Chapter 115: Human Beings Have Their Limits

On the way to the lowest level, Colin began to notice more of the dilapidation hidden beneath this "pristine" structure.

Many areas were damaged, marked by dark, reddish-brown bloodstains and a thin layer of dust. It seemed that this place had not been tended to—let alone repaired—since the battle that took place here.

As Russell led the way, he explained, "You can clean and repair it manually yourself, or pay to have it done automatically. A single cleaning costs about three thousand mist points. As for repairs, it depends on the extent of the damage, but I’d estimate it would cost just over ten or twenty thousand. I don’t have the money to fix anything, but as for you..."

"I don't have the money either," Colin shook his head. "I’ll just make do for now and repair it myself later. It’s not like the damage is that severe anyway..."

Aside from a staircase that was suddenly missing a section, walls riddled with holes, and public facilities that looked as if they had been erased by some force... these troubles were manageable. A few stones, some wooden boards, and a bit of patching would suffice.

However, looking at the battle scars everywhere, Colin asked curiously, "By the way, how did you guys manage to deal with that thing back then?"

"Us? We were caught completely off guard," Russell replied, his voice heavy with memory as they walked. "The collapse of that 'special talent' was something no one could have anticipated. The entire Ring City was suddenly swarming with 'Slender Figures.' For every one we killed, a dozen more appeared. If it touched you, you’d lose a chunk of flesh; if you were a second too slow, you’d simply evaporate on the spot.

"The biggest issue was that, due to its unique nature, we had no idea where the source of the problem was. It was only when I was lucky enough to retreat into the 'Core Fortress' with a few others that the mental influence weakened, and I was 'fortunate' enough to spot the problem.

"Heh, that was when I realized the number of people it had split into was greater than our own group combined. We only had about twenty people, and it had dozens... Once we knew where the problem lay, it became much easier to handle, but the accident cost us dearly in the long run."

"So, only two of you survived in the end?" Colin asked curiously. He remembered that the lady named "Bluebell" had only chosen to leave alone and slip out through a tunnel near the seal after she was suddenly "watched."

Facing the question, Russell shook his head. "To be precise, about a dozen people survived, including the 'servants.' At the time, there were about six survivors left. After we resolved the issue, everyone was missing limbs or suffering from injuries, but we only had two recovery cards. Red potions don't help you regrow a severed hand... though I wouldn't mind being short a leg."

He paused, sighed, and continued, "At the time, a few people had little will to go on. Their 'servants' had all died in the accident, including several other 'loyal' special talents. Plus, the system was essentially scrap, and we couldn't contact the outside world. They... they just wanted to rest."

When you are physically disabled, see no future, and your friends and partners—who were like family—are suddenly dead... perhaps every breath is an agony. In such a situation, even though they knew some people had developed dark thoughts, no one tried to console them.

"In short, by the time only two survivors were left, Bluebell and I used the last two 'recovery cards'..."

"But shortly after she used hers, she suddenly told me she was about to be 'sanctioned'..."

"And as someone in the same zone who had also been 'watched,' perhaps I was just 'lucky'?" Russell smiled helplessly. "In this so-called survival, we lost completely. Everything we should have won, and everything we shouldn't have lost, we lost it all."

"Those last few days, we could do nothing but run; there was nothing we could save. In the end, we didn't truly escape. We didn't even get to see what the final catastrophe looked like..."

Colin and the others didn't reply; they didn't know how to. Looking at the increasingly dense traces of battle, they could easily imagine the brutality of that time.

"Don't be so gloomy. Talking about it has made me feel much lighter. Hmm, we’re here."

As he spoke, they stopped in front of an unremarkable manhole cover.

*Another manhole cover...* Colin and the others couldn't help but mutter to themselves. If no one had been leading them, without these hints, they would have wasted so much energy just finding this place. Who would have guessed that one manhole cover would be hidden beneath another?

Russell knelt before the cover and pressed his palm against it, seemingly unlocking something. Then, he pulled the cover aside, revealing a deeper passage beneath.

There was no need to enter. Soon, a system notification appeared in Colin's mind, asking if he wished to accept the "gift."

After agreeing, the "gift" from the previous generation was finally in Colin's hands.

[Level 5 Underground Fortress: Total space 100x100x30.]
[Portable Modification: Original area reduced by 50%.]
[Basic Structures: Core Underground Fortress (4% damaged), Ring City Level 3 (21% damaged), Ecological Garden (79% damaged), Water Tower, Sunlight Simulator...]

"So big..." Colin did a quick calculation and felt a hint of surprise. He wondered how much material it would take to build such a structure. If a fortress not known for its size was this large at Level 5... how big would the largest of the four Level 5 territory options be?

He pondered it for a moment. The "hint" told him it was "very big," but it didn't specify exactly how big.

Not dwelling on it, Colin opened the building function menu to familiarize himself with the new options.

[You are attempting to repair the damage. This repair will cost 21,846 mist points. Confirm?]

*No, I refuse...*

Colin dismissed the notification and quickly used the "hint" to get a better understanding of the place. Once he had fully grasped the layout, the information he received became significantly more accurate.

But after a short while, Colin felt his brain grow sluggish and hollow. He had overexerted his mind for the day. If he could see his personal status panel, he suspected there would be some associated debuffs.

"As expected, there are limits to being human..." Colin muttered.

Just then, Russell, who had climbed down through the manhole cover while Colin was checking the information, crawled back out of the "Core Fortress."

"Let me show you some good stuff."

Russell chuckled and tossed out the items he had just retrieved from the "warehouse" below. With a clatter of metal, a pile of objects shimmering with a cold metallic luster was dumped onto the floor.

He reached down, picked one up, and waved it to show them. It was a metal weapon composed of long barrels, a rotating cylinder, a grip, and a trigger.

Looking at these items, Colin and the others wore expressions of pure disbelief.