Chapter 34: The Stone Tablets

Chapter 34: The Stone Tablets

Inside the grand cathedral, the four 'good teammates' sat around a round table. Wood was the first to speak, asking:
"Bai Ye, you've already obtained four Source Stones?"
"Yes."
"Let me see?"
"..."
Su Xiao raised his left arm, which was clad in the Black King Bracer. As a surge of dark energy emerged along his arm, a jet-black crystal gradually coalesced in his hand, eventually reverting into a Source Stone.
He could do this because he had discovered that, rather than the Black King Bracer absorbing the Source Stones, the Source Stones were actually inlaid onto it in a special way.
If the Source Stones had been absorbed, with so many generations of Chosen Ones, the five Source Stones would have long been incomplete. Even if each person's proof item only absorbed half a stone, there wouldn't be enough to go around.
Wood took the Source Stone Su Xiao tossed over, then retrieved several ancient-looking items: a strangely shaped scale, a loupe, and a small bone-drawn steelyard.
"If there's a corresponding special energy, that large piece of Star Core Stone can significantly enhance one's talent."
Su Xiao spoke. Hearing this, Wood, who was identifying the Source Stone, paused. Zuiyasi, beside him, also looked toward the Star Core Stone on the 'Sacrificial Altar.'
"Is it similar to talent awakening?"
Zuiyasi naturally knew that talent abilities could be awakened. Although in his Doom Star, talent awakening wasn't as straightforward as in the Paradise camp, they still had methods to awaken talents, which were also divided into first and second awakenings.
"No, this is more like a quantitative increase."
Su Xiao tapped his finger on the teacup in front of him. Crystals spread upward along the cup's rim, increasing its capacity by nearly a third.
With such a concise and intuitive description, Wood and Zuiyasi naturally understood the degree of enhancement this represented.
Interestingly, Kaiser showed little interest in the Star Core Stone. Partly because many people were vying for it, partly because he couldn't use it himself, and finally, even if he got it, selling it would bring various troubles.
Compared to the Star Core Stone, Kaiser was more interested in the Dark Source. It was easy to carry and convenient for trading.
Besides the Star Core Stone, Su Xiao had another guess: there really was a seed of the Black Maple Tree within Dead Silence City. However, it wasn't the first-generation seed from the Abyss, as he had claimed, but rather a seed produced by the mother tree of the initial seed.
It could be said that 99.9999% of the Black Maple Tree yields currently in circulation came from Black Maple Trees cultivated from such seeds.
The Black Maple Tree on Arcane Eternal Star was one, the one at the bottom of the Black Abyss was another, the one beneath the Abyssal Dragon was another, and the one Su Xiao possessed was also the same.
The mother tree of these four Black Maple Trees originated from the Law Destruction Faction. That mother tree was still alive. Originally located in the 'Land of Beginning and End,' after Su Xiao coveted it for a long time, the old Law Destroyer moved it to a place with many Soul Trees. Later, Su Xiao happened to be there briefly, but now he didn't know where the old Law Destroyer had moved it.
The current situation was that another mother tree had appeared in Dead Silence City. Although this mother tree had withered, had it left behind any seeds?
If it had left seeds, where would they be? Stored in the Treatment Center? That was very unsafe. Moreover, such a supreme treasure, the Treatment Center was not qualified to store it.
Given the Healing Church's style of conduct, these madmen who dared to besiege even Ancient Gods, they took 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' and 'repay kindness with kindness' to the extreme.
If the mother tree had indeed left seeds, the Healing Church would only leave them for one type of person: the one who solved the problem of Dead Silence City.
To solve the problem of Dead Silence City, i.e., to permanently cleanse the Dead Silence energy here, there was actually only one place one had to go: the Supreme Sanctuary. Places like the Saint Ten Church and the Wolf Tomb were all preparations for entering the Supreme Sanctuary.
Judging by this, if the Healing Church really had the seeds, they would only store them within the Supreme Sanctuary.
Su Xiao concisely narrated this guess. Hearing this speculation, Zuiyasi and Wood both fell into deep thought.
"Bai Ye, are you sure the mother tree of the Black Maple Tree produces seeds?"
"Mm."
"This... is there clear evidence?"
Zuiyasi frowned. Wood, on the other hand, showed no doubt, believing Su Xiao's words to be over seventy percent credible.
"The mother tree of the Black Maple Tree in the Void was cultivated by the Ancestral Law Destroyers. I've seen that mother tree. Unfortunately, an old fellow is watching over it."
