The Mysterious Resurrection at the Beginning of Infinite Terror

The glamorous yet deceptive bubble burst instantly amidst the interplay of gray-black energy shrieks and red-white energy explosions.

Time seemed stretched and distorted. Wang Lin captured countless details, like slow-motion film shots:

The blood-red light erupting from the rat pendant, like the final, venomous howl of a dying beast, transformed into countless twisted, gray-black energy threads that frantically coiled and pierced towards the crystal shoe in the prince's hand. Under the erosion of the gray-black energy, the countless fragments of tormented souls imprisoned within the eerie crystal shoe seemed to be disturbed, emitting an even more piercing, invisible shriek. Its seven-colored light flickered and became chaotic, even developing a tiny, spiderweb-like crack! The invisible energy connection between the prince and Ming Yanwei was severed as if by red-hot iron clamps, emitting a teeth-grinding, crisp sound that could only be "heard" by spiritual perception.

The prince's impeccably handsome face, under the dual blows of the gray-black energy impact and the ruptured connection, revealed for the first time an inhuman "astonishment" and "rage," like a precision instrument malfunctioning! The gentle facade in the depths of his azure eyes vanished completely, replaced by a cold, inorganic, crimson light! His kneeling body trembled violently, and the arm gripping Ming Yanwei's ankle, under Zheng Zha's "explosive" fist, emitted a dull, metallic twisting and cracking sound, unlike any human bone! But he didn't let go; instead, his fingers tightened like iron clamps, forcefully squeezing Ming Yanwei's ankle, pulling her backward, attempting to drag her back towards the crystal shoe!

The sniper bullet, fired at midnight, trailing a faint vortex of air, struck the pink gem at the tip of the Fairy Godmother's wand with pinpoint accuracy in a fraction of a second! However, an almost invisible, flowing pink light film appeared on the gem's surface. The bullet struck it, exploding into a blinding spark, but failed to penetrate it, only causing the gem's light to flash intensely for a moment! The Fairy Godmother's benevolent expression was completely replaced by coldness, tyranny, and a hint of… shock and anger! She was not injured, but was clearly enraged by this sudden, precise attack and the chaos caused by the rat pendant. Her wand slammed down abruptly!

"Blasphemy! How dare you disrupt this sacred ritual! You—will all become eternal fuel!"

With her furious roar, the pink energy field throughout the castle hall instantly boiled and raged, like a lake tossed with a boulder! The enormous crystal chandelier on the ceiling shattered, countless fragments raining down like a deadly storm! The oil paintings on the walls depicting "happiness" now displayed twisted, agonizing faces, emitting silent wails! The smooth marble floor beneath her feet cracked open in countless fissures, from which seeped a viscous, dark red, blood-like energy flow, emanating a nauseatingly sweet, rotten stench!

The waiters and guests, who had previously worn perfect smiles and moved with precision, had their smiles peel away like melting wax, revealing hollow, wooden, yet suddenly grotesque faces! Their eyes, the whites disappearing into pure black, had eerie green flames burning deep within their sockets! They let out inhuman, incomprehensible roars, like puppets given a killing command. No longer maintaining their elegant demeanor, they charged towards the Central Continent Team with stiff yet swift movements, on all fours or twisting their limbs! It was a deeper form of puppetry, or rather, the complete unleashing of the Guardians' power!

The Guardians who had been motionless in the corner of the hall were now like activated killing machines. Something seemed to be writhing beneath their black uniforms, their bodies instantly expanding and growing taller. The black short staffs in their hands transformed into whips or blades burning with pink flames, whistling through the air as they swept and thrust at Zheng Zha, Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, and the others who were closest to them! Their speed and strength far exceeded what they had seen in front of the dilapidated wooden house!

"Spread out! Engage the enemy in small groups! Don't get surrounded!" Chu Xuan roared fiercely in the mental matrix, while his energy pistol fired continuously, accurately hitting the heads of several puppet servants who were rushing towards Wang Lin and Zhan Lan. His commands were transformed into clear tactical markers and arrows in the matrix, guiding everyone to barely maintain their formation in this sudden, all-out melee.

