Chapter 34: Gloomy Phantom City Arc (11)
Chapter 34: Gloomy Phantom City Arc (11)
Two grotesque creatures, wielding opposing forces, clashed midair in a cacophony of shrieks. Their wails twisted together, materializing into tangible devastation.
Demon’s body tore apart like prey devoured by piranhas. Its ashen-gray skin peeled away, exposing flesh, bones, and viscera. Stripped to a skeletal frame, it crumbled to the ground in fragments.
The tree monster’s bark erupted with countless corrosive scars, spreading from trunk to branches. These festering wounds deepened relentlessly, devouring its wooden form.
Just as mutual annihilation seemed inevitable, darkness descended—sudden and absolute.
The five companions plunged into pitch-black void. This darkness devoured all light, rendering flashlights useless whether indoors or outdoors.
This time, the abyss remained eerily silent. Yet moments later, a chilling whisper slithered into their ears:
"Meddling lesser god, you will pay the price..."
As abruptly as it came, the darkness lifted. Rising from the ground, they turned toward the withered tree, expecting a mutated monstrosity.
Feng Bu Jue noticed first—the tree hadn’t regenerated. Instead, its injuries worsened. Branches disintegrated into ash.
"You’re the ‘lesser god’ it mentioned?" Feng Bu Jue strode forward, addressing the crumbling colossus.
Before the others could react, the tree rasped: "Mortals... retrieve the Key... restore the seal."
"We already have the Flame Key", Feng Bu Jue countered. "What happened to this city? Who’s responsible? Where’s the Wood Key?" Three questions spilled rapidly.
"Samo di er... one of the Time Lord’s servants. He betrayed his master, stripped of divinity, exiled to the endless River of Time..." The tree’s branches crumbled to dust as its trunk decayed. "A centipede’s corpse stiffens even in death... Sama di er refused submission. With his last strength, he tore this city from reality, hiding it here. This place is no longer part of the Time River... merely a stagnant puddle outside its flow."
The tree’s bark flaked away, revealing its final words: "To escape the Time Lord’s judgment, he summoned the Hellgate. Once its seals break, this realm becomes the Demon Lord’s domain—beyond the Time Lord’s reach."
"Some humans bargained with Sama di er, believing he’d spare them if they unlocked the Hellgate. But when demons poured through, he abandoned them. He devoured the city’s mortals himself, denying demons their feast."
"Only a few survivors escaped through the Hellgate with two Keys", the tree groaned, its voice disintegrating. "Samo di er cannot touch the Keys or seals... nor consume those near them. But demons can. He promised them power through darkness after each cycle, demanding they hunt every living soul here—ensuring none can restore the seals..."
"Where is the Wood Key?" Feng Bu Jue pressed, anticipating the worst.
"Its bearer perished underground..." The tree’s mouth dissolved. "I have opened the path. Follow it when I fall..."
With a final shudder, the tree imploded into black dust, revealing a gaping chasm beneath—a passage into the earth.
[Current Task Updated: Main Quest Changed]
The task bar now read: Enter the passage and locate the Wood Key.
Feng Bu Jue turned to the group. "Let’s grab flashlights from the camping aisle before heading down."
The others stood stunned, digesting the revelation. Wang Tan Zhi broke the silence: "Uh... Brother Jue, mind translating that?"
Feng Bu Jue strode toward the store’s camping section, his voice carrying: "The tree wasn’t like other monsters. Sensing its end, I grilled it for answers. It fulfilled its Npc duty—dramatic backstory, quest hints, and a heroic exit."
Picking up a flashlight, he continued: "The Keys and Hellgate protect bearers from vanishing—explaining the police station’s corpses. The Wood Key isn’t here.
"Also, we’re anomalies. As players, we’re outside this timeline’s ‘human’ category. Otherwise, Sama di er would’ve erased us instantly."
He paused, distributing flashlights. "The boss’s plan? Every thirty minutes, darkness empowers demons. He hides, avoiding the Time Lord. Our goal: recover both Keys, reseal the Hellgate. Once sealed, the Time Lord can purge Sama di er."
"Wild lore", Wang Tan Zhi muttered.
Armed with flashlights (and batteries), they raided the sports section. Hockey sticks, baseball bats, and golf clubs became makeshift weapons. Jimo upgraded to a western chef’s knife in the kitchen aisle, while Long Ao Min chose a heavy Chinese cleaver.
Ten minutes later, they descended into the sewer.
The passage narrowed, sloping downward into damp earth. Artificial lights vanished, replaced by cylindrical sewer tunnels. The air thickened with filth—stagnant water, rot, and unspeakable debris. Lonely Girl’s face paled as she avoided looking at the muck, trailing Gudu Xiaoge.
Long Ao Min led with bat and shield, ready to bludgeon anything lunging from the shadows. Feng Bu Jue and Wang Tan Zhi guarded the center, while Gu Du and Jimo brought up the rear.
Five minutes in, Long Ao Min halted. "There. The corpse."
Feng Bu Jue craned his neck past the warrior’s shoulder. Ahead, a sealed iron gate blocked the tunnel. Through its bars, a flashlight beam illuminated a corpse slumped in the corner.
(End of Chapter)
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