Hearing this, Zuiyasi suddenly understood. He looked at Wood and found Wood's expression unchanged, clearly already knowing that the Law Destruction Faction once had the mother tree of the Black Maple Tree.
Su Xiao's method of unifying the interests of the 'good teammates' was simple. First, he showed the tangible benefits, i.e., the Star Core Stone. Plus, he had used it an hour ago to enhance his own talent, which was the best proof.
Having visible benefits wasn't enough. Adding a greater potential gain was necessary for stability. This potential gain had to be of high value, and its source and possibility had to be reliable enough.
If it were before coming to Dead Silence City, Zuiyasi and Wood wouldn't have taken risks for such a possibility. The problem was, Su Xiao had previously said there were Black Maple Tree seeds and yields in Dead Silence City, and it turned out to be true. Not just that, there was even a mother tree.
This made Zuiyasi and Wood wonder inwardly: Did Su Xiao have reliable information, knowing about the Black Maple Tree in Dead Silence City all along, and knowing the mother tree here had withered, using this as a pretext to lure cannon fodder to help share the risks from Dead Silence City?
"This round, I'm in."
Zuiyasi stated his position. Wood put down his teacup, indicating he was also joining. The three of them looked at Kaiser.
"I've been a bit busy lately..."
"We're going to open the Supreme Sanctuary. The Supreme Sanctuary was once the pilgrimage site of the 'Divine Cult' and also a place for storing treasures. There are at least three treasure vaults there."
Su Xiao wasn't lying. The Archbishop had mentioned this back in High Wall City when he was lucid.
"Even if I've been a bit busy, I can't neglect important matters!"
Kaiser grinned slyly, looking like someone who would do his utmost to save Dead Silence City. He had also heard rumors about the treasure vaults in the Supreme Sanctuary.
The four 'good teammates' successfully reached a consensus on their interests. Having confirmed this, Wood said, "Since we're already in the Inner City, and the cathedral has a teleportation device to the Treatment Center, according to standard procedure, it's time to clear the area."
Hearing this, Zuiyasi agreed. He turned his gaze to Gulu, smiled affably, and said, "You two, are you joining us, or leaving?"
Zuiyasi's smile was genial and friendly.
"Of course, I'll join."
Gulu was smart enough to know that if she said she wanted to leave now, Su Xiao might not act against her out of consideration for Tuanzhang, but the other two old yinbis—that tentacle monster and the skull head—would definitely kill her to prevent any leaks.
Gulu also sat down at the round table, appearing calm, but inwardly she was a bit panicked. Question: What to do when joining a team with four old yinbis? Asking online, very urgent.
After Su Xiao, Zuiyasi, Wood, and Kaiser discussed for a while, they had a preliminary plan. First was about the Primordial Source, the Initial Source Stones, and the final finished Source Stones.
Known intel was that the vast 'Primordial Source' was sealed within the Supreme Sanctuary. Rather than taking the risk of opening the Supreme Sanctuary at this stage, figuring out what the Dead Silence 'Primordial Source' was, was the key point.
Su Xiao already had a certain understanding of the history of the Gloomy Continent. Zuiyasi, Wood, and Kaiser had also learned some secrets after entering this place, with Kaiser discovering the most.
Speaking of which, Su Xiao owed Kaiser some thanks now. After arriving in the Inner City of Dead Silence City, Kaiser had originally planned to stir up conflict between the Abyss Spawn in the Dark Zone and the Dead Citizens of the Inner City, letting them fight each other so he could reap the benefits.
Unfortunately, the plan failed. It wasn't due to Kaiser's lack of ability, but because behind the Dead Citizens and Abyss Spawn here, there were two vast consciousnesses restraining them from large-scale melees. No matter how he provoked, they wouldn't fight.
The failure of this plan, plus the fact that Abyss Spawn didn't hoard wealth or resources, meant Kaiser could only collect a large amount of Dark Matter before leaving. It was impossible for him to return empty-handed.
The reason for thanking Kaiser was that after leaving the Dark Zone, he went to the Ancient Laboratory. Normally, the Steel Maker wouldn't let anyone in, but encountering such a thing, even the demigod Steel Maker was disgusted by this scoundrel.
When they first met, Kaiser sneaked into the Ancient Laboratory. It could keep outsiders out, but stopping Kaiser, who had merged with the jar, was very difficult. This was the extreme gain Kaiser obtained by giving up the powerful combat capability of the man-jar fusion.
