Despair always intensifies with the passing of time. Although we, the afflicted, did not understand the true meaning of time itself, the bishops and priests urged us to flee the towns, for the unknown dangers ahead were too terrifying to ignore.
Though we were reluctant, we had no choice, for the decree of expulsion had been issued across the cities, and thus, we became exiles...
Xu Que clicked his tongue. "What a pathetic record! The kid only mentions his own misfortune, without even explaining what curse he was afflicted with, or mentioning those glowing books."
"What a miserable fool! He truly deserves to be called the 'Unfortunate One!'" Xu Que muttered as he quickly turned the page.
---
"The Great Rift Era, Year 177892. The curse countdown finally reached its end, and strangely, we did not perish. Instead, we found ourselves in a strange underground labyrinth!"
Though we had no idea where we were, surviving was reason enough to feel fortunate.
"We were overjoyed, and Xilong decided to hold a grand bonfire celebration to mark our survival. But just as the flames of our campfire began to rise, three four-meter-tall Lan Stone Scorpions appeared."
"We drew our weapons and fought against the three monsters, but despite initially having the upper hand, we were soon overwhelmed and forced to retreat."
"We took refuge in a cave, but tragically, we lost seven of our comrades."
Xu Que let out a sigh, his thoughts momentarily clouded. But in an instant, something clicked.
He flipped back to the previous diary entry and immediately found something of interest!
A curse? No, that wasn't a curse; it was more likely an illicit teleportation!
With this realization, Xu Que turned to the current page and understood how Joseph and his group had ended up in the Anchor Point Space.
What intrigued him even more, however, was the location of the Humman Manor. After all, being cursed in such a way could only mean one thing: there must be a forbidden treasure hidden there!
Xu Que turned to the next page, eager to see what more was written, but was only greeted with a few brief words.
"What kind of hellish place is this? I don't want to die here..."
Closing the Diary of the Unfortunate Joseph, Xu Que, though still somewhat confused, had gained valuable insights. Joseph's greatest contribution was perhaps that he brought back the Listener Dam's records of the Old Gods.
Xu Que chose not to read Dam's account for now. What mattered most was understanding the situation. For now, his priority was to find Ye Gou.
As he walked, he checked the three forbidden treasures he had obtained.
---
**Name:** Frost Fist B-class (Unique Equipment)
**Quality:** Excellent (Purple)
**Active Ability:** Deal a Frost Strike to a target (Cooldown: 24 hours)
**Passive Ability:** Increases frost attribute attack power when attacking; reduces a small amount of mental power and slightly increases movement speed.
**Note:** The Frost Fists of Mogrit, the Frostbearer, forged from Frostrock, one of Lavende's finest creations.
"Wow, this is a great pair of gauntlets. If only I could give them to Yue Shan... That kid's going to soar." Xu Que muttered.
Why not give them to Qi Kai? Because the gauntlets wouldn't be much help to him. Qi Kai needed speed and a boost in his attack power, whereas Yue Shan's combat style relied more on elemental attributes.
---
**Name:** Cold Jade Bracers B-class (Unique Equipment)
**Quality:** Excellent (Purple)
**Active Ability:** Grants a brief calming effect (15 seconds) (Cooldown: 80 minutes)
**Passive Ability:** Increases attack speed and has a high chance to trigger critical hits.
"These bracers are perfect. They even come with a calming effect. Just right for Ye Gou."
Though Xu Que himself could use them, he didn't need the calming effect, for his cool-headedness was a natural trait when facing otherworldly creatures.
---
**Name:** Sturdy Claw B-class
**Quality:** Excellent (Purple)
**Material:** Right claw of an adult Howling Shadow Wolf, useful for forging and alchemy.
"As expected, digging up tombs and robbing graves is the way to go. Not a single useless item!"
Closing the inventory, Xu Que quickened his pace.
In less than five minutes, he came upon Ye Gou, exhausted and panting on the ground.
"Hey, not bad. Looks like you've cleared out the surrounding area," Xu Que remarked with a smile.
"Heh, don't mention it," Ye Gou groaned, lying on the ground. "I don't know if it's your doing, but ever since you left, the creatures from the otherworld have been flocking towards me like crazy."
"Huh?" Xu Que asked, puzzled. "What's going on?"
Seeing Xu Que's confused expression, Ye Gou stared at him, deadpan. "Boss, don't joke with me. If you're testing me, you could have just summoned the BOSS. I'd gladly die for you to prove myself."
Xu Que lightly kicked Ye Gou. "I'm asking you what happened. Who said I was testing you? And I don't know what's going on either."
"Really not your doing?" Ye Gou sat up, looking at Xu Que seriously.
Xu Que was speechless. He didn't know what had happened either, so he could only nod thoughtfully.
"Huh… well, that's odd. The creatures from the forest to the left seem completely crazed, charging straight towards us."
Hearing Ye Gou's mutterings, Xu Que furrowed his brows. Could it be because of the Anchor Point Space tear?
After all, otherworldly creatures were known for their keen sensitivity to spatial anomalies.
"Alright, you've passed. The trial is over," Xu Que said, patting Ye Gou's shoulder with a grin.
"Does that mean I can rest for a couple of days now?" Ye Gou asked, hopeful.
"When you become a powerful esper, there will be no time for rest, because we must constantly fight against the forces of this otherworld!"
At hearing this, Ye Gou's expression turned to stone...
He thought he might get a couple of days off after passing the trial, but now he realized he'd be lucky to ever rest again!
"Boss, aren't you being a bit too harsh?" Ye Gou grumbled. "Before the Rift, even those 996 corporate drones got a break. And now you're telling me... no days off, always ready for death? Isn't that a bit much?"
Xu Que's smile slowly faded as he turned serious. "Rest can come, but we must never lower our guard. The real danger has yet to arrive. If I told you what would happen to Blue Star in a year, you'd understand why I'm pushing you so hard."
"In a year?" Ye Gou seized on the key phrase, his face suddenly serious. "Boss, do you know something?"
"Yes," Xu Que said gravely. "Once we close this otherworldly rift, I'll take you back to Magic City, where you'll join the higher ranks. Then, you'll get the answers you seek. But the information we have is limited, so you'll need to ask your questions carefully."
Ye Gou's expression froze. He had thought that his life was about survival, but now he realized he was sinking deeper into something far more ominous...
Still, he couldn't help but be amazed at the power he'd gained. In the past, he would've avoided people like Ye Huan and Ye Xiang, but now… he felt like grabbing them both, giving them a good beating, and yanking out all their teeth!
"Alright, just stand back and watch," Xu Que said, pulling Ye Gou along with a smile. "Let me show you how to clear this as quickly as possible!"
As Xu Que led Ye Gou toward the BOSS area, Ye Gou witnessed firsthand how Xu Que made short work of the B-class otherworldly creatures.
And when they finally reached the Super B-class BOSS, the Howling Shadow Wolf, Xu Que's sword intent instantly shattered Ye Gou's perception.
Though he had seen Xu Que's power in the A-class rift, effortlessly killing a Super B-class BOSS made Ye Gou realize the true path of the strong.