Chapter 8: Cards and Materials (1/3)
"Is this guy indicating... that he wants to help?"
The mechanical-armed girl naturally noticed Ji Xun's movement and instinctively thought: What can he help with?
But this is an A-class disaster!
Is this something your combat power can handle?
Isn't it better to obediently be bait and stay alive?
After spending a day together, the mechanical-armed girl could see that her teammate was not only weakened because he was drained by the witch but that he was fundamentally weak and didn't even seem to have any curse energy.
Yet at the same time, seeing his action, she immediately realized something else: this guy wasn't mentally polluted?
Under normal circumstances, a non-professional would have long been mentally controlled when in the same room with the [Fallen Witch].
Especially with a secondary mutated A-class disaster.
But not only was this guy not controlled, he was calmly indicating that he wanted to help.
If it's not mental confusion, he must have some other means.
"Could it be that he has already awakened a demon mark with mental power?"
At this moment, the girl suddenly understood.
Why this person could spend a night with the witch and still be alive.
But strong mental power aside, it doesn't cover up the fact that he's weak in combat.
...
"Should I... let him try?"
For a moment, the silver-haired girl was conflicted.
Although she didn't think her temporary teammate had the ability to help, there were no other options.
The monster had undergone a secondary mutation. Although she still had a chance of winning, she couldn't kill it in a short time.
Now all the monsters in the other-dimensional space were going berserk, and she could hear the gunfire outside.
If it dragged on, the risk of the monsters outside breaking in would infinitely increase.
Thinking of this, the mechanical-armed girl decisively made a decision: let him try, as the situation couldn't get worse.
She knew the monster's weak point was its mouthparts.
Only this spot could be a lethal target for firearms.
But the monster was cunning; it kept its mouthparts well-hidden during their fight.
As soon as the thought occurred to the mechanical-armed girl, she intentionally made a fatal "mistake" in battle.
She grabbed the monster's tail whip with one hand and was forced to grab the monster's forelimb with the other.
Both hands seemed instantly restrained.
The monster immediately felt it had seized a fatal flaw in the human, and without hesitation, a spiked fleshy mouthpart shot out from the terrifying cracked mouth of the monster baby.
"Swish!"
The speed was very fast.
The mechanical-armed girl's pupils shrank as she watched the mouthpart directly stabbing toward her chest: it finally appeared.
This was the best opportunity!
....
Almost at the same time.
"Bang!"
A gunshot rang out in the room.
The timing of the shot was perfect.
It was difficult for an ordinary person to seize such a fleeting flaw.
The mechanical-armed girl also breathed a sigh of relief in her heart; that guy did alright, he didn't miss the opportunity.
However, the next moment, as this relief surfaced in her mind, an even more astonishing scene unfolded.
Almost the instant the gunshot was heard, a crimson explosion occurred in front of her.
"This...?"
The mechanical-armed girl couldn't believe it.
The shot was not only well-timed but also unbelievably precise!
The mouthpart was very fragile; a regular demon-breaking bullet directly severed the spiked mouthpart.
The girl stared in shock at the blood mist exploding before her eyes, gradually daring to believe what she saw: "A direct hit with one shot?!"
She knew that since the other person dared to say they would help, their shooting skills must be good.
But the difficulty wasn't just in the shooting skills but in hitting the target under mental pollution interference. It's extremely difficult for an ordinary person to remain calm under the fear of death and mental confusion, so how did this guy manage it?
It seemed he wasn't affected by any nervousness or fear that would impact his shooting.
After a moment of thought, the mechanical-armed girl understood that this guy had anticipated her intention and also predicted the monster's response, which allowed him to hit the target with one shot.
Such calm handling, even if it were her, she might not have done better.
"Not bad..."
The mechanical-armed girl murmured to herself.
She thought it would take several more opportunities to succeed, but it was resolved in one try.
But now was not the time to be amazed. The monster's mouthpart was seriously injured by the shot, and the entire space echoed with its piercing screams.
First, kill the monster!
The girl's eyes sharpened, and her secret technique was completed.
The shadow behind her surged with momentum, and her body exuded an intangible force.
