"Haaah… Why is it getting colder? It's not the direct cold like in Belobog, but this damp, humid feeling is so uncomfortable."
Tugging at her sleeves, which were already sticking to her skin, March 7th complained.
Was this to be expected of an underground reservoir? The deeper they went, the darker and damper it became. She could already hear the faint sound of flowing liquid beneath her feet, which meant they were getting closer to the central reservoir.
"March, just get used to it. I hate to admit it, but compared to a sewer, this place is already pretty good," Dan Heng said helplessly from the back of the group. If this were a sewer… they probably wouldn't be able to take another step, right?
"Eww! Don't mention sewers! It might be a little cold here, but at least it's not as disgusting as a sewer!"
March, like a startled rabbit, cut Dan Heng off. She suddenly felt that this place wasn't so bad after all… It was no wonder a "Legend" who shocked the universe could emerge from a place like this. If it had been a sewer, that "Legend" would probably have been a bit more… legendary, wouldn't they?
"Here, put this on."
Wende took off his own coat, walked over to March, and draped it over her shoulders.
"Ah? Oh… thanks…"
March felt the lingering warmth on the coat, as well as the faint scent of medicinal herbs…
"Just bear with it a little longer. We still have a long way to go. You can do it!"
Wende gently patted March's shoulder, offering her a smile of encouragement.
"Mhm!"
March blushed and nodded. The dim light of the underground reservoir shone on her face, but with the mask Wende had made covering her mouth and nose, no one could notice her crimson cheeks.
"By the way… are none of you cold?"
Looking at the others who, aside from her, seemed completely unaffected, March asked with great curiosity.
"Er…"
Himeko (Fire): (Looks a bit awkward and scratches her face.)
Wende (Lightning or Fire): Well, how should I put this…
Jingliu (Ice): Is it cold?
Tingyun (Lightning or Fire): Actually, this little lady also feels… (Her gaze keeps darting toward Wende)
Stelle (Fire): Huh? I think it's fine. (scratches head)
Dan Heng (Dragon Exalt): Er…
March 7th (Six-Phased Ice): Okay, I get it, you don't have to say any more…
Why is it that after asking, I feel like I'm the odd one out?
As they continued forward, the sound of flowing water grew more distinct. A mist began to fill the air, and the humidity reached its peak. Walking through this section was no different from running straight into a downpour to be washed over by rain.
Fortunately, they had Stelle and March. As the two people in the group with the most bizarre train of thought, March immediately thought of using Stelle's shield to clear the way.
On one hand, it could block the mist ahead. On the other, it could guard against any potential ambushes in the reservoir! Plus, it served as a source of light, and it was warm and toasty, making her feel comfortable all of a sudden!
"It's a real waste of talent that you two didn't become researchers for Herta."
Watching Stelle walk at the very front, Himeko suddenly felt her worldview being shaken. It seemed the Paths had limited her imagination…
"I guess you could call it creativity…"
Even Wende had to admire their unique way of thinking. Without these two goofballs on the journey, things might have been miserable. But now, the originally tense and oppressive atmosphere had instantly transformed into a sauna…
He now felt like the front of the shield was a shower and the back was a sauna. All that was missing was for him to take out an exfoliating towel, set up a massage bed, and open a bathhouse…
Hiss… actually, his own train of thought was pretty bizarre too.
Wende suddenly began to suspect he was being assimilated.
Beware the spread of the Stelle virus!
---o---
"Heat signature detected in channel A31. What's going on? Wasn't this route sealed off? How could someone get down here?"
Somewhere in the underground reservoir, a man in a dark jumpsuit and sunglasses stared at the heat signature on his screen, his brow furrowed.
"Maybe those scumbags from the Cinder Gang didn't guard it properly. Just plan a new route for them. Make them exit through channel B12," the person next to him, dressed in the same attire, said with an indifferent wave of his hand.
"But… isn't channel B12 filled with monsters pouring in from the Legendary Tower? These people…"
The man in sunglasses hesitated. It seemed a sliver of conscience still existed within him. Or perhaps, he just wasn't a qualified hacker…
"This is why you can only be a monitor here, staring at this unchanging screen day after day."
The hacker beside him shook his head dispassionately, then pressed the channel-change switch while the sunglasses-wearing hacker gave him a look that said, "aren't you one too?"
Click…
"BWOOOP!!! BWOOOP!!! BWOOOP!!!"
The moment the switch was pressed, the alarms throughout the room exploded into a cacophony. Red warning lights flashed incessantly, and the piercing sound made one's heart pound.
"What's happening? Why are the alarms going off?! What's going on!" the one who pressed the switch panicked. He called up his Aether Editing panel and his hands flew across the terminal, typing strings of code, but every attempt only resulted in an error message.
"Wh-what is this situation! Why are all the commands and codes reporting errors!"
Sweat trickled down his forehead, eventually dripping onto his collar.
"Quick… look! The main gate is opening! The base's main gate is opening!"
The hacker in sunglasses stared in horror at the information displayed on the terminal. Their base's main gate… how did it open?!
"It's over… it's over… If the elders find out I screwed this up, they'll fry my brain!"
"Think of something! What about the manual override!"
"It's… it's useless!!!"
The two of them descended into chaos, trying every method they could to stop the gate from opening, but nothing worked…
---o---
"That's it? You build a base in a Legend's old home, and this is the best you can do? What a letdown. I didn't even use one-tenth of my power."
Somewhere in the underground reservoir, Silver Wolf swung her little legs, looking at the surveillance feed on her phone with a disdainful expression.
"These hackers who call themselves followers of the Legend are nothing special. And here I thought they might provide a little excitement."
The thought of these guys doing things under the name of that Legend irked Silver Wolf. Other than occupying his old territory and building an underground fortress, what connection did they even have to him?
They were nothing but squatters. And they even renovated the place and added a new front door for him…
"The gate is open. Let's go."
Kafka stood up from the side and said softly to Silver Wolf.
"Sigh… so boring. I hope those old geezers in the Legendary Tower can give me a little more fun."
Silver Wolf looked utterly bored.