“How tragic…” Xingyue’s face paled as she covered her mouth.
Not far away lay a body, covered in wounds, sprawled in a pool of blood.
From the clothing and body shape, it was barely possible to recognize him.
It was none other than the missing Michael.
“The same Magic Circle again.” Boyang stared at the Scarlet Array, his heart sinking with unease.
At this moment, no one dared to approach the Magic Circle; everyone stood at a cautious distance.
Boyang and the others had learned from their past mistakes, while the other players followed the main group closely.
Whatever others did, they did as well.
“I’ll go check it out.” Ye Lian stepped forward cautiously toward the body.
Though her strength didn’t necessitate such caution, Better safe than sorry.
After a careful observation, confirming no immediate danger, she examined Michael’s body.
She found numerous holes in his neck as well.
However, the way the body was handled was noticeably different.
Michael’s wounds were excessively numerous.
“It doesn’t seem like the Octopus Monster’s doing.
Clearly, a different culprit this time.”
Ye Lian muttered softly after her inspection.
Then, she tilted her head toward the Scarlet Array on the ground.
The blood on it was still fresh, and many fragments were scattered around.
“This time, it looks like the opponent was in a hurry.”
She could tell the array’s detail was obviously inferior to the one near the Watchtower.
But the effect should be about the same.
“You’ll know once you try.”
Without hesitation, Ye Lian drew her spear and struck the Magic Circle several times with lightning speed.
Sure enough, sparks flew and the sound of metal striking rang out.
Immediately, the array exploded with a red glow, and a dozen thick tentacles shot out, lunging toward Ye Lian.
She swung her spear, and sharp green lines appeared in the surrounding space.
Hup!
In an instant, the tentacles were violently severed by the green lines, blood spurting everywhere.
The severed tentacles hadn’t even fallen to the ground before Ye Lian easily shattered them.
The remaining parts recoiled back into the array as if escaping.
“Just as I thought, it can’t be destroyed.”
After confirming this fact again, she said with some helplessness.
Finding those mysterious enemies in the Outer City District was undoubtedly like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Looking for people was definitely a last resort.
But the situation forced them to take that risk.
“Regroup. Let’s head to the Plaza.”
Turning away from the Magic Circle, Ye Lian instructed the others.
As they descended the stairs and ran toward the Plaza, Outside the city, a Grey Giant stood by the Stone Bridge, eyes alertly fixed on the Giant Mechanical Golem near the City Gate.
It had maintained this posture for some time.
This showed just how cautious the Grey Giant was.
“Gaaah!” Suddenly, it shouted loudly at the silent Mechanical Golem.
The strange cry made the air tremble.
In response, the Mechanical Golem showed no reaction, as if completely shut down.
***
After watching for a few more seconds, the Grey Giant finally took action.
It stepped onto the Stone Bridge.
Still, the Mechanical Golem didn’t react.
Now the Grey Giant relaxed.
It moved forward with powerful strides.
When it reached the City Gate, it stopped.
Looking up, it saw the towering City Wall.
Even for its massive size, the wall was imposing.
But not impossible to climb.
Pulling its gaze back, the Grey Giant’s five large eyes looked toward the Mechanical Golem.
For some reason, it felt like this guy was feigning death.
‘Maybe it should get closer?’
The moment the thought occurred, it stepped forward heavily.
The ground slightly trembled beneath its weight, causing the Mechanical Golem’s body to shake as well.
“Gaaah!” The Grey Giant bellowed again as it approached.
Still no response… or so it seemed.
Suddenly, the Mechanical Golem’s eyes glowed red, and its clenched right fist began spinning rapidly.
***
The next moment, it unleashed a violent punch!
The Grey Giant was clearly on guard, but the attack was too fast.
It couldn’t dodge in time and barely managed to raise both hands to block.
Bang!
An explosion echoed.
Like a hurricane, the punch struck the Grey Giant with overwhelming force, blasting it backward.
The speed was incredible, like a missile launched straight out.
The Mechanical Golem’s strike landed cleanly but it didn’t pursue.
The red glow in its eyes dimmed slightly.
Normally, all Mechanical Golems were identified by the system as player allies and thus ceased operating.
But this Giant Mechanical Golem was different.
It had initially been hacked and controlled by Ye Lian, and still harbored much of the enemy’s energy inside.
This caused the system to misinterpret it, failing to fully restrain it.
The other Mechanical Golems didn’t have this anomaly.
Ye Lian, familiar with their structure, had taken them down effortlessly, not wasting a single bit of energy.
In other words, this Giant Mechanical Golem was an unexpected product.
In this special case, its anomaly might just aid the city’s players.
Boom!
The Grey Giant crashed to the ground.
That single punch had sent it flying hundreds of meters.
The power was truly extraordinary.
“Gaaah!” Wrath and pain surged through the Grey Giant, fueling its fury as it roared and charged toward the Stone Bridge.
Determined to fight to the death!
Within seconds, the Mechanical Golem and Grey Giant clashed fiercely.
Fists and feet slammed, powerful shockwaves spreading and causing visible destruction around them.
Even the seemingly indestructible City Wall bore terrifying scars.
The commotion outside the city was palpable even to the players in the Plaza.
They grew increasingly alarmed.
Michael’s case had already left them on edge, and now this massive disturbance outside.
They were truly trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Staying here no longer seemed wise.
Before long, most players in the Plaza had dispersed.
By the time Ye Lian and her group arrived, fewer than ten remained.
Seeing this, Ye Lian frowned slightly.
“At this point, those guys are still wandering around recklessly. Don’t they value their lives?”
Boyang spoke, clearly displeased.
“Something’s off.”
Dancing Elephant looked toward the ground and said suddenly.
Then, everyone felt the earth trembling faintly beneath them.
“Gaaaaaah!”
A roar from the City Gate made their faces change.
“This is bad. There are monsters outside too!” Xingyue cried out.
“And not ordinary ones.”
Dancing Elephant sensed the trembling ground and grew uneasy.
“Most likely a big one.”
Ye Lian vaguely sensed something.
“Master, what do we do now?” Bai Xue’s question reflected everyone’s concern.
“It seems something is blocking it from entering for now, so no need to deal with it immediately. First, inform the others about the Octopus Monster’s traits and the summoning ritual.”
Ye Lian replied calmly.
The leader’s composed demeanor naturally instilled confidence in her subordinates.
Boyang and the others immediately sprang into action, unaware of a pair of eyes quietly watching their movements.
“We have a traitor among us.”
Suddenly, Ye Lian whispered.
Bai Xue, standing beside her, trembled, her expression behind the mask full of shock.