# Chapter 8: Cards and Materials (2/3)
The field of psychic power boiled up instantly. It was as if two forces collided and remained in a stalemate for only a few breaths before the strange face in the crack of the [Fallen Witch] several meters away bizarrely exploded, scattering blood and flesh everywhere.
...
Ji Xun watched the monster suddenly explode, not understanding what his teammate had done, but it didn't stop him from realizing how impressive the move was.
"Psychic attack, huh..."
Ji Xun put down his gun and leaned against the wall.
His body wasn't that of a superhuman; he had been caught in the crossfire of the battle and now felt like he had been hit by a truck, with his internal organs feeling like they were being stabbed.
The monster was dead, and the mechanical-armed girl also breathed a sigh of relief.
She glanced at the monster's corpse on the ground, then looked at Ji Xun in the corner, her expression complex as if she was struggling with something internally.
But in an instant, everything was restrained.
Ji Xun keenly sensed that hint of struggle in her gaze, raising an eyebrow.
He could guess what she was thinking.
Once the prey was dead, the bait's value was essentially gone.
Now that the treasure was out and his secret exposed, normally, a more ruthless person would kill to silence him.
With such a huge power gap, Ji Xun had no chance to resist.
And it wasn't even necessary for her to do it herself.
If she really wanted to silence him, she could have used the monster's hand during the previous fight to kill him.
But she didn't.
She chose to inconvenience herself a bit rather than burn bridges, and she fought in a way that avoided involving him as much as possible.
She fully adhered to their prior agreement.
Of course, if he hadn't been sure of this, Ji Xun wouldn't have only aimed at the Fallen Witch with that shot. Even if it risked being killed by the monster, he would have shot his teammate first.
....
"This is a [Healing Agent]."
The girl's eyes no longer showed any conflict.
Instead, she tossed a red potion to Ji Xun and said, "A very rare material has come out. If we can get out alive, I'll settle your share."
This time, she didn't just talk about money; she also mentioned compensating him.
Ji Xun took the potion, smiled, and drank it in one gulp.
Not being betrayed was already a blessing; he wouldn't expect more.
He naturally noticed the silver glow emerging from the corpse, finding it quite fascinating.
Did it really "drop equipment"?
The girl silently drew a dagger strapped to her thigh and then fiddled with the monster's corpse, extracting a semi-transparent object that looked like amber.
She thought Ji Xun wanted to see the material, so she showed it to him: "This."
[Fallen Witch's Second Mutation Pituitary Gland]
Quality: Excellent Shining Silver
Description: Extremely rare mental-type material, containing a rich power of disaster;
Ji Xun looked at it and saw that the amber was surrounded by a layer of psychic power field similar to that of the previous monster, but even more terrifying.
As he gazed at it, it felt as if his sensory world was distorting.
An insight appeared again: "Suffering from mental pollution, confusion +3."
Ji Xun's eye twitched; this thing was basically a radiation source.
The mechanical-armed girl didn't look at it for long. She took out a blank card and whispered, "Contain!"
The hexagram array on the back of the card lit up, and the pituitary gland disappeared, with the card's previously blank face now showing an identical image of the material.
The mental pollution instantly vanished.
Ji Xun watched in awe: Space containment cards?
Another card with a magical function.
With the material secured, the mechanical-armed girl gazed at the card in her hand, her eyes complex.
She had originally just come to find some witch materials, but she had ended up with an exceptionally rare one.
The highest quality material from a first-tier disaster is "Silver," with a very low probability of producing an excellent "Shining Silver," which is several times rarer than ordinary silver.
However, now she had obtained a "Shining Silver" material with an "Excellent" prefix.
This was almost a one-in-a-million chance.
The moment she touched it, she felt the immense psychic power within the material, making it the ideal material for crafting her profession card!
After all, this was a second mutation disaster, something unheard of.
The girl didn't think much further. She picked up the card slowly condensing from the white glow on the corpse and said, "I need the material. This card is for you. Your mental power is quite good; keep it for protection."
As she spoke...
# Chapter 9: Hidden Space (1/3)
Continue cooperating?
Hearing this, the girl's expression immediately turned sour.
Does this guy not understand the current situation and still want her to take him out?
