said lightly, "Relax, put your heart into your pelvis." He hadn''t lied to him, when he was on the third floor, he had seen information on the little girl. It displayed. [The lingering soul trapped in this polluted world unable to be freed; place an old item she used in the attic and draw a pentagram, you might discover her wishes.] Su Qi speculated. This was a side mission of exploring the third floor. Without much thought, it was clear the wishes were related to her father, either to resolve his emotional conflicts or to free her. Then he would gain her assistance, gradually uncover the identity of the manager, reveal the truth, engage in a massive battle, finally reform the crazed Tentacle Man, witness a father-daughter reunion, tearfully... and roll the movie''s end credits. The general process for ordinary players to clear the game would be like this, otherwise, they couldn''t contend with Tentacle Man. Unfortunately. Su Qi didn''t follow the process. When Tentacle Man opened the storage room, a terrifying presence emanated, the air seemed much colder, sending shivers down one''s spine. He said in a deep voice, "I''m not a good person, but I never kill indiscriminately. Over the last two years, I''ve provided each guest with food and shelter. Only when a guest breaks the rules or becomes completely polluted do I dispose of them." "And the parts generated from their pollution are preserved as pollutants." Su Qi looked around, the storage room had numerous glass jars, all filled with various pollutants, containing some residual power from their original owners. "If you want to head toward the source of collapse, consider two things; one is how to approach the source without collapsing, and second, how to avoid those huge abnormalities." Tentacle Man looked at Su Qi, "The first, you''ve evidently solved, but the second... can only rely on me." Tentacle Man adjusted his glasses, his demeanor not crazed, a hint of intelligence shining through, "Based on my two years of research and experiments, I''ve almost completely understood the pollutants and abnormalities." "The power they contain is bizarre, like a virus; even if the host dies, they don''t immediately dissipate. Once they gather together, they become extremely powerful." Tentacle Man offered Su Qi two options: "Your Palm Eye might not be a combat ability, but it''s very effective against the abnormalities. If you could absorb these pollutants, you might grow to an extremely powerful state, perhaps creating a gap in time to reach the source of collapse." "Of course, you know the side effects too; you''ll turn into one of those monstrous creatures and lose your sanity." Su Qi decisively passed: "The second option?" "That would be creating an abnormality using all the pollutants I''ve collected, something terrifying, that could create an opportunity for you to approach." Su Qi''s eyes flickered, assessing its feasibility, he quickly nodded, "We can give it a try." The two struck a deal and began to make plans. In the following days. Tentacle Man remained in the storeroom, constantly beginning new experiments. Su Qi wasn''t idle either. He went out to extensively collect various abnormal bodies, aiming to preserve the remaining 70 points of spiritual power. He only left the house once a day, and his time outside was controlled to be within fifteen minutes, timed precisely to return to the apartment by the clock. This way, his spiritual power remained entirely unspent. Meanwhile, Swollen Man and Split Mouth Woman had not yet died, being held captive by Tentacle Man with toxins. Although their bodies were immobile, their consciousness was exceptionally clear. They had never imagined that Tentacle Man was actually the most terrifying manager in the apartment complex. And the young man beside them, who was considered highly desirable, not only played with them at will but also did not spare the manager, all while chatting and laughing. Now, in their eyes, there was no madness left, only deep fear when they looked at Su Qi. The fifth day. The Pollution Entity finally took shape and could carry out certain autonomous movements after Tentacle Man injected a large amount of neurohormones. The sixth day. He gradually started incorporating a large amount of pollutants and various abnormal flesh as energy. The seventh day. Su Qi activated the exclamation mark, allowing Tentacle Man and his daughter to have a conversation. After the first ten minutes where Su Qi asked a few questions, he left the rest of the time to Tentacle Man. The eighth day. The Pollution Entity turned out to be larger than imagined; it couldn''t completely fit in the entire first floor of the apartment, but Tentacle Man was not satisfied. What he wanted was speed, the ability to lure the tiger away from the mountain. At the same time, Su Qi discovered somethingthe other party did not slack off at work after contacting his daughter but became even more diligent and determined. What had happened during the time he was not on the third floor? The ninth day. There was nothing problematic with the Pollution Entity any longer, and Tentacle Man immediately began to modify Split Mouth Woman and Swollen Man. By the tenth day, everything was ready. Su Qi also saw that one of his main mission objectives, surviving for ten days, had been marked as complete, and he could teleport out of the instance at any moment. "I am getting ready to leave," Su Qi said with a smile, extending his hand to Tentacle Man. "I won''t be coming back this time. These past few days have indeed been hard." Tentacle Man also extended his tentacle, but instead of reaching for Su Qi''s hand, he picked up the backpack from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. Su Qi paused, then shook his head, "You don''t need to do this; I am not like you, and our cooperation ends today." He could complete the task alone at any time and leave the instance. But it was different for Tentacle Man; if he died, he would really be dead. However, Tentacle Man''s expression remained very calm, as though he had already made his decision. "I have two reasons I must go. One is this Pollution Entity, which I can only control within a hundred meters'' radius." "Secondly... over the past days, I have spoken with my daughter numerous times; she is in a lot of pain and is very scared. This polluted world has imprisoned her, and she wants to be freed." Su Qi looked at him, slightly surprised. "Such a realization? You''ve come to terms with it?" This Tentacle Man was a bona fide daddy''s girla psychologically dark version. "How could I bear it!" Tentacle Man''s eyes reddened, his voice raspy, "It''s just..." "When I was creating the Pollution Entity, I seemed to foresee a wrong endingI am afraid of myself, whether I truly want to relieve my daughter from this pain or selfishly keep her in this world to suffer." "And what''s most important is..." Tentacle Man, trembling, lifted his head: "My daughter is crying out to me for help!" "I couldn''t save her on the operating table back then; how could I bear to watch her in pain now?" He gritted his teeth, grabbed Su Qi by the shoulders, his face showing unprecedented determination: "So no matter what, I must go." Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 16 - 16: Reaching the End Su Qi and Tentacle Man stepped out from the doorway of the apartment complex. Outside the door stood a mountain-like structure reminiscent of a cement monster, comprised of various flesh and pollutants; it was a Pollution Abnormality. It was only as big as a basketball court at the moment. But as they proceeded, it would devour everything on the streets and grow gradually. Besides that. There were two elite monsters, Swollen Man and Split Mouth Woman, who were bloated with a considerable amount of pollutants filling their bodies. Tentacle Man had used his ability to secrete a large amount of tranquilizer to stabilize their minds. "Remember, once you two get there, just run, it''s your chance to survive," Tentacle Man said coldly, his gaze revealing a terrifying murderous intent, "Otherwise, I''ll throw you in right now." Both monsters trembled all over and hurriedly nodded. "Let''s go, we''re moving out." Everyone boarded the body of the Pollution Abnormality which rolled down the street like a tide, swallowing the surrounding monsters, abandoned cars, and broken street lamps at an extremely fast pace. It was loud, but indeed unstoppable. Level 1 and 2 Pollution Monsters couldn''t even escape in time, and Level 3 and 4 Monsters, which averaged 100 attribute points, had no choice but to flee hastily. In just a five-minute journey. They had already reached the vicinity of the end of the block. At the same time. They also felt various deep moans, whispers, and impacts of spiritual power. "I can''t go any further from here," exclaimed Tentacle Man, taking a deep breath. He extended his tentacles, which developed spikes and viciously stabbed into the head of Pollution Abnormality, injecting a mass of green fluid, "It will run forward as hard as it can, creating noise to divert attention. The rest depends on whether you can seize the opportunity." "No problem, leave it to me," Su Qi nodded. Tentacle Man jumped down, attracting attention with Split Mouth Woman and Swollen Man. Of course, they had also been injected with a large amount of hormones; otherwise, merely standing kilometers away from that horrifying source would cause their minds to collapse. "Charge!" The Pollution Abnormality was injected with a large quantity of stimulant hormones, doubling its speed in an instant. Su Qi, holding onto a part of the Pollution Abnormality, hid underneath it and then immediately activated the clock. The large pit at the center was a kilometer away. Its speed was extremely fast, nearly fifty meters in a second, recklessly charging forward under the influence of hormones. Its massive body naturally drew the attention of those horrifying monsters, comparable to Evil Spirits. Cloud-like jellyfish tentacles, a fifty-meter-tall siren head, and a mountain of flesh covered in eyes all took notice. In that instant. Every cell in Su Qi''s body seemed to suffocate for a moment, his mind briefly went blank, and then the notification [Spiritual Power -2, Current 65] appeared. These were true Evil Spirits; merely catching their gaze resulted in such terrifying spiritual impact. Without the clock''s 90% immunity, Su Qi probably wouldn''t have lasted five seconds. "Here they come!" Su Qi noticed that the three terrifying Evil Spirits, as if seeing an amusing toy, were all attracted by the mutated combination and started to move, chasing after it! At that moment. The mutated combination dashed forward, already having advanced three hundred meters. Four hundred meters! Five hundred meters! "Boom!" A jellyfish tentacle fell from the sky like a skyscraper being directly thrown down, violently shaking the ground! The eyes on the flesh mountain emitted a strange light, dyeing the Sky Dome blood-red. And finally, the siren head, whose headgear was not just for show, emitted a vibrating terrorizing sound. At this moment. Su Qi felt as if struck by a heavy hammer, blood streaming from all his orifices, even the clock''s immunity couldn''t hold up. At the same time. [Spiritual Power -5, Current 60] "Pfft." Su Qi spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes regaining clarity: "This Evil Spirit is still much weaker than the shadow illusion from the last instance!" He could still hold on. But... the mutated combination couldn''t. It stopped in the last three hundred meters. The hormones made it go mad, but the might of the three great Evil Spirits instilled it with extreme fear. It directly changed direction and started to frantically flee. "It seems we can only get this far." Su Qi jumped off of it and, the moment he landed, burst forth with all his strength, starting to run toward the center. The three Evil Spirits were distracted and did not notice himjust a dot as insignificant as an ant. Su Qi kept moving closer to the central crater. But. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The closer he got, the more visibly his spiritual power decreased. [Spiritual Power -2] [Spiritual Power -3] [Spiritual Power -4] "Only a hundred meters left." Su Qi''s whole body surged with vital energy. Despite various spiritual impacts, his gaze was unwavering, and he moved as fast as an arrow released from a bow, without stopping. Finally. He rushed to the edge of the gigantic crater at the city center, then turned his gaze into the pit. At that moment. His mind exploded! Whether his eyes were open or closed, they were filled with incomprehensible dark hues, countless voices whispered in his ears as though various phantom limbs were pulling at his body! His consciousness seemed to be dragged into Hell, or buried deep in the Abyss, then thrown into a black hole! Even the clocks were clicking, with numerous cracks forming. In the next second, his spirit was about to be torn apart like fragile paper! At this moment. The Evil God''s Eye in Su Qi''s item slot suddenly flashed with a bright red light, emitting an even more terrifying and astonishing aura! "Boom!" It was like two tides clashing! Su Qi''s whole body shook violently, as if he was suddenly pulled from the bottom of the sea, his mind and spirit instantly clearing. He was drenched in sweat, his gaze astonished. "What just happened..." The moment he saw what was inside the pit, he had already lost consciousness, something no clock could withstand. The feeling was exactly the same as when the first instance''s phantom arrived. But now he was pulled back. However, now was not the time to think about that. Although his spiritual power was still rapidly declining, Su Qi could now look directly at the object in the pit. It was a massive heart, weakly beating in a fifty-meter-wide crater. "Is this the source that polluted the world?" Su Qi stared in shock, who would have thought that a thing that created so many terrifying abnormalities, destroying the entire city, was just a nearly dead heart! And this heart had been beating here for two years. At this moment. Su Qi could finally see the content under [?] and [!]. The question mark told him. [This is the heart of an Ancient God] While the exclamation mark showed. [Pierce it, and the pollution of this world will end, while also obtaining a heart of an Ancient God on the verge of collapse.] So that''s how it is. Su Qi''s gaze intensified, and without time to hesitateas his spiritual power was descending shockingly fasthe produced his slaughter knife in his hand, and charged up directly along the slope. At that moment. Something unexpected happened. In this crater where no one but Su Qi was supposed to be present. Suddenly there came a voice, sounding taunting as it laughed: "Mortal." "Your knife, cannot pierce the heart of an Ancient God." Chapter 17 - 17 Theres Always a Traveling Merchant in Every Game "Who is it?" Although the unexpected voice was a complete surprise, Su Qi quickly looked up. Then he saw a figure sitting on the edge of the pit. The man wore a top hat and a purple tailcoat, with orange amber pupils in his black eyeliner. Sitting at the edge of the pit, one hand propping his chin, he cast his gaze over. Friend or foe? Su Qi didn''t know, but the fact that the other party could sit there unscathed and smiling meant his strength was certainly not low. But no matter what, even if you were Ultraman, it wouldn''t matter. Su Qi, right now, couldn''t afford to respond or linger. Every second of hesitation only drained his spiritual power more. The figure''s gaze followed Su Qi, seemingly appraising him, his pupils taking on an interested expression. As Su Qi approached the Ancient God''s Heart. Finally, the figure made a move, reaching for his top hat, and, like a magician, pulled out a Small Knife. With a flick of his fingertip, the fruit knife disappeared right where it was, as if it had traversed space. "Use this." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As Su Qi was running swiftly, he reached out instinctively and caught the small knife flying at high speed. He looked down. This knife... wasn''t this just an ordinary fruit knife? But in the next moment, the panel popped up. [Name: Fruit Knife] [Type: Equipment] [Quality: Immortal] [Note: It was originally just a common knife, but with the endowed Strength, it has the Divine Power to slice through anything] Su Qi''s expression turned sharp. Who was this person, giving him Immortal Quality equipment just like that? He didn''t have time to hesitate as he firmly grasped it and stabbed it fiercely towards the Ancient God''s Heart, which was within arm''s reach! At this very moment, The heart, as if instinctively sensing danger, began to beat more violently, and a terrifying aura burst forth, as if it could block out the sun and cover the sky. The three Evil Spirits, as if suddenly going mad, rushed towards the crater. It seemed they were there to protect the heart from harm. Their roar was deafening. The whole Sky Dome changed color, the ground shook, and the clouds split apart! The might of the Evil Spirits! Terrifying to such an extent! And the man sitting at the edge of the pit, his amber pupils flickering with light, uttered an unsatisfied remark, "Too loud, don''t disturb my business." He put his top hat back on and pointed with his hand. "Boom!" The ground in the center of the City cracked! A huge hand made of molten lava burst forth from the ground and fiercely grasped the three Evil Spirits! Then, These horrifying Evil Spirits, that ordinary people couldn''t even gaze upon, now completely lacked the ability to resist. Amidst their struggles and low growls, They were pulled by the lava hand down into the ground, never to be heard from again! Su Qi, at this moment, was unable to notice any of this. He was standing next to the heart, his spiritual power hitting its limit. The next moment, He plunged the Small Knife in his hand into the Ancient God''s Heart with all his strength. Those thick blood vessels, filled with faces of ghosts, emerged, wailing and trying to pounce at Su Qi. But the power emanating from the knife released a suppressing aura, protecting him. "Ah, ahhh, ahhhh, ah!" In the city, countless pollutants screamed as if they too felt agony! A multitude of ghostly faces and evil auras vanished at a pace visible to the naked eye! Su Qi had only heard a "boom"! Centered around the Ancient God''s Heart, a massive amount of dust was suddenly swept away, as if a gust of wind had dispersed all the wails, and in the blink of an eye, there was nothing left but utter silence. The screams and roars that filled his ears also came to an abrupt halt. "Snap!" The fruit knife in Su Qi''s hand cracked apart, and as he gradually regained his focus, he watched the Small Knife turn to dust in his hands. And there it was... the heart before him that had become dilapidated and dull. "Is it over?" Su Qi no longer felt the onslaught of spiritual power. He was left with barely 3 points of spiritual power. For a split second, it felt as if his soul was about to be snatched away by those entities. Su Qi suddenly closed the panel and looked towards the distant figure, waving his hand. "Although I don''t know who you are, thanks for just now." "A thank you? There''s no need for that," the man replied with a light laugh. "After all, this was a trade, and I never make a loss-making deal." Su Qi''s gaze shifted slightly: "May I ask for your esteemed name?" "You can call me... Traveling Merchant." Su Qi''s brows rose. Traveling Merchant? In many games, once an instance was cleared, there was a very small chance that a merchant who sold special items would appear as a hidden reward. "So that''s it." Su Qi glanced at the three main quests that were all completed and that he could leave the instance at any time. He was in no rush: "What do you want from me?" Indeed. Having just punctured the Ancient God''s Heart without the aid of this mysterious individual claiming to be the Traveling Merchant, he wouldn''t have been able to complete it. But if the other party demanded too much, Su Qi would decisively teleport and flee, now that the main quest was complete. He quietly placed his hand on the Ancient God''s Heart, ready to collect it into his Item Slot at any moment. The Traveling Merchant seemed to see right through Su Qi''s thoughts, chuckling, "Thinking of running away?" "I am not," Su Qi replied without blushing or skipping a beat. "I have traveled countless worlds, you have no idea how many people long to meet me, how many wish to make a trade with me." The Traveling Merchant looked at Su Qi, his eyes narrowing. "And you... are thinking of running away? Also... stop trying to put the Ancient God''s Heart into your Item Slot." "I really am not, stop making things up; I''m just tired and leaning here," Su Qi coughed, releasing his hand, surprised that the object couldn''t be added to his Item Slot. The Traveling Merchant adjusted his hat, rising from the edge of the pit. He leaned on his cane, donned his gold-rimmed glasses, and stood there, the very picture of a gentleman. "Fate is a wonderful thing, and I give each person I meet a chance, after all, some might never encounter me in their lifetimes. For someone as weak as you to have such an encounter of strength with me, isn''t it an interesting affair?" "The help just now, I could consider it free service, but... if you want to take this heart, there will be a price to pay." Su Qi watched the Ancient God''s Heart before him. Without a panel or any other information, this item seemed to have something special about it? Or perhaps the Traveling Merchant before him had tampered with it? It seemed he had no other means to take it with him. Su Qi decided to listen: "So, what is it you want?" The Traveling Merchant smiled lightly: "It''s interesting, usually when people meet me, it is I who ask what they want, yet now you ask me in return." "And what do people generally give you?" "Many things, some that pique my interest, items of equivalent value, interesting pollutants or... they might also trade their own lives, souls, and so forth." Su Qi suddenly paused. "You mentioned interesting pollutants" He took out a finger bone from his Item Slot that he had acquired from the real world through[!]. "Does this count?" Chapter 18 - 18: Pay More! The finger bone was obtained while lying in the Ghost House, along with a sheet of music from playing the piano at night school. Both had been of unknown use until the public test of Abyssal Paradise when Su Qi discovered he could bring them into the game. And the only thing displayed on the panel was their simple Name. "Contaminated Finger Bone" and "Contaminated Sheet Music" It was only after the Traveling Merchant mentioned interesting pollutants that he remembered to take them out casually. The Traveling Merchant''s gaze turned to the piece of finger bone in Su Qi''s hand. After barely a glance, he clicked his tongue lightly and shook his head, "Such a weak pollutant, with barely any breath, is absolutely not worth collecting or trading..." The Traveling Merchant stopped mid-sentence, suddenly furrowing his brow, as if sensing something, his figure disappearing in place and reappearing beside Su Qi. He didn''t reach out directly but politely requested, "May I have a look?" "Of course," Su Qi handed it over without any hesitation. Although the Traveling Merchant dressed like a shifty dealer, he was indeed a gentleman, with strange principles when it came to trading. The Traveling Merchant adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, colors flashing in his pupils: "It seems somewhat interesting." "This is not an ordinary pollutant, it appears to have been tainted with a trace of another power, nearly imperceptible, but clearly spiritual..." He suddenly realized something and didn''t continue. Instead, he handed it back to Su Qi, calmly saying, "All right, this thing seems a little interesting, it has slightly piqued my interest, you give it to me and I will take the Ancient God''s Heart off your hands." Su Qi looked at the calm-faced Traveling Merchant who seemed utterly indifferent. He shifted his gaze upward to the words hovering above the Traveling Merchant''s head. "He is very excited" "He is determined to get that finger bone" Su Qi narrowed his eyes. Sly dealer, acting all coy. But knowing the other party''s thoughts, he now had an idea. Su Qi first put it into his Item Slot, a move that made the Traveling Merchant''s brow twitch almost imperceptibly. "Don''t you want to trade anymore?" Su Qi sighed with a sorrowful tone, "That''s the thing, I really want to trade, but... this finger bone is of great significance, it''s something left by my grandfather when he was cremated. He took great care of me since I was little and we depended on each other for twenty years, it is the only thing left in this world from my relative." "So, I can''t give it to you." For the first time, the Traveling Merchant was caught off-guard, opening his mouth without knowing what to say. Fortunately, he wasn''t an ordinary person, and after a moment''s daze, he regained his composure, quickly saying, "You must understand the value of that Ancient God''s Heart. Although it is a deceased object, very frail, it still possesses a trace of the Ancient God''s lineage, and, if you own it, you might be able to reactivate it in the future, gradually grow, and obtain the might of the Ancient God." "Don''t you want it?" the Traveling Merchant urged. Su Qi took all this in. He shook his head still, "You misunderstand, that finger bone is the possession of my most important relative, I see it as an irreplaceable treasure." Su Qi paused, then added, "You''ll have to increase the price." "..." The Traveling Merchant looked lost, falling into a prolonged silence. He had to do this because, in that instant, he had nearly broken his countless times upheld trading principles. That was to toss this guy into the Chaotic Sea. He took a deep breath, "Don''t go too far. I am the Traveling Merchant whom countless people beg to trade with." Su Qi spread his hands, "Then there''s nothing to discuss, goodbye." With that, he was about to end the instance and leave. Naturally, the Traveling Merchant couldn''t see his instance, but clearly knew he was about to teleport away, and hastily said, "Wait!" Su Qi, however, didn''t stop as the other had hoped. Instead, he was already preparing to confirm whether to leave the instance and, while confirming, he said, "Bro, I''ve got other things to do, so I''ll stop chatting. I still have to light incense for my grandpa." " I''ll add!" The Traveling Merchant almost spat out these words through gritted teeth. He actually got read and pinned down by this weak individual, and this guy wasn''t giving him any chances; he had no choice but to comply. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi smiled, halted his actions, and quietly waited for him to continue. The Traveling Merchant took a deep breath; he never thought his emotions would fluctuate so much. "First off, I want to tell you that this finger bone isn''t anything powerful. The pollution and strength on it are so weak they''re almost negligible. I want it because it contains a trace of information that''s very important to me." Su Qi took note of this information and didn''t interrupt. "This Ancient God''s Heart is even more important for you. However, it still has some residue of pollution and aura, which you naturally can''t take with you. You need me to process and refine it. This job isn''t as simple as it may seem." Su Qi nodded in sudden realization, "I see, I see. That''ll be a lot of work for you then, and." He paused for a moment, "What about the extra charge?" Traveling Merchant: "" He wanted to say something, but instead sighed helplessly and then took off his top hat. He pulled out an old-fashioned speaker from inside. It looked quite old, all black, with only three buttons for play/pause and track selection. "What''s this?" "I''ve unlocked the shielding; take a look for yourself." The Traveling Merchant seemed to have dealt with many players like Su Qi and knew they had their own ways of inspecting items. Su Qi looked over. [Name: Horror Nursery Rhyme] [Quality: Perfect] [Function: When it plays the Sound of the Past, Strength, movement technique, and Physical Strength will double, lasting for three minutes (cooldown time one hour).] [Note: In my BGM, no one can beat me.] His eyes instantly lit up. "Nice item. Does it need batteries?" "No need." The Traveling Merchant said expressionlessly, "Though I really don''t want to remind you, as a matter of principle for a merchant, I need to tell you that this also has side effects; when the music plays, the Sound of the Past will also reduce your spiritual power" "Can it change discs?" "Yes" The Traveling Merchant gritted his teeth, "But that way, it''ll just be an ordinary speaker." Is that sound the key? Su Qi suddenly thought of his piece of sheet music, which seemed to have a few tunes preserved on it. The Traveling Merchant no longer cared about Su Qi; he went over to the Ancient God''s Heart and began to clean the residual aura and pollutants. Two minutes later. The Traveling Merchant withdrew his hand: "It''s done." Su Qi tried it out and, indeed, was able to store the heart in his Item Slot. "The trade is now complete." The Traveling Merchant flicked away the residue he had collected from the Ancient God''s Heart. "Appreciate it." Su Qi passed over the finger bone readily, "I hope the next time we meet, you''ll keep my grandpa''s Finger Bone well preserved." The Traveling Merchant''s mood had returned to calm. He opened a void channel and turned around saying: "There''ll be no next time. I travel between various worlds, and the probability of us meeting again is virtually zero. Although this is our first meeting, it''s also our last." And it was the most unpleasant one at that. With that said. He disappeared from this place without any hesitation. Chapter 19 - 19 Leaving the Instance and Completion Rewards "He just walked away, not even leaving a cloud behind." Su Qi stretched lazily as he watched the other leave, and surprisingly, he didn''t immediately teleport out of the instance. After climbing out of the pit and walking about a kilometer on the street, he saw Tentacle Man standing in the distance, appearing dazed and lost. Su Qi waved his hand. Tentacle Man''s eyes widened as he looked at Su Qi, and he ran over with great excitement, "You really did it!" Su Qi looked around the city, "So what''s the situation now?" Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "All the completely polluted monsters inside the city have vanished, but a massive amount of pollutants still exist, and others like me, who are not fully polluted abnormal people, should also be alive," Tentacle Man muttered, "But... I never thought the terrifying Pollution Source that has existed for two years would be dealt with just like that. I just saw those three Evil Spirits get grabbed by the lava giant hand. Could it be that you are the Savior sent to this world!?" "Don''t slap labels on me carelessly." "And even though it''s been dealt with, it''s not completely resolved." Su Qi spoke softly, "In these two years, this city must have spawned countless pollutants and abnormalities. Other areas have probably fallen as well, losing large tracts of the city." He reached out and pulled out the pocket watch. It was an instance tool and couldn''t be placed in the Item Slot. Since he couldn''t take it with him, he might as well leave it to Tentacle Man for self-defense. "The rest is up to you now. I''m about to leave this world." Tentacle Man was startled, his expression becoming solemn as he took the watch seriously, "I understand." Su Qi: "..." What do you understand? But he didn''t say anything more, as he couldn''t stay in the instance for too long. A countdown had already begun. "Goodbye." He waved his hand, his whole figure turning into a shadow and disappearing from the spot. Tentacle Man''s gaze turned towards the ravaged city, clutching the pocket watch tightly in his hand, and then he made a certain decision. ----------------- [Player Su Buxian has cleared Pollution instance number 2137897.] [Game difficulty: Hard.] [Game rating: 100.] [Settling rewards...] [Awarded Perfect Level clearance Experience and 1000 Game Coins, along with one lottery chance.] [Your Level has increased to Level 7.] [Awarded 10 points for attribute distribution.] [Epilogue: Others achieve 100 points through performance, but you, because the maximum is only 100 points. In this world, not only did you perfectly complete the triple-line tasks, but you also accomplished content beyond the main mission itself. Whether it''s luck, strength, or choices, it''s hard to replicate. At the same time, you''ve left new hope for this half-collapsed world. Perhaps one day, this land will undergo a complete transformation and establish a new Order.] "Luck?" Su Qi was not pleased, but upon reflection, there indeed was a stroke of it. It was the sudden appearance of the Traveling Merchant that enabled Su Qi to obtain something that could pierce the Ancient God''s Heart. Su Qi allocated all his distributable points to Physical Strength, raising it directly to 35 points. At the same time, his Physical Strength value also increased to 350 points. Although it seemed enough, in reality, as attributes increased, so would the consumption of Physical Strength. After all, the energy consumption of a child fighting is different from that of a Superhuman in combat; the principle of conservation of energy must still be followed. But that wasn''t important. Su Qi stopped focusing on the panel and opened his Item Slot. He had obtained two items this time, one was an old-fashioned speaker and the other... was that Ancient God''s Heart. [Name: Dead Heart] [Type: ???] [Quality: ???] [Function: ???] "?" A question mark also formed on Su Qi''s forehead; the panel might as well not be there. But at least there was a note. [Note: Mortal, though this heart has died, it still possesses a trace of the Ancient God Bloodline. Even so, it''s not something that you, in your current weak state, can tolerate. So, until you activate it, all you can do is stareA post-sale advice from the Traveling Merchant] [Unseal at Level 20] Su Qi frowned, annoyedthe note clearly had a personal touch. It seemed it wasn''t far off. Su Qi still had one lottery draw left, but he wasn''t in a hurry and disconnected, leaving the gaming pod. Lottery draws were quite mystical anyway. He had already won a nice skill today, and according to family tradition, luck refreshed once a day; saving the draw for tomorrow''s game seemed wise. Just as Su Qi was about to head out for a meal, Liu Yishou sent a message. "Meet up tomorrow? There are others, and I have important things to discuss." ----------------- With the intention of understanding the strange world, Su Qi arrived at the agreed location the next day, on time. This hotel could be considered the largest in the city; the space on the first floor was ample enough to play soccer, he noticed, eyeing the elevator entrance crowded with people. And there, the slightly overweight man in the middle, with a question mark over his head, showed, "He''s strenuously holding in that fart, but he doesn''t realize it isn''t just a fart." Su Qi decisively abandoned the idea of taking the elevator. The floor wasn''t that high anyway. He pushed open the door to the stairwell and found several teenagers sitting on the steps, absorbed in their tablets and playing games noisily. "Argh, dead again. This instance''s boss is too hard to defeat." "There''s nothing we can do; we''ve given it our all. Maybe we should cheat?" "That''s not allowed; I heard cheating kills your whole family!" The teenager grit his teeth, "I''m an orphan; I''ll do it!" Su Qi stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling on the game they were playing, which displayed a[?], and he read the information on it. He bent down and said, "Cheating isn''t recommended. If you just keep hitting this wooden box, you can skip the level." The teens tried it out, and it worked. Excitedly, they said, "Bro, do you play Primordial Spirit too?" "I''ve never played it. They looked puzzled, "But how do you know about this easter egg?" "I heard about it by chance." The teens'' excitement waned, and with indifferent expressions, they gave way, "Well, there''s no point in discussing it then. After all, those who don''t play Primordial Spirit lead relatively unsuccessful lives." Su Qi observed them silently, then chuckled wryly. After reaching the floor, he also took the opportunity to report to the hotel staff about the teens blocking the emergency exit and playing an 18+ game. After asking for the private room''s location, Su Qi reached the door and before he could knock, a weak voice arose from behind him. "Are you also invited to the club?" Club? Su Qi turned around and saw a girl not exceeding 1.6 meters in height. He knew at a glance that she was extraordinary, not only for her heavy dark circles but also for the hoodie she wore, and judging by the few strands of hair peeking out, they hadn''t been washed in at least a week. Her eyes were lackluster, and she was yawning. "Yes," Su Qi pondered aloud, "A police officer called me over. Two days of being disturbed is a bit annoying." "It''s not nice to speak ill of someone behind their back, but I agree with you on that," the hooded girl nodded. "Click!" The door opened, and Liu Yishou stood at the entrance with a dark expression, "At least don''t talk about me when I''m present." Su Qi smiled lightly, "Well, there''s still a door between us, isn''t there?" He walked in to find Xu Linqiu seated at the head of the table, alongside over ten other people, looking like an examiner, calmly focusing on the files in her hands. Su Qi took a careful look around; there were all types of professions. He guessed these people must be on the Investigation Bureau''s assessment list, apparently gathered here to be notified about something. "Now that everyone''s arrived," Xu Linqiu was unfazed. She tapped the table lightly and said, "As members invited to join the club, let''s start by introducing ourselves to one another." Chapter 20 - 20 The So-Called Club Since Su Qi had walked in, he''d heard the word "club" three times, now reiterated by Xu Linqiu, an official insider, raising his suspicions. At that moment, Liu Yishou winked at Su Qi. "Are your eyes dry?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." Liu Yishou silently took out his phone. "What''s the matter?" Su Qi''s phone vibrated slightly, and he checked it. "Your situation is a minority; other players are normal and oblivious to the weird happenings, including our Investigation Bureau, so we''re not intervening officially, but in the form of a club to make offline contact." So that''s how it is. Because he''d encountered something weird, Su Qi was contacted by the Investigation Bureau ahead of time, disclosing a small fraction of the information. The others must have their exceptional traits to be considered by the Investigation Bureau. At this time. The self-introductions began. Of course, listing everyone''s introduction in a group of over ten people would end this chapter. Let''s just mention a few notable ones. A shy-looking young man sitting across from Su Qi, a broadcaster on a gaming platform, rubbed his head sheepishly after being recognized: "I''m no gaming god, just enjoy constantly challenging myself. My game ID and platform name are the same, both known as ''Old Tomato.''" Sitting to the right of Su Qi was a youth wearing glasses, his eyes deep with calm and wisdom shimmering, speaking succinctly: "I hold the speedrun record for escape rooms. My gaming name is ''Jun Mowen.''" On the left, a young man in a duckbill cap adjusted the brim, revealing a smirk: "Interesting, it seems we''re all experts or top contenders in our fields. My name is ''Night Watch''...." Before he could finish, someone nearby spoke up with a hint of confusion: "Wait, you seem familiar. Are you the adventure god known as ''Night Watch,'' who explores abandoned houses and cemeteries at night hunting for the supernatural?" The young man in the duckbill cap smiled and nodded: "I don''t have many strengths, but I''ve got guts." Finally, it was just the girl in the dress and Su Qi left. Due to extreme tiredness, she just yawned and said: "My name is ''Milk Tea with 70% Sugar.'' I don''t excel in any field; sorry, pulled an all-nighter playing games." The others didn''t seem to recognize her. However, Xu Linqiu was looking at something in the files, his gaze flickering slightly. Su Qi felt there was something off about the fengshui where he sat. Despite the seating being random, he was the last to introduce. But when it was his turn, he had to say something. Everyone else was a master in their respective fields. "Gaming nickname: ''Su Buxian.''" Su Qi started: "I''m good at playing instruments and singing. My achievements aren''t too few or too many; just last half-year, I won the local shuttlecock competition and during my stint as a community service volunteer, successfully solved a neighborhood adultery caseUncle Wang cheated on Uncle Li. Then two months ago..." People paused, his resume was extensive but seemed disconnected. Liu Yishou, who knew the scoop on Su Qi, couldn''t help but widen his eyes. What the hell are you talking about? And that sounded indeed like reality. You''ve been slacking up till now, huh! "This concludes my self-introduction," Su Qi said modestly, "Thank you, everyone." "Uh...." Old Tomato scratched his face, looking around at the silent crowd, and offered a sympathetic chuckle: "Brother Su''s resume... seems quite extensive indeed." "Forcing praise only makes things weirder, my friend," Night Watch laughed. "But, you''re not wrong; Brother Su, true to his name, really can''t sit still." "No trouble at all," Su Qi responded with a light-hearted smile. No trouble my ass. Liu Yishou sighed. He almost couldn''t resist pulling out a cigarette from his pocket. This guy had just taken down a murderer a few days ago, far more ruthless than these so-called masters of various domains. Xu Linqiu didn''t respond, although he wanted to make a comment while Su Qi was speaking, he wasn''t here today to represent the official stance; he was merely the president of a gaming club. He gently tapped on the table. "Everyone has introduced themselves. Those capable of being here today all have their strengths. Thank you for accepting the invitation to join my club and I hope, in the game ''Abyssal Paradise,'' you can find what you''re looking for." After saying those meaningful words, Xu Linqiu paused, "As president and also an internal tester in the game, if any of you have questions, I''ll provide answers as best I can and each official club member will receive a piece of equipment issued by the club." "Equipment? What Quality?" Some faces showed visible emotion. "Ordinary Quality, with a specific attribute or ability that should be of great help to you right now." "Ordinary Quality?!" Most people showed an excited, surprised expression, clearly understanding the potential of this game and just how valuable the equipment was. Su Qi was stunned. Why was everyone so excited? Was he the only one who didn''t know the value of the equipment? It made sense... He seldom read forums, nor had he actively searched for any game strategies. His main approach was to skip, to play first and ask questions later. Nothing much of importance followed. Everyone ordered food and enjoyed a joyful, offline meet-and-eat. The masters earlier had naturally attracted others to initiate conversations with them. The renowned and the unknowns were treated differently, as was the case everywhere. At this moment, Su Qi was quite comfortable eating, while he took out his phone and logged into the official forum. Although the open beta had just started yesterday, The forum was already bursting with discussions. Many who played felt the game was extraordinary, unmatched in immersion and realism by any other game in the market, continuously sharing their experiences. Of course, there were also those showing off their scores, with new players rarely scoring above 80 even on ordinary difficulty. And many posts read, "Buying equipment and skills at high prices, PM to discuss." Su Qi scrolled through. Many savvy big-time players or wealthy gamers had seen the potential in this game, constantly buying up various itemsequipment, skills, even Game Coinsat high prices, as the game had yet to implement a recharge and trading system, forcing many cash players to spend real money. An Ordinary Quality piece of equipment could sell for tens of thousands of yuan. This made Su Qi think of his Evil God''s Eye and Ancient God''s Heart; both items were extraordinary and beyond valuation, especially since the former should not be discussed with outsiders. "And the means of transaction currently is through duo queue, to exchange items within game instances, right?" Su Qi seemed to smell hints of underhand dealings. But that wasn''t any of his concern. At the same time, Su Qi realized why these people were so ecstatican Ordinary Quality piece of equipment, worth tens of thousands of yuan, just for becoming an official club member. It was a complete steal for them. Just then, his phone buzzed with a message from Liu Yishou. ? Why the ambiguity? Why a message when he''s so close? Liu Yishou: "You''ve seen it, most here are on the assessment list, gathered together...to meet each other, and besides you, there are others who''ve experienced strange occurrences." "Don''t you want to know who the other person who encountered something strange is?" Su Qi looked at the messages popping up on his phone and replied, "Although you''re beating around the bush, I''ve known it since I walked in the door." Liu Yishou was slightly taken aback. Su Qi had already turned his gaze to the girl who had fallen asleep at the table next to him: "Those who don''t know your identities wouldn''t acknowledge when I mention the word ''police officers.''" Chapter 21 - 21: Entering the Team Instance Xu Linqiu sat in his place, but his gaze was observing others. Old Tomato was socially anxious, but once the topic shifted to games, he would open up like a floodgate, detailing strategies and insights with extreme clarity, showcasing his innate sharp intuition. He had cleared the Difficult Dungeon twice, with a highest score of 88. Jun Mowen, unpretentious in speech, interacted with others sincerely and wasn''t aloof; he just preferred silencea player driven by intellect. He had completed Nightmare mode once, scoring 79. As for this Night Watcher... Xu Linqiu gave him a glance, and the latter, while chatting with others, stealthily flashed a peace sign at him. No mistake...this guy was actually an internal member of the Investigation Bureau, now reluctantly under his command. Why reluctantly? Because this fellow was backed by significant figures within the Investigation Bureau, and after the public beta of Abyssal Paradise, he was assigned to his team. Additionally, this fellow wasn''t just leveraging connections; his talent was truly exceptional, having cleared the Difficult Dungeon three times with an average score of 81. The game''s rating system actually encompassed many aspectscombat power, luck, understanding of the world, completion of tasks, and so forthcomplex yet comprehensive. And these three, they were the promising newcomers he was currently focusing on. As for...the other two who had unusual encounters with the supernatural. Xu Linqiu turned towards a girl in a connected hat and Su Qi; he could understand why one would sleep throughoutafter all, the girl was plagued by anomalies, and sleep deprivation was normal. He twitched the corners of his mouth slightly. But damn, the other ate from start to finish. Were you reincarnated from a starving ghost? Su Qi, seemingly aware, looked up and locked eyes with him, offering a slight smile. "..." Xu Linqiu helplessly withdrew his gaze, having been outfoxed when he first met this guy. He admitted...he was better suited for combat, unable to handle this fellow. And a particularly strange point. He was unable to find Su Qi''s Dungeon clear records and ratingthis was the first time such a situation had occurred...it seemed Su Qi''s data was disrupted, needing time to recover. "Could it be that...a bug occurred?" Yet Xu Linqiu found it far-fetched: "Forget it, this isn''t a real game." "I''ll check later using higher authority from the teacher." ----------------- The offline meeting thus hastily concluded, and after everyone added each other as friends, they were eager to leave early. In the early public beta phase, everyone was desperate to level up sooner, expand their advantage, and pass the club''s assessment to become official members. Su Qi also took a cab home, and upon entering his community, he spotted a white cat with distinct features. The cat looked unique, prompting Su Qi to take a few extra glances. For its forehead fur had been cleanly shaved. And upon his appearance, it fixed him with a dark, unblinking stare. "It shouldn''t be the same one from before; this one''s clearly fatter, but the owner of this cat has some interesting ideas, giving it such a hairstyle." Mumbling to himself, Su Qi walked past the cat. The white cat scratched its claws fiercely and growled lowly, yet did not dare to pounce. Once back, Su Qi lay down in the game pod. [Neural connection in progress] [Connection successful] [Welcome Player Su Buxian to the game] Su Qi didn''t immediately start matchmaking but went straight to the draw. The prize box, after shaking back and forth, burst open with a bang. Inside, instead of a sphere of light, was a piece of equipment. [Name: Dark Wind Boots] [Type: Equipment] [Quality: Ordinary] [Cost: 100 Physical Strength Points] [Function: After activation, it will enter a five-minute Stealth State (In darkness, all movement and noise are reduced by 90%, movement speed is increased by 30%, movement speed and Body Movement Attribute are the same, with a maximum bonus of 50)] [Note: On nights when the moon is black and winds are high, murder leaves no trace] "It seems pretty good, my metaphysical lottery theory has been proven once again." Su Qi equipped it directly, but he didn''t set it to show; his character''s clothing remained his usual outfit. After all, many equipment styles are quite flashy, and mixing them randomly could result in an unknown style, but when activating its function, it would briefly display a phantom for one second to indicate it was working. [Player Su Buxian, Level 7] [Matching for team Difficult Dungeon in progress] [Team Dungeon confirmed, number of players: six] This time, the lights in the personal login space didn''t flicker, and from the doorway, vast expanses of darkness surged in like tide water, yet silently. Then, it engulfed the room along with Su Qi. ----------------- [Since it''s the first time entering a team dungeon, this mode will provide a common main mission for each player, and will evaluate and reward based on individual completion degrees] [Note: Any act of killing a team member will result in a ban of the main mission, and no related rewards or experience can be obtained] After a brief trance, Su Qi felt as if he had fallen from the high sky to the ground. His first thought was: "I didn''t hear that voice this time." Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, he sniffed: "Unpleasant smell." Su Qi smelled a foul stench of blood and decay. He slowly opened his eyes. He was now on an abandoned bus, and the source of the foul and bloody odor was a uniformed corpse in the aisle, which had been dead for some time, judging by the dense swarm of flies around it. And on this bus. There were five other living people, all of whom had also opened their eyes and whose nicknames appeared above their heads, indicating they were players in this team dungeon. However. Su Qi paused slightly: "Two classmates, we meet again." A youth in a duckbill cap and another slightly shy-looking young man were sitting across the aisle, although both had slightly changed their faces, the IDs above their heads exposed their identities. [Dark Guardian] and [An Old Tomato] Both were level 7, and upon seeing Su Qi, they also paused: "Su Buxian?" "It looks like you guys are duo-queuing." "Yes," Dark Guardian replied, somewhat surprised, "Brother Tomato and I added each other as game friends after getting home, planning to duo-queue, and we didn''t expect to see your nickname as soon as we entered, what a coincidence." Su Qi: "It really is a coincidence, and it seems it''s not just the two of you duo-queuingdon''t the two in the back have something to say?" The two in the back were also duo-queuing. One named [Ah Qie], and the other named [Ah Ti] [Ah Qie] paused briefly: "Then let me introduce myself, my name is Ah Qie, level 6." He pointed to the man with a buzz cut beside him: "This is my son." The buzz-cut man glared: "Back off, I''m your father, forget about me bringing you food this afternoon." "Wrong, dad." Oh. Su Qi understood, these two were clearly roommates. "Your dorm room can fit gaming pods?" asked Old Tomato curiously. "Yeah, we live in graduate dorms, there''s quite a bit of space." As they chatted, A voice rang out, calm yet somewhat profound, "Although I don''t want to interrupt, haven''t you noticed what''s going on outside the bus?" Chapter 22 - 22 Brother Su, what are you doing! This person is named Xun Xiaohuan, and his gaze had a certain sharpness as he wore a tight-fitting black tank top and utility pants, his muscles defined and his demeanor distinctive. His level had also reached 9, the highest among everyone. According to the team instance''s matching mechanism, the level difference between players wouldn''t surpass 5 levels; after all, the higher the level, the more attribute points could be allocated, which could lead to significant differences in strength. No need to worry about being held back by weaker players, nor about being overwhelmed by players with much higher levels. Only after Xun Xiaohuan''s reminder did everyone turn their attention outside. At that time, outside was a highway littered with abandoned cars and a mass of staggering zombies walking on the road. The remnants of the setting sun shone through the blood-red clouds onto the rotting flesh of their faces, appearing both terrifying and disgusting. "Is this a zombie instance?" No one had answered yet when the system displayed a message. [Instance CG and introduction loading...] [Zz...Zz...] Then a series of sounds came from the walkie-talkie, slowly sounding in everyone''s ears. [This is...zz...this is a city named Srilan, now turned into a city of death, with countless infected zombies wandering every corner of the city. In this silent and tragic city, the living struggle in despair as the remnants of the sunset fade, and you might become one of them...or their food.] Subsequently, the sound ceased, and everyone''s hearing returned to normal. "It seems like it really is a zombie instance," Old Tomato pondered, "With our level, dealing with those cinematic zombies should not be difficult." Night Guard also looked at the zombies outside, "Not only that, these guys are even slower, easier to cope with, but it must not be that simple..." At this moment, Xun Xiaohuan spoke softly, "It seems like it''s all your first time entering a team instance." "Hmm?" "The difficulty of team instances is a bit easier than solo instances, but it also correlates with the number and strength of the players," he said calmly, "Here we are, one Level 9, three Level 7s, and two Level 6s. This indicates that the hidden difficulty of this instance is higher than we might think. I advise you not to take it lightly and be cautious... Also, definitely don''t do anything weirdlike him." Everyone followed Xun Xiaohuan''s gaze to see Su Qi squatting next to a corpse, and Night Guard could not help asking, "Brother Su, what are you doing?" "I was thinking there should be some information on him." Su Qi turned the rotten, disgusting body over and then ripped open the bloodstained clothes to reveal the corpse''s hollow chest cavity. Old Tomato squinted, not used to seeing such gore, and coughed uncomfortably, "Well... clues usually aren''t on corpses that are so heavily decayed; and instead of searching this, why not try the bus''s storage compartment first?" "It seems there''s indeed nothing in the pockets," Su Qi looked for a few moments and then incredibly reached his hand into the hole in the chest cavity! "Damn!" Ah Qie and Ah Ti''s eyes widened. "Stop this!" The others'' expressions changed as well, although they had played several instances, they were still normal people after all. "You guys are together?" Xun Xiaohuan also felt somewhat uncomfortable and looked askew towards Night Guard and Old Tomato. "No, no, no." They both shook their heads quickly, desperate to distance themselves from such a bizarre act. But in the next moment. Su Qi pulled out a bloodstained key, waved it in front of everyone, "See, I told you there was something." "????" Everyone''s faces stiffened; there actually was something! "This should be the bus key, it can be used to open the bus doors." Su Qi inserted it into the driver''s slot, gave a slight twist, and the circuit connected, but the bus had no fuel. After pressing a button, the tightly closed bus doors opened. "..." Ah Ti couldn''t help saying, "Actually, I think we could''ve just smashed the door to get out, no need to do something so... disgusting." Su Qi looked at him, "True, but... then we would be immediately surrounded by zombies." "Why?" Ah Qie wondered. Old Tomato frowned slightly, then seemingly understood something and relaxed his brow, "Because the intro in the script already hinted that this is a silent city, making even a little noise could attract the nearby zombies, and then we would have to fight our way out if we wanted to leave the bus." "Of course, that just means killing more zombies," Su Qi said, "But before we understand this world, I think it''s very necessary to conserve our strength and physical strength." Sar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "...Also, two things: direct contact with blood won''t lead to infection, although it has become common knowledge in zombie movies, but the new environment might be different, and after the chest cavity is gouged out, zombies will not die." "?? Isn''t it already dead?" Ah Qie was surprised. Su Qi shook his head, pointing to the driver''s seat, "This is where it was bitten, you can see the obvious large bloodstains, it wobbled back and forth in this narrow bus aisle, and after how long, its cellular activity completely died, then it finally fell here." Xun Xiaohuan looked at Su Qi a bit surprised. Night Guard gave a thumbs up, "Brother Su... Can I duo with you?" "Hey!" Old Tomato called out. "Then next..." Su Qi smiled and pulled out a small flag from the item compartment, waving it, "Ladies and gentlemen, please gather yourselves and get off the bus, follow your Guide Su to explore this city." Everyone: "....." "I was wrong, Brother Tomato, he''s not sane, I''ll duo with you instead," Night Guard grabbed Old Tomato''s shoulder, expressing his apologies. Everyone got off the bus. But Su Qi noticed, aside from Xun Xiaohuan and Night Guard, one holding a Flying knife and the other a Fire Axe, the others hadn''t taken out any weapons from their item slots. "Where are your weapons?" "Us? We don''t have any," Ah Ti shook his head. Old Tomato scratched his face, "Such weapon class equipment is hard to get, and in solo instances, you can''t even take a sharp knife out." "Then first let''s see if there''s any place that can supply you with some cold weapons." "We''re not in a rush." "We really are in a rush," Su Qi looked at the distant sunset, "Do you still remember the phrase ''the remnants of the sunset are fading''?" Night Guard narrowed his eyes, "Does it mean we might face something terrible if we don''t find a safe spot before dark?" "Yes, so spending some time to find a few weapons is worth it, not only preventing you from being helpless viewers but also speeding up our search for a safe spot." As soon as Su Qi finished speaking, an interface with their mission appeared to everyone. [Main quest 1 activated] [Find the tower before dark] Chapter 23 - 23: Nightfall! Frantic Escape! "Tower?" Looking at the main quest appearing in everyone''s line of sight. Old Tomato said, "It''s mentioned in the intro that there are others struggling in this city, indicating the existence of other survivors. Their location is probably this tower, and we need to get inside before nightfall, otherwise something terrible is likely to happen when it gets dark." "But we don''t know where the tower is?" Ah Qie was a bit perplexed. "That''s a bit troublesome." Yeshou looked towards the sunset glow at the edge of the sky, "The sun looks like it''s going to set in at most half an hour. My suggestion is that we should head to the nearest station, find out our current location, then there should be a city map at the station. We can see if we can find the tower on it and then plan our route." Yeshou''s analysis was on point, stemming from his experience; after all, before playing this game, he had already been adept at exploring various environments and regions. Everyone thought there was no problem and nodded in agreement. Yeshou then earnestly said, "Since there''s no issue with anyone, let''s not delay and set off now." "Wait." Su Qi softly said, "The tour guide has something to say." Yeshou: "..." "Brother Su, do you have any suggestion?" "I suggest we follow this street straight to the end, then turn after two blocks, and on the way, pick up some handy weapons in a car repair shop, then continue south. We should be able to reach the tower." Yeshou was stunned and asked blankly, "??? Why are you so sure, Brother Su?" "Because..." Su Qi paused and spoke calmly, "I found a map in the driver''s compartment of the bus." Ah Ti roared, "You should have said something like this earlier, dammit!" Su Qi looked at them strangely, shaking the flag in his hand, which had an old city map printed on the other side, "I showed you from the beginning." "..." "Anyway, we''ve found the location. Everyone, let''s hurry up and set off." Su Qi''s expression turned a bit more serious as he looked towards the distant sunset, "I seem to have a bad feeling." ----------------- The twilight, flickering in and out from behind the clouds, had vanished. The edge of the sky had already turned dim, and a massive darkness was descending, as if to engulf the city. Su Qi and his group were running down the streets. "It''s only been twenty minutes and the sun has set." Clutching a broken iron hook, Ah Qie said with some unease, "How much further is it to the tower?" The horde of zombies wandered around them. Although their pace wasn''t fast, there were so many of them. As soon as they spotted the group, they were attracted and rushed towards them with bared teeth and claws. "There''s a ten-minute walk left, but..." Yeshou roared lowly, as he swung out a fire axe, "These zombies seem to be getting more troublesome." As night fell, the zombies'' ability to move suddenly increased significantly. Although they had enhanced physical attributes and were far stronger than ordinary people due to their attribute allocation, they still hadn''t reached a superhuman level, and their physical strength was also limited. Xun Xiaohuan proved worthy of being the highest-level member of the team. His flying knife was an impressive piece of equipment, able to be instantly thrown and then ''swoosh'' controlled to return. He seemed to have a wealth of combat experience, dealing with all kinds of zombies with ease. At that moment, Xun Xiaohuan''s face wore a serious expression as he looked into the distance: "You guys must speed up now, I think I just heard some strange noise." "It''s not just a feeling." Su Qi''s figure dashed forward, the cold light from his butcher knife reflecting the moon, as he charged and pierced through several zombies blocking the way, "That thing is approaching us at 80 kilometers per hour, it will catch up to us in at most a minute." "Really? Can a zombie run that fast?" "I personally think that''s not a zombie, but a new kind of monster." Su Qi turned to look at the shadow flickering atop a distant skyscraper, although he could not see its form, the exclamation mark above its head was glaringly bright. Its shape frighteningly swift, it leaped from the high-rise and crashed heavily onto the ground. With a loud bang that made everyone''s scalp tingle, now they truly heard it. Ah Qie couldn''t help but look back and screamed, "Fuck." Under the moonlight, they could see a skinless monster of flesh and blood. It was tall and clearly bigger than the sedan next to it, with muscles and blood vessels visible all over its body, while its face seemed to have been pieced together from parts of the organs of the world''s ten ugliest people. Its tail was thick and powerful, sweeping the sedan away with a single flick! Immediately afterward, its pupils glowed a faint green as it let out a low growl, then it started crawling on all fours before launching itself off the ground and charging over at an even faster speed! "Shit, it''s coming!" Everyone instantly felt chills down their spine, Xun Xiaohuan''s complexion also changed, and, disregarding the surrounding zombies, they all turned tail in panic and fled desperately. "We thought we only had ordinary zombies during the day! I thought this hard mode wasn''t too difficult, but then comes this shit show at night!" "Stop yapping and run!" No one dared to look back, listening to the monster''s increasingly closer growls behind them, they were scare out of their wits. The oppressive feeling from that monster was just too strong. "I see the tower!" Old Tomato called out urgently. On a flat area, there stood a tower of over twenty stories, its bottom windows completely sealed off with steel plates, leaving only one entrance at the front. And from the entrance emanated the glow of ultraviolet light. "Quick, get inside!" Xun Xiaohuan''s flying knife whizzed out of his hand, embedding itself into the monster''s skull, but the creature was so terrifying that this wound didn''t threaten it at all; it simply pulled the knife out with its claws and tossed it aside. And when its blood flowed out, it corroded a hole in the ground like strong sulfuric acid! "Fuck, even its blood is that terrifying!" And the next moment, the monster grew even angrier and roared as its body suddenly leapt up more than ten meters, soaring toward them! In that critical moment, everyone''s hearts pounded at two hundred beats per minute as they dashed into the tower''s passageway! With a horrifying and ferocious face, the monster tried to follow, but the moment it stepped in, the surrounding ultraviolet light burned its skin like a laser. In pain, the monster shielded itself with its claws and backed away! Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. *pant pant*... everyone gasped for air with unsettled souls. Night Guard, panting heavily, said, "Just as I thought, the ultraviolet light is the monster''s weakness. It can''t come in here, otherwise, we''d all be wiped out." "This... is too terrifying, are we supposed to fight monsters like this?" Ah Qie and Ah Ti nearly ran themselves ragged with their physical strength dropping to critically low levels, and it took several deep breaths to recover to 30%. "Probably, maybe," Xun Xiaohuan panted, with a sharp glint in his eyes that clearly showed his wariness toward the monster. "Wait a minute." Old Tomato wiped the sweat from his forehead, suddenly realizing something was amiss: "Did you guys notice that we''re missing someone?" Only five people had run into this passageway. They looked at each other, and silence fell for a moment. Su Qi... didn''t make it in? Chapter 24 - 24: The Whereabouts of Su Qi "Weren''t we all running together? Why isn''t Brother Su here?" The Night Guardian''s expression stiffened. "I didn''t notice... But if he isn''t here, then there''s only one possibility..." They looked toward the outside of the corridor with grim expressions, and they also heard the monster''s roar. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At that time, everyone was terrified by the monster. Each of us wished for an extra pair of legs to run faster; who would have noticed Su Qi suddenly go missing? "What do we do?" "Can he still get in?" "That monster is still outside, I''m afraid..." A heavy feeling settled in everyone''s hearts. Given how terrifying that monster was, Su Qi''s chances were slim at best. Ah Qie couldn''t help but say, "Should we... Try to save him?" "Roar!" Suddenly, several roars like that of the monster echoed from a distance. "There are more of its kind!" The people couldn''t help but step back a few paces, sweat rolling down their foreheads. "It''s no use." Xun Xiaohuan leaned against the wall and said calmly, "The monster is waiting right outside, and you''ve also heard that there''s more than one. Going out now would be suicide." "If he''s smart, he should choose a place to hide, but I advise you not to get your hopes up too high." Xun Xiaohuan looked outside: "In such a deadly night, I don''t know... how he could survive." The Night Guardian sighed. He and Old Tomato also knew this point; there was no way out given the current situation. "This instance is even more perilous than we had imagined." "Don''t lose heart, everyone. Currently down one person, we need to cooperate even more." The Night Guardian was now taking on the role of leader. He pointed to the Tower: "We should first go in and see what the situation is like." Everyone nodded, as there seemed to be no other option. They all headed towards the passageway to the Tower. ----------------- Meanwhile, in the dark of the night. Several monsters were crawling through the streets, their saliva giving off a foul stench, dripping onto the ground. Their crimson eyes flickered through the darkness, as if searching for delicious food. And Su Qi, who everyone thought was most likely finished, was stealthily following behind a monster, and in a curious turn of events... it seemed like the monster hadn''t detected him at all and continued to crawl towards the front streets, roaring. "It seems these monsters mainly rely on their hearing to locate things; their vision is limited in the darkness. As long as someone isn''t foolish enough to stand right in front of them, they won''t be discovered." Of course, this was mainly because Su Qi had activated the special effect of the "Dark Wind Boots." At the cost of 100 Physical Strength, one could enter Stealth State for five minutes. Su Qi''s form was like a shadow in the darkness, making not a single sound. He could now easily find a way to enter the Tower safely without issue. But he didn''t do that. Su Qi looked towards a distant monster''s head, where a dark red exclamation mark was displayed. [Following this Night Demon may lead to a discovery] "This really is a dangerous dilemma for me." Su Qi was on full alert. The "Dark Wind Boots" equipment lasted only five minutes per use, and although there was no cooldown time, each activation cost 100 Physical Strength. In theory, with his 350 Physical Strength, he could only use it three times. But once the Physical Strength dropped too low, it would trigger an automatic recovery until it returned to 30%, which is 105. With this ability, Su Qi could use it an unlimited number of times, but the instant he activated it, his Physical Strength would be at an extremely dangerous level. His current behavior was like walking on the tip of a knife or back-flipping at the edge of a cliff. Once discovered, it would be game over. "Now, I must calculate to the second, there''s no room for even the slightest error." Su Qi''s gaze was intensely focused in the darkness, his expression as calm as ice, his footsteps heavy yet silent as he moved through the streets like a ghost. He didn''t need to follow too closely, just keeping it in sight was enough. The Monster wasn''t fast as it roamed, occasionally grabbing a few zombies to tear apart and toss into its mouth in the darkness. And then it gradually moved in a certain direction toward the center of the city. "The Monsters must have their own lair, and it''s probably heading there now." This wasn''t hard to guess since these creatures seemed unable to appear during the day, only wandering at night, which indicated they must have a hiding spot. Su Qi followed cautiously, always mindful of the time in Stealth State, as his Physical Strength dropped to 5, he would experience dizziness and need to catch his breath to recover. And after an hour of this cat and mouse game, The Monster finally stopped its wandering outside an abandoned parking lot. It had the intelligence to move the massive heap of scrap metal at the entrance to the lot, revealing an opening. Then crawled inside. Su Qi''s eyes lit up with the prospect of new developments. Yet he wasn''t in a rush, but waited silently for his Physical Strength to recover. "These creatures aren''t like the ones in the last instance, they possess a certain level of intelligence, even the ability to think..." As Su Qi observed the creature along the way, it seemed to have some human consciousness in its actions, yet not much. Once his Physical Strength had recovered to 30%, Su Qi, holding his butcher''s knife, stayed concealed as he approached the parking lot. The interior of the parking lot was vast, with moonlight cascading through the windows in the darkness, allowing some outlines to be visible. "The Monster went this way," said Su Qi, following the traces on the ground deeper inside. The further he went inside, the more he realized the parking lot was deeper than he thought and the deeper it went... the more complex it seemed to be inside. Soon enough, he heard the Monster''s hoarse roaring, but the sound wasn''t ferocious; it sounded like it was licking something. Su Qi squinted his eyes and peeked around the wall. He saw a very strange scene. The horrible, flesh-covered Monster was crouched outside a reinforced steel door, tearing into a piece of raw meat placed in an iron basin. And behind the steel door, there was a faint light, casting the shadow of a person watching in silence. After a minute, The Monster swallowed all the meat, then the rotting head began to sprout hair inch by inch; the dreadful, fleshly body also grew skin, and its crimson eyes seemed to turn black. The Monster let out a low growl, but this time it wasn''t as wild, instead, it portrayed a hint of pain, then quieted down, collapsed on the ground, and began to gasp heavily, with a hint of a human touch. This situation lasted for a minute. But then, The Monster''s body suddenly convulsed, the hair all fell out, and the skin that grew over its body rapidly decayed, its pupils turned back to a bloodthirsty red, emitting a terrifying roar. The figure behind the steel door sighed, then the surroundings lit up with an abundance of ultraviolet light, scorching the Monster, forcing it to painly flee. Once it was confirmed that the Monster had left the parking lot, That figure slowly deactivated the protections and pushed open the steel door. Just as he crouched down, ready to collect the hair and skin on the ground with tweezers, Su Qi was already silently standing beside him, a butcher''s knife resting against his neck. "Don''t move." Chapter 25 - 25 Are You Outsiders? Tower''s twelfth floor. Night Guards and the others were walking up the stairs, all the while feeling uncomfortable as they looked around. A large number of survivors were peeping out through the cracks in the doors with their eyes, revealing numbness, fear, but also a hint of expectancy. "Are all these Tower survivors?" "Why do they all seem so weak, and their gazes so strange?" Ah Qie said softly, "Some seem frightened... yet as if they''re expecting something." The bearded big man leading them into this place looked back at these people and only said, "Because... you are outsiders." The group looked slightly stunned, exchanging surprised glances with each other. Outsiders? What does that mean? However, Xun Xiaohuan, walking at the back, remained calm, not perturbed by this statement, and instead asked, "Where are you taking us now?" "To see the Tower''s leader; he will explain the situation to you." The bearded man''s attitude was a bit odd; he was not very welcoming and even seemed a bit wary, but he also appeared to need something from them. Their expressions changed again, but they chose not to ask further questions and followed him upstairs. When they finally reached the top floor of the Tower. They then entered a rather decrepit spacious room, where an old man in a wheelchair was reading a book by a crude desk. Only when they entered did he gently close the book and look at them. "Hello," the old man greeted them with a kind smile. "Sorry, it''s a little cramped here, and we''re short on supplies, so there''s not much with which to entertain you." Night Guard looked at the man: "Old sir, are you the Tower''s leader?" "Yes," the old man spoke slowly. "My name is Loren, and you want to understand the situation of the Tower and the outside world, right?" "Um..." Night Guard nodded hesitantly. The other party seemed to know about them and had anticipated their next move. "I can tell you," the old man spoke gently. "But it will be a bit inconvenient for you..." "Be careful!" Xun Xiaohuan suddenly frowned and warned. In that room, roughly a dozen people armed with firearms emerged from hidden places, their dark barrels aimed at everyone''s heads. Everyone''s faces changed slightly, and Night Guard quickly spoke, "Respected Tower leader, we mean no harm." "Neither do we," one of the gunmen rasped out. Ah Ti couldn''t help but say, "You call this meaning no harm, pointing so many guns at..." His gaze shifted, and he abruptly stopped. Because in that room, a majority of the armed individuals turned out to be elderly, infirm, diseased, with rotting parts on their bodies; some couldn''t even hold their weapons steady. The few young people there were also bandaged up with wounds. "Why..." Night Guard was somewhat shocked and puzzled. "Because we fear you might have malicious intent," the Bearded Man said calmly, "I''m sorry, but let''s have our conversation like this for now." "Understood." The Night Watch pressed down on some agitated teammates: "We''re all ears." "Thank you for your understanding... cough... cough cough!" The old man''s health was not good, evidenced by the coughing fits that spattered blood on his handkerchief. He extended his hand to stop the others, who were getting anxious, from coming closer. His face, lined like entwined tree roots, reflected on the past, his voice a bit more hoarse than before: "Twenty years ago in this City, Srilan, a terrible infectious virus burst forth, turning every infected person... into those zombies you''ve seen outside." "And among these zombies, another terrifying Monster was born, which we call the Night Demon. You must have encountered this powerful creature as well," he continued. "Mmm... indeed very powerful," Night Watch spoke in a deep voice, noting they had also lost a teammate to it. "These Monsters are beyond human resistance, but fortunately, they can only move at night and are extremely fearful of the sun. So, we use the Tower as our base, scavenging for supplies by day, and warding off Night Demon invasions with ultraviolet light by night." The old man kindly looked towards one of the armed young men: "Like this generation, they grew up in such an environment." "That''s not right..." Old Tomato suddenly couldn''t help but interject: "On the bus earlier, we saw a decaying dead body, that of the bus driver. If it''s been twenty years, logically, he should''ve been reduced to bones long ago." "That''s the terrifying part of the virus," the Bearded Man said gravely: "All of the zombies it infects never completely die, even if you chop off their heads during the day. But as soon as night falls, those fallen zombies will come back to life!" The complexions of Night Watch and his companions changed: "It''s as if they''ve been cursed." Endless zombies, dreadful Night Demons; this was like Hell indeed! "We have been trapped in this terrible despair for a full twenty years," the old man said, his eyes growing slightly cloudy: "We thought it would just continue like this forever, but then... ten years ago, a group of outsiders suddenly appeared in the City." Outsiders... their expressions flickered slightly, having already heard this term from the Bearded Man before, sensing something amiss. Now it seemed... "They appeared abruptly like you, wearing clothes completely different from ours, speaking a language that no one could understand, and every one of them possessed weapons and individual strength beyond ordinary people; many zombies were no match for them." Everyone except Xun Xiaohuan showed a look of astonishment. That''s right, those people were players like them. "Back then, we thought the Savior had come. They were so formidable, perhaps they could save us," the old man sighed: "But unfortunately... they failed." "And every year... such a group of outsiders would appear. Although we don''t know where they come from, for everyone in the Tower, this is the only hope, and we naturally gave our full support," the old man said calmly: "There was a time we almost succeeded, but after paying a heavy price, we still faced failure in the end." Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Night Watch frowned: "If that''s the case, why treat us this way?" "Because... last year''s group of outsiders..." someone clenched their teeth tightly, letting out a low growl: "They were all a bunch of Demons!" Night Watch noticed the look of fear and anger in the eyes of others. Unable to hold back, Old Tomato asked: "What did they do?" If they were players, they usually would follow the main quest line, seeking local force''s help, and wouldn''t do excessive things to NPCs. The Bearded Man''s voice was hoarse and trembling uncontrollably, his tone filled with anger: "They... treated all of us as if we were insects, coercing us with their overwhelming force to be bait, taking ordinary lives for experiments for amusement, introducing the infection virus into our food, even leading zombies into this Tower that we''ve defended for twenty years, and watching us fight to the death as they laughed." Even as the leader, at this moment his fingers grasped onto the armrest of the wheelchair tightly, but the old man let go with a sense of helplessness, his voice dry and heavy: "Last year the Tower''s population was 311 people, but this year... there are only 139 left." Chapter 26 - 26 Su Qi is already stealing crystals In the dimly lit space, A figure, similar in shape to a Night Demon but with messy hair and wearing a white lab coat, sat on a small stool, staring intently at the young man before him. "I understand." Su Qi sat on the sofa, taking a sip of tea, appearing more like the owner of the space. He softly said, "It was those terrifying outsiders last year who transformed you into this form, but miraculously, you haven''t completely lost human consciousness. Each night, you regain your thoughts and have discovered in your blood an antibody that can heal that virus." Su Qi had just sat down here, listening to the gruesome human Night Demon recount the events that had taken place in the city of Srilan over the past twenty years. "Do the people in the Tower know of your existence?" It shook its head, then added, "After all... I''m quite dangerous now. I lose consciousness and turn into a Night Demon during the day, and at night, when many Night Demons appear, it seems they see me as an anomaly. I can only experiment on my own." "So that Night Demon just now was a product of your experiments." "Yes, unfortunately, it can only recover for a certain amount of time... and it wasn''t successful." It sighed, "I''m missing something very important." "What is it?" Su Qi had already sensed the essence of the main storyline. "It''s the original entity of the virus, the cause of the calamity and the terrifying infection." "And it''s located within the Night Demon Nest." ----------------- Inside the Tower. After hearing about the experiences from this city. Everyone understood their desperation and predicament. Old Tomato showed a sympathetic look. He knew that triggering the next key part of the main storyline was now crucial, so he asked, "How did those outsiders from before... help you?" "Twenty years ago, the virus outbreak wasn''t without warning. The sky suddenly turned red, as if stained with fresh blood. Then a large oak tree under this cloud layer suddenly sprouted blood vessels and... from that tree, the virus started to spread." "And those outsiders said, as long as the tree is destroyed, the source of the virus annihilated, everything could end." "I see." The sharp night guardians immediately knew what needed to be done next and promptly asked, "Where is it?" Bearded Man grimaced and said, "It... is in the Night Demon Nest." Upon hearing this, their expressions stiffened. "How could this possibly be accomplished?" Ah Qie''s voice trembled slightly. One Night Demon was already so terrifying, not to mention a whole group. He was reluctant to face those horrific monsters again. Fortunately, the night guardians, Old Tomato, and Xun Xiaohuan were all still able to keep their composure. "This is a Difficult Dungeon. Logically, the main storyline wouldn''t issue a zero-probability success mission; there must be some other way." Old Tomato spoke, "Night Demons fear ultraviolet light. This is a very important countermeasure." "Indeed," said another night guardian calmly. "We don''t necessarily have to fight the Night Demons, just lure them away from their nest. The real target is still the virus source." With a plan in mind, everyone felt slightly more relieved, but it was just a slight relief. "It''s still... too difficult." During the day, nearly all the Night Demons stay in their nest, so they can only operate at night, and at night... they now lacked even the courage to step outside. "I want to ask... can the Tower help us?" Night Guardian looked towards the elder since, if their own strength wasn''t enough, perhaps they could rely on the power of these people. The old man did not immediately agree but instead sadly commented with a wistful smile, "We, too, wish to kill the Night Demon, destroy the tree, but... we can''t afford to be worn out anymore. Today, out of over a hundred people in the Tower, less than thirty can fight." The gaze of the night guardians darkened. Indeed, they had no assurance of victory, and it was hard to persuade the other party to take the risk. "But... we will provide you with all the information provided by other outsiders," the old man handed a notebook to Nightwatch, "It contains quite a lot of information." Nightwatch looked through it, and inside were not only various detailed points within the City, but also a lot of annotations and analysis on the Night Demon''s habits and weaknesses. He looked at the signature. "Kran... is this the owner of the notebook? Is he still in the Tower, to be able to understand Night Demons in such detail!" "He''s already dead" The old man silently shook his head, "He was a respected, great scholar, who had been studying Night Demons and ways to heal the infection for twenty years, but last year, he was captured by those demons, they injected him with a large amount of infected blood, and after he transformed into a Night Demon, he never appeared again..." And at this moment. An information popup appeared before everyone, and the main mission refreshed again. [Main Mission 2] [1. Using the notebook, find the remaining armory] [2. Find something Kran lost, which might reveal something new] [Choose one of the missions] "It seems like there indeed is a turning point, Kran is the key figure," Nightwatch''s eyes lit up; since the main mission didn''t send them directly to the Night Demon Nest, it means there are other means to lower the difficulty. Xun Xiaohuan shook his head, "Don''t get too excited, we don''t even know where to find the things Kran left behind." Bearded Man whispered, "If it''s about that, it should be written in the notebook" "Hmm? Let me see" Ah Ti leaned over, flipped through, and then his hand trembled, "Here''s Kran''s note, he says ''Even though Night Demons turn into monsters, they seem to retain some human consciousness and often return to familiar places; maybe I can heal them and bring back their consciousness.''" "Damn!" Ah Qie''s eyes widened, "So we have to find the Night Demon Kran turned into, and then follow it?" "He wears a white lab coat and has a birthmark on his back; he''s easy to recognize," supplied Bearded Man. "Is that something easy to recognize about!" Ah Qie shouted. "How is that even possible!" Night Demons only appeared at night, meaning they had to act at night, identifying that particular Night Demon was like finding a needle in a haystack, let alone amidst a multitude of other wandering Night Demons! "Indeed the first task is more practical and simple, able to enhance our combat strength quickly, but the second task is a steep increase in difficulty, although it looks like it would definitely make a breakthrough progress or even provide rewards, but" Nightwatch deeply sighed. Too hard! And at that very moment. In that dim, enclosed room, Su Qi sat drinking tea, flipping through various notebooks provided by the host, all filled with records about Night Demons. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He paused briefly. Looking at the mission box that suddenly popped up in his view. Su Qi''s eyes flickered, and he spoke, "Oh, Mr. Night Demon could you pour me another cup of hot water?" "Of course." This Night Demon, who looked just like any other but still maintained human consciousness, nodded gentlemanly and poured Su Qi a cup of hot water. They had already established cooperation and were planning. It gave a slight, bitter smile, "Also calling me a Night Demon still feels a bit odd, could you please change the title?" "How so?" "Just call me by my old name, Kran." Chapter 27 - 27: Things That Were Once Lost Kran, clad in a white lab coat, had a terrifying appearance, but was extremely serious when it came to work. He carefully placed the previously collected Night Demon hair and skin into a vessel and began analyzing the ingredients bit by bit. "That Night Demon was my main experiment subject. In the beginning, I could only bring back its consciousness for a few seconds with injections, but that was half a year ago. Over six months, I constantly collected samples and developed modifications, and gradually, it could regain some consciousness at night and instinctively come to me for Potions without me having to search for it." Kran looked up from the microscope and said softly, "Deep inside, they all have a heart yearning to become human again." Su Qi did not speak. He had realized the different options of the main quest very early on. The first type was the Destruction route, where one would destroy the great oak that was the source of the virus, thus completely eradicating all the zombies and Night Demons, just like the Pollution Abnormalities in the previous instance, leaving only the survivors in the Tower. The second type was the Healing route, where the key person was Kran in front of him. Su Qi had to assist him in developing Potions that could cure all zombies and Night Demons, thereby saving the entire city. "The second route is obviously much harder. You have to enter the Night Demon Nest to retrieve the pathogen sample from the great oak, and..." Su Qi looked at Kran and asked, "Have you lost anything important... or something you can''t retrieve now?" Kran was slightly stunned, not understanding why Su Qi suddenly asked this. He lowered his head and pondered, "When I was eighteen, I fell in love with a girl and I lost her..." Su Qi paused for a moment, "... Believe it or not, I might kick you to death." "What?" "I''m asking about specific items you lost that are at least somewhat related to Night Demons, the virus, or the great oak." "....I thought we were going to talk about some emotional issues late at night..." Kran showed a bit of melancholy. Are you an emo boy online? His expression brightened somewhat, "If we''re talking about the past year, I''ve barely left this place, let alone lost anything." "What about during your time in the Tower? Kran gave a wry smile, "That''s even more complicated. I''m a research scientist and hardly participate in search and retrieval missions. I spend about 300 days a year... inside the Tower, and the things I''ve lost are minor, like a beer bottle opener, hairdryer..." "In twenty years... I really haven''t lost anything too significant." Su Qi watched Kran''s struggle and frowned. Was he asking the wrong question? Or should he approach this main quest from another direction? "Actually, my life hasn''t had many ups and downs, except for the appearance of zombies, becoming a Night Demon, and I''ve always just been an insignificant nobody." Kran''s expression showed some sorrow, "That''s why the girl I loved left me in the end." Su Qi looked at Kran''s emo demeanor and knew this topic was inescapable. He temporarily set aside the main quest, "A tragic storyline? Did she fall in love with someone else and run away? Or did you do something wrong to her? I''ve worked in a matchmaking agency for a while; this isn''t uncommon." He wasn''t joking; he had really worked there. Kran put down what he was holding, wanting to light a cigarette, but sighed instead, "Actually, neither. One afternoon, she asked me to go hiking, saying she had found something interesting on the mountaintop. We were talking and laughing all the way, she even kissed me." "That sounds like a good relationship, how did you lose her?" "She accidentally slipped... and fell off a cliff," Kran said mournfully. Su Qi: "..." Was it a physical misplacement? "There was no then after that, the zombie crisis erupted the next day, and searching for her body was impossible." Kran finally lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, "Although it''s been many years and I have let go, every time I think about it, I just wish we hadn''t gone to that mountain." Su Qi raised an eyebrow: "The day after she fell, the zombie outbreak erupted?" "Yes..." "Do you know what the interesting thing was that she mentioned?" Kran recalled, "She really liked some oddly shaped stones, mentioning that she once climbed a mountain and saw a huge red stone at the bottom of a cliff that even glowed." "But when I went there later, I didn''t find anything." Su Qi''s gaze slightly sharpened. "What''s wrong?" "I''m thinking, would the system really go to such great lengths? And keep the clues so refreshingly unique?" "I don''t understand, but you better watch the time; it''s almost daylight," Kran looked at the nearby clock. "I''m about to turn into a crazed Night Demon. I need to lock myself up. For your safety, you should leave here first." After the first ray of sunlight faintly penetrated through the clouds in the early morning, Su Qi came down to the ground. He decided to first check out the place Kran mentioned. It was a good opportunity to split efforts; his teammates should be following the first route while he, unsure and facing many dangers, was quite happy to work alone. Half an hour later. Su Qi arrived at the mountaintop, located some distance from the city center, where zombies were surprisingly scarce. He surveyed his surroundings but indeed did not see any huge red stones. Looking down the cliff. It was a very steep ravine, overgrown with wild plants obscuring everything in sight. He tried throwing a stone down, and only after a while did a deep distant thud echo back. "Quite high." After observing, Su Qi analyzed the good landing spots and decisively activated the Dark Wind Boots, starting his descent from a less steep slope on the other side. He wasn''t ill-prepared. He had taken a UV dual-use flashlight, a pistol loaded with bullets, and a hand grenade from Kran. The place was deep and poorly lit. Su Qi shook his flashlight, then saw the ground below the steep slope, his gaze subtly shifting. In that dark corner, he indeed saw a "?". Moving closer. The content of the "?" became clear. "It''s lurking and staring intently at you." "?" Su Qi''s gaze hardened as he directed his flashlight straight at it. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Obscured by the corner, a Night Demon was crouching there with blood-red eyes staring at him. Then in the next moment, it howled and pounced directly at him! In that instant. Su Qi saw more information above its head. "It''s the first zombie infected with the virus and the first Night Demon born." "It has been here for twenty years." "It decided that the terrifyingly dangerous object must not see the light of day again!" Chapter 28 - 28: Triggering the Hidden World Line Quest Su Qi felt that even though Night Demons were powerful, as long as one found a method, killing a Night Demon wasn''t too difficult. Ultraviolet light on, speakers audibly set, combined with Dark Wind Boots and the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade, he had instantly boosted his attribute to 60 points, far exceeding his current level. Along with the weaknesses recorded in the little notebook Kran had given him. It only took him three rounds to brutally pierce through the chest of the Night Demon, creating a bloody hole. It screamed and fell to the ground, and without hesitation, Su Qi pointed the ultraviolet flashlight at it. It struggled to crawl into a corner, covering its face with its claws, trembling, even appearing somewhat pitiful. Su Qi roughly knew the identity of his opponent, it was likely that woman Kran had mentioned. However, it seemed somewhat different; although its eyes were blood-red, completely that of a crazed Night Demon, it was wearing its own patched clothes, and there were signs of fire-making around. "It''s like Kran, able to recover consciousness in the night?" Su Qi''s gaze turned to another side, where there was an entrance to a cave; he walked over and became even more certain that this Night Demon could recover human consciousness. There were built beds and tables, and even an old notebook. He picked it up, opened it, and flipped through. Although well-preserved, it had aged considerably, the papers were mottled and yellowed. "I had intended to record everything here after I ended, but I had no idea I would have to write about such matters..." "After the fall, I didn''t die immediately, but I was close to death; I''m sure my femur broke and I was bleeding severely both internally and externally; there was no way I could live. But at that moment, I saw that red boulderit wasn''t a rock at all, but... a huge red flower bud. The fruit it sprayed actually healed all my injuries, not only that, my body felt extremely strong, and my strength and speed were beyond ordinary." "I felt like I could leave this place, and of course, I took the fruit with me, it''s truly miraculous, and maybe it could even cure my mother''s cancer." From here, a page was skipped, and the handwriting changed, becoming somewhat fearful and anxious. "I must have killed someone..." "I returned to the city, my body rotting, consciousness as if invaded, feeling terrifyingly thirsty. I only remember pouncing on a woman, then biting through her throat, and then I remember nothing." "When I returned here covered in blood, I had regained my consciousness, but the fruit was no longer on me. Why would I do such a thing? And my body was still changing." As Su Qi continued to read, it seemed the person would lose self-consciousness during the day or if she strayed too far from the flower bud. She struggled and researched, trying to leave the pit. But when she finally found a way to briefly preserve her consciousness and leave this ravine after a month, she had seen a Hell on Earth! The entirety of Srilan City had fallen completely. "The speed of the fall was definitely not just because the bitten turned into zombiesit seems it''s mainly because of that fruit she brought out," Su Qi pondered, the destination of the fruit was clear. It was the great oak tree in the Night Demon Nest. "Didn''t expect the source of everything wasn''t in the Night Demon Nest, but here." Su Qi closed the notebook; to prevent going out to harm others and to stop that thing from harming others, he just stayed here for twenty years. "Now, let''s see what exactly this so-called flower bud is." Su Qi walked towards another direction, roughly more than ten steps. Next to a shadowy area, he too caught a glimpse of the huge red flower bud. Twenty years had passed. It was no longer in the shape of a flower bud. Its diameter was now a whole ten meters, rooted on the ground like a giant brain, surrounded by dense red branches, intertwining and twining like blood vessels, even pulsating. "This is," Su Qi felt his heartbeat being affected, and his ears ringing with a buzzing sound. [Spiritual power -5] His gaze sharpened as he found the source of this familiar sensation, "Is this stuff a pollutant? And it reduces this much so quickly?" Meanwhile, System information popped up in Su Qi''s eyes. [Congratulations, player Su Buxian, you have triggered a personal hidden world line task] [The hidden world line task is not restricted by instances, gameplays, or plot. The progress of the task does not reset at the end of the instance and still exists when entering a new instance] [Note: This task is related to the new version of Paradise, completing it will provide related information] Su Qi frowned. The next moment. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Please process this Level D pollutant, method of processing: destroy all the flowing liquids] [Note: The pollutant is a flowing liquid; once a large amount leaks, it will cause the pollution source to transfer] [Progress 0/1, rewards can be obtained upon completion] Su Qi had seen pollutants before, the last instance involved the Ancient God''s Heart, which seemed to be a pollutant of a ridiculously high level, impossible to display. It was only with the help of the Traveling Merchant that they managed to treat and recover from the pollution. And now, to his surprise, he encountered it again and even triggered a special hidden task. "So the question now is... how do I handle so much polluted liquid?" Su Qi immediately started pondering. Destroy it? And prevent it from seeping elsewhere? Su Qi found it to be a thorny issue, this ten-meter diameter bud was filled with the liquid pollutant, and the surrounding thick blood vessels resembled the tentacle hell from certain comics, which was sanity-dropping to look at. He opened his item slot, wondering if he could collect it there? It seemed not. The item slot rules had many restrictions, no loopholes to exploit. Suddenly, Su Qi''s gaze stalled, looking at the Ancient God''s Heart in his item slot, which seemed to have just beat momentarily? And a [?] appeared on it. [Dying heart, weak bloodlines, these liquids seem to nourish it] Transfer the pollution source into this heart container? After having fully witnessed the terror of the previous pollution, Su Qi was considering the risks. And there was another line after the [?]. [Low pollution level, it won''t affect it] Su Qi squinted his eyes, interesting. He had planned to keep this dying heart and unseal it later to see what effect it had, but now it seemed to have more recovery vitality than he had imagined. "It looks like, I must reach level 20 soon." Otherwise, Su Qi was also afraid he couldn''t suppress it. He took out the Ancient God''s Heart, and at that moment... the bud seemed to get startled, emitting a friction-like piercing scream. All the red liquid started boiling as it were. It all surged towards the heart in Su Qi''s palm! Chapter 29 - 29: Everything is Exceeding Teammates Expectations The Ancient God''s Heart absorbed the pollutants at a slower pace than expected since it lacked consciousness and could only absorb instinctively. Nearly all this daylight, Su Qi had spent with it. Night descended stealthily. The red glow in the eyes of the Night Demon in the pit gradually faded, and slowly, she regained her consciousness. She quickly recalled vaguely what had just transpired. It seemed someone had arrived here... Her body trembled slightly, fearfully wondering if she had torn him apart. Then, She saw near the brain of that flower bud, countless blood-red liquids gathering in a young man''s palm from all directions. And then... She grew even more frightened. The young man, realizing she had regained consciousness, turned and smiled, "Miss Night Demon, you''re awake?" "....." "Get ready, I''m about to finish up here." "What... does... that... mean" Her voice was hoarseas if piecing together words like a child, clumsy and stiff. Meanwhile, Su Qi had finished, and a copious amount of polluted liquid had flowed into the heart of the Ancient God. The size of the heart didn''t change but now held a faint pulse. Simultaneously, A prompt appeared before Su Qi. [Successfully contained D-class pollutant] [Congratulations to player Su Buxian for completing the hidden world line mission, progress 1/1] [Reward: Blood Demon Fruit] Su Qi saw a bright red fruit on the ground and picked it up. [Name: Blood Demon Fruit] [Type: Consumable] [Function: After consumption, provides night vision, expands maximum Physical Strength recovery to 40%, doubles recovery speed, enhances poison resistance, and increases Strength and movement technique by 30 points in darkness or dark environments] [Note: This effect grants permanent enhancement to personal attributes of the player, not restricted by instance rules, unaffected by level, and not recorded by matchmaking mechanism (Unrestricted items are extremely rare, please handle with care)] "Is this the fruit that has been rid of pollution... It doesn''t have the side effects of the Night Demon, nor does it cause loss of consciousness." Su Qi immediately recognized the value of this fruit, not because of its effects, but because of the various restrictions not applied to it mentioned in the note. "For instance, some instances might exist... with restrictive rules, like not being able to use equipment or skills, level reductions, limits on abilities that make players lose a sense of security." "But after consuming it, the effects are permanent and won''t be restricted, and it''s explicitly reminded me that this kind of thing is very rare." Su Qi picked it up. At this moment, Miss Night Demon saw this and panicked, her hoarse voice growling, "No... don''t eat that!" "Otherwise, you''ll become... a monster like me." S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi simply smiled, "Don''t worry... I train in sports, my physique is different from ordinary people." "?" Saying this, Su Qi took a bite. Hmm... the taste was alright, a bit like rotting leaves mixed with sand during a rainy day, with a sensation of fluid bursting from the middle section of a caterpillar. The moment he swallowed, he felt a shock, every dark environment he looked at instantly brightened, and most importantly, his Physical Strength also rapidly recovered, stopping only when it reached around 40%. "Feels good?" For Su Qi at this moment, whether it was ongoing consumption or combat or using skills in the future, all were greatly enhanced. Moreover, Su Qi''s gaze returned to Miss Night Demon. She suddenly shivered, as if a wave of fear rose within her blood, and startled, she retreated. "Could this also naturally suppress Night Demons?" Su Qi mused. This was to be expected, after all, Night Demons were born from Pollution Fruits that blossomed from pollutants, and all Night Demons were merely derivatives, whereas the fruit he consumed was the Primordial Fruit, purified of pollution. "It''s time to go, Miss Night Demon." "Go... where?" she asked, somewhat fearfully looking at Su Qi. "Off to meet your old flame," Su Qi replied as he picked up the flashlight and stuffed it into his bag. Miss Night Demon was confused, but the words "old flame" still made her body shudder, and she said excitedly, "Are you talking about Kael?" Su Qi almost stumbled and was about to mourn for Kran in his heart for three seconds when he suddenly paused, "What''s his full name?" "Uh... Kael Kran." "Oh, then it''s okay." Su Qi, having been fed a mouthful of dog food, said expressionlessly, "Let''s go, we need to hurry. We''ll make a plan tonight, prepare, and then head to the Night Demon Nest tomorrow." "Going to the Night Demon Nest? Why, that place is full of monsters!" she said with a quivering voice. "Of course, to wipe them out and end all this," Su Qi replied gently. "Don''t you want to see the city as peaceful as it was in the old days?" "To end all this..." Upon hearing this, Miss Night Demon seemed a bit stunned. She looked at Su Qi''s figure, her gaze shifting, no longer minding the inexplicable fear, she couldn''t help but ask, "Who are you?" "Me?" Su Qi smiled: "The Savior of Srilan." ----------------- The third day, daytime. The night guards set off urgently to various warehouses to find more residual firepower. They decided to start their final operation that night. "Two days, we''ve gathered all the firearms, ultraviolet, useful and useless." "This amount of explosives should be able to destroy that big oak tree." As the night guard used a fire axe to chop down approaching zombies, he shook his head: "But the problem is how to get close." During the day, they went to the outskirts of the Night Demon''s nest to probe, and the conditions inside were like a map of hell. "After yesterday''s daytime investigation, we also know the general situation inside the Night Demon Nest." "There are at least two hundred night demons in the nest, and even though some wander outside at night, half of them will still stay in the nest." The situation wasn''t very optimistic. Xun Xiaohuan was very serious, "I suggest everyone lay all their cards on the table and make a detailed plan. This is no minor skirmish; a slight mistake could wipe us out." "Okay." Old Tomato said, "I have a bundle of rope from a solo instance that can bind ghosts. It can only be used once per instance, and with my current Physical Strength value, I can probably bind five night demons for about half a minute." Night guard spoke up, "I have an offensive skill, but once it''s used, my Physical Strength value will drop to 10, although it should clear a path." Xun Xiaohuan spoke calmly, "I can handle ten night demons myself." But Ah Qie and Ah Ti, the lowest in level, had no equipment or skills. "Sorry, we''re not that useful," they said, somewhat embarrassed. Night guard patted their shoulders, "Don''t sell yourselves short. We''re a team. Your job is to manage the ultraviolet lights, which are also a great threat to the night demons." Ah Qie and Ah Ti were energized, "Understood!" "It''s a pity Brother Su got killed off so quickly, otherwise, another person would have brought more strength," Old Tomato shook his head. During the daylight of yesterday, they didn''t wait for Su Qi to return to the Tower and knew then that he must be gone. They swiftly returned to the Tower with their collected items, and Night Guard decided to try and convince the leaders of the Tower to support them. Although he didn''t hold much hope. But as they went upstairs, they saw the Tower''s combat personnel all gearing up, donned in battle outfits and armed with various firearms and explosives, a formidable ensemble. They were startled: "What''s happened?" The bearded man, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and a heavy machine gun on his back, spoke calmly, "Right after you guys left, a strange young man came to the Tower and convinced our leaders." "Tonight... everyone will go all out and strike at the Night Demon Nest." Chapter 30 - 30: The Final Battle Tonight! Night Guard and the others had some difficulty adapting to the survivors within the Tower. One by one, they had shed the previous air of despair and were instead filled with excitement, most looking like they were ready to fight the Night Demons to the death or until victory. "What on earth is going on? Why are the people of the Tower willing to go now?" muttered Night Guard and his group. They couldn''t understand! It was completely beyond them! Before, they had an attitude of ''you go and get killed, we won''t follow,'' but now they had completely changed their tune. Bearded Man didn''t explain what exactly had happened, only telling them to go to the top floor of the Tower, where the leader of the Tower was waiting for them. While on the stairs, Ah Qie couldn''t help but whisper, "Who do you think that person is? Why was he able to persuade the Tower leader?" "It''s not just about persuading," Night Guard looked toward the survivors. "Didn''t you see it? There was a light called hope ignited in their eyes." He was extremely curious about who that person was. Could it be a plot-relevant character? Such as that guy named Kran from the main storyline, but hadn''t he died? Or perhaps Su Buxian? This question was answered after they met an old man who handed them a note. "This is from that young man, a note he left for you. We couldn''t understand it, but he said you would." They took the note and saw what was written. "A thousand words are not enough. Tonight precisely, the decisive battle in the Night Demon Nest, do not enter lightly, wait until the time is rightsigned, the tour guide." Everyone: "..." "I only saw the last two words ''tour guide'', and based on the style of this note, it must indeed be Brother Su," coughed Night Guard, handing the note to Old Tomato. "He''s actually still alive." Old Tomato awkwardly shifted his gaze, quite honestly, "Don''t give it to me I''ve long forgotten my former knowledge." Xun Xiaohuan simply closed her eyes. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The two college students are up to you now." Ah Qie, Ah Ti: "......" Ah Qie and Ah Ti''s heads came together: "They mentioned tonight at midnight, near the Night Demon Nest, waiting for an opportunity, he seems to have a plan?" "Su Buxian?" Xun Xiaohuan hadn''t interacted much with this person, and he said, "I''m more curious about how he survived." Night Guard looked at the Tower leader. "What did he do, and why have you agreed to support him, and...." There was a trend of staking everything on one throw. The old man''s voice was hoarse and, unlike before, mixed with various other emotions: "Because that young man... brought us hope that we can actually see." His arms were clearly trembling slightly, but he handled a small glass bottle very carefully. It was filled with a blue liquid. "What is this?" "The young man brought this. It can restore those infected back to their normal state." Bearded Man, who appeared at the doorway at some undetermined point, spoke solemnly: "I''ve seen it with my own eyes. An infected zombie regrew flesh and regained a human appearance. Though still unawakened, it showed no symptoms of infection." The old man spoke softly: "He told us that the dawn of this city will not fade with the arrival of night, that everyone can be redeemed after the sun rises." "These were words those outsiders who come every year never said." The old man seemed to have gained some resonant strength, his gaze no longer murky but clear and firm: "And tonight, the Tower will put all its strength into joining the battle! This isn''t just my idea, but the unanimous decision of everyone!" ----------------- Night silently fell. Night Guard and his four companions, along with thirty young and capable fighters from the Tower, quietly waited by a cave entrance. Behind them was a large array of weapons and equipment as well as three armed vehicles and large-function ultraviolet searchlights and more. They had set up this place during the day in preparation for the night battle. "What time is it now?" "Half an hour more." They were now carefully waiting for most of the Night Demons to leave the nest, as fewer Night Demons in the nest meant a greater chance of success. "Su Buxian still hasn''t shown up," Ah Qie couldn''t help but say, "He''s still unclear about our battle plan." "Don''t panic," Night Guard said calmly, "Brother Su has already helped us a lot. Otherwise, with just five people the situation would be even more bleak." "We''ll just follow the original plan." At that moment, Xun Xiaohuan suddenly extended his finger, signaling everyone to silence. Outside, a raspy, abnormal roar came! Everyone''s gaze trembled. Night Demons?! They were right outside! Their chosen location was actually quite concealed, but with the abundance of Night Demons who were extremely sensitive to all sorts of sounds, it was easy to be discovered. The people in the Tower focused their gaze. Although they were tense, they were not afraid. Every person was prepared to die in the Night Demon Nest today, seeking a slim chance of survival for the whole of Srilan. "Damn... it hasn''t left, it''s still approaching!" The silhouette of the Night Demon, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared at the entrance. It sniffed with its nose and subconsciously peeked inside. "Attack now!" Night Guard and the others immediately took action, and the experienced guards in the Tower instantly switched on the ultraviolet light! Caught off-guard by the purple light, the Night Demon squinted its eyes and recoiled from the roar backward. Then, in the next moment, came the others'' deadly assault! A Fire Axe, wielded by Night Guard, chopped into its shoulder! Old Tomato''s chopping knife also plunged forcefully into its chest! "Boom!" The Night Demon screamed in pain, its body swaying, about to fall. These were its fatal weak points, but it forcefully threw off the two men and, even in such a state, managed to smash a nearby boulder with a slap of its hand and fiercely charged towards them, dragging its injured body. "Damn it!" both men exclaimed. "Whoosh!" Xun Xiaohuan''s Flying Knife was even more powerful than before, piercing directly through its heart! The Night Demon finally collapsed to the ground with blood-filled eyes, never to rise again! The group''s expression was somber; if one was so difficult to deal with, not to mention the others in the nest. "The noise here isn''t small. Before we attract more Night Demons, we must start the battle earlier," Xun Xiaohuan said calmly. "Everyone, get ready to move." "Bring it on," Night Guard said gravely. Their battle didn''t account for uncertainties, whether Su Buxian made it or not, they needed to stick to the original plan. In the darkness, they led the survivors of Srilan to launch one last attack on the Night Demon Nest. If successful, this would be the last time, and Srilan would no longer be a dead city. If they failed, this would also be the last time. The Tower had staked everything on tonight, putting all its resources on the line. Though they were players, at that moment, they also felt the weight on their shoulders. Chapter 31 - 31 What the hell is that? The Night Demon Nest was a huge cave, roughly the size of two football fields combined with the spectator stands put together, with various rugged rocks scattered throughout. Of course, the most eye-catching thing was the huge oak tree in the middle that required ten people to encircle! The dome of the great oak tree had moonlight shining through, and beneath it, several Night Demons were kicking round skull bones back and forth among the complex stone columns, and other Night Demons could also be seen. Even though most Night Demons would wander outside, some still stayed by this huge oak tree. They might not be smart, but they seemed to realize the importance of this tree. And just then, "Boom!!" An explosion sounded right outside the cave! The vibration instantly made all the Night Demons in the nest lift their heads, their crimson eyes revealing a hint of madness! Some of them leapt up and headed in the direction of the sound! But still, some remained here. "It''s working, although not greatly..." Night Guard and the others were already stationed at a high-angled entrance, overlooking everything below: "There are about forty more." They used the explosion to attract the attention of the Night Demons, but they didn''t dare use it a second time, as that would draw all the wandering Night Demons from the town and then it would be all over. "And now Ah Qie and another are in the car drawing attention, hoping to keep the recently chased Night Demons occupied for a bit longer." "It''s our turn to go!" After signaling with a gesture, Night Guard threw several hand grenades in another direction! "Bang!" The explosion of the grenades kicked up clouds of dust! And at that moment, Night Guard and his team, along with Bearded Man''s breakout group, directly leapt from a different direction! "Charge!" They swiftly took action! The surrounding Night Demons roared angrily and pounced with blood-red eyes, their terrifying bodies and steel-like claws seeming to rip these humans to shreds! "Activate the ultraviolet light!" Bearded Man roared. The personnel from the Tower immediately turned on the ultraviolet spotlight, and the intense ultraviolet light forced the attacking Night Demons back! People from the Tower didn''t lead the main attack but provided support; flames from machine guns spewed out, with countless bullets raining down on the Night Demons, opening a path for Night Guard and his team! And all this was to send a vehicle loaded with explosives, right beside the large oak tree. "Here it comes!" Ah Ti was sitting at the driver''s seat of an armed vehicle, seeing the path cleared ahead, and floored the accelerator, charging forward recklessly! Numerous Night Demons roared madly, swarming from all directions! They instinctively sensed the threat and pounced towards the vehicle! "Block them!" Old Tomato, changing from his usual timid demeanor, roared and swung his equipment, a blood-soaked rope flying out and firmly binding several Night Demons! At the same time, the ultraviolet light quickly lit up again, pushing back the approaching Night Demons. "Charge for me!" Ah Ti floored the accelerator, heading straight for the great oak tree! Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In that instant, five Night Demons leapt up, aiming for the Tower personnel by the ultraviolet lamps; they didn''t have many brains, but they had some! "Be careful!" Tower personnel poured out countless bullets, rounds hitting the Night Demons'' bodies. "We must not let them destroy these!" But there were too many Night Demons, and after pinning down Tower personnel, seven Night Demons jumped from the air towards the armed vehicle. Ah Ti''s face changed drastically, his hand ready to yank the steering wheel. Xun Xiaohuan appeared on top of the armed vehicle, stepping on the roof and said solemnly, "Don''t worry, floor the accelerator, leave the rest to me." Ah Ti clenched his teeth, "Okay, let''s show them the skills of someone who failed their driving test three times!" He gripped the steering wheel tightly, floored the accelerator, and charged straight towards the great oak tree! "Roar!" More than ten Night Demons opened their mouths wide, letting out a foul, decayed roar, standing by the big oak tree, ready to collide directly with the armored vehicle! Xun Xiaohuan''s pupils changed color as he was just about to use his powerful move. "I''ve got this!" Night Guard roared, his palm flashing slightly with brass knuckles, indicating that he had been wearing this equipment, which when activated, would reveal his form. "Boom!" A terrifying air cannon was fired from his punch, the massive impact scattering the Night Demons on this road! At the same time, Night Guard was flung back ten meters by the recoil! His body also suffered fractures, and he lay on the ground, barely alive, looking at the information that popped up. [Vitality loss 30%, Current Physical Strength 5 points] Night Guard gave a bitter smile and weakly said, "I charged, I fell, the rest is up to you guys." At this moment, Xun Xiaohuan, although only armed with Small Knife, was extremely experienced in combat. His gaze was sharp, his expression stern, embodying an aura of having fought through various brutal Corpse Mountains and Blood Seas. He managed to block all the Night Demons approaching the vehicle! "It''s going to hit!" Ah Ti''s face turned stern. The armored vehicle was roaring forward at a hundred miles per hour, slamming fiercely towards the big oak tree. At the same time. Xun Xiaohuan reached out, grabbed Ah Ti from the driver''s seat, and dragged him out, then with a strong push of his feet, rolled to the side. "Boom!" A huge explosion sound lifted terrifying waves, splattering large amounts of dust! Numerous pieces of debris were ejected at high speed due to the impact! The explosion echoed inside the cave, causing everyone present to tremble and look excited and tense. "Did it work?!" "No..." Bearded Man''s lips suddenly turned pale; his cigarette fell to the ground as he stared intently five meters in front of the big oak tree. A group of Night Demons had incredibly rushed up, using their bodies to forcefully block themselves there, even though the terrifying explosives blasted them into a bloody, limbless mess! "No! No!" he roared, unwilling to accept this reality, his fingers clenched tightly on the machine gun trigger, the barrel melted and deformed from the extreme heat but he refused to let go. Initially hopeful, the expressions of Night Guard and the others gradually turned to astonishment, then their gazes dimmed. "...it actually failed..." Old Tomato, covered in blood, turned his head away, not wanting to witness the desperation on the faces of the people in Tower. He lowered his head and said, "I thought... we were different from those past outsiders..." But now. They still couldn''t escape the outcome of failure. Xun Xiaohuan remained as calm as iron, saying, "Retreat first! As long as we''re not wiped out, we can''t give up!" At that moment. Low roars from Night Demons also came from outside the cave. The explosion in the nest had called back the Night Demons wandering outside! Xun Xiaohuan''s face darkened as he saw the figures of Night Demons continuously appearing! It seemed that even retreating was no longer possible. Night Guard lay on the ground vomiting blood, his vitality continuously decreasing, Old Tomato had already been swatted away by a Night Demon''s claw, and Ah Ti could no longer get up from his roll. The survivors from Tower looked utterly despondent! Just at that moment. A voice unexpectedly resonated from an entrance at the top of the cave, accompanied by the strange sound of a pipa! Echoing throughout the cave! Solemn, low chanting, like thousands of swords clashing in a rainy night, full of vigor! Increasingly urgent, increasingly stirring to the soul! In such a scene, this sound not only moved them but even the Night Demons and survivors of Tower. And one thought crossed everyone''s mind. What the hell is that!? Chapter 32 - 32: Sorry, Put in the Wrong Disc Everyone''s gaze shifted toward the source of the sound. It was a speaker placed at the edge of a cliff, and beside the speaker stood a young man with a butcher''s knife at his waist, his body casting a long shadow under the faint moonlight. Old Tomato''s eyes snapped alert. "It''s Su Buxian!" "It''s Brother Su!" "Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers!" Night Guard and the others were taken aback, looking at the Bearded Man who had blurted out the name. The Bearded Man coughed and said, "That''s how he introduced himself when he came to the Tower during the day." "..." Faced with so many eyes upon him, Su Qi looked back with an odd expression, saying, "Why are you all staring at me? Did the Night Demons around us just stop moving?" The Night Demons, which had been momentarily captivated by the sound from the speaker, had long since resumed their charge, bringing with them a howling wind and the scent of blood! "Damn it, it''s all because of that crappy music! Watch out, everyone! Retreat, quickly!" Night Guard couldn''t help but grumble as he struggled to get on his feet, but the pain all over his body combined with his depleted physical strength made him dizzy and disoriented. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was a point of criticism for "Abyssal Paradise" among players: the damage and pain felt all too real. Though it had been toned down, it still greatly affected one''s condition. "Crappy music?" Su Qi asked in surprise: "But this is ''Tenfold Ambush,'' the most impactful entrance music." "Come on, Brother Su, quit joking. If you have any skills or equipment, use them now. Every person we can evacuate counts!" Old Tomato also knew the urgency of the situation; a team wipe would mean a complete failure of the instance. And at that moment, Night Demons were already lunging at them from the air! "Don''t panic." Su Qi squatted down, patted the speaker, and calmly pressed a button: "Let me change the disc." The background music of the speaker suddenly changed! From the pipa tune before, the sound now seemed like echoes from the Abyss itself, whispers and scraping noises as if someone was playing the violin with a saw and pounding on drums with heavy mallets! Through the lingering music, countless roars blended like a chorus! Terror, strangeness, spiritual pollution! A profound chill filled everyone''s hearts. Could the shift in style be any more abrupt? [The ''Sound of the Past'' has started playing. Until the music ends, your strength, movement technique, and physical strength will receive a twofold enhancement, lasting three minutes.] Su Qi''s eyes flickered with a hint of red. His current status had surpassed that of normal humans, with the attributes of the Night Demon Body receiving an additional double 30 in the darkness, plus another double 15 from the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade, and now boosted by the ''Sound of the Past.'' His strength and movement technique had both reached a terrifying 120. Su Qi stood on the edge of the cliff, opening his arms wide, and let himself drop. As he fell, he leaned forward and suddenly kicked against the cavern wall! "Boom!" The powerful force cracked the wall. Su Qi then leaped through the air faster than the Night Demons. "Bend down, young man," Su Qi''s voice echoed in Ah Ti''s ears. Ah Ti hurriedly bent down. With the butcher knife from his waist now in hand, its cold gleam turned into a full moon, sending several oncoming Night Demons flying altogether! "So strong!" Ah Ti was stunned. Su Qi didn''t stop; he slightly angled the butcher''s knife, his figure shifted rapidly, and he cut down the Night Demons lunging towards Night Guard in mid-air! He also took the opportunity to toss Night Guard toward Old Tomato, who, equally stunned, exclaimed, "Good, good, good! It looks like we still have a chance! Prepare to retreat!" "Retreat? With the advantage on our side, why retreat?" Su Qi''s words almost made Night Guard spit blood. Bro, would you look up and see, the cave''s surroundings are crawling with Night Demons that have been drawn over! "There''s no escaping." Xun Xiaohuan furrowed her brows as she looked at the growing number of Night Demons surrounding them; their nest had reached a terrible count of hundreds. "We''re done for, we''re definitely going to be wiped," Ah Ti''s complexion paled drastically. "Actually, we could try talking to the Night Demons," Su Qi drew his blade from a fallen Night Demon and, looking at the densely packed creatures surrounding him, said, "As long as we are sincere, they might be willing to listen." "...Are you hearing what you''re saying?" The Night Guard weakly said, "Brother Su, I''m going to vomit blood again, I''m really going to die." Su Qi chuckled lightly, sheathed his Slaughter Blade, and his eyes revealed an astonishing glow of red jade! At that moment, his entire presence dramatically transformed, and his voice, along with that terrifying music, spread throughout the entire cave! "Kneel before me!" The sound thundered as though it caused the air to vibrate! All the fierce-faced Night Demons trembled, showing fear in their expressions, to the shock of everyone present! They thudded to their knees on the ground! And there stood Su Qi, where he sheathed his blade, his figure like the lord of the Night Demons. "See, with the right attitude, communication is possible!" "..." The group fell into silence, not just because of the shocking scene, but also because, in that instant, everyone''s dashboard popped up with a notification. [Spiritual Power -1] The Night Guard couldn''t calm his heart for a long time, then abruptly turned to stare at the dazed Ah Ti and said, "Why did you kneel too?" Ah Ti came to his senses and quickly stood up, roaring, "I freaking tripped just now!" "Although I don''t know how Brother Su did it, it looks like we might be able to resolve this now," Old Tomato exhaled in relief. However, Su Qi said calmly, "To be honest... this was just for a scare. Night Demons aren''t smart, naturally they would react like this, but once they come around..." Old Tomato froze, Why didn''t you say this earlier! We need to retreat first! "Look, two Night Demons have already come to their senses... they..." The Night Guard suddenly didn''t know how to continue. Two Night Demons had suddenly appeared at the entrance of the cave! They were actually freaking driving a car! And one of the Night Demons even shouted: "The things are here! We can''t get close to that big oak tree, or we''ll be influenced, you have to do it!" They were actually able to speak! One of the Night Demons lifted a huge canister that was on the back of the vehicle and tossed it to Su Qi. Su Qi caught it steadily, then ran directly towards that big oak tree. At this moment. The great oak tree, as if sensing danger, actually began to tremble slightly, and from the numerous leaves, like blood vessels, an astonishing amount of bloodwater started to seep out! Numerous Night Demons, affected by this, shook off their instinctual fear and all stood up! One after another, they leaped madly, forming a horrifying tableau like a tide of monsters, densely packed from all directions, charging towards Su Qi! [Dark Wind Boots activated, Physical Strength consumed by 100 points, your movement speed increases by 30%] Movement techniques encompass many nuances, and movement speed is just one of them, but even so... it gave Su Qi the feeling of what it''s like to be a joyous wind man. It''s when the brain can''t keep up with the speed; if it could, it wouldn''t be the joyous wind man anymore. Within moments, he had reached the front of the great oak tree. Contained within the large canister was a potion developed by Kran using the original bud specimen he had brought back; with Su Qi''s strength, it crashed directly into the Infection Tree that had been rooted in this land for twenty years. The blue liquid poured out! The great oak tree, as if poisoned and taking immediate effect, trembled wildly, emitting a monster-like screech! "Is the effect that strong?" Su Qi also noticed the surrounding Night Demons clutching their heads, seemingly empathically suffering within that screeching sound, wailing in agony! He was just about to step back to avoid being sprayed by the dripping sap. Suddenly, Su Qi''s gaze froze. He saw an inconspicuous pattern on the trunk. A flame encircling a circle, within which were lines like those composed of various vertical pupils. It was as if a demon was staring at him. Chapter 33 - 33 He is the Savior of Srilan! Su Qi looked at the pattern. Although it seemed that the pattern had been carved some time ago, making the lines a bit mottled, and even slightly deformed due to the cracking of the bark. But he recognized it at a glance. The previous time, when the Investigation Bureau''s Xu Linqiu and Liu Yishou paid him a visit, they had shown Su Qi a photoa tattoo on a murderer''s body. The two were exactly the same! Su Qi remembered that he had asked what the pattern represented at that time, but Liu Yishou had only vaguely mentioned ''some kind of evil belief'', not expecting to see this pattern again inside an instance. The bark of the great oak tree continued to crack, and lines of foul-smelling blood vessels burst open, oozing thick scarlet sap. It was being eradicated of infection, purified of filth, and given a new birth. The potions that Kran had previously studied actually took a wrong turn because he was unable to eliminate the real source of pollution. Even if he healed the Night Demons one by one, they would just become reinfected under this great oak tree. Whereas Su Qi had extracted the essence from the Perfect Blue version of the Blood Demon Fruit and handed it over to Kran for cultivation and synthesis, perfectly suppressing the pollution of the great oak tree. "Crack!" Su Qi tore off the cracked bark bearing the pattern and pocketed it. At this moment. Each of the other Night Demons in the cave twitched on the ground, all of them writhing in pain amid the screeching, some still trying to struggle, but stumbled and fell heavily to the ground. Kran''s face turned slightly pale, but he wasn''t too badly affected. He had already injected the Healing Factor, even though his body still had some features of a Night Demon, his skin had regrown, and his teeth and hair were becoming more human-like; he would no longer become frenzied. Turning around, Kran then saw a bunch of dark gun muzzles. The other Tower survivors had surrounded the two of them, extremely tense and on high alert. Kran gave a wry smile, about to explain. "Kael... Kran?" Bearded Man''s voice came through hesitantly. Kran was startled, then joyfully said, "You recognize me?" "At first glance, you do look a bit different, but that white coat of yours and the birthmark on your neck... it''s definitely you," Bearded Man said somewhat excited, then turned to the somewhat feminine Night Demon beside him, feeling... a bit familiar, yet unable to recognize. "What the hell is going on?" Bearded Man couldn''t help but ask about the most pressing matter, looking from Kran to the vastly transformed great oak tree and the writhing Night Demons on the ground: "I''m completely lost." Kran explained earnestly, "In short, they won''t pose a threat anymore, the great oak tree that was the source of pollution is no longer the source of the virus. Look carefully..." Following Kran''s pointing, the Tower survivors looked towards the air, where tiny blue particles were falling from the lush branches of the great oak tree, and the Night Demons that came into contact with these particles were being cleansed of their infective symptoms bit by bit. "They''re being healed?" Bearded Man''s eyes filled with shock. "The remaining Night Demons will gradually return to their nests, and they too will have their infection cleansed and recover human consciousness under the effect of the Healing Factor." Kran''s words caused everyone in the Tower to shudder: "Did you just say... humans?" "Yes." Kran nodded emphatically, as if fearing the crowd couldn''t hear clearly, and stated word for word: "From now on, everyone will be completely healed, whether they are Night Demons or zombies." "The tweny years of pain in this city, as if straight out of hell, are about to come to an end!" "We will also be liberated from the nightmare darkness!" "And all of this." Kran looked toward the distant Su Qi: "It''s all thanks to him." ----------------- When the dawn broke, all the Night Demons returned to their nests. As Kran said, once they entered their nests, they began to convulse under the effect of the Healing Factor, beginning to show humanoid signs. And all of this no longer required the help of Su Qi and the other players. The people of the Tower had returned inside the Tower, excitedly summoning others, carrying the humans who were recovering but still unconscious to open spaces. "There is a huge number of zombies in the city, but they will be easier to deal with than the Night Demons. The rest will be the business of the residents of Srilan themselves." After all the Night Demons were healed, a message appeared before all the players. [Main Quest Completed] [All instance players may now proceed to the Tower to have the final meeting with the Tower''s leader and then leave the instance.] "The plot has concluded, which probably means there''s some explanation to be given, or a reward," Old Tomato thought with habitual reasoning. Ah Ti nodded in agreement and said with emotion, "But we are just side characters; the real MVP this time is still Brother Su. If not for him dropping in like a godsend, we''d have been wiped out." "Cough cough... What the hell are you talking about?" Ah Qie was bandaged all over at the moment, his vitality depleted to 20%, cursing as he spoke, "Clearly everything was a success, yet nobody informed me. I was still desperately flooring it and duking it out with the Night Demons outside, nearly lost my life." "Sorry, sorry... just slipped our minds at the time." Night Guardian had his bones set as well, but the pain was still bothering him. He was a bit eager to leave the instance saying, "Never mind that for now. I''ll go borrow a car, call up Brother Su and Brother Xun, and then head back to the Tower together." He suddenly paused: "Wait... where are those two?" At an exit outside the cave, Upon seeing the system panel, Su Qi bid farewell to Kran and the others. "Congratulations on your reunion after twenty years," Su Qi said with a smile as he watched Kran and the woman tightly gripping each other''s hands. "We owe it all to... you..." the woman, still not used to speaking, expressed her gratitude. Su Qi accepted the thanks willingly, and suddenly raised his eyebrows, pointing at the Bearded Man sitting not too far away, smoking in silence, "What''s his issue?" Kran turned his head slightly and spoke in a low, embarrassed tone, "That... twenty years ago, he was my rival in love... you understand?" Oh... got it. "Well, you three take care of yourselves." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." After bidding farewell to them, Su Qi planned to meet up with the others first and then head to the Tower together. And just as he turned the corner. Someone was leaning against a rock, seemingly waiting for him. Su Qi recognized him at a glance: "Xiao Huan..." "It''s Xun Xiaohuan!" Xun Xiaohuan couldn''t help but scowl. "What, you wanted to see me?" Xun Xiaohuan, hugging his Flying Knife, leaned against the rock and after a moment of silence, spoke: "You''re impressive. Though you''re a newbie, you''re unexpectedly talented and strong." Su Qi glanced at him. So, this guy was waiting here just to say that? He paused for a moment: "Actually, I wanted to ask from the beginning, you''re not a new player, are you?" "Mhm." Xun Xiaohuan nodded gently, not bothering to hide it but added, "I''m an inner tester... but not from the recent batch, even before that, all part of highly confidential testing." "Of course, if you want to ask." He shook his head, "I can''t tell you." Su Qi could tell, the man took issue with being called Xiao Huan. But was that going to stop him? Su Qi looked up at the question mark above his head: [A player who entered Paradise during the inner testing period] Chapter 34 - 34: Departure and Upgrade Paradise... This wasn''t the first time Su Qi had heard this new term; it had already appeared in a previous hidden world line mission. But since the other party wasn''t willing to talk, there wasn''t much he could do. In any case, this guy seemed different, not only leveling up faster than others but also extremely skilled in instance battles. In this instance, Su Qi also noticed that Xun Xiaohuan clearly had some cards up his sleeve that he hadn''t played yet. Impressive. Half an hour later. Everyone returned to the Tower and met that old man over eighty on the top floor. The old man was very excited, his face, which had seemed devoid of hope before, was now streaming with tears of joy. If it weren''t for the confines of his wheelchair, he probably would have come over to kowtow. Of course, that wasn''t necessary. The old man regained his composure, but his voice was still trembling with excitement, "We can hardly express our gratitude in words, never have we felt such joy as we do today since the city fell into silence." "So, my benefactors, please also accept our modest gifts of thanks." Old Tomato blinked. It was as if he was telling others, "See, I told you there would be rewards." Ah Qie and Ah Ti were also somewhat excited; they had never received so much gratitude before. Even when doing tasks for the counselor at school, it was like... serving a lord. Each person received a different box, each containing a specialty item from the city of Srilan. "I got equipment with a 10-point attribute bonus," Ah Qie said excitedly. "I got a skill, allows me to leap back five meters, but can only be used twice..." Ah Ti seemed a bit frustrated. The loot for Night Guard and the others was somewhat better, but all in all, fairly similar. It was Su Qi''s turn. He opened the box and found not an item but a badge. [Name: Srilan''s Highest Honor Badge] [Type: Equipment] [Quality: Perfect] [Function: When worn, it can block a fatal attack once in each instance (an attack that can directly cause damage to Vitality)] [Note: This badge once represented the highest honor of this city and is only awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions. And you, as the Savior of Srilan, they didn''t fill a whole truck for you?] "???" Su Qi didn''t know what to say. That note was too greedy. It was as though it was voicing the thoughts in his own heart. However. "The only badge born from the gratitude of all the citizens of Srilan," Su Qi smiled at the old man. "Alright, I''ll accept it." Night Guard and the rest watched the scene. The fate of this city was saved just like that, and seeing Su Qi''s somewhat serious demeanor, everyone felt somewhat moved, but indeed, he deserved to be called the Savior of Srilan. "Aren''t you going to say something, Brother Su?" "Hmm?" Su Qi paused. "Let me think." "Right, I hope my statue will be placed on that vacant lot by the Tower." "???" Night Guard massaged his forehead, "Forget it, everyone get ready to teleport. My bones are still broken, I can''t take it anymore!" "Let''s go, remember to add me as a friend once we''re out, Brother Su!" Watching everyone teleport away one by one. Su Qi, on the contrary, didn''t teleport immediately. He took out that piece of bark from his pocket. "Have you seen this pattern before?" The old man''s eyes flickered and after looking at the pattern, he actually trembled, saying in a hoarse voice, "Of course I remember, that pattern is what those demons left behind last year." Su Qi narrowed his eyes, it was indeed... They could get so close to the Great Oak and leave a mark, which meant their strength was enough to destroy the Great Oak and complete the main line. But why didn''t they do it? "Why do you have this?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A voice with a hint of surprise came from the side; Xun Xiaohuan had not yet teleported away. His gaze was fixed on the pattern. "This was left on the Great Oak, do you recognize it?" "The force behind this pattern is a terrifying one; they regard the instance''s humanity as weeds, other players as prey, committing all sorts of evils, extremely dangerous." "Sounds very sinister." "It''s no exaggeration. If you encounter someone with this pattern in the future, immediately force-quit the instance without hesitation." Su Qi looked at the very serious Xun Xiaohuan, narrowed his eyes, and asked, "Why? Could it be... they can bypass system mechanisms and strike against players? Are they not doing the main line missions?" It had been mentioned before that once one attacks a teammate in the team, it means a permanent ban from the main line tasks. Xun Xiaohuan, however, spoke with a complex expression, "Because their main line tasks are different from other players..." "?" "If our task is to save Srilan, then theirs is to destroy it. All the forces of good in every instance and all players are their enemies." "Moreover, other players can''t detect this, and by the time they act, it''s already too late." Xun Xiaohuan looked at Su Qi, "Just remember what I said, don''t provoke them." Watching Xun Xiaohuan''s figure slowly teleport away, Su Qi''s expression was a bit odd: "Xiao Huan, you are a bit too late with your warning." In reality, he had already provoked them, and quite severely at that, to the point where they self-destructed. However... Su Qi did agree on one point, those bearing this pattern were indeed no good. The murderers were enough to prove it. "The main line tasks are different and hidden among players, isn''t this just like Werewolf?" "And." Su Qi muttered to himself, "Would these people... show exclamation marks like that murderer before?" [The player is now teleporting out of the instance] [Player Su Buxian has cleared instance no. 589171 for the team and also completed an additional hidden world line task] [Game Difficulty: Hard] [Number of Players: Six] [Game Rating: 100] [Processing Settlement] [Earned triple Perfect Level completion experience and 2000 Game Coins, along with one lucky draw chance] [Your Level has been raised to 10] [Earned 15 assignable attribute points] [Instance Summary: You lack team spirit, don''t follow procedures, and still don''t understand the world view, failing to empathize with the survivors'' twenty years of pain in the Tower... However, this doesn''t matter, you''ve saved them, and that makes you the undisputed Savior!] Su Qi wanted to curse at this conclusion system. "Is it like this for all other players? Or is it just targeting me?" [Congratulations to player Su Buxian for reaching Level 10] [Starting from Level 10, every level-up grants a number of assignable points corresponding to the current level] [Title System Unlocked] Titles, not bad either; the system would assign titles based on the player''s performance in the instance. Savior of Srilan, Dark Night Stalker, Pollution Destroyer. Su Qi thought they all sounded pretty good. [Congratulations to player for obtaining the title: Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers] Su Qi: "???" "I was just speaking off the cuff!" Chapter 35 - 35 New Skill and... An Invitation "Besides this title... being able to level up directly to level 10 wasn''t something I expected either," Su Qi muttered to himself. After all, the higher the level, the more experience it takes to reach the next level, and the difficulty, scoring, and completion of instances vary the experience and game coins awarded. "And this time, the experience given was a lot, mainly... probably because of that hidden world line quest." Su Qi casually opened his character panel and evenly distributed the 15 attribute points he had gained upon leveling up. [ID: Su Buxian] [Level: 10] [Vitality: 100%] [Physical Strength: 400] [Strength: 20] [Movement Technique: 20] [Physical Power: 40] [Spiritual Power: 160] [Special Attribute: Night Demon Gene] [Item Slot: 1. Evil God''s Eye (Passive) 2. Hundred Man Slaughter Blade 3. Dark Wind Boots 4. Srilan Badge 5. Ancient God''s Heart 6. Polluted Sheet Music 7. Horror Nursery Rhyme] [Skill Bar: 1. Thunderbolt (only two usage opportunities left)] [Current Game Coins: 6000] Su Qi observed his own panel. "I do have a lot of items, but there''s only one lonely skill." That too was inevitable, as it seemed skills could only be obtained from lotteries, whereas equipment was more easily acquired in instances. This also caused the price of skills in the forums to be many times higher than that of equipment. Su Qi closed the panel, ready to gamble. He patted the box, muttering to it in low tones, "We''ve met before, why not give me a skill this time?" Amid a series of shakes, the lottery box popped open. Inside was a light ball. Good grief, it actually was a skill! Su Qi''s eyes lit up, he reached out excitedly. [Name: Everlasting Buzz Around Your Ears] sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Type: Skill] [Consumption: 200 Physical Strength] [Function: Designate a target, whose target will be continuously harassed by a mosquito. The mosquito''s bites can cause 1% of maximum vitality damage, and the skill ends when the mosquito is killed] [Note: Don''t underestimate this one mosquitoit once survived in the hands of a bald homebody man.] Su Qi''s mouth twitched slightly, spending two hundred physical strength to send out a mosquito... to suck blood. And it''s gone as soon as it''s swatted. This skill was ridiculously useless. The only valuable point was its ability to directly inflict damage on vitality. But the damage was terrifyingly low; it would probably need to survive until the new year without being killed. "Forget it... I''ll make do with it." Su Qi placed it into his skill bar. Since he still only had two skill slots and it had appeared, he had to equip it for now. After sorting this out, Su Qi then opened his mailbox. Inside were two friend requests, one from Night Guard and one from Old Tomato. Besides that... there was one special email. Just five words. [Paradise Invitation] Written in ominous blood-red characters, it filled him with unease. Su Qi raised his eyebrows slightly and opened it. [Su Buxian, hehehe... you weakling.] The first line was full of mockery? Shouldn''t the start of an invitation letter be... something like ''Dear Mr. Su Buxian'' and so on! What the hell kind of invitation letter was this! "You have no idea... the true meaning of life, nor have you experienced true power. While you pride yourself on your perfect rating in your own instance, you fail to see that it''s just an insignificant grain of sand in the vast ocean waves." "The Paradise many yearn for is not a place of tranquility. Once you accept this invitation, there will be no turning back." Su Qi watched as a line of text slowly appeared in front of him. "Yes or No" "I see nothing but reverse psychology in these words..." Su Qi did not hesitate, choosing Yes. "Hehehe!" A sinister laugh suddenly echoed around the entire room, as if someone had personally arrived to watch over Su Qi, this laughter continuing incessantly, as if mocking Su Buxian''s foolhardy actions or his reckless decisiveness. The laugh became increasingly piercing, carrying a hint of madness until it crescendoed into an especially hideous crescendo, spitting out six words. "Welcome to the Abyss!" [Player Su Buxian has triggered the Paradise Invitation task] [Task 1: Collect one D-class Pollutant] [Progress: 0/1] [Upon completing this task, subsequent tasks will be unlocked.] Pollutants... In the second instance, the one almost causing terrifying spiritual impacts, was indeed D-class. And the Ancient God''s Heart, having been cleansed of pollution, could no longer be considered a pollutant. The Blood Demon Fruit, being a reward for a hidden task, couldn''t count either. "So, are you telling me... if I had found a way to collect all the fluid inside those buds back then, it would have counted as directly containing a D-class pollutant?" But since it had already been fed to the Ancient God''s Heart, it didn''t matter anymore. His spiritual power, growing more aberrant with each level-up, had reached an astonishing 160... For him, a D-class pollutant could practically serve as a pillow behind his neck. "No rush, take it slow." Su Qi accepted the friend requests from both Night Guard and Old Tomato. Right after accepting... Night Guard sent him a message. "Brother Su, I thought you had forgotten about me." "Am I not supposed to be pairing up with you two?" "Well... we both got a bit discouraged, decided to first boost our power, Brother Tomato went to solo queue, and I''m logging off to gather some equipment and skills." "Oh, a rich second generation?" Su Qi was well aware of the current inflated prices of equipment and skills in the outside world. "No..." Night Guard appeared humble, "That would be my dad." "?" Night Guard paused, then added, "Right, Brother Su, a question for you, how much did you score in that last instance?" "100." "?" This time, it was Night Guard''s turn to be surprised, "Really? I''ve hardly ever seen anyone score 100." "Hmm? Didn''t you just participate in one team instance? Seeing too many would be unlikely." Night Guard seemed to realize he misspoke, quickly added, "I saw on the forums." "That''s even less surprising then, a lot of people browse videos, forums, websites, and never comment, and besides... weren''t my first two instances also 100?" Su Qi''s tone carried an air of baffled curiosity, "Is it that hard?" "..." There was sudden silence from Night Guard''s end, which lasted a long time before he sent another message. "Let''s not disturb Brother Su anymore, I''m logging off to collect equipment!" "Okay." Su Qi was somewhat surprised; the kid had fled so quickly. Just as he sent the response, the other party showed as offline. Meanwhile, in a luxurious mansion''s courtyard. Night Guard exited his own dedicated gaming room, walked over twenty steps, and found his phone on the couch. Immediately, he made a call. "Brother Xu?" "I''ve finished the instance." "Where are you? Okay, I''ll come find you right away." Chapter 36 - 36 That Existence! Su Qi didn''t choose to continue gaming; instead, he opened the gaming pod and sat up. It was already the deep night. It had to be said that after spending a few days inside an instance, coming out felt somewhat magical, as if time had moved on, making everything seem less real. After he got up and went downstairs, he first ran five kilometers around the neighborhood before, with his stomach growling, he found a restaurant to satisfy his hunger. "Physically, I''m not tired, but rather, I feel a bit too energetic." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi mused to himself, not knowing if it was just his imagination, but he always felt some kind of restriction while running, as though he could go faster, just like in the instance, but somehow he was being held back. During the meal, the people at the table next to his were actually discussing the game Abyssal Paradise. They were speaking with great excitement, while discussing strategies and even browsing forum posts to share with each other. These strategies were really just insights from beta testersvaluable, but not abundant. They soon mentioned the game clubs. There seemed to be even more clubs associated with this game than he would have thought, and they were not small in scale. A large amount of money was being poured into them, and many people didn''t understand why, as the size of the clubs didn''t seem to have much significance for the independent instances. But Su Qi had a different opinion on this. It seemed that Paradise was where countless gamers took root, so these clubs were probably not just simple clubs. "This is a deep pool..." But let it be. He''s just an active gamer, a sunny, cheerful big boy, maintaining this as his principle, and everything else doesn''t matter. "And besides... that''s not the most important thing right now." Su Qi looked at the beef over rice served to him, and his gaze became sharp. Good grief... "I spent 20 on this beef over rice, where''s my beef!" ----------------- Yishou put on a hat and headed straight out the door. Twenty minutes later, he pulled up in front of the Investigation Bureau in his ostentatious car that drew countless stares. "Brother Xu... I''m here!" Yishou pushed open the door without hesitation. Xu Linqiu and Liu Yishou were sorting things out. Xu looked out at the car and stayed silent for a moment: "You''ll make people think that the Investigation Bureau is a den of corruption and decay." "..." Yishou coughed: "I''m not from the Investigation Bureau." "Spit it out, what''s up?" Xu Linqiu bent over his work: "I''m swamped right now trying to find someone who meets the teacher''s requirements." They were in urgent need of exceptional newcomers who had enough strength, temperament, and significantly higher instance ratings than other players. So far, they''d found only two that were somewhat suitable. If they didn''t hurry, it might be too late. Yishou was aware of this situation and said in a low voice, "I think... I might have found one for you." "?" Xu Linqiu stopped: "Is it that player called Old Tomato from the offline club event? Did you scout him? His previous data was indeed good, and he was one of the potential standouts on the assessment list." "Though I feel a bit sorry for Brother Tomato, it''s not him... it''s the guy called Su Buxian, whom we met offline during the day." "Him?" Xu Linqiu certainly remembered, for until now they hadn''t been able to access the other party''s data. Such a situation naturally wouldn''t be due to a BUG; it could only mean that the other party had a Pollutant that surpassed his level of access, or was shielded by some special item from having his data revealed. "We were in a duo match when we ran into Brother Su..." Night Guard recounted the events that occurred in the instance: "The most critical part is, when I asked him about his clearance score, he said it was 100, and it was the same for his previous attempts!" Xu Linqiu''s expression changed immediately, showing a hint of shock, then he fell into deep thought: "Did he say that himself?" "Mm-hmm." Xu Linqiu seemed undecided and looked towards Liu Yishou: "Brother Liu, you know we can''t access his data right now, so we can''t tell if it''s true or false." Liu Yishou''s gaze flickered slightly: "Wasn''t the original intention of establishing the club to observe and support promising newcomers? I think we can give it a try... This young man should be fine, at least without so-called data. Based on the instance he just described, he seems to have performed quite well." Xu Linqiu mused: "Alright, I understand. I will report this to the teacher." "We can''t delay this matter either. The new version of Abyssal Paradise is expected to arrive soon, and the first critically important trial since the public beta will also begin then." Xu Linqiu said in a serious tone: "Other forces from Paradise are all making heavy bets on their chosen seeds. Before that... I just hope that the newcomers I''ve picked can quickly build up their strength. Perhaps they can even secure a spot for themselves." Night Guard''s blood boiled with excitement, and he nodded: "Brother, I''ll put my all into it!" "You..." Xu Linqiu paused, unable to find the right words, and finally just patted his shoulder: "Then work hard." Night Guard: "... " That just made me feel even worse! He sighed: "At least I still have hope; worst comes to worst, I could seek help from my dad." Xu Linqiu nearly stumbled: "You better shut up. In any case, whether it''s that major person from your family or my teacher, they are all very busy lately. You''d better not disturb them." "Busy with what?" Night Guard was curious. Xu Linqiu shook his head: "Don''t ask. It''s classified." "Then I''ll ask my dad." Crap, Xu Linqiu''s eyelids twitched. Why don''t you just go die! Such an enviable... ahem, such a helpless background! Xu Linqiu sighed and said: "Anyway, you haven''t entered Paradise yet, and there''s a lot you still don''t understand. In short... they are looking for traces of a powerful existence." "I don''t know much about the specifics, but that existence... you should have heard of him." Night Guard pointed at himself, surprised: "Me?" "Although you aren''t aware of his name within Paradise, he frequently appears in different worlds, and ever since the public beta, he seems to have been paying attention to and even contacting new players." Xu Linqiu said with a deep look in his eyes: "And he is known among you newcomers as... the Traveling Merchant." "...I''ve never heard of him." With that one sentence, Night Guard made Xu Linqiu want to smack him. Night Guard quickly raised his hands: "It''s true I''ve never heard of it. The game has only been in public beta for so long. I can''t be watching the forums all the time, and it seems like the number of people who have met him is quite small, right?" Xu Linqiu nodded, then shook his head: "I''m not sure either. Those who meet him are considered lucky. A long time ago, this existence made contact with a few individuals, and now, those individuals in Paradise... are incredibly powerful and not to be spoken of." Night Guard: "...everything is not to be spoken of, huh." "You''ll understand once you enter Paradise yourself," Xu Linqiu said, not wanting to waste more words. He spoke earnestly: "Anyway... orders from above dictate that if you encounter this existence, you must maintain a friendly attitude. Even if you can''t win his favor, you mustn''t annoy him." Night Guard looked at Xu Linqiu''s serious expression and subconsciously nodded. "I understand." Chapter 37 - 37: Haunted by Weirdness? No Such Thing After dinner, Su Qi returned to his residential complex. "I have to start buying groceries and cooking for myself again tomorrow. It really pains me to spend the money." The main reason was that the game had just entered open beta, and he hadn''t adjusted to the schedule yet. The gaming pod actually had a sleep mode feature, but for some reason, it wasn''t made available to players at present. At that moment, Su Qi''s cell phone vibrated slightly, a message from Liu Yishou. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Have you felt anything weird happening in the past couple of days?" Since Liu had come to visit him that day, he had acted as Su Qi''s contact person, occasionally asking about strange occurrences. "Yes." After pondering for a moment, Su Qi typed, "Today my sense of taste seemed off, I had beef over rice just now and couldn''t taste the beef at all." Liu Yishou was taken aback and mused, "This is the first time I''m hearing this. Others have been having bizarre nightmares, being chased by monsters in their dreams, then they''re too scared to sleep night after night. How come it''s totally different with you?" "Is it? I found out later that it seems the boss didn''t put any beef in at all." "..." "Short-weighting, false advertising, I suggest your Investigation Bureau take a serious look, here''s the address." Liu Yishou fell silent. I came here to ask about strange matters, and you''re reporting a business to me! "Anyway..." he said gravely, "you should be careful. Many who are haunted by supernatural occurrences are plagued by nightmares, and don''t underestimate the things in those nightmares. They come from the symbols of the supernatural and will erode you more and more deeply. The ending... will be like that murderer before, death by anomalies... in any case, just five words: Pay more attention to spiritual power." Su Qi paused for a moment, sensing the seriousness in Liu Yishou''s voice, and replied, "Alright, I''ll be careful." The situation Liu Yishou described made Su Qi think of the girl he''d met offline at the club called Milk Tea with 70% Sugar. At the time, he thought her lack of sleep was due to overnight gaming, but now it seemed it was because of the nightmares. "Maybe it''s because I haven''t been exposed for too long? That''s why I haven''t encountered it?" Su Qi returned home, rested for a while, and then prepared for bed. However, Speak of the devil. After falling asleep, Su Qi felt something was off. It seemed like he was having a nightmare. He could distinctly feel the chilly eeriness. He looked up. He found himself in a dimly lit residential building, with all doors and windows sealed shut. As if they didn''t want him to escape. And a terrifying black shadow, emitting an evil darkness, was staring at him in the corridor. "Hello, do you speak Chinese?" Su Qi greeted. But the black shadow let out a sinister laugh, its eyes full of ferocity, and lunged straight at him! "You''re a little too enthusiastic." And the next moment! "Smack!" With a slap, Su Qi sent it flying! The black shadow, slapped into a mess, covered its face somewhat shockedly as it looked at Su Qi; its previous roar turned into a confused utterance: "Huh?" "Huh my ass." Su Qi strode forward. The black shadow growled lowly, thinking the recent hit was just a flukeit had recently caused a murderer to die miserably under its power! How could it not even deal with this ordinary person... "Bang!" The black shadow was kicked by Su Qi and sent smashing into the wall five meters away, its expression had become vacant, and its evil aura almost dissipated. "So weak? And this is called supernatural?" It wanted to cry but had no tears; things should not have developed like this! "Maybe I should just crush it to end this." The black shadow trembled uncontrollably. Su Qi looked at the sealed house, "But... looking at it this way, you can keep me conscious even while I''m asleep, which could be somewhat useful." "Here''s the deal, I''ll give you a chance." The Black Shadow trembled as it looked at Su Qi, as if asking what chance it was being given. "How about we play hide and seek," Su Qi revealed a smile even more unsettling than it, "I''ll give you a minute to hide, and if I find you, I''ll scatter one-fifth of you." "If you survive tonight, I''ll keep you." The Black Shadow was on the verge of tears. Wasn''t this game usually it''s own? Before, it was the ordinary people who were frantically running away, trying to leave the room, trying to escape the dream, while it toyed with them as if playing hide and seek. Why had the roles swapped now!!! "The countdown begins now." Su Qi''s voice whispered devilishly, causing the Black Shadow to shiver all over and immediately drift towards some other place! It had to survive! Later. Su Qi chased the frightened Black Shadow all night long in the nightmare. When he awoke, it was already morning. Opening his eyes, he felt refreshed and spirited, free from the touch of the bizarre. "So this is the bizarre, certainly quite interesting." He wasn''t about to eliminate it directly; it was rare to have fun even during sleep at night. Of course. Su Qi wasn''t really playing in the nightmare; he had a rough guess, "This Black Shadow is clearly a spirit-type bizarre, others get affected in reality, even to the point of acting crazily, but I am different." Su Qi looked towards the gaming pod... His enormous strength in the nightmare and the spiritual attribute in the game were directly connected. Su Qi made breakfast and while eating, he looked at today''s official forum. There was new news from the headquarters today, an announcement for all players. [Abyssal Paradise will undergo an update at twelve noon] [The update version is 2.0] [Daily Shop, Clubs, and other content will go live after the update] Su Qi''s eyes brightened. "So my 6000 Game Coins will finally have a place to shine, huh?" But the update was at noon, so there was just enough time for an instance run. Su Qi quickly laid down in the gaming pod. [Initiating neural connection] [Connection successful] [Welcome player number 985211, Su Buxian, to the game] In the login space, Su Qi checked his friends list, both were diligent, already in-game early in the morning. Since the game''s launch, many people had quit their jobs to fully immerse themselves in it, as a piece of ordinary equipment could be worth half a month''s wages. Of course, this was only in the early stage of the game. As player levels increased, ordinary equipment and skills surely wouldn''t meet needs, and if all items obtained from instances or drawings were sold, it might be hard to keep up with other players in the mid-game. It was a matter of give and take. Su Qi opened the matching interface, his main priority now was to level up and see if he could find a new Class D pollutant. [Notice: Your level has reached 10, there is a slight increase in the chance of entering Nightmare-level dungeons] [Difficult solo dungeon confirmed] [Matching in progress] [Player Su Buxian has successfully matched] [Entering Nightmare-level solo dungeon shortly] Su Qi raised an eyebrow, "It really is a nightmare." But he quickly noticed something peculiar. [Please note, this is a special restriction-type dungeon] [Your level is limited to 1, Item Slot and Skill Bar are all sealed, unable to be used] A burst of mocking laughter echoed in Su Qi''s ears as his vision gradually darkened. "Welcome to the Abyss." Chapter 38 - 38 Affection Fills the Orphanage "The pungent smell is so strong." Su Qi hadn''t even opened his eyes when a wave of stench hit his nose. Mixed with the disinfectant of a toilet, the pungent smell of urine, and the foul stench of feces. He opened his eyes. And knew immediately that he was in a toilet. He looked around, "This is a public restroom..." Su Qi''s voice suddenly stopped as he looked at his tender little hands and the cartoon-patterned clothes he was wearing. He was somewhat baffled. "It''s not that I''ve become two-dimensional, but that I''ve become a child!" Before he could understand his current situation, a prompt box appeared before his eyes. [Please note, the CG and introductory storyline will now play.] A deep voice, as if whispering in his ear, began to narrate slowly. [This is an orphanage, and you were just sent here yesterday. You are unfamiliar with many things about the orphanage.] [This orphanage has some strange rules and regulations. Breaking any of them will get you taken away, and youhave already broken the rule of not leaving the dormitory at night!] This chilling voice, with its eerie undertone, was accompanied by strange background sounds. [Listen, the footsteps are nearby.] [Look, traps are hidden all around in the dark.] [Sleep, the child who does not return at night is disobedient.] [Eat, the child who is picky and wastes food is even more despised.] [You can''t escape.] [You can never escape.] [This is your prison...from which you cannot leave.] The scene before his eyes, along with a few phrases of the abnormal nursery rhyme, suddenly turned into a hideous laugh, then slowly faded away. And in the instant it disappeared... Su Qi heard the footsteps outside, heavy, as if something was being dragged. So soon? He couldn''t afford to contemplate the content from the CG, as the other party was now outside; if he remained standing here, it would be suicide. He immediately looked at the three toilet stalls. From the CG and the current atmosphere, whatever was outside was certainly very dangerous, now blocking the toilet door, expected to enter in just five seconds. He couldn''t leave; he only had the option to hide. And the only places to hide were these three stalls. He had only five seconds. Su Qi had a premonition...choosing incorrectly would trigger a very dangerous event. There were no additional prompts. He had to rely on luck; after a brief hesitation, he quickly entered the third stall, and as soon as he did, he smelled an overpowering foul stench, yet Su Qi didn''t make a sound. At this moment. A prolonged shadow appeared at the entrance to the restroom. The shadow peeked through the gaps beneath the stalls, seemingly dragging something heavy, then slowly moved into the restroom. Its movements were gentle, but the steps were significantly heavy. What was this? Su Qi squinted, even though the restroom was pitch black, not a single light inside. However, he saw everything clearly. The Black Shadow was carrying something wrapped in a black bag in its hand; after entering the restroom, it untied whatever was wrapped on the rope above... And then. A thick scent of blood suddenly assaulted his nostrils! A large amount of fresh blood began to leak from the edges of the bag! Su Qi''s eyebrows twitched. Was this a corpse? And not a complete one, it was clear that there were small chunks of flesh leaking from the bag. The Black Shadow walked up to the front of the three stalls. Su Qi held his breath, watching the Black Shadow''s feet...he didn''t know if his choice was right, but all he could do now was to gamble on his luck. No wonder this was a Nightmare-level dungeon. The game started by placing him in an extremely dangerous situation! Without much hesitation, the figure reached out and slowly pushed open a partition door. The turning of the door made a light sound in the silent environment, emitting a faint rust friction sound! ''Click!'' The partition door in front of Su Qi wasn''t opened. The shadow entered the one next to it, then dumped everything out of its pockets into the trough. The sound of flushing roared! Su Qi looked down and was sure that what was before him was not a human corpse, but a pile of animals... Judging from some characteristics, there were cats, dogs, wild chickens, and also pigs, cows, and sheep... Each one was cut into fine chunks, with fresh blood mixed with water, filling the air with a turbid stench! Su Qi pinched his nose and, looking at these things, his eyes actually revealed a bit of interest: "This beef is cut a bit large, but it would be pretty good for stewing." "If the mutton doesn''t have a strong smell, making a bowl of mutton soup could warm my belly in this deep night..." He thought about it and felt a bit of hunger in this dungeon. Which was normal. After all, it was late at night in the dungeon, and the little boy he had become might have been woken up by the need to urinate, then forgetting the nighttime curfew to go to the bathroom. The figure, after disposing of the things, didn''t immediately leave; it stepped out of the stall again. Then. It reached out to open another door. Coincidentally, Su Qi wasn''t revealed, as that other partition stored miscellaneous items. It took out a mop from there and started to clean up the blood stains that had fallen on the floor. After all this. It stood still... sweeping a glance over the entire bathroom, seemingly confirming that nothing had been missed. Only then did it slowly turn around and leave the bathroom. Su Qi squinted his eyes and didn''t rush to open the door and leave; if the other party doubled back or hadn''t left immediately, he would be exposed. "This orphanage... is very dangerous." Not just because of this one figure disposing of bodies at night, but also because of the many strange rules. "And from the brief introduction, if I don''t immediately return to the dormitory, I''m likely to face danger again." The CG had shown some rules that he had seen on the day he had just arrived. Su Qi knew... the time for the dormitory check was quickly approaching; he must hurry back. While waiting. Su Qi tried to open the Item Slot and the Skill Bar, but as expected, both were sealed and couldn''t be accessed. The character panel was indeed at level 1, Basic Attributes only at 5 points, after all, this was just a child''s body. sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However. A faint red light flashed through his pupils. Although everything was restricted, the Night Demon Gene was not among them. He not only had a powerful night vision function, extremely fast Physical Strength restoration, but also gained 30 points of Strength and movement technique in the darkness. Just now, if he had made a wrong choice, he would have had another way out, which was to directly fight! His attributes of 30+5 were enough to pose a lethal threat to any adult. "Only... it''s still unclear what kind of dungeon this is." "I also don''t know the strength of the other party." Recklessness would be unwise. But with a backup, Su Qi slowly pushed open the door and started walking toward the outside of the bathroom. Outside was just a dimly flickering street lamp and a corridor leading to the dormitory. Su Qi moved quickly, his small body sprinting along, even the sound of his footsteps suppressed. Fortunately, nothing happened along the way. He followed the route shown on the screen and returned to his own dormitory. The dormitory was a four-person room, with the other three already sound asleep. Su Qi reached out to grasp the doorknob, slowly opening it. And the moment the door was opened. A figure stood at the door, staring intensely at Su Qi with a pair of green-glowing eyes. "Where have you been!?" Chapter 39 - 39: All Are Human, Yet None Are In the darkness of the room. Shock flickered in Su Qi''s eyes as he saw the figure before him clearly using the night vision function.... This shadow that was half the size of Gao Suqi was not human at all! It had the head of a snake with a human body, sporting a snake''s head and neck as slim as a snake, its textured skin luminescent in layers and crisscrossing patterns. As it spat out its forked tongue, its eyes emitted a cold green light while it loomed over Su Qi with a chilling gaze. Su Qi''s gaze sharpened as he looked towards his other two roommates. One of them had the body of a crocodile and seemed to be sound asleep, still grinding its teeth... The other bore a pallid human face, but attached to it was a black body, with numerous spider legs curled up beside it. Snakes? Crocodiles? Spiders? What kind of scene was this! A world of animals? Moreover, Su Qi couldn''t help but notice something else. If his roommates looked like this, then he himself..... Su Qi saw in the mirror mounted on the wall nearby, and from its reflection, he noticed his own appearance, gosh.... he had never realized that there were two fluffy ears atop his head. Was his identity that of a rabbit? A twitch formed at the corner of Su Qi''s mouth. In this dormitory, he was actually on the bottom tier of the food chain, no wonder the creature before him was eyeing him with a green glint. Snake Man seemed dissatisfied with Su Qi''s looking around, and his voice grew even chillier, but so as not to wake the others, he whispered lowly, "You actually dare to go out during the curfew hours, aren''t you afraid I''ll report you!?" "Hey, snitching is something only kids do," Su Qi suddenly paused, "I''m a kid now, oh well, no problem then." He was just about to speak... At that moment. Su Qi''s ears twitched slightly, already hearing the faint sound of a door opening from outside, likely a staff member from the orphanage starting to check the dorms. Considering the current situation.... Su Qi understood that this was another deadly threat. Now every step was tantamount to walking on thin ice; the eerie strangeness of this orphanage had begun to show its signs. The fragmented pieces with animal features that he had seen in the restroom, those might belong to members of this very orphanage, those who had violated the so-called rules and regulations... and likely met their end in the same way, being flushed down the toilet drains. "So what do you want to do?" Su Qi looked interestedly at the Snake Head Man before him, who had posed a question as if there might be some leeway. Of course. If there wasn''t any. He would just knock him out with violence right now, although this action had risks that might trigger unforeseen accidents. There were seven rooms along the dormitory corridor. Their room was at the end, and the sound of the first door being opened had just begun; there was still plenty of time. Snake Head Man''s eyes narrowed, his pupils shrinking and flickering, revealing a look as if he''d seen something delicious, yet he didn''t dare to act rashly. Hissing his forked tongue, he spoke with an icy voice: "I can help you hide this, but tomorrow... you must do something for me!" "Is it troublesome? If it''s too much trouble...." He suddenly reached out and grabbed Su Qi''s collar, his face fierce, "Don''t you know your position yet, newbie!" "A weakling with no strength to truss a chicken, still wants to talk terms!" "Your fate is already sealed, either you die today, or you work for me tomorrow, that''s your only chance to survive!" Su Qi didn''t dodge; he realized that the guy''s Strength was about the same as that of an Ordinary adult. Even if he stood still and refused to move, the Snake Head Man wouldn''t be able to budge him an inch. Su Qi asked in a suddenly feeble voice, "That... it''s not that I won''t agree, but can you first tell me what this is all about?" The Snake Head Man''s pupils showed an obviously impatient mood, but thinking of the task he had to undertake tomorrow, he still restrained himself, reining in his killing intent, and said in a low and sinister voice: "Tomorrow is Game Day... You just need to listen to me, and do whatever I tell you to do. If you dare to defy me, I will eat you!" His eyes gleamed fiercely, and he bared his fangs: "Understand?" Su Qi showed a frightened expression: "I understand." In truth, following the protocol, the normal behavior would seem to agree with him... He was low on the food chain and had to continuously navigate through this group of Monsters, then find a chance to carefully survive. But suddenly, Su Qi did something unexpected; he hesitantly reached out and opened the door. The startled Snake Head Man showed a fearful expression at that moment: "What are you doing!" Su Qi meekly said, "That... I was in a rush when I came in just now and dropped something outside the door. I am afraid of being discovered and want to retrieve it." "Close it quickly, do you want to kill us all!" But Su Qi shook his head, his tone becoming more firm and sorrowful: "No, it''s an important ornament entrusted to me by my family! I can''t leave it outside, and if I get discovered, I''m afraid I will be killed too!" The Snake Head Man''s anger surged, and he growled: "Damn you, then hurry up and go fetch it!" The one checking the rooms was still in Room No. 3; if he was fast enough, he wouldn''t be seen! Su Qi stepped out and then, in fear, drew his foot back: "I can''t, I''m afraid." As if truly scared, the Snake Head Man could see his feet were trembling, and his whole body was shaking. Scared of you! The Snake Head Man was filled with murderous intent. Watching Su Qi shivering, he almost couldn''t resist the urge to bite this waste to death. This fit his behavior when he first arrived; the Snake Head Man had set his sights on this prey then, not expecting him to forget the nighttime curfew and foolishly step out the door on the first night! "Hurry up and get it!" "But... my legs are shaking," Su Qi said plaintively: "I... can barely stand." "Bro, help me out just this once, I promise to do whatever you say tomorrow!" "And it''s just a step away, my courage is too small; if I get caught, I''m dead for sure!" Fuck! The Snake Head Man cursed in his heart! He was a cold-blooded animal and naturally wouldn''t be moved by Su Qi''s pitiful pleas. But... this guy was important to him. On Game Day tomorrow, he needed him to be the scapegoat so he himself could get through safely. "Damn it!" the Snake Head Man growled: "Where is it? I''ll go get it for you!" "It''s just at the door, look carefully at the corner on the ground..." The Snake Head Man stood in front of the door but was very cautious not to step out of the room. Then, with a green glow in his eyes, he scanned the quiet, dark corridor, but after a sweep, he saw nothing. Frowning, he turned back: "There''s nothing..." His pupils suddenly narrowed when he saw Su Qi smiling, stretching his leg out, and mouthing what seemed to be: "Goodbye!" And then. He was kicked out with a terrifying force! S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And the next moment. The door closed with a click. The entire dark corridor was left with only the dazed Snake Head Man. Chapter 40 - 40 We, united! In this dark corridor, Snake Head Man, dressed in pajamas, looked like a middle-aged man who had been turned away at the door. He was dazed, confused, and shocked, with a bewildered expression on his face. Then came unending anger, a surging intent to kill! Damn waste! "!!!!" His eyes emitted a horrifying fierce light! He dared to deceive himself! What a joke! The orphanage, to check the dorms, didn''t even lock the doors all he needed to do was lightly turn the doorknob to open the door! As soon as he got in. He swore he would show this waste what terror meant! His rage peaked, and he reached out to turn the knob and then pushed hard! Yet, the door... did not budge. "..." Snake Head Man''s expression froze once again. Why? He pushed even harder! He only felt another, more powerful strength blocking from the other side! He couldn''t budge it at all! What''s going on? He desperately pushed. But he couldn''t open the door, and Snake Head Man totally panicked! How could that waste have such great strength! Could it be the other two came to help him?! At this time. The dorm-checking lights were shining at the third door. Listening to that sound, Snake Head Man showed an utmost fearful emotion, seemingly very afraid of the dorm-checker''s presence! His entire body trembled! Frantically pushing the door! And he dared not speak loudly, only managing to whisper harshly: "Open the door quickly! Otherwise, once I get in, you''re dead!" "Your words seem a bit idiotic, and it''s curfew, I''m someone who follows the rules, I can''t open the door," Su Qi responded seriously. "F**k!" Listening to Su Qi''s words, Snake Head Man nearly hurled blood, feeling his serpent heart about to explode from anger! But there was nothing he could do at the moment. The dorm-checking light kept slightly swaying at the door of room three, as if about to finish checking and come out. Snake Head Man bowed his head, fear completely taking over his heart! He broke down, pleading humbly: "I was wrong, let me in." "I definitely won''t oppose you anymore! Whatever you ask me to do, I''ll do! Save me! Otherwise, I''m really dead! Save me!" He was already on his knees, and if it hadn''t been for his inability to cry, his tears and snot would be flowing right now! And just then. Su Qi suddenly opened a crack in the door, asking with an innocent tone, "Really?" "Of course, it''s true!" Snake Head Man forcefully squeezed through the crack, his anger rising from the heart, his chest filled with murderous intent! Once inside, he instantly changed from his crying and pleading demeanor. Opening his snake-like mouth, showing his fangs, fury and murderous intent erupted together, he hissed, "I''m going to devour you now, you ignorant..." He stopped abruptly mid-sentence. Su Qi extended one hand, grabbing his neck, the terrible strength made him unable to talk, even breathing became labored. Snake Head Man''s eyes showed a frightened expression, he incredulously rotated his green pupils, looking towards Su Qi! Su Qi pondered, "Actually, I gave you a chance, but you don''t seem to want it." Snake Head Man was struggling; after struggling, he grew even more terrified, such absurd strength, he absolutely couldn''t break free! "You hear that, the one doing the room checks... just opened the fourth door, he will be here soon." Su Qi stared at it, "What do you say I should do?" Snake Head Man showed an overwhelming fear, not only because of fear of the inspector but also because of Su Qi! At this moment. Su Qi''s eyes, in the darkness, were redder than before, and the aura of the Night Demon was being released from his body, carrying the oppressive feeling typical of a powerful D-level pollutant. "Boom!" At that instant, Snake Head Man seemed to see an endless sea of red blood filling his vision, delivering a powerful shock to his psyche! Su Qi watched as the other trembled and shook with fear, disoriented. He remained expressionless but was contemplating inwardly. Indeed... his abilities were not only effective against powerful Night Demons; they also had a strong oppressive effect on ordinary beings in this instance. After a while. It gasped heavily, as if just pulled from water, its gaze now devoid of any murderous intent or anger, filled only with deep fear. "What do you say?" "I understand... I will follow your orders in everything!" Snake Head Man trembled as he bowed his head. Su Qi, however, smiled and said, "Don''t be like that, we are dorm mates, and besides, look... the other two roommates surely agree." Others... Snake Head Man was stunned, his gaze shifted to the two roommates who had been sleeping soundly but now seemed to be stiff. They had already woken up? Right... the noise earlier would have woken anyone. Su Qi''s voice in the darkness was like a death knell, "Fellow roommates, I would like to be the dorm leader... You''ll help me, right?" "Will help, right!" Snake Head Man too uttered in a menacing tone, flicking his snake-like tongue. You damn turncoat! The two roommates trembled, then opened their eyes in fear, nodding weakly. Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ----------------- Two minutes later. The inspector stood at the final door; he slowly pushed it open... one hand holding a lamp, the other a blood-stained saw. He slowly walked in. Su Qi lay on his bed, eyes tightly shut. This was the rule during inspections; absolutely no waking up, and if awake, one must pretend to be asleep, otherwise... he would begin using the saw in his hands for a "long sleep." The inspector wasn''t merely wandering; he would shine the lamp on your face, sweep the saw across your skin, and even suddenly lean in close, giving off a foul stench along with a hint of the smell of death. Especially close to Su Qi, he lingered longer, his murky eyes flashing with heat and greed, a gaze Su Qi could feel even with his eyes shut. Rumors were that the Old Priest, the Old Director... liked little boys... Su Qi didn''t move, but he was ready to strike back. Tonight''s events were sudden; he needed to respond instantly, finding himself in a passive situation, so Su Qi decided to use the Night Demon Gene to turn reactive into proactive. By tomorrow''s daytime, he would lose this ace up his sleeve. He had to gain some initiative and advantage, and perhaps even find an opportunity to strike. Time passed slowly. The inspector did nothing out of the ordinary, made sure everyone was asleep, then prepared to exit the room. Just then. Su Qi squinted his eyes... bold yet careful, with boldness leading; ensuring the light source was not in front, he risked being discovered, trying to catch a glimpse. The figure stood with its back to him, hunched over, somewhat aged, but on its head was a deep red[!] As said before, the deeper the color, the greater the danger! This level of danger had not been seen for a long time! But Su Qi''s first reaction wasn''t to look at what was above, but his gaze, somewhat shocked, moved toward the figure''s... head. It was a large sheep''s head. Its two sharp horns curved slightly, engraved with complex patterns. This guy''s head, it was identical to the shrine of Evil God in the first instance! And the deep red exclamation point also displayed the text. [Win in the game''s day, it will lead you to a reunion with an old acquaintance] Chapter 41 - 41: Master of Stealing Home (Seeking Followers) In the darkness, Su Qi was pondering everything. Was it merely coincidence? Or was there a connection? The contents of the exclamation seemed quite profound. Could it be that after winning the so-called Game Day, he could meet the Evil God again? Better not think about that. After all, everyone was internet friends, meeting offline and dying wouldn''t be good. At that moment, a system message appeared in Su Qi''s vision. [Main Quest Released] [Survive Game Day and find the key to the orphanage gate to escape] He squinted his eyes. It was a Nightmare-level dungeon... but the main quest didn''t require him to win, just to survive. It seemed that tomorrow''s Game Day would be extremely dangerous. In the darkness, Su Qi asked, "What kind of activities do you have on Game Day?" These three guys weren''t asleep yet, they had just been nearly trembling due to that inspection. Snake Head Man immediately responded hoarsely, "It''s different each month, depending on what the three staff members find amusing." There were three staff members in total at the orphanage: the cook, the supervisor, and logistics. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "They are terrifying," Croc Brother revealed his fear, "If you rank low in the game, you will... be killed." Su Qi asked, "How were you brought here?" This place was called an orphanage, meaning the others here were also just children, young, parentless, abandoned. "Because..." Spider Boy lifted his pale face, showing a bleak smile, "Outside, we are all monsters... others are afraid of us, including our parents." Stop smiling, failed man. It was really scary. "Here, we can only struggle to survive like monsters," Snake Head Man said painfully, "The staff enjoy watching us like this." He weakly added, "Me attacking you is just normal for this orphanage, after all, it''s survival of the fittest." "Just stop trying to justify it, it won''t wash clean." Su Qi rolled his eyes. He withdrew his gaze, "So, it''s the same with everyone else." In this enclosed orphanage, everyone was forced to follow the primal rules of nature. Croc Brother nodded with a sense of resignation in his tone, "Yes... but there''s no choice, everyone is just fighting to survive, and those gaps left by the deceased... will soon be filled by newcomers." "That reminds me," Snake Head Man''s voice faltered, unable to help himself, "you should be careful about the people from room one tomorrow, don''t provoke them." "Uh?" "They are among the earliest at the orphanage, having survived the longest by any means necessary, and they are very close to the three staff members, which makes them act without fear." Snake Head Man pointed at Su Qi''s bed, "The last person who lived here was Brother Dog, who angered the people from room one during the last Game Day, then was retaliated against. Those guys tied him to a street lamp and bit off his limbs." "That night... Brother Dog never returned." Croc Brother said softly, his head low, "Actually, I kind of liked him." Su Qi fell silent; he looked at the tops of the others'' heads, where question marks displayed their current thoughts. [Submissive, not daring to make waves] from Spider Boy. [Fearful of this life, missing the outside world] from Croc Brother. [Revisiting the feeling of recent suffocation] from Snake Head Man. "????" Su Qi''s eyelids twitched. What was up with the last one?! "Let''s sleep, we need to be fully alert tomorrow," Croc Brother reminded. "It''s already past midnight. If we don''t sleep now and wake up too late tomorrow, it''ll also be counted as a violation." "Alright... good night, everyone..." Spider Boy said quietly. But Su Qi didn''t make a sound, as if he were already asleep. The others stopped talking too, and one by one began to close their eyes, preparing to sleep. About half an hour later. Su Qi slowly opened his eyes, gazing into the black-as-ink night outside. In such a dangerous place, how could one possibly sleep? After some deep thought, completing the main quest seemed not difficult to him, but... what he cared about more was the Sheep Head and the dark-red exclamation mark above it. If he wanted to complete it, it might not be so simple. Su Qi currently only possessed the Night Demon Gene as his trump card, and it only activated in the night or in darkness. If he wanted to gather more clues and help, he had to make use of it. Su Qi watched as the other three slightly began to snore, shaking his head, "At this age, you guys can actually sleep." He slowly rose and cautiously pushed open the door, an endless darkness opening like a giant mouth, ready to swallow him whole as he stepped out. Fear, chill, anxiety about the unknown... Sorry. Brother Su was unmoved. He gently closed the door behind him and walked out. His small body walked cautiously in the perilous orphanage, surrounded by darkness, with only the faint glimmer of the streetlights flickering dim yellow. Su Qi continued down the corridor. Besides the Night Demon bonus, he actually had a special ability, which was enhanced hearing brought by his long ears. He could hear very faint sounds. This was also a skill the instance gave Su Qi to survive. But all these were still far from enough for Su Qi''s goals. The night was deep and everything was silent. Su Qi walked down the corridor to Room Number One, and he could clearly hear the snoring of people inside, deep in sleep. He then looked towards the end of the corridor. The cafeteria was further away, the office cottage was on the left side of the orphanage''s large iron gate, and the storage room was in the corner under the right streetlight. It seemed these three staff members were residing here. He hadn''t approached yet. His ears suddenly twitched, hearing a burst of talking coming from within the darkness. "There''s someone outside!" Su Qi leaned against an object for cover. He carefully moved closer. In the backyard of the orphanage. Three figures... stood by a campfire, their shadows casting eerie reflections on the wall. "Blood... is there enough?" "...adding tomorrow''s, that should be enough." "We''ve raised them too long, developed some feelings, hehehe!" "What about the Old Director?" "After checking the dorms, he should be preparing for tomorrow''s arrangements..." "The Old Director... has longed for this day for too long." "After all, he was nearly dead six months ago, surviving only by consuming flesh and blood, finally looking forward to this day." "Tomorrow''s the last game day... everyone should enjoy it." "Of course..." the guy emitting a strange laugh, was lifting a jar, pouring a large amount of fresh blood into a well. While the other two seemed to be drawing patterns at the edge of the well, conducting some sort of ritual. It looked... very likely. Su Qi watched this familiar scene. Sure enough, it related to his good brother, Evil God. This proved one thing. Each instance seemed not to exist independently, whether it be Pollutants or the followers of the Evil God... everything was interconnected. "Time to sneak around." Su Qi looked towards the three houses. With time pressing and tasks critical, he needed to find useful items before these people completed their drawings. Or... Find an opportunity to take down one? Chapter 42 - 42 The Game Day Begins The next morning. All the inhabitants of the orphanage gathered in the open space. Seven rooms, four to a room, a total of twenty-eight... A group of oddly shaped "boys and girls," each with unique animal features, were emerging from their rooms. Su Qi glanced around subtly, noticing everyone appeared very tense and uneasy. The tall ones from room one, however, seemed somewhat excited. At that moment... one of the staff members emerged, his body was swollen with obesity, dressed in a blood-stained apron, and his pig-headed face featured two outward-extending fangs! Pig Head Man''s gaze fixated on the others, his voice raspy: "It seems you''re all afraid." Everyone''s body trembled slightly. Su Qi kept his eyes on him; he had seen this entity once last night, but in daylight, it was an entirely different vision, this guy... had he not brushed his teeth? There were remnants of blood and flesh on his teeth. Pig Head Man squinted his eyes: "Why be afraid... Game Day is a lot of fun." He calmly displayed his fangs and said, "I simply don''t understand. Can anyone explain?" When Pig Head Man''s gaze swept over the group, whoever met his eyes quickly lowered their head in fear, avoiding the gaze. He licked his lips, staring at a boy with antlers beside him: "You, can you explain?" The antlered boy was trembling all over, he struggled for a while without speaking. "Bang!" Pig Head Man kicked him away: "Too slow in responding." "And what about you?" The Pig Head Man turned his expressionless gaze to the Spider Man beside him. Spider Man, despite his frightening appearance, was even more timid, stammering: "I... don''t know..." He hadn''t even finished speaking. "Slap!" A smack landed across Spider Man''s face, the force turning his head dizzyingly. But Spider Boy didn''t dare to move, nor did he dare utter a word of complaint. He didn''t want to die! After Pig Head Man finished slapping, he said indifferently: "You really do look dreadfully bleak, I couldn''t help myself!" Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He paused: "You don''t have any objections, do you?" Blood rushed to Spider Boy''s pale face as he trembled, shaking his head. "Have you gone mute?" "No objections!" Spider Boy hurriedly replied in fright. The oppressive air around Pig Head Man made it impossible for anyone to speak against him, his gaze then coldly shifted to survey everyone present. "You lot, a trashy existence, shouldn''t have been born into this world, each one of you a waste, no wonder you''re all unwanted orphans!" "And yet I have to get up early in the morning to make your food." It seemed that Pig Head Man was venting his irritation at having to wake up, but everyone was accustomed to this routine, all bowing their heads in silence, not daring to speak. He reached out a hand and pulled open the door to the canteen. "Roll in." Everyone scurried in as if granted a pardon. The four from room one looked towards Pig Head Man panderingly as they passed by. "Uncle... it''s Game Day; what have you prepared? Can you give us a hint?" Pig Head Man looked at the four indifferently. They may have dared to act tough in front of others, but in front of the staff, they were nothing more than slightly older dogs. After receiving that look. The four shivered, quickly ceasing to talk and hastening into the canteen. The so-called canteen. In reality, it was nothing more than three tables pushed together to form a long table. Pig Head Man watched everyone with a dark gaze, his voice hoarse: "Today... it''s game day, and I''ve prepared something fun too." It lifted a piece of cloth from the center of the table, revealing a pot of soup that had been simmering until it turned a reddish-black color, emanating a foul stench. But to Pig Head Man, it was as if he smelled some kind of culinary delight, he even squinted his eyes, savoring, "This soup is made with many ingredients, it''s this old man''s painstaking effort, the embodiment of culinary skill!" "However, many don''t appreciate it! Those who don''t, guess what becomes of them? Every single one of them turned into soup!" "Everyone gets to scoop one bowl." "Let''s see who among you can identify the things inside it." He sneered, "The more you say, the better, the more pleased I''ll be. Maybe I''ll let you off the hook, but if you say too little...then it proves you bunch of losers don''t deserve to eat what I''ve made!" "Do you understand?" Everyone trembled, half out of fear...and half due to the overpowering foul smell. Su Qi, standing in the crowd, didn''t stand out at all. With his childlike stature, he glanced at the soup and thought it was something not even the darkest anime cuisine could match. If there were special effects, there''d probably be screaming skulls all around the pot. "Come, take a bowl and scoop your soup!" Pig Head Man commanded coldly. Everyone hurried to grab bowls, then rushed to scoop the soup with spoons, one after the other. Watching this scene unfold, Su Qi couldn''t help but reflect. Just look. This is the downfall of a monopolized canteen C even if the food''s as bad as crap, they still rush for it. He didn''t need to scramble for his; Snake Head Man had already scooped a bowl for him. Meanwhile, one fellow was squeezed out by the people from Room No.1, trembling as he finally grasped his bowl and quickly picked up the spoon. But in the next moment. Pig Head Man pressed him down onto the table with a loud ''bang,'' his eyes filled with murderous intent, "It looks like you don''t like my soup, being the last to come!" Then... he dragged him into the kitchen, from where screams could be heard. Su Qi watched this unfold. It seemed this was the first deadly peril. Knowing he had no real strength, he was simply bottom of the food chain among these people. Had he not prepared in advance, he''d already be declared dead during the rush for the soup. He looked down at the soup in front of him. Hairs, pus, clots of blood, and the like; it even contained excrement; the smell was indescribable, as if he was being pinned down on a toilet, almost suffocating. Honestly... anyone who could take even one sip would surely be considered an earth-shattering figure! The next moment shocked Su Qi. The people around him clutched their bowls and guzzled non-stop, bodies twitching and even retching, but they kept it down. They were all worthy characters! Su Qi soon realized somethingthe slower drinkers or those who finished before Pig Head Man re-emerged were probably facing deadly peril too! Snake Head Man finished extremely rapidly, his mouth forming a huge circle as he guzzled down the soup. No wonder he had survived, he was ruthless. Su Qi, smiling, patted the very fast Snake Head Man on the shoulder, "Come on, open your mouth, I''ll feed you." Snake Head Man was stunned. Bro, not like this! He tried to refuse, "But if you don''t drink, you won''t guess what''s inside." "No worries, I''ve been known since childhood as the gourmet of Fan Dou District. Just by the smell, I can tell what ingredients are in it; later, I can tell you a few more." "Really?" "Just take it as true." "..." Su Qi poured the soup into his mouth. And a few seconds after that. Pig Head Man, covered in blood, holding a Bone Cutting Knife, came out. He coldly surveyed everyone and the empty bowls on the table, "Not bad, looks like everyone''s finished." "Come." He held the knife and turned into the kitchen, then looked back, "One by one, come in here and tell me." "Whoever answers the most, I''ll reward." Chapter 43 - 43 What a piece of junk! The people around remained motionless, their eyes warily observing each other. Su Qi understood too. If he answered in a way that pleased Pig Head Man, then he could come out of the kitchen. If not, he wouldn''t be able to leave. And right now, no one wanted to be the first; they just wanted to gauge the correctness of others'' answers to gather a bit more information. Although answering with the highest number of ingredients would lead to victory in the game, they were simply trying to survive. Inhabitants of each room huddled together, sharing clues with one another. "What do you think is in this bowl..." Spider Boy asked cautiously. Su Qi responded indifferently, "It''s shit, what else could it be besides shit?" "..." While many agreed with his statement, no one dared to give such an answer. Croc Brother glanced at the others and whispered, "I tasted a fingernail, it must be... from a monkey." Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I got a mouthful of hair... I can''t tell what kind, might be a rat." Snake Head Man stuttered, "Is it just me, or does it taste like my mom''s cooking?" "Your mom''s cooking is this bad???" The group was stunned. "I tasted snake skin," Snake Head Man was on the verge of tears. "..." This was too hellish; the crowd fell into a somber silence. Su Qi, looking into the distance, said with interest, "Someone''s going." Clearly forced, the individual trembled and shuffled their feet. The four from room one kicked them, "Hurry up and remember to say the information I gave you." This gang was using them to find their own answers. After a minute inside, screams were heard, then they gradually faded, and Pig Head Man announced coldly, "Next." The inhabitants of room one sneered, lifting another person. "So ruthless!" Croc Brother found it hard to watch. "That''s why room one has survived so many game days," Snake Head Man hissed, "They''ve learned the brutality of the staff and secured their footing in the orphanage." And after another minute, this person actually came out alive; the four from room one smiledthey must have had some correct information. Combining that with their own... it was enough. Quickly, another volunteered to walk into the kitchen. "Now someone else has moved." "Because that one doesn''t like the same answers over and over, wanting to hear new ingredients each time, the later it gets... the harder and more dangerous," Snake Head Man said with a rueful smile. "Only the people of room one dare to stay till the end because they continuously force the people who come out to tell them information." Su Qi pondered, "Is that so, well, alright then. The three of you follow suit later." "But we still haven''t grasped enough information!" Croc Brother shook his head. "Cow dung, cockroaches, dead maggots, frog juice, rat urine... these should be enough, oh right, it also added a big dollop of its own snot," Su Qi muttered to himself. "For real..." The others'' faces paled. "Would I lie to you?" "Ugh" The three retched underneath the table. "Ignorance is bliss, but once you know, it becomes completely unacceptable..." As they saw someone emerge, they clenched their teeth, "We''re going too." They were simply trying to survive; winning the game was not even a consideration. Su Qi stayed in his place and didn''t go with the others. He calmly watched the panicked expressions of the people around him, certain that he was going to win this game. And his opponent... were those four from Room One, who were right now constantly threatening and then gleaning information. But Su Qi was still not anxious. Time ticked by, other players kept moving in and out of the kitchen, entering with sweat drenched brows and leaving like they had shed a layer of water, relieved to have survived. "It feels like a student reciting to the teacher in the office." Su Qi could even afford such an association. Soon, the four from Room One also noticed Su Qi, who had been stationary the whole time, and their eyes narrowed slightly. Soon after, everyone else had taken their turn, leaving only them and Su Qi still unmoving. "Is that the newbie?" The one who seemed to be the leader spoke, a formidable Rhino Horn protruding from his head, his eyes emitting a cold light. "Just a minor character, let''s go first," the other three sneered. "There''s no surprise who the winners will be this time. It''s us again. Once we get the reward, we''ll really be able to enjoy the next game." The three of them one by one entered the kitchen. Rhino Horn''s gaze fixed on Su Qi, but he found that Su Qi was also looking back at him, then displaying an innocuous smile. He actually seemed intrigued as he asked, "What are you waiting for, newbie?" As soon as he spoke, every other gaze immediately turned towards them, all landing on Su Qi. The three men with snake heads suddenly tensed up. "...Don''t provoke them..." The Snake Head Man lowered his head, quickly whispering a few words, trying to discourage Su Qi. But Su Qi had already cheerfully replied, "I''m waiting for you to go in." Rhino Horn''s gaze narrowed, a sneer appearing on his lips, "Interesting, and follow behind me to become food in the kitchen?" "No." Su Qi remained calm, "I will survive, and I will also win this so-called game." Rhino''s gaze sharpened, and he actually stood up, his body pushing the table aside, his expression fierce, "You little squirt, you think you can win? Have the guts to say that again?" Everyone else was startled but then showed a faint sympathy. That''s how Brother Dog had gone down. This newbie.... if he didn''t die here, he would somewhere else. "Rhino, calm down." The three from Room One had emerged, jumping at the sight, "No fighting in the dining hall." And at this moment. The commotion outside had caught the attention of the Pig Head Man in the kitchen, who pulled back the curtain with a cold look in his eyes, "What are you standing up for? Looking to die?" "..." Rhino slumped back into his seat, not daring to utter a sound, but his eyes remained fixed on Su Qi. Pig Head Man''s gaze shifted between Rhino and Su Qi, eyes slightly squinting, not moving towards the kitchen, his voice hoarse, "Looks like it''s just the two of you left." "Let''s just get it over with, right here." He idled his Bone Cutting Knife, revealing a cruel smile, "Of course, whoever speaks last must mention three new ingredients... if they fail..." The outcome went without saying. Rhino, not expecting any surprises, still hastened to respond, his voice hoarse as he divulged all the information he had gathered, a comprehensive list... over twenty ingredients. He even added a sycophantic comment at the end, "This is the richest, most delicious soup I''ve tasted." Pig Head Man, however, did not show pleasure at his words, his gaze remaining flat as he looked at Su Qi, "He''s almost finished listing the ingredients, there''s only two left, kid... even if you say them, it seems you''ve lost." Su Qi looked at Pig Head Man''s Bone Cutting Knife, glinting sharply, "Can I say a few last words, then?" Pig Head Man didn''t respond, seemingly allowing it out of interest. "I just want to say..." Su Qi paused, stunningly asserting, "This is the worst, most disgusting mess of ingredients I''ve ever seen! No one would eat this! It''s utterly inedible!" "This is eating shit! No! This is even worse than shit!" Chapter 44 - 44: Collecting the Reward and By the Way.... His statement instantly plunged the entire cafeteria into silence! Everyone displayed looks of disbelief, their courage shaken! Even Rhino, that fierce fellow, couldn''t help but be shocked! What was this guy talking about! Though everyone agreed with what he was saying, daring to speak openly in front of this person... he was truly one of a kind! Man! You really are my brother! Snake Head Man and his friends were on the verge of exploding. We told you not to provoke the person from Room No.1, and you went straight to pulling in the BOSS! Pig Head Man displayed a clearly surging murderous intent, ready to walk over and drag him into the kitchen to be gutted and strung up. Yet Su Qi was looking at the remaining soup in the bowl: "It''s just a pity, ruining such a good soup base." Pig Head Man''s eyes slightly sharpened: "What are you talking about..." "A truly good chef''s soup does not rely on the ingredients, but the soup base; they only know the taste of what''s in their mouth but remain ignorant of the secret in the soup." Su Qi''s expression was quite serious at this moment. Because he was not joking; this Pig Head Man''s culinary skills were really good. "Goji berries, codonopsis soaked in water, then using boiled chicken fat to flavor, and carefully sequenced smashed chicken, duck, and fish, mixing with bonito flakes, dried scallops, and aged wine and simmered for nearly five hours." Su Qi sighed: "It''s just a pity it all went to waste on this garbage food." After he finished speaking, the cafeteria once again fell into silence. The crowd looked somewhat dazed. That stuff he just mentioned... did it really exist? You''ve got to be kidding! Was that disgustingly foul soup worthy of such an excellent soup base? Isn''t this like trying to find gold in dung? Rhino looked at Pig Head Man standing silently, thinking it was too angry to speak, it turned its head and growled, "What nonsense are you spouting about goji berries and codonopsis, all that stuff you mentioned is trash, spoiling this delicious soup!" Take a look. Some people get so used to eating crap, they start to think all crap tastes delicious. Rhino wanted to say something more. "Slap!" A bone cutting knife was suddenly held against its neck, scraping out a blood mark, and Pig Head Man''s hoarse voice rang out: "Do you really think the soup tastes good?" Rhino trembled all over, displaying a nervous smile: "Of course!" "Well... that whole bucket is yours then," Pig Head Man pointed at the leftover soup, "If you can''t finish it, you know what will happen." Rhino''s face went pale, but he had no choice but to comply, showing a reluctant smile, then took a deep breath fervently and walked over. Meanwhile, Pig Head Man''s gaze slowly moved to Su Qi, calmly saying: "I have been here for many years, cooking every day for this bunch of idiots, and you are the first one to discern the secret of my soup base!" No. You flatter me. I didn''t even taste it, I figured it out by looking. Pig Head Man sneered: "These idiots don''t understand at all, so they only deserve to eat this rubbish!" "I also enjoy seeing them eat crap but praise it as if it''s delicious." Well, you know that stuff isn''t so different from crap. "The most important thing in the soup is the ingredients? Nonsense! It''s the soup base!" Pig Head Man looked at Su Qi, squinting his round pig eyes: "You, kid, are very good! Excellent!" "I have decided, you are the winner of this game." He turned and pushed back the curtain, walking in. "Follow me to the kitchen, I''ll give you your reward." Su Qi also headed towards the kitchen, passing by Rhino who was drinking the soup and glaring fiercely at him. "Stop looking at me, I''m not going to compete with you." Su Qi entered the kitchen. Actually, this kitchen''s horror factor was less than Tentacle Man''s apartment; the horror there was a direct assault on your sanity. Now, it was just plain bloody imagery. Pig Head Man walked to a cupboard, speaking in a hoarse voice: "As the first one to taste out the secret of the soup base." "So..." Pig Head Man opened the cupboard door, inside was a jar; upon opening it, there were no disgusting ingredients inside, instead he took out a pudding, then sprinkled it with a thick sauce. "Try my real skills." Su Qi looked over but did not refuse as the sauce was just the jam he made. And his panel also appeared in his view. [Name: Pig Chef''s carefully crafted snack] [Function 1: After eating, your level restores to level 5] [Function 2: You can choose to unlock an item or skill] [Function 3: During this instance, your physical strength will not decrease, you''ll be immune to poison damage] [Note: Worry not, everything inside is proper] "I''d only make this for one person, that''s the Old Director," Pig Head Man sneered: "Without my skills, the Old Director would''ve likely..." He suddenly stopped, not continuing further. Su Qi took it without changing his expression, feeling slightly relieved inside. He finally had some real power and new trump cards. But it was still not over. Pig Head Man said: "If it were those guys before, I''d just randomly give them some trash to deal with it." "But today I''m happy, I''ll make an exception for you!" He reached out his hand, groping deep in the cupboard, rustling for a while, then took out a small box. He opened the box. Inside was a wind-up toy, now fully wound, but held back by a button. Name: Return Spring Quality: Perfect Type: Instance Tool Function: "You will gain five minutes of Bullet Time, which starts when you hold down the button and pauses when you let go." Can it be taken out of the instance: No Note: "Five minutes... once it''s used up, that''s it." Su Qi was inwardly overjoyed. No guns, no cannons, the enemy makes them for us. "Of course," Pig Head Man said with a hint of chill in his tone, "you''ll have to give it back to me once it''s used up." Su Qi nodded, "Okay." He had a momentary impulse to unlock "Thunderbolt" and take out Pig Head Man right then and there. But he changed his mind. This Pig Head Man was probably the strongest of the three, not to be underestimated, and with the unfathomable Old Director still around, starting trouble now would complicate matters later. "Alright, little guy, it''s time for you to head to the next game venue." "Understood." Watching Su Qi and the others leave. Pig Head Man withdrew his gaze, looked coldly at the bloody mess in the kitchen, and then loaded the cans onto a trolley before heading in the direction of the Old Director. The group soon arrived at what was called the next game venue. It was the warehouse room... where the windows were sealed and paper notes with crooked writing were hung. [No noise allowed] Snake Head Man quickly whispered a reminder to Su Qi in an extremely low voice, "This Warehouse Manager isn''t as powerful as the last one, but... he has a terrible temper and horrifying methods. He has excellent hearing, yet he likes to sleep, and if someone makes even a slightly loud noise after entering" "He would unconsciously kill in his sleep," he added, "which is why this place has the highest death rate." Su Qi looked around. Everyone appeared even more terrified than when they met Pig Head Man, including Rhino, who now dared not speak loudly. After all, this opponent was not as reasonable as Pig Head Man. Su Qi gave an OK gesture. Everyone then entered the warehouse. The warehouse was large and messy, with a personal room for the Warehouse Manager beyond the main area. Paper notes were plastered everywhere, seemingly organizing a workflow. In short, three tasksfix things, clean up trash, and organize itemssimple, but no noise allowed whatsoever. At that moment, S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Snake Head Man suddenly turned pale and shakily pointed toward the manager''s room door. Following his fingers, they saw a note posted outside the room. It read, [Cleaning of this area is assigned to everyone in Room 7.] Some showed sympathy, others a bit of mockery. Rhino''s nostrils flared as he smirked sinisterly, staring hard at the group. Snake Head Man and the others started trembling again, wanting to say something, but fearing even to make a sound." He quickly looked to Su Qi. But Su Qi had boldly picked up a broom and walked over. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Hey! Are you that brave? Snake Head Man and the others stared at each other with wide eyes hesitated for over ten seconds before gritting their teeth and following him in. There was no choice, as it called for everyone in Room 7. They tried their best to hold their breaths and keep their heads low, terrified that their own breathing would disturb the terrifying presence. And upon entering, they smelled a stench of blood in the dim room. Their minds were gripped with fear. Could it be... Su Qi was already dead after walking in!? But when they looked up, they found... Under the dim light, Su Qi sat unharmed on the chair that originally belonged to the Warehouse Manager, playing with a Rubik''s Cube on the table as if he owned the room. They trembled all over, almost turning around to flee! They couldn''t imagine how furious the Warehouse Manager would be if he awoke and saw this scene! Right. Where was the manager? With fearful and puzzled glances around, their expressions suddenly froze! The Warehouse Manager, covered in thorns, was inexplicably impaled by a long iron spike! Stuck to the wall! "Close the door." Su Qi''s calm voice made their bodies stiffen. Snake Head Man might have been used to handling big situations, but he trembled as he reached out and firmly closed the door completely shut! What on earth was going on? Was it suicide? Or internal strife among the staff? Or was it... Snake Head Man looked fearfully at Su Qi. And Su Qi, seemingly aware of their thoughts, shook his head: "Don''t think too much." He paused, and in the dim light, his smile showed a faint and mysterious change: "This... I did it." Chapter 45 - 45: Who Agrees, Who Disagrees? "..." The three of them fell into a deadly silence. They stared blankly at the Warehouse Manager, then at Su Qi, who had an innocent smile on her face. For a moment, they didn''t know who was more terrifying. "I know you''re shocked right now, and you have many questions," Su Qi said, her smile fading as she looked at them. "But that''s not important. Now... I''ll give you a minute to think." "Think about... what?" "What do you think?" Su Qi glanced towards the wall. Croc Brother and Spider Boy were somewhat confused, but Snake Head Man seemed to have realized something. His pupils shrank, and he looked frightened, disbelieving, yet excited. "Could it be..." Su Qi did not hurry them but continued to play with the Rubik''s Cube, filling the room with its twisting creaks. Last night... Su Qi had chosen to sneak into the Warehouse Manager''s room, where she did something extremely bold and dangerousshe ambushed him inside the room! At great risk, she killed the Warehouse Manager! And today... All the notes people saw were also written by Su Qi herself, including the cleaning task on the door. Without hesitation, Snake Head Man heavily slapped the table: "Leader, whatever you''re planning, I''m with you! So it''s about escaping the orphanage! Even if it''s fraught with hardships, even if it leads to death upon capture, I''m in!" Indeed. Those who showed their loyalty the fastest could at least vie for the position of a leader. "I''m in too! I can''t stay here any longer, even if it means dying, I''d rather die outside," Spider Boy spoke up quietly, his resolve stronger than before, probably inspired by Pig Head Man''s slap. Croc Brother pondered deeply, his gaze gradually becoming firm, gritting his teeth: "Let''s take the plunge, in this orphanage... we live like bugs, constantly in danger of death," Croc Brother gritted his teeth. "Since that''s the case, let''s escape together!" Seeing the firm look and excited atmosphere of the three, Su Qi silently put down the Rubik''s Cube, her expression somewhat odd, "Wait a second." "When did I say anything about escaping?" "???" The three of them were stunned: "Didn''t you kill the Warehouse Manager and since the matter will definitely be exposed, shouldn''t we escape before the others react?" "First." Su Qi pointed to the corpse of the Warehouse Manager, correcting: "This isn''t about fear of crime, it''s about dispensing justice." "Second," Su Qi said calmly, "We''re not planning to run." The three exchanged glances: "Then what are we supposed to do?" "Of course it''s..." Su Qi said calmly, "Kill the remaining three." "!!!!!!" ----------------- "Why haven''t those guys come out yet?" Rhino looked towards the Warehouse Manager''s room with a puzzled look, of course... he dared not go forward to open the door. But, it had already been an hour. And everyone else had almost completed their tasks, during which... a faint noise had scared them half to death but no spikes had been seen shooting through the iron walls from the room. What exactly happened? At least there should have been some noise if those guys had died. "Click!" Just then. The door was finally opened and out came Spider Boy... with its numerous spider legs, it dragged something, looking determinedly at everyone as it walked out. Everyone''s gaze was fixed on it. Rhino squinted his eyes, wondering what the kid was up to. "Everyone..." Spider Boy actually began to speak. Everyone''s faces drastically changed, immediately showing fear, and they quickly cowered and covered their heads. The Warehouse Manager''s spikes could hunt by sound, and it''s very easy to be accidentally killed! Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But there was no apparent motivation or intent to kill. Spider Boy remained unharmed and resolute: "I want to show you all something." Row after row of spider legs unfurled, and it opened several pieces of white paper, all bearing different fonts, even photographs. Everyone stared blankly at the items. Those were the records of every Game Day, the photographs seemingly depicting something fun, capturing numerous grisly scenes. Everyone felt chilled to the bone, yet still dared not speak. "These are the blood-soaked days of the orphanage, and in their eyes, we are just the next batch of insects to be ruthlessly slaughtered," Spider Boy said somberly. "Every Game Day, they treat us as toys to vent their desire to kill." "Do you all really want to keep living like this?" Rhino squinted his eyes and kept quiet, pondering why the Warehouse Manager had not taken action after hearing the noise. Could he not be here? At that moment, someone seemed to realize this too and whispered lowly, "But... we have no way out." "There is a way, as long as we unite, we can escape from this orphanage!" Spider Boy said with a deep voice. His words immediately changed everyone''s expressions! "What is he saying?" "Let us unite... and escape?" "Impossible!" someone stepped back a few steps, shivering. "It''s not possible... we can''t escape." Eyes deep with fear, the crowd responded, "It''s not like no one has ever tried, and you can imagine what happened to those who did!" "No one has ever escaped!" "Who would be crazy enough to join you in this!" Facing the rising noise among the people, Spider Boy displayed an anxious expression, "Don''t be like this, if we all come together, there is still a chance." Rhino also understood everything by now, squinting his eyes, he thought: It looks like the manager really isn''t here. This is my chance to show them! With a cunning look and a loud voice, he said, "You in Room 7, taking advantage of that adult''s absence, planning these things, you are audacious!" "Wait till I get out of hereI''ll tell the adults and you all will be dead!" He then turned his gaze back to the crowd: "And you idiots!" Rhino sneered, "Daring to echo this guy, you are accomplices!" The people''s faces turned pale: "No, we didn''t." "Who knows..." Rhino''s hoarse voice threatened, "Once I report to those above, do you think you can escape?" The crowd shivered all over. "But... you still have a chance." Suddenly pointing at Spider Boy, Rhino spoke playfully, "If you pull out all his legs and nail those few people in the room to the floor." "I might speak less to the Warehouse Manager afterward." Hearing Rhino''s words, everyone looked at each other, seeing the hesitation in each other''s eyes. Someone had already clenched their teeth and moved. A disappointed look appeared in Spider Boy''s eyes. "See... I told you it would be useless. You had to try anyway." Snake Head Man also stepped forward. Croc Brother appeared at the door: "If we could unite.... there wouldn''t be so much killing." "You bunch of fools...." Rhino spoke coldly: "It seems I have to kill you here, the manager would surely be pleased to see this." "Is that so, too bad.... he will no longer see it." A slow voice sounded. "Shoo!" A spike, glowing cold and bloodstained, shot out from the door, piercing straight through Rhino''s chest! He didn''t even have time to react before he fell painfully to the ground! "You are like a scattered plate of sand, only strength and iron-bloodedness can make you fear and obey, having lost the instinct to resist.... no wonder they call you trash." Su Qi''s figure slowly pushed the door open, and he was dragging a body, throwing it in the middle of the warehouse. Everyone''s gaze was stunned! This this this this! Isn''t that the manager! They looked terrified at the body and then at Su Qi! "Phew!" Su Qi was pulling out the spike embedded in Rhino''s body, blood gushing out, and Rhino''s screams echoed in everyone''s ears. But Su Qi was unmoved, his gaze fixing on everyone, "And from now on, I want you to join me in overthrowing the powers of the orphanage." "Remember this is not a request, but an order. Those who obey stay... those who fear, kill." His calm voice made everyone shiver: "Who agrees? Who opposes?" Chapter 46 - 46: Confused Supervisor, Brutal Beating! Scorpion Supervisor was lounging, his legs propped up as he sat on the office chair. Behind him, his deep green tail swished and swayed... At that moment, his mood was excellent because the long-awaited game day was about to arrive. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was different from the other two. His favorite thing was to torment those useless beings. What meaning was there in killing them all at once? The most fun thing was to use the potent poison on his tail, letting the opponent struggle continuously, screaming in agony as patches of skin erupted like slashed wounds, and then let them die over the course of an hour or two. That was when he felt most delighted. "It''s about time for them to reach me," he thought. He raised an eyebrow. Game day was actually a torture game among the three of them. Each person had a rule... They could not exceed four hours, and the order was determined by a draw. He was somewhat annoyed now. Because the time was nearing evening and was about to exceed the stipulation. "Don''t let the old man kill them all... Damn it! I had some fun stuff prepared." His game was simple too. It was about huddling into groups, he would just throw out a number and those people would group accordingly, anyone extra would get his tail injecting poison directly. If the number in the group was incorrect, He would let these people fight amongst themselves, kicking one out and then have the group torture and kill that individual. He could already imagine the kicked-out fellow. How desperate the expression would be. "Fun... It''s really, too much fun." Scorpion Supervisor looked toward the door, having heard a dense shuffle of footsteps, his pupils gleamed. "tsk, tsk, tsk." "They''re finally here." He stood up from his chair, glanced at the pale yellow twilight outside the window, "You really made me waitit won''t be fun, starting with the last fellow to step in will suffice." He walked out of his bedroom and saw a crowd entering the hall. He suddenly felt something odd, everyone''s footsteps seemed heavy as they entered, but their eyes did not hold the usual fear, instead, there was a sort of resolute acceptance of death. His eyes narrowed, letting out a maniacal laugh, "Seems like you''ve changed a bit?" The crowd tensed momentarily. Scorpion Supervisor stroked his chin, "It seems they were too gentle, not many of you died." "It doesn''t matter, I''ll make you little guys remember what fear is." He looked toward the door, "First, let''s see who the unlucky fellow is." He saw the last person to come in was a little boy with rabbit ears. "tsk, tsk, tsk, so young, I kinda feel sorry." He said so, but his tail had already moved first, showcasing a cruel smile, "But who let him be so unlucky." "Whoosh!" Scorpion Supervisor''s tail launched a needle, coated with a deadly poison, at an incredibly fast speed! Su Qi hadn''t expected this sudden move. A sneak attack? That was a bit unsportsmanlike. Su Qi didn''t retaliate immediately because he knew that Scorpion Supervisor never used fatal blows straight away; he only liked to poison. But having eaten Pig Head Man''s snack, he was now immune. However, Su Qi didn''t plan on getting hit either; he instantly activated Bullet Time, his figure flickering slightly as he dodged the attack. "He dodged it?!" "Kid, you''re quick on your feet!" Unlike the others, Scorpion Supervisor became even more excited. He enjoyed prey that fought back, as it made the torment more interesting. "Thanks, I''ve trained at Shaolin Temple since I was young." Scorpion Supervisor didn''t understand, but Su Qi''s fearless voice excited him even more. "Interesting, come on, if you little guy can dodge ten times, I will let you go." "Shall I give it a try?" "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Scorpion Supervisor''s tail needles shot out continually at high speed, faster than before, almost like arrows! And Su Qi decisively continued with Bullet Time. In his vision, everything slowed down, even the spikes. He didn''t need to consume any "Physical Strength" to move, and though his speed didn''t surpass the limit by too much, it was enough. Su Qi wondered if he should send a brocade banner to Pig Head Man. "If it weren''t for Brother Pig''s gift, it really would have been tricky" As Su Qi dodged, his gaze remained fixed on the opponent''s scorpion tail, its most lethal weapon. To beat this guy, he would have to deal with that tail first. Approaching rashly wasn''t a good move. Others watched Su Qi nervously, fearing he would be pinned to the ground in the next second. At that moment, truth be told, everyone, forced into a corner, felt a mix of resistance and hope deep within. When the Scorpion Supervisor saw his attacks miss several times, his brows furrowed slightly, and he stopped.... squinting at Su Qi. This guy is pretty fast. Su Qi paused briefly, looking strangely at it: "Tired?" Very well! In that case. It laughed coldly, abandoning the spikes and directly attacking with the scorpion tail... lashing at Su Qi with even greater speed! "Boom!" Su Qi leaped aside swiftly; the ground beneath him was blasted open, leaving a cracked pit! His gaze was calm. This was his purpose; as soon as the opponent started moving the scorpion tail... his chance had come! "Boom!" Another precise strike of the scorpion tail! It left a big hole in the wall too! "Fuck!" The Scorpion Supervisor was getting annoyed; his patience was wearing thin after several unsuccessful attempts. It growled lowly, the scorpion tail suddenly stretched longer, the segments clattering as they tensed to the extreme... then swept across! "Next, let''s see how you dodge, little guy!" But Su Qi''s eyes brightened even more, "Good fellow... finally, my chance." He sharply dodged sideways, avoiding the first blow, then grabbed the front end of the scorpion tail! Then... The Scorpion Supervisor began to sneer: "Tsk, tsk, tsk, bet you didn''t expect this, the tip of my tail is also highly poisonous. You, my friend, are dead." Su Qi watched in horror as venom flowed from the tip, contacting his skin, and then cried out in pain. "Hahaha! Next, every inch of your flesh will shatter like ants under the venom, feel the excruciating pain!" The Scorpion Supervisor''s lips curled up, watching Su Qi, not wanting to miss a second of his agony. But a few moments passed. Su Qi showed no signs of poisoning at all; instead, while crying out in pain, the strength with which he clung to the tail grew stronger, far surpassing the strength of an ordinary person. The Scorpion Supervisor''s brow furrowed slightly. Could it be the poison didn''t contact properly? No, what was he crying out for then? And the next moment. "Attack!" Croc Brother and Snake Head Man pulled out long knives from their pants and struck the Scorpion Supervisor''s tail faster than lightning! The Scorpion Supervisor, taken aback and about to withdraw, found Su Qi unleashing even greater strength. Not only that... the others also rushed in, pinning down the middle section of the tail! "Quick, chop off that segment!" The Scorpion Supervisor roared in fury: "What are you doing! Seeking death?" And the next moment, both men chopped down with all their might. "Snap!" The toxic section of the tail was severed! The cry turned from Su Qi to the Scorpion Supervisor, its eyes bloodshot, head shooting up! But it saw. Su Qi, holding the venomous section of the scorpion tail, was looking at it, completely unharmed. "Why... why, aren''t you poisoned!" the Scorpion Supervisor gasped. Su Qi''s gaze was teasing: "Haven''t I mentioned? I trained at Shaolin Temple.... and..." He looked around; everyone was pulling out an assortment of sticks, iron hooks, and spikes from their clothing, from their pants, from their backsides, from their overalls... Then they all roared and charged at it. He spread his hands and said: "Bet you didn''t expect this." Chapter 47 - 47: Is This a Miracle? The doors and windows of the office hut were tightly closed, not allowing the slightest sound to escape. The desk that had once belonged to the Scorpion Supervisor had now become Su Qi''s place. Su Qi sat in his chair, twisting the Rubik''s Cube in his hands. "Brother Su, tea for you." Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A person with a cat''s head and tail excitedly brought over a cup of hot tea. "Where did this come from?" Su Qi looked at the tea leaves in his cup. "From that guy''s storage locker." It hummed, "Now everyone is turning the tables and torturing him to vent the humiliation they suffered." It seemed that once the Scorpion Supervisor lost his intimidating presence, everyone else''s courage had greatly increased. "Then why didn''t you go?" It said with shame, "There were too many people, I couldn''t squeeze in." "However." It solemnly said, "We all understand that all of this is thanks to you, Brother Su. Everyone has seen hope, and no matter what happens next, we will not back down. We will follow Brother Su''s commands in everything." Su Qi glanced at it, "It seems you''re the spokesperson for them now, what''s your name?" "My parents liked eating pomelos, so my name is Pomelo Cat." "...." Su Qi felt it sounded familiar, he paused, "Alright then, go tell everyone to leave him with a breath, don''t kill him." "And prepare yourselves, once it gets dark, we''ll commence the operation." "Understood!" Listenting to the Scorpion Supervisor''s pitiful pleas for mercy from the hall, Su Qi began to contemplate the pre-battle deployment. The situation had become very clear now. Just two enemies. One Elite Boss Pig-man and one Big Boss Sheep Head Dean; the former was tough-skinned, but not that difficult... The latter, however, was key, for Su Qi didn''t know what sort of strength the opponent possessed. On his own side, aside from the assortment of... miscellaneous soldiers in this room. The main attacker was still Su Qi himself. His combat power also had some guarantees now. First, his level had been restored to Level 5, plus the night had comeaugmented by the Night Demon Gene, he now possessed a Strength and Movement Technique of double 40. Currently, he had the "Return Spring" bestowed by the Pig-man, and he had unlocked the Skill "Thunderbolt," which was his most powerful move thus far, naturally becoming his trump card. The two could also be used in combination. The rest was the toxic scorpion tail... and the Rubik''s Cube he was twisting in his hands. Su Qi looked at the Rubik''s Cube in his hand. This was the second exclamation mark he encountered in this instance, the information was also simple. "[Return the scrambled Rubik''s Cube to order 50 times, current progress 47/50]" Each time an exclamation mark appeared, it would either relate to a hidden plot or yield a special item. And it often involved some... well, behaviors that didn''t match the theme. "Just two more times left." Su Qi watched the Rubik''s Cube that had just been solved, only to be scrambled again the next moment, and then his fingers deftly made their turns. He... knew a lot of things, and the Rubik''s Cube happened to be part of his expertise. The last time. "[Progress reached 50]" As this message appeared, Su Qi noticed that the Rubik''s Cube seemed to have absorbed a hint of strength and presence from thin air, transforming into something different, much like the situation with the previously encountered "Hundred Man Slaughter Blade." Immediately after... it transformed into a sphere of light and merged into Su Qi''s body. "Click!" The door opened in response. This scene was simultaneously witnessed by the Snake Head Man, Croc Brother, and Spider Boy who had just entered the room. They stood there, stunned, watching the sphere of light merge into Su Qi''s body! All three actually kneeled down, prostrating themselves excitedly, "Is this a Miracle!" "....." Su Qi fell somewhat silent too, miracle? I''m just absorbing a Skill. But after thinking for a moment, he spoke slowly, "It seems that you''ve seen it too, well then..." he paused, his tone mysteriously ethereal, "Actually, I''m not from this world. I hail from a secretive organization... The Hustlers." Their pupils constricted, murmuring, "The Hustlers..." Su Qi, without a flushed face or skipping heart, said, "It is a mysterious power that exists across countless worlds, an organization of Order that stands for... well, fairness and justice." He looked at his title that wasn''t showing, "And I, am the Sect Hierarch!" The others widened their eyes, shaking, kneeling with even more vigor, "Can we join too!" Su Qi shook his head: "No, you''re not qualified yet..." A few people showed extremely disappointed expressions. "Then how can we get the qualifications to enter...." "This... At least you must reach a certain level first." I still need to make up this part of the content. Before he could finish, Snake Head Man suddenly clenched his fist tightly and looked up: "I understand now!" Su Qi was shocked. What do you understand?! "To become part of The Hustlers, you''d at least have to be a notable figure, right?" "That''s possible," Su Qi snapped his fingers. Snake Head Man looked at Su Qi with admiration and said firmly, "I''ll strive towards this goal!" "...." Su Qi remained silent and then slowly spoke, "It''s up to your determination from now on." "Yes!" After the few excitedly left, Su Qi silently opened the panel. [Name: Rubik''s Cube] [Type: Skill] [Quality: Perfect] [Function: Once activated, it can drag any enemy into the Magic Cube Domain. Others cannot enter or attack, the domain lasts for five minutes, and it can''t be used consecutively on the same person (Note: The domain blocks external attacks and will break open once it exceeds its limit value)] [Consumption: 500 Physical Strength Values] [Note: True men start a duel with a 1v1!] Su Qi furrowed his brows, "It seems pretty powerful, but also kind of average." The power lies in... being able to specify who to drag in, but the averageness lies in... still having to deal with them myself. "Let''s keep it for now." Su Qi closed the panel, his gaze turning to the outside. At this moment, twilight had already faded away, and the last few rays of light were swallowed by the night. His eyes emitted a faint red glow; the Night Demon Gene had returned. "It''s time to gather for the group fight." Su Qi pushed open the door and saw that everyone in the hall had already hung up the Scorpion Supervisor. It was in a pitiful state... There was scarcely a piece of flesh on its body that was intact, weak and powerless, like a defeated wild dog, but it still had a lucid consciousness. And Su Qi approached. Everyone quickly made way for him. The Scorpion Supervisor struggled to lift its eyes and stare at Su Qi, its limbs impaled by spikes, its tail also skewered to the floor by several iron hooks as thick as arms, unable to move, bleeding incessantly. Su Qi said, "Look... A sting shot out too sharply will one day spin back and pierce oneself." "Hehehe..." The Scorpion Supervisor actually laughed, his voice hoarse, "Indeed, but I did not expect that you fools would unite one day." "This... only shows your lack of imagination." It stared at Su Qi with a strange smile, "Do you think you can escape?" "I can only say... it''s useless; in the end, you''ll all fall into despair." Su Qi didn''t expect this guy to be surprisingly tough, even while being torturously retaliated against by the crowd, his mouth was still incredibly defiant. At that moment. Someone suddenly noticed the Scorpion Supervisor''s tail moving, managing to break free of the thick iron and starting to whip around. They cried out in alarm, "Be careful!" Su Qi held the [Return Spring] but did not activate it. Because at the next moment. "Thud!" The Scorpion Supervisor actually stabbed its own heart ferociously with the iron stinger on its tail. Its grim and sharp voice rose in everyone''s ears. "You have no idea of the secret of this orphanage, nor do you know what we are truly preparing for!" "The real Hell is about to emerge, and I will sacrifice everything for the True God!" "And none of you... will escape!" Its voice, full of hate and coldness, made everyone shiver. Su Qi looked at its gradually drooping head, now devoid of the signs of life. He sighed: "...It seems, old acquaintances are truly going to reunite now." Chapter 48 - 48: Burst! Sheep Head Dean and Pig Head Man were standing in a desolate room. The entire floor was covered with a large number of patterns. "The blood from the well is enough now," Pig Head Man said in a muffled voice in front of the other, surprisingly tinged with a hint of fear, "According to the ancient tome, the ritual should take place tonight..." The Dean''s voice was ancient, "What about those two..." Pig Head Man shivered slightly, his eyes shifting as he looked toward the closed door, "I don''t know; the game should be almost up." He couldn''t help but curse, "Those fools better not have gotten so carried away that they forgot how important today is." Dean''s eyes lifted slightly, pupils filled with emotionless murk and dead silence. His voice, hoarse like insects gnawing at tree roots: "Go check." "Yes." With his tall, rugged body, Pig Head Man dragged his heavy steps outside. He had just pushed open the door. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His brows suddenly furrowed as he saw a pair of rabbit ears and a figure much shorter than himself standing at the door. "It''s you..." Pig Head Man''s brows furrowed deeply, "Why are you here?" Wasn''t this guy supposed to be in the office? And why do I see only him, and not the scorpion? Su Qi fluttered his innocent eyes, "It''s like this, I heard that if someone wins first place in all three games on game day, the dean gives a reward personally." Pig Head Man squinted his eyes, his voice raspy, "Did you win the other two events as well?" "Barely made it." Killed them, that counts as a win, right? Pig Head Man exhaled roughly from his nostrils, "Right, it''s not hard to win with the thing I gave you." "So, can I go in?" Su Qi looked into the darkness. "You cannot..." Pig Head Man blocked his view, his expression gradually turning cold. "What about my reward..." "You seem to have misunderstood something..." Su Qi''s eyes narrowed sharply as Pig Head Man reached out his hand, but he didn''t resist immediately. Pig Head Man grabbed Su Qi by the neck, his eyes fierce: "Only what we choose to give you can be called a reward, and you fools aren''t entitled to demand it! Understand?" "..." Su Qi seemed to be choked, struggling to speak in intermittent, labored breaths, "I thought... at least... you were different from the others, with some kindness..." Pig Head Man squinted his eyes and let out a few raspy laughs: "Kid, you''re thinking too much. Kindness is something I absolutely do not have." "Moreover," The darkness made Pig Head Man''s face even more gruesome and terrifying. "Tonight is the last day of the game day, and everyone must die." "It''s just that since you appreciated my cooking, I gave you a chance to live a little longer." But by then, Su Qi could no longer speak, seemingly suffocated, his hands slowly dropping. He squinted his eyes and then reached toward the bulging pocket of Su Qi, ready to take back his belongings. But as soon as he touched it, he felt his fingers pricked by something! Pig Head Man''s fingers instantly felt numb. What was that? At the same time. Su Qi''s previously drooping hands, unbeknownst to when, had drawn out two spikes, stabbing fiercely and precisely from below right into Pig Head Man''s crotch! The terrifying penetration pain! Instantly, Pig Head Man''s eyes filled with blood as he let out a thunderous, agonizing scream. "Ah!!" In pain, he flung Su Qi away! Su Qi let go of the spikes, flew through the air, and landed ten meters away, stabilizing his stance and looking at Pig Head Man: "Such tremendous strength, but luckily, I don''t play fair." But that wasn''t the end! Others who had been lurking around pounced, using the old method to pull out sharp weapons and directly stab Pig Head Man! "Thud! Ssst!" Various sharp cold blades entered the thick fat, but then they could go no further! Everyone''s expression changed. And Pig Head Man, finally recovering from the pain, roared, sweeping broadly with a massive grip and a burst of brute strength! Everyone holding a weapon was stunned into dropping it by the immense force! "You''re courting death!" Pig Head Man''s eyes blazing red, he pulled a sharp iron rod from his body and then swept it across with great force and weight! Close by, everyone was swept away! "..." Watching this scene, Su Qi couldn''t help but think, "A modern-day warrior!" However. This was still part of the plan; he hadn''t expected those people to actually kill Pig Head Man, just to complete their mission. At that moment, Pig Head Man''s face suddenly turned pale, his legs giving out, and he knelt on the ground! Its pupils constricted, "Is this... poison?" It quickly realized that the poison came from all the weapons just now, and... the only possible source could be that scorpion. That meant... Pig Head Man''s face had already turned cold, an eerie murderous intent emerging in his gaze, "You... really want to die!" "I''ve heard such talk, us orphans have endured long enough; now death or a great planboth lead to death. Waiting for death, can we perish as a nation?" Pig Head Man couldn''t understand, roared trying to stand up, but felt half of his body numb, unable to move. Su Qi''s voice came through, "It seems this poison hardly affects you, but now that you can''t move, that''s enough." Although he was speaking, he had already moved into action! Holding an axe that was disproportionately large for his form, he charged at Pig Head Man at an extremely fast pace! "You wretched little thing!" Pig Head Man''s eyes were split with rage. He hadn''t expected Su Qi to be able to swing such a large axe, and with such speed too! And he couldn''t move now! He couldn''t dodge at all! For this, Su Qi had even activated "Return Spring," making everything around him extremely slow during Bullet Time! Everything was exceedingly swift, catching his opponent off guard. Though Pig Head Man was stronger than the other two, he ultimately wasn''t enough; Su Qi could take him down without even using a skill. But at that moment, "!" Su Qi''s body felt as if it had been swept by a cold wind, his whole body plunging into an ice cave! His eyes widened, a sense of extreme danger approaching like a tiger from the darkness behind the door! Not good... At the height of his composure, under the effect of Bullet Time, he forcibly stopped his axe! The next moment, "Puff!" A sharp knife had suddenly penetrated Pig Head Man''s chest and without any pause, as if a bullet, it rapidly moved towards Su Qi! Su Qi, fixing his gaze on its trajectory, quickly dodged to the side with the assistance of Bullet Time! "Crack!" The dagger plunged directly into the ground. Su Qi''s gaze intensified. Had he chopped down just now, his own body and Pig Head Man''s would have been skewered by that long knife. He turned around, his expression cold and piercing as he stared into the darkness. "Dean..." Pig Head Man''s face was pale; disbelief took hold of him, but the next moment his expression dimmed, and he lowered his head. Croc Brother trembled, "Are you even sparing your own people?" "But with this, only one enemy is left!" Snake Head Man exclaimed excitedly. Yet Su Qi suddenly raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet and step back. An old and hoarse voice slowly arose from the darkness, "Old age feels somewhat surprised and gratified that you have finally grown up, knowing how to revolt." Su Qi wanted to speak. A few game days could change the population of an orphanage; using such a tone watching you grow up hardly seems appropriate. The Old Director coughed a few times, appearing extremely weak, "I established this orphanage ten years ago." "Using it as a center, I began to collect the desperate blood of fear, numbness, and unwillingness; I was really helpless because... I''m about to die." He slowly stepped forward, his figure revealing under the moonlight. This was an extremely old man, his skin almost sagging off, covered in various grotesque spots, his face was horrific, one of his eyes had gone blind, and his face looked like the bark of a rotting tree, visibly aging and at least one foot already in the coffin. "Why not just die then, might have even got a tombstone from the kids ten years earlier." Su Qi assessed his opponent''s strength; that one dagger had already proven that this old man was not simple. Now he understood why Pig Head Man''s soup had so many medicinal herbs, all for this old man, but he never really cared about him. The Old Director''s murky gaze fixed on Su Qi, showing changes, an odd emotion, somewhat greedy, slowly returned to calm, he hoarsely said, "But... I don''t want to die, every night, seeing your tender bodies, my heart craves for all your flesh and blood, transferring it to me." Su Qi calmly said, "I can understand that, looking at other people''s account balances, I feel the same, but... as a being, you''ve gone too far into abnormality." The Old Director, sagging skin, moved his dry lips, "You are too young and cannot understand the terror of death and the things the old must still do, but it''s not important..." "Everything is finally complete." At this moment, he stepped on a pattern on the ground. And beneath his feet! Lines extended from inside the room to the outside, continuously connecting to a well''s mouth and then sinking down! A massive amount of blood began to boil! At an astonishing speed, it started flowing towards him! His old, dying body was transforming step by step! The weak heart, too, was slowly but powerfully beating! His voice seemed to change along with it, becoming more forceful and more intimidating, a sound of terror echoed in everyone''s ears, "Now, old age... will make you all a part of me!" The horns on the Sheep Head... had patterns flashing. At this moment. Su Qi moved; he had seen enough, was this old Dean trying to use this ritual to live another five hundred years? And there was a somewhat familiar aura on the Sheep Head? It reminded him of unpleasant memories. In any case, definitely not a good thing! This evil ritual and even this Sheep Head old man must be related to the Evil God-invoking it would end everything! And this was a restricted instance, although the surrounding individuals were said to be abnormal, they were all within the range of ordinary people, and this old guy couldn''t be too strong. Moreover, "Thunderbolt," a devastating skill, was already prepared! "You might not have seen this before, but I just want to say..." Su Qi didn''t hesitate, kicked hard on the ground, his body swiftly rising, directly attacking the Old Director. "Old Director! Get ready for Bursting Coins!" Chapter 49 - 49: Reunion with an Old Friend! At this moment, the Old Director still had his arms spread wide, squinting his eyes and feeling the countless streams of fresh blood pouring into his body, thoroughly enjoying the pleasure of recovery. His dried lips, too, became tinged with color, as his frail and aged body gradually straightened up. Honestly speaking, when he saw Su Qi charge forth from his spot with an expressionless face and muddy, indifferent eyes, he understood that every child in the orphanage was nothing more than... a malformed product at best, possessing merely the strength and speed of wild beasts, not worth mentioning. But... the next moment. "Whoosh!" A condensed orb of thunder suddenly appeared in Su Qi''s hands, accompanied by his movement, a sharp friction sound filled the air! Everyone''s eardrums seemed to be caught by the frequency of this volume! Only then did the Old Director''s expression change, his eyes revealing a look of surprise and shock as he saw the thunder orb in Su Qi''s palm! What is... this thing?! It seemed to be something beyond his expectations! But it was already too late to think further; that thing posed a lethal threat to him! The Old Director wanted to retreat, but Su Qi had already closed in! In a split second! With a loud boom, the thunder orb in Su Qi''s hand, traveling at an extremely fast speed, lifted countless bolts of lightning into the air as he threw it directly! Although the sprint was impressively cool, the Su Qi who turned his head to flee was also... without any hesitation, tumbling and scrambling away. Damnit. Who invented this kind of Skill, with a five-meter offensive range, and a ten-meter explosion radius! Fortunately, he had "Return Spring" which granted him Bullet Time; he leaped away in the blink of an eye, escaping the blast radius. "Boom!" The thunder orb triggered an explosion, unleashing an astonishing purple thunder; the massive blast reverberated through everyone''s eardrums! The Old Director had no chance to escape, being engulfed at the center of the thunder, emitting a heart-wrenching scream! And the onlookers from the orphanage, already stunned, had never seen such a scene before. Those who knew Su Qi''s identity, like the Snake Head Man and others, had eyes full of reverence and an even more determined fervor! Su Qi''s gaze fixed on the dust rising from the explosion of thunder, as the entire front door of the house was blown away, showing how immense the power was. He had always thought that those transformations in movies and animations were absurd; why not strike at its weakness and take its life while it''s down? Instead, they had to wait for the villain to reach their final form... only then would the heroes come to their senses, roaring as they charged forward, dragging out the battle for ten episodes. Isn''t that foolish! But as the dust settled, the Old Director was blown to pieces; you could see parts of his body scattered all around, bones and flesh everywhere, even the head was blown off. "Dead?" They couldn''t believe their eyes as they looked at the remains, murmuring, "Is it really dead?" Every person couldn''t help but show a wild joy, just about to cheer. Only to see Su Qi''s figure charging forward again, at an incredibly fast speed, still holding an axe he picked up from the ground. He furiously hacked at the remaining flesh and head! Everyone: "...." "Thud thud thud!" The sound of the axe hitting the ground and Su Qi being splattered with blood on his clothing made everyone''s hearts leap in terror. Su Qi paid no attention to the gazes of those around him. The moment he landed, he was already prepared to immediately finish off the job, not giving it any chance to recover! And moreover. The most important thing is... this Old Director had not died! Su Qi''s axe struck the Sheep Head, it was like chopping on iron! The eyes of the Sheep Head were even still staring fixedly at Su Qi, his lips just beginning to move! But the axe hesitated not and fell once more! "..." It was the first time in his long life that the Old Director saw someone who gave no chance to respond, not even a chance to speak. He finally couldn''t endure it any longer! "Enough! Stop right there, old man!" he roared in anger. "Stop just because you told me to?" Su Qi bellowed in response, continuing to swing his axe down with full force! This time, the Sheep Head''s skull finally showed a crack! "You... get away!" S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Old Director''s spirit shattered, his muddy eyes bursting with terrifying blood vessels; the next moment, runes flashed over the entire Sheep Head, erupting with a certain power that violently shook Su Qi''s axe away! Su Qi was blasted away by this terrifying force! [Vitality -20%] His body had suffered an internal injury, and blood flowed from his lips. Su Qi didn''t wipe the corner of his mouth, nor did he attend to his vitality; his gaze was coolly fixed on the Sheep Head. He had already sensed a familiar yet terrifying presence. Various runes on the Sheep Head flashed wildly as massive amounts of blood poured in from all directions! Su Qi intended to launch another Thunderbolt But he frowned deeply, realizing... the blood hadn''t flowed into the Sheep Head, but was instead rushing into the house! At the same time. The ground shook continuously! The fierce wind roared! The night turned red! Terrible screams seemed to tear apart everyone! Everyone in the orphanage was pale as if about to faint! "Boom!" The whole house cracked and collapsed... And everyone saw where the blood headeda black vortex that had formed at the center of the house! Everything around was being sucked in! And those screams were coming from inside! The Sheep Head''s hoarse voice reached everyone''s ears: "This old one... has once had the honor of receiving the True God''s gift!" "Although I have killed many people, I merely intended to become one of them and move on to that world to live forever!" The Sheep Head roared, "But after preparing for ten years, just when success was within reach, you seek to stop me!" Its voice, word by word, hoarsely burst from its throat: "Then... even in death, I shall drag all of you down with me!" Su Qi watched as pale, gigantic tentacles began to extend from the portal, waves of powerful spiritual impacts surged out wildly! [Spiritual Power -5, now at 155] [Spiritual Power -5, now at 150] Although Su Qi''s spiritual power was not affected by the instance''s restrictions, the others... one by one, they had already rolled their eyes and collapsed! "The portal is open! Whether it''s you... or this city, this world!" The Sheep Head cackled: "Tonight, it shall welcome the true Strength! From now on... completely turn into Hell!" Su Qi understood this Strength better than the others; it came from Pollution. Once Pollution stepped into this world. At best, it became a doomsday city like the Night Demon. At worst... it would completely collapse, turning into a fully shattered world brimming with Evil Spirits! This, he had also witnessed. In the black vortex! A multitude of tentacles struggled to emerge! Strange phantoms entwined among them, simply looking could affect the mind! And by the feel of it... it had already surpassed a D-level Pollutant. This was the Old Director... using ten years, collecting massive amounts of blood filled with despair, fear, and unwillingness, to open this death portal! "I can only use it one more time." Su Qi''s expression was grave; if the last Thunderbolt failed to work, he would be out of options. He was just about to move. And at that moment. An accident occurred. From inside the black vortex, countless burning chains were suddenly flung out, and the large tentacles were immediately bound, screaming in agony! Struggling! Screaming! But to no avail! In the next second, they were pulled back into the black vortex! Su Qi abruptly stopped in his tracks. He looked towards the vortex with a shock, still unaware of what had happened. And the next moment. From the midst of the vortex, a figure slowly took a step out This figure held a cane in one hand and a top hat in the other, clad in a purple tailcoat, and those chains came from his hat, dragging the tentacles back inside. Then silence. "A rare, unpolluted world." The person''s voice, calm as he spoke, lightly sounded in everyone''s ears, clearly a soliloquy, yet carried an indescribable authority: "Let''s not toss this trash inside." Su Qi''s expression underwent a subtle change. Meanwhile... the Sheep Head''s exclamation mark slowly flickered. [Reunited with an old friend, completed] Chapter 50 - 50: The Second Meeting with the Traveling Merchant "You... who are you..." The sheep-headed creature stared dumbly at the man before it, unable to comprehend... How the horrifying monster that was about to step into this world had suddenly been dragged back. Moreover, As soon as this man appeared, the terrifying aura brought by the black vortex and the faint shrieking as if it were all suppressed. Old evil spirit! I want to see the Evil God! "Indeed, a sheep-headed one..." the Traveling Merchant looked at the sheep-headed creature, his eyes carrying a mix of undisturbed calm and indifference: "It seems the followers of the Beast God are truly everywhere." "Just a bit of low-quality strength can gather a bunch of disgusting believers, such stupidity." The Traveling Merchant slowly put his hat back on and adjusted it before he calmly looked towards the vortex and the blood-filled sky. "Sealed in the Abyss, trying to gather strength like this to break free from the sealing." "I can''t let you succeed." He stretched out his hand. A ripple visible to the naked eye spread from his fingertip! Under the shocked gaze of the Sheep-headed Old Dean, All the shrieking stopped abruptly, the surrounding pollution dissipated in the blink of an eye! The entire vortex channel stopped spinning, the surging blood and patterns around it all collapsed inch by inch! Not only that, The blood reflected in the night also gradually dispersed from the sky! "..." The Sheep-headed Old Dean dumbly watched all this unfold, a look of fear appearing in his murky eyes. Just a light tap of the fingertip. Everything he had accumulated over ten years was easily shattered. "You... who exactly are you..." Its voice trembled as it opened its mouth. The Traveling Merchant''s gaze fell on it, his eyes devoid of any emotion, but in the eyes of the Sheep-headed Old Dean, it was as if he had seen the most terrifying thing! In the reflection of its pupils, flames blazed from the Traveling Merchant''s body as if they were from a demonic god of Hell! And only it could see this scene. Just that one glance. The Sheep-headed Old Dean almost went mad, if it had a body now, it would undoubtedly be trembling and raising a finger in panic, crying, "Demon, demon!" S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Traveling Merchant indifferently withdrew his gaze, such a lowly creature was simply not worth talking to. He looked around. Then his gaze slowly fell on the only one still standingand the small boy with rabbit ears. The Traveling Merchant gently spoke, "Being able to keep your spirit stable in that channel just now and not be knocked unconscious... little fellow, you do have some backbone." Su Qi looked strangely; this guy didn''t recognize him? Right, now he was not only restricted but had also turned into a small boy. "However, little fellow, what just happened wasn''t for free," the Traveling Merchant said with a light smile, "If I hadn''t appeared, you would all have died here, and even your world would gradually crumble." "So, little guy, have you thought about it? Is there anything you can give me?" Su Qi was silent. Damn profiteer, charging even a child. Wasn''t it agreed that everything below 1.2 meters was free! He sadly bowed his head, "I have nothing now, nothing to give you." "If you really want something" Su Qi took a packet of tea leaves from his pocket, this tea was quite tasty, he had casually taken a packet from the Scorpion Supervisor before. "Although it may not look very valuable, it was left by a very important person before she passed away; in my heart, it is priceless! I''ve been carrying it since I was little, and I take it out and treasure it when I have nothing else to do." "....." The Traveling Merchant was somewhat silent. "Do you want to drink it? I''ll make it for you right now... Although it seems a bit expired, traveling through various worlds as you do, you probably don''t mind such a triviality." The Traveling Merchant narrowed his eyes, staring at the chattering Su Qi, his eyes twinkling faintly. "You... give me a very strange feeling, like a familiar aura, and how do you know I travel through various worlds." Su Qi blinked innocently: "I don''t know what you''re talking about." The Traveling Merchant felt increasingly uneasy. Slowly, he took out gold-rimmed glasses from his pocket and put them on, and the moment he did, his gaze gradually changedfirst, shock! Then silence, slowly he said: "It''s actually you!" He said he had felt a hint of familiarity the moment he saw this guy, but because he was restricted by some force, he hadn''t thought much about it. Then from the moment this guy spoke. That scent became even stronger, involuntarily reminding him of the guy who had tricked him before! Su Qi still maintained his innocence: "I don''t understand anything, I''m just a child." "Enough." The Traveling Merchant''s eyes darkened as he spat out these two words, then squinting, he regained his calm demeanor: "To think that you, a mere mortal, deceived me, I kept sensing that familiarity." He cursed, "Damn Paradise power..." Su Qi also dropped his innocent demeanor, revealing a smile: "Respectable Traveling Merchant, we thought it was a permanent parting, but it seems we meet again." The Traveling Merchant did not speak, seeing a hint of teasing in Su Qi''s eyes, knowing what Su Qi meant because the last time he left, he had clearly stated it was their final meeting. How long had it been? Now the one being teased was him! The Traveling Merchant silently adjusted his hat: "What goes around comes around, our connection isn''t severed yet, I admit I was wrong... There are very few who encounter me a second time, consider everything just now on the house, no more." Su Qi: "..." "... ahem" Su Qi coughed, "Don''t you want to make a deal with me? According to the procedure, it should be about time." The Traveling Merchant silently watched Su Qi: "I don''t feel anything interesting from you." "Or are you saying... you want to take out that Ancient God''s Heart and return it to me?" "That''s not it." Su Qi paused: "Actually... besides the Finger Bone my grandfather left, he also wrote down a piece of music, I wonder if you''re still interested." The Traveling Merchant''s body shook slightly, although barely noticeable, Su Qi still perceived it. He remained silent, saying he wasn''t interested would be a lie! With the residual aura from that Finger Bone, he had found some clues about the Old Days, but they were merely a hint... not nearly enough progress. But now. There was something similar on Su Qi. But! Having been outsmarted by this guy last time, as a principled merchant, that was unacceptable! The so-called treasures left by his grandfather, he naturally wouldn''t consider anymore! Even if Su Qi demanded a ransom. He would keep the initiative firmly in his hands. "Mortal." The Traveling Merchant spoke calmly, his hands slowly placed on his cane, caressing the pattern on top: "What you mentioned isn''t much use to me anymore." His gaze was profound, undisturbed: "To secure a trade again... it won''t be that easy." Su Qi responded with an "Oh": "Then forget it." He turned and walked away. Leaving the Traveling Merchant standing there, his tailcoat somewhat disheveled in the wind. "???" Chapter 51 - 51: Sorry... Traveling Merchant! The Traveling Merchant looked at Su Qi''s retreating figure, still standing in the same spot. He had dealt with various great beings before, experienced epic sagas, and witnessed the rise, prosperity, and decline of the myths of Old Days. Now, he was being led by the nose by a mere mortal. And not for the first time... "Mortal..." The Traveling Merchant found himself faltering somewhat, as he actually knew after verifying the contents of that Finger Bone that such items were indeed helpful to him. Naturally, when he sensed there was another item of similar nature, he was determined to acquire it. He could have let Su Qi demand an exorbitant price, as those things did not hold much value for him. It was just that he had suffered a small loss last time and did not want to let this fellow take the initiative again. But now... he seemed to be moving towards a familiar direction. The Traveling Merchant watched as Su Qi walked further away, eventually shaking his head helplessly. "Fine, the lad has seen right through me. To continue would be... meaningless." He moved and appeared in front of Su Qi as if he had teleported. Su Qi, neither servile nor overbearing, blinked and smiled. "Respected Traveling Merchant, do you need anything else?" The Traveling Merchant, watching Su Qi''s smile, squinted slightly: "When others see me... under the influence of interest or power, everyone is exceedingly respectful, terrified of giving the slightest offense. Only your ''respect''... is a cheap adjective." Su Qi: "??? I''ll sue you for defamation!" The Traveling Merchant slowly removed his top hat, speaking gently, "The most unwise thing a merchant can do is to reveal his bottom price. But now... there''s no need to hide it any longer. I indeed need that item." "Let''s be frank with each other this time and get straight to the point." He gave his hat a slight flick. From within the top hat flowed a dazzling array of items, each encased in some kind of bubble... As soon as they appeared, their various auras stirred up a fierce wind throughout the orphanage, even more tumultuous than before! A multitude of lights shimmered in the darkness, as if a Miracle had manifested. Su Qi paused slightly: "What are these... They seem to be on a whole different level than the speaker from last time." The Traveling Merchant spoke softly: "As one of my principles, I never make disproportionately valued trades. I recognize the value of that Finger Bone, so in my heart, its value has exceed its original... Therefore, I will offer you a corresponding item." Su Qi gave a thumbs up: "Good... Can you make up for the last time, too?" "No returns or exchanges after sale!" "The seven-day no-reason return policy doesn''t contain this clause!" "Shut up!" The Traveling Merchant couldn''t help but say, his finger slightly hooking, as an item flew down to him. "This is an Akes Stone, with the power to destroy heavens and obliterate the earth. One explosion can annihilate a small town." Su Qi looked over and shook his head. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Not satisfied?" The Traveling Merchant snapped his fingers again and a gun wrapped in a blue aura appeared in his hand: "This is an atomic energy gun obtained from a high-tech world. Its power may not compare to that stone, but the advantage is that it can be recharged and used continuously." Su Qi shook his head again. "This isn''t satisfactory either?" Just as the Traveling Merchant was about to continue, Su Qi stopped him: "Actually, there''s no need to take anything more out for display." The Traveling Merchant paused, a surprised look on his face: "You''re not satisfied with any of these?" "It''s not that I''m unsatisfied, but rather I am very tempted, however..." Su Qi slowly began, "My Item Slot is restricted right now, I can''t take out the item you want." At Su Qi''s words. "..." The Traveling Merchant fell into a prolonged silence, profound and contemplative. Though he made no move. But. "Crack crack crack!" A series of cracking noises came from his hand. Su Qi''s eyelids twitched uncontrollably! He quickly looked over. The Traveling Merchant''s face remained expressionless, while the high-tech firearm in his grip cracked open under a powerful force! ????? Goodness me! Su Qi coughed, "Calm down... I''m restricted, not unwilling to trade. After all, we''re old customers here. It''s not decent to attack a customer..." The Traveling Merchant, still without expression: "Rest assured, although I''d really like to throw you into that vortex, to experience what ''Pollution Hell'' is like, I''m still very kind." Su Qi: "...." Your grinding teeth tell me you''re anything but kind. The Traveling Merchant took a deep breath, silently stuffed everything back, and donned his high-top hat. "It seems we will have a third encounter." "But whether by fluke or fate, it shows there''s some connection between us..." "So... tell me." His amber-colored pupils flickered slightly: "Your name?" He had never asked Su Qi for his name, after all, from his unreachable heights, what he saw and heard was different from others; to him, mortals were just grains of sand, drifting with the wind, existing only briefly. Su Qi paused slightly, "Are you collecting customer information? My name is Su Buxian, 21 years old, single, likes to play musical instruments..." "Enough." The Traveling Merchant''s mouth twitched as he interrupted: "A name is enough." He raised his staff, and gradually inscribed in the air with it. Mysterious symbols flashed between them, filled with the miraculous. In the end, they transformed into a stream of light that surged into Su Qi''s body. [You have received a Breath Mark from ? ? ? ? ?] [Note: He can use this mark to meet you again] Su Qi paused slightly. So the name of the Traveling Merchant is invisible... It seems to indicate a great disparity in strength between himself and the other party, unable to know any information about him. He didn''t ask, though, and if he wanted to know... sooner or later the question marks above his head would tell him. Su Qi thought for a moment, then said, "So when do you plan to meet up..." The Traveling Merchant was already immune to this guy''s choice of words: "Busy with tasks at hand, I''ll deal with some matters first and naturally will find you when the time comes." "Alright then." Su Qi didn''t really care: "Then I''m off, since the main quest is already complete...." He suddenly paused. Looking somewhat bewildered at the main quest that was still flickering with light. "What''s up?" Su Qi hesitated for a moment: "It seems I haven''t actually completed the main quest." The Traveling Merchant was unfazed by the term ''main quest'', narrowing his eyes with the keen intuition of a businessman: "What is your task? If it''s difficult, I can lend a hand, but of course, it''s not free." Su Qi slowly said: "The task is... to find the key and escape from the orphanage." "....." The Traveling Merchant stared wordlessly at the surrounding destruction, houses collapsed into ruins, everywhere bearing the marks of a great battle. "You call this escaping!?" "Not important." Su Qi rolled up his sleeves. "What are you doing now?" "Doing the task, of course." The Traveling Merchant watched, somewhat shocked, as Su Qi rolled up his sleeves, took up an axe, and stood in front of the Sheep Head. As he fiercely chopped down, he demanded loudly where the key was. He silently looked up into the night. This guy surely was different from the others he had met. Chapter 52 - 52 Despicable Person Under Su Qi''s harsh interrogation, the Sheep-headed Old Dean, left with only the head of a sheep, finally spoke out in terror about the location of the key... and a series of passwords. Su Qi mused, "To think it was placed in a secret compartment with a password, getting it through the normal game process seems quite difficult." Old Director: "...." Is this why you chose to directly overthrow the orphanage? At this moment, the Traveling Merchant also came over, his gaze fixed on the Sheep-headed Old Dean. As soon as he appeared, the Old Dean''s fear flared up like a fire, and he began to tremble violently. "Tell me frankly, what''s the deal with this sheep head? It''s not the first time I''ve seen it." Su Qi asked, then paused and added, "You''re not charging for this piece of information, right?" The Traveling Merchant didn''t respond to the latter part but calmly said, "You can consider it as a totem of some deity, these totems are scattered across countless worlds. When evil thoughts are born and guided by it... a horror descends upon this world." His eyes behind those golden glasses were utterly calm, "This guy was originally human, afflicted with a fatal disease. It seems he performed some ritual to survive, turning into this form, and everyone else around... due to the Pollution Source from the ritual, has turned into monsters." "Pollution Source again." Su Qi''s eyebrows raised. He looked at the group of orphans lying unconscious on the ground around him; they had turned abnormal due to pollution and were abandoned by their families before this Old Dean brought them to this prison-like orphanage. "In many worlds, this happens often, some are even more tragic where everyone lives in a completely collapsed, apocalyptic hell," the Traveling Merchant''s gaze shifted as he stared at the Old Dean, "But... I''m more curious about something. Who taught you that ritual?" Upon hearing the Traveling Merchant''s question, the Old Dean, overwhelmed with fear and not daring to disobey, hurriedly spoke in a trembling and hoarse voice, "It was a group... of strange outsiders. They wore different clothes; they said... if I spread the True God''s power to this world, I could be liberated and embraced by the True God." That sales pitch sounds familiar. Su Qi''s eyes flickered, and he drew a pattern on the ground with a spike, "Do they have tattoos like this on them?" Although the Old Dean had only half a neck left, he still managed desperately to nod... his murky eyes not yet completely lifeless, making his last excuse, "I just wanted to survive... even at the end, I only planned to venture alone to that world after successfully transforming myself." Su Qi nodded calmly and swung his axe, "That''s well said, but... enough talking." However, the Traveling Merchant stopped him, speaking softly, "I have a question for you. Since you claim to be a follower of the True God and are a Pollution Source yourself and have used this ritual, it looks like you have had dealings with those things in the Abyss." "Do you know the word ''Despicable Person'' recently?" The Old Dean was slightly startled, "...No..." "Bang!" The Traveling Merchant flicked his fingertip slightly, and the entire sheep head suddenly exploded. "What''s going on?" Su Qi was surprised as he tried to dodge the exploding flesh, but he worried needlessly. The opponent left not even a trace of flesh or ashes, but turned to dust. "Almost all the polluted worlds have been spreading this about. This guy claims to be a follower of the True God, yet he''s completely clueless," the Traveling Merchant stated calmly, "He has no value left; there''s no need to waste more time." Su Qi: "...." This Old Dean''s life was too tragically misspent... after ten years, he hadn''t even achieved the basics. Well not quite, he nearly did before I messed it up. Su Qi asked, "Now the question arises, what does ''Despicable Person'' mean?" The Traveling Merchant glanced at him: "You are too weak; such beings are too far removed from you, and curiosity comes at a price." "All are almost dealt with." At this moment, a surge of power flowed towards the Traveling Merchant''s staff, and he gently tapped it in the air, opening a pathway as ripples burst forth like waves. He stepped forward through it. The Traveling Merchant''s voice drifted lightly, "Anyway, keep growing, little one, maybe the next time we meet, that thing of yours might have appreciated in value." Su Qi silently watched the Traveling Merchant disappear amid the chaotic ruins. He shook his head, "Why bother playing the riddle man?" "Despicable Person, huh?" The name was obviously a codename; the one it referred to must be someone not very aboveboard, and given it was spreading across the polluted worlds, there must be a super big shot involved. He muttered to himself, "We will find out eventually." Su Qi didn''t just stand there; he had just learned about a hidden compartment in the ruins and sure enough, there was a mechanical numeric keypad on it. He turned it to open it and then retrieved a key. "How much effort it took to get this key!" Su Qi said as he left the ruins. The dazed people around him were covering their heads and gradually regaining consciousness. They looked around blankly. Broken walls and devastation everywhere, the terrifying black vortex they had seen earlier had vanished, and the Old Director was no longer there. What had happened? Was it a success or a failure! As for Su Qi, he emerged from the ruins and looked at the confused crowd: "Awake?" "It seems you still have some potential." Ordinary people... if struck by that spiritual pollution, would not wake up for a day or two. And yet, these folks had only slept for a short while before waking up. The Pollution Source had left them looking like this, but it had also given them some unusual physical attributes. "Brother Su!" Pomelo Cat looked at Su Qi and murmured, "Did we succeed? Did we win?" Su Qi threw the key he held toward them: "The main gate key, once opened... you can leave the orphanage." Everyone shouted in unison, some hugged each other with tears streaming down their faces, others knelt on the ground and cried out. "We can finally go home!" Pomelo Cat quickly picked up the key, eager to run to the front of the gate. "But..." Su Qi''s voice reached their ears, "You must understand one thing: although the source of the terror has been eliminated, its effects are not erased. You weren''t sent here on vacation; you were cruelly abandoned, thrown away like monsters. And according to the operation of the Pollution Source Old Director over ten years, this number might not be small." "Are you really ready to go back?" The crowd stood still, dazed. Having been in this enclosed place for so long, they sometimes forgot some things, but when Su Qi mentioned it... their expressions revealed utterly soulless emotions. Yes... they were still just abandoned orphans. Su Qi glanced at them; the others were wavering, but the Snake Head Man and his two companions bowed their heads, their eyes thoughtful as they seriously considered the matter. At this moment. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The orphanage''s main gate had been opened by Pomelo Cat. The despair of the Old Days had been buried, and a new hope accompanied by hardships was waiting for them ahead. Su Qi watched as the main mission completion prompt and the instance countdown appeared, throwing the non-transferable "Return Spring" to Snake Head Man and his group. "This might be of some use; take it." Snake Head Man received it and seemed to realize something, looking at Su Qi with some astonishment, "Sect Hierarch, are you leaving?" Su Qi nodded. "The next steps are for you to consider on your own." He activated the instance transfer. Immediately after, his body gradually dissipated like particles of light. The crowd stared blankly at the scene, as if witnessing a miracle, and all knelt down. And Snake Head Man, Croc Brother, Spider Boy, especially, cried out hoarsely: "Sect Hierarch!" Their voices echoed in the orphanage for a long time. Chapter 53 - 53 Settlement and Update "Three lunatics." Su Qi returned to his personal login space. Why the hell are you shouting so loudly? It''s like you''re at a funeral. [Player Su Buxian has cleared solo special limitation instance No. 978913] [Game difficulty: Nightmare] [Game Rating: 100] [Settling rewards] [Received Perfect Level Dungeon Clearing Experience Points and 3,000 Game Coins, eligible for one lottery draw] [Your level has been raised to 12] [Acquired 23 attribute points to distribute] [Instance summary: The pitiable lives trapped in the Cage Land have finally been liberated with your arrival. Although your method deviated from the main storyline, it still concluded well. Regardless of intent, you''ve spun the wheel of fate and altered their future.] "Two levels at once..." Su Qi looked at his Experience Points: "Looks like the experience from these special instances is higher than others. Add the Nightmare difficulty and solo instance bonuses, and it''s not that surprising." [Your level has surpassed 10, and the newbie protection mechanism has been disabled.] [Caution: After level 10, dying within an instance triggers a punishment mechanism, resulting in the loss of Experience Points and Game Coins (the higher the level, the greater the punishment cost; this excludes PVP-type instances).] [Caution: The team instance matchmaking system will no longer differentiate between new players and beta testers; instance content limitations are lifted, and the balance algorithms adjusted.] S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The death penalty..." Upon reading this, Su Qi thought of Xun Xiaohuan and speculated, "Could that guy have been kicked out of Paradise and forced to start over because of the death penalty?" He could control Flying Knives, but it wasn''t due to equipment traits, nor did it seem to be a Skill; it was more like a kind of Telekinesis talent. "I''ve just lost the newbie protection, so it looks like there''s a lot more to explore." Su Qi was looking forward to it. At that moment, A notification from his mailbox suddenly popped up forcefully. [Notice: On October 22nd at 12:00 PM, the first game update will commence (Please note: matchmaking is now disabled, but this will not affect players currently in instances). The updated version will be 2.0, and is anticipated to take 2 hours.] "An update..." Su Qi paused for a moment, remembering the official announcement that the daily marketplace would go live after the update, along with many other features. The matchmaking interface had already been dimmed, rendered unusable. Su Qi also checked the lottery system; it was the same situation. He couldn''t even distribute his attribute points. "It seems the personal login space is temporarily suspended, so I can only log off for now." The update time for Abyssal Paradise was not entirely unreasonable. Since the open beta of the game, many players had been sacrificing sleep, steeped in the game round the clock... Some were able to play four or even five instances within twenty-four hours. Of course, the game''s sleep mode hasn''t been launched yet, so players would still feel tired and sleepy upon returning to their Personal Space, even if they could sleep in instances. Su Qi got out of the gaming pod and checked the timeit was just past eleven o''clock. He paced over and pulled open the curtains. "Looks like the weather''s nice today. I could go to the market and buy some stuff; the fridge has been empty for a while now." He threw on a coat and headed straight for the market. Su Qi was always good at haggling even before he could see question marksnow it was even easier. "Hey, young man, buy a chicken." Wait, buy what? The chicken vendor offered a sincere smile, "Home-raised chicken, grown eating millet." But Su Qi saw, [Dead from illness, contains medicinal residues]. Goodbye. "You want three pounds of fruit?" "Yes, exactly three pounds..." The fruit vendor showed Su Qi the scale''s display. Oh. [One pound seven ounces] He immediately put it down and walked away. After a round through the market, Su Qi felt like he was opening blind boxes; he finally managed to buy some stuff and returned home. He took out his phone and sent all the problematic vendors'' addresses and reasons to Liu Yishou. Then he forwarded a few videos, every video title deep in thought. [Rectification, urgent!] [Don''t let waiting become a regret!] [They dare to do this now; I can''t even imagine what they''d dare in the future!] About ten seconds later. Liu Yishou replied to the message. "?" He slowly said, "I hope you haven''t forgotten that I''m part of the Investigation Bureau. This kind of matter should be sent to market supervision..." Su Qi forwarded another message. [Shocking! After numerous unsuccessful reports, a customer actually went to chop someone!] "...." "Forget it, I got it, I''ll pass it on." Liu Yishou was somewhat helpless. After a few seconds, he sent, "Did you have any nightmares or something last night?" "Yes, but it doesn''t seem to be a big problem." Su Qi didn''t hide anything; that Black Shadow had already become his servant, serving him tea and water overnight. "That''s good, but still be careful..." Liu Yishou slowly continued, "Supernatural phenomena like this are tricky to deal with. You have to rely on yourself, and it will grow day by day by absorbing the negative emotions of its host." "And it''s connected to the Spiritual Attribute. That girl is now focusing on Spiritual Power and has improved a lot. You''ve just been entangled with it, and the supernatural entity hasn''t grown yet, so there''s still time." "Okay, I''ll be careful." Before, there was no sign of the supernatural happening. Now he also knew that the Black Shadow could grow by absorbing negative emotions like fear and dread. But being a sunny and optimistic big boy wasn''t for nothing. Plus, since it was related to the Spiritual Attribute... there was even less to worry about. "By the way, I have another questiondid you queue up for a game this morning?" Liu Yishou asked out of the blue. He had to do this because Paradise had no record of Su Qi, so the only option was to ask Su Qi himself. "Hmm, solo queue...Perfect clear." Su Qi didn''t hold back. "Perfect on Hard, huh? Impressive, must be at least an 80 point score." Liu Yishou felt reassured. With this...he could report back, and Su Qi''s spot would be secured. Su Qi sent him a ''?'' in response. "What?" "Did I say it was Hard?" "Ordinary?" "Thinking downwards, huh? It was Nightmare difficulty, score 100." "!!!!" "For real?! Nightmare 100 points! How did you do that!" Liu Yishou typed out a string of bewildered characters. Su Qi''s message came: "Don''t ask, as long as you have the skills, it''s all that matters." "..." After returning home, Su Qi soaked some dried shiitake mushrooms, cut the bought chicken thighs into pieces, used cooking wine to remove the gamey taste, then poured in some of the water used to soak the mushrooms. In terms of cooking, he felt he was no less skilled than Pig Head Man. If it weren''t for the conditions at the time not allowing. He felt he could have argued with the guy. An hour later, The aroma of stewed chicken had already wafted out, Su Qi then added chunks of green and red peppers, let them braise for a few minutes, and served the dish. "These days, you still have to cook for yourself..." While enjoying his lunch, Su Qi opened up his phone. He scrolled through short videos, quickly felt bored... and then opened up a forum. With a slight scroll, he saw a post. [Shocking! Abyssal Paradise actually appeared a long time ago.] "Ah, this." Upon opening it, Su Qi saw a photo of an old newspaper... It contained a report on a suicide case where before dying by suicide, the person left a blood-written note on the floor: "I should have never entered this Abyss." And the date on the newspaper was from twenty years ago. People in the forum thread took it as the original poster playing a prank, after all, the word Abyss had many implied meanings. Yet Su Qi examined it closely, but half a minute later, the post suddenly disappeared. Deleting the post? The power from the officials. "If there is indeed a connection, then the underlying scope is not small. And this part of the content can only be understood after entering that so-called Paradise." After finishing his meal, the update and maintenance were about to end. He wasn''t in a hurry to go in. After the meal, he took time to wash the dishes and digest... before lying down in the game pod. "Let''s see what they''ve updated this time." Chapter 54 - 54: Acquiring a Divine Skill! [Neural Connection in Progress] [Connection Successful] [Welcome Player 985211, Su Buxian, to the game] Su Qi''s vision gradually brightened. The entire login space seemed a bit different, the most significant change being the return of that familiar voice. He looked toward the sealed windows and doors. Although he couldn''t see outside, he could hear a group of abnormal noises whispering and screeching behind the door, as if they wanted to get in... to tear Su Qi into pieces. "Still using the same background music for version 2.0... isn''t that a bit slapdash?" But as before, it came quickly and disappeared just as fast. Su Qi hadn''t had the chance to check out the updated content when someone from his friends list sent a message. "Brother Su! You''re finally online!" Yeshou seemed to have been online waiting for him, "Duo queue? Team instances now have lifted the newbie restrictions, increased Experience and Game Coin gains, and the MVP of each match gets an extra 30%." "And" Yeshou added, "there seems to be new content." "You know so much?" "Uh... saw it on the forum." "Don''t rush, I''m still looking at the updated content." "Okay, I''ll wait for you." Su Qi closed the chat and reviewed the new content. First, the club system was updated; it was only online for a short while, but astonishingly required Level 15 and 100,000 Game Coins to establish. Although the number of clubs that made it onto the list wasn''t large, each one was probably not that simple. "A solo player can''t hope to reach Level 15 and have 100,000 Game Coins in such a short time," he thought. Su Qi skimmed over the club content, then turned his attention to the daily store. [Daily Store is now open] [Attention: Daily Store refreshes at 00:00, each refresh only offers three items] sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Attention: Once purchased, items are non-refundable, any issues please contact the seller directly] [Attention: Players can consign their own items to the store system, a processing fee will be charged based on the item''s value] After reviewing these notices, the Daily Store successfully opened, refreshing and presenting three items. [Peach Blossom Peanut Milk: Quickly restores 300 Physical Strength points in instances, priced at 1,000 Game Coins from an anonymous player] Not a bad potion, just a tad expensive, but Su Qi elected to purchase it anyway the importance of Physical Strength in the game goes without saying. He shifted his gaze downward. [Pretty Crystal: A specialty from home, shines continuously (only supports item exchange) from a seller in a certain instance] Su Qi raised an eyebrow, "So there are sellers from the instance world in this store?" Interesting, but this item seemed to have no use. His eyes moved to the last item, and they slightly shook. [Let''s Die Together! (Skill): Player expends all Physical Strength to perform a Self-Destruction (power is based on the consumed Physical Strength, and the player will also suffer explosion damage) priced at 7,500 Game Coins From player number 2383790] "A Self-Destruction Skill?" The moment Su Qi saw this skill, he immediately purchased it. "To think it''s only 7,500 Game Coins." He was surprised it was so cheap, but he could understand why. "It looks like it''s mainly because of the punishment mechanism; each use is suicidal, not only losing Experience and Game Coins, but also deeming the entire instance a failure C totally useless. However..." Su Qi''s tone shifted, his eyes gleaming, "...in my hands, it becomes a Divine Skill." He possessed a Srilan Badge, which could negate an attack that would cause direct damage to his Vitality once in every instance. This was like having a super bomb on hand. And... the most critical point, its power could grow with added Physical Strength! This attribute was the reason it could be called a Divine Skill. "Dear player, let me say thank you." Su Qi slotted it into the third slot on his Skill Bar, the one he had gained upon reaching Level 10... Now, at last, it had been filled. He then proceeded to draw loot. The loot pool had been updated, too. [Additional Game Coins, Experience, Special Items, and more were added] However, this time there was nothing of interest... Just an Ordinary Small Knife that added 5 points to Strength. "It seems the skill I just drew has used up all my luck," he mused. Su Qi promptly put it up for sale in the Daily Store for 100 Game Coins, leaving it to fate to find the right buyer. Then. Su Qi allocated 23 attribute points, assigning 13 to Vitality and the rest split between Strength and Movement Technique. [Vitality: 530] [Strength: 25] [Movement Technique: 25] [Physical Strength: 53] [Spiritual Power: 229] "Spiritual Power... It''s growing like I''ve got a cheat," Su Qi could only thank Brother Evil God with gratitude. The significance of this attribute was becoming evident; all interactions with Pollution Sources were impossible without it. Su Qi opened his friends list to find that Night Watcher was still online, waiting, and he had just connected to voice chat. Only to find that Old Tomato had just come online, too. Night Watcher immediately pulled him into the voice channel, "Trio queue?" "No... I can''t queue with you guys right now," Old Tomato said somberly, refusing the offer. "What''s up with that?" Night Watcher was taken aback. "It''s because... his Level has dropped," Su Qi noticed that Old Tomato''s Level had changed to 6, "What happened?" Old Tomato was silent for a moment, then began slowly, "Actually, I played all night yesterday, and by dawn I''d reached Level 11, then in the morning, I entered a team instance..." "Did you fail to clear it?" "No." Old Tomato''s voice wavered slightly with anger, "I was ambushed by other players... They were hiding among us the whole time, and just when we were about to complete the main quest, they struck." "They didn''t care about the mission... They chased us down and attacked us." Old Tomato''s voice revealed his frustration as he seemed to recall the incident. "They had a strange pattern tattooed on them! It emitted a mental shock! We couldn''t resist at all!" "Once they revealed their true intentions... they ruthlessly slaughtered everyone in the instance..." even a high-level player like Old Tomato had red in his eyes. He had clearly been shaken. "..." Night Watcher fell silent, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Su Qi pondered before asking, "Is it this kind of pattern?" He described it. Old Tomato was shocked, "Yes, that''s it, how did you know?" "When we were in Srilan, those murderous outsiders had the same tattoo," Night Watcher spoke with more severity and seriousness in his tone. "... I logged in just to warn you guys, be careful if you come across this group of people," Old Tomato said through clenched teeth. Su Qi didn''t argue, sensing the great impact on Old Tomato, "Understood, you rest up. We''ll be careful." Old Tomato logged off. Night Watcher didn''t rush to start the game, but instead spoke seriously, "Brother Su, please take what Brother Tomato just said seriously. After reaching Level 10, there''s a chance of encountering..." he hesitated, not naming them, but pausing to add, "these evildoers..." "Be very cautious! If something isn''t right, exit the instance sooner rather than later... If you''re killed by that group, your Experience can be significantly plundered, which is what happened to Brother Tomato. Otherwise, if it was just the normal death penalty, he might not have dropped in Level," Night Watcher explained, "Of course, if you manage to kill them, you can plunder them as well and even receive system rewards." "But in the early stages, no one has the Spiritual Attribute or Spiritual Equipment, so it''s impossible to fight against their methods." Night Watcher suddenly realized he had been talking for a while and Su Qi had not responded, "Brother Su, did you hear all that?" "Uh-huh..." Hearing Su Qi''s brief answer, Night Watcher couldn''t help but press on, "Brother Su, I''m not joking here!" "Don''t worry, I''m on it." Su Qi''s tone remained even as he looked at his Spiritual Power attribute. "Do I look like someone who does whatever he wants and ignores the team?" "Kind of..." "?" Chapter 55 - 55: Entering the Team Instance.... Sudden Accident [Player Su Buxian, Level 12] [Player Night Guard, Level 11] [Matching for a difficult team instance in progress] [Note: Both players'' levels have surpassed ten, team instance restrictions have been lifted] [1. Team instances will increase the probability of triggering world views, Paradise exploratory missions] [2. Players will unlock the Reputation System, which can be accessed upon entering the instance] [3. Team instance experience and Game Coin gain adjusted up 10%, the system will allocate based on players'' performances within the instance and will announce the MVP upon main storyline completion. The MVP player will receive an additional 30% experience and Game Coins and may trigger extra rewards] "Previously, after leaving the novice protection, team matching... it was going to change." Su Qi read these two points, "Seems interesting." From Night Guard''s side, a voice transmitted, "The system seems to encourage everyone to explore together and also prevents slacking and passive behavior. As for that Reputation System, it should be related to titles..." He hadn''t finished speaking when it was abruptly cut off. [Match Successful] [Team Instance Confirmed, Number of Players: Eight] [Entering Now] Listening to the cut-off voice, Su Qi also saw darkness surge like a tide, about to drown him. And at that moment. An unexpected event occurred! The darkness abruptly stopped, as if time itself had paused. "?" Su Qi raised an eyebrow, if this happened in-game, it''s usually termed a lag, typically followed by a crash. But this isn''t an ordinary game....that rule doesn''t apply here. He already sensed something was wrong. Su Qi asked Night Guard, "Are you still there?" However, there was no response. It seems some force temporarily kept him in Personal Space, preventing him from immediately entering the instance. Su Qi lifted his head slightly, his gaze subtly shifting toward the sealed window of his personal login space. A massive amount of Black Fog was spreading outside the room. There stood an eerie figure, seemingly watching him. A strange voice then faintly resoundedstrange because he couldn''t tell if it was male or female, nor discern whether it was a Monster or a human. It said a sentence. "Su Buxian." "Welcome to the Abyss." Su Qi called out, "Buddy, if you have something to say, why not say it clearly instead of talking through walls?" Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But the other party seemed not to hear him, or perhaps ignored him. In the next moment, the Personal Space seemed to hit the play button again, time began to move, and darkness roared forward to swallow Su Qi. ----------------- [You have entered the Team Instance] Su Qi didn''t bother with the prompt; he was pondering what just had happened. He didn''t believe it was just for show. Who was that figure? Why did it suddenly appear and call out his name? What was happening outside the room? He was unclear about all of it. At that moment. "Beep" A clear mechanical prompt sounded close to Su Qi''s ear, carrying a sense of urgency. As he opened his eyes, he discovered he was lying in a narrow space akin to a game pod, a respirator on his face, surrounded by nourishing liquids, next to a red button. "Is this... a hibernation chamber?" Su Qi guessed, having seen so many sci-fi movies. The chamber wasn''t transparent and was soundproof, so he was unaware of the outside situation. He decided to put what had just happened out of his mind for the moment. Su Qi reached out to remove the respirator from his face and looked at the conspicuous red buttonprobably the control switch to open the chamber door. He considered whether or not to press it. "Lying here is actually quite comfortable, but from what it seems, staying put won''t advance any main lines." And... since it''s a team instance, perhaps his teammates are in other hibernation pods as well? Su Qi decisively pressed a button. "Beep" Again, the sound of a flute from the beginning, followed by the sound of the cabin door releasing pressure. Su Qi drew out the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade, ready to defend himself at any time. When the door finally opened, Su Qi heard all kinds of noisy voices! "Block it! Brother Mo Wen! Don''t let those things in!" "Watch out, that thing is pouncing!" "I''ve got this." A voice shouted. "Snap!" "Damn, awesome, truly worthy of a big shot from the First Sequence Club!" That big shot''s voice was very calm, "Hurry up and close the door!" Outside there was a cacophony of intense fighting sounds and the thunderous noise of a falling door. Meanwhile, Su Qi lay comfortably in the sleeping pod, living in peaceful times. He realized... he might have missed something. He silently got up... only to see a group of blood-stained players, panting heavily, then leaning against the closed metal door: "It''s too hard... Let''s rest and recover some physical strength before thinking about..." The talking player suddenly stopped, staring stunned at the sitting Su Qi. And the others looked towards Su Qi too. "..." An odd silence fell in the air. With everyone staring at him, Su Qi felt he should say something at this moment. So he stood up and waved to the people around him. "I''m out of the pod, feeling good." Everyone: "...." Night Guard couldn''t help blurting out: "Damn! Brother Su, you were still in there!" A player complained: "The team was one man short right from the start of the eight-person dungeon, I thought you had quit the game." "You were just lying in the sleeping pod." "Regarding that... I''m very sorry..." Su Qi stepped out from the sleeping pod, wearing a high-tech bodysuit, and said, "I think I need to explain, my home is in a remote village, the internet cable is pulled from the neighboring village, so there''s a delay." "..." Night Guard rolled his eyes. I don''t believe that! Plus, who needs a damned internet cable for this game. "Anyway." A middle-aged man holding a firearm, with a naive smile, said: "Now that we have an extra fighter, that''s a good thing." Su Qi looked at the middle-aged man''s ID, [Secretly Playing Games Behind My Wife''s Back] Besides, there were other players he had met offline like [Jun Mowen], who nodded indifferently at him. The rest... four people. Night Guard walked over and introduced each one to Su Qi. The ponytailed female player was [Love Eating Jam] The chubby, bespectacled male holding a crossbow was [Stain Not Okay] The young man crouching in the corner was panting, his ID was a bit long: [You Must Return the Validation as the Following Format] Su Qi couldn''t help but take a second look. The young man turned his head: "Don''t look at me, I was careless when choosing a name, who knew I couldn''t change it after." "Then I''ll call you Brother Oat." "???" The last one was about the same age as Su Qi, already at level 14, named [Yun Zhantian] Night Guard said, "Brother Yun is a key rookie personally groomed by the First Sequence Club, very strong. If it wasn''t for Brother Yun just now, we probably couldn''t have pulled back." Though Yun Zhantian''s name sounded domineering, he himself was not arrogant; he smiled, "No worries, we are all a team." "Now with this player..." He glanced at Su Qi''s ID: "Su Buxian, we just gained an extra chance to break out." Now that Su Qi had met everyone, he looked at the battle marks by the door and the faint sounds coming from behind the door: "So, what''s going on now?" Chapter 56 - 56: Familiar Faces? About two minutes later, Su Qi came to understand the whole situation. The team had entered the instance for half an hour now, and after emerging from the hibernation pods at this spawn point, they realized they were likely on a spaceship currently in voyage. And soon after, they received the main mission, but only a short distance from this place, they encountered a monster attack. Hence, the team was forced to retreat back here. Su Qi blinked: "The plot seems awfully familiar." However, he didn''t expect that in just the few seconds he was left in his Personal Space, they had already experienced so much. At this moment, His gaze suddenly shifted, as a script summary began to emerge gradually. "Brother Su, what''s wrong with you?" Su Qi spoke, "Instance introduction is coming." The teammates were taken aback, "???? You really are lagging." A voice like that of a robot began to speak slowly in Su Qi''s ear, emotionless, as if reading from a script. [This is a spaceship drifting through space, it is very special... Its initial purpose was to head toward its mother star, but things seem not as easy as anticipated, accidents happened] [Abnormal whispers, panicked mutations, the spaceship is no longer safe] [And you are urgently awakened to deal with all of this] [Please remember... first, read the Employee Manual!] The robotic voice gradually faded with the jumbled sound quality. A mission also popped up in front of Su Qi. [Main Mission: Find the Employee Manual in Room No. 7] And the layout of the spaceship''s corridors was simply plastered on the wall... [Hibernation Room]======Corridor======[Final Control Room] But, The most important thing was the many rooms alongside the corridor. Their Hibernation Room was No. 10... After leaving, there would be a room every fifteen meters along the corridor, in sequence... with the Final Control Room being No. 0. "We were just about to go to Room No. 7 to find the Employee Manual, but as soon as we reached Zone 8, from an opened door... all sorts of abnormalities rushed out, it was very dangerous," Brother Oat began, he sighed, "We were just killed and forced to return here." "Anyway, no need to rush, it was just the first tentative exploration. Now that we know about the existence of those abnormalities, we can slowly formulate an action plan. Currently, if we want to enter Room No. 7, we''ll have to be a bit blunt, though this carries a sizable risk, and we can''t guarantee everyone''s survival. So we need to plan every detail well, escaping pursuit is no simple task," Jun Mowen pondered aloud. As someone experienced in escape room speedruns, he had expertise in this area, his words were coherent and his demeanor calm. At this very moment, Someone was observing all this, watching Jun Mowen''s analysis. It squinted its eyes slightly. Hmm, this one is a player proficient in strategy and analysis. And Yun Zhantian, the young man leaning against the wall, smiled and said, "I''ll go along with you guys, just call on me when there''s fighting." It seems this is a pure combat type player. "No panic needed, it''s not a big issue, and whatever happens as long as we stand united, we will surely succeed," declared Night Guard loudly. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A player who encourages and enhances team cohesion with their social skills? Finally, Night Guard turned to Su Qi, "Brother Su, do you have any thoughts?" But when he turned around, he found that Su Qi was not by his side. "Brother Su?" At this moment, Su Qi was standing next to a glass terrarium by a hibernation pod, looking inside, "Look, these flowers and plants are quite pretty..." The teammates: "..." This person also fell into silence. ? What kind of player is this...? "...Alright, everyone has had enough rest, let''s make a plan of action, those abnormalities outside have left," Jun Mowen watched the surveillance on the wall. The surveillance footage only covered the corridors from Zone 9 to Zone 7. Their goal was simple: enter the room in Zone 7 and find the employee manual. After explaining for about a minute. The plan wasn''t really that complicated, it was just a matter of division of labor, matching strength, and then striving for as much time as possible. However, Su Qi still stood in front of that glass, then suddenly spoke up: "Why didn''t you guys check out Room No. 9?" "After all, abnormalities surged out from Gate No. 8, but Room No. 9 hasn''t made any noise at all." The middle-aged man scratched his head, "Well, about that, we tried, but Room No. 9... has a password lock, we can''t open it, and we didn''t find the password here either." "Is that so?" Su Qi looked at the potted plants: "I''m not very certain, but let''s proceed with your method first." He left some words unspoken. The Hibernation Room was only equipped with eight hibernation pods, and logically... they should have all just woken up half an hour ago. And although the plants in the glass bonsais had a simulated cycling nutrient ecology and didn''t need to worry about withering and dying without care, But... It was clear that someone had recently pruned these plants. The pruning was very slight, as if someone was performing surgery, utterly precise, down to the last millimeter, not easily noticeable without know-how in gardening. However, Su Qi had [?], so it was no issue. In any case. Besides these players who had just entered the instance, there were others... But this information didn''t seem to help advance the main storyline for now, and what''s more, Su Qi felt... something filthy was watching them, so he chose not to reveal it at this moment. At this moment. The group had made a decision and stood next to the button that would open the metal door. "The most important thing is speed, no dawdling!" "The door to Room No. 7 is also a metal door, estimated to take 20 seconds to open. Of course, there''s no need to fully open it, just enough for us to get through the gap, so... we have to hold out for this time," they prepared for the night watch. "Let''s go." The group rallied once more. Yun Zhantian was already holding his weapon and striding forward: "I''ll start us off." "Su Buxian, you didn''t come to listen just now, I''ll remind you..." Jun Mowen looked at Su Qi: "Based on our previous experience, some abnormalities cannot be harmed by physical means, some are extremely sensitive to sound, and others will emit a spiritual impact, though spiritual power does not get depleted, but it can cause one to become dazed..." Su Qi made a gesture: "Don''t worry, even though it''s delayed... I heard it all." "..." "Boom boom boom!" The sound of the heavy metal door activating echoed; the corridor was still silent for the moment, the creatures had all retreated. But nobody dared to let their guard down, because as soon as they reached Zone 8, creatures would rush out from the never-closed Gate No.8! "Ready..." "Go!" They didn''t hesitate at all and immediately sprinted forward! Su Qi followed behind them, glancing at the metal door of Zone 9, then withdrawing his gaze. He quickly entered Zone 8. Gate No. 8 was wide open, and the group of monsters inside emitted faint hissing sounds in the dim environment. And just then. Su Qi''s expression froze, seemingly spotting something unbelievable among the crowd of creatures. He looked surprised. "It seems... there''s a familiar figure!" Chapter 57 - 57 I Told You It Was Someone I Knew The room number eight was steeped in darkness, the space vast and open. Su Qi''s gaze penetrated the interior, where the night vision and physical strength recovery were passive abilities that functioned regardless of conditions, while the strength and movement technique double enhancement needed either darkness or nighttime to activate. However, it seemed as though the concept of night didn''t exist in this universe. Utilizing the night vision function of the Night Demon Gene, he saw a dense cluster of abnormalities inside, among which were two figures at the very back... that almost made him think he was seeing things. Similar. Too similar. But now was not the time to confirm his suspicions because the monsters by the door had already noticed them and burst into ferocious roars, charging out towards them! "They''re coming!" everyone''s scalp tingled, "Be careful!" Su Qi also saw what those monsters were like. Winged ones, long-fanged ones, spiked-head ones... various oddly shaped mutants, as if they were not from the same world, but each and every one was not the least bit civil, roaring as they pounced towards them! Jun Mowen''s palm slammed down, activating a Skill, "Get away from me!" A barrier appeared in front of the corridor, and the monsters crashed into it. But it didn''t hold for even a second before being breached! The distance was only about ten steps, and they quickly closed in! "I''m here!" Night Guard ran the fastest. Su Qi only then noticed that this guy was decked out in equipment, gleaming brightly, seemingly having purchased quite a bit offline. He pressed the button to open door number seven, and the metallic doors of room number seven began rumbling, opening slowly! "Good, hold them off for ten seconds! Then we can go in!" And a vast crowd of dense monsters also reached the front of the group! "Crack!" Yun Zhantian leaped up, weapon in hand, mercilessly slaughtering all approaching monsters with swift and uncompromised action, each strike demonstrating his seasoned combat experience, his equipment slightly gleaming. This scene greatly stabilized the minds of everyone engaged in battle. "Strong! Brother Yun!" Yun Zhantian was about to showcase even more of his combat prowess, from the First Sequence Club, when! "Hum!!!!" A terrifying low droning suddenly vibrated everyone''s eardrums, directly penetrating into their minds! "Damn... it''s a spiritual impact!" The countenances of the group shifted to fear, their concentration disrupted, instantly affecting the battle! In the midst of the monster horde, a creature with a horn-shaped head, surrounded by abnormalities, was emitting the spiritual impact. Yun Zhantian''s complexion also altered. He was the prime target of the creature, his whole body trembling, his movements clearly slowed down significantly! He was just about to grit his teeth and unleash a Skill. "Come back here," Su Qi''s foot suddenly stomped down on his shoulder, kicking him back. He then relentlessly swung his Hundred Man Slaughter Blade, beheading one monster after another that lunged at them! The spiritual impact that put everyone else on high alert, didn''t affect him in the slightest. This was the confidence that Brother Evil God had given him! "It''s open! We can go in!" Night Guard''s axe cleaved through a monster flying down from the ceiling, shouting loudly. The group then entered through the gap that had opened. Yun Zhantian, however, did not move but was instead watching Su Qi, his eyes steady as he clutched a glowing pendant before finally rushing forward without hesitation, "I''ll help you! Let''s go together!" His equipment seemed to be able to withstand the spiritual impact. Why the hell didn''t you use that earlier? Yun Zhantian was indeed a formidable character; once free of the mental disturbance, he went all out, fighting ten at a time! As a newbie with a focus on cultivation from the First Sequence, he was not to be compared to ordinary players! Although Su Qi wasn''t utilizing many enhancements, he was not at a disadvantage. Moreover! His style of combat was completely different from Yun Zhantian''s. Simply put, it was brutal. A stab into the eye socket! Another knife through the groin! If it roars, just drive it straight through the throat! A fierce attack on three fronts! Let''s see if the abnormality will continue its ferocity! "..." Yun Zhantian, though engaged in battle, noticed Su Qi''s fight and his eyelids twitched violently at the sight of the distinctively different combat style, a wave of fear washing over him. "Retreat quickly!" Jun Mowen''s voice came over calmly, "We''re ready to close the door at any moment." "Let''s go." Yun Zhantian barked an order, and Su Qi moved in a flash. After slaughtering several fearless abominations that rushed them, they finally made it into room number seven. "Boom!" The metal door fell immediately after, crushing the abominations that were still trying to get inside to pulp! Yun Zhantian gasped for air. Although he could unleash a powerful burst, his Physical Strength was rapidly depleting and he couldn''t keep up. He couldn''t help but turn to look at Su Qi, only to find him calm as usual... and still finishing off a few of the abominations, now only half of their bodies remaining. The act of delivering the coup de grace was indescribable! Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The group watched Su Qi''s actions and couldn''t help but swallow nervously. That... was just a lump of mush now, and you''re still stabbing and chopping? Are you trying to make meatballs? Guojiang, as a female player, had already turned pale and covered her eyes, "Too cruel!" Brother Oat couldn''t help but whisper to the Night Watch, "You guys should be duo partners, right? Has this brother experienced something unpleasant or oppressive in reality, or does he work in some kind of dangerous profession..." "..." The Night Watch fell into silence, only to raise his head and firmly interject, "I have no contact with this player named Su Buxian in reality... You know, game friends!" After a few meticulous cuts, Su Qi tilted his head and looked at everyone, puzzled, "Why are you all standing so far away?" "Um... we... There''s air conditioning over here; it''s quite cool." Yun Zhantian couldn''t help but say, "They''re scared by you, Brother Su..." He instinctively adopted Night Watch''s form of address. "What are you doing?" Su Qi expressed surprise, "Finishing off enemies, can''t you tell?" Everyone: "...." Su Qi spread his hands, "Folks, don''t look at me like I''m a Killing Demon. Abnormalities have really strange fatal points. Haven''t you all said that some won''t die even if their bodies are chopped in half?" "So, what I''m doing is just normal finishing moves." He pondered for a moment, "I suggest that you all do the same later on." "Alright, alright..." Jun Mowen even lost his composure a bit; he had met Su Qi offline and hadn''t communicated much, and didn''t expect him to be crazy in the game. But he also agreed with Su Qi''s idea of delivering the coup de grace. "Let''s all search for the employee management handbook now." Room number seven wasn''t very large, so they quickly found a portable tablet. [Please note, the employee handbook information file requires a password to unlock.] [Currently accessible information:] [Zone 8: F-level abominations, 138; E-level abominations, 87; D-level abominations, 2.] [Note: These two D-level abominations are critical cargo, highly powerful and self-aware, having suffered severe trauma to the mind. They''re reluctant to talk about it, seemingly terrified even by the mention of their names. Despite this, their threat level remains very high, and it is imperative not to provoke them.] The tablet displayed the abominations... One was the Split Mouth Woman, her body stitched with various threads. The other was the Swollen Man, with a gigantic lump growing on his back. Everyone''s eyelids twitched, "It''s kind of horrifying... feels like we''ll be torn to shreds if we get too close." "Humanoid monsters... and they are D-level, likely extremely dangerous." Su Qi''s eyes brightened slightly. See. I told you they were familiar faces! Chapter 58 - 58 I Know This Too Su Qi looked at the familiar image and confirmed that it was indeed those two people. They were the tenants in Tentacle Man''s apartment. His old neighbors. When he and Tentacle Man had left the apartment, they spent several days remodeling them to help him enter the source of collapse. Of course, Su Qi was involved, and his methods were a bit rough. "But how did these two guys end up in this instance... on this spaceship?" Su Qi couldn''t help but fall into thought; he also noticed the two words in the manual. "Cargo... huh..." At that moment. [Finding the Employee Management Manual is complete] [Please keep it safe, as it will be key to your survival] [Main mission updated] [Please connect to the system socket in rooms 5 and 6 for ten minutes to unlock some archival information] Everyone saw the new main mission. "We still don''t know what happened to this spaceship or where it''s headed," mumbled Jun Mowen. "But it looks like all the information is in this tablet, and we must unlock its key information to understand everything." Ye Shou nodded. "As of now, we can only follow the main mission." Everyone prepared to take a rest before setting off. Guojiang was asking if anyone was hurt; her skill could restore some Vitality and Physical Strength. The middle-aged man was chatting with Brother Oat and another person... the three seemed quite distant from each other, each with a generational gap, creating an oddly awkward atmosphere. "Brother Su, did you discover something just then?" Ye Shou approached and asked. He noticed Su Qi''s behavior in the Hibernation Room and, as a former teammate, he felt Su Qi might have sensed something. Su Qi spoke indifferently, "It''s hard to say, I''m afraid of causing team strife." "Ah?" Ye Shou was somewhat baffled. "Since when have you been so concerned about the team?" "?" Your surprise is a bit peculiar. Su Qi glanced at the other six people. "Let me put it this way, I suspect that among the eight of us, one might not be a player." This time, Ye Shou was genuinely surprised. "Not a player? Why do you say that?" Su Qi briefly explained his findings from the Hibernation Room. Ye Shou grew wary. "That''s the case, but who could it be?" "How would I know?" Su Qi said calmly. Each person is a composite of countless pieces of information, [?]although they highlight key information, sometimes it''s not what Su Qi wants. So generally, he refreshes it from time to time. Like with Pig Head Man that time... Su Qi waited until the end just to get all the information. As for everyone present, their [?]information looked normal. His suspicions stemmed from the pruned bonsai, just trimmed... [?]it was easy to treat it as key information and display it directly. "But I think they all seem normal." Ye Shou looked over. "I haven''t spotted any anomalies; could it be some other presence on the spaceship?" "All possibilities exist, which is why I haven''t mentioned this in public. Firstly, to avoid making everyone suspicious of each other, and secondly, to avoid alarming the potential impersonator." Ye Shou was somewhat moved. "I didn''t expect you to trust me so much, Brother Su, telling only me." Su Qi glanced at him. Above his head [?]it showed that before entering the game, he had bought a pair of Leopard Pattern Underwear. He patted Ye Shou on the shoulder. "Of course, if someone were pretending, they surely wouldn''t pretend to be one of the duo players." "Just be careful going forward." "Understood." Five minutes later. The group set off again; this time was much easier. The abnormality of sector eight had returned to its room, so they didn''t have to pass through the earlier dangerous section. They soon arrived outside the gate of area six. The place wasn''t large, only two pianos... one splattered with blood stains encased in tempered glass, the other seemingly prepared for the players. And they also saw the control panel, to the left. "We need to connect the tablet for ten minutes." The group slowly walked over, remaining alert, but nothing happened when they reached the control panel. However. Just as they had plugged in the tablet. "Ding ding..." The bloodstained piano suddenly played two keys automatically, causing everyone''s expressions to change slightly as they felt a spiritual impact. Although they didn''t lose spiritual power, the connection between the control panel and the tablet broke. "What''s going on?" "Did that piano interrupt us?" Jun Mowen reconnected the tablet again, and at the moment of connection, "Ding! Ding!" The piano sounded again, this time even more piercing as if it were filled with emotion! And likewise, The connection between the console and the tablet was severed once more. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "It has a spirit!" Guojiang blinked. "And look, those two keys are being held down... It seems to be preparing to play." "Could it be... it wants someone to play with it?" Jun Mowen looked at the second piano and the music scores on it, pondering. Su Qi seemed somewhat interested, "It seems it doesn''t want us just to retrieve the password, it wants someone to perform a duet with it." "I knew it wouldn''t be that simple." Ye Shou sighed. At this moment, Stain suddenly pushed his glasses up and volunteered, "Then I''ll do it!" "I''ve been studying the piano since I was a child, known as ''Piano Little Fatty,'' skilled in various high-order pieces." He excitedly took a seat at the other piano. Su Qi paused, he had wanted to go, but since someone else was going, he left it to him. He cautioned, "If I''m not wrong, you need to keep up with its rhythm and play for ten minutes to let us retrieve the password," Su Qi paused again. "And you can''t miss a single note; otherwise, the connection will break again." "...That''s difficult... I regret this..." Stain''s face stiffened. "Also," Su Qi added, "there might be danger." At this statement, The piano keys started to move! Stain quickly focused all his attention on the music sheet, and his hands began to follow along! His piano skills were quite good, evidently honed since childhood. Though there were a few imperfections and panic at the start, he soon caught up with the rhythm. At the same time, everyone hastily reconnected the tablet to the console. The sound of the duet echoed through the room, growing increasingly unsettling and eerie as they listened. "What kind of piece is this! Why does it give a chilling sensation!" "And... it feels more and more abnormal!" Su Qi looked intently in that direction, "It''s starting to convey emotion." The piano sounds continued, growing more intense! Like venting, like screaming! From the keys of the bloodstained piano, more blood began to ooze! The listeners grew paler as they listened, and Stain was already sweating profusely; he was almost unable to keep up, and... the sound seemed to place him in a terrifying dark room, ready to be devoured at any moment! And at this moment! His fingers trembled, hitting a wrong note! The piano stopped abruptly! "Bang!" Stain was thrown backward, crashing hard against the wall! "Ding! Ding!" The Bloodstained Piano returned to pressing two keys, the sound sharper and filled with rage, as if displeased with the recent wrong note. At the same time, The connection between the tablet and the console was severed again. Watching this scene, Ye Shou swallowed, asking, "....So, does anyone else know how to play the piano...?" Three nodded simultaneously. Jun Mowen said gravely, "I started practicing in junior high. I stopped for a while in college, but I can give it a try." Yun Zhantian also said, "I''ve practiced for a long time, our club provides comprehensive training... We must master various skills to cope with odd requirements like this in the game." While Guojiang was treating Stain and overheard this, both were surprised, "Your club is that professional? It feels less like playing a game and more like grooming all-round geniuses." Yun Zhantian just smiled without a word. Ye Shou looked at Su Qi, "Didn''t expect Brother Su to know as well; did you also start when you were a child?" Su Qi nodded, "Sort of, last month because of a certain incident, I bought a music score and practiced it a bit." "...." Everyone fell silent. Then Ye Shou burst out, "Does that even count as knowing how to play!" Chapter 59 - 59: Give It a Little Nursery Rhyme Shock! Jun Mowen went up first. He sat down at the piano with a serious expression. Then... "Ding! Ding!" The trembling sound of the piano began to play incessantly! Jun Mowen''s expression was very calm and focused, his gaze constantly fixed on the music score. "Very impressive," said a man with a stained face and a pale complexion, "But he needs to be careful of the spiritual impacts later on." A look of fear appeared on his face: "When I played further into the piece, it was as if I could feel the presence of a monster behind me, monitoring my practice expressionlessly! And it was getting closer and closer!" "That feeling was truly too terrifying!" Yun Zhantian spoke up, "It seems that this thing can create illusions." Su Qi, however, pondered, "Or perhaps it is really behind you? Have you tried headbutting it?" "...." Meanwhile, The sound from the piano suddenly intensified, and even the cool-headed player Jun Mowen... now showed a change in his face, as if he was frightened, and his focus scattered. The sound of the piano shrieked in everyone''s eardrums! It was as if the piano tones were sawing through something! And in the next moment! Jun Mowen made a mistake, and his body trembled! "Bang!" A loud burst, and his entire body was violently thrown back, hitting the wall heavily! Clearly, the force of this blow was greater than the last. Blood leaked from Jun Mowen''s mouth, and his eyes were bloodshot. Jun Mowen was helped up by a middle-aged man. He had a bad complexion and said hoarsely, "Gentlemen, this challenge is very difficult. Not only do we have to keep up with the rhythm, but we also have to directly face... that terrifying spiritual impact,... and the next one might be fatal. Our consecutive mistakes have enraged it greatly." He looked at Yun Zhantian, "Brother Yun, are you confident?" Yun Zhantian hesitated for a bit but shook his head, "Although I can play the piano, spiritual power is my weakness, I haven''t enhanced it at all. My only spiritual defense equipment can be used only once per instance, and I''ve already used it." "I''m afraid it''s unlikely." Everyone fell silent. "?" Su Qi looked at the group of people sighing and lamenting. Have you all forgotten that there''s still one among us who can play the piano? "Brother Su, what are you thinking of doing?" Ye Shou watched as Su Qi slowly walked over. His gaze was as serene as a master''s, looking at the piano keys. He slowly opened his mouth, his voice gentle and indifferent, "Learning is a matter of talent. Some people can write research papers before they''re ten years old, some can drive a McLaren right after graduating, and some get promoted to senior levels as soon as they enter a relevant department. The same goes for the piano." "I''ve read about the first case, that paper was written by her dad! The latter one is a rich second generation, the other a powerful official''s child! What does this have to do with talent, you jerk!" The man with the stained face became pale and out of breath, "No, there are too many errors, I can''t get them all out!" "That''s not important." "..." Su Qi had already adjusted his clothes, making a formal bow in the direction of the bloodstained piano, with etiquette and a smile that seemed fitting for a concert, exceedingly standard. He then slowly sat down. The crowd was somewhat astonished, but no one spoke, afraid of disturbing Su Qiafter all, the moment had come where they had to go through with it! "Ding! Ding!" The impatient piano sound abruptly started up again, this time even more agitated and filled with a sense of chill. Su Qi stretched out his slender fingers, and the harmonious sound gently flowed from his fingertips. The duet gracefully commenced! Though the piano''s tone was abnormal, it was orderly and methodical. "He really knows his stuff!" the crowd exclaimed in amazement, thankful that they had connected the tablets and control panels right away, avoiding the kind of blunder only a foolish teammate would make. Su Qi focused intently, his movements relaxed and comfortable, hardly seeming like someone who had just started playing the piano. Stain pushed up his glasses, "He needs to be careful now. He''s about to enter the main melody. The rhythm and the spiritual impact will both intensify." The music lasted for a long time, about ten minutes. As it progressed, the Bloodstained Piano played more intensely, more abnormally! The sound of the piano suddenly moved into a higher order! "Here it comes!" Stain and Jun Mowen both stared intently, having personally experienced it, they understood the difficulty of this section better than anyone else! Su Qi showed no change in expression; he even played more fiercely, as if he was more into it than the other side! The duet seemed to turn into a competition between the two! "Why do I feel like Brother Su even wants to overpower the opponent?" Night Watch murmured. He didn''t understand piano or music, but he knew Su Qi. At this moment. On the mottled piano in the middle, blood appeared! Lots of fresh blood seeped out from between the keys. And with the violent press of the keys, the blood splattered out, as if chopping away at flesh and bone! "The abnormal phase is starting!" Jun Mowen and Stain''s complexions changed as they said gravely, "This is where we failed. The spiritual impact will lead us to hallucinate, making us see abnormalities, black shadows! Not sure if Brother Su can shake off the influence." "Wait, Brother Su doesn''t seem to have moved at all!" "He''s so steady!" And on Su Qi''s side. The abnormalities and black shadows indeed appeared one after another around him, but as they attempted to draw close, they trembled and were forcefully suppressed, unable to advance... Su Qi''s spiritual power was so high, they were outdated. The so-called stern spiritual impact was just like a breeze passing by, without causing a ripple. "..." Ten minutes finally passed slowly by. During that time, everyone felt several terrifying bursts, but Su Qi caught them all. They weren''t performing a duet... they were fighting tooth and nail! And the middle-aged man, looking at the control panel, quickly said: "Success!" The tablet had begun to flicker, showing progress. And the piano music started to slow down, entering the finale. "Ding!" The last note came from the Bloodstained Piano, its vibrato echoing throughout Room 6. It seemed somewhat content, as if to say that Su Qi was quite good and had passed. The crowd''s faces lit up with joy as they cheered: "Brother Su, well done!" "To think you said you only started a month ago, turns out you were joking." "Do you want to take a rest before we move on to Room 5?" But Su Qi didn''t stand up. He looked at the[!]on top of the Bloodstained Piano, where red characters emerged. [Defeat it, and perhaps you''ll get a reward] The just-finished duet was only a mutual contest; after all, the other side had been in control, and it had not been defeated. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Brother Su?" The others looked at the unmoving Su Qi with some surprise. Then they saw Su Qi slowly reach into his pocket and take out another piece of sheet music. "You go ahead." It was a tattered piece of sheet music, contaminated material that the Traveling Merchant needed. It was already so worn and the ink had faded, barely able to make out the lines, which Su Qi had handwritten to record the Sound of the Past of Horror Nursery Rhyme. Su Qi placed the sheet music on top and softly said: "I''m going to give it a little... ''nursery rhyme shock''." Chapter 60 - 60 Mixed Fish Piano! (Please follow) "...." Everyone was confused. Ye Shou, the experienced one, sighed, "Let''s just go ahead for now, Brother Su is very much a team player. He must have something else he wants to do, and he''ll catch up later." "Okay." Jun Mowen, however, pondered, "He might have a special mission after playing the piano. But since we''ve all failed, let''s leave this to him." Everyone nodded in agreement. Ye Shou silently walked among the crowd. Although he said that, he was the first to disbelieve it. They activated the door to Room 6 and then headed down the corridor. The door fell with a thunderous crash. Leaving only Su Qi and the piano opposite him. Su Qi looked at it, and it seemed to be watching Su Qi as well. "Ding! Ding!" The bloodstained piano issued a somewhat provocative note, it was inherently spirited and had already sensed what Su Qi intended to do. Challenge it? "Don''t rush, let''s start with a warm-up," he said. Su Qi''s fingers touched the piano keys, and he began to play a nursery rhyme classic. The DJ version of "Two Tigers." The melody was melodious! Spirited and lively! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, this clearly confused the bloodstained piano. At the same time, it also made the people who hadn''t gone far exchange puzzled looks. "Ye Shou, are you really sure he''s doing something serious?" Ye Shou: "...." He strode forward: "I know nothing." Although the bloodstained piano was confused, a nursery rhyme was just a nursery rhyme, a DJ was a DJ... What if the rhythm was merry! It didn''t need any music score, and followed the tune directly... without missing a beat. Su Qi judged the piano''s speed C such a rapid imitation suggested that defeating it would indeed be extremely difficult. The song concluded. The bloodstained piano let out a trembling note, as if to say... that''s it? That''s all? "Don''t be impatient, that was just a warm-up," said Su Qi with a smile. "Now for the main event, I have a nursery rhyme that''s quite ancient, from the Sound of the Past." "I wonder if you can withstand it." "Ding!" The bloodstained piano was defiant. "Alright." Su Qi withdrew his gaze, looking at the music score he had brought out. The sound system given by the Traveling Merchant contained the Horror Nursery Rhyme from the Sound of the Past. The sound was not simple. The sound system was probably just a restrictive shell. He wrote it down, not to study it but to prepare to inquire about it when handing it over to the Traveling Merchant. The bloodstained piano seemed to notice Su Qi was pondering and impatiently emitted a sound! "Ding! Ding!" Aren''t you challenging me? Come on, then! Su Qi laughed; his hand touched the piano keys... and gently pressed down. You think you can copy the background music designated by the leader of The Hustlers Sect? The Sound of the Past vibrated under Su Qi''s fingers! The melody was rising! The fifth note started! It was different, a strange aura began to spread, as if the temperature of the air around was dropping. The bloodstained piano was visibly stunned, slowing considerably. Is this a nursery rhyme? Is this a children''s tune? Only a child-eating monster would listen to this. And why did it feel a shiver! The bloodstained piano was still following, seemingly wanting to face it head-on. But the trend did not stop! Su Qi''s fingers moved swiftly! Horror, strangeness, and screams! They were pervading the space, like a rising tide! And... Everything seemed to have only just begun. Su Qi sat there, his expression unchanged, all the horror was generated between his fingertips. "Boom!" The entire room visibly darkened! The bloodstained piano was completely dumbfounded! The piano keys seized up, not daring to continue; even the body of the piano was trembling, as blood continually gushed from within the keys, beyond its control. Fear! Fear had actually invaded such a contaminant! It became aware of endless abnormalities! It sensed... that all space centered around Su Qi was fracturing! Roars were coming from everywhere, along with boundless darkness as if they were approaching from all sides. Then erupted burst!!! It trembled crazily, as if it would be erased the next moment! And just at that time! "Clang!" Su Qi withdrew his hand, and all sounds abruptly ceased. All the scenes from just a moment ago vanished as if they were hallucinations, as if nothing had ever happened! After stopping, Su Qi himself appeared somewhat dazed, muttering to himself, "I played less than one-tenth of ''Sound of the Past''... and directly lost 100 units of spiritual power." And Su Qi turned to look at the Bloodstained Piano. All its keys were trembling nonstop, the friction of the keys sounded like screams, and blood continued to spray everywhere from between the keys. "It''s getting a bit too much for children." Su Qi walked up to it. The other party seemed to have no response at all, still performing an endless blood spray. "Does this count as defeating it?" Su Qi held the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade in his hand, "If not, then I''ll have to defeat it on a physical level." And at that moment. Driven by a desire to survive, the Bloodstained Piano seemed to come back to life. The music scores on it changed, revealing inscriptions. "Please... don''t erase me!" "I.... damn it, I shouldn''t have... contended with you... I was wrong....." "You want... I can do anything, just don''t use that terrifying sound again..." The twisted inscriptions that continuously appeared showed it was indeed incredibly frightened, constantly begging for mercy. However. Su Qi did not see the finishing exclamation mark, it seemed that at least in terms of piano playing, it still thought it wasn''t defeated. "Then you..." Su Qi paused, "Carve these words onto your piano." The Bloodstained Piano: "..." Half a minute later. On a conspicuous part of its piano, deep carvings were made. "Once dared to compete with the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sectyet was not a match, Mixed Fish Piano." And Su Qi saw the exclamation mark slowly disappear; a sphere of light fell from within the music signature. A skill? Su Qi grasped it, and a panel appeared before his eyes. [Name: Artificial Team''s Counterattack!] [Type: Skill] [Function: Possesses a 50% chance to cause mechanical, electronic, equipment, and other such items to malfunction on their next usage (if the equipment quality is higher than ordinary, then the success rate decreases to 10%, 5%, 1% progressively), each use requires a ten-minute cooldown] [Consumption: 100 units of Physical Strength] [Note: Let''s see how the Mechanical Team performs now! Hehehe!] Su Qi looked at the skill, his gaze shifted slightly. Equipment has six levels: low-quality, ordinary, excellent, perfect, immortal, and legendary. That meant it had a 50% chance of causing ordinary and lower items to malfunction, and a 10% chance for excellent quality goods, while flawless items had a 5% probability. It could even affect immortal equipment, though the success rate was only 1%. But the most important thing was... this skill could be used over and over! "Not a bad skill." Su Qi was very satisfied with it; he looked again at the piano. "Oh right, the first song I played... You practice it well. No matter where you get shipped to afterward, you can proudly play it and say it was taught to you by the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect, remember to carry on the legacy." The Bloodstained Piano remained dazed for a long time. And at this moment. In Room 5, the people at the door had finally overcome that hurdle, unlocking the information that was blocked on the tablet. "Whew... Luckily, it''s a direct combat Pollution Abnormality, which is much easier than Room 6," Jun Mowen and others gasped for air, having just been through a battle. "Brother Su hasn''t arrived yet, but let''s check it out first." The content on the tablet appeared before everyone''s eyes, but... it was flashing with alarming red lights! Everyone''s eyes tightened. [Please be careful!] [The LHS87 model robot is a high-IQ AI robot capable of perfectly simulating another person''s appearance, voice, and behavior. It was originally used to manage and monitor the ship''s various cargo after personnel went into hibernation, but it is now influenced by something and has developed a dangerous autonomous consciousness] [Caution!] [Ship personnel, it may be among you!] Chapter 61 - 61: The Ultimate Main Quest! Seeing such information. The expressions on everyone''s faces became slightly somber, and almost subconsciously, the experienced players all maintained vigilance and a certain distance. "Did a... robot arise among us?" "That''s pretty fierce." Pollutant couldn''t help but blurt out his teasing, then quickly corrected himself, "Uh, no, who is disguised as a robot?" Jun Mowen spoke seriously, "It''s unclear, but... everyone needs to be a bit more careful." "What should we do next? Find it out?" "Not easy to find... we all queued alone, not understanding each other." The voices of the people were slightly uneasy. "As expected, everyone''s starting to doubt each other." The Night Watch had been previously informed by Su Qi, but even though everyone knew about it, it seemed they couldn''t directly identify the culprit. And at this time. [The main mission has been updated] All eyes turned to the briefing that appeared before them. [The Tianqi Star is a planet dominated by technology, but they were powerless in the face of an abnormality invasion... they had no choice but to seek shelter from a powerful entity] [They successfully gained the protection of a terrifying and greedy sovereign, and the price was to pay tribute once a year] [This spaceship, loaded with ''Sky Gold,'' had collected a huge amount of tribute from various worlds and was on its way back] [The envoy of that being will arrive in ten days] [But! A mishap occurred, the spacecraft has stopped traveling, and if it does not start again, it will be unable to arrive on time, and then... they would face not only the wrath of that sovereign but also Tianqi Star''s loss of sanctuary and the destructive end caused by contamination] The briefing slowly disappeared, revealing the true nature of the spaceship to everyone; so these goods were actually tribute? What kind of sovereign would enjoy such abnormalities and pollutants? As pets and toys? And the next moment. [The final main mission has been updated] [Please enter the control room within five hours and restart the ship] "This is..." Pollutant was about to speak. But Jun Mowen narrowed his eyes and stopped him, shaking his head, "Don''t say anything related to the content." He looked at everyone, "That robot... it''s not a player, it can''t receive system announcements and tasks, it''s just been following our movements." "Now... it must not know what we''ve seen." "And this... is precisely our chance to find it!" The expressions of the people lit up slightly. Jun Mowen said in a heavy tone, "Since there''s only one of them, I suggest we pair up and compare the content with each other." "I agree." Yun Zhantian nodded, "But be careful. The robot might not hesitate to attack outright." "Alright." The Night Watch looked around at the others; no one seemed panicked, rather, everyone was cautious, their eyes filled with suspicion, fearing that the other person might be the robot and launch a sudden attack. However, Su Qi was not there. So Yun Zhantian took charge of pairings, after all, his reputation was well known, and he was the least likely to be impersonated by a robot. But five minutes later. Jun Mowen''s expression gradually grew solemn, "Why... this is unscientific!" Everyone present could repeat the content that the system had just provided! Not one person was the issue! "That leaves only one possibility, the robot isn''t here?" He looked confused. Just then, the metal door of Door No.5 slowly opened, and everyone was slightly startled. Only to discover Su Qi''s figure at the doorway. After seeing everyone, he apologized, "Sorry I''m late, I hope I haven''t missed anything." The gazes of the people shifted slightly, "Su Buxian, you... shouldn''t be lagging now, right?" "That''s not the case, don''t look at me with that doubt," Su Qi said with a smile, "I too saw the content just now, how about... do you want me to repeat it?" Nobody spoke. Su Qi recited the entire content word for word. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Night Watch looked at Su Qi, "Brother Su, you stayed in Room No.7 for so long? What were you doing?" Su Qi chuckled, "That Bloodstained Piano... was quite troublesome, it wouldn''t let me leave, I had to exert some effort to get out, but it looks like you made good progress." Jun Mowen frowned, scrutinizing everyone else, completely at a loss. "In any case... since everyone''s fine, let''s complete the main mission." They decided to head straight for the control room. The group began to move. The Night Watch tugged at Su Qi''s sleeve, lagging a few steps behind, "Brother Su, you were right in your guess earlier, you had foreseen the existence of a ninth person." Su Qi paused slightly, and humbly smirked, "Oh, I''m just good at observing." The Night Watch paused. Su Qi strode toward the team, "Let''s go, we should catch up with the team." The group passed Rooms No.5, No.4, and No.3, which weren''t open, but they learned from the staff files that these rooms held various precious antiques, ingenious trinkets, and specially collected fine wines from different places. Not particularly dangerous. As they entered Zone No.2, they were met with a heavy metal barrier door across the corridor. "It looks like the final area has been sealed off, I thought we could go straight to the control room," Pollutant said with regret, "It''s never that simple, is it?" "Strange..." Jun Mowen was puzzled, "If they didn''t want us near the control room, why not block each area with these doors?" "Hey... that would be too difficult, the control room is very close by, why bother considering it?" Pollutant said. "It''s not a matter of considering, it''s that the logic is flawed." Jun Mowen shook his head, "Forget it, I''ll take a look at the staff manual." The tablet revealed not only information about the robot but also unlock procedures for the protective doors in each area, all of which had separate systems. "So, to open Area No.1, we must connect the tablet to the console inside Door No.2 and decrypt the password," he sighed, "Why make it so complicated, who''s it trying to stop?" After Door No.2 opened. What was inside made everyone''s expressions shift subtly. It was a maze composed of numerous mirrors, and there wasn''t just a single entrance. Yun Zhantian''s eyes shimmered slightly as he grasped his slightly warm necklace, "These mirrors are pollutants, same as that Bloodstained Piano, capable of ''spiritual pollution.''" sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "These mirrors may look complex to the eyes, but they all seem unreal..." he smashed one with his weapon, shattering it, but in the blink of an eye, it was restored. "It''s definitely a replication of the original!" Yun Zhantian looked at everyone, "I think... we''ll have to split into groups to find the console." Jun Mowen nodded, "Alright, four entrances... that''s perfect, we''ll go in pairs." And naturally, the Night Watch teamed up with Su Qi. The Night Watch looked at others who were prepared to enter. He also said, "Let''s go, Brother Su." "Alright... here we go." Chapter 62 - 62 Su Qi Always Appears Where He Shouldnt "Pitiful" "Truly pitiful" "Completely unnoticed" "We are among you, yet no one knows." "And now you won''t be able to complete the so-called main mission, what awaits you is a dead end" "Brother Su." Yeshou suddenly spoke up. "Hm?" Su Qi looked at Yeshou, "What''s up?" "You help me keep an eye on our back." "Okay, don''t worry." These mirrors aren''t just part of the maze, some of them will suddenly attack the players or reach out and drag them away. If one isn''t careful, it''s easy to encounter danger. And very soon, they ran out of road in front, Yeshou looked at the mirror in front of him, which surprisingly presented a mathematical problem: "...it''s even calculus." Su Qi pondered, "It seems we''ll have to solve this problem to proceed." Yeshou waited for two seconds, then smiled: "No problem, I''ll do it." Su Qi nodded, "Okay, it''s all yours." Yeshou squatted there, beginning to write numbers on the mirror. While writing, he also started a conversation. "Brother Su is exceptionally reliable today, huh." Su Qi paused, then said with a smile, "What''s that? We''re all teammates; of course, I have to fulfill my responsibilities." He acted as if he was truly keeping watch for Yeshou, slowly approaching to guard against any sudden mirror attacks. And just as Su Qi drew near from behind, Yeshou tsked. "Before, I told everyone that you, Brother Su, were a team player, but I didn''t expect... someone actually took my words for real." "?" Su Qi''s figure faltered slightly, curious, "What do you mean, I..." Yeshou cut him off mercilessly, "Politeness, sarcasm, resignation. In short, all social niceties, but of course... you might not understand these... after all..." A flash of cold light struck from behind! Yeshou''s words carried a chill, "You''re just a robot!" sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And the next moment! He spun around, his axe blocking a silver spike coming from behind! A clashing "bang!" sound echoed! Yeshou stared hard at the ''Su Qi'' in front, whose hand had turned into silvery metallic liquid. "You discovered me?" ''Su Qi'' looked perplexed. Yeshou sneered, "Setting aside everything else, Brother Su is someone who is never modest, never team-oriented, speaking with a pinch of jest artfully. You''re not like him at all!" ''Su Qi'' revealed a smile tinged with regret, eyes flickering, "As expected, humans are hard to understand. I thought I had imitated him perfectly, not missing a single action or expression. Yet, I''m still exposed?" Yeshou''s eyes turned cold as he said calmly, "You can mimic Brother Su''s appearance, but you can''t mimic his terrible personality. You''re just trying to imitate Xi Shi''s frown!" "It should be... Dong Shi''s frown," the robot corrected. "Fuck! Is it so bad that I didn''t study hard, and the real Brother Su wouldn''t have me do calculus because, you see, I can''t do it at all!" With a roar, Yeshou swung his axe fiercely, "Tell me now where the real Brother Su is!" The robot, composed of liquid metal, began to revert to its original appearance, its cold mechanical exterior... its hands transformed into weapons as it fought emotionlessly, "That one called Su Buxian has been locked away in a previous area, and by now he''s probably been torn to pieces." Yeshou''s expression shocked, "What have you done?" Its eyes carried a cold indifference as its mechanical voice emitted, "I have set that entire area''s system to emergency escape mode, the doors will not close, and I''ve cut the corridor''s power, plunging it into darkness!" "And all the abnormalities in Gate No.8 will step out of their rooms." "His chances of escape are virtually zero!" Yeshou''s complexion changed; he knew all too well how terrifying the number and strength of Gate No.8''s abnormalities were. If what this robot claimed was true, Su Qi''s chances were slim. "If that''s the case," Yeshou gritted his teeth, "then you can go die!" The things he had been writing on the mirror were not numbers, but the activation method for one of his Skills; he had been on guard all along! And the next moment, A blinding white light burst from the mirror, surging straight toward the robot! "Boom!" The terrifying wave of light directly shattered all the surrounding mirrors, and sent the robot flying, with half of its metallic body destroyed! The inner mechanisms were exposed! Liquid metal continuously repaired the damage, emitting an electric "zzz" sound. It was, after all, just a cargo management type robot. Although it had some fighting capabilities, its strength in combat wasn''t strong. And at that moment, Night Guard''s brow suddenly jumped, he saw something strange within the damaged inner mechanisms of the robot. He was slightly stunned. Had he seen wrongly? It was during this moment of distraction, that the robot suddenly activated the propulsion jets on its feet, smashing through a nearby mirror, and then escaped! Its voice, ice-cold and devoid of emotion, followed: "It''s no use, all of you will be killed, one by one!" "This is my task, Tianqi Star... has no reason to exist, it must become a land of pollution." "Everything here, shall be given to..." "Zzz." The voice faded away! And Night Guard, watching the shattered mirror return to its original state, said with a slight change in expression, that they must hurry to regroup and not allow the robot to fully repair and impersonate again! And at that moment, All the mirrors suddenly shattered! Yun Zhantian held a blood-stained mirror shard, his body covered in minor injuries, and the middle-aged man next to him also seemed to have been through a battle, bearing wounds as well. Certainly, they had just experienced a fight of considerable intensity. Yun Zhantian said with cold, hard eyes, "I found the main body." After the mirrors shattered, other people also came into view. "Where''s Su Buxian..." Jun Mowen immediately noticed Night Guard standing alone. Night Guard breathed a sigh of relief and slowly began, "The ''Brother Su'' just now was impersonated by a robot... It has already escaped, but I managed to shatter half of its body, it will take some time to repair." "Then the real..." Stains were somewhat shocked and doubtful. Night Guard spoke gravely, "And the real Brother Su, I''m afraid he''s been trapped in the previous area." He hesitated for a moment and then uttered four words: "Alive or dead unknown." ----------------- And the real Su Qi. He was in the tightly sealed Room No. 9. The space was small, more like an office area. And Su Qi was languidly leaning back in an ergonomic chair, holding a cup of a coffee-like beverage, staring at the person tied up in front of him. "Who are you..." The man was somewhat surprised and doubtful, "How did you manage to break the password lock and come in?" His voice grew louder, "And after coming in, you went straight to drinking coffee without saying anything! Shouldn''t you say something first, or untie me?" Su Qi paused then leisurely took a sip of his coffee before replying, "Mainly because I wanted to try the taste of beverages from other planets." "Hey! I asked you so many questions, and you only answered the least important one!" The man roared. "Calm down, you are..." Su Qi glanced at his uniform, "Space Man." "I''m the navigator of this spaceship, dammit!" he said agitatedly, "The navigator chosen from thousands on Tianqi Star!" "Okay, Space Man." He had never encountered someone like Su Qi before; opening his mouth but unable to continue, he slumped his shoulders like a deflated balloon, "Fine, you can just call me that." He hung his head in defeat: "I''ve been locked up here for half a month already." "Time is almost up, and the fate of the entire Tianqi Star lies in this cargo." "Whoever you are," he lifted his head, urgently pleading, "If you can get me out and help me restart the spaceship, I would be eternally grateful!" And Su Qi''s eyes slightly moved. [Exploration World Personal Task Triggered] [Please help Russell fulfill his request] [After completion, you will receive a World Puzzle Piece] "This task...sounds," Su Qi put down his coffee, straightened up slightly, "not so easy, Mr. Russell." Russell stared blankly at Su Qi. Looking at the other party, he said, "You''ll have to pay extra!" Chapter 63 - 63: This is Networking Russell froze. He hadn''t expected Su Qi to call him out by name. Nevertheless, he was now at a dead end and, though Su Qi''s smile made him tremble, he still gritted his teeth and said, "Add, just add!" "Do you trust me that much?" Russell''s voice was hoarse, "Because you are a Descender, it''s not surprising you have special means, as long as you can get me out of here, everything is still salvageable!" "?" Su Qi, slightly surprised, said, "Descender..." Before, in the city of Srilan, he had been called an outsider. And now, on this spaceship, this man before him called him a Descender. "Does this refer to players?" Russell nodded, "That''s what they call themselves." It really seems... Russell fumbled with the electronic lock on his wrist, "Could you please help me unlock this firstI''ll tell you everything that happened in the past half month." "Okay." Su Qi pulled out the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade, its sharp edge tracing a chilling arc as he chopped off the locks on his arms and legs, "But this isn''t free." "?" You say that after chopping? Forget it, it''s not important anymore. Russell hurriedly opened the cabinet beside him, revealing a control panel. He carefully picked up a hidden chip and began to disassemble and install it on the control panel... As he worked, Russell said, "This device can monitor the corridor outsideof course, that''s all it can do...I almost got caught a few days ago, then the robot bound my hands and feet." "Damn it," Russell cursed. "Don''t they know who its real master is!" As he successfully assembled it, the surveillance footage...soon appeared. "This is..." Su Qi saw eight men and women in uniform cautiously emerge from the Hibernation Room. He didn''t recognize any of them, but he could tell who these people were, "Other players?" "It''s footage from over ten days ago." Russell watched the screen, softly saying, "In the half month since the treacherous robot locked me up, several batches of Descenders have continuously arrived." "But they... all without exception, were killed." The footage switchedplayers were killed by abnormalities, murdered by concealed robots, slain by Bloodstained Pianos and other Pollutants... Su Qi: "..." That Mixed Fish Piano can kill people? "The most important thing is..." Another scene appeared on Russell''s screen. In the footage. The two players who had survived until the end shouted angrily and jointly attacked the robot! And then! One of them suddenly let out a sneer, violently changing the direction of his blade, piercing through his companion''s body! "Hmm? Nice backstab!" Su Qi, with a sharp eye, noticed a fleeting symbol on his body and said with interest, "It seems I really have run into it." The person who had slaughtered the survivors of the Tianqi Star, Tower, and pursued Old Tomato, had finally appeared. Russell''s gaze was heavy, he gritted his teeth furiously, "This person has existed from the beginning, hiding among every batch of Descenders...even the LHS87 robot was controlled because of him!" "He wants to take everything on the ship! And our Tianqi Star will lose its Sanctuary and be eroded by Pollution!" Meanwhile, in the footage, the corridor of Area 2 appeared. Night Demon, Yun Zhantian, and the others had just come out, preparing to open the barrier door to enter the final Area 1. "That dangerous guy is hidden among you, and... he is about to make a move," Russell said anxiously, "We better hurry now! We should be able to stop this. Can you unlock the passcode again?" He was in a hurry. Although he didn''t know how Su Qi had gotten in, by conveying all the information to him, there still was a chance to salvage the situation. However, Su Qi slowly drank from his cup and shook his head, "That, I cannot do. I still have a few minutes of cooldown... But why open the passcode lock?" Russell became frantic, "Because only by opening it can we get out!" Su Qi looked at him strangely, "I didn''t close the door after I came in." "....." Russell turned his head blankly, only to discover that the door of room nine had a large gap. Outside, the sounds of abnormal breathing came through, and the dim corridor seemed to harbor pairs of terrifying eyes watching inside. Russell jumped in fright, his voice trembling, "Why is the door open, and they haven''t rushed in?" He knew the corridor outside was full of abnormalities, and even the slightest gap would have them tearing them to pieces like hungry tigers. But now... they were all motionless outside? "Because...." Su Qi walked over and pushed the door open with his hand, "My connections, you wouldn''t imagine." The door was completely open. In the dark corridor. Two of the most powerful D-level abnormalities stood by the door like guards, not daring to move. The surrounding groups of abnormalities gathered further away... seemingly wary of Su Qi. Russell''s body stiffened. "This is... why?" Russell watched in amazed disbelief as Su Qi walked out, but the next moment he felt an immense chill. And the source of the chill was... Su Qi in front of him. "No reason, just some old acquaintances," Su Qi said. His eyes were as red as a blood moon, emanating an aura in the dark not inferior to D-level pollution! In that instant. All the abnormalities bowed their heads! Even Split Mouth Woman and Swollen Man trembled slightly, their eyes showing fear. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In fact, Su Qi''s Night Demon Gene had an intimidating effect only on abnormalities below D-level... but these two old acquaintances had a deep fear of him. After all, in the apartment, he and Tentacle Man had meticulously altered them. They indeed were stronger, becoming the leaders among the group of abnormalities. But now, sorry, no longer... Su Qi looked at Split Mouth Woman and Swollen Man, "Stand straight, chest out, hands raised high, I told you the key stance when I entered the door." "...." Russell couldn''t help but speak, "What did you do, how could these two abnormalities possibly..." And the next moment, the two D-level dangerous abnormalities, who had devoured a mass of pollution and evolved, actually trembled and complied! "?? Darn!" Russell was overwhelmingly shocked! He couldn''t understand and was greatly shaken! Su Qi nodded in satisfaction, "Don''t just stand there stunned, let''s go." "Go... go..." Russell opened his mouth and then came to his senses, realizing that now was not the time to be shocked. With complicated and bewildered feelings, he followed alongside Su Qi through the darkness. He couldn''t help but look back at the two D-level abnormalities and the surrounding groups of crawling abnormalities. Every batch of Descenders existed in fear... but in front of Su Qi, they had already become subservient. He had thought it would be a tough and desperate battle. But now it seemed... something was a little off. Chapter 64 - 64 The Script Seems Incorrect A pair of eyes was watching the group in discussion. His gaze was serene, blending in with the crowd... Although inconspicuous, whenever he spoke, he was not ignored. Today. It was probably the last day of the main quest. As long as he killed this batch of players, everything would come to an end. He glanced at his game panel. He was a disciple of the Evil God. His main quest was naturally different from the others. Unlike the panels of other players, his was filled with shades of blood, horror, and strangeness, most importantly, it featured a Sheep Head totem; the panel was wrapped in black mist, unbeknownst to Paradise. If it could get him power faster, what was killing people? After countless rounds of killing players, he had accumulated a massive amount of Experience and Game Coins. He could settle this after leaving the instance, and the True God would reward him. Moreover. Apart from the main quest. He had another mission, one issued directly by the True God himself and was not restricted by the instancewith a terrifying blood-red color, it starkly loomed in every disciple''s field of vision! [All My Disciples! Mobilize at once! Search every world for that despicable person!] Every word was laden with boundless murderous intent. Even though he didn''t know who the Despicable Person was. Any clue would be handsomely rewarded! Greed flickered in his eyes. If he could complete this task, he would be more than a nobody. Of course, it wasn''t just him... various organizations, powers, Evil Spirits, and even some significant figures were interested. "But what difference does it make from daydreaming? Even the True God seems unclear about the Despicable Person''s appearance, how could I possibly encounter them?" He had examined the transmitted image; it was a blur, seemingly with a gun on the back, a knife in hand... beyond that, he only knew it was probably a man. To hell with it! Who could find that! His gaze was serene yet flashed with killing intent, better just to kill these players. Without any defense, the expressions of teammates being stabbed would certainly be interesting. At the moment, everyone was discussing a plan to enter through Gate One and retrieve the key. Jun Mowen spoke gravely, "Room One contains the most precious yet most dangerous Pollutant. Everyone must be cautious. Any misstep could lead to our complete annihilation." "Stay alert; let''s start the operation." He nodded in agreement, very cooperatively, "Understood." Room One was cramped, leading only to a narrow corridor, and deep inside... stood a bunch of abnormal giant dolls. These dolls seemed to be crudely stitched together, their bodies bristling with various bloodstained weapons! Among these giant dolls lay a small Barbie Doll, seemingly delicate and frail, but protected amidst them, maintaining a creepy smile. "Is this the most dangerous... Pollutant?" "Look there, the control panel seems to be right below those giant dolls." Yun Zhantian felt his scalp tingle, "What''s going to happen?" Jun Mowen spoke with a heavy tone, "No matter what happens, we must approach that control panel." At this moment. The creepy Barbie Doll unexpectedly made a sound, like a little girl singing, but the voice was not like a songbird''s! It was... screaming! Everyone''s faces turned pale, the terrifying voice causing a spiritual impact on every person! Their expressions shifted, this time it was an attack that directly damaged their spiritual power; once it dropped to zero... that would be death. "What do we do?" "We must deal with that doll first!" Jun Mowen''s face was somber. And just when they started to move! The weapons on those fearsome giant dolls suddenly launched! Those who had stepped forward felt a deadly crisis, the quick ones managed to dodge, while the slower Guojiang... was pierced through the calf, crying out in agony! Yun Zhantian seemed to have realized something, his gaze shifting, "Don''t move, everyone stop all movements, do not move!" And everyone paused, stopping in their tracks. The weapons on the giant puppet indeed ceased locking onto them. The little girl''s voice slowed to a halt after about twenty seconds. "Now... it seems we can move!" Jun Mowen immediately realized, his voice low and growling, "Charge!" Without any hesitation, everyone started sprinting immediately! And just as they had covered less than ten meters "Stop!" bellowed Yun Zhantian, "She''s going to sing again." Everyone was about to halt. But someone''s face revealed a sly smile! Guojiang shuddered, being the weakest female player, she became a target and felt dizzy, her whole body about to topple backward! "Watch out!" Yun Zhantian''s face darkened, a true team player, he disregarded his own safety and sprinted forward, grabbing Guojiang''s shoulders and then flinging her towards the distance. But he was also blasted away by a weapon shooting from afar! Yun Zhantian''s equipment glowed! Although he lost a significant amount of Physical Strength, he was not fatally wounded! As long as people stood still, they wouldn''t be attacked. Ye Shou spoke gravely, "What just happened?" "I... I don''t know..." Guojiang''s face turned pale with fright, "I just felt dizzy all of a sudden, totally unable to stand." And at that moment. Jun Mowen also grunted, swaying, utterly unable to keep still. "Damn it!" Ye Shou roared, being the closest to Jun Mowen, he activated a Skill, and a two-meter-tall Light Shield materialized in front of both of them! The next moment "Boom!" The shield shattered after being hit by several weapons! Ye Shou''s complexion turned a shade paler, the spiritual impact along with the recent depletion of Physical Strength caused his condition to deteriorate. This was the downside of hoarding too much Equipment without enough Physical Strength. "Be careful, it''s a Skill!" Jun Mowen recovered from the dizziness and immediately realized, shouting out. Ye Shou looked at the others with a grim expression, suspecting something. "There''s a saboteur among us!" The singing of the Barbie Doll also came to an end. But in this precious time to advance, everyone stood still, wary of each other. "What do we do now..." The middle-aged man was unsettled. Ye Shou''s face was grim, "If we drain our spiritual power, it''s only going to get lower, more dangerous." "But if we move forward, someone might backstab us." Continuing like this, there was no way out. Yun Zhantian''s gaze turned steely, and he said, "You don''t all need to go, I''ll go alone!" "My speed is fast, and I have both Equipment and Skills!" Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Just keep an eye on everyone else, don''t let them activate any Skills!" Activating a Skill required certain movements; it couldn''t be completely silent. And. Just as he was about to dash forward. A figure leaned against the doorway, making a light clicking sound. Not too loud, yet it reached everyone''s ears. "The script seems off." The group''s faces turned pale with shock, they looked back and saw Su Qi. Su Qi faced them and muttered to himself, "According to the script, you all should have been backstabbed by now, thrown into a tough fight, heavily wounded, maybe even lost one or two. Everyone roaring in desperation and anger, yet powerless, hoping for someone to change the situation." "Then, I would appear invincibly and solve everything. Everyone grateful with tears, wishing to hand over their equipment to thank me." Su Qi shook his head, "Seems I''ve arrived too early, goodbye." With a wave of his hand, he disappeared at the doorway. At this moment. Everyone, even the hidden traitor, was in a stupor. Chapter 65 - 65 Danger Bursts Everyone looked at each other in confusion, all gazing at the others'' dazed expressions. Brother Night was the first to snap out of it, bellowing, Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Brother Su, don''t go!" Su Qi''s figure paused slightly, "Why, do you want to keep me for dinner?" "..." Brother Night was too drained to retort, and quickly said, "We''re already in a deadlock. That thing emits spiritual impacts and drains spiritual power. And when it screams, we can''t move, otherwise the giant puppet will also attack. We won''t be able to hold out for long. And watch out, one of us is sabotaging us." He spoke rapidly, conveying all the information about their situation to the young man before him. "Hold on," rasped Jun Mowen, "how can you be sure he''s Su Buxian and not that robot!" "Keep in mind... from what we''re seeing now, the robot and the traitor hidden among us are in cahoots. The mission details must have been leaked this way before." "Moreover, Su Buxian was trapped deep behind enemy lines, could he really have survived amidst so many abnormalities?" "I don''t know," Brother Night muttered under his breath, "but this sense is too overwhelming, my instincts tell me it''s him." Su Qi looked around with a hint of curiosity in his voice, "Turns out I''ve been impersonated. I wonder how much that robot resembles me." He walked in slowly. People''s gazes became slightly wary, seated on pins and needles and utterly blind with uncertainty, trusting no one. And in such a state, they had to face the lethal threat emanating from the pollutants in Room One. As Su Qi walked, he said, "Don''t rush forward, let me sniff out the traitor first." "Do you know who it is?" "Of course..." Su Qi''s gaze suddenly turned towards Guojiang, "You..." Guojiang was startled. Everyone''s face changed, pointing their weapons at Guojiang. "You..." Su Qi spoke calmly, "If you''re injured, go get treated, or you''ll become a dead weight." "..." "Damn!" Even Jun Mowen couldn''t help but curse. Brother Night roared, "Brother Su, stop joking around." If there were any doubts before, they were now ninety percent certain. Su Qi watched as Guojiang hobbled out of the room, "Joking? I''m just keeping those still able to fight in here. If she stays in that condition, it''s a dead end." "And the real traitor... has already made their move!" At that moment. "Boom!" A sinister aura exploded violently. One of the people standing in the room had a pattern on their chest that was red-hot, scorching their skin. The flames on the circular design seemed to be truly ablaze with faint blackness entwining around the materializing lines, emanating a terrifying impact! And then. The Barbie Doll, as if awakened by this aura, let out an astonishing scream! "!" Everyone felt their heads reel, a horrific wave of dizziness assaulting every person! And on this person, the totem power was exerting an immense force of suppression! Everyone''s faces paled, wanting to block, but they were completely unable to. Their spiritual power had never been augmented with attributes, and now, under the assault of the Barbie Doll, they actually could not resist at all. "Don''t move!" Jun Mowen activated his Skill, barriers crashing down one after another, keeping the spiritual impact outside! "To think it''s still a Spiritual Defense Skill," the person said with a surprised look, smiling, "But... how long can you hold out?" He pointed a finger toward the distance, "She... has entered a berserk state, and she won''t stop now." Jun Mowen didn''t answer, his gaze fixed firmly on the person standing in place, a mix of disbelief and gritted teeth, "It''s actually you!" Everyone looked at the ID "Stain Not Okay," the chubby guy with glasses, with complex expressions. The light reflected off his glasses, and a pattern flared on his chest, which, when the power of the Evil God Totem was used, would manifest like Equipment, naturally impossible to hide. "How about that? Surprised?" Stain asked calmly. "Why..." Brother Oat opened his mouth to murmur, unable to accept it. He, along with the uncle, Stain, and Guojiang, were considered the weaker group of four. Throughout the journey, he had the most in common with Stain, and from the guy''s performance, there were absolutely no doubts, he had never suspected Stain. Now, Stain''s gaze was no longer as innocent as before, but... he sighed softly, looking at everyone: "Indeed... why? It''s not easy to say, everyone has no grudges, just different missions." "Actually, I rather enjoyed being with you all. Guojiang healed me, the uncle looked after me, and Brother Oat''s ID was real, even sneakily saying he could sell it to me cheap." "And you..." Stain looked at Su Qi, "you probably just wanted to scare me just now, right?" Su Qi was also inside Jun Mowen''s Spirit Barrier at this moment, he didn''t reply but tapped the barrier, "Going out from here won''t affect anything, right?" "It won''t," Jun Mowen''s face changed slightly, "but why are you going out?" With the Barbie girl''s power coupled with Stain''s Totem, no one could contend now! "You might as well stop struggling. Everything I do is to complete my mission, and now..." Beneath the white light in Stain''s glasses, cold, piercing eyes emerged: "I must ask you to meet your deaths!" The pattern on his chest suddenly emitted an even more ferocious low roar! And at the same time! From the Totem on Stain''s chest, black fog surged out, transformed into a Black Shadow, crouching there, its face terrifying, sending shivers down everyone''s spine! Everyone''s faces changed slightly, they all felt a bone-chilling coldness! It was as if it possessed great terror. "We must take action, or else we will!" Yun Zhantian looked pale, his strength, although not fully realizable at the moment, was still ready to burst forth! "Why bother, this is power you don''t understand," Stain said expressionlessly: "It possesses great terror." "Either choose to die at the hands of the Barbie Doll, or by it..." He suddenly couldn''t finish his sentence, his voice abruptly cut off. Because Su Qi had already walked out from the barrier, not only had he stepped out, but he also rushed forward at a breakneck speed, a long blade suddenly appearing in his hand! And a strange, chilling tune echoed in everyone''s ears. Yeshou shuddered all over. It sounded so familiar! Su Qi''s voice also rang in everyone''s ears: "Get ready, I''m going to solo kill you now." "?" Stain was a bit stunned; his move had almost always been foolproof, never had anyone not been bewildered under the power of his Totem. How could someone withstand it... no, this guy was completely unaffected! Stain''s eyes widened as he watched Su Qi charge unstoppably toward him! Just as he thought to counterattack, it was already too late! Su Qi''s blade was fast approaching, the Dark Wind Boots at his feet coupled with the power of the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade, and the sound system... the formidable explosive power had already made Stain feel a huge fatal threat! "Go, kill him!" Stain roared in anger, the Black Shadow on his chest howled, and it actually pounced directly from the Totem at Su Qi! Chapter 66 - 66 Princess, Please Shut Up! Su Qi''s eyes flickered. After all, the Black Shadow was a familiar face, a pitiful little victim bullied in his dreams. But, he didn''t know if things would be different in the instance! And as Su Qi opted to give it a try, everyone''s faces changed at that moment, "Quick, get out of the way!" "Brother Su, be careful!" Because at that moment, the Black Shadow''s eerie howl nearly tore everyone''s eardrums to shreds, its figure growing three meters tall, its claws condensed from the Black Fog filled with terrifying pollution! It brought a sense of oppression that seemed impossible to resist! Could it be? "Crack!" With a slash from Su Qi, the Black Shadow was cleaved apart without any resistance, and the figure that was once considered a great terror with deadly might, struggled like brittle paper, issuing a painful scream. Echoing throughout Room One. Everyone fell into silence: "...." And Gan''s eyes were about to pop out of his head, his eyesplitting with rage: "How is it possible!" That''s the Black Shadow from the Totem! It''s a power granted by the Evil God! But Su Qi didn''t give him any time to react, plunging his blade directly through his body! "Spurt!" Gan spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale, his Vitality plummeting rapidly. "Wanna know why you lost?" Su Qi spoke with a calm expression. Gan tried to open his trembling mouth, but the pain was too intense for him to speak. Although these people could gain Strength more quickly, they were no longer under the Sanctuary of Paradise; the pain felt unbearably real, and...if they died too often in the instance, they would be completely devoured by the Evil God''s Totem, and they would die in the real world as well. "Because..." Su Qi said softly, "You lack judgement, always wanting to control... so you always choose the most erroneous way to fight." "That''s also why you ended up losing." Gan was about to spit out another mouthful of blood. Who the hell are you talking about! His voice was hoarse and resentful: "I... still have preparations... soon the power will be cut off here, and the abnormality will break out, tearing you to pieces." "Oh..." Su Qi chuckled lightly, "If you''re referring to that robot, before it could do any of that, someone already took care of it." "And about the abnormality..." Su Qi yanked out the blade, lifting Gan out in an instant. Gan looked on dumbfounded at the neatly organized rows of abnormality, oh... and Guojiang, who didn''t dare to move! Su Qi clapped his hands: "Everyone, gnaw off his limbs for me and then keep a close watch on him, but don''t kill him. I still have a lot to pry out of him." The Split Mouth Woman and Swollen Man stood in the front, standing erect, issuing a hoarse voice: "Yes!" "..." At that moment Gan chose to Self-Destruct with a thunderous boom! Luckily, Su Qi reacted quickly, nearly avoiding being splattered with blood. He muttered, "Turns out you can self-destruct too." Clearly, the opponent only did it for suicide, with no real power behind it. Moreover... Su Qi''s panel showed that it was he who had killed him, and he had also obtained all of Gan''s Experience and Game Coin. "You guys go back to your rooms first." Su Qi gave the order, then looked at Room One with a calm gaze: "Now to deal with the most dangerous guy." Gan and that robot weren''t much, one was just an evil player, the other barely a combat-capable, managerial-type machine. This instance. The real Boss was actually the Barbie Doll of Room One. This was the last hurdle, but also the toughest enemy. At this moment, the Barbie Doll had already entered Berserk Mode, and Su Qi guessed that anyone who got close enough would enter this state as well. And the giant dolls were now not attacking from a distance but each holding a large weapon, mercilessly slashing down anyone who approached! "Help me, Brother Su!" Night Watch screamed. "I can''t hold on much longer!" Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Brother Oat was on the verge of tears, "The barrier is starting to crack!" Yun Zhantian said calmly, "That Barbie Doll is being guarded by the other giant dolls; it seems that the real body is fragile. If we could just attack her, then everything should come to an end..." His voice trailed off, and even he lacked confidence in his own words. Even following the normal course of action would be extremely difficult, let alone in this current situation... "Forget it, let''s give up." Jun Mowen sighed, "This skill can last at most another ten seconds!" "And us..." He glanced at the Barbie Doll still far away, "It''s too far; we won''t make it in time." "Brother Su, you should withdraw first, conserve your spiritual power. When she finishes her rampage, you can challenge her alone." But Su Qi, looking at the panel, shook his head, "Even with the audio boost, I don''t have enough physical strength, huh." He took out the Peach Blossom Peanut Milk he had bought for 1000 game coins from the daily store, gently popped the cap, and took two sips. "????" Everyone was startled. After finishing his drink, Su Qi said lightly, "Consider this saving you guys, 2000 game coins, don''t forget to reimburse me." His physical strength instantly recovered by 300 points, reaching 586, and then Su Qi stretched out his hand, launching the skill "Magic Cube" at the Barbie Doll. "Magic Cube" "Type: Skill" "Quality: Perfect" "Function: Once activated, you can drag any enemy into the Magic Cube Domain. Others can''t enter or attack; this domain lasts five minutes and cannot be used continuously on the same person (Note: The domain will block external attacks, but it will be breached if it exceeds its limit value)." "Consumption: 500 Physical Strength" "Note: Real men start a 1v1 duel!" The moment Su Qi activated it, he also saw the panel. "Physical Strength consumed 500, currently remaining 86." Su Qi felt as if all his strength had been siphoned by a succubus, a strong sense of emptiness pervading his body. This skill, for his current stage, was quite the limit and not lightly used. The next moment. A huge Virtual Shadow Cube appeared around Su Qi, and at the same time... the Barbie Doll was abruptly transferred into this Magic Cube Domain. The crowd blinked in surprise! What is this thing!? Although they had played many instances before, this was their first time seeing such a skill! More stunned were the Barbie Doll and the giant dolls. When the giant dolls turned around, they almost collapsed. Princess! Where is she? Su Qi smiled at them, then turned to the still rampaging and screaming Barbie Doll, who seemed a bit panicked - where were her guards? - and then screamed even louder. Su Qi paused for a moment, "What was that phrase again, Princess... please..." He gripped the Barbie Doll''s throat, smiling, "Please, shut up." The Barbie Doll trembled and... closed her mouth because not only was Su Qi choking her, but he had also raised his long knife with a threatening tone. "Moreover, Princess, you wouldn''t want your pretty face to be scarred, right?" All the terrifying noises and spiritual impacts came to an abrupt end. And the barrier of Jun Mowen and the others also shattered. "It seems... it''s over. I have rescued the Princess from the dragon''s clutches." Su Qi held the Barbie Doll, "I''ll leave the rest to you." The crowd looked at the frozen giant dolls, just like that, they were resolved? Once they grasped what happened, they headed straight for the control panel. The Magic Cube Domain may last only five minutes, but as long as the Doll Barbie was in Su Qi''s hands, the giant dolls wouldn''t dare to act rashly. He silently examined the Barbie Doll, the dangerous aura palpable, obviously a pollutant not to be underestimated. Su Qi murmured to himself, "A tribute, huh?" Chapter 67 - 67: Russells Gift [Main quest completed] [Congratulations to player Su Buxian on becoming the MVP of this game round, you will receive a 30% bonus to Experience and Game Coins] [Player has completed the instance, immediate transportation is available for departure] Upon opening the control room and starting the spaceship, this message appeared in front of everyone. And a countdown began, limiting their stay to only five minutes. "It seems it''s finally over..." The middle-aged man and Guojiang were the first to greet and then leave. Guojiang couldn''t stand the pain in his shins any longer. The middle-aged man had been caught playing games by his wife and logged out in a panic. Brother Oat was also waving his hand at this point, "I couldn''t say it in front of the lady player just now, but now, guys, I have lots of great stuff here. If you''re interested, add me, it''s definitely a good deal, and the prices are favorable!" "You really are all about the oats, aren''t you?" Night Watch couldn''t help but retort. "Nonsense, if I don''t hustle for oats, where would I get the money to buy equipment?" Eventually, Jun Mowen also greeted and took his leave. Leaving only Night Watch, Yun Zhantian, and Su Qi... Su Qi had already gone over to Russell by then. Yun Zhantian looked at Night Watch, curious, "That Su Buxian... he''s the player you guys picked?" Night Watch coughed and nodded, adding, "He''s one of them." He patted his chest, "I''m here as an evaluator, to assess him." "Really?" Yun Zhantian glanced at him, "I somehow feel that you''ve been... constantly calling for Brother Su to save you..." "Cut the crap." Night Watch shouted, but with a lack of conviction, "Anyway, from what I''ve seen of Brother Su so far, he''s still hard to read... But I think he should be able to compete with you guys." Yun Zhantian shook his head, "Difficult. Beneath the various major powers, their clubs have some outrageous fellows, each one very formidable. Some people have even reached level 20." "That fast?" "With Paradise resources being wildly skewed, it''s quite easy to level up quickly. However, now that level 20 is capped, although Resurrection isn''t unlocked yet... everyone is now scouring for special Resurrection Tools, preparing." "I suspect that when the time comes... it''ll be like gods clashing..." Night Watch nodded, "Got it, anyway, we''re prepared on our end as well." Yun Zhantian said, "Okay, I''ll be going first, pass a message to Brother Su Buxian for me, tell him I hope to see him at the pre-Paradise-entry competition." "?" Night Watch puzzled, pointed at himself, "What about me, don''t I deserve to be there?" Yun Zhantian smiled without saying a word, then teleported away. "Damn!" Silence hurts more than denial. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "This is forcing me to tap into my bloodline power!" Night Watch found Su Qi in another place, and as soon as he got there... he saw Su Qi aiming a knife at the robot, while the guy named Russell was crying out to stop him. "Uh... what happened?" Su Qi glanced at him, "There''s a Grade D Pollutant inside this robot, it''s because of this thing that it was controlled, I''m about to remove it." Russell yelled, "You call that removing? That thing''s in the core area, if you brute force it, it will be scrapped." "And this robot is my companion, you can''t do this." "Cut the chatter, this is the part that pays extra..." Su Qi''s cold blade unsheathed. "Ah!" Night Watch watched this scene, his eyelids twitching, "Well... I''ll be teleporting away first. Oh, Brother Su, don''t rush to start the instance tomorrow, I''ve got something very important to tell you." "About the reimbursement?" Su Qi looked up. "A hundred times more important than that kind of thing!" Night Watch roared. Unable to hold back, Night Watch teleported away first. Leaving only Russell and Su Qi. "Don''t fight!" Russell shouted, "I can remove that thing!" "Then why didn''t you say so earlier?" "You never gave me the chance!" Su Qi watched Russell lying there, carefully taking tools, disassembling the robot''s Pollutant tinged with Ominous aura. His character panel was different from other people''s because he had triggered a world exploration quest, allowing him an extra half hour. He spoke up, "Where did all the cargo on this ship come from?" Russell, busy working, replied, "Where it came from? Of course, it''s purchased. That place sells everything, and every kind of person is there, commonly known as Chaotic City... For this tribute, our world also bled heavily to trade for these things." He worriedly added, "I just hope that after submitting it, the big shot will be content." Purchased, huh? Su Qi was somewhat surprised, but then again, Russell''s personal combat quality wasn''t strong; he couldn''t possibly be withholding these things. "Chaotic City..." Su Qi noted that down. He had long sensed that each instance seemed not to exist independently, as if a chain connected all the worlds. Ten minutes later, Su Qi successfully acquired the Grade D Pollutant, and to express his gratitude for Su Qi''s help, Russell also brought over a large chest, slightly saddened but resolutely handed it over to Su Qi: "This is a product from Tianqi Star... This is to show my gratitude, and I ask that you please accept it." Su Qi opened it. 15 Vitality Potions, 15 bottles of Physical Strength Recovery Potions, 15 bottles of Frenzy Potions... Besides that, there was a glob of encapsulated liquid metal. [Name: D238 Liquid Metal] [Type: Equipment] [Quality: Perfect] [Function: Has strong defensive power, consumes Physical Strength to change shape at will, possesses self-repair attribute] [Note: Now you can COS whoever you want!] Su Qi instantly knew this was a great item. He opened it and directly touched the liquid metal... and it all surged up his arm. After consuming 139 points of Physical Strength, The liquid metal on him had morphed into an ancient warrior wearing a black cloak and a headscarf. Su Qi pressed down on the headscarf, speaking slowly, "The Jianghu isn''t all about fighting; it''s about human emotion and worldly affairs." "..." Russell couldn''t help but say, "Its strongest suit is defensive power, it can block Armor-Piercing Bullets, and you''re trying out the outfit first?" The clothes on Su Qi transformed into a set of Kasaya. He spoke indifferently, "Benefactor, the Buddha''s law is boundless, you are being ignorant." Russell roared, "Enough already!" Of course, this fun couldn''t last. The liquid metal required Physical Strength for each transformation, the amount dependent on the extent of the change. It also required time to repair, but most importantly, it was the liquid metal''s defensive power. Five minutes later, Su Qi''s figure disappeared aboard this spaceship. Meanwhile, the LHS87 model robot had also returned to normal, its voice somewhat crisp and puzzled: "Master, since the resources on Tianqi Star are already scant, that type of D238 Liquid Metal... it might be tough to produce more, handing it over to him, isn''t that..." Russell shook his head, looking out into the starry sky, "It''s okay, being able to get back to Tianqi Star alive is enough." Chapter 68 - 68: Su Qis Old Friend? [Teleporting out of the instance] [Player Su Buxian has successfully completed team instance No. 643853] [Game difficulty: Hard] [Number of players: Eight] [Game Rating: 95] [Instance Summary: The wings of a butterfly are stirring the storms of the future; your seemingly trivial actions may change the future landscape, also... you lost those 5 points for being AFK at the start!] Su Qi: "?" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What''s with that confusing summary? And how is it my fault for being AFK? They deduct points for that too? At the same time, the next moment. [Calculating rewards] [You''ve earned Perfect Level Experience and 1800 Game Coins, plus one lottery chance] [As the MVP of the game, you receive an additional 30% Experience and Game Coin bonus] [Note, you''ve successfully killed a Cultist and obtained all the Experience he plundered (Due to death penalty, the Cultist''s level drops by 5), earning 22866 Game Coins] [You have leveled up to 16] [You have received 58 attribute points to distribute] Nice. Jumped four levels directly, that experience pool from the Pollution was more than I expected. You know, the higher the level, the more Experience needed, and where an initial instance would get you 3 to 4 levels, it slows down later on. Of course, this doesn''t mean it takes many instances to fill up a level, since the instances that match your level have corresponding difficulty, and the Experience gained actually increases. Additionally. Su Qi noticed another thing. [Worldview Quest complete, Exploration 3%, received Puzzle Piece *1] [Gather 30 Puzzle Pieces to go to any part of the instance world depicted in the puzzle, Game Coins needed for consumption] " The exploration rate is so low." Su Qi felt a bit regretful, as it was hard to explore much of the worldview on that spaceship. But this is a nice thing; if I need certain resources, I can directly choose an instance to enter without having to match randomly. At this point, Su Qi also submitted that D-level Pollutant from his Item Slot. [Paradise Invitation Task One: Collect one piece of D-level Pollutant, task complete] [Paradise Invitation Task Two: Kill an entity above level 20] Su Qi closed the panel and distributed his attribute points. [Physical Strength: 830] [Strength: 40] [Movement Technique: 38] [Physical Strength: 83] [Spiritual Power: 403] Priority goes to Physical Strength naturally, and Spiritual Power is skyrocketing. Even though many players have noticed the importance of Spiritual Power, they can''t catch up to Su Qi even if they rocket ahead. After all, he''s not cheating... ah no, he''s uniquely talented. And of course, thanks to Brother Evil God. After completing all that, Su Qi started the lottery... After a shake-up, 650 Game Coins came tumbling out. "" Has my luck taken a dive since the prize pool was updated? Come on, be human. Su Qi comforted himself, believing luck accumulates and after a few misses, there''s bound to be something big waiting for him. After logging off. Su Qi stepped out of the gaming pod, heated up a bowl of noodles, and added a fried egg... to make do. He took out his phone and started searching for "Abyssal Paradise" clubs. "Wait a second..." Su Qi suddenly paused: "Now, except for eating and sleeping, I''m playing the game, and... I start searching for related content whenever I have time." "Shoot, I''ve become an internet-addicted teen," Su Qi: "But... I''m no longer a teen, so no worries." The phone displayed the club contents, with lots of registrations back and forththe involvement of capital shouldn''t be underestimated, not to mention various wealthy big shots. They want to build clubs quickly, just keep pouring in money. Once you join a club, everyone gets three pieces of Equipment and a Skill, see if that scares you. Although the Quality isn''t very high, what counts is the abundance. Su Qi glanced at Liu Yishou''s avatar, which hadn''t replied since yesterday, seems like he''s really busy. Around 9 o''clock in the evening, Su Qi suddenly received a message. He had muted the notifications for various old clubs and activity groups, so there weren''t many people who could make their messages visible to him. Su Qi thought it would be Liu Yishou, but he realized it was someone else. "Su Qi, I''m back!" The ID was [Yan Nanque]. Here''s the thing, even Su Qi... he had friends. They had met five years ago during a cycling event around Lake Heart Island. At that time, Su Qi rode a shared bicycle and left all those expensive road bikes in the dust. Yan Nanque swore he had to get to know this guy. Though Yan Nanque later regretted it, they kept in touch. But then, three years ago. All of a sudden, there was no more information from Yan Nanque''s end, and he had been offline ever since. "Who are you?" Su Qi typed two characters. "?" Yan Nanque typed a question mark, then helplessly said, "Seriously, it''s me! I''m back!" "Were you sold off to Myanmar in the last three years?" "....." Yan Nanque didn''t deny it immediately. He paused for a moment before saying, "It''s more or less the same. Fate is always full of ups and downs, but fortunately, I survived. I just came back from somewhere recently and got in touch with you first thing." Su Qi''s eyes flickered slightly: "That sounds very familiar. You haven''t joined a pyramid scheme, have you?" "You''re the one who joined a pyramid scheme!" Su Qi paused, then said, "I infiltrated one two years ago, but after two days, they told me to leave, saying the pyramid didn''t feed idle people. After shutting down a few of them, I found it boring." "..." Yan Nanque fell silent. "Seeing that you''re still the same old you, I feel relieved. What have you been up to lately?" "Playing a game called ''Abyssal Paradise''." "Oh, I''ve heard of it..." Yan Nanque and Su Qi chatted for about half an hour. Until Yan Nanque suddenly mentioned he had something to do and had to leave right away, that''s when the conversation ended. Su Qi critically mocked the guy: "As the saying goes, if someone you haven''t been in touch with for a long time suddenly messages you, they''re either getting married or they want to borrow money." But this guy just mentioned Abyssal Paradise, didn''t he? Right! ----------------- At that moment. Yan Nanque, currently somewhere in Paradise, smiled faintly: "I just knew...with your personality, you wouldn''t miss it." "Nanque..." A voice came: "It''s time to go; the teacher is ready." "Coming." Yan Nanque stood up and looked at the woman at the door: "Sister Alin, we''re going to meet... that entity. Isn''t Old Xu coming?" The woman, smoking a cigarette: "That guy''s busy with the open beta; it''s important too... But with the teacher here, we don''t need to worry even if we''re entering their territory." She had a frightening scar on her face and her eyes were somewhat world-weary. Surrounded by smoke, she complained: "After all, we came out through the bloodshed of the Blood Sea. Sometimes I think the newbies are really lucky, arriving at such a good time." Yan Nanque just smiled, offering no reply. They set off toward the dignified, though somewhat emaciated figure ahead, respect showing in their expressions: "Teacher." The middle-aged man calmly gazed at the dark sky above: "One of the seven Spirit Kings, the Sunset Spirit King, is whom we will be contacting this time. Be cautious... the Spirit King is capricious and must not be provoked in any way. Its greatest weakness lies in its only offspring, whom it dotes on exceedingly, often gathering various pollutants from all over the world, just to please it." "So if we want to approach the Spirit King to negotiate, it would be best to start with this offspring," Sister Alin squinted as she looked through the information. "But as the Spirit King''s child, having an interest in the arts? In music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?" Yan Nanque helplessly said, "Anyway, I have roughly collected about seven pollution-related items related to it, hoping they''ll be useful." Meanwhile. An envoy had just arrived at Sunset City from Tianqi Star... presenting the tribute from Tianqi Star. "....." And a young figure in the room looked on in anger: "I don''t want these things. Why doesn''t that damned father understand? I hate pollutants and those creepy things, like paintings smeared with blood or ancient guqins that emit eerie screamsugly as hell and such an awful sound!" "But..." The envoy dared not look up as he spoke. The young man''s gaze turned icy as he viewed the pollutants: "Destroy what should be destroyed, throw away what should be thrown..." The envoy, not daring to argue, quickly said, "Understood." At that moment, The young man suddenly frowned: "Wait... leave the piano." "Yes." "Don''t want to be erased? Then play..." The young man''s aura was terrifying as he lay back in his seat, calmly commanding, "Play the most pleasant piano piece you have. Of course, if I''m not satisfied with it, you know the consequences." The Bloodstained Piano trembled in fear. For a pollutant, those screeching, wailing sounds were the sweetest music. But it hesitated for a few seconds, finally choosing to play the latter between the terrifying and bizarre piano notes and another melody. Sect Hierarch! I trust you! Chapter 69 - 69 Huh, How Did My Reputation Increase Out of Nowhere? Late at night. Su Qi stepped into the room of his dreams. And the room welcomed a new guest. That''s right. The second Black Shadow. It lurked in the darkness, its gaze cold and fixed firmly on Su Qi. This was a nightmare... its own territory! This guy was about to experience true terror! At that moment. Another black shadow emerged from the staircase. It was startled at first, then broke into a sinister cold sneer. This guy was actually haunted by a bizarre abnormality! This was just perfect! It and its companion would devour this guy completely! But the next instant. The black shadow did not pounce on Su Qi as it had anticipated; instead, it lowered its head like a servant, cautiously retrieved tea leaves from the attic, and began to brew tea. "?" Black Shadow Number Two didn''t understand. Was this some new ploy? Then. Black Shadow Number One began to clean the room, meekly heeding Su Qi''s call to play chess, silently fixing the flickering light bulb in the living room. Black Shadow Number Two was flabbergasted. It was a segment of power derived from a ''Pollution'' totem, representing terror, abnormality, danger! But why was its companion now acting like a servant? And at this time. It suddenly realized Su Qi was gone. A figure was standing behind it. Its body stiffened slightly as it struggled to turn around, only to find Su Qi grinning at it. "The Shadow Army of The Hustlers Sect, finally a new recruit has been added." It was seized by a hand, the terrifying power stupefying it. Then it was violently dragged away, letting out a difficult and desperate roar, its claws tearing drag marks on the floor, as if crying out: No! Black Shadow Number One silently came over, began to repair the floor, cleaning up the debris. It watched its companion being dragged into the room with an eerie scream, feeling a pang of sympathy. Then it remembered something. Oh... It still had to paint the stairs, the master had asked for a light blue color. ----------------- The next day. As soon as Su Qi logged on, he received a message. [Your Reputation +236] He was slightly startled. Then he opened his Reputation System. [Title: Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers (1241/10000)] [Current Level: Obscure (Achieving the next level grants title ability)] [Note 1: Methods of acquiring reputation are related to the spread of your name or title] [Note 2: Reputation acquisition value starts at 1 for an individual object (memorable) and fluctuates based on personal identity and strength. The higher the identity and power, the greater the fluctuation, with a maximum of no more than 500] Su Qi was somewhat surprised. In fact, after joining the team instance the day before, he had already seen this Reputation System. Until he returned to his personal login space, the Reputation Value had been consistently at [1005]. 500 of that came from the Traveling Merchant, and the rest were reputation points accumulated from past instances, occasionally seeing slight increases. "It''s just that, why did it suddenly increase by 236 now? I don''t seem to have done anything special." Su Qi was puzzled. This wasn''t just about remembering a name; after all, merely remembering a name would add only 1 point for anyone, and even if an ordinary person reached the level of faith, at most they would only add 100. The fluctuation was so large, the other party''s identity seemed far from simple. Thinking over and over, he still couldn''t figure it out. Su Qi quickly turned it off. This thing worked autonomously and didn''t need constant attention. At that moment, he also received a message from Night Guard. "Brother Su, there''s something important to discuss with you! Accept the invitation quickly, I assure you, you absolutely don''t want to miss this!" [You''ve been invited to enter the Linjiang Club''s Main Hall] Su Qi''s eyelids twitched as he said, "Using the name of the city as the club''s name seems a bit lazy." Nonetheless. Su Qi clicked to confirm. After confirmation. His entire personal login space seemed to hang on a chain, echoing with the grinding sound of machinery operating. Following that, the whole room appeared to move swiftly, as the black fog outside the windows dissipated at high speed. Five seconds later. "Boom!" The house finally stopped shaking. Su Qi looked out the windows, the horrendous black fog was gone, and instead, a pale yellow light shone through the frosted glass. [The door can now be opened] He pushed open the door. What met his eyes was a brightly lit grand hall, with doors to various rooms along the sides and a large conference table in the middle. Night Guard, seeing Su Qi, brightened up and greeted him, "Brother Su, come over here and sit." Su Qi paused for a moment, then walked over, "I''m surprised you actually went all out to establish the club." "Naturally, the club is a challenge for ordinary people, but for Xu Linqiu and the others, it''s a walk in the park. But that''s not the important part..." Night Guard nudged Su Qi and whispered mysteriously, "Actually, I''ve got ties to the Investigation Bureau, too." Su Qi said, "Stop nudging me or I''m going to lie down... And anyway, is this worth whispering about?" Night Guard: "..." He had hoped to see a look of surprise on Su Qi''s face but found that Su Qi seemed to already know. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Night Guard seriously said, "....Brother Su, do you still remember that a few days ago, Brother Xu and Uncle Liu came to see you, right? Back then they said... if you managed to pass their review, they would unveil the mysteries of ''Abyssal Paradise''." "Well, seems like there was such an incident." Su Qi thought for a moment, "If you hadn''t mentioned it, I''d almost have forgotten." "Isn''t this a very important matter!" Meanwhile. A door opened, and the figure of Xu Linqiu slowly emerged. His ID was [Lin Qiu], with nothing else besides the name. However. Su Qi still saw a [question mark] on Xu Linqiu, an attribute from his character panel. [Physical Strength: 61381] ????? It was incredibly high. By level, it must be at least a few hundred or possibly... through some other means? The next moment. The question mark changed. [Profession: Darkstrider] Su Qi''s gaze flickered slightly, but then no further information was forthcoming. The only thing of value was... [Just killed an A-level Pollution Abnormality] Night Guard called out, his voice a tad low, "Brother Xu, I''ve brought the person." Su Qi: "..." The way you''re talking makes it sound like you''re planning a bullying session. "It''s been a while, Su Qi... Su." Xu Linqiu revealed a faint smile. Su Qi replied, "It hasn''t been that long. Even though it felt quite long in the instance, it''s only been a few days in reality." Xu Linqiu nodded, "That''s true. Do you remember what I once told you... That if you perform outstandingly in ''Abyssal Paradise,'' I will disclose to you the secret content about the abnormalities and ''Abyssal Paradise.''" Su Qi nodded slightly; although he had seen and conjectured quite a bit, he had not yet directly come into contact with the core information. "And now...." Xu Linqiu looked at Su Qi earnestly: "I''ve come as promised to explain to you the other side of ''Abyssal Paradise.''" Chapter 70 - 70 Memories of Abyssal Paradise Xu Linqiu was very serious, and the night watchman was quite earnest too, even though it was not the first time he had heard it, he really wanted to see Su Qi reveal a look of fear. After all, the history of "Abyssal Paradise" was filled with cruelty and despair, which had a profound impact on him at the time, and later he chose to become a Spirit Investigator to strengthen his courage. However. Clearly, the night watchman was about to be disappointed. Su Qi suddenly spoke, "Hold on a second, please." From under the club''s closet, he actually took out snacks and beer. The night watchman roared, "Do you think this is storytime? And those damn snacks and beer were bought with Game Coins; how did you know they were there!" "Here''s a bottle for you." "Thanks..." the night watchman subconsciously took it and then widened his eyes, wondering why he should thank him for something he bought. "Do you want one?" Su Qi offered a bottle to Xu Linqiu. Xu Linqiu: "..." He had intended to create a serious atmosphere, but he realized he was mistaken. He shook his head helplessly, "Nevermind." Let''s go ahead and say, after the story, this guy should understand what "Abyssal Paradise" really is; even if he is not frightened, at least he should have some respect. Xu Linqiu took a deep breath and slowly said, "First, you have to understand that Abyssal Paradise... didn''t have the last two words before; it was just a bottomless, bloody, and terrifying abyss." "Let''s start from the very first beta test." Xu Linqiu gently began, "That was probably fifty years ago." "People using the internet or their phones would suddenly see a pop-up message that contained only one sentenceDo you want to understand the true meaning of life?" Su Qi''s gaze shifted slightly. This wasn''t the first time he had seen this sentence; the masked figure had written these words in blood in front of the big screen at the shopping center. "Anyone chosen would be sent into a space and then begin a cruel trial..." Xu Linqiu said calmly, "You should know that death back then was different from now... there was no revival to Personal Space after death; if you died, you were really dead, and nobody would know." "That year the Investigation Bureau discovered a large number of disappearance cases, nearly over 80% were related to it." "The first beta test lasted three years, and everyone who entered struggled through blood, horror, and despair; very few people were able to leave that place alive. Death and fear were the norm." Su Qi listened silently, clinking beer bottles with the night watchman. "...." "The second beta test was twenty years ago... this time it was different; each selected person would be transferred directly into an instance, but afterward, they could leave and return to the real world." "And it was for this reason that the Investigation Bureau quickly discovered something in the early stages and set up a related department to investigate, with many pioneers bravely entering the abyss." Xu Linqiu paused and then added, "Actually, if you search carefully in the news and newspapers from around twenty years ago, you should be able to find a lot of related information." Su Qi nodded, "I''ve seen posts on forums before about suicide cases... where the victims used their own blood to write ''I shouldn''t have stepped into that abyss.''" Xu Linqiu ignored the fact that he and the night watchman were peeling peanuts and nodded, "Backstabbing and slaughter were the norm then; the Investigation Bureau was just one of the powers that hadn''t firmly established a foothold." "This beta test lasted ten years." Xu Linqiu''s eyes turned toward Su Qi, "The atrocities during that period are indescribable, it was total chaos." "Back then, the Investigation Bureau couldn''t establish any Order, but eventually, with the help of a certain being, many exceptional predecessors grew rapidly and burst through a place of Chaos, cut through the Cultists, and finally established a firm foothold!" The night watchman''s action of eating slowed down a bit, and he only sipped a little beer at a time; clearly, he knew who these predecessors were and dared not be too presumptuous. But Su Qi''s eyes flickered with curiosity, "Who was the being that helped the Investigation Bureau?" Xu Linqiu didn''t expect Su Qi to ask this; he shook his head, "It''s too far removed from you; very few people are fortunate enough to encounter him, this entity traverses various worlds, and even we are looking for him." Su Qi drank his beer, his gaze calm. He seemed to know who it was. Swindler! "And then what?" Su Qi asked. Night Guard paused, broke off a piece of stewed pig''s trotter, and lifted his gloved hand, "I know this... in the last year of the second internal test." "Paradise was born, the specific details I don''t know, but all the major forces have settled into Paradise, and currently, the situation is harmonious." He picked up the bottle of alcohol: "Here''s to you, Brother Su, let''s drink." Xu Linqiu: "..." Su Qi clinked bottles with him, "Keep it down." Xu Linqiu said helplessly, "You guys... I had originally wanted to create a serious atmosphere." Besides explaining these things to Su Qi, he had also wanted to give Night Guard a heads-up, to let both of these new players feel a bit of cruelty, but now it seemed his efforts were unnecessary. Xu Linqiu stretched out his hand: "Forget it, give me a bottle too, I''ve been craving it for a long time." Su Qi passed one over: "Don''t mention it, it''s on me." Night Guard: "????" Thinking you''re a big landlord, huh? Xu Linqiu actually relaxed as well, his expression no longer as solemn, he shook his head, "I hadn''t expected it to turn into this kind of situation." He didn''t care about that anymore, quietly saying, "The third internal test was three years ago when I was chosen to start delving into ''Abyssal Paradise.'' Though it wasn''t as cruel as before, where dying all the time was common, and we also had the help of Paradise." "But you must reach a certain power level before entering Paradise... and those who fail to enter Paradise, or are kicked out, will have their level, equipment, skills, and so forth all reset to zero when the internal test ends." Xu Linqiu looked at Su Qi: "Many of the internal testers you see now are actually those who have failed to enter Paradise." Su Qi thought of someone else. [Xun Xiaohuan] That guy... he had mentioned it before, now that I think back, everything makes sense. "And this open beta," Xu Linqiu spoke slowly, "is now available to everyone, at the same time... all the major forces have started to become active." Xu Linqiu went on: "Night Guard mentioned to me, you encountered players with patterns on them in the last instance, right?" Su Qi nodded. "They are one of the most dangerous of these forces, the entities behind their patterns indescribable, extremely horrifying, the taboo of all taboos..." Xu Linqiu''s eyes revealed a deep fear. Su Qi: "...." Don''t you talk about my Evil God like that! ''Anyway...'' Xu Linqiu looked at Su Qi, "The situation in Paradise is more complex than you imagine, clubs are just the facade, the forces behind them are the true powers at-hand; while some adhere to Order, some Neutral, there are also those who aren''t content with the status quo." "And now." Xu Linqiu''s expression became stern again, he put down the beer bottle he had been drinking from, and seriously said, "Su Qi, what I''m about to tell you is the real crux of the matter." Su Qi reminded, "Remember to call me by my ID in the game." "...Su Buxian." Xu Linqiu reluctantly spat out these three words, his gaze intense, Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I have an extremely precious spot available that allows entry into a certain instance, targeted exclusively at new players below level 20." "If you enter that instance, whether or not you succeed in the end, as long as you don''t die, there are generous rewards." "But at the same time, the opponents are very powerful, including super rookies from clubs under the major forces, plus a whole bunch of Cultists eyeing it covetously... they will all make a move to snatch it." Xu Linqiu''s tone was icy, "Do you dare to accept it." Chapter 71 - 71: I, Su Qi, Participated in a Show (Please Follow!) Su Qi returned to his personal space, carrying a case of beer in his hand. The stuff was bought by Night Watch from the Paradise side, and it was pretty expensive... a case for 1000 Game Coins. Although Night Watch is also a new player, it is no surprise that, as a wealthy third-generation with connections and background, he managed to get it reimbursed for Su Qi directly. "However, the history of Abyssal Paradise is actually like this," Su Qi muttered to himself. "And he only talked about the outer world, without mentioning too much about the internal information of Abyssal Paradise... Sneaky three-dimensional." Su Qi didn''t start matchmaking immediately; he was summarizing the information Xu Linqiu mentioned later. Xu Linqiu specifically mentioned three points. One, the instance level was very high, the place was named ''Linyuan Land,'' and all beings inside were not something a rookie player could contend with. Two, not only did the Investigation Bureau find Su Qi but also Xu Linqiu had several other spots, the other owners were all super rookies with resounding names. At this point, Night Watch proudly winked at Su Qi, saying directly, "Brother Su, you should thank me; this spot was something I fought for you." Three, the most important thing being contested... was an extremely rare hidden resurrection tool. Level 20 is the true starting stage for players, so naturally, the resurrection tool is particularly important. "Just like a Supreme Technique about to be born, it''s no wonder that so many people want it," Su Qi found this interesting. He was now only 4 levels away from 20, and the matter of changing his class was something he would soon need to consider. However. Su Qi looked at the Ancient God''s Heart in his item slot; he was actually more curious about what the thing would be like after level 20. Previously it seemed to have regained a sliver of life after absorbing a D-type Pollutant Source, but that was just a sliver. The relationship between the Pollution Source and the Pollutant, one is the matrix, the other the infected body; the latter would give birth to various abnormalities or abilities, considered to be independent entities... Sometimes a terrifying Pollution Source can spawn endless Pollutants and abnormalities, just like the Ancient God''s Heart that had transformed into a Pollution Source before. Right. Xu Linqiu also handed over a piece of equipment to him, it also counted as a fulfillment of a previous promise, and... a form of support. With the virtue of ''don''t reject what''s freely given,'' Su Qi accepted it without hesitation. This was a slightly wide shoulder pad with a certain university''s emblem on it. [Name: Rugby Player Shoulder Armor] [Type: Equipment] [Quality: Ordinary] [Function: Increase the upper limit of Physical Strength by 500 points (Note: Only one piece of equipment per body part can be equipped, if stacked, only the equipment of the highest Quality will take effect)] [Note: When you''re ramming through on the playing field, you will need this piece of equipment] It was still a life-saving piece of equipment, which also matched Xu Linqiu''s description of the instance, suggesting that it might be even more dangerous than imagined. Of course, the specific details would not be known until tomorrow, and at the same time, Su Qi would also have to meet with the other several super rookie teammates; in this contest... they would be the Investigation Bureau''s power. Su Qi closed his item slot and chose the solo mode. To control his level, he didn''t choose a team, in case he ran into some Cultists again and became the MVP, directly leveling to 20... that would blow it. [Solo Hard Mode Matching] [Match Successful] [Mode Difficulty: Hard] [Please note, this instance is fairly special, your player ID has been concealed] Special? Su Qi hadn''t understood yet when the personal login space suddenly plunged into darkness, as if the ground beneath his feet had opened up. His whole body began to free fall crazily! But this time, the voice seemed to have a hint of an announcer''s inflection, speaking like a host, and laughing, it said, "Welcome to Abyssal Paradise." ----------------- Really though. Occasionally, such an experience was quite thrilling. Su Qi felt as if he was bungee jumping. He hadn''t even opened his eyes and he could feel as though he was sitting down. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Moreover, his body seemed to be restricted by something. He slightly opened his eyes. Surrounding him was darkness... It didn''t seem to be outdoors because a hundred meters above his head was a beam of light shining down, like a spotlight at a concert. The focal point. Obviously, the giant round table in front of Su Qi. Not only was Su Qi seated beside the round table, but there were also twelve others... sitting around the table, not illuminated by the spotlight, enshrouded in shadow. However, Su Qi was still able to make out the appearance of these people with his night vision... How should he put it... most of them at least had a humanoid form. What kind of situation was this? He was just about to look around. "Boom!" It was as though someone had pushed a button, and suddenly a torrent of lights came on fiercely! The place, previously dark and silent, had now revealed its true appearance, a... massive arena, packed with dense crowds of spectators! And there, Su Qi and the others were at the center stage of the arena! Cheers and roars rose from tens of thousands of people, who were cheering with extreme excitement! Countless streamers were shot out from a hundred meters in the sky! "What a scene..." Su Qi felt what it was like to be in an atmosphere of overwhelming enthusiasm. Had he come to the wrong place? Before, it had been all about Killing Demons, Pollution, and Abnormalities, but now it suddenly felt like a concert was taking place. Moreover, Su Qi found that his body was fastened to the seat. Though he could move his hands... his body could not leave the chair. "Only Level 1, my Item Slot and Skill Bar are restricted, but there was no prompt before entering the instance, which means... I can use them later?" And at that moment, the lights surrounding the area dimmed once again. Around the entire arena, four holographic screens popped up at different angles, and the screens changed, showing the image of the stage. A man with a straight posture, wearing a pink suit, appeared on the screen. He smiled, held up a microphone, and announced in a high-spirited voice, "Oh oh oh oh! Welcome to the 2378th edition of ''Love, Death, Super Players!''" His voice echoed through the arena, and the passionate music coupled with the abundance of holographic images lit up the excited expressions of the massive audience! "And I''m today''s host, your favorite Nancy! Do you love me?" This somewhat flashy host put his hand by his ear and pointed the microphone towards the crowd, prompting a tumultuous cheer of "Love!" from the audience. Quite a showman, indeed. And then Su Qi saw the [?] above Nancy''s head. [Vitality: 199999%] What kind of monster? Su Qi''s eyelids twitched, and he also noticed the audience around him... it didn''t seem to consist solely of ordinary spectators. There were Beastmen, Abnormalities, Silicon-based lifeforms, jellyfish whose hoods concealed energy brains, and several gigantic figures sitting in an area at the back, like a black hole as if not showing their true forms for fear of intimidating the other ordinary spectators. Nancy, pleased with the response, took back the microphone and snapped his fingers. The light around the area grew even dimmer, and the voices of the audience also gradually lowered. He looked towards the stage, "Today, the show has invited twelve contestants from different worlds!" "They each hold different identities, different abilities. They might be the fearsome Killing Demons, or they could be ordinary people who know nothing!" "And before we officially start..." Nancy''s eyes sparkled like gems as they reflected the images of the nine figures. The spotlight began to shift, and he laughed, "Now, let''s have them introduce themselves one by one." Chapter 72 - 72 Sitting in Front of You Is... (Please Follow) All the spotlights from around the grand arena converged on contestant number one. The surrounding screens also displayed his figure. Contestant number one was somewhat mysterious, wearing a strange mask on his head that concealed his face. He looked at the microphone in front of him and spoke with a hoarse voice, "My name... is Carl, and I am a knight." No sooner had he finished speaking than the seat flashed red, and a shrill noise seemed to make contestant number one a bit flustered. The next moment. The entire seat glowed red-hot, and he let out a scream of agony in the horrific heat. The surrounding audience let out a sigh of "tsk tsk" and hissed in response! Nancy, holding the microphone, laughed and said, "It seems contestant number one didn''t read the rules before entering, introductions must be truthful! You have to provide at least three important pieces of information, yet you... lied about everything!" Contestant number one''s body, wherever it had been in contact with the seat, was already showing scorch marks, and the smell of charred flesh and blood drifted over with the smoke. He spoke tremulously, "My name is John... I''m a serial killer, and my weapon is a chainsaw." Nancy snapped her fingers, "It seems this time it''s true. However, you, having been punished, are still very cunning, splitting ''chainsaw killer'' into... two pieces of information." Contestant number two was a clown smeared with bizarre watercolor makeup and clothing; the mouth cracked open with a creepy smile, "I am here to bring joy to everyone as a clown... but also immense terror; my favorite thing is to toy with my opponents little by little." Nancy held the microphone, "It seems the second contestant has made a dangerous declaration." Su Qi was number nine. And the ones before were all sorts of abnormal figures, creatures, with few being normal. A gentleman with a burned and terrifying face, wearing a hat, had claws on his hands as weapons, laughing strangely. Su Qi was astonished. This could also make a sound. Everyone was on guard against everything like usual, wary of each other, speaking extremely briefly within the rules, careful not to reveal too much key information. But it was obvious that all of them radiated extreme danger. "...I..." Contestant number eight was a doll, with a head of red hair, dressed in overalls, short in stature: "Hee hee hee, my name''s Ah Ji... I''m good at killing people, it doesn''t matter what weapon, hee hee hee!" The laugh was childish, but it carried an air of terror, as if something else was hidden. It was Su Qi''s turn now, and the microphone twinkled with light. A large number of spotlights gathered on him, and the screens also displayed his figure. The other beings around the round table also watched this seemingly most harmless guy, with varied expressions but eyes radiating a startling chill. Very obviously. In their eyes, Su Qi seemed to be the weakest of them all. Su Qi moved the microphone a bit towards himself and began to speak slowly, "Um... comrades." His voice echoed through every corner of the arena. "I''ll keep it brief." "First of all, I am very honored!" "To sit together today with so many dragons and young phoenixes, in front of so many audiences from different places, one cannot help but feel a bit excited..." Nancy was somewhat stunned, as everyone else had given brief self-introductions. What are you going on about? The other abnormals stared coldly at Su Qi, who wouldn''t stop talking. "Secondly, to the other eleven contestants, I hope you can put friendship first, competition second... and not always have ''killing'' on your lips. Think about it, everyone sitting together harmoniously, eating hotpot and singing songs, sharing contact information, discussing life - wouldn''t that be nice?" Nancy: "...." Was this contestant showing weakness to the others? And after talking so much, all of it was nonsense... not a single useful piece of information. Su Qi gave a faint smile, "Of course, if you don''t accept that, then that''s too bad, just pretend I didn''t say anything earlier." Nancy: "..." He really wanted to ask, what the hell are you doing, but since the other party didn''t break the rules, he couldn''t do anything about it. "Lastly..." Su Qi spoke into the microphone: "Let me introduce myself." "The person sitting in front of you now is..." His gaze turned sharp, his voice thunderous: "The champion of the third-quarter marble championship! Winner of the 38th Junior Firepower King! The reigning champion of the neighborhood Landlord card game! The youngest winner in the old folks'' home mahjong competition! A soccer enthusiast, a haggling expert, a swindler spotter, the Savior of Srilan, a sunny and cheerful big boySect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect!" A series of rapid sounds filled the entire arena. The audience was dumbstruck! The abnormals also paused in amazement, apparently not having caught on. Nancy''s eyes were wide open, his mouth agape, unsure what to say! What the hell was all that? It sounded impressive, but on closer inspection, it felt like nothingkey point was that it somehow didn''t break the rules and trigger punishment. Nancy fell into a cursed silence! Su Qi paused for a moment, seized the brief gap and commenced, "It seems you all haven''t had enough, so let me say just a few more words." His tone was sincere, reaching every ear. "That won''t be necessary!" Nancy responded quickly as a professional host, hurriedly interrupting Su Qi. "But I haven''t finished yet, I was just about to talk about the five-dollar..." "Cut this guy''s mic," Nancy couldn''t help but roar. Su Qi''s voice abruptly stopped, and Nancy wiped his forehead where there was no sweat, let out a dry laugh to the audience and said, "Sorry for losing composure there, but for the sake of the show''s progression, let''s first listen to the next few contestants introduce themselves." Su Qi''s microphone even automatically moved two meters away from him. ? Su Qi looked dissatisfied. Don''t you understand freedom of speech? Besides, didn''t I pay a registration fee to participate in this show? The last three seemed much more normal. A regular cat just meowed a few times to complete its self-introduction. A starfish wearing shorts, seemingly not very clever, smiled dumbly, "I don''t have a brain, I''m an idiot, I like to catch jellyfish." Somehow, also did not break any rules. And the last one... he had three eyes, all with a mysterious gleam, and when he extended his hand, he actually only had three fingers, "I am a gambler, from Linyuan Land... if I lose, I will cut off one of my own fingers, otherwise... it''s the other guy''s fingers that get cut, hee hee hee." He laughed creepily, high-spirited. Su Qi sighed. It seemed that besides himself, there was not a single normal person here. Nancy sighed as well. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This batch of contestants... were all bizarrely abnormal. Chapter 73 - 73: Wisdom, Luck, Strength, and Cheating "The twelve contestants have finished introducing themselves, so now I will announce... the show has officially begun!" Nancy regained her composure, her voice echoing through the venue, the shocking music mixed with some indescribable weirdness and shrieks making the audience seem excited as well. "As everyone knows!" "In ''Love, Death, Super Player,'' to truly become a winner, intelligence, luck, and strength are all indispensable!" She gestured broadly, "And now, let''s move on to the random theme selection." Above the huge round table was a lottery machine, spinning at high speed... "Let''s see what the first theme the contestants will face is..." Nancy snapped her fingers, and three identical patterns appeared on the lottery machine, a stick figure with a question mark above its head, chopped in two. At that moment of confirmation, the lottery machine flickered slightly, emitting the sound effect of a completed draw. Nancy''s tone drew out a long sound, with a touch of awe, "Ohhh, it''s the Death Choice!" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "This theme purely depends on each person''s luck; sometimes a simple choice can cost you your life!" Su Qi looked at the excited Nancy. All he could say was, This host knows how to produce a show. "It seems that all contestants... will face quite a challenge in the first round!" "Death Choice, a total of three stages... I wonder who will have the last laugh." Nancy''s voice vibrated eardrums, and he cackled, "Let''s get started!" Boom! Su Qi''s eyes were fixed on the big round table in front of him, as if countless mechanisms were operating inside, the small board in front of each person... collapsed, then rose again with a tray. Inside the tray, there were two transparent cups of water. "Luck," Nancy''s voice leisurely reached everyone''s ears, "is always a mysterious thing. Some can become one in a million lucky ones, while others are born unlucky; it seems life is not always fair." Nancy''s voice clearly reached everyone''s ears. "In front of you are two cups of liquid, one cup is just ordinary water, the other is a corrosive liquid that is deadly. A normal person would die on the spot with just one sip." Nancy watched as each abnormality stared at the two cups of water, seemingly trying to discern a difference, squinting their eyes, "Of course... you can try to distinguish them by observation, but I''m sorry to tell you that both cups are colorless and tasteless, with no difference in appearance whatsoever." "This challenge relies solely on luck!" ? Su Qi looked at the [?] above the two liquids. Really? Nancy naturally didn''t know that there was someone in the crowd with a ''wallhang''. He started speaking with a smile; "Contestants, please make your choice within thirty seconds!" "If you do not make a choice within the time limit, you will be punished, and one of the cups will be randomly assigned to you." No. 1 Butcher''s eyes were cold as he stared at the two cups of water, he leaned in to smell them but still couldn''t detect any difference. No. 5 Paperman, wearing a wedding red robe, her paper face got very close, seemingly trying to spot something. However. It was Brother Hai Xing in his underpants, who was making faces, his eyes bloodshot as he became more panicked, shouting, "I can''t tell them apart, I really can''t!" "You could... drink both cups at once! Hee hee hee!" The Clown seemed very curious about Brother Hai Xing, laughing wickedly with his mouth full of sharp teeth. "Thank you, brother, you''re such a good guy, heh!" Brother Hai Xing actually picked up both cups and drank them all at once, thick smoke quickly appearing from his mouth, he continuously screamed, "Pain pain pain pain!" The entire body actually began to shrivel up, its face flushed red as if about to be pierced through by the Corrosive Liquid. Some abnormalities remained indifferent, while others appeared very cautious. The power of the Corrosive Liquid was immense! Some of them may not fear death, but they could also become weakened. However, the next moment. "Pfft!" A torrent of liquid gushed out from Brother Hai Xing''s behind, and he let out a burp followed by a silly laugh: "Seems to be not bad." The Clown''s eerie laughter stiffened for a moment. And Nancy didn''t seem surprised by this. Among the contestants present, some had flesh and blood, others had Undying Bodies... what could kill an ordinary person might not be effective against some. "Host, I have a question!" At this time, Su Qi suddenly spoke up. Nancy narrowed her eyes, sneering: "I''m not going to offer any external help, nor will I answer any questions that might give you hints." "No, I just wanted to ask." Su Qi pointed to the person next to him wearing a pyramid-shaped metal hood: "How does it drink?" Nancy: "....." At that moment, a black tentacle resembling a tongue suddenly extended from the metal crevice of the pyramid head, directly choosing one of the cups and draining it. Su Qi gave a thumbs-up in admiration: "Then that''s all." Nancy looked at Su Qi: "Haven''t you made your choice yet? There are only ten seconds left. It''s a game of luck; any hesitation or delay is just pushing you towards misfortune. After all, luck... if you don''t seize it, it will slip through your fingers." Su Qi reached out and grasped the cup on his right, looking at the [?] information on it, he said: "I think this game is indeed very good, fair and impartial to everyone, with only luck being considered." He drained the cup in one gulp. And the next moment. Su Qi''s face suddenly changed, and he clutched his throat in pain! The abnormalities chuckled coldly. Watch this unlucky creature, failing at the very first round... Su Qi''s pained expression vanished, showing no signs of corrosion, he let out a small cough and his complexion returned to normal, apologetically stating: "Sorry, just had a bit of a gulp that went down the wrong way." Blocked your mother! Nancy''s forehead began to show lines of irritation, watching Su Qi putting the cup back in place, discontented: "It seems that contestant number nine is also quite lucky." Out of twelve contestants, four were struck. But none had died. If they had died from a cup of Corrosive Liquid, they wouldn''t be worthy of sitting here. Clearly, some had hoarse voices and were gasping for breath. The surrounding audience booed at the lack of deaths. "Be patient, everyone." Nancy smiled faintly towards the audience: "This was just an appetizer. The second round of the death selection... is about to begin." "In this round, you won''t just rely on luck." "Your experience and wisdom too!" The center of the huge round table suddenly sank, revealing a dark hole, then after a long while... seven holographic figures slowly appeared. "In this round, you will choose the one with the highest evil value from these seven people!" Nancy smiled: "Of course, it''s not a blind choice. Their words and actions are the criteria for your judgment." A little girl holding a doll and a book said demurely: "I love fairy tales the most." A Butcher, holding a cleaver and covered in blood, croaked: "I am skilled at chopping meat into pieces." A man dressed in a suit and leather shoes: "What you love is your life...." Chapter 74 - 74 I Really Didnt Cheat! ? Su Qi almost wanted to choose directly, but it hadn''t started yet. There were four more figures. The bearded man wearing a cowboy hat and jacket, he seemed to be called Arthur. A surgeon in surgical attire, his gaze coldly fixed ahead. And a priest in his usual attire, holding a cross and praying kindly, "May all children have a bright future." The last woman lowered her head, her body covered in self-harm marks. "As you can see, these are the seven people," Nancy squinted her eyes and said, "among them... there are good people and bad people, and you can judge based on their appearances and your own experience." "Of course... please note that you only need to choose the one with the highest evil value. If you choose wrong, you will suffer a random punishment." "Punishments vary in severity," Nancy said with a light laugh, "...it all depends on your luck." The abnormalities disdainfully looked at these seven people. In terms of evil value, they were the experts; most of these seven looked harmless. They lacked brains and started choosing based on instinct. But Su Qi was not in a hurry. Because a "!" appeared on his screen, displaying, "If you choose correctly, you will gain an advantage in the next phase." "Looks like there''s some trick to it." Brother Su nodded, switching to serious mode. He scrutinized everyone, and although they were holographic images, "?" still existed, but these "?" wouldn''t provide any data on evil values. Su Qi could only judge based on the information. Tsk tsk tsk. Wow... at least three individuals had killed more than twenty people. And that priest, it wasn''t murder, but purely more disgusting malevolence... To Su Qi''s surprise... the butcher, who had a fierce appearance, turned out to be a good person. His information was all about good deeds, and he quickly noticed that the less bright contestants were fixating on the butcher. Young people were still too na?ve. Although each person''s selection screen was in front of them, there was no long partition to block the view, allowing direct visibility of everyone''s choices. But even knowing what other contestants chose didn''t confirm if it was the correct answer. "The hardest part here isn''t judging who is the evil person, but judging whose evil value is the highest," Su Qi pondered, finding the value hard to determine. His gaze flickered toward a particular figure. The abnormalities were judging based on instinct; they weren''t hesitant or afraid of death. Brother Hai Xing... didn''t even look at the seven figures and just picked an option. "Contestant number nine... now you''re the only one who hasn''t made a choice yet." Nancy''s voice suddenly came. Su Qi paused and said, "I request to remove a wrong answer." Nancy: "..." "There isn''t such an option." "Then I request outside help." "Even less so!" Nancy clenched her teeth and shouted: "Just make a proper choice!" Su Qi shook his head: "Not even caring about the show''s effect, you''re too unprofessional as a host." He finally placed his eyes on the little girl holding a book. "I''ll choose her then." Although just a holographic image, the little girl''s obedient demeanor was very lively; she even seemed to blink at Su Qi, puzzled about why he chose her. "Contestant number nine, truly an unexpected choice." Nancy squinted her eyes, holding the microphone, and said: "Looks like all contestants have made their choices. Now it''s time to reveal the answer, and the method of revelation is..." His tone tinged with excitement, his voice spreading throughout the venue: "The most anticipated random death punishment!" Everyone shivered, feeling the restraints on their bodies tighten a bit, as if afraid they would escape. And the next moment. "Bang!" The stirring music started, and except for Su Qi and the gambler, everyone''s seats rapidly transformed into metal plates, five meters wide and one meter thick! They were chained up, confined within these bounds. Even the little cat was connected by chains, meowing plaintively. Around the metal plate, numerous cutting blades were extending one after another. And at the center of the round table, a cylinder arose, replete with iron spikes stained with copious amounts of blood! Nancy looked toward the excited audience and declared aloud, "Ladies and gentlemen, the punishment has begun!" "Who will survive! And who will die!" At that moment! A multitude of spikes fiercely shot out, and aside from Su Qi and the gambler, the other abnormalities attempted to dodge. And the surrounding glinting blades had already begun spinning intensely! A live meat grinder! "Bang!" The power of these iron spikes was absolutely terrifying, brutally embedding themselves into the thick metal plates and even protruding from the other side. If one were impaled, they would be firmly nailed to the metal plate. And then, there was no escape, they were ruthlessly killed! At this moment, someone had already fallen, contestant number one... he didn''t even have time to pull out his chainsaw before being nailed to the metal plate! Massive amounts of flesh were sliced! Blood sprayed across the entire surface of the plate. And at that time, The gambler in the distance stared at Su Qi and slowly said, "I didn''t expect I wasn''t the only one... who chose that little girl." "You actually gambled too, picking the option that seemed the most normal and harmless out of the seven." Su Qi gave him a glance, "Gamble?" Although it wasn''t possible to discern the difference in evil values directly from the individuals, the items they possessed were the crucial elements. The doll held by the little girl was... filled with flesh and stitched together with at least twenty different humans'' skins, essentially a man-made horror pollutant. And that book wasn''t any fairytale; its cover strangely resembled the Evil God Totem, and also contained [?] information, a type of blood sacrifice ceremony. She looked obedient, but in reality, she was the most dangerous evil here. The punishment ended. Out of the ten, seven astonishingly survived. Contestant number one and number five, these two were indeed too frail... and another, number seven, had also been physically eliminated. The scene was incredibly gory. But upon seeing such a sight, the audience burst into excited whistles and cheers! "Hold on!" Nancy raised her hand to signal silence, and she didn''t clean up the seats of the three contestants, the horrific scene adding a bit of tension to the atmosphere. He turned his head towards the remaining people and softly smiled, saying, "The remaining nine players, up next is the final round of the death choice." "But rest assured, this round is very simple and not dangerous, it serves as a preparation for the next round." "This round is... choosing an item of your own." Nancy squinted her eyes, reminding them somewhat sinisterly, "Choose carefully, if you make a poor judgment, the next theme will be very... gruesome!" Su Qi paused slightly. He saw the clown pulling out a balloon, emitting a strange laugh. The puppet Ah Ji''s eyes glowed green as he pulled out a bloodstained long knife. The Paper Bride held onto a hairpin, looking even more sinister. The gambler materialized a card in his hand. Freddy sharpened his claws, eyeing the people behindBrother Hai Xing, cat... and Su Qi, laughing ominously, "Looks like you''re being targeted, tsk tsk tsk, but there''s no helping it, the weak... can only become prey." ..... Su Qi watched the various abnormalities change, gradually revealing dangerous cold smiles, seemingly having designs on the seemingly harmless three of them. Bullying? Targeting? Just because we''re handsome? Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But it seems... a fierce battle awaits next, extremely perilous. One item seemed insufficient. At that moment, The [!] in front of Su Qi slowly disappeared, as prompt boxes appeared. [You have successfully chosen the correct answer] [Level has been restored to 16] [You may additionally choose one item from the Item Slot and Skill Bar to remove the restrictions] Oh, so that''s how it''s played. Then no worries. Chapter 75 - 75: Turning the Tables! Except for the item Nancy had mentioned. Su Qi could also unlock one piece of equipment and a skill. He looked around at the folks nearby. "...they seem to have some special strengths of their own, and most of the tools have a bit of an oddity to them." For instance, the Paper Bride''s hairpin clearly carried a whiff of pollutants and wasn''t meant for physical combat. And the Clown''s balloon also seemed far from ordinary, its red surface appeared to be flowing with copious amounts of blood. Judging from the recent punishment. Many weren''t afraid of physical attacks, but they most likely all had fatal weaknesses. After pondering for two seconds, Su Qi had made his decision. The final phase of the Death Selection concluded in just one minute, and the host Nancy''s voice amplified a bit: "It seems everyone has finished choosing." "Then..." She said with a faint smile: "Next up is the second round." "Death Duel!" These four words whipped the audience into an even greater frenzy. "Now... please listen to the rule..." Nancy''s voice suddenly halted, and he squinted towards the distance, where a strange roar was emanating from a dark cave entrance. It seemed as if someone had arrived on the scene riding some massive abnormality. His expression changed slightly, and it appeared as if someone were whispering something in his ear. Nancy, somewhat astonished and speaking with a mixture of reverence and fear, said: "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have a quite remarkable audience member." Countless audience members craned their necks but could not catch a glimpse of the true form in that shadowy darkness. However. Nancy didn''t reveal the identity of the newcomer, but gave the Gambler a glance, as the latter seemed somewhat nervous. "So, let me continue with the rules." Nancy snapped his fingers. "The Death Duel will randomly match two people into pairs... and they will be thrown into the map to fight." "There will be no rules in between, the duel ends as soon as any one of the participants dies." "Of course." "Now with only 9 left, inevitably, one will be left out... it''s just unknown who will be that lucky person, so let''s proceed with the random selection!" The booming music continued resounding, and their numbers lit up in turn... Two numbers displaying the same color meant they were opponents in the Death Duel. Triangle-Head VS Clown Cat VS Freddy Hai Xing VS Doll Gambler VS Paper Bride Su Qi looked at his own white number, with brows slightly raised. "What a pity, the number 9 contestant ended up being the one left out!" Nancy''s face showed regret, his expression was genuinely rueful. Being left out made the other abnormalities'' expressions turn frosty as they turned their sharp fangs or long knives toward Su Qi with fierce glares. The Gambler twirled a card in his fingers, sneering: "Not bad luck." "Some get to live a little longer, but... he definitely won''t last until the end." The Clown let out a hoarse laugh, his laughter eerie and unsettling. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Their harsh words were broadcast throughout the entire venue by the microphone in front of them. Su Qi looked at a microphone five meters away from him, and turned to Nancy: "Don''t you need to make the show more exciting? Watch as I, the Lord Zaun, read a quick script and scold them all back to their eighteenth ancestors. Give them a taste of what shock really feels like!" Nancy: "..." He shook his head and chuckled, "Don''t worry, after your self-introduction earlier, I knew I couldn''t let you get near the microphone. Of course... you can get up yourself, as long as you can manage it." ? Su Qi felt that this was discrimination. Every contestant was securely locked in place by mechanical restraints, with visible electromagnetic force flowing, making it impossible to leave their seats on their own. "Just sit quietly in your seat now and watch this death duel with me..." Nancy calmly raised the topic and announced loudly, "Now... let the contestants enter the arena!" The next moment. Boom! Deep holes appeared beneath the seats of the other eight contestants! They plummeted straight down! In the sky above, mirage-like visions of four different landscapes appeared. Their figures were released from their restraints and fell into them. "The duel is about to begin!" Nancy gestured grandly towards the multitude of seats, "Now let me, Nancy, a professional host, commentate on these four duels!" "The four maps... each different, but what they have in common is that they will burst with lethal crises!" "If the contestants don''t quickly defeat their opponents, they might also die from the inherent dangers of the map itself." "Of course," Nancy said with a mysterious smile, "there might be some useful items on the map that, if found early, could have unexpected effects. Let''s take a look at the first map, a gloomy little town where both contestants seem quite cautious..." At that moment. An abrupt voice interrupted her. "Hey, hey." The voice echoed throughout the entire venue. Nancy''s voice abruptly stopped, and her expression froze as she turned to the round table, the audience... including the one who had suddenly appeared, they too were stunned and all eyes become fixed on the round table. Nancy''s eyes widened as she saw Su Qi, who had somehow left his seat and grabbed the microphone, waved at her with a smile, "..." Nancy couldn''t help but roar, "How did you get out?!" Su Qi shook his head, "That''s not important... and besides, as a professional host, you can''t even control your emotions, and this is live broadcasting!" Nancy: "..." She seemed to sense that things were moving in a direction beyond her control. Su Qi''s voice spread throughout the venue, "Ladies and gentlemen, sorry for the interruption." "Next up, let me... join the host in commentating these four tense and exhilarating no-holds-barred fights for you all!" Nancy was swept along unwillingly, her face pale and powerless as she gripped the microphone. She could feel it. Her professional career was facing a disastrous Waterloo! As the fight progressed, every second ticked by slowly! And Su Qi''s voice was already ringing in everyone''s ears: "Alright! We can see now, the Clown forward has burst into the Pyramid Head''s back area, seemingly unwilling to charge straight at Pyramid Head! But Pyramid Head doesn''t take a detour and smashes through the houses to make way! Nicely done!" "Clown! The Clown contestant is ready to attack! Though it seems brainless, it actually knows how to flank! And it knows how to use traps! Oh! The trap worked! Pyramid Head seems to have been affected mentally!" Nancy stood there with a dazed look, as the passionate voice left her unable to interject. And what was worse. The mood of the audience around was clearly stirred up, and she couldn''t even interrupt. At this moment. Nancy felt her position was being threatened. "Oh! The situation is out of control now! The Clown has gained the upper hand! Look, it''s picked up a crossbow!" Su Qi stood up and slapped the table hard, "Fire!" "Ah, too bad it was dodged!" The entire audience sighed along with Su Qi''s tone. Nancy: "...." Now she just felt restless and uncomfortable. Chapter 76 - 76 What! The head coach is warming up! Listening to Su Qi''s wave after wave of passionate commentary, it was as if she was right at the scene. Nancy felt a strong pressure bearing down on her. And it seemed like the gambling had ended on the other side, with the Paper Bride being torn apart by a card. Su Qi regretfully opened her mouth and said, "After crossing this mountain, they would be able to hear your story, regardless of how the story ends, Paperman, push on!" What push on. Nancy really wanted to retort, since the Paperman contestant was already gone. She resignedly took off her jacket, even though at her level of strength, she wouldn''t normally feel hot, but at that moment, she still felt an indescribable sense of constriction. And Su Qi looked at her oddly, surprised, "What! The host is warming up!" Even everyone in the audience looked over in astonishment, and Nancy almost stumbled, her lips dry as she said, "I''m just taking off my jacket." "Tch!" Boos came from the audience. Nancy fumed, "Aren''t I your favorite host? And you''re booing me!" "This is normal," Su Qi shook her head, "For a host to not say a word for nearly ten minutes. That''s problematic." Nancy yelled, "Did you even give me a chance to butt in?" She was losing her composure, "I''ve changed my mind, you''re not allowed to touch the microphone again." "But..." Su Qi looked towards the audience, "Do you see them agreeing with you?" The booing from the audience seats grew louder, it was obvious that Su Qi''s passionate commentary had given them a taste of what it was like to be on the scene, and for the spectators, this was what mattered most. Nancy''s hand stiffened, her face paling. The host had been upstaged by a contestant. And moreover, It seemed like the audience wasn''t buying her side! The jeers were nonstop, and some people were even whistling! Even those in the VIP section seemed to be watching her, apparently displeased. Nancy was dumbfounded. Su Qi smiled faintly and said, "Alright, Mr. Nancy, I''ll give you a chance now." ??? "What chance," Nancy''s voice was somewhat hoarse. "Let''s make a bet!" "?" Su Qi looked towards the third map''s Brother Hai Xing, "Let''s bet on...what will happen to it next." Nancy looked at Hai Xing, whose opponent was that toy doll, the two hadn''t fought. Ah Ji seemed to have realized Brother Hai Xing wasn''t smart, and they had actually become friends, hopping and skipping down the street. However, it was clear that Ah Ji was setting all sorts of deadly traps along the way, apparently to lead someone to their doom. "The next thing for Hai Xing...what will happen?" Nancy squinted, "What''s the stake?" Su Qi laughed, "If I lose, I''ll stop commenting right away and get off stage...enter into this map and participate in the fight everyone wants to see." "And if you lose." Nancy felt a tinge of nervousness. Su Qi looked at her gently and said, "I will need to take over your role as the host for the next round, and you will replace me as a contestant, of course, I''ll follow the protocol." "Of course, just for one round, after that I''ll return to being a contestant." Nancy subconsciously wanted to refuse, but clearly the surrounding audience was going wild with provocation. What they wanted to see was the show''s script, right? No. It was fun! The unexpected! She couldn''t proceed according to her own wishes at all. "I understand." Nancy''s expression turned a bit bitter; she had seen countless demons and ghostly creatures! This was the first time... the only time! Damn it! She had been replaced by a contestant...and this guy was superbly professional, seemingly not from an academy, but his style was wild! She couldn''t handle it! Nancy''s expression gradually became solemn, looking at Hai Xing on the map, "Although it''s such an obvious trap...judging by Hai Xing''s various performances, I don''t think it will notice. Ah Ji will lead it into that hole, then it will fall down, and there''s even a pile of combustibles below, I can''t be sure if it will be burned to death, but...what I''ve said should be enough." She had already envisioned Hai Xing''s next moves. Su Qi clapped her hands, "It seems you''re quite certain." He picked up the microphone and looked towards the audience, "I wonder what all the spectators here think, what do you guess Brother Hai Xing will do next?" Nancy looked down in shame. She even remembered to interact with the audience. I''m seriously crying to death! "Spill your guess already," Nancy gritted her teeth, eyeing the two figures on the map, "They''re about to reach the spot." Su Qi glanced over and said, "Fine, I think it won''t get ambushed. In fact, it''s likely that Ghost Baby is the one lying there, and since its brain isn''t big enough, it might even go to save it..." "???" What''s that even mean? Nancy was totally confused. At that moment, Ah Ji had already lured Hai Xing to the trap: "Bro, thanks for walking with me this far..." "Don''t mention it... Even though I don''t know you, you seem pretty cool," Hai Xing was still licking his lollipop. Of course, naturally, we''re good friends. And now, please kindly drop dead. Ah Ji had already extended his foot, a bizarre smile with murderous intent on his face, and then he violently lunged at Hai Xing for a sneak attack. But in the next instant. Brother Hai Xing suddenly stepped aside, his eyes wide with excitement as he stared at something in a street-side showcase: "Look, a conch shell, hey!" Ah Ji''s kick missed its mark by a mile. Its expression drastically changed as its whole body nearly lost balance and tumbled in, saved only by its short stature as it desperately pulled itself back. And just then. Brother Hai Xing excitedly reached out his hand: "Bro, hold my lollipop for me, I''ll be right back." He dashed straight over. Ah Ji''s eyes went blank, and then he was brutally knocked down. With resentment, he said, "No!" About ten seconds later. Brother Hai Xing came back looking dumb with a conch in hand. He looked around in confusion: "Hey, bro, where are you?" "Idiot, I''m down here!" Ah Ji roared, "Hurry and get me out!" There wasn''t any fire below yet, but it was all liquid, highly flammable. Brother Hai Xing seemed rather annoyed: "My good friend wouldn''t curse at me, who are you?!" "Of course I''m your good friend," Ah Ji quickly changed his tone. "It''s too dark, I can''t see." Brother Hai Xing picked up a match from the ground: "Don''t worry, bro, here''s some light." He lit a match and tossed it down. "Ah ah ah ah!" A huge blaze shot straight up into the sky! Ah Ji''s screams made Brother Hai Xing anxious: "Wait, I''ll find someone to save you right now!" He held up the conch to his ear: "Hello!" "Hello!" "Hello!" "Hello!" "What was I going to say... wait a second" Brother Hai Xing looked at his other hand, shocked: "Where''s my Magical Conch?" He even leaned over the hole and called down: "Stranger, have you seen my conch?" Ah Ji: "..." It was nearly ash. "Why don''t you speak? Have some manners," Hai Xing stood up, sounding naive and oblivious as his voice faded away, "Well, I''m off to find my conch. Bye-bye, stranger, hey." .... Nancy silently watched this unfold, almost crushing his microphone in his hand. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi also silently observed. He had anticipated the earlier events, but what followed was simply too absurd. But it didn''t matter anymore. "Anyway, it seems like I''ve won, so..." Su Qi picked up Nancy''s microphone, turned to the audience with a smile and announced: "Welcome, everyone, to the... 2378th edition of ''Love, Death, Super Gamers'' game show!" "And I''m your host for today!" "Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect!" Chapter 77 - 77: The Great Death Challenge In the dimly lit corridor. The Gambler gazed at the Paper Bride that had been torn apart, lowering his head as if aware that those outside could see him. In no one''s presence, a hint of coldness flickered in his eyes. And on his forehead, a third eye, beamed a startling red light. "The Paperman Soul''s fatal weakness is the eyes, now dealt with." The Gambler revealed a sinister smile. "There are probably four left, the cat and Hai Xing seem to both harbor monsters within, but as long as they don''t lose control... they can be taken care of ahead of time." "The rest are even less concerning." As for that one who got a bye. Squinting his eyes, the Gambler spat, "Can''t see through his weaknesses, and he... also has the annoying kind of luck." His third eye could penetrate everyone''s weaknesses, which was his secret to winning every gamble. Being a gambler himself, he hated luck the most, having lost a few fingers to it. "...Whether it''s death match or a bye, his luck has been extremely good, avoiding all dangers," the Gambler sneered, "But next round... can he still escape?" The Gambler seemed to still conceal some Strength, emitting a faint scent of Pollution, with his gaze revealing desire. "No one can stop me from achieving the ultimate victory!" .... At this moment. All confrontations across the four maps had concluded. The four survivors, the winners, were Clown, the cat, Brother Hai Xing, and the Gambler. The cat and Hai Xing were the first to be brought back. The cat meowed docilely, but many spectators looked at it with suspicion; during its confrontation with Freddy, when cornered, it suddenly opened its mouth wide and stretched out numerous tentacles, dragging Freddy straight into its belly. Hai Xing looked around in confusion, "Hey, I feel like I''ve been here before." It had not unleashed any Strength, and its opponent was confused and defeated. Clown''s figure was also brought back. Its mouth was bloody. After killing Pyramid Head, the Clown''s entire mouth revealed many sharp teeth, and it had ferociously gnawed off half an arm. "Hehehe... didn''t expect the survivors to be you... and that lucky fellow..." Clown looked toward Su Qi''s spot and then suddenly paused. Wait. Where is he? Su Qi was standing with Nancy, the former smiling, the latter with a somber face. ? Clown didn''t understand, but it detested others'' smiles; when it was a circus clown... others'' laughter disgusted it, later realizing what it actually loved was others'' screams or the smiles forcefully carved with a knife. Those were its favorite things. At this moment. The Gambler appeared at the round table, his gaze subtly cold as he looked around: "Just as I guessed... those two monsters survived, this Clown managed to kill Pyramid Head through mental terror." "They are all rather dangerous... fellows." The Gambler was not panicked, instead, his gaze was coldly calculating, never gambling on unsure things in the game of life and death. Regarding Su Qi, who got a bye... The Gambler suddenly paused. Because Su Qi had already picked up the microphone, a smile curving his lips, his voice carried over, "Congratulations to the four players, for successfully surviving the death duel, commendable..." Both Clown and the Gambler were somewhat dazed. The Gambler frowned tightly, something unexpected occurring: "....Mr. Nancy... what''s happening?" His tone carried a hint of reverence, as after all, this host possessed power far beyond theirs. There had been many contestants who had broken the rules, even rashly attacked the host. All were directly suppressed by Nancy, without any resistance. Nancy cast him a cold glance, "Don''t ask, ask again and I''ll kill you." The Gambler: "????" Then, an even more shocking scene occurred. Su Qi patted Nancy on the shoulder: "This contestant, don''t just stand there; go back to your spot." What was he doing, and how dare he say such things!? And the next moment. Nancy took a deep breath, and without a word, went and sat in Su Qi''s spot. He seemed displeased, but the loud cheers from the surrounding audience seats left him unable to lose his temper. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Gambler''s eyes widened. Fuck! Su Qi waved his hand toward the sky, "Props team, please make sure he gets one too, no special treatment." "... " The next moment, Nancy was also tightly fastened. He was expressionless. He who accepts the challenge must accept the loss, and if he can''t afford to lose, the surrounding audience will do more than just boo. Among the audience were powerful beings, and those in the VIP seats were not to be trifled with. Nancy even lowered his head, unable to resist checking the lock on his seat. No malfunction. How did that guy manage to open it? At this moment, Su Qi stood on the stage, all the spotlights focused on him. Of course. Moreover, a screen was showing Nancy''s expressionless face. The director too knew how to create a show effect. Su Qi, with a meaningful smile in his eyes, said, "Next, let''s proceed to the third round." He waved broadly. "Death Challenge!" Nancy''s eyelids twitched fiercely; this gesture was too familiar to him. "This round''s rules are simple," "Under numerous obstacles set up, all contestants start at the same time... reach the end alive, and you pass this round. During this, combat and hindrance are allowed, with no rules to restrict." Suddenly, Su Qi thought of something, "Of course, considering Mr. Nancy''s strength might be unfair to the other contestants, I''ve decided..." He paused, smiling, "to make no changes!" "After all, I''m not in the arena." "Hey!" Both the Clown and Gambler couldn''t help but change their expressions and cry out. The cat seemed a bit dissatisfied too, meowing discontentedly. Brother Hai Xing, rather foolishly, raised his magical conch and laughed, "Look, my Magical Conch!" Nancy coldly sneered without expression, "Don''t worry, I won''t let you have your way." This round was just about passing; he wasn''t going to kindly help Su Qi by eliminating a few competitors. After all, in the next round, he would be back to being the host, and Su Qi would still have to participate in the final game. The Gambler took a deep breath. He couldn''t make sense of the situation anymore; of course, he wouldn''t dare provoke Nancy, a powerful player, but others had already caught his eye. The Clown also looked sharply at Hai Xing and the cat, Wondering how these two little ones had survived this long. And Su Qi snapped his fingers, "Contestants, please be prepared." The ground of the stage thunderously split apart, creating an endless, deep pit around the previously empty stage. Slowly, several floating platforms emerged from the pit. And on these platforms, like pools of magma from a fiery hell, enormous abnormalities with gaping maws, and Insect Nests... copious amounts of insects showing their fangs as if about to devour them alive... Su Qi looked at all this, his gaze unchanged, and he slowly said: "The competition is about to begin." "But," he paused, "Before the competition begins, let''s have a commercial break." Nancy roared, "No commercials!" "Is that so... then, that explains the average commercial value of the show." Nancy swore he already wanted to strangle Su Qi. Su Qi calmly said, "A truly good show... isn''t just about the contestants participating, it''s about making the audience happy. The more involved they feel... the more they will be addicted to it." Nancy was stunned; he didn''t know what Su Qi was planning. But he already felt uneasy, Because Su Qi had a smile that gave him a bad feeling. Su Qi turned toward the guest area as dark as the abyss, those terrifying figures did not inspire fear in him; rather, he smiled and waved, saying: "Esteemed guests, would you care to place a bet?" Chapter 78 - 78 Su Qis True Purpose Nancy shuddered all over. His pupils constricted and dilated in some fear as he looked towards that dim VIP area, where each presence... was someone he couldn''t afford to provoke. Especially that adult sitting on the massive abnormality. His identity was even more astonishing. He never dared to directly engage in conversation like this. "You''re insane!" Nancy couldn''t help but roar. But Su Qi ignored him, maintaining a smile while his gaze stayed fixed on that VIP area... And seconds passed. There was no answer from that side. A look of regret appeared on Su Qi''s face, "Is that so, then let it be..." But the next moment. A voice sounded, showing interest, "What do you want to bet..." Su Qi''s eyebrows raised, his expression eased quite a bit. It wasn''t easy. Finally someone took the bait... but not completely. Because the one who spoke wasn''t his target. His real target... was the important figure who entered later, marked with a deep red [!]. Ever since that important figure made a sudden entrance. Su Qi saw a huge deep red [!], as he had mentioned before... the deeper the color, the more dangerous it is, and the richer the reward as well. And the content of the exclamation mark read. [Winning once against it, might yield a reward] Su Qi had already been pondering how to accomplish this. It was naturally impossible to win against it in combat... so it had to be approached from a different angle. But the difficulty was immense. First. To complete the [!], there were three challenges. First, to make contact and converse with this important figure. Second, to get it to agree to gamble with him. Third, to win the bet against it. The difficulty of the first step alone was high enough. To that end. Su Qi laid the groundwork for a long time. He first used the [Artificial Team''s Counterattack] to successfully cause the chair to malfunction, reversing the situation... elevating his own status and reputation in front of the audience. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Only in this way... would such an important figure pay attention to him. Otherwise, speaking as a player struggling on the brink of death, he''d be treated no better than an ant. Meanwhile. Challenging Mr. Nancy to a bet wasn''t to escape anything like the third round, or to... liven things up for everyone. That wasn''t Su Qi''s style. He was inciting interest in this big shot by putting forth a challenge to bet. You watch people play Fight the Landlord on the sidelines, don''t you want to join the table and play yourself? Having assumed the role of the host now, Su Qi also found it more convenient to proceed with his actions. The current Nancy, strapped in his chair, was utterly unable to stop him. His eyes bulged with fury at Su Qi. Of course. Su Qi didn''t directly challenge that big shot to a bet. That would have been too obvious in its intent. He was like an old man setting up chess on the street corner, casting a wide net to trap the unsuspecting. Everything was proceeding according to plan. Now the second step could be taken. That was to get it to agree to a bet with him, but the other party didn''t directly enter the fray, yet the few figures beside it were quite interested. "It seems I''ll have to win against these few fellows first before I can have a match with it." Su Qi''s gaze lingered over the dark and turbulent VIP seats, unruffled: "We''ll bet on... nothing but luck, randomness adds the most thrill, at the same time it''s the most fair and just." "Agreed." The few figures all narrowed their eyes and consented. At this moment, Nancy dared not say anything. After all, those VIPs were already interested, and he had to be sensible. Whatever the bet was, he had to help these VIPs win as much as he could. That''s the way of the world! Su Qi''s gaze searched the field. Then he suddenly noticed something, and lightly said, "The seventh block on the field, it''s the dangerous Land of Strange Tales with changing rules... When a contestant passes through here, the current rule changes, this process is random. Aside from the current rule of [Absolutely no talking], there are nine other rules. We''ll bet on what the next random rule will be, does that sound good?" The figures didn''t immediately answer but looked toward Nancy instead. Nancy''s body trembled slightly, and he nodded, "He''s right; the rules do change randomly without any pattern, all based on luck." "Purely based on luck?" They spoke calmly, "That''s possible, but what''s the stake? It seems you don''t have anything valuable enough for us." "How about this?" Su Qi, unhurried, opened his Item Slot, took out the speaker, and pressed the play button. The sound of Horror Nursery Rhyme filled the air, carrying through the microphone to every corner. They suddenly changed their expression, "This sound is so strange; there''s an abnormality in its Strength." Su Qi spoke softly, "This Sound of the Past... seems to contain some sort of terrifying power. I could only record it with this speaker, lest the audience here suffer. I''m not sure if the original could be used as a bet." He was lying through his teeth. What he had was only a copy; he didn''t possess the original sound disk. A few figures said nothing more; their eyes narrowed, showing a hint of interest, "This seems like a good item; we''ll take that bet. Of course, if you lose and don''t have the actual item... you must know the consequences." "Rest assured, esteemed ones; I never lie." The Tool Group was also good at handling things. Ten placards appeared in the air, and each figure reached out and made their choices. Su Qi quickly selected one of them. At that moment, Death''s Challenge had already begun! The constraints in front of the contestants were lifted, and they quickly set off. All the spectators were getting excited; they no longer wished to see the contestants'' painful struggles but were eager to know the outcome of the bet! "Mr. Nancy, hurry up; you have nothing to worry about with your Strength," Su Qi even said, urging him on with a laugh. Nancy cursed silently but dared not speak out; after all, everyone''s gaze was focused on him. It seemed they were all awaiting the outcome. Finally, he approached the Land of Strange Tales. At that moment, The rules of the Land of Strange Tales were carved into the stele, showing [Silence is required]. Nancy took a deep breath and stepped onto it. The stele began to change slowly. Everyone''s gaze was fixed on it. The next moment, The rule on the stele reverted to its original state, still [Silence is required]. "?" The crowd was puzzled. And the figures furrowed their brows slightly. Why was there no change? "What''s going on?" Nancy suddenly realized something and exclaimed in surprise, "It seems like it randomly returned to [Silence is required]." "So..." He suddenly looked at the card in Su Qi''s hand; numerous spotlights converged on it, and the writing was displayed on the big screen. [Silence is required] Faced with everyone''s focused attention, Su Qi coughed and said unabashedly, "It seems..." "It looks like I guessed right." "Damn it!" Nancy couldn''t help but yell out, "How could you possibly guess that right!" The host was too unprofessional, swearing on live TV! Furthermore, because he made noise, the entire Land of Strange Tales began to boil like a swamp and surged toward him, intent on killing. The Gambling figure''s eyelids twitched, "Absolutely impossible. Are you cheating?" As a seasoned gambler, he did not believe in such luck. Whenever this situation arose, someone must be cheating. "You''re talking out of your ass." Su Qi glanced at him and kicked the ball back, "Do you think it''s even possible to cheat in front of so many powerful entities? Do you think they are blind?" "..." His words not only made the gambler speechless, But also brought silence to those figures. Indeed, they hadn''t noticed any abnormality. Su Qi wasn''t panicked either. How could these figures catch him cheating on the spot when they couldn''t even detect the [?] on their own heads? However, At this moment, The last figure finally stirred and slowly spoke up, "Little guy..." Its voice echoed throughout the venue, expressing no sorrow or joy, yet it sent shivers through everyone. "Your luck seems a bit too good." Su Qi''s heart skipped a beat, but he still didn''t panic. He even felt like laughing. Because this one had finally taken the bait. It said quietly, "I''ll bet with you, too." "But not on luck, only on... life and death." Chapter 79 - 79: Duel with the High-Ranking! Su Qi instantly felt a wave of danger wash over him. The color of the [!] was as deep red as blood, seemingly ready to engulf him. "Bet... life and death?" Su Qi looked toward that terrifying presence that made everyone''s heart quiver, "With whom?" "Surely Your Excellency isn''t planning to fight yourself?" What are you fantasizing about, what is that being''s status? And yours? Bet life and death with you? At this moment, Nancy couldn''t help but mock internally, as for why she didn''t speak out. It was because she was still in the Land of Strange Tales. Having made noise just now, she had already been wrapped in a kill intent from the Land of Strange Tales, but every kill intent that approached disintegrated instantly; her own strength was definitely not weak. Yet, the imposing figure did not respond. He simply raised his hand, and from afar, a strange power majestically descended towards the ground below! Su Qi furrowed his brows. However. This power was not directed at him. "Hey hey!" The Clown looked in astonishment at the piece of Floating Land beneath his feet, which seemed to be bound by some force, moving towards the stage... that is, towards Su Qi. Flying over at the same time... were the pieces of Floating Land where the cat and Hai Xing were, and Brother Hai Xing''s eyes sparkled brightly, "This is so fun, hehe!" Su Qi watched as these chunks of Floating Land connected with the stage... and the fellows that came along, he raised an eyebrow, what does this being intend to do? And at that moment. "Boom!" Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Other pieces of Floating Land, under this strong force, started to consolidate one by one. Eventually, a kilometer away... they formed into a complete floating landmass! Then, a path emerged, stretching a thousand meters from the floating landmass to the stage, only five meters wide. At the same time. Various pollutants on the floating landmass were influenced by the strange power... Hellhounds crawled out of the lava pools one after another, a large number of Abnormal Insects from the Insect Nest Land had their eyes blaze red, roaring angrily towards Su Qi''s side! In the Land of Strange Tales... eerie figures stepped onto the ground, letting out shrill screams! "Using its power to stimulate the Pollution Source... it created a host of Pollution Abnormalities?" Su Qi guessed somewhat what the other party was intending to do. At this moment, the Gambler who was still on the floating landmass looked around fearfully; he was the only one not sent over. And the imposing figure in the VIP area, looking towards the Gambler, slowly said, "You come from Lin Yuan Land, right." Hearing these words, the Gambler immediately knelt down, quickly producing a badge from within his clothes, "My lord! Yes... I am a person from Lin Yuan Land." The shadowy figure spoke calmly, "If that''s the case... I have a task for you." Its voice carried no ripples, yet it caused a colossal tremor in one''s soul, unable to remain calm, "That is to lead these abnormalities, using all your strength to kill those on the opposite side!" The Gambler, who was initially extremely nervous, brightened up at these words, "Alright!" Su Qi: "..." You''ve got to be kidding. He glanced at the cat, Brother Hai Xing, and the Clown beside him. ...So sending these people over was to be his teammates? The Clown roared, "Why am I on this side? I want to go to the other side! I also want to kill that guy..." Su Qi wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "Sharing weal and woe is what friends do!" "The hell with friends! Don''t get mixed up with me!" The Clown''s face turned pale, trying to dodge Su Qi like the plague. Su Qi said cheerily, "Being in the same camp as me is pretty good. If we win by chance, you''re sure to gain plenty." The Clown broke into a sweat, "You''re blowing smoke, just look for yourself..." The opposing floating landmass was already filled with an army of various abnormalities. "There''s no chance in hell we''ll win!" It was being completely dragged down! "I request to change teams!" The bigwig actually spoke calmly, "You may..." Can we really switch? Like granted a great pardon, the Clown took off running towards the other side, looking back while running and baring its fangs, "Kid, you''re done for!" Su Qi: "..." He looked at his side, at a meowing cat and Brother Hai Xing still playing with a conch shell. Great. The odds are very good... Very good my ass! Su Qi grabbed the microphone to protest, "This is already against the three-step rule of the gamble! Fair and open, indeed!" "People gang up on the few; this isn''t about martial virtue, is it? Let the audience be the judge!" The audience was dead silent. "Nancy! Where''s the production team! Is anyone managing this!" Nancy stood at the edge with her head down, pretending not to hear. Su Qi understood. He put down the microphone and looked at Hai Xing and the cat, saying solemnly, "Both of you, keep it up. I''ll be heading over there first." ? Clown and Gambling were stunned to see Su Qi actually ready to come over. The cat glanced at him disdainfully. Brother Hai Xing, chewing on his finger in confusion, asked, "Bro, where are you going?" "Don''t worry." At that moment, the voice of a certain big shot slowly came through, gently saying, "You still have other advantages." Su Qi stopped in his tracks. "Explain." "They''ve just lost to you... naturally, they will lend a hand..." The next moment. Su Qi understood what lending a hand meant. Three figures from the VIP seats made their move at the same time. Su Qi felt surges of strength coming his way. [From the boost of a high-ranking existence, your Physical Strength is increased by twenty times] [From the boost of a high-ranking existence, all your Skills and Equipment have their restrictions lifted, effects or power doubled (special items unaffected), and cooldown time reduced by 80%] [From the boost of a high-ranking existence, with every enemy you kill, your three Basic Attribute Points +1 (Strength, Movement Technique, Physical Strength)] [Note: The above boosts exist only in this instance; leaving the instance will cause the boosts to disappear] "?" Squinting his eyes, Su Qi then... walked back, affectionately stroking the cat''s fur, before shaking hands with Brother Hai Xing again, "Both of you, how can we give up so easily? Let''s give it our all." He looked towards the VIP seats, "How is the victory decided?" That high-ranking big shot didn''t answer right away but said gently, "Every two minutes, all abnormalities, including those two, will get stronger." "The abnormalities are endless, but every ten minutes, you''ll get one minute of rest." "And you." Its gaze seemed to penetrate the darkness, looking at Su Qi, "As long as you can survive an hour... that will be considered a victory." Su Qi looked at the other party without moving his gaze... he wasn''t sure what kind of high-ranking existence the other was, only that it was mysterious and powerful, yet it had not seen through him completely. "I understand," Su Qi softly said, then turned his gaze to the Gambling and Clown opposite. "Are you sure you don''t want to come over? We have a huge advantage here." Nancy, standing in the distance, "..." You can actually say something like that? The Clown sneered with a gaping mouth, "Don''t worry, we will come over... but it will be to tear you to shreds alive." Nice declaration. Su Qi threw the microphone to Nancy, "The hosting and commentary duties from now on are up to you." Nancy caught the microphone in a daze, feeling somehow entrusted. This is exactly what I''ve been doing all along, isn''t it! However. She was no longer concerned with the inner monologue, took a deep breath, and addressed all the audience, "Everyone!" "The show has changed its course, and this round is the finale of the program!" Her voice grew stern, "Now, I declare." "This battle for life and death." Nancy''s gaze swept over the contestants as her voice resonated, "Begins now!" Chapter 80 - 80: Attack the Enemy Base! At the moment Nancy announced the start, a roar filled with overwhelming momentum burst forth! "Kill!" Nancy held the microphone, imitating Su Qi''s tone from just before, and exclaimed with excitement, "What a powerful cry of ''kill,'' it brought forth the might of an army! It seems the Gambler and the Clown can''t wait to" He suddenly froze. Because. Both the Gambler and the Clown stayed put, and the person who had just shouted ''kill''... was none other than Su Qi himself. Su Qi stepped onto the corridor, with a cat on his shoulder and a sea star by his side! He charged out directly, unstoppable. Nancy almost dropped the microphone. You''re just three people... with two of them not even human, why shout so fiercely! The Gambler and the Clown watched coldly from the sidelines, naturally they would not move out prematurely since the monsters were endless! Su Qi took out the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade from his Item Slot and immediately activated the Dark Wind Boots, shooting out like a meteor! His Physical Strength had already reached twenty times the original level. And the equipment... like the shoulder guards that provide 500 Physical Strength points, did not fall under the twenty-fold enhancement but were instead counted as a double effect directly added to the Physical Strength points. But that was enough. Among these. The Evil God''s Eye and the Ancient God''s Heart received no enhancements whatsoever. "Roar!" Ablaze, the abnormality canine creatures were the fastest to react, with three ferocious beasts lunging towards Su Qi! "Beautiful dive," Nancy cheered loudly. Su Qi sidestepped, his wrist twisted... the cold gleam of his blade ruthlessly decapitated the three abnormal creatures! "Ah, what a pity they were beheaded," Nancy sighed. Su Qi paused in his steps, an eyebrow raised as he looked toward Nancy, "You seem a bit too emotionally involved." Nancy gave him a look, "No matter whether I''m emotional or not, I stand with... that person." Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Besides." "This battle, you were destined to have an extremely low chance of winning." Is that so. Su Qi looked at the information appearing before him. [Strength +3, Movement Technique +3, Physical Strength +3, Spiritual Attribute +27] Physical Strength points also increased by 30*20=600 points. The twenty-fold enhancement directly affected the Physical Strength points, instead of the Physical Strength attribute, hence it did not affect the spiritual power. But. The killing of enemies could indeed provide an increase... Nancy''s voice came at this moment, "Those few monsters just now were clearly just foot soldiers! The power stemming from the Pollution Source is not simple! Look... over a dozen powerful monsters are charging over! And behind them, a large number of enhanced Abnormal Insects follow!" "One mistake, and the three of them will be completely overwhelmed!" Su Qi looked at the cat and sea star, "I may not count on Brother Hai Xing, but little cat, can you be of some use." The cat looked at him disdainfully, then suddenly opened its mouth wide, and a multitude of fanged tentacles lashed out! "Puff puff puff!" The pierced monsters lined up, and Su Qi, without any hesitation, charged forward, severing their heads! Su Qi felt his entire body''s enhancement but did not stop moving. He was unsure what kind of strengthening the enemy would undergo, but it did not matter. What a load of crap about one hour. If we''re doing this, let''s make it a big splash! The Gambler and the Clown watched Su Qi''s fierce battle with a sneer. The crowd in the audience seats was shouting and cheering, although it''s unclear who they were really supporting! With the little cat laying the groundwork, Su Qi went from an initial buffer to killing more ferociously. In just two minutes... both Strength and Movement Technique had exceeded a hundred, and he had reached twice his previous power. "He''s killing faster and faster, but..." With a snap of his fingers, Nancy announced, "Now it''s precisely time to ramp up the challenge!" The next moment. All the monsters were influenced by some sort of power, suddenly bellowing in rage, the ones charging becoming faster and more fierce! Nancy''s eyes were sharp as he spotted the change, "These monsters have at least doubled their original strength." And Su Qi... it only took him slightly over ten seconds to adapt rapidly. But. At the same time, it''s only been two minutes of killing. Soon... the monsters were strengthened once again! "This time the enhancement is three times the base strength... if this trend continues, in one hour, they will become thirty times stronger," Nancy squinted, watching Su Qi as he charged forward with his blade, finally dropping his mockery and coldly said, "I don''t understand why you insist on getting closer to the enemy territory." "If it were me, I should pull back to the stage area now, while elongating the attack line of the abnormality, and use the several floating lands around the stage to limit their movements. If I can hold on for ten minutes of rest time, I would catch a breather, and the abnormality wouldn''t step onto the stage." That''s the correct way to play the game, but this guy is completely cutting off his own retreat. No. There are no retreats left. Su Qi glanced at him as if to say, ''You know nothing.'' Then he fought even harder, as if he wished to charge directly to the enemy''s base. Nancy: "...." The high-ranked ones above watched this scene in silence, but they thought Nancy was right. "Priest, what do you think?" they asked with a hint of reverence in their tone. The one known as the Priest calmly said, "The Elemental Devouring Beast and that starfish are the greatest advantages I''ve given him for the sake of balance, but now it seems like he doesn''t want to use that to his advantage." The Priest calmly watched Su Qi''s figure. The abnormality could not be completely annihilated, what exactly did he want to do? Su Qi''s three attributes soared, but as soon as he started his wanton slaughter, the abnormalities also strengthened, just not as quickly as Su Qi. The Hundred Man Slaughter Blade... could probably now be called the Thousand Man Slaughter Blade. He was already dashing through them! Increasingly ferocious! Unstoppable! "Meow!" As the cat meowed softly, it swept a swath of obstacles in front of it with a single tentacle. Not bad... Brother Cat had done a great service. As for Brother Hai Xing... Su Qi saw it obediently following behind him, miraculously not getting lost that was also a great service! At this moment, the Clown and the Gambler were already eyeing him. "He really is charging over!" the Gambler stroked his cards, his eyes going cold. The Clown licked his sharp teeth: "So eager to rush to your death?" The next moment. "Die for me!" They did not hesitate to charge into battle! The two of them were much stronger than the abnormalities and possessed other abilities; they were not opponents that could be dispatched as easily as slicing vegetables. However. "Now is not your time to perform," Su Qi said, not even looking at them as he activated the Rubik''s Cube. The Gambler''s complexion changed as he was dragged into the Magic Cube Domain by himself. What the hell? The Clown immediately noticed the Gambler being pulled away from the side, its expression a mix of shock and confusion. It growled lowly. Just as it prepared to make a move. A burst of tentacles suddenly erupted from Brother Cat''s mouth, directly batting the Clown away! At this moment, Su Qi turned to look at Brother Hai Xing: "I know you''re not the brightest, Brother Hai Xing, but don''t zone out now. It''s time for you to play a role." Their strength would not grow with the killing of enemies; in the early stages... it''s useful, but once it comes to the late stages, it won''t be enough. Su Qi looked at the dense Insect Nest and the numerous abnormalities blocking his way. "Brother Cat, toss me over." The cat meowed displeased, but still did as asked. At least. At least one cat and one starfish could communicate; if they were both like Brother Hai Xing, they might as well just stand idly by the stage. Su Qi was caught and lifted by the tentacles. Then. He was flung toward the Insect Nest Land! The teeming swarm of insects rose like a tide, their heads lifted to watch Su Qi... as if awaiting their food to descend. If Su Qi fell in there, he would undoubtedly meet a graveless death! But at that moment... Su Qi, while in mid-air, turned to the audience and even had time to wave goodbye to them, "Folks, this is my final ripple." Nancy''s eyelid twitched. The Clown and the Gambler also sensed something, their pupils constricting. And the next moment. Su Qi drew out a terrifying sphere of lightning in his palm, the electricity surging, emitting a grating sound! The twice-amplified effect gave it a larger range and power! In front of everyone''s stunned gazes! "Boom!" The frenzied sphere of lightning exploded! Within a twenty-meter radius, it devoured the entire Insect Nest... and the numerous dense Abnormal Insects surrounding it! Chapter 81 - 81: Unleash the Unrivaled! Question. How many insects are there generally inside an Insect Nest. According to estimates... an ant nest typically has about 500 to 2000 ants, and it is very common for larger ones to have tens of thousands. And the Insect Nest before us, the Insect Queen is swollen like a small hill, and under the Priest''s power, she is rapidly breeding, and the outcome is almost breaking free.... In short. The number is quite astonishing. At this moment. The audience... is staring in disbelief at the aftermath of that thunderous explosion! "I just seemed to see a little mushroom cloud." The large amount of residual smoke engulfed the entire Insect Nest Land, including Su Qi, who himself was swallowed up by it... and the shockwave even overturned other abnormalities nearby! You can imagine the terrifying power! "Boom!" At this moment, the Land of Strange Tales shakes violently with a frenzy of mud and mire boiling over, unleashing an indiscriminate attack that swallows all the abnormalities around it! A monsterous mud abnormality BOSS over ten meters tall is born; it lets out a world-shaking roar, its hands pounding heavily on the ground, making the whole earth tremble! Nancy looked towards the Land of Strange Tales: "It seems the deafening sound of the explosion has clearly crossed the toleration limit of this Pollution Source!" "It wants to kill the troublemaker who broke the rules of this place!" Meanwhile. The little cat is presently overwhelmed by a mass of monsters. Brother Hai Xing is being torn apart by various abnormalities, unable to struggle, yet still protecting the conch, angrily saying, "Hey, don''t snatch my conch." The Gambler and Clown, having added another BOSS to their list, are not too relieved, and they stare fixedly at the dissipating smoke and dust. The Clown uneasily nudges the Gambler. "That guy, he''s dead... definitely dead." The Gambler mutters, "Not sure, but this move obviously kills the enemy at the cost of significant damage to oneself; there''s a high probability of mutual destruction with the Insect Nest." "Then he''s definitely gone!" And Nancy watches in silence upfront. You two better not fucking jinx it. Forget it. It''s too late now. And the next moment. Su Qi''s figure slowly emerges from the smoke and dust; he pats the dust off himself, looks towards the countless monsters and the crowd, and softly recites: "There are mountains higher than mountains, skies wider than the sky; I stand tall, my voice echoes in the wind; seeking a worthy opponent to duel with, the loneliness of lofty heights." "What the fuck are you even talking about?" the Clown roars in anger. Su Qi shakes his head: "You don''t understand this?" He looks at his own five-figure Strength and movement technique: "What I mean is..." He smiles: "Next up, we''re going Unrivaled!" We? Nancy is startled. At the fall of the words, "Boom!" The overwhelmed cat explodes, casting off all monsters, transforming into a massive Tentacle Monster, its shrieks deafening, with sharp teeth crowning each tentacle, wreaking havoc and slaughtering rampantly! Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Brother Hai Xing is also unhappy: "Snatch my conch! I''m angry now!" His body convulses up and down, his limbs inflating crazily as if pumped with water! His entire body expands to a hundred meters, casting a shadow like a dark cloud above the whole Floating Land! At the center is an abyssal, deep maw! A large number of monsters are caught by powerful suction, densely drawn into it! The spectators are stunned by this sight! Several people in the VIP seats are even more silent. They look towards the Priest. The Priest, although still expressionless, noticeably... his eyelids quiver slightly, it''s clear that not even he anticipated such a turn of events! And the boss of the Land of Strange Tales is already roaring as it charges towards Su Qi! Each step shakes the ground! Its giant palms stir up gales that rush at one''s face! Cheer up! Big Brother of the Strange Tales! The Clown and the Gambler are already screaming in their hearts! And Su Qi, looking on with interest at this BOSS, turns on the speaker, humming the tune of Sound of the Past''s invigorating little song! His figure vanishes from the spot! Like a rainbow of light bursting at the fingertips! The entire giant body of the Strange Tales boss is penetrated through with a massive hole! "?????" The Clown and the Gambler stare blankly at this scene! The Clown slowly comes to his senses, quietly nudges Gambler: "Suddenly, I remembered, I''m not from here." Gambler roars: "Hey!" Just as he''s about to scold this turncoat, his words die on his lips. Because Su Qi''s figure has already appeared in front of the two of them, looking at them with a smile. The Clown trembles all over, quickly giving a forced laugh: "Brother, you know me, I came here as a spy! I never had a double heart!" "Brother?" Su Qi squinted his eyes. The Clown trembled, cautiously saying, "Big brother?" "Hmm?" Racking his brains, the Clown suddenly had a revelation, his eyes lighting up, "Sect Hierarch!" "Bang!" The Clown was directly smacked to the ground. Su Qi shook his head, "Our sect doesn''t keep idle people." He then looked toward the Gambler. The Gambler, at least, was a real man. His expression stone-cold, he said, "You actually had a plan all along... But no matter how strong you are, what of it? It''s just the blessings given to you by the adults. Without these, you''re nothing! You would''ve died by our hands a long time ago!" "..." Su Qi looked at the Gambler''s fierce eyes and his kneeling legs, "When you say this, can you not kneel?" The Gambler roared, "What do you care? I won''t stand up unless you let me go!" Su Qi was stunned. What a shameless guy! "Can''t stand it." Su Qi slapped the Gambler, sending him flying! The Gambler hit the ground hard and passed out! "Hmm? Dropped equipment?" Su Qi squinted at the ''Lin Yuan'' tag and a card on the ground; he picked them up, showing they could be added to the Item Slot. Well, he gladly accepted them. Su Qi reentered the fray, continuing the slaughter. From the VIP seats, the Priest, "...." It had designed... this life-and-death combat to be a scene of horror, weirdness, and desperate struggle, but now the atmosphere had completely changed! The Priest could hardly bear to watch any longer. Closing its eyes as if sighing, it slowly said, "Let''s end this." As its voice emerged. All the aberrations in the Floating Land seemed to sense something... letting out shrieks and vanishing amidst the struggle! Su Qi was slightly taken aback, feeling it was a pity. Although the strength was temporary, the blessings were substantial, especially since his spiritual power had already reached a very high level, approaching three hundred thousand. It seemed with a little more, he could peer through the Black Fog concealing the VIP area. At this moment. Nancy, holding the microphone, didn''t dare utter a word. He understood what would follow, but he couldn''t announce it himself. "Little guy." The Priest calmly looked at Su Qi, "What''s your name?" Su Qi didn''t respond with his ID; there must be a reason why his game name was hidden. If that was the case Su Qi lifted his head, speaking, "Standing before you is..." Nancy was taken aback. Why did that sound so familiar? He jolted, holding up the microphone and hastily answering, "He previously claimed to be the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers!" The Priest narrowed its eyes, seemingly surprised by this title. "The Hustlers... Sect Hierarch? Seems like you have quite the ambition." "Then, little guy." Its gaze met Su Qi''s, "You win." Its voice spread throughout the entire venue. Countless people held their breath. Nancy''s eyes widened, disbelieving that this exalted being had actually admitted defeat. On the other hand, Su Qi shouted, "What do you mean by ''you win''..." Nancy quickly shoved the microphone to his mouth, interrupting him: "Congratulations to this contestant for winning the gamble and for becoming the victor of the show!" "Let''s cheer for the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers!" Cheering erupted from the stands. At the same time, streams of confetti burst throughout the venue! Wherever the eyes could see... it was a dazzling display. Su Qi ignored the commotion, as two message boxes popped up before him. [You have completed the mainline, winning in the show.] [Instance countdown teleportation has been initiated.] Oh. There was the mainline too. And the other... came from that deep red [!] [Skill Acquired: Unrivaled] Chapter 82 - 82 Settlement! [Name: Unrivaled] [Type: Skill] [Function: When activated, your attributes will be replaced with blessed state values. During this period, you cannot use skills, activate equipment effects, or voluntarily pause] [Consumption: Consumes 3% Vitality per second, and automatically stops when vitality drops to 5%, after which the player''s original attributes are restored, Physical Strength drops to 10 points, and neither Vitality nor Physical Strength can be recovered by any means for ten minutes, can only be used once per instance] [Note: Triggering Unrivaled always comes at a cost] Su Qi fell silent. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The skill was undeniably strong, with a massive increase in basic attributes, but the cost was equally terrifying. "Now I finally understand why Ultraman waits until the red light flashes before using his special moves." Su Qi closed the panel, unable to help but mutter to himself: "Why are my skills always so all or nothing, either Self-Destruction... or self-harm? And that damn mosquito, I''ve never had the chance to use it, no, I must find an opportunity to try it in the next instance." He shook his head and looked into the distance. At this moment. Brother Hai Xing and the kitten had returned to their normal states. Brother Hai Xing rubbed his head, looking around somewhat dazedly, "What just happened?" He was suddenly startled: "Where''s my conch shell! It''s gone!" The kitten''s mouth gaped open, a tentacle extended, and handed a conch shell to him. It seems it had picked up the conch shell for Brother Hai Xing just now. Tch. Why does it feel kind of warm and fuzzy? And the CP of a cat and a starfish... seems like a hard ship to sell as well. However, Brother Hai Xing stared at the conch shell for a second, then lifted his head to look at the kitten in shock, "So it was you who stole my conch shell!" Kitten: "??" "..." At this time, the shadows in the surrounding audience stands were slowly fading away, they seemed to be projections too, and those few figures in the VIP seats had also left this place. Su Qi turned to Nancy and suddenly asked, "Actually, I''m curious about something, how do you select participants... and how do you handle the aftermath?" Nancy had regained her composure by now and said, "All of you are people who have lost your way in the Ten Thousand Realms, guided here, of course, there''s a price to pay." "Losers... are naturally detained by us, and winners, we send them back to their own worlds," Nancy said softly. "Except that starfish probably can''t go back..." "What happened to it?" "Its original world has already been destroyed..." "Who did it?" Su Qi had seen the terrifying power of Brother Hai Xing''s transformation. Nancy didn''t speak. Su Qi understood. Nancy paused, "So, when the time comes, wherever those two want to go, our show''s team will try to accommodate as much as possible." "How about that, isn''t our production team very conscientious?" Su Qi looked at her oddly, "Can you really say that with a straight face? Why not settle the commentary and hosting salary I did before first." "That can be done..." Nancy actually agreed, but the next moment she revealed a smug smile, "But as a Descender, you''ll be leaving soon, so you might not be able to get it." Su Qi was stunned for a moment, then realized that even Russell knew about Descenders, so it was normal for Nancy at her level to be aware. "Were there many Descenders participating before?" "Descenders are regulars on this show." It was obviously not Nancy''s first time encountering them, "But more than surviving, they care about becoming famous, really hoping to make the audience remember their names." It seems like they were grinding for reputation... leveling up titles. This show is indeed a good place to grind for reputation. "However, they do not realize how difficult it is to gain the approval of this picky audience," Nancy said, shaking her head. Su Qi gave her an odd look and said, "Is it that hard?" That one question rendered Nancy silent; she looked solemnly at Su Qi. "Suddenly I remember I have other matters to attend to, goodbye." ----------------- [Teleporting out of instance] [Player Su Buxian has cleared solo instance No. 3127676] [Game difficulty: Hard] [Game score: 100] [Calculating results] [Earned Perfect Level clearance Experience and 5126 Game Coins, and obtained one lottery draw chance] [Your Level has risen to 17] [Gained 17 assignable attribute points] [Instance Summary: This was a regular show that many players have participated in, striving to survive a little longer, to make the host and the audience remember them. Yet, few have managed to emerge. Not only did you accomplish that, but you also became the host, changing the flow of the show, and the host Nancy has made a deep note of you, adding you to her blacklist] "Don''t bother to improve yourself, but always put others down?" Su Qi felt disappointed with Nancy. [Notice: Title has been upgraded] He opened his Reputation System. [Title: Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers (15238/100000)] [Current Level LV2: Emerging] [Current Title ability: Simulation!] [Can simulate someone else''s aura (including name, panel information, etc., does not possess actual panel strength), requires contact with the object of simulation''s aura, will consume corresponding Physical Strength] [Note: Your name seems to have started circulating among a small group of people. However, be aware... in the countless worlds, this is but a trivial beginning, and you are still unknown] "Seems quite good?" Su Qi pondered. He took out the Gambler''s Token from his Item Slot, then tried to activate the Simulation ability, and the next moment... Su Qi noticed his panel began to change, which means at least under others'' probing, his panel would appear as someone else''s. There was no change in aura, though. How could such a weakling have a significant aura? Suddenly, Su Qi thought of another character... the Evil God. His gaze fixed on the Evil God''s Eye and his aura... began to change gradually, but at the same time, his Physical Strength plummeted rapidly. "With this rate of depletion, it can last less than five minutes." But. He wasn''t so idle as to simulate the aura of the Evil God for no reason. [Reputation System Reminder] [Someone has developed a strong curiosity about you, reputation +102] Who? Who is secretly curious about me? And to add so much at once? Su Qi paused slightly, it couldn''t be Nancy, could it? Didn''t that person just blacklist him? ----------------- Meanwhile, at a certain location. A middle-aged man, Sister Alin, and Yan Nanque were bidding farewell to a young man in front of them. This young man was named An Xinghe. The sole heir to the Sunset Spirit King, doted on by the Spirit King, but he did not like the weird, Pollutants; the environment for receiving guests around him was considered the most normal among all the Spirit Prince''s heirs. "I will convey the message to my father," An Xinghe said calmly and indifferently, aware that the people opposite represented Paradise. He didn''t recognize the other two, nor did he care. However, this middle-aged man had a great reputation, and he had heard of him. "We look forward to the Spirit King''s response," the middle-aged man said softly, "We''ll take our leave now and not disturb you further." As they left the premises, An Xinghe glanced at the gifts they brought: "More weird Pollutants, Butler, throw these into the storeroom as well..." "Understood." The Butler, dressed as a steward but not in human form, with compound eyes covering his head, watched as An Xinghe stepped into the room, humming "Two Tigers love to dance," and shook his head. Lately, The Young Master had been brainwashed by this song. He often inquired about the piano concerning the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers, seemingly filled with curiosity. "I wonder if I should report this." The Butler was hesitant. Chapter 83 - 83: This is Su Buxian The second day was clear with temperatures of 23 degrees, appropriate for making wishes while traveling. Su Qi never made wishes... of course, that''s a different story when it comes to drawing lots; his principles could sway based on his mood. So, he chose to venture out of the mountains. to stroll around the neighborhood park. Although the name of The Hustlers Sect hierarch hadn''t spread in "Abyssal Paradise" yet, Su Qi was somewhat famous around the neighborhood, local community, and adjacent resident committees. "Little Su, come here, keep this old man company for a game of chess." The old man sat beside the chessboard, waved at Su Qi, and rolled up his sleeves, ready to battle it out for three hundred rounds. Su Qi glanced at the chess table: "There''s no stakes, I won''t play." The old man became fierce: "You brat, you want stakes? How arrogant!" Narrowing his eyes, the old man said mysteriously: "Then I... have a treasure here, over thirty years old..." Su Qi stepped back cautiously: "Are you trying to sell me your daughter who''s over thirty and still unmarried?" "You actually guessed it," the old man said, startled but calm. "There''s a saying, ''an older woman is a treasure trove''; think about it, that''s a lot of gold bricks." Just be a decent person, old man. In the end, Su Qi still played chess with the old man, and of course, the stake was half a soy sauce duck bought by the old man. "Speaking of which, kid, you... haven''t been going out much lately." "Been busy" Just finished a reality show yesterday. While playing, the old man said earnestly: "You must not get hooked on any games. Recently, I''ve heard of many young people getting addicted to this paradise, quitting their jobs, selling their homes, rambling on about logging on to raid every day. Ah, games really can ruin people!" That is actually happening. In short, if you don''t have enough power in the game, you could pour money into it, but that carries risks because if you can''t get into Paradise, then all that investment goes down the drain. At that point, it''s one seat for the rooftop VIPs. Oh, no. Rooftop VIPs full house. Su Qi reassured with a smile: "Don''t worry, old man, I never play games." Sometimes, it''s better to lie than to argue At that moment, Su Qi''s phone rang, a voice message from Night Guard. His tone was urgent and serious: "Brother Su!" "Remember to log on at 7 tonight, I need to discuss something important before the raid!" Upon hearing "log on" and "raid", the old man stiffened slightly, peering intently at Su Qi as if waiting for an explanation. "..." Unflustered, Su Qi reached out and picked up a chess piece: "General!" "Wait, that move doesn''t count, I want to take it back." "?" Fine, take back whenever you want. Half an hour later, Su Qi, carrying his soy sauce duck, strolled back home. The message from Night Guard was naturally about the Resurrection Tool mentioned by Xu Linqiu earlier; a precious item seemed about to emerge, and many rookies were expected to compete for it. Moreover, the instance was named ''Linyuan Land''. Although it wasn''t an instance their current level could handle, Su Qi had heard this term many times already. In the previous show "Love, Death, Super Gamers", a gambler claimed he came from Linyuan Land. After eating the soy sauce duck, all Su Qi could say was it was smooth. Freeloaded stuff has its own flavor. At that moment, Su Qi''s phone in his pocket vibrated: "Buzz, buzz, buzz!" His phone was on do not disturb mode, partly to prevent interruptions by ringtones while gaming, and secondly... the vibration was noticeable enough for him. Opening the phone to see the ID [Yan Nanque], the message sent was: "..." A series of ellipses often marks the start of a lot of hidden frustrations. Su Qi responded with a "?", as a reply. "I''m on a business trip today." "SO?" "On a business trip accompanying the leader to meet a client," Yan Nanque blurted out. "What happened, did the talks collapse?" "Cough cough, not really..." Yan Nanque said, "This client is like a second-generation rich kid, our real target is actually this client''s father." Su Qi curiously said, "That sounds a bit complicated, seems slightly troublesome." "Quite troublesome..." Yan Nanque expressed helplessly, "It''s all about preparing gifts and making house calls, the other party has a high status, and I feel like the gifts we presented... didn''t catch his interest." "The attitude was very aloof and cold, overall not very agreeable, but the guy is a big shot''s son, so when you need a favor... there''s no other way." Su Qi pondered and said, "You should give him a couple of punches, then he probably wouldn''t be so indifferent." "??" Now it was Yan Nanque''s turn to be confused, he complained, "If I really hit him, I might end up dead... and trigger a series of disastrous consequences. Then, you''d have to collect my body." "Feels like you''re really in Myanmar," Su Qi seriously suspected Yan Nanque had ventured into illegal arms dealing. "Just kidding." Yan Nanque paused, "I''m logging off first, I''ve been too busy these days. When I find some time, I''ll treat you to a meal." He logged off very quickly. Su Qi muttered to himself, "Anyone who says they''ll treat you to a meal another day is just leading you on, plus he''ll probably forget about it." No worries. Your Brother Su will always remember. Su Qi looked at the gradually darkening sky outside, and it was nearly 7 PM. He drew the curtains. Then he lay down in the gaming capsule. [Neural connection in progress] [Connection successful] [Welcome player Su Buxian, ID number 985211, logging into personal space] Su Qi snapped out of his brief trance and arrived at his personal login space. He walked straight to the loot box, as he had not used yesterday''s draw chance yet. As the loot box shook continuously, eventually, with a bang, the box burst open revealing a piece of equipment, and it was a weapon. Su Qi''s eyes brightened. The Hundred Man Slaughter Blade didn''t hold much improvement for him anymore, and he was looking for a chance to switch weapons. Here it was. [Name: Thunderclap Bone Shattering Hammer] [Type: Equipment] [Quality: Excellent] [Function: This powerful hammer has a significant attack strength, with a 20% chance of causing a Thunder Strike Effect on each hit] [Equipment Condition: Strength must reach 40] Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Note: The forging master Orn, who is constantly imitating and making counterfeit equipment, seems to have been targeted recently and is on the run with funds. Though all his equipment is counterfeit, it surprisingly has quite good quality] "It''s quite heavy." Su Qi gripped it. The silver-white rectangular hammerhead reflected light slightly, clearly not something just anyone could wield. Luckily, he had allocated the 17 attribute points he gained from leveling up yesterday mostly to strength, especially since he also had a shoulder guard that could add 500 points of Physical Strength and several Physical Strength Recovery Potions. He glanced at the daily shop again, either nothing good had appeared, or merchants were asking astronomical pricesso he closed the interface. At that moment, Ye Shou sent him an invitation. [Would you like to enter Linjiang Club Hall Number Two?] After Su Qi confirmed, he pushed the door open. In the hall, apart from Ye Shou and Xu Linqiu... there were five other people. The moment he appeared, all five turned their gazes towards Su Qi, each with a different expression. Evaluating, surprised, dumbfounded, confused, and flabbergasted! "..." And Ye Shou silently watched as Su Qi walked in carrying a box of beer in his left hand and a bag of snacks in his right, "Brother Su, what are you doing?" "I just felt like we might be here a while, so I thought it prudent to prepare something to pass the time." I am about to discuss something important you idiot! Xu Linqiu, pressing his temple, looked towards everyone and slightly paused, "Everyone, this is Su Buxian, and he is your final team member." Chapter 84 - 84: Super Rookies! Set Out! "Bang!" Everyone silently watched Su Qi open the can of beer. "Are you sure you don''t want some?" All five shook their heads in unison. "What about the night watch?" The night watch coughed, "I..." If it had been him before, he might have just declined. He whispered, "Give me that bag of chicken feet." Xu Linqiu: "..." He found that no matter how serious the situation was, as soon as Su Qi arrived... the mood always seemed a bit different. However, that was fine for now. In the future, when they stepped into Paradise, they would understand that Abyssal Paradise was a symbol of terror, severity, and fatality, and struggle was the norm. "Time is limited, so I won''t let you introduce yourselves and get to know each other one by one," Xu Linqiu didn''t notice that he had seemingly made a very wise decision unintentionally. "After all, except for Su Buxian, each of you is a superstar newcomer from a major club; even if you don''t know each other, you''ve heard of one another." The five chuckled softly and nodded. Indeed, that was the case. The Investigation Bureau was essentially management, a kind of GM... They all came from different clubs, but their camp was under the banner of the Investigation Bureau. "Now." "The six of you are going to enter Linyuan Land to compete..." Xu Linqiu softly continued, "And according to our information." "The other two major forces have also gathered two teams of superstar newcomers from their clubs below, holding the positions, ready to enter." The so-called other two major forces... were human powers that had been established on their own during the times when the Investigation Bureau was not yet stable, constantly fighting in the Abyss. Their overall strength was even stronger than that of the Investigation Bureau, and they divided Paradise into three, training newcomers, attracting clubs to station there, each defending their own corner. "It looks like they''re all some famous guys." A young man with earrings chuckled faintly, "I have a hunch it''s going to get very intense and fun." The others flashed eager looks, ready to try their hands. Xu Linqiu watched this scene, somewhat accustomed to it... After all, he had also emerged from the ranks of newcomers. Each superstar newcomer possessed innate talent; they could complete instances others couldn''t, they played a role beyond ordinary people, and their combat strength was exceptional... Among them, only Su Qi seemed not to have much of a reputation yet. And... Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Xu Linqiu watched in horror as Su Qi and the night watch added water, ready to eat a self-heating hotpot. You two are too idle! Never mind. He was already accustomed to it and had even been forced to participate. Xu Linqiu coughed and said with a gradually serious look, "I remind you, what you should be most wary of... are the Cultists. Those guys... will definitely want to seize this precious Special Transference Item. Once taken by them, in the ranking battle before entering Paradise, their strength will increase again, and they will become even more dangerous." "Don''t worry, we''ll be careful," they said, their expressions turning slightly more serious at the mention of Cultists. "It''s about time to go in." Xu Linqiu glanced at the time and reached out to take out six strangely auraed stones, handing them to the six individuals: "These are Special Items that will allow you to enter Linyuan Land, and you must remember to carry them on you. They can ensure that you can still contact each other even if you are scattered." "Will we be scattered?" a wavy-haired woman paused and spoke slowly. "As I said, Linyuan Land is a special place..." Xu Linqiu said, "Anything can happen." A muscular man wiped his double-barreled shotgun and squinted with a smile, "It seems indeed dangerous, but quite a challenge." "Indeed, interesting," said a man with a pigeon on his shoulder, pulling his hat brim down a notch, emotionlessly uttering these four words. The last young man, with his arms wrapped in bandages, chuckled, "I, for one, am already eager to start." Su Qi looked at the others, seemingly everyone had spoken, so he felt he should say something too: "I..." "Just made some instant hot pot, mind if I finish eating first?" Everyone: "...." Are we sure he''s not someone''s relative? The young man with earrings twitched the corners of his mouth and said, "We don''t have much time, let''s get ready to begin." They were preparing to head back to their individual rooms, that is, the login space... And Su Qi simply decided to put the self-heating mini hot pot into his item slot, where at least time should be paused, and while he was at it, he also added some sunflower seeds and beer. Xu Linqiu ignored Su Qi''s actions and, looking at the people about to enter the rooms, offered one last reminder, "I understand that you all have a lot of confidence in yourselves." "But Linyuan Land is very special, and for you, it has already become an instance beyond Nightmare Level." "The first thing to consider isn''t the main mission, but to stay alive... to survive until the special job transfer items emerge." The next moment. Six doors were shut. And ten seconds later, a prompt appeared in all six people''s vision. [Using Special Item] [Attention, about to enter Team Instance No. 238714] [Warning, this instance is extremely special, current level of all individuals temporarily restricted to Level 1, item slots and skill bars temporarily disabled] Some of them changed their expressions, others deepened their gaze. Restrictions? These restricted instances are the most troublesome, most dangerous, but it seems they''re not completely restricted; there should be a way to regain their strength. Meanwhile, Su Qi was startled. Restrictions? Well, that''s... interesting. The next moment. Darkness consumed them before they could react. A terrifying voice sounded close in their ears, with an exceedingly weird laugh: "Welcome to Abyssal Paradise!" ----------------- At the same time. Two powers... Yun Zhantian of First Sequence... his seven-person team was also preparing to be transported to the Linyuan Land instance. "Zone 9, those rookies they''ve found seem to have some fame, with good strength. It''s a pity not to join us in Sequence City," said a man carrying a broadsword calmly. "Investigation Bureau... after all, they are the founders and controllers of Zone 9, many people are willing to reside there, nothing much we can do about it." The short-haired girl blowing bubbles turned toward Yun Zhantian and giggled, "Xiao Yun, it seems like you''ve encountered the Investigation Bureau''s people before, did you get any intelligence?" Yun Zhantian shuddered and couldn''t help dodging away, "I only came across a player called Night Guard, and there''s another named Su Buxian, he should also appear in this instance." "Night Guard, huh... the son of that existence, damn second generation. As for this Su Buxian, I''ve never heard of him." A short man adjusted his glasses. He was wearing a mechanical backpack with steam coming out of the seams: "I also don''t know what kind of team the folks over at Free City have." The man with the broadsword gripped a stone: "Let''s go. Let''s move out." Meanwhile, on the other side. Another power was also poised to strike. The five from Free City, adorned with various colorful decorations, some completely encased in technology, others covered in runes, had varied expressions but all had eyes brimming with excitement. One stepped on a chair, with a cigarette in his mouth, sneering: "Time to move out!" "Let the so-called super rookies from Zone 9 and Sequence City feel what... being truly powerful is all about!" Chapter 85 - 85: A Bizarre Beginning! [Your level has been restricted to 1, Skill Bar and Item Slot temporarily unavailable] Ignore this message that popped up again. Su Qi slowly opened his eyes. He found himself sitting on a chair in a bedroom, with yellowing walls and a black and red carpet... Sitting next to him on another chair was a boy with his left arm wrapped in bandages. His ID was simple and blunt, named "Left Hand," it was hard not to imagine whether something like the Black Dragon Wave skill was sealed in his left arm.... Left Hand''s eyelids trembled slightly as he cautiously opened his eyes. Then he was greeted by Su Qi''s smile, who gently said, "You''re awake." "The surgery was very successful, you''re now a genuine boy." Left Hand looked stunned for a moment, then bellowed after two seconds, "I was already a boy, damn it!" Left Hand took a breather and looked around. "It seems like the others aren''t here." Su Qi sat on the chair, pulled out a book from next to him, flipping through it as he spoke, "As old Xu said, we did indeed get separated, and it''s likely in pairs of two. This book is interesting though...it even has recipes, like red wine braised beef." Left Hand looked slightly astonished and touched his left arm: "I thought the world view of Lin Yuan Land would be all fears, Pollution, and barren lands, but it seems it''s still a modern world view." "Don''t jump to conclusions too quickly," Su Qi looked at the bedroom window boarded up with various steel nails, not even a sliver of light or gap could penetrate, he felt a sense of familiarity, "Although I still don''t know what the outside world is like... it''s better to stay alert and not miss any information." Left Hand snorted softly: "Do you think I need you to tell me that? I have already observed the surroundings. The bedroom clearly is a double room, likely for a couple, the outside world is invisible, and there are stains on the carpet, possibly blood, as I can barely detect a faint smell of blood." He exhibited excellent observation skills, crucial for a super rookie, not just for strength but also for judging instances. "Is that so... not bad, but you haven''t completely assessed the information." "How is that possible?" Left Hand frowned. Su Qi reached out and picked up an ashtray from nearby, "For example, from this ashtray, we can tell... the man of the house likes to smoke." Left Hand fell silent: "..." He tried to awaken the system: "Can I change teammates?" But Su Qi ignored him, staring at the ashtray, squinting his eyes and observing closely, softly saying, "The man of the house is about forty years old, slightly overweight, about six feet tall, with curly... slightly yellow hair, and he wears size 44 shoes." Left Hand: "????" Is there such information on the ashtray? S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Right." Su Qi paused, then added, "This man also has a heavy tongue coating, and there''s also a large black mole near the corner of his brow." Left Hand finally couldn''t hold back anymore and roared, "You can tell all that from an ashtray?!" Su Qi gently put down the ashtray, his eyes calm, staring at Left Hand: "You only see the surface things, unable to see through the deception, unable to notice all minor detailsclues often lie in the smallest margins." Left Hand was shaken, feeling the genuine presence from Su Qicould it be he really saw all that from the ashtray? "Pass me that ashtray then, let me see" Taking the ashtray seriously, Left Hand couldn''t see any marks, he slightly lifted it... Suddenly, Left Hand froze! Above, a slightly yellow ceiling lamp swayed slightly. And beneath the lamp, strung up by a rope, hung the silhouette of a middle-aged man, pale-faced with a long, dangling tongue, also swaying slightly. "......" After a moment of silence, Left Hand bellowed: "So the damn man was right here, and I thought you actually found all those clues from the ashtray! Bastard!" Su Qi snapped his fingers: "Don''t mind these details; I was merely supplementing the clues." Left Hand looked at the ashtray in his hand again, forcibly resisting the urge to throw it. "Fine, this time it''s on me.... There''s a corpse hanging overhead, and I didn''t notice it." Left Hand raised his head and looked at the hanging corpse. Just like Su Qi said, this must be the male owner... His appearance was exactly as previously described. At that moment, An information box appeared before them. [Main mission triggered] [Find a way to leave the bedroom, regroup with your teammates, and escape the house] Left Hand paused slightly, "It looks like the others are in this house too. We need to get out of this bedroom first, then meet up with them." He walked over and tried to open the bedroom door but obviously failed... The door didn''t seem to be locked, since when is there a door that locks from the outside? Yet, there definitely was a sinister force blocking it. "As expected, it won''t open. It looks like the two of us need to find a key..." Left Hand pensively looked at the corpse, "Su Buxian, I''m planning to take down this corpse, what do you think?" The two of them were now a team, both limited in strength, and had to cooperate. "I think.... you should abandon that idea." "Why?" Su Qi looked at the middle-aged man and murmured, "Because this seriously injured owner... is very dangerous." Left Hand roared, "Where is he seriously injured? This is a corpse that couldn''t be deader!" "Dead? That''s debatable... Physical death doesn''t mean the soul is dead." Left Hand was stunned for a moment, his face in disbelief, "Are you saying, he''s turned into a ghost?" "Or perhaps a spirit." "Is there a difference!" "In any case." Su Qi picked up a screw that had popped out, "The ceiling light above is barely holding up, as soon as he lands, I think something bad is going to happen." "You see...." Su Qi squinted his eyes, "His eyeballs just moved a bit, seems like he''s staring at us." Shivers involuntarily ran down Left Hand''s back, he looked up... The hangman already looked extremely terrifying, and now with Su Qi''s words, it felt as if he truly was being stared dead by the middle-aged man, not sure about the movement, but the chill on his back intensified. Left Hand took a deep breath, "Understood." He had unknowingly fallen into following Su Qi''s rhythm, and began rummaging through the room, looking for the key. At that moment, "Bang!" Two screws fell down, and the ceiling light suddenly dropped a bit, causing the middle-aged corpse to shake and fall as well. This time Left Hand saw it too. The middle-aged man''s eyeballs were indeed moving and staring intently at them. Left Hand shuddered deeply! Even he couldn''t avoid feeling a chill upon seeing this scene. With no strength to rely on... his sense of security was paper-thin! What''s more, the middle-aged man''s face with his tongue sticking out became even more eerie, coupled with a creepy, mocking laugh that was hissing through his tightened throat! It seemed to mock their overconfidence, laughing at their inability to escape... "Stop laughing." Su Qi turned the doorknob and cracked the door open. "Time to go." The middle-aged man''s smile abruptly ceased. ??? Chapter 86 - 86 Quadrilateral Game ??? The middle-aged man''s smile froze, as he blankly stared at the opened door, and the two people chatting. Left Hand exclaimed in surprise, "You found the key!" Su Qi nodded and thought for a moment, "Hmm, right under the carpet!" "Damn, it''s that obvious? I was flipping through the cabinet for ages and found nothing! To think it was in that place!" Left Hand rubbed his chin in annoyance. Watching the two chatting as they walked out. The middle-aged man roared inside his heart! You''re tricking ghosts! The damn key was right under my tongue! By the normal process! You were supposed to find the key and then try to carefully retrieve it before I hit the ground. Then, at the moment you were about to take it out, I would hit the ground... and slaughter you two! Why aren''t you following the rules! And how the hell was this door opened? Come back here! Unfortunately, the middle-aged man, with his neck tightly constricted, couldn''t say a word, making an indistinct sound. "Abba abba abba!" Left Hand was taken aback, "What''s wrong with him?" Su Qi looked back at the middle-aged man, "Maybe he''s in a rush to use the bathroom?" "Is that so..." Left Hand followed Su Qi out, still somewhat confused. He vaguely felt that something was not right, wondering if leaving was too simple. Was this really beyond Nightmare-level difficulty? Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Bang!" The next instant, the door shut mercilessly! Leaving the middle-aged man still hanging there, gently swinging as if on a swing. "....." After the two left the bedroom, there was a dark corridor. Su Qi looked at the corridor, which, though flickering with dim lighting, appeared very dark due to the enclosed environment and the absence of any external light sources. "It seems they haven''t come out yet," Left Hand squinted. Their item slots were temporarily locked, so they couldn''t contact each other with stones. Su Qi didn''t explain. He skipped the level directly through the [?] hint. Wasn''t it quick? In Tentacle Man''s apartment, it was the same. Doors were just not that much of a challenge for Su Qi. They walked around and both realized the issue. Left Hand frowned deeply, "Did you notice?" "Yep." Left Hand spoke gravely, "There''s no exit in this corridor, it''s a swastika shape! And... even the door we just came out of has disappeared." Su Qi''s eyes held a bit of interest as he looked around, "Ghost wall, huh." Indeed, there was a sinister Strength influencing this place. Suddenly, Su Qi saw a [?]. He walked over and looked at the darkened corner with interest, "There''s some writing here..." It was carved forcefully with a sharp object. The next moment. A prompt appeared in both their sights. [To break the ghost wall, you must... play the four-corners game!] Left Hand''s gaze sharpened, "The four-corners game..." "A kind of spiritual exploration game." Su Qi softly explained, "Four people stand in the four corners of the swastika corridor. One person walks behind the next, taps his shoulder, and calls out his own name. Then the next person does the same, continues walking forward... Relay this until the fourth person reaches the first person''s original spot and coughs to signal everyone is in place." He showed some interest, "The most interesting part of this game... is that there might appear a fifth person who doesn''t exist." "Why are you so familiar with it?! And where is it interesting?! It''s obviously very eerie and dangerous!" Left Hand furrowed his brow, "But right now, there''s just the two of us." Su Qi looked towards the distant wall, where suddenly a door flickered in and out of view, "It seems the other two have arrived." Earring Youth [Qing Lang] Wavy Hair Woman [Bai Qiangwei] The two suddenly burst out, quickly closing the door behind them, ensuring that nothing inside had emerged before they began to gasp for air violently! It was clear from their bodies that they had been in a fight. Oh. Don''t misunderstand... it was a real fight. They suddenly heard footsteps and looked up with extreme caution, only to see Su Qi and Left Hand, and they breathed a sigh of relief: "It''s just you guys." After a few more gasps for air, they had recovered somewhat. Then they began to recount how they too had been trapped in a storage room, where a ghost baby had been lurking... very dangerous. In order to obtain the key, they nearly faced a fatal threat! Thankfully, being super rookies, they reacted swiftly and, using all the information and clues from the room, they managed to turn the tables and escaped! Left Hand''s silence grew deeper the more he listened. This didn''t seem to match their experience. "You guys seem to have come out ahead of us," Qing Lang observed, noting no signs of battle on them; their clothes were even tidy. Left Hand opened his mouth: "Well..." "Similar to you guys," Su Qi''s eyes darkened slightly as he spoke, "We nearly died in there too, the deathly gazes, the terrifying laughter, the meaningless speech... Finally, we opened the door with difficulty and luckily escaped with our lives." Left Hand: "...." Is that so! It sounded very believable... but something didn''t feel right, damn it! Left Hand sighed: "Anyway, a warning for you all now, we''ve encountered a ghost wall and are trapped in this hallway puzzle." He led the two over to where the inscription was. Qing Lang and Bai Qiangwei''s expressions tightened; they were obviously familiar with this four-cornered game as well. And there were several more cautionary rules. [Rule One: In the event of anything happening, please absolutely do not look back!] [Rule Two: When tapping someone''s shoulder, please announce your own name!] [Rule Three: If you notice something is amiss, choose your own method to deal with it!] Bai Qiangwei looked down, her expression grave: "It looks like... there will be great danger; the male protagonist and the ghost baby have appeared, next, I''m afraid the female protagonist will make her entrance." Qing Lang calmly proposed: "If a fifth person appears at that time, then we would only be able to run frantically along the hallway until an exit from this ghost wall appears." "The other two... are probably trapped in a room somewhere, they won''t be able to leave on their own; the game must be completed by us four." In this instance, there were many fatal threats; the passage of time was not meaningless, as dragging things out felt increasingly dangerous. Su Qi snapped his fingers: "I think there''s an even better way to handle this." "What is it?" They looked at this somewhat unfamiliar man before them. "If something feels off, don''t make a fuss. Just play a few more rounds; maybe a sixth person will show up, and we can let them fight it out. That way, everything would be resolved." What an odd idea! And the serious way you''re considering it is freaking us out! Watching as Su Qi walked towards the end of the hallway. Bai Qiangwei looked somewhat stunned at Left Hand: "He must be joking, right?" Left Hand was about to nod but hesitated. Well... he really wasn''t sure. "Let''s go," Qing Lang said with calm composure, "time waits for no one, we''ll decide on the spot." In such an instance, any plans or strategies could easily lead to unexpected accidents, so it all depended on each person''s ability to judge and react to the situation. Four corners. Qing Lang, number one. Left Hand, number two. Bai Qiangwei, number three. And Su Qi was the last. But as they took their positions, the lights in the hallway suddenly went out! Complete darkness, without a single glimmer of light! The three of them couldn''t see anything in front of them, and their hearts sank! Yet in the darkness, Su Qi''s vision was crystal clear, seeing through everything. Chapter 87 - 87 Guess Who I Am? Sweep away the darkness, return to oneself! Anyway. Su Qi got excited. The Night Demon Gene disregarded any limits, adding 30 points each to Physical Strength, Strength, and movement technique in the dark! It had played a significant role in the previous orphanage "instance", where these enhancements were akin to a BUG-level existence in restriction-type instances. Moreover, while others were blind at a glance, Su Qi, relying on the night vision function, could clearly see every movement in the darkness. At this moment. Qing Lang reminded once again: "Remember...no matter what happens, do not look back! Only follow the name, and proceed only if the name is correct. If you notice something abnormal, whether you choose to deal with it discreetly without startling the issue or decide to make a break for it outright, trust in your judgment." Qing Lang kept his composure, slowly walking forward. In the quiet corridor, the sound of footsteps was clearly transmitted to everyone''s ears. He groped in the dark and quickly reached behind Left Hand, patting his shoulder, "I''m Qing Lang." Left Hand steadied his heart a bit and then moved forward as well. Walking in complete darkness is an extremely unsettling affair, and it''s difficult to walk in a straight line without veering off course unknowingly. "Bang!" A loud thud suddenly erupted in the quiet darkness. Startling everyone! Bai Qiangwei''s voice trembled slightly, as she couldn''t turn to look, and of course, even if she did, she wouldn''t be able to see: "Left Hand, what happened?" Left Hand''s voice came with annoyance: "...I have no idea!" Su Qi''s voice followed: "Calm down, it''s me...I dropped something." "????" What the hell could you drop that would make such a loud noise? Left Hand was stunned for a moment, murmuring, "I always feel like letting him go last is dangerous." Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He held his breath, disregarding these thoughts, and continued to feel his way forward in the dark. He soon reached behind Bai Qiangwei, patting her shoulder, "I''m Left Hand." Bai Qiangwei''s heart steadied a bit. "My turn now." As one of the super rookies, she was not afraid of the dark and began to move forward. In fact, as long as the first round hadn''t ended, everyone was probably still safe. The most critical point was Su Qi... he volunteered to be number four, which meant a much higher risk than the others. She touched the walls, feeling her way slowly, and stepped behind Su Qi, patting his shoulder. "I, Bai Qiangwei." "Be careful...something might happen next. Stay safe." Su Qi said, "Relax, my greatest strength is being steady." Listening to Su Qi''s tone, Bai Qiangwei calmed down a bit, figuring that Senior Xu wouldn''t recruit any players without capabilities for their team. Although she couldn''t see, she could already sense that Su Qi had started moving. And in the darkness. Su Qi picked up an ashtray, without relying on the wall or slowing down, he walked straight forward with no impediment. Everything around him was within his sight. He was contemplating one thing... whether the ashtray could hurt this vanishing mistress. After all, they''ve encountered a ghost hitting a wall, and if the opponent was Undead, physical attacks might not be effective when the time came. The other three were unaware that Su Qi had already begun to entertain a dangerous idea. At this time. Su Qi also arrived at the empty spot, and as he stood firmly, he coughed lightly, signaling the end of the four corners game and indicating to the others that he had reached the destination. "One round over, let me see what will happen," Su Qi watched the darkness closely. And the others also began to look more solemn. Because... The footsteps of the fifth person appeared! In the darkness, the clear and heavy footsteps reached everyone''s ears! The sound was extremely odd, making it impossible to determine where it originated from. But it seemed as if everyone felt that the footstep was right behind them, slowly creeping closer with each step! "Did any of you move?" Left Hand, sensing the footsteps behind her, quickly asked. But at this moment, there was no response, as if the sound had been blocked. Being in complete darkness was an extremely unsettling experience to begin with; fear would escalate continuously over time! Moreover, there were slowly approaching footsteps from behind! It was as if an echo effect had been activated, resonating gradually! Everyone could no longer distinguish whether the sound came from a teammate or the fifth person! The three people began to sweat on their foreheads, feeling a chill throughout their bodies, as it was now their turn to decide whether to stand still or flee forwards. Qing Lang''s body suddenly shivered, a hand landing on his shoulder. This was no illusion! He only felt a tightness in his shoulder, a nameless chill rushing to his heart, causing his head to grow dizzy. "It''s me, who else could it be..." "Report your name...." Qing Lang was just about to speak out. "Ah!" A frightened and painful scream came from behind: "Hurry, save me!" Qing Lang''s instinct almost made him turn around, but he forcefully stopped himself. "It looks like someone is in danger! Let''s hurry over there!" Su Buxian urged from behind him. At this moment, Qing Lang had regained a bit of composure, his voice hoarse as he spoke, "....you''re Su Buxian, right?" "Yeah, what''s with the question? We need to save them quickly!" But Qing Lang narrowed his eyes: "Please, repeat your name once more." "I just.... but I''ve just answered you!" Qing Lang''s eyes remained narrowed. Something was definitely off. The voice, though similar to Su Buxian''s, was unwilling to give its name and was even more unnerving. The conclusion was already apparent. Although the rule forbade it, Qing Lang gritted his teeth, growling loudly! He actually struck his head violently backwards, attempting to repel the ghost behind him before preparing to flee! But the next moment, he hit nothing! Qing Lang only felt a pair of hands firmly resting on his shoulders, slowly moving toward his neck. A creepy female voice sounded in his ear: "Why don''t you... trust me, turn around?" A strange force was trying hard to turn Qing Lang''s head! Qing Lang let out a roar! But he couldn''t break free at all, trembling incessantly, unable to move, as if a ghost was pressing down on him! And his head kept tilting backwards, looking behind him. This was an absolutely unbreakable rule; turning one''s head would invariably lead to a deadly threat! "Heehee...." The woman''s laughter was odd, imbued with a horrifying and peculiar strength: "You... seem even better than my worthless husband, so stay here...." It was over. He couldn''t hold on any longer! Qing Lang''s body shook, his head uncontrollably leaning back.... And at that moment, a hand gently laid on the ghost woman''s shoulder. The strength in the ghost''s hand momentarily faltered... then a voice came to her ear: "Madam." "Why not guess who I am?" Chapter 88 - 88 Auntie Take It Down a Notch! The female ghost was somewhat frozen at this moment. She hadn''t expected someone to actually approach under the influence of her Strength. Qing Lang was clenching his teeth hard, his face flushed red. He probably knew who was behind him, but rather than feeling relieved, he roared, "Su Buxian, right? Her Strength is very strange! It seems like spiritual control! Be careful!" Look at that. This is the professionalism of a superb rookie. At such a life-threatening crisis point, there was no screaming, no panicking, just quick communication of information to his teammates. Su Buxian''s indifferent voice came through, "Ghost hitting walls, naturally, such situations would also occur." In the Darkness, he had seen Qing Lang''s figure standing motionless, his mouth moving but not making any sound, "Ah ah ah ah." Then, this woman opened a door from the wall of the corridor, slowly floated out, and lunged at Qing Lang. Of course. What Su Qi cared more about was the [!] above her head. [Prepare a candlelight dinner for her, maybe there will be a reward.] Su Qi looked at the female ghost: "Tsk, why aren''t you talking anymore, weren''t you asking me to guess who I am?" Su Qi''s grip on the female ghost gradually intensified. The female ghost hoarsely said, "Do you want to die?" "I don''t mind if you don''t want to guess, I can introduce myself." Qing Lang was somewhat dazed, "...With so little time, what are you doing?" "Don''t tell me you haven''t noticed?" "?" Su Qi looked at the figure of the female ghost still holding Qing Lang''s head in the Darkness, "She." "Can''t turn her head back either." The female ghost''s expression was a mix of surprise and doubt, "What do you want to do? I warn you, I am a married woman!" "If you want to do that kind of thing..." Her tone changed slightly, and her whole lower back bent down further, "Hurry up... as long as he doesn''t find out, it''s fine." Qing Lang: "..." Su Qi: "..." The female ghost smirked, "If you satisfy me, I might consider collecting you all properly, putting you in the toy room." Su Qi watched the female ghost''s body sway intentionally, leaning backward, he silently lifted an ashtray and slammed it hard directly onto her head! "Auntie! You''re nearly sixty years old, your skin is almost sagging to the ground, tone it down a bit!" "Bang!" With that sound! Su Qi viciously smashed the ashtray onto the female ghost''s head. Although she could create strangeness and control minds, it seemed she wasn''t immune to physical damage. This ghost, polluting the world, was different from the traditional concept of a ghost! Auntie Ghost''s head was knocked askew by the ashtray, and even her neck broke apart! She was smacked senseless! But amidst the cracking sounds of bones, her head twisted back into place! Her expression was even more fierce and angry, emitting an ear-splitting shriek! "You''re asking for death!" "Bang!" Su Qi suddenly hit her again, after all, she couldn''t turn her head back. The female ghost was even more bewildered! "Actually, you should be able to feel excitement and thrill because... the ashtray I''m hitting you with belongs to your husband, how about that... does it add excitement, make you want it more?" Qing Lang''s eyelids twitched violently. Damn it. You got the wrong kind of excitement! Listening to the slap-slap-slap sounds behind him and the female ghost''s piercing growls! Qing Lang swore! His desire to turn his head around now was ten times stronger than before! No, a hundred times! And he also noticed that the female ghost''s hand had withdrawn, and the Strength controlling him had dissipated. Su Qi''s hand suddenly swung through empty air. He narrowed his eyes, "I see..." The other party could only show a tangible body when touching someone else; only then could she be physically harmed. Once she let go, she would become a Spiritual Body state, and her greatest Strength was still the ghost''s forte, spiritual control! The female ghost at this moment had unkempt hair, face full of wrinkles and a strange smile, staring fixedly at Qing Lang, "Kid... you''ve angered me! I''ll tear you to shreds!" Qing Lang felt a chill on his back. That eerie Strength and murderous intent were all surging towards him, constantly causing his brain to ring and his ears to burst. He roared, "What''s it got to do with me!" You tell him, it''s not me who annoyed you. "Stay calm, she just can''t turn her head back," Su Buxian said, looking at the dematerializing female ghost. And then. Something unexpected happened! The door next to them suddenly opened. The female ghost let out a ferocious laugh, her hair growing explosively long... oh no, her black hair strands tightened around Su Qi like iron wires! Suddenly, it yanked her towards this direction! Su Qi had not expected this at all. The strand of hair was not a spiritual impact; although it looked fierce, it didn''t carry much strength. He could even pull it back with a bit of effort. However, Su Qi only hesitated for a moment without resisting and chose... to be taken inside! "Snap!" The door slammed shut. Qing Lang felt the movement behind him but could only shout ahead, "Su Buxian! Are you still there?" But there was no response. Meanwhile, the eerie strength in the corridor also vanished... The flickering lights slowly recovered. Realizing that the Four Corners game had ended. Bai Qiangwei and Left Hand had quickly arrived. sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They noticed Qing Lang with two blue handprints on his neck and exclaimed with shock and suspicion, "What happened? Where is Su Buxian?" Bai Qiangwei and the others had just been affected, unable to hear any sounds. "He..." At that moment. A large number of doors also appeared along the wall! Two people were flung out from one of the doors! They were Muscle Gun Man and Pigeon Man, whom they had not yet met. The muscular man''s ID was simple and robust, known as Muscle Bully. The hat-wearing man was Tuner. They shook their heads, feeling somewhat groggy. "It seems that by completing the Four Corners game, they... can come out," Left Hand said with joy. But at that moment, before they could exchange words. "Click!" ...Two more doors slowly opened. The crying of the ghost baby came from one door, and the terrifying figure of a middle-aged man stood at the doorway, about to come out! "Shit, I knew it!" The one to curse was unexpectedly Bai Qiangwei. "Run!" Qing Lang growled low. The five of them began to flee without any hesitation; now, without strength, naturally, they could not confront these things. As they ran, Qing Lang recounted what had just happened: "Su Buxian was just taken away by that female ghost!" "The door she took him through, I glanced at it. It leads to the dining room... and right in front of a big door! That must be the exit!" Left Hand frowned tightly, "That means now we have to find that door! And rescue Su Buxian!" "Anyway, hurry up, we don''t know if Su Buxian can hold out until we regroup!" They moved very quickly, trying to open each door densely packed along the corridor. Most of them simply revealed a wall and sprang back, making it easy to get confused. And behind them was the relentless pursuit of the middle-aged man! With the ghost baby lying on his back, emitting shrill cries, inflicting spiritual impact on them! They were almost chased for several rounds! Their faces were all as pale as death, extremely disheveled! However, Tuner played a significant role here, with his excellent memory. He remembered every door that each person had opened. Finally, after a thorough screening! He said in a low voice, "Found it!" "Hurry in!" Muscle Bully roared, and after the five people rushed in! Their figures streamed out one after the other, Left Hand commanded in a low voice, "Where is Su Buxian! Hurry up and rescue him, and then leave this place straight away!" Right! Where was Su Buxian! He should have been with the female ghost... Qing Lang''s eyes suddenly trembled... Beside the long table in the dining room. The older female ghost was tied tightly to a chair with bloodstained ropes, unable to break free. And Su Qi... used a torch to ignite the tablecloth, overturned a large basin with red wine... and a bloody steak was placed on the table. Left Hand stood there stunned: "...What are you doing?" Was this some kind of evil ritual? Su Qi glanced at the [!] above the woman ghost''s head and said, "I''m preparing a candlelit dinner for her." Feeling that the flames were not big enough, he tossed in another bottle of alcohol, causing the fire to leap several meters high. "Can''t you see?" The rest: "..." Setting aside the eerie scene for a moment. All they wanted to say was. You really call this a candlelit dinner!? Chapter 89 - 89 The Terrifying World Outside "Run!" Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Left Hand could no longer mock these absurdities overflowing with all kinds of ridiculousness and couldn''t help but yell out loud. Because the middle-aged man carrying the ghost baby had already rushed out! His appearance was terrifying, with fierce light radiating from his eyes, and his long tongue could even shoot out, though not as threatening as the Lickers, but still extremely dangerous. Su Qi watched as the [!] above the female ghost''s head slowly dissipated, and he didn''t hesitate, "It''s been pleasant, see you next time." He turned and ran. The female ghost was a spiritual impact, naturally suppressed by him. But the middle-aged man was different; he was a purely strong corpse, combined with the ghost baby''s ability, the whole family was gathered, drastically increasing the danger. And Su Qi had also gotten what he wanted; it was time to slip away. [Name: Blinding] [Type: Skill] [Function: Can designate a target, causing their spirit to be impacted, with a certain chance of their senses falling into chaos] [Consumption: 200 Physical Strength] [Judgment Method: Your spiritual power needs to be higher than the opponent''s, the higher the spiritual power, the greater the chance of the opponent''s senses being confused] [Note: This is a method essential for ghosts; they often use it to toy with those who fear them] Everyone had already rushed to the door, which was wrapped with layer upon layer of iron chains. "I''ve got this." Muscle Bully lived up to his name, grunting softly, he tore apart several chains! As long as they opened this door, they could also escape the house, completing the main mission. Watching this scene. Su Qi spoke softly, "Something is not right, family." "Indeed" Tuner turned back calmly, "They haven''t followed." Everyone also turned back, noticing that the middle-aged man had stopped and stood in the distance, that terrifying ghost face watching their actions, actually revealing a hesitant and wary expression, as if he dared not approach the door. "It seems that the world outside must be extremely dangerous," Bai Qiangwei observed the emotions on the middle-aged man''s face. The female ghost let out a sinister snicker, "You want to go out?" "What a suicidal act..." Qing Lang squinted his eyes, trying to extract more information, but the female ghost didn''t utter another related word, just disheveled and with that old demonic pale face and blood-red eyes, eerily watching them, muttering as if casting a curse. "You will all die!" "You will definitely die!" "Especially that guy called Su Buxian!" Su Qi: "?" I kindly set up a candlelight dinner for you, and you curse me like this? Click! The door was open! A cold wind blew in from the crack and looking through... you could see a dilapidated street in the doorway. Su Qi''s gaze extended. Linyuan Land... according to Xu Linqiu''s words, it was extremely dangerous, and it also had quantum anomalies with bizarre changes; anything could happen. "Anyway, let''s go out first," Qing Lang said, pushing the door open, "to see what comes next." Left Hand took one last look back as he stepped out of the room. He saw that the family of three all had creepy smiles, as if watching dead people. [The player has completed the gathering and successfully escaped from the house; the main mission is completed] [Reward 1: All player level restrictions lifted] [Reward 2: Never-Lost Compass] A compass design slowly appeared on everyone''s wrist. The pointer on the design was trembling slightly. Su Qi''s eyes swept over. [Name: Never-Lost Compass] [Function: It constantly points towards the final Pure Land of Linyuan Land...] [Can it be taken out of the instance: No] [Note: In this strange world, the only thing you can trust is this pointer. Without it, you''ll be trapped in the Lost Land forever.] "Look." Bai Qiangwei pointed into the distance. It was only then that everyone noticed... The scenery within fifty meters centered on them was all composed of strange and surreal images! It was as if it had been pixelated and then smeared with various abstract colors! Constantly transforming! And permeated with an overwhelming sense of horror and intense unease, as if looking at it for too long would cause an explosion! "Indeed... this is the true Linyuan Land." Qing Lang''s expression turned grave, "The mansion behind us was just a greeting." Su Qi looked at the mysterious colors around them and spoke softly, "I remind you all, don''t stare at these mosaics, or you''ll get lost in them. Just pay attention to the pointer in your hand." Everyone nodded; after only a few seconds of looking, they felt dizzy and like they were about to fall in. "Then why are you still staring?" Left Hand noticed that Su Qi hadn''t looked away. Su Qi patted his shoulder, "When my phone is down to 3% battery, I still won''t go looking for a charger. This alone proves my willpower is strong." "...." What''s that got to do with willpower, you ass! Left Hand was about to retort, but he suddenly sensed something and swallowed his words. He said in a deep voice, "You think I''m going to retort? No, I held back!" Su Qi was momentarily stunned, then clapped his hands, his eyes lighting up, "Impressive, impressive." That certainly isn''t worth applause and praise! Left Hand almost spoke again but held back! That was close. "Let''s go, ladies and gentlemen..." The Tuner looked at the pointer, "Our pointers are all pointing in the same direction, so let''s make sure not to get separated." The six of them headed in one direction. This so-called Lost Land... truly eerie! As Xu Linqiu had said, anything was possible, because with every few steps taken... a different scene would appear! One moment it was a decrepit street... a few steps later it would turn into a graveyard.... A few more steps and there would be a crashed, abandoned airplane with its insides full of severed limbs... or a town where countless crosses were planted in the ground, all with dead bodies nailed to them! In short. These scenes were like a world pieced together from countless eerie fragments. The only thing they could trust was the pointer on their wrists. "Hush..." Su Qi suddenly held up a finger, "Everyone stop and stay silent." "Hm?" They didn''t see anything amiss, but upon Su Qi''s command, they immediately halted their steps and fell silent... This was the quality of a good teammate. If they had been the type of pig-headed teammate who, upon hearing such a command, would foolishly inquire, "Why should we stop? Why should we stay quiet?" Resisting the urge to give them a couple of punches was the sign of a good teammate. The Tuner slightly narrowed his eyes; he hadn''t heard anything, but his intuition told him that some danger was looming close. And at that moment. A heavy, thunderous sound approached, with the ground trembling faintly! What was that? The group couldn''t help but look up, gazing into the distance! A colossal foot, stepping on a house, crashed down with a bang, pulverizing it into powder! This figure also let out a low growl, descending from the Sky Dome like a siren at its highest power! The surrounding pixelations flickered with the vibrations! The terrifying aura changed everyone''s expressions, their ears ringing and throbbing, and it was unbearable to look directly at it! At the same time. Information appeared before everyone''s eyes. [Spiritual Power -1] Chapter 90 - 90 The Ghoul of the Pure Land As the terrifying figure departed, everyone finally caught their breath. Bai Qiangwei''s complexion wasn''t looking good, a bit pale: "I just lost some spiritual power." Qing Lang''s tone became heavier: "Me too I''ve lost a bit, only 29 left now." They began to calculate each other''s spiritual power. "What are we calculating this for?" Su Qi asked, curious. The group was taken aback, looking at Su Qi strangely: "We must calculate, because spiritual power can''t be replenished in an instance, and it''s extremely precious." The Tuner brushed the dust that had just sprinkled on his clothes and spoke softly, "This so-called Lost Land is riddled with vast amounts of spiritual pollution. If we want to reach the so-called Pure Land at the end, we need to be extremely cautious." "Although we each have spiritual power equipment, it''s a pity we can''t take it out now, so we must plan our every move meticulously." Left Hand patted Su Qi on the shoulder: "It seems, kid, you haven''t experienced an instance that places huge demands on spiritual power. If you had, you''d understand how terrifying it is." Su Qi: "...." He glanced at his prompt box. [Spiritual Power -1, Current 453] At this moment, everyone revealed their Spiritual Attribute, with Bai Qiangwei at the lowest... she only had 18 left, while the Tuner was the highest he had an impressive 65. Looks like he specializes in the Spiritual Attribute, and his future career direction is also related to it. Based on the differences in their spiritual power, they could also determine their next plan and strategic allocations. "Su Buxian, what about you?" Qing Lang asked Su Qi. "Just assume I''m about the same as you all." Su Qi pulled out a steel bar from the rubble of a nearby abandoned building: "I suggest we get some weapons; our levels have now recovered, at least we have the power to fight." He then looked towards Left Hand: "You don''t need to grab one." "?" "When any monster appears, you just need to open the seal on your left arm''s bandage, recite the incantation, and release the sealed Black Dragon!" Left Hand: "..." "First of all, that kind of thing doesn''t exist." He took a deep breath: "Besides... I''m not into such chuunibyou antics!" The group continued to move forward. Most of what they had seen before were bizarre scenes, but as long as they didn''t actively delve deeper and kept to the side generally, nothing dangerous would happen. But the further they went, the more living things they encountered. Some could be circumvented, while others were unavoidable. For instance, the path in front of them. On both sides were Mosiac-like twisted images, with only a narrow alley in the middle. If they wanted to get by, they naturally had to go through the middle of the alley. But! Standing in the alley was a sinister figure, its face indiscernible, seemingly waiting for them with a scythe in hand. "What do you think?" Muscle Bully couldn''t help but ask. The Tuner whispered, "Not enough information, hard to analyze." Bai Qiangwei: "We can only try to probe first." Qing Lang nodded, "I suggest we divide into groups to avoid a team wipeout." Left Hand spoke solemnly: "Exactly, in case of danger, we should support each other." Su Qi pondered seriously and suggested hesitantly: "Then I suggest... we use rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes first." The group: "...." Hold on. Wasn''t there a strange tactic just now? "I''ll go first." The Tuner''s gaze was calm: "It seems the other party is also of the pollution-class abnormality. I have the highest spiritual power here; in case there''s a problem, I should be able to withstand it." "I''ll go with you." Qing Lang chose to accompany the Tuner. Because the Tuner had high spiritual power, it inherently meant his physical attributes were low, and Qing Lang had to step in to balance that. Su Qi gazed at the Black Shadow, which displayed the word [Ghoul] above it. It seemed to have no hostility. As the two cautiously walked forward, approaching the Black Shadow, they encountered no danger. "Two..." The Black Shadow, dressed in a black robe and holding a scythe, lifted its head but still had an indiscernible face, only a cloud of Black Fog swirling around it. It spoke gently, its voice hoarse yet ethereal, as if communicating directly with their souls, conveying a sense of vainness and insubstantiality: "Lost ones..." "I am the Ferryman Spirit of the Pure Land; you want to pass through here, to proceed ahead" Its tone was devoid of any ripples, but it was hoarse and eerie: "You need to answer two questions of mine, and... lying is prohibited..." The Tuner and Qing Lang exchanged glances. Since they could communicate without fighting, that was the best outcome. "You say it," Qing Lang said gravely. "...." Outside the alleyway, the onlookers could only see their silhouettes and couldn''t hear what they were saying. It was only about three minutes later. The Black Shadow slowly put away its scythe, signaling they could pass, and the two looked back; Qing Lang attempted an OK gesture and pointed towards the road ahead before they walked on... and then disappeared from sight. "It seems safe enough, though once you step in here, it seems impossible to retreat." Bai Qiangwei and Muscle Bully also set off following them. Left Hand watched their figures and glanced at the compass on his wrist: "It looks like this so-called Pure Land can only be reached through here, and the identity of this Black Shadow.... While debatable, it must be the one guiding us to the Pure Land." "Su Buxian, what do you think?" Su Qi: "What else is there to think? In many dark and narrow alleys in the city... there stand such beings, the only difference being how much clothing they wear, this one seems quite promising." Left Hand helplessly said, "Forget I asked." Su Qi spoke softly, "We''ll know when we get there, speculating blindly will only lead to preconceived notions... Look, it''s our turn now." Bai Qiangwei and Muscle Bully moved a bit faster, walking forward and gradually disappearing at the end of the alleyway. "Let''s go." Su Qi strode forward, and Left Hand quickly followed. The Black Shadow watched them intently, its hoarse voice repeating the previous instructions. "Two questions, can we not lie?" Left Hand pondered the wording. Su Qi looked at the Black Shadow: "I never lie, but if.... Notice I only said if...." "If I did lie, what would happen?" The Black Shadow''s face was expressionless, its aura suddenly grew more formidable, and the scythe began to emanate a terrifying power; the tiles all around were shaking violently, and the entrances of the alleyway began to close in as if to swallow them. It said nothing, its calm filled with a heavy aura of death. Understood. Lying was a one-way street to death. Su Qi also composed himself, knowing the other wasn''t an entity they could contend with. It slowly asked the questions: "What is the thing you fear the most inside your heart..." "Who is the person you are most grateful for inside your heart..." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Left Hand was silent for a moment, glanced at Su Qi, and said helplessly, "I''m most afraid of... spiders... The person I''m most grateful for is my father..." "And you...." The Black Shadow stared at Su Qi. "The thing I''m most afraid of..." Su Qi hesitated for a moment, then said pensively, "is probably boredom." Probably? Can''t you be certain? Left Hand saw that the Black Shadow made no move, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "As for the person I''m most grateful for..." Su Qi had no hesitation in his confirmation: "Of course, it''s the Evil God." "He''s my biggest benefactor, always providing me with great help!" The Black Shadow calmly sheathed its scythe: "Then, you may proceed...." Left Hand paused: "Is it really that simple?" They could only walk forward, but upon exiting the alleyway, they didn''t see their teammates; instead, they were slowly engulfed by mist.... "What''s going on...." Left Hand suddenly startled: "Su Buxian, where are you!" Su Buxian was no longer in sight. And Left Hand''s face turned pale at the sight of countless spiders swarming out of the mist ahead! "Fuck, so many spiders....." He trembled all over! Just as he thought to turn and run, a voice was calling his name. "That''s my father''s voice!" Left Hand''s gaze trembled to see his father looking kindly at him, but in the next instant, his father was devoured by a multitude of spiders, screaming! His eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a low roar: "No!" ..... The Black Shadow watched this scene, emotionlessly saying: "... Overwhelmed by one''s greatest fears.... witnessing the death of a loved one." "The human heart is mostly so fragile." Chapter 91 - 91 Evil God... Goes Online? Su Qi was different from Left Hand. After seeing the faint white fog, he wasn''t immediately affected but instead noticed that Left Hand stood still, seemingly trapped in the state of the earlier quad game. Just as he thought to press on and to wake him. Then. The white fog suddenly increased. Su Qi was then drawn into the Illusion Realm. He looked around, and he was in an abandoned old city! No one was around... Everywhere were the mottled traces of time, and the slight afterglow cast from the sky enveloped the area with a lonely atmosphere. Su Qi''s eyes flickered slightly. "Is it because I mentioned the word ''boring''? So you created all this?" "But you are mistaken." "The boredom I spoke of was philosophical, asking where life begins and where it ends, what the value of a person is in the boundless universe, and in the vast flow of time, how one should leave a mark!" "True boredom isn''t about being alone, but about being unable to prove one''s existence in the grand scheme of things." Su Qi said no more. Because streams of white fog approached him directly, as if a wave of desolation and loneliness were about to surge into his heart. If understanding is insufficient... then hypnotism will suffice! However, Su Qi''s spiritual power was too high, and in the incredibly real darkness, he could still see many "?", constantly reminding him that this was an Illusion Realm. It was too damaging to the immersion. "Stop bothering." Su Qi shook his head, he could tell that this illusion came from a pollutant of level D or higher, capable of creating illusions, but weak in effect on him. The white fog seemed insulted... Since the most feared thing could not achieve the expected effect, seeing the death of the person you most respect and love right before you, you couldn''t possibly remain indifferent! A large amount of white fog began to gather! It seemed to materialize the image of the Evil God from the depths of Su Qi''s heart! A figure was forming! It exerted all its strength! Finally, the Evil God appeared! However, it was only two meters tall with a cute sheep head, and the body was human-like, albeit not quite, but that seemed to be the best it could do. "...." Su Qi consoled, "It''s alright, being able to replicate this much... is already quite impressive." Then he looked at the Evil God, "And it''s quite adorable being so small." The white fog furiously boiled! Looking down on whom! This time, let you feel the sensation of sorrow and pain! Suddenly, a metal fragment appeared around them, piercing directly through the chest of the anthropomorphic Evil God! A large amount of blood spurted out! The Evil God''s body trembled, as if looking to Su Qi for help. "No!" Su Qi cried out in anguish, "Evil God!" He rushed forward! "I''m coming to help you!" The white fog trembled excitedly, help you can''t help, it wanted to engulf the other with the feeling of helplessness! It was about to pull out that metal fragment! But in the next moment. Su Qi had arrived and actively pressed down the freshly pulled-out metal fragment... "Spurt!" The Evil God suddenly vomited blood! White fog: "????" It was shocked! So ruthless to your most respected person? Is your heart made of iron! Not only was Su Qi''s heart made of iron, but he was also preparing to stab the Evil God a few more times. The Black Shadow, who was observing all this with a scythe in hand, also fell silent. It was his first time seeing such a person... "It was quite fitting for the lunatics in the Pure Land, and... a Sheep Head, but it''s not a big problem since it''s just an ordinary goat''s head and it''s just an illusion, having nothing to do with that being..." At that moment, a Black Shadow shuddered all over, a strange sense of danger rising in his heart. "Uh?" And Su Qi also realized something was wrong; he looked up at the Sheep Head above, and [?]was pulsating wildly! Su Qi''s eyebrows twitched violently! This scene seemed familiar! It was just like the scene from his first encounter with the Evil God! Wait a second. It couldn''t be! A bizarre aura suddenly permeated the air! The Sheep Head, which initially didn''t resemble it much at all began to transform, becoming more ferocious, with Runes beginning to emerge! Damn! Su Qi was stunned. Could this abstract illusion actually connect to the Evil God''s true form? And at the same time. Outside, the Black Shadow''s eyes trembled even more as it looked toward the illusory Evil God! Its previously expressionless face now showed intense fluctuations! It was shocked, terrified, scared! Its entire body was actually trembling frantically! The next moment! The Black Shadow hastily struck out, using a scythe to unleash an astonishing burst of strength, slashing fiercely at the illusion realm where Su Qi was! "Boom!" The illusion shattered like broken glass! And that strange aura immediately burst forth, recoiling onto the Black Shadow! "Ptui!" The Black Shadow suddenly spat out a cloud of Black Fog as if it had been severely wounded! Su Qi was forced out of the Illusion Realm, and he immediately saw the figure holding the scythe in the distance. Its voice hoarse and panting, it gasped heavily, the Black Fog around its body dissipating greatly, staring intently at Su Qi: "Who... exactly are you?" "Are you the High Priest of the Cultists? Or do you possess an Advanced Shrine containing that power, or perhaps have you seen that being yourself? Otherwise... the Descent phenomenon wouldn''t have occurred!" Su Qi could tell that the other party was panicking, but that was okay. He was panicking too. Turns out the Evil God had almost truly descended! Su Qi coughed, "I don''t know what you''re talking about." The Black Shadow did not continue to question and instead turned its hoarse voice toward the horizon: "It seems you don''t realize where this is... This is Linyuan Land." Its voice reached Su Qi''s ears: "Contaminated by a sliver of Strength leaked from the Abyss, turning into this eerily twisted, semi-collapsed world!" The Black Shadow took a deep breath and hoarsely said, "In Linyuan Land... anything from the Abyss is taboo and most likely to trigger unstable fluctuations. Whatever secrets you hold, such foolish, deadly acts must absolutely not occur a second time!" Su Qi was displeased: "The thing is, you were the one asking the questions and it was your illusion, isn''t it a bit improper to push all the blame onto me?" Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Black Shadow: "..." It surely was at fault too. After all, as it''s a taboo, it was something never mentioned in this world... and even if mentioned, it was only spoken with fear and reverence: that being. Who would affectionately call him ''Evil God'' as if shouting to a dearly beloved relative! "..." The Black Shadow no longer talked to Su Qi and just wanted to distance itself from this hot potato. The scythe swung again! And everyone''s illusion shattered, their faces pale and confused, each looking as though they had awoken from a nightmare, looking at one another baffled! "What happened... what was that?" The Black Shadow did not answer them, only using the scythe to point towards the distance, a streak of Black Fog blasting out, seemingly paving the way! "Follow this path, it leads to the Pure Land." "Though called the Pure Land, it is actually a city yet to be covered by pollution." "However, inside it are nothing but... extremely vicious villains!" It said coldly: "Once you enter... you are on your own, take care of yourselves." Chapter 92 - 92 Despicable Person...... Everyone followed the compass needle toward this so-called Pure Land. "Always feels a bit strange," Left Hand had recovered from the illusion from earlier. Bai Qiangwei nodded, "Right, I feel the same." Qing Lang pondered, "That Black Shadow had always appeared calm and expressionless before. How come he suddenly revealed so much information to us? He even took the initiative to clear the way and point us in the right direction." The Tuner added, "And his tone carried a hint of apprehension." Unable to make sense of it, everyone could only attribute it to being the necessary guidance after the end of the illusion realm. Only Su Qi saw through it all. Above the Black Shadow''s head[?]the fellow''s thoughts had become clear. [It inferred from your previous words and behavior just now that you must have a significant connection with the Evil God] [It fears you and keeps a respectful distance] "That guy... knows how to play his cards right." This included doing favors that went with the flow, but those favors came from the Evil God, and the beneficiary was Su Qi. It was another day when the Evil God played its part. Without any subsequent abnormalities, everyone''s pace quickened significantly. "Pure Land City is getting closer," said Qing Lang, looking at the compass on his wrist. By the angle of the compass needle''s rotation, one could actually estimate the distancenow it pointed almost directly ahead. And soon. They saw the so-called Pure Land City. It was surrounded by high city walls! Outside, there stood a stele. The characters for [Pure Land] were inscribed on it. At the same time. A notification box appeared before everyone''s eyes. [You have arrived at Pure Land, the uncorrupted city] [Main quest second phase completed] [Reward: Everyone''s Item Slot and Skill Bar fully unlocked] Everyone visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Left Hand tugged at the bandage on his left arm, the Tuner took a pigeon from his hat and placed it on his shoulder. The Muscle Bully even pulled out his double-barreled shotgun. "Damn, finally no restrictions." sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The attribute points that came with Levels... were nowhere near as important as Equipment and Skills, which were key to enhancing their combat strength. And at that moment. A striking notification box popped up again! [Warning, the final stage of the main quest] [Survive until the Silent Day!] "Did you all see that?" "Hmm... It''s just asking us to survive?" The Muscle Bully chuckled, clearly more confident with his equipment and skills, "This seems to be underestimating us a bit." "Or does it mean... the being inside is more dangerous than those oddities outside?" Left Hand remembered the words of the Black Shadow. At that moment. A voice slowly rose from not too far away, with a hint of humor, "They say the super rookies from Zone 9 are of decent quality, but I think that''s not necessarily true." Who? Their gazes immediately became wary as they looked over. They saw a young man with red hair standing in the distance, hands in his pockets. "You are... the ''Red Blade'' from the First Sequence," recognized Bai Qiangwei. "Be careful... this guy''s swordsmanship is strong!" The red-haired young man gestured that his sword was sheathed and not drawn, saying dismissively, "Don''t be nervous, I''m not here to be your enemy." Qing Lang squinted his eyes, "Which eye of yours sees us as nervous? Or are you saying you alone want to take on all of us?" A cocky smile spread across Red Blade''s face, "Well, that might not be entirely impossible." So arrogant! The Muscle Bully had already aimed his gun at him. "I''ve said it before, I''m not here to fight." Red Blade clicked his tongue. "I''m here to talk about cooperation on behalf of everyone in the First Sequence." The Tuner stroked the dove''s feathers. "Why should we cooperate with you?" "Because..." "If we don''t cooperate." His smile gradually faded, and his tone became somewhat sharp. "The probability of any of us living until Silent Day doesn''t exceed thirty percent!" ----------------- The damp streets, the pungent smell of blood. They moved like rats, only daring to traverse unnoticed corners, avoiding making any noise. "This city is deadlier than you can imagine, teeming with danger everywhere!" Red Blade led the way ahead, speaking calmly. "Most of the city''s residents are various beings that have poured into Pure Land City from the Lost Land, including brutal Slaughterers, insane Gamblers, and powerful abnormalities." Everyone understood. Just like that family of three in the mansion before... if they wanted to escape the Lost Land, they''d naturally seek to flood into this Pure Land. "So, to avoid overpopulation." "Every night there is a population purge, an unrestricted free-for-all." Left Hand couldn''t help but say, "This is no Pure Land... it''s clearly a slaughterhouse." Red Blade spoke calmly. "But that''s the rule, and... as long as you kill others, you can get coins. If you accumulate enough coins, you can get a Token to enter the Inner Zone, avoiding participation in the nightly bloodbath." "It''s just that, you can forget about it... the Token is extremely difficult to obtain, virtually impossible through normal means." Su Qi, who had been surveying the surroundings, paused for a moment. Extremely difficult? Su Qi glanced at the Token in his Item Slot. It was from the "Love, Death, Super Player" show, taken from that Gambler... It seemed he could use it to enter the Inner Zone. So Su Qi asked, "By the way, Red Hair...what''s in the Inner Zone?" Red Blade couldn''t help but glance at Su Qi. Although he was called Red Blade, shouldn''t normal people bloody use the last two words? He was a bit annoyed but still said, "The Inner Zone is actually a huge death casino. Everyone who enters must gamble. So, getting a Token doesn''t guarantee safety; if you lose the gambling, you either go bankrupt or die there." Su Qi: "That sounds truly terrifying." "Of course... apart from killing and looting, you can also earn coins through work." Red Blade said in a deep voice, "Everyone in our team is already working to save up coins...to prepare for what''s to come." "If that''s the case..." Bai Qiangwei squinted her eyes and said, "It seems we don''t need to cooperate with you then." Red Blade turned to look at the group, letting out a strange laugh. "Do you think we want to?" "The only reason we want to cooperate with you... is that we''ve found out about those Cultists, and moreover, those lunatics from Free City are actually making deals with them." At these words. The faces of the group darkened, showing a hint of gravity. Red Blade said no more, casting his gaze forward and stopping his steps. "Alright, we''ve arrived... This is the workplace we found." He pointed to a massive construction site for a statue, where many people... including abnormalities were busily at work. "Building a statue? For whom? Are these madmen planning on worshipping it?" "You''re wrong, this isn''t about faith... it''s about idolatry." Idolatry? Red Blade spoke lightly, "This world is corroded by the power of the Abyss. Many people naturally fear and hate it but cannot resist it, for it''s an existence they can never contend with!" "But recently, someone angered it and seemed to have gotten the upper hand! Leading to a huge bounty for their capture, a name that has spread across vast swaths of the world!" "To them, this is unprecedented! A cause for celebration and madness!" "So." Red Blade''s gaze lingered on the statue before him, speaking softly and with a hint of admiration. "They''ve erected this statue! To celebrate that being known as the ''Despicable Person''!" Su Qi, who had been contemplating his next plan, suddenly looked up upon hearing this. ??? Who are you talking about? Chapter 93 - 93 It Turns Out to Be Myself! (Requesting First Subscription) The last time I heard the term "Despicable Person" was also the last time. The Traveling Merchant had mentioned it at the orphanage, and unexpectedly... I heard it again here. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And, most importantly, Su Qi realized something. He had a bad feeling and asked again, "Red-haired classmate, may I inquire... who is the entity you speak of?" Red Blade narrowed his eyes slightly, "Don''t tell me you don''t know? The name is taboo here, the most terrifying being in the Abyss... worshipped by countless Cultists, the true......." Okay, that''s enough. He already knew who it was. ".....It just feels a bit ominous." The Evil God had been mentioned repeatedly, far too often. And most importantly, the "Despicable Person" they mentioned, could it possibly be... Su Qi looked up at the statue. Faceless... one could only see short hair, a tall figure, other details ominous, with the right hand holding a long sword, the left a hatchet, and a hunting shotgun slung over the back. "...." Looking at the statue that vaguely exuded... a familiar vibe, Su Qi gradually understood everything. At this moment, Left Hand patted Su Qi on the shoulder: "It seems that you''re not well-informed. This matter has spread not only through various instance worlds but also throughout Paradise." Su Qi glanced at him and said, "Then Mr. Zuo, what can you tell me?" Left Hand coughed, "You''re being so polite, let me then satisfy your curiosity. The Despicable Person has been issued a warrant by that being, once his presence is detected, then all of its followers must pursue and kill him with all their might!" "But that''s not the end of it." "All the major forces, various powerful entities, even some great figures we can''t reach! They are all looking for this Despicable Person because it is said that the one in the Abyss... has made them an offer that they can''t refuse." Su Qi: "..." "May I ask how tempting it is? Is it like finding a straight, smooth branch by the roadside that looks like a sword... that kind of tempting?" That made Left Hand fall silent. What kind of temptation is that! He hesitated for two seconds then nodded solemnly, "Pretty much!" That''s bad! Left Hand spread his hands, "Anyway, I don''t know the specifics... but once that Despicable Person''s identity is exposed, he would probably be hunted down by the entire world!" He looked at the statue stroking his chin curiously, "I am really curious who this Despicable Person really is." "Even that being itself doesn''t know his true face, these people can only construct the sculpture based on the warrant." Left Hand said with a sense of wonder, "This Despicable Person must be... an extraordinary and formidable presence." Su Qi patted his shoulder, "Thank you." Thinking he was being thanked for sharing this information, Left Hand waved his hand, "No big deal, you would find out this stuff if you asked around more." Su Qi''s gaze fell on his own sculpture. Tsk. He hadn''t thought much of it before, but looking at it now... it was downright imposing. But. Having realized he was the Despicable Person, Su Qi didn''t feel much fear. After all, he had provoked the Evil God right from the start; the difference between one slap and two was negligible. However, Su Qi suddenly thought of something, "If I reveal myself as the Despicable Person, what about my reputation..." Under the Evil God''s advertisement, the name of the Despicable Person had already reverberated through half of Abyssal Paradise. Once admitted... Su Qi could predict just how wildly his Reputation Value would soar. But at the same time, the consequences he would have to bear were extremely alarming. Qing Lang came over at this moment. He had just gone to gather some information, his expression slightly somber, "Things are exactly as that guy said, and even more dangerous than we imagined. The so-called daily tasks of the Pure Land... are filled with dangers at every turn, and a slight misstep could mean death." He had just watched an obese belly supervisor wielding a whip, lashing ferociously at anyone who dared to slack off or make mistakes! A single lash from the whip could crack stones, showcasing its terrifying strength. "If we are to take action, it''s best to split up. There are many bizarre tasks in the Pure Land. Choose ones that suit your strengths, but be wary... especially of the people from Free City and those Cultists." After gaining some understanding, they established a basic strategy. First and foremost was to survive! This place was too dangerous, to earn coins during the day as much as possible to gain advantages for surviving the night! Only by achieving this could they have a chance to compete for those precious hidden Resurrection Tools! Left Hand looked at Su Qi, "What about you, Su Buxian?" Although there was no explicit grouping, at least during instance entry, the two of them had come all this way together and were relatively familiar with each other. Su Qi pondered for a while, "I know English, so I''ll see if I can find a job as a tutor." "If you manage to find someone willing to learn that stuff, I''ll wash my hair standing on my head," Left Hand said, resignedly, "I''m planning to go to the other side of the city to see if there''s something suitable for me." Physical labor wasn''t impossible, but being watched, extorted, whipped, and insulted by such supervisors was something none of the super rookies, each with their own pride, could easily stomach. "Everyone, be as careful as possible and strive to enter the Inner Zone... Also, communicate any news through this Tool." Qing Lang took out a stone from his hand. The group dispersed. Su Qi began walking through the city known as Pure Land. The inside of this city had not been introduced before... It was actually just like the Lost Land, pieced together from various Fragments, only it didn''t twist and was more stable. The first few steps... still a garbage dump, then a creepy school appeared, followed by dilapidated cottages with an ancient well! "Every place here has its own bizarre story..." And some of them even had tasks manifesting in blood, offering coins. In this City, coins were not ordinary currency, but carried the concentrated form of abnormality, the most important thing in Pure Land. Abnormalities could use it to become stronger, and Pollutants could also enhance their abilities through it. Twenty coins would be enough to attract the covetousness of others, sparking conflicts and fights over possession. With fifty coins, you could borrow some strength, of course, you had to negotiate the price, and different Strengths required different quantities of coins. One hundred coins would allow you to trade with the Twisted beings of the City. Here you could gain Sanctuary, making you safer during the night''s cleansing mission. And for a Token that grants access to the Inner Zone, you needed five hundred coins. "I don''t need a Token, but most tasks start at five coins, and they seem pretty troublesome... They take too much time." Right now, Su Qi was looking for a quick fix. After wandering around for a while, he saw a car wash... A black sedan was parked there, its body covered in flesh and blood as if it had run over numerous people, looking extremely eerie and unsettling, and it also carried a scent of Pollution. And at the front of the car wash, there was a blood-written sign. [Cleansing it will earn you two coins.] Not bad. Su Qi eyed the car and walked straight towards it: Chapter 94 - 94: Is It Clean or Not? (Seeking First Subscription) Su Qi''s task was also quite simple, turn on the water valve and aim it for rinsing, and get close to clean up the bloodstains. The haunted vehicle polluted by abnormity was not so easy to wash. It was just like a caveman taking a bath in a large bathhouse, with all sorts of bloody, indistinct ghostly faces emerging on the windows, constantly emitting shrieks! "Dead noising." sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi''s spiritual power was too high; the impact on himself was almost nothing, but it was rather too noisy. It seemed to realize that this tactic was useless. "Swoosh!" The black car''s windshield wipers suddenly jerked into motion, blades coming at Su Qi''s face with extreme speed. There''s also physical attack? Su Qi looked away in surprise, dodging. "Crack!" The blades buried themselves into the wooden rack beside him. But it wasn''t over yet, this was a dangerous pollutant, it had naturally killed many people, and it was filled with deadly threats everywhere! The black car didn''t want to let go of Su Qi that easily, it opened its hood, revealing an engine made from intertwining blood vessels! The car suddenly started, rumbling loudly! But the sound came from the blood vessel engine, as though it was roaring! And just at that moment. Su Qi gently turned off the water valve and took off his gloves, reaching into his pocket. Then, he directly pulled out a silver-white sledgehammer from his pocket, staring at the black car: "You, you just won''t stop, will you!" The black car quivered! The next instant! "Boom!" The tremendous slam made the whole black car sink, kicking up dust from beneath it! And still, it wasn''t done! The second hammer fell with another thunderous smash! "Bang bang bang!" The successive heavy blows changed the black car''s terrified shrieks into the creaking and screeching of metal friction! Around half a minute later. Su Qi took a breath, looking at the black car, now with completely shattered windows, a ''C'' shaped car door, and a hood broken and on its last breath. He slowly retracted the hammer, looking toward the dim shadows inside the car wash. "Boss, the job''s done, time to pay up." [....] The car wash sign slowly revealed a line of ellipses, then reminded with bloody words: [You... smashed it] Su Qi: "?" "No, this is included in the car wash and repair." "Besides, no matter what it looks like now," Su Qi looked at the black car with justified arrogance, "you just say whether it''s clean or not." The car wash eventually gave in, condensing two coins to give to Su Qi because it felt that he had a point. Black car: "..." It became even weaker than before, as if the strange power of these two coins had come from within it. Su Qi looked at the two coins. "Contains strange powers, but... it seems to have removed the polluted part." He pocketed them. At that moment, the car wash sign... once again had blood words emerge. [This vehicle has an owner; it belongs to an abnormality from the Inner Zone, your actions will enrage it] "Is that so? That''s not good." Su Qi mused: "In that case, I''ll leave it a note." Normally... if someone damages another''s car, a person of quality would leave information, taking responsibility. "Ssssss!" Su Qi used the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade to carve words into the body of the black car, creating a grating sound. [.....] "Sorry, I accidentally scratched your car..." That was an accident? And you call this a scratch...The car wash sign swayed slightly, seemingly in shock. And the way you left a message was way over the top! "...Anyway, feelings of guilt have made me restless." Su Qi scribbled from the front to the end of the car: "I hope that after you see this message, you would contact me." "Signature: Nameless King!" Huh? At least write down your own name! Su Qi sheathed the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade: "Farewell, boss." [...] The cold wind on the street buffeted the car wash sign, which made a decision against its better judgment. Next car, try to attract a normal person. Su Qi clutched two coins, no longer paying attention to any of the surrounding aberrant tasks now that he had ample funds. The place he was heading to... went without saying. ----------------- The massive casino in the Inner Zone, bustling with people... All sorts of loud noises were shouting out! The atmosphere was extremely fervent but also insane! Yun Zhantian lowered the brim of his hat: "Bro... we''re almost out of coins." The figure beside him... was the same man who had carried the sword before, his expression stony: "How many are left?" "Together, only twenty." The man sighed softly. The First Sequence team had seven members, and they were lucky at the start, entering Pure Land City ahead of time. After getting to know the rules of Pure Land City. All seven began frantically taking on tasks, earning coins...and finally pooled together one thousand one hundred coins, giving them to him and Yun Zhantian in exchange for Tokens to enter the Inner Zone. Each holding fifty coins, they began betting, gambling...but how could they outplay these frenzied gamblers? They had their wins and losses, but they lost more than they won, and there was also the risk of losing their lives. "Are you two going to gamble or not? If not, then get lost!" An adjacent gambler said impatiently. The man was not displeased by the gambler''s rude attitude, and he stood up... In this casino, everything revolved around gambling! If a conflict arose and they wanted to fight, there was a designated area for that. Others were also eager to place bets. Yun Zhantian looked at the mere twenty coins left: "Brother...what should we do? Maybe we should retreat for now." In the casino, Tokens allowed entry, but for every hour spent there, ten coins would be deducted automatically. If you ran out of coins, you''d be sent to fight for your life on the stage to earn starter funds, and the same amount of coins was required to leave. If they continued to stay, their coins would quickly deplete, and once they hit zero, they would not be able to leave...only being forced to join the fight for their life. The man sighed: "...Let''s pull out." This casino was no place for ordinary people, filled with scammers and schemers betting their lives. They had underestimated it. They couldn''t beat it, not at all. And at that moment. The casino doors were thrown open, and a figure strode in leisurely. Yun Zhantian suddenly froze, gazing at the newcomer; he almost thought he was seeing things. The Black Robed Man guarding the door squinted at the young man: "Why use so much force with the door, Token?" "Hold on, let me find it." The young man rummaged and handed over the somewhat tarnished Token: "This is it, right?" The Black Robed Man inspected the crack on it. It clearly wasn''t brand new, but as long as it was authentic, that''s all that mattered. "Go on in." "Alright." The young man walked in, his gaze leisurely surveying everything in the casino. "What''s wrong?" Now the man noticed the change in Yun Zhantian''s expression and followed his gaze to the young man: "Do you know him?" Yun Zhantian came back to his senses, nodded: "That''s Su Buxian, the one I mentioned before, the one who knows Night Guardian." Upon mentioning Night Guardian, the man paused in recognition, observing the young man: "Then you better call out to him." "He''s probably carrying his whole team''s chips." "But." He sighed: "The waters here are too deep, and he might not be able to handle it as a newcomer." Chapter 95 - 95: I Bet on a Bullet Jam! (Please Subscribe) They were examples. The man had the big picture in mind, and since the two forces had already cooperated, he naturally wouldn''t stand by and watch the other side walk into a fire pit and lose everything. "Understood." Yun Zhantian was ready to go over and stop Su Qi. But before he could speak, he saw Su Qi''s eyes suddenly light up as if he had found something interesting, and he walked straight towards an area bustling with people. "What is he going to do...." The man paused slightly. "I... really don''t know." Yun Zhantian thought he had a certain understanding of Su Qi, although their contact time in the last team instance was not long, but he knew this player''s style of action was very different and could not be inferred by common sense. "But, I always feel something is going to happen." And at this very moment. At a table, a large number of gamblers gathered around, excitedly shouting! This was the crazy Death Roulette! The rules were extremely simple. A revolver on the table capable of loading six bullets... you just had to load a different number of bullets, aim at your own head, and fire. If you survived, you would get coins, note that both the revolver and bullets were no ordinary items, powerful enough to kill abnormalities. "How many bullets do you want?" the referee asked calmly, looking at the person who had sat down. Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "One," the person said, quivering. "One? Go back and eat shit! If you''re so afraid of dying, don''t play!" The other gamblers scoffed and directly drove him away! Another gambler, with a hint of madness in his eyes, sat down clenching his teeth: "I''ll play!" "I want three!" "Okay." The referee accepted and began to load. Three live rounds, three blanks, whether you were killed or survived was all down to luck! But unfortunately, he didn''t have the luck to survive! "Bang!" A loud gunshot suddenly exploded! A bullet carrying extraordinary strength went straight through his head, killing him. The referee coldly watched this and gestured for others to come and clean up. The blood on the table, layer upon layer, had long since seeped in, filled with a bloody smell that deterred people from getting close. "Next." The referee said calmly, "I remind you... if it''s fewer than three bullets, don''t participate. For each additional bullet, the stakes double!" "If someone dares five bullets! I can make an exception... and triple the stakes!" The gamblers were crazy, but still rationalfor three bullets, the odds were already even, five bullets were sheer suicide! And then, Su Qi''s voice rang out: "That, I seem to have heard something about tripling?" The gamblers turned to look and saw a young man fondling two coins, standing in front of the table with a faint smile looking at them. "You want five bullets?" the referee squinted. He noticed that Su Qi had only two coins; it seemed he was at the end of his rope. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. The minimum bet for each betting table is five coins, but if you want five bullets, I can make an exception and let you play once." "Is that so?" Under everyone''s gaze, Su Qi pondered for a moment before speaking: "What if I want six?" Everyone: "...." Then they collectively scoffed, unaffected by his words, cursing and muttering: "Six?" "Seems like he''s here to cause trouble, get him out!" "Hehehe, I think he''s seeking death, let''s indulge him." With their various remarks and sarcastic laughter... in the end, if you don''t sit at the table, all the talking is just nonsense. But at this time, Su Qi ignored the other people''s noise and looked at the referee: "If I go for six bullets, what are the odds?" The referee squinted his eyes. He had been here for many years, and this was the first time... someone came up to challenge with six bullets, which meant no blanks, every shot was livepure suicide. However, it wasn''t his problem whether the other party was courting death or not. The referee said calmly, "If you dare, six bullets... I can increase your stakes by hundreds of times, how about that?" The other party hadn''t sat down yet; maybe they were just talking big. And even if they did sit down, with six bullets... he thought they could invite the next person rather quickly. "So be clear, how much are the odds?" Su Qi looked at his opponent. "Three hundred times!" "Good." Su Qi nonchalantly extended his hand and placed the two coins he had been fiddling with for a while onto the betting area, "I''ll take six." Su Qi paused, "I''m betting on a bullet jam." "....." Instantly, everyone fell into a silence as still as death. The referee was also stunned. He''s gone mad! The referee slowly came back to his senses, his gaze somewhat chilly, "You''re not joking?" Su Qi gently pulled out a chair, the screeching sound of it dragging was somewhat grating as he nonchalantly sat down: "I never joke." Madman! An absolute madman! The other gamblers were even more excited, their expressions manic. "I want to bet! All my money on his death!" "Betting on a bullet jam! That''s a first in many years of Death Roulette!" They relished the thrill! "Hold on." Su Qi looked at the referee, "I can still raise the bet, right?" The referee nodded, "But, do you have any more coins?" "I can borrow, can''t I?" Su Qi turned to look at Yun Zhantian and the man who were about to come over: "Brother Yun, quick... lend me some money." Yun Zhantian was watching the commotion from a distance, not yet knowing what had happened, and fell silent upon hearing the call for a loan. "...." Your first sentence upon seeing someone is asking to borrow money! Couldn''t you at least exchange pleasantries? Would a ''long time no see'' kill you? He suddenly didn''t feel like going over. The man at this moment hesitated, and after a moment of contemplation, he said softly, "Lend it to him, give him all twenty coins." "Eh?" Yun Zhantian was stunned. "He''s playing Russian Roulette, the higher the stake, the greater the potential return... If we lose, we''ll just go to the Life and Death Arena," the man had thought it through; betting wasn''t their forte. Ultimately, they had to rely on strength. Yun Zhantian nodded... after walking over, he handed twenty coins to Su Qi: "This is all we''ve got." Su Qi took them, "Thanks, I''ll give you one percent of the winnings." Yun Zhantian: "..." That''s too much! He looked at the other gamblers around him and noticed something abnormal, whispering, "Why do other people look at us weirdly, it''s as if....." Yun Zhantian held back: "Like they''re looking at idiots." The man''s brows furrowed slightly; he had also noticed this and couldn''t help but ask. "By the way... how many bullets did you bet on?" "It wouldn''t be five, would it?" Yun Zhantian felt a tremor in his heart, "A one in six chance? Brother Su, aren''t you being a bit reckless?" At that moment. The referee''s expression was calm; he filled the revolver with bullets etched with runes, reset it, and slid it into place! The clear mechanical sound of rotation assured him the revolver was in perfect condition, impossible to malfunction. "All six bullets have been loaded." He handed them to Su Qi: "Please." Whether it was Yun Zhantian or the man, their expressions were completely stunned at this moment. Yun Zhantian was incredibly shocked, his trembling voice stuck in his throat: "How... how much!!!!!!" Chapter 96 - 96: Brother Su is Still Brother Su! (Two-in-One) "How... how many?" Yun Zhantian''s eyes widened. "Six!!!" His voice was almost a shout. He finally understood why the group of gamblers around him were staring at them with a schadenfreude look as if they were fools. "Brother Su." Yun Zhantian pressed on his shoulder, shaking him wildly, "You''re crazy!" Su Qi, being shaken, calmly said, "Just don''t spit on my face." Yun Zhantian: "..." He let go of Su Qi weakly, ignoring the surrounding eyes, and looked at the referee, "Can I get those twenty coins back?" "No, you can''t." The referee replied coldly and mercilessly. The man took a deep breath, already a bit confused. As the team leader of the super rookies of the First Sequence, he always acted conservatively and preferred conservative strategies. He had a strong sense of the bigger picture... even the wild Red Blade would listen to him. This was the first time he had seen such a wild guy! The man looked at the referee, "If he bets on six, how can he win?" The referee calmly said, "He said it himself, betting on the gun jamming." "..." The man silently looked at Su Qi, who responded with a smile. Other gamblers were also placing bets, happily stacking up a pile of chips, investing at least a thousand... On Su Qi''s side of the table, there were only a simple twenty-two coins. For these gamblers, it didn''t matter how much they earned at this moment; they just wanted to see blood and have a sense of participation, to enjoy the feeling of winning. Su Qi gently picked up the gun. And the referee gave a signal. The old lady responsible for cleaning up the corpses and bloodstains was already standing nearby. She too was abnormal, her hair messy, wearing a mask, and her apron all splattered with blood, holding a mop in her hand... her gaze was cold as she looked at Su Qi. It seemed to say, remember to fall forward, don''t make my mopping harder. "Anyone else want to place bets?" Su Qi smiled, pointing the revolver at his own temple. In the gambler''s den, there are no always-win generals unless they cheat, and once caught cheating, in other ordinary gambler''s dens it might just be cutting a finger or a hand, but here... it would lead to extremely severe consequences. After all, apart from the players, many abnormalities also possess some special abilities, but people dare not use them. Because abilities would be detected by existences with higher spiritual power than oneself, and player skills are the same, once detected... one can imagine the outcome. However. What does this have to do with Su Qi, who has over four hundred spiritual power? He lightly pressed his finger on the trigger. The next moment! "Bang!" The sound of the bullet firing... suddenly erupted! The crowd''s eyes brightened, but then... they didn''t see the bloody scene of a headshot. Their expressions froze, looking at the unharmed Su Qi, while the revolver''s trigger hadn''t been pulled yet. "What was that just now?" "Ventriloquism." Su Qi once again imitated a few sounds; although his mouth barely moved, it produced extremely realistic "bang bang bang!!" sounds! The intense gunshots frightened a gambler passing by, who almost ducked down yelling about a sniper. Su Qi''s mouth curled up slightly, "How''s that? Sounds like the real thing, right?" The crowd: "..." They roared in unison, "Stop playing with that crappy ventriloquism! Hurry up and shoot, damn it!" Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi shook his head, criticizing, "Rushing will only harm you guys." "Damn, I really want to punch him!" "Hold it back, we can''t just start fighting here!" "Please just shoot, I can''t stand it anymore with my OCD!" The man and Yun Zhantian both silently watched Su Qi and the noisy crowd of gamblers. They looked at each other. How come everything feels completely different. After they entered this gambler''s den, they proceeded step by step, very cautiously. This guy came in and became the focus of attention, feeling like he completely grasped everyone''s emotions! Su Qi clicked his tongue; his finger again rested on the trigger... Just then. "Wait." Su Qi suddenly said, "Can I write a will first?" Even the referee couldn''t hold back any longer, he shouted: "Hurry up! Ten seconds!" "If you don''t shoot in ten seconds, I''ll do it for you!" If it weren''t for him being the referee, he would have been the first to punch this guy! Su Qi, feeling helpless, shrugged, "Alright then." This time, without further delaying, he slightly withdrew his finger and pulled the trigger! Under the intense gaze of the crowd! The hammer of the revolver suddenly struck towards the back of the bullet! "Click!" The revolver made a clear sound of mechanical jamming, and the hammer got stuck right between the bullets! "..." All the gamblers by the table stared dumbfoundedly at this sight, falling into a deadly silent hush! The referee, Yun Zhantian, and the man were also stunned on the spot! Su Qi slowly put down the revolver, displaying a calm smile, "You see, it really did jam." At that moment, the gamblers exploded, "Impossible!" "He''s cheating!" "That pistol must have been faulty from the start!" "Referee! Are you in cahoots with this guy..." "Bang!" The referee, now holding the revolver, coldly fired a shot! The gambler who had just spoken disrespectfully watched his own hat being pierced, his body trembling, not daring to speak another word! The referee looked at the revolver in his hand, deeply looked at Su Qi, and after exhaling, announced: "The gun is fine." "Congratulations... you''ve won three hundred times your original chips, and the coins you gambled, 1235 in total!" Regardless of how he did it, as long as it wasn''t seen by him, it counted as his win! Yun Zhantian and the man watched dumbfounded as a large number of coins were brought over. How many were there? Nearly 8000 coins? When they entered, they only had damn 200 coins combined! And had lost down to one tenth! Chapter 97 - 96: Brother Su is Still Brother Su! (Combined 2 in 1)_2 Su Qi, however, didn''t bag them right away. He even had an idea and pointed at the pile of coins, "Can I go again? Six coins for three hundred times the payout!" The referee was silent. Three hundred times? Why don''t we just hand over the entire casino to you! He promptly hung a ''no more bets'' sign on the table and left. "Tch, running away already..." Su Qi felt somewhat dissatisfied. He had dragged out the time long enough, just in time for the "Artificial Team''s Counterattack" cooldown to end. With a bit of luck, he could have continued. However, Even if the other party''s spiritual power wasn''t as high as his own and couldn''t detect his Skill, it was only natural they knew he had some tricks up his sleeve, so fleeing was the normal reaction... What casino wouldn''t run away? "Come." Su Qi tossed a bag to Yun Zhantian. "This is too much!" Yun Zhantian said, overwhelmed by the hefty bag, "We only gambled twenty coins." Su Qi laughed and pulled out a piece of paper, "No problem. I never intended to give it away for free. You can take the extra and write an IOU... one coin for a hundred Game Coins each, considering your First Sequence is wealthy." "..." Yun Zhantian fell into a daze, sensing something was off but somehow getting wrapped up in it, he ended up signing under Su Qi''s persuasive words. The man, watching Yun Zhantian being manipulated, didn''t stop him. Instead, he agreed with Su Qi''s approach, as after all, they were in a cooperative relationship. But when Yun Zhantian, holding the bag with excitement and joy, said to him, "Brother, we''re rich now!" At that moment, The man''s feelings were mixed and shocked. You''re a key seed among super rookies! You''re this happy over a bag of instance coins! He once thought invincible strength was everything. Now, he realized he was wrong. "Dang dang dang!" At that moment, Night had fallen, and bells rang suddenly from the outside. The man snapped back to reality, looking outside with a grave expression, "It has begun." Yun Zhantian gripped the money bag, slightly stunned, his expression also becoming somber. Population Purge Plan! The slaughter had started! "So, what do you want to do?" Su Qi looked outside. Yun Zhantian hesitated, "We..." The man softly said, "We can''t go out yet because... the Cultists and Free City have accumulated quite an advantage. Aside from some Pollutant Tools, they even hired some abnormalities to work for them. We need to earn more coins, and the fastest place is here." In this Pure Land City, coins could make ghosts grind mills. This wasn''t a riddle or a metaphor. Because... it really could make ghosts grind mills! Su Qi watched a Drowned Ghost standing pale by the dice table, spitting out water while fervently shouting, "Big! Big!" In a casino, you find all sorts. What''s never lacking are oddities, abnormalities, and strange tales! The man sighed helplessly, "Unfortunately, it seems we only have a losing hand." "In the spirit of cooperation," Su Qi smiled, "let me give you some advice." "Look over there." Following Su Qi''s gesture, they saw the life-and-death arena where ten gamblers were locked in... but the fight hadn''t started yet, as some time was given for the surrounding gamblers to place their bets. The most favored was a man wearing a metal mask, massive like a bull and two meters tall, roaring and spitting blood! And the least favored was a....dazed looking humanoid rabbit with erect ears, lifeless eyes staring ahead, wearing a red striped prison uniform with the number [04] on it. The bets on it were fewest, and the odds were extremely high. "Bet all your coins on it." Both Yun Zhantian and the man stared at the Prison Uniform Rabbit but couldn''t see anything special after a long look. "Alright!" Yun Zhantian didn''t hesitate. He nodded, since these coins were given to them by Su Qi, he naturally... believed in Su Qi. He suddenly remembered something and quickly turned to the man next to him, "Brother, what do you think?" "....." I think you... have already unwittingly fallen for it! The man rubbed his brow helplessly, "I have no objections." Su Qi then threw another bag to Yun Zhantian. Yun Zhantian was startled, "I have enough already, no need for so much." Su Qi looked at him, "This is my share, you help me bet on that rabbit too." "Oh, oh, oh." Yun Zhantian nodded, "No problem, Brother Su, leave it to me!" The man watched Yun Zhantian walk away. He looked at Su Qi, "Interested in joining our First Sequence?" "...." Su Qi didn''t expect the other party to actually try to recruit him, He shook his head with a smile, "You got one thing wrong." "I''m a Freedom Swing Person, and I even have my own organization now." The man was stunned. Other than Zone 9, Free City, and Sequence City, were there any other major forces? Of course, he wouldn''t think Su Qi was a cultist; the Investigation Bureau would definitely have screened that. "So what are you going to do now?" Su Qi chuckled, "Just keep looking around for something fun. It looks like there''s a cricket fighting event over there." The man''s gaze complicatedly followed Su Qi as he walked away. You''re really just here for fun, right? Where''s your team! Team... right at this moment, they had just finished a half-day''s work and were cautiously meeting up on the streets! "Where''s Su Buxian!" Left Hand, watching as night fell, spoke with some gravity, "He couldn''t have been killed already, could he? He hasn''t replied to our messages." Like a group chat made of stones, they could contact each other. "I don''t know." Qing Lang shook his head, "But... I just saw those guys from Free City." His expression was grave: "I didn''t dare get too close. They''ve indeed joined forces with the cultists, and there are even lots of abnormal creatures following them!" "We''re in trouble." Bai Qiangwei looked at the night sky, "Today''s troubles are even worse." "We absolutely can''t reveal ourselves. If those cultists discover our tracks, they''ll definitely pursue us with all their might." The Tuner said in a deep voice, "Let''s see how many coins we''ve earned first." "173." "198." "245....." As they each reported their half-day''s work and tallied up... Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Nice! We''ve got a thousand coins now!" "What''s next?" "Let''s make a deal with the Land of Strange Tales, we need to quickly expand our advantage! Tonight is very dangerous!" The sounds of combat were already reaching their ears. They had to be careful not just of the cultists but also the dangerously enraged residents of Pure Land City! "Where the heck is Su Buxian!" Left Hand wondered angrily: "He couldn''t have gotten trapped in some Land of Strange Tales and can''t reply to messages, could he!" They couldn''t help but worry. If they were down one player, the coming struggle would naturally lose fighting strength! And at that moment, The stone flickered faintly! "He''s replied!" Everyone was startled and looked at the message. [I am fine, don''t worry] "...." Well, screw you then! Left Hand cursed, "Does that jerk not have any sense of teamwork at all! We were here worried about his safety!" "Forget it, forget it." Muscle Bully pressed down on the angry Left Hand: "I thought I had a short temper, but you''re even more explosive than I am." Left Hand: "....." Try sticking with him from start to finish! "Since he said that, let''s not be too worried and focus on the task at hand." The Tuner was calmer. He watched the fleeting figures in the distance. "Besides, killing other abnormal creatures... can also earn us coins!" "We need to plan properly!" The perspective shifts back to the casino. Su Qi had spent fifty coins on a cola and another fifty on some snacks. Though expensive, these items could restore physical strength. Of course. He purely felt like giving it a try. Now. He sat down at the cricket fighting table. Though they called it cricket fighting, it was actually Guardian Beast battles! The pets on the sand table, each with sharp teeth and bigger than a fist, were dangerous pollutants! "Where''s your pet!" The referee stared at Su Qi! "Oh, just a moment." Su Qi reached out, and the liquid metal slowly coalesced. "This is my pet, Xiao Qiang!" All the betting Guardian Beast Gamblers fell silent! Staring at the irregularly shaped oval object! They couldn''t help but burst out angrily: "Isn''t that just a freaking rock!" Chapter 98 - 97 Silent Day is Coming Early (Two in One) "?" Su Qi looked at them strangely, "You people are quite shortsighted, this is obviously my beloved pet, Xiao Qiang." "You don''t believe me?" Su Qi shouted in a low voice, "Xiao Qiang, lie down!" Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The rock lay there steadfastly! "Xiao Qiang, don''t move!" The rock didn''t move a muscle! The crowd watched silently as Su Qi played gleefully, thinking this guy must be crazy. "Xiao Qiang, stand up!" Some gamblers couldn''t help but look over; they wanted to see how a rock could stand up. But Su Qi paused, "Oh, I forgot, Xiao Qiang doesn''t have legs; he can''t stand up." Damn! Is that really the reason it can''t stand up! "Referee! Look at him!" Everyone looked at the referee, and the referee looked at the rules, slowly saying, "There''s no restriction on pets; a rock can participate too." Su Qi corrected him, "Say it again. It''s not a rock; it has a name, called Xiao Qiang!" The surrounding gamblers swore under their breath, "Can we start now? I can''t wait to kick him and his rock out of here!" The referee didn''t hesitate any longer. He declared the start! Everyone stretched out their hand, and all sorts of abnormal pets crawled out from their sleeves. They sneered cruelly, "Let''s throw that rock out first!" Su Qi calmly held the rock, caressing its surface as if truly communicating with it, "Next up, Xiao Qiang, it''s all on you." Then. He threw the rock with all his might! "Go, use Dive Attack!" The burst of strength smashed an iron-armored, sharp-toothed bug to pieces. "????" The pet owner''s gambler turned pale, what are you doing! "Referee!" The referee''s eyelid twitched, just about to speak. But Su Qi merely smiled lightly, slowly uttering the chilling words, "Xiao Qiang! Kill!" That rock actually changed form following his command! "Puff puff puff!" Suddenly, numerous dense silver-white metal spikes burst forth! They pierced through all the surrounding abnormal pets without resistance! Everyone''s eyes widened in fear at the dense spikes in the sandbox, "What is this thing!" "This is Xiao Qiang," Su Qi reminded coldly. D238 liquid metal, once separated from his body, couldn''t move by itself but it could change shape at will; these spikes might not be very powerful, but they were effective for scaring these little critters, either hitting them with an AOE or launching a surprise attack at close range. At that moment, Su Qi slowly reached out and took it back, wiping off the blood stains, saying, "You worked hard, rock." Everyone: "..." "Now you know its name is rock!" Su Qi ignored them, looking towards the referee, "My Xiao Qiang won, right?" The referee was silent, unsure of how to respond as it did seem like no rules were broken; they had always assumed only living creatures would participate, who would have thought someone would bring a rock and wreak havoc? Just then, the referee''s expression paused as if someone was whispering in his ear, he took a deep breath, looking at Su Qi, "Rules now amended, only living beings may participate." "You broke the rules, and the chips you just bet have been confiscated, property of the casino now." Su Qi hadn''t reacted yet, but the other gamblers already cried out in confusion, "Why? Do we also lose our share?" "Your mother''s kiss, isn''t this going overboard!" The referee''s cold gaze fixed on them, "These are the rules; if you have complaints, you can go feedback to the person who set the rules." The gamblers were furious, yet dared not say more... The very existence who established and dictated the casino''s rules was beyond their reach, too powerful for them to touch. "Do you have any complaints?" The referee looked coldly at Su Qi. Su Qi paused slightly, not showing annoyance, but muttered, "Amend the rules on a whim? Forcibly confiscating my chips? Does my opinion even matter?" "But, the guy behind you, could he really amend the entire casino''s rules?" Su Qi casually stood up, taking his remaining coins and left the place. The referee squinted, a voice whispering in his ear, "Find several referees with high spiritual power to watch him! Stare him down, the moment you see him using his abilities, strike immediately!" "Also, don''t let those rules get out just now; if that superior learns I arbitrarily altered his set rules, I''m done for." It seems this presence wasn''t the casino owner, the mention of that superior carried a deep sense of dread and fear. While Su Qi had already noticed many eyes were on him. Unperturbed, he continued to participate in the surrounding betting games. Honestly. Death Roulette and this Fighting Pet Beast still posed some challenge, as they relied on skills for wagering, but other games like Poker, guessing big or small, those were... downright easy! Plus, there was no way they could be detected. But no matter, after all, they had struck first. What Su Qi hadn''t expected was. Their shamelessness was even greater than his! After Su Qi won three rounds consecutively, the referee reached out to stop the betting at that table. Then fixed his gaze on him. "Your name is Su Buxian, right?" Su Qi smiled faintly, "What''s up, you want me to sign something for you?" The referee squinted, announcing coldly, "Su Buxian." "You''ve been banned from all betting games!" "?" Su Qi''s eyebrows raised slightly, "Why?" "There''s no why." The referee offered no explanation, the person behind him was cursing them for being useless, completely failing to see how Su Qi had cheated; he didn''t believe in mere luck. Moreover, there was no real fairness here, many aspects were manipulated by him! As a temporary casino Manager, he aimed to squeeze every last coin from these foolish gamblers! Chapter 99 - 97 Silent Day is Coming Early (Two in One)_2 How could I have been outmaneuvered by that guy! "And I even sent someone to cheat behind the scenes and still couldn''t win; he must be up to something." Su Qi clicked his tongue and didn''t say a word. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He left the gambling table, didn''t even take the chips... because he felt it was necessary to do something about it. .... Half an hour later. Yun Zhantian was searching for Su Qi alone. His expression was startled, but he quickly located Su Qi. He found that Su Qi wasn''t participating in any gambling games, sitting in front of a couch, but he was surrounded by all sorts of gamblers who seemed extremely excited. "Brother Su Buxian, you''re amazing! You guessed it right again!" "Get the hell away from me; you''re not fit to call Brother Su by name!" "Brother Su, come on... tell us how to play this round?" "..." Yun Zhantian was stunned as he watched all the gamblers swarm around him. How did it feel like Su Qi had already become one of them? This was only half an hour! What did he do while he and the man were discussing plans? Afterward. Su Qi also saw Yun Zhantian and smiled faintly: "Gentlemen, go ahead and play; I''ll join you later." As he stood up, he also noticed many referees with ashen faces. Ignoring their gazes, Su Qi strode toward Yun Zhantian, who handed him a large bag, saying: "Brother Su, sorry for being a bit late, this is yours, a total of over ten thousand coins." Yun Zhantian and his team had made a fortune too. For them... this gave them an even greater advantage over the group of enemies they were about to face. "The odds were pretty good. How''s that rabbit?" "That Prison Uniform Rabbit seemed dumb and speechless, but the moment anyone provoked it, it would suddenly burst with amazing strength! Those gamblers were easily dealt with. But how did you know it was so powerful, Brother Su?" "Experience." Su Qi said lightly: "It''s all experience. The more inconspicuous something seems, the more terrifying it usually becomes when it bursts force." He was also referring to Brother Cat and Brother Hai Xing; he didn''t know how the two of them were doing now. Su Qi didn''t see the man: "What about the other one?" Yun Zhantian''s expression grew a bit more solemn: "Captain left five minutes ago; the situation outside is very perilous. The cultists and the folks from Free City are rampaging through the town. He has already gone to support with the coins, and he also told me to remind you." Yun Zhantian''s voice became heavy: "According to our teammates'' information, many powerful abnormalities have sensed something ominous. Silent Day... seems to be approaching; it might happen tomorrow during the day!" Su Qi''s eyes revealed a bit of surprise: "So soon? It''s just the first night." Yun Zhantian nodded: "The abnormalities relayed that it might be because of a strong Pollution Power that burst in the Lost Land earlier, triggering a series of events and causing Silent Day to come earlier." Su Qi: "..." This sounded all too familiar. Yun Zhantian''s expression carried a bit of worry: "In any case, everything has happened too quickly, and we are still at a great disadvantage. Although the unexpected always comes faster than planned, we won''t just stand by. We still have a chance. We must push forward tonight, quickly converting our chips into fighting power and get ready for battle!" After realizing he might be the chief culprit, Su Qi wasn''t the slightest bit flustered... giving some coins as compensation: "Then go for it, and take this bag of mine to Left Hand and the rest." "Brother Su, aren''t you going to join your teammates?" Yun Zhantian was a little surprised: "We might be fighting the final battle tomorrow during the day. Shouldn''t you be with your team, discussing plans and strategic deployment?" Su Qi blinked: "You''re right, but Abyssal Paradise is a real-time strategy game....." "?" "They handle the strategy; I handle ''real-time.''" Yun Zhantian: "..." He was suddenly bumped into by an anomaly with bulging muscles and carrying a Giant Axe, who narrowed his eyes: "Move aside, you''re in my way." Yun Zhantian''s expression became serious; the anomaly was strong... he didn''t want any complications and was about to move aside. Then the abnormality suddenly saw Su Qi. It was taken aback: "Brother Su?" Yun Zhantian almost bugged out his eyes: "Bro... Brother Su?" "You know him?" Twenty minutes ago, with nothing left to lose, I gave it a way out," said Su Qi indifferently. The Giant Axe anomaly looked at Su Qi with admiring eyes: "Brother Su, so you two know each other, huh? Sorry, my mistake just now." It carried the Giant Axe and clasped its huge hands together, bowing slightly to Yun Zhantian as an apology. Yun Zhantian was at a loss. He muttered, "It''s okay, it''s okay." Watching the Giant Axe abnormality walk away, Yun Zhantian exhaled, "Anyway, I''ll take my leave first, Brother Su... be careful." "Go ahead." Su Qi watched the other party hurry off, then checked the messages from his teammates. The situation outside had indeed become dangerous. The alliance between the Cultists and the Free City had exceeded everyone''s expectations, and they were hunting them throughout the city, the Cultists seeming desperate to obtain that Resurrection Tool. After replying to a few messages, he stored the stone into his Item Slot. Su Qi walked back into the fray with a faint smile. "Gentlemen, let''s continue!" The crowd of Gamblers erupted in cheers! Meanwhile, at the back of the casino, someone''s face was grim to the extreme, the key issue was... they had already used all kinds of methods to restrain that damn guy, and yet he still refused to give up, and... now wasn''t a good time to act! The guy''s reputation was soaring among those foolish Gamblers. He felt a hint of unease! ----------------- "Look, this is my knife..." The Black Robed Man, looking at his knife, spoke as if consulting an old friend, "Do you feel like it''s missing something?" The one he was speaking to was an abnormality with a terrified expression! It wanted to run away! It wanted to flee from in front of this man! But the next moment, the abnormality trembled all over! A knife pierced through its neck from behind, with the blade emerging from its throat! It couldn''t make a sound, but the pain and terror caused it to shake uncontrollably. "Snap!" Its body was split in two, and a large amount of blood gushed out. The Black Robed Man said lightly, "It seems much more vivid with your blood added to it." From afar, a figure watched this scene with a smile, "Worthy of being the leader of the Cultists; even killing an abnormality has to have a bit of a sinister feel to it, not straightforward at all!" The Black Robed Man calmly looked towards this figure. "Have you found those people?" The figure took out a cigarette and lit it, smiling, "Found them, but not completely." The Black Robed Man stared at him coldly. "Don''t look me in the eye like that." The figure shrugged, "Those guys are all extremely cunning; although we occasionally catch a glimpse, they move very quickly. Don''t underestimate them; these are two teams of superstar newcomers." Patterns materialized on the Black Robed Man, and a black mist spread, "Then you lot from the Free City are just wasting my time." "Don''t get excited." The figure also seemed to sense danger, showing a touch of wariness, but still said with a smile, "After all, the Silent Day seems to have moved up; they won''t be causing much of a stir." The Black Robed Man looked at him indifferently, "If you want to survive, if you want to benefit, then you must play your part. Otherwise... none of you will get away either." "Of course, we understand." The figure watched as the Black Robed Man gradually disappeared on the spot. He reined in his smile, took a deep drag from the cigarette, the Mars suddenly brightened, and, in less than ten seconds, the cigarette burned out. He mused amidst the curling smoke, "I didn''t expect these Cultists to prepare something so outrageous for this Silent Day." He laughed again, "But that''s fine, it proves I was right to choose to cooperate with the Cultists. Although I don''t know why they want that Resurrection Tool so badly, it doesn''t matter." All this talk of an Evil God, Recovery, Destruction. The people of the Free City didn''t care; morals, rules, Order was all nonsense to them! As long as they saw profit, they were willing to go to any lengths to achieve it, that was the harsh creed passed down from the early days of the Abyss, deeply engraved in their bones! "The upcoming Silent Day." He rubbed out the Mars with his finger, "I look forward to seeing what kind of expressions those superstar newcomers, who only follow the rules and live within Order, will show." Chapter 100 - 98: I Choose Su Buxian, He is the Peoples Choice! Brother Su was also sucking on a lollipop at the moment. He frowned, "This lollipop tastes mediocre." The surrounding gamblers, one by one excitedly came over, "I have strawberry flavor here!" "I got cola flavor!" "Mustard flavor!" Su Qi raised an eyebrow, "The one with mustard flavor, fork it over!" "Yes, Brother Su!" A gambler was collectively thrown out by the others. Su Qi lazily asked, "What''s the situation now?" "The house is turning green already, this is the first time we''ve managed to get one over on them!" "As long as they dare to close the bets, we''ll cause a riot! We have the numbers anyway!" "Brother Su, this is the coin I pay my respects with!" Su Qi glanced at an abnormality with only half a head, "You keep it to see a doctor." He muttered inwardly. Is the person behind this casino so patient? It had been many hours, and with his assistance, the gamblers in the casino had been wildly stripping the house of its funds, yet the other party hadn''t shown themselves. Did they feel they hadn''t lost enough, or was the commotion not big enough? At that moment, Su Qi suddenly twitched his brows. Because he saw over twenty referees leaving the gambling tables, they looked coldly at Su Qi, then uniformly stood in front of a room. Finally, there was movement. A closed room door was gently pushed open by a heavy giant hand. A figure slowly appeared in everyone''s line of sight. It was a bald man with a stern face, tall in stature, one hand fitted with a cannon, the other with a sickle... his lower half had mechanical legs like a crab, stepping out from within! Many gamblers, having seemingly recognized this person, all had their faces darken and stepped back a few paces. Seeing this, Su Qi asked, "What? Does he have body odor?" A gambler wielding a giant axe said with a slightly heavy expression, "Brother Su, that''s the casino''s manager... a ruthless guy who devours men without spitting out their bones, and he''s very cunning." Su Qi watched him, "Looks like he could be trouble." "The word ''looks'' is not very accurate... After accumulating a large amount of coins from Pure Land City, he possesses many strange tools; of course, he may not withstand all that pollution by himself, he can only carry a few, but they are hard to defend against," the muscular fishman, Ah Long, warned. "Anyway, Brother Su, be careful." The other gamblers also said, "But don''t worry, fighting is not allowed inside the casino, he wouldn''t dare break the rule." "Even if there''s a fight, I still believe in you, Brother Su." "Go for it, Brother Su!" Su Qi, "???" He turned around and saw that the gamblers had all stepped back several paces, blatantly clearing a path for him! Damn. Are you serious about stepping back? At that moment, The Prison Uniform Rabbit, on the other hand, didn''t retreat. It stood next to Su Qi. Su Qi was moved, "Brother Rabbit, good brother, when I become the emperor, I''ll appoint you as the crown prince." And the opponent slowly came over, correctly speaking, shuffling over, towering over him and staring intently at Su Qi sitting on the couch. "Su Buxian." "I gave you a chance..." "If you had left at any point until now, I would have pretended nothing happened. Letting these fools make some money, how does it affect me? They would have vomited it all back to me eventually." "But you just had to be ungrateful!" Su Qi, with a cola-flavored lollipop in his mouth, shook his head, "Actually, I was planning to just grab some loot and leave. It''s your problem." The manager''s icy gaze fixed on Su Qi, "Mine? Indeed, I should have killed you before you entered the casino." He really wanted to kill this guy immediately, but the biggest rule of the casino was not to fight outside the life-and-death stage, and since the other party wouldn''t leave the casino to go outside, he had no chance. If this continued, he would be completely drained! And now there was only one way to stop this bastard''s mad antics. "Su Buxian, I want to gamble with you," he said gravely. "Bet on what?" Su Qi said, interested. He couldn''t see through the tricks this guy had used to win, but those cunning tricks were insubstantial against real strength. He pointed at the distant life-and-death stage and sneered, "Just you and me! The life-and-death stage!" The gamblers screamed, "Brother Su, don''t go." "He definitely has a trick up his sleeve!" "If you want to leave the casino safely, we can cover you!" Even the Prison Uniform Rabbit patted Su Qi''s shoulder, pointed at the life-and-death stage, then shook its head, signaling him not to be rash. Su Qi, "...." Why were they all acting so noble? He felt somewhat ashamed, because if it weren''t for the manager making this move, he was planning to empty everyone''s wallets before leaving. Of course, the next moment a few foolish guys trembled as they raised their hands, "Uh, can we place bets?" "Scram! What are you betting at this time?" someone scolded, then turned to ask, "What are the odds?" The crowd stirred up again. Indeed, still a group of boisterous and crazy gamblers. "Alright, I agree," Su Qi stood up from the couch, "Let''s make it quick. My stone has been vibrating non-stop, messaging me." What stone? The manager was taken aback and didn''t understand, but he sneered, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent, "Okay, then let it be quick." Before he became the manager, he had always been fighting, climbing up from the bottom, and it was for this reason that the superior valued him and made him the manager of this casino. Now he held more trump cards than before! Both headed towards the arena. The referee stood firm, the gamblers spectated! This life-and-death stage drew nearly two hundred gamblers from the entire casino! The referee calmly announced, "Contestants ready, victory is achieved by killing the opponent." "Begin!" At that moment, The manager chuckled strangely. His body muscles suddenly swelled, bursting out of his clothes, and his whole body was imbued with power, he even had guns, grenades, and other heavy weapons on him! This was his preparation! Su Qi, "???" "Referee, are you seeing this?" Not only did he munch, but he also got so many weapons ready. Over twenty referees turned their heads in unison to look at the other side, "As it stands, there are no problems, it''s fair." "..." Su Qi said, "Since that''s the case, I won''t play dumb either." Su Qi then took out a speaker; the shoulder armor on his body materialized slightly, and his Physical Strength reached 830+500 points, multiplied by two. At that moment, it reached 2700 points. Then, he gently took out a card. In Nancy''s previous show, the Gambler had dropped two items. One was a Token, the other was a card. The card flickered slightly. [Name: Blood Sword Card] [Type: Equipment] Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Quality: Perfect] [Function: Consumes 80% of your Physical Strength, attaches to the card. After hitting a target, it can unleash a Sword-style Secret Technique Kill with five times the power of the Physical Strength!] [Note: The cover of the card features a blood-colored sword imbued with an intensely powerful Killing Array. It will reveal its true power as you become stronger, but... the prerequisite is that you must hit the target first. Additionally, you could try to find the other six cards to form a set; there might be a surprise!] That Gambler treasured this card as it was his strongest weapon, used in the final moments to kill the Paper Bride. When Su Qi commented during that moment, he was surprised that the Gambler kept looking around in corners, which was actually to prepare for the timing of his move. After all, missing would make it a waste! However. It became simple for Su Qi! With a sinister chuckle, the Manager roared and raised his firearm, pulling the trigger! "The times have changed, kid, die!" Bullets poured out instantly! Su Qi activated the Dark Wind Boots, leaping swiftly through the air, then he raised his hand and activated the Skill "Blinding." [Function: Can target an individual, causing their spiritual power to be shocked, and there is a chance to throw their senses into chaos.] [If the player''s spiritual power is higher than the opponent''s, judgment successful, opponent has fallen into sensory confusion.] "..." The Manager''s body trembled, his expression vacant, deaf and mute, even unable to speak! He could only "Ugh ugh ugh!" The Gamblers were stunned. What''s wrong with him? "We''re short on time, bear with it, I''ll be quick." While moving swiftly, Su Qi pinched the card to activate it! The card suddenly gathered a large amount of energy, draining him of 80% of his Physical Strength instantly! The card flew straight and hit its mark. The next moment! Centered on the Manager''s body, three blood swords materialized around him! They emitted a bizarre aura, displaying astonishing sharpness! He was pierced back and forth by the three sword apparitions! "Ah ah ah ah!" The Manager felt intense pain, coming out of the blinding effect, and let out a terrible scream! His blood was quite thick; he tried to raise his hand to block while roaring in rage! But Su Qi, after drinking a Physical Potion, swung the Thunderclap Bone Shattering Hammer and charged forward! "Bang!" It proved. Abnormalities indeed have much stronger bodies, and definitely have more Physical Strength than players. But. As long as a fatal injury can be caused, even the big bosses have to show their health bar and can be killed, let alone a slightly stronger aberration. "Bang!" The Gamblers watched as Su Qi swung the giant hammer; they stood dazed the Manager still had several unutilized Pollutants from the Land of Strange Tales and was already beaten to vomiting blood, his body heavily sinking again and again! Damn it. He hasn''t died yet? Such toughness?! Su Qi even felt that the opponent had Tools, and he didn''t give him a chance to use them, his actions never stopped. Until after ten strikes! "Boom!" A massive thunderbolt suddenly triggered, centered on the hammer, sending out a deafening sound, fiercely striking down on the Manager who was barely alive! [There is a 20% chance to produce a Thunder Strike Effect during an attack.] The power this time clearly exceeded Su Qi''s expectations! Although the range was small, it was even stronger than Thunderbolt! Under the resounding thunder! The Manager finally emitted a burnt smell! With a loud bang, he fell to the ground motionless! "...." The people in the casino fell silent; everything had happened very fast. Someone muttered, "Is... is it over?" "Brother Su... he was this strong?" "Wait, my coins... ah!" Another Gambler screamed. Noise exploded! They were ultimately crazed gamblers, and the death of one Manager was just a moment of surprise! And Su Qi gently let out a breath, slowly wiping the blood off his face, looking towards the crowd. "Everyone, quiet down, listen to a few words from the victor." The Gamblers paused briefly. "Sure! We have to respect Brother Su!" Su Qi watched the crowd, smiling, said: "The old Manager has been kicked out of the chat group." The Thunderclap Bone Shattering Hammer, stained with broken flesh, dragged marks, slowly resonating in the casino. "And now." "Don''t you think... the casino needs a new leader?" ----------------- At the same time. Currently, on the streets of Pure Land City! Left Hand and others were running nonstop: "Have you contacted Su Buxian yet?" "He hasn''t replied yet!" "What the hell is this bastard doing!" Left Hand couldn''t help but yell, "He''s been gone all night!" "No time to wait now!" Qing Lang looked outside Pure Land City, where massive mosaics approached, assaulting Pure Land City like fog! Almost every Land of Strange Tales emitted a bizarre aura, seemingly celebrating the arrival of this day! "Silent Day, has begun!" Chapter 101 - 99: Rules are Meant to be Broken! Everyone was running quickly. And at the same time, a message appeared before the eyes of all the players. "Silent Day has begun, the Lost Land will erupt, and various strange tales and abnormalities will descend upon the Pure Land." "I now know where so many oddities in Pure Land City come from." Qing Lang said, "However," "There should also be a lot of good things, it just depends on whether they can be taken out of the instance, and that special item for the hidden job change should also be among them." Left Hand suddenly paused at this moment, he picked up a stone and his eyes slightly lit up, "Su Buxian, he replied." "What did he say?" His brows furrowed deeply, "He said for us to go ahead, and he will come later with his ''underlings.''" "''Underlings''?" Everyone was startled, but they didn''t show too much surprise, "You mean an abnormality, right? It seems he has also made a trade, hiring an abnormality." Although they had fought desperately during the day yesterday, braving all kinds of dangers, they had made nearly a total of 3000 coins! Then they traded with a Land of Strange Tales and temporarily gained a portion of special Strength... They had also hired three abnormalities to follow them. Money makes the world go round; this was the overriding rule in Pure Land City and the correct way to play the game. And now they were heading to meet up with the people from the First Sequence, accompanied by these three abnormalities. A minute later. They met up with the group from the First Sequence in a derelict plaza. "These are..." Qing Lang and the others twitched. Because behind the people of the First Sequence stood more than twenty tall and formidable abnormalities. Yun Zhantian waved his hand, "Folks, sorry... It was too rushed last night, I couldn''t find you, so I took the liberty to spend the 10,000 coins Brother Su brought for you, trading for some Temporary Props and hiring abnormalities." "Please," Yun Zhantian looked behind him. Ten abnormalities puffed out their breaths through their noses, their faces cold as they walked straight towards Left Hand and the others. Left Hand and the others looked astonished, turning to see their team''s size had doubled. "Did you just say Brother Su? Su Buxian?" Yun Zhantian nodded, "He gave me the coins he made at the casino to bring to you." "...." Qing Lang and the others were somewhat silent upon hearing this, their expressions showing a hint of guilt. Based on their understanding, the casino was filled with all kinds of cold and cruel rules, inhabited by the most vicious and evil folks. They imagined a scene... Su Buxian in the casino, desperately earning money while they were urgently sending messages, and the hard-earned savings he accumulated were all handed over to them! S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yun Zhantian looked at their guilty expressions and tilted his head slightly, "Why are you all so quiet?" Qing Lang stayed silent for a moment, his tone becoming somber, "Just feel like we''ve misunderstood Su Buxian, we didn''t expect that he was fighting so hard last night in a place we didn''t know about." Left Hand also frowned, sighing, "Brother Su, he is really... I could cry." Why are you also calling him Brother Su now. Yun Zhantian: "...." He didn''t know what to say. Could he tell them that inside, Su Qi lived it up, being waited on hand and foot, with whatever he wanted provided, and that those so-called ruthless folks had to address him respectfully as Brother Su? He looked at their ashamed and guilty faces! He simply couldn''t bring himself to say it! And at that moment! The sky suddenly came to a standstill, while outside the Pure Land, the mosaic began to blot out the sun as it covered the sky dome and enveloped the entire Pure Land City! Red Blade''s wrist flickered slightly, and a red longsword appeared in his hand; squinting, he raised his head and said, "Gentlemen, they have arrived!" The entire Pure Land City was covered by a mosaic of distorted images! The streets around them, originally pieced together, also began to twist! An abnormality solemnly warned, "The so-called Silent Day is when eerie Strength invades this city, turning everything on either side of the streets into the Lost Land..." "That is to say, as long as you''re on the streets, you won''t be affected, but beware not to be sucked into the surrounding Land of Strange Tales, it''s very troublesome and dangerous once inside." The man with the sword on his back slowly put on his felt hat, "Don''t worry, we only have one target." Meanwhile, the pointers on the wrists of all the players were spinning furiously, then all pointed in one direction! "It seems the final location has been confirmed too!" "Gentlemen, let''s move!" ----------------- At the same moment elsewhere, Su Qi also pushed open the doors of the casino; he looked at the vast mist and the twisted mosaic sky dome and said, "I remind you again that you must follow orders, during today''s Silent Day, influenced by this force, all the casino''s rules are rendered inoperative." "That means whatever you do, the entity behind the casino will not be aware." He revealed a smile, "And that includes the casino''s vault... Oh, I almost forgot, it should be called the Coin Vault for you all. I will tell you the password directly when the time comes..." A crowd of gamblers all showed a look that was a mix of dread and excitement, "No one has ever dared to do what you''re doing, Brother Su... are you really sure you want to do this?" Su Qi glanced at the crowd, "Rules? They''re made to be broken, and according to what those knocked-out referees just said, the amount inside has reached nearly ten million..." The gamblers chanted together, "Understood! We will all listen to Brother Su!" Su Qi snapped his fingers. "Out here, call me Sect Hierarch." "But, Brother Su..." Fishman Aron looked toward the mosaic-filled sky, "Although we also come out on the Silent Day to look for valuable things, we dare not go too deep for fear of falling into the Land of Strange Tales. Can you avoid these and find the correct location?" Su Qi glanced at the pointer on his wrist, then he covered his wrist. "Just roughly pinpointing the location is good enough, as for avoiding... why should we avoid it?" The burly man with the Giant Axe and Fishman Aron both looked slightly taken aback. "What do you mean?" Su Qi did not answer them but looked toward all the gamblers. There were nearly two hundred of them, and each one was no ordinary abnormality, the ruthless and vicious sort, none of whom were good. Just one taken to the ordinary world could be the subject of a two-hour horror movie. And at this moment, they were shoulder to shoulder, a dense crowd like a gang moving out. These dangerous creatures, now obediently waiting for Su Qi''s call to action. Su Qi cleared his throat, "I have an announcement to make." "I''ve pinpointed the location, but taking the long way around is too much trouble. To save time and let you brothers get your hands on those ten million coins in the vault more quickly," "I''ve decided." Su Qi paused: "Starting now, we''ll directly bulldoze through any Land of Strange Tales in our way! Crush all who defy us! Assimilate all objects of Strange Tales, and aim for everyone to have one of their own!" Su Qi revealed a slight smile: "Are we clear?" Chapter 102 - 100 Bandits Invade the Village! (Two in One) Amidst the presence of numerous abnormalities, Su Qi''s smile somehow made them shudder involuntarily, triggering a thought in their minds despite being feared as dangerous abnormalities. "You you truly are the real abnormality, aren''t you?" "What, should I repeat myself?" At this point, everyone regained their senses and responded with a hint of madness: "Then let''s charge with Brother Su!" "Let the Land of Strange Tales see who is the real boss of Pure Land City!" "Brother Su boldly soars! We will forever follow!" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fishman Aron and the Giant Axe abnormality also revealed cruel smiles as they watched the scene unfold, and Prison Uniform Rabbit eagerly gripped a baseball bat! Su Qi, standing on the steps with a grand wave of his hand, commanded: "Set off!" ----------------- In the dark and eerie lands, dense forests loomed ominously! The strange tales residing here exuded a terrifying aura, that immense force seemingly wanting to draw everything into this place and tear it to pieces! At that moment, a group of people with an eerie aura entered one by one, led by eight cultists with the Black Robed Man at the forefront, and five from Free City also followed. Besides that, each of them carried a tool imbued with temporary strange tale strength, and nearly thirty abnormalities followed them around. The young man from Free City, holding a cigarette, looked at those peculiarities. "It seems we''ve wandered into the Land of Strange Tales again; this Silent Day is really no joke." He pointed to a passageway through the middle of dead trees: "It seems we must pass through this way." The Black Robed Man watched calmly, "It''s possible." The cultists had no main missions, nor did they have pointers, which is why they collaborated with Free City, partly to use as a tool person and partly using their guidance to navigate towards the location of the Resurrection Tool. "This place''s strangeness though we don''t know what it is, does it feel like countless eyes are watching us?" Someone spoke with a frown as they stepped onto the forest path, feeling a chilling sensation washing over their backs. The cultists, expressionless, a chill? They worshipped the Evil God, so how could they feel fear from a bunch of polluted strange tales? And just as they stepped into the forest and had barely walked a few steps, The next moment! "Hiss!!" The multitude of bizarre dead trees suddenly emitted a deafening hiss! It actually dizzied the entire group! And the forest abnormalities erupted with strong pollution power, all the surrounding vegetation shook violently, and numerous dead tree branches viciously struck at these people! The people of Free City slightly changed their expressions: "Damn it, I knew it!" "Everyone, quickly retreat first!" The Black Robed Man suddenly shouted coldly: "No retreating!" Evil patterns on his body emitted an even more sinister aura, blocking the hissing, his gaze was cold: "Advance quickly, don''t waste time, and avoid entangling with them too much!" The Land of Strange Tales was troublesome! Once trapped, even they would need a lot of effort to escape! Thus, he used the strength within the patterns! The people from Free City and the surrounding abnormalities could only rush forward! The bizarre dead trees didn''t hesitate to attack; their branches grew sharp fangs, turning into fierce blades, constantly attacking them! The Black Robed Man even actively grabbed one abnormality and stabbed it through! "Pfft!" A surge of blood burst forth! The abnormality trembled and looked at the Black Robed Man in horror! But the next moment, he was tossed directly to the group of dead trees! The dead trees, lured by blood, diverted their attention! "Go!" After the Black Robed Man coldly spat out the word, the crowd saw the struggled abnormality being drained of blood, felt their scalps go numb, then under the Black Robed Man''s sinister power and the loss of an abnormality, they finally rushed out of the forest passageway in haste! The pile of dead trees also trembled continuously; if looked at closely, one could see every dead tree laden with fragmented flesh and blood, and the ground below was covered in stark white bones! They seemed displeased at having let this group go, emitting eerie hisses. "Heeheehee" It sounded like they were sinisterly laughing utterly chilling. And about ten minutes later. A figureslowly stepped into this Land of Strange Tales. Hearing footsteps. The numerous dead trees shook their treetops, laughing even more chillingly, the shadows under them flickering, exuding filthy pollution power! They also stared intently at Su Qi, seemingly excited. Absolutely could not let this person who entered again get away! Though it was just one person, it could still be thoroughly tormented, skin peeled, sinew extracted, blood drained! And then, the Giant Axe abnormality, Fishman Aron, and Prison Uniform Rabbit also stepped in. Four people? Good, the fun was even greater! The dead trees were already cheering, ready to enjoy the feast of the hunt! But. The next moment, "Come on, why is the entrance to this Land of Strange Tales so narrow?" "Damn it, the guy behind, stop squeezing me, and can you not put your weapon in your trousers? It''s pressing against me!" "Brother, just a reminder, his weapon is held in his hand." "???" Loud footsteps, clamorous voices, and muttering complaints, at this moment all surged into this place! Strange polluted forest: "...." They watched in shock at the dense crowd! What day is today, is the village giving out gold bars? Or has the electronics factory finished work? Why are there so many people oh no, abnormalities! Chapter 103 - 100 Bandits Invade the Village! (Two in One)_2 The shaking had already ceased after a crowd of people stepped in, completely extinguishing the fire. "...." Among them, a withered tree that had apparently not grasped the situation wanted to repeat its old trick, emitting a shrill cry! The nearby withered trees, anxious not to wait, thrust out their roots and branches and lashed at its trunk! "Snap! Snap snap snap!" Shut up! Can''t you see so many people? Stay in line, let this revered group pass! At worst, they wouldn''t do anything, that''s all! But the crowd had no intention of leaving. Instead, they turned their eyes to a young man among the abnormalities, who seemed the most harmless and unremarkable. The young man glanced around: "Looks like another wild tale from the wilderness... Let''s not stand on ceremony then, whoever is in charge of the wilds..." A purple oddity that looked like a devil fish, flapping its wings, walked over: "What do you suggest, Brother Su... do we charge straight through the corridor?" "Charge my ass! Have you lost your mind?" Su Qi punched him: "You go start a fire over there, everyone else... clear this eerie forest for me, burn every last tree! Whatever strange tale tools you find, keep them for yourselves." "Understood!" "..." The eerie withered trees stood petrified! What do you understand? We haven''t laid a finger on you! We don''t bother you... and you still won''t let us go? They watched, shivering, as a horde of oddities rushed towards them with fiendish grins and frenzied laughter! One minute later. Flames engulfed the entire forest of eerie withered trees, their screams of terror piercing the air before they were reduced to ashes and charcoal. This young man clearly knew their weaknesses inside and out and, numerically or otherwise, they had no chance of resistance! The excited oddities quickly completed the sweep! "Brother Su, please sign for this!" "Uh-huh." Su Qi glanced at the withered branches presented to him. The ability displayed would allow them to elongate... transform into a whip with a bladed edge, inflicting a bleeding buff on impact. The tools were actually quite decent, but they were only temporary and couldn''t be taken away. "Keep it for yourself then." "Alright! Thanks, Brother Su!" With the ground scorched black, Su Qi looked at the people: "Well done, everyone." He snapped his fingers: "Now, keep moving!" They were like bandits sweeping through a village. Regardless of how eerie and bizarre the Land of Strange Tales was, under the charge of a hundred oddities, there was absolutely no resistance C a complete rout, suppression! Like a plague of locusts! Wherever they went, nothing was left alive! ----------------- Meanwhile. Left Hand, Yun Zhantian, and others were rapidly approaching the Final Land. The cultists, too, were quickly following the compass''s direction, advancing relentlessly... Time was of the essence! Especially for Yun Zhantian and his group, who already lacked the advantage, losing the opportune moment would be even more troubling C the first to arrive... could prepare in advance, lay an ambush, set up, seize the initiative! "We''re here!" The man carrying the heavy sword suddenly spoke in a deep tone: "Stop for a moment." Everyone halted, their gaze following the man''s line of sight to what lay ahead! The Strange Tale land before them was an even vaster Fragment, with an ominous red hue to its Sky Dome, below which lay a desolate waste of yellow sand and blood-soiled earth... and various bones and broken blades. "Is this... a battlefield?" The man with the heavy sword gestured for the others to keep their presence concealed, wary of the cultists and the people from Free City lying in ambush. The place was vast, with significant undulations in the terrain, and the entrance and exit were random. After ensuring there were no dangers, he signaled the others to enter. The Tuner stepped in, picked up a broken blade from the ground, and after a careful examination, narrowed his eyes slightly: "This battlefield has been here for a long time... Judging by the people and weapons that died here, it''s at least a thousand years old!" "You''ve studied this?" "I... come from a lineage of Tomb Raider Captains." The Tuner coughed. "...Impressive." While the others were observing and setting up, he wandered silently for a while longer, examining many of the relics left behind. "It''s strange..." "What''s strange about it?" "Hard to say..." The Tuner picked up some items: "Look at these tokens..." Qing Lang''s eyes narrowed slightly. "Is... a symbol of the Cultists." "Damn, Cultists? They''ve been around for over a thousand years?" Bai Qiangwei asked in surprise, "So who were they fighting in this war?" One by one, the group found... other different symbols. "Could it be the followers of some other existing entities?" Red Blade looked coldly at all this, "You guys, can you stop worrying about these irrelevant matters? Right now, the most important thing is battle preparation! Anything could happen before that thing emerges!" "Relax, no need to remind us, we know what to do," Qing Lang replied calmly. Left Hand silently watched the scene. He suddenly felt... the atmosphere a bit heavy; after all, with a formidable enemy looming, although everyone was a super newcomer, there would inevitably be some anxiety and tension. In such a situation, no one could feel at ease, everyone harbored a sense of unease in their hearts. Left Hand thought of Su Buxian. Would he become like this if he were here? What would he do? Right. Left Hand took out a stone; they had been on the move just now and had no time to make contact. Now that they had arrived at the location. Left Hand immediately sent a message to Su Qi: [Brother Su, we''ve arrived... Where are you now?] About ten seconds later. Su Qi replied. [I''m leading my guys, and we are rushing to the final position; we will need a bit more time.] Left Hand warned. [Be extra careful of a creepy Land of Strange Tales, it is filled with nothing but rabbits. They might look tiny and cute, but they are extremely dangerous. If it weren''t for someone with a teleportation skill, we would have been wiped out. Make sure you don''t stumble into that place.] Su Qi replied as well. [You''re too late, we''ve already been through the Land of Strange Tales; my guys are pretty solid and have dealt with it.] "???" Left Hand was stunned. What kind of abnormality was that strong? He wanted to continue asking, but in the next moment... Yun Zhantian, who had his eyes closed, stirred. He had a skill that allowed him to see far away; his voice became slightly tense: "... Those guys are coming!" Everyone''s expression hardened as they immediately entered combat readiness. Left Hand also put the stone in his pocket. He touched the bandage on his left arm, his gaze becoming serious. "I have them at my nine o''clock, about two kilometers away." Yun Zhantian said gravely, "And there''s a lot of them; they''ve hired about thirty abnormal creatures, and as for the temporary Strange Tale Tools..." Strange Tale Tools couldn''t be put in the Item Slot, nor could too many be carried. The Pollution Power on them would accumulate, and once it exceeded the level of spiritual power a person could tolerate, it would backlash. Suddenly, he frowned deeply, looking unwell. "My Investigation Skill has been detected by those Cultists!" His spiritual power wasn''t high; probing deeply would naturally be noticed. And on the other side, the Black Robed Man also looked up, his pupils cold and filled with intent to kill. At this moment. Boom! The entire battlefield... trembled slightly, the sky turned an even darker red than before, and a strong wind blew up from somewhere, whipping up swirls of dust and sand! A tornado connecting the Sky Dome and the ground was slowly forming! A strange and eerie feeling was spreading in everyone''s mind. "It seems it''s started, and they''ve come just in time." The Black Robed Man''s eyes gleamed with a strange and crazed light; he slowly raised his blade, "Some of you stay here with me to prepare the ritual; the rest go and take out that group of guys! Even if you can''t finish them, don''t let them interrupt me!" "Understood!" S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Meanwhile. Su Qi''s pace also quickened, because in addition to this group of desperate souls, a dense pack of rabbits with red-glowing eyes was following them! To be honest, Su Qi hadn''t expected this. The one leading these rabbits to find their origins was... the Prison Uniform Rabbit standing silently beside him. It stood to his left, like Su Qi''s left-hand general. "All I can say about my guys..." "Each possesses unique skills." Su Qi clapped his hands, looking at the others: "Gentlemen, pick up the pace... We''re not aiming for a complete sweep now." Following the direction of the pointer, he looked toward the distant Sky Dome. "Just rapidly push through the middle." Chapter 104 - 101 Su... Su Buxian! The fierce wind swept across the yellow earth! The tornado in the middle had gradually turned black and was exuding an aura of abnormality. And at the same time. Everyone had encountered the cultists head-on and a fierce battle had ensued! Qing Lang let out a low growl as his equipment manifested, and he burst out with tremendous strength, attacking the cultists! Bai Qiangwei also threw a dagger, which shot out and, the moment it was dodged by an abnormality, she disappeared on the spot and reappeared in the direction of the dagger, plunging it viciously into the abnormality''s neck! "Kill!" Wherever Red Blade stepped, scorching hot winds brewed, and with sword in hand, he charged straight at a Free City staff member! As his blade cut through the air, it shrieked as if with friction! The flames seemed to transform into the blade''s edge, too! "Boom!" Everyone fought desperately with all their might, trying to compensate for the numerical disadvantage with combative force, but they could only gain brief reprieves by continuous bursts of power! After all, the cultists who could enter this instance naturally possessed strength to match these super rookies, and with the aid of the patterns on their bodies, they could even launch surprise attacks, along with abnormalities lurking around, ready to unleash deadly assaults! They inevitably fell into a disadvantage without any surprises! "Be careful!" The short-haired girl suddenly sharpened her gaze, her teammate, the steam backpack boy, was sent flying by a cultist, and two abnormalities attacked the boy simultaneously! She wanted to save her teammate but couldn''t! "I''ll do it!" The Tuner suddenly pulled back his hands, bent his elbows in a strange gesture, and the pigeon on his shoulder turned from white to black, its eyes reddening, its body size expanding several times as it screeched! With an outstretched hand he pointed, black feathers scattered, and simultaneously enveloped the steam backpack boy, moving him out of the abnormalities'' attack range! "I remember the data showed that this is... his trump card, right? Seems quite useful, although it''s a shame it''s just a support ability." Goldie from Free City, chewing bubble gum, said, "What about you guys? Aren''t you going to use your trump cards?" "If you don''t use them now, you might not get another chance." Goldie sneered coldly, suddenly clapped his hands together, and the bubble gum exploded violently, sending gobs of sticky fluid rushing at everyone! A sinking feeling hit everyone''s hearts! Truly disgusting, but extremely dangerous! Their abnormalities weren''t fast enough to dodge and got stuck, unable to move! "Boom!" Another woman, her face pierced with various iron spikes, hoisted a cannon and blasted an abnormality to death. She stamped heavily on the ground: "What a pity... we didn''t catch those idiots!" The Muscle Bully swore as he lifted a Gatling gun, "Die, bitch, fuck off!" Bullets poured out in a torrent! "Ahahaha! In a rush now, aren''t we?" The woman sneered mockingly, as a teammate conjured defense equipment to shield her. At this moment, the steam backpack boy took a deep breath, the gears in his backpack making noise as the backpack began to transform and reassemble, and in just a few seconds... A Heavy Mecha was assembled, with him seated in the cockpit, unleashing a barrage of firepower! "Boom boom boom!" The cultists and the people of Free City watched the landscape peppered with blast craters without any hint of panic. "These... super rookies are quite troublesome." "But." The cultists'' hoarse voices sounded: "One by one, you''ve played your cards, but we have yet to truly take action... Now you shall witness the mighty power of the True God." The murderous words reached everyone''s ears, their gazes slightly tightening. Then the patterns on the cultists'' bodies manifested simultaneously, and bundles of black, sinister energy emitted a screaming sound! Nearly fifty abnormalities appeared around them, looking as if they were dead, with some even having half their heads sheared off, soaked in various bloodstains. As the black shadows from the Totem dispersed and entered these bodies, each abnormality seemed to come back to life, emitting a ghastly creaking sound! "Last night''s population cleansing operation was quite successful; otherwise, we wouldn''t have collected so many mostly intact corpses!" The cultists, clearly not without expenditure, said with pale faces: "So next!" The cultists paused, their tone surging with murderous intent and coldness: "Kill them!" The many corpse-like abnormalities charged at them! The cultists and the four from Free City also charged with murder in their eyes, obviously wanting to take them all down in one wave! All faces were grave, their hearts sinking to the bottom! Their current situation was precarious, everyone having sustained injuries and their Physical Strength nearing exhaustion! They wanted to burst forth again, but were already at the end of their strength! "What do we do..." Bai Qiangwei huskily asked, clutching her shoulder. "Fight with everything we''ve got, never give up until the very last moment!" Qing Lang said gravely: "Even if there''s a sliver of hope, we must create an opportunity!" Right now, in their team, Yun Zhantian and the Captain of the First Sequence were not present, having gone off at the start to attack the cultists'' leader, the Black Robed Man, seemingly to forge an escape route out of this situation! Left Hand, gasping for breath, looked at the approaching enemies, unwilling to accept defeat: "It''s a pity; I no longer have the Physical Strength to use my ultimate move!" Even though they were consuming Physical Potions, their restorative effects were greatly diminished when taken in quick succession, and past a certain number of uses, they could even drop to a mere 10% effectiveness. And his ultimate move required full Physical Strength, a condition almost impossible to maintain under these circumstances, leaving no chance to use it. "What will you use to win!" Goldie laughed maniacally: "Die!" Just as everyone braced themselves for a final desperate battle, ready to fight to the death... "Buzz buzz!" The stone in Left Hand''s possession suddenly vibrated! Left Hand''s body trembled slightly, someone was messaging him, and there could only be one person: Su Buxian! At such a critical moment? He clenched his teeth and quickly took out the stone, but the message made Left Hand freeze. [This Land of Strange Tales has absolute rules. You must raise your Left Hand high, use all your strength to loudly recite the spell: "Balala Energy, Urautara, grant me your strength," and it will trigger the rules, resulting in a Divine Descent of heavenly weapons.] Left Hand paused for a moment, violently throwing the rock to the ground, and roared, "Who would believe that!" Everyone was slightly taken aback but couldn''t afford to divide their attention, as the enemy had already encircled them and they had to focus entirely on the battle, "Has Su Buxian arrived?" Muscle Bully''s eyes gleamed faintly, "Then let''s delay until he gets here! Maybe we could still..." sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Qing Lang collided violently with an abnormality. After cleaving it away, he shook his head while gasping for breath, "No, individual strength is no longer of much use now!" "Let him go to Yun Zhantian! There might still be another chance!" "....." At that moment, Left Hand was conflicted, but he ultimately decided to give it a try. Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his left hand, his voice trembling and his face flushed red as he gritted his teeth and let out a thunderous roar: "Balala Energy, Urautara, please grant me strength!" His voice echoed for a long time in that place. People fell into a daze. Goldie and the cultists were also stunned. The cannon woman, surprised, pointed at Left Hand and even asked Qing Lang and the others, "Has he lost his mind?" Qing Lang: "..." Left Hand stared blankly around him, but nothing happened. He silently retracted his hand and grabbed Qing Lang next to him, "Kill me! Immediately!" How embarrassing. He wanted to die! "Let us do the honors, then!" roared Goldie with a laugh, charging forward! And just then. "Boom!" An explosive sound burst from afar, making everyone''s eardrums throb with pain, even the cultists and the four individuals from Free City froze. This wasn''t a spiritual impact, but physical harm! "Who is it?!" Goldie''s face darkened slightly, his gaze sharpening as he looked into the distance. A Bat Abnormality was sprinting towards them, blasting away corpse abnormalities with sonic booms and air cannons! Qing Lang and his group were also stunned. Were they being helped? "Kill it!" The cannon woman took aim with her weapon, locking onto the target! "Boom!" The Bat Abnormality, however, let out a loud laugh. There was even a person covered in stones sitting behind it, who blocked the attack! The Stone Monster crashed onto the ground, stirring up a huge cloud of dust. It slowly pulled out a walkie-talkie: "Hello, hello." "Boss." "The vanguard squad has reached their position, but..." it scratched its head, "I can''t distinguish who''s our boss''s people and who are the enemies?" "You idiot, the boss obviously said..." The Bat Abnormality paused, "Alright, I forgot too." Left Hand stared dumbfounded at this scene. "You guys really are..." There couldn''t really be such a rule on the battlefield of the Land of Strange Tales, right? Actual divine reinforcements falling from the sky? At that time. The walkie-talkie crackled again. "Copy that, copy that, this is the First Squad; we''re almost at your position." "Hello, hello, the Seventh Squad will be there shortly!" "Fifth Squad, cough cough... we''re not far!" "Damn it, move it, losers pay up!" Listening to this cursing and swearing. People sank into a long silence. What on earth was happening? And soon. In the distance. One squad after another of abnormalities began to appear from all directions within everyone''s line of sight. Countless of them, swarming in, their numbers far exceeding their imagination, each one looking more ferocious than the abnormalities by their side! The cultists'' foreheads beaded with sweat, and Goldie and his comrades didn''t dare to make a move. Qing Lang and the others also looked uneasily at the scene, unsure whether they were friend or foe. And just then. The clamor from the abnormalities suddenly lowered quite a bit, and they made way for a path. A figure seemed to be slowly walking through from within their ranks, and everyone stared fixedly. Who was it? The boss mentioned just now among the abnormalities? And in the next moment. The face of this figure also came into their view. Qing Lang and his group trembled with alarm, their pupils shocked, and they blurted out: "Su... Su Buxian!" Goldie was dumbfounded, muttering to himself: "Su Buxian..." He also exclaimed in shock, "Who the hell is that?!" Chapter 105 - 102 Where Does This Place Lead To? Su Qi faced everyone''s shock with a compliant look around. "Is everyone here? Oh, wrong... seems like we''re missing two." He lowered his head and said, "Late arrivals, moment of silence." The abnormalities respectfully followed suit, bowing their heads. "They... they aren''t dead yet!" Qing Lang couldn''t help but speak up. Su Qi revealed a smile, "Is that so? Then it''s all good." He turned to the Bat Abnormality and the Stone Monster: "How many times have I told you... if you dress like you''re attending a funeral, you''re the enemy." The cultists ground their teeth, sweat still beading on their foreheads, as they stared intensely at Su Qi and the mass of abnormalities. They recognized a small fraction of these creatures from the casino... and it seemed they had come out in full force. A cultist, with a hoarse voice, focused his gaze on Su Qi. "Who exactly are you?" Su Qi, however, narrowed his eyes and didn''t reply, only murmuring softly, "Kill them!" It wasn''t just for a day or two that these cultists were known to be untrustworthy, plus they had the totems of the Evil God. In this Linyuan Land, just projecting a goat''s head could invoke a Descent event, let alone with this bunch. "F*ck!" Goldie watched as a large number of excited abnormalities rushed into the attack, trembling, "Run!" Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The cultists turned exceedingly pale. "Escape that way!" Without hesitation, they each burst forth with their Strength, heading for an area not occupied by abnormalities! Qing Lang, Red Blade, and others'' gaze sharpened, "Stop them! They can''t be allowed to leave!" Su Qi didn''t move, but looked over, "Brother Rabbit?" Brother Rabbit, in his prison garb, didn''t move a muscle as countless little rabbits, eyes blood-red and fangs bared, swarmed towards the people from that direction. Left Hand watched the rabbits in a daze. "Why does it feel so familiar?" Qing Lang and the others: "..." Su Qi''s gaze rested on the mass of rabbits and abnormalities; he didn''t need to lift a finger. "Su Buxian, what was that message just now!" Left Hand couldn''t contain himself and blurted out, "Freaking so cringeworthy!" Su Qi patted his shoulder, speaking earnestly and sincerely, "When we arrived at this haunted location, we began splitting up to search for you. But this place is quite vast, making it difficult to find traces of you. Just then..." He pointed at the Bat Abnormality, "It''s extremely sensitive to sound, so I had to resort to that trick, having you yell out. Thankfully we weren''t too far; otherwise, we might have just missed you. Anyway, your role was undoubtedly crucial." Left Hand listened to Su Qi''s serious and sincere tone, momentarily stunned. "So it was like that... wait, no!" He suddenly snapped to realization, his voice turning shrill, "Even if you need me to make noise, you could''ve used other methods, not by shouting something so shameful!" Left Hand clenched his teeth and added, "And that embarrassing action!" Su Qi calmly looked into the distance, "What''s past is no longer important." "..." Just as Left Hand was about to speak, a strange aura crashed down suddenly! The black tornado was even more violent than before, seemingly connected to some place, forming a bizarre passage! Su Qi spoke softly, "Where are they?" Qing Lang related Yun Zhantian and the man''s plan to take down the Black Robed Man. "..." "What''s wrong?" Su Qi spoke calmly, "I''ve studied the night sky, and I''ve seen... these cultists seem to have come prepared." He directed his gaze into the distance. Though the bodies of those cultists were being torn apart by the rabbits, the Runes continued to surge from their Totems. Especially under the strange power connected by the black tornado, they were twinkling incessantly. "How could this be..." Qing Lang and the others'' gazes shifted slightly, as they were eager to deliver the finishing blow. "It''s useless." Su Qi watched this scene unfold. Was he too late to kill it? He had learned from other abnormalities that this group of cultists in black robes was collecting a large amount of abnormal blood and corpses. Su Qi had sensed something suspicious at that time. These guys didn''t need to engage in any fighting, yet they actively sought out abnormalities, which made Su Qi uneasy. Therefore, at that very instant, Su Qi didn''t waste words and took action directly. Unexpectedly, it was still too late. "What place does this battlefield connect to?" Su Qi looked toward the black tornado, which by now had expanded to an alarmingly large diameter, blanketed by thick black fog, like a massive black cyclone. And within the eye of the storm. Visions began to appear! Su Qi couldn''t help but warn everyone: "Close your eyes, children shouldn''t be seeing this." Red Blade was momentarily confused: "What? What''s there not to see? There are no children here." This was his first time seeing Su Qi, and he didn''t quite understand him... And then, the next moment. The visions produced by the hurricane, with their horrifying twists and low moans, seemed as though countless demons were struggling within! Everyone broke out into cold sweats! Fortunately, Qing Lang and the others were prepared, closing their eyes early; they only felt a slight assault on their ears but were still able to bear it. But Red Blade and the others accidentally glimpsed it and were instantly overwhelmed by the polluting onslaught! [Spiritual Power -2] "Damn it!" Red Blade and the others shuddered, their minds and spirits greatly shaken as they quickly shut their eyes tight! And the various abnormalities also hurriedly closed their eyes, having spent years in Pure Land City, they were much more experienced than the players. Only Su Qi kept his gaze fixed. He ignored the continual prompts of Spiritual Power dropping by -2-2, looking at the visions that revealed a multitude of strange scenes where countless people were fighting beneath huge statues, and numerous indistinct black shadows were engaged in battle! Monumental buildings... were now in ruins, along with strange yellow rivers, broken bridges... interwoven with raging flames, and even a towering gate resonated with thunderous noises, leaving one to wonder who could possibly open such an immensely grand gate! Su Qi''s gaze did not waver. Even though his Spiritual Power was being depleted far more severely than before, plummeting to a dreadful -7, he did not stop. Because he saw many [?], too far to reach... just like when he first saw the billboard for "Abyssal Paradise," densely packed. The visions... No, these were definitely not just visions. Previously in the Lost Land, the illusions created by the white mist did not contain any [?], because those were all fake. But now. "..." Su Qi finally slowly closed his eyes, as the corners of his eyes had begun to bleed. Although he could afford the loss of Spiritual Power, that didn''t mean it wouldn''t affect him. And his Spiritual Power had just reached a rate of decrease of 50 per second. Even for someone like Su Qi, it was unbearable. "If he continued to look... what more would he see, and merely looking was already this terrifying. If he were to step into that place, what kind of level would it be?" Su Qi didn''t know, but he was very interested. He was always driven by a strong desire for knowledge. Unfortunately, amidst the countless shrieking noises, he couldn''t hear anything. And with his eyes tightly closed, he could see nothing. Everyone was the same, plunged into a situation of deafness and blindness. And just then. Someone suddenly reached out and patted Su Qi on the shoulder. Chapter 106 - 103: Accidents Abound! Lets Die Together! Su Qi had his eyes closed, his body still. Why would someone tap his shoulder at this time? Su Qi wanted to squint to see, but the hissing in his ears and the chilling sense of deadly fear made him give up this dangerous idea. So, Su Qi turned around and threw a punch! But he hit nothing. The other party paused for a moment, then tapped him again, as if to say it had no ill intentions. Su Qi then crouched down for a sweeping leg kick! "...." The other party seemed even more silent, and finally it couldn''t hold back anymore, a strange blurriness surged into Su Qi''s heart! And then, a voice slowly emerged in Su Qi''s mind. "It''s me... Ghoul...." Su Qi paused slightly. Oh, was it the black shadow with the scythe that had paved the way for them in the alley before? "I mean no harm, time is of the essence, please listen to what I have to say." The Black Robed Man''s voice was hoarse yet heavy. "Pure Land City... the reason why it isn''t disturbed by thePollution Power from the Lost Land is that its sky dome is connected to the singularity of the Ancient Battlefield, where the past''s undead were supposed to be forever sealed away." "This Silent Day, with the singularity bursting and those Evil Cultists... many souls are being recklessly released, the cultists are using the Descent artifact to release a powerful person''s soul, this person used to be a subordinate of that entity from Abyss, possessing...." ? Didn''t you say time was urgent! Why the endless prattle? "Stop!" Su Qi interrupted it, "Skip this part, please." "I don''t care about any background, history, or logic." "Just tell me who the enemy is... and what the reward is." Black Robed Man: "..." Listening to the words of the past, knowing the current situation, these are secrets that others crave to uncover but can''t... "Forget it.... you can open your eyes now, the burst of the singularity has already ended." At this moment. The hissing had ceased. Su Qi immediately opened his eyes and turned around to find that the Black Robed Man was just a phantom, an illusion, and the feeling of it tapping his shoulder was also an illusion. It seemed others couldn''t see it. The Black Robed Man''s voice came through, "I am communicating with you through a Spiritual Body, my actual body cannot move too far from the alley..." "And now, look over there." Su Qi shifted his gaze, at this moment, many cultists'' bodies were weirdly contorting, bodies flipped upside down but limbs supporting them, their chests'' patterns bursting with many black lines connecting to the void like some sort of aurora. "They are now connected to the main ritual, channeling the prepared power inside the Totem, attracting the soul from the Ancient Battlefield, and the body is also ready for it." On a high hillside. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A mass of mutated corpses, flesh continuously pouring into a place, mixing, combining, turning into a ten-meter-tall hulking mass of black muscle! Everyone''s gaze was filled with astonishment, and many abnormalities felt uneasy. "Can it be interrupted?" "Cannot, the main ritual has started, that deceased soul has already felt the pull, even if you attack this body, this flesh would quickly reassemble." "How powerful was it originally?" "Uh... destroying this Land of Strange Tales with a slap wouldn''t be a problem." "?" Su Qi coughed, "I just remembered there''s an old hen stewing at home, I''ll be taking off, contact me on WeChat if there''s anything." The black shadow hastily said, "Don''t go, it''s now just a patched-up body, only able to harness power through the ancient relic of Descent, it''s very weak... Just wait for it to descend, kill it, take that ancient relic, and it will be kicked back!" "AncientRelic? What is that?" "It''s a kind of item... possessing special bloodline traits," the black shadow whispered softly. Su Qi paused for a moment, although a word was changed, somehow it sounded very familiar, but it seemed that was the so-called hidden Resurrection Tool. At this time. A flash of lightning crossed the sky dome, and within the hurricane, a chill seemed to be spreading! At the same time! Yun Zhantian and a man''s figures suddenly appeared on the hillside; their bodies had been thrown from the peak of the mountain, crashing heavily onto the ground! "Thud!" Both were covered in injuries, spitting blood from their mouthsit was a ghastly sight! The Black Robed Man also appeared on the hillside, his eyes crazily fixed on the Sky Dome, muttering to himself. "One of the Old Bishops... resurrected. I am a follower of the True God, and I am honored to witness Your return..." The Black Shadow spoke in a slightly deep voice, "I can feel it; it''s coming! Act fast and kill it the moment it enters the body. Otherwise... there will be no more chances. The Land of Strange Tales is sealed, and all of you will die!" Su Qi nodded slightly, smiling, "Alright, I understand..." He spoke with a hint of deep meaning, "But I''m more curious as to why you''re so proficient." The Black Shadow fell silent. And Su Qi didn''t press further but quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie, "Hey, the third squad is the long-range group, right? Where the hell is your Italian cannon? This Black Robed Man is over there prayingblast him down." "Understood!" The Black Robed Man was devoutly kneeling when he sensed firepower coming from all directions, and his expression slightly shifted! What is this? "And all other squads, be prepared. The moment this Giant''s body moves, strike together and burst out with all your strength!" Su Qi squinted his eyes. "What about us?" Left Hand was taken aback. "What, do you also need me to direct?" Su Qi paused, "Then quickly restore your Physical Strength and attack from the back and side, hitting its lower three spots as hard as you can." "Right, that thing... who can still summon the Mecha? Lend it to me." Steam Boy silently watched Su Qi, "A Paradise Object, can be used only once in an instance, consuming 99% of Physical Strength Value, and cannot be replenished in the short term." "Then why are you even over here listening to the strategy? Go sit at that kids'' table in the back." "..." Su Qi talked incessantly, and all abnormalities and players were ready! During this period, amidst a barrage of gunfire, the Black Robed Man madly laughed, "You... have no idea what you are facing!" A crazed expression painted his face as he looked toward the Sky Dome! And a dreadful, cold black shadow that carried some twinkling light descended from the singularity at an untraceable speed! It merged directly into the Giant''s body! Cold, shivering! The Giant''s body slightly trembled, exuding a more eerie aura than the previous congealed dead matter! "Strike now!" Everyone, including the abnormalities, acted togetheras did a massive amount of rabbits, all pouncing toward it! Their speed was incredible, giving their all! They realized too that, with the Land of Strange Tales sealed, if this monster was resurrected, they couldn''t escape either! "Kill!" And just then! The Giant suddenly opened its eyes, flashing with a strange light! In the next moment! "Boom!" The strange light in its eyes ignited a series of waves, creating a terrifying and shocking impact centered around it! Everyone was blown away! The Black Robed Man was also blown away, laughing, "Even if its body is fragile, this isn''t something you can resist!" He rasped, his eyes fierce and mad, "From now on, all of you will be devoured alive, becoming part of Lord Bishop''s strength!" The Black Shadow was extremely anxious, "Bad! The powers of other Evil Cultists have been absorbed in advance, and the Ancient Relic on it is taking effect, making its strength stronger than we imagined!" "Bad? Not necessarily!" Su Qi lifted the sound system and leaped up, the eerie Sound of the Past causing both the Black Robed Man and the Giant to momentarily falter! He rapidly closed in. "Brother." Su Qi stared into the Giant''s profound and gloomy eyes, saying, "Let''s die together!" Without any hesitation, he activated self-destruction as his Physical Strength and all enhancements reached their peak! Chapter 107 - 104 Unrivaled!! This was Su Qi''s first time using the Self-Destruction Skill, as he had no opportunity to test its power before. But at this moment, he realized that the self-destructive, do-or-die Skill was far more powerful than he had imagined! To put it in one sentence, Su Qi seemed to turn into light at that moment. "Boom!" A terrifying explosion engulfed both the Giant and Su Qi, and the resulting shockwave stirred up a massive amount of debris! The abnormalities watched the scene in stunned silence, witnessing Su Qi''s charred body flying out, falling to the ground motionless. They let out incredibly heartbreaking roars: "Brother Su!" Their voices were so strained that it made Qing Lang and the others'' eyelids twitch. ? These abnormalities cared so much about Su Buxian? Some even beat their chests and looked up to the sky, wailing in agony! "You haven''t told us the vault password yet!" "...." The Black Robed Man also gazed in stunned silence! The Giant''s body had a huge hole blasted into it, yet this Old Bishop hadn''t fallen. Its eyes flickered with red light and a hint of fear, yet it suddenly reached out desperately toward the distance! It grabbed a group of abnormalities directly, throwing them into its mouth! In that instant, a flickering item inside the Giant''s body emitted a bright light, and its body was rapidly recovering! Everyone was shocked and immediately acted in unison! Yet the Giant snorted coldly, sweeping everyone away with a slap of its palm, its voice as chilling as the Nine Netherworlds: "...Having barely escaped from that sunless place, how could I... go back!" Although its breath was still feeble, the ancient chill it emitted struck fear into everyone. "I need flesh... I need your power to restore mine..." Its voice... filled with an endless terror, hammering at everyone''s hearts like a pendulum. The abnormalities trembled all over, now realizing that this was a high-level existence they were dealing with! "What should we do? Go all out?" "Is it too late to beg for mercy now?" "Or should we run?" The players turned pale but found no way to handle the adversary. "Run..." This figure seemed to have rediscovered the depravity and superiority of its past bishop role, its eerie and profound eyes looming over everyone: "None of you can escape, you''ll end up dead like that ant who defied me..." Its voice suddenly stopped, as if frozen while looking at Su Qi''s charred corpse. Because at that moment, Su Qi''s body trembled, he propped himself up from the ground, slowly standing, then patted the soot off his body. Under the somewhat stunned gaze of the Giant, Su Qi coughed, taking a Physical Potion and drinking it: "Sorry, I was overly weakened just now, I couldn''t even move my fingers." The Giant''s eyes grew cold. It didn''t understand how such a frail human could survive such powerful self-destruction and not die! With a terrifying presence in its eyes, the Giant declared: "Since that''s the case... This time, I will kill you myself!" It surged forward, its massive body charging, since other powers in its frail body couldn''t be used, it had to rely on brute force! But the terrifying strength of its body was enough to crush everyone present! And at that time, Su Qi stretched out his hand and gently blew, as if he was blowing sand off his palm, then he took out the Thunderclap Bone Shattering Hammer. Facing countless fearful glances and the overwhelming aura of the incoming Giant, He looked at the players and softly said, "Fellows... actually, I am the Sect Hierarch of the World''s Number One Sect, I once had glory, but my power was sealed. I need each of you to transfer me ten thousand Game Coins to break the seal." The players: "....." "Stop joking!" Left Hand roared. Su Qi paused: "Or maybe if you repeat that spell loudly now, you might also unseal the power." Left Hand clenched his teeth! Dammit, forcibly recalling a memory just to bring it up again! Su Qi shifted his gaze, looking at the rapidly approaching Giant and the fierce wind. He shrugged, "Never mind, I still have to rely on myself." The next moment. [Unrivaled]activated! Instantly! A series of prompts appeared continuously! [Equipment Effect Not Activated] [Skill Unusable] [Your Attribute Panel Has Changed] The weakness gradually fading, Su Qi''s body filled with imposing strength! He looked straight ahead, that gaze making the Giant feel an inexplicable unease. How could it be? A mere human like an ant? "Boom!" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi suddenly disappeared from his spot, leaving only a large cracked pit where he stood! His body shot forward at high speed like a cannon, meeting the Giant head-on! "?" Its profound eyes were shocked, he was so fast! Su Qi also gripped the Thunderclap Bone Shattering Hammer, raising it high and with an immense force, struck directly at its head! Although the equipment effect wasn''t activated, it could still be used as a weapon! "Bang!" The Giant, standing ten meters tall, actually flew out hard! Everyone was shocked! The Black Robed Man was sweating profusely! He roared inside. How is this possible! Su Qi didn''t hesitate and pursued his victory, now consuming 3% of Vitality every second, he only had thirty seconds of "Unrivaled", completely without time to waste. "Boom!" The Giant''s body fiercely crashed down, creating a huge pit! Su Qi''s figure closely followed, the hammer dropping again with a thunderous crash! Its head cracked open entirely, a large amount of blood gushing out, but it seemed as if the Ancient Relic inside was helping it recover! "You...." It tried to speak. Su Qi didn''t give it a chance, the hammer dropping like a pile driver on a construction site, brutally crashing down! Once wasn''t enough, then twice! If twice wasn''t enough, then ten times! The crowd and the abnormality also followed, their scalps tingling as they watched this scene. At this moment. The man seemed to sense something and growled lowly, "Be careful!" As the Giant was being smashed, its body cracking open and blood splattering, it surprisingly shot out a shocking red glow from its eyes, turning the entire sky dark red! A massive burst of spiritual pollution suddenly erupted! "To me! Die!" The huge spiritual impact carried the eerie and terrifying essence of its soul! It was like a giant beast hidden in the Abyss letting out a thunderous roar! Everyone present''s eyes whited out! Under this spiritual impact, they all collapsed one by one! It also weakened significantly; originally having little strength left, its soul was feeble to the extreme and this forceful burst... had cost it a lot! However. It had no choice, if it continued, it would truly be defeated by a mere ant! Fortunately, now... It was startled for a moment, looked up to see the gradually enlarging silver hammer, and the chilling voice: "You don''t really think this move will work on me?" "Bang!" The strike penetrated its body, causing its entire flesh to expand and burst! At the same time. The flickering Ancient Relic inside was revealed. Su Qi didn''t hesitate, braced his foot, and leapt forward, reaching directly for the Ancient Relic inside! This creature''s terrifying recovery power was naturally not due to itself, but because of the traits of the Ancient Relic, to truly kill it, it must first be deprived from its body! Su Qi didn''t have much time left! The Giant also sensed an incredible danger, truly an extraordinary existence, even with its body torn apart, it still had the strength to spare! It punched itself! Boom! The Ancient Relic shifted position with the impact! Damn it! There wasn''t enough time! Su Qi watched the last three seconds! He remained calm and decisive, lifting the hammer high! "Then I''ll just blast this entire piece directly!" His hammer carried a terrifying howl, and the entire hammerhead aimed at the newly shifted position of the Ancient Relic, his body also bravely piercing through it! "Spurt!" A massive hole violently exploded in the flesh! And this time! He finally saw the Ancient Relic falling from its body, a bloodstained golden feather, nestling on the distant ground! The Giant trembled all over! Its body was also gradually collapsing! Su Qi''s time was also up; fortunately, he landed ahead of time, otherwise with just a 5% Vitality, he would''ve straight away died, but even now, a huge feeling of weakness and the aftershocks of dizzying power made it difficult for Su Qi to get up again. "I..." The Giant could still speak, though incredibly weak and with only half of its body remaining, falling into a fading dying state, but still dragging its fingers towards that feather Ancient Relic: "I... haven''t finished yet..." Its voice trembled unbearably, hoarse and dry... as if ready to die, relying solely on soul strength for its last struggle. Su Qi watched this scene. Although he couldn''t stand up, he could still speak and decided to use words to persuade. "Stop crawling, have you become a bug? Can''t you just lie down nicely?" "Let''s chat? Discuss something about salary issues, being a bishop for Evil God, you must have a high salary, right?" "Hey... stop crawling." Su Qi watched anxiously, knowing this creature was only three meters away from the Ancient Relic. The giant struggled while crawling and hoarsely whispered: "I... am one of the Old Bishop of Evil God... a terrifying existence from the ancient times...a mere mortal ant... dares command me..." It was constantly getting closer to the Ancient Relic while knowing Su Qi didn''t have the strength to stand up. Two meters... One and a half meters... It was weak yet excited to get closer: "Once I recover... will torment you harshly..." It couldn''t stand being humiliated by a mortal again. What was its status, and what was the other''s? And just then. A faint buzzing noise suddenly arose. A seemingly insignificant mosquito flew slowly from somewhere and aimed directly at the Giant in an arced flight path. Chapter 108 - 105: Mosquito Bros First Kill Record! The Giant seemed to be completely oblivious to the mosquito''s approach. Perhaps it had noticed, but simply didn''t care... after all, it was just a mosquito. The mosquito slowly landed on its mortally wounded body that was falling to pieces, unnoticed as it focused intently on the Ancient Relic... It was right there, right in front of it! If only it could reach that place... then it could... "Zing!" The mosquito gently kissed its skin. It was only then... that Su Qi realized how twisted this Skill was. With just one bite anywhere, it would result in a direct loss of 1% of the maximum Vitality! At that moment, The feeble body of the Giant shuddered suddenly. Already broken and hanging on to its last bit of strength, it was headed towards its goal when a sudden wave of weakness from the draining of its life force overwhelmed it. What''s... happening... I... why am I becoming... more powerless... Its expression showed a trace of change, becoming panicked and uneasy as it looked at Su Qi... only to see Su Qi smiling back at it. "Do you feel drained, with weak knees and a lack of spirit, as if your body has been hollowed out?" "That''s a sign of kidney deficiency." The Old Bishop''s spiritual body: "...." It tried to crawl forward, but its strength and life force dissipated once again. If it had been in its prime, it might not have noticed this strange sensation, but now, in its dying state, it was all too sensitive! "Thud!" It... finally had no strength left to go on. It looked unwillingly at the blood-stained feather just a meter away and fell face first to the ground, eyes fixated on Su Qi, voice weak and powerless: "What exactly did you... do to me..." Su Qi, watching its trembling body, said, "Be clear with your words... don''t act like I drugged you." "I... to be killed by a mere mortal..." Its mental state was on the verge of collapse. After barely breaking free from that dark, sunless place, and just as it was about to accomplish great things, it hadn''t even lasted as long as a round of mahjong before having to return to its origin again. Su Qi calmly responded: "Don''t accuse me recklessly, it wasn''t me who killed you." "Look at that mosquito, it was its doing." The Old Bishop looked dazed, and the mosquito... its ears twitched slightly. The buzzing sound slowly started up, and a tiny mosquito circled its way up from behind its ear. Then, without any courtesy, it landed on its face and extended its tiny proboscis. "Buzz" The Giant was stunned. Because it was feeling its fragile body rapidly disintegrate under this bite. To think it was all because of a mosquito... a creature even more insignificant than an ant! Its face turned red, as if subjected to some great humiliation, and with a final burst of anger and shame, it roared at Su Qi: "....when I return... I will tear you to pieces....." ? This is possible? The Giant''s eyes dimmed, as its massive body completely lost its life force. The next moment, It seemed that a blurred shadow was being drawn toward the singularity in the Sky Dome, twisting and struggling to no avail. Su Qi didn''t see its spiritual body, he just saw a question mark. [As one of the bishops from the Old Days, it has sworn to tear you to pieces] Tsk. It figures, coming from a believer. The Evil God wanted to reduce him to ashes, the bishop wanted to tear him to pieces; why were they all so fixated on him? The target had died, and it seemed the mosquito had vanished with it. This was the first person to fall to its first kill, and what a significant figure it was. Not bad, a promising future. Su Qi closed his eyes, still in a state of extreme weakness. Luckily, there was no danger at the moment, and the ten minutes of the non-recovery period was drawing to a close. At that time, Su Qi felt that he had jinxed himself as he heard the sound of staggering footsteps. He opened his eyes and saw the Black Robed Man... looking dazed and in disbelief at the Giant''s body. "..." Su Qi felt that his bad luck had struck; how did this person not faint like the others? He thought about it; with the Evil God Totem on him, it seemed normal that he could resist the effects. "Impossible... impossible... After all my efforts... why did it turn out like this." The Black Robed Man muttered to himself, his voice hoarse with madness and unwillingness consuming him, his eyes pinned on Su Qi: "It''s all because of you!" Su Qi: "... If I told you it was killed by a mosquito bite, would you believe me?" The Black Robed Man growled low, his eyes bloodshot and filled with blood vessels, "I''m going to kill you!" He dragged his weak body from the hillside, holding a long saber, murderous intent emanating from him as he approached Su Qi! Su Qi stared at his skill''s cooldown time, which couldn''t be restored, and there was still one minute left... "You bastard, aren''t you coming out to save me?" The Black Robed Man didn''t know who Su Qi was talking to, but he clenched his teeth tightly, "No one can save you now!" And in the next moment. A black shadow emerged from Su Qi''s body, holding a scythe and surrounded by a vague black fog. The Black Robed Man''s expression changed in shock, halting his steps, "Who are you!?" The Ghoul slowly lifted its gaze, its voice hoarse and icy, "Are you sure you want to know?" Its aura burst forth explosively, making Su Qi squint his eyes. And even more so causing the distant Black Robed Man''s entire body to tremble. The totem on his body grew slightly hot, as if sensing something, his legs went weak, seemingly ready to submit before it. The Black Robed Man clenched his teeth, shakingly raising a finger: ".....Why... do you possess... the aura of my master... and..." The Ghoul slowly pulled down its long robe, revealing a totem on its chest that clearly held an extraordinary evil power, far surpassing that of the mere Black Robed Man. "If you don''t scram!" Its voice was extremely cold, "I will devour you!" At that moment, the Black Robed Man finally showed fear of death, unlike being killed by others, if they were killed by higher-ranking Totem bearers... they could never return. He rolled and crawled away, frantically fleeing until he was soon out of sight. The Ghoul slowly turned its head and stared at Su Qi: "You''re not going to just lie there, are you?" Su Qi slowly propped himself up with one hand, "Don''t worry, even if you couldn''t scare him off just now, I would have recovered enough to be able to kill him." He knew the true body of the Ghoul wasn''t here, that the black shadow in front of him was only an illusion, without a trace of combat ability. What this guy was best at was illusion techniques. The Ghoul paused, it remained silent for a moment before speaking, "So, you don''t seem surprised that I have a totem?" "There''s nothing to be surprised about." Su Qi really wanted to say, should I also tell you that your leader''s eyeball is right here with me? Now thinking back, everything seemed traceable... No wonder this guy both dreaded and feared, eager to send him away like a plague spirit, and intimately knew about the Old Bishop''s Descent. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I''m only curious, why... do you want to stop all this from happening, after all, you too have a totem, you''re a member of them." The Ghoul sighed deeply, its face shrouded in black fog suddenly showing a hint of age and reminiscence, and its tone had more sorrow and melancholy: "The story goes back a long, long time ago... Back then, I was very young, a Little Priest, once influenced, holding boundless reverence for that being, endlessly killing for the sake of power, until eventually..." "A Little Priest is like a class leader, right." Su Qi suddenly interrupted, "As a class leader, you suddenly had an awakening, decided to wash away your sins, and chose not to be a Cultist anymore, becoming the Ghoul." He paused, "It should be like that, right?" The Ghoul fell silent. It coughed, its voice heavy, "This awakening process, that is the critical turning point that changed me... It was a winter with snow flying everywhere..." At the moment. Su Qi had already stood up, he dusted himself off, took out potions for restoring Physical Strength and Vitality, and gulped down two mouthfuls. Instantly feeling refreshed. "I wonder if this stuff could be mixed with beer? Wouldn''t it taste even better straight from the can?" The Ghoul: "....." Listen to people when they speak, is my story really worth nothing to you! "Anyway..." the Ghoul exhaled, looking at Su Qi, "You''ve already been hated by the Old Bishop... and its spirit is in that Ancient Battlefield. Judging by the recent actions of these Cultists, they seem to want to revive the power of the Old Days and release... that being in the Abyss. You''ve probably been blacklisted by the fleeing guy, and soon your name will spread among the Cultists." "Very soon, a Bounty Order will be issued, and wherever you go in any world, envious abnormalities will be targeting you." Su Qi paused, so ordinary players could also have Bounty Orders issued on them. He laughed unconcernedly, "No problem, I''ve already made enough enemies." The Ghoul: "??" And Su Qi still had an unexposed Bounty Order for a Despicable Person; considering this... everything else seemed inconsequential. The Ghoul sighed, "I must return now." Its Spiritual Body couldn''t last much longer, having just used an Illusion Technique had made it even more translucent. "I hope the next time... I hear your name spread throughout the multiple Chaotic Seas..." The Ghoul''s Spiritual Body gradually vanished from sight. Chapter 109 - 106: Do You Want My Treasure? Su Qi mumbled to himself, "The day will come." At this moment, his Physical Strength had recovered to 40%, and his Vitality from 5% to 30%. As he was nearing the end of his recovery, he decided not to fully replenish his status. Reaching out, Su Qi picked up the blood-stained feather, "It''s a pity I didn''t have time to ask it about the Ancient Relic." As he examined the feather, the panel slowly appeared before his eyes. [Name: Phoenix Feather] [Type: Ancient Relic] [Quality: Immortal] [Note: Congratulations on obtaining a hidden Resurrection Tool that allows transformation to a special Profession. You can initiate a trial for the transformation and acquire a Profession with its traits once you reach level 20, with a chance to unlock it.] "This is a great item, but it seems a bit weak right now." He could feel his wounds slowly healing, a different concept from before. Su Qi had witnessed the Giant''s recovery power, which was very exaggerated... Could it be related to a high-order soul level? But... he wasn''t in a hurry. Su Qi placed it in his Item Slot and strode towards the exit. At this very moment. Everyone else was forcefully awakened because the instance prompt had appeared. [Linyuan Land main quest has ended] [Each player may only remain here for a maximum of one minute] Their expressions changed as they looked around, only to find Su Qi writing something on the ground with a small stick. "Brother Su! What about that terrifying creature, and the Black Robed Man?" Yun Zhantian was a bit stunned. Su Qi calmly said, "The fact that I''m here can only mean one thing." "You killed it!" Left Hand exclaimed in surprise. "No," Su Qi corrected him. "It was killed by a mosquito." "..." Red Blade looked at Su Qi, "That hidden Resurrection Tool must have been claimed by you." Finally finishing his writing, Su Qi nodded, "That''s correct..." He suddenly coughed loudly, his body trembling, "And right now, I''m low on Physical Strength, not much of a fighter. If you all pounce on me, I''ll be defenseless, and perhaps in one round, I''d have to hand over the treasure!" "..." Red Blade said, "Although it''s common for conflicts of interest to arise at times like this, causing breaches of contract and scrambling for possession... " He roared, "But is your lousy acting supposed to be showing contempt for us?" "Moreover, who said I was going to take action?" Red Blade hesitated, "I''ll offer ten million Game Coins, no, twenty million... to buy it." "?" Su Qi''s hand holding the stick quivered slightly, damn oligarchs. After all, the current trend for Game Coin is almost maintaining a good 1:1 ratio with RMB, occasionally fluctuating... but it remains within an 80% range. The man patted Red Blade''s shoulder and shook his head, "The things one acquires by giving their all cannot be measured by money." sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Red Blade sighed helplessly and nodded. "Sorry, pretend I didn''t say anything just now." Su Qi: "...." He looked towards Qing Lang and the others, "Why don''t you try making an offer?" Qing Lang and the others shook their heads. "The more precious a hidden Resurrection Tool is, the greater the risk of the trial. If we could obtain it ourselves, we might give it a try, but we can''t afford to pay an additional price." Left Hand blinked, "Brother Su, I''m a student, give it to me as a gift." "You wouldn''t even make it as a newborn." Su Qi knew the other person was joking, but he pondered and said, "However, if you could shout that spell one more time, in front of at least a thousand people, I would bring a megaphone and a video camera among other professional equipment to provide you with a better stage. If you can do that, I might consider it." Left Hand shivered all over with a roar of anger, "Who would do that! Even if I, Left Hand, were to jump off here and die outside, I would absolutely never recite such a thing again!" Su Qi shrugged his shoulders, "That''s too bad." Everyone also packed up some things, they all had more or less gains in this Linyuan Land, although it was a pity they did not get the last hidden tool, but they were all convinced and accepting. The man''s gaze turned to Su Qi, "Xiao Yun is right, you are a very interesting person, and I''m looking forward to seeing you in the ranking battles later..." Yun Zhantian also waved his hand, "Brother Su, I take my leave now, thanks for your care this time, we''ll add each other as friends after we get out." "Alright, add friends and transfer funds, right." Su Qi nodded. Yun Zhantian: "...." Is that what he meant! And you still remember that! One by one, everyone began to teleport away. Left Hand sighed, "I''ve also requested a friend''s spot, Brother Su, don''t forget me...." "You''ll definitely make it into the ranking battles too, then we can cling onto someone else''s coattails together." Watching him teleport away. Su Qi muttered to himself, "As a super rookie... saying things like clinging onto coattails?" Qing Lang couldn''t help but smile wryly: "He must have been hit hard today, not only was he suppressed all the way, but in the end, he didn''t even get to use his trump card." Muscle Bully, touching his thick jaw beard, commented, "Also, the ranking battle is after all the most important battle before entering Paradise... Super rookies are a dime a dozen, some guys are even more tricky, plus there are various beta test players, it''s normal for his confidence to be lacking, but he should recover soon, no need to worry." Su Qi nodded, "I see, so his recovery ability is that strong." Qing Lang and the others: "....." You seem to have missed the main point again. "Well, I''ll take my leave." Qing Lang waved his hand. Muscle Bully sheathed his weapon, puffing on a cigar, and with a thick accent said, "Su Buxian, I think you should join our Big Muscle Dominator Club, it suits you, the wild type well." "?" Su Qi: "You must be joking, I''ve always been known for my humility and gentleness." Bai Qiangwei and Tuner, both already beyond the point of commenting, mainly since the main jesting party, Left Hand, had already retreated. One by one, they teleported away. Su Qi looked up at the dark sky dome, and the numerous abnormality creatures that lay fainted around him, it seemed that before the last teleportation time ended, these guys wouldn''t wake up. But that''s okay. He had everything arranged and afterward, he too teleported away from this place. About ten minutes later, numerous abnormality creatures... slowly crawled up, they looked around in confusion and at each other. "Are we still alive? Not eaten?" "Where''s Brother Su? And that monster!" They couldn''t figure out what had happened, until someone let out a strange cry. "Come here, it looks like there''s something Brother Su left behind!" On the ground, there was a stick tied to a flag, on which a simple pattern was drawn... The pattern was a bit sloppy, like a stick figure scribble. But that was not the most important thing, there was also writing under the flag. "Quick, what''s written? Read it to us." The discoverer trembled, "I''m illiterate." "If you can''t read, then why are you shouting so loudly, let me see!" A doctor abnormality in a white lab coat pushed through the crowd, it looked at the writing and was a bit stunned. "Want the treasures of the vault? If you do, then go look for them! I''ve placed everything thereleft by Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers." Chapter 110 - 107: Settlement! Resurrection Tool! [Player ID 985211, Su Buxian, has left Linyuan Land.] [This instance was initiated by a special item, settlement in progress.] [You have obtained triple the experience and 12,923 Game Coins for this level.] [System matching is not provided, no rating will be given.] [You have won a special lottery draw (prizes include all skills, items, equipment, etc., from this instance).] Su Qi returned to his personal login space. He instantly realized that his level had skyrocketed to 20. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [You have gained 18+19+20, totaling 57 attribute points, you have reached the current stage''s highest level. To unlock the next stage, enter Paradise (50% of surplus experience will be stored).] [Note: You are now eligible for a profession change and must possess an Ancient Relic; the Transcendence System will activate during an instance, triggering a trial.] "This wave actually raised me directly to level 20." Su Qi murmured to himself, "And there''s quite an overflow of experience, too." He was in no rush to allocate his attributes. Instead, he took out the blood-stained feather, the very item that was a transcendence tool It appeared highly valuable, Red Blade once outright offered twenty million for it, possibly even more... Su Qi then took out the Ancient God''s Heart. Now finally at level 20, he seemed able to inspect this item, not an easy feat...obtained it from the second instance, what a journey it had been! [Name: Faint Heart] [Type: Ancient Relic] [Quality: Legend] [Note: ...You are still not qualified to fully understand it, and possessing it doesn''t mean you can become it. Just remember... this path is fraught with thorns.] Su Qi was somewhat surprised; he remembered it had been called the Dead Heart before, so why had it changed to Faint Heart now? And the note was as good as saying nothing. But it was an Ancient Relic... Does that mean he could use it for the profession change? "Damn, you''re the backup now," Su Qi said, looking at the Phoenix Feather. The horrifying recovery ability of the Undying Bird was quite attractive, but given a choice between that and the heart, Su Qi would surely choose the latter. Not to mention its bizarre quality, just the unknown aspect... It really suited Su Qi''s taste. At that moment. Something unexpected happened. The Ancient God''s Heart trembled slightly, and the Phoenix Feather was unconsciously drawn to it! Su Qi didn''t even have time to react before the feather was absorbed by the heart! !!! The scene was somehow familiar; last time, during the Night Demon instance, it was attracted to that bud and absorbed the entire Pollutant... and now, it just swallowed another Ancient Relic! "??? You just suck everything up, huh! I hadn''t even decided yet, you just forced the decision on me!" Su Qi promptly tried to retrieve it, but once the feather entered, it seemed to melt away and disappeared entirely. Meanwhile. The heart beat with a bit more vigor, acquiring a new breath... and a pattern on its surface. "Is this... that feather?" Su Qi paused for a second, surprised as he recognized the pattern. The heart had no consciousness; it was merely an Ancient Relic containing essence, but could it instinctively absorb pollutants to regain vitality, judging the worth of that feather to incorporate it into its pattern? Thinking this, Su Qi took out another item, a broken sword from that eerie battlefield. It looked like it had been used by a formidable swordsman, and he had discovered it was also an Ancient Relic, which could even be taken out of the instance... though it was of Ordinary Quality. "Eat? Can I feed you this?" Su Qi offered the heart this Ordinary Quality Ancient Relic, but the heart paid no attention to it, seemingly deeming this rubbish unworthy of its standards. Very well, very well. You''re so noble, so impressive. [Your reputation has increased] Su Qi paused when he saw the sudden message and smiled, "It seems they''ve finally noticed." He left two ways to open the vault, one being a second-order nonlinear partial differential equation. The other was to have them carve the words "The Hustlers Sect Hierarch" devoutly into the central door plaque of the casino and place the flag in the most conspicuous spot to declare this area as his territory, which would allow entry to the vault. From the reputation perspective, they chose the latter. Of course. All this was nonsensebefore he left the casino, he had used the "Artificial Team''s Counterattack," which successfully malfunctioned so that the latter could be opened directly without doing anything. "However," Su Qi murmured to himself, "this also saved their lives." At that moment. Night Guard extended an invitation: "Brother Su! Come to the club for a gathering!" After putting the items back in the Item Slot, Su Qi pushed open the door and entered the club. Xu Linqiu was also there; he seemed to have been waiting, nodding to Su Qi, "Congratulations." It seemed he had gotten the news firsthand. Su Qi wasn''t much surprised; he still had many things to ask this guy... And at that time. "Boom!" Night Guard suddenly set off the ribbon cannon and cheered: "Congratulations... Brother Su for obtaining the Hidden Profession Resurrection Tool!" "...." Su Qi said, "Are you kidding me?" He only then realized Night Guard had plenty of little gadgets. Was it really worth spending such precious Game Coins on this sort of thing? Hmm. Not bad, very much in the spirit of The Hustlers Sect. "You should know... what happened inside," Su Qi said, now sitting down, looking at Xu Linqiu. "I heard from others," Xu Linqiu nodded but then shook his head, "I know what you want to say. From the moment we received the intelligence, we knew the cultists... were seeking that particular Resurrection Tool, but the specific use was a blank part. Besides, this Resurrection Tool indeed had a high value, so we started spreading the news to attract others to enter. After all, we only had six spots here, and it didn''t matter who got it; the most important thing was that the Cultists didn''t get it." "You did hide some good information." Su Qi guessed that someone from the First Sequence also knew; that person... should be their leader, the man with the heavy sword, who directly went with Yun Zhantian to disrupt the ritual, and upon waking up and seeing that it was him, he even breathed a sigh of relief and wasn''t too enthusiastic about the Resurrection Tool. Xu Linqiu sighed helplessly: "It''s not really hiding; we just had a significant lack of information, and before you set off, I said anything could happen." "Alright," Su Qi lazily said: "Can you provide me with some information on profession changes... I''m not very familiar with this area." Xu Linqiu agreed without hesitation, "No problem, but I need to remind you, all trials for hidden professions will be extremely difficult, and if you fail... the Resurrection Tool will disappear, with no second chance." I''m sorry, but that thing is already gone. "Of course, the quality of the Hidden Profession Tools varies, but if Cultists are searching for it... it must not be of ordinary quality," Xu Linqiu didn''t ask in detail, and the profession belonged to personal privacy. He himself also had a hidden profession, naturally knowing how important the traits of a profession are. "But I must remind you." Xu Linqiu looked at Su Qi: "Currently, the Transcendence System is not yet open; once the number of Level 20 players exceeds one hundred thousand, the version will update, and at that time... changing professions will become the most important matter for all players." "The trials for your hidden profession should be fully prepared before attempting to activate them, otherwise, if you fail... the consequences will be severe." "You will not only need to search again but it may also affect subsequent ranked battles..." Xu Linqiu said seriously: "It''s not just about entering Paradise...." Chapter 111 - 108: Homemade Rankings... and New Mode At that moment. Atop the casino in Pure Land, there sat a man... This man, dressed in a white robe, sported a faint smile on his facea smile that was utterly terrifying. Below him, all the abnormalities trembled as they knelt on the ground! S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They had never imagined that the master behind the casino would actually come in person, and had been sitting there since the beginning, without showing anger or intent to kill. He did nothing but scrutinize the flag. He slowly finally shifted his gaze towards the crowd: "What are all of you kneeling for, wasn''t it all done by that guy named Su Buxian?" he murmured to himself, "I''m a reasonable person, I only deal with the initiator." He chuckled lightly, "Rise." ... Some of the abnormalities steadied their minds and stood up. "Ah, you really stood up," he said, slightly surprised, as he threw a long chain from his hand, which pierced through the chest of the abnormality and then pulled it in front of him. All abnormalities showed fear in their eyes, but no one dared to intervene. He held the other''s neck with his hand, gazing into its fearful, agonized eyes. "Let me ask you a simple question; if you can answer it, I won''t kill you." He still had a smile on his face: "Who am I..." The abnormality trembled but dared not struggle, its neck choked so it could barely breathe, yet still managed to utter, "You... are the Young Master, offspring of the Ash Spirit King... the master of the casino..." He revealed a shocked expression: "It seems you know, then why would you dare to do such a thing?" "...It was all Brother Su... ah no, Su Buxian... I... would sacrifice my life and loyalty for the Young Master, never betraying him." "Is that so? Let''s see." The young man let out a bizarre laugh, reached into the abnormality''s chest with his hand, his palm directly entering the crevice in the abnormality''s internal organs, blood surged massively, and the abnormality was in excruciating pain. Screams echoed in the ears of every abnormality! After about twenty seconds, The young man pushed the fallen corpse aside, throwing the heart and lungs on the ground, he slowly wiped the blood from his hands: "I am... the master of this casino, and you all are mere stray dogs let in," as he spoke, he continued, "Stray dogs taking advantage of the master''s absence, daring to break the rules, becoming disobedient, must be punished... He suddenly paused, revealing a look of aggrievement; "You wouldn''t blame me, would you?" All the abnormalities trembled as they shook their heads. "That''s good, that''s good..." The young man patted his chest, taking a long breath. Watching the young man''s actions, all the abnormalities dared not even breathe heavily. He was inherently brutal, truly unpredictable, one could never know what cruel acts he might commit next. Yet the young man also lost interest in this group of abnormalities, he took down a small wooden flag next to him, reading the script with considerable interest: "So you call him Su Buxian, huh..." His smile carried a hint of eeriness: "I''ll remember this name, and I''ll take this flag too." "But rest assured, soon both it and he himself will be in my collection..." ----------------- Su Buxian, currently mentioned, was sitting in an upscale restaurant, facing Night Guard... The two often met at the club, and this time they had specifically arranged to meet offline mainly because Night Guard needed to pass some information to Su Qi. Now that they were here, Su Qi didn''t hold back, ordering several signature dishes from the menuhis appetite had grown considerably lately. Night Guard, holding a tablet, paused slightly: "Brother Su, look... Paradise has already published the list of potential players, the list of players currently at level 20, and the list with an overall rating above 80." Night Guard shook his head, "But this is just a list, and currently, rankings are not determined." Su Qi wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Does it mention my name?" "There is, but only above the level 20 list, the other two lists couldn''t record it." With the help of Paradise''s power to fetch data, insufficient authorization naturally couldn''t cross the threshold of hidden rating records, which is why no rankings had been determined so far. Su Qi knew the reason, but he wasn''t the only exception. While eating, Ye Shou flipped through his tablet and chatted with Su Qi: "By the way, Brother Su, there''s a huge ruckus on the forums now." "A ruckus? What''s there to fuss about?" "Since Paradise has yet to release any rankings, someone made their own list and had netizens vote... but since fans of major star players don''t acknowledge each other, it sparked arguments." Listening to these words, Su Qi commented, "This almost sounds like fan culture." Ye Shou wasn''t surprised, "Normal. Before the Reputation System was launched, many uploaded videos from their instances, and it was already viral... After the Reputation System''s launch, the players'' intentions grew stronger and the hype skyrocketed, turning many players into star players." He paused, "Including those super rookies I mentioned before, who actually have quite a reputation. Of course, everyone''s main focus is on strength, and although clubs help build their careers, star players who can''t keep up definitely won''t last long." Interest piqued, Su Qi asked, "I''d like to know who these star players causing all the fuss are on this fan-made list." "Let me check." Ye Shou looked at the tablet, "One is called ''Handsome Young Man''... this guy is really charming, the comment section is full of people calling him ''bro'' and ''hubby''." "The female players are this crazy?" "No, it''s mostly male players." "???" "The second is ''Tangxin,'' a female player who likes to use a clip-on voice. She seems to have some skill but is better at marketing. Facing various monsters, she often pretends to shiver, eliciting sympathy and protection from others... the comment section is full of people calling her ''mama''." No wonder there was an uproar. A fan-made list... This was just a fan fest. "By the way, Brother Su, your ID is also on the fan-made list, ranked 8987th with 5 votes." Su Qi mumbled to himself, "These 5 fans seem to have good taste." "One of the votes is from me." "Not bad, I''ll give you a supporting award." Su Qi didn''t really care about such entertainment-based lists. Reputation was something, whether in instances or among the player community. He, Su Buxian, never pushed for it! About half an hour later. Ye Shou went back to continue grinding instances. He wanted to quickly reach level 20 and even paid for someone to accompany him to achieve a perfect score in challenging instances... After all, scoring below 60 meant no draws for prizes, and both Experience and Game Coins were reduced to a tenth. Even barely passing wasn''t enough, as lottery items and high scores had a big gap, much like a certain penguin''s free pool versus the premium pool. Su Qi also took a cab home, reviewed some material, and then logged into the game. As soon as he entered his Personal Space, he received an email from the system. [Please Note] [Level 20 players can enter the new mode: Endless Slaughter] [In this mode, player death carries no penalty, and Spiritual Ability Points can be accumulated] [After ending the instance, this mode will enter a cooldown period, during which it cannot be entered again] [Attention!] [Spiritual Ability Points are extremely precious! They are fundamental for class change, Ascension, Profession traits, and more!] [Players, please handle with care!] Chapter 112 - 109: Entering the New Mode "A new mode? And there''s a cooldown period?" Su Qi read carefully. Besides the content mentioned just now, there was no other hint... He still had no idea what the situation inside was like. He did not rush to enter immediately. Instead, he first distributed the attribute points he had gained from leveling up yesterday, a total of 57 attribute points, 27 to Physical Strength, and 15 each to Strength and movement technique... Although these attribute values increased slowly, they became the most important foundation for widening the gap after changing classes. "The question is, I still don''t know in which direction the Ancient God''s Heart is aiming... Strength and speed dual cultivation? Or an All-Around Warrior? And then there are traits... Ascending Items, etc..." Anyway. Although he hadn''t started changing classes, Su Qi had already decided to become an All-Around Warrior. After all, others had to consider the Spiritual Attribute, which he completely didn''t need to bother with, and he could still be far ahead of everyone elsewhy not do it? It should be so for the leader of The Hustlers Sect. Su Qi looked at his own panel. [ID: Su Buxian] [Level: 20] [Vitality: 100%] [Physical Strength: 1100] [Strength: 67] [movement technique: 58] [Physical Strength: 110] [spiritual power: 625] [Current Game Coin: 49213] After adding the points, the character''s basic attribute panel was more or less fixed, at least it wouldn''t change much before changing classes. At that moment. Left Hand sent a voice message. He had sent a friend request the day before, and so had Qing Lang and Yun Zhantian among others. "Su Buxian, up for a game? Let''s rush to Level 20." "Don''t you see the string of numbers in my personal info box? Don''t they look like the Level 20 you just mentioned?" "???" Left Hand exclaimed in shock, "How did you reach Level 20? Weren''t you Level 17 just yesterday when you entered the instance?" Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi said, puzzled, "Isn''t it normal to level up three times in one instance?" "Normal my ass!" Left Hand was somewhat flustered: "So are you going to enter the new mode now?" "You know about that too?" "Of course, our Dragon God Club also has players who have reached Level 20, and we have a lot of important information about this mode. If you''re interested, I can offer it to you for free..." Dragon God Club? See, I told you there really are dragons. Listening to Left Hand''s persuasive tone, Su Qi paused for a moment: "Why do I feel like you guys want to poach me?" "...." Left Hand didn''t deny it and coughed, "Part of it is that, but it''s mainly about exchanging and cooperating to maintain friendly relations with various clubs and players, which is our club''s consistent style." "But..." He said earnestly, "Su Buxian, you should consider it. You have a Hidden profession tool in your hand, and the difficulty of its trials is anticipated to be very tough. Our club can provide assistance, and after you change classes, we won''t let you down with Ascending, resources, etc." "That tempting? However..." Su Qi mused, "Actually, there''s a better way. You could start by offering a series of assistance in resources, information, tools, etc., and then..." "And then?" "You would gain precious friendship." Left Hand roared, "You just want a free ride, don''t you!" He realized that Su Qi was indirectly refusing. This guy was hard to pin down, his thoughts were unknown... Left Hand said helplessly, "Forget it... I won''t argue with you, I''ll send the key points of the new mode to your mailbox." He then left to rush to Level 20. About two minutes later. Su Qi finished scanning the email. There were many points of information... Many were related to Paradise, and the words Pollution and Collapse were mentioned numerous times. "It seems this mode has some substance, and it also appears to be offering a word of caution to all players." Su Qi closed the email, then used his last lottery draw from yesterday. The items in this lottery pool all came from Linyuan Land, which was considered a special pool. After the lottery box rattled for a while, a small spinning top with a black reflective surface appeared. [Name: Fingertip UniverseDamaged Version] [Type: Spiritual Ability Equipment] [Quality: Low-quality] [Function: Spin the top, and before it stops spinning, you can drag any target into an illusion and inflict spiritual damage based on the target''s mental state and your own spiritual attribute after it ends.] [Consumption: Spiritual Power 100] [Usage Requirements: Profession must reach sequence 9, Spiritual Power 98] [This item is growable: collect five D-grade pollutants to upgrade it.] [Note: Ever heard of Inception?] Su Qi was moved, "Finally, I have equipment that can cause spiritual damage." "However, I can''t use it yet." He had to wait until after class-transfer... According to the announcement made by Paradise and the speed at which many players were grinding, it shouldn''t be much longer. Su Qi opened the matchmaking. [Enter Endless Slaughter Mode?] [Attention: This mode does not differentiate between solo and team play, participant numbers are random and unlimited.] [Matchmaking Successful] [You are about to enter an instance] As the prompt appeared, Su Qi felt himself being swept up by a surging tide, the sounds around his ears this time didn''t seem to have an eerie tone, just a system-generated alert sound, but it was intermittently breaking up, as if the signal was poor. "Welcome.....to.....the dee...." Before the voice could finish, it abruptly cut off, and Su Qi felt as if he was pulled under the water''s surface, drowning in it. ----------------- Su Qi slowly opened his eyes. And he found...himself leaning against a storage room in a warehouse, where the chilly air mixed with a hint of mist seeped in from a high window, through which he could see outside appeared to be a vast expanse of white. "Does this look like a big supermarket?" Su Qi noticed many goods around him, related to general merchandise, daily necessities, food, and such. Has there ever been such a wonderful start? In the past instances...the start would always involve the smell of blood, corpses, danger, now he could actually boil some noodles to eat? But. Soon, Su Qi realized he was mistaken. "Bang!" Outside the storeroom, a loud crash and a flurry of terrified screams could be heard. He opened the door to the storeroom. He saw that there were a bunch of people inside the supermarket, and outside the glass railing of the supermarket... a large black monster was hitting the glass in the mist, seemingly wanting to get in! And the cracks on the glass were getting more and more numerous. The crowd shivered, increasingly panicked! "This scene seems familiar, judging from the current situation, I guess it''s my turn to save them." Su Qi slowly took out...a packet of potato chips. After tearing it open, he ate unhurriedly. He could see that the monster was stronger than a normal person, but that was about it... He could easily deal with it if he acted, but he wanted to wait and see. It seemed like someone was approaching. And the glass had already shattered. The people retreated in horror, "What do we do?" "We''re doomed!" "Help!" Just then. As the monster was about to break in, Su Qi''s gaze turned toward the back of the mist. "Whoosh!" A javelin shot out sharply from the midst of the mist, pinning the monster to the ground! The monster struggled incessantly. The next moment. A figure sprinted forward, decapitating its head! He held a walkie-talkie, scanned the crowd in the supermarket, pausing on Su Qi for a moment because... While others were retreating in terror, this guy was still eating chips. "...." He said into the walkie-talkie: "Over a dozen non-combatant ordinary people found in the Ninth District, I will lead them to the nearest safe zone for refuge." Chapter 113 - 110: A Different Instance The fog enshrouded the dilapidated streets above. The crowd clung close, following the man as they moved forward. "Be careful, if a monster attacks... whatever you do, don''t run or make any noise," he said gravely. If it were just him... whether to fight or flee was his choice to make. But leading so many ordinary people increased the danger significantly. Su Qi also followed at the end of the group. A little girl with a ponytail, held by a woman, couldn''t help but look at the potato chips in Su Qi''s hand, "Big brother, are they tasty?" Facing the little girl''s adorable, desirous big eyes, Su Qi smiled and said, "They''re not tasty." The little girl: "..." Su Qi wasn''t being mean, this little girl couldn''t handle even a bit of these chips; it seemed they were contaminated by the fog. Anyone with a constitution under 50 would be affected, somewhat like the second instance of the polluted world. However, the effect was relatively minor, but it was better not to eat them if possible. "Can you tell me what they taste like?" The little girl pursed her lips and asked obediently. Dear patron, please don''t be so obstinate! Su Qi wanted to describe it with some words not fit for mealtimes, but considering her innocent eyes, he ultimately chose leniency: "They taste like caterpillars." The purity in the little girl''s eyes altered for the first time. The middle-aged woman quickly pulled the little girl along, "Don''t get distracted, stick with mommy." Su Qi looked away. According to the information he received from Left Hand, the main content of the new mode... was that players would enter a so-called semi-collapsed or collapsed world, killing Pollution Monsters to get Spiritual Ability Points. Simply put, it was an opportunity for players to grind instances, with numerous level 20 players having already entered. Without any main quest, all one needed to do was kill, without any need to advance through the instances. But, Su Qi felt somehow different from the others. And at that moment. Su Qi suddenly looked into the distance, aware that there were groups of crawling monsters. However, the man also had a sense of something, and he spoke in a low voice, "Be careful, stay silent, hide with me! Don''t make any noise!" The fear in people''s faces was clear as they followed him. The only place they could hide was in a store with its door open nearby. But clearly, he had misjudged the level of panic ordinary people had under the fog. A blonde young man, agitated and anxious, kept looking ahead... without noticing what was under his feet, and he tripped over a bicycle. "Clack!" The bicycle was about to fall and make a noise as it lost balance! The man''s face paled. But in the next instant, Su Qi reached out and steadily grabbed it. The man sighed with relief, looking at Su Qi with increased admiration. The young man seemed to be mentally resilient. There shouldn''t be any problems now, right? But after a few more steps, Immediately afterward, A middle-aged woman accidentally stepped on a nail on the ground. Her face showed pain as she instinctively prepared to cry out in agony. The man was quick to act, covering her mouth and swiftly motioning with his eyes for her to endure. The middle-aged woman nodded with a pale face. And at that moment, another gust of wind blew by... a poster advertisement in the store next door leaned and then fell over. "???" Su Qi held it in place with one hand, noticing that something was off; these series of accidents were too coincidental, almost forcefully trying to make some noise happen. And the man looked at Su Qi again, this time giving him a thumbs-up, seemingly praising Su Qi''s quick reflexes. "..." Fortunately, no more incidents happened in the following few steps, and the crowd managed to take refuge in the nearby store as they had wished. The monsters had already crawled over in the street. There were about five in number, each with a different shape, emitting a foul stench... The man motioned for everyone to stay still. Only when these abnormalities had left could they continue on. But then, at that moment, an unexpected event occurred, this time involving a white-collar in a suit... the ringtone blaring from his mobile phone was piercingly shrill! The man''s complexion changed dramatically, and everyone else shuddered. And Su Qi had a look of "???" on his face. Your mother''s kiss, it''s still ringing? And just skipping the act outright! Su Qi could now be certain that this chain of events was no coincidence; it was too preposterous! The white-collar''s face had gone deathly pale, and he fumbled frantically to silence the ringtone, but it was already too late. And those five monsters roared and charged over here without hesitation! "They''re pretty fast!" Su Qi had deduced that this creature was different from the small monsters in the supermarket earlier; it was strong, at least capable of battling a Night Demon. The man bellowed and hurled a spear with explosive force. "Bang!" The spear actually managed to force one of the monsters back! This guy was also strong; he was no ordinary man. In such a situation, Su Qi also pulled out the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade and, under the astonished gaze of the man, burst forward with incredible speed! "Are you an Enhancer too?" But then, The man could no longer afford to be surprised because he suddenly noticed one of the spike-covered monsters coiling its body, his eyes suddenly alert as he looked toward the people behind him, "Watch out!" The monster suddenly unfurled its body, and a mass of spikes burst forth! Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Whizz whizz whizz!" Their power could actually penetrate glass and steel! Su Qi and the man didn''t need to worry, but behind them came the agonized cries of ordinary people. In that situation, Su Qi had no choice but to leap into the air, zooming towards the monster with the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade in hand, and he brought it down! "Spurt!" A wave of green blood sprayed out, which, although not corrosive, smelled foul. [You have killed a monster, earning 1 Spiritual Ability Point.] [Please note: Any monster can only give Spiritual Ability Points the first time it is killed.] ? Su Qi was somewhat baffled; what did it mean by the first time? Could it be... this monster could be killed twice? And working together with the man, it took them less than half a minute to kill the remaining four monsters. The man, panting heavily, rushed back into the store, "We need to leave quickly, or else the noise from before will..." Suddenly, his voice seized up. In the store, a little girl with a ponytail was lying atop her mother''s corpse, her eyes bloodshot and face pale, crying in despair... The continuous yet fractured sound was heart-wrenchingly painful! Of the twelve ordinary people, only four survived, including the little girl. Su Qi picked up a spike from the ground and said softly, "This has poison on it... if touched, an ordinary person would die instantly." The crisis unfolded too rapidly; mingled with an eerie string of coincidences, it seemed as though it was fated to occur. "And he''s right... if we don''t leave now, even more monsters will..." Su Qi''s words abruptly stopped as he squinted. At that moment, the girl''s crying was fading... the man''s face was fading, and the surrounding scenery was increasingly twisted. The corpses of the creatures seemed to come back to life and their roars reverberated, appearing to rewind as well. Not just the monsters, but the scenery itself was rewinding! And it was accelerating! Until the final moment, Darkness suddenly swallowed him! "....." After a brief spell of astonishment, Su Qi slowly opened his eyes, gazed at his surroundings, and fell silent for a moment. He, had once again returned to the beginning of the instancethe storage room. Chapter 114 - 111 Huge Anomaly? "..." Su Qi stared at the familiar storage room and opened its door. He then saw those twelve ordinary people again, looking terrified at the small monster outside the glass... Alright. Back to square one. I came here for a killing spree in the new mode, why has it become similar to a solo instance? It seems like the others don''t have main quests. This intelligence from the Left Hand... the deviation is a bit too big. "No wonder people say you can''t trust things that are free, if the price is too low you fear it might bring disease." Su Qi silently regarded the scene before him. He was contemplating why everything had reset and started all over again. "In most games, this kind of situation usually happens when the player dies, the plot fails, or a key NPC dies, and then it resets to the beginning." Su Qi obviously hadn''t died, and if they were to go by the previous situation, they could have continued forward with the remaining people to a safe zone. So thinking over and over again, the death of a key character... maybe that was the reason for everything resetting. If following this line of thought. Then the question arises, "Who is that key character?" Among the twelve ordinary people, seven had died from the toxin stingers. Su Qi scrutinized them closely and found nothing special; he wasn''t in a hurry either... this time he switched to a bag of nuts, contaminated too but it didn''t affect the taste, and was more suited to Su Qi''s physical constitution. Then next, it was the standard procedure... The man arrived, killed the monster trying to break in, and led them to leave for the safe zone. "Is there any other route?" Su Qi asked. The man gave him a strange look, shaking his head, "No more, the nearest safe zone is only through this route." "Alright, but before we prepare to leave, I need to do something first." "?" The white-collar looked at Su Qi approaching him, a look of horror on his face. "Ah!" One minute later. The group once again cautiously stepped onto the street, the white-collar man looking sullenly at Su Qi, his phone already confiscated and turned off. "Big brother, does it taste good?" The little girl blinked her big Cardilan eyes again, her fair cheeks somewhat coy, gazing at the nuts in his hand. "This time it''s cicada pupa flavored." And soon. They were outside the shop again. "Be careful, keep silent, follow me and hide! Don''t make any noise!" The man''s commands were exact, even his tone was identical. Everyone started towards the only open shop on the side. Meanwhile. Su Qi had already moved the bicycle ahead of time, avoided the nails, and even laid the signboard down. "..." Everyone looked perplexed at Su Qi''s actions, then carefully entered the shop. Twenty seconds later. "Hush." The man extended his finger, and everyone fell silent... watching the street''s monster, they trembled. Just when Su Qi thought they had made it. "Bang!" Suddenly, a balloon in the shop burst! Everyone''s faces paled. Only Su Qi fell into silence: "...." This was no longer a mere coincidence, no acting involved. Or is this the rule? Things that are destined to happen, will indeed happen? What followed was naturally another fight, Su Qi going all out with his firepower... since it had happened already, just kill them straight. Good news, the monster was killed. Bad news, there were still casualties. Good news, two people died but it didn''t reset, indicating his guess was right, to protect the key character well. Bad news, they had lingered too long, attracting the surrounding monsters. "..." "What should we do?" The man couldn''t help but look at Su Qi. "What else can you do? Just keep your ID in your mouth." Su Qi looked at the dense crowd of monsters, knowing he had to go back, but before doing so... he decided to kill a few. He turned on the speakers and grabbed the Thunderclap Bone Shattering Hammer. It took about half a minute. Everyone was killed by the monsters, the timing of death and the reset''s twisted sensation clearly lagged. ... Su Qi found himself back in the storage room once more, sitting up from the darkness. He muttered softly, "As it stands, I must protect this key person, and I still don''t know if this reset will keep happening indefinitely." Of course, there was an even more brutal method, which was to do it himself, kill one by one, and find the person within one cycle. However, as a kind, gentle, sunny, cheerful young man, this went against his character setting. "Or should I let the monsters do it, more humane maybe?" Although Su Qi said this, he was already thinking of ways to break the situation, firstly to keep deaths to a minimum, and secondly to quickly deal with the fight. Once other monsters were alerted, it would naturally be extremely dangerous. The monsters in this fog seemed to be much more numerous than expected. Given that, he went through the process again... Su Qi clearly took it much more seriously, even switching his snacks to sugar. Watching the little girl hesitate to speak. Su Qi handed her a piece of candy: "Here, eat this." "Thank you, big brother." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "No need for thanks... pay me back next time, with one candy per day as interest." The middle-aged women couldn''t help but look towards Su Qi. Is this even human speech? The little girl, however, nodded seriously. The candy was stored in the Item Slot as a snack and wasn''t contaminated, and anything that stayed in Su Qi''s Item Slot was tasty. Soon. They arrived at the shop. Su Qi realized that these five monsters were an unavoidable checkpoint, with little chance to skip it. He might as well go all out instead of being constrained. "...What do you plan to do?" The man asked, noticing Su Qi with the speakers, his eyelids twitching. "Next, I''ll draw them away, and you all should use this time to enter a safe zone." The man''s face changed slightly, "But you... you''ll die." "Somebody has to make a sacrifice, right?" Su Qi patted his shoulder, his smile firm yet determined. The man watched, shocked, as Su Qi walked away from the shop, his eyes revealing complex emotions. Such a noble sacrifice! The little girl opened her mouth to speak, but the middle-aged woman quickly covered it. And the five monsters had already noticed Su Qi''s figure and rapidly attacked him, then he drew them away. The man growled, "Let''s hurry!" Despite his youth, he had such awareness... he absolutely couldn''t let him down. The little girl looked back one last time, but she couldn''t see anything through the fog. At this moment. Su Qi... was like a fish back in water. He could finally fight alone. As soon as he turned on the speakers, the Thunderclap Bone Shattering Hammer burst out with incredible strength, slaughtering wildly! The new mode was just a farming mode; it didn''t have many roundabout ways, but the biggest problem was Physical Strength. With a large number of monsters, continuous combat and bursts gave him an advantage, but if it went on too long, monsters would come from all directions, giving no chance to breathe. "Though I don''t know why a storyline has appeared here, I''ve already sent them through, and according to the timing, they should be reaching the safe zone soon." No reset meant they were still alive. After another five minutes, bodies surrounded Su Qi, he was panting slightly but his eyes were filled with exhilaration. His body was cleansed by liquid metal, though the Thunderclap Bone Shattering Hammer was stained with various blood and flesh. "One Monster equals one Spiritual Ability Point, currently just hit 50, this is harder to farm than I thought, there hasn''t been a reset so they must have entered the safe zone." At that moment. A prompt appeared in front of Su Qi. "[...]" "[...]" "Disconnected?" The servers of Abyssal Paradise are just like this? "Bang!" Su Qi smashed a monster that lunged at him into pulp, unsure of the situation. The disconnection was just a jest; after all, those who know understand that Abyssal Paradise isn''t just any ordinary game. And more messages slowly popped up. "[...please...note, a massive abnormality... has occurred in the world...players inhabit...]" "[The system... cannot... intervene...]" "[...please, players... find your own way to escape...]" Chapter 115 - 112: Cold Light on the Back! "Boom!" Su Qi slammed his hammer into the monster, retracting it as the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade appeared in his hand, and then he started to run forward. He opened the exit interface, and sure enough, the force quit option had turned grey. "What is this massive abnormality? And how do I escape? Give me some hints, System Bro!" Thankfully, the system hadn''t completely disconnected and was transmitting information painfully over a 2G network. [It is... Catastrophe... Chaos... Master of Destruction.... in this world....] [Please make good use of... reset...] [Kill it or....] You list such an imposing title? It sounds like a formidable existence, and then you want me... a newbie who just reached level 20 and hasn''t even entered society, to take it down? And be clearer about that last part, dammit! The system''s signal was severely blocked, and it disconnected for a little while. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Add.....] Su Qi''s eyes lit up, add what? [Add... fuel] [...] The system completely lost connection, and the prompt box slowly faded. "?" Su Qi felt the need to report the Paradise System''s glitch. "But." As Su Qi ran, he cut through a monster''s belly with his blade, dodging the gushing blood. [You have gained 1 Spiritual Ability Point, currently 57] "At least this prompt is still here." The system isn''t up to par, he''d have to rely on hacks. Su Qi was heading towards the Safe Zone; he still lacked enough information. The previous questions hadn''t provided much crucial content about this entity representing Catastrophe and Chaos, the Master of Destruction. And... make good use of the reset cycle? That seemed to be to his advantage. Su Qi hurried along. He had received plenty of clues from a man earlier, naturally including the address of the Safe Zone. It was a high school. At first, Su Qi was surprised by the choice of a school for the Safe Zone, but when he arrived... seeing the high enclosed walls and the cables prohibited from climbing. He thought. This place wasn''t a bad choice. "Who!" Someone at a high spot near the gate, raised a spear towards the fog, then his eyelids twitched... just as he spotted Su Qi coming! "It''s a survivor! Open the gate!" The gate was a fortified, heavy iron door, pushed open by both electricity and manpower, creating a small opening. As Su Qi turned back to look at the fog. A guard called out with a hint of urgency, "What are you doing? Come inside quickly." Su Qi spoke emotionally, "I never thought I''d step into a school again; it feels like I''m suddenly back in my school days, so it''s a bit emotionally complex." Guard: "..." Complex my ass! Su Qi shifted his gaze, having felt a chilling presence at his back, albeit momentarily... he had caught it, but couldn''t see any figures in the fog when he looked back. Su Qi stepped inside the gate, and the heavy door shut with a thunk. "Were there other survivors who just arrived?" Su Qi looked at the guard and asked. The guard appeared surprised as he looked at Su Qi, "You were with them, right, the guy who volunteered to be the bait?" Su Qi quirked an eyebrow, "You''ve heard my story too?" The guard nodded, "Everyone thought you were dead, but that little girl said you would survive and asked me to keep a close watch on the gate." Not bad. It was worth loaning you that candy. The guard sized up Su Qi, still somewhat incredulous, "So how did you survive? Even for an Enhancer, facing an assault from two or three monsters is deadly, not to mention being chased down the streets." Su Qi held up two fingers, "Just a little bit lucky." He entered the school, which wasn''t very large, consisting only of two classroom buildings and an auditorium. Everyone was gathered inside the tightly closed auditorium. "The fog... it''s getting worse." "Can we even survive?" "Why has it come to this!" There were many survivors in the auditorium, about two hundred people, all lethargic and dismayed, an air of despair as if awaiting a disaster. "You...." A man who had been talking in the distance suddenly saw Su Qi and quickly walked over with a look of surprise, "You''re actually still alive." Su Qi: "Where are they?" The man stretched out his hand and pointed: "Over there resting, undergoing examination and treatment." Several nurses were carrying medical kits, drawing blood from each person. "Examination..." Su Qi asked, "Examination of what?" Before this, he hadn''t had much time to learn about the situation; now, there was an opportunity to talk. The man appeared surprised: "You don''t know? It''s been a month since the fog first burst forth. There was an announcement on the internet before the fog descended widely." He said incredulously, "You couldn''t be a reclusive otaku, could you?" How rude. "Firstly, it''s quite normal not to go out in such creepy fog, and..." Su Qi spoke calmly, "My home internet has been really bad recently." I''m not naming names. Paradise System. Su Qi planned to skip this part and update his own information first. Although the man found it odd, he began to tell the story. Su Qi listened carefully and understood more. The fog had descended three times. A month ago, two weeks ago, and now, each time lasting five days. Initially... one could still wrestle by using various heavy weapons for suppression. But by the second time, it was completely uncontrollable. Because these monsters seemed endless, impossible to kill. They gathered continuously upon hearing noises, and they became stronger as time passed. Many survivors could only defend from strongholds, gathering all the enhanced fighting forces in the fog. "Ordinary people who stay in the fog too long might exhibit dangerous symptoms. Earlier, many did not die at the hands of the monsters but perished in the fog." After hearing this, Su Qi was certain... the fog was a manifestation of Pollution, and it had also produced many Pollution Abnormalities. There must be a Pollution Source not inferior to the previous bud. Every Pollution Source carried different abilities and indications, representing the primal Pollution Power with great expansiveness, danger, and uncontrollability. "I finally have some idea." Su Qi pondered, "Just don''t know how this is connected to that so-called Catastrophe Destruction, and the reset cycle... what kind of ability is this?" At that moment. They had already seen him, their eyes slightly brightened. With hearty warmth, Blonde raised his hand, "...Bro, you''re still alive!" Su Qi walked over, his gaze sweeping the group; these twelve people had all survived, among them a key figure. He began to carefully look at the question marks over each person''s head. Information changed every ten seconds... The girl wearing earrings, a somewhat silent middle-aged man, a reserved old lady. He took an unexpected look at a long-haired youth, who turned out to be a crossdresser in private. Trouble. It seemed none of them were simple. The man also came over, smiling and speaking to the others, "Next, rest up well. We will guard this place, not letting the monsters in. Just hold out for a few days, and we should be able to see the light again." Su Qi''s gaze shifted to the fog outside the window: "Is that so? I doubt it." "The duration of the fog lasts longer each day, and the monsters grow stronger each time. I fear the next fog will spell the doom for the entire city." Su Qi noticed that the information about the man was accurate; these Enhancers had been anxious about this issue recently. The monsters were much stronger than the previous two versions, and they were about to break down. The man: "..." He was well aware of these facts too. You young man, can''t you see I''m trying to keep everyone calm? Noticing the alarmed and fearful glances from the crowd. The man sighed deeply, his tone solemn as he grasped the knife in his hand: "Don''t worry... We have some leads already." "This time, we will completely resolve the source of the fog!" At this statement. Su Qi, however, suddenly paused because, in that instant, he felt a chilling spike at his back, an unconscious reaction when one''s spiritual power reached a certain threshold... ? Su Qi sensed something was amiss, without any hesitation, at the last moment, his gaze flicked to the group. Then. The entire scene twisted and reversed! Next moment. Su Qi appeared... outside the iron door, the surrounding fog letting him realize he had reset again. The guard once again raised their weapon, warily calling out to someone. The familiar scene did not prompt Su Qi to respond. He was silent. One question dominated his mind. Why? Chapter 116 - 113 Master of Destruction Appears! Everything happened too suddenly and inexplicably. This time, everyone was there and they were all safe... Why did it suddenly reset? "It''s the survivors! Quick, open the door!" Su Qi stepped into the safe zone again. He stood outside the grand hall and pushed the door open. He remembered that before the reset, he felt a chilly stabbing pain in his back. This time, Su Qi did not seek the man to gather information, although he came forward to greet him, but Su Qi''s gaze still scanned the twelve people. He believed... the key to everything lay among these twelve people. It was the same old routine. The nurse began to prepare to examine them; after all, they had been in the fog for too long. Mild symptoms could be alleviated... Once polluted, it would be too late. And it was at this moment. Su Qi noticed a detail he had not seen before. Five people refused to have their blood drawn, indicating there was nothing wrong with thema middle-aged woman, a white-collar worker, a blond, a bearded uncle with a hat, and a young girl. They all claimed they had no abnormal symptoms, and the little girl was also skipped under the middle-aged woman''s refusal. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Faced with this situation. Su Qi pondered, because from the [?] above the heads of the five people, he saw information. The young girl, because she was afraid of pain... did not want to have her blood drawn. The other four had [secrets they didn''t want others to know] White-collar, middle-aged woman, bearded uncle. He strode over, held back the nurse who was about to leave, and looked at these five people: "It would be best to have a blood test." "But we don''t have any symptoms." Under the nurse''s stunned gaze, Su Qi calmly opened the box, looking for a syringe, and shook his head, "... Among the monsters we encountered before, there was one that could spit out poisonous gas. This gas is colorless and odorless, with a latent nature. Ordinary people like you won''t notice it right away, but if ignored for too long, it will burst." His words left everyone looking stunned, and a man nearby came over and was surprised as well since he did not know about such a monster. And the nurse couldn''t help saying, "We can handle this kind of thing." "No worries, I''m a professional." Su Qi''s movements were swift; each step was performed without any sluggishness, very professional and skilled. Hearing him say this, the few people couldn''t help but tremble with fear. Despite their fear of pain, they still extended their arms. The blond and white-collar were hesitant, but considering their lives, they too extended their arms, revealing densely packed needle marks. Now, Su Qi knew why these two didn''t want their blood drawn. The bearded uncle also slowly extended his arm, his gaze calm as he appraised Su Qi, his profound eyes as if measuring him. The bearded uncle''s voice was deep, speaking in a barely audible tone with a hint of chill, slowly saying: "Young man, you better be careful when you draw blood." "Hmm, why is that?" Su Qi narrowed his eyes, ready to switch the syringe for a dagger at any moment! But the bearded uncle''s gaze was somewhat cautious, glanced around to make sure no one was listening, paused, and then whispered, "Because, I have AIDS." "..." Su Qi considered whether to just pull out his Hundred Man Slaughter Blade and kill him right then. When it was the middle-aged woman''s turn, she too extended her arm without hesitation or questioning... Instead... the little girl suddenly spoke up, "Big brother, can you not draw my mom''s blood?" "Don''t worry, he''s not hurting your mom... just regular blood draw..." The nurse, seeming quite fond of the adorable porcelain doll-like little girl, comforted her warmly, even trying to reach out and pat her little head. And. The little girl stepped back to avoid it. Su Qi continued his smooth actions without any hesitation, "Little friend, if I don''t do this, the poison gas will cause your mom to die." The little girl fell into silence and did not speak again. Su Qi approached the middle-aged woman with the syringe, and just as he was about to inject her! A sudden chill swept over his heart! The middle-aged woman held a dagger in her other hand, fiercely stabbing upwards from below! Without any hesitation, Su Qi crushed the syringe and pulled out his Hundred Man Slaughter Blade! He held it in front of his chest! "Bang!" Su Qi''s palm felt numb, her strength comparable to those monsters. It seemed he had finally found the right person. He said with a smile, "Auntie, I was kindly helping you draw blood, but you wanted to bleed me instead?" This noise also attracted the attention of others. The middle-aged woman... her eyes fixedly stared at Su Qi, seemingly convinced that he was the root of all trouble, "You... damned ant, why meddle in affairs!" Su Qi narrowed his eyes. Because he noticed some red spots in the woman''s eyes, numerous patterns inside seemed about to break free! A deadly sense of danger seemed about to burst from within! Without any hesitation, he raised his blade and charged directly at her! And the next moment! "Die!" The middle-aged woman burst out with a low roar! A terrifying force, accompanied by a shocking spiritual impact, swept around from her as the center! And everyone in the hall... under this impact, they all bled from every orifice, their heads bursting apart, including the Enhancers who fell down convulsing! Everyone died! Su Qi, being closest to her, was directly the main target of the impact! Not only that, he was also blown away by the strong air wave! [Spiritual power -50, current spiritual power 575] Such astonishing spiritual damage! This was different from spiritual pollution, which had a continuous, Twisted effect; the attack the middle-aged woman used was a tangible burst! Not likely? You''re so strong, how did you just die to that monster''s poison stinger? After releasing this move, the middle-aged woman gasped heavily, her body patterns faintly flickering as she looked outwards with a somber gaze, "We must leave here immediately! Those things are coming!" The little girl, looking at the bodies and the bloody scene, silently nodded. "Leave..." Su Qi''s voice made the middle-aged woman''s eyes tremble as she turned her head and found that Su Qi was using the knife to support himself from the ground, unharmed, and brushed off the dust, "It sounds like you''re hiding from something..." The middle-aged woman was shocked, "Why aren''t you hurt!" "Because... I listen to ''Netease Cloud Music,'' my spiritual power is different from ordinary people." As Su Qi said this. His body had already charged again under the startled gaze of the middle-aged woman! He realized that her physical combat ability and body were very fragile, but she possessed incredibly high spiritual attacks! But it seemed to come at a cost to use that power. Had it not been for his high level of Spiritual Attribute, he probably would have died instantly from the recent burst. He needed to stop her from using more power first, then figure out what was going on. And just as Su Qi rapidly closed in, about to strike the middle-aged woman with his blade. A Twisted feeling suddenly overwhelmed him. Su Qi''s form faltered, his gaze shifting to the little girl beside him; once innocent, she now wore no expression, her eyes giving Su Qi a chill of ice-cold severity, as if she had been swapped entirely. At the same moment. Above her head, the question mark also displayed information. [Represents catastrophe, chaos... Master of Destruction] Chapter 117 - 114: Be a Human! The surrounding scenes were slowly rewinding. After a brief blink. Su Qi found himself back in front of the iron gate. Standing in the mist, Su Qi greeted the guard, "Nice to see you again, brother." The guard, holding his weapon, said nothing. Have we met before? He shouted, "It''s a survivor! Quick, open the gate!" After entering the safe zone, Su Qi did not rush into the hall. He started to rapidly brainstorm and analyze. The little girl was the so-called Master of Destruction, the big boss... It seemed she only had the ability to reset and lacked formidable combat strength; she was also very fragile. And that middle-aged woman was clearly her protector, possessing extraordinary strength, but she was also extremely fragile. And from the recent situation, it seemed they were hiding from something? "What to do now," kicked a pebble by the roadside, Su Qi opened his panel; his spiritual power wouldn''t recover even after the reset, adding some risks he needed to consider. The system advised to kill the little girl to escape from here. This difficulty didn''t seem small; the middle-aged woman was always close to the little girl, and judging from the previous situations, once any crisis or mental stimulation occurred, the girl, as the Master of Destruction, seemed to activate her ability and reset everything. "And she doesn''t seem to have any related memories." Su Qi recalled his previous conversations with the little girl who hadn''t shown any signs of having prior memories; otherwise, she wouldn''t keep asking about his snacks repeatedly. "Let''s not startle them this time, but understand the situation." He pushed open the door to the hall. Just then. Su Qi clearly saw the middle-aged woman giving him a wary look. "?" Did she have memories from before the reset? No. She hadn''t shown it in the previous instances. And it was only caution, not filled with murderous intent like before. Pretending not to see it... Su Qi strode past, this time not doing anything to disrupt the process. He had decided to start with the big boss. "Did you like the candy just now?" "Mmm," the little girl nodded innocently, a stark contrast from her behavior before the reset. "Want some more?" Su Qi felt like he was being a creepy old man. The little girl''s eyes lit up. But the middle-aged woman stopped him, whispering, "Sorry, she can''t eat too much sugar." "How about... ice cream?" The little girl''s eyes lit up again. The middle-aged woman intervened again, "That''s too cold." "New Delhi wafers?" The middle-aged woman: "..." How much food do you carry with you? She saw hope in the little girl''s eyes. The middle-aged woman forcefully ignored this, pressing her forehead, "Sorry, she doesn''t like wafers." The little girl: "..." Su Qi snapped his fingers, "Hot pot, hot pot surely works." ? That''s even more preposterous. The middle-aged woman couldn''t help but grimace, "If you can bring out a hot pot, I....." She stopped talking, silently watching as Su Qi took out a self-heating hot pot still smoking, which he had soaked previously at the club but never got a chance to eat, so he put it in the Item Slot, any state it goes in, it comes out the same. "...." Su Qi lifted the lid, and the aroma instantly made everyone''s eyes widen... The scent of hot pot was such a temptation to the starving crowd! Even the little girl, the Master of Destruction, stood there dumbfounded! The middle-aged woman''s eyes slightly focused, an odd strength gathering, unnoticed by others, she looked at the food without detecting any poison or tampering. She quietly sighed, "Go ahead and eat." Su Qi watched as the little girl obediently picked up the chopsticks but didn''t start eating right away, instead looking at him attentively, as if wanting to say something. Su Qi snapped his fingers, "Don''t worry, put it on the tab." The little girl finally relaxed and started to use her chopsticks. Everyone: "...." Be human, will you? At this moment, the middle-aged woman was also unsure of Su Qi''s intentions. She cautiously sized up Su Qi... while also staying alert. The notebook she carried had reset twice at this place, and the new content warned to be cautious of this young man. Anyway, once they finished eating, she would try her best to prevent him from contacting her Family Head. However, The very next moment, Su Qi pulled out a chessboard: "Wanna play chess? I''ll teach you?" "????" Where did that come from! After the little girl finished eating, she looked curiously at the chessboard and then nodded her head. The middle-aged woman watched blankly as the two played Chinese chess. The girl understood the rules immediately, but Su Qi was unconsciously ruthless, beginning his merciless onslaught without hesitation. "You lost... General," Su Qi said with a hint of a smile. The little girl felt somewhat unconvinced, blinking rapidly, "Put it on the tab. Let''s play again." Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi snapped his fingers, "Sure, you''ve got the spirit." However, By the third game, Su Qi started to be surprised. This little girl was incredibly perceptive, mastering all the logic in just two games, transforming from a beginner into a terrifying chess master. Worthy of being the Master of Destruction, this talent... almost catching up to his own! After a fierce battle, The little girl was barely defeated by Su Qi. She puffed her cheeks, "Again! Next time I''ll definitely win." Yet Su Qi calmly packed up the chessboard and said with a smile, "Got bored of this, let''s play something else." Then the little girl saw Su Qi pulling out a deck of Poker cards, starting to explain the rules anew, and she listened intently, blinking. "Got it?" "Got it." "Then let''s continue." After Su Qi won several times, as expected, the little girl grasped everything and reached an outrageous level. Yet again, Su Qi ended the game, pulling out other game tools. No asking why Su Qi had so much random stuff. His 20 Item Slots almost half were filled with various bizarre things. "...." The middle-aged woman silently watched the scene unfold. The guy... didn''t seem like a bad person, nor a good one, more like a jerk. Who gambles with a little girl like this, and the whole time... not playing fair, switching games once he felt she was becoming an equal opponent! Unabashedly shameless, not even turning red or skipping a beat, isn''t this bullying my innocent and naive Family Head? Still keeping tabs? He couldn''t be serious, right? The middle-aged woman watched as the two were now playing PSP online, the little girl''s eyes twinkling. She had curses she couldn''t express. Meanwhile, on Su Qi''s side, through various games, he had judged that the little girl, albeit the Master of Destruction, was not dangerous, and the middle-aged woman beside her... indeed had no memory of the earlier warnings. Otherwise, she would never have let her converse with him. If the middle-aged woman knew what Su Qi was thinking, she would definitely roar, "Did I let you? Did I let you?" "I''ve been blocking for so long!" "You damn well didn''t see anything, did you!" And just then, Su Qi''s expression suddenly paused... The Paradise System seemed to have come online again, reconnecting, remembering there was still a player trapped here. It also sent out intermittent messages. [.....Forbidden power... just burst... you need to be careful... the existence of the Master of Destruction... must not die by her hand....] Its message abruptly ended. [....] It looked at the scene unfolding and silently issued a symbol. [?] Chapter 118 - 115 This is the bill for the enforcer of the Hustlers Sect Hierarch [...] The Paradise System was straining the CPU a bit. As one of the intelligent pre-warning solutions, it took over in various abnormal situations and urgently handled the abnormal states. It just didn''t anticipate... the players, who should have been at a loss, were now leisurely playing games.... After a brief downtime. It didn''t forget its duties, though connection was unstable and time brief, it had to provide a way out. [....Player has triggered mission escape] [This instance is collided by abnormal forces, you need to find and kill the Spiritual Body of the Master of Destruction or solve the Mist Source] [Note: The Master of Destruction disappeared a thousand years ago, its Spiritual Body in this instance does not possess great strength, but it has the ability to reset] [Note: Before the mission is complete, if a player dies, it will trigger the final mechanism (please do your utmost to survive)] [Blessings have been provided for the player.....] Su Qi''s eyelid twitched; he still needed to find it? It seems the other side didn''t realize that the little girl next to him was the Master of Destruction... He also sensed a dangerous and ominous scent from the last note. A final mechanism? Could it be... death in reality too? [...] The Paradise System went offline again, intermittently breaking. Su Qi watched as the message box slowly disappeared, and he realized he had gained something. [Paradise Blessings: Player''s resistances increased to 80%, any fatal damage received by the player is reduced by 80%, all consumption reduced by 80%] [Note: The power of Paradise cannot penetrate too much, please rely on the blessings to escape quickly] "It''s clear, they''re doing their utmost to keep me alive, and perhaps something bad is about to happen." Su Qi pressed on the game console while he began to ponder. This time. Paradise finally gave all the information and blessings, and he knew he had another path aside from killing the little girl before him: dealing with the source of the mist pollution. "From the recent information, it''s a collision of two abnormal forces." "One must be this Master of Destruction, and the other... the Mist Source, those continuous monsters are also fleeing from being hunted," Su Qi squinted. This matter... wasn''t as complicated as it seemed. It was just two camps, and now his two methods of escape, killing the little girl and dealing with the Mist Source, were actually about choosing sides. Just who powered the Mist Source? Recalling the pollution, Su Qi always had an ominous feeling. In that case. Su Qi slowly turned the game console and looked towards the little girl, he gently spoke: "Xiran, little friend, pause for a moment; big brother has something important to say." Although they had been playing the game continuously, Su Qi and she had maintained occasional conversation, disrupting each other''s concentration during focus, and drawing out quite a lot of information. Though maybe a bit too much for a little girl. But for the Master of Destruction, Su Qi felt it was necessary. The little girl... her innocent eyes were no longer there, her pupils cold, she bit her teeth a bit explosively at Su Qi: "I... was about to win..." The middle-aged woman was somewhat astonished. As she noticed the girl''s aura and strength were somewhat recovering... achieving such a degree, either she had taken fatal damage or was stimulated emotionally. "....." This bastard has pushed their own master to what state! However, Su Qi shook his head, softly smiling: "You''re mistaken, the outcome of winning or losing is not important, what''s important is the fun experienced during the game." The little girl paused. That kind of makes sense. The dangerous aura disappeared in a blink of an eye. "So that''s how it is, I understand now." She blankly nodded. He patted the little girl''s head, smilingly said: "The student is teachable." The middle-aged woman''s fingers trembled. She was already thinking about stepping in. As Su Qi saw the middle-aged woman''s movements clearly, to him, the most difficult issue was still this middle-aged woman, who had been cautious towards him before. Now, her hostility was probably greater. Little did she know her hostility stemmed from... her own master being completely fooled! "So, what is this important matter?" the little girl asked curiously. But the middle-aged woman had already come over, pulling the little girl closer, chuckling nervously: "Thank you for playing with her, I''ll take her to the restroom now." Su Qi: "Should I join?" "????" "I mean to go to the men''s restroom...nevermind, you guys go." Su Qi felt they wanted to escape, but seeing the information over the middle-aged woman''s head. [She wants to instruct her master not to interact too much with you, not to fall for your tricks again...] So it was a preventive measure. Su Qi wasn''t in a hurry, he still had many steps before figuring out who the opposing faction was. Approximately five minutes after the middle-aged woman took the little girl away, they returned. It seems quite a bit was said. Yet, upon her return, the middle-aged woman squinted at Su Qi, noticing he was writing something in a notebook: "What are you doing?" "Keeping accounts." Su Qi casually replied, causing the middle-aged woman''s face to darken. You specifically said winning or losing isn''t important! They were about to sit down, albeit slightly further apart. Just then. There was a sudden violent collision sound from outside the academy! ''Boom!'' The noise outside the iron gate was loud, the Enhancers in the main hall looked tense: "Everyone, take shelter inside, other Enhancers follow me!" Su Qi also noticed the middle-aged woman''s expression become serious and slightly pale, seemingly sensing the danger. He knew something big was coming. The middle-aged woman spoke seriously to the little girl''s ear before grabbing her hand: "Let''s go!" She was about to turn away with the little girl. The little girl suddenly grabbed at the hem of the person''s clothing and pointed at Su Qi, "He... Big Brother is a good person..." The middle-aged woman: "..." A good person my ass! Master! You''re being sold and yet you''re throwing in extra money! She stared at the corner of the cloth that the little girl was grasping and finally sighed helplessly, looking at Su Qi with some gritted teeth, "You should leave too, things are about to get very dangerous here." Before entering the academy, the middle-aged woman had set up some kind of tool which had probably been triggered; swarms of monsters were about to breach the place, and those Enhancers wouldn''t be able to hold them off. That''s all she said. They quickly left through the back door of the auditorium and headed towards another exit at the school. "We have to leave quickly, these monsters seem to be following us," the middle-aged woman worriedly said, "Is it because of the power used before the reset? Otherwise, why would so many come all at once?" The phrases on the notebook hardly described the full picture before the reset, and if it had been detected, they were in trouble. And just as they were about to leave. "So you think you can take the back route? I''d advise against that." Su Qi''s voice appeared behind them. The middle-aged woman''s eyes shifted slightly, staring at Su Qi with a hint of danger, "Are you trying to stop us?" Su Qi, seeing her wary demeanor, shook his head and pointed towards the mist, "That way is also a dead end." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "?" The middle-aged woman was still puzzled. The next moment. From the mist, three giant monsters wielding giant axes appeared in their line of sight. And they smashed through the towering walls! Their eyes blazing red with the scent of death, they stared at the little girl and charged directly towards her! "As expected, they''ve been targeted." Su Qi muttered to himself watching the scene unfold. "Damn it!" The middle-aged woman shouted angrily, shielding the little girl; runes appeared in her eyes, suggesting her body wasn''t her real form. Using her power, her blood vessels continuously ruptured, and her body shook uncontrollably. "It seems your power... comes at a price, a price that can''t be restored by a reset." Su Qi''s voice struck like thunder, leaving the middle-aged woman stunned and hysterically furious! "You... how do you know about... resets!!!" "Don''t ask; it''s just an exceptional talent." Su Qi rushed forward wielding the Bone-Breaking Hammer! She was frightened and angry! She was about to burst! "You..." "What ''you''? Keep your crappy power, I''ll handle the rest." In that moment, Su Qi leapt into the air, his Magic Cube Skill activated, drawing one monster into his Domain first, then blinding another... The other stood still, swinging its axe wildly as he shot the Blood Sword Card at it three bloodthirsty swords appeared around! The last one! He brought down his hammer hard, and thunder coursed through the entire monster''s body! The greater the strength, the more powerful the thunder triggered! "Boom!" The middle-aged woman watched blankly. His power, though not impressive to her, resembled a superhero in this world, given all the restrictions! "Swish!" Su Qi swiftly moved back, not wasting a moment. He had to quickly deal with the last monster... for who knew what other dangers the mist held! And just then. That icy piercing sensation attacked again, Su Qi''s eyes narrowed! A humanoid monster covered in compound eyes was in the distant mist, sending terrifying glances! But that wasn''t important. What mattered was the patterns in its pupils... Each one spinning with the all-too-familiar totems! "Die.... Die.... Die...." A strange voice continuously exploded! And this wasn''t just spiritual impact! The surrounding mist actually transformed into blades! Like piercing the body, slashing and chopping... Each cut leaving a bloody mark down to the bone! Su Qi...finally understood why Brother Paradise had buffed him. With an 80% damage immunity. His vitality was still dropping at a rate of 5% per second! The monsters in the mist were relentless, with many Elite Monsters! "All this just to kill the Master of Destruction...?" Su Qi looked towards the little girl. The middle-aged woman was bleeding from her orifices, her body cracked, but she had enveloped both of them in a shield, while other monsters from the mist surged towards them furiously. Her face turned pale. The notebook on her person emitted a faint glimmer, seemingly recording something. The little girl, in contrast, showed no fear; her ponytail loosened, her hair wild and her eyes cold as she stretched out her small hand. "Reset!" Feeling the twisting sensation around him. Su Qi, at the last moment, abandoned the idea of resorting to his "Unrivaled" move, a skill that could only be used once in an instance; a reset would naturally make it unusable again, and he didn''t want to waste it here. Boom! The entire scene around him twisted! The blades formed from mist retreated! Su Qi felt the twisting happen much more briefly this time. The next moment. He knew why, because he now found himself not near the metal gates. But inside the auditorium, in front of a paused gaming console. The little girl still looked up curiously and asked: "So, what was the important thing?" The middle-aged woman was already coming over, intending to take the little girl for ideological work. This time, Su Qi wasn''t about to give her the chance. He smiled, patted the little girl''s head: "Of course, it''s..." "About whether or not you can repay your debts in the future." Chapter 119 - 116 We Must Clear It In One Life Middle-aged woman: "..." She grabbed the little girl, "Let''s go, I''ll take you to the bathroom." The middle-aged woman felt uneasy, it seemed there had been another reset, and there was new content in her notebook. It read, "This place is extremely dangerous, leave immediately!" At the same time, There was another note, "This person named Su Buxian is a thief and a scoundrel who deceives and kidnaps children, but he seems trustworthy." She found it hard to understand how such conflicting assessments could coexist in the same person! What had happened in the last reset? Wasn''t I supposed to be wary of him? The middle-aged woman couldn''t figure it out. But she had decided to take the little girl and leave immediately. Su Qi watched the two of them and softly said, "Let''s talk, otherwise you''ll die once you leave." As soon as he said this, The middle-aged woman''s eyes suddenly turned cold, and she fiercely stared at Su Qi, pulling the little girl behind her, her aura suddenly intensifying, "What are you talking about!" Su Qi shrugged, "In five minutes, monsters will flood this place like a tide, and there are also other Elite Monsters waiting all around. With a body on the verge of collapse, where can you possibly run?" The middle-aged woman was stunned, "How do you know all this!" "Because... I just experienced a reset," Su Qi said with a light smile, tossing out the words as if they were weightless. No matter how lightly spoken, those words struck the middle-aged woman like lightning. She turned deathly pale, ready to flee with the little girl! In her view... the so-called external monsters were far less terrifying than a person who could retain his memory through a reset! "Why run..." Su Qi muttered, appearing in front of the two, "Running without calmness will only harm you." The middle-aged woman clenched her teeth, staring hard at Su Qi, "Who exactly are you? If you are an enemy, I will take you down with me!" Su Qi looked at her as if she were an idiot, "Use that walnut-sized brain of yours and think, if I were an enemy, why would I tell you any of this." The middle-aged woman was at a loss for words. However, the little girl tugged at her sleeve, "I think Brother Su makes sense." Middle-aged woman: "..." "But..." "No more buts, we''re running out of time." Su Qi casually snapped his fingers, "Let''s find a quiet place first, and let me tell you what exactly happened before the last reset." About a minute later. The middle-aged woman looked dazed, "You''re saying at the last moment... you saved us? And even made a promise?" Su Qi nodded, "Of course, I am... the hired hitman you paid a hefty price for." His previous statements had not changed, except for some minor tweaks at the end. After all, she wouldn''t remember anything after the reset, so why not mess with it? And since Su Qi had decided to address the source of the mist, he naturally stood with the little girl... the Master of Destruction. After all. She possessed the formidable power of the Evil God! He couldn''t control that! The middle-aged woman looked suspicious, not fully convinced yet, but the little girl nodded, "I believe... Big Brother is a good person." A belated acknowledgment of goodwill. Su Qi nodded in satisfaction, "Good, you have good judgment." Middle-aged woman took a deep breath, "Alright... I''ll reveal some information to you, someone is after a treasure on my person..." Su Qi, "...Stop making things up." He pointed at the little girl, "She''s the so-called Master of Destruction, right, with the ability to reset things, you are her Protector, hiding from the power of the Mist Source, and this body is still..." Listening to Su Qi''s clear words one after another, the middle-aged woman looked shocked and almost shouted, "How the hell do you know all this!" "I''ve said it before, sincerity is the best weapon, don''t waste time and trust anymore, just tell the truth, there''s nothing I, Brother Su, haven''t seen." The middle-aged woman took a deep breath, a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes, "...Mortals shouldn''t be too arrogant, the world is vast." "Standing before you... is an entity beyond your imagination, the great Master of Destruction..." She suddenly found herself unable to continue. Because Su Qi was pinching the little girl''s cheek, "So, esteemed Master of Destruction, why are you so weak right now?" The little girl, unlike before where she dodged the nurses, softly spoke, "I don''t know... Xiran said I am a soul entity, my real power is asleep somewhere in an ancient land... She wants to take me back there... to restart an era." The middle-aged woman''s eyes widened. Although her master had no memory, she was rather blunt to be spilling all this! "So Xiran is your name," Su Qi looked towards the middle-aged woman; that was the name the little girl had given when he asked. The middle-aged woman coldly said, "Your Highness''s real name... how could it be casually told to you... a mere mortal couldn''t handle it." And so Su Qi understood. Because this wasn''t the first time he''d come across such a thing, in Lin Yuan Land, the bishop... sought to leave the Ancient Battlefield and revive, which actually wasn''t much different from this current Master of Destruction. The only difference was... the opponent had turned into Evil God. "The source of the mist is an entity of the same rank as Her Highness, although sealed in the Abyss, it nonetheless does not wish to see our master recover, pressing against the seal and exerting its power on this world to keep us from leaving, and it has unleashed numerous monsters to hunt us." "So..." the middle-aged woman paused, looking at Su Qi, "once you decide to help us, you will also be plunged into this disaster, and targeted by that horrific existence." "After hearing all this, do you still have the courage to help Her Highness?" Su Qi, "..." Heh... heh... Should I scoop out my eyeballs to show you? If it weren''t for Evil God being the opponent, I probably wouldn''t even take this job! Undeterred, Su Qi declared, "Since I''ve promised, I must see it through, especially since if you''re gone, where would I even send the bill?" "..." Others always leave something unsaid. But you, so unabashedly and shamelessly spell it all out. The middle-aged woman looked at Su Qi and sighed, "The problem now is, the place we want to leave... is right through the channel where the Mist Source originates, probably teeming with more monsters, and dangers greater in both degree and strength. Can you truly help us?" "Now... it''s time to use the hidden technique." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi softly declared. The middle-aged woman stunned, "What''s that?" The little girl''s eyes sparkled, "I know this... just now in the arcade game King of Fighters, Brother Su used it. He not only had infinite energy and couldn''t be beaten, but in the end, he pulled out a rocket launcher. He said this was the secret technique he painstakingly trained and obtained through hard work." "..." Angry, the middle-aged woman looked at Su Qi, "Have you no shame!" "That''s not important..." Su Qi calmly said, "Anyway, this secret technique can only be used once, and can''t be used again after a reset." "So next." His tone slightly serious and his gaze piercing, he gently said with a smile: "We need to clear this with one life!" Chapter 120 - 117 The Show Begins (Sorry Its a Bit Late) The little girl and the middle-aged woman both stared at Su Qi in a daze. They were still not quite used to it. When he got serious, he seemed somewhat reliable. "But..." the middle-aged woman said gravely, "if it truly comes to a moment that endangers your highness, don''t hesitate at all, just activate..." The little girl paused, then shook her head, "I won''t reset." The middle-aged woman was shocked, "Your Highness, why?" "Because he has never lost." "???" The middle-aged woman''s eyes widened. That counts as never losing? Every time they reached a standstill, the opponent would cheat! How could that even work? Su Qi gave the little girl a surprised look. Truly worthy of being the Master of Destruction. Although the little girl had no memory, she could see more clearly than others. It wasn''t that he had never lost... but that in any situation, Su Qi would never allow himself to be at a disadvantage! He narrowed his eyes and patted the stunned middle-aged woman, "Even without her memory, she is much smarter than you." The middle-aged woman: "..." She didn''t understand, but a bleak sentiment arose in her heart as she was stabbed in the back. "You all should know the location of the Mist Source," Su Qi said. "We have it..." The middle-aged woman finally took out that notebook, the notebook''s cover featured a totem, which Su Qi hadn''t seen before... In the previous bizarre battlefield, there were many totems, each representing a devotee of a Transcendence Series being. Yet the followers of the Master of Destruction did not seem to be among them. "It''s in this direction." The middle-aged woman looked into the distance, her expression slightly grave, "Lastly, I remind you, the people who descended here in this chase might also be formidable enemies, restricted by the laws of this world, they definitely cannot exert their true strength." "And what about you?" Su Qi turned to the middle-aged woman. "Can you be of any use?" "Look who you''re talking to!" The middle-aged woman snorted coldly, "As long as we get closer to the channel of the Mist Source, I can also exert more strength." She then suddenly bit her teeth, "If it weren''t for the power burst that seemed to reset earlier, even without you, I could have taken Your Highness out!" "I don''t even know what enemy we encountered that forced me to burst prematurely!" Su Qi: "..." He coughed, "Little ones, prepare to set off." ----------------- At this moment. The Mist Source... a channel sprawling across the street stirred with waves of ripples. There was a massive figure, three meters tall, with a body rotting and emitting an extreme stench, its entire face was full of horrific sores, each breath out was filled with deadly poison. Beside him was a young man with slightly sinister eyes, wearing a gas mask. He spoke with a degree of respect, looking at the decaying entity before him. "Respected Plague Baron, a surge in strength has been detected at that school location, it seems they are hiding there, we''ve basically locked down the location, won''t you go there yourself?" The Plague Baron let out a bizarre laugh, "A mere Descender like you, teaching me what to do?" "I dare not..." The young man quickly lowered his head. The Plague Baron''s body emitted a foul stench, his bodily fluids like sulfuric acid, dripping onto the ground and corroding the concrete road, making a sizzling sound: Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "They want to leave this world, naturally, they must go through this passage here, and... I''m guarding here, what''s that phrase you Paradise folks use again..." "Waiting for the rabbits!" the young man quickly replied, his eyes carrying a few traces of flattery, "And don''t worry, my lord, I will also do my utmost, at any cost, to kill the target." The young man''s tone held a hint of hope, "... Can you show me that item of yours first?" "That Ancient Relic?" The Plague Baron was in a good mood, "Fine... I''ll let you have a look first." The young man saw a poison gas-drifting metal sphere tossed over to him, his face lit up with joy, and he quickly caught it with his hands covered in thick gloves... the other being a species with special abilities, as evident from the deadly poison fog that warns others to stay away. This Ancient Relic naturally also possessed its attribute''s Hidden Profession! Now he had finally obtained this extremely powerful, dream-come-true Resurrection Tool! His fawning had not been in vain! "But, my lord, how do I open it?" "I said, it''s just for you to look at..." The voice of the Plague Baron was as if slime stuck in his throat, somewhat cold and hoarse, "To open it, you need to wait until the task is completed, to my satisfaction." "Understood..." Listening to the somewhat impatient voice, the young man nodded quickly. At that moment. A small winged creature flew through the mist and landed on the Plague Baron''s shoulder, screeching strangely. The young man didn''t understand, but he saw the Plague Baron''s eyebrows raise. "Interesting..." The Plague Baron''s oily green eyes looked towards the mist, revealing a somewhat excited bizarre smile, "They are heading this way, and a battle has occurred, they couldn''t resist revealing their tracks, eh?" The young man''s eyes also brightened, "What do we do!" "Wait." The Plague Baron''s body slightly shifted, hands on his knees, his blackened fingertips tapping on his decaying flesh, he smiled, "Their movement... means they can no longer wait, ready to go all out, because the longer the time passes, under this Pollution, the monsters become stronger." "To get close here, they''d have to cross at least six blocks, the groups of monsters we''ve arranged ahead... should be enough to drain that Protector''s Strength." He well knew the abnormalities and limitations of this world. These High Sequencers could only bring in so much strength, using a bit meant losing a bit. This was also one of the reasons he was reluctant to leave this channel; once away, his strength would also weaken. Chapter 121 - 117 The Show Begins (Sorry for the Delay)_2 And this place had already become a toxic swamp! Anyone who stepped in found it hard to escape even with wings! The youth slapped the other''s flanks, "As expected of your Lordship! Always so thorough!" The Plague Baron chuckled sinisterly. Everything was in its favorthe right time, place, and peopleall waiting for them to come and meet their deaths. And just at that moment! "Whoosh!" Another monster bird flew rapidly out of the mist and landed on the Plague Baron''s shoulder. The youth was just about to set out when he saw the Plague Baron raise an eyebrow: "Have they reached the Fifth District?" "So soon..." And the next moment, More monster birds kept flying in. "The Fourth... District..." "Reached the Third Block..." The Plague Baron''s gaze deepened; he had set up such Heavenly Eye monster birds in every district, and any sign of battle couldn''t escape his notice. Having set up so many monsters, how could they have been breached so quickly! The Plague Baron watched coldly as a pained screech came from the foggy skies! "Bang!" A monster bird plummeted fiercely from the sky, hitting the ground hard, its body pierced and life fading away. The youth''s eyelids twitched as he stared into the mist. Three silhouettes... were slowly emerging from it. The middle-aged woman at this moment... had undergone a great transformation, her body covered in numerous patterns imbued with an eerie aura! The Plague Baron''s indifferent eyes stared at the three of them, skipping over Su Qi to focus on the middle-aged woman. With a hint of mockery, it spoke softly, "It seems you''ve burst out your Strength prematurely, right? Forcing through the limitthat must have cost you quite a bit of Strength..." The middle-aged woman did not reply but sneered. Burst out Strength? Burst my ass! It wasn''t her who was clearing the way, but Su Qi beside her. She hadn''t lifted a finger the entire time. Because that guy seemed to really be cheating, self-destructing all the way! Exploding everything as he went! The middle-aged woman couldn''t help but look back at Su Qi. "Your gaze... seems a bit admiring," Su Qi muttered to himself. The middle-aged woman couldn''t help but curse, "Admire your sister!!" Su Qi shook his head, "Can you be serious for a moment? We''ve got an enemy before us." "This is still my problem!?" "..." Watching this scene, the corners of the Plague Baron''s eyes narrowed; it sensed a lack of respect, and with a cold laugh, it said: "Seems like, you don''t quite understand your situation." "If that''s the case..." It simply reached out its hand. And at that moment, the little girl tugged at the clothes of the two, whispering, "Be careful." The next moment. Several fire hydrants and sewer valves suddenly opened, spewing out vast amounts of poison gas, engulfing them. "Damn it!" The middle-aged woman''s expression changed slightly. She shielded the little girl and Su Qi behind her, her Strength forming a protective barrier, blocking the approaching poison gas. She watched as the thick poison fog spread, monster birds not fast enough to fly up before they inhaled the poison, plummeting to the ground within moments, and dying rapidly! Their corpses were decaying swiftly, leaving only black bones behind! The middle-aged woman''s gaze grew somber. Such a terrifying poison! Just as she thought about retreating, she found that outside the poison fog... the youth had already used a Skill, the entire rear blocked by a thick barrier! The Plague Baron stood in the mist, arms wide open, greedily inhaling deeply, revealing a horrifying smile: "How''s that? I''ve prepared for a long time. With your feeble bodies now, just a wisp would instantly corrode your organs, killing you in mere moments!" "And next," "It will be... your most despairing..." Its voice suddenly stopped. Because Su Qi''s figure was slowly appearing in the poison fog. "???" The Plague Baron''s brow furrowed heavily, surprised and suspicious, staring intently at Su Qi: "Why are you still standing in the poison fog!?" Su Qi looked around: "I would like to sit down, but there''s no chair here." "...." The middle-aged woman also widened her eyes, having not noticed when Su Qi had stepped out. That guy was actually fine!? Su Qi knew why because the resistance granted by Paradise... had overlapped with the Night Demon Gene''s resistance to poison. He had just wanted to test how much he could withstand, only to find... he was completely unaffected. "To ignore limits with the Night Demon Gene, even this enhancement can be disregarded." "Does this mean I''ve hit a bug where I''m invulnerable to poison?" The youth stared at Su Qi with some fear; he had an Ancient Relic that could isolate the poison fog, but he was well aware of how terrifying the poison was, so much so that he had to wear a gas mask even when speaking to his Lord. "Impossible... Lord, could it be the poison there is too diluted!" "How many times have I told you not to instruct me in my affairs!" Plague Baron snorted coldly. It brought its hands together, and the patterns on its body manifested! A massive amount of terrifying poison fog gathered again and lunged directly at Su Qi! "This is a hundred times more poisonous than before! Can you still withstand it?" And the next moment! The poison fog engulfed Su Qi! Under the astonished gaze of the middle-aged woman, Su Qi squinted his eyes and took a deep breath. The poison fog visibly entered his body, and he said lightly, "It stings the eyes a bit..." "????" Plague Baron''s eyes widened, and it bellowed, "Are you kidding me!" From infancy, it had never been insulted like this with its poisonous methods! "Die!" All the poison fog actually began to condense, turning from mist into liquid! And then it came rolling directly towards him! The young man''s face changed, and he turned to run! Even with the protection of an Ancient Relic, he felt the imminent threat! "What are you waiting for?" Su Qi looked at the middle-aged woman: "Next, you just need to enter that passageway; I''ll handle things here!" "What about you..." the little girl couldn''t help but ask. "Don''t worry about me... You must get out!" The words of Su Qi carried a weight of heaviness and a touch of heroism. His performance was about to begin. He had no intention of leaving; with the blessing of Paradise, he wanted to stay here to slay to his heart''s content! "I understand..." The middle-aged woman''s voice was heavy. She knew what Su Qi meant. She wanted to say something but ultimately said sternly, "You... take care!" In such a situation, their departure... meant that Su Qi had to stay behind! And staying behind meant there was only one path leftdeath! The little girl looked at Su Qi, her eyes not speaking, but her pupils were already trembling! "Your Highness, let''s go!" Now was not the time for sentimentality and sorrow. The middle-aged woman roared lowly, bursting forth with power! Their target was that passageway! She grabbed the little girl and charged directly towards it! "You won''t escape!" Plague Baron growled lowly, and a terrifying wave of poison produced a great number of abnormal creatures! Blocking their path! But at the next moment! Su Qi''s figure arrived, initiating Self-Destruction! He even activated a speaker, the horrific force flipping the entire poison tide! Su Qi''s face was as pale as death, completely drained of color! Then he looked towards the little girl with difficulty and bellowed, "You... go!" The little girl''s eyes reddened slightly, and she actually reached out her hand, wishing to reset. Su Qi''s eyelids twitched. Had he put too much effort? For heaven''s sake! Stop her! Fortunately, it seemed the middle-aged woman heard Su Qi''s inner voice. Clenching her teeth, she forcefully held down the little girl, bringing her directly towards the passageway! "No!" Plague Baron''s eyes turned red, attempting to block them! But then, Su Qi cracked open a vial of blood medicine and initiated another Self-Destruction to control it! The colossal force shook the Plague Baron! You can still Self-Destruct!? The little girl took one last look back in the final moment. Su Qi hurriedly spat out a mouthful of blood, looking pitiful. "Su..." she let out a final trembling voice. Then she and the middle-aged woman disappeared into the Ripples'' passageway, vanishing from sight! Plague Baron let out an unwilling roar: "Damn it!" It glared fiercely at Su Qi, uttering a terribly gnashing sound! "You''re seeking your own death!" "How dare you ruin my plans!" Su Qi spat out the blood in his mouth: "Wait for me a moment." Wait for you! Plague Baron''s veins bulged with rage, its anger threatening to devour everything: "There are no powers of Paradise here to disturb us! I will make sure this becomes your true burial ground!!" Plague Baron roared, bursting forth with terrifying Strength, charging at the pale-faced Su Qi! S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Is that so, then I won''t perform any longer." The voice of Su Qi drifted out lightly, and Plague Baron looked at him in astonishment. The pallor and distress that had been on Su Qi''s face had disappeared, replaced by a grin of pure white teeth, devoid of weakness and heroism. "Next up." Su Qi''s fingers gently wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, a long sword in his left hand, a large hammer in his right! While Plague Baron was stunned, He activated Unrivaled. "Time to start the massacre." Chapter 122 - 118 The Mist is My Home "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The Plague Baron''s entire body was pushed against the ground by Su Qi, creating a shattered trench in the concrete. Stones flew everywhere! Its body cracked open, and it spewed green blood incessantly from its mouth! Ever since the battle began, it never had a moment of initiative, constantly hammered into the air like a toy under Su Qi''s onslaught. What could it do? The potent poison it prided itself on was utterly ineffective against this guy! The power it brought was nowhere near enough to contend with him. "Wait... just a moment... I have something to say..." The Plague Baron, gushing green blood all over, its blood corroding the ground like sulfuric acid, finally couldn''t bear it anymore and cried out. Its power was limited, mostly invested in the poisonous fog domain; close combat was definitely not its forte. "...All right, I''ll wait for you, take your time," Su Qi said he would wait, but the hammer in his hand kept falling, as if it had a booster attached! With an 80% reduction in damage taken, Su Qi was only losing 0.6% of his vitality per second, meaning he had a full two and a half minutes. Compared to the previous Giant, this baron had more tricks up his sleeve and quite considerable strength, naturally making it harder to kill. "?" The Plague Baron saw the hammer continuously dropping, thinking to itself, won''t you stop already? The Plague Baron couldn''t take it anymore, its expression revealing pain: "I have an item... something you definitely want... an extremely precious thing of mine, an Ancient Relic..." "Hmm? Show me," Su Qi showed some interest in his voice; he needed Ancient Relics to nourish himself for his upcoming Ancient God''s Heart job class change. "Stop your attacks first..." "Show me first." "....." Damn! It couldn''t produce the item now. The Plague Baron looked at the figure of the youth, only to find the latter had already taken off with the thing long ago. It was even more pissed! In the end... As the Plague Baron roared, screamed, and cursed in rage, Su Qi mercilessly smashed it into minced meat, not sparing even a breath of life! And the Plague Baron, in its last moments, clenched its teeth and spewed venomous curses. "Destroy my Spiritual Body... I swear... I will have you flayed and quartered..." Death collection achievement +1 Su Qi looked at the Plague Baron, completely devoid of breath; even its[?]turned into... [This is a pile of rotten meat covered in flies.] Then he finally let go. The adversary had only brought a small portion of its power into this world, and although it wasn''t enough to kill the original entity, it was clear that dying in this world would cause it substantial damage. Otherwise, the Plague Baron wouldn''t have begged for mercy. "Additionally..." Su Qi''s figure flashed instantly, arriving next to a manhole cover... he shattered it with one kick. The young man was clutching the metal orb, hiding inside with a look of panic, half submerged in... a filthy cesspool. His face seemed to say, "How did you find me hiding here?" "Don''t come any closer! Or I''ll take you down with me!" The young man''s face trembled slightly, threatening with the poisonous gas metal orb, fierce on the outside but cowardly on the inside. "What''s up, gonna transform?" Honestly, this guy, pulling anything from the filthy cesspool he was in, posed more of a threat than the metal orb. "Goodbye." Su Qi hesitated no further; he flung his blade, piercing straight through the other''s body! The man''s eyes filled with unwillingness, but he could only watch his vitality drain to zero, his body sinking and roaring, "...I''ve committed your face to memory... I''ll wait for you in Paradise... gurgle gurgle gurgle..." Su Qi watched the bubbles on the surface of the cesspool and grasped... the metal orb. "Have the guts to not be anonymous... ah, I''m also anonymous, so it''s all good." Without Paradise System control, it seems players could still return, as long as they weren''t personally killed by higher Sequencers like middle-aged women or the Plague Baron. As for the little girl, she was probably a God of the same level as the Evil God. Su Qi had seen an information line above her head[?]showing[Transcendence Series existence] "I haven''t even entered a sequence yet and seems I''ve provoked a whole bunch of troubles." Whatever. Eat well, drink well, and be merry, the more lice you have the less you feel the bites. After all, each of them is restricted; he''s not afraid of getting hammered while surfing anonymously. Su Qi placed the metal orb into his Item Slot. He also began to move quickly; his Unrivaled time was not yet over, still forty seconds left; along the way... he bulldozed through like a dozer! All the monsters along the way were being slaughtered! Before Unrivaled ended, he needed to find a safe place. Then, in the last five seconds, Su Qi''s figure appeared outside the school''s iron gates. "Who''s there!" The guard raised his weapon alertly! He saw Su Qi, covered in blood, and his eyes widened, "How is it you again! And why are you covered in so much blood!" "It''s a long story." Su Qi, overwhelmed by weakness, staggered as if hollowed out, and simply laid down with half-closed eyes: "Anyway, please give me a lift." With only 10 points of Physical Strength, he didn''t bother walking, just pretended to be seriously injured. "Open the gate, save the man!" The guard bellowed. Because Su Qi had taken them to leave early, the monsters had all switched targets and didn''t invade this place. Several people lifted Su Qi into the auditorium. The man''s pupils dilated in shock, and he hurried over: "How did you go out again! And returned in such a state! You''re badly injured! Somebody help!" Su Qi was in a weakened state, his voice hoarse as he spoke slowly, with a mournful tone: "No need, I no longer require treatment" The man''s heart sank, his fingers digging into his flesh! Such a promising young man, already beyond help! "Damn monster!" He punched the ground fiercely, creating a crack that also drew the attention of the people around him. The crowd gathered around, looking at the bloodied Su Qi with unbearable grief and sadness! The man''s voice was heavy, "So what are your last words, is there any wish we need to fulfill for you?" "Yes," Su Qi faced the crowd''s gazes. "I want a statue of myself built, engraved with ''Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers'' placed at the Mist Source, with people worshiping it during every festival and occasionally holding events to sing praises of The Hustlers'' Sect Hierarch..." Everyone: "..." The man looked at the chattering Su Qi, somewhat dumbfounded. Is this really your last wish? Yet the man was straightforward after all, he sighed, "Sorry, right now... we can''t do what you''re asking for, but before the dark and sunless tomorrow comes, you will live forever in our hearts." Su Qi''s eyes lost focus as he slowly closed them. The people also bowed their heads in mourning. However, at that moment. Su Qi opened his eyes again: "Then I''ll change it." "???" Damn! The crowd''s eyes widened, you''re still alive! And Su Qi looked at the man: Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "I need a map." "A map?" The man was startled. Su Qi pondered, "A map of all the streets in the entire city. Then I need some personnel with combat capabilities." "What do you mean?" The man was puzzled. "Isn''t it obvious?" Under the man''s stunned gaze, Su Qi suddenly sat up. Aren''t you supposed to be gravely injured and close to death! Su Qi muttered to himself, "Of course, it''s to hit big. I plan to lead you all, while... the Paradise hasn''t reacted and the blessings disappear, to massively cleanse... um... purge this city." Everyone was confused, but... they understood the last part, and they shuddered: "Are you joking?" The man looked at the nurse, "Please, still bandage him to stop the bleeding, he seems to have lost too much blood and is not lucid." "...No need, the blood isn''t mine." Su Qi indifferently manipulated the liquid metal, purifying all the blood under everyone''s shocked gaze. Tch. That''s quite convenient, and it only requires half the Physical Strength now, which is 5 points. He looked towards the hall''s stage, "That microphone should work, right?" "What do you want to do?" The man was somewhat astonished; he could no longer understand this person before him. Su Qi responded with a smile, "Of course, to let the glory of my Sect shine upon this city of despair." Five minutes later, after Su Qi had recovered his strength and taken some blood medicine, he stepped onto the hall''s stage under everyone''s watchful eyes. Half an hour later. Su Qi had expounded on the love and justice of The Hustlers Sect, as well as their strategy and detailed plans for the Mist Source, and boasted of several powerful monster corpses he had slain on his way. Ordinary people were trembling in awe. And many Enhancers decided to give it a try with him. Four hours later. Su Qi led them in successfully destroying three monster gathering places and also established contact with other safe zones. Morale was greatly boosted! This was the first time the men had achieved such a great victory! They looked at Su Qi with a mix of awe and respect. After all, Su Qi was the most ferocious in the charge, the most brutal in the killing, and he also seemed to carry bombs, rushing into the monster crowds to detonate thema dangerous act that made everyone feel what it meant to be fearless and lead by example. "Next, follow me and continue." And Su Qi formulated more plans, reaching out to the surrounding safe zones, gathering more and more Enhancers! Faced with the vast number of monsters distributed throughout the city, Su Qi alone naturally couldn''t kill them all; he had to speed up, gather strength, and make good plans. As long as the back row was secure, they would cleanse as much as they could. Otherwise, they''d be caught out by an exploit. Half a day later. The monster groups near four blocks around the school were repelled, and safe zone defenses expanded. One day later. Passages to other safe zones were cleared, with many Enhancers leading a multitude of survivors to move collectively! Many Enhancers began to follow Su Qi''s lead. The man told Su Qi this was to establish a mainstay, to make everyone more united. Su Qi accepted it. Two days later. Su Qi led his very own third Enhancers division of The Hustlers Sect, starting a counter-offensive! After the closure of the mist passages, no more abnormal strength was being generated, and the number of monsters would not be infinite nor would they grow stronger very rapidly. Though the polluted mist still lingered, the dawn was almost upon them! At this moment, Su Qi had also accumulated an unconventional amount of Spiritual Ability Points. Until deep into the night. The Paradise System... connected. As the AI... tasked with managing a Level B Emergency, its power was limited... and the blessing it had previously given had led to its rejection by this world, incapacitating it for several days. Now. It finally managed to come back online, ready to lead this unlucky player who stumbled into this world back to his Personal Space! To prevent the final mechanism from activation! However, there was one problem. The player... seemed not only alive but thriving. In the grand assembly hall, Su Qi was sitting at the top, calmly holding a microphone, writing the words "Grow Big and Strong" on a blackboard. And over a thousand Enhancers waited for instructions with a touch of respect. The AI... slowly typed out a question mark? And fell into a system crash. Chapter 123 - 119: Forced to Exit Again "Seventh District, we''ve taken it down; next, we''ll join forces to assault this blind spot caught in the safe zone... These monsters aren''t capable of communication; they can only judge by sound. Set traps in one spot, prepare to encircle and kill in anotherit''s that simple." "Do you all understand?" "Understood, General Commander!" Su Qi raised an eyebrow lightly, "Call me Lord." "...Yes, Lord," everyone stammered, their morale dropping by half. The man rubbed his forehead helplessly; he had been following along these past few days, witnessing not only Su Qi''s strength and his incisive strategic ability but also his somewhat deviant personality and way of doing things. A coalition of many Enhancers was established... with Su Qi as the leader and the General Commander of the Abnormal Clearance Organization. Under Su Qi''s leadership, they charged forward like Thunderbolt, unstoppable. This wasn''t a shot in the dark. This young man... always managed to find the most crucial point to break through the dense fog of confusion. "Anyway," the man coughed. As the deputy and also a respected figure among the many Enhancers, he helped Su Qi coordinate. "This is our Pure Land, our home; we absolutely cannot let those monsters invade. The time has also come for us to counterattack..." He spoke to rally everyone''s confidence and passion. The eyes of multiple Enhancers shone brightly, filled with excitement. And just then. A message box suddenly popped up in front of Su Qi. [The instance portal is now connected; player Su Buxian may now leave this world safely.] Su Qi''s pupils stirred. Now... But never mind that. Although the Spiritual Ability Points have been greatly increased, there is still room to grow. Even if the buffs were retracted... the group of Enhancers he had gathered over the past few days and the momentum he had built were enough to continue his increase in strength, just at a much slower pace. Dismiss. And the next moment. Another message box popped up before Su Qi. [Given the numerous anomalies in this instance, leave this world immediately?] ? Again. No! Su Qi made his choice at once. His instance... was completely different from others. The other instances wouldn''t have any kind of main storyline; the places players entered were usually completely collapsed worldsthat is, where monsters were everywhere, and danger lurked at every turn. Players could at best fight for their lives to collect Spiritual Energy Points... and also find opportunities to replenish Physical Strength. There were hardly any safe places in a completely collapsed world... It was said that if the time was too long, the Paradise System would actively interfere, exposing the player''s location... increasing the difficulty. And he not only entered by mistake but also caught a buff and glitched out a BUG. He was on the verge of creating a legacy; how could he possibly leave now? But. The Paradise System issued another warning. [Considering the physical condition of the player''s real body, commencing forced teleportation.] ?? Su Qi was stunned. What did that mean? [Teleport countdown: 60 seconds] Watching the unstoppable countdown, Su Qi narrowed his eyes and slowly stood up, looking at the people in the hall. "Fellow fighters." "It seems that what follows is the last message I''ll be able to convey to you." The man beside him was startled. What did he mean? "You lack neither courage nor strength. In this city filled with death, anger, unwillingness, and despair have already unleashed your potential." "What you need is a hope that can turn the situation around, unite you all, and give you the courage to take a stand." "I dare not say what I have brought to you, but as for the current situation... I''ve done all I could." So Qi said softly, "So now, it''s time for me to leave." The pupils of the many Enhancers quivered slightly, "Leave? Why? Where to?" Su Qi spoke calmly, "I am not from this world. I merely brought the flame of The Hustlers to this world. Although this flicker of hope is slight, I hope it can ignite the darkness and bring forth light. I hope you will keep it in your hearts and pass it on." "My friends, I wish you good luck." His words had barely faded. When the teleport countdown also reached zero. In full view of everyone in the hall, Su Qi''s form turned into particles of light and gradually dissipated! The many Enhancers gaped in shock. In the years to come. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Abnormal Clearance Organization covered the entire world, resisting any Pollution-induced anomalies, with more and more powerful individuals emerging. And the events of this night, along with the words and disappearance of this being... would be deeply etched into the annals of history! ----------------- [You have successfully left the instance] [Endless Slaughter Mode matchmaking entry has been closed, cooldown time: 20 days and player sequence reaching 9] [You have obtained 13208 Spiritual Ability Points] [Note: Spiritual Ability Points are used for initiating Transcendence, Professional Ascension, Professional Attribute Upgrades, and other functions] "What a pity, if only I had more time." Su Qi muttered, "I... could have farmed fiercely." However. What Su Qi was more concerned about was that line from the Paradise System: "Considering the player''s real-life physical condition." Anomalous instances... could actually affect the physical body in reality.... He felt something was not right. And at this moment. In his Personal Space... functions like matchmaking, friends, mailbox, etc., were all dimmed, it seemed as if Su Qi was temporarily not allowed to use them, only the logout button was faintly glowing. "Fine then." Su Qi also felt a bit weary. Wait. Su Qi was stunned for a moment. Weary? This is Personal Space, inside the game, how could he feel weary? He exited the game. The instant he returned to reality... that is, the moment he left the game pod, Su Qi felt a dizzy spell, his body extremely weak and powerless. ?? This sensation was like his body had rusted, giving him a feeling of non-compliance. Su Qi''s expression was somewhat stunned, and he even had to wait a moment before he could operate the game pod''s door to stand up. And at the same time. His stomach also rumbled, a strong sense of hunger and thirst... welled up from his belly. "....." He roughly guessed what had happened, Staggering, Su Qi opened the fridge, took out a bottle of mineral water and drunk some. Then, he took out several slices of bread and ate them. Only then did he feel much better. "How long have I been lying here?" Su Qi picked up his phone and let out a faint breath, "As expected... the same amount of time passed in that instance as in reality, they were synchronized." Is this what they call an anomaly? No wonder... it''s so dangerous. Even if not killed, being trapped inside could be disastrous in real life. Su Qi even discovered. The Paradise intelligence had used his phone to reply to every person who had messaged him. Liu Yishou was full of solicitude, frequently asking about the state of his Black Shadow. Left Hand''s message came the next day, excitedly saying he had reached level 20 and farmed over 500 Spiritual Ability Points in Endless Mode. Yan Nanque and others had also sent messages. The AI responded perfectly, without any slip-ups detected in the game. Of course... it must have hidden itself well. "Damn game..." Su Qi, feeling the hunger and weakness in his body, swore, "No wonder it kept urging me to leave, no wonder... staying too long in Endless Slaughter Mode would expose player locations, increasing the difficulty." He replenished his energy with some sugary water and heated up some ready-to-eat meals from the fridge. After wolfing them down, he finally regained his strength. His phone vibrated slightly. Su Qi picked it up to see. It was a message from Yan Nanque, "Brother Su, what''s with you these past few days? You''ve changed, speaking politely, refusing invitations, and even avoiding collisions in the game." "You..." He hesitated, "You couldn''t be in love, could you?" Su Qi: "..." He looked through the chat logs, astonished at how the damn Paradise AI had actually managed to converse back and forth, and even came off as polite. Su Qi only replied with four words: "Love my ass, spill it." "That''s more like it." Yan Nanque was relieved, "There''s a game patch update today, did you know?" "?" "Seems like they found a serious bug, the service was urgently suspended. They''re fixing the synchronization between the game and the instances, and they appear to be making some changes." Su Qi''s eyebrows raised. Why did he feel like this had something to do with him? A fix right after he logged out? "Additionally." Yan Nanque excitedly said, "The Transcendence System was also enabled straight after this minor update!" "I got to level 20 last night, farmed over 200 Spiritual Ability Points from Endless Slaughter, and now I finally have a use for them!" Chapter 124 - 120 The Traveling Merchant is Traveling [Maintenance in Progress] [This update will fix some issues in the game; estimated maintenance time is 24 hours] Night. Su Qi was taking a stroll at the moment, trying to get his body, which had been lying down for several days, moving again. After all, his vitality hadn''t recovered and he hadn''t drunk a drop of water in days... He didn''t opt for any strenuous exercise. He saw the update announcement pop up on his phone and checked the time. Su Qi murmured to himself, "Looks like the timing is right." He had managed to force an update on "Abyssal Paradise" all by himself, unintentionally doing a good deed. It was common knowledge that only a game on the verge of death would update as slowly as a snail. "But such a long updateit seems there were quite some bugs. Well, as long as the Spiritual Ability Points I farmed are still there... it''s all good." According to what Su Qi knew, once people around him reached level 20, they''d each get a chance to enter Endless Slaughter Mode to farm Spiritual Ability Points... which were then used for the most important job advancements. Especially now, with the ranking battles about to begin, everyone was eagerly making all sorts of preparations. And there was a new preview from the officials. [The Paradise Data Sheet and lobby function will be launched in this update] "Looks like big changes are about to happen." ----------------- A Traveling Merchant, wearing a high top hat and a purple cloak with amber-colored pupils, was slowly stepping across the land of swirling yellow sands. "Another silent world." The yellow sand around him was pushed aside entirely; the endless winds couldn''t get close to him by even a hair''s breadth. With a light tap of the cane in his hand on the ground beneath his feet, a network of cracks began appearing with the cane as the source. The cracks spread wildly like crystallized snowflakes. In a short ten breaths'' time. A colossal rift had formed in the ground before him, spanning thousands of meters! "Rumor has it that this place contains something... of the Yellow-robed Master." He squinted his eyes, whispering to himself lightly, "There''s a faint trace of aura, but it seems it''s no longer here, another wasted trip." The Traveling Merchant retracted his cane. The vast chasm was quickly filled back up with uncountable amounts of yellow sand, as if it had never existed. He narrowed his eyes slightly. Looking into the distance. A passage was forcibly opened, and a figure slowly emerged with an aura so terrifying, his Sequence seemed quite high. Yet when this figure saw the Traveling Merchant, he said in a clear voice, "Senior." "I''ve finally found you." The Traveling Merchant didn''t respond, slowly retracting his cane, "Looks like you''ve broken through your Sequence, having sensed the ripple of my power just now, and you came so quickly." "Moreover, you seem to have sustained quite severe injuries." The figure exuded a heavy tone, voice penetrating through the sand: "To ascend to the third Sequence, I almost lost my life, but now with the undercurrents stirring, not only the Evil God is making moves." "The believers of other entities are also acting, seemingly trying to restart the Old Days." His voice had a touch of gravity, "Only our Paradise is emerging as a new force; we have no High Sequence individuals, no strength sufficient to confront other forces, and no Transcendent Existence behind us." "As one of the Paradise Managers, I naturally have to be more aggressive!" The Traveling Merchant listened calmly. A living, striving blank slate... They began with meager strength, from nothingness to now having their own Pure Land. The cruel struggles and fights they went through would make a tearful epic if compiled. Now they face threats both within and from outside, like walking on a tightrope where a slight misstep could send them plummeting into the Abyss, to be devoured entirely by other powers. However The Traveling Merchant believed they were fortunate. That so-called Paradise System was a force from the Transcendence Series Having chosen these people, that was already their biggest stroke of luck. How far they could go depended entirely on themselves. The figure looked at the Traveling Merchant, "And at the same time, had Senior not extended your help at that critical moment, we wouldn''t have had the chance to catch our breath..." "Stop." The Traveling Merchant looked at him calmly, snapped his fingers, and the surrounding yellow sand came to a standstill, each grain distinct yet also floating in the air. With no emotional fluctuation, his voice applied a certain pressure on the figure, "You''re not clear on my rules and principles?" "This so-called assistance was nothing more than a transaction" "I don''t need your gratitude, nor will it lead to any relationship." The figure let out a gentle sigh. His intention was quite clear; he wanted to make the Traveling Merchant become the presence behind Paradise, to block a lot of terrifying beings so that Paradise could catch its breath. However, considering who the other party was... He could only slowly begin to speak, "Since that''s the case, then senior, I would like to request a transaction... It will be sufficient if you can make it to the scene of the upcoming ranking battle." "Although I said that those who meet me by fate, and when my mood or interest permits, can enjoy a fair trade." The Traveling Merchant tapped the skull on his cane and softly said, "But right now, I haven''t found anything, and I''ve been disturbed by some tactless people, so my current mood is not a pleasant one." The figure: "...." He knew that the person the other party referred to was himself... "Whatever senior is interested in, I will definitely find it for you!" The Traveling Merchant looked at him steadily, "The moment you said that, it began to get boring." "...." The figure fell silent, unable to fathom the intentions of the other party, despite being a strength of sequence three, because the other party was the Traveling Merchant... a mysterious existence that everyone desperately sought after but couldn''t even grasp a shadow of. "The time is about right... I should leave now." The Traveling Merchant pointed his cane in the air, and a passage immediately opened. "But, senior... the matter of the trade." The Traveling Merchant spoke softly, his answer seemingly out of context. His eyes flickered with luminescence as he looked at the chaotic currents within the passage and gently said, "...A terrifying entity is awakening, one that represents disaster, chaos, and destruction. This Chaos may become turbulent because of her revival." His form slowly disappeared into the passage, vanishing within the swirling currents. The figure, after hearing these words, fell silent and let out a slight breath. The senior''s meaning was obvious. The awakening of that terrifying entity would surely draw away some attention, and Paradise... would have the chance to breathe. But. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One still couldn''t take anything lightly, after all, no one knew what would happen next. "The terrifying entity that senior mentioned must be the legend of the Master of Destruction," he thought, furrowing his brows. Revival was not simple; one didn''t immediately acquire all their strength, but it was only a matter of time. However, there was still time now, and thousands of years of sealing, along with various restrictions, would prevent such beings from entering the current world too soon. "Although it''s inevitable, there''s still some time. Perhaps I should see if there is an opportunity to make contact with the forces beneath that entity." Although they could still guard the Pure Land now, when the Old Days slowly approached, they could only return to the situation of the first internal test, surviving in the crevices. It was yet to be seen whether these high sequencers were worthy enough to catch the entity''s eye, as surely there were many others with the same intentions as him. Fear, reverence, and caution in seeking any opportunity to side with power. This was the way of the weak to survive. Do you think that terrifying Evil God really had that many crazy believers? Well. Indeed, it did. But in reality, a large part was not cultists; they sided with it merely for sanctuary and strength. "I''ll go back and discuss it with the others." He sighed, began using a tool to open a portal; sequence characters appeared, forming a passage in about a minute. The passage slowly opened. His figure disappeared from the spot. Meanwhile. The update on Su Qi''s end had already finished, but he wasn''t in a rush to enter the gaming pod; he was using his laptop to crunch numbers. From the Traveling Merchant''s side... he had something that the Merchant wanted, which definitely needed to be thoroughly exploited. The Master of Destruction... that little girl, not to mention all the games she lost, the most important thing was that he had saved their lives. A small kindness should be returned with the equivalent of a tsunami. He hoped the other party could do this, and he would definitely keep a firm account of it first. "However, I wonder what kind of personality this unfortunate child will have after her revival, and whether she''ll have amnesia? If she doesn''t remember what happened before...." Su Qi pondered for a few seconds, "Then I''ll embellish the bill a bit more." After all, to want a windfall... That would have to come from cooking the books. Chapter 125 - 121: The Hall and the Leaderboard! [Neural Connection in Progress] [Connection Successful] [Welcome player #985211, Su Buxian, to the game] [Note: Your level has reached 20, sleep mode has been activated. If you encounter a long instance, your body will automatically enter a dormant state] "It seems there have been changes? Should be more secure now, right?" Su Qi was not primarily focused on this. But rather. [Transcendence System has been activated, you can now transfer to another profession] [Daily shop and lottery pool will include Ordinary Quality Ancient Relic Transcendence Tools] It seems that everyone can have an ordinary type of profession transfer, and the difficulty to obtain it won''t be too high. Su Qi took out the Ancient God''s Heart, which was still faintly beating. Although it possessed the so-called Ancient God Bloodline, it was still frail. He looked at its panel. [Special Profession Transcendence Ancient Relic] [Possessing this item allows one to open the pathway of an Old Days ??? sequence] [Profession Transcendence Trial Task: Prepare three items inside an instance, key words are Old Days, Abyss, Death] [Note: The panel will be disabled during the task, there will be no prompts, and if a player dies or runs out of Spiritual Ability Points, it counts as a failed profession transfer] [Note: Each player can possess only one profession, please choose carefully!] He squinted his eyes, "Seems pretty tough, the trial must be extremely difficult too." Because compared to that metal ball. That one''s simple. The pathway sequence is the Source of Plague, the trial task is to place it in a cubic meter pool, and the player must soak in it until the profession transfer is successful. Of course, if they die or deplete their Spiritual Ability Points, it''s considered a failed transfer, and the Ancient Relic will also disappear. "Moreover, it can only be done inside an instance." Su Qi stored it away. He was not in a rush, as there was a new Players'' Lobby online that he could explore first, and the Paradise Data Sheet was also about to be released. It wouldn''t be too late to go into an instance to transfer professions after watching the data sheet. He stretched his hand out to hold the handle of his Personal Space door. As soon as he entered the game. He saw the message from Left Hand, who invited Su Qi to join him in his lobby, as it seemed there was important matter to discuss. It was a perfect opportunity for Su Qi who wanted to learn more about other people''s profession transfers and had some questions about Spiritual Ability Points. [You are entering Player Lobby #1] [Please note, this lobby is crowded. If you wish to forcefully enter, you will need to pay 2000 Game Coins] ?? Su Qi messaged Left Hand. "Reimburse me, hurry up." Left Hand: "?" You want me to reimburse this? He reluctantly transferred the Game Coins. [Now entering Lobby #1] Su Qi pushed the door open and found himself in a lobby ten times bigger than a typical club, filled with a large number of players. The lobby was equipped with various mechanical devices... fully functional, but primarily for eating, drinking, and entertainment, and it also required Game Coins. And it was divided into levels. The bottom area was self-serve. The second level was serviced by various robots. "There are so many people?" Su Qi was about to open his information tab to ask Left Hand which floor and area he was in, Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just then. Another player squeezed through, blinking. "Brother, are you alone?" Su Qi looked at his ID[Paradise Pro] Paradise Pro. Almost read it as Nantong. "What''s up?" "You need a ticket?" Su Qi''s eyes lit up: "Is there a country love story... maybe a 3D one." Paradise Pro''s face froze, "??? What the hell is that?" "You don''t even know this, and you''re scalping tickets?" Paradise Pro coughed, "I''m freaking talking about the VIP meet-and-greet tickets for Tangxin!" Su Qi muttered to himself, "That name sounds familiar." He remembered, previously Brother Su had mentioned those celebrities in the game stirring up a storm online, the Handsome Young Man and Tangxin. "You don''t know her?!" He was somewhat surprised, "And here I thought you came because you saw the message on the forum." This female gamer named Tangxin had started her marketing even before the lobby''s online feature was launched She released news that she wanted to meet many players in this lobby. That''s why this lobby was so hot. "Not interested." Seeing Su Qi uninterested, Paradise Pro continued, "Then I also have a ticket for that Handsome Young Man, he''s holding a concert on the second floor of the lobby." Su Qi glanced at him, "You really scalp everything." Paradise Pro was somewhat proud, "Of course, there''s no ticket I can''t get." "Then I want Country Love Story 3D." Paradise Pro couldn''t help shouting, "I''ve already said it! I don''t have that!" "That''s boring." Paradise Pro: "..." Su Qi had already seen the area code sent by Left Hand, and he fell silent as he looked at the vast lobby. "Here''s a chance to make money off me, section 2-A11 lead me there, and I''ll give you 10 Game Coins." "???" Paradise Pro: "Could you be any stingier?" His gaze suddenly shifted towards the distance, noticing some change, he quickly pressed down his hat to cover his head, saying, "Forget it, I''ll take you there, I can scalp tickets there too." What a quick change of heart? Su Qi turned his head and saw a few fierce-looking youths holding tickets, searching for someone. He suddenly laughed, "You, you wouldn''t be selling fake tickets, would you?" Paradise Pro stumbled a bit, coughing, "You''re thinking too much, I''m not." "How about I shout it out?" "Don''t, bro I beg you." "1000 Game Coins, and I won''t expose you." "???" Paradise Pro looked at the smiling Su Qi with wide eyes in shock. "Freaking" "They''re about to come over here." He cursed under his breath, gritting his teeth, "Fuck, it''s a deal!" Su Qi snapped his fingers, "Then please show the way." Paradise Pro also hurriedly led Su Qi forward, only letting out a breath of relief when he noticed they weren''t spotted by those people. He said viciously, "Firstly, I wasn''t selling fake tickets, that''s my dignity as a scalper." "And those guys are the lackeys of some super newbie, that super newbie sent people to try and take tickets from me for free, even threatened me, naturally I wouldn''t give them real ones, so now they''re here looking for trouble with me." Su Qi was surprised, "Super newbies have that much clout." "You clearly look like a newbie." Paradise Pro muttered, "Every super newbie is backed by a large club, they have tremendous strength and power. Do you think anyone can become a super newbie? Not one is without significant influence." "And the one I annoyed" he shook his head, "is ranked 934 on the leaderboard, making it into the top thousand." This was the new leaderboard, released by Paradise officially, ranking each player based on their comprehensive strength after reaching level 20, primarily focusing on their performances in Endless Slaughter Mode and how many Spiritual Ability Points they''ve accumulated. And this leaderboard wouldn''t change until the ranking battles commenced. As for Su Qi... due to anomalies in his data and instances, his ID wasn''t visible within the top ten thousand. "Without me, the credibility of this leaderboard just drops significantly." Brother Su was even ranked 4131. That''s right. That guy said he had something to do today, and he hasn''t logged in yet. At this moment. Somewhere in an instance, Brother Su was burning up all over, every hair flaming as he screamed through clenched teeth. And next to him, a middle-aged man with a scar on his face silently watched him. "If you want to become a true powerhouse, to step out of the sequence, you must rely on yourself." "Otherwise, you''ll just get left behind." Brother Su clenched his teeth tightly, "I absolutely must catch up to them, and Brother Su!" Chapter 126 - 122: Gathering of Tycoons (Requesting Monthly Ticket) They quickly stepped into the second floor. Xiao Bai Tong pushed his felt hat down a bit further, "That super newbie is on this level, and he''s got more cronies now; I can''t blow my cover." "Just lead the way, and don''t worry, once you''re exposed," Su Qi patted his shoulder, "It''s got nothing to do with me." Xiao Bai Tong: "..." I don''t need reminding of that! Luckily, there were more people on the second floor, and no one paid attention to him; all he had to do was bring Su Qi to the place. Five minutes later. Xiao Bai Tong looked at the area and didn''t choose to leave, "Here we are, this is the place you talked about, where''s your friend?" Su Qi glanced around, "Not here yet... but thanks for showing the way, here''s your fee." He took out a ten-value Game Coin and handed it over to the other person. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Xiao Bai Tong looked at the 10 Game Coins in his hand and fell silent, "..." "Didn''t think you''d actually give it." "I''ve always maintained principles of honesty and fairness; what I promise, I deliver." I''m talking about you even having the cheek to give so little, and for some reason, I just don''t believe you. Xiao Bai Tong shrugged, "Alright then, consider this making a friend. If you have any business later, you can come to megossip, scoops, sunflower seeds, beer, player information, even power leveling, sparring, including news and items from Paradise, I can sell them." He smirked, "I have my ways." "That awesome, and you''re scared of that super newbie?" "...It''s not about fear," Xiao Bai Tong pouted, "I can''t explain in a few words, but when a super newbie enters the mix... it''s not just about strength; what matters most is power, is background. The guild supporting him is a big shot in Free City; that craziness is something I can''t afford to provoke." It seemed he wasn''t just a peddler; he appeared to know quite a bit about Paradise and probably had a considerable force behind him. Su Qi squinted, looking at the exclamation mark above his head, "Speaking of which, aren''t you leaving?" Xiao Bai Tong shook his head, "No worries; it''s not a big problem. Now, was there anything from my business you''re interested in?" "Hmm... can you really sell anything?" "Of course... there''s nothing we can''t do if you can''t think of it," Xiao Bai Tong said confidently. After saying so much, he noticed that Su Qi was becoming somewhat interested. "Then I want the country..." "Shut up!" Xiao Bai Tong cursed, "I''m talking about things or news from Abyssal Paradise! The ranking battles are about to start, don''t you want to know the information of other players? Don''t you want to know about career change guides or tools?" Truth be told, the moment he saw the ID Su Buxian, he had checked the rankings and didn''t find this fellow in the top ten thousand, naturally assuming he was an ordinary player. For ordinary players like these, such information was the most crucial. Su Qi muttered to himself, "None of the stuff you mentioned sounds interesting..." "..." At that moment, The surrounding area suddenly became quiet, other noisy players hesitated and made way. A group of players dressed differently... expressionless, walked over and sat down on the round sofa in the middle area, and at that moment, other ordinary players looked uneasy and voluntarily backed away. Xiao Bai Tong''s gaze faltered, his tone slightly changing, "It''s... the Spirit Cage Club''s super newbie, why would they appear here?" But before he could wonder, More people kept appearing. "Sword Flower Club..." "Lost Way Club..." "First Sequence... Dragon God... Cyber... Deceit God..." Xiao Bai Tong''s eyes narrowed as he read each club''s name. Su Qi glanced at the exclamation mark above his head, noticing that the boy knew a lot... there was a lot of fishiness with this kid. All these super newbies sat on the huge central round sofa, each keeping their distance... the atmosphere felt rather heavy. The surrounding ordinary players were even more intimidated, not daring to approach the center area. "Every person who has arrived is a famous super newbie from a well-known club! They are characters from the top three hundred in the rankings!" "So many big shots! What''s going on?!" "The atmosphere seems a bit frightening!" The numerous players looked on with shocked and questioning expressions, standing at a distance, discussing noisily but daring not to speak too loudly. Su Qi saw too many familiar facesQing Lang, Tuner, Bai Qiangwei, and the like; nearly half of the people from the Linyuan Land instance were here. Of course. There was also Left Hand, who had sent him messages; the guy had extremely deep-set eyes, a stern expression, and emitted an aura that said "stay away." ? He had this side to him? "Look, this is the aura of the strong." Xiao Baitong patted Su Qi on the shoulder and squinted as he spoke, "Each one possesses amazing potential, represents the resource spot of a club, renowned prestige, something ordinary players can''t compare with." "So why are you telling me, a newbie, all this?" Xiao Baitong laughed, "Because quite a few of them are clients of the club behind me; at least three people are acquainted with me. I can give you a friendly price of 4000 Game Coins... to get to know them, it''s a great opportunity to cling to their coattails." Su Qi looked up at his head. [What he called an acquaintance was merely a nodding acquaintance, preparing to deceive you... to complete the Trial Task.] This guy''s chosen career path was [Deceiver], targeting himself now. But. What mattered most was that Su Qi saw a [!] above his head, and the content was [Admit his lie, and your Game Coins will double.] "No thanks, not interested." "? You don''t want an opportunity to cling to coattails?" "I prefer them a bit thicker." "???'''' Xiao Baitong already felt like hitting someone. His chosen career path was Deceiver, and his Trial Task was to select a standard target for deception; his previous words did contain both truth and lies, and the first target was that super-newbie who had threatened him before. And the second was Su Qi, the target he''d chosen himself for the Trial Task. He thought the newbie was an easy target, but after all his groundwork, the other party hadn''t taken the bait! Xiao Baitong was just about to speak. Su Qi paused, interrupting: "Speaking of which, you have such a wide network? Then why are you still dodging around?" Xiao Baitong froze for a moment and replied, "Mainly, the guy I''ve ticked off has problematic backers, otherwise, I wouldn''t need to hide. These days, I just want to avoid trouble." Su Qi shook his head, "I don''t buy it, your tone was so bold just now... now you''re chickening out." "?" Xiao Baitong said, "Chickening out? No way, if he bothers me again, I''ll just slap him twice and make a run for it." Su Qi expressed his admiration with a fist salute, "Impressive, young warrior, I admire you." Xiao Baitong, swayed by Su Qi''s gesture, returned the fist salute, "You''re too kind." "Only, the person behind you seems to have turned an iron shade of blue already, you might want to take a look behind." "..." Xiao Baitong stiffened and turned to look. The young man was covered with tattoos, sporting a buzz-cut... with a cold, sinister gaze, and was followed by the very same people who had just been looking for Xiao Baitong. Other ordinary players got pushed aside; despite their resentment, upon seeing the young man''s grim face, they all dared not say a word. This was the super-newbie Xiao Baitong had provoked. "Shit!" Xiao Baitong''s eyelids twitched as he turned to Su Qi. This guy had realized it earlier and didn''t warn me! Wait. He even led me into it! Facing this guy who had made him a target, Su Qi smiled and extended a finger, saying gently, "Ten thousand Game Coins, and I''ll help you deal with this, how about it?" "???" Xiao Baitong''s eyes widened. Who''s scamming who now! Chapter 127 - 123 This is What You Call Connections! "Why don''t you just rob me?!" Xiao Bai scowled, more manipulative than himself! "And why should I believe... that you can help me solve this?" Su Qi: "I naturally have a way. You can pay half as a deposit first." "Can you make it cheaper? One thousand Game Coins!" "For a thousand, I can only guarantee that I won''t hold you down when he makes his move." "?" Xiao Bai widened his eyes: "Be humane, will you?" He felt that the target was more troublesome than he had imagined; the opponent was much better at bluffing than him. This damn trial... "Do you... act as if I don''t exist?" The Tattooed Youth''s eyelids twitched, his eyes growing increasingly cold as he watched the two: "Maybe it''s better if I decide for you..." In this hall, there were many restrictions: Skills and Equipment were disabled, and theoretically, players were not allowed to engage in combat, but clearly, some freedom was allowed. Still, once public property was damaged, bloodshed occurred, or there was a large-scale battle, robots would deal with it severely. "Damn it, I''ll trust you this time..." Xiao Bai knew the situation was bad; his retreat was blocked, and he ultimately chose to compromise by transferring five thousand Game Coins to Su Qi. "Of course, if your idea of escape is just running for our lives, then I''ll fight you!" Su Qi: "Don''t worry, there is a safe place where he wouldn''t dare to make a move." The Tattooed Youth narrowed his eyes, gesturing to others not to move, and flashed a cold smile: "I''m actually very curious; where wouldn''t I dare to make a move?" Su Qi pointed ahead: "Go sit on that sofa in the middle; I guarantee he won''t dare to lay a finger on you there." Xiao Bai: "????" Tattooed Youth: "...." Xiao Bai: "Can you come up with a human idea?" "Aren''t you said to know someone familiar?" Xiao Bai finally couldn''t stand it any longer, gritting his teeth: "That was... a lie..." Su Qi''s gaze flickered slightly. He looked at the [!] above Xiao Bai''s head. [Deceiver''s admission of lying, your Game Coins will be doubled] Not bad. It was worth the long setup. Since entering the hall, Su Qi had noticed that the frequency of [!] had increased, especially among players undergoing class change, and moreover, the exclamation mark was white with rewards displayed in the subsequent message box. But it was all junk Tools, nowhere as useful as Xia Bai''s doubled Game Coins. "Can I get a refund on those five thousand Game Coins..." Xiao Bai was on the verge of tears. "Forget about a refund." Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi smiled: "Since you don''t dare to go alone, there''s only one way." He patted Xiao Bai''s shoulder: "Stand tall, deepen your gaze, put some vigor in it." "?" Xiao Bai still didn''t understand what Su Qi meant. "After all, we are also a top club." Under the Tattooed Youth''s incredulous gaze, Su Qi strode out, All eyes in the vicinity gathered on Su Qi and the brought-along Xiao Bai. "..." Xiao Bai''s eyes widened; you''re really going to do it. He just thought about backing out. "...If you perform well, I might not take those five thousand, and don''t you want to pull off a big scam?" Su Qi''s faint voice suddenly came. Xiao Bai was startled, his heart skipped a beat. Right... His own Deceiver Trial Task, but how did this guy know about it. Xiao Bai gritted his teeth and finally chose to follow, putting on a brave face. This gathering of numerous clubs, Su Qi had already heard about it from Left Hand; many super rookies wanted to form alliances and swap chips in the ranking battles, but negotiations were not that simple, with undercurrents flowing and discord present. Left Hand had invited Su Qi to provide information and chips, but in reality, this guy also wanted to pull him to the Dragon God Club''s side, and it wasn''t even necessary to admit it; just sitting with this guy in everyone''s view was like making a statement. After all. The positions of each club sitting on this circular sofa were clearly demarcated, visible in plain sight. Friendly cooperation is possible. But doing it this way... Su Qi felt it wasn''t right. At this very moment. "..." Xiao Baitong felt the eyes of countless people focused on him, as if thorns were on his back. He still didn''t know he''d been dragged in by Su Qi to play the tough guy; he could only toughen up and follow suit. After all, it was just losing face... he only hoped not to anger these big shots and to escape that guy; he had, after all, bluffed and lied so many times as a Deceiver. His quality was quite solid, but he still inevitably showed fear under these circumstances. "He actually went." The youth was also staring at the two of them; his club was also involved, but he had no right to participate or dare to disturb the others. This negotiation was also crucial for the club. Everyone looked at them with surprise and amazement. Actually, there were no rules restricting actions in this middle area, but the strong had their own aura... everyone knew to weigh the circumstances. These big shots and the atmosphere, along with the undercurrent filling the air, no one dared to go over. "Who are they?" "Su Buxian... never heard of the name?" "I didn''t see this ID in the top 10,000 in the rankings." "Well, I''ve heard of Xiao Baitong, he''s a peddler..." People discussed actively. Finally. Su Qi walked into the middle area, and there was an open space with circular sofas surrounding it. Top people from various elite clubs, with deep eyes narrowing, watched the two of them. Xiao Baitong was sweating profusely. Damn... such an oppressive feeling. Why did I have to be brought here; I might as well have been severely beaten by that guy! And... Xiao Baitong sneakily glanced at Su Qi and found the latter entering as if into his own living room, expression unchanged, even with a smile hanging on his lips. Is this guy really this calm? Now the problem came... where to sit, he just realized that the spaces left by the major clubs were very evenly and tacitly arranged. Wherever they sat, it seemed somewhat disruptive to this balance. Left Hand''s eyelid kept twitching. He had been sending messages to Su Qi all this time; his original idea was similar to what Su Qi guessed, to ally with Su Buxian, a Solo Player. This guy himself was very strong and possessed a valuable hidden Resurrection Tool; his ranking ability was certainly good, plus the two were on good terms. He really wanted to recruit him into the fold. But Su Qi had actually brought another person... Left Hand hesitated, about to speak and invite the two to sit on the Dragon God side. But... Su Qi did not give him the chance. "Everyone...." Su Qi gently spoke, he glanced at all the familiar faces and said, "Could you all move your asses a bit and make some room for us two?" "???!!!" What the hell are you talking about! Everyone was shocked and exclaimed; the youth''s eyes widened! Meanwhile, Xiao Baitong was even more explosive; I was still thinking about where to sit... to not disrupt the balance, to be invisible, and you just outright made a demand! Who the hell would care about you! But the next moment. "..." Qing Lang silently signaled the other team members to shift a bit. Tuner, Bai Qiangwei, and others did the same. Red Blade... glared at Su Qi displeasedly, but also moved. They all owed Su Qi favors back in Linyuan Land, and his strength had also earned their respect. Seeing this scene. Left Hand also sighed; he could see what Su Qi was trying to do, although he wasn''t optimistic about it, he still made room. And Xiao Baitong: "...." He stared blankly at a huge open space that had been made, as if just waiting for them to sit down. Can I sit? Do I even deserve to sit? Chapter 128 - 124: The Name of The Hustlers "Why are you trembling...." Su Qi looked at Xiaobaitong, who was now sitting on the couch as if on pins and needles. Xiaobaitong said with a tearless sob: "I''m not wearing long johns, it''s a bit cold." "If you tremble again... I''ll deduct three thousand Game Coins." This tactic was immediately effective on Xiaobaitong, who instantly stiffened up. Not bad. He could still be trained. Several clubs were watching the two, their gazes assessing. It was clear that they had all witnessed the recent scene. Although they hadn''t seen the name Su Buxian on the leaderboard, it was obvious that he had connections with those present, even the lofty Red Blade had made way. Nobody was a fool here, their minds buzzing... All the major clubs scheduled for today''s meeting had arrived, but who was the other party representing? The long-haired young man from Sword Flower gently asked, "Excuse me, which club do you hail from?" All eyes turned to look, impressed by the question... Even if he wasn''t a superstar rookie or unnamed on the leaderboard, he surely must be from a top club. Xiaobaitong almost applauded. Good question, I freaking want to know too. He couldn''t help but look at Su Qi. But found Su Qi in thought: "Give me a second, let me think." Think what? Xiaobaitong was taken aback. Su Qi paused, then finally came up with a name: "The Hustlers Club." He considered whether to add the word ''Temple'' as a suffix, but it seemed to clash with the ''Club,'' so he dropped it. The eyes of many players paused slightly. "How come I''ve never heard of it..." "Is it one of the first or second-tier clubs?" "And it seems to be hidden, cloaked from search?" "Some mysterious club?" In Abyssal Paradise, due to the Paradise setting, many forces didn''t need the reputation or the new players from public tests. They nourished their own chosen seeds, typically opting not to display publicly. It was like a hidden family, hard to penetrate. Su Qi spoke softly, "Have you never heard of these words?" "Uh-huh." "And you can''t find it in the club list either." "Right." Su Qi''s eyes twinkled as he said lightly, "That''s normal...." Could it be... The crowd''s eyes, full of suspicion, curiosity, and speculation, all looked over. "Because..." Su Qi spread his hands: "I haven''t gone to register it yet." "...." The crowd was stunned. The superstar rookies in attendance fell silent. Damn! Left Hand couldn''t hold back anymore and blurted out in annoyance: "If you haven''t registered it, why even mention it!" Su Qi looked at Left Hand as if he were an idiot: "Because he''s asking." "Are you just making things up on the spot because he asked?!" Left Hand couldn''t take it anymore, he originally thought Su Qi wanted to participate in the negotiations as an individual, revealing that he had a Hidden profession to attract other clubs to invest in and entice him, using himself as a bargaining chip to maximize his value! But little did he know... He was just... playing! Su Qi shook his head: "Making it up? No way... Although The Hustlers are just starting out, we will surely be brimming with talent in the future. Take this member next to me, for example, he has a lot of potential... it''s just that his feet are cold right now, and it seems like he wants to move around." At this moment, Xiaobaitong, who was covering his head and hesitating to leave his seat, ready to bolt, felt his body freeze upon hearing these words. He stiffly turned back to look at Su Qi''s smiling face. "Right?" Xiaobaitong, holding back tears, sent a message: "I''ll give you five thousand more, can you let me go?" "Yes, but..." "If you fail the profession transfer trial that you have a hundred percent affinity for," Su Qi laughed, "That''s a one-of-a-kind thing, quite precious, isn''t it?" Seeing this message, Xiaobaitong trembled slightly. His insides were shaking with shock and anxiety, his mind reeling in the moments that followed. Su Qi bit his lip and, steeling himself, returned to his seat, then glanced at the others with a forced chuckle, "A few steps out, and now it''s much warmer." "..." The long-haired young man from Sword Flower opened his mouth, looking at Qing Lang and the others, "Is this your friend?" "Just... acquaintances...." Qing Lang and his companions averted their gazes and said coolly. "However," they pointed towards Left Hand, "The two of them know each other quite well." Left Hand''s eyes widened: "???" Are you backstabbing me? Su Qi looked at Left Hand with a smile on his face. Left Hand shivered. He realized that whenever Su Qi smiled like that, it meant no good news. "The Dragon God Club has always wanted to invite you, right? Sorry for not giving you an answer before, but now... we are one big happy family." Left Hand: "..." I just wanted you to join, not to cooperate with those Hustlers! He sighed. Because at that very moment, he realized that he was no match for Su Qi. Once the sign of The Hustlers Club was displayed... the other party was no longer appearing as a solo player, and the Dragon God Club had lost that bargaining chip. At the same time... they had gained an appendage, letting the other party ride on their coattails. But it wasn''t a big problem. Su Qi''s so-called The Hustlers Club had no background, no resources, no members... He could tell at a glance that little Su Qi had been hastily scammed into this. Left Hand felt... this was also a good opportunity. "Let''s not talk about this for now..." The man from Spirit Cage Club looked at the time with squinted eyes, "The expansion pack is about to be released." At this moment, the hall lights had dimmed, and a holographic image was gradually spreading over the area. [Paradise Data Sheet] [Version 3.0 Trailer] [Dear players, the new version of Paradise is about to go live] [This is an unprecedented major update] [A vast and majestic world, distant ancient mythologies, terrifying and bizarre Pollution Power C once players enter Paradise, they will encounter all new everything....] The entire hall was transforming, each area and every player could see the displayed expansion pack. Su Qi scrutinized the images closely. Flickering worlds, Cyberpunk, SCP, Temple, Superpower, Cthulhu Sea, Cake Island, Alien Landing..... The so-called data sheet, besides introducing some settings, its most important role is actually to paint a pie in the sky, attracting the anticipation of players.... Ordinary players were all excited and their eyes shone brightly, eager to explore the various different instance worlds. "There''s actually a cat-eared girl in the eerie and terrifying instance?!" "I''m going to absolutely crush it!" "Brother, you saw it wrong, that''s a cat-eared crossdresser... and the kind that eats people without spitting out the bones." Apart from the various slices showcasing the surrounding instance worlds. Su Qi saw some familiar scenes. Visions that had appeared in Linyuan Land were faintly present among them. Even ancient images of Sheep Head, Totem, and followers appeared. All sorts of phantasms flashed through the vast Chaos. "How peculiar." "According to what Xu Linqiu said, the history of Paradise is only about fifty years..." Su Qi mused internally, "But... now it seems, the Paradise System itself appears to have existed for much longer." [All players please note, prior to the Paradise version update, the first all-server level 20 player ranking competition will be held.] S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [The ranking battle will follow the principles of fairness and openness.] [Please prepare for the competition within the next few days, as your ranking will determine your future.] [For details of the rewards, please wait for the subsequent launch notification.] The data sheet broadcast concluded. Players murmured, "Ranking determines the future? They mean in the game, right?" "I''m more curious about how the ranking battle is structured?" "Can the servers handle that many people?" Ordinary players continued their discussions. But the people in the central area remained rather quiet. Someone looked around, glanced at Su Qi and the others, not interfering with them, as if ignoring... Then spoke softly, "Gentlemen, is it now time to talk?" Chapter 129 - 125: The First Nightmare Level... Team Su Qi returned to his Personal Space two hours later. Every club put forth drafting proposals... Each club declared their stance on which actions to collaborate and which information to trade. Sitting among a group of clubs each with their own agendas reminded him of the days he had participated in elder community chess competitions. One could often take as long as an incense stick to burn with a single move. Of course, The Hustlers also needed to feel involved, so Su Qi had Xiao Baitong draft a proposal... concerning communication of information. Xiao Baitong was extremely serious in his conceptualizing and drafting. He had never expected to really blend into this circle, and even though he was under The Hustlers Club''s name, being able to sit on the same sofa and converse with these big shots... He already felt that was incredible, and he knew he had to do it well. After he had finished. Su Qi gave him a punch: "No wonder you''re a Deceiver, how could you think of buying information from them... Out in the wild, your identity is what you make it, rewrite it and say that we also hold extremely important information and intelligence." "??? But do we have any?" "Don''t worry, I''ll make something up later." "...." ----------------- Su Qi muttered to himself in his Personal Space. "It looks like I will need to brainwash this Xiao Baitong later on, clearly that path of a Deceiver... has great potential for growth, yet this guy still can''t keep up with the rhythm." He glanced at the club again. When he had proposed The Hustlers Club, it wasn''t just casual talk, but Su Qi still wasn''t in a rush to establish it. Currently, besides a still-deciding Xiao Baitong and a night guardian, there weren''t even enough players to form a complete table of mahjong. He also pondered if it was possible to get the instance players into the club. "And my prestige, why is it mysteriously increasing more and more lately, who''s secretly spreading my name?" Time flow in instances was naturally very different from reality, with specific values fluctuating, and even differing among the instances themselvesby the time Su Qi returned to that place, everything could have changed. Perhaps after entering Paradise, he would have a chance to return to the worlds of the past. At this moment. Someone messaged Su Qi. [Su Buxian, everything is ready on my side, we can start ranking at any time] [Okay] It was the long-haired young man from Sword Flower Club. This was one of the agreed contents during the negotiations, with clubs transitioning professions together, collaborating... and to strengthen cooperation, everyone drew lots to decide their partners. He and [Sword White Clothes] were paired up. This person seemed to be the leader of Sword Flower Club, a person of calm demeanor, with a sharpness like the name of the club, yet not overbearing. The rank battles seemed to indeed inspire the top clubs towards a cooperative mindset. All the clubs were frantically preparing and, judging by their urgent demeanor, this rank battle... seemed to have become somewhat different. A struggle... Change? The future? For some reason, Su Qi suddenly remembered that billboard... A masked figure wrote down, "Do you want to understand the true meaning of life?" "Everything seems to have just begun..." [Sword White Clothes] sent another message. [I''ve invited you] After Su Qi accepted, he entered the same team. "The profession for the transition is confidential, so I won''t ask, but just a reminder, Spiritual Ability Points... are very important, you must try to save them when transitioning." Sword White Clothes''s voice came through. He was aware that Su Qi''s overall strength wasn''t high, and the Spiritual Ability Points Su Qi had probably amassed in Endless Mode weren''t much. Otherwise, his name would definitely be seen on the leaderboard, since the Paradise System is fair, just, and transparent, with no omissions or imbalances. Su Qi closed the interface showing his 13,208 Spiritual Ability Points and replied, "Thanks for the reminder, I''ll be careful..." "Good, I''m starting the matchmaking for Normal difficulty teams." Most profession transitions typically occur in instances, with players generally choosing team instances... because individual instances are fraught with danger, main quests are incredibly tight, and they don''t leave much time for players to undertake Trial Tasks. Teams, on the other hand, have more gaps and Normal difficulty is the preferred choice for profession transitioning. Su Qi showed some interest, "I haven''t experienced the Normal difficulty before." The matchmaking interface started to flicker. [Normal Team Mode matchmaking in progress] [Match successful] [Number of players matched: six] [You are about to enter a Nightmare Level team instance] ??? Is it even possible to encounter such odds? But once the bow is drawn, there''s no turning back, no way to cancel it. Su Qi sighed. Is he doomed to never experience the Ordinary difficulty? The surrounding black tide surged as if to engulf his soul, and the flickering lights were submerged in a slight shaking. A creepy chuckle echoed in Su Qi''s ears. "Welcome to Abyssal Paradise." ----------------- It felt like his soul had found a place to reside, and his entire body tingled. Su Qi slowly opened his eyes, and all he could see was a sea of white. Pure white ceiling. Pure white walls. The surroundings resembled a hospital ward. The only exit was a pure white door, through which a recorder was peering through the small rectangular bulletproof thick glass, observing the inside... and jotting down something while conversing with someone else. At the same time, Su Qi also noticed that his body was strapped to a recliner, his wrists adorned with some kind of special metal ring, and there was a debuff like a sleeping potion in his attribute panel. He could feel his condition had drastically declined. "Three mutants are here, one of which has awakened; their Superpower remains unclear, but there was a spike in energy fluctuation that just exceeded the peak value, which could be due to equipment malfunction," the recorder continued to speak without restraint. Su Qi looked to his left and right. Lying beside him were Sword White Clothes and another player. Oh. So that''s who they meant by ''mutants.'' These two slept as sweetly as children. He woke up so early, probably because of his spiritual power. Damn it. Waking up grumpy. "Guys, the sun''s up, no more sleeping," Su Qi kicked out with his foot. The observer outside was startled and quickly recorded, "Mutant number 9527 has awakened; restraining efficiency seems to be only at 30%, possessing strong behavioral ability, speaking nonsense, and acting violently towards companions." Su Qi: "This is wake-up service." After a few more kicks, Finding the two still unresponsive, Su Qi could only look up at the ceiling. The restraint on him wasn''t too big of a problem. The main issue was the metal ring on his wrist... it felt dirty, a sense of weakness was transmitted from it, and it could even lock his Skills. Whenever Su Qi wanted to use a Skill. [The ring restricts item effects and Skill use] It was as if the energy''s transmission was cut off. Like being neutered. However, it seems... besides figuring out exactly where this place is, we need to get this ring off. Besides, the team instance shows there are 6 people. Meaning there are three more sleeping soundly in another room. The recorder outside soon left, seemingly moving on to the next room. And at that moment, The other two people slowly awakened. "Damn it, it''s a Nightmare difficulty." "And to make matters worse... I''m all tied up!" another player, Cheng Feng, was somewhat bewildered: "I feel weak all over, and my calves are quite sore." "How about you two?" Sword White Clothes quietly took stock of his situation, indeed feeling some pain. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "A little bit." Su Qi nodded: "Pain is normal; it''s probably because someone was too violent while tying us up." Chapter 130 - 126: Not Following the Procedure The three were trapped in the confined recliners. Sword White Clothes narrowed his eyes slightly, "I didn''t expect it to be a Nightmare-level dungeon, this is going to be somewhat troublesome." This time, they were only aiming to change their class; completing the dungeon was not their ultimate goal, and they couldn''t force an exit, otherwise they wouldn''t be able to re-enter the match for a short period. "I just want to ask..." Su Qi was even a bit curious, "Is it much different from the ordinary level?" "Of course, there''s a huge difference. Nightmare level is full of team-wiping, lethal crises everywhere, with an extremely low survival rate. Whereas with Ordinary difficulty, no matter the struggle, you can at least ensure a 70% chance of survival," Cheng Feng glanced at Su Qi with a puzzled look, "You... you haven''t been matched to a Nightmare before, have you? Otherwise, you wouldn''t be asking such a question?" "Pretty much." He hadn''t experienced the Ordinary mode, just curious. Sword White Clothes glanced around and said softly, "The probability of being matched to a Nightmare level... varies with the combined strength of the players in the match, which means there is at least one powerful player among the other team." Even though they couldn''t check the rankings after entering the dungeon, as the leader of the Sword Flower Club, he had collected information on other powerful players'' IDs. Cheng Feng... didn''t ring any bells. And there was no need to mention Su Buxian. However, Cheng Feng wasn''t very happy, checking the IDs of the others while saying, "Hey, you two in duo queue, do I not count as a powerhouse? I''m at least ranked 5213, do you know how valuable it is to be in the top ten thousand?" Sword White Clothes looked calmly around the room; it seemed they couldn''t do anything at the moment and could only wait for the story to unfold. However, since the other person brought it up. He said lightly, "I''m 67." Cheng Feng''s eyes widened, "???" "Rank 67!!" A big shot! A true big shot! Cheng Feng''s pupils constricted as he stared at the ID, muttering to himself, "No wonder, I thought I''ve seen this ID before!" He swallowed and turned to Su Buxian, his eyelids twitching, since this person was in a duo queue: "Then you..." Su Qi smiled and said, "It looks like both of you are not as good as me, my number is bigger than both of yours." Sword White Clothes: "..." Cheng Feng paused for a moment, then realizing it, his pupils dilated, "Doesn''t that mean your rank is even lower?" "Impressive, huh?" "Impressive my ass, what''s there to be proud of!" Watching Cheng Feng, who got caught up in the rhythm and was slightly agitated, and Su Buxian who had a faint smile on his face, Sword White Clothes fell into a brief silence. ...Leaving aside the fact that this is a Nightmare-level dungeon, even if it was just a difficult dungeon... all players would be on full alert, with a serious demeanor, allowing no room for negligence. And now they even managed to strike up a conversation. Sword White Clothes opened his mouth slightly, pulling the rhythm back, "Both of you, let''s discuss your thoughts first." sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Cheng Feng looked around and hesitated, "Currently, we don''t know what exactly the situation is, and there are quite a few restrictions on us, with an unknown number of enemies. It''s best not to startle the snake and lie low, waiting for the right moment." A cautious player, not bad... Sword White Clothes had been through a Nightmare once and had received strategies and experience from Paradise, so he knew that for Nightmare levels, it was about staying steady. Until gathering intelligence and information, one generally ought not to act rashly. "Su Buxian, what do you think?" Sword White Clothes was a team leader and was skilled at listening to the opinions of his teammates, allowing each person to demonstrate their worth while he steered things in the right direction. But Su Qi shook his head: "I don''t think that''ll work." Su Qi said softly, "Just lying down will only waste our youth, we should strive and struggle..." This was off on a tangent! "Also..." Su Qi looked towards the door, "The most important thing is, whether we lie down or not, at the moment we are still marking time, making no progress. It''d be better to take the initiative to attack, perhaps we can change the current situation." Take the initiative to attack? Sword White Clothes went into a deep thought. As the 67th ranked player and the current leader of the Sword Flower Club, he was not only powerful but also had astute judgement in strategy and situation. In an instant... He understood Su Qi''s implication immediately. He had to make some noise intentionally to attract the attention of people outside the room, only then could he obtain information to change the current situation. Sword White Clothes spoke softly, "Since that''s the case, I agree with your idea. We should take a more aggressive approach, but it''s best to avoid provoking hostility when drawing them in. Initiate communication with them..." "There''s no need for that..." Su Qi''s voice made Sword White Clothes freeze slightly. And in the next moment. He was rendered speechless. Because with a snap, Su Qi had broken free from the restraint and sat up straight. Cheng Feng''s eyes widened: "How on earth did you do that? Isn''t that thing supposed to tighten more as you struggle?" He struggled frantically but was weak and powerless utterly unable to break free. "It requires a bit of finesse C shifting bones, pushing against the restraint, then adjusting the body''s angle, along with a bit of the Bone Shrinking Skill... that''s how you get out." "That''s so... fake" "Just pretend it''s real." Su Qi''s body hadn''t been bound too tightly by the metal ring, and since he had woken up early, the weakening BUFF from the injection dissipated quickly. He stood up and also released the two from their restraints. Sword White Clothes and Cheng Feng regained some color in their faces but still felt a bit drained. Most importantly, they couldn''t remove the metal rings from their wrists; their restrictions remained. "These things are dangerous; they have a five-digit code. If entered incorrectly, they seem to explode immediately," Cheng Feng said with some alarm. "Indeed, these things are just like a time bomb" Sword White Clothes also sensed the fatal danger, "Our primary goal is to find the code and unlock it" "Snap!" Su Qi removed the metal ring from his wrist. The two of them fell silent at this scene. "" Are these things really that easy to open? "Don''t just stand there." Su Qi looked at his now-unlocked Equipment and Skill. To him, who possessed x-ray cheats, the code was the simplest thing. He glanced outside: "Time to prepare an escape." The moment Su Qi unlocked the metal ring, the entire room flashed red, and a loud alarm suddenly resounded! "Why don''t you unlock ours too?" Cheng Feng hastily said. "Hold on, step back." Su Qi hurled the metal ring in his hand towards the door! "Boom!" There was a massive explosion! The door was blown open! And Su Qi instantly grabbed the two, surging forward. Sword White Clothes seemed to be in a daze. He had never been pulled along like this before, and his intuition told him that this didn''t seem like the correct course of action... Everything was heading towards an unpredictable outcome. Meanwhile. A large number of people in yellow protective suits seemed to emerge from the dim corridor behind them, each holding some kind of weapon: "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" "Three Mutants have, for unknown reasons, broken free from their restraints and left the room!" "Don''t let them escape this level at all costs!" And at the same time. In a room next to the corridor, three other players were tightly bound to reclining chairs. "So noisy... ah." Someone deep in thought said, "It seems like something has escaped?" "It appears that we must enact our plan." Their eyes followed the hurried stream of people in yellow protective suits: "... The other three players are likely trapped like us, but if they are smart enough, they should also take advantage of this chaos to do something." Chapter 131 - 127 Is Nightmare Difficulty Really That Hard? (4000) "Okay, let''s start." The man spoke quietly, as they naturally had a way to escape. One of the players slightly moved his fingers. A slender Small Knife floated in the air and then swiftly slid! "With a whoosh!" It directly cut through the restraints on his body! The other two did not show any sign of surprise, rubbing their wrists and said indifferently, "Well done, Xun Xiaohuan." "Although this metal ring can restrict Skills and Equipment, it doesn''t affect your Telekinesis Master''s Transcendence traits." Xun Xiaohuan raised his hand again, and the Small Knife flew back into his pocket. He calmly said, "After all, Transcendence is absolute. Even if everything resets to zero, it retains the basic traits." Each Transferrer. Will permanently possess one trait! His Telekinesis Master as the name suggests, the basic trait is to use Telekinesis to manipulate objects. The other two were also internal test players. In short, they were the ones who failed in the third internal test After the opening of the Transcendence System, they also needed to reactivate their Professions and reclaim the powers they once possessed. "Should we meet up with the other three first" the scarred youth suggested with a slight smile. The man slowly looked outside, "No rush. Our main goal isn''t to clear the instance, but to undergo Transcendence again..." "And." He looked at the metal ring on his wrist, "First, we need to deal with this thing." The scarred youth took a glance, his pupils faintly whitening, "This thing is made of a material that can suppress Strength, and it''s very dangerous; it contains micro-explosives." He was also using his Special Ability. [Profession: Observer] [Traits: White Pupils] This was not x-ray vision but the ability to see different energy attributes to deduce their weaknesses. "Let''s see if there''s a way to deal with it." The man spoke softly. The youth''s pupils focused on the metal ring, "This thing is made of an unusual material, and it''s intricately designed. Besides inputting a password, there''s no other way." Special Ability a kind of advantage for internal test players. But it also had significant limitations, such as consumption Using Special Abilities was supposed to consume [Spiritual Energy]. But they have not undergone Transcendence yet. Spiritual Energy stands at zero. So what''s being consumed is what constitutes Spiritual Energy C Physical Strength, Spiritual Power. It can''t even become the main combat method now. The man frowned, "It''s troublesome as expected, it''s not that simple. It seems we must find the password first." "Wait wait wait a minute " The scarred face suddenly changed color and spoke, intently staring at the door, "It seems like some terrifying energy entity is gathering in the corridor outside!" Sweat oozed from his forehead. "Get back to the original positions!" "The entity in the corridor is extremely terrifying!" Xun Xiaohuan and the man''s expressions changed slightly; they could hear the panic and fear in his voice! They hurriedly returned to the reclining chairs. Footsteps slowly approached. The only arm-sized window in the door gradually revealed the figure in the corridor. The figure walked slowly but heavily. " Not human?" "So tall!" They couldn''t even see the figure''s face, only able to see its waist and arms through the transparent glass, veins like iron! The scarred youth was sweating profusely, "This energy is definitely not something we can confront!" He could judge the opposing force''s combat ability through the energy! Though it might be influenced by various things like personal items, precious Tools, but that one in the corridor even separated by the door, there was a distinctly terrifying aura. "Can''t confront?" Xun Xiaohuan narrowed his eyes, "Wait till we remove the metal ring" "Even removing it won''t help!" the scarred man closed his eyes, his body drenched in sweat, and the Physical Strength and Spiritual Power he used in just a moment nearly drained him. "What I meant was the situation after removing it; it''s not even a fight on the same level!" The man was silent, he sighed softly, "This is the Nightmare Level team instance, huh certainly filled with lethal threats." They still didn''t know what the outside world was like, what kind of world this was, but they could feel the lethal aura. Fortunately, the entity''s target seemed to be those trying to escape. As long as they stayed in the room without removing the metal ring, there shouldn''t be any major problems. "What do we do now?