Cleric Lan Tie

[Faith Aura: With a noble belief, aid allies within 5 meters, resisting mental interference.]

This talent was simple, yet powerful.

In the outside world, there weren't many places where this talent would be useful.

But in the Void, it was incredibly powerful.

The reason the Void was terrifying, besides its man-eating monsters, was the pollution within it known as [Madness Affliction].

This pollution interfered with the human mind, causing people to gradually lose control and eventually turn into monsters. [Faith Aura] was precisely the ability to counter Madness Affliction.

Unfortunately, a level 20 mecha ultimately had a limited ceiling. Traversing the Void was impossible, but there was one profession that was very suitable for it.

Earning a modest salary, risking death to enter the Void, searching for potential survivors, and guiding them to the exit – this was the role of a guide.

Regrettably, this profession of silent dedication was ultimately reaching its end.

Fortunately, this skill had now been passed on to Xu Jiang, allowing him to roam the Void unimpeded.

"Qianji, which way do you think we should go?"

Xu Jiang glanced at the hazy sky. It was clearly impossible to return the way they came. Ruins surrounded them, making it impossible to tell anything apart.

Qianji replied, "General, I suggest we proceed in the 10 o'clock direction."

"Oh? Did you sense treasure?"

"No, I don't have the ability to sense treasure, nor are there any Spirit Seed Fragments in this area. I was simply observing the terrain during the airdrop earlier."

"Alright, we'll go in your direction. We don't have a destination anyway, so anywhere is the same."

With no risk of infection, Xu Jiang felt much more relaxed. If he couldn't win, at least he could escape. Gripping the Desert Eagle, he began searching for an exit in the Void.

In a sense, the Void was equivalent to the Spirit Realm.

Both involved traveling to strange spaces, both made it impossible to discern direction, only the danger level was multiplied many times over.

Purple-black mist continuously rose from the ground. The surroundings were filled with ruins. Judging by the style, it should have been single-story houses in a residential area.

The streets were deserted, and not a single monster could be seen.

But Xu Jiang still didn't dare to be careless. He carefully crossed a row of abandoned cars and, following Qianji's instructions, arrived in front of a gray-white building.

Although the building was abandoned, with its windows and walls all collapsed, the nameplate on the door still clearly bore several large characters: Angel Orphanage.

"Wait! Angel Orphanage? That doesn't sound very auspicious!"

"Yes, General. I also feel it's not very auspicious. Based on my judgment, a very powerful monster might be residing here."

"...Then why did you bring me here?"

"Of course, to challenge the monster. No training is as effective as challenging one's limits."

What kind of ridiculous theory was that? While challenging limits was effective, it also led to a quick death! Without a second word, Xu Jiang turned to leave.

However, it seemed to be too late.

As he turned, Xu Jiang saw a familiar face – the alluring auntie with whom Grandpa Lei had signed a multi-million contract.

Judging by her intact limbs, the auntie's luck must have been good. At least she didn't have an airdrop landing like Xu Jiang after entering the Void.

Unfortunately, no matter how good her luck was, she was ultimately an ordinary person.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her mouth constantly moving, muttering something unknown. Upon seeing Xu Jiang, her face revealed a terrifyingly insane smile, and she staggered towards him.

"Stop! I'm not interested in you. If you don't stop, I'll shoot!" Xu Jiang unhesitatingly raised his pistol and aimed.

He was warning her, and also confirming whether the auntie had been infected by Madness Affliction.

The answer was obvious. Not only did the auntie not stop, but she seemed to have gone mad, shouting "I hate you! I hate you!" and limping forward at an accelerated pace.

It was unclear who the auntie hated. Perhaps she hated Grandpa Lei, hated that the payment for her services was insufficient. The erosion of Madness Affliction had infinitely amplified this hatred, causing her to completely lose control.

Xu Jiang's [Faith Aura] could only resist, not heal.

Perhaps this auntie was innocent, but since she had become a monster, he couldn't be blamed for being ruthless. He also wanted to survive.

Steel-hearted, he pulled the trigger.

Bang! Bang!

One shot hit her thigh, and another hit her left chest. The Explosive Shot then detonated, sending flesh and blood flying in a gruesome display.

Yet, even so, the mutated auntie did not fall.

From the remaining half of her body, several fleshy tumors suddenly burst forth. Huge black tentacles replaced her limbs, continuing to writhe. Only the remaining human face represented her former identity.

She still wasn't dead?

Xu Jiang's pupils constricted, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

He had always been confident in his Explosive Shot. After all, it could penetrate terrifying beasts, so there was no reason it shouldn't be able to kill a humanoid monster.

But the monster before him, even after having its heart blown out, was still stubbornly alive. It seemed it wouldn't be easy to finish this quickly!

Even more troublesome, the gunshots had also alerted the monsters inside Angel Orphanage.

The gate slowly pushed open, and five even larger, ferocious monsters appeared behind it.

This is bad! We're caught between a rock and a hard place. I need to get out of here immediately.

As Xu Jiang was looking for an escape route, a low warning came from his side.

"These monsters only die when their heads are blown off."

Looking up, he saw a burly figure leap down from a dilapidated two-story building next to him.

Thump!

His feet hit the ground with a dull thud, cracking the already loose concrete road.

With well-developed muscles and wearing a grey linen robe, he looked tall and imposing. He was also carrying an iron pillar taller than himself.

"I'll hold off the monsters. You just shoot from behind. The weakness of the corrupted is their head!"

A warrior in front and a shooter in the back. That's a very reasonable formation.

But you don't seem to be a shield or armor class, do you? Judging by your attire, you look like a Cleric?

The kind who stands in the back, healing injuries and dispelling negative status effects – a support class?

"Are you sure it's okay for you to be at the front?" Xu Jiang asked with some concern.

The burly man didn't answer. Instead, he knelt on one knee before the two-meter-tall iron pillar, pressing his forehead against the patterns on it and muttering to himself.

Is he... praying?

Is this guy crazy? Even if he's a Cleric, he shouldn't be praying in the middle of a fight! You...

Bang!

A charging monster was sent flying.

He didn't use any of the typical Cleric psychic skills. Instead, he swung the massive iron pillar, which was two meters long and half a meter wide, sending all the monsters flying.

As he swung it, he roared to the sky, "Let me use this sacred totem to transcend you all!"

A physically-oriented Cleric, smashing them head-on with the pillar, causing heads to explode on contact. His method of transcendence was certainly very direct.

As for Xu Jiang, he didn't even seem to need to fire his gun. A few small monsters were not enough to even fill this guy's teeth.

After the fight ended, the burly man wiped the bloodstains from his face, a satisfied smile appearing as he walked over to greet him.

Hello there, my name is Lan Tie. Did you fall in here by accident?" The burly man was a head taller than Xu Jiang, looking quite imposing, but his demeanor was very gentle.

Xu Jiang sighed helplessly and replied, "Yeah, I'm Xu Jiang. I just went out for a stroll and ran into such bad luck."

The appearance of the black hole was completely unpredictable. This was truly a bolt from the blue; anyone who encountered it would consider themselves unlucky.

But as soon as Xu Jiang finished speaking, this Lan Tie shook his head and offered a rather peculiar opinion.

"This isn't bad luck at all. Holes are very rare. I'm quite lucky this time, as I happened to be nearby and managed to jump in before the Security Bureau could seal it off."

"What! You jumped in on purpose?" Xu Jiang was shocked. Was this guy not right in the head?

Lan Tie nodded and replied matter-of-factly, "Of course. I'm looking for something in the hole that will allow me to continuously become stronger."

"Looking for what?"

"Death."

Xu Jiang: ???