Chapter 228 - 228 Eighty-five

Words : 1364 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

228: Eighty-five. Investigator Simulation Event Four 228: Eighty-five. Investigator Simulation Event Four “For my sister, of course I’m willing to do it, even if it means being besieged and dying. He asked you what needs to be done—” Lu Li: “Provoke or attract the monsters, lead them all away from the entrance to Dark Relics, and I’ll slip in at that moment. I don’t need you to die, or rather, you need to stay alive until my sister and I come out. Hide at a distance and watch the entrance. If you see us emerging from Dark Relics, distract them again to let us out. Can you do it?” “‘Definitely! I’ve already made a mistake... I can’t keep making them. Please, you must bring my sister back!’ He said this firmly, shifting the massive shadow of the creature, moving closer to Dark Relics. You followed behind it, keeping a careful distance due to vigilance. At that moment, you observed the creature’s body.” “It had a large upper body and a relatively weak lower body. This physique might give it bursts of strength but lacked endurance. This might give you a chance to escape if you encountered monsters at a mid to long distance. You updated the ‘Mission Progress (65%/100%)’ through your observations.” “‘It’s just ahead.’ Stopping about thirty to forty meters away from the entrance, the brother said. He planned to emerge and draw the entrance’s monsters to the left, while you would run into Dark Relics from the right. Hearing his suggestion, you planned to—” Lu Li: “Do as he says and look for small stones to put in my pockets on the way.” “‘I don’t know who you are or why you’re here, but... thank you for still being willing to trust and help me.’ The eyes of the creature and the brother both focused on you at the same time. They took a deep look at you and headed towards the tall stone forest.” “You ran to the right of the stone forest, picking up stones from the dark soil while watching the actions of the chief’s son. You saw it attacking the monsters wandering in the tall stone forest and at the entrance, leading them in the opposite direction of you. The roars faded with distance, and the entrance to Dark Relics became clear. You planned to—” Lu Li: “Dash toward the entrance of Dark Relics, put on gloves, hold my breath, tear off a piece of meat from the fire, wrap it in something, and tuck it into my backpack. If there’s meat on the fire, that is.” Lu Li’s actions were extremely cautious, as if he were afraid to die. But usually, those who are afraid of dying live longer. “Taking advantage of the time he bought you, you ran towards the open space in front of the entrance to Dark Relics. The roasted meat on the fire caught your attention. You recalled that the chief’s son’s transformation seemed to be related to eating this meat. As an Apprentice Investigator, you hadn’t forgotten the purpose of coming here. You didn’t want to touch the meat directly, or even smell the scent of the roast. So, you tore off a few pages from your notebook, held your breath as you approached the fire, and wrapped a small piece of meat layer by layer before tossing it into your backpack. You updated ‘Mission Progress (75%/100%)’.” It seemed you were very close to completing the event, albeit at the minimum requirements. “After all this, you heard the indistinct sounds of movement in the tall stone forest, likely the monsters returning. You hurried, turning and running into the shadow of the entrance to Dark Relics.” “Dense darkness enveloped you, and in the cold, damp darkness, there seemed to be sounds, or maybe it was just an illusion. The pounding of your heart made it hard to hear clearly. Perhaps it was time to light a torch for exploration, at this moment you planned to—” Lu Li didn’t answer as quickly as before. He frowned, murmuring thoughtfully, “Why is the ground black, why do monsters eat roasted meat, why can two ordinary people survive in Dark Relics for several days...” Tesla, of course, wouldn’t answer Lu Li, for at this time he was just the narrator presenting the plot. “‘Why is the ground black, why do the monsters eat roasted meat, why can two ordinary people survive in the relics for several days...’ you murmur softly in the dark.” Lu Li, “Step back a bit, to the dividing line between light and darkness at the entrance of the relics.” “You catch some information and don’t rashly enter the relics but retreat to the entrance. You barely observe the dimly lit passage, with the all-consuming darkness at your back, and the clearing in front of you. The monsters have returned, gathering around the fire. They haven’t noticed you at the entrance of the relics, which reminds you of something else you learned in the village.” “That madman told you he once encountered a monster at night. He was so frightened that he turned and ran. Oddly, the monster didn’t chase him, perhaps their vision and perception are very poor. You have lost ‘a small amount of information (3/3),’ and you have updated ‘task progress (75%/100%).’ Next, you plan to——” Lu Li, “Walk into the dark about four to five meters, strike a match and place it on the ground, then retreat.” “You are fully aware that life is fragile in the eyes of those eerie and grotesque beings, like ants that can be crushed at any moment. You cautiously move into the darkness not far away, light a match and place it on the ground, then step back. One second... two seconds... three seconds... You retreat back into the dim light, the fire’s tiny and fragile glow in the darkness, which could go out at any moment. Just as you think this, the match abruptly goes out, and it isn’t extinguished normally.” “You feel a chilling sensation upon witnessing this, ‘a small measure of inner strength vanishes.’ You vaguely guess the real reason the siblings could linger in the Dark Relics for days, because of the darkness. You have lost ‘a moderate amount of information,’ and you have updated ‘task progress (95%/100%)’ You are about to——” A small amount of information takes three uses to be completely consumed, whereas a moderate amount is spent all at once. This kind of narrative-like hint often provides vital information. It’s like finding your way in a game, where encountering monsters indicates you’ve found the right path. Consuming an entire bar of moderate information means the message is true and important. Lu Li, “Feel your way along the right-hand wall and enter the pitch-black relics. Don’t use a torch and make no sound.” “Realizing the possibility of completing the task, you take a deep breath and walk into the relics, swallowed by darkness. In the gloom, you touch the cold, damp wall and move forward in silence. Passing the extinguished match, the light behind you slowly recedes, and an uncontrollable fear grows within you in the darkness, ‘a small measure of inner strength vanishes,’ but you know that lighting a torch might bring danger. In your dilemma, you arrive at the first intersection.” Lu Li, “Continue feeling your way along the right-hand wall.” No matter how disordered and complex a line is, you can always reach the other end from one side. Proceeding with a hand along one wall means Lu Li cannot get lost in the relics and fail to find a way out. “The village chief’s son didn’t lie to you; indeed, in the darkness is safety. You sense something brushing past you multiple times but it ignores you. Amid this apprehension and weird calm, you arrive at the next intersection, where you plan to——” Lu Li, “Continue moving along the edge; throw a pebble behind you every few steps.”

Chapter 228 - 228 Eighty-five

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