Chapter 1641: Chapter 1641: Time Force
Xu Huo’s gaze fell on the "Angel’s Eye." The rays from this primeval stone were extraordinarily dense, similar to the white mineral he found on the chaotic isle in Zone 014. However, unlike the stone on the isle, he couldn’t directly sense the power from it and hence couldn’t confirm whether it belonged to a particular category of primeval stone. But he could feel the time force emitted by the "Angel’s Eye."
This might be related to the ring placed on the primeval stone. He wondered if it could be utilized.
After putting away the "Angel’s Eye," he swam out from the bottom of the pond.
The sealed J13 Gene Potion was still at the riverside, and no one else had approached the pond yet. However, two figures had already appeared in the distance—it was Tong Qi and Chi Xian.
Xu Huo wasn’t surprised that Tong Qi could enter because the instance inherently had a meaning of screening the heart, so it tested not only the player’s abilities but also pondered Chi Xian’s unexpected entry.
Both were struggling in the river with vacant stares, as their physical and mental energy were drained to the extreme. They were merely holding onto their last breath, following their hallucinations. However, since Xu Huo had already taken the "Angel’s Eye," the time force layered in this space dissipated, which would inevitably affect the instance, allowing them to gradually regain clarity.
Tong Qi and Chi Xian paused and moved intermittently in the river, finally coming to their senses after a few minutes. When they saw Xu Huo sitting on the shore cleaning his protective suit, their eyes lit up, especially Tong Qi, who rushed over.
"Is this the good stuff you found in the instance?" Tong Qi said, drooling over the J13 Gene Potion.
Xu Huo certainly wouldn’t tell him the potion’s name. Instead, he said, "These glowing things in the river should be some kind of antitoxin, and I plan to take them out."
"Isn’t the river filled with those luminous fungi..." Tong Qi was not completely clear-headed. As he spoke, he turned his head to look inside, and with just one glance, he stopped talking, changed his tone to say, "Seems like we haven’t awakened from the hallucination!"
Xu Huo nodded slightly, "However, I’ve already cleared the instance; I can leave now."
Tong Qi was somewhat surprised, yet a little disappointed, "You cleared out all the potions, so it’s impossible for me to clear the instance now."
The "Angel’s Eye" being taken away meant the instance might be damaged. Since Tong Qi and Chi Xian had already awakened from the hallucinations, the remaining people would presumably also be improving. At the very least, the "Ten-Day Death Sentence" hanging over their necks was undone, and when the time came, everyone could naturally leave the instance. If luck was a bit better, the instance might be damaged, prematurely ejecting everyone...
Coincidentally, just then, a mist enveloped the riverside.
The three exchanged glances. Chi Xian looked at Xu Huo with meaningful eyes and then said, "Looks like we’re getting out."
He reacted a bit faster than Tong Qi. If their awakening from the hallucination was due to Xu Huo taking away all the potions, then the premature conclusion of the instance definitely involved other issues. What exactly was unclear, but it was certain these benefits fell into Xu Huo’s hands alone.
"It’s fate that we entered together and now leave together." Meeting his gaze, Xu Huo smiled slightly, "I’m planning to give these potions to the People of Zone 013; want to join?"
Chi Xian relaxed his expression, indicating no objection.
"Count me in," Tong Qi also said, "Although I didn’t clear the instance, I gained quite a lot this trip. Besides, how could such a chance to shine go without me? Brother Xu, if you need help, just let me know!"
Xu Huo certainly had no objections.
When the fog fully covered the three, before they could detect any issues, the ground beneath their feet transformed into a forest covered in dense fungi.
The protective suits were taken off too soon.
The three hurriedly put their clothes back on.
The J13 Gene Potion container was too large, making it inconvenient to carry in the luggage compartment. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Xu Huo wrapped it up and placed it in Shelter 101, then used the "Twisting Pulley" to lift the shelter as a substitute for transportation.
However, this was a forest, making movement rather inconvenient.
"Leave these small issues to me." Tong Qi took out a farming prop, "Someone else gave me this. It’s particularly convenient for harvesting or clearing land."
A three-meter-long iron chain with scissor blades fell to the ground and started moving on its own, quickly chopping the grass and small mounds ahead, forcing a path, albeit at a very slow pace.
Xu Huo also carried some hover props, but again, to avoid uncontrollable situations, he preferred to use this slow method for safety.
But to his surprise, uncontrollable situations came swiftly.
They seemed to have walked into an ambush circle. As soon as they stepped in, a targeted tool net was pulled up from the ground, wrapping around them and the shelter one by one.
This was just a petty trick; even Tong Qi wasn’t caught. However, what followed were swarms of mechanical flying insects pouring in, their numbers overwhelming, almost penetrating all the trees within their line of sight.
These mechanical flying insects had sharp legs and wings, but their purpose wasn’t to harm them. Instead, it was to cut their protective suits. Low-level protective suits, though fireproof, waterproof, and poison-proof, were easy to damage if tools were used to slice and pierce them.
Zone 013 is a natural gathering place for toxins, and obviously, the opponent intended to use this method to incapacitate them.
"Isn’t this group thinking too well of themselves?" Standing inside Chi Xian’s defensive barrier, Tong Qi said, "They think they can take us down without lifting a finger! Watch how I deal with them!"
With a big smile, he pulled out a prop resembling a video game controller, moved the buttons, and instantly, the mechanical flying insects surrounding them lost control and fell to the ground.
"Interference props, low cost, high return, perfect for dealing with such fanciful people."
Tong Qi said with a grin, and even winked at Xu Huo and Chi Xian.
"They must be local players from Zone 013, hoping to leverage the environment." Chi Xian observed for a while and said, "But I don’t sense them nearby."
Xu Huo nodded, "No one is around; probably they are a bit far. Since they’re afraid to come out, there’s no need to waste effort finding them. Let’s move on."
If they are unwilling to give up, they will naturally show themselves again.
This time, the three used detection props, lest they try something underground again.
Unexpectedly, these people didn’t pursue further. As they walked ahead, they found plenty of battle evidence, with turned soil and trap pits among other marks.
"Someone has likely passed through this path before." Leaving behind a combat mech, Xu Huo spoke to Chi Xian and then proceeded to investigate ahead.
He found someone after just a few steps in the space, but first appearing in his view was the middle-aged female player he had a brief encounter with on the train. Her severed hand was reattached and bandaged, and her body was recovering well from its severely injured state. Her spirit seemed good, at least visually.
Because she was currently decapitating a person from Zone 013.