Xu Mo’s voice in Bai Feifei’s mind was playful, tinged with a cold sneer that suggested he had seen this coming.
As Bai Feifei rushed forward with the crowd, she asked internally, “What does he mean? The Crown of Time Lag is clearly on me, so why did he say it’s over there?”
“Because he’s doing it on purpose,” Xu Mo said lazily.
“Tsk, it seems my intuition was right. These eyes of mine have truly seen too much...”
“Then what should I say now?” Bai Feifei couldn't understand the Evil God’s current sense of triumph; she was starting to panic. “Should I... tell Senior Wan?”
“Don’t say a word. Just keep up.” Xu Mo’s voice didn’t sound hurried at all. “What are you worried about? You have me.”
“No rush. Let’s play with him a bit.”
Bai Feifei bit her lip. Looking at Wan Qianhong’s back ahead of her, she ultimately chose to remain silent.
The group charged forward in the direction Wu Xin had pointed. Hong Jiu was at the front, clearing the way like a human bulldozer. He didn’t even stick to the existing mine shafts; he simply smashed through any wall in his path.
As they went, the path actually grew wider, as he smashed several smaller tunnels into one!
Li Gui and his Action Team followed closely behind. Wan Qianhong and the rest of the East District team brought up the rear, while also looking after Wu Xin, who was constantly coughing up blood.
Bai Feifei ran in the middle of the crowd. Ye Yu followed closely behind her, her gaze fixed on her. She whispered, “Bai Feifei, you look terrible. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Bai Feifei replied briefly.
Her mind was in a mess.
What exactly was Wu Xin trying to do?
If there really was a problem, why wouldn't the Evil God let her speak up?
Inside her mind, Xu Mo was staring at his game panel, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
【Special Storyline: Mystery of the Black Smoke Coal Mine】
【Current Completion: 40%】
It went up. But far too little!
An S-rank Containment Object—something that would make organizations like Dawn City and the Rangers fight to the death—had only increased the completion by ten percent after he exploited a bug to put it in his storage ring!
Then what about the remaining sixty percent...?
“Interesting,” Xu Mo muttered to himself. “Whatever that thing is that I’ve never seen before, it must be beyond imagination. This is going to be good.”
He had played 《Old Ones' Awakening》 countless times and had run through the Black Smoke Coal Mine more times than he could count. Every time, he had either been driven back by an aberration tide or had left with some junk.
But this time, the storyline had advanced ahead of schedule, the friendliness of the people around him was much higher, and even an S-rank Containment Object like the Crown of Time Lag had been easily obtained.
This gave him a premonition—this time, he might actually see the true face of that thing.
What on earth was it?
Was it one of the top ten S-rank Containment Objects? Or something related to the Great Old Ones?
For a moment, he felt an immense sense of anticipation as an Old-Timer.
Up ahead, Hong Jiu smashed through another wall and roared, “Do you really not intend to show yourself, sir?!”
He was asking about the “Masked Hermit Society” expert.
But since that expert didn't exist, naturally no one answered him. He frowned and looked back at Wu Xin.
Wu Xin, supported by Wan Qianhong, was deathly pale. He said haltingly, “Almost there... we’re almost there. I feel... it has stopped.”
“Stopped?” A hint of doubt flashed in Li Gui’s eyes. His gaze toward Wu Xin grew increasingly suspicious, but since Hong Jiu was still charging ahead, he didn’t have time to stop and think.
The mine shafts grew narrower, and the temperature began to rise. Strange patterns even started appearing on the surrounding walls—they weren't carved, but looked as if the stone had naturally grown that way.
Bai Feifei noticed the patterns and whispered to Xu Mo, “What are these?”
Xu Mo was also marveling at them; he had never been this deep before.
However, based on his experience, these patterns seemed to be related to a certain Evil God. What was the name again...?
As he thought, he gave Bai Feifei a perfunctory answer:
“Ask Wu Xin. He’s the one leading the way.”
Bai Feifei’s heart sank.
The Evil God’s words were as good as saying outright that Wu Xin had ulterior motives!
Yet the Evil God’s behavior was clearly giving silent consent to those motives.
Finally, Hong Jiu smashed through the last wall, and everyone burst into a massive underground cavern.
The cavern was surprisingly large and had no other exits. If Hong Jiu hadn't smashed his way in, the group might never have found this place!
However, there was nothing here.
No aberrations, no Containment Objects, no abnormal fluctuations.
It was empty.
“What’s going on?” Hong Jiu’s eyes widened, clearly sensing the abnormality of the situation.
Li Gui’s face was also grim as he surveyed the surroundings with a furrowed brow.
Wu Xin, still supported by Wan Qianhong, coughed up a mouthful of blood and pointed forward. “It’s right there. In that direction. I feel it!”
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing, but there was nothing there—only a bare stone wall.
“Are you out of your mind?” Hong Jiu’s tone turned unfriendly.
But at that moment, Wu Xin suddenly laughed.
The laughter was strange. It didn’t sound like the relief of a survivor or the triumph of a successful plan; instead, it held a... strange sense of sorrow.
It was as if he had suddenly heard a joke that only he could understand.
“It’s here... it’s right here...” he murmured to himself, his voice growing louder. “The Crown of Time Lag is right here, on your person!”
As he spoke, he pointed his finger at Hong Jiu.
Hong Jiu: ?
“No, it’s on Li Gui!”
Wu Xin changed his mind again. For some reason, his personality had completely shifted, and he actually dared to act out in front of these two people he hadn't dared to provoke before.
Hong Jiu and Li Gui both changed expression.
“What nonsense are you talking?” Hong Jiu barked.
But Wu Xin seemed not to hear him, continuing his ravings. “No, no, Hong Jiu took it! He took the Crown of Time Lag in the chaos just now! No, it’s Li Gui! Li Gui used his Escape Art to steal it! No, no, no, it’s Wan Qianhong! Wan Qianhong used her Word Soul to control everyone and stole it!”
He spoke faster and faster, his voice becoming increasingly shrill. Bloody froth sprayed from his mouth, and he looked as if he had gone mad.
As they listened to him, everyone’s heart began to race for no reason.
It wasn’t ordinary nervousness, but an indescribable sense of dread.
It was as if something was staring at all of their hearts, plucking at their blood vessels one by one.
Bai Feifei instinctively clutched her chest. Her heart was beating so fast that she could barely breathe.
Ye Yu turned pale and instinctively grabbed Bai Feifei’s arm, holding onto the only person who made her feel safe.
“This isn’t right!” Bai Feifei shouted in her mind.
“On the contrary, this is exactly right!” Xu Mo laughed. Right now, he even felt like thanking Wu Xin.
At that moment, the ground began to tremble violently.
It wasn't the regular, intermittent tremors from before, but a powerful vibration, as if the earth itself was throbbing rhythmically!
Another earthquake?
Bai Feifei was startled and asked:
“Why is there another earthquake? Wasn't that S-rank crown contained?”
“The previous abnormal fluctuations weren't caused by the Crown of Time Lag?”
Xu Mo’s voice was so calm it made her blood run cold:
“Of course not.”
“It’s only S-079. It’s not much of anything.”
Rate on N.U.
