On the other side, Wang Qiang led Su Xiao down the hallway toward the back of the apartments, instead of heading straight for Old Man Li's place.
Su Xiao followed closely behind him. Though she was somewhat puzzled, she didn't dare ask too many questions and could only keep a cautious eye on their surroundings.
The narrow entrance to the passage, obscured by clutter, was only wide enough for one person to pass through at a time. It was pitch black inside, and a faint smell of sandalwood mixed with mold wafted out.
“Brother Wang, aren't we going to find Old Man Li?” After walking for a bit, Su Xiao couldn't help but ask.
Wang Qiang stopped in his tracks, looked back at her, and said in a gentle yet serious tone, “There's a high probability that Old Man Li isn't at his place right now. Even if he is, showing up out of the blue would only arouse suspicion. The clues about the underground passage that Bai Ci and Xiao Lin found are far more critical. The truth behind Lele's disappearance is likely hidden down there, and it will probably explain the anomaly in that room just now as well.”
“Xiao Su, I didn't bring you here just to look for clues.” He turned to look at Su Xiao, his tone softening a bit. “You're a newcomer, and this is your first instance. You don't understand the importance of a starting class yet.”
“The rating for your starting class in Anomalous Infection depends on your task participation rate, clue contributions, and adaptability in your very first instance. You've been shrinking back this whole time, so your rating definitely won't be high. If you get a terrible starting class, you won't survive when you encounter more difficult instances down the road.”
“Take my current class, for example. Frankly speaking, it's pretty useless. My physical fitness is slightly better than average players, but not enough to make a real difference. It's getting harder and harder for me to clear instances now, and that's all because I completely botched my first one.”
“You're a lot like my daughter. Both of you are quiet and don't like to speak up—the kind of personality that easily gets taken advantage of. I want to make sure you avoid the pitfalls I stumbled into.”
“I'm bringing you along for this core investigation not to make you do the heavy lifting, but to get you to observe and memorize more. When something happens, don't just think about hiding. Try to analyze the clues. Even if you're just handing me something or jotting down information, it will still boost your participation rate.”
Su Xiao froze, her eyes turning slightly red. She hadn't expected him to be looking out for her future like this. Her heart felt both warm and anxious—warm because Wang Qiang genuinely cared for her, but anxious because she feared her own lack of ability would only hold him back.
She nodded vigorously, her voice choking up slightly. “Thank you, Brother Wang. I'll definitely work hard and make sure I don't hold you back.”
“Good.” Wang Qiang smiled and stepped into the passage first.
The passage was narrow, only allowing one person to pass by turning sideways. Discarded wooden boards and cardboard boxes were piled on both sides, making it hard to walk without making noise.
Su Xiao followed closely behind Wang Qiang. The light from her phone's flashlight flickered ahead, illuminating the winding steps leading downward.
After descending about a dozen steps, the passage suddenly opened up into a spacious underground area.
Dilapidated clutter was piled on both sides of the space. Venturing deeper, several narrow passages that led to unknown destinations appeared before them. They were muddy paths that looked as if they had been excavated privately, carrying the salty tang of seawater mixed with an unfamiliar, fishy stench.
“To think there are actually multiple paths...” Wang Qiang glanced at Su Xiao. Splitting up to explore was out of the question, but returning empty-handed would be a massive waste of an opportunity.
He carefully approached a few of the passages. They were pitch black inside, and the flashlight's beam could only illuminate a limited range. However, he still managed to spot subtle differences between them—the scent of sandalwood in the middle path was stronger than in the others.
Wang Qiang made his decision. He would take a risk and continue exploring along the middle path. Su Xiao followed closely behind, her heart hammering wildly. In the darkness, only the sounds of their breathing and footsteps echoed with striking clarity.
Catching a glimpse of Wang Qiang's broad back, Su Xiao was reminded of her own father.
He was a miserable drunkard who spent his life soaked in alcohol. He had never once protected her like this; instead, after drinking too much, he would beat and kick her with bloodshot eyes, taking out all of his life's frustrations on her.
She still remembered that night. Her father had been dead drunk again, chasing her with a wine bottle. Panicking, she had bolted up the stairs. When her father grabbed at her from behind, she had pushed him away instinctively. He tumbled down the steep staircase, his head striking the steps, and blood instantly stained the concrete floor.
Su Xiao still remembered that absolute panic and despair with vivid clarity.
She had collapsed at the top of the stairs, staring at her father's motionless body as her mind went entirely blank. In her frantic rush to get up and flee, her foot had slipped, and she had tumbled down after him.
When she woke up again, she was already inside this instance game called Anomalous Infection, surrounded by strangers and the constant threat of death.
Wang Qiang was the spitting image of the father she had always yearned for. Yet, it was this very resemblance that made her even more uneasy. She was afraid of becoming dependent, terrified that this fleeting warmth would only lead to even deeper pain.
But even so...
“If only Brother Wang were my father...” She couldn't help but harbor that hope.
“Sure,” Wang Qiang replied. “Xiao Su, if you don't mind, why don't you be my goddaughter? Once this instance is over, we'll form a team and leave this godforsaken place together. My wife absolutely adores sweet girls like you, and you and Huihui will definitely become great friends.”
Su Xiao was taken aback, only then realizing she had actually spoken those words aloud. Wang Qiang, considerate as always, didn't pry into her past and simply gave her a promise.
“Okay.” Su Xiao's heart finally settled.
The deeper they went into the passage, the stronger the scent of sandalwood grew, and the fishy stench became increasingly pungent. Right then, a faint rustling sound drifted from up ahead, sounding like the echo of crashing waves.
Wang Qiang's heart tightened. He immediately shielded Su Xiao behind him and swept his flashlight beam sharply toward the source of the fluttering sound.
Su Xiao froze in terror, pressing herself flat against the passage wall, not daring to make a single sound.
The sound of the waves drew closer. Under the dim light, she saw countless thumbnail-sized black insects rapidly closing in on them. Their shells gleamed with a greenish-black luster, and they possessed a pair of sharp mouthparts on their heads. Their wings fluttered at an extremely high frequency, yet they beat in perfect unison, blending into a single, collective sound.
It wasn't the sound of waves; it was the buzzing of the insects' wings.
“Something's wrong. Run!” Wang Qiang threw his phone toward the swarm, turned around, and pushed Su Xiao back the way they came. If it were a single monster, he might have had the confidence to trade a few blows, but a massive swarm of unknown insects like this was far more troublesome to deal with.
The phone's light did nothing to slow the swarm down. In an instant, the insects landed on Wang Qiang's arms. Their sharp mouthparts pierced his skin immediately, sending a stabbing pain through him as if countless fine needles were pricking him at once.
He looked down. By the light of Su Xiao's phone, which had fallen to the ground, he saw that his arms were already covered in the tiny black bugs. His skin quickly broke out in purplish-blue bruises, and the pain surged through his blood vessels, spreading to his entire body and beginning to numb his limbs.
Su Xiao was scared out of her wits by this sudden swarm of insects. Her mind went completely blank, and the buzzing of countless bugs threatened to tear her sanity apart. It wasn't until Wang Qiang gave her a hard push that she snapped out of it and began running back like mad.
Wang Qiang kept bringing up the rear to cover her, but the swarm was incredibly fast, and quite a few of the insects had already landed on the hem of her clothes and her hair.
Rate on N.U.
