Chapter Fifty-Three: The Whirlwind Cross Order

After the three of them followed the main hall for some distance, they arrived at a broad platform. To be precise, it was an altar—a raised stage used for rituals.

The platform was vast, shrouded in darkness, but Qi Guanbei had brought a powerful headlamp, and had also given one each to Xiao Zhang and Zhao Bai. They walked upon the platform for about ten minutes before the sacrificial altar appeared before their eyes.

Around the altar stood several statues of deities, their forms ancient and faces expressionless; four such statues stood sentinel at the edges of the altar. In front of the altar, a cluster of small stone figurines drew Xiao Zhang’s attention. “These look like little dogs,” he murmured.

Qi Guanbei glanced at the pile of small stone figures. “They look more like demons or spirits to me.”

Xiao Zhang examined the four statues more closely. They seemed to represent the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. At the very center, on a pedestal, stood a human-shaped stone figure, though Xiao Zhang could not discern what it represented.

A sense of unease crept over Xiao Zhang as he took in the scene. Instinctively, he called out to Zhao Bai, only to find that Zhao Bai was already staring at the small stone figures.

Zhao Bai tugged at Xiao Zhang’s sleeve and whispered, “Buddy, I think those little things are alive!”

Alive? Xiao Zhang was taken aback by this.

Just then, Qi Guanbei abruptly raised a hand, motioning for silence. Xiao Zhang strained his ears and detected a faint rustling. If not for the enhancements to his body, he might not have noticed it at all.

Suddenly, footsteps and a commotion sounded from nearby. The three of them immediately switched off their headlamps and crouched down.

“Someone’s coming?” Xiao Zhang frowned. “Why didn’t the map show anyone?”

Zhao Bai kept his eyes locked on the pile of tiny statues.

Qi Guanbei lowered his voice. “Dungeons like this often restrict technological items. The system map probably counts as tech, too…”

He quickly dropped to the ground, and the three of them hid beneath the central platform, shutting off their headlamps.

Xiao Zhang didn’t notice it, but at the very moment they crouched down, the human-shaped stone statue seemed to move ever so slightly.

“Move! Move!”

“Shit! Why is there such a huge flower monster among those damned vines?!”

The footsteps and noises grew louder. Several oddly dressed people, headlamps blazing, came sprinting madly onto the platform. A small, thin man lagged behind; with a blood-curdling scream, a vine as thick as a wrist pierced right through his body. He shuddered once and collapsed.

“Jialong!”

The leader, a young woman, turned at the sound and saw the man on the ground, unable to rise. Before she could react, two more vines skewered him, and his limp form was swiftly dragged away.

“Go! Quickly!” A red-haired Caucasian man, wielding a massive club, grabbed the stunned woman and hauled her off.

Boom! The last in the group, a thin man in black, set off a pack of explosives, sending the three survivors flying.

The red-haired man staggered to his feet, realizing the vines had retreated. The three survivors, gasping and on edge, watched the darkness beyond the platform for a long time. Only when they were certain the vines had truly withdrawn did they dare to relax.

“That flower monster didn’t follow us?” the thin man in black asked, setting his explosives aside.

The three of them swept their lights across the square. The sight of the altar’s statues made them all tense and raise their weapons.

“Fuck, don’t tell me these are night demons!” the woman suddenly shouted. “Check if they’re alive!”

The red-haired man glanced at the statues and said calmly, “They look dead to me.”

The thin man in black eyed the altar nervously and tucked his explosives away.

The woman sneered at him. “Jiggs, can you stop being such a coward? Don’t you know that on the battlefield, the timid die quickest?”

“God help me!” Jiggs, the thin man, exhaled shakily. “I’m just an ordinary demolition worker! Damn it, how did I get dragged into this nightmare world? Vanessa, I’m not like you—you were a killer to begin with!”

The woman smirked. “Boss, what now?”

The red-haired man’s voice was grim. “What else can we do? There were six of us when we entered, and now, in such a short time, half are dead! Damn it, why is this dungeon so hard?”

He took a deep breath. “Be careful. Don’t touch any of these statues! If Malos hadn’t gotten greedy and tried to grab gear from the vines, we wouldn’t have attracted that flower monster. From now on, for safety’s sake, touch nothing here!”

Vanessa sheathed her dagger and looked around the platform. “Boss, where do we go next?”

“Forward.”

“I don’t think we should keep going,” Jiggs said, voice trembling. “Three of us are dead already… If we keep on, we’ll all die here!”

Vanessa snorted and suddenly strode over, grabbing Jiggs by the neck and lifting him effortlessly. She slammed him to the ground and planted her foot on his chest. “Coward, listen up! This isn’t a game. If you want to live, find your courage!”

“Vanessa, let him go,” the red-haired man sighed. “It’s only his second dungeon—he’s still a rookie.”

“Pah!” Vanessa spat on the ground. “Coward. I’ll never understand why you’d let someone like him on the team.”

“Vanessa, Jiggs is useful,” the red-haired man shook his head, frowning. “We’re all warriors. Don’t you realize how rare it is to get a magic-type in the awakened community?”

He helped the shaken Jiggs to his feet, dusting him off with a smile. “It’s all right, Jiggs. Vanessa’s just like that; she won’t hurt you.”

“Captain,” Jiggs stammered, “maybe… maybe we could find a place to hide… and just wait for the dungeon to end?”

“Idiot,” Vanessa scoffed. “A lot of time has already passed. Players will be coming in soon! Hide? Don’t make me laugh! I’m not betting my life on staying undiscovered by those people!”

And just then…

The red-haired man’s eyes widened. He swung his light toward the spot where Xiao Zhang and his companions were hiding and growled, “Someone’s there! Who are you?!”