Inside the ruins, Ms. Luciana activated her special ability, and a holographic knife shimmered into view. The gathered hunters were captivated by its presence.
Zhang Tao raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you reveal the character, Luciana?"
With a sigh, Luciana replied, "This knife is a manifestation of my power. But I haven't reached the higher state of this ability yet."
Kim Yun nodded thoughtfully. "At least we know it's a human," he stated, the tension in the air palpable.
"Whatever! The piece of trash died in this desert," Zhang Tao retorted dismissively.
Kim Yun shot a sharp glance at Zhang Tao. "Behave yourself, Zhang Tao."
With a smirk, Zhang Tao replied, "Why should I? It's all the fault of this piece of trash." He leaned in closer, a mocking tone in his voice. "Oh, I forgot. You killed your master with your own hands, so maybe you should behave yourself."
Kim Yun's face darkened with anger. "You're going to say that again?"
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Zhang Tao challenged, his voice laced with defiance.
The tension grew thick as Luciana stepped in, attempting to calm them down. "We should focus on the task at hand."
Suddenly, a massive earthworm emerged from the ground, but before it could pose a threat, Kim Yun sliced it into pieces in the blink of an eye.
Luciana's inner thoughts raced. This is a warning for Zhang Tao.
Moments later, two more earthworms appeared, but Zhang Tao dispatched them effortlessly using his gravitational skill, Force. The two worms were crushed under the immense pressure.
They are warning each other, Luciana thought, realizing the significance of their actions.
Inside the Temple
Meanwhile, in the heart of the temple, Wang Lie had killed all the knights but was now utterly exhausted. He sank onto the ground to rest, his body screaming for relief. Just then, a system notification popped up in front of him.
Silent Steps upgraded to Night Walker!
Wang Lie smiled slightly at the upgrade, but his brief moment of satisfaction was interrupted by another screen that notified him he could now upgrade any skill without needing Night Walker.
Excited, he decided to enhance the Paralyze skill, transforming it into Bind—a skill that could immobilize anyone within a ten-meter radius. But it had its limitations; it wouldn't work on powerful beings.
Rejuvenated, Wang Lie made his way to the center of the temple, where he spotted a glowing blue cube floating in mid-air. As he approached, the system chimed in, Controller found.
Confused, Wang Lie asked, "What does that mean?"
The system responded, With the Controller, you can manage the ruin.
Wang Lie was taken aback. The screen continued, However, the final boss is still alive. You do not have full authority over this ruin yet. You can control the portal's opening and closing and view different locations, but you cannot control monsters or restrict entry.
Curious, Wang Lie attempted to look inside the palace but was suddenly jolted. A strong entity appeared before him—its face was human, but it had two demonic figures on either side, all grinning ominously as if they could see him. Surrounding them were numerous other entities, serving them.
Wang Lie felt a chill run down his spine, and blood dripped from his eyes as he quickly closed the cube.
Another screen popped up, informing him,
Final Boss detected.
Mission: Kill the final boss.
Time: 3 years.
Reward: Unknown.
Failure: Death penalty.
"What?" Wang Lie muttered, panic rising in his chest. "How can I defeat such a monster? It's not even just a monster—it's a demon!"
But then he paused, remembering his goal: to survive. This was why he was here, after all. However, the weight of this revelation pressed heavily on him. To survive in this world, he needed to become the strongest.
As he contemplated his situation, he questioned why the ruin appeared white. The system chimed in again, This is a white ruin without the palace. When the palace is included, it becomes a black ruin. The palace conceals its spiritual energy, which is why it appears white.
Now understanding the true nature of the "City of Death," Wang Lie was more determined than ever. The system's responses glowed in black on his screen, highlighting the critical information he had learned.
With renewed resolve, Wang Lie thought, I should go outside now.