"Ahhh—! No! Help!"
Piercing screams echoed through the narrow corridor, followed immediately by the bone-chilling sound of cracking bones.
They were the last few underlings trying to escape back to the surface, who had run headfirst into the swarm of Bloodthirsty Flying Ants that had been enraged by the poison gas and just awakened.
The outcome was never in doubt.
This wasn't a battle—it was a one-sided feeding frenzy.
Yu Weiwei pressed herself tightly against the shadows at the corridor's corner, hands clamped over her mouth, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
She watched helplessly as the burly man who had just blocked a blade for her was instantly covered by a layer of dark, swarming flying ants.
In less than a second.
He was gone.
Only a skeleton draped with shredded flesh remained, collapsing with a clatter onto the ground.
The flying ants continued to circle, their compound eyes flashing with greedy red light, seemingly searching for their next prey.
"There's no going back..."
Tears welled up in Yu Weiwei's eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Going back meant death.
Going forward also meant death.
Ahead was Qin Yu, that murderous demon who killed without blinking, while behind her were the insect swarms that devoured people without leaving even bones.
This was truly a dead end.
"Why..."
Yu Weiwei bit her lip until it bled, the metallic taste of blood spreading through her mouth.
"Why can Qin Yu live so carefreely?"
"Why can that Li Ruobing follow by his side, borrowing his authority?"
"What am I lacking compared to them?"
"I'm ranked fourth! I have thousands of followers! My figure, my appearance—in what way am I not better than that cold doctor and that naive, simple-minded girl?!"
Jealousy and fear, like two venomous snakes, frantically gnawed away at her sanity.
She slowly released her hands from covering her mouth.
Her palms were drenched in cold sweat.
And holding a folding fan.
"Qin Yu..."
The fear in Yu Weiwei's eyes gradually gave way to bitter resentment.
"You forced me into this."
"If you won't give me a way out, I won't let you have it easy either."
"Do you think killing the Poison Master makes you invincible?"
"This is a labyrinth, these are ruins—it's easy to dodge an open spear, but hard to avoid a hidden arrow!"
She took a deep breath and suddenly opened the folding fan.
"Hummm—"
An invisible wave spread out.
Rising on her toes, she avoided the nauseating flesh fragments on the ground.
Turned around.
And began making her way back toward the direction of the bronze door.
...
Beyond the bronze door.
It was no longer a dark cavern, but an expanse of white.
Ghastly white.
Dense, impenetrable mist filled every inch of space.
Visibility was extremely low—so low that stretching out a hand revealed only blurred fingers.
"Is this the so-called Mist Ruins?"
Li Ruobing's voice came from beneath her faceplate, carrying a note of displeasure.
"What's the difference between this and being blind?"
"Turn on the thermal imaging."
Qin Yu stood at the forefront, holding the [Labyrinth Key] in his hand, not rushing to move forward.
"Already tried, it's useless."
Yao Xue's calm voice sounded, accompanied by faint static.
"The mist contains high concentrations of interference particles."
"Whether it's thermal imaging, sonar, or the battle suit's built-in bio-radar—all are ineffective."
"Our current detection range is limited to just the surface layer of the battle suit."
"In short, our current Electronic Eyes are practically useless."
"Dammit!"
Li Ruobing cursed.
"How much does this game hate us? It won't even let us cheat?"
Qin Yu wasn't surprised.
If an S-rank dungeon could be cleared so easily, that would be truly unbelievable.
"Since high-tech methods are useless, we'll resort to the most primitive approach."
Qin Yu pulled out a black high-strength nylon rope.
"Tie this around your waists."
"Ruo Bing, you take the rear."
"Yao Xue, you and Xiao Qian stay in the middle."
"I'll scout ahead."
"Keep the intervals under one meter."
"If the rope shows any unusual movement, open fire immediately without hesitation."
"Understood!"
The three women quickly moved into action.
With several clicks, the buckles snapped shut.
The four of them were now connected by a single rope, resembling a line of ants.
"Brother Yu..."
Yao Qian tightly gripped Yao Xue's arm, her voice trembling slightly.
"It's so quiet here."
"There's not even any wind."
It was indeed quiet.
Unnervingly quiet.
The floor beneath them was made of some unknown metal, producing no sound when stepped on.
Surrounding them was only the suffocating white mist, as if ready to swallow them whole.
"Don't be afraid."
Qin Yu's voice was steady and firm, like a Sea-Stabilizing needle.
"I'm here."
He took a step forward.
His black nano-combat boots entered the mist.
"Stay alert."
"This place can block our perception, so it must be hiding many ambush specialists."
The four-person team began advancing slowly through this white world.
Their progress was slow.
Every step taken with extreme caution.
After about five minutes.
The surroundings remained unchanged, still a vast expanse of white.
This kind of environment was most likely to cause spatial disorientation.
It could even make one suspect they were just going in circles.
"Stop."
