Chapter 159: To Enter or Not to Enter

To the north of the Irene Group headquarters building stretched a range of hills spanning several kilometers. Though not particularly high in elevation, they were usually desolate and uninhabited.

Yu Shujun pursued Silver Thorn, crossing over the hills and finally capturing her at the foot of the opposite side.

Given Silver Thorn’s star rating and the rank of a player like Jun Wuming, a direct confrontation was akin to an elementary school student challenging a university graduate—there was no chance of lasting beyond the second round.

With a slight flick of his wrist, Yu Shujun effortlessly severed the ropes that had bound him. His feet pressed down on the ground strewn with thorn traps as easily as crushing fallen autumn leaves.

Silver Thorn’s legs had gone numb; she knelt on the ground, supporting her faltering body with her last remaining arm. Her chest heaved violently as she fixed her gaze on the approaching figure, step by step drawing nearer.

Suddenly—a flash of golden light.

The cold blade of a sword pressed against Silver Thorn’s throat.

“Still unwilling to unleash your trump card?” Yu Shujun asked coldly.

Silver Thorn’s eyes narrowed slightly. Even behind her silver mask, the confusion on her face was unmistakable. “Trump card…?”

Yu Shujun’s gaze darkened. “That man sent you to infiltrate this map, and yet didn’t even equip you with a decent god-tier weapon?”

Surveying the ruined battlefield, a rare flicker of anger crossed Yu Shujun’s face. “With this pile of trash you brought in, you expect to defeat me?”

…

…

In the underground passage of the Irene Group leading toward the furnace, at a fork in the tunnel.

Wen Nan stared blankly at something that had fallen from a chewed-up marker pen in his equipment reserve.

It was a tiny metal fragment, no larger than half a fingernail.

As Wen Nan reached to pick it up, Mr. Horn immediately lunged forward, his hardened alloy pincers clamping tightly onto the fragment.

“Huh?”

Wen Nan held Mr. Horn’s shell, attempting to retrieve the piece, but heard a sharp “crack” like a tooth breaking. Mr. Horn then spat the metal fragment out with a “whoosh,” retracted his pincers into his mouthpiece, and went motionless.

It seemed that even Mr. Horn’s alloy pincers, capable of slicing through iron like mud, could not damage this metal fragment in the slightest.

Only the scorching furnace beneath their feet could possibly destroy it.

With that thought, Wen Nan held the tiny piece delicately between his fingers, examining it closely.

The metal fragment resembled a miniature SIM card, but was crafted entirely from a special metallic material, etched with intricate patterns.

In the lower right corner was an extremely fine inscription—[..].

Could this be the logo of the manufacturer who produced this tiny metal piece?

“Doo doo?” “Dooloo?” “Dudu?” “Dudu?”

Wen Nan’s mind wandered nonsensically when a voice came from the tunnel entrance ahead.

“Found it! The entrance is this way!”

Following a trail of markers, Yang Mingzhong emerged from the passage, shortly followed by Huang Yan and Guo Xiaofu returning from two other entrances.

Seeing Yang Mingzhong’s face flushed deep red, Huang Yan jumped in alarm. “Whoa, Brother Yang, are you alright? Why are you so red—you look like a roasted suckling pig!”

Yang Mingzhong coughed twice, cleared his hoarse throat, and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

He then got straight to the point.

“Below here lies an enormous pit that stretches beyond sight. I didn’t dare venture to the bottom, but from afar I saw it filled with molten lava. Even through this ‘safety cushion,’ the heat hits you like a wave, burning your eyes shut. The furnace mentioned in the main quest has to be down there.”

Yang Mingzhong described the scene vividly.

Huang Yan and Guo Xiaofu were eager to rush in but restrained themselves, asking Wen Nan, “Boss, shouldn’t we go now without delay?”

Wen Nan had no reason to refuse. He stood, nodded, and followed Yang Mingzhong into the tunnel.

As Yang Mingzhong had described, the temperature soared by dozens of degrees every ten meters deeper into the passage.

Without the protective “benefit items” they wore, they would have melted into a puddle—or even vaporized entirely.

Deeper still, even the strongest heat insulation of their gear could not fully shield them from the scorching inferno outside.

Breathing became increasingly difficult, as if their heads were plunged into a coal furnace. Wen Nan’s skin turned fiery hot, resembling a boiled shrimp, his entire body flushed crimson. Large beads of sweat dripped from his chin and limbs, hitting the ground and instantly evaporating.

His eyes barely stayed open, tears streaming uncontrollably, mingling with sweat as they traced down his cheeks.

Guo Xiaofu stayed behind at the fork, keeping watch.

Yang Mingzhong, Huang Yan, and Qiqi, who flanked Wen Nan, were all struggling.

This was far more terrifying than entering the Flaming Mountain.

“Another fifty meters ahead, and we’ll be there,” Yang Mingzhong croaked.

Wen Nan looked to the three, “The task of destroying the item doesn’t require so many people. I’ll go in alone. You should return and join Guo Xiaofu to guard the entrance.”

Qiqi immediately shook her head, resolute. “I’m coming with you.”

Yang Mingzhong also said, “I’ve been down there. Although it’s really hot, it’s not entirely unbearable.”

Huang Yan chimed in boldly, “My armor is the strongest here, right? Boss, why don’t you give me the item? I’ll destroy it; you all go ahead.”

Wen Nan’s hand instinctively reached into the equipment reserve, pinching the tiny metal fragment between his fingers, and shook his head. “Better we all go.”

The final stretch was increasingly arduous, but they finally arrived.

Beneath their feet, the molten lava churned like a raging river.

Yang Mingzhong pulled out a metal hard drive and hurled it through a narrow opening in the thin membrane toward the molten river below.

The square metal box fell only a dozen meters before being liquefied, still over thirty meters above the molten core.

From the other side, Huang Yan gasped and looked at Wen Nan. “Boss, should we throw the item down?”

With just over three hours remaining on the final main quest countdown, it seemed they could still complete the mission ahead of schedule.

They would soon be able to leave this instance.

The thought made Huang Yan smile broadly with excitement.

Yet the three standing beside Wen Nan waited a long while, but no action came from him.

“Chairman?”

“Boss?”

“Brother?”

Wen Nan stood still, clutching the metal fragment tightly, eyes fixed on the molten lava below. The fiery orange glow reflected in his pupils, his thoughts unreadable.

(End of chapter)