Chapter 178: Underground tomb
The church was enveloped in deadly silence.
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes, as if searching for something.
Shao Yao held her breath, anxiously awaiting the other’s decision.
After a few minutes, the other person raised his eyes and nodded.
“I understand.”
“So… Do you agree?”
Shao Yao looked nervous, her eyes flickering with hope.
Unexpectedly, Wen Jianyan shook his head. “Not entirely.”
The others were puzzled.
“Firstly, there’s something you need to know. Before I met you, I already knew that there was only one person left on your team.”
Wen Jianyan briefly described what he had just seen inside the church – the empty chapel with two figures standing motionless with their backs to the door.
The young woman lowered her eyes, her expression still gentle, as she calmly stated a brutal fact.
“Based on my experience, the chances of your teammates surviving are extremely low.”
“What…?” Shao Yao’s expression was stunned, seeming to struggle to comprehend. “But, they were just missing…”
“Yes, but they’ve disappeared into another space.”
Wen Jianyan said calmly.
Although they could be “seen” after the bell rang, nobody knew if they could enter, if there was danger inside, or what would happen if they didn’t leave before the next bell rang. No one knew the answer.
“If we’re going to save them, it’s like risking my life as well as my friend’s.”
Shao Yao’s face darkened slightly.
Indeed, what the other said was true.
She knew the difficulty was too great. Even with epic-level items as bargaining chips, the probability of agreement from the other side was very low. After all, they weren’t even teammates. In the situation where the other person’s fate was uncertain, they also turned and left without hesitation, didn’t they?
But unexpectedly, the young man’s tone suddenly changed.
“So, if we’re going to make a trade, the terms need to undergo a certain degree of modification.”
“?”
Shao Yao was taken aback, raising her eyes, almost unable to believe her ears.
“Firstly, you need to sign a subordinate contract with me, sharing missions through the system, guaranteeing ownership of the items after the mission ends, and the truthfulness of the information you shared earlier,” Wen Jianyan’s face showed no extra expression; his voice was calm, but it inexplicably gave people a sense of oppression that couldn’t be ignored, “As a reward, after entering the church, I will assist you in rescuing your teammates to the best of my ability.”
“However, once I realize that rescuing your teammates is too difficult, even if it risks the lives of my team, I will change my strategy and only provide you with a certain amount of points—I have a limit of 30 points in my account.”
This was a very harsh condition, almost completely eliminating the possibility of the other party lying or reneging, but the assistance provided was very limited.
The only benefit was—
Under the system’s guarantee, people couldn’t break the contract.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Oh my, this condition change is too significant.]
[Yes, and it completely favors the anchor’s side. It’s like, regardless of whether the anchor can save their own teammates in the end, they have to share completely truthful clues and mission progress.]
[How can anyone agree to this?]
“You know, I could just agree to your trade directly, enter the church with you, ensure that all the information in your hands is squeezed out, and then you and your teammates can be forgotten.”
Wen Jianyan paused and continued:
“Of course, except for you, no one else has entered the church. So, you could give false information, deliberately lure us into a trap to replace your teammates, or do some kind of mission that requires sacrificing lives.”
His tone was so casual, but the situation he described was so cruel… What was even more terrifying was that in the nightmare, the likelihood of both scenarios was just too high. Even among teammates, it was possible, not to mention that they had only temporarily formed a team.
The air was filled with silence.
Whether it was Su Cheng, Blond, or Shao Yao, they all involuntarily tensed up.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have much time, so we can’t play these deceitful games. So, I’ll lay out all the risks and the bottom line I can accept. If you agree, you’re welcome to join. If you don’t agree, the information you provided earlier will be treated as half true and half false.”
The white-haired young man’s expression was plain, his amber eyes slightly lowered, exuding pure rationality, appearing distant and indifferent.
“Of course, for safety reasons, we don’t welcome your company from here on.”
Inside the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Wow, he’s really something. No wonder he’s often tricking people; he understands these tactics too well. If it weren’t for constantly being targeted and betrayed by the instance, it would be really hard to overturn.”]
[…I take back what I said about not agreeing.]
[He really knows when telling the truth is most useful!]
[Yes, yes, after clarifying all the pros and cons, the seemingly most unreasonable solution becomes the most reasonable. He’s really smart.]
“How about it?”
Wen Jianyan asked patiently.
“…”
Shao Yao stared at the young man in front of her, somewhat dazed.
She knew that this plan was most beneficial to the other party. Even without needing to pay too much, they could get what they wanted. She herself was the restricted party in the entire transaction. However…
She couldn’t deny that the solution proposed by the other party could maximize their safety and ensure the stability of their cooperation.