Qin Yu suddenly raised his hand.
The rope instantly tightened.
The three behind him immediately halted, their weapons simultaneously aimed in all directions.
"What's wrong, Brother Yu?"
Li Ruobing asked in a hushed tone.
"There's something."
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes.
His mental strength far exceeded ordinary people; although his perception was suppressed, his instinct for danger remained.
Just a moment ago.
He felt something flicker in the mist ahead.
Extremely fast.
Without any sound of wind.
"Left front, eleven o'clock direction."
Qin Yu pointed toward the churning thick mist.
"Ruo Bing, give it a burst."
"Got it!"
Li Ruobing didn't hesitate at all.
She raised her "Tyrant" Magnetic Rail Assault Rifle and unleashed a volley in that direction.
"Rat-a-tat-tat—"
Flames spat from the barrel.
Bullets tore through the air, piercing into the white mist.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
A series of crisp metallic impacts echoed.
Followed by.
A sharp, piercing screech.
"Squeal—!!!"
The sound didn't resemble that of a beast, but rather like rusty gears grinding violently.
"Jackpot."
A cold smirk curled at the corner of Qin Yu's lips.
"Prepare for combat!"
Before his words faded.
The white mist churned violently.
A black shadow shot out from the fog like a phantom.
Extremely fast!
It reached Qin Yu in the blink of an eye.
"Snap!"
Two sickle-like forelimbs, gleaming with a nauseating cold light, aimed straight for Qin Yu's throat.
The monster looked bizarre.
Resembling a mantis magnified several hundred times, but its entire body was constructed from rusted metal.
[Mechanical Mantis (A-Rank Elite Monster)]
[Traits: Mist Concealment, Extreme Speed Slash]
"You think this scrap metal can block my way?"
Qin Yu advanced instead of retreating.
His right hand shot forward.
Black nano fluid instantly solidified along his arm, forming a pitch-black arm shield.
"CLANG!!"
Sparks flew.
The two sharp scythes struck the arm shield without leaving even a scratch.
"Get lost!"
Qin Yu threw a left punch.
[Kinetic Burst!]
"BOOM!"
The punch landed squarely on the mechanical mantis's chest.
Though not as exaggerated as when he struck the gargoyle earlier,
this fragile mantis clearly couldn't withstand several tons of impact force.
Its entire chest plate instantly caved in.
"SCREECH..."
The mechanical mantis was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground and tumbling several times.
Before it could get up.
"BIU!"
An extremely faint gunshot sounded.
Yao Xue fired her toxin sniper rifle.
A specialized corrosive round accurately struck the damaged area on the mantis's chest.
"SSSZZZZ—"
The sound of strong acid corroding metal echoed.
The mechanical mantis twitched a few times, the red light in its eyes rapidly dimming.
It stopped moving.
"Good coordination."
Qin Yu retracted the arm shield and shook his hand.
"It seems all the monsters here are mechanical types."
"Yao Xue, switch to armor-piercing and corrosive rounds."
"Understood."
The battle ended quickly.
But Qin Yu's brow remained furrowed.
On the contrary,
it furrowed even deeper.
"Something's wrong."
He glanced back at the mist behind them.
During the fight,
he had vaguely sensed a gaze watching them.
Not from the monsters ahead,
but from... behind.
"What's wrong, Yu-ge?"
Yao Qian, noticing Qin Yu staring behind them, nervously shrank her neck.
"Nothing."
Qin Yu withdrew his gaze.
The sensation of being watched was faint; if he hadn't focused, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
Moreover, it carried a certain hallucinatory fluctuation.
"Probably just my imagination."
Though he said this aloud, in the squad channel's text communication, he typed a line:
[We have a tail.]
[Don't look back. Act like you haven't noticed.]
Li Ruobing and Yao Xue's tactical visors simultaneously displayed the message.
Neither showed any change in expression.
Not even their footsteps faltered.
"Let's keep moving."
Qin Yu tugged on the rope.
"There seems to be something big up ahead."
...
Fifty meters behind them,
Yu Weiwei leaned against a wall, gasping for breath.
Cold sweat trickled from her forehead into her eyes, stinging sharply.
"That was close..."
"How is that freak's intuition so sharp?!"
For a moment there,
Qin Yu's backward glance had felt like two knives, almost scraping away her disguise.
If not for the high level of her [Phantom Sea Peacock Fan] and the interference from the heavy fog here,
she would have been discovered already.
"Can't rush..."
Yu Weiwei clenched the fan in her hand tightly.
Her palms were drenched in sweat.
"He's clearing the path ahead; he'll definitely expend energy."
"There must be more than just one of these mechanical monsters."
"I have to wait."
"Wait until they're in the thick of battle."
"Wait until they're injured."
"Wait for that Qin Yu to show an opening..."
She stared at the four blurry figures ahead.
Her gaze was as venomous as a poisonous rat lurking in the sewers.
"Qin Yu..."
