"This skill is the last vestige of our Flashing Bluestar. Keeping it with me is of no use anymore."
The Fourth Prince, seated high above, spoke slowly.
"When my father acquired this ability, the war had already reached its final stage, and our defeat was inevitable. Hence, he didnât use it. Instead, he had me bring it to the treasure land.
"This ability is strong. I hope you, or perhaps all of you, can use it to seize a glimmer of hope in the impending apocalypse!"
Wen Yu carefully digested the Fourth Princeâs words and, after a moment, asked, "So, what exactly is this supposed Species-specific Esoteric Level?"
"Itâs above SSS-Class, the highest level. In fact, you already have an item of this level with you."
As the Fourth Prince finished speaking, Wen Yu suddenly understood.
"Youâre saying itâs this, and this too, right?"
Wen Yu first took out the Book of Black remnant, then pointed to the Touch of Greed in his hand.
The Fourth Prince shook his head.
"The complete Book of Black belongs to the Esoteric Level, but the Touch of Greed does not.
"The reason the Touch of Greedâs level cannot be assessed is simply due to its growth potential.
"From F-Class to SSS-Class, there are nine levels in total. However, the growth of the Touch of Greed has an upper limit. This weapon canât reach the Esoteric Level. The Touch of Greed can only reach SSS-Class at most."
"I see."
Wen Yu nodded to the Fourth Prince.
"Finally, one last question!"
Wen Yu hesitated for a moment before asking, "If the mission fails, what will happen to us?"
The Fourth Prince gently nodded.
"If the mission fails, all Demon Fiends will mobilize to kill you all at once, instead of appearing wave by wave as before. If you happen to survive under such circumstances, I will arrange a place for you. A peaceful place with no killing or disputes.
"You will have enough food and drink, until you die of old age..."
Wen Yu nodded lightly.
"Also, in light of your outstanding performance in this treasure land, your ranking will not change."
This statement by the Fourth Prince was merely a formality.
And this was within Wen Yuâs expectations.
"Then, you may go."
As the Fourth Princeâs words fell, a teleportation light flashed, followed by a wave of Dizziness.
By the time Wen Yu opened his eyes again, he was right outside the hospital in Town CH.
Ahead, Sun Ruixing and Sun Aotian were standing.
...
"Youâre out?"
Seeing Wen Yuâs figure, Sun Ruixing was the first to walk forward.
Wen Yu nodded at Sun Ruixing, then turned to look at Sun Aotian, who was standing off to one side, his face filled with conflict.
Wen Yuâs eyes were cold and indifferent.
It was precisely these eyes that made Sun Aotianâs skin crawl.
After a while, Sun Aotian forced a smile at Wen Yu and said, "Brother Wen Yu, Iâm sorry about what happened in the treasure land."
Hearing Sun Aotianâs words, the coldness in Wen Yuâs eyes vanished instantly. He replied gently, "I didnât handle the situation well either. My mood wasnât great just now, so I hope my actions didnât hurt you. I also hope that my actions wonât affect our relationship. After all, Aotian, weâve fought side-by-side. I still have some fondness for you. You wonât mind what just happened, right?"
Upon finishing his words, Wen Yu immediately approached, put his arm around Sun Aotianâs shoulders, and looked at him seriously.
Young Sun, well, letâs just say, no matter what he was truly feeling at that moment, he could only maintain a certain expression!
Upon hearing Wen Yuâs conciliatory words, Sun Aotian instantly felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his chest. He said excitedly to Wen Yu, "Brother Wen Yu, I didnât do it on purpose either; I was just scared. The fact that you can forgive me already makes me incredibly happy. How could I possibly blame you, Brother Wen Yu..."
As if he had found his pillar of support, Sun Aotian immediately regained his usual optimistic temperament and chattered away.
Seeing the seemingly buddy-buddy scene between Wen Yu and Sun Aotian, only Sun Ruixing, standing behind, let out a quiet sigh.
Sun Aotian couldnât grasp Wen Yuâs true nature and temper, but Sun Ruixing understood them crystal clear.
As soon as Wen Yu had spoken those words, no matter Sun Aotianâs response, the outcome would have been the same.
Sun Aotian had lost his chance to latch onto Wen Yu for good.
...
The three of them walked at a steady pace along the road leading to Zang Pengfeiâs gathering place.
"By the way, what time is it now?"
It only then occurred to Wen Yu: having spent over ten days in the trial scenario after entering the treasure land, he had no idea if the flow of time outside was the same as in the Trial Space.
"Brother Wen Yu, itâs two in the afternoon now," Sun Aotian replied, so eager to converse more with Wen Yu that he spoke without thinking.
Sun Ruixing, however, being more experienced, pulled out a watch and meticulously examined the date.
"The flow of time seems to be the same, but I canât be certain, as I brought this watch with me into the treasure land."
Wen Yu nodded. Only then did Sun Aotian understand Wen Yuâs question. Anxious to make a good impression, Sun Aotian immediately said, "Brother Wen Yu, could you two wait a moment, please? Iâll go check at the nearby store."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Sun Aotian darted off like a rabbit.
Watching Sun Aotianâs retreating figure, Wen Yuâs gaze gradually deepened.
"Wen Yu, heâs just a kid," Sun Ruixing murmured from the side.
"Yeah, I know. What else?"
"I understand what youâre thinking, but heâs just a kid. He was wrong in this matter, but it wasnât a major error. At least, it wasnât a mistake deserving death!"
"I have no intention of killing him."
Wen Yu coldly turned his head and began to slowly walk forward.
"When thereâs no conflict of interest, I donât kill people casually."
Sun Ruixing heaved a silent sigh behind him.
Even Sun Ruixing couldnât fathom Wen Yuâs current thoughts or his attitude towards Sun Aotian.
...
"Brother Wen Yu, Brother Wen Yu!"
Sun Aotian, panting heavily, caught up to the duo as they ambled towards their camp.
"I found the answer! The flow of time over the past ten-plus days was the same."
"Hmm, good job."
Wen Yu rarely praised Sun Aotian.
"More than ten days... it feels so long," Sun Ruixing sighed from the side.
"Indeed," Wen Yu remarked with deep emotion. "And most importantly, after more than ten days, no one knows what the situation at the camp is now. At the very beginning of this apocalypse, a lot can happen in over ten days."
Consider this: from the onset of the apocalypse to the time he entered the treasure land, barely ten days had passed.
But for Wen Yu, that short period marked the transformation from an ordinary person to a Level 2 professionist!
By his estimation, although it was unlikely for a Third-level professionist to have appeared in the gathering place by now, the number of Level 2 professionists should have substantially increased.
"By the way, donât forget Iâm treating you to drinks when we get back," Wen Yu said to Sun Ruixing with a smile.
"Definitely! Feasting at the expense of the rich is always a good thing," Sun Ruixing jested.
Sun Aotian, standing aside, understood enough not to chime in with "Count me in!" or anything similar.
Not far away, the Shadow of the camp was faintly visible.
"Finally, weâre home," Sun Aotian said, his comment perfectly fitting the moment.