They hadn’t gotten out.
Gao Yang was disappointed to find themselves in a large underground clearing. By his estimation, it was at least as big as three stadiums combined, at the center of which was a gargantuan tree with dense canopy of branches but no leaves.
It glowed with a flickering white light that seemed sacred and lonesome, and upon closer inspection, the light revealed itself to be white energy enclosed in the translucent tree trunk, flowing quietly through the tree like its blood.
The web of thick, crisscrossing roots went deep into the ground, while the dense branches spread out toward the dome. Like a giant with their head propping the sky up and their feet firmly planted in the ground, the tree became scaffolding for the entire underground space.
The light coming from the tree should’ve provided enough illumination to make it seem like daytime, yet seemingly defying common sense, the clearing was awash with a cold, silent, and heavy dimness like a deep valley at dusk.
Everyone was shocked speechless by the strange yet awe-inspiring scene.
After some time, White Rabbit broke the silence. “Under the tree must be the subway tunnel. It would be the source of all these strange phenomena, wouldn’t it?”
Gao Yang turned to her, surprised. White Rabbit was standing right next to him, yet it sounded like her voice was coming from at least ten meters away.
“Seems that way,” Gao Yang responded.
White Rabbit noticed the same thing. “What happened to your voice? Or was it my ears?”
“Both of you sound wrong,” said Qing Ling.
“It’s as if we’re all more than ten meters apart,” added Officer Huang.
Gao Yang was actually relieved to hear that. “So it’s the same for all of you.”
“There’s something really wrong about this place, so be careful,” War Tiger said. His voice sounded distant as well.
Maintaining their formation, they made it slowly to the giant tree at the center. It looked sacred and emitted light, yet Gao Yang found both the ground under his feet and the area behind him plunged in an inexplicable darkness. It didn’t make logical sense.
As they approached the giant tree, the ground grew uneven with bumps and dents, a result of the damage and destruction the tree roots had done to the ground. There was no pattern to it.
Taking point, War Tiger suddenly came to a halt and put out an arm to stop the others.
They followed his lead and then his gaze.
About twenty meters away, four bodies lay on the ground. There were both men and women, and all were entangled by the glowing tree roots, seemingly submerged in and becoming one with the light. Many would’ve missed them without taking a careful look.
War Tiger had keen eyes.
Old Wang hurriedly went up a few steps, his expression grave. He recognized his teammates.
“Gu Ling!” he shouted as he rushed toward the body closest to him.
The others quickly followed.
Gao Yang took a closer look. The dead was an adult woman with long, black hair, dressed in a leather special force outfit. He could tell that she had been a valiant, capable, and good-looking woman before her death.
With half of her body trapped by the tree roots, her corpse glowed with a cool translucent light like a human lantern hung on a tree branch.
“Wake up! I’m here for you!” Old Wang wanted to break the roots around her, but his attempt was futile. Then he drew a dagger from his waist and stabbed at the roots with great force.
That left a cut, but then white energy particles puffed out like dandelion seeds before quickly scattering. And the tree root healed in no time. With a cold, indifferent determination, it continued to inject white energy into the body to assimilate it.
“Get yourself together. She’s dead.” War Tiger put a hand on Old Wang’s shoulder, his voice colored with sympathy. “Check on the other bodies and see if they were one of yours.”
Old Wang reached out with a trembling hand to close Gu Ling’s eyes, his own red and misty with tears. Then he picked himself up and walked toward the three bodies near him.
Qing Ling and Officer Huang exchanged a look before catching up with Old Wang to make sure that he wasn’t left alone.
War Tiger, White Rabbit, and Gao Yang stayed behind to examine Gu Ling’s body.
After some time, White Rabbit said, “Based on her expression, she seemed shocked right before her death, and the lack of physical injuries would suggest that she hadn’t had the time to even resist.”
“What’s the cause of death?” asked War Tiger.
“Gunshot.” White Rabbit pointed at Gu Ling’s left chest with her gloved hand. There was a patch of dark red. “Straight to the heart. She couldn’t have died for long since her blood hasn’t congealed completely.”
