Chapter 827
“This time, you finally kept your word.”
When Chen Xiaolian returned to the island, Roddy finally breathed a sigh of relief. He gave Chen Xiaolian’s shoulder a vigorous pat.
Qiao Qiao, who was behind him, said nothing. However, there was a clear look of relief in her eyes as well.
“Chen Xiaolian, Tian Lie still hasn’t woken up. Can you come take a look?”
Nicole walked over to Chen Xiaolian and said, a frown on her face.
Both she and Tian Lie had seen just how formidable Shen and the other monsters were back in the Longevity Palace. They also knew that Chen Xiaolian had obtained the Oddity in the end. Although he was still not at their level, his display of strength back in the Los Angeles instance dungeon just now was already quite the shocker.
Ever since Tian Lie fell unconscious, Nicole had tried using all the recovery items in her possession on him only to no avail. At present, the only one who could save Tian Lie would be Chen Xiaolian.
However, Nicole was feeling somewhat worried.
Roddy liked her. Nicole was not the only one who knew that. Everyone else also knew.
As it so happened, Chen Xiaolian was Roddy’s good friend.
And while she believed in Chen Xiaolian’s character, Nicole could not help but think, what if, for the sake of Roddy, Chen Xiaolian turned a blind eye to Tian Lie’s situation...
“Don’t worry. He just lost too much of his spiritual power. Ignore him. He’ll be fine after getting some sleep.” Chen Xiaolian saw through Nicole’s worries and smiled.
“Tian Lie is an [S] class expert, after all. He doesn’t just possess a formidable physical recovery, his spiritual attribute is also not weak. As long as he is still alive, he will surely recover. Only, it’ll take some time. Roddy...”
Chen Xiaolian turned towards Roddy and said, “These past few months, you fellows must have gathered up some metal spheres, right? Pilot the Tidal Fighter to the northwest region. Find Xia Xiaolei and bring him back.”
“Yes, we have many of those saved up.” Roddy was quick to nod. “But...”
Roddy hesitated for a moment before asking with a wry smile, “Are we really going to revive him?”
Although Xia Xiaolei had died in the previous battle, no one in Meteor Rock Guild seemed overly agitated. He was an Awakened, after all. By using the metal sphere, they had one chance of reviving him.
That was also why, every time they entered an instance dungeon, the names written on the Lifehymn Music Score were Roddy, Qiao Qiao and Soo Soo. The three of them were the only Irregularities in Meteor Rock Guild. The chance to be revived did not exist for them.
Naturally, when Xia Xiaolei returned, they would have another Irregularity in their guild.
“Why not?” Chen Xiaolian turned to face Roddy.
“He is an Awakened, not an Irregularity. Even though he had died once inside the instance dungeon, he still exists in this world.” Roddy slowly shook his head. “Actually, I think... this doesn’t seem all that bad.”
“At the very least, he no longer has to face the terrifying instance dungeons anymore, living while putting his life on the line. To be able to live a simple life is not bad.”
Roddy smiled and continued, “In truth, I feel... Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild’s method is quite good. We can give Xia Xiaolei some money and let him live a carefree life from now on.”
“No... Guild Leader.”
Suddenly, Qimu Xi walked out from a room. She shook her head and said, “We have to revive Xia Xiaolei.”
Chen Xiaolian then turned to look at Qimu Xi.
During the past half year period when he was gone, Qimu Xi had completely changed.
She was no longer the timid, fearful and useless Qimu Xi. Seemingly having gone through a rebirth, she had become sharp and stern, like an unsheathed blade.
“Xiaolei and I had... chatted in private before.” When uttering the word ‘private’, a slightly blushed look flashed across Qimu Xi’s face but it quickly disappeared. “We feel that, it is an honour to become a member of Meteor Rock Guild. That is why, we made an agreement. No matter who dies, the other person must use the metal sphere to revive the one who died.”
“Moreover, Xiaolei’s combat power is not weak. His position in the guild has long since been determined. We are already accustomed to the current arrangement. To suddenly lose him, our combat power will plummet significantly.”
Chen Xiaolian blinked. Then, he turned to Roddy. “This matter... do you fellows know about it?”
Qiao Qiao and Roddy were quick to shake their heads.
“Don’t worry, I won’t die.” Chen Xiaolian interrupted the GM. “I just wanted to experience it a little, just what kind of state Shen and those fellows are in within the collapsing Zero City.”
Very quickly, all the rooms around him disappeared.
The Moonless Fivefold Light Armour moved at will to immediately cover Chen Xiaolian’s entire body. Even so, Chen Xiaolian could feel a great pressure pressing down on him.
The ‘space’ had utterly disappeared. Naturally, all the things that were within the space, gravity, air, energy... all of them had disappeared as well.
Ever since obtaining the angel wings, even places with nothing would have the faint green code in his eyes. At that very moment, however, everything had disappeared.
Chen Xiaolian tried to open an exit leading out from this space, but found himself powerless to do so.
He tried moving his own body, but found that he could not move a single finger. Rather, he could not even feel his own body. It felt as though his consciousness was all that remained.
Perhaps, his body had already disappeared, folded within the collapsing space.
No direction. No light. Even time and space did not exist. This was the collapse.
It appeared he no longer had any way to leave this space, except...
The Oddity within his body began to swiftly rotate and flowed towards his right hand and the tip of his finger.
At the same time, the power within his body also flowed forth. Like a raging tsunami, it flowed towards the tip of his finger. But when it arrived at the tip, it immediately disappeared without a trace.
The pain that Chen Xiaolian had to endure this time was in no way inferior compared to when he obtained the Oddity. The last time, he felt as though his body would blow up from overload. This time, it felt as though his body would be hollowed out.
In the beginning, Chen Xiaolian had been the one driving his power into the Oddity. At present, however, the Oddity had begun to automatically suck his power.
For Chen Xiaolian, it felt as though every single cell within his body was being scoured by a raging river without end, almost ripping him to smithereens.
Even though there was no longer the concept of space, Chen Xiaolian could still feel the Oddity spinning faster. It had become the same as it used to be back in the Longevity Palace, turning into a stretch of chaos.
“GM! It’s your turn!”
Within the collapsed space, Chen Xiaolian could no longer speak. He had to rely on his thoughts to transmit those words.
“I know.”
The GM’s voice rang within Chen Xiaolian’s mind.
Although the GM only had authority and not any substantial power, the GM’s existence was necessary. It was the same when Zero City was first built. Mr San and the others had needed Taiyi’s assistance.
In this situation that was devoid of time and space, the only thing that could guide this power was the GM’s authority.
After it was infused with all of Chen Xiaolian’s power, the Oddity had become infinitely small in size and infinitely high in density. It was also infinitely hot.
Next...
There was neither sound nor light. Only a clump of energy, which abruptly expanded out from within the Oddity.
This was truly the big bang of creation.
When compared to this explosion, the nuclear explosions from the Los Angeles instance dungeon were like children playing house.
However, Chen Xiaolian was not wounded by the explosion. By then, he had completely integrated with the Oddity and was at the very centre of the explosion.
The violent energy swept outwards at a velocity which surpassed the speed of light. After the wave of energy swept out, it left space behind it.
Finally, the energy began to subside, gradually thinning before finally disappearing without a trace.
But the space created by the explosion did not disappear.
Chen Xiaolian floated in empty space and gasped vigorously for breath. He felt as though his whole body had become empty. That earlier action had seemingly sucked away all his strength.
The creation of a world... of even such a small independent space, the energy consumption involved was simply too terrifying.