Or rather, the combat power from the man-jar fusion was something Kaiser didn't need. He couldn't fight and didn't need to fight. Abandoning this part in exchange for strength in other areas was a more suitable gain for Kaiser.
After the Steel Maker discovered this intruder, he didn't directly kill him. He naturally sensed how troublesome the Abyssal Jar was.
The Steel Maker grabbed Kaiser, kicked him out of the underground laboratory like a soccer ball.
Kaiser, kicked out, slunk away timidly. An hour later, he sneaked back, took off his shoe, and threw it into the underground laboratory. Half a minute later, the Steel Maker's angry roar came from inside.
After this, Kaiser and the Steel Maker reached a 'reconciliation.' The Steel Maker allowed Kaiser to enter the Ancient Laboratory, on the condition that if Kaiser ever threw a shoe into his home again, he would risk his old life to fight Kaiser to the death.
Actually, the Steel Maker didn't dislike Kaiser. He had been imprisoned for too long. Suddenly encountering this lecherous, treacherous guy, he felt more exasperated and amused. As for hatred, it was hard for the Steel Maker to hold grudges. He had lived too long, so long that some things no longer mattered.
Because he could enter the Ancient Laboratory, Kaiser took the opportunity to slip into the Abyss Battlefield and met Amu. Amu was in a very bad state at the time. The treacherous Kaiser, for once, suffered a loss. His heart bleeding, he gave Amu several bottles of high-quality Recovery Potions for free, helping Amu get through that stage of difficulty.
It was because of these potions that Amu managed to hold on until the ghost old man sent him the second batch of resources: nearly a hundred bottles of Recovery Potions and World Force.
Earlier, Kaiser had planned to find Su Xiao to tell him Amu's location and situation, but on the way, he met the ghost old man. After a 'polite' exchange, Kaiser learned that Su Xiao already knew about Amu's situation and had commissioned the ghost old man to deliver supplies, so he returned the supplies.
"There are many secrets on the Gloomy Continent, recorded on several stone tablets. It's said these tablets are also the key to opening the treasure vaults of the Supreme Sanctuary."
Kaiser spoke, chewing on the tea leaves in his mouth. This was tea Su Xiao had treated him to. Although it wasn't Black Maple Tea, it was brewed with Eternal Spring. Given Kaiser's temperament, if he didn't chew the leaves, he'd feel he was losing out.
"Stone tablets? Where did this news come from?"
Wood asked. Such important intelligence needed a sufficiently reliable source.
"The Steel Maker said so. He knows everything but won't tell me."
"So, where are these stone tablets?"
Zuiyasi hit the nail on the head. These tablets weren't just keys to the treasure vaults; the information recorded on them was also extremely important, such as what the Dead Silence 'Primordial Source' was.
Only by knowing this could Su Xiao, Wood, and Kaiser possibly forge Source Stones. As for Zuiyasi, this wasn't his forte; he would handle his own area of expertise later.
"Compared to the stone tablets, the key to the Supreme Sanctuary is the real key. That building was sealed by the Healing Church with the power of an entire era. Without the key, don't even think..."
Zuiyasi was halfway through his sentence when Su Xiao took out the Sanctuary Key and placed it on the table.
"You really have it, Bai Ye."
Zuiyasi picked up the Sanctuary Key, examined it for a few moments, and put it back on the table.
'Gulu, Gulu! Go touch that key, quick! Just touch it once, no need to swap it, won't damage it, just touch it! The chance to get rich is right in front of you!'
Saint Poem's voice echoed in Gulu's mind. Gulu held her teacup with both hands, took a sip of hot tea, then reached out to pick up the Sanctuary Key for a look, but Wood was slightly faster and picked it up first.
"Sorry."
Wood smiled apologetically and put the key down, gesturing for Gulu to look first. But just as Gulu was about to take it, Kaiser happened to pick it up.
"Huh? This, this, this... you go first."
Kaiser put down the Sanctuary Key. Gulu reached out again, but suddenly, her movement froze. Zuiyasi, Wood, Su Xiao, and Kaiser, who had been chatting casually moments ago, were now staring at her expressionlessly. Four pairs of deep, oppressive eyes were fixed on her.
"So, is it you, or the soul entity in your consciousness space, that has something connected to the Sanctuary Key?"
Zuiyasi looked at Gulu with a smile.
'Not good!'
Gulu forced a smile. Saint Poem in her consciousness space was also very nervous. They had only been a little impatient, and they were already found out.
