Chapter 2085: City Revival
"This space and the time in the outer 011 Zone happen to align, so we didn't notice anything wrong when we came in, and our timing tools were normal..." Wang Ling paused, then added, "But our personal panels have most likely lost connection with the game, so neither the time on our panels nor the time on our timing tools is necessarily accurate."
"However, since we're in this abandoned city, we have to act according to the time rules we currently know."
"Also, I think this place probably isn't an unformed instance."
Meng Wenguang and the others couldn't even see the time tower a few days ago, yet Wang Ling and Xu Huo, who held time items, had easily found it—that alone was telling. Coupled with last night's incident...
Wang Ling looked at Xu Huo. The item in his hand was an A-grade time item. If his item hadn't taken effect, there were only three possibilities: first, the time item's compatibility with this location; second, Xu Huo had already undergone Temporal Super Evolution, mastering powers Wang Ling didn't possess; third, he might be holding a time-type super item.
When this thought flashed through his mind, his breathing slowed for a beat.
Xu Huo's gaze fell on Wang Ling's face as he slowly picked up the thread, "The instances in this location are probably not only complete but also meticulously designed, having already broken away from the game's control."
"An instance is an instance—how could it break away from the game?" Feng Hui was stunned, this truly exceeded his understanding, "Can an instance still function without the game?"
That was hard to say.
Within the game, there were things like the "Pure Heart," which existed as a kind of 'back door,' the "Mysterious Person" set gifted by all the game production staff, and the loophole of becoming a blacklisted player by leaving the original wormhole point to avoid high-risk random events. An instance appearing without a game introduction wasn't surprising.
Moreover, this place appeared too coincidentally. Dr. Wu had worked in Cockscomb Flower City, which lacked cutting-edge technology and medicine—so what was he doing here?
These things couldn't be discussed with others, but, "Since we've determined this is an instance, we need to proceed with it as such."
Xu Huo continued, "Since the time after 9:17 exists and doesn't affect the abandoned city we're in now, searching within the city probably won't yield anything."
"You mean we should find a way to enter the space after 9:17 ahead of time?" Wang Ling said, turning to the time tower beside him, "Start from here?"
He paused, then turned back, "What if there's no other space, but the flow of time after 9:17 has been altered, or both are true? I don't understand true time power."
"Then it depends on our luck," Xu Huo said, looking at the time tower. He knew nothing about everything after 9:17. All current exploration of this place was based on speculation. Since it was speculation, it could be right or wrong. He could only hope this really was an instance.
"Let me try my item first," Wang Ling said, stepping forward and taking out a blue multi-faceted gem.
"Aren't we waiting for Miss Lu?" Yue Rui asked at that moment.
"Waiting or not doesn't matter," Wang Ling said. "She said she entered from near the time tower. No one knows if that's true or false. Besides, if we successfully enter the other space, the whole city might change, and she might be able to go in directly."
As he placed the gem before the gate, a thread-like light flowed out from the center of the gem, then shone onto the gate.
This thread of light was visible to everyone, like a water surface reflecting light. The line shimmered as it meandered and connected to a corner of the gate—"Crack!"
The sound came from the clock above. Everyone looked up to see the second hand, which had been pointing at "12," move back one notch. The old machinery emitted a heavy, hoarse sound, then fully engaged, the minute and hour hands also moving backward, finally stopping at 11:33. From that time point, the second hand began to move normally.
And when the clock started moving, starting from the time tower, the thick fog was dispelled by sunlight, like a drop of rain falling on the water's surface. The entire city became clear and lively. Things that should have existed in the city but were invisible reappeared: travelers walking on the streets, shopkeepers weighing goods at stalls, chefs lighting fires in open kitchens, waiters preparing to serve... birds flying across the sky, children playing around the time tower—the city came to life in an instant.
Not far away, two patrol officers in uniform walked over. They opened the sealed glass window of a newsstand and posted a new notice inside. Nearby residents gathered to ask what was going on.
"Recently, home invasion robberies have been happening frequently. The city government issued a notice: whether you're running a business or just out and about, go home early and lock your doors," one of the younger patrol officers readily answered the questions.
"I don't know what's going on," an elderly woman holding a child's hand stopped to comment, "Lately, bad things keep happening—robberies, thefts, and even more terrifying, murders. I'm so old, I don't even know if I'll die a natural death."
The young patrol officer steadied her, "Ma'am, if you keep your doors and windows tightly shut, you'll live to be two hundred, no problem!"
The old woman laughed heartily, touching her face, "I'm already old and wrinkled. What's the point of living that long? I don't even know how ugly I'll look when I die..."
The young patrol officer humored her as he guided her away from the main road. Turning back to see Xu Huo and the others, he said, "You're tourists from out of town, right? It's not very safe lately. Find a place to stay early tonight."
"Home invasions... would it be unsafe for us to stay in a hotel?" Yue Rui asked softly.
The young patrol officer waved his hand, "Be careful, and nothing major will happen. Besides, you have several men with you. If criminals want to pick a target, they'd go for the old, weak, women, and children, right?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" the older patrol officer scolded him, then sized up Xu Huo and the others. He handed them a map and told them to stay at a nearby high-end hotel, as the security measures there were better.
"I heard the high-end hotels have recently switched to Little Star brand smart security robots. Newly released—I haven't seen one yet," the young patrol officer wanted to say more, but was pulled away by his companion.
However, this remark sparked conversation among the nearby people. A middle-aged man said, "My son works at Little Star Company. He's already applied for one through the employee channel. But I heard mass production has already started, so everyone will be able to buy one soon. It's not that amazing—just a bit more agile than those clumsy old robots."
(End of Chapter)