“Gunshot?” Gao Yang found it odd. “Do monsters use guns?”
“Not usually.” War Tiger’s face darkened as well, and he stroked his chin. “A monster’s body is a powerful weapon itself. They have no use for guns.”
“Wait.” White Rabbit was still examining the dead body, and her expression suddenly turned tense. “Look, her weapon of choice was guns.”
Gao Yang took a closer look. There was a holster on the outside of Gu Ling’s thigh, and inside was a handgun.
“Suicide?” War Tiger frowned.
“No, her gun is still holstered, and it doesn’t make sense for someone to aim at the heart when committing suicide. She must have been killed by others.” White Rabbit got to her feet. “That’s all we can glean from her body.”
“Let’s go check out the others.”
The three of them walked up to Old Wang. Old Wang was crouching beside a dead man and closing his eyes.
“Were they all your teammates?” War Tiger asked.
Old Wang nodded and said with great pain, “Yes, and they’re all dead. Cheng Xin is the only one still missing.”
“Spread out and find him,” said War Tiger. “He may be in the area.”
“Here! I’m here! Help me...”
They heard a call for help. It didn’t sound that far away, but due to the strange rules the space operated by, they couldn’t exactly determine how far the owner of the voice was.
“That’s Cheng Xin!” Old Wang shot to his feet, joy and anger warring inside him. “That bastard’s still alive!”
Cautiously, the six of them made it to the source of the voice. Past a few thick protruding tree roots, they found in a depression amid the roots a young man in a waterproof windbreaker.
His complexion was dark, and his hair messy. Judging by the way he curled into himself with both hands pressing into his bleeding abdomen, his injury must have been quite serious.
Both Gao Yang and White Rabbit paused. They had seen the man. He was the other representative of the Hundred Rivers Union when they traded at the Qilin Guild.
“You bastard, Cheng Xin!” Remembering how he had been abandoned, Old Wang grabbed the man by the collar. “You reap what you sow!”
“And I’m sorry for that, Old Wang, truly,” Cheng Xin implored weakly. “I had no choice. I’m the leader. I had to protect everyone...”
“And did you? They’re dead! All dead!” Old Wang trembled with rage. “I told you we shouldn’t board the train, but you wouldn’t listen! You got them killed!”
“Yes, I got them killed. I made a mistake. I would accept any punishment from the Union.” Cheng Xin grabbed his hand and begged with tears and snots covering his face. “I don’t want to die, Old Wang. I want to live. Save me, for our past friendship if nothing else...”
Old Wang slapped Cheng Xin’s hand away and clenched his teeth, silently debating with himself.
Finally, he let out a long sigh and turned to War Tiger. “Would you save him? Although I’d gladly see him die, I have to take him back to the Union so that everyone can get some closure.”
War Tiger shot White Rabbit a look.
With a shrug, White Rabbit squatted down and examined the wound on Cheng Xin’s abdomen. She quickly concluded, “It’s quite a serious cut, but not fatal.”
“Give me the bag, Gao Yang.”
Gao Yang dropped the backpack. White Rabbit rummaged through it to find some painkiller pills for Cheng Xin. Then she took out a syringe of Medicine C. It was a fast-acting regenerative medicine made with Dead Pig’s blood for physical wounds.
White Rabbit took off the cap and made an injection near Cheng Xin’s injury.
Cheng Xin grunted and spasmed. Soon, color returned to his pale face, and the wound on his abdomen quickly mended.
“This would only keep you alive for the moment,” White Rabbit said in an aloof voice. “You would need proper treatment once you return.”
“Thank you! Thank you all! Thank you...” Cheng Xin kept muttering his thanks, his tone bordering on pathetic.
“Cheng Xin, is it?” War Tiger stared at him. “What happened here?”
“Oh!” Cheng Xin exclaimed like he had just woken up from a bad dream now that he was no longer dying. “The Rune Circuit! We found it!”
