The afternoon was anything but calm.
Nobody knew whether the hungry monster had also moved through space, but the remaining corpses in the room had been devoured completely, leaving not even bone fragments behind. Consequently, the beast would also attack closed rooms, flipping doors and walls whenever it detected any sound.
"It seems this one is famished," Peng Fengnian said.
Because of the monster, their movement within the hotel was quite restricted.
However, a few remaining individuals from Peng Fengnian’s party showed up.
One was the leader of the players who had previously chased Xu Huo; Peng Fengnian and the others called him Old Zheng. Another was a player who had joined in the attack on the monster, known by the code name Old Eagle. The last one was referred to by them as Teacher Pan.
This Teacher Pan appeared to be a very refined person, wearing glasses and conducting himself in a polite and gentle manner. His soft and pleasant words were like a breath of spring air, easily winning people’s favor.
Xiao Ling and Sun Bo didn’t get along very well since they had sabotaged each other during their escape, and as a result, they looked at each other with displeasure. But Teacher Pan didn’t show the slightest bit of emotion, and warmly greeted everyone. He then spoke to Xu Huo, "There’s always someone better, and a higher sky above the sky. Mr. Yu has truly opened my eyes. We’ve been here for five or six days and never realized Museum City concealed a spatial trap. It was only after Mr. Yu’s explanation that we had an epiphany, as if dispelling the fog to reveal the clear sky. I’ve lived in vain for twenty years; it’s truly embarrassing."
"It was just a fluke," Xu Huo didn’t believe they had failed to notice the changing scenery outside the hotel. They simply couldn’t leave the hotel and hadn’t discovered the trap with the duplicate’s time, failing to think deeper.
"Mr. Yu is too humble," Teacher Pan proactively produced a prop resembling a picture frame. "Among us all, this is the only item that might have a connection to space. If Mr. Yu has any ideas, please speak freely, and we will definitely cooperate."
Old Zheng also appeared ashamed as he apologized, using no grandiloquent language, simply saying, "I won’t say much for having offended Mr. Yu. After getting out, you name the way you want to settle this, and I’ll not say a word against it!"
It was a brief reconciliation, apparently due to Xu Huo exhibiting his strength. Even Sun Bo, who usually had an arrogant demeanor, was now considerably more polite.
"What’s the function of this prop?" Xu Huo steered the conversation back on track.
"A door," Teacher Pan explained. "Place it anywhere, and it can open a door, any wall will do, including the fortified doors of a vault."
"However, this item can only be used once a day. Generally, the longer the cooldown of an item, the more extraordinary its effects. I believe it’s capable of more than just opening physical doors; there might be other effects as well."
Seeing that the other players’ gazes were split between the prop and him, Xu Huo guessed that the item’s level was not low, so he asked, "Have you used it in the past few days?"
Of course, they had used it, following the sounds of footsteps, trying it in every place they could, but aside from opening doors on walls, it was utterly useless everywhere else.
"It might require the right location," Teacher Pan said. "Mr. Yu understands spatial rules, perhaps he can find this place."
"Then what can you all do?" Xiao Ling suddenly interrupted them, her face cold as she spoke, "You think a few sweet words will make others walk into a minefield for you? Bringing out a prop while being so secretive, if you’re so afraid of it being stolen, why present it at all!"
"What’s it to you?" Sun Bo retorted angrily, "Did we ask for your help?"
Xiao Ling snorted coldly and walked over to Xu Huo, resting a hand on his shoulder, "I’ve seen plenty of people who kick others away after crossing the bridge. Yu Huo, don’t be fooled."
Xu Huo understood her meaning; those words suggested that not only did he need to be wary of Peng Fengnian and others, he also needed a few companions to share the risk.
Brushing her hand aside, he slowly said, "I’ve encountered my fair share of turncoats."
The atmosphere changed for a moment, and the pressure emanating from his eyes involuntarily put Lin Zhenhuai and the others on the defensive.
"Miss Xiao is right," Teacher Pan spoke again, "Mr. Yu should know that we are players from Zone 009. Outside Museum City is our country. You’ve helped us a lot this time, and if you wish to settle down here after you go out, we can arrange it. If not, we will find other ways to thank you."
"The truth is, we have very few good items at hand, and everyone cherishes them, so we were a bit too tense."
Such sincere and humble words made it difficult for Xiao Ling to say anything more, yet despite these words, she didn’t let her guard down, especially Old Zheng.
It wasn’t dark yet, so everyone locked up and rested for a while.
Xu Huo chatted with Teacher Pan, "You all are stuck in the hotel; there must be something you’ve discovered here. May I ask what it is?"
Teacher Pan, who was usually quite talkative, hesitated for a moment. Seeing this, Xu Huo tactfully said, "It’s okay not to say it. I’m just trying to understand this hotel... You can talk about the background of Museum City, right?"
Regarding the background information of Museum City, as players born and raised in Zone 009, they had done their homework before coming here.
"When Museum City was first built, it was requisitioned by the government of that time. An infectious disease outbreak occurred nearby, and they needed a place for accommodation and treatment. However, back then the medical standards were low, and humanity was powerless in the face of infectious diseases, which later led to a large number of infected patients being poisoned and killed."
"But just killing people wasn’t enough, and there were not a few infected among the rich and powerful. The government at the time discovered someone who was naturally immune to the disease, a doctor from the Shang family."
"This doctor was kind-hearted and skilled, and he helped many people. Someone leaked the government’s plan to capture him, and Doctor Shang escaped overnight. The government failed to catch him, so they targeted the remaining members of the Shang family."
"The Shang family was large, with many members, yet they were nearly wiped out. Some even became delusional, believing that grown members of the Shang family might not possess immunity, but their offspring could, hence even women related to the Shang family did not escape."
"Some secret records contain these accounts, truly human tragedies."
"Years later, Doctor Shang, who had been living under an assumed identity, secretly returned to his hometown, thinking the scrutiny had died down and he could reunite with his family, only to find that the Shang family had nearly died out, exposing the incident."
"Although Museum City also captured many for experiments, with the emperor far away, it was not difficult for the local government and the Dark Power to cover up the matter, so even with large numbers of missing people, it took years to resolve."
It seemed a simple recounting, but the bones that remained in Museum City represented the bloody reality that had truly occurred. The stark whiteness of the bones seemed to seep with the wails of those who had died in torment, shrieking day and night.
After a moment of silence, Xu Huo asked again, "Is there a particular reason why the Descendant of the Shang family rebuilt Museum City?"
If it was just to vindicate their ancestors, there was no need to be so subtle.