Chapter 2553: Clear Stage
"I think it’s unlikely we’ll clear it." Bubble Bean, who had recovered well, said standing behind Xu Huo, "Although there’s a time discrepancy in the dungeon venue compared to District 001, we’ve been in here for a long time. The election in District 001 should be about to end, and by the end, the Wan Family members must die, so it’s probably about time."
According to the information Valen revealed earlier, after the Wan Family members die, it’s the turn of the Outer Zone candidates to be eliminated. Once the Outer Zone candidates are out, Valen hangs himself, and then comes the decisive battle between the District Government and the Outer District Forces. This will forever brand the Outer District Forces with the mark of conspirators, causing the descendants of District 001 to hate the Outer District Forces, ensuring that people of District 001 unwittingly do not head towards death and despair.
Xu Huo gazed in the direction of the space-time rift. No matter how much he wanted to clear the game, he couldn’t enter now. If the passage and exit haven’t been destroyed after the storm calms, there might be a turnaround, but if even the exit is destroyed, the situation would really be sealed.
Moreover, the space storm came unexpectedly. He worried that a new incident arose in District 001, perhaps related to the Silver Robed Man he killed.
The first squad had already received news that the entrance to the Chaotic Space, which Xu Huo visited earlier, had completely disappeared. Yao Yuan said to Xu Huo, "It’s very likely that the Outer District Forces have noticed something."
Xu Huo frowned. Although he had disguised his identity, the chaotic space-time power there made it uncertain whether events were recorded. The Silver Robed Man’s identity was special, and it wasn’t surprising someone would investigate his death.
He previously didn’t attempt to disrupt the spatial power around the space-time rift out of consideration for maintaining the passage. If the passage and exit left by the Super Player completely disappeared, those trapped here wouldn’t know when they could leave. He just didn’t expect it to be so soon. After all, there’s a time difference between Portal Space and the outside, and as long as the Silver Robed Man’s side didn’t send more people in to seek him, things shouldn’t reach the worst-case scenario.
Now that the space-time rift has disappeared and a space storm has formed, people from District 001 can’t get out, and the Outer District Forces can’t get in. The other side seems aware of the Silver Robed Man’s death but hasn’t shown any reaction.
Unclear of what went wrong in between, but it’s come to this, and there’s nothing to do but wait.
"Look at this." The Girl in the painting dug out a prop from somewhere, pinching several Metal Mutant Beasts seen in the Metal Forest. Upon closer inspection, each mutant beast had a human face drawn on its rear end, including faces of Bubble Bean, Qiu Xiangming, and that middle-aged man who got stamped, as well as members of the first squad.
"Isn’t this a bit disrespectful?" Xu Huo said.
The Girl in the painting looked at Yao Yuan and others. Yao Yuan responded kindly, "It’s okay, just kids messing around."
Compared to the Rank-A Players present, their age indeed made them count as "kids."
Xu Huo had already learned from Yao Yuan that the few District 001 players guarding the mountain had already died, with no useful information brought out. Moreover, with the vast distance between the two locations and without prop instruments for assistance, he couldn’t go back and forth in a short time. Once he leaves, he may not be able to find an exit immediately when the space storm subsides.
After some hesitation, he made a choice and decided to stay here.
"The storm seems to have gotten much smaller!" Qiu Xiangming returned from the front and said, "It’s shorter than expected. It should be because Mister made arrangements in the Chaotic Space to maintain the passage, preventing it from falling into complete disorder."
"I’ll go check." Xu Huo called the Girl in the painting and told him to stick close.
The space-time power in the mountain hadn’t completely stabilized, but at least there were now passages for people to get through. Xu Huo and the first squad paved the way, venturing deeper into the mountain to confirm everything was fine before signaling for the others to enter.
The Holy Sword Society members nearby had been cleared several times. The first squad had investigated the passage before, but each time players hiding at the entrance and exit blocked them. They’ve contested with the Holy Sword Society over this training venue several times, only after the recent space storm did the Holy Sword Society’s side seem completely gone.
Successfully reaching the entrance of the space passage, Xu Huo unleashed his spiritual power to probe forward. Indeed, the spatial body around the passage had stabilized, and the passage was tending to recover. To avoid the Holy Sword Society’s interception, they didn’t wait this time but entered the passage directly.
Unexpectedly, this time everything went smoothly. The road ahead wasn’t intentionally blocked by stacked spatial bodies. In about ten minutes, the group reached the end of the passage, the place where the Portal was located.
A giant door formed by a space body reflecting a rainbow of lights stood amidst the white light. Behind it extended several multilayered space body belts deeply intertwined with the Chaotic Space, as if bound by the Chaotic Space, or binding it.
The door had traces of blood on it, yet no one was around.
"Did the Holy Sword Society’s gatekeepers die in that space storm?" Qiu Xiangming speculated, "But why hasn’t anyone come in? They couldn’t have not known their comrades are dead."
"There are three receiving points when we go out this door: one is in the secret laboratory of the District Government, another in Lady Xue’s Manor, and the last in a certain mountain outside the United Capital," Yao Yuan told Xu Huo, "But after we got trapped, all three places were occupied by the Outer District Forces. It’ll probably be a tough battle going out, and it’s likely sealed outside too, so be careful."
Xu Huo signaled the Girl in the painting to hold on to his arm. Then he raised his hand to touch the tangible Spatial Gate. The door didn’t open; instead, the spatial power swirled, passing him through. The moment he crossed the doorway, he received a game notification:
[Congratulations to Player Passerby A for clearing the instance "The Journey of the Cat Whisker Fruit."]
Upon touching the ground, Xu Huo realized he had been transported to Lady Xue’s Manor. As he looked up, he locked eyes with a blue-eyed man inside a room. In just an instant of eye contact, the next moment, the man vanished from the room as if a ghost shadow, appearing suddenly before him.
"He runs quite fast," the blue-eyed man stood up, speaking somewhat regretfully, "Looks like it’ll have to be next time we meet."
As he spoke, he turned away, disappearing from the room as well.
Along with Xu Huo, three members of the first squad, including Yao Yuan, were also randomly transported to Lady Xue’s Manor. They were a step behind, only catching sight of the blue-eyed man’s back. Startled and on guard, they saw a player by Lady Xue’s side enter the room and smile at them:
"The occupation event has been resolved; our district, our home, is saved!"