Chapter 836: Subclass Stone
When it came to objects that could affect properties, Xu Huo first thought of the Nuwa Stone he had obtained from Clown City.
A very small stone could allow the King Fungus to grow rapidly on it. Moreover, after the King Fungus parasitized a human body, it wouldn't grant infinite lifespan; it would die after a certain period. However, as long as the Nuwa Stone was worn, the King Fungus inside the human body could reproduce endlessly, achieving a state where the host was constantly in a self-detoxifying condition.
But he didn't wear the Nuwa Stone continuously. Instead, he would take it out at intervals to nurture the King Fungus, ensuring it wouldn't die.
"What kind of thing can change the properties of a stone?" Xu Huo asked.
"That's a complicated situation, but most of the time it's due to special geological structures. After humans evolved, nature also evolved. Anything is possible." Qing Cai sized him up. "Are you really not a player from Zone 011?"
"Zone 011 is in chaos right now," Xu Huo said. "When I came out to avoid the disaster, I accidentally entered a high-level player's battle zone."
Qing Cai's eyes lit up at this. "What happened in Zone 011? Tell me about it!"
Regardless of whether what she said about Zone 011's rumors was true, her dislike for Zone 011 at least wasn't fake.
Xu Huo gave her an abridged version of the Eerie Sound Knights' attack, and Qing Cai even clapped her hands. "Neither side is any good. Dogs biting dogs—it's best if they all kill each other!"
Compared to Zone 011, the Eerie Sound Knights had an even worse reputation. Qing Cai thought for a moment before saying, "I'm really lucky!"
"The Eerie Sound Knights never act without profit. Attacking Zone 011 means they're after something good. Now that the two sides are fighting fiercely, maybe I can snatch a bargain!"
Xu Huo stared at her for two seconds. "Are you serious?"
Let alone Jin Feixue and Dou Shengnan of the Eerie Sound Knights, both of whom were top-tier among A-level players, how many players did Zone 011 even have?
Yet Qing Cai was very confident. "When I say snatch a bargain, I don't mean robbing them head-on. Stealing is fine too."
Confidence came from ability. Xu Huo guessed she might have a special treasure-hunting ability, otherwise she wouldn't be searching for gems in the wild. But it wasn't appropriate to continue this topic.
Just then, he suddenly sensed a subtle change in the safe house. Before he could speak, the entire house shook violently, as if it had collided with something. Then the house tipped over, and he and Qing Cai, along with the green gem on the table, rolled out through the door!
The outside was still shrouded in darkness. The glowing gem became the only source of light here, but they, along with the gem, were swept up by a hurricane, instantly flying over ten meters high!
Xu Huo put on his protective suit and activated a prop. Just as he was hesitating whether to use his ticket to leave, the strong wind suddenly stopped. As he and Qing Cai fell, a black shadow flashed by, and the green gem disappeared!
It wasn't that Xu Huo had actually seen the shadow fly past, but the green gem's light was suddenly covered by black. For a moment, it was as if a black cloth had been draped over it, but it vanished immediately. That was how he judged that someone had stolen the gem, rather than the gem's light being buried by the darkness.
After the green gem disappeared, nothing was visible in his field of vision. But the next second, a dust-like ribbon of light appeared in the air. Its width basically matched the green gem. Under the faint light, Qing Cai's figure seemed to follow the direction of the light ribbon.
Xu Huo was about to follow as well, but at that moment, his communicator stirred. A faint electric current transmitted through his skin. He opened the communicator, and Bai Kou's voice came through. "Do you want to die? What are you following over there for? Head outward."
"How did you get through?" Xu Huo asked. "Is this your prop?"
She had disappeared after the incident at Yongxing Hotel. He thought she was either fighting Jin Feixue or waiting for an opportunity, but instead, she had come over to the base.
"It's not me," Bai Kou said. "This is someone from the Holy Sword Society. I'm guiding you."
Xu Huo didn't hesitate much and followed her instructions, weaving through the darkness. He could sense that he had returned to Zone 011, but he couldn't find the edge of this darkness. Following Bai Kou's directions, after about ten minutes, he saw someone standing in the distance holding a small lamp.
As he approached, Bai Kou first looked him over. "You're lucky. The safe house sent you back again. Your friend wasn't so fortunate; she's been thrown to another district."
Xu Huo didn't know the operating rules of this prop, but he did know how to provoke someone. "Is Jin Feixue's matter settled?"
Bai Kou gave him a cold glance. "Follow me and you'll find out."
The two walked out of the darkness and found themselves at a station. From this vantage point, most of Base City was shrouded in darkness. This half was silent, but the neighboring city was already in tatters. Although the towering buildings hadn't completely collapsed, their outer walls had entirely peeled off, as if they had undergone long-term weathering. The streets were filled with toppled and damaged robots, and many bodies were inside the cabins, most of whom had died from suffocation, their expressions agonizing.
The defensive barrier originally deployed around Yongxing Hotel had long since disappeared, and even the equipment had been completely destroyed.
This wasn't surprising. There were bound to be props or instruments specifically designed to counter high-tech weapons. The Eerie Sound Knights wouldn't have come here unprepared.
"Where did all the players from Zone 011 go?" Xu Huo looked at the city that seemed empty.
"Some are trapped by the Holy Sword Society in the dark space, and some are driving the Eerie Sound Knights toward the neighboring cities," Bai Kou said nonchalantly. "It won't be over anytime soon."
Xu Huo opened his communicator. The news reports were far more severe than what she had described. Not only Base City, but several major cities in this district had been attacked. Apart from the Eerie Sound Knights, a large number of Holy Sword Society members had appeared in different cities, raiding many research laboratories.
The situation was irreversible. How much Zone 011 would lose depended on how quickly this battle ended.
"What did you come to Zone 011 for?" he asked Bai Kou seriously.
"You haven't forgotten the stone He Pu gave you, have you?" Bai Kou said. "That's a subclass stone. The reason you were teleported back from another space is mostly because of this stone."
"Time-space props have the characteristic of being incompatible with each other, but time-space props are attracted to the raw materials used to make them. However, this attraction has no specific pattern; it sometimes happens and sometimes doesn't, so there's never been a definitive conclusion."
Xu Huo had already learned the concept of subclass stones from Qing Cai. "The subclass stone He Pu gave me can be used to make time-space props? Since it's a subclass stone, it must have evolved under the influence of some substance."
"Correct. There are many types of subclass stones, but the one He Pu gave you is a top-tier subclass stone," Bai Kou said. "It's one of the raw materials for time-space props and can also be used to create advanced weapons. But the most precious thing about this stone isn't the stone itself—it's its origin."