Chapter 1641: Time Power
Xu Huo's gaze fell on "Angel's Eyes." The rays on this Primordial Stone were exceptionally dense, similar to the white ore he had found on the chaotic island he descended upon in Zone 014. The difference was that he couldn't directly sense the power on that stone, so he couldn't determine if it was a type of Primordial Stone. However, he could perceive the Time Power released by "Angel's Eyes."
This likely had to do with the ring placed on the Primordial Stone. He wondered if it could be utilized.
After putting away "Angel's Eyes," he swam out of the pool.
The sealed J13 Gene Potion was still on the shore. No second person had yet reached the pool, though two figures were already visible in the distance—one was Tong Qi, and the other was Chi Xian.
Xu Huo wasn't surprised Tong Qi could enter, as this Instance also served to screen people's hearts, testing more than just a player's abilities. Chi Xian's presence, however, was somewhat unexpected.
Both of them were still struggling in the river with glazed eyes, their stamina and energy nearly depleted. They were merely holding on by a thread, following their own hallucinations. But since Xu Huo had taken "Angel's Eyes," the Time Power overlay in this space had vanished, which would inevitably affect the Instance. They should gradually come to their senses.
Tong Qi and Chi Xian moved intermittently in the river, finally snapping out of it a few minutes later. Seeing Xu Huo sitting on the bank cleaning his protective suit, their eyes lit up, especially Tong Qi, who rushed over.
"Is that a good find from the Instance?" Tong Qi eyed the J13 Gene Potion greedily.
Xu Huo naturally wouldn't tell him the potion's name. Instead, he said, "It's the fluorescent stuff flowing in the river. It should be some kind of antidote. I plan to take it out."
"Isn't that glowing fungus in the river..." Tong Qi wasn't fully awake yet and turned to look back as he spoke, but stopped mid-sentence. He changed his tune, "So we never really woke up from the hallucinations!"
Xu Huo nodded slightly. "But I've cleared the Instance and can leave now."
Tong Qi was both surprised and disappointed. "You took all the potion. I doubt I can clear it now."
With "Angel's Eyes" taken, the Instance might be damaged. Since Tong Qi and Chi Xian had woken from their hallucinations, the others would likely recover too. At the very least, the "death within ten days" noose around their necks was loosened. When the time was up, everyone could naturally leave the Instance. With better luck, the Instance might break, and everyone would be thrown out early...
As luck would have it, that's exactly what happened. A fog suddenly rolled in from the riverbank.
The three exchanged glances. Chi Xian gave Xu Huo a meaningful look before saying, "Looks like we're going out."
He reacted faster than Tong Qi. If they had woken from hallucinations because Xu Huo took all the potions, then the Instance ending early was definitely due to another issue. What that was, he couldn't say, but the benefit surely fell solely on Xu Huo.
"What a coincidence—we came in together, and now we're leaving together." Meeting his gaze, Xu Huo smiled slightly. "I plan to give these potions to the people of Zone 013. Want to join?"
Chi Xian relaxed his expression and nodded. "No problem."
"Count me in too," Tong Qi added. "Even though I didn't clear it, I gained a lot this trip. Besides, I can't miss out on such a face-saving opportunity. Brother Xu, just say the word if you need help!"
Xu Huo had no objections.
When the thick fog completely enveloped the three, before they could sense anything wrong, the ground beneath them shifted into a forest densely covered with fungi.
They had taken off their protective suits too early.
The three quickly put their suits back on.
The J13 Gene Potion container was too large to fit in the luggage compartment. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Xu Huo wrapped it up and placed it in Shelter 101, using the "Twisting Pulley" to lift the shelter and move it instead of carrying it.
But this was a forest, making travel inconvenient.
"Leave this little problem to me." Tong Qi pulled out a farming tool. "This thing was given to me by someone else. It's great for harvesting crops or clearing land."
A three-meter-long iron chain with scissor-like blades landed and began moving on its own, swiftly cutting through the grass and small mounds ahead, barely opening a path—though it moved very slowly.
Xu Huo also had some floating tools, but as the saying goes, to avoid uncontrollable situations, it was safer to use this clumsy method.
What he didn't expect was that the uncontrollable situation would come so quickly.
They seemed to have walked into an ambush. As they stepped in, a targeted prop net rose from the ground, wrapping around each of them and the shelter individually.
This was just a minor trick—even Tong Qi wasn't caught. But then a swarm of mechanical insects surged in, so numerous they filled every visible part of the forest.
These mechanical insects had sharp wings. Their purpose wasn't to harm them but to cut through their protective suits. Lower-grade suits could resist fire, water, and poison, but if props were used to cut and stab, they were easily damaged.
Zone 013 was a natural gathering place for toxins. The attackers clearly intended to take them down this way.
"Are these people thinking too highly of themselves?" Standing inside Chi Xian's defense barrier, Tong Qi said, "They want to take us out without lifting a finger? Watch me deal with them!"
With a grin, he pulled out a prop that looked like a game controller and pressed a button. Instantly, the mechanical insects around them lost control and fell in droves.
"Jamming prop—low cost, high reward. Perfect for dealing with these delusional folks."
Tong Qi turned back and winked at Xu Huo and Chi Xian.
"Probably local players from Zone 013, trying to use the environment to their advantage," Chi Xian observed after a moment. "But I don't sense them nearby."
Xu Huo nodded. "No one around. They're likely far away. Since they don't dare come out, no need to waste time looking for them. Let's move."
If they weren't willing to give up, they'd show themselves again.
This time, the three used detection props to avoid any more underground tricks.
Unexpectedly, the attackers didn't pursue them. As they moved ahead, they found numerous signs of battle—the ground was churned up in many places, with trap pits and other evidence.
"Someone must have taken this path before." Xu Huo left behind a combat robot and, after a word to Chi Xian and Tong Qi, went ahead to scout.
In just two steps through space, he found the person. But the first thing to appear in his sight was the middle-aged female player he had briefly encountered on the train. Her severed hand had been reattached and bandaged, and her body had recovered from severe injuries. She looked in good spirits, at least on the surface.
Because she was just cutting off the head of a Zone 013 local.
(Chapter End)