Curse Returns, a gamble from the start, I awaken dual spells

The moment the light screen appeared, the entire underground warehouse shook violently.

Rito's pupils contracted sharply; he could clearly feel the vibrations beneath his feet intensifying rapidly.

"Walk!"

Without any hesitation, he turned around, grabbed Xiaoye's hand, and rushed towards the other side of the warehouse.

The warehouse, which covers an area of ​​about 100 square meters, is filled with rusted metal frames and broken wooden crates.

Water was dripping from the broken pipe overhead, and a thin layer of water had accumulated on the ground.

But the question is, where is the export market?

Rito's gaze swept quickly around.

The warehouse had only one door, the same iron door through which those curse masters had rushed in, and that door faced the very center of the explosion.

Going out from there would be tantamount to suicide.

"Over here!"

Just as he was pondering, Xiaoye's voice came from behind him.

Rito turned his head and saw Sayo staring at the east wall of the warehouse, the lines deep in her pupils lighting up again.

"There's a passage behind that wall!" Xiaoye's voice was urgent.

Li Ren did not hesitate.

He released Xiaoye's hand and rushed towards the east wall in a few steps, his right hand outstretched, gray mist condensing in his palm.

"Withered and decayed!"

The moment my palm touched the wall, gray-white cracks spread outwards from the center of my palm, covering the entire wall like a spider web.

Boom—

The wall collapsed, and rubble flew everywhere.

Before the smoke and dust had even cleared, Rito could already see what was behind the wall.

It was a narrow passage, only wide enough for one person to pass through, with rough stone walls on both sides and exposed steel bars overhead.

The passage was pitch black, but a faint airflow could be felt.

"Walk!"

Rito turned around and called to Koya, then went into the passage first.

The passage was narrow, and the steel bars overhead hung low, so he could only move forward by bending over.

Xiaoye followed behind him, her movements clumsy but not slow.

A deafening roar came from behind.

That was the sound of the self-destruction of the waiting area, like the roar of a giant beast. The entire passage was shaking violently, and rubble was falling from above.

"quick!"

Liren quickened his pace, almost running through the passageway.

He activated his spell perception to the maximum, scanning the structure ahead as he ran.

The passage is not long, about fifty meters.

But just as they were about to reach the end, a collapse sound suddenly came from the exit ahead.

boom!

Large chunks of gravel fell from above, completely blocking the exit.

"Damn it!"

Rito stopped in his tracks, looking at the blocked exit in front of him, his brows furrowed.

He could feel the destructive force approaching from behind; if they delayed any longer, they would be buried alive.

"Is there any other way out?" He turned to look at Xiaoye.

Xiaoye bit her lip, her eyes scanning her surroundings.

She can see lines that ordinary people cannot see, lines that intertwine in every corner, like countless glowing blood vessels.

But most of the lines have broken or been twisted by the force of the collapse.

"there!"

Xiaoye suddenly pointed to the wall on the left side of the passage.

"Behind that wall... there's a drainage pipe! It's narrow, but it leads to the ground!"

Without hesitation, Rito turned to face the wall and raised his right hand again.

But just as he was about to make his move, he suddenly stopped.

His gaze fell on the fine patterns on the wall surface; they were curse patterns, gleaming with a dark purple luster.

The curse mark of the coiled rope.

"Is it that guy's trap again?" Rito's brows furrowed even more.

"No, I can't worry about that anymore."

Without much time to hesitate, Rito took a deep breath and slammed his fist against the wall.

boom!

The walls shattered, and debris flew everywhere.

Sure enough, behind the wall was an abandoned drainage pipe, its walls covered with a thick layer of moss and rust, emitting a damp and rotten smell.

The pipe extends diagonally upwards, and a faint glimmer of light can be seen at its end.

"That's it!"

The man crawled into the pipe and climbed upwards using both his hands and feet.

Xiaoye followed closely behind.

The pipes were slippery, and every step required a great deal of effort.

The tremors behind me grew more and more intense, and the entire pipe was shaking as if it would collapse at any moment.

Li Ren gritted his teeth and sped up.

five meters.

three meters.

one meter.

At the last moment, his right hand touched the edge of the pipe outlet.

That was the bottom of a well, the walls of which were covered with rusted iron ladders, and above the well opening, the night sky could be vaguely seen.

"arrive!"

Li Ren was overjoyed, grabbed the iron ladder on the well wall, and climbed upwards with all his might.

When he finally climbed out of the well and stood on the ground, he felt completely exhausted and gasped for breath of fresh air.

A night breeze brushed my face, carrying a slight chill.

He looked up at the sky, which was a deep blue with a few sparse stars.

What a quiet night.

It was like two completely different worlds from the blood-red world we had just seen.

"Saya!" Rito turned around and reached out to pull Saya out of the pipe.

Xiaoye climbed out of the well, soaking wet, her clothes covered in moss and mud, but she had a smile on her face as if she had survived a disaster.

"We...we're out!" Her voice trembled slightly with excitement.

Rito nodded, a tired smile on his face.

But the next second, his smile vanished.

He turned to look in the direction behind him, where a plume of smoke and dust was rising from the location of the waiting area, and dark red flames were leaping in the ruins.

That self-destructed waiting area has been reduced to ruins.

"The people inside...they are all..." Xiaoye's voice trembled slightly.

"He's dead," Rito replied calmly.

Xiaoye fell silent.

She thought of those who were trapped inside like her, and a complex feeling welled up inside her.

That's a person.

A living, breathing person.

"Let's go, this place is not safe to stay any longer." Rito turned around, preparing to leave.

"Wait...wait a minute!" Xiaoye's voice came from behind.

Rito stopped and turned to look at her.

"I..." Xiaoye bit her lip, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly. "Can I... go with you?"

Li Ren was slightly taken aback.

"I know I can't be of much help... I can't do anything, I'm just a burden..."

"But...you saved me...I want to...help you too..."

As she spoke, she raised her head, a hint of determination in her eyes.

"And... I can see those lines! I don't know what they mean, but they're useful, right?"

Rito was silent for two seconds, then smiled.

"It's really useful."

Xiaoye's eyes lit up.

"So you agree to let me come along?"

"I can let you come along, but you have to promise me two things." Rito nodded, then his tone became serious.

"What is it?"

"First, in case of danger, you must follow my instructions and not act on your own."

"No problem!" Xiaoye nodded vigorously.

"Secondly," Rito's gaze fell on her.

"I will do my best to protect you, but if it really comes to a critical moment, don't hesitate, run away yourself."

Xiaoye paused for a moment, then shook her head.

"I won't run away."

"Xiaoye..."

"I won't run away. You saved me, and I'll save you too." Xiaoye's eyes were stubborn.

Rito looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then sighed.

"Alright, let's go together then."

As he spoke, he turned around and gazed at the distant night sky.

According to the original timeline, Kurusu Hana should have appeared near the Tokyo 8th Barrier shortly after the start of the Death Return Journey.

The barrier is located in the western suburbs of Tokyo, in an abandoned industrial park where many powerful players have gathered.

The barrier he was in was Tokyo's third barrier.

There is a distance of five barriers between the two barriers.

However, according to information provided by Tsuchimikado Jin, there is a cross-region tracking rule in Death & Annihilation Return, which was added by high-scoring players.

That rule might be a breakthrough.

"We need to get to the 8th Barrier in Tokyo."

Li Ren said something, and then started walking.

Xiaoye paused for a moment, then quickly followed.

The two figures gradually disappeared into the night, the ruins of the waiting area behind them still burning, the dark red flames illuminating the night sky.