Newcomers Arrive

Shen Mo's gaze swept over the little butterfly that was almost devoid of presence. The corners of his lips curled up slightly as he revealed an inscrutable smile at Xue Dong's retreating back.

This guy is really smart!

Whether it was a warning or praise, the thought made Xue Dong, hidden among the crowd, stiffen. He hastened his departure.

After the idlers had dispersed, Liu Qun put away the iron cages. He had complete confidence in his own strength and believed that even if something unexpected happened, he could quickly imprison the targets again.

The group followed him to the first floor. There were many rooms there, all of them single rooms, and they were quite spacious.

Liu Qun cautiously opened his own door and beckoned everyone behind him inside.

Once everyone had entered, he immediately activated his metal ability. A layer of golden light instantly enveloped the entire room, metal sealing every crack within it as though the room had been clad in indestructible armor.

Next, Liu Qun slowly moved the bed, shifting his iron bed aside before crouching on the floor and tapping away.

A moment later, he lifted several floorboards, revealing a pitch-black opening.

"All right, this is the place. You go in first. I'll follow behind," Liu Qun said, stepping aside to signal for them to enter first.

He was certainly cautious. What a pity—no matter what he intended to do, he was destined to fail.

Shen Mo's gaze casually swept over the little butterfly that had followed them into the tunnel, a nearly imperceptible glint of cunning flashing through his eyes.

With an unknown wicked scheme brewing in his heart, Shen Mo followed the group into the dim tunnel with light steps.

The tunnel was filled with a damp, rotten stench. The light was extremely dim, and they could only vaguely make out all kinds of boxes and bottles piled around them.

These obstacles made the already narrow passage even more cramped, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

It seemed all their supplies had been hidden here. They could simply take them when they left.

At the end of the tunnel, the space became somewhat wider. Though they were deep underground, no one felt short of oxygen.

Clearly, the designer had deliberately left ventilation shafts during construction to ensure airflow.

After entering the tunnel, Liu Qun swiftly shut the tunnel door from the inside.

He was clearly guarding against someone. Shen Mo glanced again at the butterfly playing dead on the ground and understood.

After coming in, Liu Qun began feeling along the wall beside him for a switch.

When his fingers touched a hidden button, bright lights instantly illuminated the entire space.

The previously dim surroundings suddenly became perfectly clear.

Before them stood a huge iron cage. A thin layer of straw covered its interior, lending a trace of warmth to the empty, cold cage.

And sitting atop the straw was a young girl with loose, disheveled hair.

She looked particularly small and frail, sitting quietly on the ground without any reaction, stirring pity in those who saw her.

Faced with the group's sudden intrusion, the girl showed no sign of panic. She did not even move.

She simply sat there in silence, her eyes hollow, as if she had lost her soul.

"Hey, newcomers are here. Same as before."

Liu Qun knocked on the cage and expressionlessly ordered the girl inside. Then he turned to the group and pointed at his own head as he explained, "There's something wrong with her head. Wait a moment."

Just as Liu Qun turned around to continue threatening the girl, a cold, gleaming blade suddenly shot toward him at incredible speed.

In an instant, Liu Qun felt the world spin, as if everything had been turned upside down.

Then, he felt something heavy fall from his body onto the ground.

When he looked down and saw his own headless corpse, his eyes widened round with utter disbelief.

No matter how he thought about it, he could not understand who had managed to break through his defenses.

He was... a Tier-Two Esper!

With strength as great as his, how could he possibly have been so easily slain by an enemy?