The Waiting Ends

He carefully reinstalled the removed electronic lock panel using a screwdriver and steel wire, then lightly pried around the edges with a knife. He folded the wire and stuffed it into the gap for reinforcement, restoring and locking the door from the inside.

"Click."

Ryan gently pulled the metal door shut behind him.

He took a deep breath.

Before him was a spiraling stone staircase leading upward. Unlike the pitch-black, oppressive caves and abandoned areas from before, dim emergency lights were embedded in the walls here every few meters.

Yellowed light spilled over the rough stone walls, carrying the loneliness worn down by time, yet ensuring the surroundings were no longer completely dark.

Compared to someone being alone in a place where they could not see their own hand for two days, an ordinary person would probably have broken down long ago. A fifteen-year-old soul from another world—his past self would have been scared to death. It felt like playing an immersive horror game, and even Ryan found it unbelievable. It was inseparable from his silent Ren since childhood and his ability to carry out his strict demands on himself to the very end.

Shaking his head to dispel his stray thoughts, Ryan slowly put away his light source. He checked the items he had picked up in his waist pouch, and after confirming there were no issues, he gripped his knife and headed up the stairs.

His footsteps fell lightly on the stone steps, producing echoes so faint they were nearly inaudible.

Unlike the deathly silence underground, this place carried an air of waiting, as if the entire space were holding its breath for the final outcome.

When he reached the middle of the staircase, Ryan's gaze swept over several symbols on the wall.

"Abandoned Passage." "Emergency Exit."

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