Although Gulu didn't speak, in her consciousness, she and Saint Poem were rapidly communicating. The content was:
Saint Poem: "Gulu, try to bluff your way through."
Gulu: "Bullshit! Four old yinbis, how am I supposed to bluff?!"
Saint Poem: "Then think of something. If all else fails, call your dad—"
Gulu: "Joking is fine normally, but at a time like this, even calling grandpa won't help. And Saint Poem, what exactly do you have that makes you so insistent on me touching that key?"
Saint Poem: "I have... a Church Stone Tablet. Otherwise, do you think I'm crazy? Choosing to come to the Gloomy Continent. This tablet activated on its own, and I couldn't avoid coming to the Gloomy Continent. Otherwise, the Dead Silence would have come for me."
Gulu: "Damn it! Take it out quickly!!"
Saint Poem: "Not yet. They're just old yinbis. Try to handle it."
Gulu: "I f*** you f***..."
...
"Kids shouldn't curse."
Wood suddenly spoke. Hearing this, Gulu was shocked. She tentatively asked, "Can you... know what I'm thinking?"
"Of course not. But you and that soul entity named Saint Poem were communicating mentally. That's different from thinking. Thinking is a chain reaction of your heart, brain, spirit, etc., which outsiders can't detect. But when you communicate mentally with Saint Poem, the spirit has a unique wavelength."
After Wood gave Gulu a simple explanation of the difference between 'thinking' and 'mental communication,' Gulu's mouth twitched. She really wanted to say: 'You four sure know a lot about everything.'
"Gulu, don't worry. Bai Ye can extract that soul entity from your consciousness space, and I can inflict enough pain on that soul entity to make her hand over the Church Stone Tablet."
Zuiyasi pulled out a fist-sized lump of flesh. He squeezed it, and translucent worms were squeezed out. These worms were about 1 cm long, as thick as a grain of rice, covered in tiny eyes, with mouths full of densely packed sharp teeth, currently writhing and twisting.
When it came to torturing souls, no one in the team would dispute that Zuiyasi was the best.
A stone tablet, 20 cm long, 20 cm wide, and 3 cm thick, suddenly appeared. Su Xiao caught it as it fell.
[You have obtained: Church Stone Tablet.]
[Hint: There are a total of four such stone tablets. When fully assembled, the recorded content will become visible.]
[Church Stone Tablet Content: Important history of this world, five types of Initial Saint Marks, Divine Imprint.]
[Hint: This is a special item of this world. It will be dropped upon death.]
...
Seeing these prompts, Su Xiao finally understood why the leader of the Steam Divine Cult, Duke, had come to Dead Silence City. What he was after wasn't the important historical records or the Saint Marks, but the Divine Imprint.
Duke wanted to become a demigod like the Steel Maker. That was his ultimate goal for risking coming to Dead Silence City.
"So this is the Church Stone Tablet? That makes things easier."
A black tentacle sprouted from Zuiyasi's palm, then split apart, turning into a black fluid that outlined a map on the table.
"I was bored recently, so I scouted how many people had entered the Inner City. I didn't expect it to be more lively than we thought."
Zuiyasi pointed at the table. A mass of black fluid transformed into four small humanoid outlines. He introduced them:
"This is Duke, Cain, Luge, and Snow Monster. Let's call them Duke's Team for now. They have one Church Stone Tablet."
"How did you confirm this?"
"I joined them yesterday. I was later expelled from the team."
Zuiyasi shook his head regretfully. It said a lot that even Duke's Team, a group that harmed each other, didn't want Zuiyasi. It showed how much others feared this guy, besides the few 'good teammates.'
Zuiyasi continued, "Besides Duke's Team, there's also Crow's Team."
The Crow's Team Zuiyasi mentioned consisted of the Moonlight Maiden, Mechanical Dominator·Krank, and the Crow Woman. The Crow Woman was the leader because she was currently very formidable.
"Oh, Wood, you remember the Necronomicon, right?"
Hearing this, Wood's ghostly green flame pupils constricted. Remember it? It was the 'wild father' that had just left the Devil Clan.
"Yes, you guessed right. The Necronomicon is on the Crow Woman."
Hearing this, Wood looked at Su Xiao.
"..."
Su Xiao took a sip of tea and said nothing.
"Crow's Team also has a Church Stone Tablet. Earlier, Duke's Team and Crow's Team met and were planning to cooperate because both sides had tablets. Unfortunately, the Crow Woman recognized me."
Zuiyasi's tone carried a hint of regret.