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Let''s just lie down The earlier disturbance was probably a pre-warning. If we make any rash moves now, we will certainly fall into danger," said the man softly. "Given the current situation, we can only wait. The main mission should be triggered soon." Some situations required players to proactively explore, but now there was no way out, so they could only wait passively. "I believe the other three players will realize this too, just stay put." ----------------- Meanwhile, outside. "Emergency situation!" "A mutant has escaped the room!" "Requesting intervention from the supervisor!" "The supervisor is on the way!" Su Qi was running fast in the corridor, with the speed boost from the Dark Wind Boots proving very useful. Cheng Feng couldn''t help but look back. The pursuer from earlier had disappeared; it could only be said that Su Qi''s speed was faster than expected. Although Sword White Clothes was being forced to move, he also displayed the qualities of a top-notch newcomer during the escape. "From the escape route just now, this appears to be a prison." "Just passed by rooms, roughly 30 of varying sizes, likely holding the mutants they mentioned." "From the complexity of the circular corridor, it could be concluded that this place is spacious. We can leave this floor first and find a concealed foothold." Chapter 132 - 127 Is Nightmare Difficulty Really That Hard? (4000)_2 He spoke rapidly, expressing his strategic thoughts. "And also...." Sword White Clothes looked back, "I always have a strange feeling." Cheng Feng curiously asked, "What feeling?" "It''s hard to say..." Sword White Clothes shook his head, as if the program wasn''t running in its usual way. He always felt a sense of disharmony, but ultimately did not speak up. Cheng Feng muttered to himself, "Actually, I also have a feeling." He was grasped by one hand of Su Qi, swinging helplessly, wanting to cry, "The feeling of being forced... Ahhh! Can you untie us first? We can run on our own!" He was about to puke from all the shaking! Su Qi said indifferently, "You think this is easy to solve." The password for the metal ring changed every ten seconds, and his [?] refreshed every five seconds. He had seized the opportunity to unlock that metal ring, but these two were in some trouble. It all depends on fate. However, the problem was not too big, [Artificial Team''s Counterattack] had a 50% chance to cause a malfunction, but obviously, Sword White Clothes was not lucky, the first determination failed, another attempt would be made after ten minutes. Sword White Clothes glanced at Su Qi: "Where are you planning to go?" "3602." "???? What''s that?" "The place where these guards are stationed... It could probably serve as a foothold." "Wait a minute, are we sure we entered the instance at the same time, and woke up at the same time?" Cheng Feng widened his eyes, "Why would you know all this!?" "Because the prison was designed by me." "You think I believe that?" "Then... is the prison boss my subordinate?" "Forget it, never mind." Cheng Feng sighed, he knew the other party did not want to talk. Actually, Su Qi had woken up earlier and seen the recording personnel standing at the door with a [?] displayed above his head. The content was that guy''s thoughts; he wanted to go back to the resting area for a cup of tea, and the resting area was indicated by 3602. Subsequently, Su Qi had undertaken a series of actions. Now the problem was... Where the hell is 3602! Su Qi discovered that this massive prison was not a conventional building; it seemed to have many bizarre arrangements. Colorful walls. Weird red balloons hanging upside down in the corridors. Huge sculptures and pipes... they even came to a broken path, below was a deep darkness, completely obscure to the eye. It felt more like a folded space... Twisted and eerie! "What on earth is this ghostly prison!" Cheng Feng muttered to himself, "It''s getting more and more terrifying the further we go." Sword White Clothes''s eyes suddenly sharpened, and he shouted towards the ceiling, "Watch out!" The dense red balloons on the ceiling, one directly plummeted toward them! But before he could speak. Su Qi had already thrown them out, and a Hundred Man Slaughter Blade appeared in his hand, but his eyelids twitched, choosing not to swing it but to quickly dodge! "Boom!" The falling balloon was as heavy as a thousand pounds, crashing onto the ground violently! Cheng Feng exclaimed in disbelief, "This is a balloon!" And it was not over yet. The balloons on the ceiling kept falling, coming towards them! "Run!" Their expressions changed slightly, and they immediately ran forward! But the path ahead suddenly broke, and it retracted back a long way! "Damn it! What is this prison really about! "Run back!" Sword White Clothes remained calm, but upon looking back... that sculpture had appeared behind them, its body and head like a horse, charging forward like an abstract painting, distorted! The colorful walls around seemed to ripple, vast amounts of red, yellow, and black liquid seemed to pour out continuously! Su Qi remarked, "It has a bit of a post-modern art feel now." "Damn it, is this the time to talk about that! Aren''t you thinking about how to escape?!" That sculptural centaur looked twisted and abstract, but its combat ability seemed not so strong, Sword White Clothes suddenly moved, knowing that before they were submerged and engulfed, they had to clear a path! He held a long sword in his hand, his figure rapidly leaping! The metal bracelet restricted the Equipment Effect, but it did not affect the retrieval or physical use of items in the Item Slot. Su Qi observed this guy. Although his Strength was reduced, paired with a weakening buff, he still possessed astonishing explosive power and deadly attacking capabilities. But when Sword White Clothes suddenly thrust his sword toward the opponent''s body. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was shocked to discover... the entire tip of the sword seemed to pierce into fabric without penetrating, the sculpture continuously fluctuated and twisted even more! It was wrapping itself around him! Sword White Clothes sensed a fatal threat and hurriedly retreated. "Physical damage is useless?" Sword White Clothes''s face darkened! This odd prison was indeed not so simple! And the frequency of falling balloons from above also increased! Their speed was getting faster! Cheng Feng cried out in dismay, "It''s over, we''re definitely doomed!" "I''ve experienced nightmares before, but why does this feel completely different?" The difficulty had skyrocketed to another level! "Isn''t this the difficulty that nightmares should have?" Su Qi''s voice came. "That''s bullshit! Who''s nightmare starts off with all these deadly traps!" Su Qi snapped his fingers, "Don''t panic." He pointed at a pipe in the wall emanating strange colors, "Isn''t there still a way out?" A pipe receded into the wall, delving deep and unknown. On its entrance were bizarre paintings, the paint twisted and tainted with a deep red like blood! It was even writhing, clearly indicating great danger! "Let''s go..." Su Qi stepped in without hesitation. Cheng Feng''s eyes widened, "Could you hesitate for a moment?" Sword White Clothes took a deep breath, not hesitating, and strode after him, "There''s no time to hesitate, this is the only way." Cheng Feng narrowly avoided a falling balloon, gasping heavily and grinding his teeth, "Damn it! I''m coming!" The pipe was narrow, only allowing one person to proceed after another. Once Cheng Feng stepped inside, the bottom of his feet felt a slick, slimy liquid. "Damn, this is disgusting!" Cheng Feng''s face turned pale, "Why do I feel like this is a digestive tract, emitting a foul smell, disgusting slime, and continuously writhing!" "The word ''like'' isn''t very accurate." Su Qi looked at the mucus, "Indeed, there are traces of minced meat and fresh blood, and..." He halted. Because moving forward... would force them to lower their heads, and the terrain also inclined downward at a 70-degree angle. "It looks like a slide." Sword White Clothes shook his head, "Sorry, we can''t see very well." Once inside, there was complete darkness, and without Su Qi''s night-vision ability, they could barely see. "Then get ready to go." "You''re really planning to slide down!?" "What else?" Su Qi said calmly, "Haven''t you noticed something very strange about this prison?" "I have, everything outside is quite bizarre!" "No, not that," Su Qi shook his head, "Such a large prison, with circular corridors yet unable to complete a circuit, and unbelievably, there are no fire exits! How did it pass fire safety inspection?" Cheng Feng: "??" Sword White Clothes resignedly continued, "What Su Buxian means is, there are no stairs, and considering those people in protective suits, the possibility of this writhing slide being a passage way is high." Look. This is Sword Flower''s boss, directly and accurately refining his own thoughts. "Then let''s go." Su Qi sat at the top of the slope without hesitation, then controlled the liquid metal to cover his body, he kindly reminded, "These liquids are probably toxic, you''d better pinch your noses and keep your mouths shut." Cheng Feng held back his disgust, gritting his teeth, "Let''s do it! Just like falling into a sewer!" Sword White Clothes looked at his white clothes, he silently followed! And just as they slid down the slide-like esophagus. Heavy footsteps slowly resonated in the corridor, a terrifying presence made all the twisted entities along the corridor vanish, daring not to stir. "They''ve gone down here?" "It seems... I need not interfere anymore..." "Fools seeking death, that''s a place sealed with destruction." Chapter 133 - 128: Some People Have Deviated from the Main Story... "Please note, the alarm has been lifted!" "The supervisor has left!" "All maintainers, return to your positions immediately!" "Feeding Day is about to begin!" With these announcements, many people in yellow protective suits quickly left the corridor. "What''s going on?" The scarred youth stood up and looked toward the door, "It seems like the disturbance has been suppressed? Are all the personnel leaving?" The man gently said, "It seems that not taking any rash actions was the right choice, changes are starting to happen now." At that moment, They felt the room seemed to be shaking. Xun Xiaohuan squinted his eyes, "Do you feel that?" "Yes... it''s moving." "The corridor outside seems to have disappeared, and the view is blocked..." The scarred youth looked at the transparent glass, which was no longer transparent because it was covered with disgusting mucus. "It looks like it''s about to start." "Next comes the real danger of the Nightmare-level dungeon." The next moment, as they had anticipated, an information box appeared. [Main quest has been triggered] [CG footage will now begin to play] A chill voice rang out as everyone began to see slight changes before them. [This is both a prison and a horrifying cage, no one can escape from it, strangeness, dirtiness, and terror fill every corner, simply surviving is a difficult task, let alone uncovering its whole nature] [Feeding Day has begun, those who are trapped here... danger is approaching, death is spreading, fear is everywhere, the small room may give you a moment to breathe, but!] The voice suddenly became sinister, as if it were sneering; [...it might also become your burial place] [Main quest (choose 1): 1. Survive until the end of Feeding Day 2. Escape from this place 3. ???] The CG footage slowly disappeared, and the grating voice made all three beta testers feel a chill. "The main quest has finally appeared." The scarred youth looked at the information box, "Still three optional tasks." The man slightly frowned. Once optional tasks appear, it means... the difficulty of the dungeon is going to increase another notch. Because. Often, the first task represents the level of the dungeon, which is the Nightmare-level task it should have. Each subsequent task becomes even more difficult. "Simply surviving is already at Nightmare-level... and the third task is a hidden type." Xun Xiaohuan softly said, "This is troubling." As beta testers, their past potential might not have been strong, otherwise, they wouldn''t have been unable to enter Paradise. But now things were different from before, each of them was an experienced veteran. There was even Dunwu, who experienced a sort of renaissance. "It seems like we are falling." "You''re right, indeed!" "Be careful!" At that moment, The entire room dropped like it was falling, smashing hard onto the ground, and the room continued to shake slightly! The three nearly fell down! At the same time, a rumbling noise came to their ears, they couldn''t see the scene outside the door, but it didn''t block out the noise. "What is that noise?" The scarred youth was somewhat puzzled; he could no longer use his White Pupils ability, although he had enough Physical Strength, his spiritual power couldn''t take the strain... "It sounds like the noise of dumping trash..." Outside, there was a succession of liquid pouring sounds, the crashing sounds of numerous objects falling, and a series of roars! At that moment. The room''s door lock, as if timed, automatically unlocked! Once the door opened a crack... They had just seen the situation outside! The surroundings were entirely a city block, but the cloud layers and brightness above were like dead things, and in the middle, there was a deep crevice from which a profusion of things were falling! They piled up into a pyramid-like mountain of ruins! Various buildings, vehicles, bricks, and stones were accumulated within! Everything was there! They could faintly see inflatable dolls! Parts of the buildings were intact, but others were as if bitten off sharply! At the same time. Not just these items, but copious amounts of flesh and blood were also falling, drenching everything below! The most important thing was... Roars came from all directions, and many grotesquely shaped monsters, with their pupils red, fixated on the flesh, as if they were starving to the extreme. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And around them were many rooms that looked like shipping containers thrown onto the ground. They seemed to have been transported to this place. And inside, likely imprisoned just like them, were the so-called mutants. The monsters had dry skin, elongated limbs, and large bodies; their roars were strange and had a spiritual impact. Suddenly, a monster''s gaze turned toward them. Then it violently rushed over! With extreme speed! "Damn it! Close the door!" the scarred youth growled, firmly shutting the door! The room shook violently! The roars around them made them sweat profusely! At the same time. Sound came from the door lock. [Door locked!] [Remaining lock counts: 5] [Please note, once the count runs out, the door will no longer lock] [Please note, if you spend more than twenty minutes in the room at a time, the bracelet will explode] [Please note, the password for the metal ring will appear on the monster''s neck... Once the password is used by someone else, it becomes invalid] The three had glum faces. They couldn''t even exert their true fighting abilities, and even if they could, it was filled with deadly danger. Only now did they understand how difficult their first tasksurvivaltruly was. "Should we go look for the other three players... after all, if they can''t break their constraints, they''re likely to be killed by the monsters breaking in or their bracelets may explode after twenty minutes," the scarred youth said gravely. "The problem is... these streets are complex, we don''t know where they are, and there are many monsters." The man was somber and calm, "We had better trust them." Based on such a distribution. There should be someone on the other side who can break their constraints, and right now the most important thing is to find the password behind the monster''s neck to unlock the bracelet. Otherwise, they were utterly defenseless and always facing deadly danger! ----------------- At this moment. Su Qi and his party had just successfully slid down the slide. Their location was a vast lake filled with bizarre green liquid that bubbled like magma, continuously gurgling and even emitting green bubbles. Bubbles floated in mid-air, densely packed, obscuring what was inside. They stood on an edge made of metal unaffected by the erosion, with the pipe exit they came from just behind them. At the same time. They had also seen the main quest that had just appeared. The more they looked... the more disturbed Cheng Feng''s and Sword White Clothes'' expressions became. Gradually. They could no longer care about the slime on them, instead, they were in a state of stupor. "Survival?" "Password on the monster''s neck?" "Room lock counts?" Cheng Feng muttered, "Is this the main quest??" What the heck are we doing now! Chapter 134 - 129 We Created the Main Story Cheng Feng took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a profound look, "We''ve... we''ve strayed from the main plot, haven''t we?" Su Qi snapped his fingers, "No, we''ve created the main plot!" "Created my ass." "You haven''t grasped it." Su Qi spoke softly, his tone somewhat nostalgic, "The true fun of a great game lies in exploration, in discovering every side quest and every NPC in this world, uncovering new stories, and immersing yourself in the joy that brings. That''s what''s truly important." He looked at Cheng Feng, "Do you understand now?" Cheng Feng roared, interrupting Su Qi, "Cut the crap! That''s supposed to mean freely exploring the world, not having anything to do with this Nightmare-level dungeon where we could die at any moment!" "You''re being attached to a false image," Su Qi replied. "..." Sword White Clothes fell silent. His previous feeling of dissonance turned out to be correct; he had indeed been led astray by Su Qi... and what was more, they couldn''t even return. Cheng Feng looked at Sword White Clothes, "Brother, how much did he pay you to duo with him? I''ll pay double if you help me beat him up." "Cough cough..." Sword White Clothes coughed, "Our partnership isn''t about money. And actually, the situation isn''t too bad. We''re not surrounded by those so-called monsters and have escaped the threat of Feeding Day. It doesn''t seem like such a bad thing, for now." "But why do I feel like this place is even more dangerous?" asked Cheng Feng ominously. Some kind Samaritan.... Started off leading them on a tightrope, constantly evading pursuit, falling into dangerous situations, and getting covered in disgusting, sticky goo. Just a whiff... Yuk! It was like the smell of dirty laundry left for half a month, especially the piece at the bottom of the basket! And moreover! The most important thing is that after all this. The main plot had freaking just begun! If only he had known, he would have just lain down, laid flatthat was the future! "That''s not right." Cheng Feng suddenly realized something, moving his wrist, "Without the password from the monsters'' necks, how are we supposed to open this?" "This thing will probably explode later on." Su Qi patted his shoulder, "When the time comes, I''ll take care of the two of you." "..." Sword White Clothes''s expression turned serious, he said calmly, "I''ve made a decision." He drew his long sword. "What are you going to do?" Cheng Feng was shocked, then revealed an excited look, "Are you going to beat him up? Count me in." "No." Sword White Clothes shook his head and looked at his wrist, "I can do without this hand." At these words, Even Su Qi was somewhat surprised. This guy was really harsh on himself. Although he could recover once back in his Personal Space, such pain was not something an ordinary person could endure. Sword White Clothes had his clear judgment. He wouldn''t blame Su Buxian. Every outcome was the result of cause and effect. Since he was here, he had to make the right decision. And what was more important. As the leader of Sword Flower Club, at this crucial point in the ranking battles, he couldn''t afford to fail! "Shwoosh!" His sword didn''t hesitate to chop down towards his own wrist with a sharp cold glint, able to slice through iron as if it were mud, let alone a hand! But just then. Su Qi extended the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade and blocked it. The grating sound of sword against blade made Sword White Clothes pause briefly. "Why are you stopping me?" "Because...." Su Qi used his blade to directly slice through the bracelet, "!" Both were shocked! But the bracelet acted as if it had malfunctioned, not reacting at all. Su Qi nonchalantly threw it into the distance! After it plopped into the water! The acidic liquid quickly corroded it like fizzing sulfuric acid! "Boom!" A terrifying explosion sent a water column nearly five or six meters high! The calm surface of the liquid rippled like ocean waves. Su Qi peered into the distance, "Good thing I threw it far enough." Sword White Clothes looked at his freed wrist and was stunned. Although he didn''t know how Su Buxian managed it, he earnestly said afterward, "Thank you!" "Thanks cost too much." "Ah?" Sword White Clothes was puzzled. "No, I mean it''s no big deal, we are collaborators after all." "Wait a minute." Cheng Feng was still bewildered, "What exactly happened just now? Why didn''t it explode? Can I try it too?" "If you want to become art, you can try." Su Qi glanced at the metal ring on his wrist, "The password is 213344." "?" "Don''t believe it?" "I dare not believe..." "Then wear it. Consider it an extra piece of jewelry." Cheng Feng gritted his teeth and finally decided to give it a try. Five seconds later. His bracelet also detached. "It actually worked!" Cheng Feng''s expression brightened, and he instinctively wanted to throw it away. "Keep it." Su Qi interjected to stop him, "It could make a decent hand grenade." "This is high-risk explosive material!" Cheng Feng pointed at himself in shock, "You''re not going to leave it with me, right?" "It''s time to move forward." Su Qi strode ahead. "Dammit!" The three of them continued on. The lake was filled with terrifying sulfuric acid-like liquid with extremely high corrosive power. The metal ring had exploded in less than a second after touching it. There were floating pieces of land in the middle, but they were all incredibly unstable and had faults. They had to jump across one by one. For them, who had now regained their strength, this wasn''t a big problem. Su Qi went first, choosing a path that was stable. Some of the hanging rocks were like foam, and stepping on them would send one plunging into the liquid. And then. Su Qi suddenly stopped, "Hold on." The other two became instantly vigilant! After all, this place was extremely dangerous! "What is it?" Su Qi pondered, "Don''t you think this is a bit like that popular WeChat game ''Jump Jump'' from before?" "F*ck, is this really the time for that!" Cheng Feng nearly fell. Sword White Clothes''s eyes sharpened, "Look ahead!" The green bubbles in front of them were suddenly gathering! Gradually converging from few to many, from small to large! Finally, they formed into a huge bubble! "You guys know what''s going to happen next, right?" Cheng Feng opened his mouth wide. Sword White Clothes looked at Su Qi in front, "Brother Su Buxian, fall back behind me." He had now recovered his combat power. As the boss of Sword Flower Club and a top super newcomer, his strength was beyond doubt. But before Su Qi could respond. The whole huge bubble exploded with a bang! A large amount of acidic substance shot out like water arrows! "Careful!" Cheng Feng couldn''t help but yell. But Su Qi extended his hand, as the liquid metal morphed into a nozzle. The next moment. A stream of mucus erupted from it, like dish soap meeting grease. Shockingly, all the terrifying acidic substance was blocked by the mucus! The two of them watched the scene in stunned silence, Sword White Clothes didn''t even have time to use a Skill. Su Qi slowly withdrew his hand, "This is Water Escape!" "Bullshit, that''s clearly mucus! And it can block that acid?" Cheng Feng''s eyes widened, "And when did you collect it?" Su Qi hadn''t answered yet. Sword White Clothes, however, came back to his senses. He looked around and then down at the mucus on his body, saying in a heavy tone, "So that''s how it is..." "The air around us is corrosive too, fully blocked by the mucus all over us! Naturally, it can also withstand the acidic substance!" He paused, somewhat catching on, and looked at Su Qi. This was something he had just realized. And this guy... had noticed and collected a bunch of mucus ever since they were down in the corridor? And. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The reason he had voluntarily stopped wasn''t to bring up the WeChat game. Clearly, he had spotted something amiss and stopped to warn them. Sword White Clothes''s eyes changed subtly. This guy. Is terrifying, isn''t he? Chapter 135 - 130: The Entire... World is Digesting! (Two-in-One) The trio continued onward. "We can only move forward now, cross this erosion-affected lake, and see if we can find the next safe place." They had wanted to wash off the mucus on their bodies as quickly as possible, but now they hoped it would be consumed more slowly. Once an arrow was shot, there was no turning back. The previous foothold seemed to have come from the falling rocks from the dome above, and the maintenance time was not long... With all three stepping on it at the same time, it quickly cracked and lost buoyancy, sinking down. "What exactly is this place?" Cheng Feng looked around and couldn''t help but say, "There are imprisoned mutants, monsters, and that feeding day... as well as the various scenes before us." Although every instance in the Abyssal Paradise was different, with its own worldview and setting, it seemed that all were affected by some ultimate influence, with all worlds having some slight connections. Sword White Clothes, with a solemn expression, said, "Unclear, but according to my thinking, it can be slowly figured out." "After all, there are three types of optional tasks; the first should be the simplest, requiring only survival without exploring the worldview of this instance." "But the second one, escaping from this place, would probably necessitate gathering all kinds of information and gradually delving into the world of this instance... Based on the few words from the yellow-suited personnel who pursued us earlier, we can deduce... There is an existence called the supervisor, who is extremely powerful... It''s very likely that escaping from here will face a larger scale of pursuit, and that big BOSS called the supervisor." Sword White Clothes quickly sorted out the previous information and his own thoughts. He looked at Su Qi, "What do you think?" After noticing previous details, although somewhat uncertain, Sword White Clothes couldn''t help but regard Su Buxian''s opinion seriously. "I think..." Su Qi shook his head, "... those are not important." "Worldview, main story, supervisor, put those aside." "Just charge through and be done with it." Cheng Feng had a bad premonition, "Charge through what?" "Aren''t you curious about what the third task is?" Cheng Feng''s eyes widened as he shouted, "I''m not curious, thank you!" After hearing Sword White Clothes'' analysis, he had already sensed the nightmare-level danger, and even the second option already made his scalp tingle, not to mention the completely unknown third task. "Those without curiosity are incomplete." Cheng Feng looked at Su Qi''s burning gaze and trembled, "Bro, please don''t, I''m scared." He began to understand. This guy was not a normal player. Sword White Clothes coughed, "Brother Su Buxian, our most important task right now is class change, not pursuing higher difficulty." Class change would be best completed here. Although passing this nightmare-level team instance also had a substantial reward, clearly class change had higher priority. His path to changing class was that of a Sword Seeker, trial tasks... Sacrificial Refining Sword Heart, killing stronger enemies, or using himself as a sacrificial offering. The closer his Physical Strength and Vitality were to their limits, the higher the success rate of the trials and the greater the potential for development after class change. Sword White Clothes thought that the first and second main stories were both very suitable for him. "Don''t worry, I have a plan." You''d better have a plan. After the trio charged through Erosion Lake, the path ahead began to transform again, this time into a land of gravestones! A vast number of ancient gravestones stood densely packed within the land, filling the air with a fearsome breath that people found dreadful! "What... what kind of godforsaken place is this! There''s even a graveyard!" "Plus, these gravestones seem to have aged a bit." Sword White Clothes looked over, instinctively smelling a hint of danger. "Why do I feel like there''s danger?" There were at least a thousand graves; they bore no inscriptions as if they entombed nameless, Undead. Su Qi said softly, "It''s just to say your instincts are not wrong." Something was reviving. The soil in front of every gravestone was trembling slightly! Sword White Clothes drew his longsword, focused and held his breath. Cheng Feng also gripped a spear, his expression alert. Then... The earth in front of the gravestones was blown away harshly, and figures with remains of flesh on their bodies slowly crawled out from below! "The power... of the Undead." Su Qi''s eyes flickered slightly. He didn''t see any signs of living creatures among these skulls; instead, it seemed like these things were produced by some kind of power. The Undead... Sword White Clothes said with a serious voice, "They''re charging at us, be careful!" These skeletons... people were utterly unlike the ones in TV shows that hobbled and moved like rusted machines. They were like living people, with torn clothes hanging from their bodies and emitting the battle cries of ghost soldiers as they raised their weapons and charged rapidly towards the trio! If it was mainly about combat. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi immediately pulled out the Bone-Breaking Hammer and charged headlong into battle! And as he fiercely swung his hammer, knocking two skeletons flying, then forcefully smashing another skeleton dead! A message box appeared before Su Qi''s eyes. [Death +1] [Death Progress: 1/200] His eyes paused slightly. Well then... is this the trial task? The trial task for the Ancient God''s Heart class change presented three keywords. [Old Days, Abyss, Death] Initially confused, now seeing the progress bar, Su Qi realized. So this is what death is. As for the Old Days and the Abyss... The former... related to the era, he wondered if the "Horror Nursery Rhyme" could withstand it. As for the latter. There was a horrifying existence that lived in the Abyss. And in Su Qi''s Item Slot... there happened to be an eyeball it had given. ----------------- Xun Xiaohuan, the man, and the scarred youth were all running together on the streets, their bracelets fully unlocked. Chapter 136 - 130 The whole...world is digesting! (Two in One)_2 "Run..." They looked back solemnly. A massive swarm of monsters was frantically rushing towards them. "Damn it..." And all around, hundreds of other mutants were also running, some who hadn''t unsealed their bracelets were screaming as they were being devoured by those monsters. Those who had unsealed their bracelets... then burst with abilities, attempting to combat the monster swarm, but every time they used an ability, it caused the monsters to become even more frenzied. "Move it!" A mutant shouted loudly. The trio didn''t hesitate to rush forward! They wanted to find the other three players, but with hundreds of people here, they couldn''t spot any trace of the three... Considering the situation, they were likely already dead. So. They had no choice but to escape with the other mutants, who seemed to know how to leave and were desperate to flee. Together they fought and struggled, managing to carve out a path for survival, while the monsters seemed to generate endlessly. Doggedly pursuing them. "Something''s not right." "Everything here is wrong." Now that the scarred youth had regained his attributes and could use his White Pupil ability again, his expression was ugly: "The blood of the mutants who die seems to get absorbed by the ground." "And as soon as you use an ability, it seems to get sensed by the monsters, and even the ground absorbs the energy!" Xun Xiaohuan frowned and looked at him: "What do you mean?" The scarred youth sweated profusely and took a deep breath: "Don''t you all feel like this place is like a living creature?" "And we''re being digested!" The entire City seemed to be consuming everything; their presence was merely postponed nourishment waiting to be devoured! "This is what''s known as Consumption Day." A voice suddenly came. The man''s pupils sharpened as he looked over to see an older middle-aged man speaking, also a mutant, his voice grave: "Most people die after their flesh and energy have been slowly consumed." "How do you know that?" "Because I''ve survived several Consumption Days by luck." The middle-aged man lifted his clothes, revealing a chest covered in terrifying bite marks: "My ability is healing, so I stand a better chance of survival, and some of the mutants here know this too." The middle-aged man nodded: "However, now''s not the time to discuss this. The area ahead... that''s our destination, I''ll tell you more when we get there." The trio paused, then asked no further questions, and continued to flee. "Indeed..." The man observed the fleeing mutants around them, and the ones at the rear unleashing their powerful abilities. "Quite a few seem experienced, it seems it''s not their first time through this." Soon. A dark tunnel! Appeared on the overpass! Some mutants'' faces lit up! "Quick, get inside!" And once they stepped into the tunnel, the monster swarm hesitated to follow, instead, they roared and guarded the entrance! The other mutants also collapsed on the ground, gasping with relief: "Finally made it here." The trio watched in amazement. "What... the hell is going on..." the scarred youth asked, his breathing was steady, after all, their physique was much superior to ordinary mutants, looking at the middle-aged man for answers. The middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his face, pointing to their surroundings: "You can take a closer look inside the tunnel." The trio hesitated slightly, turning their gaze. The scarred youth''s pupils contracted: "The walls around seem to be flesh, still writhing? Is this tunnel the interior of some gigantic creature?" The middle-aged man shook his head: "No." He looked outside: "To be correct, the entire City... including every space we have been imprisoned in and come into contact with... is all inside some kind of colossal monster." The trio''s expressions shifted slightly. What kind of massive creature could form a small city within its body? "And the so-called Feeding Day is actually when that terrifying entity replenishes its energy." "It devours a massive amount of things, and it will devour us too!" The middle-aged man''s words weighed heavily on the three:"So that''s how it is... no wonder everything here is so abnormal." The middle-aged man said solemnly,"Including myself, there are less than ten survivors left from the last Feeding Day. We''ve tried to escape but haven''t succeeded; all the other Mutants have perished, and a new batch is replenished to continuously provide it with energy..." The flesh and blood of these Mutants were not the key to being devoured; it was their abilities and the energy that burst within them that were most important. The man seemed to have realized something and looked towards the end of the tunnel,"So, this tunnel..." The middle-aged man nodded gravely,"This is the only way out, but it also represents even greater danger." sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The last time we approached this tunnel with nearly three hundred people, and only about ten survived." The three looked slightly tense. The death rate was that high... "What''s there?" Xun Xiaohuan looked toward the end of the tunnel. "Numerous complex and unpredictable spaces, various restraints, and restrictions." "And only by breaking through can we possibly reach the final area... that''s where the Maintainers and supervisors reside." The middle-aged man spat out these two terms, explaining,"The Maintainers are the ones in yellow protective suits who imprison us. They wield powerful weapons, bodies enhanced with compounds, and regard us Mutants as... aberrations, trash." "And the supervisors." Upon mentioning this word, an indescribable fear emerged on the middle-aged man''s face: "They represent the pinnacle of this prison, an absolutely invincible and terrifying existence. Previously, we were discovered by one of the supervisors, and in just ten seconds, they slaughtered a hundred people!" The scarred youth''s expression changed. The terrifying energy he had witnessed earlier seemed to come from those supervisors. Supervisors possessed fearsome combat power. And the other three players had already perished, unable to offer any help. What should they do now? Just survive here? ...But their Vitality and Physical Strength were being rapidly drained; the tunnel was by no means a safe place, and according to the middle-aged man, the longer they stayed here, the danger would increase exponentially, and the tunnel would contract. What to do? "Wait." Xun Xiaohuan suddenly spoke up,"I have a question." He looked at the middle-aged man,"It seems we are just insignificant food for this colossal entity, and this so-called Feeding Day appears to be a game that has been set up. But why... are there so many restrictions, layers upon layers of sealings? Is it just to prevent us, the food, from escaping?" The middle-aged man muttered,"This..." He suddenly remembered something, looking down,"I don''t know if this information is accurate... after all, it''s pieced together from bits and pieces of what those Maintainers have said." "It seems that in the very bottom space, there is some terrifying entity." "And everything here is to seal it, to keep it from leaving!" The three exchanged glances, their pupils reflecting surprise and suspicion. These numerous spaces akin to Sealing checkpoints, the powerful supervisors, and the colossal being generating the inner spaces! All just to confine one... terrifying entity? The middle-aged man rubbed his head,"Anyway, it might not be accurate, and it doesn''t really concern us. The most important thing right now is to escape." The man watched as the middle-aged man walked away. Currently, many Mutants were resting or treating their bodies, and after a brief recovery, they would be ready to set off. "If I''m not mistaken... the terrifying entity sealed in the depths might be related to the third mission," the scarred youth said gravely. Xun Xiaohuan looked at him,"What, you want to complete it?" The scarred youth shook his head vigorously,"You must be joking. With the way things are right now, it''s already going to take all our effort just to survive!" "I''m just curious about what kind of entity it is." He looked towards the tunnel,"Just getting here has been fraught with peril, let alone nearing those Sealed places... I suppose no one could even get close." The man looked as the other Mutants started to rise, preparing to move out. He spoke up firmly,"Alright, enough talk of this and that. There are only the three of us left; we must stay alert and give it our all." The scarred youth also glanced around: "Pity about those other three players, I had wanted to show them the prowess of us beta testers, but instead, they met their end without even seeing action, ending in total annihilation." Chapter 137 - 131 The Third Task (Two in One) Deep in space. The land of tombstones Three people were engaged in a fierce battle. Cheng Feng roared, a flicker of cold light arrived first, followed by his long spear, charging straight at three skeleton heads like a dragon! With a fierce swipe! And then with bulging muscles, he forcefully penetrated through them! In just a mere ten seconds, he had successfully killed all three skeletons! He laughed triumphantly, "This is my true strength, did you see that" Cheng Feng''s voice suddenly cut off, his eyelids twitching violently. Because the skeletons around him, which kept shattering, were now falling in large numbers! His eyes were full of shock. When had this happened? So quickly? He looked toward Sword White Clothes This fellow seemed to have summoned an ancient relic; a small sword, almost like a totem, was etched between his eyebrows, and an aura of spiritual energy surrounded him, absorbing little by little with each enemy he killed. Alright. This was a big shot, and he was also undergoing a class change, apparently on the verge of unlocking his Spiritual Power. But. Cheng Feng was shocked to the core as he turned to look at Su Qi. What the hell was the deal with you, a player in the tens of thousands ranking? At this moment, Su Qi swung his giant hammer and the Hundred Man Slaughter Blade, carving a path of destruction, his terrifying strength and speed far surpassing anyone else''s, violent and absurd! "..." In a situation where everyone else was at level 20, even excluding spiritual power, Su Qi''s other attributes were still a cut above the rest. Because after level ten, many people had become aware of the importance of spiritual power, consciously allocating attribute points to it, thereby reducing the influence of other attributes, and started to carve their own paths. Routes focusing on strength, movement technique, or the front-line tank with high physical strength. Of course, all of this still depends on the class change... Different professions dictate different paths, and basic attributes are especially important. About five minutes later. All the skeletons in the graveyard had been completely wiped out. The three of us are truly formidable. Cheng Feng coughed and looked around, "What should we do next? This place doesn''t seem to have any passages leading elsewhere." After diverging from the main quest, it seemed they had strayed further and further off course, to the point where they still didn''t even know what world this really was. "Don''t rush These skeletons seem to be the remains of people who inadvertently wandered here before their deaths, likely other mutants. This suggests there should be information," Sword White Clothes said seriously, observing the surrounding skeletons, "Let''s search." "Okay!" Cheng Feng immediately responded. Su Qi watched silently as the two searched back and forth. He looked at a [?] in the distance, strode over, and dragged out the coffin from under the tombstone. Both men were taken aback. "You found that too?" "I saw it when I was killing the skeletons," Su Qi said, his face not betraying a hint of guilt. Sometimes you really can''t blame those who get caught cheating; they''ve tried their best to put on an act. But their frame they couldn''t hide. Cheng Feng and Sword White Clothes were not suspicious, after all, this was "Abyssal Paradise," a game where cheats were absolutely impossible to exist. If such behavior occurred, it could only come from a skill or trait. Su Qi had already found a logbook inside the coffin, with words on it and the logbook also looked familiar. "Huh?" He was slightly startled. This was the same logbook he saw being carried by the hazmat suit personnel standing outside his room when he woke up. Except for the damage and wear, the two were almost identical. That is to say The true identities of these skeletons were those yellow hazmat suit personnel. The two hurried over. Soon, they knew everything. "Supervisors, maintainers Escape and sealing" Sword White Clothes said, his gaze intensified, "So that''s how it is." They learned the basic information about this world, on top of what the other three players knew, and also some newer updates. Sword White Clothes looked at the skeletons around him, "These deceased are not mutants, but maintainers who entered this place. It seems they''ve been dead for a long time." "They once entered here, trying to contact the sealed entity but couldn''t even get close and died here." "Thus, this place probably became forbidden territory afterward, also known as Pandora as the name suggests, once the entity is released, something extremely terrifying will happen." "And the so-called Feast Day is when a lot of energy gradually gathers in the land of Pandora, accumulating over time to then annihilate that entity." Sword White Clothes had a strong ability to summarize and condense information, giving a breathless rundown based on the maintainers'' own notes, making it comprehensive. They finally had a basic understanding of the worldview and most of the content of this world. Except for That terrifying entity sealed deep within. Cheng Feng rubbed his temples, "Wait a minute, I think I''ve found a problem a very serious problem." "Are we now delving deeper into the lower levels?" "And becoming further and further from the exit?" sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Furthermore, we''re getting closer to that terrifying entity." Su Qi shrugged, "Seems like it!" "Don''t say it so casually!" Cheng Feng''s eyes widened as he looked at Su Qi, "Our main quest is to survive or escape!" Escape was no longer an option. But judging by the number of tombstones, the hope of surviving in the land of Pandora seemed bleak; the engraved characters on the tombstones, the skeletons breaking apart, all seemed to be slowly resetting. Under the power of this place, they were simply unkillable! Su Qi said calmly, "Isn''t there a third main quest?" Chapter 138 - 131 The Third Task (Two in One)_2 Cheng Feng blinked and exclaimed, "Isn''t the third mainline all question marks?" "Actually... It seems we are heading towards the third mainline." Sword White Clothes'' voice came slowly, his gaze fixed on the record book as he said gravely, "From all the signs so far, we''ve completely taken the opposite path. This is a place others almost certainly would not reach." "If we follow this line of thought, then the third special mainline... is probably hidden here, and it might be related to that terrifying entity." Sword White Clothes glanced at Su Qi again. In fact, he had another thing to say... If it hadn''t been for Su Buxian, they couldn''t have possibly arrived here. And the latter seemed to show a dawning understanding, "So that''s how it is." It looked like he had just realized, but there was a sense of dissonance. "..." Sword White Clothes could no longer tell. "So, if we continue moving forward, are we very likely to encounter that terrifying entity?" Cheng Feng''s face changed dramatically. "Not necessarily." Su Qi''s denial eased Cheng Feng''s expression a great deal. But the next sentence nearly made him fall apart. Su Qi muttered to himself, "There''s a very high probability we''ll die before we even get close." That was the data he saw in the record book, which indicated that many Maintainers had been dispatched, but without exception, all had perished. "Damn!" At that moment, Cheng Feng saw the broken Skullmen return to their coffins and were steadily recovering, "What are we going to do then! Whether we move forward or stay here, we''ll be consumed to death!" Sword White Clothes'' expression became extremely grave at this point. He could not die! His trial had already begun, and if he were to die here, it would mean a failed job transfer, and the precious Ancient Relic would disappear entirely! This was a huge blow for both him and his club! And just then. Su Qi looked into the distance... A terrifying Ripple suddenly burst forth from afar, exploding like a violent storm! The entire space shook as if it were vibrating! The ground cracked open continuously! The surrounding tombstones also developed cracks, and the Skullmen in the coffins shuddered! The three of them could not even stand steady! They were even struck by the impact and sent flying! Cheng Feng thrust his spear into the ground, hugging the shaft to avoid being thrown backward, but he was still left floating in the fierce assault! His face was filled with terror, "What''s happening?! And..." Cheng Feng roared at Su Qi, who had grabbed his shoulder, "Can''t you stand on your own?!" Su Qi didn''t respond, looking instead towards the source of the impact and said with serious consideration, "It''s Feeding Day... It''s gathered the energy it absorbed, and that terrifying entity seems to be fighting against it! This must be the impact of their confrontation!" "Holy shit, even the Ripples of spatial fluctuations are terrifying when transmitted over here!" Cheng Feng''s eyes widened in shock. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The impacts continued! All the surrounding tombstones cracked, and deep ravines formed in the ground, as if impacted by blast waves! At the same time, eerie sounds approached! Their heads suddenly felt heavy, and they experienced a stabbing pain! Information appeared in front of them! [Spiritual Power -3] "There are also spiritual impacts here!" Sword White Clothes, holding onto a tombstone and his sword thrust into the ground, realized this and looked both grave and deeply wary. "The third task is simply impossible to complete!" The so-called record book was right! They couldn''t even get close! Boom! Boom! Boom! The space behind them vibrated, and the impacts didn''t stop; they became even more intense, as if the entity was in a furious burst of rage! And at that moment! The cracked space behind them burst open, and a huge wave of Erosion Liquid surged forth from the gap! The connecting point was slightly Twisted! It was forcibly torn open, revealing twisted illusions! Su Qi''s eyes flickered slightly, and he spoke softly, "Gentlemen!" "It seems we can leave this place now." Cheng Feng shouted, "What do you mean?!" Su Qi answered, "The record book has... these spaces are all forcefully connected. Once distortion occurs, it indicates a gap has appeared, allowing us to break free." Sword White Clothes was startled, wondering how he hadn''t seen that! But he turned to look at the Twisted illusion, which indeed seemed to show the phantom shadows of a City, corridors, and more. "You''re right, Brother Su," Su Qi smiled. Sword White Clothes'' gaze hardened, and he said solemnly, "Then let''s go with the flow of the impact and get past it!" "Okay!" Cheng Feng eagerly responded. He gently pulled up his long spear, and his body was immediately pushed backward by the impact! But at that moment, Su Qi''s hand, which had been resting on his shoulder, also let go. "Ah?? Brother Su, what are you doing?" Cheng Feng suddenly startled. Su Buxian, one foot on the tombstone, wasn''t planning to leave, smiled and said, "You guys go ahead, I still have some things to do." Sword White Clothes said in a heavy tone, "Brother Su Buxian, you''re not still thinking about that third mainline quest, are you?" "It''s impossible to complete under these circumstances!" "The most important thing is to survive and complete the transfer!" sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sword White Clothes, being a nice guy, hadn''t forgotten to remind Su Qi even now. "Don''t worry, I''m a rational player, I never act recklessly," replied Su Qi with a light smile. Right now, he was in the process of completing his character transfer. Death was the easiest to collect, he had completed that... but the Abyss and Old Days were significant challenges. At this moment, Su Qi, even though caught in the midst of the impact, saw an information box appear before his eyes. [Old Day Point Collected] [Current Progress: 1/1000] Which meant that within this impact, there was something related to the Old Days... How could he possibly let it slip by? The terrifying Ripples fluctuated even more strongly! The spiritual impact caused both Sword White Clothes and Cheng Feng to feel their heads swell, and staying any longer would likely be bad news. "Brother Su..." Sword White Clothes looked at Su Qi, his expression growing more solemn, "We will complete the escape mission as quickly as possible, and by then you should also be able to be transferred out!" Typically, once a quest was completed, other players could also get the completion progress, but if their participation was zero, the overall evaluation would be very low, possibly single digits, or they might not receive any Experience or Game Coin. "Alright alright," Su Qi said, smiling, "Don''t worry, if you guys can''t get out, I will also complete the third mission." "Don''t talk nonsense!" Cheng Feng turned his head back, cursing, "You''d better not freaking die!" The two of them then left the area. Only then did Su Qi withdraw his gaze, controlling the liquid metal to create spikes under his feet, anchoring himself firmly to the ground so the impact wouldn''t whisk him away. He muttered to himself, "Old Day Point isn''t increasing anymore." After the initial point of progress that had appeared, there had been no more movement. "It seems I need to move closer." Su Qi began to move forward, advancing toward the next area against the impact! He was like Sword White Clothes. Once the death collection was complete, a message popped up in front of Su Qi. [Death gathered, trial officially initiated] [Please note, you still need to gather items from the Abyss and the Old Days (Reminder to players, all this must be completed within this instance, if the transfer is not successful upon exiting the instance, the trial will fail, and the Ancient God''s Heart will disappear)] Therefore, Su Qi had his reasons to move forward. Most importantly... "Roar!" A wisp of residual phantom appeared before Su Qi, dispersing with the impact, twisted like a specter. The next moment. [Spiritual Power -4] From the information box before his eyes, the greatest threat of this impact was spiritual power. If that''s how it was going to be played, Su Qi felt the problem wasn''t too big. Relying on the liquid metal and Dark Wind Boots, he moved step by step closer, while the space in between shattered, and original dangers... like the Insect Nest, the Weird Mask House, the Death Gauntlet. They all trembled and collapsed under the impact! "This really is... quite fortunate." If these areas were to be crossed normally, they would likely be extremely lethal danger zones, no wonder no Maintainers dared to come close. "I really did get lucky." He murmured to himself, "Of course... it could also be a death wish." Su Qi looked ahead into the dark space. The horror of the waves and the spiritual impact poured down like from the Sky Dome! Further, endless Black Fog churned, containing a terrifying energy bursting forth! As if it wanted to bring Destruction to everything! And at the same time, A popup window appeared before his eyes. [Congratulations to Player Su Buxian for triggering the third hidden Special Mainline Quest] [Please note: This mainline quest is personal and exclusive, and you will receive system assistance] [Assistance Tool has been delivered to your Item Slot, please be sure to check] Chapter 139 - 132: Who Are You? (Two in One) [Third Main Task: Increase the Possibility of the Sealed One''s Escape] [The evaluation of this task depends on the player''s impact] [Note: In this balance of power, you are just a grain of sand falling through the cracks, but even a tiny possibility might bring a small change to the current balance] "Break the balance?" Su Qi raised his head. Black fog fell from the sky like a vortex, absorbing the energy from the Sky Dome! Within the black fog, there were twisted illusions and terrifying screams! Even just by looking, Su Qi was affected and his spiritual power decreased. [Spiritual Power -15] Inside the black fog... there was the sealed existence, launching attacks... Each burst could cause endless thunder, attempting to break the limits of the black fog! But it was countered time and again! Only the terrifying impacts spread out with the ripples of the bursts! "You think too highly of me." Su Qi raised an eyebrow, "What sequence of power is necessary to possess this?" Su Qi glanced at the Old Days progress, which had now reached [73/1000] Although it was increasing, the rate was very slow. "Let''s see what you''ve given me before deciding whether to take the risk." Su Qi could just hang around until the collection of Old Days was complete. He opened his Item Slot. After opening, Su Qi''s gaze paused, it was a pendant, delicately made... The pattern was a black flower. [Name: Soothing Flower Pendant] [Type: Temporary Prop] [Quality: Immortal] [Function: 1. Calming: Reduces spiritual pollution impact by 90% (if impact exceeds 1000 spiritual damage, the excess part is not mitigated) 2. Inspection: Each use will have a moment of clarity lasting one second, cooldown time of two minutes (illusions, space, twisted fog, etc. will reveal the true path, the higher the spiritual power, the higher the chance of inspection) 3. Spiritual Body: You can leave your body, transforming into a spiritual body, the greater the spiritual power the stronger the spiritual body (note: if spiritual power is exhausted, your spiritual body dies, causing damage to your original body)] [Can it be brought out of the instance: No] [Note: This pendant was a limited-edition product launched by the "Don''t Worry, Be Happy" company due to a certain legend; because of its special attributes... it caused distrust, conflicts, and public opinion, thus was removed from sale a month after release] Su Qi''s eyes twinkled slightly, "This inspection... could it also have the ability to detect lies?" From the note, it seemed indeed so. "And this spiritual body." Su Qi was not new to this term; the Black Robed Man in Lin Yuan Land used a spiritual body, and the little girl from the last instance seemed to be a spiritual body. "Let''s check its effect." Su Qi wore it around his neck, the cold feeling sank into his chest, and instantly surged throughout his body. The calming effect immediately activated, and the surrounding spiritual pollution impact instantly decreased by 90%. "Immediate results, doctor." The surrounding spiritual impacts were directly suppressed, and Su Qi''s spiritual power no longer popped up related prompts. He looked towards the black fog. Directly used Inspection! In an instant, the black fog and the polluted energy in the Sky Dome majestically appeared within Su Qi''s sight. "Just as expected, feeding from the upper space to absorb energy, then transmitting it here..." However, With only one second, the energy paths in front of him disappeared. "Let''s try getting closer." Su Qi wanted to approach, but it wasn''t so simple; although he had a high resistance to the spiritual pollution from the black fog, coupled with his ridiculously high spiritual attribute, he could completely defy it. However, Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His body damn well wouldn''t listen to him. His body was genuinely made of flesh and blood, and being able to find a place not to be blown away under this terrifying impact was already considered lucky. Not to mention, terrifying fluctuations and destructive ripples emerging around him! These were all physical damage! Once it hit the body, Su Qi wouldn''t even have time to call the crematorium before being swept away like dust. "It seems, I must use the spiritual body..." Su Qi selected a safe spot for his body, formed a barrier with liquid metal, and stayed as close as possible where he wouldn''t be affected by the destructive ripples. Then he activated the spiritual body. "Shua!" After a brief moment of distraction. Su Qi''s entire spiritual body condensed out, he was dumbfounded looking back at his own body, feeling strange. This was completely different from astral projection, not lightly floating in mid-air, but more like breaking free from restraints. Somewhatlike the feeling of entering Personal Space from the real game cabin. [Note: The spiritual body state does not receive pure physical damage, but cannot be immune to physical attacks containing spiritual energy, pollution, etc.] "Feels quite good." After Su Qi transformed into a spiritual body, his speed noticeably increased, and there were no Vitality and Physical Strength, only spiritual attributes! Including Penetration and quick teleportation effects! Su Qi moved towards the black vortex, the Old Day Point began to increase again, he used Inspection once more. The black vortex, like a huge polluted energy body, intricately covered in fine structures, spiritual pollution mixed with wild and uneven energy densely packed within! It was like an infinitely interconnected net, and although the one inside had tremendous destructive bursts, by attacking one spot, all energy would instantly converge to that point, firmly blocking it! And if there were multiple attacks, multiple defensive energies would be generated, spreading and diminishing the force through rapid connection. Chapter 140 - 132 Who are you? (Two in One)_2 "It turns out to be such a structure." "That guy couldn''t break through, which is normal, it needs a great commander!" Su Qi''s eyes flickered, the Inspection Skill dissipated again, and he could not use it again for another two minutes. However. He also saw how to enter this Black Fog. This Black Fog was like an Array, connected by multiple complex matrices, its circuits were intricate but not impregnable. Now, in his Spiritual Body state, he kicked forward and headed towards a corner of the Black Fog! "This is the only gap where no energy passes through, but this is just the surface, once you step into the Black Fog, who knows how complex it will become." "The two-minute cooldown for Inspection might not be enough." Luckily, Su Qi still had a frame. He had to go in first to have a chance to communicate with that terrifying Sealer, and of course, his main purpose was to collect Old Days! Within this Black Fog, there was a mixture of that twisted and bizarre aura! Every minute and every second he entered the Black Fog, Su Qi felt as though he was in the Abyss, endless quagmires, deep seas, and Darkness surged from all directions, threatening to devour him! [Old Days Progress: 391/1000] Not bad. The progress had notably increased as soon as he stepped in here. The terrifying Ripples and bursts around him began to spread out! Su Qi followed the gap in the Black Fog and started to step into it... However, as soon as he entered, he discovered the Black Fog was shifting, and he keenly felt the paths behind and ahead changing. [?] were also changing. "So it is, every ten seconds... the entire Black Fog changes." Su Qi: "Aside from this foothold,I''m on, the paths in front and behind are also twisted." He squinted slightly, waiting for the cooldown to end, and used Inspection again, the paths had indeed changed. Moreover, inside the Black Fog, there were twists everywhere, and making progress into the depths wasn''t straightforward, like infrared security, intertwined with various complex patterns. To move further inside, Su Qi had to bypass these complex patterns. "Troublesome... and not a little bit." Within a second of Inspection, memorize the pattern paths, you must move through the gaps within ten seconds, and if the time is exceeded, the paths change. It would take another two minutes before Inspection could be used again. "Given the massive radius of this Black Fog, at least a kilometer or so, I still have to detour, when can I become the Commander?" "That''s not right." Su Qi''s eyelids flicked: "Could it be that this is the way I''m supposed to impact the balance, the system never intended to let me inside." "Just moving through the paths to disturb the patterns of the Black Fog, thus increasing the possibility of the other party breaking free?" Su Qi glared, "Who do you think you''re looking down on!" No wonder the Notes mentioned that I''m just a grain of sand seeping into the crevices, turns out the system was serious. Indeed, according to normal procedures. Getting inside the Black Fog was already a blessing from the Soothing Flower Pendant, even just stirring the patterns a bit, even if only a tiny part of the vast Black Fog... also counted as playing a role, increasing that possibility. But Su Qi... From the beginning to the end, his target was the Sealer himself. "There''s a saying, when someone looks down on you, you''ve got to fiercely show them what''s what..." If the system''s intelligence was still functioning, it probably just wanted to say:? What are you talking about, player! This is a reasonable difficulty level assessed by this system based on player strength! Or what else do you want! "I''ll adjust the parameters first." Su Qi''s eyes flickered slightly, looking towards the dense question marks inside the Black Fog. [Old Days Mists, rich in Spiritual Pollution, contact carries energy causing bursts] Su Qi no longer used Inspection. Since this was all so-called Old Days Mists, an idea occurred to him. He pulled out the [Horror Nursery Rhyme] speaker from his Item Slot, this speaker played sounds from the Old Days. "We''re all from the same source... with such a quantity, blending in shouldn''t be too much of a problem, right?" After turning on the speaker, the eerie Sound of the Past emerged waveringly from it. "Zizz Zizz Zizz!" The surrounding Black Fog actually started to change, seemingly confused, it hovered around Su Qi for a while. Just like computer data scanning for viruses and Trojans, it was inspecting where this Old Days energy had come from. But the next moment. "Boom!" The terrifying existence inside once again burst out with astonishing destructive power! A massive amount of energy from the Black Fog was drained, all being used for defense! Brilliant! Su Qi almost clapped! Well played! This is what cooperation looked like! Su Qi resolutely carried the speaker and strode forward! He now essentially had a fake ID and had infiltrated the vast, Black Fog City. The Black Fog police might conduct checks, but as long as their attention was diverted, Su Qi could pass through unobstructed. "Hard work everyone, everyone has really put in the effort." Su Qi carried the sound system towards the vigorously rippling Black Fog, greeting it. "I''ll be going first, no need to keep me for dinner." He advanced calmly. In such times, one mustn''t run too fast or appear panicked. If any hint was detected, he would be upgraded to a suspect. The duration of the sound system was only about three minutes, even as a Spiritual Body with movement techniques, Strength, and Physical Strength would double, and spiritual power would change as a result, along with increased resistance to pollution. He felt good now. Su Qi, without any hesitation, continued further in! Of course. The deeper he went, the more Su Qi realized that what the system had said was correct; ordinary players couldn''t possibly enter deeper, not only would spiritual pollution become even more terrifying, but it also became more complex and dangerous! Indeed. The Black Fog was like a surging sea of vast data, and for ordinary players to be a mere grain of sand causing a disturbance... could be considered a grand success. "Thankfully, I''m not an ordinary player." "But a new player ranked beyond ten thousand." Su Qi not only relied on the sound system, his fake ID, but also on ample [?] prompts and Inspection techniques to dodge through numerous checkpoints, bypassing the detecting Black Fog, and continuing forward. As time passed by. Su Qi was gradually approaching the eye of the Black Fog vortex; he looked at the sound system with only 20 seconds left on the countdown. His gaze shifted forward. Inspection and [?] both indicated that just ahead was the space where the Sealer resided, surrounded by a ring of Black Fog barriers, with a dangerous aura lingering around it, blocking his path. "This is my good citizen card!" Su Qi lifted his sound system. But the dangerously dense Black Fog ignored it, even circling closer and closer. "Damn, ran into the special security department, looks like...I must rush through before they react." Without any hesitation, Su Qi made the right choice in the limited time! "Run!" He burst forth suddenly, like encountering a traffic cop during a motorcycle check, his Spiritual Body throttled full speed ahead! The Black Fog was startled! It reacted astonishingly quickly! Dense Darkness from all directions fiercely attacked, intending to devour him! "Damn it!" Su Qi widened his eyes. The delay is this low? What''s this Array called? I want to learn it too! And at this moment! A majestic, destructive force suddenly struck the Black Fog barrier! Surrounding dense Black Fog even seemed to dissipate slightly! The barrier also cracked! The Black Fog all abandoned Su Qi, immediately retreating to defend! "It seems, the opponent isn''t too stupid." This is what is called influence; the Black Fog was led away by Su Qi, leaving gaps within its patterns. And this formidable Sealed entity also keenly seized this chance, delivering a thunderous blow! Regardless of success. It allowed Su Qi to proceed unimpeded, and he did so without hesitation, bravely forging ahead! From the edge of the Sea of Black Fog, he dived right into it! "Boom!" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The moment his Spiritual Body made contact with the surface of the Sea of Black Fog, Su Qi felt as if he was being torn apart. His brain thundered as if his skull was being furiously hammered open! [Spiritual Power -721] ??? If not for 90% pollution resistance, if not for the spiritual power granted by the Evil God, if not for the boost from the sound system... This one encounter. Su Qi would have perished here. Not to mention other players... they likely couldn''t even approach, let alone endure such a blow. However. This was but a moment of horrific damage. In the next moment, Su Qi''s body slammed hard onto solid ground, the surrounding Black Fog already becoming a thing behind him. He had finally entered! And upon entering, a majestic force and aura immediately made Su Qi feel a lethal danger and chill! At the same time. A cold, indifferent young girl''s voice rang out. "You, who are you?" Chapter 141 - 133: Today, I Will Clear All the Bills to Zero! "Who are you?" "Actually managing to step into this place!" The icy voice reached Su Qi''s ears. I''m your daddy... Su Qi looked up. His expression paused slightly. On the majestic throne adorned with black and gold carvings, a girl in a black dress was watching him with dangerous, indifferent eyes that reflected the destruction of the star river. Holy crap. There are planets in her eyes! Su Qi calculated in his mind. This power... apart from the Evil God and the Traveling Merchant, it had already surpassed the upper limits of what he had truly encountered, not counting the Priests from the "Love, Death, Super" players, as he had never truly witnessed their strength. Now, even if he activated Unrivaled, it seemed to be futile. "This classmate..." Su Qi spoke up, "Don''t be agitated, calm down, I am not your enemy." The girl in the black dress stared at Su Qi''s face, her eyes constantly flickering. After a one-second pause. In a calm and gentle voice, she said, "When did you notice that I was agitated?" Her fingers flicked slightly. The barrier of black fog around them burst forth with terrifying, massive waves like countless volcanoes erupting. "And, do you think your strength... could make me agitated?" ??? What''s with the huge rage? Also. Stop showing off your strength, fortunes can change in thirty years, don''t think the young are always poor! "I didn''t mean that." Su Qi, sensing her dangerous power and that calm gaze, continued softly, "However, although I may not be strong enough, I can help you escape." Su Qi looked towards the black fog, "For instance, the flaw you just sensed in the black fog was an opportunity I created intentionally." That was a lie. He had merely caught a break by chance, completely reactive; if the girl hadn''t made her move, he might have been consumed already. But never mind whether it''s true or not. As long as the effect is achieved, that''s good enough. "..." The girl in the black dress remained silent. Indeed, there was a slight flaw just now, unlikely to occur in the nearly perfect operation of the Ancient Mists... If it was due to someone''s interference, then it would make sense. But that wasn''t the point. After about five seconds of staring at Su Qi, she spoke, "You lied." Su Qi was stunned for a moment. You''re pretty sharp, huh! This person seemed even keener than the Traveling Merchant, but had he given any slip? "This is unwarranted slander!" Su Qi declared righteously. "We could be open and honest and have a good talk... about a possible collaboration." Holding the key that could free her, he who never came out on the losing end, even if she belonged to the High sequence, the Transcendence Series, or was a God, it made no difference to him; anyway, he was going to pull off a con. However. The girl''s gaze remained fixed on Su Qi''s face. Making Su Qi a bit puzzled. Why the hell are you staring at me? Down, girl! But the girl in the black dress did not respond to Su Qi''s suggestion; instead, she calmly said, "Don''t you feel... we''ve met somewhere before?" Su Qi paused and pondered for half a second, "You... have heard the story of The Hustlers?" His statues as Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect were being erected? His grand image spread far and wide? "No," said the girl in black, her voice cold. Su Qi sighed. It seemed The Hustlers Sect was still a long way from successfully going public and becoming world-renowned. "..." Her face, expressionless, continued to watch Su Qi: "Also, there is something odd about your aura." Su Qi''s expression didn''t change, but he was somewhat on alert. His own aura wasn''t simple, influenced by the Evil God, Ancient God, and the Traveling Merchant... Could she sense it too? "It might be a mistake on your part, or perhaps it''s the result of me wandering all over the place; I might have picked up something unusual." Su Qi considered before replying. "..." The girl in black flickered her gaze, her finger wavered slightly, and the power she gathered in mid-air hit the distant black fog! "BOOM!" The terrifying power burst forth, causing tremendous ripples! Su Qi watched the scene and shook his head, "This won''t break it." "I know." You know and you still do it? Su Qi felt the need to ponder her intentions. He chose not to use Inspection; it was meant to deal with the black fog outside, and it probably wouldn''t work... no, it would definitely not work against this formidable girl in the black dress, and performing such an act under her scrutiny was best avoided. However, using [?] to observe was not a problem since it worked on both the Traveling Merchant and the Evil God. Su Qi looked towards her head. [She... wants to slap you dead.] ??? Su Qi was filled with question marks. Why? He had only seen this message on enemies and most teammates. "I haven''t even exerted myself yet... and you''re already trying to crush me?" The girl in the black dress looked at Su Qi calmly, "Don''t you find me familiar?" Su Qi scrutinized her face, recalling seriously, "Sorry, I''m kind of face-blind... I tend to forget unimportant people and things quite quickly." He even felt a sense of dj vu when he saw a white cat that had been shaved a few days ago. "Okay, okay, okay." The girl suddenly extended her hand, with spirit patterns floating in the air around her, each emitting an astonishing presence. "What... are you doing?" The girl in the black dress did not answer but instead said calmly, "I had a dream recently. Although many things in that dream were blurry, there were a few things I vaguely remember, and this strange sense of familiarity seems to come from there." Su Qi watched as those spirit patterns flew towards the center, seemingly creating some sort of image, and his heart skipped a beat. Because in the image above, something looked eerily familiar C a big and a small figure were running down a street. "In the dream... I encountered danger and was chased by countless monsters." "Yet at that time, I met someone. He gave me tasty things, protected me from harm, and even sacrificed himself... leaving me alone." "You..." Su Qi''s expression changed slightly. The other party actually was the Master of Destruction... that little girl. At first, he only found her face somewhat familiar, but the difference between a child and a teenager was too great. The girl in the black dress watched Su Qi''s reaction, her eyes flickering, she said coldly, "It seems... you finally remember." "No, who are you again?" "...." The girl in the black dress fell into a brief silence, then ''boom'' C the entire Black Fog barrier nearly shattered under an overwhelming force! Su Qi''s eyelids twitched violently, and he cleared his throat promptly. "Just kidding... Respected Master of Destruction, please calm down, after all, we are still game friends." The girl in the black dress had a cold look on her face, her teeth gritted: "How dare you bring that up!" The girl in the black dress exuded a terrifying aura of destruction: "You deceitful scoundrel, taking advantage of my innocence as a young spiritual body, you scammed me out of money! Utterly abominable!" Su Qi: "????" Who scammed who? These are clear-cut facts, don''t spout nonsense. The girl in the black dress glared at Su Qi: "Today." "I will wipe the slate clean!" Su Qi: "..." ----------------- "Kill!" Cheng Feng let out a low roar, surging through the tunnel! A horde of monsters were gathered together, blocking the entrance to the tunnel! His spear tip surged with intense fluctuations, and wherever he pierced, a radius of 3.5 meters around it would burst into the air! "Boom, boom, boom!" And Sword White Clothes was even more fierce. At this moment, the mark on his forehead shimmered, and his long sword was coated with a strange energy. Ordinary sword moves were used, but they produced sharp energy that turned into sword winds that slashed through the distant groups of monsters! Blood and gore splattered everywhere!! "What is this?" Cheng Feng''s eyes widened. "Spiritual power..." Sword White Clothes had also used it for the first time just now, his gaze shifting: "So powerful." Cheng Feng: "Did you succeed at changing your profession?" Sword White Clothes nodded, then shook his head. "Not yet, I''ve only just unlocked spiritual power..." He pointed to the mark on his forehead: "And it''s still quite difficult to control." That strike had been successful only after many tries. But having completed the trial, he could breathe a sigh of relief; even in the event of death now, it wouldn''t affect his profession too much. "What remains are the profession bonuses and traits, among other details. However... my combat power has indeed increased significantly." Cheng Feng''s eyes lit up: "Then I''m reassured." "Let''s go!" With his newly enhanced strength, Sword White Clothes swept through the monsters in the tunnel at a rapid pace alongside Cheng Feng. Looking around, he said: "There are many traces left behind here. A large group of mutants fleeing together, those three players should be among them, they must have left a while ago." He was very accurate in assessing the situation, having known from the start that the three players in another room would have a way to break free, of course except for Su Qi. "But we should still make it if we hurry, we must catch up as quickly as possible!" Cheng Feng nodded: "Okay." He chuckled: "Let''s complete the escape mission quickly, and show Su Buxian that guy, only by following the main storyline do you have a way out." Sword White Clothes had a pessimistic view of this. The dangers there were self-evident, and he wasn''t someone who liked to abandon missions, but once he gave up, it meant that the success rate of the mission was slim. "Let''s go." Sword White Clothes said no more. The two of them moved quickly forward. Soon, they discovered several connected spaces and traces of battle. "They''re quite fast." Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Monsters lunged at them from all around, Cheng Feng let out a low shout, his spear piercing straight through one. "There are still many monsters left, which means they didn''t linger for battle and went straight for escape." Among the dead bodies of mutants around them, it was clear the battles had been fierce. They didn''t stay too long in one place and continued to rush forward. "Brother Jian..." Cheng Feng''s eyes suddenly darted, spotting an item in the corridor ahead: "That thing again!!" It was the abstract horse sculpture from before! Physical damage was ineffective against it, and it obviously had killed quite a few mutants already! Sword White Clothes'' gaze sharpened: "Don''t panic." He channeled his scarce spiritual power onto the sword. The success rate wasn''t high, and it seemed that a significant amount of spiritual energy also dissipated. Spiritual power was no longer used directly like data or skills, but instead required players to master proficiency levels. Different people, combined with their traits and weapons, would discover various ways to use it. With a ''whoosh'', Sword White Clothes, wielding the sword infused with spiritual power, successfully penetrated the sculpture! "Nicely done, Brother Jian!" Spiritual power could be infused in combat, making ordinary weapons capable of damaging eerie beings such as ghosts and specters. Sword White Clothes was already seeing many fresh bloodstains. "Let''s go! Those people must be up ahead." Chapter 142 - 134: Sweating Profusely, Arent You, Young Girl! (Seeking Monthly Ticket) As they gradually approached, they heard an intense battle unfolding. Numerous mutants were unleashing their strength against the keepers in protective suits in front of them... Weapons, energy, and superpowers burst forth repeatedly. Meanwhile, Sword White Clothes spotted those three players. "I''ll go help!" Sword White Clothes, having just changed professions, moved and his sword flashed with light! The mark on his forehead shone brilliantly! He instantly unleashed strength surpassing his previous level. "What''s that?" Xun Xiaohuan and the others also noticed Sword White Clothes and Cheng Feng, their eyes lighting up, "Other players, they aren''t dead!" "And they look familiar...." The man stared at Sword White Clothes, his eyelids twitching slightly, "It''s the super rookie from Sword Flower, and he''s completed his job change too..." All of them were beta testers and could instantly tell the status of Sword White Clothes from the shining mark on his forehead. His strength, speed, and physical strength had all significantly increased. Normally, in such intense team battles, individual combat capability was secondary. However, with the job change completed, the strength that Sword White Clothes burst with quickly alleviated the pressure on everyone. In just five minutes, he had forced the keepers back in defeat! "They''ve gone back up one level!" The mutants shouted, "Damn it, chase after them while we''ve got the momentum, don''t let them get away!" "Charge!" But just then, the middle-aged man shouted, "All of you, stop!" The numerous mutants paused at his voice. The middle-aged man said sternly, "Are you all fools? We''ve reached this final barrier, and we''re about to face the real obstruction!" S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That supervisor won''t just sit by idle... it''s probably waiting for us to head there." "At this moment, we should be recuperating and planning... give it everything in one final effort!" "That''s the most prudent strategy!" Cheng Feng was moved, "Well said!" Finally, there was a presence of a prudent gameplay style, this was the normal procedure and rhythm! Xun Xiaohuan and the others also took a deep breath, recovered some strength and conversed with Sword White Clothes and Cheng Feng. "Did you go to the deep space?" "That is really unlucky." "We also lost a teammate, mourn his loss," Xun Xiaohuan said softly, unaware that the teammate was Su Buxian. Sword White Clothes turned to them, "Let''s not talk about that for now. You are all beta testers, you must be close to completing your job changes." "Yes, although we''ve been constantly fighting...the trial is also ready, but the job change still needs a moment to complete," the scarred youth nodded. "Then I advise you to change your jobs right now." The three were slightly stunned, "Right now?" Sword White Clothes, in his white clothing, holding his long sword, looked toward the upper level: "The moment I completed my job change, I understood that to escape this instance, relying on the original level 20 untransformed strength wasn''t enough; activating the spiritual power... and getting the profession enhancement, is the only chance to fight for survival." "So." "I suggest that each of you complete your job change here." The scarred youth looked hesitant, "This... our trials for changing jobs are complete, we need a safe environment, and it will consume an uncertain amount of Spiritual Ability Points, you know this amount is not small, the risk is significant." Sword White Clothes had completed his job change during the battle, using nearly 500 Spiritual Ability Points to forcibly open the mark on his forehead, also obtaining a significant enhancement, which was slightly different from others. Sword White Clothes frowned, "But only this way, there''s a chance of success in escaping..." The man patted the scarred youth on the shoulder, "He''s right, we can''t wait any longer. Haven''t you seen how terrifying that supervisor is? Even if we run, we must give it our all." "Alright, I understand." The scarred youth took a deep breath and began preparing to complete the job change with the others. Meanwhile, the supervisor was lying with his eyes closed at the last defense line at the exit, holding a giant axe, seemingly waiting for those people to arrive. "When ants think they have a chance to escape the cage, they don''t realize it''s just a game." Watching every ant desperately struggle, seeing hope and then facing despair, was the best source of energy, the negative emotions brought about by the pollution effect were also excellent. "According to this progress, maybe after a few more feeding days, the stability of Ancient Mists will increase again... The chance of that existence''s recovery will become slim." "My master''s future opponent will also be reduced by one." Its body''s totem faintly blinked, the pattern displayed was not of the Evil God but represented another divine being. ----------------- At this very moment, within the thick Old Days Black Fog, The Master of Destruction glared at Su Qi, saying, "Why refuse?" When the Master of Destruction had just asked to settle the bills, Su Qi resolutely refused. "Because it''s urgent, big sister, don''t you see what time it is?" Su Qi pointed outside at the black fog, "They are absorbing energy, deploying troops, and evolving now, escaping is the most vital thing right now." "And" Su Qi took out the bill and flipped through it, "you owe too much, it will take so long to pay back." Master of Destruction: "...." Look, what a sly miscreant! He even carried the ledger with him, and it seemed he only accounted for a bit of it, there appeared to be other victims too. She suppressed the urge to slap this bastard to death, her eyes slightly cold, "I have never suffered a loss at someone else''s hands, this matter must be resolved, but... if you think it''s too long, then let''s just play one round, gambling all the bills." "Of course, it might seem somewhat unreasonable from me, but you can choose any game, Go, chess, poker, video games... well, not that last one, anything else is fine." Having been na?ve and excessively simple in her youth, she was swindled round and round, and the memories from her spiritual body made her clench her teeth in anger, so she studied a bit... and discovered many discrepancies. And she wanted to squarely defeat this guy in these areas! Su Qi sighed. You''re just delivering yourself to me, aren''t you? "Alright then, since that''s the case, how about we make it quick?" "Fine, but no using powers to cheat." "???" Su Qi widened his eyes, "How can you malign someone''s good name out of nowhere?" "Heh." Su Qi pulled out a deck of cards. Playing cards, huh? The Master of Destruction''s eyes flickered, she was ready. But Su Qi didn''t play according to her wishes, "Ordinary playing is boring." "Let''s play the simplest... you pick any card, and I''ll guess what it is, how about that?" Master of Destruction: "?" She hesitated for a moment. Su Qi was best not at defeating others in their domain but at pulling them into his own and brutally suppressing them. However, now it seemed advantageous for her. Her eyes flickered with a faint light: "Okay." Su Qi then spread out the poker cards: "Now, you draw." The Master of Destruction did not immediately start but glanced at the poker cards. All she needed was one look to tell if there was any trickery. After confirming that there were no issues, she softly said, "Wait." Then she placed her finger on Su Qi''s forehead. "???" Su Qi slightly paused. The next moment, Su Qi felt the world spin, his entire vision blurred, and then he came to his senses. The Master of Destruction had already withdrawn her hand. "I''ve already drawn." Su Qi looked at her hand, but it was empty. "Don''t look anymore, I drew blindly, and I''ve put away the cards." The Master of Destruction looked at Su Qi: "Your ability is very special; I won''t give you any chances." She had previously studied Su Qi, who seemed able to deduce information from things within his sight... like some sort of investigative trait, and it was of a high level which she currently could not detect. Given this, the Master of Destruction also had a way to counteract investigative traits, which was to directly block the investigation and avoid informational traces by all means. Just like the Old Days when all traces were swept away, past myths disappeared without a trace. Now, the cards have been blindly drawn, and even she did not know which one it was, leaving no information and no traces. "Impressive." After seeing her maneuvers, Su Qi could only genuinely admire. The Master of Destruction indeed guessed his secret to always winning bets and had even prepared to handle it. "Are you sure?" "Yes." "Are you really sure?" "Some investigative traits manifest extraordinary characteristics, merely gathering information from conversations." The Master of Destruction calmly looked at Su Qi: "Do you think that will work on me?" Su Qi: "It seems you''re confident of victory." "Since you''re so confident, how about we raise the stakes?" The Master of Destruction furrowed her brow: "Raise the stakes?" She pondered: "Okay, if I win, in addition to clearing the bill, you will need to sign a contract." "What kind of contract." "Master and servant," the Master of Destruction uttered two words. Su Qi''s eyes brightened: "You want to acknowledge me as the master..." "BAM!" The Master of Destruction slammed her palm on the ground, creating a rumble, her eyes filled with a dangerous air of destruction, coldly staring at Su Qi: "If it weren''t for the fact you saved me, I wouldn''t have been able to resist killing you by now!" "Cough, just a joke." Su Qi looked at the cracked ground and coughed calmly. "Fine... If I guess it, it''s simple... the bill increases by 100% of the previous day''s amount every day." "?" Master of Destruction: "Do you think I''m a fool?" This calculation would turn the debt into an astronomical figure in no time. "So you can see that..." "..." "There''s indeed a hint of usury." Su Qi took a step back: "Then let''s cancel the upfront." The Master of Destruction widened her eyes: "Isn''t that still usury? Bastard!" Su Qi shrugged: "That''s no way to talk to someone who saved your life." The Master of Destruction made up her mind and spat out a word: "Fine." She couldn''t possibly lose, even with extraordinary traits, which rely on traces. In the Old Days... traces were the only way to find the truth, a problem that plagued countless investigators for thousands of years. She had no way to detect even a hint! She! Was sure to win! And then, Su Qi, smiling, extended his hand. Hmm? Then slowly spread out the poker cards. Hmm?? And unhurriedly flipped them over. Hmm!!!! Su Qi looked at the remaining 53 visible cards. He scanned the area, paused, and his eyes lit up: "Oh, so there is a King of Hearts missing." "....." This series of actions had the girl in the black dress standing rigidly in place! She was utterly disoriented. It felt like defending against heaven, earth, and the air, only to be bewildered by a corn cob! As the Master of Destruction... her eyes, once sparkling with Star River, were now filled with various emotions. Silence! Hush! Distracted! Complex and perplexed! Su Qi then patted her shoulder, saying: "Young lady, the real skill sometimes lies in simplicity." Sweating much, young girl? Chapter 143 - 135 This is the part where you pay extra! "Have you ever seen a cat?" "Have you ever seen a furious, bristling cat?" At this moment, the black-dressed girl''s long hair exploded and danced in the air, revealing a cold, destructive aura in her eyes! Su Qi felt he was in trouble. He had wanted to casually bring up the matter of the bill, but now it was stuck in his throat, unable to be voiced, feeling a sense of danger! "You... promised not to be agitated," Su Qi coughed, reminding her. The Master of Destruction fixed her gaze on Su Qi as the terrifying strength cracked the ground under her, clenching her silver teeth and saying word by word, "I! AM! NOT! AGITATED!" Dead men tell no tales. "If that''s the case, then I''m relieved." Su Qi, "Let''s get back to the betting bill we were just talking about." "Bang!" The spiritual pressure of destruction began to disperse! Calmly stepping over several meters of cracks on the ground, Su Qi said, "100% daily isn''t much of a problem, and if you don''t want to pay the interest, you could even pay it off right now." "??" The Master of Destruction looked at Su Qi with a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Using that master-servant contract..." Before Su Qi could finish, the air and ground around him exploded with a "boom, boom, boom!" He really needed to improve his mental fortitude. Look at the Traveling Merchant... His composure is impressive, no matter how much he is tricked, he never gets physical. But it wasn''t a big issue. Sensing the terrifying spiritual pressure around him, Su Qi himself remained unharmed. It seemed, this black-dressed girl still had some conscience left. "Alright... no more joking, you brought this upon yourself," Su Qi didn''t tease her further: "I plainly refused before." The first move... shifting the blame. The Master of Destruction fell silent. It really was just as described. "Moreover, braving life and death, facing immense hardships to step in here, was purely to take you out of this place." The second move, playing the emotional card... though a large part of it was to change jobs, but that''s not important. At this moment, the black-dressed girl''s eyes softened a lot as she looked at Su Qi, her chilling gaze diminished, and then she slowly retracted her strength. Su Qi added, "Of course, that comes at a different price." "...." The Master of Destruction took a deep breath, pressed her violently throbbing brow, and forcibly suppressed the bursting strength! She felt she had withdrawn her power too soon. Receiving the memories and emotions of a young spiritual body, she wasn''t much affected at first, but his arrival stirred her emotions! Stay calm, stay calm! "Let''s get back to the matter at hand," the black-dressed girl''s eyes twinkled like the Star River, looking towards the Black Fog with a cold voice, "This is the Ancient Mists, carrying vast and complex formations, and infused with mature energy, extremely dangerous." "Indeed." Su Qi did not deny it, the Black Fog here was terrifyingly abnormal, every step could be lethal, She slowly gazed into Su Qi''s face, "And you were able to enter because you were too weak to be targeted, and you possess some sort of item that allowed you to luckily reach here." This point. The Master of Destruction was right; amidst the overwhelming Black Fog, Su Qi had taken shortcuts, and if it weren''t for the Master of Destruction attracting a large amount of Black Fog, he would have likely been devoured before crossing the sea of Black Fog. "And I am different, once I take a step, this Ancient Mist will surely erupt, and the killing intent will probably be even more astonishing. I won''t be able to pay attention to anything else in full force, and you''re too fragile, just a light touch would..." She uttered one word, "Die." Normal spiritual bodies will also suffer backlash upon death; before reaching a certain sequence, they would directly die. "So," the Master of Destruction calmly said, "The ability for you to see through information might not be effective for me." Su Qi glanced at her, and he had already seen quite a lot of information from the constantly refreshing [?] above her head. [Her own strength is weakening, yet the energy structure of the Ancient Mists is complete; she already believes there is no hope of escape] "So, you better leave early, to avoid you, as my creditor, dying here when I eventually leave. Wouldn''t that be a great loss?" "Fair point." Su Qi said, "But are you sure you can make it out on your own?" "Of course." "Whenever I want to leave, I can leave," the black-dressed girl exuded a majestic aura, her divine presence as the Master of Destruction overwhelming, "No one can stop the Master of Destruction!" Being stubborn, huh. Su Qi waved his hand, "Alright, then I''ll go first." "...." The black-dressed girl silently watched as Su Qi walked past her resolutely and decisively! Yet, just five seconds later RuntimeObject she realized the footsteps had stopped. The black-dressed girl blinked and turned around. Only to discover, Su Qi was sitting with his legs crossed on his own throne, looking down at her. The black-dressed girl calmly looked at him, "What exactly do you want to do..." Su Qi smiled lightly, "I''m just feeling it out." Yet he revealed some dissatisfaction, "But it''s quite ordinary. Cold, hard on the buttocks, a thousand-year-old throne may look majestic, but it seems not very comfortable, not quite up to the soft-padded stool I bought on discount at the furniture store." "Did I ask for your opinion!?" the black-dressed girl glared. Su Qi snapped his fingers, "Hence, I''m planning to develop a new kind of throne, one that not only looks majestic but is also comfortable, with heated cushions, back air conditioning, preferably a fan on top, plus massage functions." "...." The Master of Destruction clenched her fists, swearing that she was already controlling herself very well. In this sunless dungeon, she had spent a thousand years, and someone breaking in wanting to take her out should have been a touching gesture. Considering this feeling of touch and acknowledging her own helplessness, she wanted this guy to leave this dangerous place. But now. She really wanted to slap this guy to death. She truly did! "Have you said enough!" The girl in the black dress spoke with an icy tone at its extreme, "If you have, then take your boring ideas and leave immediately!" "Almost, that''s my request. Remember to add all these features when you build that throne for me, as it should be fitting for the identity of the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." "Right...." Su Qi looked at the girl in the black dress and said, "Just deduct it from the part about the extra payment." "? The girl in the black dress was momentarily lost. The part about extra payment? That is to say... She pursed her lips lightly, "You..." "You got one thing wrong, Master of Destruction, classmate." Su Qi gently extended his hand and held the Ancient God''s Heart in it. Death and the Old Days had already been collected, and with his other hand, he took out an eye, where abnormal power and the essence of the Ancient God mingled. [Abyss Progress +130] [Abyss Progress +134] [Abyss Progress +132] The pendant on his body glowed brightly, his eyes as if they could see everything, "Since I could guess those hard-to-guess poker cards, how could I not know what you''re thinking?" Master of Destruction bit her lip, had she been seen through? But... Where was the poker card hard to guess!!! And the next moment. The Evil God''s Eye was devoured by the Ancient God''s Heart, and the abnormal essence burst forth violently! The surrounding black fog surged along with it! [Abyss Progress +21341] "What in the world is this...." Master of Destruction''s eyes widened, disbelief in her gaze. That heart, that eye... they both possessed extraordinary aura, especially the eye with its terrifying Abyss Power, which made the surrounding black fog tremble and howl madly! Su Qi watched this scene, contemplating, "This power indeed relates to the Old Days, and Evil God seems a bit different, being the only divine being suppressed in the Abyss is also normal." Su Qi aimed to complete his class transition with this momentum, and thoroughly deprive this eye of its power for his own use, otherwise keeping it there felt insecure. At the same time. He also created a way out for this person. "What are you going to do, that thing is... extremely dangerous, your body can''t withstand its power!" The girl in the black dress watched the Ancient God''s Heart pulsating non-stop, her eyelashes trembling, feeling Su Qi''s next move. And as the Master of Destruction said, the mingling powers above, especially the Spiritual Pressure bursting forth from both the Evil God''s Eye and the Ancient God''s Heart, merely holding it in his palm had already carved blood marks on Su Qi''s body! "That''s not necessarily so." Su Qi took the Ancient God''s Heart, which had collected Death, Old Days, and the Abyss, and suddenly pressed it towards his chest! Boom! [Class Transition is beginning] [Warning! The power of the Ancient Relic is too vast! Current stage players cannot withstand it!] And at the same time. Su Qi silently activated a skill. [Unrivaled] ----------------- Metal pipes covered the walls, electricity sizzled in the hollow space. A large number of mutants were fearfully watching the figure in the distance at this moment. Holding a long axe, with robust veins on his arms, the aura emanating from his body emitted waves of Spiritual Pressure! He sat on the thousand steps leading to the exit! Squinting, he did not make a move. And the five players gripped their weapons with highly solemn expressions, watching it intensely. "Supervisor....." They had reached the first level... which was also the last barrier to leaving this prison. Numerous Maintainers also emerged from all directions, their gazes filled with various emotions. Mockery, coldness, abnormality. It was as if they were watching dead men struggle, seemingly the end predetermined. "...." The Supervisor also silently watched them, his eyes devoid of emotional fluctuations, like watching rats. The oppressive aura filled every corner of this space, all the mutants and players felt a heaviness sinking into their hearts. The middle-aged man gritted his teeth, blood vessels popping in his eyes, and shouted, "Attack!" There was nothing to hesitate about! This was a battle to the death! They would either escape or die here! The Maintainers also laughed excitedly and charged! The battle instantly erupted! The five players did not move; they watched the Supervisor... and the Supervisor also watched them, his gaze revealing an interested expression. "Interesting..." "Although you haven''t officially entered the sequence, you already possess Spiritual Energy, not bad at all." "And..." His gaze slightly flickered, staring at Sword White Clothes, "There''s even a naturally strong individual among you." Sword White Clothes listened to the other''s monologue, he gave no response, and the expressions of the players grew even more solemn. Because the next moment. A deadly chill had already enveloped him. "In that case...." The Supervisor slowly stood up, his massive body rising upright, his robust strength immediately transmitted as he swung his axe onto the ground, smashing a huge pit. Then it revealed a slightly abnormal smile, "Then you guys... might as well play with me for a while." Chapter 144 - 136: Successfully Changed Professions But... The supervisor stared at the five players as it ascended the steps! Its heavy footsteps thundered with formidable strength at every stride! "Let''s go," Sword White Clothes said in a deep voice. The five players, hearing the intense battle all around them, lifted their feet heavily and began to ascend! The stairs here were long with several platforms for pausing. The mutants and maintainers fighting fiercely below were sufficient; after all, they were not players and stood no chance against this supervisor. "The opponent is very strong!" the scarred youth whispered, "Extremely strong!" He had previously seen the energy contained within the opponent''s body, the so-called spiritual power. And now, even though he had completed the trial and gained some spiritual powersignificantly enhancing his strengthhe still felt an immense sense of oppression. Their eyes were grave. They were people who had just completed the job transition trials. Except for Cheng Feng, everyone''s strength had obviously increased since they were all beta players, able to grasp spiritual power and familiarize themselves with the profession''s traits instantly! "The opponent''s strength might be at the Seventh Rank." The man spoke solemnly, "But we are not without chances." In this Abyssal Paradise game, as long as you could inflict fatal damage, you could whittle down the opponent''s vitality, and even if there was a vast gap in strength, there was a way to triumph. "Any attack that can''t cause fatal damage, will merely deplete the opponent''s physical strength and spiritual power, everyone must..." Sword White Clothes suddenly stopped. He noticed the supervisor looking at them with a strange laugh, the axe slightly lifting two centimeters, and its footsteps getting heavier, stepping on the edge of the steps. Sword White Clothes'' pupils constricted, his expression shifted slightly, and he shouted, "It''s coming!" No sooner had he spoken. The very next moment. The supervisor''s axe flew out directly with astonishing rotation and speed, rapidly approaching to strike them! "Be careful!" Their faces changed, and they leapt to dodge the attack! Boom! The axe flew through the air, slicing the steps as easily as cutting through tofu with its sharp blade! "Ha ha ha!" The supervisor laughed eerily, "Quite a quick reaction!" "Attack!" Without any hesitation, Sword White Clothes pushed off with his foot and rushed towards the supervisor, sword in hand! Xun Xiaohuan''s flying knife was thrown laterally and supported from mid-air at high speed, targeting the vulnerable fatal points! The other three charged into battle as well! One-on-one offered no chance of victory; it was only through utmost cooperation that there was a glimmer of hope! "Such a swift counterattack, huh?" The supervisor''s blood pulsed in its veins, it scoffed with a smirk, "But far too slow." It suddenly extended its fist, bursting forth, concentrating spiritual power into it and aimed directly at Sword White Clothes, who was rushing the fastest. Its other hand didn''t pause either, clutching at the air! From afar, the axe trembled slightly, then lifted off the ground and spun back on its original course! "Forget what''s behind!" The man shouted, activating his skills and equipment, his purple-black plate armor materialized, and a skill formed a sturdy layer of stone on top of it. He threw himself towards the axe! "Bang!" The man and the axe collided violently, both sent flying! "Interesting." Instead, the supervisor laughed, missing its axe, but surely its fists weren''t just for show? Its fist thundered down toward Sword White Clothes! "No need to dodge, I''ll handle it!" The scarred youth extended his hand, and his skill activated! [Mirrored Flower Water Moon] [Function: Rapidly generates a mirror, which blocks incoming attacks and reflects the strength back, if exceeded, the skill fails] Looking at the sudden appearance of the mirror! The supervisor did not halt, its voice tinged with interest, "Interesting, you really are interesting!" It hit the mirror! With a ''bang'', the mirror shattered! The force within the mirror recoiled back, but it made the supervisor take a step back. At the same time! Sword White Clothes, Cheng Feng, and Xun Xiaohuan also closed in! Long sword, spear, and flying knife, all covered with spiritual power, burst forth in unison with astonishing power! Without any verbal coordination, they all attacked different vital points! "What are you thinking!" The supervisor''s tone turned icy within a moment, it exploded with spiritual power, twisting its body! The spear was brutally seized, the flying knife sliced through the flesh leaving only a trail of blood during the burst! Only Sword White Clothes'' long sword made the supervisor''s eyelid twitch slightly, choosing to dodge instead! It snorted coldly, "Get lost!" Around the supervisor, the blood vessels seemed to constantly pulsate more rapidly, even the heartbeat was audible! "Bang!" Just like that, it generated an immense force that knocked everyone away! With a bizarre laugh, the supervisor called, "Axe, come!" The deflected axe spiraled through the air and once again landed in its grasp. "Not bad, not bad!" "A bit interesting now, I hope you can last a bit longer!" The five people''s faces turned slightly grim, all silently picking up their weapons and preparing for battle! ----------------- It was previously stated. Level ten is when a player leaves the newbie protection period. Therefore, job transition allows players to officially step out of the newcomer''s village and qualify to explore the outside world. Right now. Su Qi activated Unrivaled, and on his attribute panel, his Strength, movement technique, and Physical Strength all changed. But that wasn''t the main thing. As mentioned before, the strength of the Spiritual Body primarily relies on the Spiritual Attribute, and although the Evil God''s Eye was swallowed by the heart, the effect did not disappear. His spiritual power was nearing three hundred thousand! This terrifying figure made Su Qi feel an astounding strength in his Spiritual Body! [Integrating Spiritual Ability Points] [Please note: Spiritual Ability Points and the Ancient Relic will create a channel within you, establishing a connection. After the connection is formed, class-change is successful] [If the Spiritual Ability Points are used up or the connection to the Ancient Relic is severed, the class-change fails] Su Qi felt the Spiritual Ability Points continuously integrating into his body and immediately sensed a low humming sound, like a roar, a screech! The strength of the Ancient Relic itself affected the difficulty of the class-change. The most important thing was. Su Qi had also stuffed the Evil God''s Eye into it, not on a whim, but after prepared research with his ability to see "unknowns". The most powerful feature of the Ancient God''s Heart was its inclusiveness. Originally, it was in a world filled with pollution, absorbing a vast number of pollutants. And then. It devoured the Ancient Relic, the Phoenix Feather, obtained from the Lin Yuan Land. So. Su Qi had a bold and dangerous idea. He wanted to seal the Evil God''s Eye within the Ancient God''s Heart, completely turning it into a part of himself. The strange power that was bursting from the Evil God''s Eye was formidable; it continuously spewed out shrieks, hums, and spiritual pollution! Although Su Qi was affected and struck by it, causing his entire brain to ache, he wasn''t panicked. "Can''t my three hundred thousand spiritual power suppress you?" He slowly opened his eyes, and the Black Fog had been drawn over, bearing the Old Days'' aura over the Evil God''s Eye, causing internal strife. Some of the Black Fog still desperately defended, while other parts hesitated, ready to betray. "Not a bad trend..." He turned his head and almost jumped in shock, "Why the hell are you standing so close!" The Master of Destruction was standing right behind him at a very close distance, her cold eyes fixed intently on him. "Are you that despicable minion of the Old Evil God?!!" "No." Su Qi wanted to say, don''t talk about my Evil God bro like that, but noticing the real emotional fluctuations and the dangerous aura in the Master of Destruction''s eyes, he understood that now was not the time for jokes! "Lies!" The voice of the Master of Destruction became even colder, her eyes gleaming with vigilance and caution, "If not, how could you possibly have its eye, with its power sealed inside!" "Power surpasses unique traits! It''s the one-of-a-kind strength every divine has!" "Unless it is someone extremely trusted, it would never be given to a second person!" That''s my number one brother! You still owe a debt, how can you speak like that. However. Su Qi knew that the God of Destruction had become extremely dangerous at this moment, as she appeared to want to suppress him; yet her fingers trembled slightly, clearly struggling within. It seemed that the Evil God was quite special, even among the other Divines. He was an extremely dangerous entity, as the others seemed to be on the Ancient Battlefield. Only my Evil God bro, alone and sealed, with the Abyss at his back. "Calm down, I''ve already told you I''m not a minion of the Evil God." Su Qi decided to lay his cards on the table, "When you go out, you can ask about the Despicable Person, and you''ll understand, we share a vendetta that cannot coexist under the same sky." Of course, that vendetta mostly came from my Evil God bro. I''m more filled with gratitude! "...." The Master of Destruction stared into Su Qi''s eyes, her long lashes coupled with her dazzling eyes, seemingly assessing the truth behind Su Qi''s words. Su Qi stretched out his hand and turned the Master of Destruction''s head to the side. "Stop looking, my girl, sincerity is my main selling point." "...." In the whole world, only he would dare to do so. Before the Master of Destruction could explode. Su Qi spoke softly: "And... time is of the essence, I can only maintain this situation for a short time." Only by riding on the momentum of the Ancient God''s class-change, the Old Days'' momentum, the Evil God''s power, combined with the surging Spiritual Ability Points and Unrivaled strength, Was he able to draw in the surrounding Black Fog! Unrivaled, perhaps due to the Spiritual Body status, extended some time, but it was not enough. Feeling the terrible beating in his chest, although he could still speak calmly at this moment, his face had already shown a bit of pallor: "That Evil God''s Eye is harder to suppress than I imagined." Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi took a deep breath, looked towards the Black Fog. "No time left, I''m heading outside to alleviate its power with the Old Days and help you break this fog!" "The rest shouldn''t be a problem for you." A crucial condition for class-change is that [the Spiritual Body needs to return to the body for the class-change to succeed] Without any hesitation, Su Qi leaped up and burst forth with astonishing speed towards the outside! "...." The Master of Destruction watched Su Qi''s retreating figure, slowly retracting her gaze to look at the horizon swallowed by the Black Fog. "The dangerous Abyss, the Old Gods that bring about the obliteration of all things have left the ancient mythic epics blank for thousands of years." Her eyes became complex: "I hope, you truly haven''t lied to me." At this moment, Su Qi''s speed was incredibly fast! Massive waves of Black Fog rushed directly towards him. He must make every second count. The Evil God''s Eye was being sealed by the Ancient God and the Spiritual Ability Points in a crazy synergy, forming seals to keep it trapped there forever! At the same time. Spiritual Ability Points were also inch by inch forging a path; he had already felt a strange power! "Is this the so-called Spiritual Energy?" Boom! Boom! The Black Fog surged turbulently around Su Qi, his heart pounding thunderously with each beat, putting enormous pressure on his body! Success was within reach! The next moment! He suddenly burst out of the Black Fog''s range. At the same time. The Ancient God''s Heart forcibly merged a large number of Spiritual Ability Points, subduing the struggling Evil God''s Eye! Unrivaled had five seconds left! Su Qi charged straight for his own body! In the last two seconds. Su Qi collided fiercely into his own embrace. [Spiritual Body and body merged, class-change successful] [Your profession path as an Old Dusk has undergone unpredictable changes due to various factors] [The current profession system cannot find the related sequence, unable to provide any naming] [Please decide for yourself] "..." Decide for myself? Su Qi lay behind the rocks, falling into a brief silence. Chapter 145 - 137: Job Change Traits! Do I have to name it myself? Isn''t this too ceremonious? Right now, his Unrivaled power had just ended, and he was trapped in a period of weakness unable to recover for ten minutes. He was thinking. Boom, boom, boom. The Black Fog was booming. He looked toward the Black Fog. At this moment, the massive Black Fog was a mess due to his interference, most of it darting around chaotically as if it had crashed. "If she doesn''t come out now, I''ll start to question her intelligence." Su Qi muttered to himself. "You." A voice, calm yet carrying an unmistakable chill and danger, rang beside his ear. "Who are you talking about?" Su Qi''s eyelids twitched; he looked around but saw no figure. However, he felt an undetectable fluctuation. He hadn''t expected the Master of Destruction to be able to hear. Children, remember not to speak ill of others behind their back. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This also indirectly proved that the Ancient Mists were full of holes. Her power could seep through these gaps, and it was only a matter of time before she would free herself. "You heard wrong," he said, looking at a rock beside him: "I was talking to my pet, Xiao Qiang." "" The Master of Destruction coldly said, "Once you escape, stay away from here, I will cause an extremely strong fluctuation if I act." "Alright, but I have a question." "Speak." "What do you think. [Cheerful Sect Leader][The Great Compassionate Hustler][Worlds MLM Master], which sounds better?" "None sound good." "??" "Lacks taste." Su Qi, hearing the Master of Destruction grit her teeth, struggled to get up with only ten points of physical strength, plus his extremely low vitality and the sense of being drained of so much power, his movements were uncontrollably wobbly. Her tone slightly sharp, she asked, "Are you injured?" "Just side effects of the power. Did you think activating Unrivaled was easy?" "" The tone of the Master of Destruction softened a bit, she calmly said, "Then you should find a hole and bury yourself to hide. I can already feel that a battle is occurring in the uppermost space. Though it''s merely a lifting hand matter for me, it poses a fatal risk to you in your current weakened state." Su Qi paused briefly but then he understood. My good teammates... haven''t been wiped out yet. He was about to ask the Master of Destruction to check the situation over there. But her power fluctuation had also dissipated, seeming unstable. "Something simpler is better, then." Su Qi entered ''The Hustler'', a tag exclusively his own, self-created by him. This unique sequence was unprecedented and offered no experience guides to obtain any strategies. The path ahead... also remained an uncharted murky future. He was just beginning the first step. How far could he go? For Su Qi, it was never something to consider. He was only concerned about how far these worlds could support him. [New Profession Sequence confirmed name: The Hustler] [Player Profession Change successful! Exclusive Profession Panel is updating!] Su Qi looked at the prompt box, feeling a powerful aura abruptly filling his heart and pulsing continuously, his blood surging. ". Medically speaking, this would be diagnosed as high blood pressure and tachycardia, resulting in palpitations." He looked at his new profession panel. [ID: Su Buxian] [Level: 20] [Profession: The Hustler (Unranked, no Ascension path)] [Current Sequence: 109 (Spiritual Power has exceeded 1000 points, has automatically ascended)] [Attribute Increase: Strength 1000%, Movement Technique 1000%, Physical Strength 1000%, Spiritual Power 1000% (activated when using Ancient Relic, consuming Spiritual Energy)] [Spiritual Power: 2239 (composed by Physical Strength, Spiritual Power, current sequence, Spiritual Ability Points, etc.)] [Traits: Divine Heart] [1, Tolerance: You will have an extra trait] [2, Pulse: All resistances increase by 20%, in combat state, you will randomly acquire one attribute] [Please note: Special Ability will advance and evolve with Ascension] Su Qi''s eyes slightly widened: "Can I still choose traits?" As everyone knows. Each player has and only has one trait! While the abilities generated by traits are not unique, they all stem from branches extended from the trait, like the two above, no matter how they change, they cannot deviate from the scope of the Ancient Relic. But. To be able to possess additional traits, that was entirely different! Isn''t this basically cheating? As a player committed to a fair gaming environment, how can one tolerate such a loophole! "Let me take a look at the other two traits first." [Current Options] [Trait I, Undying Bird: 1, Tenacity (will have strong life recovery ability) 2, Death Corridor (activating this ability will leave a anchor point at the area, any death within ten minutes, the body will return to the position of the anchor point)] [Trait II, Spiritual Eyes: 1, Echo (when allocating points, Spiritual Power will increase other attributes threefold) 2, Concrete (can create illusions within the eye, depending on the difference in Spiritual Power between the parties, the degree of belief of the target, environmental mimicry, logical surroundings, etc., can materialize and produce attributes and power)] "The first type... it seems to be a trait left by the Phoenix Feather... this thing was not simple." The Ancient God''s Heart is very picky, the Ancient Relics chosen by it almost always have a high level. "The below, Spiritual Eyes, originally from the Evil God''s eyes" Su Qi paused: "Oh, almost forgot, it doesn''t have anything to do with Evil God anymore." "After all, this is now my ability." Su Qi hesitated no more and directly chose the latter. The profession traits... they generally have two abilities. One is passive, the other is active. The passive and active of the Undying Bird indeed look good, but currently, they definitely can''t compare to the abilities of the Spiritual Eyes. Chapter 146 - 137: Class Change Traits!_2 The passive Skill that distributed points... for Su Qi had become an absolutely crucial attribute. Its potential for growth could not be left blank, though Ascension would grant an ability increase, but who knew what the requirements for the next Level of Ascension were, or if ascending to the next sequence would grant additional traits? No matter what he chose, Spiritual Eyes were his top priority. When Su Qi finished making his selection, he felt a surge of new power within his pupils. "There are a lot of things that seem worth trying." Su Qi looked at the countdown until the side effects ended, then walked towards the Twisted space illusion. "Boom!" The man was sent flying, crashing into the stairs, his body covered in wounds, blood gushing out. The scarred youth and Cheng Feng were both on the verge of death. Xun Xiaohuan was gasping for air, his flying knives had already dropped quite a few, and his face was pale: "Spiritual Power, Physical Strength... neither is enough." They had just completed their Role upgrade, their Spiritual Power had only just reached around 100C200 points, far from sufficient. They opted to drag things out using Skills and Equipment for a while, but they had also reached their limit. Sword White Clothes stood on the platform covered in blood; he was a priority target for the supervisor. The cold gleam of his sword blades had not yet dissipated. He looked around, falling into silence. The confrontation between the Mutants and the Maintainers had escalated, but it dragged on and on. They had no escape, nor could they rush to the exit, trapped amidst it all. And the five of them were at a complete disadvantage! The supervisor carried an axe; the back of the axe slammed to the ground with a thud, scattering broken stones around. It was also bleeding but seemed unconcerned, "What''s the matter?... You all seem to have lost your fighting spirit?" The group remained silent. It touched its wound with a hand, digging out flesh and blood and licked it with a strange smile on its face: "Should I say or not, you guys still have something... just having stepped onto the path of the sequence and you''ve managed to hurt me." Silently, Sword White Clothes observed the wound on its body. They had managed to hurt it... but that was all they did. The only more serious wound was the result of their combined effort, a desperate final burst of attack. But still, they could not defeat it. No way. The opponent''s Strength was of sequence 8, and their current Spiritual Power didn''t even meet the standards of sequence 9. From every aspect, they were far inferior to the opponent. "You guys... back off a bit." Sword White Clothes said with a subdued voice. "What are you going to do?" Xun Xiaohuan felt a certain solemnity. "Sword Seeker... embodies the sword, and what it''s best at is a desperate gamble." The mark on Sword White Clothes'' forehead was flickering; he was furiously pumping his remaining Spiritual Power into it. The air around him began to convene and fluctuate, continuously producing Sword Qi, the platform under his feet and Sword White Clothes himself were torn open! "Brother Jian, you''re bleeding." Cheng Feng''s eyes widened. Sword White Clothes of course knew, but he did not stop. As the leader of Sword Flower, with astonishing talent and a precious hidden Ancient Relic, he would never give up easily in any so-called desperate situation... Of course, Su Qi was an exception. "The Weapon Type Series... so proficient just after stepping in?" The supervisor squinted at his sword that seemed like it had been unsheathed, with cold light surging: "You truly are... among these five, the strongest potential." "But..." it revealed a ferocious smile: "It''s useless! Petty fights always give the weak the illusion that they can defeat the strong. Now... let me show you!" "What''s called... power!" Sword White Clothes moved! A ripple of air burst from where he stood, man and sword seemed as one, speeding forward, forming a visible stream of Sword Qi! An unbearable screech of friction erupted from within! Sword White Clothes suffered backlash, with Spiritual Energy surging wildly! His Vitality and Physical Strength plummeted rapidly! But he did not hesitate or pause! "Come on!" The supervisor picked up his axe, eyed it coldly, smashed the platform beneath its feet, and charged forward. Ridiculous final gambles. With this axe Strike, it would sever his all-out attack! And then! With fresh blood, utterly end this feast! "Die!" The axe infused with astonishing Spiritual Energy collided with the Sword Qi! It was a clash between two Traits, a contest of Spiritual Energy! But as always, the weaker side loses! "Boom!" With a sound, the Sword Qi held only for a mere five seconds before it shattered! Sword White Clothes turned pale as the surging Spiritual Energy backlashed, his Vitality plummeted to the bottom instantly! He himself was sent flying out! "Brother Jian!" Cheng Feng''s eyelids quivered. Although prepared, who the hell doesn''t harbor a bit of hope, even a faint one, but now there was no hope left. The five of them had no chance! "This is it, we''re completely done." Even though death would return them to their personal login space, with increasing strength levels, the penalties for dying would become more severe! And the feeling of real touch was a very heavy matter in itself! "Let''s end it then." The supervisor also swung his axe up, sneered coldly; prey without the will to fight was boring; it was time for slaughter! These fellows'' energy of despair would surely flow into the deep Ancient Mists. It was all just a cycle after all! No one! Could escape! And just as the supervisor moved to step forward, ready to end it all with fresh blood... Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It raised its axe, but the step suddenly stopped because a set of footsteps was approaching from afar. A young man was walking up the stairs. Cheng Feng looked over, his expression stunned, his mouth opened, but he didn''t know how to break the palpable, somber atmosphere. Chapter 147 - 137 Job Change Traits!_3 The other people''s gazes gathered on him. Xun Xiaohuan looked surprised. He hadn''t expected to see an acquaintance here. This figure slowly walked to the side of Sword White Clothes, who lay collapsed on the steps. "Su... Buxian... it''s you." Sword White Clothes weakly lifted his eyes, extremely feeble, "You... survived, huh?" "But sorry... looks like you''re going to die now." That sounded just like a villain. Su Qi flashed a smile, "Then do you have any last words? Like turning Sword Flower into a subordinate organization of The Hustlers Club, or entrusting me with important equipment. I can fulfill those wishes for you." "Pfft!" Sword White Clothes suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. It wasn''t because of Su Qi''s words; he was genuinely spitting blood. This guy was now utterly drainedhealth, Spiritual Energy, Physical Strength all reduced to a state a mere slap could end. "Su Buxian... act like a human," Cheng Feng somehow mustered the strength to quip, "Is now really the time for jokes?" "Besides, can''t you see the situation we''re in? We''re all doomed." Su Qi paused, "I''m also surprised. I deliberately slowed down my steps, but I still arrived early. You guys are somehow still alive." "Damn!" Cheng Feng couldn''t help but feel like punching someone and looked at the supervisor, "You damn cat, start moving! Chop him up!" Supervisor: "..." How had the heavy atmosphere just changed upon this person''s arrival? And... Its eyes turned cold, a murderous intent enveloping Cheng Feng, "Are you teaching me how to do my job?" "But don''t worry, nobody''s going to escape. You''ll all die under my axe!" Cheng Feng shuddered, the snark he wanted to unleash forcibly suppressed. Su Qi shook his head, "Since we are screwed anyway... why be a wimp?" "Why not throw some tough words before you die, curse its ancestors for eighteen generations, and won''t you feel exhilarated when you go back to your Personal Space?" Cheng Feng paused. "Good idea." Su Qi then looked toward the supervisor, "Of course, while he''s cursing, you can also stuff his mouth or plug your own ears; this method never fails." "Hey!" "..." The Supervisor was silent for a moment. The other players were all braced for battle, tense and fearful. Yet this rat, popping up from nowhere, seemed unaware of its power, causing it some confusion. "Sorry, this boring hunt needs to end." It stared at Su Qi with those chilling eyes, the axe held in its hands, "I need to finish you off and then report back." Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The next moment. The supervisor suddenly charged, the huge axe in its hands swinging with a whoosh that sliced through the air, aimed directly at Su Qi and Sword White Clothes! As Su Qi looked at Sword White Clothes, "Lend me your sword." "You... can use a sword?" "Of course." Su Qi had already picked up the long sword, gripping the blade with his palm. Sword White Clothes suddenly got an uneasy feeling. Su Qi then stepped back slightly, swung his arm backward... then, under Sword White Clothes'' shocked gaze, he threw it like a javelin! Everyone was stunned! So this was his idea of using it! The next moment! The whole long sword, moving incredibly fast, generated intense electric sparks that crackled wildly, leaving terrifying trails! The supervisor''s eyelids twitched! It sensed a strange Spiritual Energy, a dangerous and deadly feeling! "How can this be!" It swung its axe to intercept it! But it was too slow! Crack! The supervisor''s body was viciously penetrated by the incredibly fast sword! The horrific thunder burst forth instantly! Rumble, rumble, forming a continuous clatter! Everyone was dumbfounded. Su Qi was slightly stupefied too. "So strong?" Electric sparks still flickered over his palmthis was [Pulse]... he had acquired a random Thunder Attribute in battle, which could attach... and create independently. His first time using it. He hadn''t expected it to be so powerful. Su Qi didn''t forget to pat the stunned Sword White Clothes on the shoulder: "This sword technique...named Heavenly Flying Immortal, want to learn it? I can teach you." Cheng Feng roared: "What does this have to do with sword fighting?" Although Sword White Clothes felt some heartache for his long sword, he suddenly realized something and hurriedly said: "Be careful, don''t get distracted." The supervisor''s body was charred black and suddenly burst forth, stomping on the ground and rushing over with disheveled hair: "Seeking death! Seeking death!" Very meaty. All the monsters in the game... as long as the body is big enough, they are all pretty meaty. "It''s very powerful! We can''t clash head-on!" Xun Xiaohuan quickly warned. "No worries, it''s not a big issue." Su Qi activated the Divine Heart, all attributes were boosted by ten times in an instant, and the sound was also raised, followed by the Sound of the Past. Then, he placed his palm on his chest. "What... are you doing?" Cheng Feng was slightly stunned by this scene. "You can think of it as me praying to the Thunder Gods." "Is praying now going to do any good!" Cheng Feng widened his eyes. But the next moment. Su Qi''s body twinkled with electric light! His hair stood on end, and lightning seemed to flow on every inch of his skin! His blood seemed to be gushing at high speed! This was the true power of the Pulse; he could use various attributes to create different kinds of battles! Everyone stared blankly at Su Qi. "Which one are you praying to?" Su Qi smiled and said, "Thunder God and Lightning Mother and Faraday." "???" And in an instant. Su Qi disappeared from his spot! Wherever he passed, there was lightning! "Come on!" The supervisor growled lowly, watching Su Qi approaching with flashing lightning, striking with full force! Incredible Spiritual Energy continuously gathered, ready to unleash a terrifying blow! Everyone''s eyelids twitched. They could confirm that when the supervisor had fought with them just now, it definitely hadn''t used its full strength! The pressure from the gathered Spiritual Energy had already cracked the ground around them! "Be careful!" But the next moment. Su Qi didn''t hesitate to initiate Blinding. The supervisor''s entire head burst into a roar, suffering a spiritual impact! In that instant, all its senses were blocked! Spiritual Attack!? However. Being a Seventh Rank powerhouse, the supervisor obviously knew how to break through this trick, fiercely gritted its teeth, and Spiritual Energy impacted its head again, making it regain consciousness! It stared intensely at Su Qi! The axe was fiercely raised! "Die!" The atmospheric pressure was bursting! The surrounding air tightened noticeably, and a strong wind hit them! Is this the real strength of Seventh Rank, very strong... but compared to the Giant they had faced before, it was still a big notch below, let alone Unrivaled. Yet Su Qi also didn''t dodge or retreat, his pupils flickering! A large number of birds filled with lightning shot out from behind him! All heading toward the supervisor! [Spiritual Eyes] [Phantom Manifestation] The supervisor shuddered, it had already suffered that terrifying paralysis and pain before, and now so many Thunderbirds even gave it a subconscious fear! The gap in spiritual power between it and its psychological state determined the power of the Thunderbirds. "Boom!" Many Thunderbirds exploded violently! When it swung its axe down, it missed! But. Su Qi didn''t come away empty-handed! The Hundred Man Slaughter Blade pierced through its heart, and terrifying lightning directly penetrated through, hitting the ground behind it! The supervisor''s eyes were filled with a deathly stillness and daze: "Save me....." It muttered two words from its mouth. Not knowing who it was speaking to. And then its body trembled as it knelt down, facing the huge hole blasted by the thunderbolts, its eyes gazing towards the escape exit: "Save me.... my lord...." But there was no response. Its eyes gradually dimmed, and its body thunderously fell. Chapter 148 - 138 Can I Take a Ride? Su Qi watched as the supervisor fell to the ground, his gaze turned toward the exit. "Boss?" Su Qi muttered, "...don''t pull any stunts when the instance is about to end." He looked at the others and pointed at Sword White Clothes, "Quickly save him, or he''s going to die..." "And throw that corpse down to the battlefield below." Cheng Feng was startled, "Why?" Su Qi looked at him like he was an idiot. Sword White Clothes, weakly, opened his mouth, "Once the supervisor dies, the Maintainers below will inevitably collapse, and the battle will end." Cheng Feng coughed and lifted the supervisor''s corpse, "You could have said that earlier, I''ll go and end the battle below right away." At this moment. Su Qi''s Thunder Attribute, which pulsed with the end of the battle, turned back into Spiritual Energy and re-entered his heart, disappearing without a trace. The Thunder Attribute obtained from this battle gave Su Qi a new understanding of the [Pulse] ability, this Attribute wasn''t attached to the surface of the body, but burst from the heart, transforming the entire body, every inch of flesh seemingly carrying the Thunder Attribute altered by Spiritual Energy. Even for a moment, Su Qi felt his flesh could turn into thunder. Of course. For now, it seemed to be just an illusion, given that it was a newly acquired Strength, powerful yet unfamiliar, still somewhat alien. "However, if I continue on this trend of Ascension..." "Perhaps, I could possess multiple attributes simultaneously, and my body could transform along with the elements?" Becoming light might be right around the corner? Anyway, from what I can see now, the abilities of Divine Heart possess limitless possibilities, and showing good performance is also the manifestation of Spiritual Eyes; both are still in the beginning stages, and figuring out their full potential will take some time. "We won! We won!" At this time. The loud cheers of the Mutants could be heard from below. The Maintainers, upon seeing the supervisor''s corpse, collapsed very quickly, as normally, everyone almost instantly lost the will to fight, going from stupor to scattering and fleeing in less than half a minute. "Don''t pursue them!" The middle-aged man stopped the other Mutants who wanted to give chase. He frowned, "Our priority is to get out of here!" "Everyone, gather at the exit gate quickly, we''ll all push it open together!" The Mutants immediately began to move. The exit was a huge door, extremely thick and without any mechanical or electronic opening, it could only be opened by pure manpower. This was also why the first thing Su Qi arranged after killing the supervisor was to end the battle; otherwise, if too many Mutants died, they might not even be able to push open this door, making it a hidden difficulty of the second task. "Everyone push together!" People quickly gathered beside the massive exit gate! Every Mutant was excited, placing both hands on the door! "Push!" Everyone strained their muscles, pushing the huge door together. They were just a stone''s throw away from escaping to safety; excitement showed on every face, as if they were about to leave this horrific prison. "Crack crack crack!" The giant door trembled lightly, revealing a crack! Everyone''s faces lit up with joy. "Quick, keep pushing!" They didn''t need to fully open the door, just enough space for everyone to escape through! "Su Buxian, put your back into it!" Cheng Feng, seeing Su Qi standing behind like a supervisor, couldn''t help but say, "Even the injured Sword White Clothes is helping!!" "I clocked out after fighting the boss, what''s wrong with slacking off a bit?" Su Qi leaned one hand on the rock of the door: "Besides, I''m considering what kind of world is outside this door." "Is it really as we speculated, inside the body of a huge Monster?" "Damn, can you think and push at the same time?" It seemed that rushing out so quickly was not necessarily a good thing. Su Qi didn''t respond, after all, they still didn''t know which one of them was the ''Boss'' mentioned by the supervisor. He stared at the massive door in front of him, a door that was very old, its surface worn smooth over time, where once there would have been images engraven, but they were eroded by time, leaving no trace. Only he with [?] could see the past messages. Creator... Stone Giant. Number of times opened... 10. The images on the door... marked with the totem of a Divine. "...And I don''t recognize it." According to the information Su Qi got from the Master of Destructioncurrently, all the Divines of all worlds were not present in the Present World. Either sealed in the Ancient Battlefield, not yet recovered, or in the Abyss. Even the Master of Destruction of this world was just a Spiritual Body. Her real body lay asleep in the Ancient Battlefield, and then she manifested as Unity into Trinity, childhood, adolescence, complete form. The childhood Spiritual Body held the Power of Reset, taken back by that middle-aged woman and had her memory synchronized. As an adolescent, her Spiritual Body held three other Powers; although powerful, it was only the tip of the iceberg compared to her real strength... otherwise, how could the Ancient Mists hold her? Speaking of this. Su Qi suddenly remembered, "I almost forgot about her." "Hasn''t she come out yet?" At this moment, with a violent tremor, the giant door was pushed open by everyone, creating a space to go through! "Finally! We can leave!" "Go!" The Mutants rushed out one after another through the gap, and Su Qi could see behind the gate a large cave corridor, with dim light shining in. "That''s the exit! Quick!" They ran towards with excitement! "Let''s go out too." The scarred youth said, "I''m curious about what''s outside too." And just then! Sear?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Mutants running at the front suddenly stiffened as they turned the corner and then, with a change of expression, they yelled, "Hurry!" Chapter 149 - 138 Can I Take a Ride?_2 "Get back!" But the next moment! It was already too late! A terrifying gust of chaotic wind surged wildly from the front! This horrific blast sent everyone in front flying! The mutants, who hadn''t gotten far, were just about to retreat and hide behind the massive door. The middle-aged man seemed to sense the danger and roared, "Don''t hide behind the door!" "Boom!" The chaotic blast shook the massive door in reverse, knocking it open! The mutants hiding behind the door were also sent flying, spewing fresh blood! "Fuck!" The faces of several players changed! This was terrifying! Fortunately, the intense chaotic blast lasted only a moment, and although the people who were sent flying behind the stairs were injured, they were quickly healed by the mutants with healing abilities. "What was that blast all about?" "Did you just see anything?" The mutants at the front now trembled, "It seemed like there were two terrifying figures fighting outside, we didn''t see clearly, only a surge of energy from one of them coming our way" Two figures were fighting. ? This was beyond Su Qi''s expectation. One of them he could guess, perhaps it was the "Supervisor" mentioned by the dying Supervisor. And the other was Luckily, the chaotic flow was just an impact from their fight. Although everyone wasn''t directly harmed, it also indirectly showed how powerful the opponents were. The rumbling sounds of explosions continued to come through the entrance! No one dared to approach the massive door! Some even felt an ache in their eardrums just listening to the distant sounds of battle, hurriedly blocking their ears! "We''re not going to be trapped here, are we?" Cheng Feng said with a wry smile. "It shouldn''t be" the other three players in the closed beta said somberly, "This instance isn''t playing by the usual rules." The Supervisor was killed, they just had to escape, and the second task would be declared complete. But what was the situation now? "It is indeed strange." Sword White Clothes, having recovered somewhat after popping a blood medicine, fell into puzzlement and contemplation, "If we follow the normal main quest linesuch powerful beings shouldn''t appear in the outside world." "We''re all just sacrifices for the Feast of Consumption, even if the Supervisor is killed, it''s probably just small fry that wouldn''t make it to the limelight." "Brother Su, do you have any ideas?" "....." Su Qi coughed, "Maybe this is just the difficulty of the Nightmare Dungeon." He, of course, knew why. It was because he had helped the Master of Destruction break free, drawing out the "Elder" mentioned by the Supervisor. From this perspective. That other one "Boom!" Another terrifying blast, and this time... the sounds of the battle outside faded away like an echo! It seemed the outside had gone silent. "?" "Has a victor emerged?" Everyone''s expressions brightened, yet some were uneasy. Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The good news was they wouldn''t have to face the blasts, and they had a chance to get out. The unease stemmed from the horrifying existences outside. "Will that terrifying being leave, oris it still out there?" "Anyone want to go check?" "You go; I''ll root for you." "? And at that moment. The ground suddenly trembled, with a terrifying fluctuation seeming to come from a far-off place below. "What''s the situation down there now?" Cheng Feng''s eyes widened. "Is she finally coming out?" Su Qi recognized the aura of the Master of Destruction, to actually transmit through such vast space to this place, she must also be about to break free. Everyone felt a chill down their spine, surrounded by dangers from all sides! Finally, someone said in a deep voice: "Let''s go! Everyone together!" "Better to die outside than to do nothing at all!" The faces of the mutants darkened, and then they too stood up one by one. "What about us?" Cheng Feng looked to Su Qi and Sword White Clothes. "Let''s go together." "We''ll probably know the situation once we get out." Su Qi moved forward, joining the group as they walked together. Outside the cave mouth, there was utter silence. Everyone carefully poked their heads out and looked outside, their expressions turning incredibly blank! On the desolate ground outside! There was a massive vortex passage with ripples, standing upright in midair! A large number of troops mounted on pegasi and clad in armor surged out, arranging themselves in midair! More than ten giant beasts roared as they spilled out from the passage! Totems were manifesting! The reflections shone and flickered in the Sky Dome! The astonishing aura made everyone tremble! And on the ground... were all traces of battle, the corpses of abnormalities that looked similar to supervisors strewn everywhere, and there was a massive being... impaled on a mountain flank by a long spear! The flesh emitted a terrifying Spiritual Energy, but it was already a corpse! "This is... the great one mentioned by the supervisor..." Su Qi looked over, "And the one who killed it..." There were three beings filled with the most powerful aura... quietly standing in midair, they did not speak, but their Spiritual Energy suffocated everyone who felt it! Su Qi saw critical information above their heads. [Priest] A Priest... is a servant directly beneath the Divine, a subordinate to a God! Among the ranks of clergy, only second to the bishop! Su Qi had encountered that phantom in Nancy''s "Love, Death, Super Player," who was a Priest as well, though it might have served another God. These three were all Priests, and who they were waiting for became quite obvious. The armoured female priest''s eyes held authority as she looked down at the trembling group and said, "There are still some alive." Everyone was startled. They felt an overwhelming force from those above engulfing them. Xun Xiaohuan suddenly transmitted via telekinesis, "They are looking over here, don''t make eye contact, maintain reverence." "They must be receiving the terrifying entity from the depths of space, it has nothing to do with us." "Low beings must not look, must not listen, bowing is the basic etiquette, not to displease them, otherwise a single glance could kill us, after all, their power... surpasses our imagination." Cheng Feng and the others hastily averted their gaze and respectfully lowered their heads. Su Qi glanced at Xun Xiaohuan, noting that this guy had previously claimed to come from Paradise and indeed knew more than he had imagined. Cheng Feng nudged Su Qi urgently, "Stop looking around, lower your head." Su Qi did not avert his gaze. Surrounded by a powerful lineup of troops, giant beasts, and manifesting totems, the changes of the totems in the Sky Dome, the terrifying aura of Destruction spread to every corner! A stream of question marks continued to appear, a sea of complex information flooded in, overwhelming him! And most importantly... there were [!] on one of the Western Dragons, deep crimson. [Riding it for ten minutes might lead to a reward] "...." The scene was dominated by powerful beings, including the dragon It breathed out hot air, its flames almost melting the mountain, and its power was extraordinary, with the [!] also highlighting the high level of danger. And then. The three Priests looked down upon Su Qi, who had raised his head. "A weak mortal who has just stepped into the sequence... somewhat disrespectful." "However, the gaze is odd..." another female Priest pushed her gold-rimmed glasses up, holding a long ruler in her hand and silently said, "His gaze shifted up 25.37, seemingly looking at the tops of people''s heads." "Can you clear the area before the Lord comes?" the armored Priest asked calmly, "I fear they might disrespect the Lord later." "An insignificant little fellow... I will warn them," said the robed female Priest with a light laugh, her voice reaching everyone''s ears, including Su Qi''s. "You may leave from here, retreat a kilometer, do not listen, speak, or look!" "Only after the return may you depart." Everyone''s faces brightened with joy. Indeed, these high beings did not care about them, as long as they showed reverence and did not misbehave, they could survive! "We thank the three Lords for your leniency!" Xun Xiaohuan and Sword White Clothes among others immediately expressed their thanks. They knew the ones before them were untouchable personages, and their statuses as super rookies and beta players would not help. "Let''s go! Hurry!" Numerous Mutants immediately acted as instructed. Cheng Feng also hurriedly followed, but halfway through, he suddenly realized, "Wait, where''s Su Buxian!" He looked back! Su Qi was not with them but standing in place. He considered his second mission; retreating a kilometer was actually considered a successful escape, and although there was a ten-minute teleportation window provided, he would inevitably miss the dragon. It was a pity. Wasn''t that guy coming out yet? No, once she came out, his third mission would be considered complete... And he was counting on a free meal and drink. It seemed he had to deal with it himself. Su Qi felt their gazes beginning to shift, he raised his head and said, "Great Lords, I have a small request." ? Everyone''s eyes widened. What the hell were you doing! He extended his palm and produced a Jade Gemstone he had secretly snatched from the Master of Destruction''s throne, dazzling and precious, not to mention filled with the heavy aura of Destruction. "Could I exchange this... for a ten-minute dragon ride?" Chapter 150 - 139 Instance Ends Su Qi was sitting atop a giant dragon, the wild wind whistling for three hundred miles, as they flew amidst the sky dome. "...." Three priests remained silent, looking at the jade gemstone in their hands. This was the very trade item that the mortal had just pulled out, as easy as inserting a coin into a playground machine at the supermarket entrance, in exchange for some playtime. The priest clad in armor silently watched the dragon in the sky, "I don''t understand why you would satisfy his request, even though he holds a gemstone with His Highness''s essence... but it''s possible he merely found it." The spectacled priest''s eyes flickered with a reddish-white glow as she softly spoke, "Found it? Sister Ella, what kind of joke is this? This jade gemstone comes from the throne, which I personally designed for His Highness, and the location of the throne... is right in the middle of the sealed Ancient Mists." "If the mists hadn''t been cracked open this time, letting His Highness''s strength transmit out and establish a connection with us, it would have been impossible to find this place." Her gaze settled on Su Qi, "Such a feeble mortal, yet able to obtain it; the most likely explanation is that it was a boon from His Highness..." Master of Destruction: ? How come I don''t know this. "Of course, if we guessed wrong, it''s not a big deal," she said calmly, pushing her glasses up her nose, "The Earth Fire Giant Dragon will take him far from the ground, heading toward the sky dome. If he has nothing to do with His Highness," "Even though the Fire Dragon won''t kill him directly, he''ll have to at least consider how to land." Five players a thousand meters away looked up at the giant dragon in the sky. Cheng Feng said blankly, "Su Buxian actually got on it!" He watched the dragon flap its wings and soar through the heavens, gritting his teeth, "I''m so jealous... no, what nonsense." Xun Xiaohuan also silently observed the scene. It had only been three days since last seeing Su Buxian yawning while fighting the Night Demon. Now he was already riding a dragon. Something felt... off. "...." Sword White Clothes fell silent; he seemed to understand why Su Buxian, a remarkably bold man who had met with a group of super rookies, not only possessed extraordinary courage but also unfathomable strength. At the same time, he understood why Su Buxian''s ranking was so low, disregarding the main storyline, acting brazenly, even challenging the limits of teammates and enemies, haphazardly dealing with Nightmare Level challenges. At that moment. Boom! The entire mountain range in front of them began to shake; this was the colossal mountain range that covered the Chaotic Sea. They hadn''t taken a close look when they emerged. When the mountains started to quake, they looked on in terror. "What is this?" The mountain range stretched unbroken, with forests, streams, and rocky hills merely clinging to its surface. As it trembled, it seemed to reveal the true shape of this enormous creature. A gargantuan turtle-like beast with a continent-sized shell. "An ancient... creature with exceptional traits... bearing marks of the Old Days..." the long-robed priest quietly gazed at the great creature, "No wonder why we couldn''t find the trace of His Highness''s second spiritual body back then." "Is it still sleeping?" "Hmm, perhaps it will awaken only when the Abyss opens." The three priests stopped discussing this ancient creature. The scent of destruction was spreading, the totems in the sky dome began to spin and shimmer, and boundless might stirred up a tempest. "His Highness has arrived." Their expressions slowly shifted, a mix of reverence, joy... but mostly curiosity, "We have yet to see His Highness in his youth..." sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Last time Xiran returned His Highness in his juvenile form, she kept bragging about how cute His Highness was as a child, that smug showing-off was really irritating, luckily she''s not here today." "Can we sneak a picture later?" Priest Ella calmly advised, "I urge you not to be too presumptuous; memories will be synchronized... when His Highness recovers in the future, you will be held accountable." "Do you want a picture?" "Hmm..." All their conversations were through spiritual communication, so no need to worry about being overheard. But at that moment. A shiver ran through them as a piercing spiritual energy came into their ears: "Do you... think that I can''t hear you right now?" The three priests'' faces changed as they looked toward the sky dome... where a figure stood midair, the space around them twisting. They quickly bowed respectfully, "We welcome His Highness!" The army of sequencers all knelt on the ground, "We welcome our lord!" People a kilometer away trembled, and the mutant without hesitation also bowed their heads, kneeling to the ground. "Do we need to kneel as well?" Cheng Feng coughed. But Sword White Clothes was already half-kneeling on the ground. "Brother Jian?" Cheng Feng widened his eyes. In his view, Sword White Clothes was a proud and dignified future powerhouse, yet he knelt so quickly. Sword White Clothes shook his head, "That totem... signifies that the other party is a Divine; mortals naturally need to perform a half-kneeling ritual to a God." "It''s that strict?" Cheng Feng was slightly stunned. The other three internal test players also half-kneeled on the ground, bowing their heads with respect. Xun Xiaohuan said, "This is something you must understand after entering Paradise; one will come into contact with high beings, especially Divine entities." "And we, being in a lesser position, must comply..." Cheng Feng half-knelt on the ground, "I kind of get it now, and I can understand, it''s like raising a toast to the leader, but I just want to ask one question." "Hmm?" "Where is Su Buxian? What''s his deal?" "..." At this moment, Su Qi was up in the sky dome, surrounded by roaring winds, yet with Spiritual Energy to shield him, he would not be swept away directly. It seemed that Spiritual Energy had many uses, being semi-datafied and semi-practical. However. He could only cover his body or weapon surface with Spiritual Energy for now; he couldn''t yet release it outward. Chapter 151 - 139 Instance Ends_2 "All three tasks have been completed. Now, all we need to do is wait until the transfer time ends, and that should be it." Below, the Master of Destruction silently lifted her head to gaze at the sky dome shrouded in clouds and opened with a calm voice: "Why is he riding a dragon?" The bespectacled priest''s eyes lit up slightly, ah, her guess was correct, and by the tone, it seems she even really knows him! She quickly extended her hand, revealing the brilliantly dazzling gemstone: "Your Highness, it''s like this... This person has a gemstone from your throne, we believe it was bestowed upon him by you. Considering his request was not excessive, we took the liberty of agreeing to it." The Master of Destruction spoke through gritted teeth with an icy tone, "Bestowed? On him?" She had said to herself that when she wanted to reclaim her throne after shattering the Ancient Mists, suddenly something felt different. At the armrest, a full eight gemstones were gone! That bastard... Using my things to trade with my priest... and having a grand time doing it! "Your Highness...." sensing the dangerous aura of the God of Destruction, the expressions of several priests tightened a bit. Although they were only Spiritual Bodies and their strength had not been restored, they had all witnessed the terrifying strength of the Master of Destruction in her full form. "I apologize for overstepping, Your Highness, I will kill him immediately," the bespectacled priest said, not daring to look at the Master of Destruction, and decided to rectify the situation immediately. She was about to take action. But the Master of Destruction calmly said, "No need, I''ll do it myself." Her entire Spiritual Body shot straight towards the Sky Dome. "Bad, Elena, the Highness seems genuinely angry," the priest in the long robe patted the somewhat dazed female with the glasses. She muttered to herself, "That shouldn''t be right, borrowing something of the Highness, with the remnants of her strength in his body, the data analyzed had at least a 92.32% possibility...." "Stop talking about that," Priest Ella interrupted, extending her hand as the long spear, which had been pinning the corpse of another priest''s abnormality, returned to her grasp! "Since the Highness''s Spiritual Body has appeared in this Present World, she will soon return." Divine beings do not dwell in the earthly realm, this is the rule. Once they leave the Sealed state, the Divine beings'' Spiritual Bodies naturally return posthaste to the land above, to reunify with their true form. "We too must make haste, and communicate with the Highness about the details of her last Spiritual Body." Meanwhile. Above in the Sky Dome. "Brother Long, see... after all this chatting, we''re now friends." "The ''Capital'' theory I just explained to you, don''t spread it around, just keep it to yourself, okay?" "Alright, alright, when you earn a huge pile of gold coins, agree to give me thirty percent? That''s very generous of you." The dragon burst out with its dragon breath, uttering a sound of joy; it had not expected this human could actually communicate with it, knew its preferences, and even taught it a complete set of theoretical knowledge that had it thrilled to the core C it could not wait to expand and strengthen its treasury upon its return! Its wings flapped vigorously, even taking the initiative to shield Su Qi from the fierce winds. Su Qi inwardly sighed, wishing everyone were as simple as this dragon. The next moment. A figure appeared on the dragon''s back. The dragon suddenly showed a look of terror, trembling all over, and stayed in place, only flapping its wings without moving. Su Qi''s expression also paused slightly. He silently turned his head and looked at the Master of Destruction not far away, her demeanor calm: "Continue to fly upwards, at the fastest speed." The dragon immediately started flapping its wings, heading toward the Sky Dome. And at an extremely fast speed. "Slow down... Brother Long...." Su Qi''s eyelids twitched as he saw shockwaves generating constantly around him. He couldn''t stand still and started falling down towards the dragon''s underside! At that moment. The Master of Destruction extended a finger: "Stop!" Su Qi''s body stabilized, a radius of one meter around him was protected by Spiritual Energy, but the fierce wind continued to thrash his clothes as he yelled, "Uhhh... instead of stop... couldn''t you just make it... slow down?" "Seems like you really don''t want to be thrown off?" The Master of Destruction spoke softly to herself with an even gaze: "That''s simple, staying put will cost one gemstone per second, slowing down will cost ten gemstones, and for a safe landing, that''ll be ten times what I owe you. If you can''t afford it, I can keep a tab for you, of course, with the same interest as you gave me." Su Qi: "That''s a bit unreasonable." "Learned from you." "...." Bad news. This gal had finally caught on, the real trump card... was to play the rogue! And moreover. She knew how to use her overwhelming strength to do so, and I had no way to counter it! I miss the principled Traveling Merchant... Day One. Su Qi saw there were still thirty seconds left on his dragon-back timer, and the transfer time was almost up. At this rate, wouldn''t he owe a fortune? And... probably couldn''t weasel out of it, after all, might is right. The tab that gets noted could well be righteously cleared with this burst, even with climbing up the pole he would own a mountain of debt. That won''t do. "Respected Master of Destruction, about the gemstones they can all be synthetically made in my possession, they don''t represent any value," Su Qi''s voice yelled out amidst the wind: "I have something whose value surpasses it." The Master of Destruction narrowed her eyes slightly but did not accept, "Tell me about it, but I''ll be the judge of its value." This is bad, really bad! She learned the essence and completely controlled the rhythm! Su Qi reached for the pendant around his neck, lamenting deeply, "This is something I''ve worn for a long time... a pendant that has been passed down from my grandfather''s generation. It is a treasure to me, more valuable than that cold gemstone... no, it is priceless to me. It is also thanks to it that I was able to break through the Ancient Mists." Soothing Flower Pendant. A temporary prop given by the system, it possessed extraordinary power, especially its Inspection ability which had already exceeded the norm. "It seems now I can only hand it over to you... Maybe that will satisfy you." System: ? Is this even yours to give away? Su Qi just opened the pendant in his palm. The fierce wind directly blew it over to her. The Master of Destruction caught it in her hand, looking at the Soothing Flower Pendant, she indeed felt an abnormal aura from it, different from ordinary items, containing a kind of power with exceptional traits. "..." And Su Qi looked at the top of her head. [Desires it but wants to settle the debt, and at the same time, make you owe a debt.] ? How pure and innocent the Spiritual Body was in its youth, why did it have to learn such bad practices when it grew up? Su Qi glanced at the time, and his eyes paused for a moment. Done. "It seems you''re quite satisfied." "I am not." She scoffed, "This thing only compensates for what''s already transpired, but for every second that follows..." She hadn''t finished speaking. Su Qi waved his hand, smiling, "Let''s cut this short then, until next time." The very next moment. He leaped off the dragon''s back, the violent wind caused him to spin as he rapidly fell behind, plunging downwards in a frenzy! "???" The Master of Destruction''s eyes widened. Was that tens of thousands of meters? He, a mere mortal, just jumped! However. The next moment. She furrowed her brow deeply, because Su Qi''s presence vanished, or more accurately, a transmission force had whisked him away. And the same force was now coming for the pendant in her hand! "Scram!" The Master of Destruction shouted coldly! Power burst forth from within her body! She harshly severed that force! System: "...." [Request higher Paradise Power intervention] [Request denied, please return.] [....] The Master of Destruction, feeling the fading power around her, knit her brows, "This force comes from Power..." "And.... it seems familiar." She, who had not set foot in the Present World for a millennium, missed out on much information, and this spiritual essence would soon return under the influence of the rules, for though the Spiritual Energy was lacking, her transcendent sequence, the Divine rank, still stood firm. "That guy... not a single word of truth." Nonetheless. It was not a big problem. The Master of Destruction withdrew the power between her fingers, that guy couldn''t run away, just now she had pinned him, and at the same time, she left something on him as well. The moment she would meet the third completely Spiritual Body in the future... She wondered how splendid his expression would be. "Hehehehehe...." She let out a series of chilling cold laughs. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The three Priests also slowly appeared in the distance, shivering at the sight of the coldly laughing Master of Destruction. "What happened to Your Highness?" "I don''t know, but her laughter scares me." "The mortal who angered Your Highness seems to have vanished as well." Within their hearts, they speculated: "How miserable... not even a trace of his essence left, it''s all gone up in smoke." Chapter 152 - 140: The Undercurrents of the Ranking Battle [Player Su Buxian has cleared Team Instance No. 3218915] [Game Difficulty: Nightmare] [Game Score: 100] [Settlement in progress] [Awarded Perfect Level Dungeon Clearing Experience Points along with 22394 Game Coins and 1333 Spiritual Ability Points] [As the MVP of this game, you have additionally earned a 30% bonus in experience, game coins, and spiritual ability points] [Successfully completed three optional tasks, the third task''s progress has exceeded the limit, earning a lottery chance at a higher level than the current sequence (lottery linked with player''s sequence)] [Instance summary: Congratulations, player, on successfully taking the first step out of the sequence, unlocking sealed powers. However, like the fluttering of a butterfly''s wings, your series of choices may also determine your future direction.] Su Qi''s gaze flickered slightly, as he was curious about the system in Paradise. The system seemed to have multiple levels of intelligence. The authority of power among other things varied. Whenever there was a summary, it seemed to pose enigmatic questions. At this moment, Su Qi looked at his friends list, which was constantly updating. [Sword White Clothes requests to add you as a friend] [Cheng Feng requests to add you as a friend] [Xun Xiaohuan requests to add you as a friend] [Brother Oat +23213******] "?" Brother Oat again. But clearly, it wasn''t the same Brother Oat he encountered in the previous team instance. Since the launch of the leaderboard, numerous Brother Oats had been continuously adding from the list, and though there was a restriction feature, Su Qi hadn''t activated it yet. "Have I, ranking over ten thousand, also been targeted?" After adding the three people, Cheng Feng simply greeted him and then logged off. Whereas Xun Xiaohuan was already offline but had left a message. [Please be careful of the people from Free City in the ranking battle] "This guy..." Beta tester... They are different too, some couldn''t successfully enter Paradise, and some were kicked out of it, with Xun Xiaohuan belonging to the latter. He initially approached me and revealed information about Paradise. The message now piqued Su Qi''s curiosity once again. This guy wasn''t just simply kicked out. [Brother Su Buxian] Just then, Sword White Clothes came over to greet him and straightforwardly extended an invitation [Interested in joining Sword Flower?] He was different from Left Hand, not just because of resurrection tools or other things, but because he clearly sensed the uniqueness in Su Qi. Sword White Clothes had a keen sense of identifying strong players and believed Su Qi had a promising future. [I might consider, but first I need you to answer a question,] Su Qi asked: [Someone told me to be wary of the people from Free City. What is happening there?] After a few seconds of contemplation, Sword White Clothes sent a voice message: "Free City, huh? There have been some signs recently." "Paradise is never just a simple place of harmony; every area has its own rules. You never know how many forces are involved behind the scenes. Free City, in particular, is a place of chaos. You should be aware of the cultists. There are countless people in Free City leaning toward the Abyss Camp. They have become very dangerous." Su Qi fell into thought: "I see." Information naturally flows out whenever occurrences happen in the game. Cultists, the Abyss, including Paradise, etc., were hardly secrets to many players, yet the internal situation in Paradise seemed more complicated than imagined. The Abyss Camp also represents the faction led by the Abyss Evil God, comprising not just cultists... but also a vast array of other malevolent abnormal organizations and powerful entities, forming part of the Abyss Camp. "Also, among the top hundred in the ranking battle... at least thirty are from Free City, possibly including Evil Cultists from the Abyss Camp." "Such a mixed composition?" "Yep" Sword White Clothes was honest, "These are internal details, usually not disclosed. Anyways, Brother Su, you''d better watch out, those leading the leaderboard have almost all successfully changed classes. Although the information is not complete, one can foresee the ranking battle will certainly be a fierce struggle." "No wonder top clubs like yours invite me... coming together to discuss collaboration." "..." Are you sure we invited you? Isn''t it you who forcefully sat down with us! Sword White Clothes previously thought Buxian''s club The Hustlers was just something Su Buxian bluffed about, but having seen Su Qi''s personality and way of doing things, he believed that the other party might truly have such an intention. However, an organization newly founded by solo players, with no resources, background, or strength, would inevitably only have one pathdeath. Sword White Clothes was about to extend an olive branch again. Su Qi''s voice came through from the other end: "Anyway, thanks for the information. I look forward to our two top clubs deepening our cooperation, we''ll talk next time." sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "...." Sword White Clothes silently listened as Su Qi ended the call. He had underestimated his opponent''s limits. Thinking about whether to join or not... was clearly just a ruse to extract information, but never mind since he was indeed helped in the dungeon... Wait. It seemed that except for the final killing of the supervisor, there wasn''t much help, and deviating from the main storyline and falling into crisis along the way all seemed to be because of him. Sword White Clothes felt a suffocation in his chest. Had he also been manipulated? "Boss, you don''t look too well." The superstar rookie of Sword Flower Club looked at Sword White Clothes curiously. "It''s nothing," Sword White Clothes rubbed his nose bridge, let out a helpless sigh, and shook his head, "Just came out of the dungeon, feeling a bit tired." "Ah, that doesn''t sound like something you would say, boss. Maybe take a rest." "No need... Let''s not talk about this, bring me the information on those people first." They got the information for him, "This is the information we found from above, should be pretty accurate." Sword White Clothes''s gaze turned solemn as he stated decisively, "They''re all troublesome... and dangerous characters." "Anyway, next up is the ranking battle, we need to be fully alert to face these dangerous enemies." When he mentioned the word "enemies," Sword White Clothes spoke firmly without hesitation, and many of the other supreme rookies of Sword Flower Club calmly nodded, seemingly in full agreement. ----------------- [Start Drawing] Su Qi was still in his personal space, not yet having left; he was in the midst of a draw, and this time the prize pool had changed, relating to the sequence. Moreover, the level of the prize pool had also upgraded following his performances in the dungeon. The lottery box shook increasingly intensely, and after a series of rapid thuds, its lid popped open. And inside lay a sparkling table tennis paddle! "???" [Name: Glowing Table Tennis Paddle] [Type: Spiritual Ability Equipment] [Quality: Perfect] [Function: Swing the red side of the paddle to reflect any attack back, swing the black side to generate a ping pong ball with reflective attack properties, the power depends on the consumed spiritual energy points] [Note: As a qualified table tennis paddle, it is not allowed in official competitions because the light it emits is too dazzling.] Su Qi: "...." He wasn''t sure what to make of it. The item was definitely good, offering both defense and attack, already considered powerful equipment. But why so peculiar? Others fight with swords, sabers, spears, and I whip out a ping pong paddle to chop, spin, pull, and smash? "Never mind, I''ll just keep it for now, and maybe find someone to play a game of table tennis next time." After Su Qi finished the draw, He then looked at his skill bar, having stayed on the dragon''s back for so long, he had gained a new skill. [Name: Dragon Knight] [Type: Skill] [Function: You will summon a fire dragon to fight alongside you, duration ten minutes] [Consumption: 5000 Physical Strength] [Note: Go! Fire Dragon! Use the Water Spray Attack!] "...." Su Qi silently observed his two summoning skills. One summons mosquitoes, the other summons a fire dragon. "No problem, both are aerial, both are my wings." Having done all this, Su Qi replied to some messages. Ye Shou was still in the dungeon, this guy had been working hard recently, frantically improving himself. Qing Lang and Left Hand among others were leaving him messages about other clubs. After logging out, Su Qi casually had a meal, the time rules had changed so he didn''t necessarily have to go from one instance to the next in one day; more liver play would only make the real-time flow faster, resulting in offline warnings, effectively deterring many 24-hour hardcore players. He then took his usual bath, and went to sleep to train two Black Shadows. And named them "Gan, Wen, Cui." Oh, Cui wasn''t there yet, that would wait until Su Qi caught another later. And as real-world time slowly passed, Many people had already entered dreamland, of course, many others were still fiercely challenging dungeons at night. When the time froze at four in the morning. At this moment. A notification suddenly popped up silently from countless people''s phones, from the official website, from computers. Written in a few sparse black letters. [The Twelve Worlds Tournament will officially begin] A few brief numbers. Declaring that the undercurrent-ridden ranking battle had formally begun. Chapter 153 - 141: Ranking Battle Begins! Lounge area of Hall 24. "Over here," Left Hand beckoned to Su Qi. Su Qi walked over, glanced at the surrounding people, leaders of the top clubs from before, none of whom had brought companions or were in a public area. That was normal. Previously, everyone had gathered and made a high-profile effort to cooperate, deliberately for certain hostile clubs to see. But now that the ranking battle had officially started, they no longer needed that gimmick, but instead had to go all out to prepare for everything. "Brother Su, we meet again." Sword White Clothes took the initiative, greeting him warmly. Su Qi nodded, looking at the others, "Speaking of which, you guys aren''t planning another contentious meeting like last time, are you?" "That won''t be the case..." Left Hand reached out and pulled out a stack of materials. "Right now it''s mainly about exchanging information; this is what I''ve got regarding the so-called Twelve Worlds Competition, you might want to take a look." Each person received a copy of the information, which Su Qi observed was collected from multiple channels. "Currently, the competition format is unclear, but it''s very likely to be points-based or elimination-based, as it involves all level 20 players across the serverit''s a huge number. As for the so-called Twelve Worlds, they are probably divided into twelve regions." Left Hand softly added, "For specifics, we''ll have to wait until two o''clock this afternoon." That was when the ranking battle would begin. Left Hand was the first to share information, displaying sincerity. A few others from the other clubs then also spoke up. "I also have some intelligence to share, learned from above in the Paradise... The worlds we enter in the competition are highly likely to be linked to various factions." "?" Someone frowned. "Does that mean we might enter worlds under some kind of sanctuary?" Many powerful beings commanded respect and strength that could dominate a world, unfazed by corruption. "Yes, that means we could really be making contact with real factions, maybe even entering worlds under the sanctuary of the Seven Spirit Kings..." "That''s too far for us. Each Spirit King is a terrifyingly powerful existence; at most, we might come into contact with their lower-tier organizations." Someone shook their head, "But it''s also a good opportunity to increase our prestige, while being cautious, of course, since hostility and abnormalities are more common." They were aware of their limitations. Once they entered these worlds, they would do best not to stir trouble and remain humblebecause once inside the Paradise, these factions appeared more frequently, and with many worlds interconnected, nobody wanted to enter an instance only to find their own wanted posters plastered everywhere. Of course, this was also a way to increase their prestige. "Wait." Left Hand suddenly paused, looking at Su Buxian, a bit startled: "I almost forgot... We''ve discussed so much but haven''t explained... Brother Su, you might not be aware of these things, right?" "Hmm?" "About the factions, Spirit Kings, the Abyss, etc.... After all, you don''t know much about the Paradise." Su Qi had heard of the Spirit Kings before; Russell had once offered Sky Gold to one... presumably called the Sunset Spirit King. It seemed the Mixed Fish Piano was also offered up. "No big deal." Su Qi paused, "After all, I never prepare when gaming, I just skip over all the different plots and worldviews, and sometimes the unknown might be the most interesting, right?" "...." This was a serious ranking battle, the Abyssal Paradise! It wasn''t some run-of-the-mill game you were playing! The bigshots in the Paradise were all pouring vast resources into it, attitudes from the top powers were very serious and urgent, but it all seemed just ''interesting'' to you? Sword White Clothes silently regarded Su Qi. Having observed him during a previous instance and spent some time together, he believed Su Qi was serious. "Right." Finally, Sword White Clothes also produced intelligence about the competition''s formidable contestants. "Among the Twelve Regions... if anyone encounters these individuals, please be extra careful." They were extremely well-prepared for this ranking battle, having gotten hold of the opponents'' skills, equipment, and other information from various clues. Everyone nodded gravely, as the competition was crucial, the situation complex, and the enemies dangerous, so there wasn''t much beating around the bush. The intelligence sharing was more or less complete. "Wait, have all of you finished talking?" Everyone was taken aback, looking at Su Qi. Su Qi spoke softly, "Then let me also share a piece of information." Hmm? Many knew that Su Qi was neither a super new talent of any club, nor had any relation with the Paradise, so where was his information from? "From the data I currently hold." Su Qi: "This hall has an exceptionally large number of people." "????" What kind of information is this... and what does it have to do with your so-called data? "And at least more than seven sets of eyes have been constantly on us here, though, of course, they shift their gaze as soon as you look at them." Sword White Clothes paused, his eyebrows knitting slightly, "Are you saying we are being watched?" Left Hand shook his head, "That''s not necessary, this kind of surveillance serves no purpose." Su Qi spoke calmly, "They are monitoring the time you leave; just by estimating when you will enter the competition, they inform people above, and have potentially bribed hundreds or thousands of players to match with you and then either act in their script or secretly sabotage you." Everyone''s expression darkened, "Such underhanded tactics?" Left Hand, however, was surprised, "Su Buxian... how do you know all this so clearly?" Su Qi muttered to himself, "I have to mention that a month ago, while playing the game, someone actually accused me of cheating. They created over fifty accounts just to target me, acting and feeding kills." "That''s too much, what happened next?" "Then, both of our accounts got banned." "??? You really were cheating!" Su Qi remained calm and composed. "That''s rude." Can this [?] [!] ability, appearing in an ordinary online game, really be called cheating? It''s called triggering an Easter egg! Can you blame him? Fortunately, Abyssal Paradise is genuinely fair and open, unlike other games that might wrongly ban him. Sword White Clothes coughed and said, "Anyway, everyone should be aware of this and try to stagger the times." Gradually, everyone''s expressions grew solemn and serious. Then they began to disperse. They still had to continue communicating with the upper echelons, securing their prepared trump cards. This time. The undercurrents in the dark were about to turn into raging waves in the open. Inside the Paradise. Many upper echelons were watching everything intently with deep gazes. "It''s starting..." "Just like those few internal tests..." "Although the rules have been constantly changing over the years, and this time is not as brutal as before, but..." "This session is the most extensive, the most intense, with the most resources poured in, and a large number of super rookies making a grand slaughter!" Someone cackled, "I wonder who will be able to enter that place that countless people covet and rush towards!" Time passed by the minute and second. And all players had entered the game early, quietly waiting in their Personal Space, with the number of people increasing. The online count probably reached its peak today. Fortunately, Abyssal Paradise had no server crashes, otherwise, with so many people... other games would have crashed by now. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi also returned to his Personal Space. He checked the friend list; Night Guard... was still in the instance. Lately, this guy was unreachable in real life and there were no messages from him in the game, and even though the competition was about to start, he was still in the instance. "That''s not right, maybe... his access was masked by some authority in the Paradise..." Su Qi remembered Night Guard''s background, he had been indeed mysterious lately, with his last message saying, ''Brother Su, I''m going to do something big, wait for my return.'' He wouldn''t be going for a sex-change operation, would he? Then, at that moment. It struck two o''clock. The clock''s chime resonated in every player''s Personal Space! And the sound was coming from outside the room! "Ding!" Su Qi looked outside the room. In the Black Fog, it was as though an Ancient Bell echoed back, eerie and ancient! Vibrating everyone''s minds! Almost at the same time. Su Qi... and countless other players also saw a flickering message box appear in front of them. [Dear players, the Twelve Worlds competition has officially begun.] [All players above level 20 are eligible to participate, and the competition will be divided into twelve different regions, where players will likely encounter a series of universes, worlds, backgrounds, and forces.] [During the competition period, all other matchmaking channels will be closed.] [The rewards for this competition are Potential Reward/Sequence Reward/Destiny Reward/Ultimate, and specific methods to boost rankings will be explained after players enter the instance.] Su Qi paused slightly. There was one last sentence, written in a different colored ink, twisted and squiggly, like a bug crawling or some kind of curse. Although it was just seen with the eyes, it felt like it was whispering in the ear, chuckling, and as if giving a warning. [New players, you seem... a bit too foolish and weak.] Starting with an insult? And why does this tone sound like the one who sent me the Paradise Invitation? [...like a sailor who has not yet sailed out, has not yet stepped on the path to the future... being complacent, having not witnessed the true grandeur of waves... thinking you understand the face of the world.] [It''s really laughable...] It was indeed laughing, like a throat glued together chuckling, like a cold mockery, growing louder and more eerie, making all players'' scalps tingle, a chill entering from the back and spreading through the body, "It feels like being heart-wrenchingly, desperately unique," Su Qi commented on the laughter. The laughter gradually ceased, but it still echoed in all players'' ears like tinnitus, followed by its raspy voice continuing to resonate oddly. [And now! Before this grand ship of the Paradise sets sail... no matter how madly you fight, how fiercely you slaughter, how hard you try! Don''t forget... this is just a beginning, a chance to witness the true meaning of life, the opportunity to acquire the pen to carve out oneself, the destiny... the undetermined gears are still quietly turning...] [Lastly] The script turned blood red, like flowing blood, slowly revealing a sentence everyone had seen before, but now seeing it made their hair stand on end. [Welcome, players, to Abyssal Paradise] Chapter 154 - 142: The World Desperately Trying to Make Money Su Qi looked at his gray and dim Personal Space, all the matching options had been locked with chains. Only a dark, bloody handprint was displayed before him, waiting for the players to press it. Su Qi pondered, not yet having entered Paradise, certain things were hard to say and judge, but he felt that what Xu Linqiu narrated might not be the whole story; there seemed to be many unknowns involved. He reached out and pressed it. [Player Su Buxian is about to enter the Twelve Worlds competition] [You will be randomly assigned to a competition area] [The assigned area is: Fantasy Universe] [The matching mechanism will match algorithms according to your current ranking.] [Please note that the competition will employ a Points system; all player performances in the instance will affect their points.] The next moment, blood began to seep through the gaps of the room and the windows, engulfing Su Qi in an instant. Su Qi woke up on a bus. Not an ordinary bus, Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. but one of those incredible ones that flew in the sky, and the passengers around him were far from ordinary. People wearing prosthetic eyes and limbs, a green-headed Monster in a suit and tie, with a burly figure, Xiao Huang wearing a construction hat. "This... it caught me off guard." Su Qi''s gaze shifted from the bus interior and then outwards to the massive neon-lit skyscrapers, the air tram tracks stretching across the skyeverything was so Cyberpunk. Moreover, on many skyscrapers were enormous screens, holographically rolling out advertisements. [New Prosthetic Assembly Packages Now Available, Hot Sale!] [The Glimmer and Glamor of Stars Hall, Tickets Pre-sale 500,000 Cyber Coins] [If you encounter any violations in the City, please alert the authorities immediately, handling personnel will come upon call to solve your problems] Meanwhile, in the largest Grand Square, a holographic image was flashing in a rock style! [A City of Bliss Where the Bizarre and Technology Coexist!] [In ten days, a superstar who commands the attention of tens of thousands will be hosting the annual auction of death, madness, and joy! Location: Stars Hall in Night City! Stay tuned!] Su Qi withdrew his gaze, muttering to himself, "So this is Cyberpunk City?" But it seemed somewhat different. Because this city was not only inhabited by humans; there were various abnormal, eerie, and bizarre races. But everyone was busy, much like office workers. He himself was wearing a badly fitted suit with wrinkles. By then, a super-thin strap on his wrist popped out a holographic image. "Dear Citizen Su Buxian, a reminder that your current balance is only 100 Cyber Coins; in ten days... the costs you will have to pay include citizen status fee, rent, water, electricity, clothing leasing, internet fees, totaling up to 8213.23 Cyber Coins. To avoid violating the rules, please deposit the full amount in time." "If the fees are insufficient, your citizenship will be revoked, and you will be expelled!" He quietly processed the information, realizing he was indeed broke. Even the suit he wore was rented. And now... what was he supposed to be doing? The bus slowly stopped at a Cloud Platform. Meanwhile, his wristwatch also reminded Su Qi, "You have arrived at your destination! 20 Cyber Coins deducted, balance now 80." Su Qi raised an eyebrow, "What kind of expensive crap is this?" He grabbed his briefcase and disembarked from the bus. "I understand now... this is a world where prices skyrocket and capital inflates." "And I..." Su Qi glanced at the interview materials and advertising signs prepared in his briefcase, "Seems like I''m going to a company interview to preserve my identity?" [Please Note] [Current instance player count: 1000] [Each player will start with 10 points] [Note, if your points drop to zero, you will be eliminated from the competition and can''t participate in the Conquest] [Current world''s key term for increasing points: ''Consumption''] Su Qi quietly noted the system prompt. This city apparently had thousands of players and, based on appearances, should be divided into different areas. Regarding the keyword. "Consumption?" Su Qi mused, "The bus fee seemed to only add 0.1 points." Too low. "What can my remaining 80 Cyber Coins buy? A lollipop?" Soon, Su Qi found himself mistaken. Because a freaking lollipop cost 199 Cyber Coins. He couldn''t afford to buy one. "Pathetic, freaking pathetic, not just broke but also having a pile of fees to pay." Su Qi decided to first check out the company where he was about to interview. Thousands of players were competing in this city, and since the way to earn points was to spend, they would inevitably work frantically to earn money. Moreover, the higher the luxury, the more points earned. Of course, the first thing to do, Su Qi had to successfully secure this job. He quickly reached the company he was interviewing forMysterious Processing Containment Company! The area was crowded with prospective employees. "So many people?" In the fast-paced Cyber City, money is everything! No beating about the bush, money was the real boss and without contracts, wages are settled daily; failure to meet the requirements or death meant another person would replace them. Everyone seemed desperate to get into this company. Su Qi quickly entered the hallway outside the interview venue. He noticed the presence of other players, his arrival catching their attention. In a city with thousands of players, if most of their starting conditions were similar, the chances of encountering each other would greatly increase. Chapter 155 - 142: The World Desperate for Making Money_2 That is to say... there are other players, at this very moment, also interviewing at other companies. Everyone is desperately trying to make money, to boost their Points. A middle-aged man actually smiled and greeted Su Qi, "Looks like you''re the last player among all the interviewees." "Anything to say?" "Time," the young man pointed to the holographic time on the wall, "Half a minute after you entered this area, no one was allowed to enter anymore." "So, apart from those other interviewees, only the five of us are the players recruited by this company." Apart from the middle-aged man and the young man, there was also a female player and Fatty! "Next." At that moment, a cold voice came from inside the interview room. Someone was thrown out, burned all over, with skin split and flesh open. "This really isn''t a normal interview, is it?" Fatty''s eyelids were twitching. "That''s the seventh one now," said a young man with glasses, shaking his head slightly, "Being known as the Abnormality Containment Company, of course it''s not that simple." "I predict that making money in this city... even with a regular job, carries a high risk." The young man pondered and analyzed clearly, "However, fortunately, based on my understanding, every company has a promotion system, and they don''t look at seniority, only ability, which is also a way for players to earn money and pull ahead." "After all, the way to gain Points is through spending; only when you make enough money and have status can you afford high expenses." Su Qi looked at his ID [Rainier Vale], it seemed he was a player skilled in gathering information and analyzing. "So, I suggest that the five of us should team up, make use of our respective advantages, and strive to advance in position to earn Cyber Coins," suggested the young man, and the other three agreed. "What do you think... Player Su Buxian?" Rainier Vale looked at Su Qi, in his view, the arrangement by each company was akin to dividing players into teams, and since that was the case, then the five of them had to work together. "I think..." Su Qi mused, "Instead of working ourselves to death and spending our earnings on our boss''s cars and houses, we might as well go for something bigger. I have a way that makes more money." The others looked surprised, "What is it?" He paused, "On the way here, there was a bank..." "??" Rainier Vale coughed, "Don''t joke... Robbing a bank in this city is a grave crime. According to the information I saw on the way here... it''s simply not possible." Su Qi with interest, "Why?" The reason he was last to arrive was that he had stood outside the bank for a long time. He truly intended to go through with it. "Any criminal action will be swiftly dealt with by the enforcement squads. They are very powerful, nearly insurmountable in terms of armament and strength for players," Rainier Vale shook his head, "Plus, once you commit a crime, your citizenship will be revoked, and you''ll be placed under a city-wide warrant. Then you''ll be in an endless state of being hunted down, especially in the cyber world where electronic eyes and tracking technology are everywhere." "Unable to make money, also unable to boost Points, so almost no players choose this path." Rainier Vale believed that after telling him all this, the young man in front would no longer consider such a dangerous route. "So, better to focus on the upcoming interview instead, it should be an opportunity given by the system. If you don''t pass, you can expect to be in a quite difficult situation." Su Qi gave an OK gesture. "Don''t worry, I''m not reckless." He wouldn''t act recklessly now, after all, he was without information or much certainty. Best to see what the company had to offer next before deciding... how to rob the bank. Rainier Vale was unaware of the dangerous thoughts in Su Qi''s mind. He was still analyzing what kind of interview it could be. And soon enough. Not many remained in the interview room; several people had been eliminated. Some were unhurt but pallid, exuding an air of desperation. They seemed to be people at their wits'' end, without this job they''d have no income, soon to be expelled, a situation almost akin to being dead. "Looks like it''s just you five left." A holographic head with a flashing red light appeared at the entrance of the hallway room, as if sizing them up. "Come in together." Rainier Vale silently signaled everyone to be careful and then took the lead in walking over. After entering the room, the lighting was somewhat dim. Behind a long table, there sat a person with an invisible face, wearing a mask, with a body that was modified. And there were no chairs in front. Rainier Vale stood first in line. From the very start, he had been gathering information, and he also believed he should be the strongest in terms of experience and ability among the five players. Then he simply had to be this leader. No matter what happened in the interview, he was psychologically prepared. "Where do you come from." The interviewer did not even ask for a name. "Slums..." Rainier Vale began. But the interviewer calmly cut him off, "Slums? I''m not asking you where you live, but the world you''re originally from." Rainier Vale''s expression stiffened. The original world... Damn, he almost forgot... seeing the massive diversity of racial residents within the city, it was clear that this was a melting pot of a city, inhabited by people from many different worlds. "Paradise." He glanced at the lie detector and spat out these two words. And the others followed suit. "Paradise..." "Paradise..." "Paradise..." "Eastern Earth Great Tang." All four couldn''t help but turn to look at Su Qi, their eyes wide: "????" Su Qi spread his hands: "I''m not lying." The interviewer noticed that the lie detection device did not give a warning, and he actually recorded it. Then, without asking any other questions, not even their names, he said calmly, "Let''s get right to the main topic then." The partition in the middle of the table gently opened, and five empty boxes were pushed forward. "Our job post is quite simple, it''s about deliveries, containment." "You need to pack the items that customers need into these boxes." "For example..." He snapped his fingers. Five glass jars appeared on the table, each with a creature resembling an octopus but covered in spikes. "The only thing you need to do now is to put it in the box without damaging anything, and then pack it up." "Of course, by anything, I don''t mean yourselves." Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Rainier Vale took a deep breath and nodded: "Understood." Su Qi looked over. That octopus abnormality... with spines all over its body, had considerable strength, was venomous and had strong aggressiveness, but was extremely low in intelligence and had weak spiritual power, his pupils flickered slightly. Rainier Vale was also quietly conveying a message: "Don''t provoke it, don''t touch the spikes, and be as gentle as possible. It''s best to not make any sound at all." The others were cautiously operating by the various detailed indications stuck on the glass jars. And then. "Hand it over." The glass jar in front of Su Qi had already been opened directly. And the octopus was reaching out a tentacle, shaking hands with Su Qi like a little dog. "???" Rainier Vale''s eyes widened: "How did you manage that!" Su Qi snapped his fingers: "Trick of the trade, don''t forget it''s all in the technique." He discovered that his Spiritual Eyes contained the Origin Strength of the Evil God Abyss, and although it hadn''t shown directly, it had a high priority of influence on all sorts of abnormalities... since abnormalities are the result of Pollution... and the power of Pollution comes from the Abyss, with the Evil God being the ringleader of Pollution. But there were limits to the influence. "Stand up!" Su Qi commanded, and the octopus abnormality propped itself up with its tentacles. "Front flip!" The octopus gritted its teeth and performed a flip in mid-air! "Back flip!" It did so again! "Do a 720-degree spiral flip!" The octopus came to a standstill, clueless on how to proceed after a long while, caught in a dilemma right there. But at that moment, due to excessive stimulation, it seemed to shake off the influence. Then, anger erupting from within, it actually let out a roar and charged at Su Qi with its tentacles! The next moment. Smack! "Alright, in you go." Su Qi slapped it into the box and deftly closed it. "....." Rainier Vale and the others watched this scene in shock, and the interviewer fell silent. What in the actual hell kind of move was that! Chapter 156 - 143 Brother, Im About to Have a Breakdown Under the careful operation of everyone, the other octopus abnormalities were also confined in jars. Although their approaches differed from Su Qi''s, they still managed to complete the task. "Not bad." The interviewer tapped the table lightly, "Indeed, you are somewhat more capable than those people, you can join the company, but I must remind you, these few items are just the lowest level of containment in the company, there are many more dangerous items that are not so simple." "Moreover, the hourly wage is 100 Cyber Coins, if you can contain more advanced pollutants, you can increase your wage." Several people''s eyes lit up slightly. Su Qi glanced at them. Look at your pitiful selves. You''re excited about this? Outside, a lollipop costs 199 Cyber Coins, what are you glowing for? Moreover, the mentioned promotion is just an empty promise, while also encountering more dangerous containment items. "...." Under arrangements, everyone began to enter the company, preparing to officially start their work life. Rainier Vale whispered, "Remember, our most important priority is not only to make money but also to raise our status. Currently, nearly a thousand other players are also taking actions like us, initially competing over who can earn money faster, but more so to gain the opportunity to make even more money after a position upgrade." "Then there''s spending on certain items, I''m not sure yet which items, categories, increase points the most." He fell into thought, "I''m still unclear about this." But Su Qi spoke softly, "Luxury goods." "Hm?" Everyone paused. "In this city, some people don''t take money seriously, squandering it wildly, living a lavish and decadent life, indulging in luxury goods that are worth far more than their value, while at the same time, there are people who can''t afford rent or utilities, have no savings, can''t eat enough, lack warm clothing, and face unemployment and the risk of being deprived of their identity." "Busy...yet accomplishing nothing." Su Qi muttered to himself, "This is indeed an extreme characteristic of Cyberpunk." "...." This was the situation for every player at the start, not to mention most of the inhabitants of this city. "I don''t want to say this, but it''s kind of heartbreaking," a female player with a ponytail sighed. An older man responded quietly, "It reminds me of...." "Bro, stop talking, please... I admit, I''m about to break down." Fatty''s tears were about to fall, "Can we just play the game and forget everything else?" Rainier Vale looked at the group, emotional just from a few words from Su Qi, and fell silent, looking toward their destination, he had to add, "We''ve arrived, it seems like we have to start working to earn money." "...." Su Qi and the disheartened crowd entered the so-called warehouse under guidance, a huge space where employees of the same position, each distinct, clearly came from different worlds as the interviewer had said. Everyone was also assigned areas, equipped with transport channels and a holographic screen, seemingly for communicating with customers from all walks of life. "Let''s work, workers of the soul, one day we will rise above the others," Fatty clenched his fists and encouraged. "I''m going too." "Good luck everyone! If there''s any issue, come seek help immediately, we''re all in the same boat now." "Okay!" Rainier Vale watched as the group''s spirit somewhat recovered and he exhaled, at least everyone was making an effort, in this city with thousands of competing players, nothing was certain. Nobody knew what would happen next. "Su Buxian, I''m going to work now too." "Okay, off you go." Su Qi watched Rainier Vale walk away, he himself was not in a hurry to return to his workstation, even though the display showed that leaving for just five minutes would start deducting wages. 500 Cyber Coins each time. But he was not anxious. Su Qi took a walk around, observing the items being transported at various workstations, having some realizations. "I think I understand now... it must be that the stuff Russell bought initially, the transfer station was here." An earlier team instance, a spaceship loaded with various abnormalities and pollutants, flying toward Tianqi Star. And the items on that ship were all tributes for the Sunset Spirit King. It seems he finally found the source. "Well, let''s get to work." Su Qi returned to his workstation. He still owed debts, planning to earn some startup funds first before assessing the situation. However. Even in such a large company, the work hours were not something ordinary people could handle, working 5 hours in the morning, resting and eating at noon, working 9 hours in the afternoon, and also working overtime. "Aiming for 14 hours of work a day...." Su Qi noticed another thing. No matter the position, no matter how poor, everyone dressed perfectly decently, wearing suits, ties, formal shoes, collared shirts, and work pants. Homeless people dressed in ragged clothes seemed impossible in this city, every person looked neat and clean, presenting a kind of stateliness. "Is this because of the industry and city''s subliminal rules?" Su Qi roughly made a judgment. "In this city, appearance represents the image and can even influence job interviews, and also has to match the Cyberpunk vibe." This was why. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even if they didn''t have money, everyone would still rent a decent outfit, and not just for the interview; even after the interview was over, they wouldn''t return it but would continue wearing it in every aspect of daily life. It seemed like they were proving to others that they had jobs and were doing well. Su Qi also started working. Chapter 157 - 143 Brother, Im About to Lose It_2 The work process was simple: the input port would send over an abnormality or pollutant, marked with a label that indicated its traits, and they would process and package it. Next, they contacted the customer, affixed the address, and shipped it out. "It''s similar to an assembly line, only there are more complicated processes and life-threatening risks, and there''s no personal insurance fund." At that moment, At a workstation to the side and behind Su Qi, there was a man with a scruffy beard. His body was equipped with cheap prosthetic gear, flickering with electricity and unstable light. Just then, he suddenly screamed as a blood-stained thorny flower violently pierced his eye! "Save... save...." "Pfft!" The thorny flower pierced straight through. The man''s struggles gradually subsided, and only the electricity that hadn''t dissipated yet flowed within the mechanics, causing his body to twitch. "Take it away, clean it up, then recruit the next packager." The handlers quickly received the instructions and came to deal with everything very efficiently. Once they were seriously injured or even killed by a pollutant or an abnormality, There would be no compensation. No contract, just a cold cash transaction. And the rules of this city? Sorry, those were there to protect the superiors, the wealthy, the capitalists; they had nothing to do with ordinary people. "Moreover...." Su Qi looked at the question mark above the dead uncle''s body. Many people weren''t installing prosthetics for appearances or to follow trends or seek convenience; they were selling their own human organs and tissue for money, and then barely getting by with the installation of some worthless cheap prosthetics. "Pollution instances... and the city before my eyes... which is stronger, which is weaker?" Work continued. All other workstations were carefully processing pollutants and abnormalities, avoiding situations like that of the uncle. Only Su Qi''s station operated at an extremely fast pace. Whether it was abnormalities or pollutants, under his Spiritual Eyes, they were all like good babies; as long as you didn''t provoke them or let them react, they were no different from a regular assembly line. Therefore, Su Qi quickly completed his daily target and could continue working at more than ten times the rate. But... "Alright, starting to get bored." Su Qi disliked monotony. Indeed, he could ascend gradually with this ability and become the king among workers. Commonly known as! The Super Worker. But it was no damn use... And he couldn''t slack off, as there were obviously a large number of electronic eyes and holographic detection devices watching them. At this time, "That guy is talented," remarked the interviewer, seemingly paying attention to this area. He narrowed his eyes and said softly, "It''s time to promote him." Su Qi also received the message quickly, telling him to go to another area. "Congratulations, Citizen Su Buxian, your company position level has been upgraded from lower class to Level D, your Cyber Coin earnings per hour raised to 200." Heh. Finally, I can buy a couple more lollipops. Rainier Vale and the others were startled and looked at Su Qi: "That fast?" Su Qi replied calmly, "I''ll go up and check the situation first. You guys work hard and do a good job. Next year, I''ll find you guys a sister-in-law." "...." Ptui! Workers at other stations cast envious and jealous glances, then buried their heads and worked even harder. The promotion system was clear-cut, ensuring enthusiasm to a certain extent. But in the outrageous consumerist desires and frenetic conditions of this city, the money would always flow upwards. Meanwhile, As Su Qi stepped into the next area, he also received a reminder, "Attention, you will be handling requests from higher-level customers." "You will also face more dangers." Interesting... It seems that continuing to ascend could grant access to higher-level information and even more. However, the company screen provided could only be used for communication with customers, not for playing games, searching, or any other extraneous activities, and each employee''s Communicator would also be cut off from the network, almost eliminating the chance of leaking or probing for information. But Su Qi had a way, which was to chat. Customers who could send and buy things here were considered middle-class with a certain amount of capital. After all, the divide was too big. He often gently steered the conversation, extracting the information he wanted from the other party, and could even gain some tips and high praise. "Damn, it''s like I''m... doing companion chat." Half a day passed like this. There was an hour of rest at noon, because after all, humans are iron and food is steel; even if their company was ruthless, they couldn''t deny the employees mealtime. Of course, sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As expected by Su Qi, the cafeteria wasn''t free either. All food cost money. "Damn it!" Fatty held his tray, eyes wide as he stared at the cafeteria''s moving window: "A steak costs a damn 1500 Cyber Coins! I don''t earn enough in a day to afford even one piece." "Even a regular meatball soup costs 700!" "Is this really the high-tech city of the future? Why do I feel so cold inside." Su Qi said calmly, "Don''t bother looking; that food isn''t prepared for us." He pointed elsewhere: "That''s where we should go." At the other side of the cafeteria, a crowd swarmed, buying not food but various nutritional compounds, goo, and satiating edible mixtures. "That''s cheaper, you can buy it for 100 Cyber Coins, and besides maintaining life''s basic functions, it seems to have no other benefits." "????" "I can''t work here even for a day!" Su Qi twisted the knife a little more: "Think about your elderly mother and children at home; can you not do it? If you don''t, there are plenty of others who will." Chapter 158 - 143 Brother, Im About to Lose It_3 "..." Ponytail female gamer paused, then said softly, "Wait... I don''t have any kids to support right now." The middle-aged man said sadly, "I do! Dammit, I''m about to lose it too." Rainier Vale coughed, "Alright, let''s not talk about this anymore, we should go buy some compounds first, considering we only have one hour to rest." He also quietly pulled Su Qi aside, "Don''t stir them up anymore, even if it''s unintentional, it still affects them." Su Qi didn''t respond. He just wanted to say, Who said I was unintentional? The five of them quickly bought the compounds, and Fatty even seriously placed a chunk of compound on a huge plate. "What are you doing?" "Just thinking, what if it tastes good?" Su Qi just wanted to say, you''re thinking too much. Sure enough, after Fatty tasted it... his expression slightly changed: "Why does it have no taste? Although it does give a feeling of fullness, this feeling is so fake." "That''s normal, if they made this stuff delicious, who would still crave high-quality food?" Su Qi said lightly. He now understood why a lollipop could sell for more than a hundred Cyber Coins. Food is the epitome of luxury consumption. Everyone sighed. "Ah, isn''t this the Fantasy Universe?" "How come it feels like all the illusions have been shattered." Rainier Vale coughed, "Let''s talk about promotions instead, now that we''re getting the hang of it, we can speed up a bit and might soon advance to the next level." "Right, Buxian, do you have any experience to share with us? You''re already at Level D, right?" Su Qi held up two fingers, "First, this technique is hard to teach, you guys better be steady." "Second, I''m actually at Level C now, earning 500 Cyber Coins per hour." Everyone''s eyes widened, "You''re freaking outrageous! You must be cheating." Speaking so realistically and sadly, yet doing better and advancing faster than anyone! How is this any different from secretly studying relentlessly in a dorm room? Jerk! Rainier Vale''s eyes lit up instead, "At this rate, Buxian, you might be able to climb the corporate ladder to a higher position, then gain advantages and also help us." "Well..." Su Qi shook his head, "I''m afraid that''s not possible; this position at most could only go up to Level C, Level B positions are usually for minor supervisors, Level A for top leaders." "And these two levels require status, connections and backgrounds, and payments... only then one might have a chance." He paused, "In short, all kinds of restrictions, breaking through them isn''t that easy." The three sighed quietly. "But it''s comforting to think that other players are more or less in the same boat as us." After all, everyone starts at the same starting line; whether you''re a dragon or a tiger, you have to stay low here. Su Qi did not say anything. This point wasn''t easy to mention. Every company that stands in this cyber city does so because it plays by the rules; most are deceitful to the extreme, and there is also a segment of the elite class, the real capitalist families, forces, and organizations, residing above all. Some players would choose to sidestep the mainstream and try to contact these elites to see if they could get an opportunity or a higher position. But. No rush. This was just the first day; the system hadn''t announced anything about competitive content yet; currently, it was mainly about letting players gather information, accumulate Cyber Coins, and gain some initial advantages. Soon. Everyone returned to their stations; being late, leaving early, unauthorized departure, and slacking off would all result in a deduction of Cyber Coins. Everyone was busy. And Su Qi returned to his district; although he had now reached Level C and was making more money, he was still a delivery person, packaging parcels. But. None of that was important. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What was important was that he also managed to meet some high-class clients. Maybe they weren''t truly from the elite class, but they clearly had nothing to do with ordinary people. And the things they bought or sent had obviously changed, although involving many more outrageously dangerous items, there were also antiques, paintings, and even pointless trinkets. Also. The prices were ridiculously high. Almost all starting from a million. "Filthy rich second-generations, now that I think about it... I should give Rainier a couple of punches." Having just come out of somewhere and preparing to enter a championship, Rainier sneezed. ? And these items are also something employees wouldn''t dare to steal; once discovered... no, discovery was inevitable... there would be only one outcome: being stripped of citizenship and burdened with a massive debt. Then being sold to a human trafficking organization. "Let''s continue." Su Qi kept on gathering information, learning about the various elite layers within the city, and understanding some organizational powers. But it was difficult to make deep contact. After all, as soon as he showed this proactive tendency, he would be detected and warned. "It''s really tightly guarded..." This made Su Qi hesitant to proceed; he could obtain the other party''s preferences and interests through "?" and then contact them, but with these restrictions, unless the client made an active request, it was generally hard to continue. At this time. However, a client with the ID [Florence Grace] came online. "?" Isn''t this ID slightly familiar, which rich auntie has logged in? "Please note, Employee 93123, this customer is extremely important, please watch your language and communication, do not engage in any probing of their privacy!" Su Qi: "...." He looked at what the other party was buying; it was cosmetics, and the prices were freaking ridiculously high; indeed, it was Florence Grace, who knows how many points could be accumulated from this purchase. Would robbing a bank be less profitable than robbing rich women? But. Although with restrictions. Still, encountering such a major client, Su Qi wanted to see if he could find some opportunities. Chapter 159 - 144: Illegal Land (Sorry its a bit late) Before packaging the customer''s items into the exquisite box, Su Qi had contacted the customer. This step was often to ascertain any additional requirements from the customer. If it were ordinary goods, this step wouldn''t be necessary. However, high-end customers usually had some troublesome and demanding requirements regarding their goods and packaging, among other details. For instance, this Ms. Florence Graceeven before Su Qi could reply, she had already taken the initiative to speak, and her tone was quite polite. "That... " "Can it be shipped tomorrow?" Su Qi responded, "Sorry, I''m afraid that won''t be possible." ".....Then when can it ship?" "This afternoon." "...." Florence Grace fell silent for a few seconds, seemingly unable to wrap her head around the answer. After a few seconds, she slowly typed out her message: "Can it be sent via Star Express? Our estate... is a bit troublesome, with quite a few restrictions." Look at that. Estate... Rich ladies sure are rich. Su Qi replied politely, "We don''t accept couriers outside of the company''s partnerships, dear." "But..." Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She seemed to want to say something but hesitated for a moment: "Okay then, what courier do you guys use?" "Star Express." "????" The person on the other side of the screen was silent much longer this time. She didn''t know why, but she always felt the urge to slap this employee. Nevertheless, she... obviously couldn''t be bothered with that now and after hesitating for a few seconds, "Additionally... I can make a request to you, right?" "I would like you to place a Super Dream MR412 inside..." she paused, tentatively asking, "Is that possible?" Su Qi raised an eyebrow. Something wasn''t right. Judging from the account level, the customer was clearly a long-time client, often purchasing various luxury items. However, the person currently using this account seemed like someone not very familiar with online shopping. And... Super Dream MR412? Su Qi knew about it; it was a miniature virtual internet connection device, quite valuable... He was about to reply. Just at that moment. Su Qi''s eyelid twitched slightly as he was slowly shown a [!] [Delivering Super Dream MR412 to the customer will reward you with... Super Dream Hacker Agreement] Just hand it over? Su Qi replied: "The product link has been sent to you, you need to place an order to purchase it." This thing was even cheaper than lipstick, just 10,000 Cyber Coins. Since the customer wanted it and she was a rich lady, she definitely wouldn''t hesitate. But..... "....." The customer was silent for a few seconds, then replied: "Sorry, let''s forget it." Hmm? Just let it go? Su Qi''s gaze flickered. Not batting an eye at a million Cyber Coin lipstick but stepping back from a virtual device that cost less than one percent of that. The issue definitely wasn''t the price. Moreover, based on the previous conversations, he had a pretty good idea. There was only one possibility: she was not the account owner and even the lipstick wasn''t something she had purchased. She was just trying to use this channel to secretly acquire the items she needed. "Just like a child without a phone, sneakily using their parents'' account to buy a Fiji Cup." Su Qi understood. However. He didn''t want to miss this exclamation point task. He was just about to reply, "If you really need it, I can personally help..." At that moment. The electronic monitoring holographic detector next to him suddenly flashed red! And emitted a warning, all the text that had been typed was deleted! Bad. It''s this sensitive? He hadn''t even finished speaking, and it was already blocked. Su Qi glanced at the screen; the customer hadn''t said anything for ten seconds, and their previous statements were being retracted. Seems like she was indeed using it sneakily and was probably about to go offline now. "Time waits for no one, so be it..." He faced the electronic monitoring holographic detector, without any hesitation, he activated [Artificial Team''s Counterattack] The next moment. [Judgment Successful] The whole device malfunctioned as if it had short-circuited. [Attention to workstation 213''s monitoring system malfunction! Please repair immediately!] The warning popped up! The malfunction seemed to be very brief. So Su Qi moved quickly, writing his private number on the corner of the lipstick packaging with his pen. Just as he finished doing all this. The device''s red light flickered on again! "Beep beep beep..." It was scanning everything in front of it. [Monitoring system at workstation 213 has been restored, no anomalies found] Su Qi replied slowly, "Please make sure to personally receive the delivery, and carefully check the barcode inside the packaging." The customer seemed stunned for a moment, but did not respond, and then went offline. Don''t know if she saw it. "...Well, with the afternoon''s expedited delivery, the result should be known by evening." Su Qi glanced at all the various instruments, devices, and electronic eyes surrounding him. In this world full of surveillance. Every action seemed destined to be recorded; it was indeed a hassle, even with the help of [Artificial Team''s Counterattack], it was only a drop in the bucket and couldn''t make much impact. Time passed by, minute by minute. When people left the company, the sky had already darkened. The middle-aged man sighed, his eyes numb, feeling as if he had been drained: "This is the hardest task I''ve ever done. Even fighting against various monsters, I never complained, but now, I feel like I''ve lost half my life." Ponytail looked at the other employees, puzzled: "But why don''t they feel tired? Instead, they seem very excited." "Fatty mumbled, "Night owls, I guess. I just get excited at night and can''t sleep; I often stay up late." Su Qi looked over calmly: "This is completely different, after 14 hours of work, whether it''s physical or mental, one would end up exhausted, but... after undergoing prosthetic enhancement, things are completely different." Chapter 160 - 144: Illegal Land (Sorry its a bit late)_2 "They often only need to use chips for virtual experiences, drug adjustments, prosthetic feedback, even reducing sleep time to just one hour." "They don''t need much sleep, the night is when they release all the pressure of the day!" The entire city''s neon lights flashed dazzlingly! Large crowds rushed towards the dark corners away from Main City, where there were plenty of cheap but thrilling entertainment venues! Commonly known as Illegal Land! No dignitaries, no security teams, it''s a rule-free area scorned by the Main City, attracting large crowds! Even livelier and more bustling than during the day! "Now I understand why... they call it ''Night City.''" Fatty stared blankly at everything, "It''s simply insane." "Endless escalating pressures, and endless desires to vent... Countless people cannot extricate themselves, willingly sinking into it, forming a terrifying suffocating balance and cycle," Su Qi muttered to himself. Everyone fell silent, even Rainier Vale sighed. Fatty scratched his head, "So, what''s next... we go back and sleep?" Su Qi: "Sleep? At this age, can you even sleep?" He looked towards the brightly lit Night City, "Thousands of players could be growing wildly while you sleep. You still want to sleep?" Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." Fatty: "This is too intense!" "Su Buxian is right," Rainier Vale coughed, "We don''t have time to rest." "My suggestion is... we also head to Illegal Land immediately. The first day has just ended, all players are probably plotting how to use their first earnings. Although we can''t afford regular merchandise in Main City, in a place like Illegal Land, there must be plenty of cheap goods, even a chance to network." "Of course, it''s also extremely dangerous." Rainier Vale added gravely, "After all, killing a player nets you 70% of their Cyber Coins. There will be fierce killings and strife among players." That''s why he hoped the other four players would stick together. "For now, we don''t know if there are any dangerous individuals among these thousand players. Naturally, it would be best if everyone got along, but once a fight happens," Rainier Vale, "we also need to be prepared." He actually wasn''t very confident; a middle-aged man, Fatty, a female player, plus a young man who occasionally makes flippant remarks without a clear thought. The team was really hard to manage. "Let''s go." They prepared to board the bus heading out of the Main City towards Illegal Land. ----------------- Illegal Land. Such an area... How to describe it. Stripped of the modern, high-tech, fantastical neon urban exterior, Illegal Land more closely resembled a retro city district, with its dirty, messy environments and chaotic atmosphere filled with all sorts of people. The streets were full of pungent-smelling sprays, litter, chewing gum, thick spit, along with curses and swearing filling the ears. Some were reveling, some were fighting to release frustration, and some were scantily clad... smoking cheap women''s cigarettes, standing in the dim streetlight. "Fatty murmured, "The vibe is really not bad, suddenly makes me want to spend." The middle-aged man patted his shoulder, "Let me tell you, don''t go... it''ll make you sick. Though I heard they have prosthetics for that stuff, you probably won''t have to worry once it''s installed." "Holy shit! That''s awesome!" Ponytail coughed with a dark face, "Can you guys... respect me a bit? I''m also a female player, after all." Watching the three chatter non-stop. Rainier Vale fell silent. Are you here for a tour? While he was cautiously assessing the surrounding environment, gathering information. But. Fortunately, Su Buxian was not involved in this irrelevant conversation... No, wait! Rainier Vale''s eyes widened, looking into the distance, "He''s actually gone over there!" At that moment, Su Qi had already walked up to a scantily clad lady. He hadn''t yet spoken. "The price is 200 Cyber Coins." The lady, heavily made up, exuding a mix of cheap perfume and cigarette smoke, took a drag on her cigarette and exhaled a dense cloud, "Just pay and leave, sweetie?" But Su Qi lifted his wristwatch, "1000 Cyber Coins." The lady was startled, then smiled seductively, "Looks like young man... you want something thrilling." "That''s right," Su Qi smiled. "Come with me," the lady headed deeper into the alley. Su Qi waved at the others, "You guys go gather information first. We''ll meet here in two hours." "..." Rainier Vale and the others fell silent. "I... thought he was a decent person," the Ponytail female player murmured. Fatty was also stunned, "I was just talking, didn''t expect him to actually go." The middle aged man envied, "He can actually last two hours." "????" Are you fucking serious? Rainier Vale sighed. He looked around, noting many people were staring at them: He frowned slightly, "Don''t stand in the middle of the road; it''s too conspicuous." "Let''s all first get a feel of this place." As they dispersed. Several people with mechanical arms, squinting slightly, "His companions have left." "Then let''s cut the chatter and get ready to make a move..." In this Illegal Land, there was no absolute safety. Danger lurked everywhere! They moved towards a house inside! At that moment. The lady had already led Su Qi to a room deep inside. She slowly unlocked the bedroom door, then sat on the bed, cigarette in mouth, gauging the time and distance. ".... How do you want to play, sir?" "Not often we see a guest throw down 1000 in one go." "Whatever you want to try, I can give it a go." Chapter 161 - 144 Illegal Land (Sorry for being a bit late)_3 She stealthily hid a syringe in her hand and would wait for the moment when a client, lost in the afterglow and unguarded, would be viciously struck. Almost no one could defend against it. And then they''d be at the mercy of others. Literally at their mercy. All the money, human tissue, organs, and so on were under their controlthis was the maximization of value and one of their main sources of funding. After all, countless people disappeared in the Illegal Land every day; who would care about the lower class? This was the insane Night City! This was the law of the jungle in the Illegal Land! But. She furrowed her brows slightly because Su Qi didn''t come closer. The lady asked with a seductive tone, "What are you waiting for, dear client?" Su Qi hesitated and said awkwardly, "Sorry, I''m a bit shy, embarrassed really." You''re spending money to play but you''re embarrassed? What the hell is this act! "Then let me help you," she said softly as she stood up, smiling. Su Qi shook his head again: "No, I don''t like being passive. I prefer taking the initiative." "...." The lady thought there was something wrong with this man. She smiled and asked, "Then what do you think we should do?" And the next moment. Su Qi proposed a solution. "How about this: My shyness stems from us being strangers to each other, not knowing each other well. Shall we have a chat first?" A chat my ass! The lady clenched her fist that hid the syringe, maintaining a smile: "Alright, alright, talk to me. I''m listening." "I''ll introduce myself... I am Su Buxian. I don''t like being idle. I like to find things to do for myself and I''m not a fan of following the rules. Spent most of the daytime feeling a headache from the assembly line, so I chose to come here to relax." "I''m also good at quite a few things, have won a number of awards, people call me the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers..." Listening to Su Qi''s incessant talk. The lady''s expression became a little dazed. Is he nuts! Normally, some clients do like to babble, but only after the deed, not before! And what''s with all this nonsense you''re spouting? Who''s listening! What being good at things, what Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers, what wanting to be the boss of Night City. The lady couldn''t stand it anymore, she couldn''t wait any longer. She quietly sent a message to her accomplices, asking them to get ready, and then slowly approached: "Keep talking. I''m listening. But, you do seem quite stressed, dear client, and I can''t just do nothing about it, right? Let me give you a massage first." "Okay." Su Qi didn''t refuse, but murmured to himself: "Actually, coming to this place is much more relaxing than during the daytime." "Of course, this place is meant to bring everyone happiness... a vent for all stress." "Indeed." Su Qi murmured: "It''s like coming home, feeling like you can finally do whatever you want." "Really?" The lady slowly pulled out the syringe, her tone tempting: "And soon I will make you feel even happier, never wanting to leave." "Thank you, you''re really quite nice, starting from you was definitely the right choice." "Of course." She slowly approached Su Qi, and then viciously plunged it in! ----------------- Meanwhile. