Chapter 2706: Blessing in Disguise

Although Yan Ping and the others didn’t understand what kind of balance state she was referring to, it didn’t stop them from feeling envious. Even though they had some reputation as bounty hunters and were considered experienced, the truth was that they chose to voluntarily withdraw from instance upgrades as a last resort.

Some players endure until Rank-B or Rank-A, accumulating enough capital to find a section and retire. Even if they quit the game, it’s no problem for such individuals. Others are unwilling to give up their player identity and choose simpler or well-developed instances to participate in, in short, they just muddle through. However, these instances don’t offer much profit, and they can’t get many good things even after clearing them. Therefore, they can only increase their income from other sources.

Bounty hunters indeed live with their lives hanging in the balance, yet they are different from real players. To be honest, if they had enough talent, they would rather break through the instance levels. Either way, they’re still risking their lives for money.

"Talent and opportunity, truly enviable." The short-haired female player looked at Xu Huo, who was still lying down. "When will he wake up? Our mission this time is to find bones, not to protect outsiders."

"Delaying for two days is no big deal," Pu Yu said. "I can offer you an extra reward."

Alright, the employer was wealthy, so they didn’t need to say more.

"Thank you." Yan Jiayu said. "We can repay you the money later."

"It’s a small matter." Pu Yu was indifferent, his gaze lingering slightly on Xu Huo. "I enjoy making friends, especially talented ones."

As night fell, Yan Ping and the others began taking turns to rest, rotating to guard outside the instance props.

Xu Huo was watched over by Yan Jiayu, his hand resting on a low stool, remaining stable as long as it didn’t touch anything. Besides his fingers, there were no fluctuations of spatial power on his body, though his two legs and another arm were bound to wooden splints—injuries from falling into the underground forest earlier. These weren’t serious wounds and would only take some time to recover.

The night was relatively calm, but everyone slept uneasily, often waking up after dozing off for a short while. Yan Ping and the short-haired female player had just returned from their shift when they saw a small figure standing beside Xu Huo, causing them both to change color abruptly and immediately activate the interference devices.

The dark figure, resembling a shadow, glanced at them before pouring onto the ground and disappearing instantly.

Pu Yu and others got up and gathered to inquire about the situation.

"Unsure if it’s mental interference," Yan Ping suspected he was hallucinating. "I saw a child’s figure standing next to him."

The short-haired woman nodded.

Pu Yu looked at Yan Jiayu, "Did you notice anything?"

Yan Jiayu’s kangaroo face shook, "Was it an illusion or a real attack?"

"The figure disappeared once the interference device was activated," Yan Ping said with a serious expression. "Looks like we can’t sleep tonight."

"Did you notice anything?"

The others shook their heads, including the three bounty hunter members who had just returned from patrol.

"Better safe than sorry." Pu Yu said, "Keep the devices on."

They carried a large device for interference defense, which was wide-ranging. Without it, they wouldn’t dare traverse the forest.

Yan Jiayu probably knew what was going on with the figure but didn’t say much. Since Xu Huo’s childhood shadow appeared, it indicated he was recovering. This was another super-high energy division where spiritual energy was rampant. Expressing it would not bring peace to others, but instead increase variables.

She simply pretended to be unaware.

Pu Yu insisted on waiting for Xu Huo to recover before proceeding, so they stayed within the instance props on the second and third day. There were several instances of mutant plant activity, but all were small-scale and considered normal plant activity, posing no danger.

Yan Jiayu was more worried about Suitcase Man catching up, with Li Chun having not escaped from Circus City. Their situation was unknown.

Fortunately, there was no activity around them these two days. If Suitcase Man were truly chasing them, it wouldn’t be so quiet.

Finally, in the early hours of the fourth day, Xu Huo opened his eyes. He moved his hand and planned to take off the wooden splints.

"Don’t move!" Yan Jiayu quickly stopped him, "Your fingers have mutated; whoever you touch disappears!"

Xu Huo tilted his head and confirmed what had happened to his fingers. The blow from Suitcase Man wasn’t really serious; his childhood persona shared part of the impact, and it happened to strike his heart. Though the Water Rubik’s Cube was immediately knocked away, its spatial power still protected his heart.

However, once the balance between the Water Rubik’s Cube and the Superdimensional Space Power Silk was disrupted, neither could attach to his heart again, yet neither could leave his body. Thus, they ultimately transferred to his forefinger.

Unlike when it was lodged in his heart, where he couldn’t sense or dare to touch it, he could now clearly perceive the Superdimensional Space Power and even grasp a bit of the Water Rubik’s Cube’s operating patterns.

The reason for his days-long coma was due to the continuous impact of the Water Rubik’s Cube and Superdimensional Space Power on his body. At this moment, he could now experience the miraculous sensation of Nie Xuan’s spatial evolution.

Normally, coming into contact with Superdimensional Space Power would mean certain death, especially with the power permeating inside him. Yet, the Water Rubik’s Cube effectively restricted it, not only saving him once again but serendipitously granting him the opportunity to wield Superdimensional Space Power.

Indeed, Xu Huo felt he could now trigger Superdimensional Space Power through controlling spatial power, with the Water Rubik’s Cube and Superdimensional Space Power reaching a balance again—at rest like when it was in his heart, but much less dangerous and troublesome than when in his heart.

"I really have to thank him." Xu Huo expressed emotionlessly as he moved his fingers.

Yan Jiayu watched in amazement, "Wow, you can control it freely."

Xu Huo calmed his emotions, turning to look at him, "How much time do you have left?"

"Probably just a few days," Yan Jiayu replied. "How’s your recovery? If possible, I need to get out from within the props, or there won’t be time to recover."

Xu Huo’s bones hadn’t fully healed, but since he was awake, he could rely on the Mechanical Being to get around. Yan Jiayu was about to enter a high-risk random instance and couldn’t afford to waste more time.

After a slight pause, he looked at Pu Yu, "Nice to see you again."

Pu Yu was slightly surprised, not recognizing him.

Of course, he had used a false face during their previous encounters on the train and with C09-001. His disguise along with the props he carried had become ineffective after entering Circus City.

"We’ve met at Teacher Jing Shi’s residence, and twice on the train."