Zheng Zha's "explosive" state didn't stop after hitting the prince's arm. Using the recoil, his other fist, enveloped in vampire energy and inner strength, slammed into the prince's temple like a battering ram! The prince had to release Ming Yanwei's ankle and raise his twisted arm, already deformed from Zheng Zha's blow, to block. With a deafening roar, a shockwave exploded, sending several puppet guests rushing forward flying. The prince staggered backward, but the crimson light in his eyes intensified. His twisted arm visibly writhed and repaired itself. At the same time, the crystal shoe he still gripped tightly in his other hand was once again thrust towards Ming Yanwei's feet, who was being forced back by the energy shockwave! His goal remained clear—to complete the fitting ceremony!

Despite the excruciating pain in her ankle and the dizziness on a spiritual level, Ming Yanwei's eyes flashed with determination. Instead of retreating, she hurled the energy dagger in her hand towards the prince's eyes, her body defying the laws of physics as she leaned backward, her legs twisting like scissors towards the prince's lower body! Her newly acquired "Eagle Eye" and "Elemental Resonance" abilities granted her agility and tactical prowess far exceeding that of ordinary archers in close combat.

Zero's sniper rifle fired again. This time, he switched to armor-piercing explosive rounds, and his target was still the crystal shoe in the prince's hand that had developed a crack! At the same time, he kept moving around, using precise bursts to provide crucial fire support for Overlord, Li Shuaixi, and the others who were struggling to hold on under the siege of the puppets and the Guardians, blowing off the heads or joints of one monster after another that pounced on him.

Under the raging energy field of the Fairy Godmother, Zhan Lan's mental shield fluctuated violently, like a small boat in a storm, on the verge of collapse. But she gritted her teeth and persevered, focusing her shield primarily on Wang Lin, Chu Xuan, and Zheng Zha and Ming Yanwei, who were locked in combat with the prince. At the same time, she pushed her "Mind Blast" ability to its limit, indiscriminately impacting the controlled puppets around her. While she couldn't kill them directly, she greatly disrupted their movements and attack rhythm, creating a breathing space for her teammates.

The Overlord's heavy machine gun spat out deathly flames, the metal storm tearing swarms of puppets to shreds. But more puppets surged forward fearlessly, interspersed with the faster, more agile whip-like movements of the Rulers. He roared repeatedly, several deep, bone-revealing wounds instantly appearing on his body, blood staining his combat uniform. Li Shuaixi's blade flashed like snow, complementing the Overlord's firepower, charging left and right through the swarm of enemies, slaying one approaching threat after another. But he was soon targeted by several Rulers and plunged into a fierce battle.

Zhao Yingkong moved like a ghost, darting through the shadows and chaos. Each swing of her short sword precisely sliced ​​through the throat, joints, or energy core of a Ruler or Enhanced Puppet. Shadow Mastery allowed her to briefly blend into her environment and evade most attacks, but the Fairy Godmother's omnipresent pink force field greatly suppressed her stealth, forcing her to expose herself, attack, and then hide again more frequently, resulting in enormous energy expenditure.

O'Connor, Evelyn, and Jonathan were also stunned by the sudden hellish scene, but after all, they were people who had experienced life and death (in the world of God and Demon). After the initial fear, they picked up the weapons scattered on the ground (from the hands of the killed puppets), formed a small triangle back to back, and desperately resisted the scattered puppets that rushed at them. Although they were in great danger, they were able to hold on for the time being.

Wang Lin, having thrown out the rat pendant and ignited the ensuing chaos, immediately became the Fairy Godmother's primary "target." That cold, tyrannical will, like a tangible mountain, pressed down upon his soul! Simultaneously, several pink, almost tangible, spiritual tentacles shot towards him from the Fairy Godmother's direction, aiming directly at his brow and spiritual sea! She intended to crush and devour this "culprit" who had disrupted the ritual!

"Wang Lin! Watch out!" Zhan Lan screamed, her mental energy shield meeting the mental tentacles with all its might, but it shattered like an eggshell the moment it made contact! Her mental energy was like a firefly compared to the bright moon in front of the Fairy Godmother!