This Church Stone Tablet had likely been kept by the Moonlight Maiden all along. Su Xiao hadn't been able to take the Moonlight Maiden away from the Saint Ten Church, so naturally, he didn't get this tablet.
Thus, of the four Church Stone Tablets, the whereabouts of three were known. Actually, if it weren't for the plan to forge Source Stones, there would be no need to find the tablets to learn the origin of the Dead Silence 'Primordial Source.'
"I know where the last one is."
Wood spoke. Everyone's attention turned to him. He tapped his finger on the table, and ghostly green smoke corroded the wooden surface, carving out a person's likeness.
"This is Saint Mark Mentor·Worm, the arch-rival of Grand Sage·Tulz..."
Through Wood's narration, Su Xiao understood the situation. After Grand Sage·Tulz's death, High Wall City fell into chaos.
Originally, Lady Smoke should have become the leader of High Wall City, but due to the decision of the Academic Faction, things changed. They released Worm, who had been imprisoned.
Worm was imprisoned because his philosophy was completely opposite to Grand Sage·Tulz's. In the past, they had always been hostile.
Grand Sage·Tulz wanted to seal Dead Silence City tightly forever. He didn't trust the First Saintess, the Wolf Knight, or the Choir. In his view, after so many years, the problem of Dead Silence City remained unsolved. The tradition of the Chosen One should be abandoned, and a new direction should be chosen.
It was because of Grand Sage·Tulz's questioning of the Healing Church and his challenge to the existing system that High Wall City was what it was today. Judging Grand Sage·Tulz solely by right and wrong, good and bad, would inevitably be unfair.
Saint Mark Mentor·Worm had a different view. He believed they should continue deeper into Dead Silence City, find all four Church Stone Tablets, use the power of the five Initial Saint Marks and the Divine Imprint to strengthen their forces, and use the Divine Imprint to create a new demigod.
Under the leadership of a demigod, combined with the power of the Initial Saint Marks, they could continuously challenge Dead Silence City. As long as they weren't destroyed, they couldn't give up. Sealing Dead Silence City might bring temporary peace, but the Dead Silence would eventually erode the seal.
Currently, Saint Mark Mentor·Worm hadn't stayed in High Wall City to be the leader. Instead, he brought a few strong followers and used the remaining Sanctuary Stones in High Wall City to come to the Inner City of Dead Silence City.
Wood's guess was that Saint Mark Mentor·Worm was so obsessed with the Church Stone Tablets because he already had one.
After Su Xiao and the other three sorted out the intel, the next step was clear. It wasn't just about obtaining the other three Church Stone Tablets; it was also about clearing the area.
Su Xiao and the others didn't care about the situation in the Outer District of Dead Silence City, but the Inner City had to be cleared. No one wanted to be interrupted by a sudden group of people while fighting a powerful enemy.
"Duke's Team, Crow's Team, Worm's Team. Choose one of three. Which team do we take on first?"
Wood placed a king chess piece on the table. Looking closely, one would notice that he had already made twelve chess pieces, depicting Saint Mark Mentor·Worm, Duke, Crow Woman, and others, with lifelike facial details.
"Duke's Team."
Su Xiao always felt that Duke had become different from before, more dangerous and harder to scheme against.
"Agreed."
"No objections."
"I'm fine with anything."
After Kaiser spoke, everyone looked at Gulu. This surprised Gulu a bit. She asked, "I get to propose too? I was forced to join, wasn't I? You won't trust me anyway."
"You provided the Church Stone Tablet."
Su Xiao's words surprised Gulu and gave her a preliminary taste of the fun of temporarily joining the 'good teammates' team. However, she didn't know that this experience was incomplete. Joining the 'good teammates' team without getting a backstab was practically not joining at all.
"Since it's decided, let's begin."
Wood neatly arranged the twelve king chess pieces, then looked at Kaiser.
Kaiser had already put on the Abyssal Jar, merging man and jar. He placed one hand under the wooden table, and thick darkness covered the tabletop.
"Ahem, I need some soul power."
Wood coughed lightly and spoke. Zuiyasi beside him seemed deaf, completely ignoring this sentence. Making him hand over Soul Crystals was like stabbing him.
"..."
Su Xiao took out a Soul Crystal (Large). He bit off a piece and placed the rest on the table.
Wood pressed one hand on the table. The four chess pieces on the table moved on their own. These four pieces represented Duke, Cain, Luge, and Snow Monster.
