Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

”This is a narrative post, explaining the changes our world underwent after the interstellar meteorite descended on Kunze Mountain.”

Xu Xingguang stepped onto the sacrificial platform, bent down to touch the signature at the end of the text post, and said sadly, ”This is the message left by Divine Hidden Crane for future generations.”

”Divine Hidden Crane was always waiting for the future descendants of the Divine Hidden Clan to open the seventh layer of the Sacrificial Tower and discover the secret hidden within the coffin. But he did not foresee that the infection crisis would cause a complete civilization fracture in the mortal world, and the Divine Hidden Clan almost fell into decline, eventually turning into the Huo Clan by sheer coincidence.”

After the civilization fracture, the Huo Clan became an ordinary clan, and even Divine Hidden Crane didn’t know how anyone in the mortal world could open the 7th layer of the Sacrificial Tower.

”He also mentioned something else in the post.”

Xu Xingguang was somewhat shaken as she told Huo Wen’an, ”The legend that Divine Concealment Island hides the treasure of the last dynasty’s Emperor is true.”

”According to Divine Hidden Crane in the post, before jumping into the meteorite, he hid the entire Divine Hidden Dynasty under the sea.”

As the world’s last Emperor, Divine Hidden Crane successfully awakened superpowers, making him the most powerful among all those who had awakened.

How strong was his power?

He could single-handedly hide the Imperial Palace of the entire Divine Hidden Dynasty at the bottom of the deep sea!

Upon hearing this news, Huo Wen’an was utterly shocked.

Song Chi had also heard of that rumor and said, ”The Huo Family has long scoured Divine Concealment Island and hasn’t found any place resembling a treasure site.”

”There’s one place you definitely haven’t searched.” After saying this, Xu Xingguang silently looked at Huo Wen’an.

Huo Wen’an’s lips moved slightly; he closed his eyes and said with annoyance and shock, ”It’s the Central Cave.”

Song Chi also found it incredible, ”Central Cave? The punishment site for violators of clan rules used by the Huo Family’s Central Cave?”

The legendary place where entering it costs nearly half your life?

”Yes.”

Huo Wen’an told them, ”A seabed fissure runs through the center of Divine Concealment Island, and within it is a pillar connecting the underwater world to the island. In this pillar are more than a hundred stone caves of various sizes, used for imprisoning criminals within the clan.”

”In the Central Cave, there are daytime hurricanes and nighttime cold tides, with a temperature difference of up to thirty degrees. Those imprisoned in the Central Cave for a month shed a layer of skin, and after three months, they suffer permanent damage to their bones and end up with lifelong ailments.”

”Due to its harsh environment, the Central Cave was used by the Huo Family to punish its members, and as a result, it was never thoroughly explored.” Huo Wen’an never imagined the Central Cave was the entrance to the Emperor’s Tomb.

The gold lettering on the coffin was made of some special material unknown.

During the brief time Xu Xingguang and Huo Wen’an shared information, the color of the lettering had faded to the point it was almost unreadable.

”Let’s go,” Xu Xingguang said, ”There are no other clues here.”

Just as the three left the sacrificial platform, the 7th floor automatically locked itself, returning to its previous state.

*

Grandmother Huo Jing saw Huo Wen’an and the others coming down and said with some surprise, ”I just heard a loud bang, like a gunshot or the sound of a wall collapsing. Lord Captain, did something happen?”

Noticing the strange black sword in Huo Wen’an’s hand, Huo Jing was taken aback, ”Did you actually manage to open the 7th layer of the Sacrificial Tower?”

Huo Wen’an said, ”The top of the tower collapsed, please find someone to repair it.”

”What?” Faced with the ups and downs of life many times, Huo Jing was still frightened by Huo Wen’an’s words.

Did Lord Captain and them really pierce through the top of the tower?

”Oh dear, what is going on?” Huo Jing’s expression changed drastically, and she muttered, ”The Sacrificial Tower is the foundation of the Huo Family; if the tower’s top collapses, doesn’t that mean the foundation is broken!”

”This can’t happen, I need to quickly find a craftsman to repair the Sacrificial Tower!” Huo Jing, oblivious to even Huo Wen’an, turned and ran out of the Sacrificial Tower to find a craftsman.

Returning to the Pilot Mansion, Huo Lan was still there, arranging lunch.

”Lord Captain,” Huo Lan eyed the eerie sword in Huo Wen’an’s hand but dared not ask further, only saying, ”Lord Captain, I’ll be staying in the Capital City for these few days. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to instruct me.”

”Lunch is ready, and I won’t disturb Lord Captain and your friends from dining.”

Huo Wen’an waved to urge Huo Lan to leave.

Having finished lunch, Huo Wen’an wanted Xu Xingguang to design a scabbard for his Divine Hidden Sword, ”Look at this sword of mine; carrying it around attracts too much attention. Help me design a scabbard to hide it.”

”Alright.”

Xu Xingguang planned to meet Ying Ziyao in the evening; she had slept soundly on the plane and didn’t need a nap midday. ”You take a nap; I’ll draw the design.”

”Okay.”

This Pilot Mansion was a court of pure ancient architecture, with the bedroom being a spacious suite. The outermost part was a small reception room, with a study on the left and a living room on the right, and the innermost part being the sleeping quarters.

As Huo Wen’an entered the living room, he recalled Xu Xingguang’s initiation last night, then turned back and said, ”You should rest with me, don’t tire yourself out.”

