26: Chapter 26 The Cripple's Tea, a Life in Exchange

The pungent smell of blood mixed with the acrid scent of ozone instantly flooded Chen Fan's nostrils.

That devastating blue light seemed to still be searing his retinas. Old Cripple's final silhouette, the extinguished pipe, and the whisper, 'Don't let my son die in vain,' pierced his mind like white-hot steel needles.

[Experience Gain Speed x2 (From 'Sacrificial Resonance')]

The cold system prompt sounded incredibly sarcastic at this moment.

Resonance? Was it resonance earned by trading a living human life?

Chen Fan's eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched, the line of his jaw pulled tight like a fully drawn bow.

He had no time for grief, nor the right to linger.

What Old Cripple had bought for him with his life was the only chance to escape hell.

'The seventh pillar...' he murmured, the veins in his arm bulging from the force of holding Little Bean.

The little fellow in his arms had a burning body, but his breathing was growing weaker. The strange red markings on his tender little face had already spread to the corners of his eyes, like a death blossom about to bloom.

'Hold on, Little Bean! You must hold on!' Chen Fan roared, seeming to speak to Little Bean as much as ordering himself.

Outside the alley, a piercing alarm blared from far to near. The chaotic and heavy sound of footsteps hammered the ground like war drums, each beat landing on his heartbeat.

They were catching up!

Chen Fan no longer hesitated, turning and plunging into the deeper darkness.

This gray alley was not straight but crisscrossed like a spiderweb, filled everywhere with mountains of garbage and abandoned pipes, emitting a nauseating, sour stench.

Above his head, complex steam pipes occasionally vented scorching white mist, further blurring the already dim visibility.

'Over there! Target sighted!' a booming shout came from behind.

Immediately following, several beams of ghostly blue searchlights tore through the thick fog, sweeping frantically between the walls and garbage piles like the gaze of Death.

Chen Fan's heart clenched violently. Clutching Little Bean, he rolled on the spot, narrowly dodging behind an abandoned metal container.

'Bang! Bang-bang!'

Energy bullets whistled past, exploding in clusters of blue sparks where he had just stood, blasting fist-sized craters into the concrete floor.

Leaning against the cold iron plating, he gasped heavily, his chest burning painfully.

The system overload warning, the pain of his soul tearing, intertwined with the grief and indignation over Old Cripple's death, transforming into a violent energy surging within him.

He could feel that with every heartbeat, the cracks in his soul seemed to deepen by another fraction.

That packet of powder!

He hurriedly pulled out the paper packet Old Cripple had given him from his pocket, only to find it had been torn open during the tumble. Most of the grayish-white powder had spilled out mixed with blood.

Ignoring the loss, he poured the remaining powder into his mouth.

A strange taste, mixed with a fishy odor and the astringency of lime, exploded on his tongue, sending an indescribable wave of nausea straight to his scalp.

But in the next second, a cool sensation slid down his throat into his abdomen, quickly spreading throughout his limbs and bones. The tearing pain originating from the depths of his soul was actually suppressed.

[Critical Overload Risk: 37% → 25%]

It was effective! But Old Cripple said it would only last two hours.

Chen Fan's gaze fell upon the powder and bloodstains clinging to his palm—that blood was not his; it belonged to Old Cripple.

In the dim light, that trace of blood faintly revealed an almost imperceptible pale gold sheen.

Gold? Chen Fan's mind roared. A detail he had overlooked instantly became crystal clear.

Su Shuang! When Su Shuang revealed her Fox Demon true form, weren't the markings flowing across her body emitting that same pale gold light?

Old Cripple said his son was a half-demon... Could that pale gold blood be the blood of the Fox Demon?

A thought so bold it startled even himself surfaced: There was some connection between Old Cripple and Su Shuang that he did not know!

His saving him might not just be because of a 'frost moon red,' nor simply out of hatred for the powerful; it was... something else hidden!

'Go quickly... Don't let my son die in vain...'

Old Cripple's words echoed again. Who was his son?

His thoughts raced like lightning, but his movements dared not pause even for an instant.

He recognized the direction, using the shadows of pipes and structures to move swiftly through the labyrinthine alley like an agile night cat.

One, two, three... He silently counted the support pillars he passed.

Every pillar was rusted, covered in various graffiti and desperate messages left by New Players.

'Don't trust the announcements.'

'The mission is fake.'

'It is learning us.'

These words, after the revelations from Old Cripple and the warnings from Su Shuang, appeared even more shocking.

This world, this so-called 'Doomsday Game,' was fundamentally a complete scam from the root.

The Order Alliance was not a savior, but a butcher; the class token was not hope, but a death warrant; and they, the players, from the first day they stepped in, had become livestock being raised for sacrifice.

Anger and killing intent churned in his chest, almost breaking the shackles of reason.

But he knew this was not the time for impulse.

To live, only by living could he uncover the truth, make those 'Gods' sitting on high pay the price, and... not let Old Cripple's sacrifice be in vain.

The sixth pillar arrived!

Not far ahead was the seventh pillar.

It was an unusually thick load-bearing column, half of which was buried in the garbage mountain. Behind the pillar was a seemingly ordinary brick wall.

The entrance to the Ghost Line Path was right there!

Hope was in sight!

Chen Fan's heart couldn't help but speed up. He lightened his steps, confirming the sounds behind him one last time.

The footsteps and shouts of the pursuers seemed to be blocked by the complex network of alleys; the surroundings fell into a strange, dead silence.

Too quiet.

A strong sense of unease surged in his heart. When things are abnormal, there must be a demon!

He did not rush forward immediately. Instead, he pressed his body tightly into the shadow behind the sixth pillar, only poking out half his head to cautiously observe the area around the seventh pillar.

It was empty.

Only a few mutated giant rats were rummaging through the garbage pile, making soft rustling sounds.

Could he be overly cautious?

Just as he was about to move, Little Bean in his arms suddenly convulsed violently again. This time, he did not utter ancient words but suddenly opened his eyes.

His pupils, which should have been clear, were now completely covered in a layer of crimson. He stared fixedly in the direction of the seventh pillar, letting out an unintelligible roar from his throat, filled with terror and resistance.

Chen Fan's heart instantly sank to the bottom. Little Bean's reaction was absolutely not accidental!

He forced himself to calm down, held his breath, and focused all his attention on his hearing.

The sound of the wind, the squeaking of rats, the sound of steam pipes releasing pressure in the distance... everything seemed normal.

Wrong!

Beneath these noises, there was an extremely faint, very low-frequency buzzing sound.

It was the sound emitted by a certain type of energy equipment when on standby, undetectable by ordinary people, but clearly discernible to Chen Fan, whose mental power far surpassed that of ordinary people.

And there was more than one!

His pupils contracted abruptly, his gaze locking onto the wall behind the seventh pillar.

There were no pursuers there, but there was something far more terrifying than pursuers.

Suddenly, the faint buzzing sound stopped in unison.

The entire alley fell into absolute silence at that moment; even the sound of the rats disappeared.

A chilling killing intent, like an invisible tide, swept in from all directions, locking onto him firmly.

In the darkness of the alley entrance, a cold metallic glint slowly lit up, resembling a cold crescent moon.

Next came the second glint, then the third... a total of twelve glints, arranged in a perfect fan shape, silently and completely sealing off the entire area.

A hoarse, cold voice, as if quenched with ice, pierced the dead air and clearly reached Chen Fan's ears.

'The path Old Cripple bought with his life, unfortunately... it's blocked now.'

The voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable dominance and cruelty.

'Chen Fan, come out. The game is over.'