Chapter 31: Mist

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Gray mist filled the air.

The wilderness was deathly silent. Between heaven and earth, there was only a pale road and a solitary figure standing beside it, a steel rod in hand.

Nothing else.

Cold!

After being abandoned by Bus 444 at the roadside, that was the only sensation Bai Ming could feel.

In theory, even at temperatures approaching absolute zero, according to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, the amount of heat dissipated by a human body in an hour was no more than that released by an elite marathon runner over the same period.

In other words, if one could maintain a marathon runner's level of energy supply, then in a non-vacuum, oxygen-rich environment, a human could theoretically survive extreme cold approaching absolute zero.

Clearly, the outside world was nowhere near absolute zero.

At most, it was around freezing. For Bai Ming, who possessed Tough Flesh, such temperatures should have been insignificant.

But the cold of the underworld was different.

It did not erode flesh. It pierced the soul, freezing the mind and consciousness.

And when the trembling of his soul spread into reality, Bai Ming's body had already stiffened.

More deadly still, a faint, indistinct voice was calling to him from deep within the thick fog.

Even with the willpower granted by Rebel, the summons still affected him.

Without realizing it, he began trying to leave the road and walk into the fog.

Yet the deeper he tried to venture into the mist, the more severe the chill in his soul became.

Damn it, you treacherous bastard, Ink-Dyed Dust!

How dare you set me up!

Bai Ming was not someone who trusted others easily.

Along the way, Ink-Dyed Dust had indeed contributed greatly, even deciphering the rules several times.

And the farther they went, the more dangerous the stations became. From a standpoint of self-interest, turning against him now would bring Ink-Dyed Dust nothing but harm.

If he wanted to stab Bai Ming in the back, he should have waited until the very end!

Otherwise, how could he guarantee a high-rated clearance?

One Slash Suppresses Mountains and Rivers and Cotton Candy and Cat had already been crippled while exploring the rules. Even if he forcibly controlled them, they would be of no help.

Then what was Ink-Dyed Dust after?

Bai Ming could not figure it out.

It was like spending ten days and ten nights trying to understand why India had suddenly gone mad and launched an attack.

But he could not go on like this.

A companion?

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“Come out, Bai Xiaozhi! I choose you!”

A streak of ghostly light flashed. The girl's soul emerged from within him, solidifying in an instant before landing on the ground.

Bai Xiaozhi hurriedly supported Bai Ming's frozen body, her voice trembling. “B-Bai Ming! What's wrong with you?”

With her appearance, the bewitching call from the depths of the wilderness gradually faded.

Even more reassuringly, the bone-chilling cold of the soul receded like a tide.

So that's how it was…

A trace of understanding flashed through Bai Ming's eyes.

A “companion” did not necessarily have to be alive.

So that dog was Ink-Dyed Dust's pet?

He stretched his limbs, hopped in place a few times to warm up, then waved his hand grandly. “I'm fine. With you beside me, I feel much better.”

Seeing that Bai Ming was all right, Bai Xiaozhi let out a sigh of relief. Then a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. “M-Me too.”

But she immediately raised her voice and pretended to calmly survey their surroundings. “By the way, where is this place? I feel especially comfortable here.”

Bai Ming pondered. “This is the underworld. As a spirit, you probably have an inherent advantage here. Could you sense nothing at all from the outside before?”

Bai Xiaozhi gently shook her head. “No.”

As she explained, Bai Ming finally understood that from the moment he had been transported into the instance, Bai Xiaozhi had fallen into a deep sleep.

Only when he deliberately awakened her could she regain awareness of the outside world.

Bai Ming analyzed the situation. “This is the instance's protection mechanism for you. If you remained conscious, you might also be incorporated into the system of rules.”

“When you were asleep in the Inventory, you were probably completely immune to the rules. Try seeing whether you can return to the Inventory on your own.”

Bai Xiaozhi suddenly lowered her head and rammed it into Bai Ming's chest.

Bai Ming cried out in pain. “What are you doing?”

Bai Xiaozhi lifted her head from his arms, her expression utterly serious. “I'm testing whether I can return to the Inventory.”

Rubbing his aching chest, Bai Ming was both amused and exasperated. “You can't even turn incorporeal in the underworld. You became a physical entity the moment you appeared, so it seems you can't get back in. The system really doesn't allow this kind of loophole abuse.”

He recalled once considering having Bai Xiaozhi probe the rules, then hide in the Inventory the moment a punishment was triggered.

Now it seemed that even a spirit bound to a place like Bai Xiaozhi had to follow the general rules for summoned creatures recorded in the Player Forum.

“Bai Ming…” Bai Xiaozhi suddenly gripped his sleeve nervously. “Y-You won't stop summoning me in the future, will you?”

Bai Ming froze. “Why would you think that?”

Bai Xiaozhi lowered her head. “Because… Bai Ming, you always say you don't want me to get involved in danger. Besides, I can't turn incorporeal now. I can only exist in physical form.”

Bai Ming reached out and ruffled her hair, laughing despite himself. “If I can't survive, do you think you'll remain safe and sound?”

“When I can make use of you, I'm not going to be so rigid about it. So make sure you let me use you properly.”

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Bai Xiaozhi blinked. “Oh.”

After a while, she asked, “Bai Ming, what do we do now?”

Bai Ming thought for a moment. “Since this is the underworld, see whether there are any yin-type energies around that you can absorb. You might become stronger.”

Bai Xiaozhi closed her eyes and sensed her surroundings for a moment. “There are some, but the process is very slow. If I stayed here for a month, I would probably become ten percent stronger than I am now.”

Bai Ming answered decisively, “Then forget it. Don't cultivate. We'll just wait here for Bus 444. But remember, we have to keep an eye on each other at all times and avoid being influenced by the rules.”

“Besides, I have a feeling this place is more than just summons and cold. We need to be careful of any ghosts waiting here for the bus, like us.”

After getting off the bus, Bai Ming had expected to find himself surrounded by an army of ghosts. Instead, there was not a single ghost besides him.

Thinking about it carefully, if ghosts came here to board the bus, then their appearance probably meant the bus was about to arrive.

There were likely few ghosts waiting here under normal circumstances.

Bai Xiaozhi nodded vigorously. “All right!”

Bai Ming took a mechanical clock from the Inventory to keep track of time. He watched Bai Xiaozhi's condition while warily scanning the surrounding area.

Twenty minutes later, faint footsteps finally came from within the thick fog.

Bai Ming naturally had no intention of simply waiting for the enemy to approach.

In this open terrain, he had already switched to the two-meter-long Long Staff Type One.

As the saying went, an extra inch of reach meant an extra inch of strength. At two meters long, Long Staff Type One was naturally the strongest of the strong.

Clang!

The sound of metal colliding echoed through the fog.

Bai Ming narrowed his eyes. His opponent was even stronger than he had expected.

Stronger than a single Teacher Wang—and not by a little.

The fog hung like a heavy curtain, completely blocking his vision.

But relying on his keen senses and the enhancement of Spineless Coward, he could still evade every one of his opponent's attacks with precision.

Then the long staff surged forth like an enraged dragon bursting from the sea, tearing through the dense fog before crashing down with a thunderous whoosh!

Bang!

His opponent fell to the ground.

Just as Bai Ming was about to press his advantage and kill him with a single blow, the other person shouted in panic, “Stop! Are you a player stranded here too?”