Chapter 2541: Speak of the Devil
Xu Huo looked over the various instruments introduced in the materials. Some were clearly marked as having a suppressive effect on similar spatial items, which matched the situation in the Portal Space. However, beyond that, there was no detailed explanation of how the instruments worked—whether their operation had any limitations or required some form of energy input was not mentioned.
The Portal Space hadn't been sealed for just a day or two, yet they hadn't even figured out what instrument was being used. That was a bit hard to justify.
"The players who came out the first two times brought back messages, so those who went in afterward should have carried jamming devices," Xu Huo said. "Didn't any of the items work?"
Qiu Xiangming repeated the same line—he didn't know.
It wasn't that he was deliberately withholding information. After all, the space was sealed, with no communication between inside and out. And besides... weren't the players from Zone 001 still trapped inside? Didn't that say enough?
Xu Huo was silent for a moment. "Is there anything else you want to add?"
Qiu Xiangming took out a seal-like item. "We need to stamp a special mark on you to ensure your identity can be accurately recognized by others. Don't worry, it's just a special pigment—once applied, it's not easy to wash off, but it has no other effects."
"Can't I just stamp it on my clothes?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
"That works too." Qiu Xiangming knew what he was worried about, so he simply handed the seal over.
Xu Huo first stamped it on the ground beside him. A unique emblem pattern appeared on the surface, drying instantly and difficult to wipe away.
He stamped one on his sleeve, then casually gave Bubble Bean a stamp on the shoulder before tossing the seal to the Painting Woman. "Here, play with it for a while."
Qiu Xiangming glanced at it but didn't say much. Instead, he took out the Small Reversal Ring. "The Small Reversal Ring can't lock onto the target space, so we might need to teleport multiple times to reach the Portal Space. Be careful with each teleport so we don't get separated."
The Small Reversal Ring activated, and the group was instantly pulled away from Metal City, reappearing in a forest covered in heavy snow. This was clearly not their destination, so the item activated again.
After passing through a snowy forest, a storm space, and a desert region, they finally arrived in a primeval forest. Towering trees blocked out the sky, making it hard for even sunlight to filter through. Combined with the surrounding grass stalks taller than a person, anyone entering felt shrunken—even the relatively tall Qiu Xiangming and his companions looked miniature.
Pushing aside the grass that towered over their heads, Qiu Xiangming pointed to a mark on a tree ahead. "That was left by our people. The trees here grow extremely fast—a scratch like that can heal in half a day. Judging by the recovery, there should be some of our companions nearby."
He put a whistle to his lips and blew twice, producing a bird-like chirp. After two rounds of the signal, several players quickly approached from different directions, stopping about a hundred meters away. They responded with the same whistle. Qiu Xiangming replied once more, and only then did the few of them rush over.
Two of them stopped behind a branch above and to the left, while three revealed themselves openly, deliberately showing half their bodies from behind tree trunks. A moment later, one of the two above leaped straight down from a height, landing lightly on a branch about ten meters off the ground.
This was a man who looked around forty, with a broad face and long eyebrows, giving off a rugged, tough-guy vibe. He looked down at Qiu Xiangming and asked for a code in a relatively niche dialect from Zone 001. Qiu Xiangming responded in the same language, and only then did they confirm each other's identities.
"Mingshan Military District, 23rd Division, 11th Column, Meng He." The middle-aged man jumped down from the tree and saluted Qiu Xiangming and the others.
"Yahu Military District, 9th Division, 12th Column, Qiu Xiangming." Qiu Xiangming introduced himself and briefly mentioned his companions, as well as Xu Huo's group of three.
As soon as Meng He heard that Xu Huo was a Temporal-Spatial Dual Evolution Player, he looked at him in surprise. "When did our district produce such talent?"
"He's not from our district." Qiu Xiangming said, "Where's the nearest outpost? I need to see the squad leader first."
Upon learning that they weren't from Zone 001, Meng He and his companions' gazes on them became almost tangible, their scrutiny intensifying. After a few seconds, Meng He said, "Follow me."
The group followed, with Meng He's companions spreading out to the left and right, ostensibly on alert but actually keeping an eye on them.
Xu Huo didn't mind. Their current location should be close to a marked point on Qiu Xiangming's map, because at the limit of his perception—about five kilometers away—different power fluctuations appeared. This was the increased perception range brought by his further evolution of spatial power. However, he didn't approach to determine if it was temporal power.
Aside from that, this sealed-off space wasn't much different from a district that hadn't been integrated into the game.
"Roar!" The beast's roar was deafening, surrounding them like surround sound. Soon after, they heard the rustling of trees and the pounding of a massive creature running, clearly heading their way.
The people leading the way didn't stop. Meng He simply raised his hand, and two players behind him split off, disappearing from sight in just a few moves. Moments later, the distant sounds of a mutated beast's agonized screams echoed from the forest. In the blink of an eye, the two were back in the group.
With their items restricted, Meng He and his team were each carrying at least three blades or swords. Xu Huo noticed some small instruments on them, a few of which looked similar to the positioning devices he had bought before.
The group moved up and down through the forest for half an hour before finally reaching the nearest outpost.
The so-called outpost was just a gathering and information exchange point for a team of Zone 001 players. Because the space was so vast, the information that could be transmitted through sight, hearing, and perception was limited. The weapons, instruments, and specially trained messenger animals brought in over time had suffered many losses, so members returned to the outpost periodically to update intelligence.
Twelve players were stationed here permanently, responsible for perimeter security, ensuring they could receive important information in time and assist any injured companions. When Xu Huo and the others arrived, Meng He signaled to the surroundings to relay the message to find the squad leader. One of the twelve receivers broke away and moved toward a farther area.
Along the way, they occasionally ran into one or two Zone 001 players. They seemed to have a fixed reconnaissance pattern, with each player responsible for a different area. The message relay used this fan-shaped coverage, and the departing sentry was likely moving closer to other players to spread the news further.
"This method... is pretty primitive," Bubble Bean remarked.
"Making too much noise would attract the attention of outside forces," Qiu Xiangming explained. "It's not just our people here—there are enemies too. Everyone be careful. The outpost could be attacked at any time..."
Sometimes, you really do speak of the devil. Before his words even faded, several figures rushed out from the side. The appearances of the first two clearly weren't Zone 001 players!