Chapter 2609: Error in Triggering Time Power
Again?
Xu Huo triggered the Water Cube Barrier the moment he sensed it, but this time the night parade came far better prepared than before. Almost instantly, they wrapped his entire body in hoods and clothing, and his body once again fell beyond his control, swaying along with the movements of the garments. Those transparent tendrils coiled around his head and body, repeatedly attempting to breach the space barrier.
This time, however, his thoughts were not controlled. Though his limbs danced involuntarily and he moved forward with the performers, his consciousness remained fully awake, unhindered by any suppression.
He wasn’t sure if this was a flaw in the night parade itself or if the instance’s attack had inherent limitations.
“Are you all awake?” Since everyone in the parade was wearing the same outfit, it was hard to tell them apart, so he simply called out.
“Me, me, me!” Old Mr. Xi was the first to respond. He was two rows behind Xu Huo and shouted hoarsely, “This night parade’s setup is much weaker than before. That might be why we can stay conscious, but I can’t move on my own!”
Shi Potian and Sister Zhong were a bit further back. They were awake too, but they had been separated from Sister Mei. The Painting Woman sent a voice message through the communicator, requesting a song.
Joyful, festive music echoed through the ranks, making the line of bizarrely dancing figures seem less terrifying.
The parade moved through the city’s empty streets, its destination unknown. But a few seconds later, they passed through a spatial portal, and several more people in ghostly costumes approached and merged into the procession.
“Could this night parade be heading out of the restricted zone?” Old Mr. Xi wondered.
“Really?” Shi Potian was pleasantly surprised.
“Don’t forget how the night parade behaves outside the restricted zone,” Sister Zhong cautioned. “Inside the zone, it just draws players into the procession. But outside, it kills. If there are others like us mixed in, will they still be conscious once we leave?”
If they had even a shred of awareness, they probably wouldn’t turn their blades against their own kind. So it was highly likely that once the night parade successfully marched out, its control over those trapped inside would intensify. Being unable to move freely would be the least of their problems; they might completely lose their autonomy or even die.
Thus, following the night parade outward carried significant risk. It was better to escape now while they were still conscious.
Xu Huo agreed. He moved Old Mr. Xi out of the parade first. As long as he could successfully break away from the procession, removing the hood and clothes wouldn’t be an issue.
He also shifted Shi Potian and Sister Zhong out. As for Sister Mei, whose location he couldn’t pinpoint, he randomly teleported a few others out as well. Whether she was among them was up to luck.
“I’ll follow a bit further. If things go wrong, I’ll pull back,” he told Old Mr. Xi. Then he pulled the Painting Woman close to him, using the parade’s cover to keep her near.
The Painting Woman slipped one hand out of her costume and gave him a “don’t worry” gesture.
Meanwhile, Shi Potian and the others had successfully removed their hoods. After checking, they didn’t see Xu Huo or the Painting Woman. “They’re not still in the parade, are they?” Shi Potian said.
He called for Sister Zhong to go rescue them.
Old Mr. Xi stopped them. “He’s looking for the exit. Let’s wait here.”
Shi Potian and Sister Zhong exchanged glances, both incredulous. Why bother? He wasn’t even a player in this instance. Why go to such lengths? Surviving seven days would get him out anyway!
Old Mr. Xi, however, understood. This was a spatial-type instance. Passing through space portals was itself a form of perceiving and learning spatial power. Moreover, the spatial power in this instance was very close to that of the Water Cube Barrier.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone so eager to learn…” he murmured.
The “eager to learn” Xu Huo had already followed the night parade through a second spatial portal. During the day, the parade passed through space portals more frequently. Each time they entered a different space, new members joined—sometimes ordinary ghost masks, sometimes giant demons. At least half of these “people” were already bound captives. Players like Xu Huo, who had directly encountered the parade and been dragged in, were actually in the minority.
Of course, compared to players who were forcibly pulled in, those who had merely been hooded were freer. Initially, their limbs wouldn’t obey, but that was it. Over time, they gradually became “obedient,” starting to dance with the parade and ceasing resistance, until they were eventually fitted with new clothes.
What was even more striking was that a group of players deliberately put on hoods to avoid attacks and chose to actively merge into the parade. Just as the parade was about to pass through a space portal and leave the current space, these players suddenly emerged from the shadows, trailing at the very end, trying to sneak through this way.
But the moment the entire parade crossed the portal, these once-autonomous players were suddenly enveloped in the middle of the procession. Hoods and clothes appeared on them in seconds, and within moments, they fell silent.
By now, the parade had grown very long. All the existing mask types were fully equipped. The ringing bells and chanting grew louder, gradually drowning out all other sounds.
Xu Huo felt his body stiffen again. At the same time, something seemed to strike his mind, causing another blank. Realizing this was the result of the parade’s increasing power, he immediately threw out that batch of unlucky players.
As soon as they were removed, a gap appeared in the middle of the parade. Though the bells and chanting didn’t change much, the procession’s movement stalled. A few performers awkwardly refused to move forward, colliding with those behind them.
At this point, Xu Huo understood: the more complete the night parade, the stronger its control over players. Once everything was in place, the parade would leave the restricted zone and begin harvesting the players in the instance.
Just as he hesitated whether to take the risk, the sluggish performers were straightened out, and the parade resumed its march. The moment it did, an unprecedented surge of spatial power engulfed the entire procession. Instinctively, Xu Huo activated his time power. But this time, his calculation was off. The surging time power descended and completely submerged the entire parade, including himself!
The procession halted in space, and he was frozen within it.
The excruciatingly slow time allowed his shock and lingering fear to remain only in his eyes. But at that moment, he felt more relief than anything—relief that he had triggered the slower time power!