Chapter 33: The Angel of Ease

[Page 1 of 3]
【Identity verification complete, work for the day begins.】

After a pleasant gathering with his close friends, Fu Qian buckled his work badge on time on Sunday morning. For him, this had long ceased to be just a job; it had become a rare source of amusement. At the very least, he couldn't think of any other job that would make him volunteer for overtime on a weekend.

【Warning: Containment Breach】
【Name: Angel of Bliss, Codename: 1-003】
【Today’s objective updated: Enter the containment scenario for 1-003 and complete re-containment.】

Unsurprisingly, a new containment breach had occurred. Fu Qian was long accustomed to such things, yet seeing the designation still made him vigilant. This was the first time he had encountered a breach involving an item starting with the number 1. He had always speculated on what the prefix numbers actually represented. According to simple logic, the numbering should follow some sort of pattern—perhaps the lower the number, the greater the danger. If that were the case, this containment mission would likely be difficult, and he would need to stay sharp.

Beyond the numbering, the anomalous vision caused by the breach was rather strange. The illusory projection created by the leak was a white sphere with a diameter of about two meters. Fu Qian observed it repeatedly and confirmed there was nothing special about it; it was just a sphere, devoid of even a single pattern.

【Entering containment scenario for 1-003】
【...1%...5%...10%...55%...75%...100%, scenario loading complete】

【Eternity brings bliss.
Transcendents love to explore forbidden realms, tempering themselves in search of ascension.
As a young transcendent on an exploratory outing, you and many peers have stepped into an unknown territory filled with fog and ancient architecture, brimming with a mysterious aura.
Unfortunately, what the explorers do not know is that not all paths lead home.】

【Skills: Air Bullet, Visceral Critical, Cat School】
【Weapon: Tyrant’s Fist】
【Containment Condition: Escape the Furnace】
【Current Sanity: 56, Current Inspiration: 16】

As the lines of descriptive text flashed by, Fu Qian regained his senses.

[Page 2 of 3]

"Strange, is this place on the map?"

Someone was speaking ahead. Fu Qian followed the sound and found himself amidst a ruin of buildings. The sky above was shrouded in mist, with no sun, moon, or stars in sight. At this moment, a team was gathered within the ruins; they appeared quite young, generally in their early twenties.

Despite their youth, their strength was not weak—certainly far superior to the likes of Young Master Ye Yang and his associates. A few of them even possessed a remarkably vibrant spirit, likely reaching at least the Seventh Rank. More importantly, this group was fully equipped with swords, blades, and various gear, armed to the teeth.

*An exploration team,* Fu Qian recalled the content from the earlier introduction.

The person who had spoken was a young man at the very front of the group. He was frowning, signaling the others to stop. "Another dead end. The layout of this place is a total mess."

He was right. Their path forward had been blocked; a broken wall was slanted across the way, its mottled surface covered in traces of extreme age. One could climb over the wall, of course, but there was no telling what lay behind it. It wasn't just the wall—looking further into the distance, one could see that this place was a hodgepodge of architecture. Spires, archways, and stone pillars were crammed together in a chaotic mix that was so disorienting it almost triggered a physical sense of repulsion.

All these structures were shrouded in a greyish-white mist. It wasn't particularly thick, but it had an inexplicable quality of obscuration, making it difficult to see clearly what lay beyond.

"Liushuang, should we stop?" The young man glanced around, looking at another member of the group, seemingly seeking an opinion.

The person he called Liushuang was a young woman of similar age walking behind him. She had delicate features and beautiful brows; even in practical clothing, her stunning looks were hard to conceal, and she was in no way inferior to the Wen Li he had encountered previously.

"It is indeed strange," she said, frowning slightly. "I’ve never heard of such a place, and there are no markings on the map. Yet, looking at these architectural remains, they appear quite ancient."

"There are too many forks in the road here, and we’ve gone too deep. Let’s stop and regroup; there’s no need to rush."

"Although this is a free exploration, it’s best we don't stray too far from the other teams, or it will be very difficult for Dean Li to look after us."

These two were clearly the core members of the team. Once they spoke, almost everyone responded. The group set down their gear in a practiced manner, quickly establishing a field camp.

*A group of well-guided young transcendents, prepared for a field exploration.*

[Page 3 of 3]

Fu Qian quickly made his assessment. This team was not only individually capable but also highly coordinated. They must have accidentally wandered into these ruins during some exploration mission.

*My task is to escape the "Furnace." Is this graveyard of buildings the "Furnace"? Once I get out of here, will the containment be complete?*

Fu Qian scanned the surroundings. He didn't see anything that might hinder him, but moving in a place like this was undoubtedly a recipe for getting lost. Especially since the structures that might serve as landmarks could easily create illusions due to their bizarre angles and stacking.

Young people are always full of energy. From the casual chatter of the group, Fu Qian learned that Liushuang’s full name was Ji Liushuang, and the first man to speak was named Yuan Xin. They were the two strongest members of the team.

The group came from a place called the "Academy," an institution dedicated to training transcendents. Besides this team, there were two other teams totaling thirty people—all elites of the academy, led personally by the Vice Dean. It was a luxurious exploration contingent.

Unfortunately, this elite group seemed entirely unaware that they had embarked on a road of no return.

"Does anyone recognize what this is?" someone in the group asked, pulling something from their pack to show the others. "Since we started, there haven't been any living things in these ruins. This is the only thing growing directly on the stones. I collected some as we walked; the deeper we go, the more of it there is."

The person tried to pull at it with his hands. "It’s as thin as a hair but incredibly tough. It feels like it could be a very good material."

Everyone shook their heads. One of them smiled and pointed toward where Fu Qian was sitting. "You could ask Fu Qian. He’s more of an expert on these strange things."

*Attracting attention out of nowhere, are we?*

Fu Qian had realized earlier that he was an outsider in this group and not particularly popular. Not only did he walk at the very back of the line, but no one had spoken a single word to him during the rest break. Now, however, he had undeniably drawn everyone's gaze.

Seeing the man actually smiling and holding the object out toward him, Fu Qian took a glance.

"Hair," he said.