Shao Yao took a deep breath, seeming to have finally made up her mind, and slowly nodded.
“Okay, I agree.”
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyelashes, and suddenly there was a slight softening in his previously indifferent and cruel demeanor, as if the solid ice had melted into spring water.
He became gentle and approachable once again.
He reached out to Shao Yao.
“Happy cooperation.”
Under Shao Yao’s lead, the group moved forward quickly once again.
After bypassing the side of the small church, a small stone archway leading downward appeared before them. The edges of the bricks had a peculiar deep brown color, as if stained with long-dried blood. The wooden door was half open, emitting a strong stench of decay and blood.
A series of messy bloodstains meandered toward them, likely left by Shao Yao just now.
“After entering below, there will be many fresh corpses, probably all those brought in by the carts earlier.” Shao Yao turned to the others, her expression solemn. “They will be awakened by light and the scent of living people. Once awakened, they will attack the intruders differently. We were besieged before and barely managed to carve out an escape route… With experience this time, we should be able to avoid conflicts with them.”
She instructed, “Prepare your protective shields before entering, and activate them after entering. It can isolate the scent of living people. Follow me after going down, and watch your step.”
The others nodded.
After getting ready, Shao Yao led the way down.
The wooden door, soaked with blood, creaked open, revealing the crooked stone steps leading into darkness.
The group held their breath, lightening their steps, and cautiously descended.
Darkness gradually enveloped them from above.
Hollow, deliberately suppressed footsteps echoed in the narrow stone stairway, and the air gradually became murky, giving a suffocating sensation.
Wen Jianyan followed behind Shao Yao, stepping deeper into the stone steps.
The space gradually widened.
The stench became even stronger, as if it were a solid covering over one’s nose and mouth, causing dizziness.
With the experience from last time, Shao Yao didn’t turn on any lighting equipment; instead, she hugged the right wall, moving forward slowly and cautiously.
According to her, after her last entry with her teammates, although they were attacked by the corpses unexpectedly, in the chaos, they managed to clear a path on the right side for retreat. Thanks to it, Shao Yao was able to escape from the church alone.
There was a dead silence around.
The light behind them had almost disappeared, leaving only a viscous, seemingly gelatinous darkness, making one wonder if they still had their eyes open.
The sensation underfoot was sticky and slippery, as if covered with a layer of undried blood.
Though not visible, it could still be outlined in the mind—a huge space to the left filled with cold and pale corpses piled like mountains. Their grey, murky eyes gazed into the pitch-black sky. However, as long as there was sound, light, and breath, the pale mounds of limbs would come to life, not allowing any living creature to leave this underground tomb.
In such a suppressed environment, the group groped their way forward, fearing to make any noise and disturb the slumbering corpses.
Not knowing how much time had passed.
Shao Yao’s pace slowed down, and she reached back, pulling on Wen Jianyan’s clothes, signaling that they were almost there.
Wen Jianyan understood and conveyed the message to his companions in the same way.
Soon, the uneven ground beneath their feet led to more stone steps continuing downward.
The group carefully descended the stairs, step by step, heading toward a distant destination.
After walking for a while.
Suddenly, Shao Yao opened her mouth and spoke, “It’s just up ahead.”
Her voice broke the silence, signaling that they had left the dangerous area filled with corpses. Everyone couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The stench in the air seemed to have diminished, but the thick, sticky smell of blood lingered in their noses, taking a while to dissipate.
“Is everyone okay?” Wen Jianyan turned his head and asked.
Su Cheng and Blond shook their heads and said, “We’re fine.”
Soon, they reached the end of this narrow passage, and the space in front of them suddenly widened.
It resembled an underground tomb, not very large in terms of width but quite deep. The walls were covered with densely packed stone coffins. The air was damp and cold, with a long-unventilated staleness.
Wen Jianyan surveyed the surroundings.
The layout here was similar to the chapel he had just seen. The positions where rows of wooden chairs should have been were now replaced by rows of stone coffins.
The only thing that stood out in this underground tomb was the confession room on the side.
The door to the confession room was tightly closed, and Wen could see the inside.
His gaze extended forward, landing on the furthest pulpit.
There, too, was an open stone coffin.
His sleeve was tugged by someone beside him.
“Hey.”
Wen Jianyan was startled and turned to look.
Shao Yao stood stiffly in place, staring fixedly at the distant pulpit. Her face was pale, and her voice was hushed, as if whispering, “That… the coffin wasn’t open before I left.”
