Chapter 3134: New Game Item Born
The longer Xu Huo and Carol remained inside the ruins, the more tense the atmosphere in Zone 001 became. Many people were growing restless. The battle ruins represented a massive fortune—even if they couldn't be used, they were still wealth that no other district possessed. This was something obtained through great effort, and just the thought of someone damaging it, or worse, taking away treasures they themselves couldn't even access, made their hearts bleed.
And now that troublemaker Carol had returned, the Field family, for some unknown reason, had been continuously buying time for Xu Huo.
But the longer it dragged on, the more anxious they became. Could it be that the Field family had truly found a once-in-a-generation genius this time?
The unopened battle ruins contained a mixture of multiple energies. Who knew if this outsider player might surpass all of them...
If it were a local, even if they weren't from their own family, they would at least share common interests. But keeping an outer zone player here was extremely difficult...
"Put more pressure on the district government! Make them bring him out!"
Several player families reached a consensus and began pressing the district government and the Field family more frequently. They also arranged for people near the ruins, ready to rush in and drag him out if the district government compromised.
They were being so cautious because they dared not start a fight near the ruins—if the commotion was too great, everyone would be finished.
Carol was the public guarantor. He had secretly mobilized many connections and arranged for people within the family to speak on his behalf. But by the thirteenth day, the district government finally sent someone. Without any pleasantries, they demanded he go in and bring Xu Huo out, warning him that this was the final ultimatum.
Reluctant as he was, Carol had no choice but to go in and notify Xu Huo. But to his surprise, before he could even enter, Xu Huo came out on his own.
It was unclear whether local time had changed, but when he emerged, he looked to be in good condition, much the same as when he had gone in. This only made Carol, who had been waiting outside, appear far more haggard in comparison.
Xu Huo's expression was relaxed, completely free of tension. Seeing the people gathered outside, he even nodded to them proactively. "Quite the crowd. Is someone else going in?"
Everyone nearby and far away had tense expressions, staring at him silently, trying to discern something special about him. Unfortunately, there was nothing. He didn't look ecstatic like someone who had truly evolved, nor did he appear disappointed or dejected like someone who had gained nothing. Even players with low expectations who entered the ruins empty-handed would inevitably feel some loss, always thinking they might be the exception. But on him, there was no visible emotion at all—as if he had simply gone in for a stroll.
"Mr. Xu, have you returned fully loaded once again?" a district government representative stepped forward to ask.
This was not the ideal setting for such a question, but Carol was no longer in a position to speak, so he simply observed Xu Huo in silence.
Xu Huo smiled. "Perhaps I just don't have the talent for it. After half a day inside, I came out with nothing."
"I suspect the time inside might differ from outside. To avoid any misunderstandings, I decided to come out early."
He then turned to Carol. "This ruin doesn't suit me. How about we try another one?"
Carol let out a laugh, raised an eyebrow, and said readily, "Sure."
The district government representative quickly caught on. Xu Huo had already made significant gains earlier, so naturally, he could afford to stay calm.
Hearing that he wanted to try other ruins, the district government representative didn't interfere and left first.
The other player families, harboring thoughts of "just as expected," also departed one after another.
On the way to the next ruin, Carol tidied himself up while asking, "You didn't really come back empty-handed, did you?"
Xu Huo leaned lazily against the window of the aircraft, watching the swirling air currents outside, and said nonchalantly, "I didn't gain anything substantial."
Carol was somewhat disappointed, but he hid it well and changed the subject. "There might still be fragments of the Battle Angel in the next ruin. Let's see if you have the luck to find them."
"With so many players coming during the last opening, they still haven't found everything?" Xu Huo asked.
"How could they possibly finish searching?" Carol put down his towel. "You'll understand when we get there. Even with strength, you might not necessarily gain anything in that place."
Xu Huo maintained his leisurely demeanor, but in truth, he was somewhat distracted.
He had indeed only spent half a day inside the gravitational field. In terms of time, space, or even gravity, he had gained nothing substantial. However, under the influence of that gravitational field, the black pebble had undergone a transformation.
At first, it had maintained a faintly glowing state, occasionally fluctuating in weight. But as time passed, it seemed to be repeatedly polished, gradually taking on an elliptical shape.
It wasn't actually being polished. Visually, its volume hadn't changed much—only its shape had altered. It wasn't a complete reorganization, but a subtle elongation.
With multiple gravitational forces swirling around, it was understandable for an object to change shape. Especially since this pebble was already quite special, capable of changing form without collapsing. However, as it became elliptical, some of its black color faded, growing lighter and beginning to transition toward transparency.
It was during this transition that it suddenly vanished.
It disappeared out of thin air—no decomposition process, no absorption by a spatial rift or other energy. It simply vanished.
At that moment, the single-use item in Xu Huo's hand also crumbled into dust. Worried that staying any longer might lead to unexpected incidents, he decided to come out.
While in the yellow zone, he hadn't noticed anything. But upon entering the green zone, he suddenly sensed an additional layer of energy surrounding his body.
The previous game item, "Darkened Heart," had no physical form. After acquisition, it manifested as a faint layer of energy attached to his body—something he could feel and easily mobilize. But after stepping out of the yellow zone, he keenly sensed another type of energy around him.
Unlike the stability of "Darkened Heart," this new energy rotated very slowly. Its range was approximately thirty meters, vastly different from the initial range of "Darkened Heart."
It was an indescribably mystical sensation. Even though it moved so slowly, Xu Huo could feel the absolute power within it, like the faint ripples of an abyss. At the same time, he sensed it carefully encircling him, forming a protective barrier entirely different from those created by spatial powers or prop instruments.
However, when he observed Carol and the others, no one seemed to notice anything unusual. And when he realized that this force maintained a faint rotation, he immediately understood—it might be the energy released by that pebble. It had transformed from tangible to intangible, and it was highly likely that it had become a new game item.
Sure enough, when he reconnected to the game, a new prompt appeared on his panel:
"Congratulations, player Passerby A, for witnessing the birth of a new game item. You may name it, and the game will register and record this item under that name."