Wang Lin felt as if his soul was being forcibly ripped from his body by this terrifying will! His mind was wracked with excruciating pain, and the golden-white aura of his nascent Mind Light flickered violently under this pressure, like a candle flame in a storm. But he did not give up! His Mental Matrix operated at full power, gathering all his mental strength, willpower, and even the faint but unwavering support he received from his teammates through the matrix connection, transforming it into an invisible, cracked yet indomitable shield, desperately resisting the crushing will and tentacles!

At the same time, he endured the excruciating pain of his soul being torn apart and once again directed his psychic vision towards the crystal shoe in the prince's hand! Although the gray-black energy of the rat pendant was quickly suppressed and purified by the Fairy Godmother's power, the cracks it had caused and the turmoil of the internal soul fragments had not been completely quelled! Moreover, the small metal box in his arms, which had exhausted its power and become cold and silent, seemed to still retain a faint, magnetic attraction to the direction of the crystal shoe.

"The crystal shoe... is the key! Destroy it, or... disrupt its internal energy balance!" Wang Lin roared hoarsely in the matrix. At the same time, he made an extremely risky decision—he no longer passively defended against the Fairy Godmother's mental attacks. Instead, he diverted a portion of his mental energy, following the faint connection left by the rat pendant with the crack in the crystal shoe, like the finest probe, and fiercely pierced into the chaotic, painful, and endlessly resentful sea of ​​souls inside the crystal shoe!

He wanted to try to guide and ignite those imprisoned, tormented souls! Even if he couldn't completely destroy the glass slipper, he wanted to make it completely out of control during the ritual!

"You're courting death!" The Fairy Godmother sensed Wang Lin's intentions, and the rage in her eyes almost materialized into flames! She raised her magic wand high again, and the pink gem at its tip burst forth with a sun-like light. An even more vast and colder torrent of pink energy was about to completely engulf and purify Wang Lin!

At this critical moment—

Boom!!!

A deep, muffled roar, seemingly from the depths of the earth, suddenly erupted from beneath the castle! The entire hall floor shook violently, as if an 8-magnitude earthquake had struck! More decorations and stones fell from the ceiling, and the cracks in the walls spread even faster, with dark red energy plasma gushing out like fountains!

Immediately following were countless clearer, more frantic, and filled-with endless resentment and hunger screams, surging like a tide from the archway in the hall that was half-hidden by a curtain leading to the underground!

The heavy curtain was shattered by countless dark shadows! Like a black, writhing tide, countless giant rats, far exceeding their normal size, with scarlet eyes, bared fangs, filthy and matted fur, and even tattered rags and rusted metal fragments hanging from their bodies, surged wildly from the spiral stone steps behind the archway like a burst dam, instantly flooding the area around the archway, and then indiscriminately pounced on everyone in the hall—whether they were from the Central Continent Team, the Prince, the Fairy Godmother, the Rulers, or the puppets!

These giant rats number in the hundreds, even thousands, each emanating a dense, gray-black resentment and a frenzied aura, sharing the same energy source as the rat pendant and the dilapidated wooden house, but far more violent and chaotic! Their claws and teeth are exceptionally sharp, easily tearing through the flesh of puppets, and even leaving deep scratches on the energy armor of the Guardians! They seem to have been suppressed and imprisoned for countless years, and now, having broken free of their cages, they are left with only the most primal and insane desire for destruction and devouring!

They were the rats in the dungeon! They were completely alarmed and released by the midnight bells, the energy fluctuations of the ritual, the shrieks of the rat pendants, or some unknown reason!

The sudden swarm of rats instantly made the already chaotic battle situation even more out of control, bloodier, and more insane!

The prince's attempt to put shoes on Ming Yanwei was interrupted by several giant rats that pounced on him. He had to swing the crystal shoe to knock the rats away, but even more rats swarmed forward fearlessly, tearing at his legs and arms. The Fairy Godmother's attention was also momentarily diverted by the overwhelming swarm of rats and the underground disturbances, and the pink energy torrent she unleashed on Wang Lin weakened slightly. The Guardians and puppets were also caught in the melee with the rampaging rat horde, their formations thrown into disarray.