Chapter 178: Underground tomb
The church was enveloped in deadly silence.
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes, as if searching for something.
Shao Yao held her breath, anxiously awaiting the other’s decision.
After a few minutes, the other person raised his eyes and nodded.
“I understand.”
“So… Do you agree?”
Shao Yao looked nervous, her eyes flickering with hope.
Unexpectedly, Wen Jianyan shook his head. “Not entirely.”
The others were puzzled.
“Firstly, there’s something you need to know. Before I met you, I already knew that there was only one person left on your team.”
Wen Jianyan briefly described what he had just seen inside the church – the empty chapel with two figures standing motionless with their backs to the door.
The young woman lowered her eyes, her expression still gentle, as she calmly stated a brutal fact.
“Based on my experience, the chances of your teammates surviving are extremely low.”
“What…?” Shao Yao’s expression was stunned, seeming to struggle to comprehend. “But, they were just missing…”
“Yes, but they’ve disappeared into another space.”
Wen Jianyan said calmly.
Although they could be “seen” after the bell rang, nobody knew if they could enter, if there was danger inside, or what would happen if they didn’t leave before the next bell rang. No one knew the answer.
“If we’re going to save them, it’s like risking my life as well as my friend’s.”
Shao Yao’s face darkened slightly.
Indeed, what the other said was true.
She knew the difficulty was too great. Even with epic-level items as bargaining chips, the probability of agreement from the other side was very low. After all, they weren’t even teammates. In the situation where the other person’s fate was uncertain, they also turned and left without hesitation, didn’t they?
But unexpectedly, the young man’s tone suddenly changed.
“So, if we’re going to make a trade, the terms need to undergo a certain degree of modification.”
“?”
Shao Yao was taken aback, raising her eyes, almost unable to believe her ears.
“Firstly, you need to sign a subordinate contract with me, sharing missions through the system, guaranteeing ownership of the items after the mission ends, and the truthfulness of the information you shared earlier,” Wen Jianyan’s face showed no extra expression; his voice was calm, but it inexplicably gave people a sense of oppression that couldn’t be ignored, “As a reward, after entering the church, I will assist you in rescuing your teammates to the best of my ability.”
“However, once I realize that rescuing your teammates is too difficult, even if it risks the lives of my team, I will change my strategy and only provide you with a certain amount of points—I have a limit of 30 points in my account.”
This was a very harsh condition, almost completely eliminating the possibility of the other party lying or reneging, but the assistance provided was very limited.
The only benefit was—
Under the system’s guarantee, people couldn’t break the contract.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Oh my, this condition change is too significant.]
[Yes, and it completely favors the anchor’s side. It’s like, regardless of whether the anchor can save their own teammates in the end, they have to share completely truthful clues and mission progress.]
[How can anyone agree to this?]
“You know, I could just agree to your trade directly, enter the church with you, ensure that all the information in your hands is squeezed out, and then you and your teammates can be forgotten.”
Wen Jianyan paused and continued:
“Of course, except for you, no one else has entered the church. So, you could give false information, deliberately lure us into a trap to replace your teammates, or do some kind of mission that requires sacrificing lives.”
His tone was so casual, but the situation he described was so cruel… What was even more terrifying was that in the nightmare, the likelihood of both scenarios was just too high. Even among teammates, it was possible, not to mention that they had only temporarily formed a team.
The air was filled with silence.
Whether it was Su Cheng, Blond, or Shao Yao, they all involuntarily tensed up.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have much time, so we can’t play these deceitful games. So, I’ll lay out all the risks and the bottom line I can accept. If you agree, you’re welcome to join. If you don’t agree, the information you provided earlier will be treated as half true and half false.”
The white-haired young man’s expression was plain, his amber eyes slightly lowered, exuding pure rationality, appearing distant and indifferent.
“Of course, for safety reasons, we don’t welcome your company from here on.”
Inside the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Wow, he’s really something. No wonder he’s often tricking people; he understands these tactics too well. If it weren’t for constantly being targeted and betrayed by the instance, it would be really hard to overturn.”]
[…I take back what I said about not agreeing.]
[He really knows when telling the truth is most useful!]
[Yes, yes, after clarifying all the pros and cons, the seemingly most unreasonable solution becomes the most reasonable. He’s really smart.]
“How about it?”
Wen Jianyan asked patiently.
“…”
Shao Yao stared at the young man in front of her, somewhat dazed.
She knew that this plan was most beneficial to the other party. Even without needing to pay too much, they could get what they wanted. She herself was the restricted party in the entire transaction. However…
She couldn’t deny that the solution proposed by the other party could maximize their safety and ensure the stability of their cooperation.
