"A series of question marks. Is the Game System unable to identify it, or is it intentionally concealing information?" Wang Linchi mused, looking at the object in his hand. It resembled Amber, with a drop of blood encased within.

The only proof of its unusual nature was the rare appearance of a sale price.

Normally, items or equipment didn't have a sale price; one would only appear when you discarded them at a shop.

However, this sale price wasn't currency, but a task.

Evidently, if he sold it, the Game System could analyze something from it.

Wang Linchi tried to forcibly break open the Amber to examine the bloodstain, but it was incredibly hard. Even with his current Secret Silver Level Physique, he couldn't crack it.

Therefore, it only looked like Amber; in reality, it was some other substance.

A Transcendent that existed before the Game System? Wang Linchi couldn't help but ponder this.

The upper limit of this world was very high, capable of supporting powerhouses at least above the Daylight Level.

If this can truly be proven, doesn't it mean this world was once even stronger than the Soul Aspect World?

Previously, Wang Linchi had assumed the Game System marked the beginning of the Transcendent. But after seeing this piece of Amber, he was no longer so sure.

Perhaps, long ago, a powerful ancient civilization had existed, only to be wiped out for some unknown reason.

The cause was irrelevant for now, as Wang Linchi had no way of knowing. But the unearthing of this Amber seemed to suggest that these powerful beings might not be entirely gone; they might even reanimate.

If they truly emerge... we'd be in for a world of hurt.

The chances of benefiting were slim. Fallen Players, the resistance, and other such Erroneous Sins were not simple adversaries; without a special counter like Wang Linchi's, even the strongest could only injure but not kill them.

More importantly, once these suspected ancient Transcendent beings appeared, they would likely give rise to corresponding Sins of Rules, making human survival even more precarious.

As for making all Transcendent beings equal? That's just wishful thinking. There are already different echelons among humans now, let alone in the past. This is something that simply cannot be eradicated.

It can't be the System of Qi, can it? The thought suddenly struck Wang Linchi.

If that were the case, things would be even worse; the world was preparing for a desperate struggle.

But Wang Linchi had no intention of joining in. After all, if the world was a gambling table, everyone else was just a chip.

Wang Linchi was certain the bloodstain within the Amber wasn't human.

Amber was primarily for preservation, and this drop of blood contained an impressive amount of energy. By Wang Linchi's estimation, it had to be the condensed essence of a Morning Star Level Awakener's entire blood.

From this small clue, he could infer the original being's strength; it had to be at least Bright Moon Level.

And that was a conservative estimate. If he were to guess more liberally, Wang Linchi would place it above the Daylight Level.

This Amber was found by Linghu Sen. When did he get his hands on it? How come I don't know? Wang Linchi had learned some details from the Player known as the Blood Drop Killer.

For instance, the Blood Drop Killer claimed to have obtained the Amber from the study of Linghu Sen, codenamed City Lord within the resistance.

The Blood Drop Killer might have lied to me. I've searched Linghu Sen's study before, so it's impossible he got it from there. But it must be within Wanxuan City.

As the resistance increasingly succumbed to an erroneous state, it also affected the Game System's authority in Wanxuan City. At the very least, the Blood Drop Killer couldn't directly sell the Amber to the Game System within Wanxuan City; otherwise, why would he still be holding onto it here?

It couldn't have been intentionally delivered to Wang Linchi by Coiling Dragon, the Saint Master. Even if he were incredibly powerful, he wouldn't possess such an ability.

The premise of intercepting an opportunity was that it could actually be intercepted. If it was used up halfway, how could one intercept it?

I should investigate first. Perhaps I can find some clues. Wang Linchi didn't plan to just sit idly by.

When God serves you a meal, you have to swallow it, even if you don't chew.

After a quick disguise, Wang Linchi became an NPC.

This was 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Among Players, he was a Player; among NPCs, he was an NPC.

With his Thought Field at full power, combined with his off-the-charts spiritual power, he quickly deduced the Blood Drop Killer's movements.

After all, this was the real world; people leave traces wherever they go, much like a wild goose leaves its cry.

