Chapter 555: Chu Mo Island (Twenty-One)
Chapter 555: Chu Mo Island (Twenty-One)
"Hmph!" Feng Bu Jue released his Catapult at the same moment the task prompt sounded, unleashing a 【Wild Ball Fist】 toward an unoccupied space.
"Again?" Ji Bu quipped.
"Yeah... well, skillscd is one hour", Feng Bu Jue replied. "Actually, I wanted to use it earlier, but those few minutes wouldn't matter much. So I decided to explain everything first before firing."
"Hey, what exactly does this move do?" Ji Bu asked skeptically. "It's got a one-hour cooldown, but the power looks mediocre."
"Hmph... Who says it's an offensive skill?" Feng Bu Jue said with a sly grin.
"Then what is it?" Ji Bu guessed. "Some kind of permanent attribute boost?" He half-joked, "Could it be... every time you do that motion, you subtly improve some hidden stat?"
"Oh? You figured it out? Not bad", Feng Bu Jue lied effortlessly. "Fine, I'll tell you... Every time I use this skill, something on me gets a tiny bit longer..."
"If that 'something' you're referring to is your dignity, then I hope it's true", Ji Bu shot back with a scornful look.
"Enough chat — let's finish the task first", Hong Hu interrupted, reminding them. "Judging from the previous task's difficulty, this one won't be easy either. We won't have much time to waste."
"Obviously. This is a Nightmare difficulty team dungeon", Feng Bu Jue turned back. "Every step we take is like walking a tightrope... A true life-or-death moment!"
"If you know that, help find the path already", Fei Chai Shu said, already pulling out a flashlight to search for the next level's exit.
"No need", Feng Bu Jue picked up his Catapult again, aiming its beam at a corner of the chamber. "While talking, I already found it."
Following his gesture, the group indeed spotted the next-level entrance — another movable hatch.
A brief description of the environment...
The current space where the players stood was constructed of gray stone bricks, covering about eighty square meters. Though the ceiling of this stone chamber was conical, there were no pillars or crossbeams inside.
The hatch Feng Bu Jue illuminated lay flat on the floor — a one-meter-square metal door that could be opened by pushing, automatically closing a few seconds after releasing pressure. Identical to the hatch above, except this one was on the ground.
"Huh... Feng Bu Jue, you really are efficient", Fei Chai Shu remarked.
"Flattery", Feng Bu Jue replied casually.
"Wait, has anyone noticed something?" Tian Ma Xing Kong, known for his delayed reactions, suddenly asked. "Usually, the prompts 'Current Task Completed' and 'Main Quest Updated' appear consecutively. But this time... there was about a ten-minute gap between them."
"Oh, we noticed", Feng Bu Jue said. "Probably the system needs some cushiontime between two 'timed tasks'."
"Is that necessary?" Fei Chai Shu questioned. "Since it's Nightmare difficulty, wouldn't consecutive timed tasks be normal?"
"It's necessary", Hong Hu interjected. "The system needs time to complete 'erasure', after all." He paused. "You said it yourself — this is a Nightmare dungeon. Do you think the system would let players die so easily? The 'erasure' mentioned in the task description probably isn't as simple as turning you into white light and kicking you out." His eyes darkened. "I suspect the system will use more despair-inducing, painful deaths."
"Exactly", Feng Bu Jue added grimly. "Like suddenly dropping a pile of crap from the sky, sealing all your abilities while smothering your face in it until you suffocate and get expelled."
"Heh... heh..." Hong Hu gave a humorless chuckle before ignoring Feng Bu Jue's remark. Approaching the hatch, he crouched down. "Since I haven't led the way since the scenario started, I'll go first this time." Taking a flashlight from his satchel, he pushed open the floor hatch.
"Hmm... seems like another room similar to this one", Hong Hu illuminated the space below before glancing back. "I'll descend first." Without waiting for a response, he turned sideways and dropped through the hatch.