Shao Yao took a deep breath, seeming to have finally made up her mind, and slowly nodded.
“Okay, I agree.”
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyelashes, and suddenly there was a slight softening in his previously indifferent and cruel demeanor, as if the solid ice had melted into spring water.
He became gentle and approachable once again.
He reached out to Shao Yao.
“Happy cooperation.”
Under Shao Yao’s lead, the group moved forward quickly once again.
After bypassing the side of the small church, a small stone archway leading downward appeared before them. The edges of the bricks had a peculiar deep brown color, as if stained with long-dried blood. The wooden door was half open, emitting a strong stench of decay and blood.
A series of messy bloodstains meandered toward them, likely left by Shao Yao just now.
“After entering below, there will be many fresh corpses, probably all those brought in by the carts earlier.” Shao Yao turned to the others, her expression solemn. “They will be awakened by light and the scent of living people. Once awakened, they will attack the intruders differently. We were besieged before and barely managed to carve out an escape route… With experience this time, we should be able to avoid conflicts with them.”
She instructed, “Prepare your protective shields before entering, and activate them after entering. It can isolate the scent of living people. Follow me after going down, and watch your step.”
The others nodded.
After getting ready, Shao Yao led the way down.
The wooden door, soaked with blood, creaked open, revealing the crooked stone steps leading into darkness.
The group held their breath, lightening their steps, and cautiously descended.
Darkness gradually enveloped them from above.
Hollow, deliberately suppressed footsteps echoed in the narrow stone stairway, and the air gradually became murky, giving a suffocating sensation.
Wen Jianyan followed behind Shao Yao, stepping deeper into the stone steps.
The space gradually widened.
The stench became even stronger, as if it were a solid covering over one’s nose and mouth, causing dizziness.
With the experience from last time, Shao Yao didn’t turn on any lighting equipment; instead, she hugged the right wall, moving forward slowly and cautiously.
According to her, after her last entry with her teammates, although they were attacked by the corpses unexpectedly, in the chaos, they managed to clear a path on the right side for retreat. Thanks to it, Shao Yao was able to escape from the church alone.
There was a dead silence around.
The light behind them had almost disappeared, leaving only a viscous, seemingly gelatinous darkness, making one wonder if they still had their eyes open.
The sensation underfoot was sticky and slippery, as if covered with a layer of undried blood.
Though not visible, it could still be outlined in the mind—a huge space to the left filled with cold and pale corpses piled like mountains. Their grey, murky eyes gazed into the pitch-black sky. However, as long as there was sound, light, and breath, the pale mounds of limbs would come to life, not allowing any living creature to leave this underground tomb.
In such a suppressed environment, the group groped their way forward, fearing to make any noise and disturb the slumbering corpses.
Not knowing how much time had passed.
Shao Yao’s pace slowed down, and she reached back, pulling on Wen Jianyan’s clothes, signaling that they were almost there.
Wen Jianyan understood and conveyed the message to his companions in the same way.
Soon, the uneven ground beneath their feet led to more stone steps continuing downward.
The group carefully descended the stairs, step by step, heading toward a distant destination.
After walking for a while.
Suddenly, Shao Yao opened her mouth and spoke, “It’s just up ahead.”
Her voice broke the silence, signaling that they had left the dangerous area filled with corpses. Everyone couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The stench in the air seemed to have diminished, but the thick, sticky smell of blood lingered in their noses, taking a while to dissipate.
“Is everyone okay?” Wen Jianyan turned his head and asked.
Su Cheng and Blond shook their heads and said, “We’re fine.”
Soon, they reached the end of this narrow passage, and the space in front of them suddenly widened.
It resembled an underground tomb, not very large in terms of width but quite deep. The walls were covered with densely packed stone coffins. The air was damp and cold, with a long-unventilated staleness.
Wen Jianyan surveyed the surroundings.
The layout here was similar to the chapel he had just seen. The positions where rows of wooden chairs should have been were now replaced by rows of stone coffins.
The only thing that stood out in this underground tomb was the confession room on the side.
The door to the confession room was tightly closed, and Wen could see the inside.
His gaze extended forward, landing on the furthest pulpit.
There, too, was an open stone coffin.
His sleeve was tugged by someone beside him.
“Hey.”
Wen Jianyan was startled and turned to look.
Shao Yao stood stiffly in place, staring fixedly at the distant pulpit. Her face was pale, and her voice was hushed, as if whispering, “That… the coffin wasn’t open before I left.”