"Opportunity!" Chu Xuan's eyes flashed wildly with data streams as he roared through the matrix, "Zheng Zha! Seize the crystal shoe! Or destroy it! Wang Lin, guide the rats, at least keep them from attacking us! Everyone else, move towards the archway! It's the entrance to the underground; it could be a way out, or it could be a deeper trap, but staying here means certain death!"

Zheng Zha roared and activated "Explosion" again. Ignoring the wounds inflicted on him by the giant rats and the Guardians, he smashed through the rat swarm and puppets blocking his path like a bull and charged at the prince once more! His target was the crystal shoe in the prince's hand, which had cracked and whose internal soul was churning wildly!

Wang Lin, enduring the oppressive will of the Fairy Godmother and the pain of soul backlash, poured all his remaining mental energy into the mental matrix. He attempted to mobilize the faint but essential "nascent form of spiritual light"—a vague quality related to "connection" and "balance"—within that newly awakened, weak, yet essential core. He did not try to control the crazed giant rats (which was almost impossible), but instead adjusted the fluctuations of the mental matrix to be as close as possible to the frequency of the gray-black resentment remaining on the rat pendant. He continuously released weak mental signals that were "harmless," "of the same origin," and "not hostile," like a faint lighthouse erected in a raging sea of ​​rats, marking "no fresh flesh and blood here."

The effect was slight, but not negligible. Some of the giant rats at the forefront hesitated briefly upon approaching the Central Continent Team, or bypassed them, pouncing instead on the more "conspicuous" prince, fairy godmother, and the Ruler radiating intense pink energy. This bought the team invaluable time to catch their breath and move.

"Go!" Zheng Zha finally seized an opening, risking being struck in the chest by the prince's elbow strike containing terrifying energy, he grabbed the prince's wrist holding the crystal shoe, and with his other hand, he transformed into a claw and fiercely grabbed at the shoe! He was going to snatch it by force!

A crimson light flashed in the prince's eyes, and the seven-colored radiance on the crystal shoe shone brightly once more. A powerful suction force and a soul-level pulling force emanated from it, attempting to draw Zheng Zha's soul into it as well! Zheng Zha groaned, blood seeping from all seven orifices, but the fingers gripping his wrist were like iron clamps, refusing to loosen their grip. The vampire energy in his other hand surged wildly, corroding and dissolving the energy radiance on the surface of the crystal shoe!

Click!

A soft, yet seemingly resounding cracking sound that seemed to echo through everyone's soul.

Zheng Zha's fingers actually managed to pry off a small, fingernail-sized, multicolored crystal shard—a shard with sharp edges and a violently struggling fragment of soul inside—from the cracked surface of the crystal shoe! At the same time, the powerful recoil force blasted him and the prince away simultaneously!

The prince, clutching the missing piece of the crystal shoe, let out a roar that was inhuman, filled with heartache and rage! The crystal shoe's brilliance dimmed instantly, and the wailing of the soul within became even more mournful and chaotic. Zheng Zha staggered backward, clutching the scalding, seemingly alive, struggling crystal shard tightly in his hand, his chest caved in, blood gushing from his mouth; clearly, he was seriously injured.

"Got it! Let's go!" Chu Xuan roared, as his energy pistol fired a beam of blazing white light, clearing away the last few puppets and giant rats blocking the archway.

Encouraged by Zheng Zha's successful acquisition of the fragment and under Chu Xuan's command, the members of the Central Continent Team unleashed their last strength, covering each other as they broke through the scattered swarms of rats and puppets. They plunged headlong into the dark, deep archway that spewed forth an endless tide of rats and reeked of blood and mildew. They rushed desperately down the spiraling stone steps toward the unknown depths beneath the castle!

Behind them, in the hall, the prince's frenzied roar, the fairy godmother's icy shouts, the guardian's howls, the puppets' eerie cries, the giant rats' shrieks, and the rumble of collapsing buildings mingled into a final chapter of hell. Pink, raging energy, gray-black swarms of resentful rats, seven-colored soul radiance, and the blood and energy remnants left behind by the Central Continent Team collided and annihilated fiercely in the shattered ballroom.

