the streets flowed like a dragon with cars.
"B-boss, are we really going to look for that guy? Honestly, I-I’m a bit scared of him."
"You can get out of the car and head back now."
"No, no, boss, the lamp holder is so powerful, and you’re so pretty. What if he has ulterior motives? I-I need to protect you."
"Then just stay put."
The two people talking in the car were the ’Secret Cultivator’ Lin Xixue and her subordinate, ’Rabbit.’
From the moment the world underwent cataclysmic changes and the illusory reflection of the Old Earth enveloped the Sky Dome, the ’Secret Cultivator’ had already sensed that massive upheavals were looming in the Real World. To better prepare, she immediately thought of the enigmatic ’lamp holder,’ the only unregistered S-ranked player in the Deceit Bureau, and promptly set off to find him.
However, the current anomalies were not confined to the circle of the ’Deceit World’ but had spread globally. Many of the ’Secret Cultivator’s’ networks—including her father, her brother, her friends, members of the Secret Cultivation Society, and supervisors from the Deceit Bureau—had reached out to her immediately.
Some ’Secret Cultivators’ she could ignore,
but there were others she could not disregard.
This meant she inevitably delayed for some time, and it wasn’t until half an hour later that she finally set off for Sky Mountain Garden, accompanied by ’Rabbit.’
"Boss, can’t we just make a call, send a video, or private message the lamp holder on the Secret Cultivation Society group? Why do we have to meet him in person?" At this point, heavy traffic clogged the streets, caused by sudden sky anomalies sparking some panic, and the idle ’Rabbit’ voiced her confusion.
Lin Xixue maintained her icy expression. She preferred using this demeanor to hide her true feelings. "Little girl, you don’t understand. Some things can’t be explained over the phone. Now that the Old Earth has fused with the Real World, and the world’s undergoing immense changes, I must meet the revered lamp holder—the player who far surpasses the current hierarchy—in person."
’Rabbit’ shrugged, indicating she truly didn’t understand.
In her view, it was just conversation—whether over the phone or face-to-face, there wasn’t much difference. Yet thoughts of the lamp holder’s terrifying power caused her nerves to waver.
the ’Secret Cultivator’ suddenly opened the car door, leaving the key in the ignition, and got out.
This startled ’Rabbit.’ She hurriedly followed, reminding her, "Boss, your car... the car’s still there."
"Traffic is too heavy. We don’t have time to waste on the road. Let’s head directly to Sky Mountain Garden No. 10. Someone will come to retrieve the car later." The ’Secret Cultivator’ replied casually without concern for whether ’Rabbit’ could keep up, striding forward decisively.
Seeing her boss about to be swallowed by the sea of pedestrians, ’Rabbit’ gritted her teeth and quickly sped up to keep pace, grumbling under her breath,
"That’s a Maybach—a luxury car worth eight figures. Leaving it on the street is such a waste."
The ’Secret Cultivator’ walked rapidly, using abilities she had gained from the ’Deceit World’ game to reach Sky Mountain Garden No. 10 in the shortest time possible.
’Rabbit’ struggled to follow behind.
But as the two maneuvered through narrow alleyways, the ’Secret Cultivator’ abruptly came to a halt. Her hurried steps ceased, and her gaze turned wary and serious.
’Rabbit,’ who barely managed to catch up, took the opportunity to catch her breath, asking puzzledly, "Boss, why did you stop? Weren’t you in a rush to meet the lamp holder?" Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by NoveI[F]ire.net
"Did you hear anything?" The ’Secret Cultivator’ ignored her question and instead uttered something inexplicable.
’Rabbit’ felt confused but, seeing her boss’s grave, tense expression as if confronting a dire threat, she didn’t dare to relax. She immediately quieted her mind and focused on listening.
"Forgotten... exalted... ancient. All... ends... marker. Abandoned by gods... forgotten... truth."
’Rabbit’ let out a shriek, feeling as though thousands of needles stabbed into her head. Her face turned pale, and it took her a long time to recover, breathing heavily as her eyes filled with fear. "W-what was that? It’s terrifying. Boss, that sound was too sinister. We should leave this place immediately."
"No, we’re investigating the true nature of these ravings." The ’Secret Cultivator’ shook her head, her gaze fixed on the depths of the shadowy alley, filled with solemn determination.
"But it’s too dangerous. Just those fragmented ravings gave me the feeling my head was about to explode. If we go closer, who knows what horrors we’ll encounter."
’Rabbit’ paused before adding, "And weren’t you going to find the lamp holder? We could head to Sky Mountain Garden No. 10 first and inform him about what we discovered here. Then explore together. With the Deceit Bureau’s only unregistered S-ranked player, at least we’d be safer."
The ’Secret Cultivator’ showed hesitation.
She wanted to investigate the ravings’ origin because the unknown voice felt like a mystical summons, as if some mysterious force were guiding her.
But ’Rabbit’ made a good point. The ravings were bizarre, eerie, and unpredictable. Who knew what kind of terrors lurked ahead—especially in the sensitive moment of Old Earth merging with the Real World. Meeting up with the lamp holder and exploring together would undoubtedly offer better safety.