Lord of Prayer

It wasn’t that he couldn’t win, but there was no need for a head-on confrontation.

Zhou Chen was only here to investigate, not to capture the culprit. Accidentally entering the non-existent "4th floor" might have already tipped them off. Retreating immediately and reporting to his superiors was the best option.

But despite pressing the close-door button several times, there was no effect. The elevator was completely unresponsive.

CLICK.

Just then, the soft sound of a door opening was heard. The door to room 404 opened, and a man cautiously poked his head out. He looked left and right, spotted Zhou Chen inside the elevator, and his eyes widened in shock.

"How did you get in here?"

’This man is different from the other two...’ Zhou Chen narrowed his eyes, not answering right away.

"Don’t be nervous! I’m a regional Steward for the Life Church." The man grew excited, as if he’d finally seen another living person after a long and tedious prison sentence. He was ecstatic, his words a jumble of excitement.

"Finally, finally, finally... Someone’s finally here! I don’t even know how long I’ve been trapped in this godforsaken place. You’re the only outsider I’ve seen in so long... Are you an Ascender? Are you from the Star Association? You... How did you get in? Can you help me escape? I can reward you; I’m very rich...

The elevator... You came in through the elevator?"

As if he’d realized something, the man shot out of his room and rushed toward the elevator.

ZING!

The blade of the spear sang, emitting a dangerous hum. Zhou Chen raised his beautiful, dreamlike Crystal Spear, pointed it at the man’s neck, and warned in a cold voice,

"Don’t move."

The man froze in terror, raising his hands high.

"I ask, you answer. Understood?" Zhou Chen said.

With the sharp tip of the spear pressed against his neck, threatening to pierce through at any moment, the man nodded frantically.

"Name, age, date of birth, home address, occupation. And what is this place?"

The man answered truthfully at a rapid pace, "My name is Tang Zhongwen. I’m 28 years old, born on November 11th, 197 of the New Calendar. I live in the Qinghe District of Dragon City. I’m a regional Steward for the Life Church in Fucheng, a Tier Two Ascender, and my Ability is ’Healing Zipper’."

"I don’t know what this place is, either. I don’t even know when I was locked up in here; I just woke up one day and found myself here. This hallway has no end, and none of the doors will open... And that elevator, this is the first time I’ve ever seen it. There used to be a wall there, a very, very sturdy one. I’m a Tier Two Ascender, but I couldn’t even leave a scratch on it, even after hitting it so hard I fractured my own bones..."

"I have no idea how long I’ve been here. I can feel myself losing my mind. Thank God you’re here, otherwise I would’ve gone completely insane... I want to go home. I have a wife and a child..."

’Born in year 197, which makes him 28...’ Zhou Chen mused. ’Looks like his perception and memories are also stuck in the year 225... another dead man, I’m afraid... But his state is very different from those other two. He knows his situation isn’t right, and he can leave his room. This must be the difference between an Ascender and a normal person.’

’Hmm... the victims are all believers in the Goddess of Life, so it makes sense for the culprit to go after a Church Steward. But those other two didn’t seem like believers... I’ll have to knock on their doors and ask again later...’

Tang Zhongwen then asked tentatively, "Are there any other questions?"

"How long do you think you’ve been trapped here?"

"I... I don’t know. I tried to keep track of time at first, but then I gave up. It was too torturous. I have no idea how long I’ve been here..."

"So you’ve just been staying in your room?"

"No, I come out to explore often. I try to open the other doors or walk to the end of the hallway, but I’ve never succeeded. I’ve run down the hall until I collapse from exhaustion, but it’s like it has no end. No matter how far I run, I can never reach the finish. The highest room number I’ve seen is ’4999,’ and there were still more rooms beyond that. That time, I just broke down completely. I sat on the floor and bawled my eyes out."

A look of despair crossed Tang Zhongwen’s face, and he began to plead like a beggar, "Please, let me in. I really, really want to get out of here..."

Zhou Chen sank into thought. Just then, something changed.

The lights at the far end of the hallway began to go out, one after another. A vast sheet of darkness spread toward the elevator at a visible speed. The darkness was as deep as the Abyss, devouring all light, like a monstrous beast rushing forward with its maw wide open.

"Damn it, the lights are out!" Tang Zhongwen shrieked in terror, as if the lights going out was the most frightening thing imaginable. Forgetting even to plead with Zhou Chen, he scrambled and crawled back into room 404.

’Lights out...’ Zhou Chen’s guard went up. He immediately made a wish in his mind, ’Activate the elevator!’

[Wish Value -1000]

FZZT... A shower of sparks erupted from the control panel. The motionless elevator reactivated, slowly closing as it shook violently.

The lights inside the elevator then began to flicker violently, and Zhou Chen’s shadow suddenly started to writhe strangely behind him. It bulged on the elevator wall as if something were about to burst forth from a chrysalis.

ZING!

The Crystal Spear, shimmering with a dreamlike light, stabbed downward. A burst of Cyan Flame erupted, instantly incinerating the writhing darkness. A shrill, inhuman scream echoed through the air.

Zhou Chen looked up. The darkness in the hallway was surging toward him like a tidal wave. He pushed his palm forward, and a massive wave of cyan fire erupted. The roaring flames burned wantonly through the darkness. A pained, inhuman cry rang out from deep within it, and a venomous, malicious gaze shot out from the gloom.

The next second, the darkness surged, forcefully breaking through the Cyan Flame. But just as it was about to slam into him, the elevator doors boomed shut. Like a harbor wall holding back a storm, they blocked all the darkness outside.

The elevator’s lights returned to normal as it slowly descended, leaving the bizarre Room in the Crack.

Zhou Chen turned and looked at the mark his spear had left on the elevator wall, his brow furrowed. ’An Abyssal Demon...’

A Dark Demon from the Abyss had just invaded his shadow, and a powerful Demon was also hiding in the darkness of the hallway—one that gave him a dangerous, chilling sensation.

’Keeping an Abyssal Demon as a watchdog... The culprit’s power is not to be underestimated.’

DING!

The elevator reached the first floor. Zhou Chen hurried out and immediately called Jiang Che.

Just as the call connected, he caught a figure out of the corner of his eye. Outside the hotel entrance, someone had hastily turned away. As if intentionally avoiding him, the person abandoned their course into the hotel and headed back the way they came.

’That person’s up to no good...’ Zhou Chen gave chase.