The castle's magnificent outer shell was completely stripped away, revealing its sinister core—a core filled with monstrous cruelty, bloodshed, and endless suffering and greed.

The Central Continent team, who narrowly escaped, possessed crystal shards that represented hope, clues, or perhaps... a curse that would bring even greater disaster.

The spiraling stone steps seemed endless, damp and slippery, the air thick with the stench of blood, decay, rust, and the distinctive stench of giant rats. The clamor and energy fluctuations of the hall behind them were quickly blocked out by the thick rock after descending dozens of steps, becoming indistinct. Only the heavy breathing and staggering footsteps of the group remained, along with the chilling, faint whimpers and the dragging of chains emanating from the deeper darkness below the steps.

"Stop! Be on alert!" Chu Xuan shouted in the mental matrix, his voice hoarse from exhaustion and injuries.

Everyone stopped immediately, leaning against the cold stone wall or kneeling on the ground, warily raising their guns and gripping their knives, aiming at the darkness above and below. Zheng Zha, supported by Ba Wang and Li Shuaixi, was deathly pale, his chest heaving violently, still clutching the scalding hot, sharp-edged crystal shard tightly in his hand. The shard's light flickered eerily in the darkness, illuminating the undried bloodstains at the corner of his mouth. Wang Lin leaned against Zhan Lan, panting heavily. The excruciating pain in his mind had eased slightly, but his mental energy was nearly exhausted, and the nascent light of his soul had dimmed. The others were all wounded, ragged, and in a sorry state.

"Take a headcount, assess the injuries, and check the ammunition," Chu Xuan quickly ordered, simultaneously taking out a cold light stick and striking it. The eerie light illuminated a small area around them. The stone steps were about two meters wide, flanked by rough, moss-covered rock walls, with a low, vaulted ceiling overhead that constantly dripped icy water droplets. The air was chilling and biting, a stark contrast to the "warmth and beauty" of the upper ballroom.

"Zheng Zha is seriously injured, suffering internal organ turmoil, multiple fractures, and energy backlash. Wang Lin's mental energy is exhausted, and his soul is damaged. Zhan Lan's mental energy is depleted, and she is slightly injured. Ba Wang has a penetrating wound in his left arm and a fractured right rib. Li Shuaixi has multiple lacerations and has lost a lot of blood. Ling Dian is slightly injured, and has 30% of his ammunition remaining. Ming Yanwei has a sprained ankle and is slightly injured. Zhao Yingkong is physically exhausted and is slightly injured. O'Connor, Evelyn, and Jonathan are slightly injured and have been traumatized." Zhan Lan, barely managing to stay upright, quickly scanned everyone with her remaining mental energy and reported to the leader, her voice trembling with tears. She herself was also swaying precariously.

"I'm alright, I won't die." Zheng Zha grinned, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain. However, the fierce glint in his eyes remained as he looked at the shard in his hand. "This thing... is really weird."

Chu Xuan took the crystal shard from Zheng Zha and quickly scanned it with the instrument. The shard was about the size of a fingernail, with irregular, sharp polygons. Inside, countless tiny, grayish-black wisps of smoke seemed to be swirling and struggling wildly in the seven-colored light. It was still burning hot to the touch, carrying a chilling cold that eroded the soul.

"The energy readings are chaotic, containing a high concentration of distorted soul resentment, the binding energy of the 'Law of Happiness,' and..." Chu Xuan paused, his gaze sharp behind his glasses, "...a trace of extremely faint, grayish-black energy remnant, originating from the same source as the rat pendant and those giant rats. This confirms our hypothesis: the crystal shoe is the core tool for imprisoning souls and converting energy, and the resentment represented by the 'rat' has some kind of antagonistic or corrosive relationship with it. This fragment may contain some information about the imprisoned soul, or... it may be one of the 'keys' that interfere with or destroy the complete function of the crystal shoe."

"The dungeon... is down there." Wang Lin gasped for breath. His psychic vision was exhausted and he couldn't activate it, but his instincts and the thick, overwhelming aura of pain and resentment in the air pointed to the end of the stone steps. "Those rats rushed up from below. That woman... might be down there too."

