Xuan Liu thought for a moment and added, “However, this subordinate can use my talent to transfer the Death Lock on Your Highness to myself.”
Tang Wanrong was somewhat surprised. “If something happens to you, what will I do?”
“This subordinate has his own ways of dealing with the specter's attacks. Your Highness need not worry,” Xuan Liu replied.
Tang Wanrong was actually tempted. She absolutely could not die; she could not die here.
“Very well then.”
Xuan Liu stepped closer. “Please stretch out your hand, Your Highness.”
Tang Wanrong extended her fair, slender left hand.
“Pardon the offense.”
Xuan Liu reached out and touched her hand lightly. However, when he went to transfer the Death Lock, he was surprised to find that Tang Wanrong did not have one on her.
“There is none.”
Xuan Liu withdrew his hand and repeated, “Your Highness does not have a Death Lock on you.”
Tang Wanrong breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease.
“If there is none, does that mean your talent doesn't count as being used?”
If it didn't count as used, there would be no cooldown.
“Correct,” Xuan Liu said.
Tang Wanrong grabbed Tang Jianghe's hand. “Then try Father!”
Xuan Liu frowned and did not respond.
Once his talent was used, its cooldown was two days.
And the main quest of this dungeon was to survive for a full day. In other words, he only had one opportunity to use his talent here.
Furthermore, before entering the dungeon, both the Emperor and Leader Xuan Yi had strictly instructed him that the use of his talent must be reserved for Tang Wanrong.
Seeing his silence, Tang Jianghe immediately pulled his hand back.
“Rong'er, do not be willful. You must prioritize yourself!”
Tang Wanrong was somewhat indignant, but since Tang Jianghe was adamant, there was nothing she could do.
Seeing this, Xuan Liu also let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He looked around, observing their surroundings cautiously.
They had only been in the dungeon for slightly over a shichen, yet four people were already dead.
First, one had died right at the very beginning. The second was Zhuang Feiyin, the third was Zeng Qiuning, and the fourth was Li Tie.
Since they now knew that the effects of the 【incense ashes】 did not last long, in their eyes, Zeng Qiuning, who had been dragged away by the specter, was undoubtedly dead as well.
At this moment, the only surviving players besides the three of them were three commoners.
Looking at the now much emptier mountain peak, Xuan Liu realized the gravity of the situation. This specter was extremely troublesome!
From now on, he had to be cautious—exceedingly cautious!
Zuo Lin'an was still observing them from the shadows.
He planned to return to the mountain peak in half an hour. This time, he would capture three people in a row.
Indeed. He was going to drag all three commoners back.
In any case, Xuan Liu had to protect Tang Wanrong and could not leave her side even for a single step, meaning he wouldn't have the time to deal with him.
Then again, experts with weaknesses were always easy to deal with. Zuo Lin'an chuckled and sat back comfortably, waiting for the time to pass.
Soon, it was 2:30 AM. He immediately got up and headed toward the mountain peak as planned. In just a brief moment, he arrived at the location.
Even now, Xuan Liu and the others were still ostracizing the three commoners. They hadn't even bothered to ask what their talents were.
In Zuo Lin'an's eyes, Xuan Liu wasn't particularly smart either. Or rather, he looked down on these three people from the bottom of his heart.
If Xuan Liu had been willing to cast aside his status and ask about their talents, he might have secured a useful trump card. But he didn't.
Zuo Lin'an silently observed the three commoners. He saw them huddled trembling in a spot far from the bonfire, where two large rocks happened to block the darkness behind them, offering them a meager sense of security. However, a mere pair of rocks could not stop Zuo Lin'an.
As the familiar, freezing specter aura filled the air once more, Xuan Liu stood up, scanning the surroundings warily.
Tang Wanrong held the 【Withered Leaf】 in one hand and the 【Death Doll】 in the other, even though she knew perfectly well that she did not have a Death Lock on her.
Meanwhile, Tang Jianghe clutched the 【rouge paper】 and the 【Life-Buying Coin】 tightly in his hands.
As for Xuan Liu, both of his hands were clenched into fists, likely clutching some secret items in his palms. However, Zuo Lin'an's targets this time were not the three of them, but rather...
“Ah!!”
The three commoners, who had been shivering in fear just moments ago, suddenly realized that one of them had gone missing.
“It's here!”
“The ghost is here!!”
Xuan Liu took a deep breath, making no unnecessary movements.
In truth, he had seen it just now. The moment Zuo Lin'an appeared, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a dark shadow.
Earlier, his right hand had been gripping a throwing knife. As long as it struck the specter, it would repel it.
Given his skill and speed, no matter how fast the specter was, he stood an extremely high chance of hitting and repelling it with his throwing knife before it could drag anyone away.
Yet, he could not guarantee with absolute certainty that he would succeed on the very first try.
After all, the specter's speed was simply too fast!
Without absolute certainty, he was actually inclined not to use it. After all, the 【bamboo-leaf throwing knife】 was a single-use item; once used, it would be gone forever.
And of all the specter items in his possession, only this one possessed the special effect of repelling specters.
Once it was used... he would no longer have any means to repel the specter.
If it succeeded, all would be well.
Once a specter in a One-Star dungeon was repelled, it would require three to five days to recover, meaning they would all survive.
But if it failed...
Xuan Liu felt a surge of tension in his chest.
If he lost the 【bamboo-leaf throwing knife】, his talent and other specter items would only serve to stall for time.
While he was lost in thought, Zuo Lin'an materialized once more and carried off another person!
Now, only one person remained in that spot.
This person was clearly terrified out of his wits. Seeing the two people beside him vanish one after another had put immense psychological pressure on him, and he knew with absolute certainty that he would be next if he didn't think of something fast...
At this thought, the man cast all caution to the wind, scrambled to his feet, and bolted toward the bonfire.
“My lord!”
“This lowly citizen is willing to offer everything I have! I only beg my lord to save me!”
Xuan Liu frowned.
Although he was still somewhat reluctant to let outsiders draw near Tang Wanrong, he did not step forward to stop him this time.
However, just as the man was barely ten meters away from the bonfire, a dark shadow abruptly materialized behind him.
It was the same familiar figure, the same familiar crimson eyes, and the same familiar movement. The man, who had been ecstatic just a moment ago believing he was about to be saved, now found his shoulders clamped as if by freezing iron pincers, leaving him unable to budge even an inch.
To Xuan Liu, such a short distance was practically right before his eyes!
Since entering the dungeon, this was also the first time he had seen the specter's appearance so clearly.
The specter wore bizarre, unfamiliar clothes and had the appearance of a youth. Its skin was deathly pale and ash-gray, emitting a barely perceptible scent of rot, though it was dominated by an overwhelming, freezing chill. The closer it drew, the more intense this freezing sensation became!
But what terrified him the most was, without a doubt, those eyes... As if noticing his gaze, the specter slightly tilted its head from behind the man and looked over in his direction.
To Zuo Lin'an, it was merely a casual glance.
But to Xuan Liu and the others, stared down by a pair of crimson slit-pupils, the freezing aura around them suddenly intensified several times over. Xuan Liu's hairs stood on end, and even Tang Wanrong could not help but shiver violently.
This was not the cold brought by a drop in temperature, but a chill that seeped from the very depths of their bones.
Even the bonfire could not dispel such freezing dread!
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