Xu Xingguang cast a cold glance, ”Are you looking down on me? You think your stamina is enough to tire me out?” Xu Xingguang sneered disdainfully, ”You’re still too young.”

Huo Wen’an’s neck reddened with annoyance, ”You...”

Feeling somewhat wronged, he earnestly asked Xu Xingguang, ”Was my performance really that bad last night?”

Xu Xingguang’s curls slightly covered her reddening ear lobes, ”There’s definitely room for improvement.”

Huo Wen’an returned to his room, undressed, and lay down, looking at his overly thin frame, hating his own lack of strength and ability.

Xu Xingguang quickly designed a suitable sword scabbard for Huo Wen’an to wear, and handed the design drawings to Zheng Lie to find someone to make the scabbard.

She drove herself to the No. 23 Secret Research Institute.

Huo Wen’an woke up in the afternoon, and Xu Xingguang had already left. Zheng Lie was interviewing swordsmiths.

Seeing Huo Wen’an enter, Zheng Lie hurriedly got up and greeted him, ”Pilot, I’ve kept some skilled swordsmiths. Take a look and see which master you prefer to make it.”

Huo Wen’an reached out to Zheng Lie, ”Let me see the design drawing the lady made.”

Zheng Lie quickly handed it to Huo Wen’an.

Huo Wen’an glanced down and saw the appearance of the scabbard, his expression was indescribable.

Xu Xingguang actually designed a single-shoulder pencil case sling bag for him!

The pencil case sling bag was about eighty centimeters long, with Louis Vuitton’s classic pattern printed on it, and the LV letters were replaced with AZ (A Zui) by her.

Moreover, a super cute hanging doll was drawn at the position of the bag strap.

With the pencil case sling bag on his back, Huo Wen’an would be at the forefront of fashion trends.

He: ”...”

”This little scoundrel!” Huo Wen’an was dumbfounded.

Zheng Lie saw Huo Wen’an was a bit angry, but said, ”Pilot, don’t you like this design? I think it’s quite good.”

Zheng Lie pointed at the detailed design on the paper and explained, ”Don’t be fooled by the pencil case looking like a bag, but there are hidden secrets inside! It has reserved space for the Divine Hidden Sword, several mechanisms designed, and even concealed medicine compartments!”

”Pilot, look, you carry it so that when the enemy is unprepared, you can take out hidden weapons and take their lives, a surprise attack!”

Surprise attack my ass!

Huo Wen’an massaged his forehead, wanting to be quiet.

”Pilot.” Zheng Lie looked serious, asking Huo Wen’an, ”Do you still want the scabbard?”

Huo Wen’an snorted coldly, ”Yes!”

Zheng Lie burst into laughter, saying, ”Actually, it’s quite beautiful. I see boys on the street use shoulder bags to carry violins, badminton, and gym equipment, they look quite nice too.”

Huo Wen’an just wanted to sneer.

*

After learning about Zhang Zhiyi’s plot, the atmosphere at the No. 23 Secret Research Institute became particularly heavy, and the arrival of Xu Xingguang couldn’t dispel this heaviness.

The oldest researcher, No. 8 Wang Zefa, along with Deputy Captain Hua Junqiao, accompanied Xu Xingguang to the underground floor.

In the dim light, a group of children no older than six or seven were being held!

At this moment, they were all asleep and did not notice Xu Xingguang’s arrival.

Wang Zefa’s eyes were slightly red, he said, ”When they smelled the Attractive Fragrance Grass, these children showed unusual reactions inside their bodies; it should be the mutated virus in them starting to take effect.”

Wang Zefa took off his glasses, turned around, and wiped his tears.

Hua Junqiao was full of suffering, choking as she whispered, ”We were shocked when we brought these children back, not understanding why those detected with the mutated virus are all kids. It wasn’t until these past two days when we learned about the translator Zhang Zhiyi’s matter that we learned the truth.”

Hua Junqiao shed hot tears, saying, ”Jin Yunhai told me, these past five years, over ninety million children in the Mortal World have been injected with the vaccine provided by the Annihilation Sect. Captain, what should we do?”

What should they do?

Xu Xingguang couldn’t answer.

Just then, a child separately isolated in a glass room woke up.

He saw Xu Xingguang outside the wall and quickly lifted the blanket, running barefoot toward the glass wall.

While running, something was wagging behind him.

Xu Xingguang recognized it was a tail.

A beast’s tail.

The child pressed his hands against the glass wall, gazing upward at Xu Xingguang, his round eyes full of tears. He asked her, ”Sister, can my tail disappear? Can I go home?”

Hua Junqiao suddenly covered her face and ran to the end of the corridor, collapsing in tears, while Wang Zefa kept shaking his head, sighing repeatedly as he left.

Looking at the child’s tender cheeks, Xu Xingguang felt what it was like to have a heartache as if cut by a knife.

Xu Xingguang bent over, a thought flashed through her mind, and a special hourglass appeared in her hand. She placed the hourglass at the corner of the wall outside the glass.

”Little one, this is the Starlight Hourglass, it’s filled with interstellar meteorite powder. The Starlight Hourglass completes once every five years.” Xu Xingguang placed her palm against the glass with the child, promising him, ”When the sands finish flowing, that’s when sister comes to save you.”

”Promise sister, you must hold on until then, okay?”

The child vaguely understood but remembered one thing, the day the hourglass ran out was the day his sister would come to save him.

”Okay, I promise, Sister.”