"We have to go down. If we stay here and wait for things to calm down up there, the Rulekeepers or the Fairy Godmother will come after us, and we'll be sitting ducks," Zheng Zha said through gritted teeth. "Besides, the mission requires us to uncover the truth and obtain the 'Source of Pollution' token. This fragment, and what's below, might all count."

Chu Xuan nodded and quickly assigned tasks: "Zheng Zha, Wang Lin, Zhan Lan, you three seriously wounded will stay in the middle. Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, you will protect the flanks. Ling Dian, Ming Yanwei, Zhao Yingkong, you will scout ahead, watch out for traps and lurking threats. O'Connor, you three will stay behind and remain silent. I will cover the rear and give orders. Move slowly and stay alert. Let's go."

The group moved again, cautiously venturing into the dark abyss along the spiraling stone steps, like a wounded pack of wolves.

The deeper they went, the colder the air grew, and the stronger the stench of blood and decay became. Scattered on the stone steps were tattered strips of cloth stained with dark red, broken rusty shackles, and… small, grayish-white bone fragments. On the walls, twisted symbols and words, drawn with sharp tools or fingernails, filled with pain and curses, began to appear; some were faintly discernible: “Help,” “Let me out,” “The godmother is the devil,” “Rats…ate them…”

The stone steps finally came to an end. Ahead stood a heavy, rusted cast-iron door. It wasn't locked, but ajar, and a thicker darkness and a nauseating stench emanated from the cracks. The door was covered with deep scratches and dents from impacts, and in some places, dried, blackened bloody handprints remained.

Zero silently gestured, indicating that there was no obvious life or energy reaction behind the door. Zhao Yingkong moved swiftly, pressing herself against the crack in the door like a gecko, listening intently for a moment, before gently pushing the door open a wider gap.

Inside the door was a huge, almost square stone chamber. The light from the cold light stick shone in, outlining a chilling scene.

The stone chamber was about half the size of a basketball court and over five meters high. The walls and floor were covered with dried, layered, dark red stains, indistinguishable as blood or something else. In the center of the chamber was a recessed, circular pit about half a meter deep, filled with something chilling—countless pumpkins of all sizes, dark yellow in color, covered in mold and writhing shadows…? These pumpkins weren't fresh; they looked as if they had been dried for countless years, twisted and deformed, like withered, tormented human heads. Scattered around the edge of the pit were even smaller, shimmering, iridescent fragments—shards of the crystal shoe! Similar to the one in Zheng Zha's hand, but smaller and more numerous.

In each of the four corners of the stone chamber stood a larger, rusted metal stake, bound with broken, bloodstained chains. Beside two of these stakes lay two nearly completely skeletal skeletons, draped in tattered pieces of cloth that vaguely resembled women's dresses. The other two stakes were empty, but fresh bloodstains and drag marks on the ground led to a darker, partially obscured entrance in the depths of the chamber, hidden by collapsed rubble and mud. At the edge of the entrance, more giant rat paw prints and shed fur could be seen.

"This is it... the place where the 'sacrifices' are imprisoned. Those pumpkins... might be a twisted symbol of the 'pumpkin carriage' from Cinderella, used... to carry or transform souls?" Chu Xuan murmured, his gaze sweeping over the crystal shards and skeletons. "Those two empty metal stakes... one belongs to the woman in the dilapidated hut? The other..."

His gaze fell upon the half-closed entrance deep within the stone chamber. The entrance was small, allowing only one person to bend down and pass through. Inside, it was pitch black, exuding an even stronger earthy smell and... a strange, faint energy fluctuation, somewhat similar to the aura coming from the direction of the forest.

"That place... might lead to the forest? Or another exit from the castle?" Wang Lin guessed.

Just then, the crystal shard in Zheng Zha's hand suddenly became scorching hot again and began to emit a faint, flickering seven-colored light! The gray-black soul smoke inside the shard churned violently, as if drawn by some strong attraction, all pointing towards—the stone pit in the center of the stone chamber filled with twisted pumpkins!

"The fragments are reacting!" Zheng Zha exclaimed in a low voice.

