Chapter 134: Mist, Barrier, and Maze

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Yun Mu, who was leading the way in front, frowned.

In that very instant, everything in her Perception, including the people, had completely vanished.

She turned around, intending to inform Brenna and Edward of this news, only to discover after turning her head that there was not a single person behind her.

Moreover, at some unknown time, a strange blood-red mist had permeated the area around her, obscuring all vision.

"Is this a Barrier, or a Maze?" Lucy's voice appeared beside her ear.

"Lucy, do you know what this situation is?"

Hearing Lucy's voice, Yun Mu suddenly felt much more settled, and she hurriedly asked her.

"I'm not entirely sure," Lucy said, as if in thought. "Just a moment ago, your position was shifted."

"This feeling... it isn't a simple spatial swap, but rather that you have entered another space." She paused, then offered an example: "It's probably just like your Painted World."

"... Can you still enter the Painted World now?" she asked Yun Mu.

"I'll try."

Hearing Lucy's words, Yun Mu summoned the painting Cold Crow, then attempted to enter the Painted World of the Cold Crow.

"It's not working, I can't get in." After trying for a while, she shook her head.

"However, I seem to be able to take items out from the painting..."

With a thought, a Steam Mecha Bullet stored in the Captain's Cabin of the Jackdaw appeared in Yun Mu's palm.

"Once taken out, I can't put it back in." After trying again for a while, she said.

"I see."

After hearing her words, Lucy dispelled her Ether Body state. She rested her chin on one hand, looked up at the sky obscured by the mist, and said, "I can barely feel the power of the stars... this is troublesome."

She frowned and looked at Yun Mu, then, as if remembering something, her tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed.

"Miss Yun, call out that treasure chest monster." She said.

"Eh, why?" Yun Mu was somewhat puzzled, but she still summoned Chester from the Game Panel.

"Gaba gaba gaba!"

As soon as it appeared, Chester began moving its body excitedly. It leaped rapidly to Yun Mu's feet, transparent saliva constantly dripping from its large, pink tongue.

"Want a reward?"

Feeling the emotions transmitted through the contract, the corners of Yun Mu's eyes twitched slightly, and then she looked down at Chester with a gaze one might use for trash.

"Bang!"

Yun Mu's mud-caked sole stepped fiercely onto Chester's extended tongue, and she twisted her foot hard, as if trying to wipe the mud off on it.

She looked at Lucy and couldn't help but ask: "So, why summon Chester?"

"..."

Looking with disdain at the treasure chest monster, which was trembling all over with excitement, Lucy said: "Do you know, all treasure chest monsters in the world are actually products from outside the world."

"It's just that, influenced by the Echo, all information regarding the creators of treasure chest monsters has been erased; even the Scarlet Court in its prime did not know the origin of these creatures."

"But what is astonishing is that the treasure chest monsters, which should have been sealed away along with the Echo, are still active in every corner of the world to this day."

"Seeing them means treasure, ghost stories, secret lore, and even secrets that should have been buried by the world."

"How could a creature that can freely enter and exit even Boundary Echoes be trapped by a mere little Barrier?"

"Even if this Barrier is related to a god."

"Hiss, Chester... no, wait, treasure chest monsters are actually this powerful?" After hearing Lucy's description, Yun Mu looked at Chester, who was licking her sole, in disbelief. "Do not underestimate treasure chest monsters." Lucy looked at the painting Cold Crow behind Yun Mu and said meaningfully: "Anything that can be linked to space is never simple."

"Then shall we let Chester find the exit?" Not catching the hidden meaning in Lucy's words, Yun Mu looked at Chester and said.

"Mm, let's try." Lucy nodded, her tone sounding quite helpless: "With my current strength, for a Barrier involving divine power, trying to find the exit is just a matter of luck."

"Other than relying on this treasure chest monster, I can't think of any other reliable method."

Pausing slightly for a moment, Lucy's expression suddenly became much more serious. She looked at Yun Mu and said: "I'm afraid we will encounter quite a few enemies in this Barrier."

"Prepare for the worst; if you run into that Scarlet Messenger... staying alive is the most important thing."

"Mm." Hearing Lucy's words, Yun Mu nodded.

"Hoo, hah."

She took a deep breath and replied solemnly: "I will remember."

"Then, let's go!"

Lifting her shoe from Chester's tongue, Yun Mu squatted down, gently stroked Chester's lid with her hand, and said: "Xiaoqie, can you find the exit here?"

"Gaba gaba?" Chester opened its mouth in confusion.

Oh no, could this treasure chest monster of hers be an idiot?

Looking at Chester's reaction, Yun Mu's heart skipped a beat.

Fortunately, at this moment, Chester's emotions came through the contract.

The general meaning was... isn't this something anyone could do? Fine, fine, fine, so that's what it meant.

"Lead the way!" Yun Mu patted Chester's lid twice in succession as if patting a dog, then gave its butt a hard slap.

"Gaba gaba gaba!"

Chester leaped rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, it was about to disappear into the blood-red mist.

Seeing this, Yun Mu hurriedly followed. At the same time, for safety's sake, she summoned Dabai and the Scarlet Knight from the Game Panel to follow beside her and Lucy.

These mists seemed capable of shielding her Perception, so she currently had no idea how many enemies were in the mist or where those enemies were located.

Therefore, having the tall figures of Dabai and the Scarlet Knight guarding her left and right made her feel much safer.

It's just that she didn't know how Edward and Brenna were doing right now.

Whether they were also inside the Barrier.

Hopefully they will be alright, Yun Mu could only pray like this.

As a Fourth Order Master Wave-Treading Knight, Edward should not be in any danger, but as for Brenna, Yun Mu had never seen Brenna take action, and the Shadow Guard Elena by her side was with Lita, while another one named Ai Yi was still at Frost Bank.

And after entering the Barrier, whether the remaining Shadow Guards were still by Brenna's side was also an unknown.

Although Brenna was a Third-rank Transcendent, logically speaking she should be much stronger than Yun Mu.

But she still could not help but feel a bit worried for her.

Just at this moment, a middle-aged man wearing a black-gray tight-fitting outfit appeared before Yun Mu's eyes.

He had short light brown hair, black pupils, and a rather thin face. Hm? Isn't this the Shadow Guard who tried to eavesdrop on her and Brenna's conversation last time!? PS: Last month's royalties came out, guess how much? 352, hahaha, damn it.

It's fine, I didn't have perfect attendance last month, so it's normal for the royalties to be a bit low.

Starting this month, I'll be able to get that perfect attendance!

Besides, subscriptions have only started to rise and improve in the last few days.

No big deal.

(End of this chapter)