Chapter 132: A New Desperate Situation

Yuan Zhikong did not hesitate for a moment; he immediately dialed the Great Xia Kingdom to report everything they had encountered from the very beginning.

However, once he finished speaking, an incredibly eerie voice came from the other end of the line.

"Good, I understand. You must not run around anywhere. Just wait for me to come and find you... he-he-he."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhikong was jolted with terror. He hurriedly hung up the phone and cast a look of extreme fear toward his captain and the others. When he turned back, he realized the expressions on his teammates' faces were even more exaggerated than his own.

At that moment, the Life Essence suddenly spoke.

"Did you really think I was the only one who came?"

The voice was bone-chillingly bizarre, like a cold draft blowing through a window on a winter day, striking deep fear into everyone present.

The next second, the entire laboratory began to split apart.

Large, deep fissures appeared in every direction, and from these cracks, several thick, massive tentacles emerged. The tentacles were covered in pustules, looking utterly repulsive. Yet, the horror did not end there; the floor was suddenly swarming with small insects.

These insects crawled aimlessly across the ground, occasionally snapping their pincer-like mouths, releasing bursts of immense energy with every click.

This was the last scene Yuan Zhikong witnessed before his consciousness plunged into darkness.

When the group finally regained consciousness, it was impossible to tell how much time had passed. Wang Hui, the representative for the gods, was the first to wake up. When he saw his surroundings, he was stunned.

He found himself trapped on a large iron bench, bound by a pile of strange tentacles that were secreting a peculiar mucus. This substance wrapped around his body, rendering his limbs weak. However, he seemed to be the only one receiving this treatment; the others were pinned firmly in place, secured by iron nails driven deep into their bodies, leaving them looking like a mass of blood and gore.

What was happening? What on earth was going on?

Before he could process the situation, the A-rank ghost-controller wearing a mask regained consciousness. Upon seeing the state he was in, any ordinary person would have screamed, but this man managed to suppress the urge and began to observe his surroundings.

Realizing that Wang Hui was the only one capable of moving freely, he whispered, "Come here."

Wang Hui was startled at first. Thinking back to how these Great Xia ghost-controllers had turned the tide earlier, he concluded that his only path to survival was to stick with them. He struggled free from the tentacles binding him and approached the masked man.

Perhaps the bizarre entity that brought them here viewed Wang Hui as a mere mortal and hadn't bothered to restrain him properly, allowing him to break free easily. Aside from a lingering weakness in his limbs, he felt no other ill effects.

As Wang Hui reached his side, the masked man grabbed him and whispered directly into his ear.

"I don't know what kind of hell this is, but one thing is certain: this creature doesn't intend to kill us immediately. When the others wake up, we will find a way to get you out. Once you're out, you must return to that restaurant and contact Great Xia. You are just an ordinary person; those creatures won't waste their energy hunting you down."

Seeing the dazed expression on Wang Hui’s face, he added, "Having endured all this with us without breaking down, I know you aren't just an ordinary person. But I have no interest in your true identity; I only need you to complete this task. Once it's done, I have nothing else to offer, but you will certainly be under the protection of Great Xia for the rest of your life."

Seeing Wang Hui still stunned, he grabbed his hand. "Can you do it?"

Given the circumstances, what else could Wang Hui say? He simply nodded. "Yes."

Not long after, the other Great Xia ghost-controllers woke up one by one. Like the masked man, they endured unimaginable pain and mental pressure without uttering a sound, exchanging silent glances. This composure left Wang Hui deeply impressed.

Just as Wang Hui was wondering how they would get him out and whether he should actually contact Great Xia, a voice materialized out of thin air.

"It seems everyone is awake. Did you sleep well?"

No one spoke. They all stared fixedly at the ceiling, where a giant human face was floating.

"Hahaha, don't say I didn't give you a chance. The energy in your bodies has been drained; you're no better than that useless mortal now." As he spoke, the giant face looked toward Wang Hui, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

"Oh, wait—you're all severely injured; it seems you’re even worse off than this mortal."

As soon as he finished speaking, several tools resembling wrenches appeared out of thin air, one beside each person.

"Use these to pry out the nails and regain your ability to act. Of course, they can also serve as weapons. The oxygen in this space is limited. If all seven of you keep breathing, I’m sure you’ll be dead from suffocation before long."

His words were an invitation to kill one another to survive. Currently, Wang Hui was the only one who could move freely. Even if they wanted to kill each other, they needed Wang Hui to pull the nails out first.

But would Wang Hui actually do it? After all, he was the only outsider among them. If he saved them, they might just team up and kill him instead. They were thinking about this, and Wang Hui was, too. They were terrified that Wang Hui might choose not to save them—or worse, kill them—to ensure his own survival.

With this thought, Yuan Zhikong shouted at Wang Hui, "Wang Hui! We’ve been classmates for three years—you wouldn't do anything reckless, would you?"

Wang Hui’s actions proved they were overthinking it. He picked up a wrench and, with a blank expression, proceeded to pry out the nails one by one. After he finished, he tossed the wrench aside and asked, "Now what?"

To be honest, with these people drained of their energy and severely wounded, even without his status as the representative of the twin gods, he wouldn't be afraid of them even if he were truly just an ordinary person.

Before anyone else could speak, Yuan Zhikong asked, "Why were you staring at me while you were saving me?"

"I wasn't really staring at you."

"Yes, you were! Are you harboring resentment because I got you involved in this?"

"If I said I wasn't, would you believe me?"