Chapter 206: One of the Two

Chapter 206: One of the Two

Before Gao Yang could say anything, Nine Frost spoke up.

“For this, I lost three brothers.”

His icy voice was filled with fury and hatred. He threw the Rune Circuit to Gao Yang. Gao Yang caught it and examined it thoroughly.

Just like the other Rune Circuit, this one was also a 1-centimeter thick artifact made of Black Gold the size of a compact mirror. It was covered in intricate circuits with the top side etched with an archaic-looking pattern: a blooming flower with identical petals.

Gao Yang’s heart sank as he confirmed his ominous feeling.

“Lithe Snake,” he said. “Can you regenerate your arm now?”

Lithe Snake shook his head weakly. “My Talent hasn’t come back to me.”

Gao Yang turned to the others. “And yours?”

They all shook their heads.

Gao Yang tried to activate Fire, but his energy remained dormant.

“Is it that we will only get our Talent back once we leave the Rune Cave?” Gray Bear suggested.

“That’s one possibility.” Gao Yang took a deep breath, his tone taking a downturn. “But I don’t think that’s the case.”

“What do you mean?”

Gao Yang raised the Rune Circuit in his hand. “This isn’t the Support Rune Circuit.”

Nine Frost stared at him without a word.

The others were befuddled as well.

Gao Yang could be somewhat certain that the Rune Circuit wasn’t of the Support-type. He had visited the Talent Pantheon and saw the symbols of the twelve Rune types on the altars at the foot of the Pillars of Creation. One of them was the blooming flower.

“Don’t you find it strange?” Gao Yang said. “Li Zhuanghu was able to turn anyone he bit into his puppets and control them. Do you think that’s an ability of the Support-type?”

“It’s Summon-type!” Yellow Butterfly’s eyes glinted with realization.

“Correct.” Gao Yang turned to her. “You have a Summon-type Talent. You should know that Li Zhuanghu’s ability doesn’t fit the Support-type.”

“But our Talents are sealed.” Gray Bear still hadn’t caught on. “Can the Summon Rune Circuit do that?”

“No,” Gao Yang said.

“Then isn’t there an inconsistency?”

“Who tells you that one Rune Cave...”

Nine Frost finished Gao Yang’s speculation for him, “Can only have one Rune Circuit?”

What little relief they had felt froze over.

There was another Rune Circuit at the Eleventh High School, the Support Rune Circuit that had sealed their Talents.

Who was that?

A survivor who had somehow escaped the rune corpses intact? A monster mutated due to the Rune Circuit? Or something entirely different?

There was no knowing the answers.

However, they couldn’t get out of here now and had to face whoever it was sooner or later. Sitting around here wouldn’t solve the problem. Without getting proper treatment and rest, they would only get more exhausted if they waited.

There was no other way. Gao Yang couldn’t bet small in this instance. He had to make a risky gamble.

“What do we have now?” Gao Yang asked Yellow Butterfly.

She was holding a supply bag. “Two syringes of Medicine C, two syringes of adrenaline, two sleep gas grenades, some water, and some dry rations.”

“Give the adrenaline shots to me and Gray Bear,” Nine Frost said. “Seven Shadow has used it once and can’t use it again.”

“Yeah.” Gao Yang agreed. If things got dangerous, Nine Frost and Gray Bear would be able to administer the shot and put up a fight a little longer.

Of course, they would only be able to fight to the limit of a regular human. At least it was some comfort that total silence applied to both humans and monsters.

Yellow Butterfly gave the syringes to Nine Frost and Gray Bear.

Gao Yang turned to Ronnie. “Stay here and look after Lithe Snake and Can, Ronnie.”

“Understood.”

Ronnie had exhausted himself and twisted his ankle in the earlier fight, and he walked with a limp. If a fight broke out, he would only drag them down.

Ronnie gave Yellow Butterfly the dagger in his hand. “Please be, careful.”

Yellow Butterfly took the dagger. “You too.”

“Let’s go,” said Gao Yang.

“Go! Let’s see what it’s got!” Gray Bear tried his best to pump everyone up. “Be it fortune or misfortune, we have to face it head on!”

Gao Yang, Nine Frost, Gray Bear, Black Sparrow, and Yellow Butterfly entered the shaded path and soon reached the teaching building. When they set foot into the main hall, there were still some dead rune corpses on the floor, the aftermath of their earlier fight here.

They went up the stairs, and their advance speed noticeably slowed down when they got to the fourth floor. Although none of them had said anything, it was clear that they were all reluctant to face what awaited them.

Finally, Gray Bear broke the silence with a bitter smile. “Captain, what are our odds in your opinion?”

It was a meaningless question.

Gao Yang didn’t know what was waiting for them on the rooftop.

But morale was crucial, so he said confidently without looking at Gray Bear, “A hundred percent.”

“Haha!” Gray Bear laughed dryly. “I think so too!”

“Get ready.”

The five of them reached the top of the stairs.

Creak.

Gao Yang opened the metal door leading to the rooftop.