New Novel
Chapter 3: That Thing, It’s Here

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: That Thing, It’s Here

A cold glint flashed in Lu Jingyu’s eyes. "Assemble. Leave two people to escort this guide back to the base. The rest of the team will follow me into the instance."

The Sentinels beside him immediately grew solemn and picked up their weapons.

The two Sentinels who had just spoken to Xu Qingsui stepped forward. "Ma’am, please come with us. Contamination Source Nine is very close. If we don’t hurry, you’ll be in danger too."

Xu Qingsui furrowed her brow and looked up at the chemical plant in the distance.

Lead-gray clouds gathered above the contamination source, their edges churning with a sickly, fluorescent green. Plumes of pale purple smoke billowed endlessly into the sky.

The giant plants all around twitched unnaturally. The bodies of mosquitoes and other insects began to swell, their mouthparts elongating into sharp proboscises. Foraging hyenas and wild rats were drawn in madly. As they neared the contamination, their claws gradually hardened into black keratin, their sharp canines grew in overlapping rows, and their eyes began to bulge, their pupils turning a bizarre green.

Meanwhile, fetid wastewater, bubbling and reeking, was flowing continuously into the deep sea nearby, staining the ocean’s surface a terrifying dark purple!

Agonized screams and the roars of mutants echoed from the distance. She pushed aside the two Sentinels beside her and ran after Lu Jingyu. "Wait, I’m going too."

Lu Jingyu stopped, his brow deeply furrowed. "You have no combat experience."

The two Sentinels followed close behind. "Yes, ma’am. Your spiritual power is strong, but combat isn’t like a one-on-one mental soothing. It’s very dangerous. You should come with us."

The female Sentinel was even more blunt. "Everyone who comes out of the academies is an idiot. You think just because you got lucky with a High level rating, you can boss people around in a contamination zone? You’ll just drag us down if you come."

Xu Qingsui ignored her and spoke calmly to Lu Jingyu, "My combat skills might not be on par with yours, but I can focus on spiritual healing. If something happens, I’ll take full responsibility. If you really don’t trust me, I can sign a death waiver."

"Since guides and Sentinels are meant to fight side-by-side, I won’t abandon you to seek shelter alone in a crisis."

’I can’t just stand by and watch others fight and die on the front lines while I save my own skin. Besides, how am I supposed to uncover the secret of the fragments if I’m just cowering under someone else’s protection?’

’That’s why I have to go into this instance!’

Lu Jingyu lowered his gaze to her, his expression unreadable.

It wasn’t that the Alliance had no A level guides, but those cowards were never willing to risk entering an instance.

But this young woman in front of him... her courage was commendable.

His expression softened considerably. In a low voice, he said, "We will do our best to ensure your safety. But once inside the instance, you must strictly follow orders. If you break the rules, no one can save you."

’Rules?’

Xu Qingsui frowned slightly. She followed the team to the combat logistics point to change into a hazmat suit, and then they all headed for Contamination Source Nine.

The chemical plant and the adjacent coastline were already shrouded in a thick black fog. Huge waves churned in the deep sea, looking as if they would swallow them whole at any moment.

Before Xu Qingsui could get a good look at her surroundings, a pitch-black fissure suddenly appeared on the surface of the sea.

Then, a cold, hoarse voice sounded.

Instance: Deep Sea Maze has opened. Human participants, please enter the instance in an orderly manner.

Clear Time: 48 hours. Failure to clear the instance within the specified time will result in the complete contamination of this area.

Looking confused, Xu Qingsui followed them into the fissure and asked the Golden Octopus, "What’s an instance?"

Host, an instance is a special phenomenon in this Apocalypse. By entering and clearing a rule-based instance, you can stop the spread of contamination. However, if you die in an instance, you will die for good.

Furthermore, there are various rules within an instance. Violating them will result in immediate obliteration.

Xu Qingsui fell into deep thought. Before she knew it, a massive city gate made of reef rock had appeared before them.

Several lines of text were crookedly carved into the gate with a blade, the grooves stained with dark red blood—

To the brave and fearless who follow:

1: If you see three consecutive glowing blue rings on a wall, the ground, or any other surface, immediately close your eyes and remain still!

2: Blue doors do not exist in the ancient city. Do not enter them! DO NOT ENTER!

3: If blue spots or marks appear on your skin, immediately seek out the song of a whale!

4: When the golden lights bloom, the city will return to its former glory. Light them up!

Xu Qingsui pondered the meaning behind these rules as she followed the group of Sentinels deeper into the undersea city.

The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet. The group tried their best to muffle their footsteps, until all they could hear was the sound of their own heartbeats.

But strangely, as they ventured deeper, that heartbeat sound grew louder and louder.

Lu Jingyu suddenly stopped, raising his right hand to signal for them to halt. "Something’s not right. Everyone, on guard."

The Sentinels immediately formed a circle, drawing their weapons and warily scanning their surroundings.

But Xu Qingsui felt her own heartbeat beginning to synchronize with the massive one. In her Spiritual Domain, a strange mass of blue energy was rapidly approaching from their rear right!

When the energy mass was only a few breaths away, Xu Qingsui sensed the danger and shoved Lu Jingyu, who was closest to it!

"Get back! It’s here!"

The moment the words left her mouth, a giant blue-ringed octopus emerged from the dark waters, brandishing its tentacles and spitting venom at the group!

Lu Jingyu quickly drew his gun and landed a steady shot on one of the octopus’s massive, flailing tentacles. "It’s an S Level mutation! Fall back for now!"

The well-trained Sentinels quickly formed up, engaging the mutated octopus as they retreated in the opposite direction.

Xu Qingsui was following the team, intending to leave, when a hand suddenly shoved her hard from behind!

She stumbled and fell, just in time to see the female Sentinel who had been so snide to her earlier standing behind her.

"Ma’am!"

The nearest Sentinel was about to help her up, but the blue-ringed octopus had already closed in, spitting another glob of venom!

At the same time, a whole swarm of blue-ringed octopuses surged forward, completely surrounding Xu Qingsui!

"Dammit!"

Xu Qingsui gritted her teeth, struggling to break free from the octopuses’ grasp, but their tentacles held her fast.

As a sapphire-blue neurotoxin was injected into her body, a fog clouded her vision, and her consciousness instantly began to fade.

Lu Jingyu realized something was wrong and whipped around to go after her, but the octopuses retreated rapidly, vanishing without a trace in an instant.