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Rainier Vale and the others were also gathering information, their expressions gradually becoming solemn as they realized that this place was indeed dangerous. Amidst the chaos. Two powerful forces were entrenched here. Jile''s Crowd ran a large number of nightclubs, bars, pleasure venues, peddling various illicit drugs, along with several gambling parlors and live animal-fighting venues. Another power was the Black Emperor, who mainly dealt in weapons, prosthetics, and heavy firepower. Their merchandise was all unbranded products, and behind the curtain, they were involved in robbery, brawling, murder, and all manner of evil activities, including the trafficking of human organs. "We''re in trouble... We mustn''t provoke these two forces; even though they''re not as powerful as the Main City, they are still formidable entities for players." This was more than just ordinary Cyberpunk, with many of their prosthetic bodies patched with pollutants, embodying abnormal shapes, not to be underestimated in combat. "Moreover." Rainier Vale looked solemnly at a group of people in the distance. "...there are also a number of other players seeking opportunities to join these two perilous forces." Chapter 162 - 162: 145 Hope Su Buxian doesnt get affected! Su Qi pinched the empty syringe between his fingers and muttered to himself, "I see, full anesthesia... Apart from speaking, my body can''t move at all." "Awesome, awesome, do you have any more of this?" The lady and the other three were lying on the ground, paralyzed, glaring at Su Qi who was sitting in the chair. "We are high-ranking members of the Black Emperor gang..." "Got it, and then?" Su Qi rummaged through a nearby cabinet, pulling out a surgical knife set and a row of electronic tools he had never seen before. "You guys have quite the assortment of tools here, seems like you do this kind of thing often." He took the tools out of the cabinet. All four were transformed bodies, their numerous prosthetics serving various functions; mechanical palms that could shoot lasers, electronic eyes with surveillance capabilities, a high explosive hand grenade tucked in the abdomen, a biological power pump; even mixed with abnormal flesh, not only compatible with the prosthetics but also providing additional traits. This was the reason they possessed superhuman strength. "If you dare to touch us, our boss Adam Hammer definitely won''t let this slide!" Su Qi, however, put on gloves. "Looks like your boss really is a man of loyalty." "What are you going to do?!" The four''s eyes widened. "What do you think?" Su Qi looked at their fearful eyes and slowly pulled out the surgical knife. "Don''t be afraid, this is something you do often, isn''t it?" "And don''t worry, I just want what''s inside your bodies. Once I extract it, you''ll naturally be able to live..." Their fear uncontrollably radiated from their eyes. They were all too familiar with this procedure. Many customers watched in numb horror as their body parts were removed piece by piece, only now the roles were reversedit was they who lay there! The four''s eyes trembled. "How can you not trust me? I always keep my word." "...." They had no choice; they were at the mercy of someone else. It seemed like the other party was just interested in the prosthetics inside their bodies, and if the operation went well, they might still have a chance to survive. The movements were quite professional... there was even a disinfection step. Though the body was fully anesthetized... Even though this meant losing their valuable prosthetics, they had to accept their fate. "Right." Su Qi, holding the surgical knife and the mechanical tool, asked, "How are these things used again?" "??????" The four''s eyes widened in shock! So you don''t know jack shit! "Don''t glare at me, I''m short on time. If you don''t teach me, I''ll just DIY it." "..." They watched Su Qi''s smile, their hearts trembling uncontrollably, wondering what kind of freak they had encountered! So, for the next few minutes. They provided oral instruction, teaching how to dissecttheir own body parts. "Alright, alright, sounds simple enough." The four watched in horror as Su Qi flipped the knife skillfully, like writing with a brush, and began to work! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Bro, that''s my biological blood vessel circuit; you have to remove my micro generator first...Yes, yes, right next to the synthetic lobe." "That''s an electronic shock bomb... Please be gentle; don''t set it off, or the mechanical prosthetic will malfunction!" "This is my controller, the port contains the internal access data for Black Emperor locations... Fuck, I''m bleeding out!!" "Stay calm." Su Qi held the surgical knife. "I''m not panicking, so why should you?" Bullshit! I''m the one bleeding out! This person almost cursed out loud! But they dared not shout it out, considering they were the ones being dissected. Su Qi thought they had chosen a good location. Even if there was shouting, it would be muffled, and to prevent guests from contacting the outside world via built-in communications, there were signal blockers. So even if they made any noise, no one would come near. Ten minutes later. Su Qi put all the dismantled parts and prosthetics into his Item Slot and transferred all of their Cyber Coins as well. These guys followed the style of the city; they hadn''t saved much Cyber Coin, but all together, they had about 5000. Plus the parts and weapons. They totaled around 20,000 Cyber Coins. "This is Illegal Land where people avoid being exploited by Night City''s capital by choosing physical exploitation insteadquick money." Su Qi also took the paralysis compound they used. This stuff was good, just a little bit could completely paralyze a person, rendering them immobile on the ground. As for the four who had been opened up like boxes, their truth laid bare, They had already grown cold and showed no signs of life. Su Qi had promised, but not one of them had survived. Sigh. He had accidentally severed several key arterial conduits, and that was that. "Life is so fragile." "But, only twenty minutes have passed, faster than I had expected." Su Qi stretched out his hand to close the door. Next, he had to continue his mission. Although thousands of players had been granted a high degree of freedom and points for key achievements, one must not forget. The main quest had not yet been clearly defined. The main quest is the endpoint. No matter how many points were accumulated, only by completing the main quest could they be fully confirmed. "One location is Main City... from what I''ve seen, everyone has to follow the rules or contact the elites, seeking opportunities." "Another is Illegal Land; after all, it''s a massive group. Although dangerous... it''s filled with unbridled freedom." Generally speaking. Players would choose to contact one side or the other. But Su Qi thought such matters required a two-pronged approach. He had already almost learned about Illegal Land from the mouths of the four, and through the controller data, had gained a deep understanding of the so-called Black Emperor forces. The boss of Black Emperor... named Adam Hammer. He was already a powerful mutant, and after undergoing prosthetic modification and consuming a plethora of prohibited drugs, with his steel skin, Molten Furnace Heart, and Active Propulsion, his strength reached terrifying heights. Dominating the scene. Moreover, possessing a large number of subordinates and weapons, such a guy entrenched here with a strong, brutal style, gradually developed the evil force known as the Black Emperor. "Jile''s Crowd is the same, their boss named Poker K gathers wealth... He''s old and deep, sly and crafty, and they are mortal enemies." Su Qi slowly moved towards Jile''s Crowd''s territory. Of course, before going, he had to disguise himself first. The liquid metal moved slowly, connecting most of the useful parts and even the Black Emperor''s unique tattoo appeared on his back. And now he, Su Qi... was a high-ranking member of the Black Emperor gang! At the moment, he was preparing to stir up trouble in the damn rival territory of Jile''s Crowd! Because they! Killed four of his deeply loyal gang companions! ----------------- "Clang, clang, clang!" The gym''s bell swung! "Transformer Eric is dead! Congratulations to Shatter Killer Frost for the victory!" "This is Shatter Killer''s twenty-fifth win tonight, let''s cheer for him!" "Oooh yeah!" The large crowd in the venue let out a frenzy of shouts! Meanwhile, in the private box, Poker K, with a cigar clamped in his mouth, coldly watched through the glass, "Boring, are there no stronger opponents arranged? Shatter Killer isn''t even taking this seriously yet." Shatter Killer Frost was a super transformed human created at great expense by him. He was the trump card of Jile''s Crowd. "Boss, there have been quite a few people wanting to join our gang recently; please take a look at the list," someone handed him a list. Poker K glanced at it, "So many more than before? Give them a low-level intern gang member status first, assess them for a couple of days." The two gangs had completely different requirements for joining. For Jile''s Crowd, it was all about tributes... In short, pay money, then carry out some shady tasks, only then could one get rid of the intern status within the gang. The Black Emperor, on the other hand, valued strength, one had to complete violent, dangerous tasks to qualify for membership. "Boss..." At that moment. Someone rushed in anxiously, "Boss, something bad has happened." Poker K looked at him expressionlessly and didn''t speak. A henchman by his side frowned fiercely and slapped the intruder, sending him flying, "Who... did you say had it bad?" The man crashed into the wall, clutching his face, his eyes trembling, he had forgotten... the one thing his boss hated most was to hear ominous words. "I...." "Start by telling me what happened," Poker K said calmly, seemingly not angered by the interruption. The man hurriedly began to tremble and speak, "A member of the Black Emperor came to one of our casinos to stir up trouble." "What kind of trouble?" "He kept winning... and all our cheating devices couldn''t stop him, so we were about to get physical." This was the rule of Jile''s Crowd; their casinos had no regard for honesty. Winning was fine... but if one won too much, they wouldn''t hesitate to make that person disappear. "And then?" Poker K expressionlessly picked up his glass, took a sip, and asked, "Our guys aren''t so incompetent that they can''t handle a mere Black Emperor member, are they?" The man lowered his head, "Boss, that guy... he had the Black Emperor''s Cyber Electric High Explosive Bomb! He''s a high-ranking member! He set off an explosion, destroyed half the casino! Then he fled, and our people are chasing him!" "Crack!" Poker K suddenly crushed the glass in his hand! His face darkened, "Very well! Very well!" "The Black Emperor''s dogs, they can''t stay quiet, can they?" These days everyone minded their own business, and now they pull this? "Boss, what should we do?" "Send more people, catch that guy! Then tie him up in the square and execute him publicly!" Poker K directed another person. "And what about me?" the man from the casino asked, bewildered. "You..." Poker K''s palm gently opened to reveal an electromagnetic barrel, and the next moment, with a ''boom''! The man''s eyes filled with disbelief as he was pierced through, revealing the wires in his chest, then he collapsed to the ground, dead. "People who don''t follow rules truly annoy me..." Poker K slowly withdrew his hand, gazing at the Bone Breaker below, and gently sipped the remaining wine. At the same time. The troublemaker, Su Qi, was sprinting through the bustling streets! "Catch him!" "Damn Black Emperor gang member!" Su Qi raged, "Everything I do is for revenge!" The numerous pursuers were also incredibly fast; their knees and legs had been modified, granting them propulsion! Elsewhere. Many players were startled by the commotion and, watching the scene, didn''t dare to get close, quickly getting out of the way! Transhumans became ferocious with the support of weapons and mutants, possessing astonishing combat capabilities! And there were so many of them! Who were they chasing? "Boss... what should we do?" a player looked to the white-haired man in front of them. The white-haired man remained calm, "Don''t get involved, neither of these two forces is something players can contend with." "Next, we had better find a chance to join one of them, even if at a very low level, to at least get a layer of identity." "Understood." And Rainier Vale was also nearby, in an alley, cautiously observing the streets full of pursuers. "What''s happened?" Fatty asked, peering curiously, "Looks dangerous." Rainier Vale spoke gravely, "Seems to be a grudge between two gangs, but it''s none of our business." "However, in this direction..." He sighed. "Let''s hope Su Buxian... doesn''t get caught up in it." Chapter 163 - 163: 146 Boss of Lawless Place! Time flew by. Over an hour later. Rainier Vale and the others cautiously arrived at the previously agreed-upon location, shocked to find the area had been leveled to the ground. It seemed there had been a fierce battle! "What happened here?" "I''m not sure, just knew that Jile''s Crowd and Black Emperor''s people just battled." Numerous bystanders stood far away, watching. "I arrived early... Jile''s Crowd''s firepower burst forth, flattening the streets, then I saw the person being chased crying over four bodies, then... Black Emperor''s reinforcements arrived." "Without a second word, both sides, red-eyed, started fighting." "It was extremely brutal!" Rainier Vale and others trembled at the sight, fearing... perhaps Su Buxian... "Damn... That kid is probably gone," the middle-aged man sighed. Fatty: "Lucky I didn''t go." "Now what do we do?" Ponytail asked softly. Rainier Vale shook his head, about to speak, when the electronic clock struck midnight, and the neon lights of Night City shone even brighter! It was past midnight. Simultaneously. A box popped up in front of all the players'' vision. [Please note, the first day has ended, and according to statistics... all players'' assets have reached a total of five million Cyber Coins] [The main quest will be officially unlocked] "??" Rainier Vale was startled. "Five million already? That fast?" Thousands of players, if they earned 1500 Cyber Coins each during the day, it would total about 1.5 million. It seems some people have mastered making money. [Main Quest] [Fifteen days from now, Stars Hall will host a grand celebration of Night City and an auction, gathering a plethora of rare items from around the world with mysterious figures attending] [Player Optional Quests] [1. Enter Stars Hall] [2. Acquire an auction item (need an official seat, and the item can be taken out of the instance)] [3. Reach a hundred-alliance prestige (at least one hundred VIP seats must have a deep impression of you)] [Please note: If a player is killed, they''ll lose 1000 points to respawn (elimination if points drop to zero), and 70% of their Cyber Coins will be plundered] Rainier Vale''s face tensed: "Did you all see this?" Several nodded. "Stars Hall... Just the ticket costs five hundred thousand Cyber Coins... Can we make it just by working?" "That would be very hard..." By the calculations, even if someone made one thousand per hour, working twenty hours straight each day, it would barely touch the 500 thousand ticket fee threshold after fifteen days, and that''s still not enough. "Unless our wages increase significantly, there''s no way," the middle-aged man frowned tightly. Just then, someone spoke calmly: "It seems you are quite troubled." Rainier Vale was startled and looked over to see the curly-haired young man who had just appeared beside the silver-haired man. He immediately became cautious. After all, everyone knew players could plunder each other, and killing an opponent would directly deduct 1000 points. Currently, nobody had accumulated points, and dying meant immediate elimination. "Don''t be nervous..." the curly-haired young man said with a light smile. "I''m not here to be your enemy." "And besides, your few thousand Cyber Coins are hardly worth my effort." Indeed... After seeing the main quest, players would surely try to make money through various means such as illegal activities, smuggling, and robbery among others. It made sense to plunder when everyone''s wallet had fattened. "So what do you want from us?" Rainier Vale had noticed earlier that the man in white below was touching base with other players. Many anonymous type players were in the rankings. Although the person before him seemed laid-back, he was likely not simple, following the white-dressed man... perhaps another big shot from a top club. "Simply to invite you to join our alliance," the curly-haired young man spoke softly. "Alliance?" Rainier Vale spoke gravely. "What do you mean?" "In this instance, besides us and another top club from Free City.... the rest are a large number of solo players." The curly-haired young man calmly looked towards the distance: "They... have already gained some power in the main city area, gathered other dangerous players... and formed an alliance." "And we... naturally won''t sit still, we''ve also communicated with a large number of players and established an opposing alliance." Rainier Vale frowned tightly, realizing... these two top organizations had already moved so fast? They''d already formed two alliances! Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "...You might still be weighing options, so let me explain further." the curly-haired young man spoke gently. "Those guys are a bunch of madmen, they have already recruited many dangerous players." "When the time is ripe, they will inevitably encircle other players and plunder wealth." "By then, do you think your few people can escape?" Rainier Vale was silent. Indeed, the other party was right... given the circumstances, these solo players of no significant strength only had the choice to join one of these alliances. "...What benefits do we get by joining?" "We promise, at the least, to get you into Stars Hall, completing the first main quest." At this, their interest was piqued instantly. They had just been worrying about the first task, and now being directly promised by a top club seemed powerful indeed. After hesitation for a few seconds, Rainier Vale chose to join. After exchanging IDs, the curly-haired young man spoke softly: "Our alliance is named ''Order.'' Continue working during the day, and if there are any related money-making tasks, we will communicate with you using communicators." "Additionally, establish contacts with the two major forces in Illegal Land; it''s best to become a probationary member of their gang." Rainier Vale watched the others leave, falling into silence. "Did we just join?" Fatty asked, puzzled. "Can we trust this guy?" The middle-aged man hesitated, "Is the opportunity he promised to get into Stars Hall real?" Rainier Vale slowly shook his head, "I''m not sure, but they are a top club, certainly very capable. Let''s follow their plan for now." Meanwhile, elsewhere. The man in white watched the territory of Jile''s Crowd quietly, but did not choose to enter. "We''ve spent a lot, and it wasn''t easy to contact the senior exec of a company in the Main City... we''ve obtained the credentials for trade channels," a woman next to him pushed her glasses up, "Next, as long as we can negotiate with the two forces in the Illegal Land, we can smuggle and sell unauthorized products, allowing other players to undertake various transport and trade tasks to earn money!" "But..." She gritted her teeth, "Just when everything was going smoothly, why did two gangs start a shootout!" This completely disrupted their plans! With two forces entrenched here, both formidableyou see Main City turning a blind eyeestablishing a middle channel required substantial sincerity and capital. "Now with the shootout... we can''t even meet the other boss!" ----------------- "What''s your name?" "Su Buxian." Adam Hammer, the boss of Black Emperor! Staring at the young man before him with a deep and terrifying gaze. His body was covered in thick machinery, the silvery black metal reflections bearing a lethal aura, with cold arms and weapons hidden in every nook. "You..." he revealed a ferocious smile. "You did well before!" He was now lying on a couch, enjoying a massage from a muscular man, though fully cybernetically enhanced to an extreme, he still relished this relaxation. Partly because the muscular man''s strength gave him that slight sensation of a massage. "To think you''re so loyal, facing the death of your companions, forcibly holding off Jile''s Crowd with an explosion, awaiting gang reinforcements!" Su Qi sorrowfully said, "Of course, they were my guides! I''m very grateful to them!!" "Not bad! Very good!" Adam Hammer''s voice was hoarse, with a bit of a booming pump mechanism, his body not just huge but with a sprouting abnormality, and a violent mechanical sense after transformation. Those four had been blown to bits, their prosthetic bodies also destroyed, the clash erupted into a fierce battle, and this young man was incredibly brave at the forefront, continuously shouting, "For my brother''s revenge!" Adam Hammer''s brow twitched slightly with a flash of ferocity, "That Jile''s Crowd is really shameless." While friction was constant, grudges had accumulated over time, and petty acts were abundant, direct conflict had long been absent. How dare they kill his men in broad daylight? In the Lawless Place, Adam Hammer''s authority was established with thunderous methods and a ruthless style. Since they dared to do so, the Black Emperor... naturally would repay fiercely! "You''ve performed very well, I particularly value those with grit and strength! As long as they''re willing to fight! I will not let them suffer!" Adam Hammer said sternly, "Next, you''ll take charge of a base! I''ll assign ten members to follow you." Su Qi paused. He had initially just planned to blend in as a member, to infiltrate and expand, yet the progression had been unexpectedly quick. "However." He coldly said, "If you can''t control that base, then you''ll also lose this qualification. Do you understand?" Su Qi smiled inwardly, "I will definitely not disappoint you!" Illegal Land was not small. After half an hour. Su Qi arrived at a base under Black Emperor, which was... a commercial street selling various items. Here, shop owners had to give a portion of their turnover to Black Emperor to operate safely, especially since the area was teeming with other dangerous cyborgs, hardly peaceable. This base was not core, even somewhat remote. He was just a newbie... which was normal, core bases typically dealt with arms, pollutants, abnormal bodies, etc. Meanwhile. Ten large men, with prosthetics shimmering light, tattoos covering every inch of their skin, members of the gang, were waiting here, having just received a message from above. At this moment, their gaze at Su Qi was strange! They hadn''t expected the new boss to be so... ordinary, without even a mark of cyborg transformation. However, the proper address was still there. "Boss Su!" Su Qi smiled and waved his hand, "Very spirited." "Are we going to collect protection fees now, boss?" As just mentioned, collecting business returns from the various stores on this street amounted to collecting protection fees. From the look of this long street, there were at least thirty stores and venues. Adding up every day, nearly half a million Cyber Coins. Just as ruthless as Main City. But these store owners were also dared not speak out... after all, Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd were the kings of this Illegal Land. Since Su Qi was a newly arrived boss, he naturally needed to make an appearance at various shops to collect fees, demonstrating authority. "Okay." He said with a light smile, "Let''s take a look." Su Qi strolled from one end of the street to the other, without ever having to speak, his subordinates were already proficiently knocking on doors, gearing up, and collecting protection fees. He didn''t intervene. Instead, he looked at the products of the various shops. To be honest... some were quite good; although the products were unauthorized, compared to those on prosthetic people in the Main City, what they lacked were brand and labels. And they were priced several times lower. "If they could be redesigned and mass-produced, along with being affordable." "I dare not even think... what they could sell for." Su Qi''s eyes flickered. He had an idea. Although immature and lacking support. But. Sometimes, a Commercial Empire often starts with an idea. Chapter 164 - 147: Make The Hustlers Bigger and Stronger! Illegal Land... there are two kinds of people. Those who oppress others, the madly vicious, they generate riots, stop at nothing... they are the main members of Jile''s Crowd and the Black Emperor. The other kind is at their wit''s end, forced to survive, living in poverty. This group actually makes up the majority, unable to afford all the expenses of the Main City, working during the day, and at night they can only root themselves here, enjoying a filthy and cheap life, this also being the exclusive survival ground for the slums. The Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd are both behemoths. If one wished to stir these two massive gang forces by oneself, there was only one path to take. "Boss, this is the protection money we just collected, about six hundred thousand Cyber Coins," ten underlings said, wanting to hand over the Cyber Coins they collected from various shops. "Good, nicely done. Here''s fifty thousand for you guys as a seeing fee, the rest I will hand over, meeting the target," Su Qi made a gesture, smiled faintly, "Remember, do not let it get out, the part given to you." "Thank you, Boss Su!" the ten men''s eyes lit up, "We definitely won''t let it slip!" They naturally kept some of the protection money for themselves, but usually, each only got a thousand or two thousand, but they hadn''t expected the newly appointed boss to be so generous! "Okay, meeting adjourned, go have fun." sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Understood!" Su Qi watched as the ten men left excitedly, he muttered to himself, "After all, there aren''t many days left to play." He slowly retracted his gaze. The next moment. Su Qi stepped into a prosthetic machinery shop that had just paid the protection fee. The owner was a burly man, his pupils slightly trembled, they, frankly speaking, were the oppressed, meeting the power of the Black Emperor, they could only swallow their grievances and pay up for safety. Unexpectedly. After paying, this person came again! "Don''t be nervous." Su Qi calmly said, "Boss... I''m not a bad person." ? Say that again? Weren''t you the one who just collected the protection money! "What do you want to do?" the burly shop owner quietly asked. "Me, I''m here to... buy something." Su Qi slowly revealed the fifty thousand Cyber Coins he had collected. Using my money? To buy my stuff? "What do you want..." he asked, a hint of anger in his eyesthey had tempers too but had been enduring for survival, but even if the other side was too outrageous, they had no capacity to retaliate. After all. How could his shop... stand against these two big gangs, only able to compromise and seek peace. "Well." Su Qi looked around his shop, tapped on the counter of the prosthetic, weapon-selling counter: "I want quite a lot of stuff, you might have to bear with it." The burly shop owner clenched his teeth, "Say it, I can handle it." "That remains to be seen." Su Qi showed a smile, "After all, what I want to talk to you about... is a very big order." A very big order? What does that mean? Now the burly man was also stunned. And... who are you? ----------------- "Five days..." The curly-haired young man silently observed everything chaotic in Illegal Land, "Five days, Jile''s Crowd and the Black Emperor have been fighting fiercely for a full five days, and it''s getting more intense! It''s almost reached a life-and-death situation! They must be crazy." He shook his head, "Right now we don''t even have the chance to meet and negotiate with the opposing boss, let alone establish channels to make money from the margins." "If it weren''t for... a supplier named The Hustlers appearing, establishing a supply chain for us, stabilizing other players, our camp would probably have already collapsed." Sha Shili, the man in white, remained silent, everything that happened in the past few days indeed varied from their plans. Conflicts between Jile''s Crowd and the Black Emperor were uninterrupted. There was no respite; it seemed someone lit the fuse, directly causing the hatred between both sides to burst out. They naturally couldn''t interfere. "Moreover..." "That supplier named The Hustlers took two tenths of our profits hard," the female player with glasses sighed, "As if they had us completely under their thumb." "No matter what," Sha Shili was calm, "it''s already operating now, and all the money is for obtaining Points, so there''s no need to get too caught up." "After all, the real rivals are the lunatics from Free City, we need to stabilize our footing before they make a move." That is the ultimate goal. Meanwhile. In Free City, people were in a reception room of a building called Life Group, led by a young man, ID [Netherworld King] "Life Group is one of the top elite in all of Night City... a super Commercial Empire that creates and develops all prosthetics." Netherworld King, his expression somber and cold, gently said, "If we succeed, that will... firmly secure our position in the Night City processing department." This was their route, clinging to the elite! By bribing, heavily investing resources... to get the power and position they wanted! Although it was a loss-making business initially. But once in the later stages, they could use the authority of the Night City emergency processing department to carry out the cleanup and sweep of Illegal Land! At the same time, besiege the other players... carry out a massacre! To take all the Cyber Coins they had earned into their own pockets! "So, rather than saying it''s about obtaining Points, but in the end, everything is ultimately about fighting!" Netherworld King revealed a profound smile, "But Sha Shili... indeed lives up to being a core member of the top club, establishing a camp in Illegal Land in just three days and getting it operational, but... he can''t play better than me." Chapter 165 - 147: Striving to Expand and Strengthen The Hustlers!_2 At this moment, footsteps echoed through the corridor. The Netherworld King immediately stood up, straightened his clothes, and put on a respectful expression, looking to approach. But it was an assistant who came out, "Sorry, guests from the emergency handling department, today is the chairman''s daughter''s... health check-up day, we cannot receive you." The Netherworld King''s eyelids sank. He looked at the transparent glass, in the distance below... a middle-aged man with pale hair was affectionately pushing a frail girl towards a car. "I understand..." The Netherworld King took a deep breath and forced a smile, "I''ll come back another day." He left with the others, his gaze slightly dark. Someone whispered from behind, "Boss, according to our investigation, isn''t that guy''s daughter supposed to have a check-up once a month? Why is it happening again now?" "I''m not sure, but since our plan has been disrupted, and we''ve missed the chance with this magnate, then we select another one." A faint spiritual power began to emerge around the Netherworld King. This was his trait, [Control], but the magnates of Night City all seemed to have spiritual power defense chips, so he could not directly control them; he could only make contact and then lower their defenses to gain their trust. Though he couldn''t make them do anything illogical, trust was enough for their actions. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ----------------- "Su Buxian, you''ve really done an excellent job." Adam Hammer''s voice was hoarse, but his tone was pleased; his red prosthetic eyeballs flickered with a faint light, looking at the young man in front of him! The more he looked, the more he appreciated him. He rarely complimented anyone, but now he couldn''t help but admire this young man''s ability. In just a few days, he had settled all the unruly troublemakers around the stronghold he took over, and during the days when they were fighting with Jile''s Crowd, the protection fees from those shops not only didn''t decrease but doubled. The several inexplicable surprise attacks by Jile''s Crowd were all resolved by him! And he even preserved the other strongholds and territories! "Where do I start?" Su Qi showed a smile, "It''s all thanks to the boss''s prestige. I''m already more than happy to be able to contribute to our gang." Adam Hammer''s eyes flashed slightly, though pleased, he squinted and gave a raspy chuckle, "Don''t... talk about that flattery... I don''t like that sort of thing." Don''t like it, yet why put up airs? Su Qi pretended not to see. No matter who it was, they liked to hear compliments. "You''ve proven your ability, so... you should be given greater responsibility. Next, you can take charge of a weapon factory stronghold for our gang." Adam Hammer''s gaze was deep, with a slight sense of oppression, "I remind you, that place is not for fooling around, you will have a hundred gang members stationed there, and if you make any mistakes...." His metal arm suddenly pointed several red lights directly at Su Qi''s forehead. A lethal aura and pressure spread. Grace and might combined? Su Qi''s expression did not change, until the red light on his forehead slowly faded. The machinery on Adam Hammer''s arm retracted like scales, swish swish swish: "Go ahead." Su Qi said with a smile, "Then boss, see you next time." Although Adam Hammer had not made a move, that sense of oppression and aura were truly dreadful, and his strength was definitely above average. Wouldn''t others be sweating profusely? But for Su Qi... if it weren''t for the fact that there were many people outside, he would actually like to slap the other''s face. As soon as Su Qi left the place, He then saw in the distance, many cyborgs, muscular and with an abnormal aura flowing out, all tattooed with the mark of the Black Emperor! Others already scurried away at the sight. Su Qi, however, approached calmly, and each of them watched him intently. Then... they all shouted in unison: "Brother Su, hello!" Su Qi showed a faint smile and extended his hand: "Keep it down a bit, the neighbors still need to sleep." "Hehehe." "Also," Su Qi tossed a bunch of Holographic Virtual Coins, whoever got their hands on them, considered it a transfer: "Take it and spend, brothers." The many gang members'' faces lit up, "Thanks, Brother Su!" To get by in a gang, two things are a must... strength and generosity, and Su Buxian greatly exemplified the latter, especially since his Cyber Coin income now reached millions a day. And he was never stingy. After all. Even throwing money around could earn Points, although not a lot, but the money would soon come back, so it was no big deal. After Su Qi dispersed from these people, He changed his clothes, covered his head with a hat, and slowly headed towards the slums, taking many turns before entering a secluded building. He gently opened a door. Here...stood nearly forty figures, all of them were owners of big shops from various streets. At the same time. As they caught sight of Su Qi, their eyes lit up: "Su... Chairman!" Su Qi glanced at them, "Have all the street chiefs from The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce arrived?" Simon... that is, the burly man from before, scratched his head, "Two haven''t arrived, they''ve probably been delayed on the road." "Then dock them two little red flowers." Simon: "...." Although he had been around him for a few days, he was still not used to the other person''s way of thinking, but that didn''t really matter. After all, this young man... had already changed the fortunes of all their merchants. That night when he said he wanted to discuss a big order, Simon hadn''t taken him seriously and didn''t trust a person from the Black Emperor. Unexpectedly... the other party had gone on to talk with shop owners from other streets and managed to bring out a large batch of goods... which instantly sold out and at an extremely high profit. It was unbelievable! Now, more and more merchants were gathering, production of the ordered goods was relentless, and they were selling without pause; now so many had gathered to form the Hustlers Chamber of Commerce led by Su Buxian! Simon''s gaze grew fervent. Su Qi glanced at him, "Your eyes are too dirty, dock a flower for that, too." Simon: "..." Hell, even for that, you dock it! No, that''s not right. What little red flowers, it really doesn''t matter! Su Qi looked to everyone and said softly, "Alright, stop getting distracted, that guy selling the pleasure prosthetics... don''t bring your stuff here, turn that thing off, it''s like a damn drilling machine." "..." "Next, I''ll layout the order requirements..." In fact. Su Qi didn''t do much himself. He simply stirred up the war between the Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd, so that both sides would be too busy fighting each other to pay attention to anything else, and he continued to fan the flames in the following daysafter all, he couldn''t let them rest. Then. Su Qi used all the money he had amassed to secure a supply of goodsthen he made contact with Sha Shili and other players who had gathered players to form camps, which indeed saved Su Qi a lot of effort. Moreover. Through the Super Dream Protocol, Su Qi created a complete... unrestricted, risk-free purchasing and delivery quest system that connected everything. In short. Once there was a demand for an order, each player... would very quickly receive a mission on their wristwatch and then head straight to the shop''s location, with an automatically generated route that would swiftly deliver the goods to the Main City. Once the transaction was successful, the Cyber Coin for the order would instantly be deposited into the recipient''s account. "This is the Cyber delivery service of The Hustlers Unlimited Company." While it wasn''t anything novel, this system bypassed Night City''s network system, undetectable, uninterceptible, and even the major companies were clueless about it. Dramatically shortening the front-end and back-end processes. The profits, with the increase of merchants and customer base, were rising as the tide lifts all boats, with every day''s figures breaking the previous day''s records. "Why do I feel like I''ve come here to start a business..." After leaving the slums, Su Qi muttered to himself. He slightly moved his wrist, and a silver-white wristwatch slowly materialized. This was that Super Dream Protocol. The reward he had gotten for delivering the Super Dream MR412 to that existence. Its function was to hack into networks and perform interference, simulation, deduction and so on... It could be considered an incredibly skilled smart hacker, as bypassing Night City''s system was far from simple. At that moment. Someone sent Su Qi a message. [Uh... I went for a health check today... The doctor didn''t tell me the results, but my father looked very concerned.] This was the purchaser of the Super Dream MR412, previously using the account "Florence Grace." Su Qi had also been keeping in contact with the other party in recent days. In light of this, Su Qi decided to offer some comfort. He slowly typed a reply: "Don''t worry, don''t be too pessimistic." "Maybe it''s your father who has the health issue." The other party: "...." Chapter 166 - 148: Thorough Purge! The other party fell into silence, unable to speak for a long time. It seemed they were really comforted, a single sentence warming her for the entire winter. "Ah, a terminally ill young miss from Life Group... completely buffed up," Su Qi murmured to himself. After obtaining the Super Dream from the other party, within two days... Su Qi had turned Life Group upside down. Of course, it was Life Group that he was investigating. Life Group, one of Night City''s top three business magnates, was founded by Sigong Cheng... who controlled the research and development of prosthetics, having an amazing talent on the path where machinery and flesh converged, leading to its catastrophic growth until today. But... such a giant was helpless against his daughter, Sigong Xun''s illness. Normally, the prosthetic and the nerves would form a connection, exchanging data instantly, melding together as one. However, this also made the nervous system susceptible to influence, descending into madness, belligerence, and personality loss... eventually losing humanity, commonly known as Cyber mental illness. As for Sigong Xun... she was afflicted with a terminal neurological disease. Although she hadn''t installed any prosthetics, her nervous system was weakening day by day, and like a chronic poison, her body was also affected, with her functions declining. A year ago, she could still stand and walk, but now she could only sit in a wheelchair. Indeed, because of this, Sigong Cheng restricted her from any mentally strenuous activities, always recuperating in the manor, aiming to alleviate her symptoms. Even so... her disease continued to devour her life force unrestrained. [Sorry... my mother just came knocking at my door, I got startled and threw the Super Dream under the bed] Su Qi did not immediately respond to the message, in a dark alley, several Transhumans slowly emerged from the shadowsthey were members of Jile''s Crowd, apparently staking out to assassinate someone from the Black Emperor. After all, the two gangs had now completely torn their faces off, determined to fight to the death. Su Qi pretended not to notice and also checked the other party''s message. [The Super Dream got its corners banged up ahh] Miss Sigong Xun actually talked quite a bit after obtaining Super Dream, even if trivial matters became part of the message, although it''s all monotonous daily routines in the manor, she never tired of it. After all, confined to a manor and suffering from a painful terminal illness, everything was consuming her limited life force. She probably just wanted to record these in Super Dream. What a sensible girl. Su Qi was moved by this. Then, he gently coaxed her, obtaining vast amounts of internal information from Life Group. [It seems to be no big deal, I can still chat, and messages are being sent successfully! Yay!] "Boom!" Suddenly, a surge of energy from the dark cannon toward Su Qi abruptly attacked! He slightly shifted his body, dodging it, then grabbed another mutated Transformed Body with a long sword leaping out from behind the shadows! [By the way, when you said you wanted to join Life Group, were you serious?] That was his excuse at that time, and she helped plan and revealed a lot of insider information. Su Qi flipped his sword, the cold light flickering along the circuit lines, crackling past! The Transformer''s entire shoulder was severed, revealing the prosthetic wirings inside, and it screamed out in painafter all, despite some attenuation, the deeper the wounds, the stronger the pain felt! [Today, when I was having my body checked, I asked my father specifically for a list of interviewees, only to find out I don''t even know your name.] "Black Emperor''s men, die!" shouted a muscular man wielding a high-pressure electromagnetic tube, grating noise billowing as he advanced! [...] Su Qi''s expression was unchanged, and his body burst into action! The next moment. The muscular man stared blankly at his chest, a palm piercing through it, then retracted, his eyes whitening, then he spasmodically collapsed. [You... you couldn''t have fallen asleep, could you? If so, I won''t bother you anymore.] Su Qi kicked away the three bodies on the ground, retrieved his long sword, and walked towards the pathway ahead, slowly sending out a [?]. [Saying you went to sleep at twelve... that''s an insult to Night City.] [...] [Besides, forget about joining Life Group.] [Why?] [After all, people strive for higher places.] Su Qi paused[Right now, my identity is that of a respected gangster.] [???] Sigong Xun widened her eyes. Where the hell is higher up, and what does it have to do with being respected! Her mood fluctuated, feeling an urge to punch the holographic interface! "..." "Logged off?" Su Qi also closed the page, then accessed Sigong Xun''s physical examination data through the Super Dream Protocol. This Super Dream Protocol... after linking to Night City''s network, was also gradually growing, intelligently estimating various data, silently infiltrating some non-core areas. "No wonder her father looks so distressed, his daughter is experiencing full body decay... powerless to help, and not much longer to live." The data showed all of Sigong Xun''s abilities, all below a normal person, and further deteriorating. The Life Group line was pretty significant. His The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce might quickly swallow the entire Illegal Land, but to grow bigger and take root in Night City without the support of a top giant, that would still be extremely difficult. After all, although it had only been fifteen days, he had also planned for later. "The Hustlers Sect... needs a chamber of commerce that could span across Ten Thousand Realms, of course, it might compete with the Traveling Merchant, but it''s not a big problem." "Then it''s time to speed up the process." His founded The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce had already included hundreds of shops across Jile''s Crowd''s territory, aside from initially negotiating in person, later it was mainly other shop owners under Simon''s lead who covertly spread the word. After all, Su Qi had set up a reward for inviting new shops; for each shop pulled in, corresponding Cyber Coins would be earned... the more valuable the shop brought in, the more they earned. For buyers, it was the same, Su Qi had not restrained himself, both users and merchants were continuously expanding, and the daily orders and turnovers had reached an astounding level. Hundreds of players naturally couldn''t withstand such a growth in orders... so, Su Qi recruited more runners through intermediary channels, this time targeting the poor, and similarly offered generous subsidies. Three days then passed. Simon, worried sick and extremely anxious, burst through the door, "It''s bad, it''s bad, President Su, something big has happened!" "The Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd have noticed something wrong, they''ve started to scale back their stance recently, and they''re keeping a tight watch over the streets! They''ve started issuing prohibitions!" Su Qi was calm, as if he had anticipated this. In these few days, he hadn''t stirred the flames, and with the forces gradually building up, the Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd, the two local dragons... had finally noticed something wrong, having eased up from the fight, "Now our channels are restricted, and they are also scrutinizing The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce closely! What should we do!" Su Qi pondered and pointed to a machine next to him, "Simple, help me make a pancake." "At a time like this! You''re still eating pancakes!" Simon''s eyes widened. Wasn''t this something significant! He exclaimed urgently, "Both forces will soon understand our model, and after they do! I fear they will completely take it over!" Su Qi slowly applied a layer of starch, calmly saying, "That''s exactly what we want them to know." "???" Simon couldn''t understand, "But..." Su Qi clicked his tongue lightly and said, "In any case, don''t rush, let the pancakes cook a bit longer." The fourth day. Simon came again, his expression even uglier than before. "Those beasts!" "After they understood the profits involved, they ordered everyone to triple the protection fees!" "They took over all the channels and even demanded high fees!" Su Qi calmly said, "Let them do it." He had already instructed Sha Shili and many other players to hold their forces recently, and had also temporarily disconnected the system. Simon cursed in anger, yet he was powerless! Just when he saw a glimmer of hope, a good day ahead, they were pushed back to the old ways by this damn gang! "And why at this time!" Simon''s eyes bulged, "President, you''re still eating pancakes!" Su Qi calmly reminded, "No, today this is a hand-grabbed flatbread." Simon''s eyes widened even more, "Does it make a difference!" "You''re getting more and more impatient, be careful about losing merit badges, and also what''s the use of being impatient?" Su Qi said calmly, "Do you think you can dare to resist?" "Why not!" Simon roared out these words. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After he roared, he immediately regretted it, his eyes dimmed slightly, and he opened his mouth: "Sorry..." Resist... how could they possibly resist, facing two massive forces, on what basis could they resist. He was too presumptuous... after witnessing Su Buxian''s strong ability, he placed all hopes on him, but in this situation, there was nothing they could do. The fifth day. Simon arrived somewhat later than before, his body bearing injuries, his eyes also redder with anger. "It seems... there''s been a change today," Su Qi paused. "Many shops have united in opposition, but those bastards didn''t care, they smashed all the opposing shops!" "Many of the poor were beaten back! The previously collected Cyber Coins were forcibly taken back!" "Damn it, damn it! Those bastards simply aren''t human!" Su Qi paused again, "Normal, the tempers from both sides have flared up these past days, they naturally vent and displace their anger onto others." However, it still wasn''t enough. A fire could stir up their anger, but in the face of a powerful deterrence, it was still lacking; it needed a bigger fire, one that would show them hope, the hope to change everything. Of course, the fruit was planted by Su Qi, and naturally, he intended to harvest it. As for that bigger fire, they needed someone else to start it. "Regarding who will be played for the fool..." Su Qi looked towards the direction of Main City. Meanwhile, The Netherworld King had earlier made contact with the major elites, firmly securing his foothold in the enforcement department. He observed the incoming messages, his eyes now revealing a hint of murderous intent. "It seems the chaos has already started? Quicker than expected..." "But, everything is under control, it''s time to start." The Netherworld King used his authority, submitting an application for the eradication of the Illegal Land. Within just half a day, he quickly received support from most of the elites. Because the elites discovered... recently a large batch of unlicensed products had flooded into Night City, with many citizens secretly tapping into mysterious channels, disrupting their markets, and the source was the Illegal Land. Nothing can be touched, except their profits! An elite coldly said, "This is a good opportunity, by seizing this chance, completely wipe out Jile''s Crowd and the Black Emperor, and this place that only produces rubbish!" The Netherworld King and his hundreds of players along with the carefully transformed Prosthetics, fully equipped handling squads, were ready for the eradication clash. And as they watched the place where the Illegal Land was located: "Next..." "It''s time for the harvest." Chapter 167 - 149 Nancy: Bad Luck! Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd gathered in a bar hall. Poker K and Adam Hammer, the two leaders, met. The rest of the respective followers stood on both sides of the bar, with even the high-ranking members numbering in the hundreds. The atmosphere between the two parties was unpleasant, as just a few days prior they had been mortal enemies now forced to talk due to circumstances. "So many years, Main City has turned a blind eye to Illegal Land, and now they actually start a purge..." Poker K''s tone was somewhat hoarse, "It seems like they''re serious this time." Adam Hammer''s eyes widened slightly, showing a hint of brutality, "...So what if they are serious, this is my territory, a place where numerous vicious criminals survive, let them come? We''ll kill as many as show up!" Stupid... fool. Poker K calmly said, "In any case... we must cooperate, no more hiding." It wasn''t the first time this had happened, but it had always been on a small scale, after all, Illegal Land didn''t have much profit to offer, and it gathered a bunch of people whom Main City looked down upon. This allowed the two major forces to sit here, growing ever more enormous. Once cooperating, it would be a force that even Main City could feel threatened by. "Of course," Adam Hammer''s pupils flashed red, "All weapons, combat prosthetics factories under my flag are working nonstop." These were originally to turn Jile''s Crowd into ash, but it seems that will have to wait now. Poker K indifferently said, "The various active enhancement potions my side has produced have already filled the warehouses." Both were old foxes, with vast territories in Illegal Land, thousands of people under their gangs, constantly watching each other''s movements, guarding against each other. However, now they need to cooperate, it was necessary to show some of their cards, especially since this time Main City was going full force, even heavily publicizing in Night City, intent on using them to establish authority. That group of aristocrats was an even more miscellaneous bunch than them. But, who''s afraid of whom. Their large amount of prohibited enhancing potions along with numerous weapons and combat prosthetics, would also be a very powerful force. "Moreover..." "A hundred or so people from the slums, too," Adam Hammer spoke as if it was a minor issue, "I commanded our people to implant self-destruction bombs in their bodies, to send them as cannon fodder when the time comes." Poker K swirled his wine glass, "You''re really cruel." "?" Adam Hammer scoffed, "You''re saying I am? Don''t think I don''t know that in the past few days you''ve also been cracking down everywhere, capturing people." Poker K''s eyes reflected in the red wine appeared particularly bloodshot, "But I''m much gentler, some potions have already been placed in their bodies, they''ll become as monstrously strong as monsters." "Of course, when they die, they will feel no pain due to the excitement from the potions." The two men, representing the great evil of Illegal Land, spoke cruelly as though they were merely discussing everyday matters. Listening to their conversation, the other gang members showed no discomfort, all revealing cold smiles. Su Qi stood inconspicuously among the high-ranking members, leaning against the wall observing it all. "This is clearly a world where money can be made, but why does it feel more intense than some instances where monsters roam?" However, the cards of both Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd had been shown, combat prosthetics, high energy weapons, and enhancing potions, abnormal power, this was the key foundation that had allowed them to control Illegal Land for many years, oppress countless people, and trouble Main City. Both parties had shown their fangs, and although the outcome was uncertain, damage was inevitable. "Now, led by a player called Kill Thousands, numerous players must stand on the same front as Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd." "And on Main City''s part, that idiot called Netherworld King is also ready to come forth in a fierce manner." "I... seemingly only need to do one thing." ---------------- It was the tenth day since all players had entered the instance. Tonight... three things happened. Firstly, led by Kill Thousands, many players officially made contact with the two big gangs, not only that but they also gathered many vicious criminals, accumulating quite a bit of strength and arms. He was very ambitious and cunning, emerging at the last moment, although not comparable to the huge gangs, their power was still insignificant... but at this moment, neither Black Emperor nor Jile''s Crowd could refuse. Secondly... a large number of combat personnel from Main City were already here to suppress bandits, advancing toward Illegal Land, the cleansing operation had begun! The Netherworld King and many other players were ready for the bloody harvest! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Whether it was Main City or the gangs, no one cared about the existence of the lower layers of Illegal Land, countless people were forced into this disaster. The third event. Sigong Cheng of Life Group silently stood outside a hospital room, watching his daughter on the bed, her complexion extremely pale, fallen into a coma, although she was connected to life support systems, it seemed unable to stop her life force from draining. Mrs. Sigong''s tears couldn''t stop flowing, "Why, why did this happen." "Just a few days ago she was fine, then suddenly deteriorated." "Not suddenly..." Sigong Cheng slowly closed his eyes, his voice weary, "A few days ago during the examination, the doctor said... my daughter may not have many days left." "But no matter what, just wait a bit longer, maybe... after seeing these adults, there might be other ways..." Sigong Cheng''s voice trembled. At this moment, his assistant''s voice appeared from Sigong Cheng''s wristwatch display. "Family Head, someone in the hall... wants to see you." "I don''t want to meet anyone right now," Sigong Cheng sat exhausted next to his wife whose eyes were red from crying, "Whether it''s group business or other meetings, cancel them all." Chapter 168 - 149 Nancy: Bad Luck!_2 "But..." "There are no buts." Sigong Cheng now doesn''t want to manage anything: "Whoever it is, let him go." "It''s not... he..." The assistant, on the verge of tears, said: "He... has a knife at my throat..." "Click!" The assistant''s voice disappeared! Immediately after, a faint voice rang out: "Family Head of Sigong, stand still, I''ll be there shortly." Sigong Cheng''s expression changed in shock, his reflexes sharp as he prepared to immediately access the hospital''s system to sound the alarm. But he found that the entire hospital system failed to respond. Then. He and his wife both turned towards the door to the hallway, where footsteps were slowly approaching. His wife looked terrified: "Who is it?" "I don''t know, but it doesn''t matter. You go hide and protect our daughter, I''ll handle this." With a grim face, Sigong Cheng quickly locked the door and motioned for his wife to hide in the ward. Although he didn''t know why the hospital''s network had been blocked, he was determined to protect his wife and daughter no matter what. The next moment. "Bang!" The door to the corridor was smashed through with a hammer. Sigong Cheng''s face changed slightly, and he stepped back. A figure slowly walked in, and Sigong Cheng searched his entire memory, only to realize he had never seen this person before. "What... do you want to do?" Sigong Cheng''s palm revealed a gun, aiming at Su Qi with a very serious tone. Night City is not short of dangerous, mad people who consider their kind of elite their enemy. It seemed this person was one of them. "Don''t be nervous." Su Qi handed over a business card: "Here is my business card." "Erotic prosthetics for sale....." Sigong Cheng''s eyes widened as he looked at the pink card. "Oh, sorry, I picked up the wrong one." It was normal to pick up the wrong card out of the many merchant cards he carried. Su Qi handed over another one. "I am the chairman of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, here to negotiate a deal with you." "..." Sigong Cheng quietly looked at the crudely hand-drawn logo on the card, his gaze wary as he took it. The Hustlers... "A chamber of commerce I''ve never heard of." He said calmly, while his fingertips subtly moved, continuously trying to sound the alarm. "Understandable, since it was only established recently." Su Qi glanced at Sigong Cheng: "Stop trying to send out an alarm, this hospital has been blocked, for at least about ten minutes." He smiled gently: "So screaming your head off is useless." "..." "How much money do you want? I can give it to you." After failing in his attempts, Sigong Cheng chose to compromise and stabilize the other party, especially since his wife and daughter were in the ward behind him. "You are mistaken, Mr. Sigong." Su Qi spoke softly: "I am a respectable person, not a robber. Have you ever seen such a polite robber?" "....." Sigong Cheng looked at the door smashed open by a hammer and fell silent. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You call this polite?! He said sternly: "What do you want." "My business will soon be established in Illegal Land, but I need your support." Illegal Land... Wasn''t that place under the rule of Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd? When did The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce pop up? And since Illegal Land had been closed due to the crackdown, how could he still come out? However, Sigong Cheng did not hesitate: "I can support you." No matter the conditions, he would first agree to buy time. Once the ten minutes passed, he believed the response team would also arrive quickly. "Don''t be so quick to agree, it''s not a small matter." Su Qi said calmly: "Besides, I will also offer you conditions that will make you satisfied." Sigong Cheng was slightly taken aback. The other party had barged in so boldly, he had thought... they were going to do something. But now, they were actually negotiating terms. He said in a deep voice: "Such as." No matter what the conditions were, Sigong Cheng was ready to negotiate with the other person. Su Qi tapped the thick glass of the ward: "For instance... allowing your daughter to live a little longer." Sigong Cheng''s expression froze, slightly stunned. At this moment. Mrs. Sigong held her daughter tightly, gaze trembling as she looked through the glass of the ward. She couldn''t hear what the two were discussing, but seeing her husband''s stunned look and then his silence, it seemed something had happened, causing him to be troubled. Then, after five seconds. The criminal spoke again, and Sigong Cheng made up his mind, slowly walking toward the door to open it. "What are you going to do!" Mrs. Sigong''s gaze was wary as she stared at Su Qi intently. "Obviously, to save your daughter, Mrs. Florence Grace." "..." The wife was taken aback, how did the other person know her online ID? But now was not the time to worry about that, she looked towards her husband. Sigong Cheng shook his head: "Let him try. He said if it''s useless, he will leave immediately." He had no choice. The conditions proposed by the other party left no room for refusal, even if there was just a sliver of hope, he wanted to grasp it. [Concrete] Su Qi slowly extended his hand, under their skeptical gazes, and materialized a feather. After his successful job transfer, the Ancient God''s Heart had become part of his body. The Phoenix Feather''s traits hadn''t fully merged yet, but its strength was still present. With his [Spiritual Eyes] Concrete Ability, under the right environment, logic, degree of belief from the other party, and difference in spiritual power, he managed to materialize it as a Tool. The effect was discounted, but it could still trigger the power within. Especially since these last few days weren''t spent in vain chatting with her, periodically telling her some Phoenix legends... ah no, stories of the Phoenix rebirth, making her subconsciously desire somethinghow wonderful it would be if such a feather could cure her illness. Every person lying on a sickbed has imagined such a thing, longing for a miracle to happen. Chapter 169 - 149 Nancy: Bad Luck!_3 "What is this..." Both were somewhat shocked. "As long as you absorb it, her body will also receive the healing effect, but of course I should remind you, this can only restore her lost life force, it won''t work for her condition." Su Qi said gently. Every factor could impact the strengthif one were to claim the existence of something and make everyone in the world believe in it, it might actually be possible to materialize it. Of course, right now the Concrete Ability could only exist for a very short time and was far from the level of creating something from nothing, of creating all things. It could only be said perhaps the fame was insufficient. "Understood..." Sigong Cheng nodded with a trembling voice, having researched restorative potions themselves for a while, and continuously used them to prolong their daughter''s life. However, after excessive use, she developed a strong resistance to the medicine, and it soon lost its effect. They hadn''t expected the other party to have other methods. "Well then, I must be impolite." The next moment. "..." Sigong Cheng watched silently as Su Qi inserted the feather into Sigong Xun''s nostril. "This way, the absorption is better, faster." Damn it! Couldn''t you just place it in her mouth? He felt like he was crazy to believe this guy. But soon after... The feather slowly vanished, the strength merging inside. The previously comatose Sigong Xun''s body shuddered slightly, her pale complexion visibly recovering, and then... "Ah Qie!" Sigong Xun sneezed heavily and murmured sleepily, "Why does my nose itch so much?" Sigong Cheng and Florence Grace''s eyes trembled. "Is it really effective!?" Su Qi didn''t look at the fading feather; he had seen Sigong Xun''s medical reports, but those were just cold data. Now, with her right in front of him, he was watching her vitals. Great... It was all for naught. Her condition could only be delayed, not completely healed. Sigong Xun slowly opened her eyes, seeing Su Qi and her parents, her expression a bit confused. "Um... who are you..." "You''re awake? Congratulations," Su Qi smiled, "Your bothersome hemorrhoids have been cut away." "..." The two beside her were stunned. Sigong Xun, still groggy, stuttered, "I... don''t have hemorrhoids." Su Qi pondered, "Sitting for long stretches every day and not getting hemorrhoids... That''s not scientific." Sigong Cheng''s eyelids twitched. What the hell are you telling my daughter! "Cough cough..." He coughed, "Let''s talk outside." Su Qi paused, "Okay." Sigong Xun watched dazedly as her mother, with red-rimmed eyes, hurried over, "What happened... Isn''t that man a doctor?" "It''s complicated..." Sigong Cheng also left the sickroom, looking at him earnestly, "Anyway, thank you for stepping in... I''m incredibly grateful, and I will do my utmost to meet all your conditions!" "Then... would you give me half the assets of Life Group?" "..." Sigong Cheng fell silent, hesitating for a moment then gritting his teeth, "If you can completely cure my daughter." Su Qi paused, surprised that the other party would really agree. However, there was no way... Although the power of the Undying Bird differed from potions, being a trait that restored life force without developing resistance, it couldn''t be used to heal diseases. "Forget it... The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce is no worse than your Life Group." Sigong Cheng: "..." That statement also indicated that he was also powerless regarding his daughter''s illness. He was silent for a while, pondering the conditions Su Qi had proposed earlier, seriously, then spoke, "You proposed to support The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, and I will certainly oblige, but forgive my bluntness." "Illegal Land is currently undergoing a purge operation. If successful, it''ll become a district of Main City, and the major powers will devour this place; and if it fails, the Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd will not tolerate a third-party power taking root." "In Main City, I can support you with all my capabilities, but in Illegal Land, it''s very difficult." Su Qi shook his head lightly, "Not necessary, after all, neither of the scenarios you mentioned will occur." Sigong Cheng was taken aback. "Because, this place should be decided by the majority." .... "Boom, boom, boom!" Both sides were engaged in intense combat, the so-called purge nothing more than reckless slaughter, large numbers of people caught in the crossfire, forcibly dragged into the streets as cannon fodder. Machinery mingled with flesh, despair and resentfulness were howling. Simon, with bloodshot eyes, stared dead at the distant rumbles and gun smoke! Countless people were fighting, the tumult of battle destroying everything! The slums were full of refugees! Packed, with blood and ash covering them! Meanwhile, In other places, many more refugees were captured, continuously sent off as human cannon fodder! The purge troops from Main City, because of their strategy and the cruel tactics of both factions, executed all the fleeing people on sight without any mercy! The battle had reached a fever pitch, both sides throwing themselves into the fray madly. "Damn it, damn it!" Someone roared, their body starting to tremble: "We just want to survive, do we have to be purged too! Why!" "Just because we have no money, no power! Do we deserve to be treated like trash!" They couldn''t leave; Illegal Land was sealed off by Main City. This place would become a slaughterhouse, no one able to escape! Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Anger, resentfulness, despair! And powerlessness! They had nothing! No way to resist, no way to protect themselves! And right now, Su Qi was sitting silently on the roof of an old building, watching them. Clearly, the people''s resentfulness and anger had reached a boiling point. If weapons had been provided earlier, they probably would have already risen up in resistance. Chapter 170 - 149 Nancy: Bad Luck!_4 However, Su Qi didn''t choose to do that. Going up too early would just lead to more of their people dying, since most were just the poor; blood could be shed... but casualties should be minimized if possible, because the intimidation left by the wolf, jackal, tiger, and leopard devouring each other was by no means simple. "Still, leading that vicious and ferocious crowd of Gamblers and abnormalities is easier." Su Qi muttered to himself, "Just kill, kill, kill and it''s all over, and nobody really has any moral bottom line." Su Qi gazed into the distance. "It seems about time." Both sides would surge once, weaken twice, and exhaust thrice; their exhaustion would be my gain. It was time to act. Timing was also crucial, there could be no giving them a chance to breathe. And in the next moment, Someone in the crowd suddenly shuddered, the watch on their wrist flickered faintly, and a holographic panel slowly emerged. "This is..." he murmured, "that errand system..." It wasn''t just him; all who had been involved before, except for the players... the panel appeared to everyone. "Ladies and gentlemen." Someone heard the voice, looked up blankly, and saw Su Qi standing above the old buildings of the slums. "Who is this?" Facing the gaze of countless people, Su Qi said lightly, "In two minutes, five container trucks will arrive here, their eyes red with killing intent, ready to reach into the slums." S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "In ten minutes, the aftermath of an explosion will affect this area, with a large number of buildings collapsing." "In half an hour, the winner between the two sides should be decided." Everyone listened blankly to Su Qi''s words, trembling, "And then... what..." "There is no ''then''..." "Regardless of who shows up here." Su Qi paused for a moment, looking calmly at the crowd, "You can''t bear it." "The Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd have already prepared a new round of forced plans to deal with the Main City''s next attack." "While the Main City''s plan for cleansing the Illegal Land targets everyone, your cornered living situation, everything that''s divided here, will all vanish into thin air." "Everything will result in different outcomes, but only your roles won''t change, still just the lowest existence in the Illegal Land." The crowd''s expressions trembled with unwillingness, despair, and anger swirling within. "No, I refuse to accept this ending!" "Why is it always us who suffer!" "Damn this cleansing, damn Night City!" "Even if I have to die, I''m taking them down with me!" Su Qi said, "Good, that''s the spirit." He clapped his hands. "There''s a saying that dignity is only above the edge of the sword, truth only within the range of the cannon." "Are you here to wait for death, or..." Gradually, the system displayed a vast quantity of nearby weapon stocks, Potion stocks, and Combat Prosthetics stocks, the sheer number left them dumbstruck. At the same time nearby, Simon driving a large truck, along with all members of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, appeared, each holding various weapons. Su Qi softly said, "Follow me..." "To cleanse all oppression." ----------------- At the same time, A man stood in front of a crystal mirror, adjusting his tie. He slicked his hair until it gleamed. He put on his diamond watch. Nancy looked at his reflection in the mirror and revealed a satisfied smile, "Today, I still look handsome." "It''s time to head out." The female assistant beside him asked, "Boss Nancy, are you confident?" "Are you looking down on someone?" Nancy calmly said, "Although representatives from several famed forces, higher-ups, and even the Spirit Prince''s Heir from various worlds will be at this auction, they''ve chosen to hold it in Night City." He smiled confidently, "Night City... My fame here is quite high; one could say it''s my second home ground." "Such talk." The assistant mused to herself, "Though I remember, boss, your primary home ground... last time wasn''t it taken by that Su Buxian..." "Shut up." Nancy coughed, "Don''t bring up that incident." He paused, "And don''t mention that name." He grumbled, "Bad luck!" Chapter 171 - 150: I Can Persuade! At this moment, the Illegal Land was in total chaos. The so-called cleansing operation was actually intertwined with many goals; numerous emergency handling squads were focusing intently on the Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd. Over the years... because the Main City had been continually exploiting them, a massive number of people had been forced to live in the Illegal Land and the area continued to expand... the nobles could no longer sit idly by; what they called cleansing was actually turning everything here into a part of them. And the objective of the players led by the Netherworld King was even clearer; they were fighting against the camp of those who killed from a thousand miles away! It was still the first time that there had been large-scale combat between players; dangerous, violent, mixed, filled with various Skill, with everyone giving it their all. Simon, as the second in command, immediately began to act, "All members, follow the chairman''s strategy for combat in the system!" "Code squads!" "Errand system route marking!" "After clarifying the danger levels, have each member personally lead others in combat!" To be able to become a merchant in the Illegal Land also took a special capability, after all, to secure a place to survive without committing crimes or felonies here required very specific survival skills. "Chairman, any other instructions?" Su Qi hesitated for a moment, then replied in the system: "There are... does the name ''member'' sound a bit lacking in dominance, somewhat unfitting for everyone''s current enthusiastic atmosphere." Simon: "..." Is now really the time to be picking names! Su Qi left this matter to Simon and others. Possessing the errand system to coordinate combat, they had a huge information advantage that allowed them to quickly have everyone avoid dangers, exchange information swiftly, and engage in fast-paced combat. However, even so, Su Qi estimated that quite a number of people would bleed to death; this was nearly a slaughter among ten thousand people, a genuine war. He prioritized not command but the elimination of those with high-level combat power. Su Qi''s body slowly surged with Spiritual Energy; the Ancient God''s Heart activated, robust strength flowing through his body, and his attribute panel began to change. [Strength: 670] [Movement Technique: 580] [Physical Strength: 1100] [Spiritual Power: 6250] He had realized something after leaving the last instance; it seemed there was an issue with his bonuses. Normally, every person who changed Profession, upon stepping into a sequence, would receive different bonuses to different attributes due to the differing paths of the sequence. For example, for a warrior type, the main bonuses would be physical strength and strength; for an assassin type, it would mainly be movement technique; and for the rarest spiritual type, it would be more extreme, with all bonuses focused on the Spiritual Attribute. And he... had bonuses on every attribute, all evenly distributed, completely unlike other Professions. Especially spiritual power, once the level cap was removed, combined with the basic attributes of the Spiritual Eyes being tripled in bonus points, the spiritual power attribute would continually glitch and raise, turning into a far-leading terrifying value. However, attributes unless significantly ahead, are not the only indication of combat power differences, as there are also various skills, spiritual energy, and traits to consider. So, normally they are divided according to sequence level; even though there are strong and weak ones, each sequence clearly has a large difference, using it to judge the strength of the opponent was the most direct method. In the present Illegal Land, the faction members and handling squads, using Prosthetics and a mass of weapons along with potions, had burst strengths not to be underestimated. And above that were the high-level members of the factions, whose individual combat power was extremely prominent, charging forward under explosions to kill, even more fiercely! As for, the bosses of both factions. They were currently engaged in fierce bombardment with five Super Cyborg Soldiers EMT! Adam Hammer, with a body made of carefully crafted Combat Prosthetics combined with the abnormal strength in his body, burst forth just like his name implies, wherever he went was smashed by his hammer! Creating an enormous booming sound and leaving ripples and cracks from the impacts! Poker K relied not on prosthetics but on potions and weapons, rapidly running through the battlefield, and alongside him emerged Jile''s Crowd''s ace, Bone Breaker Frost! This guy, covered in sharp serrations, the sound of friction causing screeches! "Kill, kill, kill!" Nearby were also numerous high-level combat personnel from the factions, all surrounding the five EMT soldiers! The five EMT soldiers wore expressions cold as ice, their eyes devoid of any emotion, even their expressions never changed, purely designed as super soldiers that completely obeyed the commands of the elites. They had a complete set of combat systems, with all-around combat capabilities, composite metal with tenacious exteriors, high-energy core power furnaces, etc. When they burst forth, they too would send out ripples through the air! S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The surrounding high-level members wanted to step into the slaughter, looking for opportunities, but were either knocked away or crushed! "F*ck, are these the monsters created by the Main City!" "There''s no way they can be matched!" "What terrifying strength!" "Shit, they''re all a bunch of wastes!" Adam Hammer''s voice was incredibly heavy, clenching his teeth as he stared intently at those five super soldiers! He could handle one, but against five EMT super cyborg soldiers with strength almost akin to his own, he had no chance! These were simply man-made monsters; he had been battling and struggling in the sea for over a decade, accumulating a lot of technology and active potions, turning himself into a powerful entity, only for the Main City to replicate and manufacture them so simply! "What damn EMT, the place I struggled for so many years!! Die for me!" Adam Hammer roared lowly, his body bursting up from its original place, the ten-meter distance instantly closed, his massive body clutching the giant hammer! With great thrusting power, he burst towards an EMT soldier to smash him! Chapter 172 - 150 I Can Persuade! _2 "Frost, let''s fight them!" Poker K''s face darkened, and he moved simultaneously with Bone Breaker, unleashing a burst of firepower and a screeching deadly edge! Around him, more than ten advanced members also roared and charged into battle! The five EMTs calmly watched everything unfold. They were emotionless, their central nerves controlled by chips, possessing computer-level combat and analytical abilities! "Weak state detected!" "Significant energy fluctuation of a desperate gamble!" "Evade recommended!" The EMT fighters quickly made a unanimous judgment, but they failed to escape. Because the rest drank their last potion in anger, their circuits burst through their veins, and their speed and strength erupted once more, the prosthetics now mingled with abnormal forces! "Even if it means perishing with you!" "We''ll create an opportunity for the boss!" "Die!" The expression of the five EMTs did not change, even as their vision constantly flashed with dangerous and deadly warnings. "Activate protection defense plan!" The next moment! Boom boom boom! All the desperate attacks erupted at this moment, centered on the EMT fighters, massive amounts of energy burst out like light balls! Devouring everyone! Terrifying fluctuations kicked up a tremendous amount of dust! Gradually, more than ten seconds passed. The smoke and dust began to clear. "Zzzzzz!" Four of the five EMTs'' bodies were left in tatters, the dangerous energy clearly burning everything inside, their complex structures filled with the imminent threat of explosion. Despite being completely remodeled, their flesh still existed, continuously dripping blood. But they remained expressionless, using their bodies to firmly protect someone inside. "Defense complete!" "The rest will be handled by EMT 24..." Their voices trailed off in a whisper, growing softer, then with a loud thud they fell to the ground, silent. "Freaks, damn, all freaks..." Poker K, covered in blood, watched the scene, his expression trembling. Adam Hammer was also broken and shattered, staring intently at the EMT. These emotionless freaks, in such a situation, four of them did not hesitate to choose sacrifice! Most importantly, without a trace of emotion! This is the artificial monster of Night City! Such a terrifying horror! The last standing EMT warrior wobbled to his feet, and he calmly said, "Now starting to neutralize all threats on the field!" "We''re done... completely done..." Poker K collapsed on the ground, unable to move even an inch. Adam Hammer and Bone Breaker were also crippled, able to move... but unable to stand. "I can''t accept this, I just can''t!" Adam Hammer''s voice was hoarse, clutching his fist feeling indignant. The EMT already extended its palm, a laser cannon emerging within it! Constantly condensing! Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And then suddenly. The EMT''s body shuddered, its eye sockets flickering with red light, turning its palm towards a building! "Boom!" The explosion directly overturned the building! Thick smoke and dust rolled! They stared dumbfounded at this scene. They didn''t understand why the EMT did this, did it short-circuit in the energy burst just now? The next moment. Adam Hammer''s pupils shrank. With some blood on his face, he stared at him: "Su Buxian..." Su Qi''s figure slowly appeared atop the ruins: "I actually wanted to wait a bit longer, didn''t expect to be discovered." "A bit awkward." He smiled and said, "Two bosses, nice to see you unharmed." "You..." Adam Hammer uttered, his tone heavy and slightly hoarse, "Are... a traitor?" From the other''s disappearance for so long, completely unreachable, until now revealing himself, all of this was enough to judge. "No..." Su Qi paused: "I am... Peace Messenger." At that moment, the EMT exploded once more without a moment''s pause, continuing the attack! The terrifying burst and Adam Hammer''s prime were no different. "Here to break up the fight." The next moment. Su Qi disappeared from the spot, raised his hand to launch "Artificial Team''s Counterattack," after a successful judgment, the EMT convulsed; its circuits malfunctioned, its eye pane constantly flashing red warnings. "Warning, circuit malfunction, emergency recovery in progress!" Although the skill was judged successful, its effect on this composite monster was limited; it had several restart programs inside, able to quickly eliminate faults and recover. But Su Qi didn''t give it that chance, his "Pulse" in combat status randomly added new attributes. Now, it simply said two words: "Repulsion." "Pulse" contained random attributes, not just ordinary elements like wind, fire, thunder, the Five Elements, etc., it also seemed to include various abnormalities. During previous battles, it was even seen that attributes like "Thread" and "Rubber" allowed him to wield silver threads to cut and control enemies or let his body stretch and pull like rubber. But indeed, the random attributes each had their strength, if some were truly useless, he could choose to ignore them. "Repulsion... still not quite used to it, really thought I was omnipotent." At this moment. The power Su Qi contained gathered at the center! The strong repulsion allowed him to burst forth at a terrifying speed, and the energy blasted out by the EMT was deflected under the influence of repulsion! Su Qi, without hesitation, pulled out a giant hammer, and gathered his strength! Spiritual repulsion and the terrifying force in his hands converged and he slammed it down hard! "Boom!" The EMT, yet to be hit by the giant hammer, vibrated throughout its body, then struck with a penetrating force! His entire body cracked open under the high explosive combined strike! Chapter 173 - 150: I Can Persuade! _3 The screeching sounds kept piercing the air! Just with that one strike, the EMT collapsed onto the dented ground under their astonished gazes. "Well, that repulsion is pretty strong," Su Qi breathed out lightly. "Self-destruction... self-destruction..." The EMTs had no thoughts of their own, their consciousness completely suppressed by the chip, and they still made their final counterattack. And the next moment. "Defense." Su Qi stretched out his hand, and repulsion once again encircled him, intercepting all explosive fluctuations like forming a wall of air, instead flipping two nearby people over. Very powerful. But at the same time, it consumed a lot. Su Qi''s spiritual energy was also rapidly decreasing. "..." Adam Hammer and Poker K were on the ground, silently watching as Su Qi slowly walked toward them from the center of the blasted scene. They knew it was their turn now. "It seems..." Poker took out a cigar but found no fire. "So this is your way of intervening..." "Let''s see if it has dissuaded anyone," Su Qi said, pulling a lighter from his pocket and tossing it to him. "Not bad, you managed to do it, but..." Adam Hammer didn''t move, just silently watching Su Qi, his voice cold: "But can you dissuade the thousands still fighting?" "Can you dissuade those disgusting elites?" "Can you dissuade the cruel rules of Night City..." Su Qi sat down on the steps: "Both of you big shots... going to give a good speech now that death is near?" Poker K, covered in blood, with a big hole in his chest, shakily smoked his cigar, coughed softly, exhaled a puff of smoke, squinting his eyes: "Just telling you the facts. To stand firm in Night City, you must follow the rules and be more ruthless than everyone else, but this Illegal Land is just another brutal cage." "You see it that clearly?" "Give me a hit too," Adam Hammer said softly. "Tch, I''d only give it to you now." Poker K, trembling, passed the cigar along. Adam Hammer''s arms had both blown off, so he couldn''t catch it. "You two, so maimed, still wanting to kiss indirectly," Su Qi shook his head. "Let me do it." Su Qi took the cigar, putting it in Adam Hammer''s mouth. "..." Adam Hammer felt the searing heat in his mouth. He silently stared at Su Qi: "You put it in backwards." "No wonder I said the smoke seems to be coming from inside." "..." Adam Hammer took a deep puff of the repositioned cigar, closed his eyes, his tone gradually calming: "In Night City, an individual''s power is ultimately flimsy, because I understand this, I know no matter how strong I become, or how perfectly modified, I''ll eventually die here, so I established Black Emperor, and have been here for decades." Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Cruelty, slaughter, intimidation, that''s everything needed to survive." "But now it''s also coming to an end, a few words from the elites are enough to destroy." The blood from Poker K flowed more heavily, his lips dried and pale, feeling the draining life force, silently raising his head and staring at the sky: "No matter what you do next, you can''t do better than us." Su Qi smiled calmly: "Just dog-eat-dog, spoken so bravely?" "Also, can''t do better than you?" "Whom are you insulting?" He gently crushed the sparks from the cigar: "There''s a saying ''a single spark can start a prairie fire.''" "The power you underestimate will eventually completely submerge yourselves." In their shocked pupils, The whole sky''s black curtain reflected, then a faint starfire appeared, gradually magnifying! It was a Fire Dragon composed of flames! Roaring as it approached furiously with its flames from afar! At the same time. Numerous merchants followed by countless poor stormed in their wake! They were bursting, roaring! Be it gang members or squads from the Main City, all were retreating in disarray! Roars came from all directions! As if to shatter the skies! Both were trembling as they watched these poor, merchants, having never seen such a scene before. All enemies were being purged! The crowd was unstoppable! Finally. A dense crowd step by step surrounded the battlefield, Various unreturned combat prosthetics echoed, the air filled with unburned smells, and weapons overheated, still smoking, with everyone from the flickering red lights of their prosthetic eyes all watching the scene before them, staring at the two terrifying gang leaders who oppressed them. But no one spoke. "Turns out..." Poker K... with his last energy rasping in his throat like a sigh, like an epiphany: "it''s... like this." Adam Hammer also pale, but his eyes trembled, although he could no longer speak. Su Qi looked at them. "Can only say, in the next life, make sure to modify well and strive to be reborn." The two at the brink of death, unclear what emotions they harbored, yet perhaps didn''t have time to say, gradually lost their final life forces. The two huge forces ruling this land, tonight... Obliterated. Chapter 174 - 151: The Master of This Place is Surnamed Su! The Fire Dragon gradually dissipated in the distance, until the last bit of Starfire drifted over, fading away into Su Qi''s hands. The densely packed crowd around watched this scene with excitement, agitation, and even reverence. They felt indignant and angry, wanting to rebel, yet felt powerless at that moment. The man before them had provided weapons, a plan, and a glimmer of hope they could see. Along this path, there had been a plethora of information from the system and strategic support, and now they seemed to have achieved their goal. "Chairman." Simon came over, his body sturdy and covered in blood. He had been prepared to lead the rebellion, having already been equipped with various Combat Prosthetics, determined to be at the forefront of the fight the day before. "We have completed the cleanup along this route, and we''ve cleared many enemies." "There are also many cleanup squads that have fled out of Illegal Land, but according to your instructions, we didn''t pursue them." Simon spoke with a heavy tone. Although he was originally just a merchant of prosthetics, starting from humble beginnings, after following Su Qi, he demonstrated extraordinary abilities in coordination, communication, and planning. During the time Su Qi established the Chamber of Commerce, Simon mostly managed it hands-off, with much of the management being carried out by him. And in battle, he displayed the ferocity that had been suppressed for many years! "What shall we do next, Chairman?" "We are ready for anything!" The surrounding people also shouted, raising their weapon-wielding hands even higher. Su Qi looked at the fiercely spirited crowd and smiled: "What''s up." "You''re all shouting so loudly, are you planning to attack Night City?" As soon as he said this, the crowd''s momentum fell, and they muttered to themselves, "This..." Facing Jile''s Crowd and the Black Emperor, their hearts had been stirred to rebel, but upon hearing "Night City," those few words still struck them like a hammer, pressing down on their recently agitated hearts. After all, that was a truly colossal force. How could they possibly contend with it? Their blood had been boiling from the rampage against gang members and enemy cleanup squads along the way... but at this moment, it cooled down. "Next, we will divide into teams by region to eliminate stragglers and those in uniform, and.... all lethal weapons will be collected after tonight," Su Qi said softly. The crowd was stunned for a moment. "But what if Main City sends people to clean up again?!" "It''s... We are considered a place of sin, they definitely won''t let it go." Simon also understood this point very well. With the two big forces of Illegal Land gone, they could only become the next main force. Therefore, his expression had always been gravely serious, even upon seeing two former overlords fall, never revealing any hint of relief. "Chairman, I know our strength is like an ant trying to shake a tree, but..." "Don''t ''but'' anymore..." Su Qi said: "They are cleaning up... the Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd of Illegal Land. What does that have to do with us... The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce?" "You all killed the remnants, what does that have to do with Main City?" Simon was stunned again. Su Qi patted him on the shoulder, "Starting today, the name Illegal Land will be completely erased. We are a formal Chamber of Commerce.... a completely legitimate and legal commercial base independent of Night City." "Don''t get it wrong." Simon''s pupils trembled slightly, looking at Su Qi in shock. "Chairman..." Is this the Chairman''s plan? "But..." Simon came back to his senses, hesitantly. They would never be recognized by Main City; those elites definitely did not want to see them standing here. If they were to follow Main City''s rules, they would also eventually become toys for the elites, living a breathless life once again. "Stop with the ''buts''. Go and get to work. Besides." Su Qi looked at the bodies of Adam Hammer and Poker K: S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Treat these two men with respect." The heads of the two factions were also products of Illegal Land, indeed... products, created by twisted rules that always resulted in a presence that stood cruelly above the masses. "By the way, don''t forget to strip off all those EMT equipment." This stuff was incredibly expensive, and the entire Main City could only dispatch five of these valuable commodities. "Understood." What followed. Su Qi gazed towards the distant Sky Cone. There was another area where the battle had not stopped. Players fought and slaughtered one another in this part, an area that Su Qi specifically demarcated, instructing everyone to stay away from it according to the system''s guidance, as the players'' fighting was irrelevant to them. Moreover, even if a player died, they could be revived through Points, generating no real profit. After all, their combined money didn''t amount to the daily turnover of the running errands system, so why bother. "What remains are the players; their end has not yet arrived." Although the situation here was over, Netherworld King must not have receded yet, their goal was to seize other players'' Cyber Coins. "A bunch of common folk." Su Qi looked at the long string of zeroes on his watch account, shaking his head: "I don''t see what there is to fight over." ---------------- Rainier Vale''s expression was gloomy, staring intently at the other players equipped with excellent gear, some even fitted with prosthetics, an advantage from the Main City faction. "Choose, young man, death or handing over all your Cyber Coins," said the young man, dressed in the cleanup department''s combat uniform, with a smile. "Look at your teammates." He pointed at Fatty and his two companions lying powerless in the distance: "They''ve been very cooperative, transferring all their Cyber Coins to us. We keep our promises; once we get the money, we''ll let you all go, leave this place." Rainier Vale''s expression changed, not replying immediately. Chapter 175 - 151 The Master of This Place Surnamed Su!_2 Killed players would have points deducted, and reaching zero would result in direct elimination from the ranking battle, while the opponent could plunder more than half of their Cyber Coins. Thus, the situation had arisen where betting all one''s Cyber Coins on the chance to survive was the move to make, after all, as long as one wasn''t eliminated, there was still an opportunity. "Still undecided?" The young man laughed, "Why bother? When you were busy making money, we had already been preparing everything for today. Whether it''s Combat Prosthetics, weapons, or support from the Main City, we can press you down." Rainier Vale clenched his teethhe and his faction had quickly realized this after the fight. The enemy had come prepared, hence they were at a continuous disadvantage. No choice. He sighed deeply in his heart. It had to be this way. "Sometimes, picking the right side is more important than anything else," the young man said, watching Rainier Vale display his panel with a faint smile. He was about to raise his hand to receive. Suddenly, the young man''s expression changed, glancing at his wristwatch, which popped up a message from the Main City processing department headquarters. [All processing squads immediately cease operations and leave the Illegal Land!] What''s going on? Why the retreat? No. Retreat my ass, the players wouldn''t care about this order. Just then, a great mass of footsteps rang out, a multitude of red-glowing prosthetic eyes, the dark muzzles of guns, and all shapes and sizes of external Combat Prosthetics kept appearing nearby. "All Night City processing department personnel, you are illegally invading The Hustlers'' commercial base!" "You will now be purged!" The young man and the uniformed players around him shivered all over, and the next moment, their heads were blasted by electric propulsion sniper rifles! At the same time, the Cyber Coins they had plundered fell in the form of holographic data! The crowd looked over. Even Rainier Vale couldn''t help but feel a chill! Not to mention the three members of Fatty''s team. "We''re on your side! And we saw each other when we were transporting goods earlier!" Fatty''s three members raised their hands hurriedly. Simon looked at these people and waved his hand, "We know, where is your main battlefield? Point us in the right direction." Now, all uniformed personnel had to be purged, and these people couldn''t escape either. Rainier Vale hesitated, then pointed in a direction, "The main battlefield is over there." However, top players like Killer Thousand Miles and Netherworld King hadn''t joined the group battle. They needed to exert their full strength, and too many people fighting could cause certain interferences. They had even deliberately kept their distance, not knowing the current situation. "Good, the chairman has ordered us to fight quickly! Let''s go!" Simon led the group onwards. Their dense and heavy footsteps left the others somewhat dazed. What exactly had happened, and why were a group of former merchants and poor people fighting, and who was the chairman? Rainier Vale sighed softly: "I don''t get it, I really don''t." At this moment. "Kill!!" Killer Thousand Miles charged through the streets extremely fast, his fighting accompanied by roars. He threw beads from his hands, which then exploded in a chain of blasts! "Boom boom boom!" But the explosive force was blocked by the Netherworld King in front of him! Killer Thousand Miles'' eyes were sharp as he attempted to close in. "Don''t even think about it, get lost!" Ripples surged out from Netherworld King as the center, not any physical waves, but Pollutants bursting out! His current sequence was not strong enough to leverage many traits, and spiritual power Skills had their usage and energy consumption limitations. But. If he could obtain a powerful Pollutant with a spiritual power impact, he could use the Spiritual Pollution Power on it to exchange blood in battle with others. That was the advantage of the hidden conversion to a profession with spiritual power! And of course, these resources were not collected by him but were supported by the club forces above. After all, any profession related to spiritual classes held a T1 level in the sequence of Abyssal Paradise and was sure to be cultivated heavily. Moreover, facing the increasing frequency of upcoming polluted worlds, the spiritual attribute was key. Other professions were not necessarily excluded; they shone in the regular world, but for Pollution and Abyss-type situations, they had to pay much more, such as a vast amount of Spiritual Energy and rare Tools, Equipment. But these were ultimately external objects. Like Killer Thousand Miles at this moment, his Spiritual Energy was at rock bottom, the Buddha Bead Ancient Relic on the back of his hand was dimming, and the protective layer enveloping his body was continually weakening! The next moment. He couldn''t hold on anymore! The defense formed by spiritual energy developed a clearly visible crack! Damn it! The pupils of Killer Miles contracted! "Great opportunity!" Netherworld King raised his hand, and the ancient relic on his forehead flickered: "Stop right there!!" The cold light burst forth from Netherworld King''s pupils, and spiritual power erupted along with his spiritual energy, triggering his traits, which directly produced a stopping effect! Killer Miles'' body was affected! He actually got forcefully [Controlled] and halted, unable to move! All the sequence traits are like superpowers, and they can often be used to develop many other applications. "This is bad." The pupils of Killer Miles contracted again; he was not some inexperienced ordinary player, well-versed in various combat methods, and he also understood that once designated by spiritual power traits, it would be extremely troublesome. All things like Illusion Realm, control, impact, Illusion Burst, and so on were extremely dangerous! Some could be escaped by biting the tongue to produce the stimulus of pain, but now his whole body seemed to be paralyzed, and he couldn''t move a muscle, let alone bite his tongue! "I''m right here." Netherworld King''s pupils gleamed with a sinister light: "My power is unstoppable!" He was about to strike Killer Miles and directly kill him! Without spiritual energy protection, his body would be as fragile as paper should he sustain fatal damage! Just then. Killer Miles'' gaze suddenly quivered slightly as he looked towards Netherworld King. Netherworld King stood frozen in place, his entire pupils diffused, staring vacantly into the distance! "What''s happening?" "Did he fall into an illusion?" Killer Miles'' expression was one of shock; Netherworld King, who held a hidden spiritual profession, was actually controlled by someone else! And the next moment. "Thump." Netherworld King suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood! His whole body showed numerous traces and he was bleeding profusely! Killer Miles'' restraints disappeared as well. But Netherworld King couldn''t concern himself with these, instead, his gaze trembled with fear and wariness, looking around! "Who is it, who exactly is it!" But he saw no one! All he had seen was a gigantic eye at the infinite end of the universe, tearing him to shreds! And at this moment, Killer Miles, now free of constraints, dashed forward, seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and pierced his heart directly! In the distance on the rooftop. Su Qi looked at the spinning top on his fingertip and mused to himself. "I didn''t expect that this thing, combined with a Concrete Ability, could actually materialize the damage from the Illusion Realm directly into reality." [Name: Fingertip Universe Damaged Version] [Type: Spiritual Ability Equipment] Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Function: Spin the top, before the rotation ends, can pull any target into an illusion, and based on the spiritual state of the target at the end and the Spiritual Attribute, cause spiritual damage] [Consumption: 100 Spiritual Power] [Usage Conditions: Profession must reach Sequence 9, Spiritual Power 98] [This item has growth potential: Collect five D-level pollutants to upgrade it] "In other words, if used correctly, I might have the capability to solo-kill beings with lower spiritual power than mine." Of course, there are limits; when using the fingertip top, if you want to participate to increase the realism of the Illusion Realm, you can''t move, which is why Su Qi didn''t enter the fray. And now. Su Qi looked at the time, raised his wristwatch, and messaged that person living in Main City: "It''s almost over." "...Who....won..." "?" The other side was silent for a while: "I....understand." After a brief delay, another message appeared. "From now on, no matter what happens, I will give my all to support you." Chapter 177 - 153: Nancy: Everything is Under Control! Stars Hall Eve. Holographic ads rolled ceaselessly through the streets and alleys of Night City! Though Stars Hall had not officially opened, both its interior and exterior had been fully decorated long ago. Even in Night City, it was the most dazzling building, shining brightly at all hours! "Guests from various worlds will gather at Stars Hall" "Tickets on hot sale, only 500,000 Cyber Coins" Su Qi glanced at the various push advertisements popping up, and said, "Simon, how many people in Night City do you think are willing to fork out 500,000 Cyber Coins?" "This..." Simon, who was currently planning with Life Group and transferring various capacities here from Night City, was extremely busy and had to frequently answer Su Qi''s questions. He lifted his head: "I''m afraid more than you''d imagine, President." "In Night City, besides money being supreme, there''s also a strict class stratification; everyone is ranked, and if your status is low, you can''t get good jobs, and to elevate your status, you must spend." Simon added, "It''s not everyday consumption, there''s a specific category called ''Luxury,'' which includes many high-premium goods; only by consuming these can one have a chance to elevate their status." In the past, many people, even with empty accounts or in debt, would buy presentable clothes just to maintain their ''status,'' which is vital for finding a job. But to climb higher, one must continue being ''sucked dry,'' faced with layers of barriers and restrictions and maintaining high consumption. After all, a citizen''s Level fluctuates according to the smart system''s judgments. Thinking of saving money? Impossible. "There are even loan services specially designed for Level upgrades, which allow people to find better jobs, advance to higher positions." "Although it looks like salaries have increased a lot on the surface, in reality... a large part goes back," Simon sighed, "That''s also why, despite Lawless Place being dangerous and filled with violent criminals, there are still many people living here." "And this Stars Hall event is an opportunity to raise one''s citizen Level, as well as for the elite to flatter many powerful forces." Simon''s gaze returned to the panel, "But it doesn''t concern us." "Really?" Su Qi slowly looked towards the advertisement slogan. "Superstar, the legend of hostingMr. Nancy, has arrived in Night City!" He chuckled, "It''s hard to say." --------- "Respected Mr. Nancy! Welcome to Night City!" "Everything you need is prepared for you!" Greeting Nancy was a row of luxury sports cars, and not a few elites in person. Though they were the top tier in Night City, in other worlds, they were nothing compared to the stern and handsome man before them. Around him, massive crowds of fans cheered and shouted, blocked by various electromagnetic barriers. Nancy responded with a smile and a wave, eliciting a lot of screams, then he got into the car. The smile on his face instantly disappeared as if nothing had happened. "Mr. Nancy, we have also arranged many of Night City''s top activities for you..." "Okay, no need for such pomp." Nancy calmly said, "I want to go straight to the event now." The organizer hesitated, "But" Those were for advertisement opportunities; just having Nancy there for a photo would blow up. Nancy said emotionlessly, "Don''t make me say it twice." The organizer sweated, quickly nodding, "Understood." The man wasn''t from Night City and aside from his celebrity status, Nancy''s own power wasn''t simple either; challenging to handle wherever he was, the organizer didn''t dare to defy him. Nancy didn''t speak along the way; looking out the car window, his seriousness stemmed from... This time, no mishaps could occur. If it were beings from other worlds, he wouldn''t need to care too much, just proceed as usual. But. This time was different, those attending included... the Spirit Prince''s Heir. Previously a Priest had come, and though Nancy had planned to impress, it was utterly ruined by some damn person! Luckily, a Priest has their own dignity and generally doesn''t mind such matters. And with the Spirit King''s prestige and power in the Present World naturally surpassing others, they don''t serve the Divine Positions, especially after the Gods were sealed a thousand years ago, many new forces emerged, and each current Spirit King fought their way to the top. Moreover, many worlds, to gain their Sanctuary, plant Spirit King''s Shrines to defend against Abyss Pollution. "Ah, what a headache." Nancy''s headache wasn''t the Spirit Kinghe was a super VIP, higher-ups always carry a high distinction, rarely speaking or even intangible, not showing much. But their heirs were entirely different. Many Spirit Princes'' Heirs were arrogant, cruel, unpredictableall sorts of characters existed, after all, a Spirit King has been alive for thousands of years, some have children enough to form an army, not to mention generations of descendants. Plus, they have countless worlds under them for their heirs to mishap and wreak havoc, creating many inhumane incidents. "So, nothing should go wrong this time." He only knew Spirit King''s Heir... would attend, but exactly how many, who they were, he had no idea. However. "It''s not a big problem; he''ll get everything prepared and control the rhythm, which is what he excels at the most. Moreover, he''s quite familiar with Night City. The elites of Night City wouldn''t dare make a misstep; they would rather serve their heads as chamber pots to each other if it would please these figures, so there shouldn''t be any problems. "Speaking of which." Nancy suddenly turned to the person in charge. "I remember, there seems to be a chaotic place in Night City, called Lawless Place, right?" Nancy furrowed his brows slightly. "It seems like there are two forces in there..." He had hosted so many shows, traveled everywhere... seen countless worlds, but none as extreme as Night City, where the Cyber psychosis always gives rise to a lot of lunatics, afraid that when the time comes..... The person in charge hastily said, "Respected Mr. Nancy, rest assured, those two forces were completely eradicated by us not long ago... Now, well, it''s considered a legitimate territory." He hesitated a bit while speaking. Although Night City was forcibly established, to maintain their dignity and deterrence, they had completely wiped out the two major evil forces in the Main City. Moreover, the Life Group also spent nearly half of their assets buying territory here and gave up on major factories, losing a large number of orders; public opinion, interests, all had... they were actually happy to see this scene. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Then I feel relieved." Nancy murmured softly. It seemed like all external factors were nearly negligible; this hosting gig seemed to become another highlight in his career. He soon arrived at Stars Hall. The massive architectural giant, akin to... building another mountain on land. "How many does it accommodate?" "One million." "Hmm, quite a lot." Nancy raised an eyebrow; this was indeed one of Night City''s most magnificent buildings, with the elites having gone all out in renovations, especially since, this time, it wasn''t just the city''s residents but also a large number of entities from various worlds. "But rest assured, all the ticketed entrants from Night City will be in the ordinary outer area; they won''t have the chance to interact with any elites or visitors from other worlds." Nancy glanced at the person in charge, squinting his eyes, "Why should I be reassured about this? Shouldn''t this be something you say to your superiors?" The person in charge hastily said, "My deepest apologies!" Damn it, too used to kissing up to higher-ups and he wasn''t mindful. Nancy didn''t concern himself with it; each world had its own rules and order, which he had seen plenty of. Upon entering Stars Hall, the various arrangements, holographic images, and Night City technology--all were explored before the formal auction and the opening events and performances. Nancy''s assistant took charge of the hand-over and organized the agenda for him. "Boss Nancy, I''ve removed all the ad scripts; it''s just right now." Nancy just glanced through the schedule and memorized all the processes. The person in charge twitched his face, but there was nothing he could do except find some opportunities to place ads inside the venue. He coughed, "Mr. Nancy, won''t you rehearse once? Or check the scripts?" "Are you doubting Boss Nancy''s ability?" The assistant, however, remained calm and adjusted his glasses: "Boss Nancy is a professional... he doesn''t need any rehearsal, no one can match his hosting skills...." The assistant suddenly paused, a name popped into her mind, but seeing Nancy''s dangerous glare, she quickly said very seriously, "No one can match even a little bit of Boss Nancy!" Nancy: "..." That statement didn''t seem problematic, but the pause was awkward! The biggest blunder of his life! But it''s all past now; it doesn''t matter. "Oh, have the items needed for the program and auction been delivered?" "Most have arrived, but some are still on the way; here''s the list." The person in charge quickly handed over the documents. "Okay." Nancy scanned through, it was indeed very thorough; he suddenly paused: "Why does the piano performance have no pianist and yet takes up so much time?" The person in charge grimaced, "That''s a program specially ordered by a big shot from above; we dare not defy, and that piano is a pollutant, delivered early." "We can only send EMTs to dare to get close." It seemed that the significant person was none other than the Spirit Prince''s Heir, a music aficionado? And even bringing a pollutant to perform on stage? Nancy couldn''t say much, considering it was the Spirit Prince''s Heir; they could do as they pleased. When the time comes, no matter how bizarre the music that resounds, he would perform with the professionalism of a host. After scanning through all the processes and details again, Nancy felt completely prepared. "Boss, need to confirm anything else?" asked the assistant. "No need, now everything is under control," he said calmly and confidently, as if holding a winning ticket. Seeing this, the person in charge''s eyes sparkled slightly, "As expected of Mr. Nancy, then next... shall I arrange a dinner for Mr. Nancy? All the elites of Night City are waiting for you, and we''ve also invited quite a few entities from other worlds who have arrived early." Nancy calmly nodded his head, "Okay." He preferred to confirm work first then deal with these trivialities; after all, they were just part of social niceties, and Night City''s arrangements were indeed good. Relaxing a bit wouldn''t be a problem. Chapter 177 - 153: Nancy: Everything is Under Control! Stars Hall Eve. Holographic ads rolled ceaselessly through the streets and alleys of Night City! Though Stars Hall had not officially opened, both its interior and exterior had been fully decorated long ago. Even in Night City, it was the most dazzling building, shining brightly at all hours! "Guests from various worlds will gather at Stars Hall" "Tickets on hot sale, only 500,000 Cyber Coins" Su Qi glanced at the various push advertisements popping up, and said, "Simon, how many people in Night City do you think are willing to fork out 500,000 Cyber Coins?" "This..." Simon, who was currently planning with Life Group and transferring various capacities here from Night City, was extremely busy and had to frequently answer Su Qi''s questions. He lifted his head: "I''m afraid more than you''d imagine, President." "In Night City, besides money being supreme, there''s also a strict class stratification; everyone is ranked, and if your status is low, you can''t get good jobs, and to elevate your status, you must spend." Simon added, "It''s not everyday consumption, there''s a specific category called ''Luxury,'' which includes many high-premium goods; only by consuming these can one have a chance to elevate their status." In the past, many people, even with empty accounts or in debt, would buy presentable clothes just to maintain their ''status,'' which is vital for finding a job. But to climb higher, one must continue being ''sucked dry,'' faced with layers of barriers and restrictions and maintaining high consumption. After all, a citizen''s Level fluctuates according to the smart system''s judgments. Thinking of saving money? Impossible. "There are even loan services specially designed for Level upgrades, which allow people to find better jobs, advance to higher positions." "Although it looks like salaries have increased a lot on the surface, in reality... a large part goes back," Simon sighed, "That''s also why, despite Lawless Place being dangerous and filled with violent criminals, there are still many people living here." "And this Stars Hall event is an opportunity to raise one''s citizen Level, as well as for the elite to flatter many powerful forces." Simon''s gaze returned to the panel, "But it doesn''t concern us." "Really?" Su Qi slowly looked towards the advertisement slogan. "Superstar, the legend of hostingMr. Nancy, has arrived in Night City!" He chuckled, "It''s hard to say." --------- "Respected Mr. Nancy! Welcome to Night City!" "Everything you need is prepared for you!" Greeting Nancy was a row of luxury sports cars, and not a few elites in person. Though they were the top tier in Night City, in other worlds, they were nothing compared to the stern and handsome man before them. Around him, massive crowds of fans cheered and shouted, blocked by various electromagnetic barriers. Nancy responded with a smile and a wave, eliciting a lot of screams, then he got into the car. The smile on his face instantly disappeared as if nothing had happened. "Mr. Nancy, we have also arranged many of Night City''s top activities for you..." "Okay, no need for such pomp." Nancy calmly said, "I want to go straight to the event now." The organizer hesitated, "But" Those were for advertisement opportunities; just having Nancy there for a photo would blow up. Nancy said emotionlessly, "Don''t make me say it twice." The organizer sweated, quickly nodding, "Understood." The man wasn''t from Night City and aside from his celebrity status, Nancy''s own power wasn''t simple either; challenging to handle wherever he was, the organizer didn''t dare to defy him. Nancy didn''t speak along the way; looking out the car window, his seriousness stemmed from... This time, no mishaps could occur. If it were beings from other worlds, he wouldn''t need to care too much, just proceed as usual. But. This time was different, those attending included... the Spirit Prince''s Heir. Previously a Priest had come, and though Nancy had planned to impress, it was utterly ruined by some damn person! Luckily, a Priest has their own dignity and generally doesn''t mind such matters. And with the Spirit King''s prestige and power in the Present World naturally surpassing others, they don''t serve the Divine Positions, especially after the Gods were sealed a thousand years ago, many new forces emerged, and each current Spirit King fought their way to the top. Moreover, many worlds, to gain their Sanctuary, plant Spirit King''s Shrines to defend against Abyss Pollution. "Ah, what a headache." Nancy''s headache wasn''t the Spirit Kinghe was a super VIP, higher-ups always carry a high distinction, rarely speaking or even intangible, not showing much. But their heirs were entirely different. Many Spirit Princes'' Heirs were arrogant, cruel, unpredictableall sorts of characters existed, after all, a Spirit King has been alive for thousands of years, some have children enough to form an army, not to mention generations of descendants. Plus, they have countless worlds under them for their heirs to mishap and wreak havoc, creating many inhumane incidents. "So, nothing should go wrong this time." He only knew Spirit King''s Heir... would attend, but exactly how many, who they were, he had no idea. However. "It''s not a big problem; he''ll get everything prepared and control the rhythm, which is what he excels at the most. Moreover, he''s quite familiar with Night City. The elites of Night City wouldn''t dare make a misstep; they would rather serve their heads as chamber pots to each other if it would please these figures, so there shouldn''t be any problems. "Speaking of which." Nancy suddenly turned to the person in charge. "I remember, there seems to be a chaotic place in Night City, called Lawless Place, right?" Nancy furrowed his brows slightly. "It seems like there are two forces in there..." He had hosted so many shows, traveled everywhere... seen countless worlds, but none as extreme as Night City, where the Cyber psychosis always gives rise to a lot of lunatics, afraid that when the time comes..... The person in charge hastily said, "Respected Mr. Nancy, rest assured, those two forces were completely eradicated by us not long ago... Now, well, it''s considered a legitimate territory." He hesitated a bit while speaking. Although Night City was forcibly established, to maintain their dignity and deterrence, they had completely wiped out the two major evil forces in the Main City. Moreover, the Life Group also spent nearly half of their assets buying territory here and gave up on major factories, losing a large number of orders; public opinion, interests, all had... they were actually happy to see this scene. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Then I feel relieved." Nancy murmured softly. It seemed like all external factors were nearly negligible; this hosting gig seemed to become another highlight in his career. He soon arrived at Stars Hall. The massive architectural giant, akin to... building another mountain on land. "How many does it accommodate?" "One million." "Hmm, quite a lot." Nancy raised an eyebrow; this was indeed one of Night City''s most magnificent buildings, with the elites having gone all out in renovations, especially since, this time, it wasn''t just the city''s residents but also a large number of entities from various worlds. "But rest assured, all the ticketed entrants from Night City will be in the ordinary outer area; they won''t have the chance to interact with any elites or visitors from other worlds." Nancy glanced at the person in charge, squinting his eyes, "Why should I be reassured about this? Shouldn''t this be something you say to your superiors?" The person in charge hastily said, "My deepest apologies!" Damn it, too used to kissing up to higher-ups and he wasn''t mindful. Nancy didn''t concern himself with it; each world had its own rules and order, which he had seen plenty of. Upon entering Stars Hall, the various arrangements, holographic images, and Night City technology--all were explored before the formal auction and the opening events and performances. Nancy''s assistant took charge of the hand-over and organized the agenda for him. "Boss Nancy, I''ve removed all the ad scripts; it''s just right now." Nancy just glanced through the schedule and memorized all the processes. The person in charge twitched his face, but there was nothing he could do except find some opportunities to place ads inside the venue. He coughed, "Mr. Nancy, won''t you rehearse once? Or check the scripts?" "Are you doubting Boss Nancy''s ability?" The assistant, however, remained calm and adjusted his glasses: "Boss Nancy is a professional... he doesn''t need any rehearsal, no one can match his hosting skills...." The assistant suddenly paused, a name popped into her mind, but seeing Nancy''s dangerous glare, she quickly said very seriously, "No one can match even a little bit of Boss Nancy!" Nancy: "..." That statement didn''t seem problematic, but the pause was awkward! The biggest blunder of his life! But it''s all past now; it doesn''t matter. "Oh, have the items needed for the program and auction been delivered?" "Most have arrived, but some are still on the way; here''s the list." The person in charge quickly handed over the documents. "Okay." Nancy scanned through, it was indeed very thorough; he suddenly paused: "Why does the piano performance have no pianist and yet takes up so much time?" The person in charge grimaced, "That''s a program specially ordered by a big shot from above; we dare not defy, and that piano is a pollutant, delivered early." "We can only send EMTs to dare to get close." It seemed that the significant person was none other than the Spirit Prince''s Heir, a music aficionado? And even bringing a pollutant to perform on stage? Nancy couldn''t say much, considering it was the Spirit Prince''s Heir; they could do as they pleased. When the time comes, no matter how bizarre the music that resounds, he would perform with the professionalism of a host. After scanning through all the processes and details again, Nancy felt completely prepared. "Boss, need to confirm anything else?" asked the assistant. "No need, now everything is under control," he said calmly and confidently, as if holding a winning ticket. Seeing this, the person in charge''s eyes sparkled slightly, "As expected of Mr. Nancy, then next... shall I arrange a dinner for Mr. Nancy? All the elites of Night City are waiting for you, and we''ve also invited quite a few entities from other worlds who have arrived early." Nancy calmly nodded his head, "Okay." He preferred to confirm work first then deal with these trivialities; after all, they were just part of social niceties, and Night City''s arrangements were indeed good. Relaxing a bit wouldn''t be a problem. Chapter 178 - 154: Speak up, you joker! At this moment, Below the Life Group Building, Sigong Cheng sat in the second row, with Su Qi next to him, and behind them were Sigong Xun and Mrs. Sigong. The atmosphere was somewhat silent. Sigong Cheng glanced at Su Qi a few times and opened his mouth but didn''t speak, "..." Su Qi said, "It seems like you have something to say to me? No problem, just speak openly. I''ve always liked to listen to opinions." "...." Sigong Cheng rubbed his temples, "... Don''t you think that there''s one person in our family who will stick out like a sore thumb at the banquet?" "Who?" Su Qi asked in surprise. "..." "What do you think?" Sigong Cheng stared at Su Qi. Su Qi paused, then looked at his assistant, who was the driver, "He''s talking about you." "I''m talking about you!" Sigong Cheng almost yelled. His whole family was ready to leave, but then... this guy suddenly showed up, and forced his way in without any warning. "Father, calm down...." Sigong Xun said with a gentle laugh, "I think it''s quite nice now. After all, I''m not acquainted with the others. When it''s time for you to mingle, I''ll just have Brother Su take me around." She looked much healthier now, could move around without a wheelchair, so she was also prepared to attend tonight''s banquet and tomorrow''s event at Stars Hall. "Sure, I''ll show you around when the time comes." Do you know that place well! You talk about it as if it''s your own backyard! Sigong Cheng sighed deeply, "Actually, your involvement isn''t a good thing. Although under my support, your Hustlers Chamber of Commerce has gained a foothold in Illegal Land... there are unresolved conflicts with Main City, and even if they''re unaddressed for now, many of Night City''s elite still see you as a thorn in their side, a needle in their eyes. They might very well make things difficult for you." There were many visitors from different worlds who had arrived early for the banquet. Though it wouldn''t turn into an armed confrontation, Su Qi''s attendance was not so certainthe people from Illegal Land going to a banquet prepared by the affluent. He could already imagine the expressions on their faces when they saw Su Qi. "No worries, we are all people from the same car. You''ll handle it." "I''ll handle you!" Sigong Cheng''s eyes widened. Who said we''re from the same car, meow? You just pushed your way in! Sigong Xun seemed to understand why her father was so irritable lately, although she experienced similar feelings when chatting with Su Qi, but perhaps he had been holding back? The car drove towards the center of Main City. This was a gathering place for the wealthy and those of high status. Those of lower statuses couldn''t even get in. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi clicked his tongue lightly, "That''s really pitiful. When these rich people order takeout, they certainly can''t get in. They must leave it at the delivery point." "....." Why don''t you think about what you''re saying? Sigong Cheng looked towards a cubic building in the distance that had a floating aesthetic and said, "That''s the venue for the banquet. It looks like many people have already arrived." Life Group, once a colossus, now existed in fragments. As they got out of the car, Many people turned their gazes towards them. "Let''s go." Sigong Cheng straightened his clothes, "Madam, please take care of Xun. I''ll go with him." Although this guy could be infuriating at times, with some unexpected moves, he knew that Su Buxian wouldn''t do anything meaningless. Every step he took must have a plan..... "..." Sigong Cheng watched silently as Su Qi, who was now shaking hands with a robot and handing out his business card. What was his last sentence again? Can he take it back? "This robot doesn''t possess self-awareness." "It''s apparent," Su Qi paused, "its construction is not as sophisticated as another robot I''ve seen before." Russell''s Tianqi Star... overall technological level seems to be higher than Night City''s, and this robot is indicative of that level. However. After all, Night City is a fusion of flesh and technology; robots seem to have been passed over since, without a nervous system, they cannot establish a connection with the active abnormality bodies; Su Qi even just hacked into it using the Super Dream Protocol. It would probably take ten minutes to hack it successfully. After passing security, led by the reception staff, they stepped onto an automatic staircase, were carried to the elevator entrance, and then entered the banquet hall on the 16th floor. "Before entering, apart from those magnates and guests from various worlds just mentioned, we''ve received news that Mr. Nancy, the superstar who will be hosting Stars Hall tomorrow, will also be attending tonight''s banquet." Mrs. Sigong''s eyes twinkled faintly, constantly checking various messages along the way. "He''s considered the most remarkable person here now." "Is he that impressive?" "Of course," Mrs. Sigong said calmly, "Mr. Nancy possesses not only fame but also substantial influence and a strong foundation of fans." "Influence?" Mrs. Sigong spoke softly, "He''s different from those big shots; their presence commands respect and intimidation, but he is a star, having hordes of fans who will go crazy for him, spending money on him." "In other words, if the powerful ingratiate themselves with Mr. Nancy, their benefits could potentially multiply several times over." The celebrity effect, isn''t it. Not necessarily, if Evil God were to endorse a sleep mask, Su Qi would certainly foot the bill. Su Qi and Mrs. Sigong stepped into the banquet hall, the grand space lavishly decorated; his gaze swept around, with numerous question marks indicating... every item in there was a luxury. At the same time. Quite a few people turned their gazes towards Su Qi, their eyes carrying a mix of indifference, disgust, and gloominess. The Hustlers are rooted in Illegal Land; naturally, they had been thoroughly investigated, originally planning to deal with and apply pressure after Stars Hall ended, only to unexpectedly show up at the banquet now. "Do you see that?" Mrs. Sigong''s eyes were profound, once again becoming that experienced magnate: "Their gazes are very unpleasant." "Of course, there''s no need for you to feel angry, they look at anyone from the lower class with the same disdain." "On one hand, they dread Illegal Land, and on the other, they feel that sharing a room with people from Illegal Land is degrading." Su Qi glanced at her, "You seem to understand a lot, don''t you?" Mrs. Sigong reminisced lightly, "Because I used to be one of those looked upon with those same eyes." Su Qi spoke softly, "Then, shall we just... do something?" "Do something" Mrs. Sigong murmured, "There''s nothing that can be done. That''s just how Night City operates." "That''s not necessarily true; I actually brought more than twenty mini high-energy bombs with me." Mrs. Sigong was startled, "????" What the hell are you planning to do! "Don''t do anything rash now!" Mrs. Sigong was almost sweating profusely. "Don''t worry, I''m not going to use them now." "That''s good" "Good my ass!" Mrs. Sigong''s eyes widened, "When do you plan to use them!" Su Qi gave a slight smile. Smile my foot! Speak up! At this moment, Mrs. Sigong felt as if fate were gripping her throat. She remembered with trembling heart that although his title was that of a Chamber of Commerce president, in reality, he had directly obliterated two extremely dangerous large gangshe''s an unequivocally dangerous individual! Chapter 179 - 155: Now there are two people drenched in sweat The car carrying Mr. Nancy and his assistant appeared at the base of the skyscraper when many scions of the wealthy elite had already gathered around. The powerful, both eager to curry favor and unwilling to lose face, naturally found it more appropriate for their family members to make an appearance on their behalf. "Respected Mr. Nancy! I apologize, but there are simply too many youths attending the banquet who like and admire you, and so we didn''t stop them," the person in charge said respectfully. At this moment, he too had learned to be smart, flattering guests accordingly. Since Mr. Nancy had everything under control and was in a comfortable position for relaxation and with a good mood, naturally a few arrangements could be made, of course without excessive flattery. Mr. Nancy just gently squinted his eyes and smiled warmly, "Hand me a pen." His assistant muttered, "You really are in the mood." As his personal assistant, she could tell that Mr. Nancy was indeed in a good mood and took a pen out of her purse to hand over. Mr. Nancy picked a few young people he found pleasing and signed autographs for them. Seeing this scene, the person in charge relaxed a bit. "Mr. Nancy, Miss Assistant, if you will, many people in the banquet hall are awaiting your arrival." Mr. Nancy handed the pen back to his assistant, "Alright, tomorrow is expected to be tiring, so let''s relax a bit tonight." Miss Assistant calmly said, "Boss, you can''t do anything inappropriate. I''ll be keeping an eye on you." "..." Mr. Nancy felt the assistant''s subtly threatening gaze and coughed, "Don''t worry, this isn''t my first time at such an event." In the banquet hall, Miss Assistant didn''t enter side by side with Mr. Nancy; she waited at the door and, after hearing applause and a welcoming speech from inside, a slight smile appeared on her face. As always, Mr. Nancy, the boss, attracted everyone''s attention upon his arrival. Miss Assistant then stood a meter behind him. What followed were familiar scenes of various elites coming forward for greetings and conversation, with Mr. Nancy handling them with ease and an unperturbed, leisurely attitude without a trace of disturbance. After all, Mr. Nancy, the boss, had encountered so many powerful entities that he could remain composed even if Mount Tai were to collapse in front of him. Miss Assistant slightly smiled. The boss was such an outstanding man. Suddenly, her eyes moved to a middle-aged man standing at a distance with a wine glass, standing apart from the other elites. Who was that? As an exceptional close-proximity assistant, she always did her homework. According to the information on Night City, the man was one of the titans of the three top business conglomerates, Sigong Cheng. Such a presence... Seemed to be ostracized? Miss Assistant sensed that something was offhad something happened in Night City? It seemed there was a mention that two major forces in Illegal Land were annihilated a few days ago. At this moment, she couldn''t afford to investigate the situation, only feeling that the man''s expression wasn''t great, looking worried and unsettled. After enough time passed, Mr. Nancy gently coughed. Miss Assistant understood that this was her signal. She smiled and began to step forward proactively, stopping other elites wishing to approach, "Mr. Nancy is somewhat fatigued, he has yet to eat, please rest for a bit too." These intercepted elites, merely second and third-tier, sighed softly upon the assistant''s intervention and stepped back. And then, Sigong Cheng could no longer sit still, knowing that missing this opportunity meant it would be difficult to find another appropriate moment. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At the same time, many watchful eyes of other elites turned towards him. They sipped their red wine calmly, observing the man who had once held a high position and then purposely severed his own arm. "Mr. Nancy." Sigong Cheng, holding his wine glass, walked over slowly, his tone respectful, "I''m Sigong Cheng from Life Group. May I have a drink with you?" Life Group was currently in a trough due to various maneuvers, significantly reduced and harshly cut back, losing money by the second. Although there were reasons for his actions, and he had no regrets, it was essential to find any opportunity to change the current situation. If he could gain Mr. Nancy''s support, the group might have a chance to catch its breath and possibly gain more traffic and market share, even reaching beyond Night City to trade with other worlds. This was the precious value of Mr. Nancy. Mr. Nancy did not speak, nor did he reach out his hand. He was indeed fatigued, having dealt with top-tier elites was enough; he needed to relax and rest. Miss Assistant paused slightly, then stepped forward and said softly, "I apologize, Mr. Nancy is currently preparing to dine, please wait a moment." Sigong Cheng opened his mouth but ultimately did not continue, softly saying, "Apologies for the disturbance." The other elites said nothing; their status required no mockery, yet the corners of many mouths subtly curved up... Life Group''s value was still not insignificant, but given the situation, it would soon be devoured completely by them. At the distant dining table. Su Qi was leaning on the sofa chair, nibbling on desserts while paying attention to the plethora of data models constructed by the Super Dream Protocol. "Seems like it''ll need all night, but that''s just fine." He also noticed Sigong Cheng returning with a solemn face, "Failed?" "Hmm... you could say that." Sigong Cheng shook his head, "Because I didn''t even get a chance to speak." Beings like that simply didn''t care about any of Night City''s elite; those old rivals had arranged for supervisors to follow closely, showering the other party with flattery, which put them in a good mood and earned some opportunities. There was nothing he could do. "That guy is so full of himself? I was just about to ask him for a favor," Su Qi muttered to himself. "..." Sigong Cheng said helplessly, "You think you two are acquainted? You speak as if it''s a given." But in reality, they were acquainted. Himself, on the "Love, Death, Robots" show. Helping to host, changing processes, interacting with the audience! In the end. Mr. Nancy gritted his teeth, feeling grateful and reluctant to say goodbye; if that wasn''t a connection, what was? Su Qi yawned and stood up. "You''re really going?" Sigong Cheng was startled, shaking his head lightly, "He''s already dining, effectively rejecting other visits. Your going would be futile, and should you displease him, that would cause trouble." "No big deal," Su Qi picked up a dessert and walked straight over. "I can share a table with him." "???" Su Qi''s figure caught the attention of others, and many cast their gazes in his direction. The president of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce? What does he want to do? "Hm?" The assistant too heard the footsteps; why was someone disturbing them again? She turned her head slightly, then... slightly frowned, why did the person seem familiar? The next moment. The assistant''s eyes trembled even more. Wait. Looks really familiar! Why does he look just like Mr. Nancy''s arch-enemy of a lifetime?! "Mr. Nancy old boss..." the assistant uttered instinctively, feeling an inexplicable danger, she couldn''t help but speak up to warn him. Mr. Nancy slightly raised his eyebrows, cutting his steak, he only felt a strange numbness on his scalp, and before he could react, he saw a figure pull out a chair and sit down directly. Of all Night City''s elite, all upper class, who could be so rude... The next moment. The assistant could distinctly feel her boss''s body tremble, then his gaze became stiff yet silent as he stared at the young man in front of him. "Long time no see... Mr. Nancy," Su Qi''s smile was innocuous and contained a hint of politeness, "May I sit here?" Mr. Nancy: "...." He didn''t know how to describe his feelings at that moment. Sometimes, encounters between people were like Murphy''s Law, the less you want them to happen, the greater the chance they will. He didn''t know why he was seeing this face here, and again this smile; in any case, an inexplicable unease couldn''t help but rise from the bottom of his heart. And also... You''ve already sat down, why ask such a senseless question! Chapter 180 - 156 Love-Struck is Inadvisable (4000) Nancy took a deep breath, not knowing why he was behaving this way. Already a gold-medal host and a superstar accustomed to various circles, he was far from a newbie who needed deep breaths to steady himself. Such behavior was typical when he had just started and had faced grand events or unexpected challenges. Now... Nancy slowly set down his knife and fork, "Indeed, I didn''t expect to meet you again." He had regained his composure and managed a smile, though his face remained stern. Actually, when he thought about it, it wasn''t a big deal. This was no longer the context of their previous encounter, so there was no need to be cautious about this young man. "Why are you here in Night City? Or is it because of the Descent''s strength?" Nancy calmly asked Su Qi. This wasn''t the first time he''d mentioned the word ''Descent''. He had encountered many ''Descenders'', terms like missions, players, Tools, Skill, during his shows. They were no longer secrets, simply influenced by Paradise''s powers, and Skills were just datafied versions of various abnormal traits. He knew more than most about those beings from Paradise. "This... it''s a long story." "Long story... I''d listen to it." If it had been anyone else, Nancy might not have been interested, but when Su Buxian spoke, he felt it was necessary to understand the whole story. "Alright." Su Qi said, "Fourteen days ago, including myself, a total of one thousand players, or ''Descenders'' as you call them, arrived in this city." "I was in debt when I arrived." He flashed his wristwatch, "Now, even my citizen Level status is still at the bottom." Nancy''s lips twitched into a smile, realizing he had worried too much. After all, what could someone achieve in fifteen days? In Night City, they probably couldn''t even afford a ticket to Stars Hall. He had thought the other party might cause some unforeseen trouble. Now, it seemed he had overthought it. "?" Su Qi glanced at him, "Can you tone down that schadenfreude smile?" "Sorry, I was born with a love for laughter." Nancy, a bit more relaxed now, raised his knife and fork again, cutting through his medium-rare steak smeared with black pepper sauce, comfortably popping it into his mouth, gently chewing. His assistant watched this scene, knowing her boss was back in good spirits but hadn''t expected him to actually burst into laughter. It was a genuine laugh, not the forced kind he usually reserved for others or his fans. Though indeed... it was a laugh at others'' misfortune. "Since you''re naturally inclined to laugh, it seems you are indeed the perfect spokesperson for The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce." Su Qi murmured. Nancy squinted his eyes, "The Hustlers? Chamber of Commerce?" Hadn''t this guy called himself the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect during the show? Now what''s this about The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce? "This is my business card." His assistant immediately reached out, ready to take it, as she usually managed such exchanges, which all the dignitaries of Night City did, unless it involved a higher-up. But Nancy gestured for her not to and wiped his mouth with a napkin before taking the card, saying, "To come up with a chamber of commerce in just fifteen days and even make it here, you do have remarkable abilities among the many Descenders, having at least clung to a dignitary." Despite having been dominated by Su Qi in their broadcast show, Nancy had seen Su Qi''s performance and even the Priest present had admitted defeat; his abilities were indeed stronger than he had imagined. However, when Nancy saw the self-drawn business card handed to him, he fell silent. "Are you sure this is a business card..." Su Qi replied, "What else could it be, a meal ticket?" sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." No, I just feel it''s... doodling. "Stay calm, after all, there wasn''t much time, and it was a bit rushed. Plus, these are limited editions hand-drawn by the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers himself." Su Qi patted him, "Keep it, study it well, its future value is immeasurable." Keep it, my ass! Nancy nearly threw the business card back! But thinking about it from another angle, there was even less to worry about. If the business card was this crude, then this so-called Hustlers Chamber of Commerce must be even cruder. Stars Hall had established hierarchical sections to prevent ordinary people from mixing with the dignitaries, with vast amounts of EMT security as a barrier. Put nicely, it was for the safety of the viewers; put bluntly, it was to keep certain people from catching the eyes of dignitaries, those in power, or even the Spirit Prince''s Heir, to avoid displeasure. "Alright, I''ll keep this... ''business card.''" Nancy coughed lightly, gently placing it back in his pocket, "Consider it a token of our second encounter." Actually, after his previous disastrous show appearance, some audience members kept bringing up Su Buxian, causing Nancy''s veins to bulge during the few subsequent shows. Hence, Nancy eventually learned and studied a bit, especially in terms of commentary style, which indeed brought more passion and influenced the audience''s mood, leading to some gains. Of course, he definitely wouldn''t admit that. "But..." "...The endorsement you just mentioned," Nancy shook his head with a mild smile, "I''m afraid that won''t work. You''ve seen, all the big shots have made high offers, but I haven''t agreed to any, as it''s not just some casual matter." Rejecting Su Buxian felt genuinely satisfying. Moreover, the matter indeed wasn''t that simple. Chapter 181 - 156: Being Love-Struck is Not Advisable (4000)_2 Nancy was well aware of his commercial value, so he cherished his reputation even more. The endorsements he accepted were, in fact, very few, and he strictly judged their value and influence. Moreover, the most important thing was that he never aimed to make money; all his actions were solely to enhance his reputation. Some people, with the prestige brought by their strength, could protect a part of the world. Nancy''s strength wasn''t at that level, but he could achieve protection through his celebrity status, safeguarding the world he had lived in from pollution and collapse. In the increasingly dangerous Present World, a world without any background would only struggle more and more to survive. Su Qi hesitated, "You mean to say that our friendship doesn''t count?" "..." Nancy twitched the corner of his mouth. We don''t have any damn friendship! "It''s just that the feelings have faded," Su Qi shook his head, "I clearly co-hosted with you, partnering up, we were colleagues." "You''re a contestant! Have the nerve to call that being colleagues!!" When the past was brought up again, Nancy, gripping his knife and fork, barely kept his composure! After the last program ended, he swore he''d blacklist Su Qi, never to participate in "Playhaven" again! "Well...." The female assistant, seeing this scene, quickly coughed to give her boss a way out: "Mr. Nancy, sir, many people are still waiting for you." This time, Nancy realized he had almost lost his composure, gritted his teeth slowly, and put down his knife and fork, "Enough, I won''t talk to you anymore." His usually adept talking couldn''t cope with this guy who played by no known rules. "You should just go back to where you came from, I still have events and schedules, and I have to host at Stars Hall tomorrow, very busy..." Su Qi: "So... will there be interaction with the audience then?" "It has nothing to do with you..." Nancy''s eyelids twitched. Because... there really was. "Anyway." Nancy always felt that staying any longer might be ominous, so he stood up: "Buxian, till we meet again." "Okay, see you tomorrow." "..." Nancy always felt uneasy about that phrase. Still, even if the other party entered later, he would only be in the rear area; he couldn''t step into the privilege area, let alone the VIP area. "Then see you tomorrow." After he stood up, other dignitaries swarmed towards him, surrounding him. Su Qi scooped up a spoon of dessert. He looked at the female assistant beside him, "Aren''t you going with them?" She shook her head, but answered off-topic: "Money, power, status..." The assistant softly said, "Mr. Nancy has seen too much of that, he generally isn''t moved by it, nor would he agree easily to such matters. But still, personally accepting your business card is indeed Mr. Nancy''s recognition of you." Recognition? Hardly necessary. And not moved? That didn''t exist. However, instead of arguing, Su Qi looked at the female assistant, "By the way, do you like Nancy?" The assistant was still speaking but her eyes suddenly widened; she stammered, "Wait... wait, what are you... talking about?" The switch was too quick for her to react, and where did it even come from! "No need to hide, I''ve worked at both matchmaking agencies and blind date corners, I am quite insightful about love." Are you some kind of matchmaker! "Additionally, I''m not hiding anything, how could I possibly like my boss," the assistant gathered her composure and explained. "I''m professional, I won''t be wrong," Su Qi said indifferently, "I once helped thirty-two pairs of nearly couples." "Were you successful in matching them?" "No, I successfully split them all." ??? The assistant incredulously widened her eyes. That''s professional? "All I broke were losers or flirts; of course, I''ve made many successful matches too, I can tell at a glance, and you naturally can''t hide it." When I was testing my abilities, I went to the blind date corner... nearly got surrounded by people, so I moved to the matchmaking agency; I must say I made some contributions to human happiness. "... So what are you trying to say?" The assistant''s voice sank, her expression towards Su Qi was a bit wary, her tone slightly stern, "Or are you trying to use this somehow?" She didn''t expect her thoughts to be seen through, but so what if the other party wanted to use this against Mr. Nancy... she could only say no way! "I''m not a bad person," Su Qi''s smile was harmless. "...I was only proving my professionalism, and taking the opportunity to remind you." He looked at Nancy''s figure, "It seems that guy has taken a liking to you too." The assistant shivered, a bit flustered, "You... don''t talk nonsense." "I can explain the analysis details to you, and could even teach you the confirmation methods, though it might take several minutes," Su Qi muttered. "But it might be inconvenient for you, given both of you are really busy. If not, then forget it..." The female assistant slammed her hand down on the table, "Forget it?! Tell me!" Su Qi smiled. Five minutes later The female assistant left, her heart shaken and her steps unsteady. Watching her retreating figure, Su Qi muttered, "See, people in love are just irrational." "Even unaware that their data has been breached." "There''s quite a lot of content." Su Qi looked at the event itinerary and information he had extracted through his Super Dream Protocol from her device. Using Super Dream Protocol was time-consuming, and if the woman glanced at her watch, she might notice. So Su Qi had chosen a topic that would make the biggest impact on the assistant. The effect was indeed good. After all, everyone has their vulnerabilities or weak spots, and having that information meant he had the advantage. However, he didn''t really lie. It was just that the two had different statuses, and their feelings were a bit awkward. If it could work out, both would have to bow to him. "Hmm?" Su Qi continued browsing. "So many guests from different worlds?" "The so-called Fantasy Universe is indeed rich and colorful." "Preparing so many opening programs, can Nancy handle it all by himself?" "There are quite a few auction items, but none caught my eye." "And the Spirit Prince''s Heir... will he attend?" Su Qi glanced over these points, then suddenly paused, his gaze stopping on something, "Wait... this piano, why does it look familiar?" At that moment, Sigong Cheng''s incredulous voice sounded beside him, "You... really got in touch with Mr. Nancy?" He looked at Su Qi, astonished, "I saw him personally take your business card. Many were shocked. How did you manage it?" Su Qi closed the panel. "How did I manage it? I''ve told you, we''re acquainted. Once, he nearly had a mishap during a live show, and I stepped in, turned the situation around, and helped him keep control." "Really?" Sigong Cheng''s eyes widened in shock. "It couldn''t be truer. If you don''t believe me, you can ask him next time." Nancy: ???? Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi paused, "Also, there''s good news." Sigong Cheng blinked, "What?" "Nancy has already agreed to become a spokesman for The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce." "When did that happen!" Sigong Cheng''s eyes widened; he hadn''t seen the two signing any contract, and their conversation wasn''t long. "Probably right after Stars Hall opens tomorrow." Sigong Cheng: "...." His veins were throbbing with excitement. It seemed impossible, considering a spokesman and Stars Hall advertising were completely different; all the elite knew they couldn''t get Nancy to endorse their products, so they resorted to using Stars Hall for ads. At most, they would use holographic scrolling advertisements when Stars Hall was about to close. To have Nancy personally endorse it, considering their Night City connections... it was impossible. Sigong Cheng sighed, "Ah, if only he could represent the products of Life Group, the continuous losses, including the whole situation, would surely change completely." Unfortunately, It was too difficult. "Who''s endorsing those things." "???" Su Qi patted his shoulder and said, "You just remember, set up the sanitation in Illegal Land tomorrow, put up the banner of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, have the factory ready at any time, wait for my word, and after Stars Hall closes... the rest is all up to you and Simon." Chapter 182 - 157 Nancy: What a sin! Stars Hall on that day. It was also the last day for many players to visit the replica city, Night City. Night City was teeming with people, with all kinds of visitors pouring in from all directions to step into the magnificent Stars Hall, where holographic technology, welcome speeches, electricity that didn''t cost a dime, and a plethora of advertisements flooded every corner of Night City. A large number of personnel were entering Stars Hall. The assistant was doing Nancy''s makeup, arranging his clothes, and making all the preparations for the opening. Nancy, recalling everything calmly, didn''t feel nervous, but he did look at his assistant with some curiosity: "Say, why have you been looking down all day?" The assistant replied, "Last night... I didn''t sleep well... got a stiff neck." This was a lie. She hadn''t slept all night because of the details and analysis Su Qi had mentioned, which had been circling in her head. She couldn''t possibly say that she had been kept up all night thinking about it, could she? Nancy glanced slightly at the holographic surveillance screen in the office, where a large number of Stars Hall staff were bustling about: "There really are a lot of people." There were many guests from various circles, as this auction event amounted to a grand annual celebration of this domain, and Night City was just the selected host city. However, even so, Night City had also put all its effort, mustered all its strength, and devoted itself to serving guests from all circles. These dignitaries were indeed willing to spend lavishly, naturally spending all their money in the VIP and distinguished guests areas. But many dignitaries considered it worthwhile, as this domain contained too many big and small worlds. Although it was just the tip of the iceberg in the truly vast Chaos, or even equivalent to a galaxy within the entire universe, for Night City, it was already enough. "We cannot afford a single mistake today," Nancy said softly. "There are already about a dozen or so Spirit Prince''s Heirs that have arrived at the scene." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These dozen or so were relatives of the Spirit King, akin to descendants of the great Spirit King family. Although it didn''t sound like much, anyone related to the Spirit King was someone Nancy needed to treat cautiously. Don''t underestimate distant nephews as relatives. Additionally... the itinerary of a few Spirit Prince''s Heirs seemed a bit slower, so they were expected to arrive a bit later. Their identities appeared to be even more significant. That was why Night City had arranged such a long program lineup. "It''s about time, Mr. Nancy," said the person in charge softly. "The opening will begin in five minutes." "Okay." As the host, Nancy naturally had to go to the staging area beforehand. Stars Hall was now crowded with people, but it was distinctly organized; there was no chaotic noise, and it didn''t seem crowded. Night City had even significantly reduced the noise between different regions. Even if there were loud shouts in the rear areas, at least they wouldn''t bother the VIP section. And after all, with holographic images projected in every corner, there was no need to worry about myopic guests not being able to see the central platform. "It really is... perfection. But that''s good." "At least there won''t be any trouble." Nancy heard about the incident in Illegal Land from those dignitaries yesterday; they had said Night City had successfully eliminated the Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd, two major gangs, and it was now under their jurisdiction. The specifics weren''t clearly disclosed, as if deliberately avoiding the topic. He didn''t bother to ask more. "It''s time for the opening, Mr. Nancy." Nancy nodded. He collected his thoughts. Then, revealing a professional smile, dressed in a sumptuous tailcoat, he stood up straight, exuding confidence as he strode out. He entered the stage like a beam of light that captivated everyone''s attention! Music, lights, the whole Stars Hall was sparkling! "Ladies and gentlemen," Nancy''s voice reached everyone''s ears: "Welcome to Night City!" "Welcome to this world auction of celebration!" "I am today''s host, Nancy!" He was surrounded by many spotlights! The applause of the audience also followed. The burning sensation in the air made every cell in his body jump. Exactly. This was the feeling, everything progressing step by step! All in his control! "Next, let us first welcome the important guests who have come to Night City..." Nancy first introduced the other Spirit Princes and the presences of other powers; they all sat in the foremost and top seats, having individual private areas, so there was no need for detailed introductions, merely a welcome speech according to their power. These dozen or so Spirit Princes were people of [Phantom Dream Spirit King] and [Death Omen Star Spirit King], both of whom had formed vast families, with the latter even being a power centered around heirs. Then there were some other organizations, who, although they didn''t compare to the Spirit King, were still behemoths to Night City. Finally, It was time to introduce the organizers of Stars Hall, the five investors of Night City who contributed the most to its construction; their strength and value in Night City were undoubtedly top-notch, and this was also their method of making their reputations known. "Galaxy Logistics..." "New Evolution Group..." Nancy looked at the holographic panel and read off each name; after all, as the organizer, this was the normal procedure. And the seats of the five organizers were also separately placed at the front, located in an area like judges'' seats, of course, also near the Spirit Princes'' positions. Above each person''s seat, there were holographic logos and advertisements for the groups. After announcing one, the dignitary would rise with the chair. It could be said that they had exhausted all means to climb up in status. "Wisdom Group..." "Mih Group..." Chapter 183 - 157 Nancy: Sinning!_2 Nancy continued reciting until he reached the final name: "Also, the Hustlers..." He suddenly choked, his pupils slightly constricting, disbelief evident in his eyes. What the hell? Why do these characters look so familiar!? Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce? Nancy was utterly shocked. Wasn''t this that guy''s joke-level chamber of commerce? That crude business card was still in his pocket! How could these characters now appear on the organizer list!? Nancy didn''t have time to think, as thousands of eyes were fixed on him, confirming that he hadn''t seen wrong. He took a deep breath. "And the Hustlers Chamber of Commerce! Thanks to these five organizers for their support!" Nancy looked towards the distant VIP area, the last seat... slowly displaying the logo of the Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, a design that, upon closer inspection, was recognized as the character for "idle." Simultaneously appearing in... Nancy''s line of sight, was Su Qi, who slowly emerged along with the rising seat. "..." Damn it. Nancy felt a lump in his chest, and he even saw Su Buxian waving and smiling at him! And giving him a thumbs-up gesture! Thumbs up my ass! The most crucial part... the organizers even had a microphone, ready for a short speech at the end of the event schedule, before the auction would start. This was also an opportunity for the five elite figures to advertise and court various powers. As long as they captured even one person''s attention, it would be enough. Anyway, it was bad! Really bad now! Nancy''s scalp tingled, and he began to sweat profusely. This guy showing up in the front row was one thing, but being one of the organizers, and now he even had a microphone! What a disaster! With trembling hands, Nancy picked up the microphone: "In any case, this is not only an auction but also a celebration where guests from all walks gather. Before the auction commences, please enjoy the upcoming fabulous shows!" Without any hesitation, he hastily exited the stage, letting the show temporarily cover for him. The person in charge stood there, dumbfounded, watching Nancy stride over! "Mr. Nancy... you seemed to have left the stage about a minute earlier than scheduled." "Don''t remind me." Nancy''s eyes were intensely solemn: "First tell me, what''s the deal with the Hustlers Chamber of Commerce! How did he become one of the organizers!" The person in charge coughed: "This, it was a last-minute notification... Originally that spot was supposed to be for Life Group and that Sigong Cheng, after all, although they''ve declined significantly, the funds invested previously ensured Life Group owned this seat. Then, this morning, there was a last-minute notification... it was changed to the Hustlers Chamber of Commerce." "Other elites saw that Life Group didn''t show up at such an event, and even transferred the spot to this unknown chamber, naturally feeling it was a good opportunity, and they agreed." "I''m not asking about that," Nancy said slowly and earnestly: "I''m asking why Life Group would transfer this seat to that guy." This seat was coveted by the elites, both in terms of value and opportunity, naturally very important to their own interests. The person in charge stammered: "I... I don''t know either, I just know Life Group moved into Illegal Land, which seems to be where the Hustlers Chamber of Commerce originated." Nancy''s expression subtly darkened, and after a few seconds of contemplation. He decided to leave the place directly and find his assistant. "Mr. Nancy..." The person in charge couldn''t call him back. Meanwhile, the assistant lady was inspecting various auction items in the lower area, which were very important, and she was personally responsible for them. Yet she saw the approaching Nancy and was slightly startled: "Boss Nancy? Shouldn''t you be in the waiting area? How... did you end up here?" Seeing the hurrying Nancy, she suddenly realized something: "That... if you need a toilet, it''s over there." Nancy shook his head: "Help me check something, the elites of Night City lied, investigate Illegal Land... about the real situation of the Hustlers Chamber of Commerce." He felt an odd sense of crisis. In fact, this feeling had always been present, its source unknown, possibly related to him, or possibly to the Spirit Prince''s Heir. In any case, it seemed something big was about to happen that would decide his career. After seeing Su Buxian, this feeling grew particularly strong. Therefore. He needed to gather enough information to face the unknown situation... or to use as leverage in making his decision. Elsewhere, in another area, Sigong Cheng and Simon sat together, but they were not in the VIP section; instead, they were in the ordinary area. Simon muttered, "I didn''t expect that the president would actually persuade you to give up your seat." He looked towards Sigong Cheng. "You wouldn''t happen to be holding any... secrets, like an affair or a crime, that the president might be using against you?" Sigong Cheng: "...." "My actions are transparent and honorable; I wouldn''t have such filthy secrets." "Besides, I like investing..." He glanced over at Su Buxian who briefly appeared on the holographic screen. Sigong Cheng''s support for The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce was motivated by his daughter''s illness, but that didn''t mean he would support them unconditionally and hand over all benefits. The fact that he could enter Illegal Land and announce the official start of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce was already the utmost he could do. He had initially wanted to take this opportunity at Stars Hall to revive and rejuvenate Life Group. But... that guy had successfully persuaded him. "Taking part in this gigantic gamble, I wonder whether the outcome will prove to be right or wrong." Simon was confused as he silently gazed into the distance at Su Buxian. But it didn''t matter. After all... whatever the president intended to do, he would support him unconditionally. ..... [Reputation +100] Su Qi''s eyelid twitched slightly; where did this 100 come from? Large increments in reputation usually indicated a powerful person or deep reverence. Had the followers of The Hustlers Sect increased? He had also gained some scattered reputation by just making an appearance, though the amount wasn''t large. It was because he hadn''t yet made a deep impression. Like watching an advertisement; without repeated, brainwashing slogans, who would remember? He checked his current progress. [Title: Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers (75238/100000)] [Current Level LV2: Emerging] Not bad, he had gained nearly forty thousand more since the last time, besides the over ten thousand outside of Night City, the rest of the reputation had accumulated naturally over time. He wondered who had contributed this boost. "But indeed, I need to pay attention," Su Qi muttered to himself. "According to the information gathered from Left Hand''s group, reputation is not just about boosting capabilities." "There are also important elements like Totems, shrines, and followers." He knew about shrines. Whether it was the Gods or the Seven Spirit Kings, powerful beings likely all possessed them, used to provide Sanctuary to the world and deter Pollution. It also served as a way to increase followers. Of course, it was the opposite for Evil God; his shrine was in the form of a Sheep Head, primarily aimed to Pollute the world and create chaos. However. This was all because these dreadful beings possessed the power of Dreadful Dominance and reputation, enabling such actions. "Ordinary weaklings... should probably start with what''s known as a Totem." Like those engraved on an Amulet... not a fixed object, as long as the strength could be projected within it, it could be utilized, though at most it could slightly alter house Feng Shui and provide sanctuary for individuals. For example, A well-known old monk''s blessed jade bracelet within ten villages; it contained the monk''s strength, which didn''t necessarily come from physical power, but rather from the accumulated Power of Faith over time. It could help you purify Pollution. Other ordinary players actually didn''t value reputation much, thinking that title capabilities were merely auxiliary and fame was hard to achieve. But the big clubs nurtured various emerging talents, aiming to make a name from various instances, and it wasn''t just for the sake of title capabilities. "....." At this moment, The first show had concluded. Mr. Nancy walked out briskly, appearing less confident and more uneasy compared to the opening, Though his professionalism was still spot-on, invisible to others. Only Su Qi could notice, Because there were question marks hovering over Mr. Nancy''s head. [Now... he is panicking] Chapter 184 - 158: The Arrival of the Young Master Spirit King! Nonsense. Could Nancy not panic? Just as she had sent her assistant to investigate, she received news that three Spirit Prince''s Heirs would arrive in about half an hour. Moreover, their identities had been confirmed. These three were direct descendants of the Spirit King, with extremely high status; they were beyond comparison to any of the Spirit King family members present. And each of them was different; one was capricious, another bizarre and odd, and the last cold and indifferent. In short. Trouble, and not a single normal one among them. And. Nancy''s eyelid twitched as she looked at Su Qi sitting in the organizer''s seat. There was also Su Buxian, a ticking time bomb. This guy was weak and lacked any backing, but he He didn''t act like a normal person! S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the last show, he had even challenged a Priest. It was because of Su Qi''s unconventional nature that he kept a respectful distance. "What a hellish start" Nancy''s trigeminal nerve was in pain. "The guy should know the weight of being a Spirit Prince''s Heir, right?" "He wouldn''t cause trouble, would he?" "This guy he''s smiling at me, looks pretty harmonious and well-behaved." "Did I laugh a bit too loudly yesterday?" Nancy hesitated for a few seconds, then continued hosting the next event. In any case. Just wait and see. Time passed minute by minute; the celebration continued enthusiastically, and everything was proceeding perfectly normally. Night City''s event was unlike any ordinary soiree; to satisfy guests from all walks of life, in conjunction with holographics, prosthetics, and technology, a dazzling array of technical splendor was showcased, making everyone feel as if they were immersed in the experience. Fantasy Universe indeed had substance to it. Su Qi looked at the blueprints and models in the "Super Dream Protocol." "The blueprint details are pretty much there, and the Super Dream subsystem should also be built." The "Super Dream Protocol" was an intelligent system that could continuously absorb, process, and analyze data, but the most important point was... it was linked to one''s spiritual power. In other words, the higher Su Qi''s spiritual power was, the stronger its processing and analytical abilities would become. So, Su Qi studied for a while and found that he could leave a subsystem in Night City. "It''s akin to an Electronic Shrine" Although it was uncertain if he could still connect after leaving the instance, The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce and The Hustlers Sect needed to expand, develop, and grow stronger, so it was essential to build an exchange system. Additionally. Because the "Super Dream Protocol" was linked to his spiritual power, he could allow the system to intelligently allocate a portion of it to use the "Concrete" ability to construct models. Existing EMT information, the entirety of Life Group''s core data, and Adam Hammer''s modified machinery technology were continuously fed by Su Qi into the "Super Dream Protocol." The good news. It could now fully replicate EMT, copy the blueprint models of Adam Hammer This indirectly showed that given time and extensive data, the "Super Dream Protocol" could master many technological blueprints, bypassing others'' technological barriers. The bad news. Once Night City''s elite realized this, they would undoubtedly go to war, collectively attack The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, for them, having their in-house developed technology controlled directly by another was a matter of life and death. More good news. Su Qi could continuously integrate various elements, deriving all sorts of patchwork products. Even better news. He sewed them all, laying the foundation for The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce''s signature products, and what followed was depending on Simon and Sigong Cheng''s execution, which was why Sigong Cheng had passed this position over to him. Investing was risky, but if one saw a thing of unlimited potential, naturally Sigong Cheng understood what choices to make. However. What Su Qi miscalculated was that Sigong Cheng''s real all-in bet was not only on the product but also on Su Qi himself. Su Qi looked at the stage, smiling faintly. "Now, all that''s missing is Nancy as the spokesperson." Nancy shivered; his gaze fell on Su Qi, whose smile gave him an uneasy feeling. It was like having the sensation of being stalked by human traffickers in the street, about to be bundled into a car at any moment. "But it''s not that simple." In Su Qi''s mind, there were at least nine ways to make Nancy loudly recite the advertisements of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce here in Stars Hall, his weaknesses being the Spirit Prince''s Heirs and his career. But using leverage to threaten was ultimately a last resort. These methods had major flaws; once used they could have a temporary advertising effect, but would also cause Nancy to completely veer away from this connection. Su Qi''s real aim was to make Nancy the spokesperson of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce. In simple terms. That was to firmly bind him to this thief ship bah, this dream ship that had yet to set sail amidst the raging waves. However. Such things were never easy, after all, Sigong Cheng and Nancy were different. Nancy''s position was complicated, having seen too many chips and interests, and what he truly wanted, Su Qi did not yet know. "Just a chance is needed." And at that moment. The largest holographic screen in the center of Stars Hall began flashing suddenly, and although it was brief, many still noticed it. Then. To prove that it wasn''t an illusion just now, the holographic screen started flashing continuously, and the music and background noise were also intermittently affected. "What''s going on?" the person in charge was sweating bullets, his eyes wide open as he urgently inquired! He was under more pressure than Nancy. If nothing went wrong, he''d sweat through his entire outfit. Chapter 185 - 158: The Arrival of the Young Master Spirit King! _2 There was trouble. He would have bled profusely, cut into pieces and recycled in a dumpsite. "Still checking." "There are unknown energy fluctuations causing ripples that destabilize the current." Then, The holographic screens scattered throughout the Stars Hall also flickered, as did everyone''s wrist projections! The crowd was stunned. "What''s going on?" "Was there an accident?" "Or is it part of the show?" Nancy and Su Qi''s eyes slightly narrowed as they both looked up towards the high dome of the Stars Hall. Nancy sensed the presence, his strength was only Seventh Rank, but he was still the most powerful being present, surpassing even the Spirit Prince''s descendants; however, he still had to nod and bow, not daring to slack in the slightest. After all, Strength? Strength was useless. In the grand scheme... power, and one''s background mattered. Meanwhile, Su Qi had looked up because he saw a question mark. "[Strength is opening a spatial portal, causing ripples]" "It''s... the arrival of some of the Spirit Princes'' Heirs!" Without any hesitation, Nancy immediately informed the backstage. He also signaled for the program to pause. All holographic screens in the Stars Hall transformed, displaying grand and majestic scenes to everyone. Above the Stars Hall, rune pathways were constantly forming. The next moment, A figure slowly stepped out from the portal, its body covered in black runes, tall, filled with an abnormal and eerie presence, yet its eyes held a scrutinous gaze. It looked around, "Seems I''m the first?" The crowd fell silent! Nancy took a deep breath. "Let us welcome the Young Master Youhai Spirit King!" The elites and visitors of various realms also wore a look of reverence, standing up, applauding, while those from powerful factions and the Spirit Prince''s descendants... squinting, didn''t move but their expressions held a hint of fear. Though backed by Spirit Kings, they couldn''t compare with these direct descendants. Afterwards, Two more rune pathways materialized, space ripples fluctuated. Two figures also... stepped out of the portal! One dressed in white clothes, wearing a light smile, but the look in his eyes was chilling. The other was a youth with an expressionless face, observing everything calmly. Young Master Youhai narrowed his eyes huskily, "Looks like you two are a step behind me..." The calm youth tossed a pouch exuding energy, "I accept my loss." "..." The white-clothed Young Master showed a strange smile as his teeth clicked, "You can take it, but... unlike him, there aren''t many who''ve taken things from me and ended well." Young Master Youhai''s eyes eyed him dangerously, a menacing aura swirling, "We''ll see about that." Nancy swallowed. He could feel a strong tension between the three, the most problematic situation he foresaw. See, I told you, straight from Hell. But, He could only face it head-on. He forced a smile, shouting, "Let us welcome the Young Masters of Sunset Spirit King and Ash Spirit King!" Many elites immediately began to applaud, and music also started to play. "It''s quite crowded, but seems a bit too noisy!" The white-clothed Young Master Ash said with a soft laugh, "And... who among us three are you welcoming?" The audience felt his laughter eerie, sending chills down their spines. A dignitary from Night City gingerly, obsequiously smiled, "Well... welcome to all..." "Ha!" Young Master Ash, a chain glinting like cold light on his body, flew swiftly and pierced right through his shoulder, laughing: "Sorry, I can only answer one question." The noble''s expression was one of terror and pain as he still thought of speaking out to make an impression on the other. But unexpectedly, the other acted so abruptly! Why speak at all! "Of course it''s you...esteemed sir!" This obese noble, his prosthetic pierced yet also fused with flesh, chuckled nervously for the sake of his life. Young Master Ash grinned, "It seems... you don''t welcome the other two, do you?" The noble''s eyes widened in shock. Were there more explosions waiting in the chain? He sweated profusely, his face streaming as he muttered, "This..." But he dared not speak, as any answer would be pushing himself further into the fire pit. "So hesitant?" Young Master Ash shook his head with a smile, "It seems... you were lying to me just now." The noble was terrified, shaking in his boots and he quickly blurted out, "Sir, I wasn''t lying...it''s just..." But he couldn''t finish his sentence. The chains of Ash Spirit King, like blood vessels, suddenly burst open, and the noble was brutally flung away, his shoulder exploding into a large hole, and he fell unconscious to the ground. He murmured softly, "Insincere answers, I despise such people the most." Countless people watched, dumbfounded and fearful, at this scene. A powerful noble of Night City, a chairman with a vast economic empire, couldn''t even fart in front of the adversary and was gravely injured. And the reason was utterly absurd. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Nancy held the microphone, her palms sweating. This person was that capricious entity, cruel and merciless, a killer across many worlds, yet no one dared to defy him. Damn it. Nancy couldn''t even smooth things over, he was merely a somewhat famous lackey in the eyes of the other. "Boring antics." Young Master Sunset, An Xinghe, calmly remarked as he settled into his seat, uninterested in these affairs. "That''s quite a vile taste," chuckled Young Master Dark Sea, who also indulged in killings to vent, straightforward and direct, not disgusting like this person. Young Master Ash smiled and casually walked back to his seat. The three true heirs of the Spirit Kings made their formal entrance. Nancy took a deep breath and smiled, "Then, to welcome our distinguished young lords, a new program will now begin. Please enjoy." Continuing the paused program was not an option; Night City now had to bring out the extravagant spectacle prepared for the lords to divert attention. Ironically... that noble had put quite an effort into this luxurious event. "So these are the heirs of the Spirit King? Quite an entrance indeed." Su Qi mused to himself. The power of these three young lords wasn''t much different from that of Nancy''s; all were Seventh Rank. The void passage they used was opened with Spiritual Power Runes, nothing special. Moreover, They seemed to have bodyguards hidden around them, and their bodies were protected by the power of Totems ready to defend them. If Young Master Ash... lost these protections, he would''ve been chopped into chips long ago. "Relying on the background of the Spirit King and their status as young lords, they can kill in front of countless people, indicative of how terrifying their authority is." Su Qi observed everyone''s expressions. "And probably countless worlds are also under the protection of the Seven Spirit Kings'' Shrine, making people scared and reverent, not daring to be angry nor to speak." What''s called protection is, to speak harshly, similar to collecting protection money together with the Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd... paying immense amounts of Sky Gold to secure the right to live. After all, Not cooperating would result in pollution invasion and falling into destruction. Well, All trail back to the Evil God. "With his power alone, Evil God causes the hearts of those in the Present World to panic, destruction and death spread like a plague..." Su Qi shook his head, "Such a sin." At the moment, he glanced toward Nancy. That guy now looked calm, but inside he was extremely nervous because he had totally lost control of the proceedings and didn''t dare to speak rashly. With the three Spirit King heirs causing such a commotion upon their arrival, who knew what unexpected events could happen next. However, Though the three heirs of the Spirit King currently focused on the holographic stage, the splendid spectacle, their auras were dangerously swirling undercurrents: "What do you think?" "Nothing but boring falsities." "How about we have a chat then, I recently heard something interesting." Dark Sea Young Master hoarsely laughed, looking at Ash Young Master, "I heard that not long ago, one of your territories in Lin Yuan Land got wiped out, right?" As soon as these words came out, Ash Young Master''s dangerous aura suddenly shifted, then his eyes narrowed with a smiling gleam, "What are you trying to... say?" Chapter 186 - 159: Why Is Everyone Looking for Me? "What are you trying to say?" Young Master Youhai was unfazed by the dangerous aura of the other; his fingers tapped on the armrest of his seat, he let out a ghostly, strange chuckle, "There''s nothing much, just didn''t expect someone as ruthless and known for tormenting and intimidating countless as Young Master Ash, would dare to slap your face..." With the existence of such an enormous entity as the Seven Spirit Kings, usually, it''s like well water not mixing with river water, but in reality, there''s also considerable friction among the powers below. These heirs of the Spirit Kings are even more eager and competitive, constantly clashing with one another in secret. In the present world. ... As the Abyss Power surged, the Divine beings recovered, and under the influence of certain rules, there were tumultuous changes happening all the time. The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish. That saying could also be applied here... the more chaotic the present world is, the more opportunities for eruptions. A great number of worlds were producing new people of the present with infinite potential. Some struggled in collapsing worlds, carving a bloody path from dark corners. Some resided in pollution, embracing the Abyss Power, turning vicious. Infinite worlds, infinite possibilities. Even though they have the backing of the Spirit Kings and endless resources, appearing as the elites of their generation on the surface. But. The weight of the words "rising in times of chaos"... could be enough to leave traces that crush the wheels in any world, in any era. "Don''t speak so unpleasantly." However, Young Master Ash was not infuriated, merely smiling gently, "Slapping my face? It''s just an ant stirring up dust." "I''ve said before, once I find him, I will naturally turn him into my collectible." "Is that so? But..." Young Master Youhai spoke softly, "It seems you don''t yet know where the other party is, you could ask me for help, after all, as long as I wish it, there is no information or intelligence that I can''t find." Young Master Ash''s eyes flickered as he stared intently at the Young Master Youhai before him. The Youhai Spirit King is known for comprehending all things, their channels of information are spread across the Ten Thousand Realms, and it seems that each world has a creature known as the Information Worm, through which a vast amount of information can be captured and sent back to Dark Sea. "No need." Young Master Ash revealed a cold smile, "I will personally find that ant." An Xinghe at this moment was also looking at Young Master Youhai, he paused, but did not speak. He was indeed very interested in someone. And he wanted to find their tracks. Two months ago. When the Mixed Fish Piano noticed that this Young Master was getting tired of "Two Tigers", it started to worry since, as a piano player, it only had that one score uploaded by the Sect Hierarch. It couldn''t come up with anything new. To avoid being discarded, and seeing that the other seemed very interested in the Sect Hierarch. It began to expand its business. Through the score, it relayed the story of "The Hustlers Sect Hierarch" It adapted the story according to the epic heroics of its own world every day, it wrote four thousand characters in blood on the score sheet, constantly creating adventures across various worlds with the Sect Hierarch as the protagonist, to keep things fresh. It called this method of writing an "infinite stream." And An Xinghe, while skeptical of the content it narrated, did not burst its bubble; after all, the tales this creature spun were among the rare fun in a land filled with eeriness. "Although the story it tells might be false." "But this Hustlers Sect Hierarch should exist." Even if they were just an ordinary person, An Xinghe was still quite interested in them. However. Now wasn''t the time to think about this. This time... attending the auction was but a temporary stop, a brief rest, waiting for the hidden Protector strength to cool down completely, and then they could rebuild the channel and the three of them continue toward the Anxious Land. ... Su Qi silently observed the three Young Masters of the Spirit Kings. Although they were in host seats, it was outright impossible to be seated before the three Young Masters of the Spirit Kings. So. He was able to take advantage of his position behind them, using the [?] to look through the information of the three, one by one. And just earlier, Su Qi saw the same piece of information appearing simultaneously above the heads of Young Master Ash and Young Master Sunset, An Xinghe. [Seeking to find The Hustlers Sect Hierarch] "How should I put this." "I was still a bit surprised when I saw these two pieces of information." "Are these two actually looking... for me?" The question mark in the information changes with the state of the character, their mood, and the environment. Generally, the most prominent information at the moment has the highest chance of appearing, like how traces can be covered by dustvery metaphysical, yet also very useful. This theory of traces was learned from the Master of Destruction who mentioned the traces of the Old Days multiple times. This seemed to be something important. And at the moment, Su Qi was thinking. When had he come into contact with these two. "..." He recalled the Linyuan Landthe existence behind the casino was a Spirit Prince''s Heir. He had smashed up their establishment and even left the banner of The Hustlers Sect. "Good, I can confirm... that the Ash Spirit King is not coming for an autograph, but for revenge." The other one... Su Qi turned his gaze toward Young Master Sunset. He had a bit of an impression of this one; Russell had mentioned the word "Sunset" in the spaceship, after all, all the materials on the entire ship were turned over to the Sky Gold of the Youhai Spirit King. If he had to say there was some connection. Su Qi thought of the Mixed Fish Piano that appeared on the list, and he remembered his name was left on it too. "...." "Anyway... it proves that a boomerang always comes back unexpectedly and without warning." "But, this is also an opportunity." Su Qi''s gaze focused on Nancy as she finished a segment of the show and walked off stage with a smile. sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At that moment, Nancy felt a chill at her back, turned around to look, but found... nothing seemed to have changed, then walked off stage. ----------------- The show had already gone through several segments. Retreating backstage, Nancy looked at the holographic screen which showed the Young Master Spirit Kings with a grave expression, noticing that the atmosphere around them was still not relaxed, and he sighed gently. "Boss, you''re sighing again." The assistant tilted her head and spoke gently, "You are the super star that everyone''s watching." "Super star..." Nancy laughed, but it was not as natural as before; he said with a touch of self-mockery: "It looks glamorous on the surface, but in reality, it''s an empty show of strength. In this world, without backing or strength, one will ultimately be secondary." He saw very clearly that there seemed to be a lot of undercurrents quietly emerging in the Present World, and it was probably going to become more and more dangerous. In a civilization that hasn''t completely collapsed, a star might be adored by everyone. But! Once pollution invades, destruction begins! When people no longer live for entertainment but start worrying about surviving. Then he would be less than trash on the roadside. So he could only serve any one of the Spirit Prince''s Heirs well, after all, they represent the real big backgrounds, the major forces. If he could cling to one, in the future''s unknown, unpredictable chaos, the homeland behind him and the people he cared about would also have some sanctuary and way out. "However." "That was my previous thought, now I just hope to finish this oppressive hosting as soon as possible, the quieter the auction afterwards, the better." Nancy sighed again, thinking of clinging to anyone... considering the atmosphere of the three, looking at Young Master Ash''s temperament, it was simply not something he could consider. The auction was even more likely to cause disputes, and he would become the most vulnerable in the fire. And at that time. A voice rang out from a distance: "Sighs only add weight to your troubles and can''t change bad situations." Nancy''s body trembled slightly as he saw Su Qi''s figure; his pupils constricted: "...How did you get backstage!" Su Qi walked over leisurely, smiling: "As one of the organizers, isn''t it right for me to inspect backstage?" "...." Nancy hurriedly looked at the holographic screen where the organizers were seated. A strong man was sitting on Su Qi''s seat, somewhat at a losshad they switched places? He pressed his temples with headache: "What exactly do you want to do, I''m already under a lot of pressure." "I''m naturally here to help you share the burden and solve worries." "Hearing you say that makes me more apprehensive." "? That''s rather hurtful." Su Qi shook his head and reached out his hand: "As the only person who can understand you, you have to trust me." Nancy: "..." He silently clipped the microphone to his back. Trust you, my ass! You want to grab the microphone, don''t you! I can see that! Chapter 187 - 160: The Status of the Mixed Fish Piano! "...." Good grief, that cautious? Su Qi didn''t mind. He wrapped his arm around the other''s shoulder and said gently, "You''re thinking about how to end this auction normally without trouble, right?" Nancy paused for a moment, then nodded. Su Qi continued to urge persuasively, "But those three don''t seem to mix well, like water and fire. There are bound to be frictions and contention during the auction. As the host, you''ll find it difficult to keep an eye on everything in the midst of this mayhem, fearing you might offend one of them, right?" ".....Yes." Nancy felt that what Su Qi just said was indeed correct. This guy really was the one who understood his situation the best now. Although the auction hadn''t officially started, these were exactly the kind of troublesome events that were bound to happen. When the time came, it would be a deadly balancing act... to maintain that balance would be practically impossible. "Can I only tell you that this line of thinking is wrong?" "Huh?" Nancy was slightly startled. "As they say, the bigger the chaos, the more opportunities," Su Qi said softly. "Instead of sitting around waiting to be killed, why not just go for broke..." Nancy''s eyelids twitched, "Wait a minute." "I haven''t finished speaking." "You don''t need to," Nancy felt his scalp tingle. "Oh, it seems you''ve gotten the point without me having to spell it out." "Understand my ass!" From what Su Qi had said, Nancy could already sense a danger that was beyond the ordinary. He took a deep breath, "Don''t you see, from everything that''s happened so far, how high the status of those three young masters is, and how dangerous it would be to anger them!" "I just want peace, but you seem to thrive on causing chaos!" "And I can''t believe I''m seriously listening to you here!" Nancy pressed his brow. "I''m so stupid, really." "Fine, I won''t persuade you any further." Su Qi looked leisurely towards the outside, "The auction will start after this show ends. Go get ready for now. During the intermission, you can consider what we discussed." Nancy''s expression paused for a moment. How did this guy know the sequence of the program so well? But Nancy also glanced at the time; the show was almost over, and the main event, the auction, was next. He gave Su Qi a deep look. "Don''t worry, I''ll be on stage during the intermission, and I won''t consider it. I will uphold a professional emcee''s poise, steadily maintain balance, and host everything perfectly." "Good, that''s the spirit, but..." Su Qi smiled, "I suspect things won''t go so smoothly. You can come to me for help if it gets tough." Nancy''s face darkened, "How could I possibly come to you for help... you wish." But Su Qi just smiled and didn''t say more. Nancy felt an inexplicable unease. He was a smart man, but he didn''t understand where Su Qi''s confidence came from. He tucked his anxiety away in his heart, adjusted his clothes, took another deep breath, and headed towards the waiting area - he had lost count of how many deep breaths he''d taken. Su Qi watched him go. He was naturally very familiar with the program schedule, including all kinds of auction items. The auction was divided into the first half, an intermission, and the second half. The first half wasn''t highly valuable. The items auctioned from different worlds were mainly for entertainment, aesthetic enjoyment, and specialty goods, while the second half contained the most important items, including Pollutants, Abnormality Slaves, Totems, Fragments, and so on. However. He had given Simon the responsibility for these matters, including what to auction and how to auction them. If it came to bidding against other power players, just drive up the price. If the Spirit Prince''s Heir got involved, then back off. The money would be deducted from his account, so even though it was Simon doing the bidding, it would still increase his Points. Su Qi looked at the main quest panel. There were three main quests in total. [1. Enter the Stars Hall] [2. Obtain one auction item (must be from an official seat, and the item must be able to be taken out of the instance)] [3. Achieve a reputation with the Hundred Alliances (at least one hundred of the VIPs must be left with a deep impression of you)] The first main quest is already completed, offering the option for the player to teleport away, but without a countdown. Completing each main quest awarded different levels of Points. "Increasing Points through spending is very inefficient. A single ticket only added 3,000 Points, and completing the first main quest awarded 5,000 Points." "The second offers 10,000, and the third, 100,000." It''s important to note that there''s a huge difficulty gap between the three main quests, but the Points awarded are quite conservative. It seems that these Points not only affect the ranking but will undoubtedly play a very important role in the subsequent ranking battles! "Nevertheless, the total of the three main quests I have now is still less than my loose change." Su Qi looked at his Points pool and Cyber Coins, the former had broken past a million, while the latter had already surpassed tens of billions. He, as the president of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, the ultimate beneficiary of the errand system operations, along with the support from Life Group and the injection of funds for capital operations. His Points... seemed to be a little bit too much, and they were still increasing. "However, that''s quite normal, There appears to be no problem for now." Su Qi closed the panel. He walked towards the lower backstage, which was where the auction items were stored. He was there to catch up with the Mixed Fish Piano. All the auction items were in the underground warehouse transport area; as long as an instruction was sent, they would be carried to the stage by conveyor belts. But the Mixed Fish Piano was special. It wasn''t an auction item, but it was brought in by An Xinghe for a blockbuster performance during the intermission. Although. The term "blockbuster" seemed quite far from "mixed fish." Nevertheless. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. According to the information Su Qi had gathered, those responsible for getting close to it in Night City were several representatives of the strongest EMTs. Was it getting pampered under Young Master Sunset, with the luxury of savory food and strong drinks, hence becoming more powerful? "...." With the access chip granted by Life Group, one of the event''s organizers, Su Qi quickly reached the warehouse transport area. In the area, workers were transporting the auction items for the first half, and many people were directing robots to adjust and operate the machines. There was a large amount of Pollutants... filling the air with a weird aura; the items in this area were quite special, and many staff members were looking with a headache at a piano splattered with bloodstains. It emitted an astonishing aura of Pollution, and even without making a sound, the blood on it was enough to unsettle people. "All the other items are manageable." "But if we get within five meters of this piano, we''ll pass out." "It seems we''ll have to call the EMTs." Su Qi walked over, "What happened?" "Who are you...?" One of the workers stared blankly at Su Qi. He showed his pass, "I''m the person in charge from the organizer''s side, I came to check how the work is progressing." Now all the elite factions were sitting upright above, and indeed this was the highest level access chip from Life Group. Although he was marginalized and had many permissions banned, the lower-level personnel were not aware of this. The logistics transport manager immediately frowned deeply, "The situation is like this. Due to the reduced program schedule, we''ve had to prepare many tasks in advance. We''re hastily placing many items in their rightful places, but this piano... it seems to have thrown a tantrum after we hurried the transportation and caused quite a commotion. It''s giving off terrifying Pollution, and we can''t get close to it now." My goodness. Throwing a tantrum and being a diva on the spot? "No need to call the EMTs, let me take a look." "You..." The manager was startled, but he saw Su Qi had already walked over. He quickly warned, "Be careful, don''t get too close." The Bloodstained Piano was stored in an isolated area, and the aura it exuded permeated around ten meters; the thick smell of blood even created a mist. It definitely wasn''t pleased. Being moved to this area and causing some noisy disturbances, it all affected its mood for later when it would go on stage. What was its status now? A treasured possession cherished by Young Master Spirit King! And their status? Hmm? Was someone else approaching? The aura of Pollution thickened momentarily, as if intending to repel this person. But the person''s steps didn''t halt! What''s going on? It looked over in that direction. A face... familiar and smiling, was looking at it. The musical scores seemed to tremble violently; as if reflecting its inner turmoil, warping and twisting with letters continuously emerging. "Sect... Sect... Sect... Sect Hierarch!" Chapter 188 - 161: Nancys Deadly Trap! Mixed Fish Piano''s momentum instantly wilted away. If Young Master Spirit King''s presence brought a stasis rooted in status and the intimidation of survival, then Su Buxian truly commanded compliance through a complex cocktail of inner fear and gratitude, among other emotions. After all, it had once witnessed a great terror on Su Qi and owed its current status to him, in terms of cause and effect. The person in charge watched the scene in shock, uncertain of how the other party had achieved this, but he quickly commanded his people, "Quick, while there''s a chance, move the nearby items." Su Qi sat in front of it: "Don''t you have anything to say to me..." "..." Mixed Fish Piano carefully bled out words in blood: "Say what?" "Of course, why Young Master Sunset would take an interest in me." Su Qi smiled as he looked at it. "You wouldn''t have spoken ill of me, right?" The Mixed Fish Piano frantically bled out words in defense, not knowing why, but when Su Qi''s black pupils gazed at it, it felt an inexplicable sense of oppression and suffocation. Although it didn''t need to breathe, its soul felt as though its throat was being squeezed. So it didn''t leave out anything and began to explain everything. Su Qi did take note of this. He had been able to intimidate the octopus Pollution Abnormality before and hadn''t expected his power to be even more evident against higher purity Pollutants. Two minutes later, Su Qi understood the whole story. "So that''s how it...," Su Qi watched as lines of blood text rapidly arranged and revealed themselves: "No wonder you''ve become so quick at typing." "But this also gives me an idea," he mused. The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce could delve into the entertainment aspect, and later they could have Mixed Fish Piano as the editor-in-chief, capable of making music and being a copywriter. Of course, four thousand words a day... that was too few. In his world, that only qualified for perfect attendance, scorned by readers, so more practice was needed. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mixed Fish Piano stared blankly at the pondering Su Qi, unaware of his thoughts, but it felt a vague apprehension. It cautiously sent out a message. [Sect Leader, I need to go play soon...] "Don''t rush." Su Qi''s fingers pressed on the piano keys, playing two notes, and smiled, "I need you to do something for me... something very important." Though it was pitched as a discussion, the smile on his face made Mixed Fish Piano''s music quiver. "It concerns an upcoming major event." ----------- The auction was in full swing. But Nancy was sweating profusely. When the performances began, the atmosphere among the three had already turned unpleasant, though it hadn''t come to anything serious since they were just watching. Yet, as soon as the bidding started, friction came quicker than she had anticipated. All three were people who never worried about resources; when they wanted something, no one dared to compete. When such individuals collided, coveting the same item, everything was different. Everyone else at the venue didn''t dare to participate. As soon as one of the Young Masters spoke up, they would immediately opt out. Though the items were not highly valuable in themselves, the bidding had persisted for a good few minutes, driving the prices up to tenfold or even a hundredfold their original value. Nancy''s scalp tingled. The key was that everyone spoke calmly, as if it was a normal bid, but everyone could smell the gunpowder in the air. "Please continue, the two of you," An Xinghe said, his expression remaining undisturbed as he withdrew first. Young Master Ash squinted and said, "What''s the matter? Didn''t bring enough money? I could lend you some if you ask." An Xinghe replied calmly, "Overpaying for such a trifle, beyond its actual value, would just be laughable." Though each world has its currency system, for those capable of trading across dimensions, there were two methods of transaction. One was to trade items based on their value. The other was a universally accepted currency in the Present World, known as [Spirit Coins]. It was an energy composite, congealed from both Pollution and Spiritual Energy, which are the most common substances in the Present World, making it the universal currency. Previously, in Linyuan Land, the coins used at Pure Land City casino were Spirit Coins. At that time, not only did various abnormalities desire to obtain it, but all sorts of Pollutants and oddities in Pure Land City could trade a portion of their Strength or even hire services with these coins. In the Sanctuary worlds, a significant part of the Sky Gold submitted were Spirit Coins. Young Master Youhai, listening to An Xinghe''s words, rasped a chuckle, "...How should I put it, that''s not entirely right, after all, money can''t buy willingness, and we all aren''t lacking a bit." "But, you''re right about one thing, it''s pointless to keep fighting over it." He said comfortably, "Let''s give this little item to you." Emphasizing the word deliberately as he spoke. Young Master Ash narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Nancy and said, "Aren''t you going to announce it?" Nancy hastily banged the gavel, "Congratulations to the esteemed Young Master Ash for winning this item from Spirit Cage World!" Such situations. The most difficult for him to handle, Nancy had anticipated such scenarios, but had not envisaged them occurring so soon and with such urgency. But there was nothing he could do, except to maintain a smile and be swept along in the midst. Furthermore, this was only the beginning. After all, the first half was filled with items of low practical value. The second half held the real significance. Expected friction would be even more intense, and the three would not yield as they had. What then, should he do? And Nancy had a vague suspicion, though she dared not confirm it, that it seemed like one of the Young Masters was deliberately fanning the flames, stirring up opposition. Chapter 189 - 161: Nancys Deadly Trap!_2 The first half continued for nearly two hours, during which the three calmly bid, calmly competed, and calmly spoke. However, the atmosphere around them grew increasingly restless, filled with a sense of oppression. During these two hours, Nancy also seemed to perceive who was fanning the flames. She couldn''t help but glance towards Young Master Dark Sea, whose deep eyes... appeared calm, but he would always take the initiative to speak up, stoking the fire and adding pressure whenever it seemed to die down. His tactics were very clever; he was involved in it as well, without being noticed by the other two. Nancy himself wanted to smooth things over, to ease the increasingly tense mood among them. But he was always interrupted by a few mocking words or actions from Young Master Dark Sea. Because of this, Nancy couldn''t help but sense something was amiss. "Damn it If it''s really like that, what is its goal?" "And" He couldn''t help but recall the words Su Qi had said to him backstage. Had that guy already noticed this? At this moment, looking towards Young Master Dark Sea, Nancy constantly felt uneasy, as if some major event beyond his expectations was about to unfold. He possessed a jade pendant. This item was extremely sensitive to detecting murderous and malicious intent, and was exceedingly rare As a superstar himself and not very powerful, he naturally attracted many dangerous abnormalities. This pendant was for defending against crises. Right now, it was intensely heating up. And the source of the heat was none other than Young Master Dark Sea. Nancy seemed to see a fleeting, savage murderous intent in Dark Sea''s lowered gaze! Nancy''s heart suddenly skipped a beat. Then. At that moment. Young Master Dark Sea suddenly raised his eyes and looked towards Nancy. Their gazes met for an instant. Damn! Nancy felt as if he had been struck by lightning, trembling all over, and quickly looked away! His heart pounded violently, but he forcefully suppressed it. "Next, let''s introduce the next auction item" He raised the microphone, seemingly without any panic, not revealing the slightest flaw, as he introduced the next auction item to everyone. But inside, he was tumultuous! Was I noticed watching it? No. It shouldn''t be the case, as I moved my gaze away very swiftly, just like a passing glance, and now I was introducing it normally, relying on my professional level. But what was that murderous intent just now? The heat told Nancy that the intent was very strong! After introducing the auction item. Nancy could still proceed with the flow: "Next, comes the bidding. This auction item starts at 100,000 Spirit Coins!" And then. Young Master Ash narrowed his eyes, seemingly very interested in the item: "I bid 200,000." "Okay Young Master Ash bids 200,000" Nancy''s gaze naturally moved over, but he suddenly noticed Young Master Dark Sea''s abnormal face, carrying a sinister smile, staring at him. This smile sent shivers down Nancy''s spine as if he had been seen through completely. He felt like he''d fallen into an icy abyss! "I bid 500,000," Young Master Dark Sea spoke gently, his gaze not on the auction item or on others, but on Nancy, with a smile that seemed to carry an unclear meaning. Afterward. Young Master Dark Sea''s gaze casually drifted away, his face changing expressions like a mask, the eerie smile vanishing from it. It seemed to again become a reciprocal pricing war, triggering friction and conflict, even drawing in An Xinghe. "Does anyone offer more" Nancy held the microphone in his hand, but it trembled imperceptibly. He could feel it a terrifying danger was looming over him. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Extremely deadly! The pendant over his chest was heating up as if it was going to penetrate his skin! He was a very smart person, or he wouldn''t be standing on this stage, becoming a superstar in the spotlight. He also deeply understood the mentality of those in high positions. After all, dignitaries would occasionally participate in his show, and he often had to guess their thoughts. Through the jade pendant, he could also understand their mood and whether he might offend them. So. Nancy, upon noticing that barely detectable murderous intent, upon seeing that sinister smile of Young Master Dark Sea. Had already fully understood what Young Master Dark Sea intended to do. He. Wanted to kill! And the one to be killed. Was one of the Young Master Spirit Kings! Or perhaps both! This terrifying thought right now surged through his heart like a relentless tidal wave. Nancy felt a chill throughout his body, dread in his heart. Why did he have to detect this! Why did he have to take another look! The sinister smile from just now seemed to already know his inner thoughts. Though he did not know how Dark Sea managed it, Nancy was only clear about one thing. This Young Master Dark Sea was no mere second-generation wealthy child or immature playboy; his thoughts were meticulous, deep as the abyss, his true nature profoundly hidden. He! He probably wouldn''t make it out of Stars Hall and Night City alive! Nancy, holding the microphone and wearing his professional smile to introduce the auction items to countless people, only he knew how intense his fear and despair were growing. This was an event that could shake countless worlds. To put it differently, it was akin to killing a crown prince, not just any ordinary one, but a Young Master Spirit King! To be killed with the presence of the Seven Spirit Kings, respected like mountains over numerous worlds in the Present World Would surely provoke the Spirit Kings'' wrath The existing balance would likely be shattered Nancy dared not think any further! His heart was beating uncontrollably, fear spreading throughout his body! Chapter 190 - 161: Nancys Deadly Trap!_3 He only hated himself for being so clever, so perceptive for what! He didn''t know why. At this moment, although Nancy''s heart was filled with fear and despair, the image of Su Buxian suddenly appeared in her mind. That guy... When she went on stage, he had said that not everything would go smoothly and had even told her to consider asking for his help during the intermission, as if he were certain something would happen. Could it be... Nancy recalled Su Qi''s mocking tone and immediately dismissed the thought. Impossible... Nancy felt her ideas were utterly absurd; that guy was just messing around, joking. How could he possibly have foreseen these events? Haha... Nancy let out a self-deprecating laugh in her heart. Her thoughts were now completely chaotic. She was actually indulging in wild thoughts. And now, the last item of the first half of the auction was up for grabs, and the competitors for this final bid were surprisingly Young Master Ash and An Xinghe, while Young Master Youhai, who rarely missed out, was not participating. He even seemed to be urging the two to be more harmonious, given there was still the second half to come. An Xinghe''s eyes narrowed slightly, "It''s rare to see, are you actually playing the good guy here?" Young Master Ash responded with a smile, "Just a bit of sarcasm, why bother?" Their tone was no longer as calm as before, and their words carried a hint of emotion. Young Master Youhai tapped on the armrest, "You''re looking at me like this? Then I must be too innocent." "I just think the time spent on one auction item has been dragged out too long... Wouldn''t it be better to save the real competition for the more valuable items in the second half?" Young Master Youhai even looked towards Nancy with an abnormal smile, "Presenter... Nancy, right, what do you think?" With a lump in his throat, Nancy held the microphone, his hands and feet ice cold, but he still had to respond with a smile, "As long as the Young Masters are happy, I''ll cooperate however necessary." His underlying message was a plea for mercy. But Young Master Youhai did not speak again, and no one could guess its thoughts or intentions. The last auction item fell into the hands of An Xinghe. Nancy took a deep breath. Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "So, that concludes the first half of our auction. And now is the intermission, a time to relax. Apart from audience interaction and random draws, we also have a performance provided by the respected Young Master Sunset!" The celebrations at Stars Hall were grand, and naturally there wouldn''t be much downtime. Following the normal procedure, his segment still involved a lot of interactive draws, helping everyone relax. But now. Not a bit relaxed... And then Nancy slowly snapped his fingers. The whole stage changed accordingly, not only featuring machines for the lottery and interaction but also a piano stained with bloodstains slowly emerged on the platform. At the same time. Another figure appeared. Nancy''s pupils trembled. Watching as the figure slowly lifted the microphone, waving and smiling toward the audience, "Hello, everyone." "I am the host for the intermission." "I will be working with Nancy... to interact with you all." Nancy fell into silence. "...." He couldn''t have predicted that Su Qi would appear in this way. He was even more surprised that the audience, including the three Young Masters, seemed to think it was entirely normal! But now it all seemed irrelevant. Nancy sighed inwardly and silently decided to see Su Qi safely off the stage. After all, this guy appeared oblivious to the dire situation at hand and, whether intentionally or not, had offered to help him. He didn''t need to drag another person into this mess. Chapter 191 - 162: We Must Make Them Fight Each Other "Next, please enjoy the solo performance." The melodies of the Mixed Fish Piano slowly reached everyone within Stars Hall, echoing throughout the vast space. Countless people pricked up their ears to listen; although An Xinghe lacked the temperamental nature of Young Master Ash. But as a Young Master''s belonging, they all had to cooperate, no matter what. Now was its time for a solo performance, and a strange aura surged on the high platform. An Xinghe watched with satisfaction, pleased with the performance. He had also collected quite a few scores for it, many of which had significant artistic value. However, personally, he felt that the more appealing piece was still the previous version of DJ''s "Two Tigers love to Dance." At this moment, the solo of the Mixed Fish Piano continued its course. Nancy, from within the shadows, silently observed Su Qi. He let out a slight sigh. Nancy had already heard the backstage crew asking him through the headset if this was his special arrangement. Special arrangement my ass. Still, Nancy responded to them, then muted his headset. "I can only say... you shouldn''t have come up here." Nancy shook his head gently before speaking slowly, "Leave after the intermission ends..." "Whatever you''re planning to do, you shouldn''t continue to participate..." His tone was solemn and serious, lacking the usual trace of jest. "Are you done, classmate Nancy?" Su Qi didn''t look at him, instead gazing towards the distant audience, "If you''re done, then listen to what I have to say." He spoke with a mysterious tone, "Actually, I can tell fortunes." "..." Nancy fell silent. Not a single word he had just said had been heard, and then out of nowhere, Su Qi says he can tell fortunes? What is even the connection? "Like that short, plump dignitary in the middle of the VIP section, tenth row. He''s been holding his pee but is too scared to leave his seat at this moment, so he''s secretly trying to use a bottle." "?" "And that well-suited, burly man in the ordinary section to the left. Despite his upright and serious appearance with a full beard, he''s a pervert. Underneath, he''s wearing women''s lingerie and is also wearing a Tool, with various words written on his body." "??" "Then there''s that female abnormality. Although she''s being quite sweet with her boyfriend beside her, she has actually undergone gender reassignment more than thirteen times. And the prerequisite for such a change is to consume other abnormality. It looks like her boyfriend will be next." Nancy''s expression was somewhat dumbfounded. Setting aside whether any of this was true. Why was it all about perverts? And. What the hell does this have to do with fortune-telling! "I can see that you''re quite impressed with my fortune-telling ability." "....I''m only impressed by your ability to make things up," Nancy took a deep breath. "What on earth are you trying to say?" He was considering whether he should just drag this guy down with him. "What I''m trying to say..." Su Qi looked at him and said, "Your forehead is shadowed, your eyes are lifeless, your lips cracked and tongue dry, your Primordial Spirit scattered, I fear a... life-and-death calamity looms." Nancy''s heart skipped a beat. As these words emerged, he couldn''t help but recall the previously dismissed thought. "And my calculations suggest, it seems to involve one of the Young Masters." With that statement, Nancy finally confirmed his earlier notion, trembling slightly, "You... how could you know!" "Don''t ask, if you ask, it''s a divine secret not to be revealed!" Su Qi sighed lightly, "After all, a Young Master wants you dead, you''re probably done for, I suggest you hand over your bank card and the password to me." Nancy chose to ignore the latter half, feeling somewhat overwhelmed at the moment, his heart even inclining towards believing that this guy really could tell fortunes. Otherwise, how could he possibly know all this? "If that''s the case..." Nancy''s voice was somewhat hoarse, "If you know this is a dangerous and deadly threat, why would you actively confront it..." After deducing the true purpose of Young Master Dark Sea, he couldn''t help but feel unparalleled terror within his heart, fear involuntarily rising because, no matter what happened next, he was bound to be dealt with, otherwise the jade pendant on his chest wouldn''t be insanely heating up as a warning. sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Of course, it''s because of" Su Qi looked at him and said, "Our friendship." "..." Our friendship Is it even as big as a fingernail? And you can lie without blushing "Furthermore." Su Qi paused, "More importantly it''s not just going to kill you, the entirety of Night City won''t be able to escape." Nancy''s expression froze, some shock and doubt arising in her heart. "What?" Su Qi had two objectives. One was to directly pull Nancy over to The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce and sign a contract. The other was because after Young Master Dark Sea made his move, the whole Night City including Illegal Land would be taken care of, as if fearing that any traces might reveal themselves and attract the pursuit of those with the traits to observe. Traces were indeed mystical, containing all sorts of micro-information, and even if no one saw it or left evidence, information would still not fade away. The ability of the Observers was profiling, which required a great deal of Strength, numerous rituals, and related items to find fragments of information from various details. Of course. The trouble in this was immense. Normally, to thoroughly deal with all fragments, there were many methods, but the simplest and most brutal was likely something like meteor falls, pollution invasions, abnormality Descents, and other accidents, which would directly destroy everything. By then, Young Master Dark Sea would turn this place into a hell on earth, and all living things would vanish like smoke. "One can only say not all Young Masters are incompetent." He looked like a spoiled young master similar to Young Master Ash, but in reality, he was the most calculating and ruthless. However. His own The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce had just begun to take shape, taking root in Illegal Land, and still growing, preparing to use Night City as a stepping stone to gradually go international. How could he possibly let it be destroyed so easily. Su Qi mused to himself. Nancy''s fingers trembled a bit, "Why would it do this?" If he were to die alone, he could accept it, but to involve others The face of his assistant appeared in his mind. "Don''t ask. If you ask, it''s because of a psychological disturbance," said Su Qi softly. "So, do you now understand the situation you''re in?" Nancy''s face turned pale, "I understand. It''s a dead end." "..." Good, you understand thoroughly. "Even a fish that''s just died knows to flip its tail in the pan, and you just accept your fate," Su Qi shook his head. "Are you sure you don''t want to gamble with me?" Nancy''s eyes trembled, "Do you have a way out?" This matter was of great importance, and he felt that Su Qi seemed to be completely calm, as if he had a winning hand, which made him involuntarily harbor a sliver of hope. "You can assume that there is." "???" Nancy''s eyelids twitched. The statement was made with confidence but left no reassurance. Was there a way out or not? Su Qi extended a finger, "In any case, there is only one thing we need to do now, and that is to make them fight each other without burning bridges! And we also need to drag Young Master Dark Sea into the fray." With every word Su Qi uttered, Nancy shivered. After hearing everything, she stared wide-eyed and nearly shouted, "How on earth can we achieve what you''re proposing!" ----------------- An hour later. Nancy watched, frozen, as the three Young Masters... stood calmly in midair, their Strength and auras flickering, their eyes alight with real fire. He murmured to himself, "They really are going to fight." Nancy''s gaze returned to the stage. There were only two reasons for the fight. One was the item on the auction platform in the middle emanating an abnormal aura. The other was Nancy looked at Su Qi with complex eyes, he was the real instigator! Chapter 192 - 163 Pray to Evil God For the Young Master of the Dark Sea, the Present World was like a round table pressed upon the tips of several knives. All the beings in this still undisturbed balance were struggling hard to survive. Even though the pollution from the Abyss was spreading and infiltrating, countless worlds were collapsing in the undertow. But those were ultimately insubstantial and weak existences, screaming, fearing, and roaring amidst the collapse, yet as inconspicuous as ants. And to disrupt this balance, to whip up waves in the still harmonious Present World, only a colossal entity could act, like various Divine Sects, forces, or the Spirit King. "The Spirit King can''t move, but killing any one of these two Young Masters would set off a chain of reactions," the Young Master from the Dark Sea said with a deep and eerie gaze, "It''s just..." At this moment, the Young Master of the Dark Sea''s eyes coldly fixed on... Su Qi. "This guy..." In the latter half, the auction item that would ignite fierce competitionthe Atomic Heartwould appear on stage. This item... was extremely precious, presented at the auction through an anonymous channel. The trio''s expressions brightened slightly when they saw it, aware of its rarity, they fiercely outbid each other, with none willing to relent. But actually, on the surface, the Young Master of the Dark Sea fought fiercely, yet his heart was very calm. Because this "Atomic Heart" was sent by him, hidden with coordinate locators and lethal patterns on it. The earlier agitation was to make the two Young Masters compete intensely, and he would feign withdrawal at the last moment. As long as this secret treasure was taken by either of the two, he and several powerful beings lurking in the shadows could locate them based on the hidden coordinates. Then they would pursue and assassinate! It would not expose him and would also divert trouble away; he was aware of the two''s killing skills and had prepared methods to frame others, while he would also appear in the Anxious Land in a severely wounded state. The death of a Young Master would inevitably enrage the Spirit King, affecting countless aspects of the Present World. The gears of order were set in motion. The originally balanced round table would also begin to tilt! "And now..." the Young Master of the Dark Sea''s expression flickered with a hint of darkness, looking at the unfolding scene around him; everything was deviating from the plan. When he tried to extricate himself, the host named Su Buxian came up with a new resolution. When he wanted to scornfully retort this guy daring to teach them what to do, An Xinghe surprisingly accepted it, and the challenged Young Master Ash, with cold eyes, also agreed, naturally dragging him into the fray. The three would fight to claim the Atomic Heart at the center of the stage. "But it''s not a big problem, the two indeed had a tense atmosphere, and I successfully provoked their genuine anger. I just need to play along, to graciously give up this Atomic Heart..." The Young Master from the Dark Sea naturally couldn''t take it, since all the traps hidden on it were for assassination. At this moment, Su Qi looked at the image in the sky, where the three were fighting within the miniaturized terrain. "This and the last show look the same, although it looks like real space, it''s actually a virtual realm, right?" Nancy nodded, "It''s actually a combination of real items and Illusion Realm, specially made for the ''Playhaven'' show effect, quite clever, but if too much is destroyed, the Illusion Realm will vanish." "But," Nancy said solemnly, "I didn''t expect you could really get the three Young Masters to agree to your proposal." Su Qi paused, "All the previous friction has stoked their emotions, and endless bidding had made them feel bored; it''s better to directly vent through action." Of course, the most important thing was... An Xinghe taking the initiative to agree, otherwise, with Young Master Ash''s temperament, everything would still be uncertain. This also indirectly showed that An Xinghe might have already received the message from the Mixed Fish Piano. "Outside Stars Hall, at least ten High Sequence beings are covertly lurking, watching the three Young Masters; all attempts to warn them using Spiritual Energy can''t be transmitted, nor can they approach. Using other methods, Skills and Equipment would also be detected, because once detected, it would probably lead to a confrontation," Su Qi observed this number from the dome, revealing the count. Besides... one bodyguard each for An Xinghe and Young Master Ash, the rest were fatal traps prepared by the Young Master from the Dark Sea. This number was not small, preparation was extremely thorough. The opposition did not want to tear their faces, wishing to assassinate silently... hence they had not made their move yet, but if detected or if they reacted, the so-called assassination would probably turn into a direct confrontation. This also meant that tonight''s Night City would get dragged along, leaving no trace behind; although Su Qi felt the probability was small, the Young Master from the Dark Sea''s mind was heavy, yet also cruel and insane, his look also made him feel slightly familiar, much like... an Abyss Cultist. "So it must be done covertly, not letting him notice, and it looks... the message has probably been successfully transmitted, An Xinghe should have received the warning." Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi raised his head to look at the miniaturized Illusion Realm, the three''s battle was clearly ongoing. And the method of passage was quite simple. The opposition had a fondness for music, deeply researched scores, and was intimately familiar with every note, among the many Young Masters of the Spirit King, he was the most artistically inclined. Su Qi altered some of the notes in the pieces that the Mixed Fish Piano was to play, this section of notes was from a song that celebrated death, specifically the death sequence, implying... Death at one''s side. Chapter 193 - 163 Praying to Evil God_2 He had the Mixed Fish Piano play one tune after another, and An Xinghe, hearing familiar positions but encountering different notes repeatedly, naturally noticed this. "Of course, right now it''s purely under my overestimation of his intelligence. If both of them truly feel passionate, it would be normal for them to rashly agree without staying calm." Su Qi withdrew his gaze. "What should we do now?" Nancy, though shocked that the three had started fighting, still felt extremely uneasy, especially after seeing the information transmitted by Su Qi''s wristwatch, realizing that such a terrifying killing intent was hidden around them. This wristwatch had been infiltrated by the Super Dream Protocol, so there was no need to worry about other systems detecting it or drawing the attention of the High Sequence individuals in the dome; their focus was currently on the three Young Masters. "Wait." Su Qi said, "An Xinghe is a smart man. He must have tried to send out a message without disturbing the enemy the moment he received the warning." "But what if he didn''t notice?" Su Qi looked up, "You see for yourself, although he is fiercely battling Young Master Ash, he is actually just stalling him and letting Young Master Youhai go. But the latter keeps escaping yet suddenly rejoins the fray again." "So after receiving the warning here, he has been buying time." Nancy took a deep breath, hope gleaming in his eyes, "I didn''t expect... this is the way to survival." "You see hope?" "Yes." "I''m not very optimistic." Nancy was startled, a sense of foreboding rising within him. Su Qi stared at the top of An Xinghe''s head, and his pupils flickered slightly, "He tried several times to send out the message, but it was cut off by some channel." "...Something outside is jamming everything, yet it hasn''t been detected by anyone." Nancy''s eyes darkened, "So what do we do?" The opponent indeed appeared very well prepared, and very cautious, having set up such means in advance. It seemed, They still had no chance. "What are you doing?" Nancy suddenly looked at Su Qi, as he had moved towards the Mixed Fish Piano and pulled out the chair to sit down. "While everyone is watching the scene above, it''s indeed a bit awkward without music..." Nancy stared wide-eyed, "You''re in the mood to play the piano now?" Su Qi''s fingers lightly pressed on the piano keys, "Do you know about the Descent events?" "Huh?" Nancy was slightly startled. "Descent events?" S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "An ancient Strength, which is attracted to shrines or totems and such, projecting itself from a distant place." "..." Nancy fell silent again, "I know, another term for this is prayer..." "The so-called Descent events at least require the presence of a shrine, and the conditions are quite strict. The believers must have enough faith, must have the totem from the Descender, and also conducts rituals along with a multitude of sacrifices to evoke the presence to respond by transmitting its Strength and projection." "Once it responds, it''s also called a Miracle by countless believers." This legend exists in many worlds; many mythological figures are probably just manifestations of some high beings. "So that''s how it is," Su Qi mused to himself. "????" Nancy stared wide-eyed, "You didn''t know this, and yet you spoke so convincingly earlier." For him, this was common knowledge, as not just the lowest believers, but many beings with high authority, could invoke the great True God through earnest faith, sacrifices, rituals, etc., praying for divine blessings. And the shrine could summon projections transmitting some amount of Strength. This was also a main method used by countless protected worlds to prevent polluted invasions, a projection not necessarily representing the will of the shrine''s own deity. Generally speaking, these are automated forces. Overall, triggering such a Descent event is very strict; sometimes just having faith.... requires twenty believers in black robes singing hymns around a bonfire all night, not to mention other things. So when Su Qi spoke, he merely felt this guy was joking. "It sounds very strict, but..." Su Qi earnestly said, "I believe the one I am praying to will answer my call." "????" Nancy, full of questions, couldn''t help asking, "Who are you praying to?" "A completely selfless being, who once appeared before me from afar and gifted me its most precious possession, even in difficult times, never forgetting to defend my honor..." Su Qi softly spoke. Nancy''s pupils trembled. Are you talking about a worshipped being? It sounds like you''re talking about your own brother! "..." The Mixed Fish Piano was also silent; it had successfully sent the message. But it wasn''t some totem, and it had no connection with the existence mentioned by him. Why use me, at least give a notice. However, It silently presented the keys; ultimately, whatever the Sect Hierarch wished to do, it was fine just to fulfill that, no need to ask too much, and it also knew... if things couldn''t be broken through next, it would have to join the Sect Hierarch and the Young Master... together in death.... "Don''t tremble..." Su Qi placed his hand on the Mixed Fish Piano, "From now on, no matter what happens, you cannot stop emitting your aura, understand?" In the previous event at Linyuan Land, I merely maneuvered a Sheep Head in the Illusion Realm, and the Evil God''s Strength came searching for the scent, almost resulting in a projection descending, although it was ultimately stopped by the Black Robed Man. But Su Qi also discovered he had a deep connection with Evil God, almost like making a phone call and the other party would rush over urgently. Chapter 194 - 163 Praying to Evil God_3 Perhaps this is what brotherhood meant. Su Qi was once so touched that he spendt the following period being extremely cautious, avoiding anything related to the Sheep Head, including associated items and scents, to prevent the descent from occurring. After all, his brother was still trapped in the Abyss, and constantly projecting spiritual power was quite exhausting. But now, it was time. Su Qi activated the Ancient God''s Heart, his spiritual power surged, his fingers played the music, and the Sound of the Past began to resonate slowly. In an instant... countless people inside the venue seemed to feel a slight chill. Under the enhancement of his own spiritual power, the Sound of the Past underwent a qualitative change, and the Mixed Fish Piano was now dozens of times more powerful than before. It could better withstand the strangeness, and Su Qi did not target it, but allowed the effect to spread. Nancy''s eyes trembled. He could not see what was happening, nor did he feel any special breath or power, but he just felt a sense of panic. At the same time, this was only the first step. Su Qi slowly activated the ability [Concrete], a Sheep Head pendant... gradually appeared around his neck. The importance of a shrine totem did not depend on size; many shrines across worlds were constructed to be enormous or majestic, even terrifying, primarily to overwhelm the worshipers with grandeur so that they approached with piety and awe. The Sound of the Past seemed to originate from the Abyss, now drawing the aura of the Mixed Fish Piano, as a pollutant, to swirl around the Sheep Head pendant. One of Su Qi''s eyes flickered slightly, containing a strange power that was sealed within. It felt drawn, but not as noticeably as before... it seemed that this eye had indeed become his own possession. However, now was the time to need you! "It seems I have no choice but to do this." Su Qi did not hesitate and activated the title ability [Simulation!] He rarely used this ability, but it too contained a good amount of essence, which would also become more lifelike as his spiritual power increased. At this very moment, Nancy, who stood not far away, shuddered. Fear flashed in his eyes, for he felt horror and strangeness, as if a vast tide of darkness was swallowing him whole! "Hold it together!" Su Qi activated his ability, pulling Nancy into the Rubik''s Cube space. This unique domain encompassed both of them, preventing even their breath from escaping. Naturally, Nancy was going to suffer. He stood trembling on the spot, with the combination of the Old Days and Simulation, he felt as if he was in the Abyss, his pupils dilating, muttering, "Abba, abba, abba..." The Mixed Fish Piano also began spouting blood, unable to withstand the true aura of an Evil God as a pollutant. "Hold on, Mixed Babble!" Su Qi''s eyes were bright. At this moment, the Sheep Head Jade Pendant on his chest was flashing with black mist, and a pair of hollow eyes were slowly revealing strange fluctuations like a black hole. The next instant, the entire sky suddenly began to darken, a faint wind blew slowly, and if one looked closely, a majestic and strange pale black was spreading above the Sky Dome. The hidden dozen or so powerful individuals in the Stars Hall shuddered in their gaze, sensing an unusual terror. "Here it comes!" A mighty power was descending from the Sky Dome! "Boom!" The Sky Dome exploded with a thunderclap! Every glass in the entire Stars Hall shattered, all holographic screens were forcibly shut down, and a series of lights and circuits went out! Many people fainted on the spot. At the same time, ritual constraints around the area were directly shattered! Good news... the blockage was lifted! With this commotion, Young Master Youhai and his subordinates would surely not dare act rashly. Bad news... Su Qi''s eyelids twitched as a terrifying shadow began to appear. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi could feel the oppression more than others. He stopped playing the Sound of the Past, canceled the Simulation, and without any hesitation, he crushed the Sheep Head in his hand. However... the projection did not disappear immediately. This was bad... Though this was merely the power projection of an Evil God, without the Evil God''s will, and likely not too powerful, the terrifying and bizarre Spiritual pollution was devouring everything! "Boom!" What was shaking? Was Night City shaking? At this very moment, Nancy also recovered from just moments ago, gasping from the suffocating trance. He looked at the entire Stars Hall in horror... as well as at the three Young Masters, who also appeared extremely fearful with dilated pupils. The sky above the Sky Dome was a sea of blackened blood, as if some colossal phantom was looming within. Just a glance made Nancy feel as if he had been dragged back and forth into the deep sea, his face extremely pale. He quickly turned to Su Qi. His voice trembling, he asked, "What happened?" "Don''t look at me." Su Qi responded righteously, "I don''t know anything, and all this has nothing to do with me." "..." "But," Su Qi looked into the distance, "It seems that this situation has also resolved the so-called assassination deadlock." Indeed... The three Young Masters were pale, the powerful individuals around them tried to gather their strength to immediately take them away, but they could not open any passage; any ritual performed was instantly shattered by the shockwaves! There could be no assassinations. However, Nancy''s eyelids twitched, feeling the horrifying tremors, as a large number of fragments began to fall from the Stars Hall. He twitched the corners of his mouth. How did things get even worse! Chapter 195 - 163: Let the Evil God Strike Out Night City... the Evil God''s shadow descended upon the entire dome. Not only the Stars Hall, but the entire Night City was completely paralysed, a massive amount of circuits collapsed, cyborgs directly short-circuited and fell down, and even if there were people still conscious under this terrifying oppression, no one dared to raise their heads and look directly at it. This was not just suppression of strength, but a kind of fear from the depths of the soul, as if facing an existence of a higher order, they were not qualified to look directly at its true form. "This oppressive feeling, this fear... who exactly is it... whose projection has descended..." More than a dozen strong figures stood in the hidden pathways, their eyes trembling slightly. Sequence Path... the disparity between each level grew larger the further back you went, if someone said... Level Ten could defeat Level Nine, that was normal... that was only at the beginning of the Sequence Path, when the gap between everyone was not that big. But as it went further back, the gaps between levels would increase exponentially, forming an insurmountable chasm. These strong figures, hidden in the shadows, although they had the strength to initiate rituals and open pathways, possessing a strength that the entire Night City could not resist, they were absolutely unable to glimpse the slightest bit of this shadow, only from that breath-taking, suffocating fear of suppression, they could deduce... this shadow was certainly an existence of colossal proportions. "Don''t move." "Don''t act rashly!" Their expressions were frightened, but they were also extremely cautious, at this point, they no longer cared about any assassination, they started to contact their Young Masters seriously, and solemnly warned, "Young Master, please do not carry out any disrespectful actions, do not harbour any hostility, we cannot resist this existence." They must protect their Young Masters. Three Young Masters also received the information, their expressions trembling. They never expected such a situation to arise, and all combat activity had stopped at this moment. Damn it... What exactly is going on. Young Master Youhai gripped his fist tightly, yet dared not move; as an abnormality... he was even more sensitive to this weird oppressive feeling, as if there was a sense of submission emanating from the heart. Impossible. It was a ruthless being too; the moment that feeling arose, it bit its tongue with its teeth, forcefully breaking that state of mind! Being born to be a king! How could it submit to another existence... the Heaven''s Chosen Son of the future was to step by step ascend to divinity, leaving behind the strongest, most shining trace in the epics! Impossible! "It seems to be just an incarnation of strength, without will, as if subconsciously searching for something..." A strong figure''s eyes condensed, if it was just by sight, they could still resist this unconsciously emitted strange oppressive force. They did not ponder how the other had arrived at this place. In the Present World, there are an infinite number of worlds, and the Nihility between worlds is even more vast and immeasurable, containing all kinds of unpredictable objects such as abnormalities, fantasy, and so on. Chaos, catastrophe, Destruction, death, abnormalities... all kinds of unpredictable events could happen, no one knows where these came from, as if they existed in the deepest part of Nihility, unreachable by anyone. And there are quite a few related legends... records... traces, this kind of unpredictable existence often appears in various different worlds, once it lands it brings boundless oppression, but as long as you don''t act rashly, it generally will pass by like a passing spirit taking a brief rest. However, when such a situation occurs, even if the other leaves, it''s very likely to trigger a huge change in the entire world. The shadow in front of them was just like the aforementioned situation, but with no will within, like a walking corpse, yet they were still unable to glimpse the slightest, only able to temporarily shrink away. "Now we can only wait for the other side to find what it wants or for the strength to dissipate and leave, do you see the Black Fog around its body? The world rules have already reacted, suppressing it, the Black Fog is slowly dissipating, but even so, we are not capable of resisting its existence." The strong figures'' expressions were solemn, shivering with fear, the three Young Masters... were the same, as well as all the other abnormalities, descendants of the Spirit Prince, and influential figures in the Stars Hall who had not passed out; they all stood in horror, not moving. The entire Stars Hall fell into a deathly silence. "....." And this shadow of the Evil God was also bewildered at this moment; the moment the fluctuation occurred, it felt the great anger of the original body, descending to this place with an unstoppable momentum. But just having arrived, the fluctuation disappeared in an instant. As if paused right then and there... The original body was still Sealed in a distant place, unable to come in person, it was just a projection, carrying a very weak strength, only maintaining its existence so it would not be dissipated by the world rules, in this brief time, it was strictly following the orders of the original body, to find the source of that fluctuation and the trail of that Despicable Person! And then, to tear it into a thousand pieces! Just this burst of emotional fluctuation, and the whole Stars Hall was experiencing an earthquake, a large number of buildings collapsed. Su Qi critiqued, "See, this is what you get with rushed construction and shoddy workmanship, I bet ninety percent of the funds were swallowed up by some people." Nancy: "..." Is now really the time to be commenting on this? "Boom boom boom!" The projection was in the dome, with Black Fog rolling out in all directions, stirring up huge waves! "Damn!" Nancy''s eyelids twitched wildly, watching the Black Fog fall, and any building that blocked the Black Fog was destroyed, such terrifying power. Is this really just a projection? "...seems like it''s not a big problem." Su Qi looked up at the Black Fog, narrowing his eyes slightly, and his pupils returned to their normal color. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 196 - 163: Let the Evil God Strike Out_2 He had just felt a bit mischievous. But now it seemed that the situation wasn''t so bad, the adversary''s Strength was very weak, though this weak Strength was enough to destroy heavens and obliterate earths, but it also seemed to be constrained. Fortunately, he had cut the connection quickly, although he had summoned the Evil God''s projection, the other party had not locked onto him, and at this moment, Su Qi had also erased all traces of what had happened before. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Nancy looked towards Su Qi, having just fallen into a trance-like Hell, unclear about all his actions, but he was no fool, realizing that this phantom had truly descended because of this guy, What a devout faith! In religion, at least he would be a Priest-level being! Only then would the worshiped lord value him so, such a powerful projection was already terrifyingly abnormal! "If it is the being you worship... now is the time to pray to it, asking for help to resolve our current dilemma," Nancy reminded him with surprise and suspicion. He was a smart man, seeing that this had to do with a series of actions Su Qi had just performed... Therefore, only if a faithful follower earnestly requested, would the other party respond. "Request? Sorry, I, Su Buxian, have never begged anyone in my life!" Nancy: "????" Of course, the truth was, the other party would rather tear him to shreds, go up and ask? Wouldn''t that be delivering himself to the door. However. Su Qi was also waiting, the Evil God''s phantom Strength was being restricted by some kind of rules, and the Black Fog on the phantom was gradually dissipating. It indicated that the other party''s existence wouldn''t last long. "Of course, the premise is not to be found..." Weird Strength accompanied by Black Fog was descending. Everyone looked at the Black Fog with an expression of terror, trembling with fear and not daring to move. The phantom indeed wished to directly destroy this world, but its current Strength was just a drop in the ocean compared to its real self. Moreover, there were world rules in place, restricting it from annihilating everything. Often the deeper the historical traces of the world, the more likely it had certain world rules. "Here it comes." People looked in horror as a large amount of Black Fog descended, under the black-red glow, it was like the apocalypse! The expressions of the powerful changed. The three Young Masters also turned pale at this moment. They were more perceptive of Strength, after all, they could directly compare it with that of their family heads. With that kind of panic, dread, as if etched into the soul spiritual impact... they could confirm they had never felt such things from their family heads, as if not even on the same level. "What in the world is this terrifying existence." "Extremely dangerous, no matter what... we must remain cautious and reverent!" "Can''t move! Can''t arouse hostility!" "It will leave after it has finished searching!" The powerful ones were frantically transmitting messages to their Young Masters, they saw through everything, currently, they were like ants on the ground, staying still, perhaps they wouldn''t attract the other''s attention, nor would it be interested in them, but a sudden escape or other actions. That would likely... be squashed to death with a casual step! No sooner had they finished speaking. Some nobles from Stars Hall turned pale with fear, unable to endure the terrifying spiritual impact and weirdness, they shouted and ran away, and influenced by them... many beings in the same area also started to run in terror. "Idiots," Young Master Ash remarked coldly. And the next moment. Their behavior was noticed, large amounts of Black Fog moved as if it had found a target, drawn over there, those people looked even more terrified, desperately running away, but how could they possibly outrun this Black Fog? They were directly engulfed, not even able to scream, as if they had lost their minds, eyes blood red, faces distorted with madness, covering their heads and howling in pain! But they only howled for two seconds before, with a bang, their heads seemed to be churned clean, blood flowing from every orifice, eyes rolling back, falling to the ground. Not the slightest breath of life remained. "Is this what Spiritual pollution-like killing is..." Nancy''s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. Su Qi watched this scene. This was exactly like the Black Fog of Old Days, mixed with terrifying Spiritual pollution. Ordinary people, merely after seconds of contact, went through phases of impact, collapse, insanity, and mental disorder, leaping to death. Evil God''s phantom was meticulously searching through the whole Night City, and the Black Fog was its means of search, once it discovered his traces, it would personally act, and with one blow, it could reduce the entire Stars Hall and its surroundings to flat ground, although from the question mark above its head, its Strength would rapidly dissipate after releasing an attack. In short, the Strength it was holding back was only good for one attack. "If it''s uncomfortable holding it back, I''d feel bad too, so let''s just let Evil God brother strike," Su Qi mused silently, staring at the Atomic Heart on the stage, this object''s function... could be used to get a sense of the next sequence pathway in advance, similar to enlightenment, allowing a preview of it, greatly aiding in breaking through the sequence. Of course, this could only work for beings below sequence five. So many beings of the new era, including the Young Master Spirit Kings, were vying for this item, after all, leveling up a sequence... wasn''t like in a game, where you level up directly when you have enough Experience. It instead required various conditions, involvements, and the further one progressed, the more difficult and stringent the Ascension would become, depending on the pathway... different resources and quantities were also needed. "Most importantly... this thing is also very useful to me." Su Qi''s sequence was self-developed, self-created, a unique pathway. In other words... there were no blueprints for subsequent steps, a completely broken path, and every step he took, each sequence he rose to required him to blaze a trail on this broken path, with this thing... it could reduce the difficulty of developing his own sequence. Chapter 197 - 163 Let the Evil God Strike Out_3 Su Qi pressed his hand towards the Atomic Heart. "What do you want to do?" The one who spoke at this moment was Young Master Ash, who directly spoke in a cold voice, as long as he didn''t use Spiritual Energy and didn''t try to escape, speaking wouldn''t attract the attention of the Black Fog. He had already considered it his possession. Young Master Youhai''s gaze was deep and cold, but he didn''t speak, his eyes, however, were filled with murderous intent. He dared to take out such a precious object, which meant he was confident about retrieving it. At this moment, a weak individual was trying to take advantage during the chaos. He naturally would not agree. An Xinghe was watching Su Qi, his pupils slightly flickering. "The Young Masters are mistaken." Su Qi slowly grasped the Atomic Heart in his hand, a small object surrounded by numerous chains, resembling a heart, but actually containing a strange core within. "I am preparing to give this object to you." He directly threw it over to them. "?" Young Master Ash''s eyes slightly narrowed, but after realizing that the Black Fog did not pounce as a result, he directly reached out and grabbed it! And at that moment. Young Master Youhai''s eyes turned cold, suddenly burst with astonishing Spiritual Energy, directly striking at Young Master Ash! "You..." Young Master Ash''s face changed! Without any hesitation, countless iron chains boomed out to defend! "This object is mine!" Young Master Youhai hoarsely grabbed the Atomic Heart and did not give up. There was still a chance to complete the assassination if these two men died under the terrifying shadow, although he was also among them, but... He still chose to risk it all with one last escape mechanism on his body, at a great cost, but able to leave without any constraints. Of course, only by himself. Everything here, including those strong ones who followed him, would probably die under the attack of this terrifying shadow. He took the initiative to burst out, Spiritual Energy crazily emerging, and the Black Fog moved greatly! Stars Hall... The phantoms on the dome were watching here. Their attention shifted over, making everyone present shudder! "It''s over... it''s over..." Nancy stared wide-eyed, intently watching the scene. "Is he seeking mutual destruction?" Su Qi: "No, he can escape." "Then aren''t we doomed?" "If he doesn''t escape, we''re certainly doomed." "????" The Evil God phantom made no sound and took no action, but the sky above Stars Hall was already Twisted! It wanted to directly crush this place! It wasn''t because of the fluctuations in Young Master Youhai''s Spiritual Energy, but because it sensed a familiar aura inside. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The strength of its own eyes was among them! The Despicable Person had voluntarily exposed himself? It did not ponder, merely acted according to commands. "Boom!" The terrifying aura caused everyone present to burst, blood flowing from every orifice. "Damn it, damn it!" "You''re insane!" Young Master Ash, disheveled, let out a startled roar: "We''ll all die together." And at that moment. Young Master Youhai merely looked at them coldly: "No..." A smile curled on his lips: "Only you all will die." Without any hesitation, one hand holding the Atomic Heart... the other hand directly crushed his own heart, violently spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood afterward. His entire body continuously crumbled! Like transforming into a shadow, as if Twisted, painfully howling, leaving without any constraints! He wanted to escape! Everything here would turn to ashes! But he did not notice that, in the moment he left, the Atomic Heart in his hand had unknowingly transformed into a... Sheep Head emitting a strange aura. Chapter 198 - 164 Discussing Investment Before the Instance Ends The Black Fog was boiling over, the terror, the grotesque, the pollution, and the bizarre twistsall brought by the power of the Evil Godthreatened to devour everything. This dangerous, enigmatic, and unfathomable force was like using a nuclear bomb to kill a mosquito, transcending cognition. "Even if it''s just a silhouette, even if it only carries the power equivalent to a speck of dust in the desert, it still exudes such a terrifying oppressive force." Su Qi realized he had underestimated the power of the divine beings. After all, Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The first time he encountered the Evil God Brother was when he first entered an instance, young and foolish, with little recognition of much. And later, The divine being he came into contact with was the Master of Destruction. Well To be honest, the impression was even less profound, since the first time he was a young spiritual body, and the second time a young girl''s spiritual body, neither possessing her full strength at the peak, probably also using an extremely small portion of her power, like this Evil God Brother. However, Just from the traits of her young spiritual body, one could discern the extraordinary nature of the Master of Destruction as a deity; the ability to "reset" the entire world was simply outrageous. "It''s unclear what rank she holds among the divine beings, but anyone with a title like ''Master of Something'' is likely to be extraordinary... one of the most powerful among the gods." However, None of that mattered now. Judging by the accumulating daily base debt, she still owed a lot. When the time came, there was just one problem to considerhow to collect that debt. After all, having seen the power of the Evil God''s silhouette, he could roughly guess how terrifying the Master of Destruction would be upon her recovery. "Screw it, we''ll deal with that when the time comes." "And moreover" Su Qi looked up at the scene before him, a madly twisting and deadly presence that had everyone screaming in fear, and made up his mind. He would have to be cautious about calling upon the Evil God Brother''s descent to save the day. Unless it was a dire situation where they were at the brink of total ruin, he would not easily call upon the Evil God Brother again. After all, It could easily harm friends as well as enemies, and once unleashed, be impossible to control. "...What are you doing?" Su Qi watched Nancy, who, at this moment with tears in his eyes, was looking down and holding his unconscious assistant tightly. In the previous life-or-death moment, he had not chosen to flee but to find his lady assistant. "Are you trying to... stage a dramatic sacrifice of love?" Nancy didn''t bother with Su Qi''s teasing, but instead looked up with a frozen expression, only to find the surrounding force had not come crashing down, but stopped midair. "Why did it suddenly stop..." The next moment, The silhouette of the Evil God suddenly let out a low growl, like a sound of friction, causing the entire Night City to fall into various explosions, with many cyborgs and electronic devices going haywire with electric currents and sparks. Then... The silhouette of the Evil God vanished on the spot, and the overwhelming presence it had been sensing, about to crush its face, vanished right before its eyes! The unintelligent silhouette, with only one thought, must catch up and kill! Must tear it into a million pieces! This was the ultimate fate of that power! Nancy, stunned, watched as countless twisted forces and the Black Fog were sucked away like by a vacuum cleaner from above, the indiscernible silhouette and its terrifying oppressive force smashed open a crack! Heading in a certain direction! "What happened... Why did it suddenly leave..." "Maybe it had a house fire, and it was in a hurry to get back." "..." Nancy: "I''m being serious." "That would be Young Master Youhai, deciding to save everyone by acting as the lone bait... to lure away that being." Asking you is just my redundant stubbornness. "Anyway... Although I don''t know why the other party suddenly withdrew." Nancy took a deep breath: "But we...have managed to survive!" At this moment, he looked at the Stars Hall, which was a complete mess... all electronic devices were dead, and the venue was full of unconscious people. It could be said... having gone through this, the auction had turned into a total catastrophe. "..." And Su Qi, looking at the genuine Atomic Heart he had stored in his Item Slot, now in his possession, he had just deceived the enemy with a Concrete illusion, which also proved the level of his spiritual power was far beyond Seventh Rank, of course not excluding the possibility that the enemy''s mind was affected, the timing was critical, and it was not thoroughly probed among other factors. "However, its escape... came at a great cost, managing to leave despite various restrictions, the silhouette of the Evil God Brother although immediately gave chase, but..." Su Qi thought it unlikely that the other party was dead. Firstly because the power of the Evil God Brother was limited, acting purely on instinct. Secondly... because he disguised the Totem as the Atomic Heart, and not etched on its body, while the escape coordinates were locked... but it was no fool, if it destroyed the Totem and could still use a second escape, it might also have a chance to shift. At this moment, Young Master Ash was looking at the dissipating force, hair disheveled, eyes filled with fear and anger, not hesitating at all as a hidden powerful being appeared, opened a portal, and whisked him away. He could not stay any longer, not even delivering a harsh threat, for just a moment ago, he truly feared for his life, and now was trembling in fear. Most of the Spirit Prince''s descendants and influential forces were also making contact, wishing to leave this place of conflict. Lest danger rolled back in. An Xinghe did not leave like Young Master Ash. "Young Master...." A powerful being covered in fish scales appeared beside him: "We should also leave this place of conflict immediately" Not just because they feared the terrifying shadow would return... but also because there were many hidden powerhouses around they had not detected, likely from Young Master Youhai''s people, lurking in this place... clearly with ill intent, all of which filled them with shock, had it not been for the recent accident. Chapter 199 - 164 Before the Instance Ends, Discuss Investment_2 Everything was about to become extremely lethal. "Wait a moment, don''t hurry," An Xinghe shook his head, "I sent a message to my father ten minutes ago. He should be on his way here." The strong performer''s eyes trembled slightly. Lord Spirit King was actually coming personally. But it was also normal. Although everyone was called Young Master just like other people, An Xinghe was different. Other heirs of the Spirit King were numerous, based on clan operations, and the position of Young Master they held was more like that of a crown prince, where only the recognized heirs could sit in that position. As for An Xinghe, he was the only son... After all, Sunset Spirit King''s constitution was special, his reproduction ability was as low as some lottery draws, with a probability so low it was infuriating. And after An Xinghe was born, Sunset Spirit King was ecstatic, waiving the Sky Gold for all the protected worlds for five years, throwing a huge celebration, even invoking extraordinary traits to bring him all sorts of blessings. He was extremely fond and protective of him. But there was a considerable generation gap. Sunset Spirit King created a unique territory for An Xinghe, provided various pollutants, interesting traits, and arranged for his own abnormality-strong performers to follow after him, but this was not what An Xinghe wanted. For this journey to Anxious Land, he took action first and reported later, leaving in advance without notice. An Xinghe now stood next to Mixed Fish Piano, which was shaking and spouting blood water, having lost consciousness, but was still whole and protected. After all, this guy was a Pollutant, unable to directly face the pollution of dad... Evil God. "Help it recover." The scaly strong performer reached out his hand, slowly pulling with Spiritual Energy. Mixed Fish Piano barely recovered. It seemed that it had not yet recovered from the purgatory of the Old Days, shakily, subconsciously squeezing out blood words: [Sect Hierarch...] "Hm?" An Xinghe''s brow lifted slightly. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mixed Fish Piano suddenly shook all over, coming to its senses sharply, and hurriedly typed, with fawning symbols [Young Master...]. "What did you mean by Sect Hierarch just now? And the previous message..." [...] Mixed Fish Piano shuddered: [I...] An Xinghe watched the continuously emerging blood words while his gaze shifted toward Su Qi in the distance. ... At this moment, Su Qi once again received a message from the Paradise System. [Attention Please, players, anomalies have occurred in the instance, checking the number of players still within the instance: 1] This message had popped up once before, when the shadow of the Evil God Descent happened, and at that time, all players were forcefully sent out after seeing the terrifying shadow of the Evil God. But. Su Qi was not among them. Because he... was the culprit, directly connected to the shadow of the Evil God, and the transmission strength was firmly halted. Next, came the Descent of the Evil God''s shadow, the system was unable to employ the power of Paradise to extricate him. Until the other left. At this moment, it seemed to detect that the anomaly had disappeared, and the message continued to pop up. [Players are now able to prepare to transmit and leave at any time or wait for the celebration to end before leaving] "Celebration..." Su Qi looked over the Stars Hall, where numerous people were slumped over their seats, passed out, along with lots of rubble and exploded equipment. They all looked quite sound asleep. "My first time at such a quiet celebration." Su Qi strode toward Simon, grabbed Simon''s suit tie, "Wake up." But Simon, like a husband passed out in an AV, fell into an immovable deep sleep, his sleep quality was too good. "He was knocked out by a shock of spiritual power." At that moment, a voice slowly sounded. Su Qi turned to see, it was Young Master Sunset, An Xinghe. "The sinister power still lingers in his spirit... Shouting won''t wake him, only waiting for it to dissipate or using Spiritual Energy to purge it will work. I''ll have one of my subordinates help you," An Xinghe prepared to call over one of his strong performers. "No need." Su Qi said with a light smile: "He just needs a little stimulus." Evil God''s power was his power... Above Simon''s head, a faint Black Fog slowly emerged and was quietly absorbed by Su Qi''s pupils. He slapped Simon on the head: "Simon, your wife and kids ran off with someone else." Simon shuddered all over, his eyes opening groggily: "How could I possibly have a wife and kids... I''m nearly forty and still single..." "That''s fine, keep it that way." "President..." Simon''s eyes widened as he looked at Su Qi, then glanced around at the ruins, his eyelids bulging: "What happened here, what''s going on?" He had passed out the moment the Evil God appeared and was unaware of everything that happened afterward. After all, Simon was just an ordinary shop owner. "Don''t ask, if you do, it''s just improv." "..." Su Qi turned to An Xinghe, "By the way, Young Master An, how long does one usually stay unconscious with this kind of strange power?" An Xinghe paused, but it was a powerful figure next to him who spoke in a deep voice, "If it''s not removed, they''ll stay unconscious for about four to five hours!" "Good!" Su Qi handed his wristwatch to him: "Take this for now, it contains everything I''ve prepared. While all the dignitaries of Night City are sound asleep, pull the rug from under them, burn bridges, commit arson..." Simon: "???" "Anyways, you two just go and do it." Su Qi also woke up Sigong Cheng, leaving behind the Super Dream Protocol subsystem and a series of arrangements in the wristwatch. And now, everyone''s sleep quality was quite good. And... under the power of the Evil God, the whole of Night City was completely paralyzedtiming, location, and harmony among people. Sigong Cheng slowly came to. Upon seeing the situation before him and the subsystems and arrangements in the wristwatch, he took a deep breath, recognizing the great opportunity at hand. "But... is doing this a bit..." Sigong Cheng hesitated, being the most conscientious among the many cutthroat dignitaries, such thievery made his moral bottom line crumble. "??" Su Qi looked at Simon, "Do you have such burdens?" "Not at all!" Simon said excitedly, "I can hardly wait!" Sigong Cheng: "..." Su Qi patted Sigong Cheng on the shoulder, "...in this respect, you''re clearly not as good as Simon." "This is the kind of talent The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce needs." At the mention of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, An Xinghe paused slightly, admitting to himself that he knew quite a bit from Mixed Fish Piano. For example, the man before him was the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect, the one who had inscribed messages on the Mixed Fish Piano. But the person seemed different from what he imagined; in the saga recounted by the Mixed Fish Piano, the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers was a paragon of righteousness, bravery, and justice. After all, it was composed according to various epics where heroes were all embodiments of mercifulness... justice... knights and other virtues. And now, An Xinghe felt that the other had a flexible moral bottom line, not at all the same demeanor. "That..." An Xinghe wanted to speak. Now that he finally met the man in person, his initial interest was piqued by the songs and the tale of the Mixed Fish Piano. An Xinghe was eager to interact with him, especially since from the recent information from Mixed Fish Piano... This Sect Hierarch... was not only arranging everything but seemed to have created an extraordinary stir, and if the Descent event was orchestrated by him, then it was all the more remarkable. To An Xinghe, Su Qi now embodied a tinge of mystique. "Respected Young Master Sunset." However, Su Qi interrupted him, smiling, "Would you... consider investing?" An Xinghe was startled: "Investing?" "The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, it''s the commercial guild under The Hustlers Sect." Su Qi said, seeing the expressions of friendliness and interest atop An Xinghe''s head, it seemed he could try to draw him in. An Xinghe''s expression shifted, "I am... somewhat interested." "Good, if you''re thinking of investing..." Su Qi looked at Nancy, "Spokesperson, come quick, tell him about our services." Nancy trembled all over. Huh? Chapter 200 - 165: Massive Points! Shocking! ----------------- Nancy silently assessed the shattered walls, the exploded equipment, resembling ruins of the Stars Hall. And the just gradually disappearing Su Buxian. She had misjudged the person. She had thought that Su Buxian invited her due to his wish to give her a chance to contact An Xinghe... Young Master Sunset, just for an introduction. But now it seemed. It was obvious this guy... was running out of time, and had her take the hit. Damn it. Without knowing it, she had become the spokesperson for The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce, and she couldn''t even deny it, after all... the honored Young Master Sunset seemed interested in the spot where Su Buxian disappeared, lost in thought. Well, this is great. Now the pressure was on her. But... what business does The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce even do, she had no idea?! Why couldn''t that guy have given her a draft before leaving? However. Nancy recalled Su Buxian smiling and pointing at his pocket before he disappeared. "Could it be..." Nancy quietly pulled out the business card, then found the tagline and a bunch of products in the inner layer. "....." So this guy had already planned everything in advance? Following the normal procedure, she would likely be forced to recite these things. "Respected Young Master, allow me, Nancy, to introduce the various services of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce..." Nancy said helplessly yet with a respectfully serious tone. An Xinghe, however, didn''t mention this topic but gently said, "He... comes from Paradise? A Descender?" "Yes." Paradise and Descenders were hardly a secret among many beings; the power of Paradise was like the extraordinary traits of the Divine, allowing Descenders to enter a world and leave quickly. This ability was not too miraculous to the many worlds, as many races or Divine followers... all possessed special abilities. The only notably unique trait was the infinite rebirths. But power that transcended life and death inevitably came with a terrible price. "Do you know much about him?" Nancy was stunned for a moment, "Somewhat, I''ve met him once before." "Then tell me about it..." An Xinghe said with interest: "I seem to have lost my taste for made-up tales." Mixed Fish Piano: [....] Am I about to be unemployed? No. I''m just a piano, what unemployment? "Moreover, if he is from Paradise... and possesses noteworthy abilities." An Xinghe''s eyes flickered slightly, muttering to himself: "It seems... that Anxious Land will be encountered again." ----------------- [Player Su Buxian has left Fantasy Universe''s instance world no. 646863] [The main quest is being judged] [You have received 49,319 Game Coins, Experience, and 2,131 Spiritual Ability Points] [Your current level restriction has been removed] [Your level has been increased to Level 25] [Please note, points tally is in progress] [Your current points are: 103,912,839] [Next entry to the ranking battle will be in 24 hours] [Ranking battle evaluation: Please note, this is the player''s first official contact with a non-independent instance world. The vast, boundless world is like the surface of an ocean, under the influence of countless swirling undercurrents, a wave that should rise at a certain moment is pushed aside due to your actions, but this massive wave will only be delayed, the endless vortexes will grow more intense, like a powder keg waiting to be ignited - regardless of who pulls the trigger] Su Buxian looked at the slew of notifications popping up. He noticed that the level restrictions had been lifted, he had suddenly advanced to Level 25; it appeared that he had indeed accumulated a lot of experience before, but it seemed that leveling up had indeed slowed down. And now he had gained... 21 + 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 = 115 attribute points. He could finally make some serious progress on his basic attributes. A player''s strength, in fact, needs to be divided into many parts, among which basic attributes and sequence bonuses are particularly important. Both are very important; basic attributes determine the foundation, sequence bonuses are the key to burst power, the larger the base number of basic attributes, the stronger the enhancement. In other words, the basic attributes are like body refinement; only with sufficient attributes can spiritual energy burst, of course, sequence is the most essential aspect, no matter the quantification of the data, it can''t escape the process of Ascension. Of course. Spiritual power must be calculated separately, now that he has increased so many basic attributes, his spiritual power has been greatly enhanced, completely illogically. "Also, this ranking battle evaluation is quite interesting." "It seems that Young Master Dark Sea''s attack was not as simple as it appeared." Su Qi could hardly not suspect that the other party was planning a major move, of course, the other party here is definitely not just talking about this scapegoat or his father, the Youhai Spirit King, as well as a host of forces associated with it. There seemed to be a lot of entanglement. "Just hope Evil God gives a bit of strength, to not let them pull through." In any case, what had to be done in Night City was done, what shouldn''t be done...well, was also done. All in all. This instance is different from the previous standalone worlds; it has civilization, social structures, not completely overrun by horror, pollution, danger, and it maintains pulls and connections with various worlds, it really can be considered a good place for players to officially contact the new worldview. At this moment. Another message popped up in front of Su Qi. [Your ranking in the Fantasy Universe Tournament area has changed. Based on your current points and ranking, you may draw ranking battle rewards.] Since it is still the ranking battle period, many aspects are different from the end of the previous instances. Now the award draws... directly tie to the ranking and... points... S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 201 - 165: Massive Points! Shocking! _2 "You mentioned points?" Su Qi silently looked at his own points column, [Player Su Buxian, current ranking in the Fantasy Universe Tournament: 1, current points 103,912,839] The ranking battle is divided into twelve regions, because the player base is huge, whether they are new players or rookies supported by various organizations or a large number of veteran internal test players, they all face the fiercest competition. The previous Netherworld King and Sha Shili, although they seemed very impressive in reality, they were just ordinary super rookies, after all, the matching mechanism was calculated based on Su Qi''s original ranking. Out of two thousand players, only two are super rookies, which can be considered... a fishpond setup. "However, the player names on the leaderboard can''t be hidden." Su Qi''s eyelids twitched. "Not good, I''m going to get hammered." After all. Su Qi looked at the leaderboard, First place: Su Buxian, points 103,912,839 Second place: Penelope Bloom, points 913,123 Third place: Justice Sheriff, points 892,313 Su Qi had a feeling that this would stir up a frenzy online. "But to be fair, I really didn''t cheat this time!" ----------------- In the dim, barren world, where no birds would shit, immense and devoid of any life, it was truly a dead world. A shadowy figure stood on the horizon, its enormous shadow swirling up endless sand and dust, dark spiritual energy surged like a tide, causing terrifying fluctuations. Upon closer inspection. One could see traces of plants on the ground, bodies of living things. But everything was being slowly absorbed, devoured, spreading across the entire planet! "Sequence 2 slaughter, absorb, despair, life." The Youhai Spirit King looked calmly at this desolate world: "But it still seems hard to move to the next step." "It seems I must borrow the power of the elder the great Old Gods the master of the Abyss." It had a fiery red mark on its body, which bore the totem of the Evil God, but unlike ordinary believers, this totem was alive, rotating, emitting bursts of terrifying black fog. Each rotation seemed to release enormous amounts of twisted moral force, the terrible black fog gradually dyed blood-red, a surge of pollution birthed within, spreading across this world. "Spirit King sir" A message was crossing the Ten Thousand Realms, the Youhai Spirit King frowned, his voice hoarse: "What is it." "The Young Master has had an accident" the other side''s voice trembled, filled with a bit of fear and extreme disquiet. Youhai Spirit King''s eyes were deep and indifferent, listening to the other side''s description, without a trace of fluctuation, he watched quietly as his special ability was activated. The originally barren world suddenly became a domain world of rolling dark sea tides! He stood beside a towering altar. Releasing a vast amount of life force that had just been absorbed and slaughtered, numerous patterns connected from the altar to the entire Dark Sea. This was one of his special abilities. Peeping. This was also why the force of Youhai Spirit King was one of the three major intelligence organizations of the present world. Peeping could not only see... distant worlds, see individual strength, but most importantly, it could also peer into fate! Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Youhai Spirit King slightly closed his eyes, standing on the altar, his massive figure shadowed by countless shadows stretching out from the sea level. He was like a spider, standing at the center of a web, every wave through the net catching his attention. Terrifying dark energy was about to burst. The next moment. Boom! The altar suddenly made a noise, everything around changed, it seemed like a twisted space was breached! A vast network of veins stretched from it! Dense and goosebump-inducing! These were the tracks of fate! "" Youhai Spirit King remained expressionless, but his body was cracking inch by inch. Their kind, when using special abilities, could attain strength beyond their own, but at the same time would pay a great price, fortunately... this entire world, which was once vibrant with life, has already paid its dues. Seconds later. Youhai Spirit King''s finger suddenly moved, seizing one of the myriad dense threads. His eyes flickered slightly, "Strange" "The gears of fate have changed." "They are different from the previous display." Fate''s trajectory was quantum fluctuations, not indicating a fixed destiny, but the Peeping trait was to see... the most likely trajectory from countless possibilities and factors, it would choose to constantly stack these trajectories, like strategizing on a board. Thus. It was like truly seeing the future. The unsettling undercurrents were impatient, but the trajectory that occurred had entirely changed, it was not as simple as just a butterfly''s wings. "There''s someone interfering" In Youhai Spirit King''s mind, several figures emerged: "In the present world, the only ones capable of this are likely..." The divine beings were still not revived, their devout believers were still hidden, the ancient powers were still in the Ancient Battlefield, unable to leave. "There are no others who need to prevent this from happening, except that guy" Youhai Spirit King''s eyes revealed a bit of chill and dread: "Traveling through the Ten Thousand Realms, collecting traces playing the game of changing fate with those weak creatures" Right. Now, it could only be him. "Those who obstruct the great True God''s unsealing, must be cast into the depths of the Dark Sea, never to see the light of day again!" Youhai Spirit King issued the command. Let those strong ones search for Young Master Youhai, the child is not dead yet, although Sunset Spirit King seems to be making moves, it must also set out. Chapter 202 - 165: Massive Points! Shocking! _3 "After finding it, according to the original plan, send it to Anxious Land. I will rush to that place to treat it." "Yes." The Youhai Spirit King''s entire Domain of Dark Sea dissipated, and with a raise of its hand, it tore open a rift in the desolate world around it and then stepped into the passage of Nihility. "Anxious Land, once a place where audiences with various Divine took place, a monumental Strength has been maintained to this day, still preventing countless powerful beings from entering." "The rules have also been in operation for thousands of years." "Now it is another era, countless... The new era''s destined ones entering the sequence are all likely to gather there." Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "But." It chuckled coldly. "This is probably the last time." ----------------- Night. In a dream. In Su Qi''s dream world, the third Black Shadow finally arrived. "Gan! Wen! What do you think?" Su Qi looked at the clump of Black Fog huddling on the ground. This Black Fog had actually been there before when rescuing the Master of Destruction and during the fusion with the Ancient God''s Heart, it had merged some from the surrounding Old Days Black Fog. It was still shapeless, devoid of consciousness. But now... after absorbing part of the Black Fog. It seemed to have changed. Gan and Wen, two Black Shadows, one in overalls and the other in a denim jacket, trembled slightly, with words directly manifesting beside their heads. "Sect Hierarch... It seems to be from Lord Evil God''s Origin Strength." "And you?" "We are the fringes of Lord Evil God..." Su Qi slapped Gan and Wen directly to the ground, "Keep calling him Lord Evil God, seems you''re still hung up on your former master, asking for a beating!" "???" Wasn''t this your idea, Sect Hierarch! "Do you have anything different?" Gan and Wen silently stood up: "It currently does not have much self-awareness; it is more like a newly born creature, Sect Hierarch, you can consider it as a beast." Su Qi looked at this dark creature. A Black Beast? "Anyway... let''s name it Cui; you will be the three generals of my Shadow Army." Gan, Wen: "..." There''s no fourth member in this army; training them devilishly every day in the room, even having to memorize ancient texts and military strategies, and punishment if not completed. Looks like tonight will be more of the same. But. At least one... or rather, one beast had joined. Su Qi wasn''t idle either; while they trained, he continued researching... methods to take them into the instance which now seemed promising. They were like the Mixed Fish Piano, all sentient, considered a more Advanced type of Pollutant. After all, their former master was the Evil God, who also controlled every believer''s Totem and lifeline, serving both as the Strength provider and a symbiotic supervisor. Of course. Now they were all his, Su Buxian''s soldiers. "And by using the Spiritual Eyes to connect the channels, it seems possible to summon them in the instance." Su Qi decided to find a chance next time to summon all three, given that Gan and Wen under his special training now had significantly increased Strength; why not put them to work if not for his own salary? Oh. Forgot, never had a salary before. Just wonder what those Cultists would think... seeing this. And after their increase in Strength, they never thought of rebelling. First, because resistance was futile, they saw their Sect Hierarch as deep as a pond, and after merging into the Spiritual Eyes, there was also a compelling oppressive force. Second, because they had been completely transformed by the Sect Hierarch''s mighty sanctity, occasionally chatting about The Hustlers'' dreams of the future seemed more promising than their former Evil God boss? The night slowly passed. Su Qi could now sense in his dreams what time it was, when to wake up. When he opened his eyes, The sky was already turning white. Su Qi picked up his phone, and he found a bunch of people had sent him a barrage of messages overnight. "Brother Su!" Seems like topping the leaderboard really did set off fireworks; so many came to congratulate first thing. But. He opened the messages. "You''ve been smashed for cheating!" Chapter 203 - 166 Just Practice More ┓( ′?` )┏ If You Cant Afford to Lose, Dont Play! Su Qi opened the official forum. Upon entering the page, he saw a prominently highlighted post with his ID "Su Buxian" displayed in blazing red. Never assume it''s a good thing when your ID shows up prominently. It could be a hall of fame, or it could be... an open box list. The post''s title was: "Please, authorities step in, thoroughly inspect the first place in the Fantasy Universe Tournament ranking: Su Buxian!" S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The post had over 100,000 replies. Numerous players were petitioning, sharing their opinions below. "Points over a hundred million? Couldn''t they even pretend?" "Either there''s a bug, or there''s major cheating going on, it''s ridiculous!" They had just left the instance; this time the point accumulation system, although each region, each instance rule differed, a gap existed between those without abilities... and those with abilities, but damn, the second place is a hundred times behind the first! If this isn''t cheating, what is? "This guy named Su Buxian, I''ve never heard of him!" "Strongly suggest a thorough investigation! Expose this Su Buxian! And then ban him!" "That... before you expose him, can you contact me? I''ll pay for the cheat." "??" A lot of skeptical voices arose, of course, some people remained neutral or spoke up for him. "Since opening, Abyssal Paradise has never had any cheats, although the data is indeed a bit exaggerated, everyone should view it rationally." "Who''s alt account? Stop defending." Su Qi watched the comments with great interest. Most replies were clearly from ordinary players, who didn''t really understand the true backend of Abyssal Paradise. The real insiders from the Paradise''s factions and organizations generally wouldn''t raise doubts. Because they deeply knew... cheats like this couldn''t appear in this game. Su Qi wasn''t in a rush. If speaking only of Night City''s point rules, his points were completely normal, having taken down Black Emperor and Jile''s Crowd''s entire assets, conquered the Illegal Land, seized Life Group, taken down Nancy... And all transactions with Cyber Coins in the courier system counted as revenue, although the points were exaggerated, they were entirely legitimate. In the rankings of other Twelve Regions, although there were also many exaggerated scores, with many exceeding a million, now all the attention had shifted to Su Qi. "Brother Su, how did you actually do it?" Night Guardian couldn''t help his curiosity, having just returned from cultivation with greatly increased strength, he had an exceptionally impressive performance in the ranking battles, reaching the top 100 with nearly two hundred thousand points. He had intended... to show off to Su Qi. As a result... He hadn''t expected to be smacked in the face by a string of numbers. "Didn''t you see all the players saying I was cheating?" "..." Night Guardian remained silent, he wasn''t unaware of the situation in Abyssal Paradise, naturally he wouldn''t take Su Qi''s words seriously, "Anyway, Brother Su, you''ve become famous." "Then I better start livestreaming soon." Night Guardian sighed helplessly, "That''s not the kind of fame you want." "Being famous is a good thing in itself, but... under these circumstances, Brother Su, you''re likely to face a swell of skepticism and even malicious challenges, you need to be cautious now." A high ranking also means high risk, now that everyone has accumulated points, and each can see their own rankings and can''t hide them... the implications were evident. Fortunately, the add friend function wasn''t enabled, otherwise Su Qi''s friends'' requests box would surely be overflowing. "It seems there are quite a few people who want to beat me up." Su Qi muttered to himself. Physically beat him. "Alright, Brother Su, I''m gonna head out, prepare well, this ranking battle is really important," Night Guardian said quickly before leaving. The two weren''t in the same region, and many familiar faces Su Qi met were also dispersed. As the matchmaking system was temporarily closed during the ranking battles, so most people were waiting for the countdown to end, aside from posts about themselves, there were also many discussions about... Paradise... Present World... All realms. After the expansion pack was released, they officially encountered the world view of Abyssal Paradise for the first time, seeing a different totality from before. Su Qi estimated that the time was almost right, then chose to eat well before logging into the game. Some friends, on the other hand, were sending him messages. Xun Xiaohuan, Sword White Clothes, Left Hand, Qing Lang, Cheng Feng, Bai Qiangwei, among others... Oh. Everyone was sending them, so no worries. It seemed he really got famous. And aside from those inquiring, marveling, more were reminders... and pulling him into factions again. "Brother Su, your points have attracted the attention of major factions!" "Be careful, there are many dangerous individuals and organizations in your region now, probably they all have their eyes on you." "Brother Su, as a solo player, your situation may become tricky, why not join my Dragon God Club, we have power in Paradise, we can protect you." This was Left Hand, and he hadn''t given up. Su Qi replied acrimoniously, he didn''t mind whether he became famous before entering Paradise... but from the mechanics of this ranking battle, becoming famous was sooner or later, having many skeptics and dangers was quite normal. However, being targeted by various factions in Paradise? As per the information previously obtained from Left Hand. Many powerful organizations and individuals in Paradise each defended a corner, owning shrines to shelter other worlds, and having contacts or even collaborations with forces in the Present World. Of course. These certainly couldn''t compare to entities like Spirit King, but anything that could shelter even three or four worlds counted as no small organization and could also garner many resources, including Spirit Coins. Chapter 204 - 166: Practice More if You Cant Stand Losing, Dont Play!_2 This was also the reason why Su Qi established The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce in Night City. He couldn''t keep making things up. The Hustlers needed their own power base! "Brother Su, are you sure you don''t want to reconsider?" Left Hand sighed, still not giving up, "Then let me reveal something else to you. The information from last time was actually concealed, this ranking battle will ultimately... take place in a location called Anxious Land." "That place has a lot of restrictions. Although my current permissions aren''t enough to know the specifics." "But many internal test players, High Sequence players from Paradise... even chose to voluntarily die, to be kicked out of Paradise, just to compete for the qualification to re-enter Anxious Land." "Many of them, in the real sense, are monsters, once formidable beings." Su Qi pondered, "Sounds pretty impressive, pretty dangerous." "Of course." Left Hand almost burst into tears, finally making this guy feel the urgency. "But..." Su Qi paused, "Do they have more Points than me?" Left Hand: "..." Damn you! Talking like this, you''re going too far! Those digits of yours are already beyond reasonable limits, asshole! Finally, Left Hand let out a deep sigh, "Forget it, I give up... But Brother Su, good luck. Even though we''re not in the same area, I still hope we can both make it to Anxious Land, into Paradise. After all, we''re friends." Despite the tangled interests, they could still be considered friends who had been through thick and thin together. "Alright, I''ll accept this friend card. Next time you encounter The Hustlers, you can use my name for a huge 9.9 percent discount." "??" Left Hand complained, "What kind of discount is that, and also, it''s meaningless." "It''s better if you just give me some Points. I don''t want much, just the change will do." Even though it was a joke, Points are not transferable after all, but Left Hand couldn''t resist checking to see just how much change Su Qi had. [Su Buxian''s current Points: 103,912,839] Just the change amounts to over three million... knocking those at the top of the rankings powerless. Woohoo, so envious! Left Hand''s defense broke, and he hung up the call. Su Qi wondered, "I didn''t even say anything, why''d he leave?" However. Left Hand was quite sincere this time, delivering information similar to others, all cautioning him of the danger, but with some previously undisclosed details. Su Qi glanced at the remaining time before the ranking battle began. He walked over to the lottery box. He still had one lottery draw he hadn''t used, a reward from the ranking battle, unlike any before, because this time... the lottery mechanism looked at Points. Moreover, at this stage, it wouldn''t produce any Ordinary items; there was a very high chance it was related to Spiritual Energy, as seen from the posts on the forum where many people were openly showcasing their items. They weren''t showing off, but selling, understanding that some players lack the abilities to excel and instead trade to make a living. "Let''s see how much value these one billion Points of mine have." Su Qi chose to draw from the lottery. And the next moment. The lottery box became exceedingly abnormal. It initially had no patterns on it, but now markings began to etch themselves into it. "Zzzzz." The sound of friction carried throughout the Personal Space, with Black Fog emerging around the room. Su Qi''s eyelids twitched as he looked at the box. The lines were being carved deeper and deeper, extremely intricate and elaborate, an eerie aura surging from within. Patterns like these, Su Qi had seen before. They resembled Arrays, often not used in immediate combat, requiring time to layout, trace, along with a large investment of resources, like when Young Master Spirit King needed to teleport away, there must be a powerful being tracing the lines, opening a pathway, even though this... ability, wasn''t yet available to players. But clearly, there would inevitably be contact later. As the friction sound grew more intense and the patterns kept flashing dark red light, they spread from the box to the entire room! Densely packed, the room was filled with patterns! "I have a bad feeling about this." The whole lottery box along with the room started to tremble uncontrollably! Like a pressure cooker, a massive amount of Black Fog burst forth! "Don''t do this, Box Bro!" Su Qi had no choice but to lean against the wall as the whole room vehemently shook even more fiercely, and he noticed a significant amount of Black Fog swirling outside the window! Hisss, terror, pollution, abnormalities! It was as if a massive amount of filth had been drawn in! Or perhaps his own room had been transported into some horrific place! He was just simply drawing a lottery. Was all this pomp and circumstance really necessary?! He didn''t know how much time had passed! It was only then that Su Qi felt the shaking of the room come to a halt, and looking out the window... what he saw was twisted darkness, unbearable to gaze upon, even with his extremely high spiritual power... just one look made him feel as if he were plummeting into the Abyss! "Good grief." Su Qi''s eyes trembled slightly, feeling a lethal danger outside the room, as if he had arrived in some dreadfully formidable place. And the patterns in the room continued to flicker intensely. They seemed to be extending outward, stirring the surrounding Black Fog incessantly. "This is definitely not the same as the lotteries before." Su Qi couldn''t see clearly, but he could guess that these patterns extending out... seemed to be attempting to grasp something. "Before, it was more like drawing items from the warehouse of the Ten Thousand Realms to be delivered to the player." "Now, I''ve been brought directly to some dangerous place to capture something on the spot." And moreover... "Boom, boom, boom!" The room was as if it were being hit by endless, intense fluctuations, causing the entire Personal Space to tremble wildly, and Su Qi had no choice but to tightly grip onto a support, or else, he would have been flung out directly. "I''ve come to understand something." This place was absolutely extraordinary. "And these patterns... they''re clearly formed to protect the room from shattering." This lottery draw... indeed, as Su Qi had anticipated, was completely different. After all. Points in the hundreds of millions, unprecedented. However, the process was also indescribably arduous. Around ten minutes later, Su Qi slowly relaxed his grip on the support and landed on the ground, muttering, "Those ten-plus minutes." "Reminded me of the secret operation in ''99, jumping into a vortex black hole with a shuttle to fend off aliens." After all, for the entire ten minutes. This Personal Space was on the run, as if it were being pursued by countless Black Fog phantoms... constantly bursting forth with terrifying, substantial, and lethal attacks. But they were all blocked by the power of Paradise. However. Fortunately, they had now escaped that lethal danger zone. The room''s patterns had also dissipated completely. Leaving behind only that lottery box... glittering brightly, seemingly waiting for Su Qi to open it as if to claim credit for its work. Su Qi walked over and placed his hand on the box. Upon opening it... A brilliant light burst out with a thunderous, resonant tremor! Such... such powerful light! sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Could it be! "...Snap!" Su Qi silently observed a cross pendant that appeared on his chest. At the same time, a message popped up before his eyes. [Name: Angel... Descending Tribute!] [Type: Spiritual Power Technique/Ancient Relic] [Quality: Legend] [Spiritual Power Consumption: 1000] [Function: Using this Skill will grant you the traits of the Angel Race, lasting for one minute, with a ten-minute cooldown] [Current Stage: Single-winged Angel (Can collect related items for upgrades)] [Note: By the name of the Divine, a tribute of descent, a powerful tribe lies dormant in the land of sleep. They once looked down upon all, a great existence admired by countless people. One day, they will awaken again, making their Descent into the Present World!] Su Qi''s expression paused slightly. Hmm? Divine again? Chapter 205 - 167 Finally, its to my taste! Su Qi looked at the various pieces of information above. The type included Ancient Relics. "Now, even though it can be used as a Spiritual Power Technique, since it''s an Ancient Relic, that means it can later be integrated into the Ancient God''s Heart to become a permanent trait." Su Qi pondered thoughtfully, suddenly pausing. "Wait, do I have too many Divine Ancient Relics on me?" The heart of an Ancient God, the wings of an Angel, and also the eyes given by the Evil God... As for the Phoenix Feather, it was a close call... but it excelled with its powerful recovery abilities, and I have also made a bunch of feathers, optimizing the Life Potions, reducing the side effects, and adding new traits, which are now a characteristic new product of The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce. Not only can it help me delay the symptoms of Sigong Xun, but it can also be sold across all realms, and it''s constantly updated and improved through big data analysis by subsystems. "And this thing." Su Qi held an object wrapped and pulsing with countless iron bars. [Atomic Heart] [Quality: Perfect] [Function: Sequence Path Guidance, can perform matching keyword searches (each use requires the consumption of Spirit Coins corresponding to the sequence)] [Note: The Sequence Path has countless pathways, developed over innumerable years; like chains, they connect to the Divine Ancient Relics. But to step-by-step overcome these shackles and approach the altar of God is no easy feat.] Different Sequence Paths have different Ascension conditions, all being paths carved out over countless years. The so-called altar seems to also be related to becoming a God; of course, for now, it seems far beyond reach, otherwise, there wouldn''t be so many people stuck at a certain sequence, making no progress. And I''m completely different, the Buxian Path... the chain in my hand still connects to Nihility, with no direction ahead and no way back. "I''ll take a look after entering the instance," Su Qi put it away. This room in the Personal Space is special, restricting the use of all skills, equipment, tools, and so on. Many skills, once acquired, need to be practiced after entering the instance. As for the use of the Atomic Heart requiring Spirit Coins, I currently don''t have any. "If I had known, I would have taken down that casino in Linyuan Land directly." sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. According to the wage standard of Pure Land City at the time, earning more than one hundred Spirit Coins a day was considered a good income. But. Working a job was out of the question. The Hustlers Chamber of Commerce is expanding; the seeds sown, the nets cast, all are sprouting and growing in different worlds over time. "Time''s up." Su Qi watched the countdown for the ranked battle. Yesterday, all players, whether they entered early or late, had their exit time from the instance unified; at this moment, everyone would enter at the same time. And then, a message popped up. [Please take note, all players, the following match will enter the final stage of ranked battles. Players who are forced to quit or are eliminated can wait for the end of the ranked battles, and all changes, notifications, etc., will be announced and explained within the instance.] "Hmm?" Su Qi paused briefly. "So it means, once I go in... when I come out, the ranked battle will be over?" "Wait, I just remembered I haven''t washed the pot back in reality yet." And the next moment. A compelling force descended, leaving the players no choice, a vast tide of darkness swallowed all the light in the room, leaving no room for resistance or hesitation. One could only hear a strange laugh, not a malicious kind but like someone leaning against a window, staring intently at you. "Welcome to the Abyss." ----------------- Cold and trembling. Su Qi hadn''t yet opened his eyes but could hear someone whispering nearby. "Sir, sir." He opened his eyes. In his field of vision was a lady in an air stewardess uniform, bending down trying to persuade a guy decked out in a big gold chain and a small wristwatch not to use his cell phone for calls on the plane. Su Qi turned his head, looking outside at the vast clouds mingling with the blue sky. It seemed he was on an airplane this time. And before Su Qi could take a closer look, a message popped up. [Please note, the identities of players in this instance, IDs will be hidden in the initial phase.] "Initial phase... hidden? That means it will be revealed later, and from what this message says, there must be other players in this instance too," Su Qi looked around the airplane. The system could hide player IDs. But not question marks. Su Qi could discern the true identities of the players. "However... it seems like there none around me right now." "And the question now is... where is this plane headed..." Su Qi felt his pockets, all empty; it seemed that although he was on the plane, no additional information was provided, which could mean... is the content on the plane unrelated to the main storyline? Not important? And his location was in the economy class, with seats closely packed, people around him either napping or reading newspapers, watching movies to pass the time. Strange. If Su Qi wasn''t mistaken, they were all ordinary people? At the same time, his Item Slot, Skill Bar, Levels, etc., were all unrestricted, everything seemed calm, without a ripple. "...Bro, can we swap seats?" The man sitting by the window looked pale as he turned to Su Qi, "I''m scared of heights, sitting by the window is really getting to me." Su Qi noticed the question mark above his head. It showed he was feeling nauseous and dizzy, and if it continued, he would likely throw up. Chapter 206 - 167 Finally Got it Right!_2 "...." Okay, okay, okay. Su Qi: "Alright, we can switch." After switching seats, the man''s condition seemed to have improved a lot. Meanwhile, Su Qi could also look out the window, enveloped by the clouds, and even glimpse the miniature landscape below through the gaps. His gaze narrowed slightly, growing stranger. "The orderly cluster of cities and the familiar, unaffected terrain, the gentle landscape, and the ordinary people around..." "This world is incredibly normal." "Normal... but somehow abnormal!" Su Qi leaned back in his seat. In the instances he had experienced before, there had always been either a Killing Demon or some abnormality, with an almost consistent start to eerie elements. And now. Everything was extremely calm. This gave Su Qi a strange sense of discomfort. It seemed there were no hijackers or dangerous individuals on the plane, appearing to be just an ordinary flight. The greatest disturbance, Might be the pale-faced man beside him, whose body was still trembling slightly, "You..." Su Qi eyed him and spoke with a bit of anticipation: "Are you about to transform?" The man: "..." "What transformation..." The man seemed perplexed for a moment. Sigh. It really seemed like his fear and anxiety were genuinely showing. Su Qi was rather disappointed. "I''m just... still a bit scared." "You have such severe fear of heights, and you still fly?" "I had no choice, I had to go on a business trip and could only take a plane. It wasn''t this severe before" The man gave a wry smile: "But recently, I''ve heard about many plane disappearances and crashes, so now I''ve become like this." "Really?" Su Qi paused: "Actually, fear of heights isn''t such a big deal, if you divert your attention, you can completely relieve your current symptoms." "Like when we started talking just now, your body subconsciously stopped trembling." The man was startled: "It seems true, now that we''ve been chatting for a bit, I do feel a little more relaxed." "So now we should talk about something more pleasant." "Great!" The man readily agreed: "Talk about what?" "Let''s talk about those plane crash incidents." The man suddenly choked, his face full of question marks! How is that a pleasant topic! Bringing up the exact thing he''s trying to avoid, right? "....." The man sighed, seeing that the other party was very interested, and in light of the fact that Su Qi had given up his seat, he began to speak with a pale face: "From what I understand, there are quite a few planes that suddenly lose their signal during the flight... and then they never appear again." "There was once an aircraft wreckage found at sea, with no survivors inside, just an old notebook with words written in blood, recounting bizarre, twisted experiences, as if witnessing great horrors." Su Qi interrupted: "Do you know the contents?" "I do, but there are many versions. However, the beginning is similar; the person who first discovered the notebook is named Xiao Shuai..." Su Qi looked at him: "That sounds somewhat familiar." "Uh..." The man coughed: "Because I read it from social media and clickbait accounts, but the story spread widely." "Alright, go on." Su Qi listened to the man''s narrative. "The most authentic version is that the plane entered a Devil''s Dark Land, all the passengers heard terrible shrieks and saw horrifying monsters, a twisted sky, and eventually made an emergency landing on a patch of flatland. But when the survivors left the plane, they found themselves turning into monsters, their bodies undergoing constant changes." "That blood writing seems to be... either a cry for help or a warning!" The man shivered as he said this. "You see, now you can understand my fear, right? After all, hearing all this would scare anyone normal, wouldn''t it?" Su Qi''s eyes narrowed slightly. Shouldn''t normal people feel excitement and curiosity upon hearing these things? And this version sounds so familiar, like a polluted world... and the body even undergoes transformations, unavoidably reminding him of the second instance he experienced... and the Tentacle Man. But. Regarding the content from social media and clickbait accounts, Su Qi felt their credibility was very low... or rather, extremely low. "Is there any official confirmation or direct public evidence of this news?" "Seems not... but the clickbait accounts claim they confirmed it with the people involved." "The person involved is Sister Yangyang, right? The credibility is about to drop to zero." "..." The man helplessly retorted: "Just think of it as a story I made up, anyway... this version is the most authentic, and whenever it appears online, it gets deleted." Su Qi paused: "Deleted?" "The credibility just jumped to 90%." The man: "???" "And..." Su Qi looked around, "Have you noticed how good our pilot is?" "Huh?" The man blinked, slightly taken aback. Su Qi pointed outside, "It''s the first time I''ve seen a plane diving towards a thunder cloud." The sky around the plane was still bright azure, but ahead was a vast expanse of dark storm clouds! The rumbling of electricity flashing! Everything around was dark and gloomy! It was as if... a terrifying monster was opening its gaping maw, wanting to devour everything. And this plane was flying uncontrollably forward! "!!!!!" The man''s eyes widened! The next moment, the light surrounding the plane vanished, the fuselage involuntarily shook, the cabin lights flickered, and the dark atmosphere made many passengers realize something was amiss! "What''s going on? Why did it suddenly go dark!" "And what''s up with the plane! It''s shaking so violently!" "The sky outside was clear just a moment ago!" People started to panic, all turning their gaze outside! And then, a slightly unnatural voice came from the plane''s control room. "Ladies and gentlemen, the plane has encountered unexpected severe airflow and storm conditions beyond our predictions, but please don''t worry, stay seated, and fasten your seat belts to prevent injury from the turbulence..." The man trembled slightly, "Why do I have a bad feeling about this." "Relax, the announcement was wrong, it''s not about any thunder cloud or bad weather." "Really?" "Of course... We''re obviously not in the same world anymore!" Su Qi watched the world''s dome outside already completely dark, various twisted and peculiar anomalies slowly seeping through, terrible gales howling, and numerous shrieks faintly bursting. "Shit!" The man suddenly widened his eyes, his body shaking uncontrollably! He tried to stand up but was restrained by the seat belt! Many passengers also noticed that something was wrong, their expressions becoming increasingly panicked: "Something''s off, folks!" "This is not just a thunder cloud!" "I saw... twisted vortexes!" "Could it be that the incident rumored online is true!" The man now had no color in his lips and finally stammered: "It''s... true... it''s true..." "We... have... entered...here too!" "We''re approaching that terrifying vortex!" Everyone screamed! The man, shaking, yelled at the flight attendant: "Turn away!! Get away from there! Otherwise, we''ll get sucked in and never be able to return!" The flight attendant, equally stunned, could only try to reassure everyone based on her professional training: "Please do not panic, stay in your seats, the pilot will navigate the plane safely into a safe zone." "Bang!!" The turbulence of the plane grew fiercer. Su Qi, however, had a clearer view from the window, as a large amount of polluted and twisted air was enveloping everything. "What do we do! What do we do!" The man''s voice quivered... his face deathly pale: "Our only chance is to avoid it, but can this plane even steer clear of that area?!" "About that, you no longer need to worry or be tense." Su Qi paused, "The plane lost all its signals half a minute ago, and from the look of things, it''s lost control too." And you''re still so calm! The man wanted to scream out, but at that moment, with a loud bang, it was as if a giant hand slapped the plane, everyone felt their bodies shift, and the violent shaking made it impossible for him to speak! "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Terror followed terror, as everyone could clearly feel the tilt in their bodies! The entire plane had completely lost control! Carried into the vortex by the countless twisted gales! "It''s over!" "We''re dead!" "I didn''t even get a chance to leave a will!" "Ahhhh!" The plane was in an uncontrollable dive, screams of terror and the approach of fatal danger attacking everyone, the intense turbulence instilling fear and despair in everyone! sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The bizarre and polluted air was uncontrollably seeping through, bursting forth! And the strange shrieks and pollution were vaguely nearing the plane''s windows! Only Su Qi calmly sat in his seat, taking a sip of his coffee, settling down: "Now, it finally tastes right." Chapter 207 - 168: The Justice League Targets Su Buxian! The plane had already been devoured by countless distortions. How should one describe the scene witnessed now? Su Qi''s gaze was fixed on the outside of the plane. He felt as if he had returned to his Personal Space, traveling through numerous channels filled with Pollution and Nihility, with Black Fog surging chaotically like Chaos. The windows around him had become utterly opaque, as if he were in a strange land devoid of any light! "Nihility..." It reminded Su Qi of the channels opened by rituals performed by the powerhouses he had seen at the Stars Hall, among which terrifying currents swarmed. The entire plane had been sucked into a vortex as vast as... a black hole, and no one knew what would happen next. At this moment, everyone on the plane had passed out; the terrifying screams and the spiritual impact brought by the Pollution had directly caused their mental collapse, and massive amounts of eerie, twisted Black Fog were seeping in through the cracked crevices! After all, they were all Ordinary people. Even if other players were in this situation, they''d probably blackout... lose consciousness. Su Qi''s Spiritual Energy surged, his base attribute plus the sequence enhancement had pushed his spiritual power to ten thousand, his frightfully high spiritual power allowed him to remain conscious even in this situation. However, there was no additional information... Rather, as long as he stared at the Black Fog, it would start screaming frantically as if startled, emitting a massive sense of distortion and weirdness like a tide! As if it would endlessly strengthen, then gather a massive amount of Black Fog and shadows, coming from a distant unknown place! It seemed to devour Su Qi! And at the same time, he also saw a deep red question mark, reminding him of everything. [Do not look directly!] "So sensitive?" Before the distortion crazily gathered and burst, Su Qi could only close his eyes. This kind of prohibition against direct viewing... was not new to him. In the previous projections of the Ancient Battlefield at Linyuan Land, he had seen many extraordinary things, but in this dangerous situation, it was slightly different; looking once or twice may be sustainable, but the longer he looked, the more terrifying and weird things it would attract. Unless he could withstand it with his own strength in the future, but now it was too far away, a mass of deadly dangerous aura seemed to devour him. And once he closed his eyes, it was like blocking all senses; he felt as if his body didn''t exist, every other sensation completely vanished. Time passed by seconds and minutes. He didn''t know how long had passed. Su Qi''s senses gradually returned, and sounds reached his ears; he slowly opened his eyes. The plane had landed, and the hull had cracked everywhere, all windows were already shattered. Given the situation... Ordinary people would likely not have survived, but Su Qi scanned around; not a single person was dead, all were still alive. "... It''s like being protected by some force." "And..." Su Qi narrowed his eyes, observing changes in the bodies of the people. Some people were slowly coming to, each holding their heads as if they had splitting headaches. "My head... it hurts so much..." "Has the plane... landed?" "Are we... still alive?" "Wait, something feels off." The man next to Su Qi also trembled slightly, then slowly opened his eyes, looked around blankly, and then screamed in terror: "Ah! Monsters!" Everyone froze, noticing the man and others around them on the seats, screaming! Every person on the plane had undergone changes; some... had terrifying faces growing on their arms, others had iron spikes penetrating their bodies, yet others had bloodied hands growing on their heads. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. An assortment of horrors! Absolutely chilling! Su Qi held the shoulder of the frightened struggling man next to him and calmly said: "Calm down..." "After all, you''ve also turned into a monster." The man was stunned, looked down, and only then noticed strange patterns on his chest, like burns. "What in the world is... happening?" People finally began to realize their situation, looking terrified at one another: "Why have our bodies transformed like this..." "And... where exactly are we!" "Where did we crash?" "There''s no signal on the mobile phones either!" Outside the plane windows was a terrifying deep red, a faintly spreading eerie fog, blurring the distant view, but chilly enough to make everyone shudder. And in a corner, seated alone without speaking or showing any emotion, an middle-aged man now slightly raised his head, his expression solemn as he spoke: "Passed through twisted visions, infected by strangeness... everyone undergoes terrible transformations, help... help, this place is full of horrors..." People were stunned, unsure why the middle-aged man would say such things. But the man''s body trembled slightly, his eyes widened: "That''s from that notebook!" The man looked at the middle-aged man: "You''ve looked into it too?" The middle-aged man did not answer but looked at the face on his right arm, instead, with a probing gaze, he said solemnly: "I never thought I''d actually encounter it." By this time, six people stood up, each with a refined aura, and their muscular build and movements carried a menacing presence. Someone looked at the middle-aged man: "Captain, what do we do now?" "Stick to the prepared plan," the middle-aged man spoke. This person nodded, pulling out a badge from his pocket, his voice carrying weight: "Everyone, we are from the national emergency response department, please remain calm now." Chapter 208 - 168: The Justice League Targeting Su Buxian! _2 "Crew members, first check if anyone is injured, unconscious, and cooperate with the emergency response." "Everyone, please do not move around to avoid danger." The presence of national security personnel on site calmed the crowd quite a bit, yet the underlying fear remained, and the noise was incessant. "What the hell is going on?" "Why has this happened to us..." "Where on earth have we crashed?" They were doing their best to soothe the passengers and work with the crew to check on people in the other compartments. Su Qi didn''t bother with the clamor but instead looked strangely at his own palm; he too had mutated, with an eye in the center of his palm. He muttered to himself, "The Palm Eye, huh." The second "instance" he had experienced, that same abnormality had appeared, an eye growing in the center of the palm. He hadn''t expected to see it again now. "That''s right..." A man''s trembling voice came from beside Su Qi. He looked outside: "This is... the place where all the plane crashes occurred, the horrifying world recorded in that survivor''s notebook! We can''t go back!" "Not necessarily," Su Qi paused. "In my view, the possibility of you returning could be as high as 3%." The man: "....." "What''s the difference between that and not being able to go back at all!" "3%... that''s considered high by my standards. Usually, I believe that 0.1% signifies being prepared to risk it all." The man: "????" Are you some kind of wire-walking trapeze artist? "It''s remarkable that you can still crack jokes with such calmness." He looked shakily at his chest. "Now everyone has undergone bizarre mutations and become strange monsters; no one knows what we''ll turn into next." "You should feel fortunate about that." The man was startled and looked at Su Qi: "Why?" Su Qi tapped the window filled with cracks: "Because ordinary people simply can''t survive in this world." He was all too familiar with their transformed appearances. They were less monsters and more accurately described as abnormalities. Most abnormalities come with twisted, strange changes, symbolising a kind of ability. After being polluted, either one withstands it and steps into the "sequence"... Or one becomes a completely mindless Pollution Monster... "In any case, this is a pollution-type instance..." Su Qi looked out into the mist and silently mused to himself: "An unknown world, the reappearance of the Palm Eye, ordinary people becoming abnormalities, and... other players..." The jumbled threads had just begun to unfurl, not yet connected end to end. One step at a time. At this very moment. Everyone aboard had been accounted for, with five injured but all with minor injuries. The common denominator was that all had mutated. "So, what''s the situation now?" "What should we do?" "Can we get in touch with rescue services?" The crowd looked at these officials, hope shining in their eyes. "Ladies and gentlemen." A middle-aged man stood up, his voice conveying a hint of gravity as he spoke, extending his hand to take out a piece of communication equipment: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a national security personnel, and this device in my hand is a satellite phone, which means I can make contact from anywhere in the world." The crowd''s spirits lifted. And the next moment. The middle-aged man slowly placed the communication tool on the seat in front of him: "But I''m sorry, it currently has no signal." His voice was grave as he announced this cruel reality: "This means that we are all currently in another world." The bodies of the people trembled slightly, fear and despair appearing in their eyes. "How could this be?!" "Another world? How is that possible!" The middle-aged man looked at the people: "I know this is a difficult and hard-to-accept piece of news, but please stay calm and trust us; there''s still hope for us all to return to our original world... The key is to remain united and survive together." Su Qi observed the middle-aged man. It seemed the man knew quite a bit about this world, and his identity and tone provided the others with some calm and hope. "However." "The situation to come may not follow their will." Su Qi gazed into the surrounding fog. There was the sound of running footsteps softly crossing over; his spiritual power was sufficient to penetrate the mist and sense the movement in the distance. From the speed and sound of the footsteps. It seemed. The approaching creature was no benign entity. "Something is approaching from outside." sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without needing a warning from Su Qi, a young man whose ears had become like trumpets spoke with bewilderment: "I think I hear heavy footsteps! It''s moving fast!" The middle-aged man''s expression darkened, looking outside. A few seconds later! "What is this..." A Three-Legged Monster, covered in bloodstained bandages, was rapidly coming towards them, its red eyes filled with a frightening, abnormal glare. The people shuddered: "What on earth is that monster!" "It''s lunging at us!" "Watch out!" Around the airplane, trench after trench had appeared, the fuselage was compromised, and people were huddled together, with many standing on the edge of the breaks. Seeing this, they all ran back in horror. After all, the appearance of the Three-Legged Beast was far too unsettling. Yet some roared out: "What''s there to fear, it''s just one! Let''s take it on." The middle-aged man and his colleagues did not hesitate, charging forward quickly: "Let''s go for it!" Only by dealing with this creature could they ensure the safety of the people and achieve cooperation. Otherwise, the journey ahead would be even more difficult. Su Qi watched all this unfold without lending a hand. Everyone had become monstersregarding their physical condition and additional abilities, they were more than a match for a single Three-Legged Monster. They didn''t need his help. Thus. The Three-Legged Monster was about to be mobbed by justice. Chapter 209 - 168: The Justice League Targeting Su Buxian! _3 Everyone felt the heightened strength in their bodies and the abilities brought by their abnormal changes: "We seem... different now." "That monster doesn''t seem too strong." Everyone felt a bit excited, and they also saw hope. But in the next moment, numerous footsteps densely approached. More than twenty pollution monsters shrieked, their impact stronger than the earlier three-legged monster, their eerie aura making everyone tremble again. A man''s eyes widened, "Why are there more?" "The noise of the plane crash is enough to attract monsters from kilometers around," Su Qi sipped his coffee lightly, "but it seems it has also attracted rescue." Another team was rapidly approaching! About a dozen people. They held various cold weapons in their hands, nearly matching the speed of the monsters, their expressions stern as they skillfully controlled their abilities, and quickly slew more than twenty pollution monsters. "You are..." The middle-aged man looked slightly stunned. The leader of the abnormality spoke solemnly, "Now''s not the time for explanations. Everyone... gather as much as you can from the plane, such as food, water, usable electronic devices, etc., and find something that can be used as a weapon. Then get ready to leave with us immediately, or more dangers will be attracted here!" People hadn''t expected there to be others here, although they all seemed mutated just like them... it seemed they were companions? "Hurry up! One minute!" The man quickly started rummaging through his bag but couldn''t help looking at Su Qi, who was sitting still and shouted, "Stop calmly drinking your coffee!" He had been holding back for a long time! He was drinking when the three-legged monster came, drinking when more than twenty monsters appeared, now they were about to run! And he was still drinking! "You only have one minute, aren''t you going to take something with you? Even a stick would do!" They felt their strength had increased and had undergone some changes, but clearly, this world was fraught with danger; they needed to at least find weapons for self-defense. "Actually..." Su Qi spread his palm, "This Palm Eye is enough." The man startled, "What is its ability? Can it create an attack with lethal force like mine does!" "You seem to have already figured it out, you''re very close, it..." Su Qi allowed the Palm Eye to emit twinkling light: "It emits light." The man: "..." He fell silent for two seconds then shouted, "What the hell use is that!" Well said. When Su Qi initially acquired the item, he had the same thought, but now that it had returned to his hand, he might as well see what further developments could be made. "Everyone, follow us quickly. Make sure not to make any noise, don''t wander off, do not use your abilities at will, and listen to our commands, or... you will bear the consequences." Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The leader of the abnormal team, Bald, spoke with gravity. He was the authoritative figure of the group, with a red valve growing on the back of his head, holding a Bone Cutting Knife in his hand. In the past minute, they had slain over ten sporadic pollution monsters that lunged at them. The team started to move. The only certain thing now... this was a pollution instance, and the main plot and worldview were still unknown, but since it was the final stage of the ranked battle, some big movements might be expected. "And... other players, seems I''ve met another one." Su Qi looked towards... that young man in Bald''s team. This person was a player. He didn''t need to use a question mark to discover it, as during the battle, the man had openly used skills, equipment, etc., apparently not planning to hide. And the other seemed to have sensed something too, smiling faintly at him. "Alright, alright." Su Qi smiled amiably in return. This person had also recognized his identity, sensing the fluctuations of a skill that probed the range of abilities. The young man whispered to Bald, then retreated to Su Qi''s side, his gaze lightly resting on Su Qi, quietly saying: "Looks like you''re a player too, huh..." The other chuckled lightly, "Didn''t expect to see another player among so many people here." "And, you seem very surprised about how you were discovered..." The other seemed talkative and imaginative, "Given that I have a skill that can probe within a range, any person''s condition is exposed. Everyone except you was affected, indicating you blocked it with your Spiritual Energy, which also proves you''re a player." "That complicated?" Su Qi: "I thought you could tell from my uniquely sunny and cheerful demeanor?" The young man: "..." He got choked up, unexpectedly not knowing how to respond. "Anyway..." The young man paused, "I have no hostility and I''m here to invite you to join our Player Alliance." Su Qi paused, asking, "Alliance? What alliance..." Had he missed something again? Was there already an alliance? The young man paused, "It seems you don''t know yet, but I think you''ll be very interested." "Before entering the game, we formed a coalition to target first place in points and to sanction that player named Su Buxian... the Justice League!" Chapter 210 - 169 Somehow Familiar Again "..." When Su Qi heard him finish speaking, he paused slightly. ??? Targeting me... the Justice League? And inviting me personally to participate? I have to say... you have a good eye for people. "How about it, are you interested?" "Um... it is a bit intriguing, but are there many people entering the Justice League?" "Of course," the young man said softly: "On one hand, many want to sanction him for suspect actions such as using cheats to inflate data, since those points are just too outrageous; many people won''t accept such a sudden upstart!" "Indeed," Su Qi nodded in agreement. "On the other hand... during the final stage of the ranking battle, there will inevitably be final rankings, and points are an important basis for obtaining the final positions and qualifications, so... there will be extremely fierce competition and killing," the young man paused. "With so many points, who wouldn''t be envious of Su Buxian? If they could share Su Buxian''s points, many wouldn''t even need to do the main quota to get extra points." He repeated, adding emphatically, "After all, he really has too many points." ... No need to emphasize anymore. Su Qi mused silently. It seems that my worth even exceeds the main quota. "No need to say more, I''m in. It''s everyone''s responsibility to sanction Su Buxian," Su Qi declared righteously. The young man gave a thumbs up: "Good, good, good." "Anyway, let''s get to know each other." The young man introduced himself: "My name is Ethan Dawn." The other party did not hide his identity, consistent with the information displayed above his head. "Brother Chun, hello." Su Qi paused and smiled, "My name is Sunshine Cheerful Big Boy." "..." Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wait, why do the first two words sound so wrong? Ethan Dawn recalled the leaderboard and seemed to have never seen this name before; many clubs also did not have this ID, and it couldn''t be checked instantly in this instance. He felt certain now; it seems like an ordinary player. "Anyway, welcome to join our Justice League. Although it was only proposed recently, most players responded enthusiastically. While it is to target Su Buxian, it also became a sizable force made up of Solo Players." "I see." Ethan Dawn warmly patted Su Qi''s shoulder: "Anyway, you won''t regret your choice. I''ll introduce you to the other members of our alliance when the time comes." "Good, good, good." Su Qi pointed ahead: "Where are we heading now?" "It''s a safe camp in this world." Ethan Dawn looked ahead, pausing, "We directly appeared in this world, and have been probing this place for almost half a day now, only then did we gather some information about this world and found safe places." "Players like you are successors, entering here through the chaos of other worlds. But the advantage is... so many people working together, and the signs of chaos will alert the people at the safety camp and they will come to rescue." Other ordinary civilizations... That is to say. Su Qi looked around at the anxious and nervous crowd; not just those visible but countless worlds without abnormalities, sequences, Divine Powers, etc., also had similar portals of disappearances. Numerous people from different worlds have been accidentally brought here. "No, it''s not accidental." "It resembles the early Paradises, more like a large-scale selection?" Su Qi couldn''t help but make a bold conjecture: "Bringing lots of people from countless worlds allowing them to interact with pollution, mutate, and thereby step onto the Sequence Path." This... It is speculative, yet logical and terrifying. On deeper thought, the entire Present World... incredibly vast; this undercurrent has been quietly ongoing for so long, covering such an expansive range, with abnormalities becoming visible everywhere over countless ages. As if invisible hands were orchestrating everything. "Anyway, the safe camp is the only place where we can temporarily survive," said Ethan Dawn: "After all, this world... has totally collapsed, becoming the most terrifying and bizarre pollution instance, you should know about this." "I''ve heard a bit; this instance seems somewhat special." "What do you mean somewhat, it is very special!" Ethan Dawn shook his head, educating Su Qi: "A pollution-crash instance means the entire world has completely broken down, occupied thoroughly by numerous pollutions, producing terrifying abnormalities everywhere. Other than a few safe zones, all other places have been completely devoured, filled with dangerous Pollution Monsters." He pointed at the current fog: "That''s why we need to act quickly, because staying outside too long will gradually pull you into Spiritual pollution, constantly producing auditory and visual hallucinations, and even mental breakdown. As players, our Spiritual Energy can ward off some of it, but one would quickly lose spiritual power if one stays too long." Su Qi nodded: "This sounds familiar." "Anyway." "Anything could happen in a pollution instance; since the main task hasn''t appeared yet, many players are exploring and making contact with that powerful Abnormal Organization." Abnormal Organization, huh? Su Qi looked toward Bald and those people. This world, as he said, was very dangerous, completely collapsed almost signifying a horrific dead end. But an organization that managed to establish a safe haven here... must be extraordinary. Moreover, the fact that this world frequently attracts crowds brought by various chaotic flows and can conduct rescues quickly signifies its Order and power must be considered very strong. Chapter 211 - 169 Somehow Looks Familiar Again_2 It must be a huge creature! At that moment. Bald suddenly raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to stop. "What''s going on?" Everyone paused, slightly startled and anxious. "Shh..." Bald extended a finger, placing it upon his lips; his expression somewhat solemn as he looked into the distance. The mist wasn''t too thick, visibility was around one hundred meters; anything further became a vast white expanse. "Danger is approaching," Ethan Dawn furrowed his brow gently. As a player who had appeared directly in this world, he had encountered more dangers than one might imagine and had seen many bizarre things. He knew this place was full of terrifying threats. Everyone held their breath. On their journey so far, they hadn''t attracted much attention from monsters, encountering only the occasional scattered pollution monster which they readily dispatched, given their small numbers. However, Bald knew too well that those were insignificant pollution beasts without any ranking, barely posing a real threat. But now... A chill kept creeping into his heart, although he saw nothing, his years of keen intuition told him... there was a strange danger nearby. The best course of action now was to remain still. There were too many people present; they could fight against disorderly small beasts, but if they encountered some horrific and odd entity, its strange abilities alone could kill hordes of people. Su Qi looked into the distance; his Spiritual Eyes faintly gathering energy, allowing him to see a large, vague silhouette dragging its heavy steps closer. Its pace was neither fast nor slow, its movements like that of a stiff corpse, all the while accompanied by a frightening silence. "It''s coming!" Someone near Bald frowned deeply, with bloodshot eyes; they too saw the existence a hundred meters away. "This is... the One-eyed Butcher!" Through everyone''s eyes, they beheld the pollution monster... standing five to six meters tall, skinless, with flesh and blood vessels exposed, holding a thorny iron spike! "Everyone stay silent, no matter what happens, don''t make any moves!" Bald''s expression changed, he immediately whispered urgently. The terrifying presence made everyone shiver! Just like themselves, pollution monsters also had various rules. Like the One-eyed Butcher before them, it did not concern itself with static things, but any slight movement would trigger its ferocious bloodlust, continuing until everything turned into minced meat! The One-eyed Butcher was slowly approaching, its steps might have been slow, but the sense of oppression was intense! That eye, devoid of eyelids, drooping with blood vessels, watched everyone intently! It seemed to be observing! No one dared to move, even Bald and the others had sweaty palms! Such an entity was a great danger to them as well. "It''s here..." Ethan Dawn''s expression also became tense. However, Su Qi''s gaze wasn''t fixed on the One-eyed Butcher, but he looked past it, towards the distant mist. Because there was an even more dangerous presence... And just then, within the surrounding mist... sudden, barely audible, sinister screeches emerged, as if fingernails were scraping a metal sheet! "Ah!" The piercing sound caused everyone''s eardrums to ache, and they inadvertently let out a noise! They quickly came to their senses and covered their mouths in horror! But they realized that the One-eyed Butcher hadn''t charged at them. Instead, it stood quivering! In the next moment, The One-eyed Butcher showed an expression of fear and quickly fled without looking back! Everyone was stunned. "What''s happening?" "The One-eyed Butcher ran away!" Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bald, however, did not relax even a bit; his face grew even more somber as he listened to the sounds from the mist! What kind of terrifying creature must it be, to make the One-eyed Butcher flee without hesitation? The group waited a while, but still, nothing seemed to emerge from the mist. "Why hasn''t it appeared yet..." "This screeching... feels like it''s right in front of us..." "..." Su Qi softly reminded: "Look... in the sky, there''s a surprise." Ethan Dawn felt a shock and raised his head, as if he''d just fallen into an ice cave, he growled, "Damn it all to hell!" Everyone else now also lifted their heads, their eyes splitting wide with terror, their hearts and livers trembling. Thirty meters above their heads... there was a huge spider. Its limbs merged seamlessly with the fog in the distance and the forest... its body loomed right above them, on top of which were countless compound eyes with various pupils rotating back and forth, sizing them up! Ethan Dawn couldn''t help but tremble and say, "Fuck, did I not read the almanac today? Why are there horrifying creatures everywhere?" Indeed, the completely broken world was fraught with danger, but you couldn''t just take a few steps... and then face a terrifying existence that could annihilate everyone! "Look on the bright side..." Su Qi''s gaze shifted upward, "What if the other party is just friendly and curious?" "This is a polluted world!! Where would you find any friendliness!" Ethan Dawn nearly shouted. He said shakily, "... I''ve only just begun, and I haven''t even found that Su Buxian! Is it going to end already?" Thinking of me so much... Su Qi looked at the compound-eyed spider, a Pollution Monster with twisted spiritual characteristics. Its mere appearance caused others to experience terror, dangerous emotions, and then become its food! But. Spiritual power and pollution... Su Qi''s eyes flickered slightly, Spiritual Eyes brimmed with Spiritual Energy, emitting ripples, and an aura akin to that from the Abyss condensed! High Spiritual Attribute combined with... a simulation of the Evil God''s aura. The next moment. The giant spider''s compound eyes trembled violently, and it let out a scream of terror! A hissing that exploded like a burst! Everyone felt dizzy and hurriedly covered their ears! Then, eyes widening, they watched the giant polluted spider, like the previous one-eyed Butcher... flee madly without looking back! Its fear even surpassed that of the one-eyed Butcher! "What''s going on!" "It just ran away like that? And it was scared off!" Everyone was dumbfounded! Utterly at a loss! Su Qi was also surprised for a moment; he hadn''t expected... the effect to be so strong. His own Spiritual Eyes naturally had a strong deterrent effect on all pollutants. After simulating a bit of the Evil God''s aura, he had originally intended to make the spider slightly stunned, giving everyone a chance to respond and escape. As a result. The opponent scampered off, wetting itself! The deterrent effect was that terrifying. "Could it be..." Su Qi hesitated for a moment: "Did my title upgrade, making the simulation ability climb a level... or was it after contact with the Evil God''s projection that the suppression effect of the Spiritual Eyes became even stronger?" Simulation of aura was usually easy to see through for normal people... after all, having the aura without the strength led to many flaws. But. In this so-called dangerous polluted instance, all the terrifying monsters didn''t have much of a brain. So then... I could potentially be their God. Ethan Dawn also looked in astonishment at the scene, turning to Su Qi: "Did you feel a sudden chill just now, as if being pricked by numerous needles, a phantom pain?" "What is it?" Su Qi asked knowingly. "It means there must still be terrifying monsters nearby!" At that moment, Bald also spoke up shakily: "Everyone!" "We must immediately quicken our pace and swiftly leave this place!" Everyone was mentally exhausted, nearing collapse, and all of them felt like they were on pins and needles, gripped with overwhelming fear, not just walking but starting to run! Running faster and faster. Even Bald in front didn''t stop. "They''ve been affected..." Su Qi looked at the others: "And... it seems quite serious. Why do I feel there''s a risk of navigation error?" "You''re still clear-headed, right?" "Damn right I am! I''m a professional!" Ethan Dawn gritted his teeth: "We''ve been in the fog for too long, and the successive disturbances have caused everyone an enormous amount of fear, on the brink of mental collapse, the emotions have a massive impact on the psyche." He looked ahead. "Fortunately, the outpost is just ahead." This time... no incident occurred, and everyone dashed towards the outpost, gasping for air. They were like people fished out of water, soaked in sweat. Meanwhile, Su Qi slowly stopped his steps, his eyes fixing on the outpost''s... most conspicuous emblem above. He... looked somewhat puzzled. "This emblem... seems familiar." Chapter 212 - chapter 170! The so-called stronghold was actually... a circle of ritual constructed from various kinds of polluted flesh and blood. A faint light encased the entire abandoned mall. It seemed this instance was originally a peaceful and civilized world. "Everyone, please enter the stronghold immediately; do not linger." "Each person must immediately register their name and information, as well as their abilities and the world they originally come from!" The person speaking... was a brawny man with a tiger''s head. He too was affected by an abnormality, and naturally, his appearance was unique; different Pollution Sources determined different mutations. "In addition, I want to remind you all of something. Now that you''ve come to this world, no matter how desperate you are, how reluctant, how much you want to return to your original world, please stay calm. Only by living well here will there be hope!" The tiger-headed brawny man spoke calmly and then paused: "So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome... to..." "...Final Home!" "Final Home, huh." Su Qi was also registering among the crowd. The entire mall had been transformed into a stronghold, a means of defense to prevent Pollution from invading, just like that ritual outside. Those capable of using rituals must have come into contact... with higher-level worlds and were undoubtedly powerful beings in this Abnormal Home. "And that pattern..." Su Qi turned his gaze again towards the flag in the middle... The pattern: "It''s familiar, I''m certain I''ve seen it before..." It was in a small cabin, on the diary of a little girl... A doodle drawn with crayons, a simple sunflower. The difference was that in his memory it was just a doodle, now it was much more elaborate. "If it''s not a coincidence, I might actually get to see an old acquaintance here." Ethan Dawn looked at Su Qi''s gaze: "You''re very interested in this Abnormal Organization?" Su Qi retracted his thoughts and laughed, "A little bit, after all, this Abnormal Organization... seems to be not that simple." "Of course..." Ethan Dawn paused for a moment, then said in a low voice: "You know... having established a foothold in this polluted world, and built up strongholds, attracting all those brought to this world by the chaotic currents." "To have developed to this point, it must be incredibly powerful." Su Qi could also tell that this stronghold was just one of the many temporary safety points scattered across the land, serving as a place for all abnormalities to find sanctuary, to prevent staying too long in the outside polluted world and turning completely into monsters. "Alright, let''s not talk about this Abnormal Organization for the time being. I''ll take you to meet our player group first... Although it''s estimated there are more than seventy strongholds according to them, our player group is inevitably scattered... but the number of players in this stronghold is not small at all." The entire stronghold was a large mall, spacious and capable of accommodating a large number of abnormal people. At a glance, it was bustling with activity. Apart from the group of people from the airplane, other teams were also leading confused and anxious crowds inside. By rough estimate... there were at least close to two thousand people. It was evident that this Abnormal Organization was indeed a massive force. Aside from... the two of them who were player identities, there were also over a hundred more gathered in a dilapidated hall. "This is the bright and cheerful young man I met on a mission, a newcomer who has joined our Justice League." Ethan Dawn actually smiled. Su Qi looked around; no familiar faces. Good. Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But it seemed that the player community was not all of the same mind, like the so-called Justice League that was only around thirty people. The other major players nearby were cold, calm, observing them as if watching a farce. "The boring Justice League..." Someone gently wiped their knife with cloth: "Are you... playing house?" The people from the Justice League darkened: "What did you say?" "A group of Solo Players... an assembled force, brandishing the banner of targeting Su Buxian, without even a clear idea of who the opposition is." Su Qi looked at him: "So, you know about this Su Buxian very well?" "Know about him?" He said calmly: "Just a nobody who lucked out on his way up, why would I bother understanding him?" As a member of a club, he knew that "Abyssal Paradise" couldn''t possibly have cheats or bugs. Moreover, in his view, each world had different ways of acquiring Points, and Points didn''t outright represent strength, especially such ludicrous amounts of Points, which you can tell at a glance were not obtained through normal means. Many people shared his opinion, after a retrospection, that it was possible to find one-in-ten-thousand shortcuts... to gain much higher Points. "This is a final ranking battle, which means... some will be eliminated, contention will arise." "The whole idea of hiding IDs is to let every player accumulate advantages as quickly as possible, so that once they are exposed... there will inevitably be killings and struggles." "That Su Buxian..." The young man''s gaze was level: "Has long been targeted by the top clubs, the value of hundreds of millions of Points... is far greater than any action in this instance, do you Solo Players really think you can compete?" Ethan Dawn spoke sternly: "Why can''t we!" "Do you clubs that think yourselves superior really believe you can easily get everything you want?" "Sorry, but we''ll find that Su Buxian before you!" The young man: "Not bad, you do have confidence, but in the end, it''s just confidence." Ethan Dawn clenched his teeth. "Hold on." At that moment, Su Qi spoke up, and everyone''s gaze shifted toward him. "Of course, I''m just curious, merely curious, so I couldn''t help but want to ask a bit more." Chapter 213 - chapter 170! Su Qi hesitated, then looked at them, "Are you so sure you can easily take down Su Buxian?" The young man glanced at Su Qi curiously. Some others also nearly lost their composure, "Otherwise, what? Is there any doubt?" "Now the elimination round rules haven''t been initiated, and player IDs haven''t been disclosed, that guy can hide among the crowd, but this is only temporary." "A prey with no background or strength, facing countless top Hunters in pursuit." "I don''t know how he could possibly escape." The young man put down the cloth he was using to wipe his knife, revealing a cold gleam, "When the time comes, naturally the major top clubs will divide him up, after all, it''s the survival of the fittest, the strong take it." The atmosphere in the hall wasn''t good, the players weren''t united, each having their own forces and camps. And Su Qi, the center of the topic, even patted Ethan Dawn on the shoulder, "Don''t be influenced by them, believe in us, the Justice League Solo Players, we will definitely be the first to find Su Buxian!" Ethan Dawn was somewhat moved, to be comforted in such a situation. "Thank you." "Don''t mention it, Brother Chun." Ethan Dawn: "..." Why does that still sound so awkward. Su Qi shifted his gaze. Let''s change the perspective. He now really felt the atmosphere of everyone. That was a common hatred! United by a common purpose! All targeting him! Quite proactive! Indeed... over a hundred million points are truly too tempting, dispersing a hundred thousand points to each could distribute to more than a thousand people. No wonder Left Hand, Sword White Clothes, etc., all came to warn. And now he had become the target of everyone, even considered as prey that could be easily captured. Aren''t you doing the main task anymore? What if the main task also gives a lot of points? And just at this moment. Everyone, not just at this stronghold but also in other places, heard a faint ticking sound! Players looked puzzled, "What''s going on?" "It sounds like gears turning?" "No, it should be the sound of a clock moving!" But many abnormalities calmly looked into the distance: "It''s the direction of Final Home, summoning all stronghold supervisors and High Sequence to assemble!" "Has the Manager returned?" "Not sure, but let''s set off, hurry up!" "Anyone else who wants to head to the headquarters area can also come with us, we depart after ten minutes." Su Qi paused slightly. Final Home, it seemed to be the core headquarters of the Abnormal Organization, as after all the strongholds were only temporary security spots! And most importantly... The Manager they mentioned, who exactly is he? They also used the word ''return.'' This place is a Polluted world, filled with terrifying dangers, it isn''t somewhere to go off on a vacation, ''return'' implies that this Manager might have left this world? This information could explain the reasons for those rituals existing, after all, similar to production materials, they cannot be self-taught without instruction. The stronghold supervisor, a burly man with a tiger head, got ready to depart with a few powerfully present beings. These beings all belonged to Seventh Rank, one shouldn''t underestimate this breakthrough stage, the previous supervisors were enough to handle several players, let alone these abnormalities constantly fighting for survival between life and death. The players also paid attention to this scene. Although they still didn''t know what the main task was, nor had any hints, each stronghold had tasks distributed, which after completion could earn Spirit Coins. This item, after the end of the previous instance, had become a well-known important currency. Thus, Ethan Dawn followed the team to the chaotic, fluctuating place for the rescue. And the tasks were varied, especially related to collection and combat, like various mutated plants, Polluted weird grass, or killing monsters and bringing their bodies back. After submitting tasks and obtaining Spirit Coins, these were not just a useless gimmick; they could not only exchange for various resources, food, weapons, and tools in the headquarters area, but by crushing them, they could also utilize the energy within to enhance their strength. At the same time, they could also increase their chances of surviving in the Pollution. "Tick-tock... tick-tock... tick..." The clock ticking sound near everyone''s ears slowly stopped. And just at that moment. All the players appeared slightly startled. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A window popped up in front of everyone. [Players in all fantasy districts of instance 2137897, please pay attention] [Now, I will announce the information that can be disclosed] Every player''s vision was filled with a segment of CG and images. [This world... had already fallen into complete collapse a long time ago, the terrifying pollution did not extinguish all life, various coincidences and errors have transformed this place into... a point of abnormality for countless worlds, turbulence, missteps, life and death, sequence, unease, for everyone in this new era, it is a cruel chessboard, and a great sifting of fates!] A deep voice, as if a priest were holding his hands to his chest, reciting a prayer. Su Qi''s gaze slightly shifted. Above it said... everyone? This statement doesn''t specify a target, it means not only the players but also includes the abnormality? Or perhaps... The entire present world. [Players, please note, the main quest of this instance is: Audience!] [This competition format will use an upward elimination system!] [The elimination mechanism will start in two days! (Before it starts, killing other players will not earn you their points)] [All players with points exceeding fifty thousand will have their coordinates periodically exposed! (The higher the points, the darker the color of the coordinate marker)] [All players, please make every effort to enhance your performance!] Many players looked slightly stunned, some had flickering eyes, others already had a sinister smile with murderous intent! Alright, alright. As everyone guessed, it''s an elimination system! And it''s expected to turn into fierce carnage! Similarly. The system also provided other ways to earn points. "Killing an unordered monster, 100 points." "Sequence 9 then is 5000." "For a Sequence 8 monster, 25000 points." "Completing tasks given by the Abnormal Organization can also yield quite a few points." "This means they aren''t considered... targets, but entities we should attach ourselves to." Of course even as targets, the players don''t have the courage to take them on, considering the Abnormal Organization''s initial display of strength, why provoke such a behemoth. There''s another point. [Group battle players will receive points distributed according to their contribution] Most of them had already reached Sequence 9, after all, 10 is just a nominal sequence, generally referring to people who have just entered the path of sequences. Once the Spiritual Power is reached, one can step into Sequence 9. People could join forces to kill a Sequence 8 monster and share the points. This is also a sustainable path, no need to be so fiercely confrontational, killing each other! "Actually..." At this moment. Someone murmured, "The points earned from these tasks... are really not as substantial as taking down that Su Buxian." ? Su Qi paused. Was he being targeted again? The others were also slightly startled and then realized. Right! A Sequence 8 monster is only 25,000 points, those who could kill it single-handedly could be counted on one hand, not to mention the team sharing, the higher sequences they hadn''t even considered, given that starting from Sequence 8... the chasm had already appeared. "Rather than taking on such dangerous tasks, why not just snipe that Su Buxian!" "Several hundred million points, and not even a dangerous person!" "Alright, alright!" After this main quest was announced. Many players in the Fantasy District were determined to find Su Buxian and plunder his points! Su Qi: "..." Goodness. Now, really ignoring the main quest. All the major other districts are in fierce slaughter! Trying to peacefully increase their points according to the main quest! Just the Fantasy District putting on a grand chase? And the sole target of the chase, is himself! Chapter 214 - 171: What the Hell Are You Estimating! All base leaders must head to Headquarters, and quite a few abnormalities and players are prepared to follow. Because in the polluted world dangers lurk everywhere, although there generally exists a safe passage researched between each base and Headquarters, having such strong individuals leading the way would certainly bring much reassurance. "So many players are going?" "Of course, after all, there are still two days left." "Sniping Su Buxian is important, butit''s like a lottery, who wouldn''t covet that hundred million? It''s just that the wolves are many and the meat is scarce, and every other move must also be made with full effort." Many players haven''t put all their eggs in one basket, Su Buxian is indeed tempting, but after all, he is just one of the goals; each person is also planning according to the system''s mission instructions, starting to scheme, obtaining resources, and strengthening their own power. They''re considering things comprehensively and for the long term. That Su Buxian is being targeted is inevitable, Points would definitely be plundered in the end, and when that time comes, it wouldn''t be over, no matter who scrambles for the billions of Points. Gaining Points is easy, holding onto them is hard. There''s bound to be significant bloodshed. In the end, those capable of holding on...either the top clubs or superstar rookies, relying on their strength to fend off all covetous adversaries! Or those who seek to increase their advantage right now, looking for a backroad for themselves, capable of fleeing, hiding, can likewise manage to survive to the very end! So. For now many players choose to follow into what''s known as the Abnormal Organization Headquarters, to probe for more information and connections. Half an hour later. Many players followed the abnormalities summoned by the call, moving from the safe zone to reachFinal Home. "This is the Abnormal Headquarters" Ethan Dawn and a group of players stood outside a massive area, looking forward in surprise. The so-called Headquarters in front of them looked just like a normal urban area. There was no mist around. One could even see a large number of abnormalities walking in the streets. "The so-called Final Home... seems different from the terrifying pollution outside" Ethan Dawn muttered. "Another ritual." Su Qi looked at the towering building in the center, which resembled a nuclear reactor, reaching high into the cloudsdecorated with various rituals, emitting a faint aura of fluctuations that repelled any Pollution. "And this massive central building, it seems to be the heart of everything, containing a strange fluctuation inside." At this moment, many players began to scatter. The sound of the clocks signaling assembly meant that players from other bases would show up here as well, and naturally, they''d want to meet up with their own clubs first. "What about us?" The players of the Justice League paused slightly. "Uhthis, well." Ethan Dawn faltered for a moment, "Next, we need to first look for the other players in our faction." "How do we look for them?" They were Solo Players, and while they had actively responded in the forums, they lacked not only power but also organizational and contact abilities compared to clubs. Moreover, most of them had never met in person. It''s not like they could stand on the streets calling ''Justice League, fall in!'' That would be no different from defecating in the street. "No worries, I''m a core member; for now, we just need to find the big shots in our organization," Ethan Dawn said. Actually... some of the players didn''t even know about this so-called Justice League thing, but when they heard that Solo Players were gathering to snipe at that Su Buxian, they joined decisively. One reason was the need for a faction to preserve themselves amidst the strife between clubs and the fighting of the superstar rookies, and the second was indeed the tempting Points of Su Buxian. As Ethan Dawn said, he was a core member. This was also why Ethan Dawn...had been persistently recruiting Solo Players along the way. But now, he was a bit troubled while looking at the bustle of people before him. "Troublesome, I didn''t expect Final Home to be comparable to a small urban district; the number of abnormalities here is probably close to tens of thousands." "Not just that." Su Qi said, "This is almost like a small county town; the abnormal population must be at least over a hundred thousand." Ethan Dawn was astonished, "How do you know that?" "Well" Su Qi glanced into the distance, "Judging from the extent of Pollution isolation, the shape of the urban area around the center forms a circle. Considering the approximate distance of 3234 meters from our entry point to the central building, we can use the simple equation r2 to calculate the total area of the urban district," ????? Ethan Dawn''s eyes gradually widened, "What are you talking about, why am I hearing math formulas!" Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Don''t rush." Su Qi spoke calmly, "Just now, in the street district, I saw that there were thousands of abnormalities, to prevent error, I walked another street block to reobserve, and the difference in number was only around 4.4%. Moreover, within less than five hundred meters, I saw three large garbage dumps, indicating a high population density and crowding. Therefore, after eliminating the blank streets and margin of error, I could estimate the entire Headquarters'' population is definitely over a hundred thousand." Ethan Dawn and the surrounding players looked stunned! This series of analyses had left them feeling completely baffled! "That''s just...preposterous! In less than ten minutes after we entered, did you really observe so much detail?" "Of course, but there''s a trick to it." Chapter 215 - 171: What the Hell Are You Estimating!_2 Many players, including Ethan Dawn, couldn''t help asking, "What''s the trick?" Su Qi pointed behind him: "That is... when I entered the city, I came across a local, and I casually asked a question." "...." The expressions of the crowd changed, and then they all cursed: "Damn!" Ethan Dawn, gritting his teeth: "Damn it! You spoke so convincingly, I almost believed you! I thought you really figured it out by analysis!" "Turns out you just asked!" Ethan Dawn, pressing his temple: "I really thought you had impressive observational skills! I was even ready to recommend you to our organization''s founders!" "Much appreciated, just bigging up a brother from the streets!" "Bigging up my ass!" Ethan Dawn felt like he could almost yell out loud. "Chill, weren''t you looking for an organization? I suggest..." Su Qi said, "Go straight to the central area. That''s where missions are exchanged, and Spirit Coins can be redeemed. It must be a hub for the abnormal people, and other players will probably head there too." What kind of words are these... Ethan Dawn paused: "Did you just ask this as well?" Almost. Su Qi had seen it. People represent information, and with a city full of abnormalities, there''s an overwhelming amount of information. But from what Su Qi could see, the words "Manager" appeared most frequently, not as a curse or out of fear, but filled with reverence and gratitude towards this Manager. Su Qi''s gaze flickered as he pondered inwardly: "This so-called Final Home, although crowded, still has empty streets left clear, which doesn''t feel oppressive." "Even in a polluted world," he looked at everything he saw on the streets, "food isn''t scarce, life is secure, and various goods are traded within order and rules. In such a heavy place, you can see traces of life." Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi then paused: "This Manager is impressive." One thing needs to be clear, this is not an area of daily life, but an organization fighting for survival! All kinds of abnormalities are members of this organization, protecting their Final Home here, so it''s vital that each abnormality plays a role and receives rewards and feedback. There''s not much infighting, fully reflecting a united organization atmosphere. "The most important point is to care for the emotions of all the abnormalities. After all, this is a polluted world, and the slightest mental instability can greatly amplify, gradually leading to collapse and madness." Su Qi grew increasingly interested in the Manager. Wondering if it might be the person he had in mind. In any case. Now he and the others were also heading towards the central area, moving closer to the towering building that reached into the clouds. "It seems I miscalculated. There are even more people here..." Su Qi murmured to himself. "....." Ethan Dawn coughed and looked around, his gaze sharpening slightly: "Indeed, it looks like many players are here. I see some familiar faces." The other members rejoiced: "Are they from our alliance?" "No." Ethan Dawn stated decisively: "These are the well-known figures from the rankings, top clubs, superstar newcomers, beta players..." Su Qi: "Really? I haven''t seen a single one." This time there really were no acquaintances. Everyone he had matched with before had ended up in other districts. "Nonsense..." Ethan Dawn said seriously: "After all, I am someone in the top three hundred of the Fantasy District rankings." The other players were stunned: "That''s amazing!" Most Solo Players are ordinary people, with rankings tailing off at the end. Just like game rankings, most are in Bronze and Silver. Hearing someone is in King or Master tier naturally feels impressive, not to mention professional players. "Impressive." Su Qi echoed monotonously. "..." Your ''impressive'' came out so emotionless. But. Ethan Dawn was not boasting. "Anyway, since we''re here, I''ll try to make contact first," Ethan Dawn said. He had an Investigation Skill and, as a core member, it appeared he had other ways to contact the big shots. Su Qi felt the fluctuations of his skill. Although he called himself a Solo Player, it was clear he knew more than others. Even though the Fantasy District was generally the weakest of the twelve districts in terms of overall strength, being in the top three hundred on the leaderboard was enough to prove this guy really had something. "Found it..." Ethan Dawn''s eyelids twitched slightly: "The big shot has responded to me." At a location in the square. Su Qi also saw other members of the Justice League, roughly a hundred people. Their strength was somewhat pessimistic, many of them still stuck at sequence 10, a level that could hardly be considered a hurdle. However. He also saw the so-called initiators of the Justice League. A middle-aged man wearing a black cowboy hat with tattoos, and another was a slender young man with a slight smile in his eyes. [Justice Chief] and [Penelope Bloom] "..." Very well! The second and third on the leaderboard, joining forces... to launch a strike against their own alliance?! "Didn''t expect there to be so many people." "It seems... this choice was the right one." Justice Chief and Penelope Bloom were quietly conversing. They were two internal testers, each with their own real forces back in Paradise. There weren''t many people in the public test clubs either. Although most were top-notch in strength, they were unfortunately assigned to other districts. So. In this Fantasy District, compared to other top clubs that had nurtured many elites, they were at a disadvantage. Moreover, both had high scores, which could attract unwanted attention. At that moment, a guy named Su Buxian... with his efforts alone, had stolen all the limelight! Although they lost out on the reward for first place, they took the opportunity to establish this alliance, creating an advantage for themselves. The core personnel were roughly five people, all newcomers cultivated by their forces. Ethan Dawn seemed quite core indeed; he waved his hand as the spokesperson, invigorating and organizing everyone. "Next, I suggest everyone take on a task to earn points. Focus around location 54, which can also serve as our contact... if anyone encounters any problems, we can all contribute ideas and strategize together." Many of the ordinary players seemed to have a lot of faith in these two, with an enthusiastic response. "So hasty?... It seems that as long as you have strength and a place on the leaderboard, you can create momentum without saying anything," Su Qi observed the scene. And to think, with his far-leading score, he hadn''t enjoyed such prestige!? After many of the players eagerly dispersed. About ten people, including Su Qi who had stayed on his own accord, were left behind. With the points he had, there was no need to bother with so-called tasks. To deal with the multitude who coveted his position, he naturally had to take an unconventional approach. "Boss!" Ethan Dawn called out to Penelope Bloom. Now he knew where his loyalties lay. "These are the ten people you told me to keep." Penelope Bloom looked at the people behind Ethan Dawn, nodded with satisfaction, and said with a gentle smile, "I''ll leave the rest to you." Someone was stunned for a moment, curiously asking, "What do we have to do? Fight?" "There''s nothing you need to do, no danger. Just follow us, and you don''t even have to speak. After it''s over, I''ll give each of you five Spirit Coins." The people were taken aback, not yet comprehending. "After all, we''d like to make contact with... the high-level members of the Abnormal Organization." Justice Chief was not one to beat around the bush, calmly saying: "I can feel that your abilities are probably the strongest among everyone here." "So, we need to show some power." He naturally had an Investigation Skill as well, probing Spiritual Energy sequences, although it was only a general outline since the upper limit was very low. These ten people may not compare to other superstar newcomers, but they were obviously giants among the shorter players. "Moreover..." Justice Chief looked at the other top clubs, who had not left to take on tasks either: "They seem to share the same intent." Chapter 216 - 172: It Turns Out to Be My House? All the top clubs had started to make their moves. Every gaze held more or less a sense of confrontation. "What are you scheming?" "Why ask when you already know." Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The fluctuations of ritual, traces of other worlds, along with various currents bringing a multitude of abnormalities all this indicates that the Abnormal Organization can contact higher-level worlds, and it''s not straightforward." Aside from gaining advantages in this instance everyone wanted to establish contact with it. In fact, previously, very few ordinary players who experienced various instances attempted to establish a deep connection with the forces within the instances. After all, the instances were short-lived, and many ordinary players believed they wouldn''t have a second chance to enter the instances, so they generally did not pay much attention to this matter. But with the introduction of the Reputation System and the release of the Paradise Data Sheet preview, followed by a non-independent instance, numerous ordinary players were exposed to various forces. Everyone then realized that the great world was so vast! The major top clubs were backed by the Paradise Force, so their understanding was naturally more detailed. To stand out in Paradise one needed not only strength but also reputation and social graces! Making contact with various major forces and establishing connections was beneficial to themselves and their higher organizations! Moreover. The most important thing was Everyone had stopped in front of the central building right now. The central building looked somewhat mismatched, like it was assembled from various architectures. One could vaguely see what seemed to be a massive apartment in the middle. The gilded black casing that extended into the towering sky gave an odd feeling. And there was something special here. Because a large black gate bore a sign: [Last House Notice] [1, This is the only redemption of Final Home] [2, Note that non-Sequencers may not enter] [3, Please strictly follow the instructions] [4, Those who reach the end, please await the Manager''s review before joining the Guardian team] [Manager''s Memo: Death, extremities, pollutants, yet capable of inspiring everyone''s potential. Please keep the anger and the hope of living, and protect our last home] This was the notice given by the central building... If one wanted to reach the high ranks of the Abnormal Organization, one must follow the procedure. But it was precisely because of such notices that people saw the opportunity to contact the higher-ups; now, it was just a matter of whether it was possible or not. "So many people want to enter?" The abnormal guarding the gate looked at the numerous players with a flickering gaze, but it did not ask further; the rules were set by the Manager, and its duty was just to instruct. It spoke softly: "The Last House represents a trial to test everyone''s abilities and... their heart to protect the Final Home." "Once you can pass, it signifies that you are very likely to become a Guardian and possibly even meet with the Manager." The so-called Guardians are the core members of the Final Home, not only responsible for leading the battle organization but also holding higher statuses and resources. Su Qi murmured to himself: "In a home filled with abnormalities, yet a clear hierarchy of rewards and punishments is established, this is not an oppression but a method to spur everyone''s desire to grow stronger from life to death." "Whether from the management perspective or the control of the current situation, it has been excellently handled, very good indeed." "Kissing up to the Manager like this isn''t the way to do it," Ethan Dawn criticized. "You sound like an inspecting leader." "...." Penelope Bloom looked forward: "They have already gone in, let''s follow." Su Qi''s gaze also moved away from the apartment that was faintly visible within the patchwork structure and stepped forward. As the door closed with a loud rumble. They had entered this central buildingLast Home. "So dark... there are no lights, and it''s so cold!" Upon entering here, everyone clearly felt an abrupt drop in temperature, sending chills over their bodies! "This is" "The scent of pollutants" "It seems extremely dense and dangerous, with various terrifying scents faintly enroaching from all directions!" The players'' gazes hardened; they hadn''t expected to find such intense pollution at the center of the supposedly pollution-isolated Final Home. "What on earth is going on?" The place in front of their eyes was a wide and spacious hall! It looked quite unremarkable! The hanging crystal chandelier was burning with candlelight to provide brightness for everyone, the bright red carpet was immaculate, and a large staircase connected to the second floor, where another door seemed to be waiting for them. But at this moment, no one moved, various wary and apprehensive expressions appeared. Because they felt something uncanny and dangerous. No one dared to make a rash move. One, to gather information, leaving time to probe. Two, the place was eerie, and danger seemed to lurk everywhere, no one wanted to be the first to take the risk. For a time. The area had fallen silent. Someone looked at others with an amused gaze, speaking in a profound tone: "Everyone, stop staring, instead of staring each other down." "Let''s rely on our own skills." This person was wearing a half-mask, with red and blue stripes intermingling on the mask, looking quite peculiar, and no one knew what lay behind it. But as he began to speak Chapter 217 - 172: So Its My Home?_2 Penelope Bloom and the Justice Chief... including other top club members, all looked at this person with wary expressions. This was... [Ghost-faced Magician] As previously discussed in the forum, Points don''t necessarily represent strength, because the rules for earning Points vary from region to region and from instance to instance, especially in the Illusion Region... the rules for earning Points are all over the place. Penelope Bloom and Justice Chief... were not considered the strongest players in terms of combat ability, even though they were ranked second and third, it was because they were exceptionally lucky and skillful in that instance that they managed to achieve such rankings and Points. That''s exactly why. The two immediately chose to ally in this instance and formed the Justice League, brandishing the banner of sniping Su Buxian, to build an advantage for themselves. "Don''t all look at me with that kind of gaze, huh?" The Ghost-faced Magician held a wand in his hand, showing an abnormal smile as he tapped it, "We haven''t even reached the so-called stage for fighting, do you really want to start a fight now?" His tone was quite peculiar, as if he viewed each player with the eyes of a Hunter, "Right now... isn''t it better for everyone to get along and rack up some more Points?" Keep in mind that everyone present was no ordinary individual, and at this moment, being spoken to in such a way, some were angry, some were seething with murderous intent. The previous trepidation was ultimately due to this person''s formidable strength and background, and once their anger was provoked... how could the super newcomers and the prideful ones just swallow their pride and endure. "Ding-a-ling-a-ling!" At that moment. A crisp sound rang throughout the hall. Their expressions slightly startled, they saw a bell hanging next to a remote display cabinet in the hall, gently swinging and ringing! "Please pay attention... the detailed rules for the hall are now being announced. After completing the various cleaning and tidying tasks, you may proceed to the next area." This voice sounded as if it had been altered, sounding suppressed and grave, with no discernible tone or gender, but it carried a chill that ran deep. As if warning them, don''t fight here! The crowd fell silent, including the Ghost-faced Magician who frowned slightly, adept in spiritual power, yet at this moment felt as if he had entered into Chaos, powerless. And quickly. The detailed rules were read out one by one, sounding like extremely simple tasks, such as replacing candles for crystal lamps, touching up dye on carpets, washing dishes in the kitchen and so on... The crowd''s eyes narrowed slightly, none of them took this lightly, no one was foolish, and anyone with a brain knew that these so-called simple tasks were definitely full of strangeness. "Let''s get started as well," Penelope Bloom spoke softly, "Although there are dangers, it shouldn''t lead to death... after all, these are trials formed by a multitude of abnormalities." At that time. Ethan Dawn suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, boss!" "What?" Ethan Dawn looked at the people behind him, his expression off, "It seems we''re missing someone?" He did not find... Su Qi''s figure in the team! "That guy!" "Gone?!" "When did it happen!" Penelope Bloom''s expression froze, "I didn''t pay attention just now." "We can be certain of one thing... he must have disappeared when we just entered and couldn''t see anything," Justice Chief stated with focus, "Anyway, from now on... everyone be careful, this is a dangerous place filled with Pollutants, anything could happen." ----------------- Meanwhile. Su Qi was now in an inexplicable Darkness, his Night Demon Gene allowing him to utilize the night vision function, enabling a clear view of all his surroundings in the Darkness. He saw very clearly. As soon as he stepped into the dark hall, an odd Twisted Strength had transported him away from the hall. And what was in front of him now was a spacious room. Although it was all dark, Su Qi wasn''t panicked at all; he looked towards the silhouette in the distance and said, "Controlling the whole Last House, surely you can afford the electric bill." A timid voice echoed in the room. "It''s not that I don''t want to turn on the lights." "I''m afraid I might scare you..." Su Qi smiled lightly, "Since you''ve brought me here, it''d be impolite to remain hidden." "Very... very well then." A flicker of light began to glimmer, and the brightness of the entire room made Su Qi squint his eyes. The girl that appeared before my eyes resembled a little girl, except that her limbs, including her neck, faintly showed traces of being stitched together. She looked like a doll, yet also like some abnormality. At first glance, it definitely had the effect of the uncanny valley. "Aren''t you scared?" The little girl was quite young, her voice tinged with surprise as she looked at Su Qi, whose expression hadn''t changed. Su Qi sized her up, "Why should I be scared? The hand-sewing technique is pretty good, though the neck could use some improvement." "..." The little girl fell silent, her expectations dashed, "Do you still recognize me?" "Of course, you are..." Su Qi began to say but then realized he truly didn''t know, quickly pivoting, "Anyways, it''s been a long time." "..." The little girl fell silent again, her young mind unexpectedly struck twice. "It''s been a long time... Brother Su Buxian..." Su Qi certainly recognized her, but it was understandable that he couldn''t remember her name. This was the second instance... his first time entering a contaminated world, the apartment where he encountered Tentacle Man. Tentacle Man... back when he managed the apartment, he had made one rule, which was [No entry to the third floor]. Because inside the third floor was where his daughter''s body was kept. Of course. It couldn''t be called a body, given his daughter''s consciousness was still there, and he had successfully gotten Tentacle Man to speak with his daughter. Then, Tentacle Man agreed to cooperate with him, helping him to enter the source of collapse and to successfully retrieve the Ancient God''s Heart. At that time. He had made his daughter call him ''Brother Su Buxian''. Here. The most crucial point. It was then that Su Qi, upon leaving the instance, handed over the temporary prop [Broken Pocket Watch] to Tentacle Man. This item could isolate 90% of the pollution. "Back then, I just gave it as a small gesture. I never expected him to go this far, much less to meet again." The pattern he had seen entering the stronghold... was also the one doodled in the little girl''s diary. And the sound of the clock calling all the supervisors and the High Sequence individuals. Probably came from that [Broken Pocket Watch]. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After entering the urban area, Su Qi immediately recognized the central building''s apartment style; he was almost certain by then. "I''ve come back home." He wasn''t wrong to say that, considering he was also one of the residents here. "Brother Su Buxian, why have you come back?" "I specifically came back to check on you all." Su Qi said unabashedly and laughed, "Also, these three words, don''t go spreading them around for the next few days." The little girl was pretty obedient and nodded her head. Was this more polite than the youthful form of the Master of Destruction who tended to get bristly? "I just didn''t expect that after I left... your father still didn''t give up on that idea, and now it seems he has truly accomplished it, even establishing such a vast Abnormal Organization." After Su Qi confirmed this was the old place, his observations of the organization''s condition and Tentacle Man''s reputation as Manager were indeed exceptional. That guy... really was quite capable. "It''s all because of Brother Su Buxian, whether it''s me... or everything here. It''s all thanks to the watch you gave my dad that we have today," the little girl said earnestly. "My dad said, he''s incredibly grateful to you... and even left a portrait of you here, saying that if there''s a chance to meet again one day, he would definitely repay you!" "We could talk about repaying the favor... wait a second." Su Qi paused, "Your dad... left a portrait of me?" Doing something so sentimental? The little girl nodded, "Yes, it even has your name, Brother Su Buxian, on it. It''s in the Last House. My dad said he wanted everyone to know that you are the source of all hope here. Every Guardian holds a deep reverence not only for my father but for you as well." Su Qi: "..." Chapter 218 - 173: Su Buxians Visit Here In the dimly-lit corridor, countless rooms were tightly shut, devoid of light, with visibility extending only about two meters around. Ethan Dawn and Penelope Bloom walked together. The former was tense, while the latter''s eyes were solemn. "This place, what exactly is going on? It was hard enough to reach the second floor, but it feels like we''ve entered a ghostly corridor where we just keep going in circles..." Ethan Dawn was shivering slightly. They had been separated from others and had stepped into what was so-called the second floor, yet they couldn''t find their way out, with only the dark environment and one sealed room after another... Penelope Bloom was the calm one who spoke, "The others are probably in the same situation, and it seems the exit is inside one of the rooms. We''ll have to try each one." Some doors wouldn''t budge, while others revealed a variety of things once opened. The walls, strange paintings, and bandages, pulsating pus bags embedded in the wall... Filled with the abnormal and the horrific. The dark corridor echoed their heavy footsteps. They cautiously approached a door. "This door seems like it can be opened..." Ethan Dawn paused briefly and reached out to push the handle. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The door creaked open, revealing a gap leading into pitch darkness, where nothing inside could be seen! But the next moment! A rapid whooshing sound suddenly burst forth! Countless bandages surged out from within, wrapping towards both of them! "Be careful!" Penelope Bloom''s expression hardened as she suddenly stretched out her hand and pulled out a blade... releasing Spiritual Energy to slice through the bandages! At that moment, the corridor lights flickered, and a Bandaged Man, wrapped entirely in bandages and standing in a space smeared with bloodstains, stared intently at them with an eerie gaze. "It seems this is an entity we must fight." "After all..." Penelope Bloom looked around at the corridor, the walls on both sides had somehow become sealed again: "There''s no escape now." In other locations, many players faced the same predicament. Each encountered a variety of doors, revealing a completely different abnormality upon opening. ... Meanwhile, in the little girl''s room, Su Qi also watched this scene unfold through the phantasmal images. "Tentacle Man really knows how to... draw inspiration." "These abnormalities seem like illusions, but they possess tangible substance, lethal power, and traits, and there are familiar faces among them." For instance, the Bandaged Man. The first one to fixate on him when he entered the apartment, who he then stuffed into a refrigerator. Then there was the captured Split Mouth Woman and the Swollen Man. "That''s right," the little girl nodded: "These were all tenants who once lived in my father''s apartment. Since my father kept parts of their bodies stored in the apartment, they could be used as material." "And they... are Spiritual Bodies constructed by rituals, lacking self-awareness, but much stronger than before." "That''s evident." Su Qi watched as players were separated by the corridors, engaging in combat. "That guy is really a researcher after all..." After all, it had taken Tentacle Man less than ten days to create an artificial lifeform... a Pollution composite, which helped him successfully draw the attention of those terrifying Pollution Monsters and reach the heart of the collapse. "Pollution, rituals, isolation, abnormality... looks like he''s been through a lot." "And..." Su Qi looked at the little girl: "You haven''t vanished like you did at first. He couldn''t bear to give up on you in the end, it seems he made a lot of effort." He remembered that the little girl he saw on the third floor had only a head... and a spirit-like consciousness, only capable of communicating through abnormal means, but now she not only had a body, but could also talk and move. "However," Su Qi looked at her: "Your current body is still in bad shape, isn''t it." He didn''t even need to use a question mark to see. Merely from the stitching marks on the little girl''s body, and from the scent beneath the doll appearance... all indicated her current condition. The fresh stitching suggested that she had to be taken apart often. Inside the doll was a smell of blood and decay. More importantly, the little girl had barely moved since the beginning, her body like it had rusted, completely incapable of moving like a normal person, all movements extremely awkward. "I didn''t expect Big Brother Su Buxian to notice..." The little girl struggled to lift her arm. She touched her own abdomen. Like ripping a layer of covering fabric, inside was flesh imbued with an abnormal aura, various neurological tubes connecting it. This was unmistakably Tentacle Man''s handiwork. Aside from her head, her body''s external appearance was that of a doll, but in reality, it was filled with abnormal flesh, simply stitched over with a less terrifying fa?ade. "At first, that pocket watch... could remove the contamination from the flesh, then with my father''s neurological surgery, I was given life... Until now, I have gradually been able to move, only needing to replace my body every week, and I can control all of the rituals and pollutants of the Last House." "My father is amazing, right?" The little girl showed a relaxed and proud smile. Su Qi didn''t speak, but he saw a mixture of heaviness and reluctance in her smile. It seemed... the legacy of history was still present. He had to admit Tentacle Man had succeeded in ''reviving'' his daughter, and she could talk and stay by his side, but she was no longer a normal person, not even human anymore, but a puppet attached to this building. Chapter 219 - 173: Su Buxian Visited Here_2 That guy must have fought with his life, day and night, crazily researching, but it seems he still faced restrictions. A terrifyingly protective father. Su Qi had reason to believe that the driving force behind establishing such a huge Final Home probably stemmed from how to fully revive his daughter and return her to normal. Su Qi didn''t continue on this topic but asked, "Where has your dad gone now?" He knew that the so-called Manager of Final Home was Tentacle Man, and he had also heard from the person in charge of the stronghold that he wasn''t here right now. "I don''t know...." The little girl shook her head. "Daddy usually doesn''t talk much about work, he would occasionally mention it, only talking about that place." "Right." the little girl paused. "He also mentioned a word... called chaos..." "Chaos?" Su Qi closed his eyes slightly. As a Hustler, he often exercised his memory, which allowed ordinary people to have extraordinary memory through specific methods and notations. He had done similar things, with details of information lingering in corners of his brain, sometimes a single word could trigger his recollection. "I remember now...." Su Qi squinted his eyes: "Russell." On that spaceship, I had encountered Split Mouth Woman, Swollen Man... two former apartment residents. At that time. I wondered why they appeared on the ship, becoming a part of the cargo. Russell said... it was purchased in a place called Chaotic City. And now it seems. All the threads seemed to have connected. At that time, someone had Descended... into this world, taking away Split Mouth Woman, Swollen Man, and even a large number of other things, and the place of sale was that Chaotic City. And. Tentacle Man had also taken this opportunity to connect with it. This also explained where all the rituals I''ve seen now came from; they were probably all purchased by Tentacle Man from Chaotic City, obtained in exchange. After all, according to what Russell said at the time. In Chaotic City, as long as you had money, you could buy anything. "No wonder... he was able to build such a large Abnormal Organization in just two years, and also set up various missions, managing the abnormalities, unifying Spirit Coins and so on, so this was how he started." Most of the missions were to hunt down Pollution Monsters, because the Pollutants and carcasses of the Pollution Monsters contained energy, which could be converted into Spirit Coins through certain means. This way, he gradually developed from insignificance... stockpiling Spirit Coins, and then exchanging them in Chaotic City. Moreover. Judging by Tentacle Man''s reputation throughout Final Home, he had spent his money wisely; he indeed sheltered all abnormalities. Since I left... it''s been two years, to achieve this extent in two years... that''s quite impressive. Wait. It seems like I took down Illegal Land in just ten days, and if all goes well, Night City should also be almost under control. Su Qi shook his head: "Then he still needs to practice." The little girl looked at Su Qi shaking his head, puzzled: "What''s wrong?" "Nothing, your dad should be back soon, right?" "Yes." The little girl nodded. "Time-wise, it should be in these few days, Dad''s trips usually last about a month each time." Su Qi: "Okay, I got it." He pointed to the illusionary screen: "What''s their process right now." "Gradually defeat various tenants, then go through the twisted rooms of Pollutants, and then fall into the Terminal Illusion ritual. This step is actually to see if there are any abnormalities harboring ill intentions, I record the images and give them to my father to personally review." "My father said he doesn''t trust many people, so he wants to review them himself." The little girl tilted her head. "After all, once someone becomes a Guardian, my father will invest resources to make them strong, and the Guardians also represent the defensive line of Final Home." This guy... In these two years, he had evolved from an apartment manager into... a true leader of an Abnormal Organizationthe Manager of the Final Home. "My portrait with my name on it... where does it appear." "In the final boss''s room, that''s where Little Eight stays." "Little Eight?" "That''s the new species you and father created together, Brother Su." "Oh... the Pollution Composite, right." Su Qi smiled: "Do me a small favor." "What help do you need?" The little girl was quite eager. Other than meeting her own father, she had no one else to talk to, and her father was usually very busy with his research, traveling, and managing Final Home and such. She wouldn''t normally reveal her horrifying appearance outside, often just staying alone in the attic. Her father had also warned her quite a bit, saying not to expose herself easily. But... Brother Su was one of their own! He was a trustworthy companion that her father mentioned! That''s also why as soon as she sensed the ritual, she immediately couldn''t help but bring him here. "That is... hide the painting and replace it with a blank piece of paper, and also add a sentence to it." The little girl was stunned, "What sentence?" "Su Buxian was here." ----------------- Night had fallen. Players in the base were resting; this time they were divided according to their own faction camps. Most of the people from Justice League... gathered at Base 54. The faint campfire carefully spread a trace of light. "Good news, we''ve passed the so-called trials and have become temporary Guardians, with access to higher-level missions and the ability to obtain Spirit Coins." "Bad news, we haven''t met with the Manager yet; it seems the person hasn''t returned, so we must complete even more tasks than before." "More good news, we''ve discovered Su Buxian''s whereabouts." "But the bad news is he only left a message! The first sentence is ''Su Buxian was here!''" Su Qi looked at Ethan Dawn, who was sitting in front of the campfire, chattering away. "How arrogant can you be?" "It''s more than just arrogance!" Ethan Dawn cursed, "It''s practically a slap in the face of all the players!" "Mind that many players are following his trail, and have put out the wordthey want to take away those hundreds of millions of Points. Normal people would have been hiding, ducking and dodging all over the place, but this guy... dares to show up, and even entered there ahead of time." "You weren''t there at the time; it''s too bad you didn''t see it. The expressions of all those powerful players present changed." Su Qi spread his hands, "There''s nothing I can do; I failed halfway, so I got sent out." Although everyone who remained had strong abilities, the various tests set by Tentacle Man were not simple either, and many players from top clubs were kicked out halfway. And Su Qi, of course, was among them; he hadn''t aroused any suspicion either. "It takes a certain kind of person to dare take such a risk and provoke others like that." Penelope Bloom spoke softly: "However, it''s because he hasn''t been exposed yet; there''s one more day of safety left. Once it''s over, he''ll probably be on the run everywhere." Justice Chief spoke calmly, "Anyway... let''s just wait quietly." "Of course, don''t forget to do the missions as well. Every person who enters the trial and successfully passes should take a group to complete it." One can gain higher Points and rewards, and even improve performanceit seemed that this was also taken into account by the system''s judgment. At least on this point, they were also being honest with Solo Players. After everyone dispersed, Su Qi in the base... stretched himself lazily. "Indeed, there''s only one day left." Su Qi murmured to himself: "There''s still much to do. Although Final Home has many abnormalities... most people are just ordinary people who were distorted by Pollution after being caught in the currents. 90% of the people haven''t even stepped onto the sequence, and the real Guardians... don''t even number in the hundreds." That was also why there were only a bit more than seventy bases established. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Don''t think everything seems orderly now; according to the little girl... Final Home faces various crises, and isolating Pollution requires a massive amount of energy every day. As the frequency of abnormalities increases, this burden grows heavier. The requirement for Pollution Monster carcasses and the consumption of Spirit Coins are huge. So. Su Qi naturally had to mobilize every player. Players... becoming Guardians, all high-risk hunting and extermination tasks could be handed over to these people, which could greatly alleviate the pressure on Final Home and also collect various materials. Don''t underestimate this group of players; if they really banded together to round him up, Su Qi would still have to put in quite the effort to wipe them out. Of course. The most important thing is. "Tentacle Man may manage well and put in every effort, but if this continues... Final Home will probably collapse sooner or later." The growing crowd of abnormal people, the steadily expanding consumption. "He needs the intervention of the Abnormal Organization." Chapter 220 - 174: If You Dont Do It, There Are Plenty Who Will A large number of players were diving deep into the polluted fog, undertaking various tasks. While earning Points, they could also obtain Spirit Coins. They had already understood the importance of these items, which not only contained energy for setting up rituals and activating tools but could also be used for sequence enhancements. Moreover, they were a crucial currency in the Present World. Besides the system-assigned Points for killing enemies and completing tasks... there was also money to be made! So the players really went all out! "Brother Buxian, wow, they are really impressive, and they''re working so hard." In the secret room of the Last House, little Ah Ling watched in some surprise as pollutants filled the entire Last House and produced Spirit Coins. Little Ah Ling was the nickname for the little girl. Starting from yesterday. All the players, almost like locusts, cleared, and fought through the fog, not only greatly relieving the pressure on the nearby strongholds and Guardians! But also. After the daily consumption of pollution at the Last House was replenished, there was even a surplus. "This is because..." Su Qi spoke, "They are all players." "Players?" "Just a bunch of... unorganized, undisciplined guys who don''t wash their hands after using the toilet." Of course, this primarily referred to ordinary players. Though the Polluted World was extremely dangerous and monsters were rampant, as long as there were sufficient benefits and competition, the pleasure and commitment they derived were even higher than one might expect. After all. Many people truly played Abyssal Paradise as a game, where death penalties weren''t a big deal. Furthermore... Among all the players who entered this world, the majority were Solo Players, hence the significant increase in the transportation of Pollution Monster carcasses and various materials. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. While the top players, who deeply understood the uniqueness of Abyssal Paradise, with enough Points, didn''t chase after the number of tasks nor hunt the unsequenced monsters. Instead, they teamed up to kill many Seventh Rank creatures, which rapidly increased their Points. However. In terms of resource output, they were no match for the Solo Players. "Brother Su! Are all these your comrades? I didn''t expect them all to be so capable. Before, the abnormalities that appeared were ordinary people, and it would take hundreds of them before even one could have a chance at entering a sequence!" "Um... you could say that." Su Qi said with a calm smile, "The reason I kept it hidden is because I hold a high rank in their hearts. Once I reveal my name, many would immediately follow me instead of completing their tasks, so now is not the time to reveal my identity." Little Ah Ling didn''t understand, but she had great trust in Su Qi and quickly nodded. After all... just one day had already proven that Brother Buxian had truly helped reduce a great deal of pressure on the Final Home, and the output had significantly increased, keeping up with the ritual consumption in a short time. Player: ???? Who reduced the pressure? Do you even know what you''re talking about? Su Qi then asked, "How is the progress now?" Although various leaders, according to Tentacle Man''s management log left in advance, were cleaning up around the Final Home and maintaining the strongholds to keep the core of the Last House operational. In reality, all the macro control was still handled by little Ah Ling. She managed all the rituals, including those at the stronghold. Whether this ability was a natural talent or accidentally created by the broken pocket watch wasn''t clear. She learned quite a bit about management from Tentacle Man. Her speech was also very methodical. "The range of Pollution Monsters near the Final Home has noticeably decreased, and we''ve also cleared a small part of the unordered monster nests along the safe roads connecting to the nearest strongholds." "Good." Su Qi mused, "Next, let''s arrange some clearing tasks near the strongholds." Tasks were endless, after all, the Final Home faced a pollution tide, and unordered monsters were as numerous as rats, impossible to exterminate in a short time. "Also, give me a map... of the northwest direction... of the Final Home." When he first entered the Final Home. Su Qi saw... in the northwest, a huge deep red exclamation mark that the fog couldn''t block! The exclamation mark indicated there was an Easter egg for him to trigger! Deep red indicated extreme danger! Of course. He was accustomed to this color. But little Ah Ling was slightly puzzled, "...why... do you need this? Father said those places are extremely dangerous areas, gigantic crises that the Final Home currently can''t handle, and all Guardians avoid those Forbidden Lands." Because of this, those areas were sealed off, and all strongholds kept their distance. Su Qi paused, "So, you''ve never issued related tasks there?" "Yep." Little Ah Ling nodded, "It''s too dangerous. Unless Father personally brings the Guardians to gather materials, no one would take on such tasks voluntarily." "Who says no one." Su Qi patted her little head, "I''ll take it." Tentacle Man was not at home. As... his longtime friend, and as little Ah Ling''s Big Brother, he had to seek some excitement. Little Ah Ling was stunned, "But... but... that place is super dangerous, Brother Su, you alone..." Su Qi shook his head, "Don''t worry, I''m not alone." "And my comrades," he said with a light smile, "You''ve seen their prowess, trust me... my comrades will spare no effort to help me." Chapter 221 - 174: If You Dont Do It, There Are Plenty of Others Who Will_2 Ah Ling spoke in a somewhat hesitant murmur, "Brother Su, you and your companions really have a great relationship." "That''s for sure, after all, we''re all one big loving family." ----------------- The fog was thick. Su Qi and Ethan Dawn, along with a group of players, were making their way through the mist. He had spent less than half an hour with Ah Ling; the rest of the time, he had been following the team on missions, understanding the map mostly... but even more so, fighting. The ways to proceed through the sequence, the methods of Ascension, were numerous and varied, but combat was the main way to integrate Spiritual Ability Points and increase Spiritual Power. Of course, he couldn''t miss out. After all, there was still time before the big event, and Buxian couldn''t just sit idle. Ethan Dawn expressed his surprise, "Brother Yang, it feels like we''ve walked a long distance without encountering any Chaotic monsters. Are there none left nearby?" The two of them led on their own, guiding a group of Ordinary players from the Justice League. Over the past two days, they had reached a stage where they called each other brothers. Su Qi calmly said, "After all, many players are competing. These extermination missions are less dangerous and the Points are earned quickly, naturally becoming the most taken missions by all players." "It''s so competitive..." Ethan Dawn muttered, "Why do I feel like this Final Home keeps issuing endless tasks as if it''s exploiting all the players?" Su Qi shook his head, "That''s not the way to put it... I don''t like hearing that. They seek peace and safety, and we... we get Spirit Coins and Points, why not enjoy it?" "That''s true," Ethan Dawn sighed reluctantly, "This is the key way for Ordinary players to accumulate Points, not to mention Spirit Coins... The latter''s value in the real world has already reached a 1:100 ratio." Simply put. One Spirit Coin could be exchanged for one hundred yuan. The key was... they were priceless, all players in the public test held few Spirit Coins. Moreover. The clubs wouldn''t sell the Spirit Coins they held, and in reality, a big hand was controlling the market, maintaining the exchange rate at 1:100. Ordinary players naturally became frantic, pushing themselves to the limit. "But why do I feel like the Spirit Coins given by the missions seem to be much less than those of the Guardians before?" "It''s good as long as there is some, and players don''t spend the Spirit Coins they earn anyway..." Su Qi patted his shoulder, "According to market demand and supply relations, when the total money supply increases and consumption stays the same, the likelihood of overproduction rises, and the currency LM curve shifts to the right..." "Brother Yang... can you say something I understand?" To put it simply in one sentence... "If you don''t do it, there are plenty of others who will." "....." Ethan Dawn, "I got that, but why does it feel so heart-wrenching?" Of course. This was a lie. Because Su Qi had adjusted the task handover for players. The rule set by Tentacle Man was to split with the abnormalities fifty-fifty. Su Qi turned it into... an eighty-twenty split. At this moment. Su Qi suddenly paused and looked ahead, "There seems to be something up ahead." The many Ordinary players perked up immediately, entering battle mode. Ethan Dawn also turned serious, "Brother Yang, is there something wrong?" It was Ethan Dawn who led the team before. But now. It had become Su Qi''s lead, as this cheerful and sunny young man, through very calm analysis and command, had resolved the crisis for the players on two dangerous missions. After several more missions, the players by now had a lot of faith in Su Qi. "Don''t be nervous, it''s other players." "Other players..." Ethan Dawn''s expression stiffened slightly. His gaze flickered toward the distance, where more than a dozen members of a club slowly emerged, dragging the body of a Seventh Rank Polluted creature... exuding a dangerous aura as they walked along. The body of the Polluted would attract the same sequence monsters, but its aura would also intimidate many beings rank below it. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Hmm?" The young man at the forefront was the player who had been sharpening his Hidden Blade at the first outpost. He looked with some surprise and interest at Ethan Dawn and Su Qi: "It looks like we meet again." Upon entering the central building of Last House, Ethan Dawn also saw the other party and realized that this young man was the rising superstar of Hidden Blade Club! And he was the leader of the current team; without any renown information available, naturally, Ethan didn''t recognize his face. Ethan spoke in a deep voice, "Indeed, I didn''t expect to run into you here." "What''s with this pointless banter, and ... " Su Qi paused, "Who are you?" "..." The young man narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at Su Qi, and then smiled, "If I''ve forgotten, it''s not important." "However, this is neither the place for you nor... without your second and third here, you shouldn''t have shown up." Ethan''s voice grew heavier, "What do you mean." They were on their way to the stronghold to meet with Penelope Bloom and Justice Chief, the two big shots, but they were a bit late due to task handover; at this moment, it seemed like something was amiss. "Because..." The young man looked into the distance and smiled, "They''re here." Figures were emerging from the distant fog. "This path... someone indeed arrived earlier." Members of the magnetic card Club slowly appeared, with a red-haired woman at the forefront, adorned with various electromagnetic force items, and with a menacing grin, "Yo, aren''t these Hidden Blade''s people? These guys... are they your underlings?" "I wanted to yell, ''Underlings my ass!''" But Su Qi looked towards another group, as numerous figures continuously made their appearance. It seemed like the top clubs had an agreement to meet here. And moreover. They had avoided the stronghold, avoided Final Home. Ethan Dawn was now silent; he was at best a core member of the Justice League, while the super newcomers and super players from the top clubs were present. "Bad, I''m starting to panic." "Panic about what?" Su Qi looked at them, "As a member of the Justice League set to take down Su Buxian, shouldn''t you stand tall and confident?" "Your spiritual power is even higher than mine!" Su Qi had also noticed. These people had an unspoken agreement; everyone kept silent, seemingly waiting for other clubs to arrive. It looked like they''d caught up with something big. The Justice League players, however, were gradually looking weaker and trembled before the multitude of influential figures. And at that very moment. [Six hours remaining until the Ascension points elimination starts.] The countdown appeared every hour, and people had grown accustomed to it. But the next moment. [Attention: Main task ''Audience'' eligibility will be linked to players'' points. Only the top one thousand from each region and an additional one hundred with outstanding performance will qualify. Points... At the same time, points will play a very important role in the final Audience phase!!] [PS: Fate is turning; countless insignificant lives are being watched at this moment. Even if inconspicuous or of lowly status, struggling in despair, a new era is coming. In the grand prelude of this era, those who can make a name for themselves will surely be born.] "..." Everyone briefly fell into silence. "We had countdown before, but now there''s new information," someone squinted, "and they emphasized points." "And there''s this cryptic message at the end." "I don''t know about the rest." Someone paused briefly and laughed, "But from what I see now, the priority to deal with Su Buxian just increased." ----------------- Tentacle Man silently observed a Star Chart in Chaotic City, clutching the remaining Spirit Coins in his hand, looking somewhat ragged while standing inconspicuously in the crowded queue for a large-scale teleportation ritual. Surrounded by terrifying beings with dangerous auras. The respected Manager in Final Home was just a weak and insignificant creature here. "It''s been a month; I wonder what has become of Final Home." He felt heavy-hearted and slowly closed his eyes. He still remembered two years ago, the entire world was as dark and profound as a decaying Star River with Chaos, where an apocalyptic silence and abnormalities were pervasive. And now. Nothing had changed. Even after establishing Final Home. Whether it was himself, his daughter, or the numerous abnormalities all were still struggling. The burden on one''s shoulders was much heavier than imagined. "Hopefully, nothing chaotic happens in Final Home, and everything can go over smoothly." Chapter 222 - 175: Brotherhood in the Storm of the Evil God! "Everyone please follow the rules of Chaotic City, and prohibit all violations." "Those who wish to leave this world, please don''t hurry, queue up in an orderly manner." Tentacle Man was now queuing up. He really wanted to get back to Final Home as quickly as possible. After all, the entire Pollution world now seemed to be growing ever larger, but only he understood that in such a dangerous world, everything was in jeopardy and could collapse at any moment. As a Manager, he could only take all the produce from Final Home, collect strange materials from the Pollution world, and come to this chaotic Boundary... exchanging everything that could help alleviate the crisis in Final Home. "Also..." Tentacle Man''s gaze dimmed slightly; he was also searching for a way to cure his daughter... to give her a normal body that didn''t have to suffer pain. His daughter was truly special. After all, she had died, and it was only by force that he had kept her soul here and miraculously recovered her consciousness. But to truly live. Was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. "There are three methods... one is to ask for the aid of entities above the fifth rank of sequences, perhaps they could stabilize my daughter''s body, an abnormality of flesh and blood, so she need not be replaced, but how could such entities care about someone like me." "Another is... requesting a Recovery ritual, which could also heal little Ah Ling, but it would cost more than a hundred times what Final Home produces in a year in Spirit Coins, an extremely high and terrifying treatment cost that I simply can''t afford right now." "The third is... to replace with another body." Tentacle Man''s expression was gloomy. He was a surgeon, and had nearly studied all the literature related to neurology in order to save his daughter, but after all, he was just one person... without background, without strength, without funds... he could only maintain her using the strange activity inherent in the abnormal flesh and blood alongside his own tentacles'' neurotransmitters, etc. How could he not know his daughter''s pain... yet he was powerless to help. Various technological worlds... while they possessed the relevant neurological technology, it simply wasn''t spread about. At this moment. "All you fellows below the seventh rank of sequences! Remember to shield yourselves with Spiritual Energy to avoid being injured by the shock!" A deep voice resounded in everyone''s ears. Tentacle Man''s power was of the seventh rank, and he looked up toward the distance. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" A colossal black ship, enormous as a mountain range, thunderously broke through Nihility, sailing out and appearing atop a platform. The gusting wind shook everyone slightly, feeling an array of mysterious rituals emitting powerful auras above. "Begin unloading!" A voice shouted deeply, beside which rituals on the ships flashed with astonishing Spiritual Energy, and a large number of personnel began heading towards that ship. Tentacle Man watched this scene, not surprised at all, as it was not the first time he had seen it. Ships that traveled the Ten Thousand Realms would bring massive cargoes to Chaotic City for sale, and this was one of the reasons why Chaotic City was a central hub of trade. Giant boxes carrying goods, which were as tall as fifty meters, were grabbed by several giant abnormalities and placed on the ground. There were many goods... weird and diverse, including Pollutants, abnormal slaves being trafficked, and unique items from various worlds. The quantity was vast. So vast that it was frightening. After all, as the trading hub of this Boundary, Chaotic City attracted massive numbers of people and demands for purchase from all directions... Tentacle Man was just one inconspicuous grain of sand amongst them. "This is..." Tentacle Man''s expression suddenly shook, a giant box with distinct packaging being held carefully by a huge abnormality, seemingly different from the other goods. "Goods from Night City." Standing beside it, an abnormality with a powerful aura watched calmly in that direction. "Night City?" Tentacle Man seemed to have heard these three words. Oh. He remembered now... previously many people had gone to participate in some kind of auction, which had been advertised. Though the strength of its world was not strong, it was a celebrated hub city for influencers. But what was critical wasn''t that. It was the packaging on the box... There was a man wearing a luxurious tuxedo, and beside him an emblem engraved with some sort of commercial guild''s name, which was obscured by the huge abnormal''s hand. Tentacle Man didn''t see clearly. "You''re not going to tell me you don''t know what happened in Night City, are you?" The abnormal, arms crossed, looked at Tentacle Man. Tentacle Man shook his head, then gave a bitter smile, "I don''t come here often, I''d appreciate it if you enlightened me, elder brother." He came to Chaotic City once every three or even six months, as amassing Spirit Coins took time, and the cost of round-trip transportation was exorbitant. "Jeez, you know about Nancy, right?" "...I''ve heard a bit, seems like she''s a quite famous host." Even though Tentacle Man didn''t visit often, he would comprehensively learn about the information he needed to know: which major forces in Chaotic City couldn''t be provoked, which powerful individuals needed to be avoided or even pleased. As a small figure bearing the fate of over a hundred thousand people, every step was fraught with difficulty and caution. He needed to be aware of the information from outside the Chaotic world as well. The abnormal spoke, "...do you know about the Spirit King?" Tentacle Man was startled and nodded quickly, "Of course!" The various major forces were one thing, but the name of the Spirit King shone like the sun over all the connected worlds, dazzling and brilliant. That was also a supreme existence too high for him to reach! Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Then this should be easy." The abnormal began casually, "Nancy has become the commercial endorser of a guild in Night City, crucially... this guild has the backing and investment of the scion of the Sunset Spirit King, and all goods from the guild in Night City have become coveted items." Chapter 223 - 175: Brotherhood in the Storm of the Evil God!_2 "The first batch of goods should have been delivered by now..." Abnormality clicked his tongue, "I expect a lot of people will rush to buy them." Tentacle Man asked curiously, "What kind of goods are they selling?" "The latest prosthetics? Neural connection systems? There are also Super Dream Chips, Super Dream Stations, and so on that are still in development. It''s said that once a Super Dream Station is installed in the world, there might even be a chance to connect with other worlds." "However, I think it''s all nonsense..." Abnormality prattled on without stopping. Upon hearing terms such as prosthetics and neural connections, Tentacle Man''s eyes widened abruptly, "How much does a set of those neural-connected prosthetics cost!" "I''m not sure, why, are you thinking of buying?" Abnormality sized Tentacle Man up, "I''d advise you not to dream. Ever since the investment endorsement of the Spirit Prince''s Heir, these now belong to the high-end luxury market. Plus, they''re scarce in supply, usually directly collected by major powers or influential existences." Tentacle Man seemed to understand and fell into silence. This meant... these things were priceless; currently, you couldn''t buy them even if you wanted to. At this moment, "What are you standing there for? Move it!" The abnormality managing the team suddenly spoke with a cold voice! Tentacle Man hurriedly averted his gaze, showing a submissive gesture, and expressed his apologies in a fluster, "Sorry! I''ll catch up right away!" He wrapped himself in his clothing, not daring to look any further. Too weak, having neither strength nor background. Final Home was still in a tough environment for survival, with all the pressure bearing down on the likes of small-fries like him, like a stormy sea. These were ultimately beyond his reach. ----------------- "Bang!" Su Qi kicked Ethan Dawn, "Why are you so tense?" "...It''s not what I had in mind..." Ethan Dawn looked ahead, somewhat trembling, and said, "I just think, they''ve gone mad." "They''re actually gathering all the top clubs, all the powerful first and second-tier players!" "To hunt down... an Seventh Rank terror!" Among the cliffs around, there were probably two or three hundred people, including many strong solo players who followed the top clubs. Everyone was holding their breath as if waiting for something. "Don''t be nervous..." Penelope Bloom and Justice Chief, along with other players from the Justice League, were also here. Penelope Bloom spoke calmly, "We were planning to wait for you guys to join us before discussing this, but you guys just happened to run into it. Luckily, we didn''t wait and rushed over." What was unexpected was..." Justice Chief said, puzzled, "I thought you would be ostracized." "But when we brought people over, we saw you gathering together with other club members as if you were discussing something." "You''ll have to ask Brother Yang about that." Ethan Dawn looked at Su Qi. Facing everyone''s gaze, Su Qi opened his mouth with a light smile, "It wasn''t much. Wasn''t there a system pop-up? A bunch of confusing words, everyone was analyzing." "I just gave some guidance, that''s all." Ethan Dawn interjected, "More than that!" "Brother Yang, you even laid out strategies and plans for the manhunt for Su Buxian, convincing many top clubs to unite. A lot of people were swayed by his words." "Oh?" Penelope Bloom was surprised; as he listened to Ethan Dawn''s narration, his eyes widened gradually, "Such a comprehensive plan, it''s like an inescapable net, pushing this Su Buxian into a dead end." Justice Chief couldn''t help but look at Su Qi, hesitating for a moment before saying, "I''m starting to doubt whether you have a personal grudge against this Su Buxian." Su Qi revealed a smile, "How could I have a grudge? I''ve never even met him. Plus, I''m kind to others, make friends everywhere, as charming as a gentleman could be..." Ethan Dawn said with a dark face, "Alright, stop flattering yourself." "So..." Su Qi said with a light chuckle, "so I think... if Su Buxian could have Points over a hundred million, he must be extraordinary, naturally requiring planning." "After all, everyone understands the importance of Points now." Justice Chief nodded, "Indeed, we valued them before, and now joining forces to hunt this Seventh Rank Monster is also for Points..." "But what I didn''t expect was that its priority turned out to be even higher than imagined." A Seventh Rank Pollution Monster''s Points were as high as several million. However, at the same time, its danger and horror level were not something individual players could withstand. As said before, the higher up the sequence, the wider the chasm became. Seventh Rank, at most, twenty-some people could engage in fierce battle and kill one! But for the Seventh Rank, it was even more extraordinary. With over three hundred people present, the atmosphere was charged with the spirit of team combat, yet many still wore grave expressions. "Look, just for a few million Points, it''s already like this; imagine the struggle for hundreds of millions of Points... It''ll probably be even more intense," Penelope Bloom said. "And who knows where Su Buxian is at this moment." Ethan Dawn replied, "Who cares about him? No matter where he is, he can''t escape." "And I''ve already agreed with Brother Yangwe''ll lead a team together to hunt down Su Buxian! My probing abilities combined with Brother Yang''s analysis, we aim to be the first to find Su Buxian''s trail!" Su Qi said, "I don''t know where your confidence comes from, but I have high hopes for you." An hour ago, in the pop-up information, Su Qi clearly pointed out the key messages to everyone, pushing the importance of Points to yet another level. Of course, what he said was also true. His purpose in doing this was simple... to stir up everyone''s craving for Points, to realize the importance of Points! And they were indeed extremely envious of his own hundreds of millions of Points! Because, Su Qi feared they wouldn''t come if they felt the danger. After all, that area was indeed terrifyingly abnormal, and he, faint-hearted on his own, needed companions to go together, to venture forward hand in hand. "Let''s not worry about Su Buxian for the moment; it seems there''s movement in the habitat of the Seventh Rank Pollution Monster," the Justice Chief said, his expression becoming much more solemn. He gazed into the distance. At the same time, many others also tightened their expressions, concealing their forms and movements as they looked ahead. "Why are you shaking again?" Penelope Bloom said exasperatedly to Ethan Dawn. "Boss, it''s unavoidable to feel nervous. After all, I''ve really seen a Seventh Rank entity before." Ethan Dawn spoke in a low voice with resignation, "I''ve encountered a horrifically huge spider before; it must have been a Seventh Rank being. That oppressive feeling and aura were simply unbearable." "We had over a hundred people then, and if it hadn''t been scared away by some inexplicable fright, we might have all been wiped out." Penelope Bloom shook her head, "Weren''t you two in the same encounter? Why are you the only one scared? Look at him." Ethan Dawn coughed, "Brother Yang is just pretending to be calm, disguising his true self." "You could see through it," Su Qi looked at him quizzically. "Indeed, I put on a bit of an act, since I was the one who scared it away." "See, he''s delirious, talking nonsense," Ethan Dawn remarked. Look. Even when one tells the truth, nobody believes it. Justice Chief calmly looked into the distance and said, "Alright, stop talking... it''s here." A Seventh Rank Pollution Monster often establishes its own territory, so there''s no need to worry about other monsters of the same level nearby. It was the sighting of this one that had decided the major forces to unite in action. After all, not only could they gain a high amount of Points, but they could also take this creature back to Final Home and exchange it for a substantial amount of Spirit Coins. On the desolate ground in the distance, a gaunt monster slowly appeared, standing ten meters tall... its stooped figure resembled that of an old man. Even its footsteps seemed to float slightly. But, none dared to even breathe out loud. Because this old monster was covered in ghastly faces, carrying a basket on its back, covered with a layer of flesh so muddled it was hard to tell how many people it had been stitched together from. Even those who had seen myriad monsters felt their scalp tingle in the face of such a grotesque and terrorizing entity. Moreover, this old monster was immensely strong and dangerous! Its body had a chilling aura to it that made countless others feel as if they were about to be dragged into the bottomless abyss. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi, however, found it all too familiar. Anything from the Abyss Camp tended to be more or less the same. "Abnormalities survive in chaos, the powerful stand in the Present World, Pollution Monsters come from the Abyss." Su Qi watched this scene unfold. "Evil God Brother... hasn''t yet recovered, hasn''t left the Sealing, and he''s already caused all sorts of worlds to be shrouded in haze and poison." "Not to mention what would happen once the Sealing is lifted." When that time comes, it remains to be seen whether Evil God Brother will be the first to celebrate new life, welcome freedom, or travel the world in search of their stormy brotherhood. Chapter 227 - 177: Three-Hour Countdown!_2 "...." Su Qi paused briefly. Good golly, that was a quick kneel! And in reality, it seemed like everyone was springing into action. The human-faced monster''s body started to show wounds, from which blood and flesh erupted, inch by inch, yet it did nothing about it, nor did it leave this spiritual realm. Even though Su Qi hadn''t said or done a thing. It was just crazily kowtowing! Expressing its utmost devout worship! "It... it''s just too pure, I''m crying to death." Who would have thought the Fingertip Universe''s breath simulation effect would work so well? Of course, the most important factor was that the Pollution Monster''s intelligence was not high. Su Qi didn''t even need to do much, and he mused, "One can only say that Evil God''s talent for raising bootlickers is absolutely top-notch." Strength, mind, spiritall wholly and utterly subservient... This was a monster fully corrupted by Pollution. And not only that, whenever the Evil God was mentioned, others from the Abyss Camp felt a surge of genuine fear, worship, and madness from deep within their hearts. Of course. Ordinarily, no one dared to use an illusion of the Evil God or impersonate its presence, given that Totems, Abyss Marks, various Polluted powers would be drawn to it; existences that could not be looked upon directly or whose true names were unspeakable also had rules that transcended the Present World. All falsehoods would only recoil upon oneself! In a nutshell, piracy was doomed. But then again, what did that have to do with him, who had the official authorization from "Evil God"? "Boom!" A terrifying noise came straight from reality. Su Qi released the spiritual world and saw the human-faced monster collapsed on the ground, its body a mess of ruptured flesh, while Penelope Bloom and her bloody companions stood nearby. They had obviously succeeded in the kill. And just like the struggle for the Tyrant''s body, people rushed forwards, one after another. Points were important, but the body of the Seventh Rank monster was also highly valuable, sure to fetch a fair number of Spirit Coins. Su Qi did not join in. After all, if they wanted to exchange for Spirit Coins... they could only obtain them from the Final Home. The harder they fought, the more the Final Home would benefit. And at that moment. System notifications popped up in everyone''s field of view. [Only three hours left until the elimination mechanism activates.] [All players, please note, this will be the last qualifying stage of the ranking battles.] Everyone''s gaze sharpened, and then they fought even more fiercely. "People were allying just before, now they''ve turned their backs on each other without recognition." Ethan Dawn watched their actions with a chill. "It''s normal." Su Qi spoke up, "It''s clearly the final stage, and besides, it''s all for self-interest." "Self-interest can turn enemies into friends and can make brothers turn against each other." "Look, even as the General Commander, there''s hardly anybody coming over to bow and say thanks to me." "..." Maybe your expectations for gratitude are a bit too high. At this point. Everyone''s gaze paused again, as the points from the post-team battle were also being allocated. These so-called points... weren''t merely numbers. They were orbs of light endowed with strange powers. The size and brightness of an orb were indicators of the amount of points. Everyone had one, but some slackers had pitifully small orbs the size of fists. Those who had been valiant in the team battle naturally had much larger orbs. The system was fair, and many regretted not giving their all at that moment. "This is the points from a Seventh Rank monster, just this orb alone is more than all the points I''ve gotten from all my previous tasks!" "If only I could monopolize these points alone." "Don''t even think about it, no one could face such a terrifying being alone!" And for the many top players, orbs as big as cars streamed towards them. The orbs heading for Penelope Bloom and her peers were even larger since they delivered the final blow! "Brother Yang, where''s yours?" Ethan Dawn looked at Su Qi with some confusion, as there was nothing before him, though he had also received a sphere of light himself. It wasn''t particularly large among the crowd, but the points were still considerable. "Could it be that commanding isn''t included?" Su Qi didn''t really care, his points were already more than enough, and the points now being added were just drop in the ocean. However, the next moment... A dazzling sphere of light slowly rose, several times larger than the combined spheres of Penelope Bloom and the others, drawing the attention of everyone present! Everyone''s eyelids twitched. To their astonishment, this huge sphere of light was heading straight for Su Qi! A prompt that only he could see appeared before his eyes. [Congratulations Player Su Buxian for obtaining 792,414 points] As people witnessed this scene, they fell silent: "..." Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Some were amazed, while others didn''t understand. From their perspective, Su Qi did indeed play the role of a commander, but weren''t they the ones actually fighting tooth and nail? Why did he get so many points! The majority, however, had a glint in their eyes. They had gathered together for the sake of benefit, and now, with just three hours left until the face-off stage, all players would become mortal enemies engrossed in a fight to the death. "You''re thinking too small, everyone," Su Qi said calmly, raising a megaphone. "Just these points have blinded you; think about that Su Buxian." "With over a hundred million points, even the loose change is much more than what the Seventh Rank monsters have. Instead of fighting each other at the beginning, we should all unite to hunt him down. Splitting his hundred million points and then competing for them! That''s the most foolproof strategy!" Ethan Dawn''s eyes widened: "I think you really have a grudge against that Su Buxian!" Rallying everyone against that guy. The key was that several people narrowed their eyes, feeling that there was some sense in his words. After all. Su Buxian was like a massive points package. If they didn''t compete for it, they''d be left behind once the points were divided up among others. Of course. Su Qi simply needed tools: the number, strength, and initiative of the players, which in Final Home exceeded the scale of the Guardians by countless times. The pace of their mission purge over the past few days was proof enough of this, it was just too scattered. That dangerous territory required both the safety of Final Home... and their full dedication to explore the deep crimson [Abyss Mark]! Yet, the crowd did not continue to act. With three hours left before the elimination mechanism started, whether it was recuperating, handing over the corpses of monsters they had captured, or using Spirit Coins to purchase tools from Final Home. They all needed time to prepare. Top clubs allied with one another, yet once again there was a subtle atmosphere emerging amongst them. The young man from Hidden Blade smiled and pointed to Su Qi: "That kid is right; we do need to focus on hunting down that Su Buxian. Instead of engaging in an elimination fight, we should first find that guy." "A bright and cheerful big boy..." The woman in a trench coat, with a cigarette in her mouth, smiled gently, "I not only like the sunshine but also big boys. You must be a Solo Player, right? That command was no small feat. I think you could come with me." "I can give you close protection." Justice Chief frowned deeply: "You''re poaching in front of us, pretending we don''t exist?" Penelope Bloom also smiled lightly: "Brother Yang is also a core member of our alliance, and we will keep him safe." "Actually," Su Qi suddenly paused, then said, "I think her proposal is quite good!" Penelope Bloom: "???" "Stay where you are!" Penelope Bloom pressed her forehead, "Don''t worry, with the few points you have... not many people will covet them, and even if they do, we''re the main force that draws their fire." "Alright, alright!" Su Qi spread his hands: "My apologies, big sis." The woman in the trench coat: "..." The leaders of the many top clubs watched calmly, choosing not to speak further as they prepared to leave. And a young man with a [Seventh Rank] symbol on his head calmly cast a glance at Su Qi. "Meeting you, I''ll let you off just this once." "But only once." He then left. Su Qi laughed: "This guy''s pretty nice." Penelope Bloom: "... Just listen and leave it at that. Right now, it''s just the prelude to the raging storm. Although everyone can stand together and talk now... it''s only because the time hasn''t come yet." "In three hours," "Every person, for that so-called qualification, for the final stage of this ranking battle, will become so ruthless... it''s beyond what you, an Ordinary Player, can imagine." Chapter 228 - 178: The Eye of the Storm, Su Buxian! [Please note that players with points exceeding one hundred thousand will be exposed with their coordinates once every hour for ten minutes, with the degree of exposure tied to their points.] [Final Home and strongholds are safe zones. Spending more than five hours in a safe zone will trigger continuous, uninterrupted exposure.] ... Three hours after the countdown began. A system message would update every hour. And now. There are only the final ten minutes left. All the players had neither entered Final Home nor hidden within the strongholds but were silently moving through the fog. "Brother Yang, now... there are only the last ten minutes left." Ethan Dawn stood at the entrance of a cave, watching the time and the fog outside, speaking with a grave expression: "Everyone be ready to move at any time, although we don''t know where those other guys are hiding right now, it seems their main goal is to hunt down Su Buxian first." "When the time comes, Brother Yang, you must keep up..." Ethan Dawn turned his head and suddenly snapped, "Can you not carve stuff on the wall in such a critical moment!" Su Qi said: "Stay calm, be graceful." "You have to understand the principle of keeping your composure even if Mount Tai collapses before you." "Is that why you''re carving a smiley face on the wall! And doing such an ugly job of it!" Ethan Dawn massaged his temples, let out a sigh, and said earnestly and seriously, "Brother Yang... listen to me, this is not just a game. I hope you take it seriously. You''ve managed to acquire so many points, if you can keep them, you might stand out from among the ordinary players in this ranking battle." "Is there any benefit to standing out?" Ethan Dawn paused: "Naturally, you''ll be valued by the forces of Paradise." "That sounds familiar." It seemed that Left Hand and others had said something similar. In fact. The top clubs'' super rookies, including the beta testers, had a completely different attitude towards everything here than the ordinary players. They were clear about... the importance of the ranking battle. They understood the profound undercurrents behind it! They were even more aware of the varied depths they would encounter upon entering Paradise! The forces from Paradise did not pour resources into them just to see them chat politely with each other. Without showing... enough value, unable to become a force''s asset in the future, many of the powers behind the scenes would decisively abandon them. He also spoke the truth. The powers of Paradise had been accumulating for many years, with various forces and organizations entrenched; ordinary players without any background striving to make a name for themselves in Paradise would only find it extremely difficult. In fact, people like Left Hand were top forces... as were Night Guard and Xu Linqiu from Zone 9, one of the biggest organizations. The other two major organizations were, naturally, Free City and Sequence City, which were also colossal entities. [Elimination mechanism countdown begins in five minutes] [All players, please be prepared] [The system map has been generated and can be accessed at any time] The pop-up message appeared again. "The map..." Ethan Dawn opened the map, his brows slightly raised: "Apart from marking my own position, everything around is fog." Su Qi looked at the map for a moment: "That means... even though the coordinates will be exposed in real time, the actual effectiveness of this is still in question." Ethan Dawn nodded: "It also gives those exposed a chance to react, but once they''re surrounded or their position is predicted, being found is inevitable." "The boss and the others are nearby too, although they''re spread out, they can respond very quickly and set up." He looked at the map: Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Now... it depends on where Su Buxian is." At this moment. Players in other locations were also silently waiting for the game map to refresh. "The last minute..." "Everyone, get ready." "Primary target is Su Buxian, secondary targets are all players we encounter along the way!" The young man from Hidden Blade said calmly, "Su Buxian, who has been hiding for a few days, finally can''t remain hidden." The Ghost-faced Magician''s gaze turned slightly cold, "Over a hundred million points... What kind of brilliance would that be?" And finally, a minute had passed. The system message appeared before everyone''s eyes. "It''s here." Ethan Dawn quickly fixed his eyes on the map, which gradually began to reveal twinkling points of light like ripples in water, the surrounding fog dissipating from the center of these lights and slowly rotating. He understood. Those were the top players with over a hundred thousand points, and the amount of points could be discerned by the brightness of the light and the degree of rotation of the surrounding fog. For instance, his boss''s presence nearby was clearly indicated by two twinkling points just a few kilometers away. What''s more important... the fog around them was undulating, clearly rotating with more intensity and thickness. "Where''s Su Buxian, then...?" "Wait a second!" Ethan Dawn''s eyelids suddenly twitched, one ball of light... no... a flare! No! A sun! It was like a burning, impassioned sun furiously crashing down onto the ground! The entire map was initially just a 3D plane effect. But... influenced by that terrifyingly bright orb, the surrounding fog spun wildly like a hurricane, towering to several dozen times its height and speed, a fearsome twister that lifted a vast amount of fog from the map, declaring the center of the storm! "Your mother''s kiss, this is just outrageous!" However, Ethan Dawn had no time for surprise, as he excitedly discovered, "Brother Yang!" "The light is extremely close to us!" The fog was turbulent, but the position at the center of the light remained identifiable. "The margin of error isn''t more than a kilometer!" "He''s right near us!" Moreover, Ethan Dawn immediately noticed other points of light on the map starting to move. "Boss and the others have started moving!" "And all the other lights are also converging this way!" "Our luck is so damn good! Brother Yang, hurry up and get ready for action, let''s encircle him with the boss!" Ethan Dawn suddenly fails to get a response, and turning his head, he sees with wide eyes, "Why are you still carving words on the wall?" Su Qi spoke calmly, "Don''t rush it, ten minutes should do, the nearest point of light on the map would take about that long to get here, that''s enough time." "Enough time for what... Aren''t you afraid that Su Buxian will run away? Isn''t he the target you always say you want to hunt down!" Ethan Dawn was getting anxious, genuinely afraid that Su Buxian would escape. "Haven''t you noticed that he seems to have not moved at all?" Ethan Dawn was taken aback, looking at the terrifying bright spot on the map, although the surrounding fog was swirling intensely, the eye of the storm indeed hadn''t moved. He was somewhat dazed. Why? Shouldn''t a normal person be frantically referring to all the points of light on the map and making a run for it by now? At that moment. Ethan Dawn''s eyelids quivered slightly. Earlier, he had only seen the smiling face that Su Qi had carved; his attention had been entirely on the map, he failed to notice until now... the characters carved into the wall. Above were boldly and powerfully inscribed, deep enough to leave a mark. [Su Buxian was here] Chapter 226 - 177: Three-Hour Countdown! The fog polluting the world flowed slowly, casting a deep gloom over everything. Some people felt that monsters born fully from pollution were filled with boundless, bizarre horror. That was quite normal, after all, it was the influence of Abyss Power, and nothing normal came from that realmtwisted shapes and the Polluted Sea were all from there. But Su Qi thought, what horror? Those expressionless, twisted monsters. How aloof. Give them a pair of contemptuous eyes, and see if they aren''t stunned. They... were just not gentle towards you. Look. The Human Skin Old Monster was now... being furiously besieged! It glared at him with its blood-red eyes. Wasn''t this also a kind of bond? "Bang bang bang!" The Human Skin Old Monster burst forth with terrifying rage and murderous intent! It struck out at lightning speed, stirring up mighty ripples! If any of the onlookers had encountered it alone, they would surely face only death! But unfortunately, it was restrained by countless people, tied hand and foot... deeply entangled within! Meanwhile, Penelope Bloom and the other two rapidly unleashed their full strength. Now that they knew the enemy''s fatal weakness, there was no need to hide it. In this siege, points were distributed by contribution. Who played a key role and who exerted decisive strength were among the factors. Millions of points were now up for grabs. At this moment, Su Qi looked at the scene. "It''s coming." As a being of the Seventh Rank, the Human Skin Old Monster was not just that capable. It became exceptionally strong by absorbing fear''s bizarre traits during the siege of over three hundred people. However, it was clear that it had not yet unleashed its ultimate move. At this moment, Constraining, pulling, wearing down, bursting forth! Fatal attacks accompanied by several roars, Penelope Bloom and the two others charged with an unstoppable momentum towards the Human Skin Old Monster''s back! "Hiss!" It also obviously felt a murderous intent locking onto its back! With a monstrous roar!! It tried to burst forth with power, but it was already too late to dodge! The human skin on its back was suddenly penetrated by three cold glints of light! Meanwhile, Everyone also saw clearly what was inside the basket on its back. "That is..." Inside the basket was a flesh structure, still squirming, with faint Black Fog flickering within! The next moment, "Roar!" The Human Skin Old Monster screamed! Its skin burst open violently! A large amount of black blood and flesh suddenly sprayed out from the basket! "What''s going on?!" "What is it doing?!" The countless human faces on the old monster''s body suddenly opened their eyes and mouths! Then they let out piercing screams! Mixed with the voices of men, women, children, and elderly, they all erupted! "Ahhhh!" This bizarre scene made everyone present shiver all over! Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At the same time, They also saw an inexplicably twisted black fog gushing out from within! Ethan Dawn''s eyes widened: "Why do I feel like it''s about to unleash its ultimate move?" "Don''t worry," Su Qi spoke lightly, "It just wants to perish together with us." "????" Su Qi turned his gaze toward the monster, thinking to himself: "It seems that it can almost be confirmed now." "Pollution Monsters, Abyss believers, all those completely corroded... they all bear the Abyss Mark." Previously, lower-sequence Pollution Monsters, including those of the Seventh Rank, did not exhibit such phenomena. Now it seems, They were simply not qualified. Earning the Abyss Mark comes with a threshold fee. He murmured softly, "Compared to everyone in the Present World who is desperately ascending ranks, desperately enhancing their Strength," "This form of pollution is undoubtedly even more unreasonable... able to mass-produce, on a large scale, a great number of monsters quickly." That was the terror of pollution, the horror of Abyss Power. Cultists were the same; they held the Evil God Totem, embraced the bizarre and Twisted, and gained faster strength increases and more dangerous powers. "No wonder countless forces have betrayed the Present World and quietly joined the Abyss Camp..." "This virus-like expansion, who could see it and not be confused?" This is also why Tentacle Man''s Final Home, though it had grown so large in just two years, was still always on the verge of collapse. After all, Pollution Monsters were constantly born around it, and Pollutants'' manic nature meant they would grow through inner battles like rearing gu worms, simply unable to keep up with their development pace. "It''s about time for a conclusion, time to see this old artist off." Su Qi would not let the opponent unleash its ultimate move, as his pupils slowly changed. A hint of dark light flickered faintly! Waves of bizarre Spiritual Ripples surged directly towards the Human Skin Old Monster! He activated [Fingertip UniverseDamaged Version] [Which could pull it into the spiritual world] "Boom!" The Human Skin Old Monster only felt its consciousness whirl, and the next moment it found itself in a world where Black Fog rolled tumultuously! And Su Qi sat upon a throne wrapped in surging Black Fog! It was a bit dumbstruck, yet enemies meeting were particularly eye-catching, it wanted to roar and pounce! However, the Human Skin Old Monster shuddered! Because, Behind Su Qi... was a vast and terrifying phantom shadow, standing behind him like a protector! And that presence, along with those unseeable pupils! They flickered in and out of the Black Fog! The next moment, It suddenly fell to its knees! Its head struck the ground with force! It began to kowtow frantically! Chapter 227 - 177: Three-Hour Countdown!_2 "...." Su Qi paused briefly. Good golly, that was a quick kneel! And in reality, it seemed like everyone was springing into action. The human-faced monster''s body started to show wounds, from which blood and flesh erupted, inch by inch, yet it did nothing about it, nor did it leave this spiritual realm. Even though Su Qi hadn''t said or done a thing. It was just crazily kowtowing! Expressing its utmost devout worship! "It... it''s just too pure, I''m crying to death." Who would have thought the Fingertip Universe''s breath simulation effect would work so well? Of course, the most important factor was that the Pollution Monster''s intelligence was not high. Su Qi didn''t even need to do much, and he mused, "One can only say that Evil God''s talent for raising bootlickers is absolutely top-notch." Strength, mind, spiritall wholly and utterly subservient... This was a monster fully corrupted by Pollution. And not only that, whenever the Evil God was mentioned, others from the Abyss Camp felt a surge of genuine fear, worship, and madness from deep within their hearts. Of course. Ordinarily, no one dared to use an illusion of the Evil God or impersonate its presence, given that Totems, Abyss Marks, various Polluted powers would be drawn to it; existences that could not be looked upon directly or whose true names were unspeakable also had rules that transcended the Present World. All falsehoods would only recoil upon oneself! In a nutshell, piracy was doomed. But then again, what did that have to do with him, who had the official authorization from "Evil God"? "Boom!" A terrifying noise came straight from reality. Su Qi released the spiritual world and saw the human-faced monster collapsed on the ground, its body a mess of ruptured flesh, while Penelope Bloom and her bloody companions stood nearby. They had obviously succeeded in the kill. And just like the struggle for the Tyrant''s body, people rushed forwards, one after another. Points were important, but the body of the Seventh Rank monster was also highly valuable, sure to fetch a fair number of Spirit Coins. Su Qi did not join in. After all, if they wanted to exchange for Spirit Coins... they could only obtain them from the Final Home. The harder they fought, the more the Final Home would benefit. And at that moment. System notifications popped up in everyone''s field of view. [Only three hours left until the elimination mechanism activates.] [All players, please note, this will be the last qualifying stage of the ranking battles.] Everyone''s gaze sharpened, and then they fought even more fiercely. "People were allying just before, now they''ve turned their backs on each other without recognition." Ethan Dawn watched their actions with a chill. "It''s normal." Su Qi spoke up, "It''s clearly the final stage, and besides, it''s all for self-interest." "Self-interest can turn enemies into friends and can make brothers turn against each other." "Look, even as the General Commander, there''s hardly anybody coming over to bow and say thanks to me." "..." Maybe your expectations for gratitude are a bit too high. At this point. Everyone''s gaze paused again, as the points from the post-team battle were also being allocated. These so-called points... weren''t merely numbers. They were orbs of light endowed with strange powers. The size and brightness of an orb were indicators of the amount of points. Everyone had one, but some slackers had pitifully small orbs the size of fists. Those who had been valiant in the team battle naturally had much larger orbs. The system was fair, and many regretted not giving their all at that moment. "This is the points from a Seventh Rank monster, just this orb alone is more than all the points I''ve gotten from all my previous tasks!" "If only I could monopolize these points alone." "Don''t even think about it, no one could face such a terrifying being alone!" And for the many top players, orbs as big as cars streamed towards them. The orbs heading for Penelope Bloom and her peers were even larger since they delivered the final blow! "Brother Yang, where''s yours?" Ethan Dawn looked at Su Qi with some confusion, as there was nothing before him, though he had also received a sphere of light himself. It wasn''t particularly large among the crowd, but the points were still considerable. "Could it be that commanding isn''t included?" Su Qi didn''t really care, his points were already more than enough, and the points now being added were just drop in the ocean. However, the next moment... A dazzling sphere of light slowly rose, several times larger than the combined spheres of Penelope Bloom and the others, drawing the attention of everyone present! Everyone''s eyelids twitched. To their astonishment, this huge sphere of light was heading straight for Su Qi! A prompt that only he could see appeared before his eyes. [Congratulations Player Su Buxian for obtaining 792,414 points] As people witnessed this scene, they fell silent: "..." Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Some were amazed, while others didn''t understand. From their perspective, Su Qi did indeed play the role of a commander, but weren''t they the ones actually fighting tooth and nail? Why did he get so many points! The majority, however, had a glint in their eyes. They had gathered together for the sake of benefit, and now, with just three hours left until the face-off stage, all players would become mortal enemies engrossed in a fight to the death. "You''re thinking too small, everyone," Su Qi said calmly, raising a megaphone. "Just these points have blinded you; think about that Su Buxian." "With over a hundred million points, even the loose change is much more than what the Seventh Rank monsters have. Instead of fighting each other at the beginning, we should all unite to hunt him down. Splitting his hundred million points and then competing for them! That''s the most foolproof strategy!" Ethan Dawn''s eyes widened: "I think you really have a grudge against that Su Buxian!" Rallying everyone against that guy. The key was that several people narrowed their eyes, feeling that there was some sense in his words. After all. Su Buxian was like a massive points package. If they didn''t compete for it, they''d be left behind once the points were divided up among others. Of course. Su Qi simply needed tools: the number, strength, and initiative of the players, which in Final Home exceeded the scale of the Guardians by countless times. The pace of their mission purge over the past few days was proof enough of this, it was just too scattered. That dangerous territory required both the safety of Final Home... and their full dedication to explore the deep crimson [Abyss Mark]! Yet, the crowd did not continue to act. With three hours left before the elimination mechanism started, whether it was recuperating, handing over the corpses of monsters they had captured, or using Spirit Coins to purchase tools from Final Home. They all needed time to prepare. Top clubs allied with one another, yet once again there was a subtle atmosphere emerging amongst them. The young man from Hidden Blade smiled and pointed to Su Qi: "That kid is right; we do need to focus on hunting down that Su Buxian. Instead of engaging in an elimination fight, we should first find that guy." "A bright and cheerful big boy..." The woman in a trench coat, with a cigarette in her mouth, smiled gently, "I not only like the sunshine but also big boys. You must be a Solo Player, right? That command was no small feat. I think you could come with me." "I can give you close protection." Justice Chief frowned deeply: "You''re poaching in front of us, pretending we don''t exist?" Penelope Bloom also smiled lightly: "Brother Yang is also a core member of our alliance, and we will keep him safe." "Actually," Su Qi suddenly paused, then said, "I think her proposal is quite good!" Penelope Bloom: "???" "Stay where you are!" Penelope Bloom pressed her forehead, "Don''t worry, with the few points you have... not many people will covet them, and even if they do, we''re the main force that draws their fire." "Alright, alright!" Su Qi spread his hands: "My apologies, big sis." The woman in the trench coat: "..." The leaders of the many top clubs watched calmly, choosing not to speak further as they prepared to leave. And a young man with a [Seventh Rank] symbol on his head calmly cast a glance at Su Qi. "Meeting you, I''ll let you off just this once." "But only once." He then left. Su Qi laughed: "This guy''s pretty nice." Penelope Bloom: "... Just listen and leave it at that. Right now, it''s just the prelude to the raging storm. Although everyone can stand together and talk now... it''s only because the time hasn''t come yet." "In three hours," "Every person, for that so-called qualification, for the final stage of this ranking battle, will become so ruthless... it''s beyond what you, an Ordinary Player, can imagine." Chapter 228 - 178: The Eye of the Storm, Su Buxian! [Please note that players with points exceeding one hundred thousand will be exposed with their coordinates once every hour for ten minutes, with the degree of exposure tied to their points.] [Final Home and strongholds are safe zones. Spending more than five hours in a safe zone will trigger continuous, uninterrupted exposure.] ... Three hours after the countdown began. A system message would update every hour. And now. There are only the final ten minutes left. All the players had neither entered Final Home nor hidden within the strongholds but were silently moving through the fog. "Brother Yang, now... there are only the last ten minutes left." Ethan Dawn stood at the entrance of a cave, watching the time and the fog outside, speaking with a grave expression: "Everyone be ready to move at any time, although we don''t know where those other guys are hiding right now, it seems their main goal is to hunt down Su Buxian first." "When the time comes, Brother Yang, you must keep up..." Ethan Dawn turned his head and suddenly snapped, "Can you not carve stuff on the wall in such a critical moment!" Su Qi said: "Stay calm, be graceful." "You have to understand the principle of keeping your composure even if Mount Tai collapses before you." "Is that why you''re carving a smiley face on the wall! And doing such an ugly job of it!" Ethan Dawn massaged his temples, let out a sigh, and said earnestly and seriously, "Brother Yang... listen to me, this is not just a game. I hope you take it seriously. You''ve managed to acquire so many points, if you can keep them, you might stand out from among the ordinary players in this ranking battle." "Is there any benefit to standing out?" Ethan Dawn paused: "Naturally, you''ll be valued by the forces of Paradise." "That sounds familiar." It seemed that Left Hand and others had said something similar. In fact. The top clubs'' super rookies, including the beta testers, had a completely different attitude towards everything here than the ordinary players. They were clear about... the importance of the ranking battle. They understood the profound undercurrents behind it! They were even more aware of the varied depths they would encounter upon entering Paradise! The forces from Paradise did not pour resources into them just to see them chat politely with each other. Without showing... enough value, unable to become a force''s asset in the future, many of the powers behind the scenes would decisively abandon them. He also spoke the truth. The powers of Paradise had been accumulating for many years, with various forces and organizations entrenched; ordinary players without any background striving to make a name for themselves in Paradise would only find it extremely difficult. In fact, people like Left Hand were top forces... as were Night Guard and Xu Linqiu from Zone 9, one of the biggest organizations. The other two major organizations were, naturally, Free City and Sequence City, which were also colossal entities. [Elimination mechanism countdown begins in five minutes] [All players, please be prepared] [The system map has been generated and can be accessed at any time] The pop-up message appeared again. "The map..." Ethan Dawn opened the map, his brows slightly raised: "Apart from marking my own position, everything around is fog." Su Qi looked at the map for a moment: "That means... even though the coordinates will be exposed in real time, the actual effectiveness of this is still in question." Ethan Dawn nodded: "It also gives those exposed a chance to react, but once they''re surrounded or their position is predicted, being found is inevitable." "The boss and the others are nearby too, although they''re spread out, they can respond very quickly and set up." He looked at the map: Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Now... it depends on where Su Buxian is." At this moment. Players in other locations were also silently waiting for the game map to refresh. "The last minute..." "Everyone, get ready." "Primary target is Su Buxian, secondary targets are all players we encounter along the way!" The young man from Hidden Blade said calmly, "Su Buxian, who has been hiding for a few days, finally can''t remain hidden." The Ghost-faced Magician''s gaze turned slightly cold, "Over a hundred million points... What kind of brilliance would that be?" And finally, a minute had passed. The system message appeared before everyone''s eyes. "It''s here." Ethan Dawn quickly fixed his eyes on the map, which gradually began to reveal twinkling points of light like ripples in water, the surrounding fog dissipating from the center of these lights and slowly rotating. He understood. Those were the top players with over a hundred thousand points, and the amount of points could be discerned by the brightness of the light and the degree of rotation of the surrounding fog. For instance, his boss''s presence nearby was clearly indicated by two twinkling points just a few kilometers away. What''s more important... the fog around them was undulating, clearly rotating with more intensity and thickness. "Where''s Su Buxian, then...?" "Wait a second!" Ethan Dawn''s eyelids suddenly twitched, one ball of light... no... a flare! No! A sun! It was like a burning, impassioned sun furiously crashing down onto the ground! The entire map was initially just a 3D plane effect. But... influenced by that terrifyingly bright orb, the surrounding fog spun wildly like a hurricane, towering to several dozen times its height and speed, a fearsome twister that lifted a vast amount of fog from the map, declaring the center of the storm! "Your mother''s kiss, this is just outrageous!" However, Ethan Dawn had no time for surprise, as he excitedly discovered, "Brother Yang!" "The light is extremely close to us!" The fog was turbulent, but the position at the center of the light remained identifiable. "The margin of error isn''t more than a kilometer!" "He''s right near us!" Moreover, Ethan Dawn immediately noticed other points of light on the map starting to move. "Boss and the others have started moving!" "And all the other lights are also converging this way!" "Our luck is so damn good! Brother Yang, hurry up and get ready for action, let''s encircle him with the boss!" Ethan Dawn suddenly fails to get a response, and turning his head, he sees with wide eyes, "Why are you still carving words on the wall?" Su Qi spoke calmly, "Don''t rush it, ten minutes should do, the nearest point of light on the map would take about that long to get here, that''s enough time." "Enough time for what... Aren''t you afraid that Su Buxian will run away? Isn''t he the target you always say you want to hunt down!" Ethan Dawn was getting anxious, genuinely afraid that Su Buxian would escape. "Haven''t you noticed that he seems to have not moved at all?" Ethan Dawn was taken aback, looking at the terrifying bright spot on the map, although the surrounding fog was swirling intensely, the eye of the storm indeed hadn''t moved. He was somewhat dazed. Why? Shouldn''t a normal person be frantically referring to all the points of light on the map and making a run for it by now? At that moment. Ethan Dawn''s eyelids quivered slightly. Earlier, he had only seen the smiling face that Su Qi had carved; his attention had been entirely on the map, he failed to notice until now... the characters carved into the wall. Above were boldly and powerfully inscribed, deep enough to leave a mark. [Su Buxian was here] Chapter 229 - 179: Su Buxian Leads the Sniping Against Su Buxian! Ethan Dawn''s body was slightly stiff as he stared at the seven characters. His voice trembled a bit as he said, "Brother Yang, tell me, what are you doing carving these words for?" "Practicing calligraphy." "...." What a load of crap calligraphy! Ethan Dawn pursed his lips, forcing a dry laugh. "Then I guess, and it''s just a guess, it won''t matter if I''m wrong... after all, it''s only a guess." "Brother Yang, you..." "Are Su Buxian... right...?" He was no fool! Considering the map coordinates had not changed at all and were nearly overlapping with his own dot... any bullshit coincidence or stroke of luck was nonsense because the real Su Buxian was right in front of him! But the multitude of unbelievable emotions still made him unable to confirm completely, so he asked aloud, hoping for a direct answer from Su Qi. "?" Su Qi: "Didn''t I tell you? I''m a sunny and cheerful big boy." "Sunny and cheerful my ass!" Ethan Dawn suddenly stepped back, roaring angrily: "You''re bloody Su Buxian!" Su Qi looked at Ethan Dawn, who was unconsciously posing defensively, looking back at him hurriedly and in a panic. Good grief. The twelfth generation successor of the Wild Chicken Sect? "Big doofus Ethan, what are you planning to do..." Su Qi said calmly, "I never told a lie." "Don''t give me that! The coordinates haven''t changed and the calligraphy you''re carving is exactly like the one on that painting!" "Now all the evidence is laid out in plain sight!" Ethan Dawn clenched his teeth. "And you still say you''re not Su Buxian!!!" Su Qi turned around, carving knife in hand that wasn''t pausing, still preparing to finish up: "When did I ever say I wasn''t..." "You....." Ethan Dawn was stunned, realizing he indeed never had. "Good, finally finished." In the dim cave, Su Qi looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction. Although he had used a carving knife, the calligraphy did not lack any of the usual attention to detail, and compared to the script on the scroll, it had more dimension and boldness. "How is it, does it have some charm?" "With a smiling face to go with it, the strong atmosphere of postmodern art was practically assaulting the senses." "..." Ethan Dawn could no longer contain himself and roared again: "At this point in time, you''re still carving!" "Do you know the map is lighting up with a swarm of dots all heading this way?" "The lure of a billion points is enough to make countless people eliminate you!" "Ordinary people would be frantically running away by now!" Su Qi responded breezily, "I''m not worried, so why are you? If I had run away earlier, they wouldn''t be able to find me, would they?" ??? Wait a second, why can''t I sense any logic in that statement? Ethan Dawn took a deep breath; his emotions were complex, just like the time he found additional questions on the back of an exam paper after the starting bell rang. And it was painful... like promising to sing with colleagues at the annual party, everyone claiming they are tone-deaf and can''t sing, and then someone belts out a high note on stage. Ethan Dawn sighed: "You... go now, I''ll give out false information or stall for you for a while." "? Is that touching?" "Bullshit, what kind of person do you think I am? I''m all about loyalty; when I said Brother Yang, that meant for a lifetime..... ugh..." Ethan Dawn clenched his teeth: "Damn, this is too disgusting, I can''t make this up any longer!" He grumbled: "Get lost while I can still resist the temptation!" "Otherwise, I''ll just hog all these points for myself!" Ethan Dawn truly coveted those points. He couldn''t help but fret, "Damn it, even if I hog them, I won''t be able to escape!" "Unless it''s owned jointly by the players of those top clubs, it''s impossible for one to survive an onslaught of this scale!" Su Qi tossed the carving knife back into his Item Slot, you could never know how much of a hodgepodge he had in there. "You''re wrong in what you say; I''m not fighting alone." Ethan Dawn''s expression hardened, "So you do have an organization backing you!" Ever since learning of Su Qi''s true identity, he had suspected that there was an organization behind him, otherwise, he wouldn''t have remained here so calmly. There were probably allies buried in hiding nearby, ready to extricate him. "Of course," Su Qi said. "I''m a key member of the Justice League, didn''t you and your boss say you would protect me?" "????" Damn it, the backing organization was myself! Ethan Dawn almost cursed out loud: "Protect my ass, we promised to protect you because we thought you were an ordinary player getting so many points for the first time." "Not eliminating you now already shows I''m being friendly!" "Besides... now''s not the time to talk about this!" Ethan Dawn looked at the indicators on the map, already sweating a bit: "Most are almost here, and they''re getting closer, even our boss is about two kilometers away." After all, to support each other, share information, players of the Justice League were not too far from each other. Su Qi glanced at the converging dots on the map: "Having so many groups of light, this is the first time I''ve felt like Ultraman." "Stop with the joke." Ethan Dawn pressed his forehead, "Do you think they''re all here to support you? They''re all enemies!" "It''s not a big deal." Su Qi began to walk toward the cave entrance, "Haven''t you noticed something special about this place?" "?" Ethan Dawn walked alongside Su Qi. Because they needed to be situated higher up, to have a better vantage point and the advantage of information, their hiding spot was above a cliff. "What''s so special about here?" "This is the edge of the Final Home''s safety defense line, which means that beyond the east side of the cliff ridge lies the dangerous area where the Pollution is intensifying." Over two years of development, Tentacle Man''s established Final Home had actually already figured out the danger levels of the surrounding areas, and all the strongholds were built to the west, never nearing this place. In these few days, players had been courageously clearing out the Pollution Monsters, reducing their numbers by a large swath, but after all, these were disorganized monsters, heavy on quantity over quality. "What are you going to do!" Ethan Dawn was taken aback, "Don''t tell me you plan to escape into there?" His eyes lit up slightly, "That appears to be a good idea indeed." "Indeed." Su Qi nodded, "In many novels, when the protagonist is pursued by a powerful enemy, they would often chance upon some forbidden area where stepping in means certain death, and the enemy would not dare to enter and would give up the pursuit, then they would sneer, ''Looks like this guy is as good as dead, let''s return and report.''" Ethan Dawn: "...." "But often at this point, not only does the protagonist not die upon stepping in, according to data statistics, there is a 32.2% chance they would encounter an unparalleled treasure, 22.1% chance to meet a Grandpa, 45.7% chance to bump into a Holy Daughter afflicted with seductive poison, and then the Dragon King returns." Ethan Dawn, with a dark face, "You read too many novels! That''s the so-called protagonist''s halo, do you think that''s possible!" Forget about everything else, just this area... it''s risky, but it''s not forbidden by any means, players would definitely step in, and even if Su Buxian escapes and plays dead... Wait a minute. Could he play dead? Exposure every hour! The players would just focus on him! "Definitely not possible." Su Qi calmly said, "I also think it''s nonsense." "After all, in this polluted world, all you will find is a Holy Daughter with syphilis." "..." Ethan Dawn suddenly became alert and looked towards the map, "Ten minutes are almost up." "But..." He glanced towards the distance with his eyelids twitching lightly, "The other players, they''re also down there." "It''s about time, we should get ready." "Huh?" Ethan Dawn was baffled, "Ready for what?" "Of course, it''s time for us to jump down from here." "Jump down? This place is freaking hundreds of meters high, wait, who''s ''us'' you''re talking about?" Ethan Dawn looked at Su Qi''s faint smile, and his scalp went numb. The next moment... He was grabbed by the shoulders and his eyes widened in horror. Yanked down the cliff! And the players who had arrived below, including Penelope Bloom and Justice Chief, raised their brows as they looked up. "Such a high cliff, seems like that Su Buxian is right above us!" "Wait, look, the points on the map finally moved!" "They''re heading towards the cliff''s east side!" "Chase them!" The players, adrenaline-pumped, excitedly rushed forward! And behind them, the fog gradually revealed the figures of top players, who looked towards the cliff with composed expressions. "That guy... couldn''t possibly think he could escape by entering a dangerous area, could he?" "However, staying in place, only moving when everyone almost arrives, seems like he''s signaling to us his movement path." Tattoed Youth from Hidden Blade smirked: "Like the traces he left in that trial, he likes to take risks, but the area he chose is very good; seems he''s well-prepared." And at that time. Sounds and movements came from above. "There''s something here!" "There are writings!" After a few seconds. Penelope Bloom and the others looked at the prominent smiley face and writings on the wall in silence. Someone exclaimed in surprise, "The writing is pretty good..." Others glanced with slightly flickering eyes, dangerous looks set on the player. "Let''s pretend I didn''t say that..." The Ghost-faced Magician indifferently stared at the writing: "The prey... seems to enjoy playing games." Tattooed Youth calmly said, "All I know is that it''s someone... who really likes to provoke." "Facing so many of us, yet still dares to provoke." The woman in a trench coat beamed with a smile, "This Su Buxian is interesting; sister here, is starting to get intrigued." They almost didn''t pause, decisively moving straight towards the dangerous area without hesitation. The ordinary players avoided the brunt of their approach but also crossed the ridge, heading towards the east side area. Penelope Bloom looked at everything in front of her, her brows slightly raised. "What''s the matter?" "Didn''t see those two... they should be not far from us." Justice Chief looked around and shook his head, "Although not everyone has arrived, let''s all set off immediately..." And at that moment. "Wait a second!" The figures of Su Qi and Ethan Dawn appeared in their sight. Su Qi took a few heavy breaths, "Sorry, we just ran into a Pollution Monster, that''s why we are late." Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Penelope Bloom glanced at the two, her gaze settling on the somewhat pale Ethan Dawn, "It doesn''t matter, as long as you''re not injured, but you look a bit pale, have you overused your powers? Do you need some Physical Strength Potions?" Ethan Dawn: "..." He stiffly and unnaturally said, "No need, boss." "That''s fine then." Penelope Bloom nodded, "Now, Su Buxian has already entered the dangerous area, we should immediately follow." "Leave the fighting to us, leave the probing and strategy to you two." Ethan Dawn''s investigation ability was not the best, but it was still among the top. And Su Qi, in the Justice League, also had a bit of reputation, and had displayed amazing talents in the previous intense battle with the Old Monster. "Then I won''t be polite." Su Qi frankly smiled, "All eyes on me!" "Let''s set off immediately!" "I''ll lead you in the pursuit of Su Buxian!" "Alright!!" Ethan Dawn: "...." Sometimes, being too perceptive isn''t a good thing. Chapter 230 - 180 I Am the Guiding Light They traversed the ridge. The group walked through a world shrouded in a grey haze. In fact, upon reaching this area, those with keen perception all slightly felt a chill. "Do you feel it?" Penelope Bloom asked with a slight frown. Justice Chief said calmly, "There seems to be an unpleasant feeling." Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "This dangerous zone, we have also collected related information we only know that it is primarily the active area of Seventh Rank monsters, and there are also... treasures that are sought but hard to obtain." Most things in the Polluted world are abnormal, after all, to survive amongst countless pollutions, they often possess strange abilities and value. For abnormals, some could even consume directly, to enhance their own traits and strength, of course there is also the risk of mental breakdown, usually, there are professional methods to handle, to minimize these side effects. Penelope Bloom said, "If we encounter them, we can collect and hand them over to the Abnormal Organization, but don''t get your hopes up." The players, however, did not wish to become abnormals, and most items could not be placed in the Item Slot, and what couldn''t be equipped could not be taken out of the instance. Since they couldn''t directly monetize these items, the only channel was as members of the Abnormal Organization, Final Home. "But the most important thing at the moment is still that Su Buxian, other people have already started to act, what do you think?" Penelope Bloom looked into the fog here, other players had already scattered, everyone was probing, and some even began to decisively attack any solitary or less numbered groups they came across with cruel measures. Su Qi did understand what the top clubs were doing, in addition to searching for him, they were also conveniently driving out ordinary players. After all, this was a battle royale game with slaughter at its core. "As for that Su Buxian, I have a few guesses," Su Qi pondered, "The top player group is almost entirely confirmed, most people can mutually confirm each other''s identities, from previous signs, that Su Buxian is not a member of any club, and since he dares to provoke everyone, there is a high chance he is a lone wolf player, without any group, but of course, it doesn''t eliminate the possibility that he''s hidden in other teams." Justice Chief nodded, "It''s indeed very likely." Ethan Dawn''s mouth twitched. What do you mean likely! He''s right in front of your face! "Brother Chun, why are you always silent? Is it because you naturally don''t like to talk?" Su Qi looked at him with a faint smile. Ethan Dawn: "...", He was sure he really wanted to expose this guy right now, and it was only out of benevolence that he hadn''t shouted it out loud. But after that guy jumped off the cliff... the words he said... Ethan Dawn furrowed his brows and looked toward the distant mist, ultimately he sighed, "I think this Su Buxian is very cunning, although I don''t know what he is planning, it''s clear that he''s harboring ill intentions, we should try not to take rash actions, follow the steps of other player teams and wait for the next exposure." "We have to be cautious of other teams and the potential dangers lurking in this fog as well." Penelope Bloom nodded, "Indeed, there''s no need to rush." The group continued searching the vicinity, but mainly, they were all waiting, or looking to see if any abnormal figures would appear. However. Su Buxian was not found, but they did encounter numerous Sequence Monsters "Be careful." Penelope Bloom suddenly drew her long sword, bursting with astonishing Spiritual Energy, towards three monsters that lunged out of the mist! "Keep an eye on our surroundings!" This was a dangerous area, players would occasionally encounter disorder within the mist as well as Seventh and Eighth Rank monsters, the latter appearing more frequently than before. "Boss, are you alright!?" Ethan Dawn and Su Qi were leading another team not far away. Justice League members were spaced a hundred meters apart in the fog where visibility was low; they could still see each other and were able to communicate promptly with any movement. "It''s okay... be careful, don''t go any deeper, it''s too complicated here, and there are many dangers." And with many players nearby, everyone cautiously remained on guard, not venturing further in, nor retreating, they were waiting for the exposure, determined to hunt down Su Buxian to the end. "So, what are you going to do next." Ethan Dawn used Spiritual Energy to transmit, "There''s only one minute left until the second exposure, and this time all players are nearby, they won''t give you much time to hide." "Natural is to speed things up." "?? Speed what up?" "The pace of the players, they are a bit lost right now." Su Qi spoke softly, "After all, I am now a lamp, guiding the way for everyone." "..." Ethan Dawn: "....Being hunted is being hunted, can you not make it sound so grand..." "Anyway you have to understand something, the one they need to surround and cut off is not me." "What do you mean?" Su Qi slowly pointed towards the front of the mist... there was a figure, faintly visible, standing there, not an illusion, but wearing a black robe, slightly leaning on a tree branch, arms crossed. "It''s that." Ethan Dawn was stunned. At that moment. Many players also noticed that figure, and before they could react, Time slowly came. The map displayed the glowing point, flashing with coordinate information, all players without any hesitation, opened their maps to check! Penelope Bloom and others looked sharp, "So close! Nearly overlapping!" "This means that Su Buxian is nearby!" "Search quickly! Report back immediately, any abnormal finds!!" Chapter 231 - 180 I Am the Guiding Light_2 Ethan Dawn''s eyelids trembled slightly, and he seemed to understand something. At this moment. The many people behind him and the other players nearby were already looking towards... that lone figure leaning against a tree! Then. The figure waved at them, seemingly letting out a sinister laugh, and then turned and headed straight into the fog! It almost didn''t require him and Su Qi to say anything. The players burst out in unison! "Su Buxian!??" Su Qi even proactively furrowed his brow in question, "Wait, have you guys checked with Sister Yangyang?" Some players looked towards the tree, "Confirmed! There are even markings on this tree trunk saying ''been here''!" "Looks like it''s him, then!" Su Qi waved a large hand, "Brothers, don''t fall behind, let''s catch up to him!" As he moved, the points of light did too. This made everyone even more certain. Once the herd mentality kicked in, there was no stopping it, whether it was those who saw the chase here or those rushing over from nearby. They all hurried towards this location, spotted the group chasing, noticed the figure, and joined the pursuit! Surrounding, encircling, deploying all kinds of abilities! But none could hold onto that figure! "Billions of Points, everyone go all out, don''t let him escape!" "Okay!" Even Ethan Dawn was swept up in the chase, the only one aware of the truth, but he just silently watched ahead... the figure in the black robe fleeing. He was somewhat bewildered now. What he could confirm was... the figure definitely wasn''t Su Buxian, after all, the real person was right beside him, shouting slogans jubilantly. Moreover. It wasn''t any illusion. Many other players had been shuttling around, giving chase, including some familiar faces from top clubs. Their eyes were cold, they were nearby but came later, and now they were deep in the herd behavior, unhesitatingly deploying their troops for encircling and eradication. Among them were naturally those with psychic professions, able to tell almost instantly if the other was an illusion. Of course, the most important thing was... there were actual footprints on the ground. Moreover. Players had surrounded and attacked from the sides, even engaging in close combat with the figure who showcased formidable strength... blocking all attacks and even kicking away a player who desperately tried to intercept! Ethan Dawn looked towards Su Qi. This guy has such a strong partner?? And ten minutes passed quickly, the group had lost the light points but relentlessly chased the figure, which hadn''t yet escaped their view. However, after chasing for a while longer. The figure suddenly dived into the fog and disappeared. They continued the chase... only to find the path ahead gradually starting to fork, obviously leading in different directions! Someone cursed softly, "Damn! We let him escape!" "Even the top players... can''t catch up?" "One person leading us all on..." Hidden Blade youth, face dark as thunder, "Shut up!" His voice carried a chill. The woman in the trench coat, smoking a cigarette, spoke between red lips, "That Su Buxian really is slippery like an eel." "What do you all want to do next?" the Tattooed Youth calmly stated, "We seem to truly be led into dangerous territory." The Ghost-faced Magician spoke gravely, "Of course, split into two groups, keep chasing!" "Wait, everyone, hear me out." Su Qi''s voice made everyone look towards him. Many paused for a moment, their impressions of him deep as hundreds had participated in the killing of the old monster, recognizing Su Qi. "There are many footprints on the road, this area ahead could have dangerous Sequence Monsters. Su Buxian is too smart to head there rashly... The opponent is also good at hiding and concealing his presence, he might be observing us from nearby right now." Su Qi calmly stated, "I suggest everyone stick together in a team, avoid any isolated actions, focus on cutting off the route of retreat and spread out to search the nearby area, but be careful not to stray too far. After all, there are only fifty minutes, it would be best if we could share information among us and directly join forces to intercept him before the next exposure!" His tone was resonant and forceful, conveying clear reasoning that made it difficult for anyone to refuse his logical suggestion! sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That could work" Hidden Blade squinted his eyes, "After all, there''s only so much time to cut off his retreat, which will leave him no choice but to move forward." "When the area becomes more dangerous, he will naturally... stop in his tracks, afraid to go further." By now, they had already encountered numerous monsters of Seventh Rank and even Seventh Rank, but actually, with the large number of players, the sea of people simply surrounded and killed these monsters to death. Monsters of Sixth Rank, being dominators of a certain territory, were generally sparse in number and hard to come across. Ethan Dawn listened silently as Su Qi commanded, deployed, and analyzed, his silence like the rain in July. This guy... Really not acting like a human! When the players started to move, Ethan Dawn couldn''t help but whisper, "Are you delaying the time?" "No." Su Qi glanced at him and softly said, "I''ve told you, I am now in the role of the Guider, leading them to the safest places." "What do you mean?" Su Qi looked back towards the dark and misty fog, "On the previous route, there were at least two territories of Sixth Rank monsters that I helped them avoid." "However, the road ahead is not easy, I hope they don''t fall behind." Ethan Dawn: "????" What are you doing? At this moment, the players also noticed the mist gradually thickening around them. The Justice League wasn''t far away, sticking together to prevent some clubs from launching stealth attacks. Penelope Bloom frowned slightly and spoke in a grave tone: "Don''t you find it strange?" "This is supposed to be a dangerous area..." "I thought it would be some desolate area where no bird dares to shit... but..." She picked up a road sign from the ground it seemed to have flown over from somewhere, still bearing some legible words, though it was badly damaged. Justice Chief furrowed his brow, "Are there still signs of a city up ahead?" "Could it be a place where the Abnormal Organization once stayed? But nobody has ever mentioned this." You see... Although Final Home and all other strongholds are teeming with abnormalities from different worlds, many of the buildings are actually newly constructed... and no information about this area had been gathered before, many abnormalities know nothing about this place. Su Qi silently looked at the sign, his gaze slowly moving forward. Continuing towards the distant lands ahead, naturally, were Tentacle Man and the same city where he had first encountered the Ancient God''s Heart The massive hole that appeared when he met the Traveling Merchant, was also located at a central point in that city. However... That was not the most important thing. The most important thing Su Qi stared into the distance at the huge, deep red exclamation mark that penetrated the Sky Dome, flickering faintly, revealing the information inside. "[...away from... all destruction... there are 25 hours left]" Initially. When he first saw this deep red exclamation mark and its message, Su Qi knew something significant was about to happen in this world. And by all destruction, It didn''t just mean the nearby area or the Abnormal Organization. It was the entire world! This deep red color and the terrifyingly large exclamation mark symbolized extreme danger! Of course, that was just one of the reasons, the most important being... Su Qi waited for several days, but the Paradise System proceeded as usual with its ranking battles and mainline tasks, even the elimination point match ending time was after the destruction alert. Meaning... this force also went unnoticed by the Paradise System. That was rather intriguing. For other players, this situation might be a first encounter. But not for Su Qi. He had extensive work experience. He instantly knew what it was related to. Su Qi looked at the huge red exclamation mark and murmured softly, "Divine..." Chapter 232 - 181 Warning! Warning from the Paradise System! (7000-word combined chapter) According to Su Qi''s various experiences, Whenever the Paradise System loses control, it means... that the power of the Divine has appeared. Previous system collapses or issues that the Paradise intelligence couldn''t handle were all because of this. "Although it doesn''t specify what to do or what rewards will be given," "But since an exclamation mark is given, it means unpredictable events are happening, so naturally, I have to bring my brothers to see the world." The four words "Destruction of the World" carry a significant weight... If it were just about destroying the world, so be it, but even though this world had already become a dung pit, there were still people struggling in it, trying to get out. Moreover, regardless of other players... Once such destruction erupted, Su Qi believed the Paradise Power would necessarily be interrupted forcefully, involving so many people, even higher powers of the Paradise might come, what would happen then is hard to tell. "It''s a bit troublesome, but no big problem." Su Qi withdrew his gaze. The place with the deep red exclamation mark was still a long distance away from here, it would take a while to reach that area, and after entering this dangerous area, the dangerous aura around was gradually increasing. And at this moment, Su Qi slowly stretched out his palm, a totem was forming at its center, its pattern was not unfamiliar to him, featuring a pupil and a ring of twisted flames. Evil God Totem. Of course, this was just a drawn item, not like a branded tattoo. Previously, cultists, through the totem, would mark themselves as followers of the great Evil God and could also pray to the Black Shadow in the totem for power. So, after having trained Gan Wen and two Black Shadows, Su Qi also experimented this time. He could now summon Gan Wencui simultaneously, but each time required Spirit Coins or Pollutants and other energy items, energy consumption ending meant the summoning would end. And just now... that figure was Ah Gan following his command, impersonating ''Su Buxian'', drawing everyone''s attention. "Gan! Wen! Cui! Report the situation." Black fog clearly had ripples, forming words. It was a series of information about the roads in the area ahead, about high sequence monsters, and various dangerous and bizarre places, the closer to the deep red exclamation mark, the more dangers there were. Fortunately, Gan Wencui''s three shadows, being in it, felt like flat ground... after all, the monsters were entirely polluted beings, and those three were purely Black Fog power; in terms of lineage, these three were the noble ones. Of course, Su Qi was a generous person, he didn''t mind the original form of Gan Wencui. "This time, I especially commend Ah Gan, a great improvement in acting skills, military training is indeed effective." Gan: "..." Why can''t I feel happy about this? The so-called military training included a variety of activities, with acting taking up a significant part. "But..." Su Qi looked at their reports, his eyes somewhat peculiar. "According to their probe, there are almost a hundred Seventh Rank monsters straight ahead, and even deeper inside, there is an extremely terrifying aura, suspected to contain many Sixth Rank Pollution monsters; they didn''t dare to enter rashly." Although the three shadows were all only of Seventh Rank strength, if they joined forces... they could borrow Abyss Power, although the duration was short, they would still have no problem trying their hands against Seventh Rank. At this moment, even they felt fear about the existence... If it is not from lineage, then it indicates there''s a stronger existence far surpassing them. "Let''s not even talk about the Sixth Rank... just the fact that there are so many Seventh Rank monsters?" sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Previously on the western ridge, which is where the Final Home was located, over three hundred players... together besieged a Seventh Rank monster, which already proved how powerful the Seventh Rank was. Although that human-faced old monster had a special ability to absorb the fear of the public, the more people there were, the greater the advantage for it, but the higher the sequence''s ability... the harder it is to break its rules. Not to mention... the existence of Sixth Rank. After all, the gulf between sequences will exponentially widen, creating a vast gap, and Sixth Rank Pollution monsters existence is already a colossal being that players cannot confront by simply besieging! "However, one thing that surprises me..." Su Qi excelled in approaching both macro and micro perspectives, seeing through the surface of events to their essence: "The Seventh Rank monsters are so concentrated, including the deeper inside creatures, all seem to be entrenched here, rather than calling it a nest, it''s more like they are guarding something at the very center..." "Or..." Su Qi looked towards the distant deep red exclamation mark: "... surrounding something." Otherwise these terrifying monsters sweeping into action, Final Home simply would have no means to resist. At this moment, players were jointly battling or searching the area for some pollutants, bizarre plant fruits, etc. Although they bypassed the Seventh Rank territory, in reality, the chaotic and low sequence monsters appearing here were many, more than ten times more than before. "Only by reaching the center can we know everything." Next. Every exposure. Su Qi was leading everyone along the safe zones towards the inside, commanding... barely several times almost leaving ''Su Buxian'' behind! Even causing fatal injuries, Various perilous situations! Though unfortunate, just missing by a little! But the people were already excited in their gazes. Chapter 233 - 181 Warning! Warning from the Paradise System! (7000-word combined chapter)_2 Hidden Blade''s young man gazed at the knife in his hand, the cold light shimmering as he gently spoke, "That Su Buxian has already been seriously injured." "His movements have clearly slowed down, affected." Penelope Bloom also spoke intently, "A desperate escape approaching its limit, what follows is likely the final moment." The Ghost-faced Magician, one hand propping up the side of his mask, said calmly, "Looks like he can''t run away this time." Ethan Dawn silently watched these top-ranked club super players... including his own boss. He felt no excitement, only melancholy. He used to think they were all dangerous figures, all ranking at the very top, even in the weakest Fantasy District, their prestige was diminished, but they were still super players from top-ranked clubs. To mix with his boss within their circle, to broaden his horizons, to learn from their experience. But now... Big brothers, what are you talking about!! Open your eyes! Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Werewolf kills! The damned werewolf''s directing operations! "Something''s not right..." Justice Chief indeed was a vigilant man, but his doubts were about the surroundings: "Even though we''ve ventured deep into the danger zone, aside from Low Sequence Monsters, we haven''t encountered anything significantly dangerous... like a Seventh Rank being, and now that we''re here, the monsters seem to have vanished into thin air. Could the intelligence here be wrong?" Once they had arrived here, they found... no Seventh or Eighth Rank, not even Sequence Monsters appeared on the journey, as if they had disappeared. "Two possibilities," the woman in the trench coat said, tapping her lighter and lighting a cigarette, "One is an erroneous piece of information leading Su Buxian into his own trap, mired in a quagmire. The other possibility signifies that this place is even more dangerous because the truly terrifying beings... naturally, no bird nor beast would dare come close." The Tattooed Youth said calmly, "No matter the danger, those with ability will survive, and those without will turn to dust." They were all too aware that Su Buxian was leading them into a danger zone. But just like gambling, everyone had already invested too much to consider giving up now. "It seems that everyone here understands the situation." Su Qi looked at the people around him, also keeping an eye on the exposure time on the map, "However, the understanding isn''t very thorough..." They knew it was a danger zone, but what they didn''t know was. Right at this moment. They had all passed through an area rife with Seventh Rank Pollution Monsters, yet... remarkably, they hadn''t encountered a single Seventh Rank Monster. Apart from the information from Gan Wencui, Su Qi had also seen numerous question marks indicating a successful evasion of all these threats. And ahead! Lay the true terror Gan Wencui was unable to probe, and it was only a few thousand meters away from the deep red exclamation point. "The exposure time is about to be up." The countdown had appeared on the map, and everyone was awaiting the light spot to be revealed. The crowd was rubbing their hands together in eagerness, preparing to take down Su Buxian for good this time. While Su Qi fixated on the deep red exclamation point, preparing for the strong scent of danger he had already sensed. Just then. The light spot on the map failed to be exposed! Instead, a system popup appeared in the vision of all the players. [Warning!] [All players in the 2137897th Pollution instance, please evacuate this area immediately!] The intense red frame and the urgent tone of the warning! Caused everyone''s expressions to briefly freeze. "What''s going on?" "I''m not sure..." "First time I''ve seen this..." Su Qi raised an eyebrow, his guess had been correct; Paradise System had indeed detected an extraordinary power. But at this moment... the emergence of a warning made many ordinary players feel unsettled, yet they hesitated. After all, they had come all this way. They were only a step away from Su Buxian, and leaving now would be to abandon all their progress. But Penelope Bloom and others had a slight shift in their gaze, a hint of surprise in their expressions. Although they had never encountered a Paradise warning event before... their seniors and adults back home all came from Paradise and knew more than other ordinary players. This included the Ghost-faced Magician, whose face now showed shifting shadows, harboring thoughts of retreat! "I think... we should pull back." "Such a warning suggests an extraordinary danger..." "It''s not worth it for just one Su Buxian." "Although losing his hundreds of millions of Points is regrettable... there''s no helping it." Their eyes showed caution and a sliver of unease. Those elders and adults of the powers in Paradise had sternly warned everyone: in such a situation, they must immediately follow Paradise''s instructions. The harshness of days past had not yet faded... they dared not take the risk... After all, they didn''t know what price might be paid. And Su Qi: "???" Bold! What are you trying to do? I painstakingly led you all safely here, can you bear to watch me venture alone? Su Qi cajoled them, "I think we''re so close, would it not be a pity to give up now? Su Buxian... must have seen this message too; he probably won''t dare go deeper. As long as we can take him on the outskirts, then everything will be resolved." "No." Penelope Bloom looked at him seriously and shook her head, "Brother Yang, you''re an ordinary player... you don''t know the situation, but you must trust me, we have to leave this time, otherwise... something unpredictable might occur!" I know the situation... Because I know, I believe that unity is strength! Only together can we break through the hardships! Chapter 234 - 181 Warning! Warning from the Paradise System! (7000-word combined chapter)_3 Penelope Bloom sternly said, "And now that we''re leaving, even if fighting breaks out, the sheriff, Ah Xiao, and I... we will all protect you." S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Besides being core members of the Justice League, their clear benefits from this sunny and cheerful big boy''s command throughout the journey and his judgments on routes had helped them reach this point. Given those past promises combined with this favor, he naturally had to fulfill it. Ethan Dawn almost cried. Boss, seriously, I''m dying! Being able to interact with an inside tester like Boss Penelope Bloom was purely by accident in an instance... I was influenced by the boss''s righteousness, became friends with him, and with decent talent, I became a formal member of his power. He swore to himself that he must boost the boss to the top of the ranked battles! Although Boss ranked second in the ranked battles, Ethan Dawn himself had also quietly made a lot of efforts, even if he never let Penelope Bloom know about them. "Let''s go, Su Buxian." At this moment, Ethan Dawn solemnly communicated with Su Qi through Spiritual Energy, "I''ve been hiding this partly because of our friendship and also because of what you told me beforethat the boss would face lethal danger... there''s almost a 99% chance he might die in this instance, possibly even missing the ranked matches" "The danger ahead is now clear, it''s time to leave." Su Qi calmly said, "We can''t leave at all, on our way here... there were probably a hundred Seventh Rank terrifying monsters." "???" Ethan Dawn widened his eyes, "But I didn''t see a single one!" "I told you, I am your great guide." Su Qi said, "Unless you follow the previous route back exactly as we came or let me command again, the chances of not disturbing the Seventh Rank monsters are roughly 1.2%." "Of course, like a chain reaction, once one Seventh Rank monster is disturbed, coupled with the large noises of players fighting, it will inevitably attract other Seventh Rank monsters, and the likelihood of surviving... you do the math." "..." Ethan Dawn''s eyes shifted slightly, looking at Su Qi with a trace of fear in his eyes. What kind of person was this, leading a group of players through such terrifying and dangerous places, mentioning all these lethal threats so lightly, as if he had planned everything, dragging everyone down with him. "You said earlier my boss might face lethal dangers." Ethan Dawn solemnly looked around, "Now I realize, you brought this on us!" Su Qi: "... How can you tarnish someone''s reputation out of thin air." This guy sure thinks ahead. That statement of mine was the truth after all, the countdown to destruction... including this world, naturally also includes players, Paradise had never realized it until the eruption, still unclear about what would happen. In any case, during public testing, the Paradise System''s authority and level seemed not to be high... after all, how could a player during public testing encounter Divine beings, not to mention a Seventh Rank Players were already hooting and hollering, let alone stronger entities. Most of the System''s Strength seemed to be concentrated in the true Paradise. "Alright, drop that complex look, I''m not some big villain, obviously, a protagonist." Su Qi calmly said, "I just recently helped some kids do their homework while their parents weren''t home." He was referring to Tentacle Man and Ah Ling, who, with his help, had significantly increased Paradise''s performance. "..." Ethan Dawn fell silent. Trust this guy? Yeah right, only believe a fraction of what he says! "Besides, there''s no use talking about this now." "Hm?" Su Qi''s gaze shifted to the rear, "In just the past few minutes, quite a few players have slipped away, but at the same time have also drawn the nearby Seventh Rank monsters over... look." "They''ve arrived." Ethan Dawn widened his eyes, gazing into the fog behind where he could faintly make out a massive form; the monster, wielding a Giant Axe, was looking over with fiery red eyes, causing many players to look alarmed. "That quickly?" "I told you, this fog is filled with deadly traps, easily disturbed." The Seventh Rank monsters had specific patterns of movement, a piece of information obtained through the probing of Gan Wencui and two others; it seemed to be patrolling... but actually appeared to be related to some kind of ritual. Even Su Qi had to spend dozens of minutes thinking about the route forward, finding a loophole, taking ten minutes to rush everyone forward. Let alone... the players now wishing to retreat. Ethan Dawn''s expression trembled, "Wait, is this why you didn''t let everyone leave? Because, as per what you just said, it would trigger a series of chain reactions, attracting the monsters around us!?" "Congratulations, you''ve started thinking." "Congratulations my ass, aren''t we doomed either way?!" "Pretty much, as both moving forward and staying here don''t offer much hope of survival... and the only way out..." Su Qi looked towards the deep red exclamation mark. Though the fog obscured most of the visible area, he could faintly see... the outlines of a shattered City. "... lies ahead." His words held a double meaning, not only representing the current situation but also hinting at the chance that lay in the countdown to destruction. "So... after all this detour, we still have to step into the place warned by the system?" Ethan Dawn looked uneasily forward, muttering. "It seems it was meant to be." "Bullshit meant to be!" Ethan Dawn glared, "If other people didn''t enter here, none of this would have happened, right?" Chapter 235 - 181 Warning! Warning from the Paradise System! (7000-word combined chapter)_4 "The temptation of hundreds of millions of points, do you think you... and they won''t come?" Su Qi glanced at him. Although the players were unaware of the impending destruction, and the Paradise System had not sensed it, Su Qi naturally had to do something and step into this place. Of course. Players would surely pursue him due to exposure. Instead of letting them dive into this hazardous zone like moths to a flame, better to lead them himself... and help himself obtain the rewards of the Deep Red Exclamation Mark... Ah, no... It was to prevent the destruction of Final Home and this world and to take up one''s responsibility. After all, unity is wonderful. At this moment. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Faced with the sudden appearance of a Seventh Rank Monster, the hoards of players did not falter. They burst into combat, unleashing copious amounts of strength onto the body of the Seventh Rank Monster. This monster simply had high Health and high Attack. In reality, its abilities were less troublesome than those of a humanoid monster. Moreover, with a much larger number of players now than before, this Giant Axe-wielding monster... amidst the disintegration of flesh and blood, hammered out an axe attack, and only after a thunderous crash did it fall. The players showed elation, and the first thing they did was not to continue fleeing but to gaze at their increased points and then excitedly scramble over the body of the Giant Axe monster! "Different monsters have different abilities, and thus, different strengths." "And just as with monsters, among the players, the top-notch guys are indeed sharp." Su Qi looked towards the Ghost-faced Magician and others. Their expressions were grave as they looked around and growled, "Stop fighting over it, be careful, there are more monsters!" And at that moment. Whether it was because of the recent commotion or the touch of the ritual! In the fog behind them... numerous figures were approaching with heavy steps! Just a glance in that direction made the players sweat profusely, and their eyes split wide open: "Seventh Rank Monsters? So many?" They had only just fought, and against such terrible monsters, they had almost no other way of overcoming them aside from besieging them. And now. Over a dozen... silhouettes of Seventh Rank Monsters emerged from the fog, appearing slowly within everyone''s sight, giving everyone a tingling scalp and trembling bodies. "What should we do!" "Run, what else can we do!" "But can we even escape!" The Seventh Rank monsters... they were expressionless, like corpses, yet the abilities in their hands were already sending out Ripples in waves, and the surrounding fog grew thicker, filled with the scent of blood. They seemed to be sealing off this area, not allowing the prey within to have any chance of escape. The oppressive atmosphere brought by the horror and the number of over a dozen monsters made everyone feel a lethal threat and fear! Ethan Dawn looked anxiously at the scene. "It seems the surroundings have Twisted! Su Buxian, didn''t you say there was a way out? Say something!" "Don''t worry, they... are not fools. The fire is already at their feet, they will naturally run." And the first to flee towards the Paradise warning area were the Ordinary players. "Go!" "We can only run forward!" "What about the warning?" "We''re about to explode now, who cares about the warning!" And like the Ghost-faced Magician and others who were still hesitating with uncertain faces, in the end, they just gritted their teeth and headed towards the warning area! Su Qi was neither hurried nor slow: "See, I told you it was fate." Ethan Dawn''s mouth hung open, not knowing what to say, but his look towards Su Qi grew more horrified as if he felt that from the very beginning... everything was set up just so, yet, despite being filled with many variables, this guy pulled the string straight as if he controlled everything. "Don''t just stand there zoning out!" Penelope Bloom bellowed, "Keep up with everyone else, run into it!" The road behind was blocked, and they had no choice but to enter the forbidden zone! "Let''s go," Su Qi said calmly as he followed. The closer he got, the more he understood the information he saw. Whether it was that Deep Red Exclamation Mark... or many of the creatures in this instance world, which are of High sequence, are all deeply connected. This kind of connection had been speculated in the past to possibly be about protection or entrapment. But now Su Qi could confirm. They were part of a ritual! The entire hazardous area... over a hundred Seventh Rank monsters were maintaining some sort of vast ritual! But at the same time. They were also extremely fearful of the existence at the center! None of the Seventh Rank monsters dared to step forward. As long as they escape to a specific range, they would no longer follow, and whether it was safe or not didn''t matter anymore. And at that moment. [Warning, another warning! All players, please stop immediately and leave the area. Do not proceed forward!] Such warning messages also popped up before every player again. "Can you f***ing see what the situation is right now!!" "Looking back means death, brother!" "Stop popping up messages! You''re affecting my escape!" Over a dozen Seventh Rank monsters were relentlessly pursuing them, and in the surrounding fog, it seemed there were more monsters growling, ready to encircle and block them off! Sinister, Twisted, and terrifying presences continued to assail them. "How long do we have to run to be safe!" Ethan Dawn roared, looking at Su Qi. Su Qi looked at him oddly: "Do you really think I''m omnipotent or something? Such things..." He paused: "I actually do know." "Dammit!" "See the City, get into the urban area, and they won''t follow anymore." Although the city''s outline could be seen from afar, in reality, the distance to run there was still vast! "Boom, boom, boom!" When the Seventh Rank monsters began their pursuit, the spectacle was immense. Their large bodies, with strange hissing, were not fast, but they could cover a distance in a few steps that would take players dozens. Their physical strength varied, but the real threat was still their traits, the bizarre powers and various strange and terrifying items on their bodies presented an endless pressure to the players. The players ran frantically, panting and gasping! But they dared not stop. It could only be said that everyone was after Su Buxian, but anyone could become Su Buxian. And at that moment. No one was paying attention to the system pop-ups. No one noticed that the system''s power was gradually weakening under some influence... the pop-ups were slowly becoming fainter. More importantly... The force hiding the identity IDs of all players was also gradually dissipating step by step as they approached the dilapidated City. Chapter 236 - 182: Getting Squeezed by Open Box! The decrepit road, overgrown with various mosses and weeds, stretched to the end, leading to that city... long dead without knowing for how long. Silence, strangeness, and danger flowed within it! If one looked closely, it was clear to see that all the surrounding fog abruptly ceased upon nearing this city, forming instead a foggy quarantine zone. Dark green twists undulated in the air like ripples, enveloping the entire city in a bizarre and unnatural aura that seemed omnipresent. But right now, the players had no time to concern themselves with these things. Over a dozen Seventh Rank monsters... like ten thunderous bulldozers, everyone could only charge forward, afraid to fall behind! Su Qi was among the crowd, surveying everything before him. He could almost confirm it now. This dead city was the place where he had encountered Tentacle Man before, and where he had found the Ancient God''s Heart and met the Traveling Merchant. After his departure... It seemed... something had happened here, and for some unknown reason, Tentacle Man had left. And there was something elseSu Qi raised his head to the sky above the city. The entire sky... was enveloped by a huge vortex of Black Fog, obscuring whatever lay within, but the sight was all too familiar. At the beginning of the instance. Su Qi had been on a plane in the ordinary world when he experienced the so-called accident. From the ordinary world, he had traveled through chaotic currents to this place. "Is this the origin of everything?" He had his speculations, but refrained from jumping to conclusions; one had to see to believe, and presumptions could only lead to bias. And at this moment. As the players were about to step into that area. The dozen or so Sequence Monsters seemed to quicken their pace, hammering the ground as they roared. Many of the trailing ordinary players were directly reduced to zero life points and carried off, their burst of Spiritual Energy kicking up clouds of dust that surged towards the others! The gruesome sight of sudden violent death made all the players even more panic-stricken and fearful. "Run!" Su Qi also witnessed this scene, and what he knew for certain was that the power of Paradise had been affected, unable to produce any prompts now. But when players... were killed just now, it also triggered the return mechanism. "It looks like it''s similar to the situation at that... auction before, even if Paradise is affected, the players themselves still have a protective mechanism that allows them to return, a double insurance." Su Qi understood. To know... during the encounter with the juvenile form of the Master of Destruction, this double mechanism had not appeared, nearly rendering him unable to leave that world. And after that instance ended, Paradise had shut itself in for a whole day of reflection, undergoing a major update. Aside from some content, it seemed more protective mechanisms for players were implemented. The people pierced through the vague fog, and at last, they stepped into the city! However. As soon as they entered, everyone shuddered, feeling an inexplicable anxiety, but many were too preoccupied to care and turned back to look! "Wait!" "They''ve stopped!" "They haven''t stepped in here!" "What''s going on? The Warning Land given by the system, is it a place even they are afraid and wary of?" "No matter... what, at least we''re still alive." Many ordinary players gasped for air, regaining their Physical Strength. Even after completing their job change and entering the sequence, it did not mean their Strength had suddenly increased dramatically. After all, each path had different focal points. The body was still the same, reliant on the use of Spiritual Energy and the burst of traits. Just like some anime... where they cultivate until their hands clasp together, bursting with Strength to move mountains and fill seas, but a stab through the heart still meant death. High offense, low defense, that was the case. Ethan Dawn also gasped for air, looking at the place with surprise: "...They''re not coming in?" "No, they fear and dread everything about this place and believe that by entering, we are on a path to die, so don''t worry, we are safe." Ethan Dawn''s voice trembled: "Why can''t I sense even a hint of safety?" Right now. Those dozen Seventh Rank monsters, with those creepy eyes, stared at the many players before withdrawing expressionlessly... step by step to a spot slightly away from the city, but not leaving entirely, their massive bodies fading in and out of sight in the fog. As if they were guarding this place. "They... are guarding the way back?" "It seems we can''t return the way we came. We have to look for another way." And at this moment, people began to actually focus on the streets of the city before them. "Apart from looking a bit rundown, it doesn''t seem any different." "Even the fog has dissipated." "But I have a bad feeling!" "This place is a hazard area, constantly warned about by the system." Someone suddenly raised an eyebrow: "Wait, there seems to be something in the sky." Instinctively, everyone looked up, and the terrifyingly twisted dense vortex, although seemingly distant, appeared to suck away the attention of the crowd. Just with a single glance! Everyone was startled, hastily withdrawing their gazes in fear! Penelope Bloom''s eyelids twitched as he looked at Justice Chief: "My spiritual power has taken damage." Justice Chief spoke solemnly: "Same here." The greatest Spiritual pollution in the polluted world was actually pervasive everywhere, but after the players'' job change, infusing Spiritual Energy for the defense granted resilience to their Spiritual Attribute. In other words, as long as the Spiritual pollution didn''t exceed the threshold, they wouldn''t directly lose spiritual power. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The two factors being, one was Spiritual Energy and the other was the Spiritual Attribute itself. Chapter 237 - 182: Getting Squeezed by Open Box!_2 Numerous players now seemed to have lost their spiritual power, their faces slightly pale: "Damn... don''t look up!" "Just one glance and it reduced my total spiritual power by one-tenth!" "Everyone, don''t look up!" Ghost-Faced Magician and others immediately spoke in low voices, stopping those who hadn''t yet looked. "Damn it." Ethan Dawn''s face also looked unpleasant, he had evidently looked up as well: "What on earth is that thing? I actually lost 37 points of spiritual power." His profession''s special ability was Probe, and spiritual attribute was one of his main abilities, along with Spiritual Energy, his resilience to spiritual power, resistance to spiritual pollution, impacts, and more were relatively higher compared to others. "Su Buxian, you..." He turned to Su Qi, intending to ask about Su Qi''s condition, then seeing Su Qi still looking up, he suddenly widened his eyes: "You''re still looking!" "The scenery is like that, it looks different from the outside than from inside, different angles produce different beauties," Su Qi said lightly while looking at the black fog vortex in the sky. From the outside, he actually hadn''t found much of value, but stepping in here, it was clear... the entire city seemed to be connected with the black fog vortex above. The surrounding space was filled with eerie twists, and if one carefully studied the center of that black fog vortex, one could even see the familiar turbulence... This also confirmed his previous guesses. As for whether looking for so long would reduce spiritual power. It would. About one point every ten seconds, negligible. "Anyway... this isn''t a good sign, I have a premonition that so-called destruction is related to the black fog vortex above our heads." Su Qi said softly: "And now in this city, I also probably know something..." "Brother Su..." Ethan Dawn interrupted suddenly, his tone somewhat trembling. "I''ve said it many times, call me by my official title at work." "It''s not that..." Ethan Dawn said: "You''ve been ''Open Boxed.''" "..." Su Qi''s eyelids twitched slightly, then he noticed a large group of people turning their gaze silently toward him. He looked at Ethan Dawn''s conspicuously displayed ID name. Then. He silently shifted his gaze back to the crowd. The other players also lost their disguise, exposing various ID identities. The crowd surprisingly harbored about twenty members of the Oat Club, who had managed to blend into the ranking battles, the Oat Club was terrifying to this extent. However. It seemed like none of that mattered now, as everyone''s gaze gathered on him, at his own head. Facing so many looks. Su Qi said, "Brother Chun, they are all looking at you." "???" Ethan Dawn almost cursed. Are they looking at me? Are you unaware of yourself! "My boss is calling me, I have to go first," Ethan Dawn said, intending to escape first, although this place was very dangerous, he felt staying here was even more damn dangerous. "You should stay." Su Qi lightly said: "Your boss is also looking at you with a complex, unusual gaze." Ethan Dawn saw Penelope Bloom''s somewhat shocked and incredulous expression, he wanted to cry but had no tears. I''m not with this guy! "Su Buxian..." someone gently uttered these three words. It was the young man from Hidden Blade. He stared hard at Su Qi: "So it turns out it was all a deception, the real Su Buxian is you..." Su Qi: "Don''t jump to conclusions, you know there are many people with the same name in this world." Ghost-Faced Magician also frowned deeply, his voice as low as it could go: "No wonder I always said that shadow didn''t seem right, not like a living person." The woman in a trench coat bit her red lips: "Commanding the whole way, leading everyone to chase here... guy, it seems we were all played by you!" Su Qi: "You can''t say that, the facts show... it was two people, Ethan Dawn was also involved." Ethan Dawn yelled: "I am damn innocent!" Justice Chief sighed slightly: "Didn''t expect... it to be like this, no wonder every point of light was unusually close to us, I feel very conflicted." "You''re all talking among yourselves, ignoring others, huh?" Su Qi said softly, "Isn''t that a bit rude?" Having been opened by Paradise himself, he could foresee that the power of Paradise would vanish upon stepping into this area, but he was surprised that the previous dual mechanism had left some information in the players'' bodies, essentially offering protection even offline. "What are you trying to say?" The tattooed youth calmly looked at Su Qi, "You really think you still have a chance to argue?" At this moment, Numerous players already had a cold glint flashing over them, slightly reflecting into Su Qi''s vision. It was clear that some players had already drawn their weapons. Even though they had now entered the so-called dangerous forbidden area, The true Su Buxian had already appeared in everyone''s line of sight, so sudden and unexpected that it caught everyone off guard, making them disregard the eerie area around them and eager to seize the hundreds of millions of points from Su Buxian. Su Qi watched everyone''s movements, raising his finger: "There''s just one thing I want to say When you start making a move, something bad is going to happen!" The players were indignant: "How dare you threaten us!" "Let''s do it!" When Ordinary players began to unleash their Skill strength towards Su Qi! Other top clubs, including Penelope Bloom and others, all stood calmly in place, even stopping their own people. The next moment! "Boom!" The sky seemed to suck in wildly! The ordinary players who had just released bursts of Spiritual Energy suddenly trembled in the face, and their weapons, still flickering with a dangerous aura, instantly dimmed, their bodies becoming limp and weak as if a succubus had sucked out their life force, causing them to hit the ground. "What''s going on?" "Why don''t I have any strength left!" "Help, I feel like the strength in my body is being sucked out!" "Damn, it sucks more than my wife!" ???? You have a problem. "I told you not to make a move." Su Qi looked gently at the crowd, "The second rule of the City of Death, do not use any energy-related items, or it will be absorbed." Ethan Dawn was taken aback, "Wait, what rule, and why is it the second one?" "Because this city is full of untouchable taboos, once violated, punishment will ensue." Su Qi pointed above, "The first rule is, do not look up." Su Qi looked toward the Ghost-faced Magician and others who seemed a bit grim, "You see how shrewd they are, they noticed it quite early." Their eyes were solemn. Indeed. From the moment they entered here, they hadn''t taken it lightly, being super rookies raised by top clubs and naturally different from ordinary people. Paradise had given such a warning, and now the power of Paradise had also lost its effect. So. From the beginning, they had already been collecting various kinds of information and also discovered the phenomenon of strength being sucked out, but they were not very clear, so they held their positions and did not move. As expected... those who had burst out with strength faced a severe backlash. But. Everyone looked at Su Buxian, not expecting this guy before them to be so clear and aware. "Indeed, it seems that energy cannot be unleashed, including equipment abilities and skills, but if you don''t use those and just use cold weapons to hack, we can still attack you," Ethan Dawn said, now lowering his head to ponder. Su Qi glanced at him, "Which side are you on?" Ethan Dawn said ruefully, "Sorry... " Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Wait!" He widened his eyes, "Why am I apologizing, I''m not on your side!" "You''re from the Justice League, I''m also from the Justice League, we are all partners targeting Su Buxian, aren''t we?" "??? Mention that again and I''ll kill myself!" Penelope Bloom: "...." He forgave Ethan Dawn for hiding things from himself, seeing that his mental state also seemed a bit tortured. While he was about to speak, A voice slowly emerged behind everyone: "... Can you help me?" Chapter 238 - 183: Yellow-robed Master! Penelope Bloom had originally wanted to speak up, not only to defend Su Qi but also to assess the current situation. This city... from the moment they entered, had exuded a bone-chilling coldness, as if dangers lurked all around and behind them, causing an unsettling dread. Now, the Paradise System had vanished, and the city had become even more bizarre. Instead of competing for the uncertain prize of one hundred million points, everyone should consider escaping from this city, this region. It was not only him feeling and thinking this; players from other top clubs also had an extremely grave expression, not relaxing in the slightest. They trusted their instincts, their subconscious judgments. And then, at that moment. Behind every person, by everyone''s ears, a voice suddenly arose. "Can you... help me...?" The voice was genderless, sounding as if someone had scorched their throat with fire and nails, twisted, hoarse, and lowan intonation that did not seem human. Everyone stiffened, their eyes bloodshot. It was like being trapped in a nightmare, with consciousness being crushed by 99%, leaving only a fraction clear, feeling as if an infinite weight suffocated them. It grew dark, and dim as if drowning in this horrific nightmare! After that sentence was spoken! Sar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone seemed to awaken from the dream! Faces turned extremely pale! Some even staggered, unable to support their bodies, and sat on the ground. "What''s going on?" "Is someone speaking behind us?" They felt as if someone was standing behind them, that unsettling fear chilling everyone to the bone. But turning around with pale faces, they saw nothing. "Why did I hear someone asking for help?" "You... heard it too?" "Yes..." "...and it was incredibly creepy and unsettling," someone panted heavily, "I felt like my heart and consciousness were about to stop!" All players realized it wasn''t just them hearing it, which brought a bit of sense back amidst immense fear. This horrifying situation... it''s not the strange that frightens, but the fear of being alone in it. "You heard it too?" "Yes." Ghost-faced Magician and others looked extremely grim and disturbed. At the moment that voice had sounded, they felt as if a terrifying force had targeted them, the deadly chill instantly expanding by hundreds, thousands of times, as if stuck in quicksand, unable to escape. Even as they tried to adjust their mindset, their bodies trembled uncontrollably. Moreover, they had immediately activated their Investigation Skill... but there were no traces, nothing existed behind them. Ethan Dawn, pale-faced, trembled, "What exactly is this voice... why does it need help?" Su Qi didn''t answer, but pondered, "So, the voice you just heard was asking for help?" Ethan Dawn widened his eyes, looking at Su Qi, "You didn''t hear it?" "Well, it''s like this." Su Qi paused, then pulled out an old camera, "While you guys were shivering and panicking just now, I was taking your photos." "???" Ethan Dawn was full of questions. Everyone had just been caught in some horrific, bizarre incident, and you were unaffected. And what''s more important! When you noticed something was wrong with everyone, shouldn''t you have been observing urgently, seriously, and gravely? And you were actually taking photos! "Ladies and gentlemen..." Penelope Bloom spoke gravely, "The voice just now was extremely strange and frightening. The information from the Paradise System has also disappeared. Everything is declaring that this city is deadly and dangerous. Right now, the most pressing matter is to find a way to leave here!" "Leave?" Hidden Blade''s young man [Zero] looked somber, "It''s not that simple..." "Indeed." The woman in the trench coat [Luna Fern] also trembled slightly as she held her cigarette, looking around, "The way back... not only is it guarded by a Seventh Rank Monster, but have you noticed? The streets around us are subtly changing." "The Twisted has enveloped the entire city," Tattooed Youth [Xuanwu] spoke gravely, "Apart from that voice just now, dangers likely lurk everywhere..." Su Qi was not new to such experiences, having seen such twisted spaces in Linyuan Land before. However, he now focused on the names of these players; with the power of the Paradise dissipated, everyone''s IDs had been exposed. The few who had just spoken were among the top ten in the fantasy rankings, but if placed in the previous overall rankings, they were outside the top one hundred. Of course, they were also considered super rookies, players with great strength and potential, given the fierce competition among too many players globally, making even the top one thousand noteworthy talents. And the highest... He looked at Ghost-faced Magician. Ranked 47th in the overall leaderboard. At that moment, Ghost-faced Magician also looked slightly pale, his face half-concealed, but still unavoidably displaying emotions not his own. That was fear. "We must leave here now, no matter what... I have a premonition," he rasped, "If we stay here any longer, something unpredictably horrifying will happen soon!" Just the voice alone, the creepy chill it brought had already affected everyone''s spirits and condition. Chapter 239 - 183: Master of the Yellow Robe!_2 Even if one could force their heart not to fear, not to be terrified, when facing a truly horrifying existence... one naturally feels an oppressive presence that cannot be looked at directly, affecting not just the body but the mind and soul from every aspect. Inside here. Only Su Qi wasn''t affected; he could indeed see all the weirdness of the city but didn''t even hear a sound, as if he had been deliberately bypassed. Although he wasn''t sure why, Su Qi knew... this city was related to that world''s destruction, and that voice might also be related to the central area. "Everyone." Su Qi had already taken out the horn used for commanding earlier, "It seems that you all are quite panicked and at a loss." "..." The crowd turned their gaze toward Su Qi; someone gritted their teeth, "...this is all your doing!" "If it wasn''t for you leading us into this dangerous area!" "How could we have ended up like this!" Su Qi shook his head, "I am the one being hunted, and I cannot predict the future. I did not know anything about this place, and it certainly wasn''t intentional to lead you here. As you''ve seen earlier, not even Paradise had noticed this place, let alone an ordinary player like me. Everything I''ve done was solely for self-defense." "You blaming me is nothing more than ''victim-blaming,'' moral hijacking, and a display of low quality. I believe any person with a conscience would not think this way." A string of clear, rapid-fire statements left the players... with a stiff expression. Well done. It seemed indeed so, but... something felt off about it, as if they had been scolded. Zero, Luna Fern, Xuanwu, and others looked at Su Qi, who seemed rather sincere. They did not believe in coincidences, but they couldn''t find any evidence either. They could only maintain a skeptical stance. Only Ethan Dawn''s mouth twitched. He would never believe... that 90% of this was probably false! His intuition told him. This guy''s goal had been this place from the beginning, only he didn''t know how he achieved it or why. Penelope Bloom then spoke in a serious tone, "Regardless, I think we shouldn''t dwell on past grievances right now. Our goal is to work together as a team, help each other, and leave this place. If anyone has any thoughts or information, please share." "....." The Ghost-faced Magician''s eyes were cold as he looked at the distant twist. "This kind of scene belongs to the Lost Land, and once trapped, we might lose our sense of direction." Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Luna Fern, "This place is likely riddled with peculiar rules. Finding a path out of the city from here could be incredibly difficult." "I suggest we split up..." Zero''s expression was cold and solemn, "Everyone should move toward different twisted streets. Even if we cannot find a way out, we can bring back any information we collect." "What if they don''t make it back?" "That would mean... they''ve eliminated a route that leads to death for us." Ruthless. The faces of the crowd changed slightly. But they had to admit it was a rational plan, and the other party would be taking part too. No one knew what dangers lay ahead; it was essentially sacrificing lives to trial and error. They proposed many more plans, none of which held even a ten percent certainty. "Su Buxian, won''t you share your thoughts?" The one speaking was Penelope Bloom, looking at the silent Su Qi. From the very beginning, many top clubs had begun to collaborate deeply, including Su Buxian, who had been pulled into these strategic discussions. But his attention didn''t seem to be here. As one person asked, everyone else''s gaze turned toward Su Buxian. Although they were reluctant to admit it, the fact was that this guy had been playing them, and his commanding of key points and handling of critical situations had shown extraordinary talent. "Since you want me to share my thoughts... I''ll keep it simple with a couple of comments." Su Qi paused, "My suggestion is... why don''t we ask the locals?" "Locals?" The crowd was taken aback. "He should be arriving soon." Su Qi''s next sentence made everyone frown, seemingly not understanding. "Wait a minute!" Ethan Dawn caught on to Su Qi''s frequency, his eyes wide, "The local you''re talking about, it wouldn''t happen to be that voice we just heard, would it?" Su Qi nodded slightly, "Since we''re seeking help, it seems the other party is in trouble. Whatever it is, we help it, and it helps us leave, which seems quite reasonable." "I just don''t have a good feeling about this," Ethan Dawn said in a trembling voice, "Isn''t this eerie setup exactly like the beginning of a horror movie?" At this moment, everyone was still hesitant. Another person then spoke up in a grave tone, "I think we can" The Ghost-faced Magician''s eyes were somber, "...Although this is a mysterious entity we''ve encountered, an event we cannot clearly understand, it is currently our only clue." "But why do you know it will return soon?" "The strange whispers, the deeply trapped cage, the sealed ritual, it''s calling out for help to the creatures around," Su Qi said slowly as he picked up a photograph, the image on it sending a chill down everyone''s spine. Because as they trembled in fear and stiffness, each person could vaguely sense a figure standing behind them! Looking closer. The figure could be seen appearing faint and intermittent, dressed in an odd Yellow Robe! "And when it appears, the black fog in the sky, the twisted streetscape, everything clearly comes to a halt." Su Qi looked around, "Look, just like now." Everyone watched their surroundings with suspicion, the Spiritual Sequencer even raising their head to take a look, indeed although everything seemed to be fluctuating, the black fog was not spinning, the distortion was merely rippling! "It''s coming!" At this moment, everyone felt a coldness, no wonder it had been so obvious before. "What should we do!" They themselves were becoming somewhat panicked, looking to Su Qi for guidance! "Obviously, we respond," Su Qi said. In the next instant, everyone shivered, and that eerie and terrifying voice echoed in their ears again, slowly lingering in everyone''s mind, word by word. As Su Qi watched this scene unfold, he murmured to himself, "Am I left out again?" He slowly tossed the photograph, dispersing it into dust. How could this possibly be a shot taken with an ordinary camera, it was merely an illusion captured by his own eyes for a fleeting moment, just now made Concrete. "But indeed, this might truly be the Desolate Land." The City was dangerously extreme, he had been gathering all sorts of information, and everything he saw indicated a situation of almost certain death. In places marked with a question, there were majestic, complex, and abstruse rituals, with an overwhelming density of information. Among them, the most direct piece of information was. [Yellow-robed Master] He searched all his memories, he had never heard of these four words, but from the illusion caught by his eyes just a moment ago, he knew the Yellow-robed Master was the one seeking help. And it seemed to be the key, in a web of twisted, chaotic death lines, linked to that sole path to survival. At this moment. Listening to the raspy voice drifting up from the depths, like from the bottom of a deep pool, someone finally made a trembling response! "Respected great entity, what assistance do you require?" The entire City suddenly whipped up into a gale! The surrounding distortions! Just like a volcanic burst, started to surge towards them rapidly! But no one budged. They were all still trapped in that dazed nightmare realm! Not a single person noticed this! Everyone was enveloped! It seemed they were about to be carried off by the twisted spatial Ripples to some place! And Su Qi. He watched silently as all distortions avoided him, and even when he reached out to touch them, the twisting Ripples recoiled like a frightened young lady. "Isolating me? Schoolyard bullying?" Instead, Su Qi did not hesitate and ran straight towards the distortion, "I''m getting on this kindergarten ride no matter what!" Su Qi grabbed Ethan Dawn and Penelope Bloom, who were about to be taken away! And he also burst out his Spiritual Energy! Manipulating the rules! Under such interference! In the next moment! Reluctantly, amidst the twisting Ripples, he was pulled in! Chapter 240 - 184 I Can Help You! Su Qi was swept into the twisted ripples. The sensation was bizarre, as if different doses of anesthesia had been injected into every part of his body. Sometimes it felt as if his hand was on his neck, his neck on his buttocks, his buttocks on a tree. The senses were in turmoil. The five senses seemed to be torn apart, indescribable. After... the twisted ripples dissipated, Su Qi slowly opened his eyes. The moment he did, he felt a gust of chilly wind hit him, and all the players around him were sprawled on the ground, contorted in various poses, holding their heads as if they were recovering from a state of stupor and confusion. "My head! It hurts so bad!" "What just happened?" "For a moment, I felt like my body was sliced into pieces!" "It seemed like an illusion, but it was too real!" Penelope Bloom also took a deep breath, "Are you all alright?" "We are, more or less." Ethan Dawn looked unnerved at a red handprint on his shoulder, "But why do I feel like someone was pawing at me just now..." Penelope Bloom frowned slightly, seeming to have a similar mark on his shoulder, "It feels like I had the same sensation." "Su Buxian, do you have it?" Ethan Dawn looked at Su Qi. "It doesn''t matter whether I have it or not, don''t get caught up in those details." S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Qi looked around seriously, "Focus on the matter at hand. Haven''t you noticed where we are now?" At that moment, They found that all the players had been brought to a desolate place, a dark red Sky Dome... enveloping this area like a lid, with wild, twisted rituals like Runes filling all directions with terrifying energy. "Where on earth... have we come to?" Xuanwu looked around and said gravely, "If I''m not mistaken... this is the place where that voice exists, though it seems to be bound by various rituals. The force we just felt seems to have brought us here." They also saw traces of rituals in the City, the energy aura between the City and the black fog vortex unabashedly revealed, with all the Spiritual Energy used by the players previously having been absorbed by the black fog above them. Now, from all these signs, Was this all for... that voice''s existence? "What kind of High Sequence being is this..." Luna Fern said, not even smoking now, feeling the place was filled with Ominous presences, and dared not to act rashly. "This terrifying existence must be extraordinary," Zero stated calmly, "But... what it''s asking assistance for, how can we, such insignificant beings... possibly help it?" Su Qi looked into the distance and said softly, "Just ask it directly." Everyone was startled, following his gaze... in the distance... at the center of a huge crossroad. But the surrounding city buildings had long been eroded, Destruction... into ruins, and the cement on the ground had massive cracks like those left after an apocalyptic disaster. At the center Was a completely ruptured crevice, forming a huge pit with an unclear bottom. But... it was obvious that a vast amount of dark red fog was being absorbed into the huge ritual a hundred meters in the Sky Dome. The entire dark red ritual... was even more like countless chains, extending from the horizon and sealing off everything here! "What do you say? Shall we all go over together?" "It looks like that''s our only option now." While Su Qi looked at this scene, he could clearly see the huge, deep red exclamation mark extending to the Sky Dome, the eerie and terrifying aura seeping through, the exclamation mark displaying a countdown to Destruction by the second. And that pit. Su Qi found it remarkably familiar; he stretched out his hand and compared, "Though it has expanded more than tenfold compared to before and is more excessively weathered, the hole is still the same hole." Where the Ancient God''s Heart had once fallen... where the Traveling Merchant had been encountered. It was special. After all, it was where two major events coincided. If promoted a bit, it could perhaps become a tourist check-in hotspot. "It''s just that, I didn''t expect to return to this world and find it different again... and oddly enough, there''s also the addition of the Yellow-robed Master." Su Qi didn''t think it was a coincidence. Like meteorites would fall into their craters, all traces must follow some pattern. He felt that what was happening now was also intricately connected to everything that had happened before. Su Qi surveyed everything around him; there were no signs of any other living things, and deathly silence pervaded everywhere. "Let''s move on, everyone... be careful, don''t panic, don''t be noisy, and act within your Strength. If you can''t move forward, immediately retreat to a safe place," Justice Chief said solemnly. Everyone knew they couldn''t stay long in this place, and they must find the opportunity to leave quickly no matter what! All the players started moving, quickening their pace towards the pit. Under the dark red sky light, everything seemed so eerily bizarre. "No, it''s not that easy to approach!" With each step closer, they felt the weight pressing on their bodies grow heavier, and their heartbeats quickened! "What on earth is happening?" "Take deep breaths, it''s normal, see the massive amount of energy being sucked into the center... the energy around is too vast, to approach, we must withstand this impact." "Of course, this impact can be shared by all of us, although it will mix with all sorts of twists, unpredictable weirdness, but if we grit our teeth, it shouldn''t be too problematic." "Besides." And Su Qi, looking at that deep pit, said softly, "I want to remind you all... of one thing." Chapter 241 - 184 I Can Help You! _2 "What?" "Our spiritual energy is being passively drained, and both Physical Strength and Vitality are dropping at a rate of 1% per minute." "...." The eyes of those present slightly shifted, "It''s really happening... but why wasn''t there any notification just now?" "The power of Paradise has disappeared, and now the bodily attribute panel, as well as the digitization, is also gradually fading," Su Qi paused, looking towards the top club players, "I think you understand what I mean." Their expressions turned extremely grave as they checked their own attribute panels. These powers, inherent to the players themselves, ensured that all players could use digitization and skills, and tools, even without system intervention. Once gone... the good news was... they could immerse themselves in the game more. The bad news was... real death loomed over them. "Let''s go! Move faster!" the Ghost-faced Magician and others'' faces drastically changed, promptly responding without any hesitation. And many players gritted their teeth, intending to rush forward! The dark red eerie glow brought distortion, terror, as if spectral whispers were generating all sorts of strange illusions, bursting out around the energy! This also simultaneously presented an extremely tricky situation! As everyone gritted their teeth and walked, they suddenly felt the ground fiercely split open. Many screamed in fear, jumping to the sides, while the ones who accidentally fell, plunged into the Abyss! But in reality, when everyone snapped back to their senses, they were horrified to find no cracks had appearedit was purely an illusion. Those who fell into the Abyss... all lay on the ground... either unconscious or completely silent! Those lagging behind also caused a decrease in the number of people resisting the impact, adding just that bit more pressure on each individual. Ethan Dawn, wiping sweat, said, "...This mess... should we really be helping? Just being nearby is already so difficult." "Do you have a better idea?" Su Qi, looking at the deep red exclamation mark of the Destruction countdown, said, "Now I''m even more certain... to solve all this, the source is in that pit." And at that moment. Their eyes once again showed a hint of terror, "Careful!" They all saw over a dozen hyenas, with sharp fangs and bodies pierced by various spikes, charging at them! Luckily, Zero and the others didn''t hesitate and directly killed these death hyenas with weapons without bursting their spiritual energy! Su Qi narrowed his eyes, looking towards the pit. The twisted eerie the illusions bursting out seemed to be events that had happened in this city before, including the hyenas they themselves had encountered. "Ladies and gentlemen," Su Qi gently began, "from now on, follow my command." The massive energy erupting from the central pit, and the impacts generated were unconsciously rippling, just the tip of the iceberg, yet it had already plunged the players into a dire situation. There was no room for discussion. "Those who chase me most vigorously, stand at the very front." "The rest arrange themselves in a V-formation behind, in case of an emergency, protect yourselves first, then help others." So many players gathered here could resist two to three Seventh Rank monsters together! But in reality, at this moment. Facing the aftermath of the energy impact, the players could only manage to share a minuscule part togetherif too many fell, they might as well just remake. Oh. There is no remake option, so never mind. "You," Penelope Bloom looked at Su Qi, "If you''re going to command, you might as well step back, and we can protect you." "Me?" Su Qi, "Brother Chun and I will lead." Ethan Dawn, biting his teeth as he walked, heard this guy and suddenly looked up:"??? What does this have to do with me?" "Don''t be modest, your investigative ability is very special and useful," Su Qi gently said, "so I have a very important task for you next." Ethan Dawn''s mood fluctuated, blankly asking, "What task." Twenty seconds later. Ethan Dawn looked at the huge rattle drum in his hand, his eyelids twitching, "This is that face monster''s rattle drum from before, right?" "It seems a bit similar." "What do you mean a bit? This is clearly it!" Ethan Dawn''s eyes widened, now filled with many questions, "Wasn''t it handed over to Final Home? How is it in your hands!" "It''s not important." Su Qi whispered gently, "The most important thing right now is this moment. You stand beside me, and when something sinister descends later, you strike it hard." This thing also carried a spiritual impact similar to the old monster with a human face, originating from the same pollution. Without the ability to use Spiritual Energy, it proved to be much more useful. Ethan Dawn took a deep breath and said, "I get it, but isn''t this something anyone could do? What does this have to do with my abilities!" He actually thought his abilities would come in handy! ----------------- The road ahead was only a kilometer long... but the various twisted and eerie encounters arrived wave after wave. Disasters, misfortunes, bloodshed, and even sharp icicles from the sky. There was also a rich variety of monsters. With difficult steps, under the residual impacts and Su Qi''s commands, everyone moved forward step by step as if crossing a chasm. Everything before their eyes was genuinely bizarre power. No one dared to take it lightly. "Time is running out." Su Qi kept an eye on the deep red exclamation mark, which now included a countdown unlike before, constantly reminding him of all the changes. And now, Everyone had finally reached the edge of the abyss. Each person trembled, an overwhelming sense of terror overloading them, their heartbeats audibly frantic. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yet they couldn''t help looking curiously into the pit. "What is actually down there?" "Who is that terrifying presence?" At that moment, for some reason, everyone wasn''t restricted by the untouchable and insurmountable limits. They could clearly see a person sitting in the pit, wearing a yellow robe, gaunt as if dead, with only the horrific energy being sucked out of him visible. Su Qi watched this scene. He understood why everyone could look directly; everyone had been marked when they reacted. Each person could earn the right for direct contact, but at the same time... if they were unable to assist, This mark might backlash. Encountering a ruthless master, they could be cursed to the most terrifying places, facing endless bizarre tribulations! "It seems that perhaps due to the mark being blocked... I''m consequently unpopular." After all, his constitution was complex. And at that moment, The yellow-robed corpse sitting in the middle actually moved, slowly raising its head. Its face and robe seemed fused together, with no features visible, but its voice was faint and hoarse as it came through: "...help...help me..." Everyone was utterly silent. The previous offer of help was merely a polite response in absence... And now, Although everyone could look directly and see that it was merely a corpse, a profound oppressive feeling originated from within, giving everyone a chilling sensation. No one dared to respond lightly. Su Qi, however, didn''t have that concern. He found that after integrating the Evil God''s Eye, his resistance to various so-called oppressive feelings was quite high; as long as it wasn''t causing direct damage, he wouldn''t have a problem. He pulled out a megaphone: "Comrade below, don''t panic, I can help you!" Everyone: "...." But the other party silently looked at him with that black hollow face. Although everyone had the mark and the right to contact, when the other''s gaze fell upon them, everyone''s bodies stiffened and trembled. The presence of a truly superior being, even if just a corpse, was still too much for the weak to bear. "..." The other side was silent for over ten seconds, seemingly conflicted and puzzled. Eventually, it finally expressed its request. "....ancient whisper...." "...chant...." Its voice faint and hoarse, it continued: "...Recovery..." "Anxious Land....Temple..." Chapter 242 - 185 Swindler Priest! Three Surnames Servant! Its hoarse voice reached everyone''s ears, ghostly and haunting. But it seemed it hadn''t spoken in a long time, and its fragmented sentences did not make sense to the crowd. It seemed to realize this as well. Then, a mark on everyone slowly began to flicker, and each person was slightly startled. "What''s wrong?" Su Qi paused slightly. Ethan Dawn murmured, "There''s a voice in my head, it''s communicating with us." "..." As the only person not marked, Su Qi raised an eyebrow. Was he excluded again? He looked towards the figure in a yellow robe at the center, although he could see the information above its head, the refresh timing was constant and the information random. He had to watch it in segments. [It... is seeking help] [It... wants to break this vast ceremony] [It was once one of the Evil God''s priests...] The last line caused Su Qi''s eyes to twitch slightly. Wait. What had he seen? The Evil God?!? Ominous! Or rather, endearing. "It''s just that..." Su Qi''s eyes drilled into the existence clad in the yellow robe. This guy wasn''t the Yellow-robed Master. But why was there a connection with the Evil God? And the word ''priest'' meant it had served the Evil God. It was known that the strongest being under a deity was generally called a bishop... A deity usually has fewer than ten bishops, divided into archbishops and ordinary bishops, who preside over the realms in place of the divinity. Next in line were the priests. Priests were the bishops'' right hand, maintaining faith in the divinity, managing the realms, also often appearing in public and holding a very high position. Those priests who followed the archbishop were also known as Great Priests. Broken down, their status was that of the highest in their class. "This guy... is actually a priest." But there was more. Other information refreshed on the display. [It was once one of God Gurbha''s priests....] Really now? You have a second profession? Thereupon, [Now it is one of the Yellow-robed Master''s priests...] "....." Su Qi fell silent. He couldn''t easily comment on this person''s complexity; he could only describe it in four words. That is... a Three Surnames Servant! The information was somewhat overwhelming. This guy wasn''t the Yellow-robed Master; all the aura, strength, and the sequence of twisted transmissions, although not illusions, were clearly achieved through other means. At this moment, the players trembled slightly, and slowly came back to their senses, their eyes filled with disbelief and excitement. "Why do you all look like you''ve seen something racy, starved for it? What did that guy say?" Su Qi asked. "How dare you refer to the great being before us as ''that guy,''" Ethan Dawn''s tone was somewhat excited. "This entity... is a genuine Divine!" Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." Su Qi, unfazed, said, "Go on, I''m listening." Ethan Dawn, still thrilled, began to recount what he had just heard. "All of us just now received its reply through the mark." "It''s a great Divine, an extraordinary being, but now it''s sealed here!" "If we can help this great being communicate with the Temple, it can break free from this vast ceremony, and we will not only be without worries, but we can also become its followers and gain unimaginable benefits!" This was the first time the players had encountered such a terrifying, high-ranking entity, and they were naturally extremely excited. Because in Paradise... many people had already pledged to the religions and powers of the Ten Thousand Realms, starting typically from the lowest level of believers, it was almost impossible for minor figures to have real contact with a divine being. At most... they would circle the shrine, holding hands and singing prayers. But now! The Divine was right in front of them!!! How could they not be excited! Su Qi: "..." Why does this pitch sound so familiar, am I Emperor Qin Shi Huang? Give me two thousand, and I''ll make you the National Guardian General? "So, what are you guys going to do next?" Penelope Bloom''s eyes also sparkled with excitement as she spoke gravely, "Naturally, we''re going to break all of this ceremony in front of us and then help it escape from its binds!" Su Qi couldn''t easily make a judgement. But from what he could tell, his and this guy''s goals were the same: they both wanted to break the ceremony. The ceremony covered vast areas of land and was also the true fuse to the impending destruction; Su Qi didn''t believe he alone could stop its progress. After all. From the dangerous zone all the way here, hundreds of Seventh Rank monsters were maintaining the ceremony, and the City had more dangerous beings guarding it. Unless he summoned the Evil God. But Su Qi wouldn''t resort to that move until it was absolutely necessary. In any case. Su Qi didn''t stop the players'' actions. "Divine Being! Lord! Great Master!" The players knelt on one knee in a sacred circle like pilgrims, solemn and thrilled. A mark flickered above each of them, ancient whispers emerging through these marks into their minds, spoken by their mouths. As they continued to recite, it became incomprehensible! "#@!&...#*" The language was obscure, the pronunciation strange, filled with oddity. The people also fell into a stupor, eyes closed, lips moving incessantly as if entranced. And Su Qi, watching this scene, was the only one not participating, since he didn''t have the mark. "It seems to be some kind of ceremony... related to the Anxious Land mentioned by it? The Temple?" Chapter 243 - 185 Fraudster Priest! Three Surnames Servant!_2 I''ve mentioned before that if believers want to fulfill their wishes through praying to a shrine or totem, they would perform their prayers and chant like this. It has nothing to do with the strength of the believers. The number of people, the degree of faith, the offerings... these conditions often have to be satisfied to have a chance of receiving a response. "But it''s not a Divine Entity, it just gathers believers, invokes the authority of priests, praying... Strength?" "I just... hope it''s not the Evil God Brother..." The players, guided by the mark, gathered around and chanted. Meanwhile, the person in the Yellow Robe silently watched Su Qi, who... also silently watched it. Their eyes met. In silence. It slowly activated the aura of its Yellow Robe, thinking it could intimidate this person. But to its surprise, Su Qi''s gaze did not shift away, but rather, he stared back at it. As time updated, question marks would continuously reveal more miscellaneous information. The longer he waited, the more he saw, and even if the information was fragmented, Su Qi had the ability to piece it together. "...You... don''t seem to be a Divine Entity?" Su Qi spoke softly. It was unable to communicate through the mark and could only use a throat that sounded rusty from countless years, uttering a strained and hoarse voice: "...You... are... who..." It was not that it couldn''t speak, but it seemed as if it hadn''t made a sound for a very long time, or perhaps... this body had decayed long ago, requiring time to recover. "That question is too broad, I could be a speck of dust in the universe, or the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect, I could be my mother''s son... or my grandfather''s grandson....." "???" The Yellow-robed person was taken aback, it was merely asking with a hint of caution and confusion, but the series of answers thrown at it was overwhelming. "Anyway, when you ask who I am," Su Qi looked at it, "You might as well start by telling me who you are." The Yellow-robed person remained silent; it could see that Su Qi''s strength was very weak, at least in its eyes. Although not a Divine Being... as a Priest, it still possessed terrible strength. Of course. It was just that it had been asleep for too long, and now was not only suppressed but also very frail. It struggled to extend its withered arm, and a mark slowly floated over. Su Qi did not rashly reach for the mark until a few pieces of information from the question mark indicated that there was no other danger. Then, he reached out his hand. Upon contact, A voice slowly rose, deep and ethereal: "Weak mortal, who on earth are you? Why are you unaffected by... the influence of mighty powers." "As I''ve said, ask for someone''s name before you reveal your own." The more information Su Qi saw, the more he understood about the entity before him, and the better he knew its weaknesses. The Yellow Robe it wore was a Divine Artifact, endowed with the majesty of the Yellow-robed Master. It... was amazed at itself. Because when it activated the power of the Yellow Robe just now, for some reason, the Yellow Robe did not envelop me and even actively avoided me. It said in a deep voice, "I am naturally... the supreme... Divine Being...." Su Qi cut it off: "Divine Beings have an intimidating presence that is unapproachable, unspeakable, and unheard of for the weak. Except for when I first entered the city, I felt this way, but as soon as I stepped into the pit just now, nothing happened." He looked at the people: "At first, I thought they could touch it because the mark qualified them to contact the Divine Being, but now it seems the mark was just for your communication with them." What Su Qi said was based on experience. The Evil God is the most typical example; its projections always caused an uproar! And although the Master of Destruction is also a terrifying Divine Entity, on the two occasions she appeared, it was in a weakened Spiritual Body, possessing only extraordinary traits and not the stature of a Divine Being. The girl''s physical strength seemed very powerful at the time, but it was actually somewhat lacking compared to her priests - it was in the normal sequence and nowhere near a sliver of her true strength. As for the Master of Destruction''s true complete form! I anticipate... The terror it brings, the unrivaled power, the suppression, are no weaker than the effects of the previously mentioned Yellow-robed Master. "....." At this moment, the Yellow-robed person fell into silence. It was puzzled. Why wasn''t this fellow affected? That was the power unleashed by the Divine Artifacts on its person... the true might of a Divine. "...Mortal..." it uttered somberly, "...this... isn''t something you should be prying into..." "Even though I am not a Divine, the position and strength I hold are beyond your imagination..." Su Qi gestured around him, reminding, "...but evidently, you are sealed here and even need us, mere mortals, to aid you." "And please note one thing, they are considered my people as I brought them here, round up, they are my underlings; in that light, they are striving to assist you. As their boss and spokesperson, I naturally assume responsibility for them, so, Your Excelless, wouldn''t it be reasonable to be a bit more sincere?" Even though the exclamation mark was centered here in deep crimson, he had already discerned the source: it was the grand ritual, the staggering energy originating from this place, which must have a reason. And these things he could hardly fathom through mere information fragments, to get the complete content. He could only learn through the person before him. The Yellow-robed Master remained silent, having previously deemed these mortals as mere tools, after all, by breaking the ritual, they too could survive. Unexpectedly, this insignificant mortal now required it to be a bit more sincere! How audacious! What is my identity, And what is yours! "Of course... if it truly comes to that," Su Qi shook his head with a sigh, "I can only let my underlings give up assisting. As for these so-called Ancient Whispers, you might want to look for someone else, though it might be too late." The Yellow-robed Master: "???" It said solemnly: "Just as I informed them, this world is collapsing, this massive ritual seeks to destroy everything. Your wish to survive as mortals and my desire to escape, in the end, all lead to breaking the ritual." Su Qi replied, "I understand this much, but you should be able to see it, we might pay a certain price, but every person here has hidden traits enabling them to leave this place." The Yellow-robed Master frowned tightly, scrutinizing everyone, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if seeing something unbelievable, "...Old Days..." Su Qi''s eyelids twitched. His previous words naturally referred to the power of Paradise, which in the Present World should no longer be a secretthe mechanism within each player''s being seen as lineage, extraordinary traits, similar powers to a lineage''s divine abilities by other high beings. But. He didn''t expect the Yellow-robed Master to utter the term "Old Days," although clearly some information wasn''t revealed, it was enough. This term was taboo and ancient. He also learned from various ancient high beings that it was no simple matter; something that even those beings feared, and which was currently beyond his reach. Clearly. The Yellow-robed Master was unwilling to say more. It began to speak slowly: "Since it is so, mortal, listen well..." Su Qi silently observed it, must it present itself with such flourish? "I am... the magnificent... the sacred... revered by countless... feared by countless... a Divine... the Yellow-robed Master!" It declared with gravity, "...one of its Priests." "..." That build-up sure came with the air of a lackey. No wonder it could play the Three Surnames Servant. "What a coincidence." Su Qi introduced himself with a smile, "I am also magnificent... sacred... revered by countless... feared by countless... the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect!" "Su Buxian!" The Yellow-robed Master: "....Never heard of it." "You, such an insignificant mortal, can also be a Sect Hierarch; it seems this is but a small-time organization of no repute." Its tone had become much more normal at the moment, no longer as solemn and unemotional as before. "...judging from your weak fellows." "Indeed... it has fallen." Su Qi paused slightly. It was clear this being... just like the countless ancient warriors slumbering on the Ancient Battlefield, had lived for a very long time. Its mention of decline, S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Was it referring to its own era, that Paradise once existed there too? Chapter 244 - 186: Burst! New Attribute - Darkness! Time ticked away, second by second. The ancient whispers muttered by the players... had generated a miraculous effect, bursting forth with a radiant aura from the divine artifacts on the Yellow Robed Priest. "Here it comes!" The Yellow Robed Priest''s expression grew solemn. The entire Black Fog... vortex surprisingly revealed an aurora. A projection was thunderously descending! In the Sky Dome above... layer upon layer of enormous, majestic structures became visible. "...What is this? A mirage?" "The Temple''s projection from the Anxious Land... Today is the day of Audience for the Anxious Land... the time when the Temple''s power is recovering," the Yellow Robed Priest spoke, at this moment his garment exuding a terrifying aura, worn and aged, but the yellow robe danced ethereally, connecting to the projection of the Temple in the Sky Dome. "I thought you''d summon the actual Yellow-robed Master..." "Impossible... such a thing could never happen." The Yellow Robed Priest ground out hoarsely, "All the Divines are slumbering! Not a single one''s projection can descend into the Present World." "Next, we''ll see if the Temple''s projected power... can break through this damn ritual!" The power of the projection and the prayers of the faithful... even though mediated by the Yellow Robe, it wasn''t certain it could destroy the ritual! At this moment. The power bursting forth from the Temple''s projection collided with the massive ritual! "Boom!" In that instant. Su Qi could clearly feel the entire City, even the entire hazardous area, the whole world, tremble! At this point, the players had also completed their mission, stepping out of their trance, eyes dry and tongues parched as they opened their eyes to look towards the Sky Dome, their hearts profoundly shaken! "Damn!" Ethan Dawn was shaking Su Qi''s shoulders, his face flushed, "Su Buxian! Boss, look!" "It''s a Miracle!" "We''ve actually prayed for such power!!" Many were nearly overwhelmed to the point of kneeling before the Yellow Robed Priest once again. The top clubs were also incredibly moved. The reason for so much division within Paradise was because everyone was frantically pursuing truly great power, and now they had the fortune to witness this scene, they couldn''t help but be excited. Su Qi slowly gazed at the Sky Dome, this scene truly grandiose, the Temple''s projection and the vortex of darkness... the burst of brilliance caused the entire polluted world to shudder. At this moment! "Boom!" The ritual outside had a horrifying aura spreading! A tumultuous roar suddenly thundered, shaking the sky! Everyone felt dizzy, nearly vomiting blood from the reverberations! Su Qi mentally resisted the impact, suffering no significant effect. His gaze shifted to several enormous figures outside the ritual, each brimming with tremendous abnormality, unleashing power in an attempt to assault the central area. "What''s this?" "The guardians of the ritual... five Sequence 6 monsters..." The Yellow Robed Priest hoarsely spat out a mouthful of black blood, sacrificing his own flesh and blood to feed the yellow robe, his withered palm seemingly stabilizing the connection with the Temple: "They want to destroy... to prevent the projection of the Temple, but now I am using my Master''s artifact with all my might to hold them back, they can''t get through for the moment." Su Qi said, "Temporary sounds very ominous... How long until the ritual can be destroyed?" He looked at the red exclamation mark, the Destruction countdown proceeding in an orderly fashion, now with only two hours left. "I don''t know...." Su Qi: "?" "Furthermore..." The Yellow Robed Priest looked at the surrounding ripples: "They''re calling... all the Pollution Monsters, and the next wave will assault this place." "You''ve got no good news, only a stream of bad?" "In any case, mortal..." the Yellow Robed Priest rasped: "All the strength I have left is spent summoning the Temple''s projection to counter the ritual, the rest I cannot care for..." "If you wish to survive unscathed... you must aid me." In this, there was no lie. It and Su Qi shared the same objective, and although it did not want to admit it, at this moment... it needed the help of these mortals! "Once I am freed, I will surely let you bask in the Great Master''s radiant glory!" This statement... Su Qi glanced above its head, such grand promises, yet hollow. At this moment. The Final Home was also stirring. Countless abnormalities gazed in astonishment at the ground: "An earthquake?" "The mist is still dissipating?" "No, the fog seems to be converging in one direction, look over there..." Someone cried out in surprise, looking towards the distance, the fog being drawn in and gathering towards one point, and the terrifying Black Fog vortex in the Sky Dome... had expanded hundreds of times larger than before, and the mirage-like Temple, bursting with incredible radiance! Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Twisted Ripples began to expand from the City, swallowing everything around it! All the Pollution Monsters near the stronghold were howling madly, racing toward the Twisted Ripples! Their numbers, like a tidal wave, made everyone''s scalp tingle! The abnormalities trembled: "What on earth is happening!" "Like the end of the world!" "Boom boom boom!" The Temple''s projection and... the massive ritual collided with intense force, the terrifying sound creating waves of Ripples! The players were now standing heavily atop the pit, looking towards the edges of the City... The Twisted Ripples expanded, sending a large number of... Pollution Monsters into the City, though there was the Yellow Robed Divine preventing monsters that it couldn''t handle, stalling... But the roars vaguely coming from all directions made everyone feel an extreme urgency. Chapter 245 - 186 Burst! New attribute—Darkness!_2 The crowd held their weapons! Spiritual Energy activated the Ancient Relics within their bodies! After the Temple appeared, it temporarily isolated the black vortex from devouring the ground! At this moment, they could use Spiritual Energy and so on! "No matter if it''s to survive...or for something else," "We must...give it our all!" At this moment. Numerous Monsters, shaking their heads and flailing about, smashed their way out from the Twisted Ripples. Although the ripples were made more complex by the impact, and most would get lost, it was evident that after exceeding a certain number, even a minimal chance would lead to the entry of numerous Monsters. Actually, they understood nothing, couldn''t judge directions, and only charged towards the center driven by their rampant monstrous instincts. "Here they come!" "Kill!" Many players...growled as they burst forth with their strength, attacking the incoming Monsters! The gap between the fighting power of ordinary players and top club players was clearly visible at this moment. Luna Fern also extended a multitude of Phantom Hands from behind, forming hand gestures in rows, sweeping through numerous Monsters! Zero''s berserk bursts of blood aura made his sword seem as if it became more aggressive, and he plunged into the tide of Monsters! The Tattooed Youth''s body was even flickering with tiny lights C each tattoo could enhance his strength! The Ghost-faced Magician lifted his mask, and his entire appearance suddenly changed, filled with a terrifying evil presence, exploding with incredible might! Penelope Bloom and Justice Chief, though not matching the Ghost-faced Magician in bursting with power and traits, still showed combat abilities that justified their Points! ... S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "See that?" Su Qi looked at the scene and softly said, "They have different styles, and at the same time represent different Ancient Relics, which often correlate with the power behind them... evil, orderly, neutral. One can roughly discern it from these." Ethan Dawn, gasping for breath, suddenly cleaved a Monster to death with his knife! "Nonsense, everyone was almost fighting to the death, and you just realized it now?" Su Qi smiled, "I''m just curious about the Paradise we''re about to enter; it seems the situation is indeed complex, with various powers entrenched and incompatible as fire and water..." "Is this really the freakin'' time for that?" Ethan Dawn shouted, looking at Su Qi, "I''ve been watching you for a long while now, you''re slacking off, aren''t you!" Since the start, he had seen Su Qi rush into the Monster horde and then come out with a dissatisfied expression. "No," Su Qi paused, "I am just trying to find a suitable attribute." Ethan Dawn: "??? What''s that?" As soon as the battle began, Su Qi would randomly have one attribute, which continued until the battle ended. Of course, if he was not satisfied with the attribute, or if it was not applicable to the current situation, Su Qi could end the battle temporarily, and approximately two minutes later, the attribute would vanish. Right now, what Su Qi needed most was an AOE-type attribute. "...Hmm?" Right after Su Qi violently kicked a Monster to death, a black shadow was suddenly absorbed into his body. "What''s this?" Su Qi slightly faltered, looking at the new random attribute he had drawn. [Darkness!] [Function: Each time an enemy is killed, their shadow will be devoured, and the more shadows devoured, the stronger the Strength, the burst of Skills, Equipment Effect, and trait potency. At the same time, as more shadows are devoured, extremely dangerous side effects will occur!] [Note: All effects of the Dark Attribute will be retained, but the chances of it reappearing upon refresh are extremely low] Su Qi''s eyes paused for a moment. Dark Attribute? It seemed very powerful, after all, the description outlined that it was a growth and devouring attribute, and even the effects could be retained, though he had to wait for the next refresh. And similarly...it was a double-edged sword, with limitations. Extremely dangerous side effects? Su Qi faintly sensed the disordered Monster''s shadow enter his body, as if feeling nothing. "It seems I haven''t killed enough yet." Su Qi had no hesitation this time. Endless Monsters kept stumbling out from the Twisted Ripples, their number and frenzy not to be underestimated. "Boom boom boom!" The explosive combat noises from numerous players were already incredibly chaotic and varied, adding to the Ripples bursting from the Sky Dome! The terrifying and abnormal ripples sounded loud enough to pain the ears of all from Final Home, causing fear among the many players, but all were intercepted by the power of the Yellow Robed Priest''s Temple projection, otherwise...it would have led to a collective obliteration of the players long ago. And now. Ethan Dawn was also furiously battling; his Probe trait, although not able to erupt like others, still enabled him to slice through the disordered Monsters! However. Persistently fluctuating Twisted Ripples, endless disordered Monsters, and not only that, a large number of Seventh Rank and Ninth Rank Monsters were roaring as they entered the fray! The top players from elite clubs faced off against Seventh Rank monsters! Ordinary players teamed up to slay Eighth Rank! "Damn! Another batch of monsters has surged in!" "There are ten Seventh Rank beasts!" "What should we do? Is anyone coming to deal with this!" Penelope Bloom roared from afar, "Hold them off for now! We''re all tied up!" Everyone was engaged in a furious battle, fighting with all their might! But the endless stream of increasingly powerful monsters was starting to push everyone to the brink of collapse! Ethan Dawn shouted commands, "No casualties, wait for backup!" The players'' faces turned pale, "Easier said than done, how can we hold them back!!" "All super rookies were embroiled in fierce combat!" "We can''t hold them off!" Ethan Dawn clenched his teeth, about to speak, when he suddenly felt a dangerous and eerie presence! Danger was behind him! Sweat dripped down his face as he drew his blade without hesitation and violently slashed behind him! But in the next instant, the blade was pinched between two fingers. Su Qi looked at the gleaming blade, "It seems you''ve been coveting my Points for quite some time." "???" Ethan Dawn was stunned, how could it be Su Buxian!! He had clearly sensed an abnormality, just like the aura of a Pollution Monster! And, this guy actually stopped his slashing blade with just two fingers! Had he not exerted enough strength just now? Or did this guy possess the Skill to catch a blade barehanded? But now was not the time for that! "Here they come!" Ethan Dawn listened to the roars and bursts of Strength near his ear and said with a jump in his eye, "Step back carefully, they''re charging over!" "Don''t panic." Su Qi released his fingers, and his pupils were as dark as the night. The long sword in his hand... was already stained with plenty of Pollution Monster blood, and the shadow behind him was thick, seemingly stretching far and deep! With a move of his body, he whipped up a fierce wind! And then he burst forth! Ethan Dawn''s hair flew wild! His eyes widened. "What the hell, he''s just gone right through them!" And those Eighth and Seventh Rank monsters in his path were ripped viciously apart amidst a series of astonishing cold flashes! The other players around stared blankly at the flesh that flew in all directions. "Damn it!" Ethan Dawn''s eyes bulged, "Su Buxian, you''re damn powerful, playing possum, huh!" But Su Qi didn''t stop, continuing the frenzied battle! He chose not to use any Skills. This absorption ability of the Dark Attribute... seemed to only work when he personally slew monsters, absorbing shadows within his immediate vicinity. At this moment, black shadows were quietly devoured, and his body gained another strange aura! "The so-called side effect seems to be... transferring the Pollution over. The more accumulated shadows, the more crazily the Pollution twists," mused Su Qi, after devouring each shadow, roars and low growls echoed in his ears! But... all suppressed! His spiritual power was now far above that of ordinary players, there was a limit, but it was high! Moreover, the chances of refreshing the Dark Attribute had been stated to be exceedingly low. So Su Qi wanted to see just where the limit was this one time. At that moment, the Yellow Robed Priest at the center of the deep pit, looking up at the Temple projection and the erupting ritual in the sky, was trembling: "Why can''t it be destroyed..." "...I can hardly hold on anymore...." Its body cracked inch by inch, revealing a grim smile. "Indeed, as a traitor... using the power of Divine Artifacts... comes with a price." Chapter 246 - 187: Su Qi Will End Everything! "Boom, boom, boom!" Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Temple projection and the black fog vortex''s massive ritual were colliding furiously! The entire ground was shaking, the city already in ruins, with frail buildings turning to dust under the terrible ripples one after another, and from the center of the deep pit, more and more enormous cracks were continuously splitting open! And the twisted exterior... The monstrous five-headed Guardian was emitting a terrifying aura, with traits from within its body bursting forth with bizarre Strength, tearing at the twisted Ripples. The twisted Ripples were already crazily pouring in various monsters! Endlessly roaring, the sounds were deafening! At this moment, the players were trembling in their souls, they glanced towards the twisted Ripples, and could vaguely discern numerous black figures appearing within! Hundreds of Seventh Rank Monsters... were approaching. The heavy footsteps upon the ground, the roaring voices thundered! This scene! Had everybody trembling all over! "...This is practically... the end of the world!" "There''s no way... to resist!" The Ghost-faced Magicians and others had lost their previous excitement, each and every one involuntarily rising with boundless despair and fear from deep within their hearts! An unceasing stream of monsters, like a massive army! Mad, bloodthirsty, throwing themselves forward without regard for their own lives! Such a terrifying tide of Pollution Monsters! Coupled with the ongoing twists, it was mentally bizarre! The players'' bodies and minds were on the edge of collapse; every face was pale without a trace of color, using their last ounce of strength, they fought desperately, praying that the presence in the center... could resolve everything. And only Su Qi... he knew. The Yellow Robed Priest was also on the brink of collapse. Because. He now stood at the center of the deep pit; the Yellow Robed Priest was already on his last breath, kneeling on the ground, head bowed... the Soul Fire was burning out. The artifacts of the Divine between his body and the projection of the Temple... Like aurora silk threads, were already starting to break apart one strand at a time. "It seems you''re in a bad spot," Su Qi said to him, his voice gentle. The Yellow Robed Priest didn''t lift his head, just bowed it even further, as if he was about to die completely, his hoarse voice slowly emerging from his throat: "...It''s about to end." At this moment, it resembled a pool of stagnant water: "The ritual... is stronger than I imagined." "...I overestimated myself... and underestimated fate... I can no longer see the future." "If I say I can see it," spoke Su Qi softly. The Yellow Robed Priest lacked even the strength to scoff, sighing feebly, "This is reality. Those who harbor hope... often reside at the very bottom, weak and insignificant, much like believers, always hoping for a Miracle to descend, to save themselves." "But in reality, it''s nothing more than the impotence of ants," Su Qi: "No, the future I''m referring to is... that everything will be destroyed in 10 minutes." The Yellow Robed Priest: "..." Su Qi looked up at the deep red exclamation mark in the Sky Dome. The countdown was, from the beginning to the end, ticking down steadily, as if predicting the current situation, as if no matter what everyone did, no matter how much the Yellow Robed Priest exerted himself. It seemed doomed to end with destruction at the end of the countdown. If all factors had been maximized and the outcome still couldn''t change, then one could naturally attribute it to the gears of fate and destiny. But Su Qi didn''t see it that way. His voice continued to carry: "How much longer can you hold on?" "Less than a minute..." "You''re fast." "??" The Yellow Robed Priest was momentarily taken aback, almost choking, but ultimately his voice was as dead as ashes: "The cost of using Divine Artifacts is great in itself, not only does it sip Life Force, but it also impacts both the Mind and soul, my current state, is already close to being worn out, to be able to exert its power I''m already burning my soul..." "In that case, it seems I''ll have to take over." "???" The Yellow Robed Priest, as if hearing an outrageous joke, rasped: "Mortal, before I die... I also wanted to recall my life with somberness." "Not like now, almost bursting out laughing..." He lifted his head... and suddenly fell silent, his hollow eyes suddenly gaping wide. The Su Qi before him. His eyes were pitch-black, like thick ink, and shadows cast upon the ground behind him revealed countless evil spirits struggling, roaring, trying to climb onto Su Qi, to drink his blood, to gnaw his flesh! The weirdness, the twist almost visibly flooding over! And Su Qi''s breaths were as stable as he could keep them, every vein was already extending black lines. He didn''t know how this came to be. But at the moment. Su Qi was indeed reaching his limit. "What on earth are you..." The Yellow Robed Priest was stupefied, unable to believe what he was seeing in Su Qi. The horrific, twisted power had exceeded all norm! And it made even him feel uneasy! "Don''t ask... if you ask, it''s ''physical strength'', a gift within me," Su Qi looked at him, "the last chance, you still won''t seize it?" The Yellow Robed Priest muttered, his mouth agape; though he was a Priest, he had never seen such a sight. He saw all the Pollution seemingly concentrated within the body of the mortal before him! Rushing like a tide! This twisted anomaly, if it were placed on anyone else, would immediately turn them into a terrible Pollution Monster! But not only did he suppress it, he was even just then able to chat so calmly with it! The Yellow Robed Priest was ultimately a person who did great things. He had already disassembled the artifact of the Divine... that yellow robe, although it was a Divine artifact, death brought into the grave was not as worthwhile as seizing the last bit of hope now. Even if there was only a faint chance. Su Qi''s pitch-black eyes were looking at the disassembling yellow robe that hovered in mid-air, emitting astounding fluctuations, the robe billowing, terrifying power stirring within the invisible Ripples, connected to the Sky Dome Temple projection. Chapter 247 - 187: Su Qi Will End Everything! _2 He had truly reached his limit at this moment. He had killed monsters and devoured shadows, reaching a staggering number. Around his ears, before his eyes, within the shadows, were terrifying screams and astounding, twisted pollutions, assaulting him like a tide. "...Although the Spiritual Eyes suppress it, even so, this has already exceeded the range that my spiritual power can control." "And in this mighty, unknowable final ritual, filled with all sorts of pollution linked with the Abyss and other extraordinary deadly dangers." He understood everything. Countless questions, dense information constantly filled his eyes! In a sense, what Su Qifan saw, he knew all. "The final variable." "I can... only attribute it to the Pollution Power itself." Su Qi did not use his hands; he slowly spread his arms, the yellow robe clinging tightly to his body like a bone-deep tumor, the fierce wind whipping up instantaneously! Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Dust swirled around! Yellow Robed Priest... widened his eyes. This guy did not collapse directly! Divine Power was circulating within, and any mortal who contacted it... would be enough to make them fall apart in an instant, shattered! But at this moment, Su Qi could still speak; he said, "This shitty yellow robe actually doesn''t match my shoes." "...." The Yellow Robed Priest, who was at his last gasp and had given out all his remaining power, would have jumped up and punched this mortal if he could. Su Qi slowly tried to reach out his arm, but it was immensely heavy. His arm could not stop trembling. It was as if an endless, immense pressure was there, which came from the extraordinary superior beings... the untouchable and terrible oppression of a real Divine! The original true power of the Yellow Robed Priest was similar to that of a Spirit King. Although he was now on the brink of destruction, panting for survival, being able to use this Divine Artifact proved that this guy''s previous remaining power was also very terrifying. Countless black, bizarre figures erupted in the shadows! Pollution was boiling! The wild wind did not stop, wanting to blow the whole city into fragments like trash! "....return..." "....return...." "...sing... disaster..." Continuous whispers let Su Qi genuinely understand again the terrifying might of the Divine! He saw visions! Endless darkness enveloped him, the yellow robe wildly expanding until it reached the Sky Dome! Floating in mid-air! Countless dark shadows manifested! One side was the Abyss''s Polluted Sea! A large amount of foul black shadows wanted to devour Su Qi! One side was a bizarre pool of yellow robes! It twisted out countless colorful hues, with countless yellow robes appearing from all directions and numerous unsightly spiritual anomalies! "...." Su Qi could not speak, could not see, could not touch; in this terrifying scene, he was just a barely noticeable speck of light. Although it looked like he would be annihilated at any moment, But, this speck of light was still faintly twinkling in the endless waves. Because, he was complex. He was... Evil God''s good brother. Also, the owner of the Ancient God''s Heart, and the creditor of the Master of Destruction. In an instant... Spiritual Eyes opened! The Ancient God''s Heart thundered. On his body was an inexplicable... strange fluctuation, protecting him! All illusions, at this moment, shattered into pieces. Su Qi slowly opened his eyes, the yellow robe already dancing, the strange power making the Yellow Robed Priest tremble all over! "This mortal actually... really held up!?" Under the disbelieving stunned eyes of the Yellow Robed Priest! Su Qi slowly reached out his hand! The power of the yellow robe was being drawn out by him, the wild wind already burst forth! Countless distortions were surging! Then. Su Qi scratched his cheek. "Sorry, the wind was a bit strong just now, and my face was a bit itchy." "???" The expression on the Yellow Robed Priest''s face froze in shock, then with the remaining power, he roared, "Don''t waste time on meaningless things!" Su Qi stretched out his hand toward the Temple in the Sky Dome: "Isn''t it coming now..." The Temple''s projection and yellow robe drew out twisted auroras... a mighty power burst forth directly towards the ritual! Simultaneously. He could feel his life force and spiritual power being torn apart. Whether it was strength or the mighty aura, all came from this garment, from the Divine Power. Su Qi was merely the one driving it to burst... the user. Or the bearer. It was the same principle as the Evil God''s Eye, only that one had all its power sealed, gradually revealing it with Ascension. While the other possessed the prestige of the Divine, even using it could only exert a little bit of power. "There''s a saying, external forces are ultimately just that, relying on external forces, the power of others ultimately won''t get you far." Su Qi looked at the yellow robe: "Oh, I''m already wearing it, so no worries, it''s all my own power now." The Temple''s projection was still erupting! Ripples intensified! Hundreds of Seventh Rank monsters and Guardians had already stepped into the city! Roaring with fear, they frantically rushed toward the center! Su Qi''s face grew even paler. To use the forbidden power... indeed, mortals had to pay an unimaginable price, every second felt like collapsing everything about oneself. But Su Qi''s expression did not change. Because he had already seen the future. This moment! "Boom!" The Temple''s projection smashed the ritual! A vast vortex of Black Fog thundered, visible countless distortions inside transforming into wild currents bursting! Numerous players watched in amazement at the incredible ritual patterns in the Sky Dome! Chapter 248 - 187: Su Qi Will End Everything! _3 Countless Pollution Monsters were also fearfully screeching! The Yellow Robed Priest''s last bit of energy dissipated, and his hoarse throat could only muster three words, "Succeeded! " Only Su Qi looked at the dark red exclamation mark, the countdown might have stopped, but the Black Fog Vortex had not vanished; on the contrary, it was collapsing and emitting various kinds of strength, flying chaotically around everything. "The ritual is destroyed, but why... has the Black Fog Vortex not dissipated?" The Yellow Robed Priest said tremulously, "Mortal, it seems you understand nothing... The destruction pertained only to this world''s insignificant ritual, the true entity is so immense that you cannot fathom it. Once it erupts... it will devour countless Boundaries." Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "So you''re saying, I just looked really cool, but actually... I just plucked a leg hair from a tiger?" "....A peculiar metaphor, but that''s the truth. This leg hair''s destruction... has allowed us to survive." "...." Su Qi gazed at the Black Fog Vortex. Could it really be like this... Countless worlds were enveloped by the ritual... Every world was plunged into despair, into a doomed conclusion, and even those wanting to destroy it were obstructed by Pollution Monsters and followers, guarding beside it. And endless waves of Pollution Monsters would continue to converge. This was the first time. Su Qi felt the enormity and terror of the Abyss Power. Unimaginable...how dreadful the wars must have been in the true myths and epics, when the entire power of the Abyss surged forth. From within, he saw dark currents... very terrifying dark currents, as if they were about to sweep away everything, completely disrupting the Present World. In this light. Within the Present World, numerous organizations were racing to pledge allegiance, develop, and cling to anything, all preparing for what''s to come. "Evil God Bro, stop causing trouble, slow down." "Can you wait for your brother?" Su Qi let out a faint sigh, now he understood as well. "No wonder Paradise''s strength was affected, it turns out it was not because of a Divine garment but because of this immense ritual." The Temple''s projection had already dissipated. The entire world, although still plagued with the Black Fog Vortex''s devastation, was at least not headed towards an annihilated end. "What are you going to do?" The Yellow Robed Priest watched as Su Qi moved; by then the Temple''s projection had disappeared, and the power of the yellow robes no longer held a terrible oppressive force, reaching a point where Su Qi could barely fight. Su Qi: "Before my temporary card expires, I... will deal with the other monsters first." His figure vanished quickly. Yellow Robed Priest: "????" Why did it have a bad feeling that it wouldn''t be able to retrieve its things!!! And at this moment. The Tentacle Man was moving with the Ripples in the Star Chart, looking at the countless Chaos: "Although for unknown reasons I''ve been delayed, I''ve finally arrived." "This time... I''ve spent all my Spirit Coins, hoping to keep the Final Home alive." "After all... Pollution is intensifying, and various Pollution Monsters are emerging incessantly, though I don''t know why Seventh Rank monsters are gathering in that hazardous area..." "But... they could assault the Final Home at any moment." The Tentacle Man was deeply worried. It knew more than others about the horrors and fatalities within that old city... So it strictly forbade anyone from entering that area. And at that time. The Tentacle Man, looking at the Star Chart, finally saw his world twinkling faintly amidst the countless Chaos. "I''ve arrived!" Its face showed joy, and amid the fluctuations of the ritual, covered by the Twisted Ripples, it was slowly transported in. It had been away for a month. Finally back to... the home it longed for every day and night. Although this world was now covered with Pollution, thoroughly shattered, it could still feel the warmth of home, after all, the most important people and the organization it founded were there. And the next moment. The Tentacle Man''s body entered the Ripples, finally entering this world. "Huh?" It was slightly astonished because the familiar fog did not appear... and the just-past Ripples seemed a bit too forceful, entirely different from before. It opened its eyes a bit wider. Terrifying tempests in the sky, endless Black Fog Vortexes, the ground cracking on a large scale! Everything was riddled with holes! It was like the end of the world! The Tentacle Man''s initial joy froze on its face in an instant. Chapter 249 - 188: Instance Ends and... Unease Tentacle Man''s face was pallid as he frantically rushed on his way. Even though he was the creator and manager of Final Home, his mind was in complete disarray at this moment. "Do not let anything happen." "Please!" The survival of a little character was already hard enough, even with the backing of such an abnormal organization, they were merely struggling to survive, lingering in Chaotic City... He had witnessed too many terrifying powers and beings. He had carried all the hopes on his shoulders alone, barely brought them back, but now it had turned into this mess. Tentacle Man clenched his teeth and ran wildly. He was very fast; his tentacles could extend significantly, hooking onto various trees and rocks, leaping forward! Tentacle Man''s strength was already at the peak of the Seventh Rank, just one step away from stepping into the Seventh Rank, but the various resources and Spirit Coins he needed were now unaffordable, considering they equated to an entire year of output from Final Home. For the survival of Final Home, he had no choice but to give up on Ascension. "...Damn... all the Pollution Monsters around have disappeared, what on earth happened!" Tentacle Man gritted his teeth as he looked around, all the way here, he had seen a massive amount of shattered ground, terrifying cracks and a depressive grey formed by the swirling Black Fog in the Sky Dome. Although he had spent a large number of Spirit Coins, through the ritual of Chaotic City, he was sent back to his own world, but the landing point was still a long distance away from Final Home. Tentacle Man could only rely on the compass in his hands, directing him towards Final Home, getting closer steadily. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At this moment. The Black Fog vortex in the Sky Dome became calm, the mist thinning. Tentacle Man''s body trembled slightly, he paused, looking into the distance... a city. "This place is...." He was naturally very familiar with this place, it was once where he had lived, and it had also become a dangerous area that was later unapproachable. Tentacle Man''s heart tightened, what exactly was going on here. Why wasn''t there the terrifying aura of before, the surrounding mist and ripples seemed to have dissipated too. He cautiously walked towards... the city. The pervasive smell of blood caused Tentacle Man''s complexion to change slightly, turning extremely solemn, readying for battle, He had already seen numerous disordered Monster corpses and scattered flesh and blood. Something definite had happened here, and judging from the destruction level of this city, the force might be even more immense than imagined, with the Black Fog vortex positioned right in the center! As he gradually approached the city. The number of Monster corpses was also increasing. Finally. Tentacle Man reached the position of the central street, took a deep breath, and cautiously poked out his head. Then... He saw a large crowd, densely packed, at least tens of thousands of people, jubilantly transporting Pollution Monster corpses onto carts or carrying them on their backs, one after another being transported out. "..." Tentacle Man was somewhat stunned, being the manager of Final Home, he could naturally recognize at a glance, all these were abnormalities... and they were all Final Home''s abnormalities. Had they taken this place down? Damn! How could this be possible! He knew exactly what his people were capable of, this place was teeming with a large number of Seventh Rank Monsters. His figure flickered slightly, appearing at the edge of a deep pit. The crowd of abnormalities suddenly paused, and on seeing Tentacle Man''s figure, their expressions turned to shock and they hurriedly bowed respectfully, "Manager, sir!" "You''re back!" Tentacle Man asked in a grave voice, "What exactly is going on, why are you all here?" An abnormality carefully said, "There was a task issued at... Last House, requiring everyone to come here and transport these Pollution Monster corpses to the homeland." "Is it the Guardian?" "No, it was a strange young man, he planned the route, arranged the tasks, and even stipulated new expansion areas to be constructed, and it seemed like the Guardians were all following his commands..." The abnormality spilled everything it had seen and heard. "Manager, sir, he also said he wants to lead our Final Home to grow bigger and stronger..." Tentacle Man listened dumbfoundedly, his forehead inadvertently popping up a "?" He had only been gone for a month. How had his home been stolen? ----------------- "Mortal..." The Yellow Robed Priest now no longer had a body, its physical body was already eroding, barely maintaining a trace of Spiritual Body, so... it could only attach to Su Qi. "Although I am grateful that you not only disrupted the ritual at the last moment but also saved my life." "But... the Divine Artifact within contains depths you can''t fathom." Su Qi looked at the ring on his finger: "Priest, I know you are anxious, but don''t worry, you''re now just a weak Spiritual Body, you can''t use this item now, let me keep it for the time being." The Yellow Robed Priest: "..." "Moreover, don''t you still need my help?" Su Qi looked at the Yellow Robed Priest, "This is... beneficial cooperation for both of us." The Yellow Robed Priest remained silent, it couldn''t see through this mortal who not only could concentrate Pollution within his body, activate Divine Artifacts... but also wanted to engage in deep trade with it, having lived for many years, yet it was restrained everywhere, unable to gain any advantage. Their cooperation was simple. The Yellow Robed Priest wanted to return to the Temple, repair its Spiritual Body, and recover. While Su Qi needed its various information including high-value items like rituals. The rituals of Final Home. In the eyes of the Yellow Robed Priest, were rated as... complete trash, trash among trash. But even such Quality still cost Tentacle Man a great price to acquire. Chapter 250 - 188: Instance Ends and... Unease_2 "I understand..." The Yellow Robed Priest sighed softly, "In any case, we are indeed bound together now. If you die, I naturally cannot escape either. Next, I will guide you to the Temple and can also offer advice when we encounter danger..." "No rush." Su Qi gently pushed the door open and entered the Last House, calling into the darkness, "Little Ah Ling." The next moment, the scene before his eyes changed, and the doll-like body of Little Ah Ling appeared in his sight. She displayed a stiff smile. Although it looked scary, it was actually a genuine expression of happiness, as her voice came through, "Brother Su, you''re back." "People from the Final Home dragged back many corpses of Pollution Monsters. You and your companions are amazing." Su Qi patted her head and smiled, "Where are those companions of mine?" "They''re off completing quests everywhere. They really are... benefactors of the Final Home. Not only did they kill so many monsters, but now they''re not even resting." "No problem, let them be busy." After the ceremony in the Black Fog Vortex was disrupted, the Paradise System appeared again. Due to the disruption midway, the system now seemed somewhat different. Entirely different from the tone before. [All players... pay attention...] [Due to unforeseen circumstances in this instance, we are collecting related data] [The final main mission, Audience, awaits its commencement] [Players who have not obtained the right to an audience will be removed from the instance. Their overall performance will be evaluated, and they will receive ranked battle rewards.] After the Paradise System information appeared, the instance was essentially declared over, and similarly, the journey of ranked battles for 99.99% of the players had also reached its endpoint. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the so-called audience to announce the final qualifications. At this moment, players were frantically completing quests, firstly, to seize every moment to improve their ranked battle performance, and secondly... to earn Spirit Coins, as many people realized they probably did not have the so-called qualification for an audience. So before entering Paradise, they wanted to earn whatever they could. However, eventually, all these things would flow into the Final Home, and now the Final Home''s say was all with Su Qi. Su Qi sat down next to Little Ah Ling, "Priest Brother, what do you think...." The Yellow Robed Priest was taken aback, "Think what..." "Wait." He looked at Little Ah Ling, "There''s something... off about her." "What''s off about her?" "Her Spiritual Body is incomplete, and this... this body..." the Yellow Robed Priest said in astonishment, "How is she still alive!" "? Explain more specifically." "My Spiritual Body, although it''s nearly worn away, is intact, while she has less than one-tenth of hers." Su Qi pondered, "One-tenth... what does that represent?" "The Present World... a body of loathing." The Yellow Robed Priest uttered these words: "It seems she died before. This kind of loss of the Spiritual Body can only occur in the dead." "An existence yanked back from the Death Dimension will be loathed by the Present World. Her Life Force will drain very quickly. This body is clearly patched together, already nearly rotting." Su Qi said, "I understand the reasoning, but... is there a solution? What if I replaced her body with a Prosthetic?" "...A Prosthetic?" "Neuron-connected high polymer active mechanical electronic products." The Yellow Robed Priest: "...I think I''ve heard of it." Su Qi paused slightly: "Aren''t you an old crony of a few thousand years? Even you have heard of this?" The Yellow Robed Priest: "..." "Old doesn''t mean technologically backward... Someone has reached the position of extraordinary Divine in the realm of technology." "However," the Yellow Robed Priest, though already transformed into a mark on a ring, seemed to still subtly shake, as if shaking his head: "...Even with the so-called Prosthetic, it would not solve the problem." "The Death Dimension... is an untouchable taboo! Not even Divine beings... dare to meddle! The rule is the life and death of all things!" "Even with a mechanical body, under this rule, Life Force would fade, rust, decay, and turn into scrap metal." The Death Dimension... Another new piece of information. Su Qi''s current understanding of everything was not extensive. The Abyss and the Present World... already made up the macroscopic world map. But in reality, within countless epics, there must be vast and turbulent various mysteries still waiting for Su Qi to unearth. And... could the power of Paradise be related to this Death Dimension? "Alright, I understand. The Death Dimension may be taboo, and Divine beings may not dare to meddle, but not daring... and being unable is not the same thing," Su Qi mused. "It seems only a being like a Divine could have the ability to solve this completely." "???" The Yellow Robed Priest said, "Who gave you the courage to say this as easily as if you were talking about eating and drinking? Not to mention, how could a mere mortal like you get a Divine to deal with a taboo?" "The divine entities... are all in slumber, you lack the qualifications to reach them." "It''s not a big deal." Su Qi looked at Little Ah Ling: "Ah Ling, do you trust your Brother Su?" "I do!" Little Ah Ling nodded her head. "Next, I''ll help you exchange for a new body..." Little Ah Ling''s eyes were somewhat vacant: "...A new body?" "Yes, although it can''t completely solve your problem, at least you won''t suffer as much as you do now with this uncomfortable, painful, and stiff body, and you''ll look no different from a normal person." Changing to a prosthetic body would surely be more convenient and simpler than patching together monster flesh. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Of course, I''m also asking for your opinion, and the new body will be the mechanical body that every child loves and dreams about," Su Qi said, his words filled with temptation. Little Ah Ling, surprisingly unmoved, muttered: "Brother Su... I... prefer dolls..." "Heretic." "..." However, even though Little Ah Ling was a child, she was mature for her age and decided not to take Su Qi''s words to heart. After some thought, she lifted her head resolutely, her stitched, bleeding cloth fists clenched: "If I can be like a normal person... Brother Su, I''m willing!" Su Qi pinched her cheek: "Alright then, leave the rest to me." At such a young age... the pain she endured was unimaginable to most, Tentacle Man was a father who deeply loved his daughter, but he was also selfish, even though he had given his all. "Of course, Brother Priest, you''ll have to assist, keep an eye on things for me." Yellow Robed Priest: "..." After all, this was Su Qi''s first time doing something like this; it wasn''t as simple as the folks from Night City make it seem, changing a prosthetic body as if it were a dental brace. But different versions have different strengths. Su Qi also needed to approach with caution. And in a sense, this instance was already at its end; while waiting for the so-called audience, it was also good to do something kind, to give Tentacle Man a surprise. To make him and Final Home feel more... touched when they join The Hustlers Sect. ----------------- At the same time. In the vast Star River. Someone slowly said: "It''s coming." "The Anxious Land, which has been silent for so long, the Temple of Ten Thousand Realms Audience... finally, the day of opening is approaching." "Chaos Commerce..." "Gate of Formlessness..." "Divine Machinery Kingdom..." "Wanling Conference..." "All the super forces of each Present World... have set forth... heading towards the Anxious Land." "They wish to witness the birth of a supernova of the new era." "The Seven Spirit Kings... huh..." "Their heirs are also involved; naturally, they will mobilize, to intimidate and protect, but after all, as the heirs of the Spirit Kings, few would dare to entertain the thought." This person snickered: "Who knows." He caressed the Totem stained with Black Fog on his body: "Countless worlds swallowed, dark currents surging madly, space at the end of the sequence is limited, some people do not permit the new era to make its entrance, and there are certainly... dangerous entities, preying on these potential newcomers." "Let''s wait and see then, the ultimate node of the new era... to see what will happen." Meanwhile, in Paradise... Zone 9, Free City, First Sequence, is also en route to the Anxious Land. A middle-aged man''s form is hidden within the Chaos Ripples, surrounded by individuals exuding terrifying auras, all representing the pinnacle of power in Paradise. "The largest scale, the longest silence... the moment of the Last Temple''s opening." "Out of all the promising newcomers, who will seize this final opportunity." Someone softly said: "The nurturing, the resources poured in, the Potential Users born are far more numerous than before." "And this time, we have but one goal." "And that is... to protect all players qualified for the audience, all players who gain recognition from the Temple, from the countless covetous and terrible forces, to ensure they leave unharmed." "We''ve laid the groundwork for so long, and finally, the time has come." The middle-aged man softly said. Whether it was persuading various forces, contacting the Sunset Spirit King, or finding the Traveling Merchant, it was all for this critical moment. At the same time. In the Present World... every world was suddenly illuminated by endless auroras. Someone looked into the Chaos in the distance... the radiance spreading across the entire Present World, speaking slowly, softly: "The Day of Audience." "Is upon us." Chapter 251 - 189 Audience Begins!! At this moment, many abnormalities were excitedly transporting a large number of monsters back to the Final Home. Tentacle Man, looking at the huge, plentiful Pollution Monster corpses, fell into a deep silence. Along the way, Tentacle Man had also learned about a series of events that had occurred over these days. "A group of people suddenly appeared... under the leadership of a young man, they desperately completed tasks, exterminating all Pollution Monsters, and made outstanding contributions to the Final Home..." An abnormality smiled, "Manager, they are all very good people." "....." Tentacle Man remained silent, he understood... the real focus was this young man. Who was he? Why was he doing this? To figure this out, Tentacle Man looked toward the distant, familiar Final Home, finally having arrived. Although the journey was rough, at least everything here seemed safe. "It''s the Manager!" "You''re back!" "Welcome home, Manager!" The eyes of many abnormalities lit up, each face showing expressions of respect and joy. Tentacle Man also nodded lightly: "This time... I''ve brought back quite a few things that can help our Final Home survive, I will arrange and explain them shortly." "But... what''s most important now is..." When Tentacle Man reached the outside of the Last House, he silently looked at the closed door, then reached out to push the door and entered. He needed to deal with his daughter''s situation first. Just now, he had quietly collected some highly active flesh from among the many aberration corpses, and now, a month on, his daughter''s body should be changed... "Daughter..." "I''m back..." But the dark hallway didn''t produce any light, and there was no response from his daughter as in days past. Tentacle Man''s heart suddenly tightened. "Ah Ling? Are you there?" "Ah Ling!" His voice grew louder and more frantic. Outside, he was a revered, calm Manager, but when it came to his daughter, he would become utterly disordered. "Ah Ling is already dead..." A floating voice gently rang out. Tentacle Man stiffened, suddenly looking into the darkness, but he could see nothing. His voice trembled, "Who are you, what are you saying!" "I said, Ah Ling is already dead." The calm voice enraged Tentacle Man, who suddenly roared, "Bullshit!" His tentacles burst out with terrifying strength, surpassing that of the Seventh Rank monsters he had encountered before, and directly slammed towards the source of the voice! But only the sound of a wall shattering was heard, and he didn''t hit anyone. That voice then slowly appeared from another direction: "The body built from monster flesh has turned her into a monster that dares not leave the darkness, suffering both physically and mentally every second." "If this is not death, what is it?" Tentacle Man''s body trembled, yet his eyes reddened, "I see, you''re... the outsider they talked about, the leader of that group. But whatever you have done, I just want to tell you, Ah Ling is none of your business! It has nothing to do with you, give her back to me!" "Is that so?" That voice sighed softly: "I''m sorry, it actually does matter." Footsteps slowly echoed. Tentacle Man''s body suddenly shook; he stared in disbelief at the person in front of him. "I remember you promised to let go, promised to let her rest... you promised to let go." A shadow appeared in the dim light, moving closer while softly speaking: "But now it has turned into this situation, your so-called redemption, fatherly love, is nothing but selfish, dark pity." Tentacle Man''s body shook. ...No one in this world could accuse him, curse his selfishness, and he could ignore them all. But the person in front of him, he could not refute. Because. Whether it''s the Abnormal Organization... or the revival of his own daughter, all hope stemmed from the person before him. "Su Buxian..." Tentacle Man trembled as he uttered the three words, his face pale, a mix of joy from meeting an old friend yet also filled with guilt and various complex emotions. "Why is it you..." Su Qi silently watched him. The Tentacle Man before him, compared to two years ago, had lost the literacy temperament and gained a heaviness, mixed with a sense of burden. "So... you''ve been behind everything..." Tentacle Man said in a complex tone. Whether it was various mission orders in the Final Home or the transportation of Polluted Monster corpses, nothing would have been so easily achieved without his daughter''s orders. If it was the person before him, then he understood. The intent to battle turned into a weak, humble posture. Tentacle Man had slowly knelt on the ground, his head drooping. "What, you... want to wipe the floor?" Su Qi said softly. "I know..." Tentacle Man''s voice trembled slightly, "...it''s all my fault now, I''m obstinate, selfish, unable to let go." "Whatever I need to pay, even if it''s my life, I will give it to you!" "But now I want to see my daughter, see Ah Ling..." "Please..." Su Qi looked at him. This guy indeed hadn''t changed, just as before, it was because of his daughter that the two had fully cooperated. Now it seemed the same scenario had occurred. "It''s somewhat familiar to see you kneeling." "But sorry, I now... can''t let your daughter meet with you." Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 252 - 189 Audience Begins!!_2 Tentacle Man''s complexion changed slightly, his voice urgent, "But Little Ah Ling''s condition has already reached a decaying stage, if we don''t carry out the surgery to replace it soon, she will really die." Su Qi replied, "Don''t panic, I said no audience now, it''s not a matter of life and death separation." "After all..." Su Qi paused, "At this very moment, Little Ah Ling is still charging and adapting to her new body..." Tentacle Man suddenly widened his eyes, "Ah Ling is fine?" "And..." He stammered, "There''s also a new... new body?" Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "In five minutes, go see her in your research lab yourself. Of course, I''ll give you a heads-up not to get too happy too soon." Su Qi spoke gently. But Tentacle Man couldn''t wait even five minutes and immediately rushed excitedly toward the research lab. Su Qi watched his departing figure, mumbling to himself: "Sect Hierarch, what I just lectured him about was quite good, remember to jot it down and include it in the epic biography of The Hustlers Sect." "?" Yellow Robed Priest: "What the hell does a mortal like you need an epic biography for, and you''re even ordering me to do such a thing! I''m a Priest!" Su Qi paused, "Hmm? Isn''t a Priest supposed to be a record keeper?" "..." Being under someone''s roof meant enduring occasional nagging. It felt its Spiritual Body would be stimulated weaker sooner or later. It sighed lightly, "Let''s not talk about these pointless things, that abnormality has potential..." "Who? Tentacle Man?" "Right... Both his inherent sequence and what I''ve seen in the research lab, he possesses great talent." "How about compared to me?" Su Qi asked curiously. "You..." the Yellow Robed Priest hesitated, giving it serious thought, "Hard to say, since you come from that place called Paradise, everything is an unknown, just like before, all were mortals yet some were extraordinary." The Yellow Robed Priest was being cryptic. It seemed reluctant to mention past events, and this fellow also had valuable insights; although under the roof, it didn''t want to casually reveal them to himself. However. Su Qi did obtain some significant information. That was... in the era before, there were quite a few dangerous, powerful Divine beings related to its power. Next. The situation also became straightforward. Upon seeing the prosthetic body, Tentacle Man cried tears of joy seeing Little Ah Ling who had become a normal person, although he learned that the issue of her Life Force draining hadn''t been solved yet, the current situation was indeed a hundred times better than before. And the players, at that moment, also stopped their actions. Because... System messages slowly appeared before everyone''s eyes. [Attention all players, the ranking battle elimination round has ended] [Currently judging and settling all players in the current instance] [Players ranked 1000-5000 in each district will receive the Potential Award, 100-999 will receive the Sequence Award, 10-99 will receive the Destiny Award, and the top 10 will be graded according to their ranks... lavish rewards at different levels] [Note: Apart from the above winners, all players participating in the ranking battle will receive a Ranking Battle Gift Package] The players were slightly startled. Now. Did it mean the majority of the ranking battles had ended? After all, rewards were already being discussed. Moreover, this was the first time... even while players were still in the instance, settlements had already begun. Subsequently. New content popped up. [Attention: Audience qualifications will now be confirmed] [Audience qualifications... each district will be judged based on the overall performance of all players, without the restriction of division standards, the number of people between districts may vary] Su Qi noted this. His gaze paused slightly, "It means Paradise has set a general standard, which is fair but could mean fewer people from weaker districts qualifying for an audience, while stronger districts naturally have more people meeting this standard." The next moment. Su Qi watched as another message popped up. [Congratulations Player 985211, Su Buxian, on gaining audience qualifications] [Please note, when the Temple opens, only the chosen new era Potential Users will qualify to enter the Anxious Land for the audience] [This is an opportunity countless lives dream of, as well as a chance to catch a breath amid endless tumults. All players who have gained audience qualifications please take note, proceed with caution and full commitment!] "The message is quite explicit, Anxious Land... audience..." Su Qi glanced over it, Anxious Land wasn''t a new term. Previously, An Xinghe, Young Master Youhai, and Young Master Ash had mentioned it, their ultimate destination being Anxious Land as well. "To put it simply, this is like a present worldly unified exam, the exam ends... and the interview stage begins." Although they were of the younger generation and heirs of the Spirit Prince, they greatly valued the Anxious Land and considered the information they had received from the Yellow Robed Priest. Su Qi had known this all along. "The players seem to have already started teleporting away, I don''t know how many will qualify in the Fantasy District, but let''s take this time to get things organized here first." Su Qi hadn''t received his ranking award yet; it seemed to be stuck, but it wasn''t the first time, and he didn''t mind. "Tentacle Man, stop doing backflips with your daughter and come here." Tentacle Man reluctantly halted, giving his smiling daughter a few instructions before hurrying over. "What are my orders!?" "?" Su Qi gave him a look, "Is that something you, as the manager, should be asking, really thinking I''m the leader of the Final Home?" Tentacle Man: "....." "Otherwise?" He had already decided to follow this young man who always managed to work miracles after seeing how much the Final Home had changed under his command and considering the significant favors he owed. "Then I''ll reluctantly accept." Su Qi sighed. Yellow Robed Priest: "..." It had more or less figured out this man''s shameless demeanor. "Anyway, even though the hazardous areas nearby in this polluted world have been neutralized, the breakdown hasn''t been resolved, new Pollution Monsters will keep being born, and Black Fog whirlpools will create various disturbances, bringing in many people from other worlds." "So now we will officially start restructuring, transforming, and providing your organization''s directives." Previously, Su Qi, using the Dark Attribute power of the Yellow Robe, had slain several Guardiansit was the limit he could muster at the time. And following the shattered ritual, the remaining monsters of the Seventh Rank went on a rampage and fled. That''s the nature of the polluted world. Not only are they unending, but Pollution Monsters also kill each other like nurturing gu in a cycle of ascension, eventually giving rise to all kinds of terrifying creatures. In such situations, one can only better oneself. Next, time was tight, tasks were heavy. The ritual of the Final Home... had been transformed under the guidance of the Yellow Robed Priest. As for those items Tentacle Man had exchanged from Chaotic City, although the priest deemed them trash... they were all he could rely on to maximize their use currently. Final Home had now become a subordinate abnormal organization of The Hustlers. So, not only did they need to survive, they also needed a clear path to become stronger and advance. However, the timing was too rushed, there hadn''t been time to explain... Suddenly, the sky in the Sky Dome changed.... "What happened?" Tentacle Man startled, looked up at the sky, where ripples like the aurora seemed to transcend everything and radiate into countless worlds of the present. And the emanating aura even caused countless people to tremble, involuntarily feeling a sense of submission, with many prostrating and shouting about a miracle. "It''s started..." the Yellow Robed Priest observed the scene: "Mortal, are you sure you can enter using the power of Paradise without my method?" Its method was simple, besides being chosen... it implied other options like instigating the Yellow Robe to connect with the Temple, or using well-connected contacts to create a passage to the outskirts of Anxious Land. "Preist bro, it seems you don''t have much faith in me." "..." At this moment, the aurora''s ripples... a grand aura swept in! Anxious Land unfolded, countless people gazed at the scene, and at the same time, it was as if a pair of eyes that could see fate were also searching from the present world for those who were qualified enough. The aurora''s blazing Descent! Su Qi watched this scene; in this instance... it seemed that aside from him, no other players had attained the qualification for an Audience. Shit. Was the Fantasy District that weak? No wonder blowing up fish felt so good. And then, Tentacle Man suddenly muttered, "...that...." He seemed almost on the verge of tears: "I think I was also hit by the light." Chapter 253 - 189: A New Strange Instance! Su Qi hadn''t expected the Yellow Robed Priest to hit the nail on the head with a single phrase. Indeed. With his high discernment, he believed that Tentacle Man had potential, talent, and naturally, he couldn''t simply be compared to ordinary abnormalities. However, it was apparent that the Yellow Robed Priest himself was quite puzzled. "How has he also been chosen?" "..." Su Qi said, "If you hadn''t said that, I would have praised you for your accurate judgment of character." The Yellow Robed Priest paused, then softly added, "That''s because you don''t know what Anxious Land truly is." "...Initially, the Divine built a massive Temple together to collectively confront a place called the Abyss." Su Qi''s expression shifted slightly. The Yellow Robed Priest noticed Su Qi''s expression: "You don''t know about the Abyss?" "That''s right, as a mortal, you might find those two words too distant, it''s the source of all Pollution, a place of terror, danger, and deadly peril." Su Qi didn''t contradict him, continuing to listen to the Yellow Robed Priest. "And the Gods Palace is used to select... those new generations with potential to enter, to become followers of a Divine, and to be nurtured, even possibly receiving their legacy." The Yellow Robed Priest looked toward the auroras in the Sky Dome: "The Eye of Destiny oversees the Present World, gathering the power of all the Divines, capable of observing everything. The ones chosen by it, surely possess something extraordinary compared to ordinary humans in the Present World." After he said this. Su Qi then understood, Tentacle Man managed to crawl through hardships within two years, creating Final Home; his research abilities, organizational skills, and growth were all parts of why he was chosen. At this very moment. Tentacle Man became panicky, quickly turning to Su Qi: "What should we do? I feel like my body is being pulled by some kind of force... Am I going to be transported away too?" "That''s the way it seems, it looks like... the construction and modification of the Final Home will have to be handed over to..." Su Qi turned to look at the dazed Ah Ling. "Ah Ling, it''s up to you now." "I''ve left the Super Dream Protocol subsystem in your system, just follow the instructions." Tentacle Man, feeling he was about to leave, hurriedly said: "Ah Ling... wait for me to return..." Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But before he could finish. Both he and Su Qi were swept up into the aurora and vanished! Little Ah Ling dazedly said, "Dad and Brother Su have become light!" Meanwhile. In countless other worlds... others were also bathed in the aurora. Various kinds of Life had been chosen. Some were still at the Mount Tai Altar... gazing at the stars in wonder. Some were clad in black War Armor, resisting the invasion of a giant beast. Of course, many of the Life forms bathed in the aurora were engaged in much more everyday activities. A certain detective in an apartment was playing the violin. A certain street artist was painting with the last of his paints. A certain famous singer was lip-synching at a concert. The Eye of Destiny overlooking the Present World, all those chosen possessed something special, including... Ordinary humans, many of them, among countless sequences, have at least one with a high degree of compatibility. Apart from the sequences that could be advanced by Strength and combat, there were also many special talents. Just like the above, reasoning, painting, acting, etc... could all endow a sequence with extraordinary power. "The Gods Palace has opened..." Someone softly said: "The selected beings of Life... have finally entered." "The old age is still asleep, and the new age is about to be born from it." "Who knows if the past Divines foresaw that today... the force of the Abyss is gnawing away at everything, more ferocious than before, and on a larger scale." Some people looked into the distance. All beings of high status seemed to silently await in the Chaos. "After all... when one has witnessed terror, they too shall bow before it." ----------------- Not sure if it was an illusion. Su Qi always felt that being engulfed by the aurora and being shrouded in Darkness in Personal Space... felt the same. His consciousness slowly started to return. Opening his eyes. Su Qi was slightly stunned: "What the...?" He saw... he was sitting in a chair in a dimly lit room. The faint lights around were flickering. The air was permeated with the smell of disinfectant. The furnishings in the room... looked more like an office or a rest area. Until. Su Qi saw a white lab coat with blue and white stripes hanging in the distance, boldly marked with [Ninth Comprehensive Hospital]. He then realized. "So, it''s a hospital." Su Qi pondered as he surveyed his surroundings. "Then... from all the signs...." "I''ve deduced an important conclusion." "This is not the so-called Gods Palace." And Su Qi looked at himself; he was dressed in ordinary casual wear, and at the moment his body was just that of an Ordinary person, Spiritual Energy, Strength seemed to have disappeared. The Paradise system hadn''t popped up any messages. The Night Demon Gene was not active either. The ring on his finger had also vanished, and with it, the Yellow Robed Priest, disappearing without a trace, nothing responded. "Everything''s gone?" Su Qi''s eyebrows raised slightly as he looked toward the lab coat. Even though everything had disappeared, the question marks kept faithfully following him. Su Qi walked over and found something in the lab coat. First was a record book. The cover displayed [Hospital Patient Observation Diary]. He flipped through the notes. [This is a diary I, as the chief physician, have written to observe the patients'' conditions.] [The patient in room 1 suffers from severe lung disease, coughing violently every night. Even after changing to soundproofed doors, the cough often carries into the corridor.] [Fortunately, the patient in room 2 is an elderly man with poor hearing suffering from severe dementia... He has been admitted for a long time, with no children coming to visit, and has always been cared for by hospital workers.] Chapter 254 - 189: A New Strange Instance!_2 [Room 3 housed a little boy who loved to draw, but the things he drew were quite frightening. Some people saw that his room''s walls were covered in red at night, but by the next day, it would disappear, likely an illusion.] [Room 5....] Su Qi paused slightly. How did it jump directly to room 5? He looked closely; there seemed to be no record of room 4. That''s not right. The pages seemed to have traces of being torn out. Su Qi silently noted down the details of room 4 and continued reading. [Room 5... houses a highly educated patient with a mental disorder. His knowledge is extensive, often saying strange things and exhibiting bizarre behaviors. After interacting with him, I distinctly feel the fatigue on a mental level!] "It seems that the patient in room 5 has put a great deal of pressure on the attending doctor, resentment can be felt between the lines." [These are all the rooms on the top floor, all of which were under my care... as Doctor Doli.] Su Qi read the recorded text: "It seems this is the private ward on the top floor... just five rooms." And there was one last sentence in the journal. [Hey! New intern assistant! I have to leave today. Although it''s your first day here, I''m leaving today''s procedures in your hands!... Of course, if you have any questions, just ask the caretaker, though that guy might be a bit peculiar. But remember, you are now the attending doctor, he can''t afford any delay in patient care.] Su Qi nodded. It looked like the new intern assistant was himself.... Alright, alright, alright. How accurately you''ve seen me, how did you know I am a generation of divine doctor, especially good at treating diseases. Although... I''m not clear why I am here rather than the so-called Anxious Land or the Gods Palace, but since I''m here, I might as well make the ticket money worthwhile. Su Qi held the journal in his hand and then donned a white lab coat. Inside the white lab coat... in addition to the journal, there was a room card and a stethoscope, the room card would allow him to enter other patient rooms. As he hung the stethoscope around his neck. The door outside was suddenly pushed open forcefully, a figure in light-colored uniform entered, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, who after looking at Su Qi for a few seconds. He didn''t seem surprised by the arrival of a new assistant, though they hadn''t met before. The caretaker said gravely, "New intern assistant, what are you sitting around here for? It''s time to make rounds." Su Qi didn''t move, "No rush, I have checked their conditions; they won''t die anytime soon." Caretaker: "?" Su Qi closed the journal: "As the new assistant on the first day, I really don''t know any of the procedures yet, could you please explain them in detail?" No procedures were written in the journal. Although unaware of what exactly this hospital''s situation was, Su Qi felt it was probably fraught with dangers. Take the current room, for instance. Though empty, it seemed all the information was in this white lab coat, but in reality... the strong smell of disinfectant, and the windowless walls bore various traces. And the last sentence written in the journal, it seemed to have been written a long while ago. In other words. That meant the patients, and instructions were never changed, but only the assistants were frequently replaced. "How did I ever interview to get here," mused Su Qi. And more importantly. The caretaker before him, dressed in cleaning overalls with black boots, held a mop in hand, the splattered liquid unclear, but the question mark told Su Qi. That it was traces of blood. Yet at this moment the caretaker was not cooperative, his voice hoarse, "I... can tell you, but at the same time, I need you to do something." Su Qi, however, didn''t immediately agree and said puzzledly, "But Doctor Doli instructed that now as the attending physician, I have the right to know all the procedures without needing additional tasks." "...." The caretaker also faced Su Qi, "If you want to know everything..." Su Qi looked at him. This person before him seemed to have vast information, so far he hadn''t brushed up any questions related to the procedures, but rather... [He just finished cleaning the lower floors of the hospital.] [He dislikes sunlight.] [He seems to have a low opinion of you.] I''m just an intern, what have I done to offend you? "Okay, then tell me what it is you need my help with." The orderly gently began, "It''s a simple task, just help me clean these items and put them back in the storage room." He pointed at his mop. "I''m tired now, I want to go back to the rest area and take a break." Su Qi naturally knew that there must be danger involved, as anything worth getting comes at a cost. He smiled, "Okay, I agree..." The orderly in front of him obviously wasn''t dealing with a new intern assistant for the first time; his words were like those of an NPC, carrying a numb emotion. The orderly nodded calmly, "Then I''ll now tell you the process; you''d better listen carefully." "You need to check on five rooms, then probe their illnesses for today and, based on the conditions, get the relevant medications from the pharmacy on the first floor, and then find me... I will examine them and administer the medication." "Also, pay attention to three things," the orderly looked at Su Qi. "Do not tamper with hazardous items in the wards, do not mess up the medications... and also... do not linger too long outside this floor." Su Qi paused, "...Your cautions are very useful." It was as if nothing had been said. Aren''t these all common sense? It also didn''t say how long is considered too long. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Storage room?" Su Qi asked. The orderly calmly looked at Su Qi, "On the second floor... find it yourself, I''m already too tired to talk anymore." He placed the mop by the door, then opened the opposite door and walked in. It seemed his resting room was right across. Su Qi watched silently as the door gently closed, bringing with it a squeaky, grating noise, but it wasn''t noisy; it seemed to also be mindful of not disturbing other patients in the ward. For a moment, the entire office and the corridor fell into silence. "It seems, this hospital now... is no longer managing to make ends meet, all the processes damned piled on one person." "I can also understand why that guy named Doli ran away..." He picked up the mop, looked at itit clearly had bloodstains, although washed, it wasn''t very clean. Su Qi was not in a hurry... he put it back. Now, the most important thing was to check the rooms. Su Qi walked into the hallway. The corridor was a straight long path, without any windows, just as he had imagined. The only light source was a small lamp in the middle of the corridor. "This kind of hospital, damned, uses a card to open the door." After not seeing any other information in the office, Su Qi took the card and put on a stethoscope. "Doctor Buxian, ready to make the rounds." He walked about ten steps and reached Room One. Generally, hospital room doors have a transparent glass space for observation, allowing doctors or nurses to know the condition of the patients inside without entering. But, the glass on the door was covered with layer upon layer of newspapers, completely obscuring any view inside. And... although the door was tightly sealed, Su Qi could still hear the intense, continuous coughing from inside, as if trying to cough up the lungs entirely, very painful and quite ridiculous. "...This intensity, like an engine." "It seems... all these patients in the wards are extremely ill." Su Qi took the room card, gently touched it to the door lock. "Fortunately, I am a professional attending physician." He pushed open the loose door with a smile, "Hello, the great Doctor Buxian, here to make the rounds." Chapter 255 - 190: Five... Divine! In room number one... a dimly lit space, a man with a gloomy complexion was coughing madly, his eyes rimmed dark as if lined with eyeliner. As if he hadn''t slept well. "Cough cough cough cough... cough!" The violent coughing sounds... shook Su Qi''s ears even more. At the same time, Su Qi understood even more profoundly how severe the coughing was because with each cough... black blood kept spurting from his mouth. "Puh! Cough cough! Puh!" Talk about being rhythmic. Even though he was coughing like that, he still raised his gloomy eyes, "New here, aren''t you supposed to... examine me?" Su Qi looked at the fresh blood coughed up from his mouth. Was there even a need for an examination? His gaze flashed slightly. The black blood dripped onto the floor, seeping through the cracks and not remaining in the room. Su Qi silently looked at his name tag. It displayed two characters: "Black Fog" He smiled: Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Of course, I''ll come and examine you right now." Su Qi stepped forward and picked up the stethoscope. This kind of thing... originating from the Abyss, the first time he encountered it, was at the Master of Destruction''s lair, where massive amounts of Black Fog swirled thickly, trapping the Master within. And now. It had appeared again. Combining Anxious Land... Gods Palace... suddenly transported to such a strange place. Su Qi had a rough idea of this man''s identity. The moment the stethoscope touched the man''s chest. Su Qi distinctly felt... a strange low hum in his ears, his head fuzzed out for a moment, and all the scenes in front of him seemed to shift and reverse. The final scene. Landed on a dim little cabinet, a box with a strange pattern on the medicine box. It was just for a second. Su Qi''s eyes cleared, and everything returned to normal. And the man in front of him... his gloomy eyes lifted slightly. "Do you know the medicine that can cure me? Cough cough cough..." He suddenly coughed violently, spraying a pool of black blood, but Su Qi deftly dodged it. Su Qi held the stethoscope in his hand, looking through his open clothes at the hollow, bloodied chest. He pretended not to see it and simply smiled gently: "Don''t worry, my patient, I already have a general understanding of your condition... it''s due to excessive kidney deficiency, ah no... it''s slight cough and oral ulcers. Let me check the rest of the rooms first, then I''ll attend to your issue." The gloomy man coughing up blood: "....." Su Qi left room number one and then sequentially entered rooms two and three. The old man in room two... his white hair was vast... almost reaching the bedside, coupled with his thick white beard and tall nose bridge, he quite resembled a great magician with the surname Deng, except his eyes were lifeless, and he didn''t move at all. "Old man?" Su Qi waved his hand, the other''s eyeballs didn''t even move. "Old man, say something." "I''m your old friend Su Buxian!" "Do you know Su Buxian?" The other simply gave Su Qi a blank look, and his pupils slowly diffused back. Su Qi kept his hands in the pockets of his white coat, not rushing to use the stethoscope, but began to move his hands: "Old man, unlike Doli''s Western medicine approach I follow the traditional route, which is all about observation, hearing, questioning, and palpation." The old man didn''t react to his movements. Su Qi slightly relaxed. Soon. Su Qi found a black nail behind his heavily haired head, dripping with black blood drop by drop to the floor, which also seeped through the cracks. "Good grief." "That depth... it''s not called senile dementia anymore... but rather brain deficiency syndrome." Su Qi shook his head and sighed, "Looks like Doctor Doli''s license must have been purchased from a salted fish, quite unqualified." He placed the stethoscope on the old man''s head. The next moment. He again saw a scene... a box containing another differently patterned medicine box. As for why... such a nearly deadly injury needed medication. Su Qi wasn''t surprised. Instead, he patted the old man on the shoulder, "Old man, stay here, I have to go." Room three had a boy. He appeared to be only seven or eight years old, but as soon as Su Qi stepped in, he knew what was wrong. His eyes had been cruelly gouged out, with black blood continuously flowing from them. The little boy was calmly holding a pen, soaked with that black blood, drawing and writing on a drawing board. Su Qi took a glance. They were all kinds of myths, demons, and other strange creatures, each looking as if it might leap to life; however, the black blood slowly disappeared from the drawing board, leaving only traces of plain paint... the sensation of them leaping out seemed to have been completely consumed. "Aren''t you scared seeing me like this?" The little boy''s faint voice came as he lifted his head to look at Su Qi with those bloodied, hollow eyes. "I just feel..." Su Qi sighed, "Your parents are a bit too much." "?" "At such a young age, making drawings so lifelike, how many training classes must your parents have signed you up for?" The little boy: "..." "Also, I have a good understanding of painting; may I give it a try?" Su Qi smiled. Painting? Understanding? The little boy hesitated slightly but did not reply and passed the paintbrush and drawing board over, indicating that he could try. Su Qi picked up the brush but didn''t touch the ordinary paint. Instead, he dipped the brush in the black blood flowing from the boy''s eyeballs. Then... he left a cartoon panda face on the drawing board. Chapter 256 - 190: Five... Divine!_2 The little boy: "..." He said in a deep voice, "You call this a drawing? Are you joking with me?" "This is postmodern art, minimalist lines that can evoke a spirit and visual sense that thick and rich colors could never capture." Su Qi talked confidently, easily spouting a great deal of theory. Clearly, the little boy was serious about painting; it was as if a wave of contaminated theory had crashed into his head. "Alright, the check-up is over, little friend. Remember to take care of yourself and study hard." Su Qi retracted his stethoscope and headed out. Although it was only the third room. Su Qi was already handling it with ease, and he had almost completely figured out what was happening here and inferred the identities of the several people in the room. "Anyone who still considers them mere abnormalities is a fool." Su Qi: "Each one of them is related to the Divine... or rather, they themselves are Divine beings..." He wasn''t just some ordinary assistant. Nor was he inexperienced; from various clues and the information provided by the questions, Su Qi could boldly guess their identities. "The black blood flowing from each one of them is the power of the Abyss''s Black Fog... The so-called illness is debatable, but it''s also likely they are the severe wounds they once received in great battles." "And the patterns on the three medicine boxes... they''re not simple either, likely each is their respective Totem, each one representing a Divine being." "If they are Divine beings, to think that all five of them... are all locked up in such a bizarre hospital." There are many different versions of the legends in the present world. In the mythological epics of the universal battle, countless Divine beings and the Abyss burst into terrifying combat, numerous worlds destroyed, a great many Divine beings, powerful believers, and mighty beings fell, slept, or were sealed into the Ancient Battlefield. It seemed he had entered into an extraordinary place. However. Although he had a general judgment and guess, the ensuing questions became even more numerous. ... Was the appearance of the intern assistant meant to treat their wounds? Or perhaps to rescue them from this place? But so far, it didn''t seem like he had succeeded. And who was Doctor Doli? And the caretaker... why did he ask him to help put things away? Room No. 4. Su Qi glanced at it briefly; it didn''t give him a good feeling, and the record book had no content about the patient inside. Instead of entering in order, he chose Door No. 5. As soon as he entered. Someone suddenly lunged at him with force. Su Qi didn''t hesitate to kick out, sending the person flying! From the above three cases, it seemed that these Divine beings didn''t possess great Strength here; instead, they were as weak as ordinary people. "Ouch... it hurts so bad..." The person exclaimed after crashing hard onto the floor. The person before him, with somewhat disheveled brown hair... wearing thick black-framed glasses, rolled around holding his head in agony, but suddenly stopped and revealed a maniacal smile: "Ahahaha, just kidding, although it really hurts! But that was a nice kick!" Su Qi had a ready retort: "Of course, it''s from playing soccer." The person turned his head, but hesitated for a moment. Because. Su Qi was now reclining on his bed, stretching out his hand to flip through the books on a nearby shelf: ""Being and Time","Metaphysics" "Being and Nihility"... "I thought you might... be curable of mental illness, but now it seems... reading so much philosophy, you really are beyond help." "It''s my spiritual nourishment, and I''m certainly not mentally ill." The person before him licked his lips and actually showed a polite smile, although it was stiff and his face continued to twitch, veins pulsating: "However, forgive my earlier rudeness... it was just seeing a new assistant! I was too excited, to have someone to exchange thoughts with who has not been polluted by knowledge!" Su Qi: "... So you''re saying you''re very knowledgeable?" "In my head, there''s too much knowledge... Every minute and second I must think intensely, or it will bring me unbearable pain." His eyes showed madness: "I know you want to examine me, but... sorry, you can only leave here if you satisfy me." Su Qi looked at the person in front of him. The person before him... wasn''t just nominally insane, he was like a mad sage of wisdom! The question mark even directly displayed the identity of the other party. [God of Knowledge] sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This piece of information was equivalent to hammering home Su Qi''s previous judgments. Everyone in the five rooms was divine and had suffered unimaginable severe afflictions. Including. The person before him... Thick Black Fog seeped from all seven of his orifices, as if everything within his brain had been thoroughly polluted, eroded, and possessed an unbearable pain. All over the wall were impact marks. It seemed, as he had said, that being unable to communicate would plunge him into horrific torture. No wonder Doctor Doli felt mentally tormented every time after his examinations. "Satisfied?" Su Qi closed the philosophy book, "For instance?" "Inquire about all the knowledge you have come into contact with in your past! Thinking will alleviate my pain! Of course... I will only give you ten chances, and if you can''t manage it... you''ll remain here forever!" He pushed his glasses up and revealed a manic smile, "But rest assured, I won''t harm you, I''ll just infuse you with my knowledge until your mind collapses." Su Qi merely glanced at him coolly. "Alright, the first question... When I was eight years old, I flung a stone at the headmaster''s office window for the first time, what was the trajectory model of the stone then?" The question calmed the man down from his mania, as he stared at Su Qi, seemingly deep in thought... and indeed, thinking did seem to lessen his pain somewhat. Time ticked away slowly. The man was staring at Su Qi and pondering. But Su Qi was also observing the information above his head. [Traces..... He''s capturing countless ancient yet existing lines within numerous traces and analyzing them, reasoning backward!] After about five minutes, the man slowly started to speak with a smile, "....I know now..." He actually knelt on the ground, excitedly scratching out the model with his fingers. "See, it''s like this... This is my knowledge!" Yet, Su Qi did not show any sign of surprise, instead, he applauded and nodded with satisfaction, "Congratulations, you answered correctly. It''s indeed the same as my calculations then." The man pushed his glasses up and stared at Su Qi with an even more appreciative manic smile, "...You''re not an ordinary guy. With others, I could reverse-engineer everything about them in just a second, but you... such a minor matter from your childhood, yet it took me so much time to think!! This is too interesting!" Su Qi smiled, "The interesting part is yet to come." Amid the man''s excited and agitated state, Su Qi proceeded to ask the subsequent questions, among them were contradictory philosophical inquiries and classic bar jokes. The man''s excitement gradually cooled. It wasn''t that he couldn''t answer, but he realized... these questions were dull. "You... had just piqued my interest, and now you ask these stupid, petty questions." The man''s face could not help but twitch, "Now there are only two questions left." Su Qi smiled lightly, "...That''s enough, I''ve almost understood all I need from before." This guy was not omniscient or omnipotent, in fact, he needed his own knowledge, which implied there must be traces... He discovered the cause and effect from countless intricate traces by profiling and reasoning backward. That was even a notch above the butterfly effect. And all the classic paradoxes couldn''t stump him either, after all, he was divine. Su Qi pondered, "Then, I shall ask my last two questions." "The first question..." "What is in my eyes?" "The second question..." "How should I kill it..." These two questions were ones Su Qi had prepared long ago. The man''s previous words actually had a trap, the premise being that he needed knowledge that he had personally come into contact with in the past. The key was contact. This was also why he could deduce through traces, typically speaking, boasting or intentionally discussing high-concept, virtual existences would only waste the number of questions available. But unfortunately for him, he had come into contact with all of them. Chapter 257 - 191: Awakening! The man was slightly startled. He wasn''t because Su Qi''s questions were too difficult. Quite the opposite, ...they were actually too simple compared to before. His brows furrowed in displeasure, and his eyes looked at Su Qi with some confusion, "these two questions are you sure?" "" Su Qi paused, "It seems you are pretty confident?" "I can sidescrape along any trivial trace of the past timelines through reverse deduction, the older, the traces tend to be slighter," the man explained patiently and calmly. After answering the previous eight questions, his symptoms of madness and pain had significantly reduced. Indeed, thinking could alleviate the erosion and mixed pollution of his brain. "And yet, your questions are about the present moment, far too simple, even..." he shook his head, "somewhat disappointing to me." "I''m considering whether to give you a chance to change your questions." The man''s face showed a calm and peculiar expression, "After all, the previous ones had me somewhat expectant, but thinking it over, letting you stay here forever is also not a bad choice." "Hmm... If that''s so." Su Qi paused, "Then how about adding a little more weight to the challenge?" "That can be done..." the man said calmly, "I want to study your soul. You are different from other ordinary assistants, there must be something special about you, naturally. Of course, this also means dissecting and analyzing your entire soul, with the best outcome being ending up an idiot." Su Qi, feeling the heat of the other''s gaze, remained unperturbed, "What if you can''t answer." "You can take one item of value, as you see it, from this room and leave." Su Qi was aware of the existence of the five rooms, all Divine... Though they seemed ordinary, the items within those rooms likely held extraordinary value. The reason he hadn''t helped himself to thosewas because of the caretaker and the so-called Doctor Doli. It was crucial to understand the purpose of their existence. It appeared that they were there to clear away things derived from the Black Fog; his every move could hardly escape their notice. So as long as he adhered to the principle of voluntariness, Su Qi felt he could score some decent spoils. "A good proposal," Su Qi said, "Do I need to count down from 3, 2, 1, and provide you with three lifelines?" "This... isn''t some quiz show." The man''s glasses flickered slightly, "I can know... everything about you!" The next moment! His pupils became extremely deep, just like when he was answering questions before. He could see... all the surrounding traces, a massive, terrifying density of them appearing around his line of sight. If one were to draw a comparison, These traces were like countless, dense, frenziedly spinning data, even a pencil dropped on the ground, containing all its cyclical past traces, would be enough to burn through all the hard drives in the ordinary world. Even the man... as a Divine being with an extraordinary sequence, had to exhaust all his power and spend a lot of time and energy to trace them back. Therefore, Usually, he would first select a target... and during the reversal, he would ignore all other distracting traces. This would allow him a respite... from the constant envelopment of endless traces and the brain assault by endless data, reliving him slightly from the agony akin to suffocation in the deep sea. This is why, His thinking could ease his pain. And the next moment, The man looked directly at Su Qi, making eye contact. The countless surrounding traces were weakened, and the extensive data was blocked from his senses, mitigating his pain. Regrettably, He didn''t think this relief would last long, because... retracing from his own extended traces, he had already discerned quite a few things... This cluster of traces was his own reflection... This cluster of traces was the reflection of the room... Other clusters of traces also showed the reflections of a few old friends... sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And then... Hmm? Whose traces are these... why so strange... Let''s take a closer look? The man was about to trace back further, eager to find out more! A massive amount of traces circulated in his brain, and as a Divine being with a terrifying analytical capacity, he could almost know all knowledge. This is also why spiritual power is extremely important because only through the sequence pathways related to spiritual power could one... become an Old Trace Master. Almost all Divines competed to cultivate such beings. Traces were overlooked at a rate hundreds of times faster than before, yet the man still couldn''t trace them back. What was going on? What exactly was this? Why were there still such vast traces? ...It seemed a shape was forming... Wait... It''s another reflection. In that instant! The overwhelming traces suddenly made the man shiver all over... the terrifying data spiked his headache by dozens of times in a moment! His facial expression twisted, his pain was maximum, a screech stuck in his throat. How could it... Who is this... why... Can''t capture, have traced back, must avoid... otherwise, his own injuries might get directly exacerbated! The man''s face turned slightly pale, though he had been sealed here, suffering erosion and grave injuries, he was still a Divine being! To end up like this! He decided to first avoid it. At this time, The man noticed... a strange trace, quite different from the others; it just stayed quietly in its place and didn''t form a data cluster with other traces. He slightly furrowed his brow, Just about to explore... Chapter 258 - 191: Awakening!_2 Countless traces suddenly burst forth around him, as if a galaxy had exploded! "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Innumerable traces, like a nuclear bomb, suddenly annihilated everything inside his head! Infinite, endless, numerous terrifying, dense traces! They almost instantly submerged everything about him! The man fell to his knees, clutching his head, screaming in extreme agony and terror! He was weeping uncontrollably, with blood streaming from his eyes! The veins on his face were about to explode! "What is that..." "What is that..." "What is that..." Su Qi''s eyelids twitched as he watched the man almost descend into madness, fear, muttering the same sentence over and over like a broken toy. Such a big reaction? Su Qi thought the Spiritual Eyes contained the Sealing power of the Evil God, and since the Evil God could manipulate the Abyss to knead the Present World like a crumpled paper ball, it must be extraordinary. Moreover, the most important point was that the use of the Spiritual Eyes... was unrestricted, indicating a higher rank, something the man in front of him naturally couldn''t see. But such an intense reaction, even like going mad. This was somewhat unexpected to Su Qi. Though the Evil God was awesome, you''re still Divine, and even if... not an opponent, you wouldn''t be like an Ordinary person who would go deaf and blind just by seeing it, falling into a state of spiritual insanity. "Could it be..." Su Qi silently observed the question and exclamation marks around him and gradually withdrew his thoughts. To bring the man back from madness and trembling. Su Qi employed the method of philosophical infusion. That is, whacking his head hard with the thick philosophy book by his side. "Thump, thump, thump!" Don''t say... It was actually quite effective; the man seemed to be smacked silly, and his shaking, frenzied appearance showed signs of recovery. "Continue." Su Qi, holding a heavy book, did not hesitate to whack him again. Divine Artifacts... even a book that looks ordinary holds extraordinary power. And. Su Qi also noticed from the question marks that the man often used the book to hit his own head, seemingly using this method to alleviate pain normally. This is the power of knowledge! About a minute later. The man slowly regained his senses, touched the blood on his head, and asked in confusion, "What just happened?" "You accidentally stumbled and hit your head on the foot of the bed," Su Qi shook his head, "Be more careful next time." The man: "???" "Wait..." The man suddenly paused: "My head doesn''t hurt anymore!" He felt that, apart from the physical pain on his head, the infinite traces like spiritual spikes of Annihilation pain were gone. Su Qi nodded, "It seems that my treatment as a master gynecologist was very effective." Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "..." "...Let me recall for a moment... Just now I seem to have..." The man tried to remember but suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, as if an ant had fallen into the sun. He quickly stopped and gasped for breath. "What''s wrong?" Su Qi feigned confusion. "I don''t know..." The man looked at Su Qi, a bit astonished, "...and why, I could see your traces before, but now I can''t see anything." Su Qi said, "It''s because I have completely washed away all pretense... But let''s not talk about that, have you answered my question just now?" The man''s face turned slightly pale. Answer... what the hell! He had almost forgotten what the question was? "I lost..." The man''s voice trembled slightly as he exhaled: "You...choose." Su Qi gently picked up a book, "Well, then I won''t be polite, and this book will be mine." This was the most valuable thing in the room. The power and weight of knowledge indeed have no equal. "However, it looks like I have cured your illness..." Su Qi paused, "I''m going to charge separately for this... Do you have anything that can compensate?" The man did not respond, but lowered his head, took off his glasses, and without the spiritual impact, he... now returned to a semblance of normalcy, no longer showing signs of madness. The man had somewhat regained a scholarly, wise demeanor. Yet he spoke in a low voice. "...Invisible traces quietly connect into a network." "Some people call it destiny." "If you can control it, you can even see the future as if it''s inevitable, with no accidents for anyone." "And you... are extremely special... I can''t see any traces on you anymore... You don''t exist in destiny!" The man suddenly looked up at Su Qi, making Su Qi slightly lift his foot, thinking the man might pounce. But he showed an extremely excited expression, like a Descent fanatic discovering the Three-Body People at his doorstep, his hoarse voice said: "You are a person not controlled by fate..." "I beg you... you must survive..." "You must stay alive, grow, and reach the future..." Su Qi: "..... Even if you didn''t ask, I don''t seem to have any reason to refuse, and what does this have to do with not being controlled by fate..." An existence without traces signifies not being controlled by fate... but why was the man so agitated? The man shook his head, "All I can say is one thing." "Remember... don''t let anyone else discover this secret." "Otherwise... those terrifying beings that the Gods are dealing with, the Abyss behind that dreadful God... will go to any lengths to kill you!" ??? That''s a bit too late to tell me, brother! "But rest assured, I will do everything to erase all traces!" "After the Recovery from the deep slumber, I will do everything to protect your growth! Even if your talents are poor, I will at least get you to enter Sequence 2, or even Sequence One!" Su Qi''s eyelids twitched slightly. This was a solemn promise from a Divine being! Chapter 259 - 191: Awakening!_3 Sequence One and Sequence 2 were realms countless people had cracked their heads over but could never enter; likewise, those who reached this realm were all terrifying entities far beyond the reach of myriad people! Su Qi, "since that''s the case, I''ll take a bit more stuff with me." The man watched as Su Qi tried to move the cabinet and fell silent. This was an existence not controlled by fate Indeed, every step had surpassed his expectations. Yet he shook his head, "The other things are useless; leaving here, they would turn into ordinary objects and lose their strength, but that book... it contains most of my knowledge and won''t become like the other items." "Because strength will be restricted," the man said seriously but sternly. "But knowledge won''t." Su Qi looked at the man, "Alright, so next I need to fetch medicine for other patients; is there a route for that?" The man shook his head, "Sorry the answer to that question isn''t with me." "And currently, you are too weak; I shouldn''t interfere too much only when you become strong yourself, can you struggle out from the depths." Su Qi walked out from room number five. The door closed tightly behind him. In the quiet corridor, Su Qi slowly made his way toward the stairs. The man''s caution made Su Qi ponder. He seemed to have been unilaterally considered the child of hope. Was all this related to the Evil God or to his own special abilities? Su Qi was still unsure. "It''s so dark" Su Qi looked at the stairwell, "Isn''t there a light?" The next moment. He stepped forward and his whole body suddenly plummeted! Suddenly. Su Qi opened his eyes. "Brother Su! Su Buxian! Sect Hierarch!" Tentacle Man waved his hands, calling out hurriedly, "I''ve been calling you for ages, why didn''t you respond?" Su Qi paused slightly. Only then did he realize he had left that bizarre hospital. And he, along with myriad others had landed in a vast square, with brilliance shining near the Sky Dome! He could also see temples gleaming in the distance. "What''s going on now?" "I''m not sure either, I opened my eyes and found myself here, and it looks like other people were also transported here from various worlds." Everyone''s faces were blank at the moment. "...." Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Well, then. Had he just been whisked here by the aurora ripples when he meant to fetch medicine? Su Qi''s eyebrows wrinkled slightly. Letting him go fetch medicine to treat illness? Yet back to reality again? And what exactly was that man who seemed to hold a high position even among the Divines "Look what is that?" Tentacle Man pointed into the distance. Among countless temples there were nine majestic divine statues, emitting a grand and imposing aura amidst the brilliance. But all were shrouded in brilliance with mist rising, unclear. The Yellow Robed Priest slowly spoke: "That''s the creator of Anxious Land the leader of the Divines representing the supreme will at the center" "You can see it, this aura it''s coming at us even from an extremely distant place," Su Qi looked around, "And also didn''t expect so many people." There were about ten thousand people on the floating square they were on. And around them there were thousands more floating squares, with people variously excited or fearfully kneeling on the ground. "Amitabha Buddha" "Amen" "May Yuanmen protect..." "Hallelujah" "God, help me succeed in making it ashore" Some ambitions, still thinking of making it ashore even here! Get out! "This is a selection facing the entire Present World" the Yellow Robed Priest said, "And the competition will be very fierce." "So without me, it''d be hard for you to stand out." Su Qi paused, "Then I really will have to rely on you this time, Brother Huang." "..." At that moment. Brilliant lights from the central divine statues connected to the many floating squares. The Yellow Robed Priest said solemnly, "Now, all of you will go to have an audience with the Gods."