Spirit Radiance Crystal

Lin Yi watched until the last Corrosive Abyssal Wolf disappeared around the corner before he finally relaxed a little.

Don't let the fact that these things are the lowest-tier cannon fodder of the Abyss Beasts fool you; they are actually incredibly cunning.

As for the howl that echoed from downstairs, Lin Yi knew exactly what it was trying to do.

He had been marked by that creature, and it was currently lurking downstairs, calling for reinforcements.

Corrosive Abyssal Wolves generally operate in packs of three; if one is allowed to escape, it is highly likely to summon three more packs.

In other words, the next wave should consist of ten Corrosive Abyssal Wolves.

However, since they were currently in the "first stage" of the Abyss Beast nest, the nest would first clear out most visible life forms within its territory before concentrating its strength to deal with those hiding or the tougher nuts to crack.

Therefore, there was at least a half-day grace period. For the time being, the Corrosive Abyssal Wolf downstairs was merely a scout, so there was no need to worry too much.

In fact, this was actually a good thing.

Because of that howl, the other Corrosive Abyssal Wolves knew there was a threat here and wouldn't even dare to enter.

Seeing the terrifying monster retreat, Zhou Mengmeng, who had been hiding to the side for fear of being a burden, rushed over with a tearful voice, her small hands trembling as she reached out to touch the ghastly claw marks.

"Brother! You're hurt!"

"I'm fine, Xiaomeng."

Lin Yi's voice was hoarse as he forced a reassuring smile. "The armor blocked it; it didn't even break the skin. Look, it just left a few scratches."

He deliberately moved his left arm to show that his mobility was unimpaired.

Afterward, he turned his gaze toward the Spirit Radiance Crystal, feigning the curiosity of a young man, and muttered under his breath, "Huh? What is this thing?" before preparing to bend down and pick it up.

"Don't touch it yet!"

A slightly raspy female voice rang out from the side.

Lin Yi paused and turned his head to look.

It was the female office worker.

Her hair was disheveled and her makeup was ruined. The fear in her eyes remained, but the previous hysteria was gone, replaced instead by a clarity born from surviving a brush with death.

It seemed that walking the edge of life and death had actually made her more clear-headed.

"That thing was left behind by the monster, right?"

Watching Lin Yi's movements, she couldn't help but warn him, "Who knows if things left behind by that kind of corrosive monster are poisonous? It's better not to touch it directly."

"You have a point."

Lin Yi nodded; he was always willing to accept well-intentioned advice.

"The monster turned to ash instantly, which is pretty bizarre. But I still want to see what it is. What if there's a clue?"

He paused, his gaze landing on a silk scarf stained with dust around the woman's neck.

"Um... could I borrow your scarf? It should be fine if I pick it up through the fabric."

The woman hesitated for a moment, then subconsciously untied the pale purple scarf and handed it over.

"Here... be careful."

"Thank you."

Lin Yi took the scarf and carefully wrapped up the two lowest-tier Spirit Radiance Crystals.

"Let's go, we need to get back to Fujin Hall! That howl from earlier doesn't sound like a good omen."

Having secured what he wanted, Lin Yi didn't delay any longer. He called out, pulled Xiaomeng along, and signaled for the waiter and the woman to follow.

The five of them quickly left the death zone near the restroom and retreated along a cluttered corridor toward Fujin Hall.

As they passed a banquet hall with a sign reading "Fu Xiu Hall," Lin Yi keenly caught the sound of dull thuds and heavy objects being dragged across the floor from inside. Someone was desperately reinforcing the door.

Lin Yi didn't stop.

He couldn't afford to worry about them right now. The Corrosive Abyssal Wolves wouldn't attack again in the short term, and his primary mission was to get the four people behind him back to the relative safety of Fujin Hall.

Soon, Fujin Hall appeared before them.

The front door was tightly shut, and there were similar sounds of heavy objects being moved behind it; clearly, someone was barricading the entrance.

Lin Yi circled to the side door, tapped it lightly, and whispered, "Uncle, open up! It's me, I've brought Xiaomeng back!"

There was silence for a few seconds inside, followed by a flurry of hurried movement as tables and chairs were shifted.