They hadn’t gotten out.
Gao Yang was disappointed to find themselves in a large underground clearing. By his estimation, it was at least as big as three stadiums combined, at the center of which was a gargantuan tree with dense canopy of branches but no leaves.
It glowed with a flickering white light that seemed sacred and lonesome, and upon closer inspection, the light revealed itself to be white energy enclosed in the translucent tree trunk, flowing quietly through the tree like its blood.
The web of thick, crisscrossing roots went deep into the ground, while the dense branches spread out toward the dome. Like a giant with their head propping the sky up and their feet firmly planted in the ground, the tree became scaffolding for the entire underground space.
The light coming from the tree should’ve provided enough illumination to make it seem like daytime, yet seemingly defying common sense, the clearing was awash with a cold, silent, and heavy dimness like a deep valley at dusk.
Everyone was shocked speechless by the strange yet awe-inspiring scene.
After some time, White Rabbit broke the silence. “Under the tree must be the subway tunnel. It would be the source of all these strange phenomena, wouldn’t it?”
Gao Yang turned to her, surprised. White Rabbit was standing right next to him, yet it sounded like her voice was coming from at least ten meters away.
“Seems that way,” Gao Yang responded.
White Rabbit noticed the same thing. “What happened to your voice? Or was it my ears?”
“Both of you sound wrong,” said Qing Ling.
“It’s as if we’re all more than ten meters apart,” added Officer Huang.
Gao Yang was actually relieved to hear that. “So it’s the same for all of you.”
“There’s something really wrong about this place, so be careful,” War Tiger said. His voice sounded distant as well.
Maintaining their formation, they made it slowly to the giant tree at the center. It looked sacred and emitted light, yet Gao Yang found both the ground under his feet and the area behind him plunged in an inexplicable darkness. It didn’t make logical sense.
As they approached the giant tree, the ground grew uneven with bumps and dents, a result of the damage and destruction the tree roots had done to the ground. There was no pattern to it.
Taking point, War Tiger suddenly came to a halt and put out an arm to stop the others.
They followed his lead and then his gaze.
About twenty meters away, four bodies lay on the ground. There were both men and women, and all were entangled by the glowing tree roots, seemingly submerged in and becoming one with the light. Many would’ve missed them without taking a careful look.
War Tiger had keen eyes.
Old Wang hurriedly went up a few steps, his expression grave. He recognized his teammates.
“Gu Ling!” he shouted as he rushed toward the body closest to him.
The others quickly followed.
Gao Yang took a closer look. The dead was an adult woman with long, black hair, dressed in a leather special force outfit. He could tell that she had been a valiant, capable, and good-looking woman before her death.
With half of her body trapped by the tree roots, her corpse glowed with a cool translucent light like a human lantern hung on a tree branch.
“Wake up! I’m here for you!” Old Wang wanted to break the roots around her, but his attempt was futile. Then he drew a dagger from his waist and stabbed at the roots with great force.
That left a cut, but then white energy particles puffed out like dandelion seeds before quickly scattering. And the tree root healed in no time. With a cold, indifferent determination, it continued to inject white energy into the body to assimilate it.
“Get yourself together. She’s dead.” War Tiger put a hand on Old Wang’s shoulder, his voice colored with sympathy. “Check on the other bodies and see if they were one of yours.”
Old Wang reached out with a trembling hand to close Gu Ling’s eyes, his own red and misty with tears. Then he picked himself up and walked toward the three bodies near him.
Qing Ling and Officer Huang exchanged a look before catching up with Old Wang to make sure that he wasn’t left alone.
War Tiger, White Rabbit, and Gao Yang stayed behind to examine Gu Ling’s body.
After some time, White Rabbit said, “Based on her expression, she seemed shocked right before her death, and the lack of physical injuries would suggest that she hadn’t had the time to even resist.”
“What’s the cause of death?” asked War Tiger.
“Gunshot.” White Rabbit pointed at Gu Ling’s left chest with her gloved hand. There was a patch of dark red. “Straight to the heart. She couldn’t have died for long since her blood hasn’t congealed completely.”
