Abnormal Black Crystal, Enormous Black Curtain
Haibei City.
A harbor city by the sea.
Some problems left over from the last century have made this city prosperous, but beneath the prosperity lie many deep-rooted and stubborn problems.
It made a fortune by relying on maritime transport and a large foreign population, and its economy developed very strongly.
However, at the same time, much darkness also lurks in the shadows of this prosperous city.
A tired-looking office worker finished his day's work, clutching his briefcase, and hurried home.
Thanks to the activities of the Contract Anomalist.
Another S-rank Dungeon has been conquered within the Xia Kingdom, granting a thirty-day buff that provides twelve hours of safe time during the day, free from the strange attacks.
Although people still die at night, it is unavoidable.
As long as that damn Horror Game exists, they are destined to live in fear.
The office worker raised his hand and glanced at his watch.
The hour hand points to 5:50.
The safe hours during the day are from 7 a. m. to 6 p. m.
He needs to get home as soon as possible.
The commuters quickened their pace, and as they passed an alleyway, they heard muffled sounds of punches and kicks coming from inside.
He knew what it was.
As dusk turns to night, the large rats lurking in the shadows emerge from their burrows and go outside.
He kept his head down and walked forward; what did that have to do with him?
He was just a wage earner with a family to support; he was past the age of giving his all.
"Ah!" Low screams echoed continuously, along with suppressed pleas for mercy and sobs.
Office workers began to walk hesitantly.
He took out his phone and pressed the alarm button.
In short, police officers will handle these matters; as an ordinary person, he shouldn't get involved.
That's right, that's the wise choice to protect yourself.
This is what office workers think.
Clang!
Something suddenly fell from the sky and hit him on the head.
He gasped and looked up to see who was so inconsiderate as to throw something from a high-rise building.
But he saw that every window on those floors was tightly closed, so he had no choice but to bend down and look for the thing that had hit him.
On the ground, there lay a shiny piece of glass—or crystal—about the size of a grape.
The office worker picked it up and examined it carefully.
It is black in color, and has an irregular rhomboid shape with a very smooth surface, as if it has been polished.
Moreover, after polishing, you can see that there are no impurities inside, making it look as beautiful as a black diamond.
Thinking about this, the office worker couldn't help but chuckle. How could that be?
How could diamonds fall from the sky?
It's probably just a crystal decoration, right?
However, it looked quite nice, so he put it in his pocket, intending to take it back to his child.
Just as he was about to leave.
The people inside the alley seemed to have heard his voice and came out to check.
Upon seeing the office workers, they exchanged a knowing glance.
Then, they silently approached the office workers.
Two people held the office worker's arms tightly from both sides.
The office worker was shocked and tried to struggle, but was firmly controlled by the other party. He tried to shout, but his mouth was covered and he was dragged into the alley.
The office worker struggled in astonishment, but was no match for these tall, burly men.
Someone snatched the phone from his hand and unlocked it using facial recognition.
"That kid called the police."
"Damn! What a busybody!"
"Give him a lesson, teach him a lesson he won't forget."
Fists and feet rained down on him.
The office worker could only beg for mercy, but ended up with a broken head and scraped arms.
The office worker clutched his head, trying his best to protect it. If he hadn't meddled, if he had left that place immediately, perhaps he wouldn't have suffered all of this.
The physical pain caused him to scream in agony.
He won't die here, will he?
At this moment, the office worker's hatred for those rats who beat him reached its peak.
It would be great if someone could punish these cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong.
if...
His blood seeped into the black crystal that had fallen from his pocket.
The black crystal absorbed the blood and suddenly burst into a bright light.
Those people were startled.
What the hell?
What is this?
They stopped beating and looked at the glowing black crystal.
The black crystal slowly floated up from the ground, its surface cracking and popping, and soon several fissures appeared, from which something spilled out.
Such a bizarre scene.
The presence of the Horror Game caused these people to scream and run away, abandoning the office workers.
The office worker wanted to run, but he was in pain all over and couldn't get up for a while. He could only look at the black crystal in horror.
No way?
Has he encountered something unusual?
The office workers stared wide-eyed.
I saw the black crystal shatter completely, and then it overflowed with a murky black liquid.
The next moment, a black beam of light shot into the sky.
Upon reaching a certain altitude, the black liquid expanded in an instant, enveloping the entire city.
At that moment, time seemed to stand still throughout the entire city.
A massive black dome loomed over the city, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.
What's this?
Time returned to normal throughout the city, but to the astonishment of the people there, a huge black curtain had appeared in the sky, enveloping the entire city.
This unusual situation plunged everyone in the city into panic.
What is this?
"Have we stumbled into Horror Game Dungeon?"
"No way, I didn't hear any game notifications?"
"That was an unusual event?"
"An unusual event that affected the entire city?"
"Someone, please save us!"
Everyone frantically rushed towards the edge of the darkness, trying to escape.
Some people are very close to the edge of the darkness. They come to the foot of the darkness, only to find in despair that the darkness has trapped them inside. No matter how hard they try to break through the darkness, they cannot shake it or get out.
Office workers also looked up at the sky.
He felt as if he had witnessed something extraordinary happening.
This unusual situation caused a lot of chaos, and in a fit of anger, many people began looting and vandalizing.
The darkness lurking in the shadows also began to stir.
At that moment, everyone's brains were invaded by a consciousness.
A stream of information was injected into their brains.
"This is a beautiful city, a dazzling and magnificent city. Even though it has many shortcomings, it still possesses an indescribable charm. Welcome to— the City of Crime."