"Is this thing useful?" Lan Yan asked.
"Wrap it up, no more talking," Qin Nuo replied without further explanation.
Lan Yan had no choice but to unravel the bandage and, with Qin Nuo's help, wrap it around his chest a few times to cover the wound.
A few seconds later, Lan Yan's expression changed slightly as he saw a green glow emanate from the bandage, his face filled with astonishment.
Once the green light faded, Qin Nuo removed the bandage.
The horrifying wound had completely vanished, leaving no scar behind.
"This thing is amazing! Is it a reward from the instance? How come you have so many ghost creatures? You're only level 2, where do you get all these rewards?" Lan Yan asked in shock.
"Maybe we're playing different games," Qin Nuo replied casually.
"If I'm not mistaken, we should only be missing the last three puzzle pieces now." Confirming his body was back to normal, Lan Yan twisted his arm joints and said.
"No need to rush."
Qin Nuo stood up, looked down the corridor, and asked, "Where's the blond guy?"
"That nickname... I'm not sure, we split up, but I guess he's at a similar stage as me."
Just as they were speaking, the floor suddenly trembled. Before they could understand what was happening, the sparks from the puzzle pieces flared up and floated in one direction.
The brightness of the sparks was enough to illuminate the surrounding space.
"Why is the reaction so intense this time?" Lan Yan asked in surprise.
"Let's go take a look." Qin Nuo let Meng sit on his shoulder, grabbed the oil lamp, and ran with Lan Yan in the direction the pieces indicated.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, a wall suddenly burst open, with steel and concrete flying everywhere.
A ghost wielding a scythe emerged, its blood-red eyes filled with violence, and in one hand, it held the bloodied blond man.
"Toy, a beautiful toy!"
The scythe ghost examined the blond man as if admiring its artwork, then its eyes fell on Qin Nuo and Lan Yan.
"Two more new toys!"
Lan Yan took a step back, looking at the battered blond man: "He was just looking for pieces, how did he provoke such a terrifying ghost?"
Seeing the strong reaction of the puzzle pieces, Qin Nuo said, "It means this ghost has more than one puzzle piece."
As he spoke, the scythe ghost raised its arm and swung down fiercely, the terrifying scythe slashing toward Qin Nuo and Lan Yan.
Both quickly retreated.
The floor was immediately torn open with a deep crack, the steel inside severed, and dust rose.
"I hope so too," Qin Nuo said.
Lan Yan looked at the blond man, barely holding on, and couldn't help but ask, "Want me to finish you off?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the blond man passed out.
It seemed like Lan Yan's words had choked him to death.
Soon, the blond man burst into a cloud of black smoke and dissipated.
Lan Yan stood up and asked, "Where to now?"
Just as he asked, a game announcement sounded in their minds: "Congratulations to Player Lan Yan, Phantom, and Emperor for gathering all the puzzle pieces. Main quest progress is 80% complete." �
"Next, the game will enter the final stage of the main quest. The mastermind will actively hunt the players. Good luck!"
Lan Yan's face changed drastically: "The mastermind is making a move!"
Qin Nuo's expression remained calm: "It's already made a move, but now is the main event."
Qin Nuo took out all the puzzle pieces from himself and the blond man, and Lan Yan quickly took out his two pieces.
A total of twelve puzzle pieces floated in the air, assembling together.
The full picture of the puzzle was revealed for the first time!
Last time, the blond man and Lan Yan had only pieced together half.
Seeing the other half now, Lan Yan's expression was filled with astonishment, his gaze involuntarily shifting to Meng, even more confused.
"I'm a bit lost, what does this mean?"
Qin Nuo said calmly, "It's okay if you're lost, as long as I'm not."
With the full picture of the puzzle, Qin Nuo confirmed his suspicions, holding the Grave Ghost Stone in his hand.
"Let's go."
"Where to now?" Lan Yan asked instinctively.
"The first-floor lobby, find a spacious place to move freely," Qin Nuo said.
"You're going to confront the mastermind head-on?"
"The only thing it fears now is the holy water in my hand."
Qin Nuo thought for a moment and spoke to Meng on his shoulder: "Meng, I need to make a plan next, something more secure, and I'll need your help."
Though confused, Meng nodded: "As long as brother needs help, I'll do my best."