"Lao Mo..." Lin Yi's voice trembled slightly from the waves of icy cold around them. "Have you ever thought about how explosive it would be if we accidentally died here and returned to the Campus as Fanatics?"
"No," Lao Mo said firmly. Then, seemingly realizing his wording was inappropriate, he corrected himself. "What you described won't happen to me."
"But if it happens to you... I think it'd be more than just explosive. With your traits, once you fall, you probably won't be just a 'Fanatic.' I reckon you'd give Boss a real headache."
"Of course... as things stand, that's all you'd give her."
Boss... The image of Boss, commanding and dashing, surfaced in Lin Yi's mind. He hadn't expected Lao Mo to rate her combat strength so highly, either.
As they continued forward, the gray fog before Lin Yi grew thicker. It hung low near the floor like a gray-white ocean, leaving only a limited space above. As it surged, it continually stirred up dustlike particles that blocked Lin Yi's vision like water vapor, creating an oppressive, confining sensation of traveling through an endless maze.
Every step here was extremely difficult and fraught with uncertainty. The surrounding darkness and gray fog continually compressed the area illuminated by the Big Eyeballs, as though unknown dangers might pour out at any moment.
The scattered candlesticks in the Covered Corridor gave off dim, firefly-like glimmers. Their faint light barely illuminated a small area ahead, spreading into halos in the fog without penetrating the dense darkness. The fog intertwined with the mournful wind, making the entire space seem even deeper and more mysterious.
Gradually, Lin Yi heard a tinkling sound within the gray fog, as though someone were playing some kind of instrument. The sound drifted slowly through the wind, crossing an unknown