"I'll make you regret not killing me outright."
She activated her fan once more.
Her figure vanished into the white mist.
Silently, she followed after them.
...
Ahead.
The exploration continued.
As they delved deeper, they encountered more and more mechanical monsters.
Mechanical spiders, self-destructing beetles, and even Floating Cannons that shot lasers.
Although these monsters weren't particularly high-level.
In conditions where they could barely see their surroundings.
Dealing with them was extremely draining.
"Ruo Bing, three o'clock, beetle swarm!"
"Yao Xue, ignore the stragglers, focus on the ones in the sky first!"
"Xiao Qian, deploy your shield! Don't wander off!"
While directing the others, Qin Yu swung his fist, smashing a pouncing mechanical panther into scrap metal.
"Bang!"
Sparks flew.
The ground was already littered with mechanical parts.
"Hah..."
Li Ruobing reloaded her weapon, wiping her faceplate in frustration.
"Why is this fog getting thicker?"
"I can barely see Brother Yu's back now."
It was true.
Visibility had dropped to less than a meter.
Even with the four of them connected by a rope, they could only vaguely make out the silhouette of the teammate in front.
This extreme sense of oppression was gradually eroding everyone's patience.
"Everyone, move closer together."
Qin Yu sensed something was wrong.
This mist.
Seemed to contain something else.
A faint sweetness.
"Set your filtration systems to maximum!"
"This mist is toxic!"
However.
His warning came a moment too late.
Li Ruobing, who was walking at the rear, suddenly felt her head spin.
The scene before her began to blur and double.
The rope tied around her waist now appeared as a writhing black snake in her vision!
"Ruo Bing?"
Qin Yu's voice came from ahead.
But to Li Ruobing, it sounded distant and muffled, as if separated by a layer of water.
"Bro... Brother Yu?"
Li Ruobing shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
Just then.
She saw "Qin Yu" turn around.
The familiar face was now covered with dense compound eyes!
"Monster!!"
Instinctively, Li Ruobing raised her laser blade and swung it at the "Qin Yu."
"Ruo Bing! Have you gone mad?!"
The real Qin Yu sidestepped sharply, avoiding the deadly strike.
The laser blade grazed his battle suit, leaving a charred mark.
"It's me!"
Qin Yu grabbed Li Ruobing's wrist.
"Let go of me!"
Li Ruobing struggled wildly, her eyes flashing with an unstable red light.
"You're a monster! I'll kill you!"
She fought desperately, pressing the gun in her other hand against Qin Yu's chest.
"Damn it!"
Qin Yu's heart sank.
This wasn't ordinary poison gas.
These were hallucinations!
And not just any hallucinations—they bypassed the battle suit's filtration system, attacking the mind directly!
"Yao Xue! Xiao Qian!"
Qin Yu shouted.
No response.
The middle section of the rope hung slack on the ground.
The two sisters who should have been there.
Were gone.
The rope had been cut.
The incision was smooth and clean.
Qin Yu's pupils contracted sharply.
This kind of cut wasn't made by a monster.
It was made by a blade.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
A drifting, erratic laugh suddenly echoed through the mist.
The sound shifted left and right, filled with triumph and madness.
"Qin Yu, oh Qin Yu..."
"Aren't you supposed to be strong?"
"Isn't your intuition supposed to be sharp?"
"How come you didn't even notice your wife is missing?"
Yu Weiwei!
Qin Yu abruptly turned his head toward the source of the voice.
But all he saw was rolling white mist.
And within the fog, the faint, shimmering halo of colorful light.
It was the radiance of a peacock spreading its feathers.
"Phantom Sea Peacock Fan..."
Qin Yu gritted his teeth, his voice cold as eternal ice.
While firmly restraining the frenzied Li Ruobing, he activated his battle suit's maximum defensive power.
"So it's you, the rat that slipped through the net."
"Wasn't hiding in the gutter good enough for you?"
"Do you have to come out and throw your life away?"
"Throw my life away?"
Yu Weiwei's voice rang out again, tinged with hysteria.
"You're the one throwing your life away now!"
"Your first wife and second wife should have already walked into the mechanical traps by now!"
"As for the one in your arms..."
"Tsk tsk, she probably sees you no differently from her father's murderer now, doesn't she?"
"Qin Yu, enjoy this grand gift I've prepared for you!"
"This is the price for looking down on women!"
The mist churned even more violently.
Countless phantom figures swayed around Qin Yu.
There was the dead Zhang Nanhai, Yin Mingtao with his head blown open, even those mutated fish that had been turned into grilled dishes.
They bared their fangs and brandished their claws, lunging at Qin Yu from all directions.
Indistinguishable between real and fake.
Illusion and reality intertwined.
And Li Ruobing in his arms kept frantically pulling the trigger.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
Bullets struck Qin Yu's chest armor, sparking a series of fiery flashes.
The situation.
Had instantly reversed.