When all four pieces stopped, Wood pressed down on them. The black mist on the table gradually formed the shape of a building. He asked, "What building is this?"
"The Treatment Center."
Su Xiao had been there a few hours ago, so he naturally remembered its appearance.
"Give me a general direction."
Zuiyasi spoke.
"Central tower of the Inner City, north of the Wolf Tomb, east of the Saint Ten Church, central dimension at..."
Based on the locations Zuiyasi had been to, Su Xiao pinpointed the Treatment Center's position. Black tentacles extended from Zuiyasi's sleeve, first turning into a semi-fluid, then disappearing.
Over ten minutes later, Zuiyasi opened his eyes and said, "Found them. They're in a building like this."
Zuiyasi pressed down on the table, and a building formed from black mist appeared.
"This is a building a few hundred meters north of the Treatment Center. I've been there."
Kaiser gave a more precise location. Thus, Duke's Team was successfully tracked.
"Duke's abilities are explosion and decomposition. Fighting him in a confined space carries higher risks."
Su Xiao revealed some of Duke's abilities. He didn't know more specifics.
"I can get them out."
Kaiser spoke, extremely confident.
"Then I'll make sure they can't escape. Even if they do, I can track them in real-time."
Zuiyasi also stated his position.
"I'll go find Crow's Team nearby. Duke's Team and Crow's Team are cooperating. Even if they're not together, their bases won't be far apart."
It had to be said, Wood never missed any details. However, since the Crow Woman was targeted by the Necronomicon, Wood should have avoided her. His going there now clearly had hidden motives. It seemed there were secrets between the Devil Clan and the Necronomicon unknown to outsiders.
"I'll be responsible for killing Duke."
Su Xiao also stated his position. He didn't need to participate in the preliminary work. Once the others created a good enough opportunity, he would eliminate Duke. Besides, Zuiyasi would assist, although this dog thief looked like he was planning to slack off.
Gulu, who had witnessed the entire process, said nothing. Her only feeling at the moment was: You guys are way too experienced. Before even leaving the cathedral, Duke's Team's location, the terrain of their building, and how to deal with them were all clearly arranged. All that was left was to order a coffin for Duke.
The group went to a small room in the cathedral and activated the teleportation device there. When the surrounding mist dissipated, they had arrived on the second floor of the Treatment Center.
Half an hour later, Su Xiao, Zuiyasi, Wood, Kaiser, Gulu, and Baha were at the top of a 30-meter-high tower, overlooking a two-story building half a kilometer away. Duke and his three companions were inside that building.
One of the advantages of being in Dead Silence City was not having to worry about being detected by enemies from mid-to-long range. In this damn place, a Perception-type's detection range couldn't exceed five meters. The Dead Silence energy eroded external perception too severely.
After a while, Kaiser sneaked down from the tower and approached the two-story building where Duke and his team were. Bubu Wang was a few meters away, helping him scout for any signs of trouble.
Soon, Kaiser reached the building where Duke and his team were. The building looked decent. Although the doors and windows were old, they were intact, just covered with a layer of gray dust.
Kaiser pressed himself against the wall. He could even hear Duke and the others talking inside the first floor. As for how to force these four out...
Kaiser lifted one foot and took off his shoe. That wasn't all. He took out several small bottles and poured a shit-yellow powder, along with mucus-like viscous substances and over a dozen other suspicious materials, into the shoe.
'Ugh~'
Even Kaiser himself silently dry-heaved. Bubu Wang, a few meters away, had already retreated and was now in an alley a hundred meters away, dry-heaving to the point of shock.
Beside the building, Kaiser took out a match, struck it on the sole of his shoe, and with a fizz, a flame ignited. He threw the match into the shoe in his hand.
Whoosh! The flames in the shoe shot up over three meters high. He pushed open the window with one hand and threw the shoe inside with the other, then smoothly closed the window.
Thud!
A dull thud came from inside the small building. For the next few seconds, the building was dead silent.
"Ahhh!!!"
A miserable scream came from inside the two-story building. Then, a figure crashed through the door and rushed out, followed by billowing smoke pouring from the doorway.
Luge practically crawled out, his eyes stinging and tearing up uncontrollably. He took deep breaths of fresh air, but at that moment, another burning shoe flew towards him.
Thud!
A large cloud of smoke exploded like a smoke bomb. Luge's body stiffened, then he collapsed, unconscious.
Next, Cain, wearing a gas mask, rushed out of the building. His erratic, occasionally gliding steps showed that he was probably feeling terrible.