After a heavy scraping sound, the side door was pushed open just enough for one person to pass through, and Zhou Jianjun's tense face appeared behind it.

"Quick, get in! There are many monsters on the street outside!" Zhou Jianjun whispered urgently.

Lin Yi immediately pushed Zhou Mengmeng inside, followed by the two waiters and the woman. He slipped in last and quickly pulled the door shut behind him.

Seeing that everyone was inside, Zhou Jianjun and his uncle, Lin Ruiheng, immediately worked together to push the heavy tables and chairs back against the door.

"Block it, block it tight!"

Zhou Jianjun panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Back in their relatively safe fortress, Lin Yi was just about to catch his breath when he immediately and keenly sensed something amiss.

Something was wrong.

The atmosphere in the hall was wrong.

The air felt stagnant, like a solid, permeated by a heavy, suffocating silence.

Most people were slumped on the floor, staring blankly ahead or fixated on their phone screens, while suppressed, intermittent sobbing drifted from the corners.

"Xiao Yi!"

His mother, Zhou Jinghua, let out a cry of alarm, her voice thick with tears, shattering the deathly silence.

She and his father, Lin Ruiming, rushed over from the crowd. Zhou Jinghua's face was deathly pale; as her gaze fell upon the hideous claw marks and dried blood on Lin Yi's armor, her body swayed, and she nearly lost her footing.

Lin Ruiming caught his wife, his eyes locked tightly onto Lin Yi, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion: "Xiao Yi! Where are you hurt? Is it serious?"

"Dad! Mom! I'm fine."

Lin Yi quickly spoke to reassure them, keeping his tone as light as possible. "Really! It's just superficial wounds. It looks scary, but this armor is sturdy! Look, my arms and legs are all perfectly fine!"

He deliberately moved his limbs to prove he was unharmed.

At this moment, his uncle and aunt also pushed their way over.

His aunt had already pulled her daughter, Zhou Mengmeng, into a tight embrace, sobbing as she checked her over from head to toe.

His uncle lunged toward Lin Yi, his bloodshot eyes filled with lingering fear and gratitude.

He patted Lin Yi hard on the shoulder, his voice thick with emotion. "Xiao Yi! Good lad! Uncle... Uncle thanks you! Thank you for bringing Mengmeng back!"

His hands were trembling slightly, clearly overwhelmed.

"Uncle, it's only right. Mengmeng is my sister."

Lin Yi shook his head, his heart warming as he scanned the worried faces of his uncle, aunt, and parents.

However, he noticed that beneath his uncle Zhou Jianjun's excitement and gratitude, there seemed to be a trace of indescribable anxiety hidden deep in his eyes.

"Big brother is amazing!"

Cuddled in her mother's arms, Zhou Mengmeng tilted her small face up, her voice crisp and filled with the excitement of having survived, along with a hint of hero worship.

"Brother killed two big monsters, green-skinned wolves! He used that stick, bang bang twice! And then... and then another one was scared away by brother!"

Hearing Zhou Mengmeng's words, Zhou Jianjun, who had been full of concern and gratitude, changed his expression slightly. He instinctively glanced toward the barricaded door, his brows knitting tightly together.

Lin Yi took in his uncle's subtle change in demeanor, his thoughts shifting.

Uncle is a veteran of many years, after all. His intuition for danger really is different from the average person.

Just as he was about to say something, a trembling voice cut in.

"Brother... Brother Yi..."

Lin Yi recognized the voice immediately as Chen Yu's.

He turned around to see Chen Yu clutching his phone tightly, his eyes filled with terror.

"D-did you see? Is the apocalypse... is the apocalypse really here?"

Chen Yu seemed desperate to share the final straw that had broken the camel's back, or perhaps he had been completely crushed by the information.

Seeing his reaction, Lin Yi understood instantly.

It seemed the source of the despair permeating the banquet hall lay right here.

In all likelihood, the internet hadn't been cut off yet, and everyone had seen a great deal of information from the outside world.

However, he didn't show anything, instead asking with a look of confusion and unease:

"A-Yu? What's wrong? I haven't even had a chance to thank you for the armor you gave me. Why is everyone like this?"

Chen Yu didn't speak, merely trembling as he held his phone screen up in front of Lin Yi.