Demon Cross Ruins

Ji Xun had been very curious about what the outside world was like, but the moment he emerged, he heard Chujiu's voice.

The urgency in her tone already said everything.

Without the slightest hesitation, he followed her into the fog.

Dense mist surrounded them. Ji Xun had no idea where he was, and it seemed to be nighttime, with barely any light.

Fortunately, after merging with the Joker Card, his night vision had improved greatly, and he could more or less see clearly.

The ground was concrete. The dark silhouettes around them looked like some very tall buildings.

Ji Xun guessed they were somewhere within a cluster of buildings.

Weeds, cracks, and shadows of unknown creatures—everything bore the ravages of time, making the place look like the ruins of an ancient city.

Chujiu said nothing. She merely led the way ahead at a rapid pace.

They finally stopped when they reached a platform.

Ji Xun looked around. It seemed to be the roof of some building. Even taller structures loomed in the fog overhead, while shorter ones stood below.

Before he could make sense of where they were, Chujiu suddenly took out a bottle of potion and sprayed it all over him as though disinfecting him.

Before Ji Xun could figure out what was happening, his teammate said, "This is Odor-Removing Potion."

Chujiu knew that, with this guy's intelligence, he would definitely understand the reason. She had no intention of explaining further.

Sure enough, Ji Xun immediately understood its purpose.

Just from the name, he knew it was meant to prevent tracking.

His teammate was as cautious as ever.

It also confirmed his earlier suspicion: breaking out of that Alternate Dimension had brought trouble upon him.

There was a small chance that Chujiu was after the things on him as well, but compared to some young master from the Cao Family, this teammate who had shared life-and-death trials with him was far more trustworthy.

"Hold on tight!"

After using the potion, Chujiu suddenly shouted.

Time was pressing, and she had no intention of explaining. She grabbed Ji Xun's tactical vest.

Then she leaped forward, jumping off the cliff before them, its depths hidden beneath the thick fog.

Although she had already seen how smart this guy was, she had to admit that his physical condition was truly terrible.

If she let him jump on his own, he would probably fall to his death on the spot.

Ji Xun had guessed they were escaping, but her decision to jump straight off a cliff still made his eyelids twitch.

Before he could react, Chujiu dragged him into a rapid descent.

That's right!

It was a free fall, like bungee jumping.

His soul was still on the platform while his body had already plunged into the abyss, racing after it.

In midair, Chujiu fired the steel cable from her Mechanical Arm. The wire hissed as it extended, then seemed to catch on some iron frame with a loud clang.

Ji Xun immediately felt a force slowing his descent, and his soul finally caught up.

A damp, icy wind rushed against his face.

A layer of moisture fogged up his Gas Mask. This seemingly frail girl, half a head shorter than him, effortlessly held him up with one hand as she swung between the shadowy buildings like she was on a swing.

The method was terrifying, but it was very fast.

After firing the cable seven or eight times, they were already far away from the previous building.

Clang.

Ji Xun's feet landed on solid ground. Looking closely, he saw that they were standing on a massive metal pipe.

Fog filled the air, and the bottom beneath the pipe was still invisible. He could hear running water below, so it was probably at least twenty or thirty meters high.

Without looking back, Chujiu continued leading the way. As she walked, she warned him, "Be careful. There are some Mutated Monsters in the water channels below. Falling in would be troublesome. Making too much noise would also alert people."

"Mm."

Mist filled the air, and moisture made the pipe slick. One careless step could send him slipping off, so Ji Xun walked cautiously.

Only then did he get the chance to say, "Thank you."

Clearly, this teammate had just done him a huge favor—she might even have saved his life. Thanking her was only natural.

Chujiu's tone was calm, still carrying that air of not wanting to owe anyone anything. "There's no need to thank me. It was just cooperation, each of us getting what we needed. Without you, I couldn't have escaped that Alternate Dimension either."

She knew very well that without this man's astonishing way of thinking, she would not have been able to break out of that situation, let alone gain such rich rewards.

Not only had she obtained far better job-change materials than expected, but when they settled the rewards after leaving, she had even received an A+ rating.

It was extremely difficult to get an A+ rating in an Alternate Dimension of that difficulty.

That had allowed her to draw another card that suited her.

So Chujiu felt that she owed him one.

But it was precisely because her rating had been so high that she suspected they had stirred up major trouble.

She knew that if even she had received an A+, her teammate's rating had definitely been even higher.

An S rating?

That was highly likely.

But once someone achieved an S rating in an Alternate Dimension, the entire space would inevitably collapse and disappear.

That would definitely bring serious trouble.

So Chujiu had stayed behind.

Sure enough, not long after she waited nearby, Dimension 407 suddenly collapsed.

Fourth Young Master Cao had probably assumed they were dead, or perhaps thought they were only Card Master Apprentices, so he had merely sent some Blackwater Mercenaries to stand guard.

Moreover, after the space collapsed, the exit's location became random.

That was what gave Chujiu the thought of helping him along the way.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly.

Her methods made deceiving a few mercenaries effortless. She used a small trick to make the fog thicker, and before those mercenaries could even see what was happening, she had already found him.

Ji Xun smiled indifferently when he heard that. "Miss Chujiu, you're too polite. Without you, I wouldn't have made it out alive either."

After a pause, he added, "Besides, you saved me again just now."

Chujiu said nothing further.

They were both smart people. There was no need to beat around the bush or exchange needless pleasantries.

They walked farther along the pipe. Then Chujiu, who was in front, jumped down onto another horizontal pipe four meters below.

