met free Chapter 73: A Choice Between the Two...
Chapter 73: A Choice Between the Two...
His reminder made Xing notice Cocolia's unusual behavior, which led her to test her in order to confirm things when she was with Cocolia.
The result of the probing was that it alerted the snake.
Cocolia, as the Great Guardian who rules Beloberg, is no fool.
An unknown stranger asked, "Did you hear that sound?"
This is tantamount to telling her directly, "I know your secret."
Anyone would panic in that situation.
So she upgraded her approach from "observation" to "silencing him".
"……Grass."
Lu Li put down the melon seeds.
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
He originally wanted to give the main characters a "vigilance" buff.
But he didn't expect that this buff would not only make the main characters wary of Cocolia, but also make Cocolia realize that the main characters had ill intentions.
They went their separate ways.
This has led to a situation where what was originally intended as "house arrest followed by a gradual investigation" has now turned into "locking someone up in a death row in preparation for silencing them."
The difficulty level has at least doubled.
Lu Li fell silent.
I only said one sentence, how did the plot fall apart like this?
Lu Li: "..."
"Ahem, but the main characters escaped from prison ahead of schedule and went to the lower levels, which moved the timeline forward considerably."
"So by the time of the final battle... Cocolia shouldn't have already been completely corrupted by the star core, right?"
"There's a glimmer of hope now, it should be... a good thing, right?"
Lu Li looked at the three people on the screen who were following Sambo to the lower area and fell into deep thought.
then.
"Ahem, anyway, we'll all end up in the lower levels eventually, so it doesn't matter whether we go sooner or later."
"Hmm, it shouldn't be a big problem."
Realizing that he might have actually changed the plot again, and considering the huge difference in nature between the protagonist group being "locked in a death row" and "under house arrest".
Lu Li chose to... continue eating sunflower seeds.
……
Lower layer area.
After escaping from the prison.
After hearing Xing's guess, March 7th said angrily, "I knew it! That woman didn't look like a good person!"
"Luckily, Xingni discovered it early."
Xing shook her head. "It was Lu Li's earlier reminder that made me realize this."
Dan Heng nodded. "If Xing's guess is correct, then the Great Guardian is very likely bewitched by the Star Core."
"If that's the case, then things will become a bit complicated."
March 7th and Xing also fell into deep thought.
After all, he is the Grand Guardian, the most powerful person in the upper Beloborg district.
They can't deal with the star core without her, but that also means they'll likely have to confront the entire upper zone.
March 7th hesitated somewhat: "It feels like this is beyond our scope of handling."
"How about... we call Uncle Yang and the others over?"
After a moment's thought, Dan Heng shook his head. "There's no rush. Belloborg has more than just the Upper District as a power."
Danheng glanced at Sangbo, who was leading the way.
"Let's go to the lower level first and see if we can find a breakthrough."
……
Belloberg.
Upper District, Fort Cripper.
Bronya paced back and forth in front of her mother's office, feeling agitated.
She had just checked the restricted area, and the three outsiders were gone.
The guards said that he was rescued by a man named Sambo.
She didn't know whether she should tell her mother about it.
My mother's condition has been very strange lately.
After interrogating those three people, she locked herself in her office and refused to see anyone.
Moreover, her handling of those three people was far too extreme.
Just because of a girl's inexplicable remark, someone was thrown into a death row cell?
This is nothing like her usual calm and wise mother.
Bronya felt increasingly uneasy.
She remembered the question Xingwen had asked.
sound……
Could it be...?
Mother really...
An absurd and terrifying thought surfaced in her mind.
No.
She couldn't keep letting her mind wander like this.
She had to go and find out for herself.
Bronya took a deep breath and mustered her courage to push open the office door.
The room was dark, with the lights off.
Cocolia was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, her shadow stretched long by the moonlight streaming in.
"Mother."
Bronya called softly.
Cocolia didn't turn around, but calmly said, "The rift... is expanding..."
"Even the foundation stones of the city are weeping..."
"Our world... is heading towards destruction..."
Her voice was hollow and ethereal, sending a chill down Bronya's spine.
"Mother, what are you saying?"
"Bronya." Cocolia slowly turned around.
In the dim light.
Cocolia's face was half hidden in shadow and half illuminated by the moonlight.
It seemed strange and unfamiliar.
Do you believe in fate?
Bronya was stunned.
But she quickly realized what was happening.
"I believe in that, but I believe even more in the power of human will to overcome nature," Bronya said firmly.
"Heh..." Cocolia chuckled softly, "Naive."
"You know nothing."
She walked step by step toward Bronya. "I'm telling you, Bronya, everything was destined."
"Belloberg's destruction was inevitable."
"And for me, our only way to survive is... to obey 'His' will."
“‘He’?” Bronya’s heart sank. “Who is ‘He’?”
Cocolia didn't answer, but simply reached out and gently stroked Bronya's cheek.
The hand that once warmly stroked her head now felt as cold as a piece of iron to Bronya.
"Bronya, my daughter."
"You'll find out soon enough."
……
Belloberg, lower zone.
This place is a completely different world from the upper area.
Dark, damp, and dilapidated.
It never sees sunlight, only cold rocks and rusty pipes.
Monsters from the Rift Realm can be found everywhere here.
The people living here all wore expressions of numbness and despair.
On March 7th, after following Sambo through many twists and turns to evade the Silvermane Iron Guards' pursuit, Danheng and Xing finally arrived at the "capital" of the lower district—Rockstone Town.
"Phew... We're finally safe."
On March 7th, he plopped down on a box by the roadside, panting heavily from exhaustion.
"That Sambo is so unreliable!" she complained. "He promised a safe route, but he almost led us into a monster's lair!"
"He wasn't a good person to begin with." Dan Heng leaned against the wall, wiping the spear in his hand. "It's already quite good that he brought us here."
Xing didn't speak, but silently looked around at this unfamiliar place.
She could sense that a heavy, almost suffocating atmosphere of despair permeated the place.
Is this... the place that was abandoned?
Just then, a group of people walked towards them.
The leader was a black-haired woman with a gentle demeanor, wearing a white lab coat.
Her name is Natasha, and she is a doctor in Rock Rock.
He was also one of the actual leaders of the "Earthfire" resistance organization in the lower districts.
After learning the purpose of March 7th's visit, Natasha did not show the same hostility towards them as the people in the Upper District.
Instead, they provided them with food and shelter, and told them about the suffering of the lower classes over the past seven hundred years.
"...So, the High Guardian sealed off the passage between the upper and lower levels, leaving you to fend for yourselves here?"
"This is outrageous!"
After hearing Natasha's story, March 7th was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table.
"It's pointless to say these things now."
Just then, a clear and powerful voice came from the doorway.
Instead of complaining here, think about how to change this situation.
Everyone turned to look.
A blue-haired girl dressed in red and black outfits and wielding a huge scythe was leaning against the door frame.
She is another core member of "Earthfire" and the strongest warrior in the lower zone.
—Seele!