He landed with a soft, steady thud.
After a few seconds, his voice echoed up: "Safe. Come down."
The remaining four followed through the hatch, entering the lower stone chamber.
This chamber matched the upper one in size, but unlike above, the ceiling here was flat stone rather than a pointed dome.
"Look over there", Hong Hu raised his flashlight toward a side wall once everyone had gathered. "That looks suspicious, right?"
Turning, the group immediately spotted the object he indicated.
...
(Project *-645)
(Project Safety Level: Safe)
-645 is a massive Pavonazzetto marble disk embedded with a marble human face, resembling the so-called "Mouth of Truth" carved into the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome (see the film Roman Holiday*). Its mouth and eyes are hollowed-out voids.
At any time, placing hands into *-645's mouth produces sensations of warmth and dampness.
*-645 must be cleaned after each activation.
Anyone inserting their hand into the Mouth of Truth will have their limb bitten off and swallowed if they tell a lie. The swallowed limbs' locations remain unknown — probe inspections confirmed *-645 lacks an esophagus.
...
"This does resemble the Mouth of Truth", Ji Bu observed, recognizing it immediately from his European travels.
"Oh, I think I saw something like this in an old movie", Tian Ma Xing Kong added.
"Actually", Fei Chai Shu pointed toward the chamber's opposite side — where the next-level hatch lay — "we don't necessarily need to touch it. Our goal is reaching the ground floor, so we just need to keep descending through these hatches. Best avoid weird objects like this if possible."
"Good point", Feng Bu Jue agreed verbally while already walking toward the statue.
"Hey! What are you going over there for?" Hong Hu asked.
"Looking for equipment", Feng Bu Jue answered matter-of-factly. "These ignored corners often hide rewards." He continued, already reaching into the statue's mouth. "As the game rule goes — 'Traps line main paths, premium chests hide in alleys.' You're supposed to be Experts. Don't you know this basic principle? Ah!"
His voice suddenly shifted. A pained cry erupted before he could finish.
"What happened?" Tian Ma Xing Kong immediately rushed forward, striking his "Hero pose" defensively. "Did it bite you? Want me to use Meteor Strike Fist?"
"Strike your second uncle's face! You want to solve everything with Meteor Strike Fist?" Feng Bu Jue's voice remained strong, indicating no serious injury.
"Ah... the old saying goes — when uncertain, perform a dragon rising", Brother Horse replied seriously.
"That saying was meant to mock! And it refers to Dragon Rising Fist, not Meteor Strike Fist!" Feng Bu Jue shouted.
"Enough pointless arguments", Fei Chai Shu rubbed his temples, already developing a headache. "What actually happened?"
"I felt something..." Feng Bu Jue spoke rapidly. "A spherical object, smooth surface, about tennis ball size... The moment I touched it, my hand got bitten."
"Try releasing it", Ji Bu suggested.
"Can't — my forearm's completely locked. Can't pull free either", Feng Bu Jue replied. He hesitated. "Feels like forced pulling would shatter my hand."
"Ah, classic case of 'asking for trouble with your own hands'", Hong Hu sighed, shaking his head. "You were just quoting 'Traps line main paths, premium chests hide in alleys'... Should've said 'Hero falls flat, swimmers drown.'" Who told you to show off?
"Answer... my... question..." The statue suddenly rumbled, each word dragging like thunder (subsequent dialogues will omit hyphens). "Then I'll release you."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, silent.
"Fine... ask", Feng Bu Jue hesitated two seconds before agreeing.
"You must tell the truth", the statue continued. "Or I'll bite off your hand."
"Go ahead", Feng Bu Jue replied.
He wasn't truly afraid of losing his hand — his satchel held several *-500s, his vitality nearly full. At worst, he'd lose one medicine and an artifact he hadn't even obtained yet.
"You'd better listen carefully..." The statue immediately asked...
(End of Chapter)
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