With a loud crash.
A sound of something hitting the ground rang out.
Li Chen was helped to the ground, his messy long hair obscuring most of his vision, revealing only his calm eyes.
His vocal cords, which had not produced sound for a long time, rendered him speechless for a moment, and the weakness in his body made him completely unable to move.
He lost consciousness again.
When Li Chen opened his eyes again, a blinding light shone upon him.
He was surrounded by instruments and equipment, several needles were connected to his body, and chains held him still on the medical bed.
A woman's voice came from inside.
"Oh, finally awake."
I thought I was going to support you for the rest of my life.
The newcomer was the same woman in the yellow overalls from before. She had a lollipop in her mouth and looked at Li Chen with some surprise, but mostly happiness and excitement.
Li Chen remained silent, his gaze calm as he looked at the woman, his mind racing with various thoughts.
Where have I arrived, and how much time has passed?
And what about Su Zhe and the others?
Am I no longer in Canghai City?
Hiss~
Suddenly, a tearing pain overwhelmed his mind.
The surrounding instruments also began to beep.
The woman beside him immediately became serious and muttered softly, "Hey, don't faint."
"I don't want to serve you anymore!!"
Her hands moved like phantoms, constantly manipulating the surrounding instruments, her eyes bright and focused.
This kind of thing seems to have happened countless times.
Until Li Chen recovered.
The surrounding instruments fell silent.
Whew~
The woman let out a long sigh of relief, looking at the man who had just woken up with some annoyance, almost ready to curse him.
After calming down, Li Chen became even more puzzled, wondering where he was.
He knew how he had suffered his injuries, and his memories hadn't disappeared, but he didn't know how long he had been unconscious or what the situation was like outside.
Li Chen stammered, "Where... is... this place?"
The woman did not respond, but instead used a touchscreen phone to tap repeatedly.
After a moment, she looked at Li Chen and laughed, "Haha, I finally don't have to serve you anymore!"
"Yay, we're free!"
Li Chen: (°ー°)
Just then, the sound of the glass door being pushed open rang out.
A crisp sound of high heels clicking on the ground rang out, accompanied by a mature, sophisticated voice.
"Weiyang, go out."
"You don't need to look after this place anymore."
Weiyang immediately stood up, her smile now impossible to hide.
"Yes, Jiaojiao-jie!"
Leave immediately!
Li Chen was somewhat puzzled. From the moment he woke up until now, why did he seem to be a test subject?
Moreover, judging from their words, it seemed that he had been unconscious for a long time.
The woman who entered had blonde hair, wore gold-rimmed glasses, a long white gown, and black high heels that made her look exceptionally tall. She looked at Li Chen with deep eyes, as if she were admiring a work of art.
Li Chen remained silent, knowing that this person was about to tell him quite a few things.
The woman pushed aside the sofa where Weiyang had been sitting, crossed her legs, and sat down, teasingly saying...
"Interesting, really great."
"They were actually able to absorb all the energy of three Withered Sea Realm Sequence User in just one day."
"SS-level criminal Li Chen."
Criminal?
Li Chen was somewhat bewildered, his pupils constricting slightly.
How did he become a criminal?
While I was unconscious, could it be that the Eldritch God within me was released?
The woman seemed to know that Li Chen was extremely confused, so she pursed her red lips and explained.
"Your criminal status is real."
"The test subjects are real too."
Li Chen: (..*)
The woman adjusted her glasses and chuckled, "But while you're asleep, your identity is that of an experimental subject."
"You'll still be a criminal when you wake up."
What exactly happened?
After a few seconds of silence, Li Chen asked haltingly, "Where... am I... now?"
"How much time has passed in the outside world...?"
"How is Canghai City now?"
Perhaps he had already guessed that Li Chen would ask this question.
The woman tapped on the table beside her, and a light screen appeared in front of Li Chen, displaying the events of Canghai Pass a year ago.
And the present time.
Until a while later...
Li Chen turned to look at the woman and said, "So, it's already a year later."
"Then why am I here?"
Where is this place?
"Why am I a criminal?"
The woman laughed, "No wonder you're an SS-class criminal. You've adapted so quickly."
"I can't believe you're only eighteen. You're still a little brother."
Li Chen frowned. His body was bound by chains, but they were just chains and couldn't stop him.
With just a slight overflow of energy, the chains rattled and quickly shattered.
The woman didn't seem surprised; instead, she looked at Li Chen with a serious expression and said softly.
I advise you not to use your abilities.
"This is the City of Sin, the place where all prisoners are held."
"If you dare to use your abilities, an officer will come to arrest you within minutes."
"Although you are a criminal now, I am only giving you a friendly reminder. Whether you listen to me or not is a decision you should make yourself."
Li Chen calmed down, looked at the woman, and asked, "Who exactly are you, and what is the City of Sin?"
The woman stood up and walked to Li Chen, stroking his face with her slender fingers, and smiled.
"Little brother, this is the City of Sin."
"The city beneath the Sinful Pass, one of the Four Passes."
"Are you just not well-read, or have you simply not grasped the concept yet?"
Sinful Pass?
Li Chen's mind was in complete turmoil. He had been in a coma for a year, inexplicably become a criminal, and ended up in the Sinful Pass?
But why did they become criminals?
Who brought me in?
Shouldn't he be a trainee?
After hesitating for a few seconds, Li Chen asked, "How did I get here?"
"And what made them criminals here?"
The woman sat down beside the medical bed where Li Chen was lying, glanced at the data on the monitor, and said, "I don't know how you got here."
"But you are now an SS-class criminal in the City of Sin."
"The sentence is likely to last about a year."
"Just like a regular prison, you'll need to live here for a year."
"During this period, you are not allowed to use your abilities, fight, or even think about escaping."
"I am Qin Jiao, the current deputy warden of the City of Sin."
You can call me "Jiao-jie".
"Of course, this is the right I'm granting you."
Li Chen frowned as the chains binding his body came loose.
Qin Jiao turned around and turned off the equipment, saying, "Come with me."
It's time for you to adjust to your new role.