If they were still in God-given World, Wang Linchi doubted he could have successfully tracked him.

He moved stealthily. Wanxuan City was now effectively an NPC's world, and all NPCs hurried about their tasks.

With battles raging outside the city, it was natural for logistics within the city to be a priority.

Compared to Players, NPCs originated as rigid programs, a trait they inherited even after their transformation. However, this had become an advantage: they each stuck to their duties, without concerns of being hindered or randomly interfered with.

At least, not yet. If they continued to develop, gradually maturing and forming their own ideas, such situations might eventually arise.

Proceeding onward, Wang Linchi soon reached a sealed-off location.

It wasn't the City Master's Mansion mentioned by the Blood Drop Killer, but an area in the southern part of the city where a large section had collapsed.

A considerable number of soldiers guarded the site.

Wang Linchi observed that the collapse was likely caused by a battle.

Of course, there must have been an existing cavity underground; otherwise, solid ground wouldn't have simply caved in.

Wang Linchi didn't try to force his way in or probe openly.

NPCs, unlike normal people, currently wouldn't concern themselves with matters outside their assigned tasks; the Game System's influence on them hadn't fully waned.

Once he found the place, Wang Linchi didn't really need to probe; he could simply use his abilities to infiltrate.

He actually had some impression of the collapse in the south of the city, but he hadn't delved into it at the time. The intelligence reports had only mentioned a simple ground subsidence with no other details. It must have been sealed off, he figured.

He couldn't possibly investigate everything, could he? If a section of the southern city collapsed today, should he investigate? If a large area in the northern city caught fire tomorrow, should he investigate that too? He simply didn't have that much time. Wanxuan City was vast, and countless incidents occurred daily. A collapse in the southern part of the city wasn't a major event. If it had been the City Master's Mansion, then I might have taken a look, he thought.

Soon after, he successfully infiltrated the area. The collapsed zone had already been reinforced to prevent it from expanding further.

An underground world, Wang Linchi observed after entering, finding the cavity beneath not narrow as he had imagined, but surprisingly large.

From the surface to the underground, Wang Linchi estimated the depth to be at least three hundred meters.

What kind of absurd data is this? Wang Linchi was taken aback. Such a massive disturbance had barely affected Wanxuan City; he couldn't comprehend it.

The collapsed area spanned at least three kilometers, and beneath it, the ground was completely hollow, which left Wang Linchi astonished.

It was as if Wanxuan City had a natural basement three hundred meters below its foundations.

Wang Linchi quickly stopped dwelling on the structural issues. As long as it wasn't caving in, its existence was stable enough; he couldn't exactly will it to collapse.

The people from Wanxuan City have already been in here, but they haven't thoroughly utilized or developed this underground world, Wang Linchi deduced from the scene.

The traces ended at this point. Neither the Blood Drop Killer nor the forces of Wanxuan City had ventured further. A battle had clearly taken place here.

Based on the evidence, Wang Linchi quickly reconstructed the sequence of events.

Essentially, Wanxuan City's forces had discovered the Amber, only for the Blood Drop Killer to intercept it. A chase and escape ensued, leading to the killer's encounter with Wang Linchi.

The overall process wasn't particularly complex.

It was precisely for this reason that Wanxuan City's forces hadn't delved deeper.

As for exploring now, they probably didn't have the time. The battle outside was growing increasingly intense, leaving no room for such distractions.

Is this... a bone? After proceeding further, Wang Linchi discovered something peculiar.

He had initially thought he was on a hillock. But now, upon seeing a white bone protruding from the earth, his perspective shifted.

This isn't a hillock; I'm standing on the skull of a giant beast!

If the hillock is the skull, then its actual body...

Wang Linchi fell silent. Small size didn't necessarily equate to weakness, but most large creatures were immensely powerful.

This underground world should be part of the real world, not from God-given World.

I can't see the full extent of this underground world for now, but it's definitely larger than Wanxuan City. If that's the case, things are about to get really interesting.

This was a technological society before, so why didn't humans discover it? It can't be that the three hundred meters beneath Wanxuan City is actually the closest connection point between the underground world and the surface world, can it?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.