“Gunshot?” Gao Yang found it odd. “Do monsters use guns?”
“Not usually.” War Tiger’s face darkened as well, and he stroked his chin. “A monster’s body is a powerful weapon itself. They have no use for guns.”
“Wait.” White Rabbit was still examining the dead body, and her expression suddenly turned tense. “Look, her weapon of choice was guns.”
Gao Yang took a closer look. There was a holster on the outside of Gu Ling’s thigh, and inside was a handgun.
“Suicide?” War Tiger frowned.
“No, her gun is still holstered, and it doesn’t make sense for someone to aim at the heart when committing suicide. She must have been killed by others.” White Rabbit got to her feet. “That’s all we can glean from her body.”
“Let’s go check out the others.”
The three of them walked up to Old Wang. Old Wang was crouching beside a dead man and closing his eyes.
“Were they all your teammates?” War Tiger asked.
Old Wang nodded and said with great pain, “Yes, and they’re all dead. Cheng Xin is the only one still missing.”
“Spread out and find him,” said War Tiger. “He may be in the area.”
“Here! I’m here! Help me...”
They heard a call for help. It didn’t sound that far away, but due to the strange rules the space operated by, they couldn’t exactly determine how far the owner of the voice was.
“That’s Cheng Xin!” Old Wang shot to his feet, joy and anger warring inside him. “That bastard’s still alive!”
Cautiously, the six of them made it to the source of the voice. Past a few thick protruding tree roots, they found in a depression amid the roots a young man in a waterproof windbreaker.
His complexion was dark, and his hair messy. Judging by the way he curled into himself with both hands pressing into his bleeding abdomen, his injury must have been quite serious.
Both Gao Yang and White Rabbit paused. They had seen the man. He was the other representative of the Hundred Rivers Union when they traded at the Qilin Guild.
“You bastard, Cheng Xin!” Remembering how he had been abandoned, Old Wang grabbed the man by the collar. “You reap what you sow!”
“And I’m sorry for that, Old Wang, truly,” Cheng Xin implored weakly. “I had no choice. I’m the leader. I had to protect everyone...”
“And did you? They’re dead! All dead!” Old Wang trembled with rage. “I told you we shouldn’t board the train, but you wouldn’t listen! You got them killed!”
“Yes, I got them killed. I made a mistake. I would accept any punishment from the Union.” Cheng Xin grabbed his hand and begged with tears and snots covering his face. “I don’t want to die, Old Wang. I want to live. Save me, for our past friendship if nothing else...”
Old Wang slapped Cheng Xin’s hand away and clenched his teeth, silently debating with himself.
Finally, he let out a long sigh and turned to War Tiger. “Would you save him? Although I’d gladly see him die, I have to take him back to the Union so that everyone can get some closure.”
War Tiger shot White Rabbit a look.
With a shrug, White Rabbit squatted down and examined the wound on Cheng Xin’s abdomen. She quickly concluded, “It’s quite a serious cut, but not fatal.”
“Give me the bag, Gao Yang.”
Gao Yang dropped the backpack. White Rabbit rummaged through it to find some painkiller pills for Cheng Xin. Then she took out a syringe of Medicine C. It was a fast-acting regenerative medicine made with Dead Pig’s blood for physical wounds.
White Rabbit took off the cap and made an injection near Cheng Xin’s injury.
Cheng Xin grunted and spasmed. Soon, color returned to his pale face, and the wound on his abdomen quickly mended.
“This would only keep you alive for the moment,” White Rabbit said in an aloof voice. “You would need proper treatment once you return.”
“Thank you! Thank you all! Thank you...” Cheng Xin kept muttering his thanks, his tone bordering on pathetic.
“Cheng Xin, is it?” War Tiger stared at him. “What happened here?”
“Oh!” Cheng Xin exclaimed like he had just woken up from a bad dream now that he was no longer dying. “The Rune Circuit! We found it!”