Almost simultaneously, the twisted pumpkins in the stone pit seemed to sense something as well. The writhing shadows on their surfaces suddenly became active, and the pumpkins themselves emitted a slight, bone-grinding sound. Then, several extremely faint, almost ephemeral, grayish-white phantoms of souls, filled with endless pain and confusion, drifted out like smoke from several of the larger pumpkins, "looking" towards the fragment in Zheng Zha's hand. Their faces were blurred, but one could sense a sorrow that reached the depths of their souls and… a faint, awakened longing.

"Is it...is it a fragment of a soul imprisoned here?" Zhan Lan's voice trembled.

"The fragments are attracting them... or rather, the fragments are part of them?" Chu Xuan quickly analyzed. "Could it be that collecting enough crystal fragments can release or reassemble these souls? Or... is this itself part of some kind of ritual?"

Suddenly, a faint, intermittent female voice, seemingly from another dimension, drifted from the direction of the half-closed entrance deep within the stone chamber. The voice was ethereal and mournful, spoken in an ancient language incomprehensible to the others, yet the melody was filled with an overwhelming sorrow and loneliness, and... a hidden, indomitable tenderness.

The moment the song began, the fragment in Zheng Zha's hand shone even brighter, and the grayish-white phantoms of souls that had floated out became slightly more solid, all turning towards the cave entrance and emitting a silent lament. Meanwhile, the pumpkin in the stone pit trembled even more violently.

"Who's there?" Zero's gun barrel instantly pointed at the cave entrance.

The singing stopped abruptly.

After a few seconds of deathly silence, a weak, hoarse female voice, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time, drifted from the darkness deep within the cave entrance, speaking the common language of this world (translated by the Supreme God):

"Outsiders? You...are carrying...'fragments'? And...the scent of 'rats'?"

The voice carried hesitation, wariness, and a hint of barely concealed...hope.

The members of the Central Continent Team immediately tensed up, and their weapons were all aimed at the cave entrance.

"Who are you?" Chu Xuan asked calmly, while signaling to everyone not to fire.

There was a moment of silence in the darkness. Then, a rustling sound came, as if something was moving with difficulty.

Then, a faint, eerie green phosphorescent light appeared deep within the cave entrance and slowly approached.

Bathed in light, a figure struggled to crawl out of the narrow opening and stood in the shadows at the edge of the stone chamber.

It was a woman. Her clothes were tattered and stained with mud and dark red blood, almost unrecognizable. She was barefoot, her feet covered in wounds and calluses, and on her ankles, one could vaguely see deep, bone-revealing ring-shaped scars from long-term shackles. Her hair was dry and gray, disheveled like tangled weeds, obscuring most of her face. Her exposed cheeks and neck were frighteningly thin, her skin a sickly bluish-white, covered in dirt and tiny wounds.

But what was most striking were her eyes. Though obscured by her disheveled hair, and filled with weariness, pain, and the vicissitudes of life, in the glow of the eerie green phosphorescent light, a faint yet incredibly stubborn, clear, and even slightly wise flame still burned deep within them. Unlike the eyes of the woman in the dilapidated hut, filled with resentment and despair, these eyes, after enduring endless suffering, seemed to retain a trace of… human clarity and spirituality.

In her hand, she leaned on a crooked wooden stick she'd picked up from somewhere. In her other hand, she carefully held a small, makeshift lantern woven from a few dried leaves, inside which flickered a faint, eerie green phosphorescent light. The phosphorescent glow illuminated the edge of the cave behind her, where several relatively small, but more alert-looking, even slightly anthropomorphic, gray-black rats crouched. Unlike the frenzied giant rats above, these rats seemed more orderly.

The woman raised her head, and her clear yet pained eyes, hidden behind her disheveled hair, slowly swept over the members of the Central Continent Team. Finally, her gaze settled on the crystal shard in Zheng Zha's hand that emitted a faint seven-colored light, then moved to Wang Lin, as if she sensed something on him (the lingering aura of the rat pendant?), and her eyes flickered slightly.

"You..." she began again, her voice still hoarse but clearer, "not...the people...bewitched by the Godmother. You...hurt the Prince, obtained...the fragments, and...alarmed the 'Children' (she pointed to the rats behind her)."