Even she wasn't sure she could survive, let alone with a burden.
But she patiently explained, "From the current situation, the known B-level disasters on the third and fourth floors have probably mutated into A-level. Other monsters have likely mutated as well. I'm not even sure I can get out alive..."
Ji Xun knew she misunderstood his intention and explained, "No. What I mean is, have you considered... changing the strategy to clear the level?"
...
"???"
The mechanical-armed girl was confused by this.
Her initial reaction was to think this guy was trying to grasp at the last chance for survival.
But seeing his consistently calm gaze, she felt conflicted.
Although they hadn't been together long, they had gained a certain understanding of each other.
She knew that her temporary teammate, though weak, was definitely not stupid.
Just like when they first met, when she said "cooperate," it really meant "I need bait."
Both understood implicitly.
And now, she heard the underlying meaning of his words: I have a way out, but I need a teammate.
Although the mechanical-armed girl still found it unbelievable, after pondering for a moment, she asked, "What do you mean...?"
Ji Xun didn't answer directly but hinted, "If the exit is somewhere on the fourth floor... how confident are you in getting there alive?"
The mechanical-armed girl didn't understand why he asked this but answered honestly, "Not confident."
Ji Xun asked again, "Do you think anyone else could do it?"
The mechanical-armed girl hesitated, "Also, almost impossible."
She knew her strength was at the peak of an apprentice card master, with many secret cards at her disposal, placing her among the top non-professional combatants.
That statement was already conservative.
To be frank, if she couldn't make it, others would have even less chance.
Ji Xun smiled mysteriously, "So, there's the problem."
Although he had guessed his teammate was strong, hearing her confirm it reinforced his suspicion: the difficulty of this instance was "off the charts"!
...
Ji Xun hadn't fully understood what kind of existence the "other-dimensional space" in this world was.
But from the information he had gathered and seeing the monster drop equipment and materials upon death, he confirmed his hypothesis.
And that was...
# Chapter 9: Hidden Space (3/3)
Depend on your partner.
And a reliable, strong teammate who keeps their promises is perfect.
After a pause, the girl asked, "So, what should we do now?"
....
Ji Xun didn't beat around the bush. He stood up and pointed to the wall beside him, "Break the wall."
"Impossible!"
Hearing this, the mechanical-armed girl felt disappointed.
If it were that easy to break, someone would have tried it long ago.
She looked at Su Lun and explained seriously, "These walls are part of the spatial rules and can't be broken by external force!"
"…"
Ji Xun smiled mysteriously. How could he not have noticed that the wall couldn't be broken?
With all the intense fighting earlier, the walls of the room remained intact, clearly not something external force could break.
He didn't explain much further but marked out a space the size of a 1.5-meter door frame beside him and said, "Not just anywhere, but right here."
"???"
The mechanical-armed girl looked at him skeptically.
A wall is a wall—what's the difference?
Ji Xun knew he needed to provide a reliable explanation, so he directly explained his discovery: "Each of my steps is 75 centimeters. Earlier, we passed through all the rooms on the second floor, and I clearly counted the steps between each room, walking 20 steps. So the interval is a standard 15 meters. But between rooms 2012 and 2013, I took one extra small step..."
"This...?"
Hearing this, the mechanical-armed girl's skeptical look suddenly turned thoughtful.
She immediately grasped the significance: there's a hidden space between the rooms!
At the same time, she was amazed. How did this guy figure it out?
By measuring his steps...
Earlier in the day, she thought he was just tagging along as a burden, not realizing he was measuring the distance between doors and noticing such subtle differences?!
She felt hopeful but also afraid of being disappointed.
Measuring distance by footsteps sounded unreliable. What if he miscalculated?
A series of doubts arose in her mind.
Without giving her more time to doubt, Ji Xun continued, "There's also an issue with the room's internal measurements. Although they appear the same, the wall near the door is nearly a meter shorter than the one by the bed. So the room isn't rectangular as it seems but trapezoidal."
After a pause, he confidently concluded, "Which means... there's a hidden space behind this wall."
Hearing this, the mechanical-armed girl's expression changed instantly.
With this prompt, she immediately saw the problem!