Chapter 258: Tower of Fall
On the other end of the Sunken City, Spade K, leading his two closest subordinates, or rather collaborators, was steadily advancing towards the tall spire in the city center along a relatively intact ancient street paved with giant stone slabs.
He held in his hand a peculiar compass, about the size of a palm, made of unknown metal and crystal. Instead of a traditional pointer, the surface of the compass was a miniature dome, deep as if containing the starry sky. On the dome, several light spots slowly circulated in a profound pattern. One particularly bright light spot consistently and firmly pointed towards the spire.
This was the star chart he had “borrowed” from Ms. Sivell, the fortune teller, a magical item capable of sensing the magical currents and Aether flow of this place. It was precisely thanks to its guidance that they had managed to avoid most dangers since falling into this underwater ruin, emerging unscathed.
“See that?” Spade K’s face was filled with uncontrollable excitement. He shook the star chart in his hand triumphantly. “This thing is like an official cheat code. We haven’t encountered the slightest bit of danger along the way. Those idiotic NPCs are probably still playing hide-and-seek with the monsters outside.”
Joker, walking beside him, let out a low chuckle. His figure flickered in and out of the shadows of the surrounding buildings, as if he could melt into them at any moment. “I was wondering why you wasted time on that old woman. As expected, Old K, you have foresight, getting this treasure in advance. Truly our ‘Cult Leader’.”
When the title “Cult Leader” was mentioned, Joker’s tone clearly carried a hint of sarcasm and disdain.
“Of course,” Spade K was completely lost in his fantasies, as if he could already see the future. “Once I get that Divine Artifact, any damn guild or professional player association will have to bow to me. Then, I’ll post the Divine Artifact’s stats on the forum, the server’s first Divine Artifact, and I’ll control the prices of the entire server. Millions? Tens of millions? I’ll be able to buy whatever I want then.”
His thoughts had already drifted to the real world, as if he could already see his future of immense wealth, luxury cars, and mansions. This cold game world was merely a springboard to the peak of his life.
Heart A, a female player with red hair who had previously been struck to death by Captain Remington, followed behind the two. Upon hearing this, she merely scoffed dismissively. She was not interested in Spade K’s grand blueprint. The only reason she followed him was because Spade K was foolish, rich, and generous. Naturally, she didn’t believe Spade K’s ambitions, or rather, his daydreams, would be smoothly realized.
As they ventured deeper, the surrounding scenery began to change significantly. The terrain started to slope downwards noticeably, as if they were walking into a giant crater formed by an invisible force. The buildings on both sides were no longer in any semblance of completeness. Huge fracture marks and melted stone structures silently narrated the terrifying power of the forbidden magic from that year. The Aether aura filling the air also became increasingly dense, even viscous enough to make ordinary people feel difficulty breathing.
Finally, their vision suddenly opened up.
A vast, downward-caving circular plaza appeared before them. The ground of the plaza was covered in web-like giant cracks, as if it had endured unimaginable impact. And in the very center of the plaza, at the lowest point of the area’s terrain, a magnificent spire stood intact, quietly rooted there.
The entire tower was constructed from some unknown stone material that emitted a faint, pale blue glow. The tower was covered in intricate and mysterious magical runes. Even in the dim seabed, these runes still emitted a weak and stable light, forming a visible protective barrier that enveloped the entire tower. It was like a sharp sword piercing the deep sea and time, guarding a secret unknown to anyone.
“We’re here…” Spade K’s breathing quickened. He stared fixedly at the spire, his eyes as fanatical as a pilgrim’s. “This is it, my chance to turn things around!”
He was eager to rush forward, but Heart A, standing beside him, reached out and stopped him.
“What’s the rush?” the red-haired woman grinned, a flash of impatience in her eyes. “Can you please use your brain? Which Divine Artifact in any game is this easy to get?”
Before they could even begin to study how to break through the shimmering magical barrier of the tower’s gate, a deliberately lowered voice and the sound of chaotic footsteps suddenly came from behind the ruins above them.
“…There seems to be a path this way? Everyone be careful, the sound just now seemed to come from this direction…”
“…Yang Yi, hurry up, don’t dawdle!”
“Wait, there seem to be people ahead…”
Several figures cautiously emerged from the gap formed by the collapsed arcade, warily sizing up those below. The newcomers were Fu Qingyan and her classmates. They had clearly gone through a tough battle and, relying on the incomplete sea chart and some luck, had finally managed to navigate their way here with difficulty.
The gazes of both sides met in the air instantly.
Time seemed to freeze for a second.
Fu Qingyan and the others saw the five figures below. Especially upon clearly seeing their signature gray-white robes and scarlet cross insignia, their expressions instantly changed, and they subconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons. They had just barely escaped the pursuit of gargoyles and were already on edge.
On Spade K’s side, the ecstatic and smug look on his face instantly froze, as if doused with a basin of ice water. Then, a surge of rage at being offended and spied upon erupted.
“Damn it! Players?” Spade K’s voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp and full of hostility, his facial muscles contorted with anger. “How the hell are there other players?”
The previous exchange from the other side had exposed their identities completely. At least Spade K had never heard of an NPC in this game named “Yang Yi.”
His eyes instantly became extremely dangerous, locking onto Fu Qingyan and the others like a venomous snake. His previous excitement and daydreams were replaced by naked killing intent. He had endured immense hardship, even incurring losses for the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing he had established, just to reach the doorstep of the treasure. Now, a group of competitors had suddenly appeared?
This was absolutely unacceptable!
“Take them down!” Spade K commanded almost with a roar, his voice devoid of any hesitation, as cold as if he were ordering the crushing of a few ants. “Leave none alive! We absolutely cannot let them ruin my great plan!”
Joker and Heart A reacted extremely quickly and immediately entered combat mode. Joker activated his abilities as a Transcendent of the Shadow Path, melting into the shadows, while Heart A licked her lips, a excited smile appearing on her face as bone spurs extended from her fingertips like blades.
Suddenly encountering enemies, Fu Qingyan could only grip her short knife tightly, her mind racing to analyze the difference in strength between the two sides and possible tactics. The opposing side had only three people, but their confident attitude clearly indicated absolute self-assurance in their own strength.
Just as the battle was about to erupt.
*Tap.*
A very faint sound. like a pebble falling, came from directly above them.
This sound was particularly jarring in the tense silence.
Everyone, whether Spade K or Fu Qingyan, instinctively looked up.
On the edge of the cliff-like ruin above the circular plaza, two figures had, at some unknown time, quietly stationed themselves there.
On the left was a young man in a simple priestly robe, holding a longsword. His posture was as straight and tall as a pine tree, and his light-colored eyes calmly surveyed everything below.
Beside him, a petite figure cloaked in a hood stood silently. The shadow of the hood obscured all her expressions, with only a pale and delicate jawline faintly visible. She seemed to have merged with the shadows of the ruins, silent and without a trace, yet radiating a heart-stopping sense of presence.