Her gaze swept once more over the twisted pumpkins and drifting phantom souls in the stone pit, a deep sorrow flashing in her eyes, before she turned her gaze back to the Central Continent Team, her clear eyes now carrying a hint of resolve:

"You...want to stop her, don't you? To stop...that monster disguised as the 'Godmother,' and her...puppet prince?"

The members of the Central Continent Team were shocked. She really did know the truth! And she called the Fairy Godmother a "monster" and the prince a "puppet"!

"Who are you?" Wang Lin stepped forward, forcing himself to speak despite his weakness. "Are you... Cinderella?"

Upon hearing the words "Cinderella," the woman's body trembled violently, her eyes instantly flooded with endless pain, humiliation, and a hint of...mockery. She slowly shook her head, then nodded, her voice low and bitter:

"Cinderella...that's the name they gave me, a...malicious and mocking nickname. I was indeed...like the girl in that story, abused by my 'stepmother' and 'stepsisters,' forced to do endless hard labor, and lived next to an ashes."

She paused, her gaze falling on the stone pit and the phantom souls, her voice growing even lower: "But I'm different from the story. I didn't meet a kind fairy godmother, no pumpkin carriage, no glass slippers, and no prince to save me. What I encountered... was only a greedy demon in the guise of a godmother, and a puppet created specifically to devour the souls and hopes of young girls."

"I ran away, I rebelled, and even... with the help of the 'children' (rats), I almost succeeded. But I was caught and imprisoned here, day after day, year after year, watching one girl after another, like me, being lured here under the guise of 'attending the ball and finding happiness,' chosen, forced to wear those cursed shoes, and then... their souls were extracted. Some became 'fuel' to maintain this fake town and castle, some were imprisoned in crystals and these twisted pumpkins, enduring eternal torment, and some... became sustenance for that 'prince' and 'godmother' to become stronger."

Her gaze returned to the fragment in Zheng Zha's hand: "What you hold is a part of the soul of some unfortunate girl. There are many more fragments like this, scattered throughout the castle, especially... in the godmother's 'treasure trove,' and between the prince's sleeping 'core.'"

She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and stared directly at the Central Continent Team. The flame in her clear eyes burned even brighter.

"I don't know where you came from or why you're fighting her. But since you've come this far, obtained the fragments, alerted the 'Children,' and... even arrived here."

She paused, then spoke with absolute certainty:

"Then help me. No, we... cooperate. I know her weakness, I know the castle's secret passages, I know how to truly harm that monster. And you... have the power, the courage. Help us destroy this hell, free the imprisoned souls, and bring this twisted dream of 'happiness' to a complete end!"

"In return," she stretched out her hand, pointing to the half-open cave entrance deep in the stone chamber, and the quietly crouching, bright-eyed rats at the edge of the entrance, "'The Children' will take you away to the depths of the forest, a place where the Godmother's power can not reach for the time being, and also... a true, possible path to survival in the outside world."

"And if you fail..." Her voice lowered, carrying a hint of resolute sorrow, "at least we tried. It's better than sinking into this boundless darkness and pain forever."

Inside the stone chamber, all was silent. Only the flickering, eerie green phosphorescent light, the silent wailing of a gray-white soul, and the shimmering light of crystal shards could be heard.

Looking at the woman before them, who had endured so much suffering yet maintained her clarity and will to resist, the members of the Central Continent Team felt a complex mix of emotions. There was sympathy, admiration, and a heavy sense of responsibility.

Chu Xuan pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sharp as a knife, quickly analyzing the information in the woman's words, the authenticity of her emotions, and the possibilities and risks of cooperation.

Finally, he looked at Wang Lin and Zheng Zha. Wang Lin nodded, his eyes filled with determination. Zheng Zha grinned, though the movement aggravated his wound and made him wince in pain, he gripped the crystal shard tightly in his hand.

Chu Xuan turned his head to look at the woman who called herself "Cinderella," and slowly spoke, his voice calm yet powerful:

"Tell us your plan. And... what exactly is that monster's 'weakness'?"