That was probably a height any superhuman could casually jump?

But seeing that height, Ji Xun's eye twitched slightly.

His mind was not afraid, but his body simply could not manage it.

He figured that whether he injured his legs was one matter. The more likely outcome was that he would miss the pipe entirely and fall into the unknown depths of the mist.

Without the slightest embarrassment, Ji Xun smiled and said, "Miss Chujiu, if I fall, could you catch me?"

"..."

Chujiu raised her head and glanced at him.

The domineering presence he had displayed in the Alternate Dimension, where he seemed to control everything, and his current timid look over jumping between pipes made him seem like two completely different people.

Yet somehow, seeing him like this made some thoughts in Chujiu's heart feel more balanced.

Seeing that she had tacitly agreed, Ji Xun jumped down.

He landed with a thud, and his weak body swayed from side to side. Just as expected, he was about to fall.

The instant he lost his balance, a hand pulled him back.

After steadying himself, Ji Xun said again, "Thank you."

Chujiu did not respond. She merely continued, "An Alternate Dimension disappears when it is cleared with an S-rank evaluation. In other words, everyone now knows that the most important treasure inside ended up in our hands. Once Fourth Young Master Cao discovers that the things in the space were taken, he definitely won't let this go. Besides, Dimension 407 was already quite famous, and many people in the Demon Cross camp had their eyes on it. Before the news spreads, you should return to Sinless City as soon as possible. Once you enter the city, even the Governor's Mansion will find it difficult to locate you."

At that point, Chujiu suddenly stopped.

Not everyone had heard of an Epic Source Card. She had originally wanted to remind him of that thing's value.

But as she spoke, she felt that her words seemed unnecessary.

Someone this smart could not possibly fail to think of that.

But Ji Xun was stunned when he heard her. And then?

Naturally, he could think of threats and the like.

But he knew nothing about this world. He had no idea what the "Demon Cross camp" or "Sinless City" even were.

He had wanted to get more information from Chujiu, but unexpectedly, she stopped talking.

Ji Xun guessed what she was thinking, but information was clearly more important right now, so he asked directly, "So what do you think I should do to get back to Sinless City safely?"

Although Chujiu found the question strange and felt that he should not have needed to ask it, she still answered, "In half an hour, a transport train from the Hunter's Guild will be leaving Demon Cross. Since the news hasn't spread yet, that should be your best chance to leave."

Ji Xun silently remembered that.

So there were trains too.

If he wanted to leave, then the sooner, the better.

That young master of the Cao Family valued the Epic Source Card so highly that even if he knew who had taken it, he definitely would not publicize it.

Before the news spread, leaving these ruins was the best choice.

Of course, that was assuming he could leave safely.

They walked along the pipes for more than ten minutes. The place resembled an enormous steel mill, filled with pipes of all sizes.

The surrounding buildings had a very distinctive style. Tall and slender, they resembled towering spires. Every structure was likewise covered in pipes and skybridges, exuding a heavy magical punk atmosphere.

If Ji Xun remembered correctly, Chujiu had mentioned the name more than once. This place seemed to be called the Demon Cross Ruins.

As they walked, they reached another platform. This position was already quite high within the ruins, and their view suddenly opened up.

The mist piled beneath the buildings' middles like a sea of clouds.

They were currently around the middle level, while towering structures rose all around them.

Broken, ancient, weathered. The traces of time were everywhere, and the entire city radiated a mysterious, ancient charm.

Yet what surprised Ji Xun even more was that this was actually an Underground City?

He looked up at the sky but saw no stars, only an expanse of darkness.

The city's light seemed to come from cave plants and from the faint glow of the buildings' own materials.

And from the volcano in the distance.

At the edge of his vision stood a towering active volcano?

That's right, an Underground Volcano!

Ji Xun suddenly understood. No wonder there had always been a sulfurous smell in the air.

The scarlet lava flowing from the crater was especially striking in this dim underground world.

Looking more carefully, he saw that the entire ruin's buildings formed a massive cross-shaped layout.

Viewed from above, it resembled a mysterious symbol with some kind of magical effect.

No wonder these ruins were called Demon Cross.

Ji Xun marveled inwardly. What a magnificent underground city. Just what kind of world is this?

From the sound of it, such a spectacular city was merely an Ancient Relic.

The Sinless City where humans lived was somewhere else entirely.

Not far from where they stood, lights flickered among a cluster of buildings, and voices rose in a bustling clamor. That was probably the Hunter Camp.

Chujiu stopped there and made as if to say goodbye. "The camp is ahead. There aren't many Mutated Monsters nearby either, so we'll part ways here."

"Mm."

Ji Xun nodded when he heard that.

Escorting him this far was already more than kind enough.

He could cover the remaining distance himself.

He had originally thought Chujiu had some motive for helping him, but now it seemed he had worried too much.

This teammate truly did not want to owe anyone even the slightest favor.

Before leaving, Chujiu gave him one final reminder. "One more thing. No matter who asks in the future, you'd better not say you've met me. Otherwise, it will bring you endless trouble. And don't mention your gains from that Alternate Dimension to anyone either, or that will be troublesome as well."

Ji Xun naturally understood. "Take care."

Without another word, Chujiu leaped down.

Ji Xun watched her agile figure vanish into the thick fog. Without his teammate, even the breeze around him seemed filled with killing intent.

He did not linger and headed toward the camp.

Thanks to 'Silent After the Lively Crowd,' 'GT Ten Thousand Miles Red,' and '20200504145429889' for the donations~