Chapter 43: Chance Encounter?
The passage leading downward opened, and what followed was straightforward. The four convicts delved deep, dismantling all supernatural mechanisms and traps, and finally used three keys to open the Abyss Prison Gate.
The Abyss Prison Gate had a peculiar trait: it was nearly indestructible before being opened. Opening and destroying it were two entirely different concepts.
Opening it merely led into the Abyss Prison, but if destroyed, due to the arrangements of the former Hunters, the breach formed by the Abyss Prison Gate would directly connect to the deepest part of the Abyss Prison.
“We can begin now.”
As Fragrant Lady spoke, her gaze fell upon the four convicts.
“If I said I regret this, would I die on the spot?”
Button Sunny stared at the pitch-black darkness below the steps. Her instincts told her: never go down there.
“Undead Yuyuer, you’re the leader. As for your team’s name,” Fragrant Lady pondered for a moment before saying, “Let’s call it Shadow. You are all shadows in the darkness.”
“I object.”
Button Sunny raised her hand.
“Objection overruled. Now get moving.”
Under Fragrant Lady’s watchful gaze, the four convicts, carrying backpacks, descended the steps and gradually vanished into the darkness.
Su Xiao stood before the steps. If the Shadow Team succeeded, he could delve into the Abyss Prison in two days. After the Abyss Prison Gate was destroyed, the chaotic energy reaction would last at least two days, making it impossible to enter the Abyss Prison before then.
Time ticked by, second by second. About two hours later, a figure charged up from the darkness below. There was no sound—sound had been cut off.
Inside the passage, Big Mouth Kite was roaring something. He ran like a wild beast, on all fours, while behind him surged a massive tide of fluid. This fluid, like liquid mercury, corroded the walls of the passage as it advanced.
Big Mouth Kite was fast, but the fluid behind him was faster. When he was still a few dozen meters from the exit, a tendril of fluid shot out from the mass, wrapped around his ankle, and with a wet *squelch*, dragged him back into the fluid.
Big Mouth Kite seemed to be screaming in agony. He first turned into a skeleton, then rapidly corroded into sludge. Everything was silent—sound had been cut off.
The silver fluid churned for a while longer before evaporating into the air.
“Failed, huh? About two hours in, they must have gone quite far.”
Just as Fragrant Lady finished speaking, a figure about ten centimeters tall walked out of the passage. It was a miniature version of Undead Yuyuer. When he was about a dozen meters from Su Xiao, Su Xiao finally heard the faint footsteps. Every dozen meters or so in this passage was an independent space.
“The keys are faulty. The door won’t open.”
Undead Yuyuer looked up at Su Xiao. Hearing this, everyone, including Fragrant Lady, was taken aback.
“Did you… succeed?”
“Yes.”
Undead Yuyuer turned and walked back into the depths of the passage to find his main body.
“Could it be a trap? Don’t go in like that, Kukulin! What are you thinking?”
Amid Fragrant Lady’s shouts, Su Xiao had already stepped into the underground passage. After moving just over a dozen meters, he felt like he had passed through a transparent membrane.
Bubu Wang and Amu guarded the entrance to prevent any surprises, while Baha descended into the passage with Su Xiao. In a critical moment, Baha could forcibly open an alternate space and take Su Xiao with him to avoid danger.
Every dozen or so meters Su Xiao walked, he saw cracks on the walls—remnants of triggered supernatural mechanisms. In truth, among the convicts, only Undead Yuyuer was crucial. His abilities were well-suited for dismantling these aged supernatural mechanisms; the others were just extra insurance.
“The space here is really chaotic.”
Baha flew low, doing his best to stabilize the surrounding spatial fluctuations.
As they advanced, Su Xiao noticed that Undead Yuyuer had dismantled at least several hundred supernatural mechanisms or traps. Some were removed, others were triggered inductively.
Moreover, every dozen or so meters, Su Xiao passed through a transparent light membrane. These membranes fragmented the space into a chaotic mess.
