The dark entrance resembled the maw of a giant beast, devouring all light and sound.
Lin Yi followed Su Qing closely as they stepped inside, feeling as if they had fallen into a pool of cold ink.
An ancient and mysterious aura filled the air, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It wasn't fear, but a strange excitement, like an explorer who had discovered a new map, his heart pounding, eager to uncover all the secrets immediately.
Chu Yao's synthesized voice rang in his ear: "Warning, high-energy reaction detected, energy fluctuations are unstable, immediate evacuation recommended!"
Lin Yi curled his lip. "Retreat? We're already here, and you want me to retreat? We're finally about to get some hot food, and you want me to go back and eat cold bread? What are you thinking!"
Su Qing seemed completely unfazed by the dangerous environment. She moved with light steps, as if strolling in her own backyard, heading straight for a massive bronze door at the end of the passage.
Strange runes were carved on the giant gate, shimmering with an eerie light, as if it could come to life at any moment.
"This door... why does it look so familiar?" Lin Yi stroked his chin, feeling like he'd seen it somewhere before. "Chu Yao, check the database. Doesn't this pattern look like the one we saw in that... yes, the Lost Temple last time?"
Before Chu Yao could answer, Su Qing had already placed her hand on the center of the giant gate.
Buzz—
The bronze gate emitted a deep rumble and slowly opened, revealing a magnificent, golden secret chamber.
In the center of the secret chamber, a huge crystal ball floats, emitting a soft light.
"Holy crap, these special effects are perfect!" Lin Yi couldn't help but exclaim. This scene was even more stunning than the VR game he had spent money on. "This is a true immersive experience!"
Su Qing walked to the crystal ball, reached out and gently touched it. The crystal ball shone brightly, and countless points of light danced around her, forming a cocoon of light.
"Is this... evolving?" Lin Yi subconsciously took a step back, afraid of being accidentally injured. "Chu Yao, analyze this thing, is the radiation level too high?"
"Analysis in progress... Analysis results: Energy fluctuations are stable, no radiation, but an unknown information flow has been detected entering the target's body."
Just then, Su Qing suddenly let out a painful groan, and the cocoon of light began to vibrate violently.
"What's going on?" Lin Yi's heart tightened, and he subconsciously wanted to rush over, but was blocked by an invisible force. "What the hell is that? Chu Yao, break it for me!"
"Attempt to crack it... failed. The energy field is extremely strong and cannot be broken through."
Su Qing struggled in agony, her voice breaking as it came from within the cocoon of light: "My...memory...seal...is broken..."
As the cocoon of light gradually dissipated, Su Qing's figure reappeared in front of Lin Yi. However, her eyes were no longer as calm as before, but were filled with sadness and anger.
“I…I am…a survivor of the Star River…the last guardian…”
Su Qing slowly recounted her life story, her voice trembling slightly, as if she were telling a long-forgotten history.
She is a descendant of an ancient civilization, sealed within time and space, awaiting the right opportunity to fulfill her mission of fighting against invaders from another dimension.
"I see..." After listening to Su Qing's explanation, Lin Yi was filled with shock and admiration, and at the same time, his determination to protect her became even stronger. "Don't worry, Su Qing, I will protect you. No one will be able to hurt you!"
Just then, the secret chamber suddenly began to shake, cracks appeared on the walls, and a powerful energy surged out from the cracks.
"Watch out!" Lin Yi pulled Su Qing behind him and activated a spacetime shield to protect the two of them.
A beam of energy shot out from the crack, struck the spacetime shield, and made a loud noise.
The shield vibrated violently, but ultimately withstood the attack.
"That was close!" Lin Yi breathed a sigh of relief, thankful he reacted quickly. "Chu Yao, analyze the source of the attack!"
Analysis results: Attack source unknown, energy attribute unknown, danger level: extremely high!
Lin Yi's expression turned solemn. It seemed that the "Forgotten City" was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
He glanced at Su Qing behind him.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.
Chu Yao watched from the side, feeling a little disappointed but also happy for them.
Just then, a figure appeared out of thin air in the secret room.
"Xuanmingzi?!" Lin Yi was somewhat surprised. Why had this guy appeared again?
Xuanmingzi looked at Lin Yi and slowly said, "'Ragnarok' Project... has been launched..."
Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat. He realized he was facing a difficult choice... "Wait, this 'Ragnarok' you mentioned, why does that sound so familiar..." Lin Yi frowned, staring at Xuan Mingzi's calm face, and muttered to himself, "No, what kind of trouble is this old guy up to now? 'Ragnarok'? That doesn't sound like a good thing. Is he trying to trick me into becoming free labor again?"
A faint smell of burning filled the air, a trace left by the energy impact just now.
Lin Yi could feel that Su Qing's palms were slightly sweaty and she was gripping his clothes tightly.
He took Su Qing's hand in return, gave her a reassuring look, and then turned to look at Xuan Mingzi, his eyes sharp as a drawn sword.
“Wait,” Lin Yi raised his hand to interrupt Xuan Mingzi, his tone laced with sarcasm, “Don’t rush to paint me a rosy picture. This ‘Ragnarok’ sounds impressive, but frankly, does it just mean I’ll have to risk my life again? And what are the KPIs this time? Will my performance be docked if I don’t meet them?”
Xuan Mingzi seemed to have anticipated Lin Yi's reaction. He smiled slightly, a mysterious glint in his eyes, "This matter concerns the survival of the entire world; it is no child's play. You possess the power of spacetime, and are the only one who can stop this catastrophe..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Lin Yi picked at his ear, looking impatient. "Saving the world is a high-difficulty task for a newbie like me. Why don't you find someone else? I just want to take my girl to a beautiful place, farm, raise chickens, and live a peaceful and happy life away from the world."
Su Qing watched Lin Yi quietly from the side.
However, if it truly concerns the survival of the world, he will definitely step forward.
"Are you really sure?" Xuan Mingzi's eyes were sharp, as if he could see through Lin Yi's heart. "Do you know that once Ragnarok descends, the whole world will be engulfed in flames, and no one will be able to escape it?"
Lin Yi fell silent. He looked at Su Qing, at Chu Yao, and at the world he was gradually becoming familiar with and loving.
He knew he had no way out.
“Alright,” Lin Yi sighed, his eyes hardening. “Tell me, who’s the boss of this dungeon? What kind of loot will it drop? Are there any hidden quests? But first, make it clear, the reward this time has to be satisfactory, otherwise…”
"What do you want?" Xuanmingzi asked.
Lin Yi grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, "I want... you to help me turn that piece of land behind the mountain into permanent private property!"
Upon hearing this, Xuanmingzi showed a strange expression on his face, and then nodded.
"make a deal."
Relieved to receive an affirmative answer, Lin Yi beckoned to Xuan Mingzi with his finger.
"Well then, it's been a pleasure doing business with you. Now, you can tell me what exactly happened..."
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