Chapter 836 - 829: Chat History

Chapter 836: Chapter 829: Chat History

"Alas, cruel people will always suffer the punishment of fate," Heimeng sighed helplessly. He looked at the candidate who had triggered the protection mechanism and collapsed on the ground, his face full of heartache and pity. The collapsed candidate, whose eyes were filled with intense fear, stared in Heimeng’s direction.

A chill ran down the spines of all the surrounding candidates. Their bodies stiffened as if they were trapped in a nightmare. To inexplicably trigger the protection mechanism while inside the safety zone nearly shattered their understanding of reality. To them, the safety zone was synonymous with absolute safety. Any harm was prohibited, and attackers would face severe punishment. Yet, Heimeng had violated this Law.

Everyone knew with absolute certainty that Heimeng had done this, but they had no idea what method he had used. There was no physical attack and no Energy reaction. It was simply too bizarre. The only thing they knew for sure was that in front of this man, the safety zone was no longer safe.

It was no wonder they couldn’t comprehend Heimeng’s methods. Even within the Rune System, the path of the "Curse Technique" was an extremely rare and unorthodox direction. Those who could master it were few and far between. Embarking on this path required an extremely demanding and special Talent. The manifestation of this Talent relied heavily on chance, meaning not just anyone could walk this path. However, once someone mastered the power of the Curse Technique, the eeriness and might of their abilities would reach a terrifying level.

The candidates from Jixian City were experienced and knowledgeable, so they had slipped away at the first opportunity, not daring to provoke Heimeng. The candidates of the Chiyan Safety Zone, on the other hand, were unaware of the Curse Technique’s horrors, which was why someone had fallen victim to it.

"Are you all just going to stand there? Are you truly unwilling to do me this small favor?" A glimmer of sorrow flashed through Heimeng’s pitch-black pupils as he sighed and shook his head.

Hearing this, the dumbfounded candidates jolted awake, instantly breaking out in cold sweat. This wasn’t a request at all—it was a death warrant! Only now did they understand why the people from Jixian City had reacted the way they did.

"Please wait a moment, sir. We’ll get to it right away!"

"We will definitely get this done for you!"

"Going right now! Right now!"

Flattering voices rang out one after another. Imitating the people from Jixian City, the candidates of the Chiyan Safety Zone bowed and scraped before scattering like a swarm of bees.

"There are so many good people in this world. In that case, I will gladly accept your ’promises’..." A faint smile touched the corners of Heimeng’s lips as he muttered to himself, though it was impossible to tell if he was being sincere. Regardless, he had achieved his goal. Through this incident, he believed he would soon get what he wanted.

***

News rapidly spread that Heimeng, the "Curse Demon" of the Black Curse Forest Organization ranked forty-seventh on the Overall Leaderboard, had descended upon the Chiyan Safety Zone. Rumors also circulated about him using an unknown method from outside the safety zone to kill a candidate inside. The outside world—not just the neighboring safety zones, but even the people in Jixian City—had already learned of this.

Inside the Chiyan Safety Zone, Luluno was worried sick and terrified out of his wits upon hearing the news. Because right now, the person in the entire safety zone who had the most contact with Zhou Yuanjue was none other than him, the leader of the Black Lava Organization. In other words, he was exactly the person Heimeng was looking for.

Forty-seventh on the Overall Leaderboard! An incomprehensible existence capable of killing candidates inside a safety zone using unknown methods! He was absolutely someone Luluno could not afford to offend! The Ten Great Organizations were truly ruthless to send an expert of this caliber to deal with Zhou Yuanjue. What kind of deep-seated grudge did they have?!

The moment he received the news, Luluno rushed to the safe house where Zhou Yuanjue was staying. His messages went unanswered. Knocking, pounding, and eventually kicking the door yielded no response either. Had Luluno not previously arranged for his organization members to keep watch and confirm that Zhou Yuanjue hadn’t left since entering the safe house, he would have assumed the man had secretly slipped away.

Then again, it made sense. The opponent was, after all, a top-tier expert in the forties on the Overall Leaderboard. If it were someone in the eighties, they might have stood a fighting chance, but against someone in the forties, there wasn’t even a glimmer of hope. Was hiding in the safe house and running away from everything his only option?

A bitter smile appeared on Luluno’s Shar Pei-like face. If even Zhou Yuanjue was hiding in his shell like a coward, what could he possibly do? Unless it was an absolute last resort, he truly didn’t want to meet a terrifying monster like Heimeng. For one thing, he valued Zhou Yuanjue’s potential and didn’t want to offend such a genius. For another, Heimeng’s abilities were so bizarre and powerful that Luluno feared he might end up entirely under the man’s control.

However, avoiding him wasn’t an option. Right now, every candidate in the safety zone was looking for Luluno. In just half a day, three more bizarre "sudden death" incidents had occurred inside the zone. Even though those candidates had fled the scene, the "promises" they had made to Heimeng’s face hung over their heads like a death warrant.

Some candidates who had come from Jixian City to watch the battle had already spread the word: if Luluno didn’t show up, they would blockade the safety zone and completely annihilate the Black Lava Organization once this was all over. These guys might have amounted to nothing in Jixian City, but in the Chiyan Safety Zone, they were all big shots that no one could afford to provoke.

He wondered why he was always the one getting hurt, why he was always the one taking the blame! Luluno desperately wanted to cry, but a man couldn’t shed tears. Left with no choice, he braced himself, walked out of the safety zone, and met with Heimeng, who had been waiting outside.

A kind smile, a handsome face. Aside from a pair of pitch-black pupils that were slightly intimidating, he looked completely ordinary and normal. Compared to the terrifying pressure and oppressive aura that Gegula had exuded, Heimeng seemed like a harmless, genial, and physically weak ordinary person. But it was precisely this ordinariness that bred the deepest fear in Luluno’s heart. A living creature’s strongest fear stems from the unknown.

"Hello, sir. How may I be of service?" Luluno asked, bowing and scraping so much he was practically panting like a dog.

"Are you the person in the Chiyan Safety Zone with the closest relationship to Zhou Yuanjue?" Heimeng asked politely.

"I wouldn’t say closest. In fact, Zhou Yuanjue is very antisocial. He has no friends in the safety zone and rarely even shows his face. Of course, it could also be that our level is too low and he looks down on us. I only had slightly more contact with him because I manage this safety zone," Luluno replied cautiously.

"Excellent. In that case, do you have any items related to Zhou Yuanjue? For example, his handwriting, clothing, or the like. If you have any bodily tissue, that would be even better," Heimeng said, looking at Luluno with a face full of anticipation.

"Well... this..." Luluno stammered, cold sweat instantly trickling down his body. Where on earth was he supposed to find those things?!

The anticipation in the other party’s eyes didn’t change at all. However, Luluno’s nose twitched slightly, sharply catching the scent of danger. He knew that if he couldn’t produce what the man wanted, he was definitely done for! Luluno’s brain spun wildly as he thought of a countermeasure, sweat pouring down his face.

HUFF! HUFF!

He felt his breathing grow heavy and his heart pounded violently. An indescribable sense of suffocation washed over him. His eyes bulged, and it felt as if he were going to breathe his last at any second. He realized this was the other party’s ability. At this rate, he would "die" immediately!

"I do! I do! I have something!" Luluno hurriedly shouted. In an instant, he felt all the pressure on his body completely vanish.

PHEW!

Luluno let out a breath and forced a smile that was uglier than crying. Using his willpower, he opened the True Talisman Interface, selected the display function, and brought up a screen of light in front of Heimeng.

"S-Sir... do chat logs count?"