Chapter 135: One Master and Six Assistants

"Xi Yan, what are you thinking about?"

Clara’s voice pulled Xi Yan back to his senses.

"Nothing. I'm leaving now."

Xi Yan stood up and departed from the house with Qing Yan. When they reached the intersection, they discovered it was littered with corpses, all of whom had met gruesome ends. Xi Yan stepped over the bodies with an expressionless face; Qing Yan was even less concerned. Ever since she was born, she had lived in places just like this.

Suddenly, Xi Yan stopped in front of one of the bodies and looked down.

Qing Yan walked to his side, followed his gaze to the corpse at their feet, and asked, "Do you know this person?"

Xi Yan pressed his lips together, then nodded and replied, "This man was my colleague..."

It was truly a case of meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land, only that the acquaintance was already dead.

"All right, don't dwell on it. Let's go." Qing Yan had never been one for comforting others.

Xi Yan nodded, and together they left the service area of the Eighth Survival Zone.

Clara stood by the window of Xi Yan’s room, watching their retreating figures, a triumphant smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

...

Following the map, Xi Yan and Qing Yan arrived at the instance dungeon, which was located at a large supermarket.

The supermarket was in ruins, its original identity barely recognizable. The only reason Xi Yan could identify it as such was the fallen sign and the shelves scattered inside.

"How do we enter this instance?" Qing Yan asked.

Xi Yan opened the map to check, then walked over to a vending machine nearby. He turned to Qing Yan and said, "It should be this. As long as we touch this vending machine, the corresponding instance should be activated."

Qing Yan nodded and kicked the vending machine.

The machine, which should have been long out of order, suddenly began to chime.

"Ding-a-ling!"

"Ding-a-ling!"

The sound of the vending machine was incredibly shrill, as if it could be heard for miles around.

The noise was so piercing that Xi Yan and Qing Yan had to cover their ears. Shortly after, a glowing portal suddenly appeared before them.

Looking at the portal, Qing Yan grabbed Xi Yan just as he was about to step inside and said, "Wait, this isn't the instance! Run!"

She grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

Since the vending machine was near the entrance inside the supermarket, it was easy for them to escape. The moment they cleared the building, the supermarket behind them suddenly exploded.

The shockwave from the blast hit them, knocking them to the ground as dust and debris billowed behind them.

Although it was daytime, the unique climate of the Eighth Survival Zone made it look like dusk, and the ruined supermarket behind them appeared particularly desolate.

Xi Yan climbed up from the ground, brushing the dust from his head and clothes. Feeling like he had just narrowly escaped death, he asked Qing Yan, "How could this happen..."

"I don't think this was Clara's doing, Xi Yan. I think you've stumbled into even greater trouble," Qing Yan said with great seriousness.

The next second, a group of Lost Ones appeared behind them.

The dismembered Lost Ones rushed toward them, and trailing behind the horde were several men dressed in white.

From a distance, Xi Yan could see the character "Three" inscribed on the men's clothing.

"Are they from the Third Survival Zone?" Xi Yan looked at Qing Yan, already preparing for battle as he unlocked his "Puppet Mechanic" ability.

"That's right, they are from the Third Survival Zone. And the man in the lead is the most capable assistant to the Lord of the Third."

Xi Yan detected a hint of tension in Qing Yan's tone; he gathered that this capable assistant must be a formidable opponent.

Xi Yan and Qing Yan were forced back a few steps by the horde of Lost Ones. When they were backed against the ruins of the supermarket, the Lost Ones suddenly stopped in unison.

Qing Yan looked at the man at the back of the group, then took a step forward and to the side, subtly shielding Xi Yan.

Xi Yan stood behind her, confused by her sudden movement. He had always been a target for the Main City—though he didn't know why—so even with Qing Yan blocking him, it wouldn't stop the enemy from wanting him dead.

The Lost Ones parted, clearing a path, and the man in white walked toward them.

As the man approached, Qing Yan’s expression grew increasingly grim.

The man in white wore the same attire as the others from the Survival Zones: a white cloak over a white suit.

He wore glasses, and a faint, detached smile played on his lips.

"It has been a long time, My Lady. Are you staying with him because you are trying to escape our marriage?"

What? Escape a marriage? Xi Yan wondered if he had misheard.

Qing Yan was escaping a marriage?

Qing Yan did not refute the man’s words, instead shifting the topic.

"What you do here is none of your business. Why did you come? You wanted to kill me while I was away from the Main City, didn't you?"

The man in white spread his hands innocently and replied with a smile, "How could you think that? You are my fiancée, after all. Why would I want to kill you?"

"Because you are the master of the First Survival Zone, and the one most likely to inherit the position of City Lord," Qing Yan replied.

Xi Yan stood by, feeling overwhelmed. He felt as if he had just absorbed a mountain of new information!

The master of the First Survival Zone was serving as an assistant to the master of the Sixth, and this assistant was actually engaged to Qing Yan? It sounded like Qing Yan had left the Main City specifically to escape this marriage.

Xi Yan felt like a gossip reporter, pricking up his ears to catch every word of their conversation.

"Don't think of me so poorly. I am here to take you home."

"I will not return to the Main City. I am fine here. Please leave." Qing Yan looked at him coldly, her tone sharp.

Faced with her icy demeanor, the man’s expression seemed to grow even more excited.

With a hint of fanatical affection in his eyes, he said, "It is exactly that look that makes you so intoxicating. Besides, I never said I was taking you back to the Main City. I am taking you to the First Survival Zone."

Xi Yan concluded that this man was undoubtedly disturbed, and that Qing Yan was terrified of him.

"Take me to the First Survival Zone? Keep dreaming. I won't even go back to the Main City, let alone go with you to the First Survival Zone!"