Players, Please Board the Train

Speaking of objects that could affect properties, Xu Huo’s first thought went to the Nüwa Stone he had obtained from Clown City.

A very small stone could allow King Fungus to grow rapidly on its surface, and while King Fungus parasitic in a human body wouldn’t inherently possess unlimited lifespan—it would die after a certain period—as long as one carried the Nüwa Stone, the King Fungus inside the body could multiply endlessly, achieving a state where the host remained permanently equipped with self-detoxification capability.

However, he didn’t wear the Nüwa Stone constantly. Instead, he would take it out at intervals to nurture the King Fungus, ensuring it didn’t die.

”What kind of thing can change the properties of stone?” Xu Huo asked.

”That’s a complicated matter to explain, but most of the time it comes down to special geological formations. After humans evolved, nature evolved too—anything can happen.” Qing Cai sized him up. ”Are you really not a player from District 011?”

”District 011 is in chaos right now,” Xu Huo said. ”When I came out to avoid the disaster, I accidentally stumbled into a battle zone for high-rank players.”

Qing Cai’s eyes lit up at his words. ”What’s happening in District 011? Tell me all about it!”

Whether or not the rumors she’d heard about District 011 were true, her dislike for the district was at least genuine.

Xu Huo gave her an abridged version of the Phantom Sound Knights’ attack, and Qing Cai even clapped her hands. ”Neither side is worth a damn—dogs biting dogs, best if they tear each other apart!”

Compared to District 011, the Phantom Sound Knights had an even worse reputation. Qing Cai mulled it over for a moment before saying, ”I’m really lucky!””The Phantom Sound Knights never move without profit. If they attacked District 011, they must be after something good. Now that the two sides are fighting fiercely, maybe I can pick up some spoils!”

Xu Huo stared at her for a full two seconds. ”Are you serious?”

Never mind Jin Feixue and Dou Shengnan of the Phantom Sound Knights—both were standouts among A-rank players. How many players did District 011 even have to match them?

Yet Qing Cai was extremely confident. ”I said picking up spoils, not robbing head-on. Stealing works too.”

Confidence came from ability. Xu Huo guessed she might possess a special treasure-hunting ability; otherwise, she wouldn’t be scouring the wilderness for gems. But continuing this topic further wouldn’t be appropriate.

Just then, he suddenly sensed a subtle shift in the Safe House. He was about to speak when the entire structure gave a violent jolt, as if it had collided with something. Then the building tipped over, and he, Qing Cai, and the green gem sitting on the table all tumbled out through the doorway!

The outside was still shrouded in darkness, and the glowing gem became the only source of light in the area. But they, along with the gem, were swept up by a hurricane-force wind, flung more than ten meters into the air in an instant!

Xu Huo had already put on his Protective Suit and activated his items. Just as he was hesitating whether to use his train ticket to leave, the gale abruptly stopped. As he and Qing Cai fell, a black shadow flashed past—and the green gem was gone!

It wasn’t that Xu Huo had actually seen the shadow fly by. Rather, the gem’s glow was suddenly covered by blackness. For a brief moment, it seemed as if a layer of black cloth had been draped over it, but it vanished just as quickly. That was why he judged someone had snatched the gem, not that its light had been swallowed by the darkness.

After the green gem disappeared, nothing was visible in his field of vision again. But the next second, a dust-like trail of light appeared in the air. Its width roughly matched that of the green gem, and under its faint glow, Qing Cai’s figure seemed to be following the direction of the light trail.

Xu Huo had intended to go as well, but at that moment his communicator buzzed. A faint electric current pulsed through his skin. He opened the communicator, and Bai Kou’s voice came through. ”Do you have a death wish? Why are you following that? Head outward.”

”How did you get through?” Xu Huo asked. ”Is this your item?”

She had vanished after the incident at the Stellar Corporation Hotel. He’d assumed she was either clashing with Jin Feixue or biding her time—not that she’d come all the way to the base.

”It’s not mine,” Bai Kou said. ”This belongs to the Holy Sword Society. I’m guiding your way.”

Xu Huo didn’t hesitate long. Following her directions, he wove through the darkness. He could feel that he was back in District 011, but he couldn’t find the edge of this black expanse. According to Bai Kou, after about ten-plus minutes, he spotted a figure standing in the distance holding a small lamp.

As he drew closer, Bai Kou first gave him a once-over. ”You got lucky. The Safe House sent you back again. Your friend wasn’t so fortunate—she’s been tossed to another district.”

Xu Huo didn’t know the operating rules of this item, but he did know how to provoke someone. ”Is the matter with Jin Feixue settled?”

Bai Kou shot him a cold glare. ”Come along and you’ll find out.”

The two stepped out of the dark zone and found themselves at the station. From this vantage point, more than half of Base City was engulfed in darkness. This half was silent, but the adjacent city had been reduced to tatters. Though the towering buildings hadn’t collapsed entirely, their exterior walls had peeled away wholesale, as if weathered by centuries. The streets were littered with toppled and damaged robots, and inside the Pods lay numerous corpses—most had suffocated to death, their expressions twisted in agony.

The defensive barrier originally deployed around the Stellar Corporation Hotel had long since vanished, and even the equipment had been destroyed to the last piece.

This wasn’t surprising. There were bound to be items or instruments specifically designed to counter high-tech weapons. The Phantom Sound Knights wouldn’t have come here unprepared.

”Where did all the District 011 players go?” Xu Huo gazed at the city that seemed hollowed out.

”Some are trapped in the dark space by the Holy Sword Society; others are driving the Phantom Sound Knights toward the neighboring cities.” Bai Kou said casually. ”It won’t be over anytime soon.”

Xu Huo opened his communicator. The news broadcasts painted a far grimmer picture than what she’d described. It wasn’t just Base City—several major cities in this district had been attacked. Beyond the Phantom Sound Knights, large numbers of Holy Sword Society members had appeared across different cities, striking numerous research laboratories.

The situation was beyond salvaging. How much damage District 011 suffered would depend on how quickly this battle ended.

”What did you come to District 011 for?” he asked Bai Kou seriously.

”You haven’t forgotten the stone He Pu gave you, have you?” Bai Kou said. ”That’s a Sub-Class Stone. The reason you were teleported back from another space is most likely because of that stone.”

”Spacetime Items have the characteristic of being incompatible with each other, but they are attracted to the raw materials used to craft them. However, this attraction doesn’t follow a specific pattern—sometimes it triggers, sometimes it doesn’t. That’s why there’s never been a definitive conclusion.”

Xu Huo had already learned the concept of Sub-Class Stones from Qing Cai. ”The Sub-Class Stone He Pu gave me can be used to craft Spacetime Items? Since it’s a Sub-Class Stone, it must have evolved under the influence of some substance.”

”Correct. There are many types of Sub-Class Stones, but the one He Pu gave you is a top-tier Sub-Class Stone,” Bai Kou said. ”It’s one of the raw materials for Spacetime Items, and it can also be used to craft advanced weapons. But the most precious thing about this stone isn’t the stone itself—it’s its origin.”