Before Undead Yuyuer dismantled the supernatural mechanisms, the entire passage didn’t lead straight ahead. Sometimes, walking along would bring you back to the entrance, or directly into a section where traps had already been triggered.
When Su Xiao reached the innermost part of the passage, it was nearly thirty meters wide, with a massive door at the far end.
This door was covered in black patterns, standing over a dozen meters tall. Three keys were inserted near the lower part of the door—this was the Abyss Prison Gate.
Undead Yuyuer, Silent Salisbury, and Button Sunny stood before the Abyss Prison Gate. The three of them now seemed to be led by Undead Yuyuer, clearly having conspired about something.
Button Sunny saw Su Xiao approaching and immediately put on a shy smile. She was controlling her heartbeat, desperate for freedom. But before her plan succeeded, she needed to ensure the monster walking toward her didn’t suddenly draw his blade. Indeed, to a convict like Button Sunny, Su Xiao was a monster—both in strength and aura.
“This door is broken. It won’t open at all.”
Button Sunny shrugged. Silent Salisbury beside her pushed her aside, signaling her to keep quiet so as not to disrupt Undead Yuyuer’s plan.
Su Xiao walked past the three of them and stood before the Abyss Prison Gate.
“Mr. Kukulin, I suggest the Hunters attack it together.”
Undead Yuyuer remained expressionless, as if he had a permanent poker face.
“…”
Su Xiao said nothing. After sizing up the Abyss Prison Gate, he rolled his neck and took a slow breath.
Yuyuer and the other two retreated a dozen meters away. Button Sunny among them stared intently at Su Xiao, because his next decision would directly affect whether she regained her freedom. If other Hunters arrived, they might have a chance to escape.
“Mr. Kukulin, I wouldn’t advise trying it alone. That door is cast from ‘Losweb’ metal, one of the hardest substances in this world…”
Before Button Sunny could finish, Su Xiao, standing before the Abyss Prison Gate, delivered a straight kick.
*Boom!!*
The entire passage shook as if an earthquake had struck. A gust of wind pressure surged from in front of Button Sunny, messing up her hair. Amid the fierce wind, her expression was somewhat disheveled.
*Crack, crack, crack~*
Large cracks spread across the Abyss Prison Gate. The next instant, it shattered completely, releasing a surge of chaotic energy.
When everything settled, Undead Yuyuer’s eye twitched. He lowered his head in thought for a moment, then took shackles from his backpack and, with a *click*, locked them around his own wrists.
“Silent, you can go ahead with that ‘fight to the death’ plan you mentioned earlier.”
Button Sunny looked at Silent Salisbury. Silent Salisbury calmly took out shackles and locked them around his wrists. He had no desire to try fighting Su Xiao. Just moments ago, the three of them had tried various methods, only managing to create a rice-grain-sized dent in the Abyss Prison Gate—and that was with their full effort.
“What plan? Did you just say ‘fight to the death’?”
Baha landed on Button Sunny’s shoulder, one sharp claw resting on her head.
“Ha, haha, just kidding, don’t take it so seriously.”
Button Sunny laughed awkwardly. Her plan to betray her teammates had failed, so she too took out shackles and locked herself up.
After the Abyss Prison Gate shattered, the chaotic energy twisted together, spinning in different directions. Once this energy dissipated, they could pass through here to reach the deepest part of the Abyss Prison.
[Notification: The Hunter has destroyed the Abyss Prison Gate.]
[You have gained 2000 World Reputation Points.]
…
A full 2000 World Reputation Points—a pleasant surprise. Just as Su Xiao was about to turn and head back out of the passage, a figure burst out from the chaotic energy.
This figure was covered in blood, clearly having just been swept into the chaotic energy before charging out. This person had likely been on the other side of the Abyss Prison Gate. The inside and outside of the gate were different; destroying it from the inside was nearly impossible.
With a *thud*, the blood-soaked figure crashed to the ground. He struggled to get up, but the next moment, he froze in place.
“…”
“…”
Their eyes met. Su Xiao and the suddenly appearing Douglas stared at each other.