Beating Instances through Words Left by the Dead-Chapter 353 - 202: Resentment Within the Calamity Fog
Zhuo Jie murmured to himself, "I can’t imagine how those primal people still using hieroglyphics managed to build such a magnificent Divine Temple thousands of meters underground. Could it be that those folks shouting about an Inner Earth World aren’t crazy, and our ancestors really came from the Earth’s core?"
Nobody answered Zhuo Jie’s question, as no one knew the answer, and everyone was immersed in the shock of the Stone Temple.
He Yun’s voice came from the side, "We’re about to enter the Divine Temple, everyone be careful, this temple is far more terrifying than it looks."
The interior of the temple was filled with a stagnant Calamity Fog, with poor light penetration. Even with strong lights, visibility was no more than two meters, and those behind could barely see the heels of the companions before them.
If the formation wasn’t tight enough, it would be easy to become completely separated and lost within the Divine Hall.
Everyone there were seasoned partners, experienced and skilled, and barring any unexpected incidents, the formation wouldn’t break.
But in situations like this, if nothing unexpected happens, an accident is bound to occur.
Soon after entering the temple, screams from a teammate erupted on the communication platform, followed quickly by someone shouting:
"Damn it! There are monsters in the fog!"
"Boss, my shield is broken, fog is coming in, I feel something drilling into my body!"
"Stay away from me, get out, get out!"
Along with the hysterical screams, the fog was filled with the sound of intensive gunfire.
Hearing screams and gunfire isn’t much of a problem, not hearing screams and gunfire is the real problem.
For instance, from Wu Chang’s perspective, Zhuo Jie had already completely lost track of the other people’s movements and couldn’t get any response through the intercom.
Due to the attack, the team’s formation had long since scattered. In his line of sight, he could only see the thick fog; he could only hear his own footsteps and heartbeat.
"The boss was right, this place is indeed more sinister than imagined."
Click.
Just as Zhuo Jie finished speaking, a crisp breaking sound suddenly rang in his ear.
He looked towards the source of the sound and found that something had pierced a hole in his shield, with fog rushing in through the hole.
As he inhaled the Calamity Fog, the surrounding mist began to clear, and he saw black shadows flickering in it.
With the help of the lights, he recognized the shadow in the fog — it was a Mecha, and from the markings on the Mecha, it was He Yun’s brother.
Zhuo Jie clicked his tongue and muttered to himself:
"I heard that inhaling the Calamity Fog would manifest your deepest fears into monsters... Sure enough, the thing I fear most is you."
"If it were any other time, perhaps I’d surrender, but not this time. The boss needs me; I can’t just die easily, so..."
Zhuo Jie took a deep breath, grabbed the machine cannon from his back, and shouted as he pulled the trigger at the Mecha formed from the Calamity Fog.
"There’s something I’ve kept bottled up for twenty years; today, I must say it! Leader He Yi, please allow me to date your sister!"
As one of the strongest in the team, Zhuo Jie had, after a grueling ten-minute battle, taken out four Mechas piloted by He Yi and forcefully broken free from the influence of the Calamity Fog.
He sat against the wall, gasping for breath, "I must recover quickly, the boss is still waiting for me."
It was then a voice sounded behind him, "I didn’t expect you could break free from the Calamity Fog."
Zhuo Jie turned his head and saw Mercury in a suit, standing amidst the fog.
"You bastard, instead of helping the boss, you still have the leisure to make cynical remarks here."
Mercury shook his head, took out a short staff entwined with two snakes, and said regretfully, "Why bother? If you had just died quietly in the Calamity Fog, like the others, wouldn’t it have been better?"
Zhuo Jie glanced at the hole in his protective shield. The size and shape matched the pointed tip of Mercury’s short staff, and combined with what Mercury said, even if he was slow, he sensed something was wrong.
He gripped the overheated machine cannon in his hand, coldly asking, "What exactly do you want?"
Mercury waved the short staff and said, "I just want to put some pressure on He Yun through your deaths to help her make certain decisions. You know, you guys are quite important to her emotionally; all of you dying here should cause her considerable distress."
"Damn you!" Zhuo Jie was furious and raised his machine cannon to shoot.
But his prolonged use in the Calamity Fog had overheated the cannon’s barrel, and just barely breaking through the Calamity Fog was its limit. Now, trying again, the machine cannon was finally overburdened, its barrel exploding.
Zhuo Jie tossed the machine cannon aside, trying to switch to the large rifle strapped to his leg, but Mercury was already standing on his shoulder at some point.
With a wave of the Snake Staff in Mercury’s hand, light pierced through Zhuo Jie’s chest.
"Stop with the futile struggle, you and I aren’t even on the same level of existence."
Zhuo Jie looked at the hole in his chest, puzzled, "Why? I thought we were companions."
Mercury shook his head, "If you had died obediently like the others, in your heart, we would always have been companions. However, too much combat power can sometimes do more harm than good."
"As for why, even if I explained it to you, you wouldn’t understand. I can only say that the fate of the No.88 Underground Shelter was sealed from the start. Its ultimate fate is beyond your control, so there’s no need to worry about it."
Zhuo Jie coughed up a mouthful of blood, gasping, "I have one last thing to say."
Mercury: "Speak."
Zhuo Jie: "Fuck you!"
With the curse, Wu Chang’s vision went black; the vision within the grievance ended here.
As the grievance ended, the Blood-Colored Will belonging to Zhuo Jie appeared before him.
[Help the boss overcome past shadows, do not let the boss blame himself for our deaths, and if you encounter Mercury, give him a hard punch in the face for me!]
