Apocalypse: Reborn with a Soul Sync Farming Space System-Chapter 175 Black Mist

Alexander’s face darkened instantly, his fingers tightening around the hand fork as his jaw clenched so hard it looked like it might crack. For a moment, he did not speak, his eyes fixed on Chris as if he was deciding whether to slam the tool into his head or the ground.

"Dream on," he said through gritted teeth.

Chris did not look at him, his movements remained calm as he loosened the soil around another flower with careful precision, his fingers moving with familiarity as he lifted the plant without damaging the roots before placing it gently into the bucket.

"You’re already asking for help," Chris said calmly. "The least you can do is show some sincerity."

Alexander’s grip tightened further before loosening abruptly, as if forcing himself to hold back, his chest rising and falling as he exhaled sharply.

"I’m not asking you," he snapped, even though he clearly was.

Chris finally glanced at him, his brows lifting slightly, though there was no real surprise in his eyes.

"Then continue doing what you were doing," he said, nodding toward the broken stem lying on the ground.

Alexander’s eyes flickered to it, and his expression darkened further.

"...That was a mistake."

"Of course," Chris replied, returning his attention to the plants.

Silence fell between them again, but this time it was heavier, filled with unspoken tension as Alexander stared at the flowers in front of him, then at the tools in his hand, then back at Chris who was already moving on to the next plant without wasting a single motion.

Alexander inhaled slowly before crouching lower, his movements stiff as he tried again, this time paying closer attention to how Chris angled the tool into the soil instead of forcing it straight down.

The hand fork sank into the soil.

He paused, before slightly adjusting the angle of the fork again. Then he carefully loosened the dirt around the roots.

His brows furrowed deeply as he focused, his earlier arrogance nowhere to be seen as he concentrated on not ruining it again, and his fingers moving more cautiously as he gripped the base of the plant.

"...Hah."

He pulled the plant out, and this time the root was intact.

Alexander stared at it for a moment, as if he couldn’t believe it actually worked.

Chris glanced at him briefly, then looked away again.

"Don’t celebrate yet," he said calmly. "You haven’t finished."

Alexander’s lips pressed into a thin line, but this time he didn’t snap back. Instead, he carefully placed the flower into the bucket, mimicking what Chris had done earlier.

"...This is ridiculous," he muttered under his breath.

"Then stop," Chris replied without hesitation.

Alexander shot him a glare. "You think I will let you be the only one contributing? You think I don’t know your plan?"

Chris did not respond.

That silence alone was enough to irritate him further.

Alexander scoffed as he picked up another tool, this time working with more focus, his movements still rough around the edges but no longer completely wrong.

The sound of soil being loosened and plants being lifted filled the space, blending with the faint dripping of water from a far distance along the cave walls.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then...

Chris’s hand paused mid-air. His brows furrowed slightly as his gaze shifted toward the deeper part of the cave, where Ling Xuan had disappeared earlier, his fingers tightening slightly around the stem of the flower he had just harvested.

"...Did you feel that?" he asked quietly.

Alexander did not look up immediately.

"Feel what?"

Chris did not answer right away, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the surroundings, the air, the faint shift in the environment that was almost imperceptible.

Then... faint black mist crept along the ground at the far end of the passage. It was slow and subtle but was clearly noticeable.

Alexander’s movements still as his gaze snapped forward. "...What the hell is that?"

As if to answer his question, the flowers crystallized the moment the mist touched them.

...

Further into the cave, Ling Xuan’s step slowed as she could feel the crystallization of the mist against her suit.

She squinted slightly, trying to see through the mist, but it was as dark as night.

Strangely she felt shivers run down her spine but that only made her frown.

However, she felt her powers rushing through her veins, and for a split second her eyes turned purplish.

And in that brief moment, the darkness ahead shifted just enough for her to catch a clearer outline of the path before everything returned to how it was, thick and suffocating.

Ling Xuan did not slow down as she moved forward, her steps steady and controlled while the mist pressed closer around her, heavier than before, clinging to her suit as if it had grown aware of her presence and was tightening its hold with every step she took.

The deeper she went, the more oppressive the air became, pressing against her chest even through the helmet. And the faint glow ahead did not feel like relief, but something distant and surrounded by danger.

The glow was like a deep contrast to the dark mist, like a light in the night.

Every step became difficult as the ground elevated into a platform.

’Could that be the Snow Lotus?’

Her eyes flicked to the crop panel on her wrist and the location of the Snow Lotus matched the exact place the glow was coming from.

"...Almost there."

She muttered under her breath as she pushed forward, her grip tightening slightly around her sword while the mist around her shifted. It was no longer passive, but began moving subtly along the ground and walls.

Ling Xuan’s steps faltered as she noticed the ominous feeling in the air. She knew the mist could not be underestimated, especially since the red mist.

She glanced at her suits which had faint layers of frost around them.

The damage wasn’t too much, but why does it suddenly feel like she was walking into a trap? Something told her this wasn’t the mist’s full capacity...what if it was trying to appear not too harmless to lure her inside only to attack when she was too deep inside? She wondered.

Ling Xuan turned around slightly only to find a strong gush of mist moving towards her aggressively.