After Kari had left, Yang Tao led Erik into the narrow, crowded tunnels of Level 2.
The roar of machinery quickly enveloped them, turning any sense of calm into agitation. Yet Yang Tao remained unbothered; to him, the thrumming machines and the network of pipes were all treasures waiting to be claimed.
"Erik, stay alert!"
The noise was deafening, forcing Yang Tao to raise his voice.
Erik nodded and responded loudly, then pulled a notebook from his pocket.
Seeing this, Yang Tao said nothing and instead drew an iron pickaxe from his backpack, striking one of the nearby pipes. Cracks spread like pixelated fractures, and after just a few strikes, the pipe was dislodged.
What caught him off guard, however, was the sudden gush of thick black liquid that shot out, dousing him despite his quick reflexes.
[Poison II 0:15]
"Erik, stay away from the black liquid—it's poisonous!"
Stepping back, Yang Tao immediately drank some milk from his backpack. The poison effect vanished almost instantly. Glancing at his health, he saw that in mere seconds he had lost two points.
"This stuff is lethal," he muttered. For someone with around ten health points, even a brief contact could prove fatal.
Quickly, he struck the floor with his pickaxe, carving out a 2×2 space to let the black liquid flow away. The substance oozed thickly, almost viscous.
Yang Tao retrieved a wooden stick and crouched, carefully prodding the liquid. Under the harsh white light, it appeared jet-black yet translucent, faintly tinged with a deep purple sheen.
"Yang, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Note this: the liquid in the rusted Level 2 pipes is highly toxic. The pipe diameter is roughly thirty centimeters."
"Toxic?"
Erik nodded, recalling the green particles that had surged around Yang Tao moments earlier.
"Be careful…"
He could do little to help, so he focused on recording every detail as Yang Tao instructed.
Using a bucket, Yang Tao scooped from the nearly full pool of venomous liquid. Instantly, the pool shrank dramatically.
[Backrooms Industrial Crude Oil]Value: 30???
"Industrial gold?" Yang Tao had never seen real-world crude oil, but he would swear it didn't look like this. Watching the crude bubble and flow, he realized he might be onto something valuable.
Seeing the pool about to overflow, he quickly converted the oil in his backpack into energy points, then emptied the remaining pool with an empty bucket. A simple action netted him 150 energy points, with enough oil left for another bucket. Level 2 felt like his personal treasure trove.
But the hum of machinery began to shift, an unsettling prelude.
"Erik, I'll open a portal for you—stand in the main world and observe. Something feels wrong."
"Okay!"
Erik, sensing a vague unease, stepped through the wooden door Yang Tao summoned.
Within minutes, the pipes' black liquid dwindled, leaving only occasional drips like an unresolved stream.
"Is that all?"
Yang Tao struck the pipe with his pickaxe, but only hollow echoes responded.
"Infinite, my foot… only this much? Pipes are useless!"
Glancing at his energy, which had reached over 8,000 points, Yang Tao realized there was little he could do.
As he prepared to strike another pipe, a deafening roar erupted—a signal that the real danger had begun.
Flames surged through the tunnel, accompanied by relentless explosions. The overhead lights shattered in an instant.
"Erik! Close the door!"
Even someone as resilient as Smile couldn't survive such an explosion. The confined space compressed the blast, making it far more ferocious. Erik, obedient and quick, slammed the wooden door shut.
In the next instant, flames and countless shards of metal engulfed Yang Tao's figure.
In the main-world space, Erik stood behind the door, worry etched across his face, replaying the torrent of fire in his mind.
"Damn… and I finally had a full set of gear."
Startled, Erik turned to see Yang Tao, a scowl on his face, walking toward the distant "chest."
"Yang, you—"
"I'm fine. Didn't expect breaking a pipe to trigger a massive explosion."
Using materials from the chest, he quickly crafted a new set of gear. Fortunately, with nearly 9,000 energy points converted, he avoided major setbacks—though the process still taxed him. He had over a dozen buckets in his backpack, after all.
"Let's check Level 1 for supplies, then return to Level 2 in an hour."
Yang Tao's sudden appearance in the space left Erik awestruck. He had thought Yang Tao's ability to summon wooden doors for spatial movement was impressive enough, but now he had witnessed instantaneous travel across dimensions. Not even considering combat, this ability to escape made him nearly untouchable.
If Yang Tao knew Erik's thoughts, he would have scoffed: "My space power only allows fixed-point passive teleportation…"
Riding a secondhand scooter purchased from the Conan world, Yang Tao returned to familiar Level 1 spaces, feeling as if he were home.
"Good thing I didn't chase speed when buying the scooters…"
He had purchased four secondhand mini-scooters, prioritizing cost above all. Each cost less than half a new one.
"Need to find a way to earn more…"
Despite the recent Level 2 expansion, no minerals had respawned. Riding through the deserted warehouse with Erik, the scooters' engines droned incessantly.
"Yang, there's a supply chest on that shelf!"
They hadn't traveled far when they spotted a supply chest perched on a shelf. Yang Tao parked the scooter and checked his map.
"No physical form?"
Usually, these chests manifested with a tangible presence; the absence surprised Yang Tao.
"Be careful. I'll check it out."
Handing the scooter to Erik, Yang Tao cautiously approached and opened the supply chest.