Chapter 159: Do Not Speak Ill of Yukari, Even Inside a Dungeon
Staring at the human-shaped crater in the wall where Ye Tian was now embedded so deeply he couldn't be pried out, Haruto and Kaguya exchanged a knowing glance. The suspicion that had been brewing in their minds was now confirmed: the Youkai Sage, Yakumo Yukari, could indeed influence the Death Game's dungeons, at least for a moment. It was a chilling reminder that they could never again speak ill of her, not even in jest.
Besides them and Youmu, both Yotsuya Miko and Lin Xuelao had witnessed the bizarre event with perfect clarity.
Miko, relying on her spirit sight, had caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar, malicious power lashing out.
Lin Xuelao, through her own unique perception, had 'seen' a delicate hand emerge from a spatial rift—one eerily similar to Haruto's—and deliver a resounding slap to Ye Tian's head.
"You don't need to be so nervous," Haruto said with a helpless sigh, noticing the members of Ascending God bracing themselves as if facing an apocalyptic foe. "As long as you don't run your mouth, nothing will happen. This parasol is her property, after all."
His words left everyone stunned, their gazes darting between one another in utter bewilderment.
Could it be some supreme entity from a top-tier world? Someone who could eavesdrop on their private conversations across dimensions?
If anyone else had made such a claim, they would have dismissed it as pure fantasy. Even a False God was bound by a dungeon's rules, unable to leave at will, let alone reach across the void into another.
But coming from Haruto, the statement carried an obvious weight. Besides, they had the living, wall-embedded proof of their own boss right before their eyes.
'Don't run your mouth'…
The meaning was crystal clear. It was a direct reference to their boss's last, unfortunate remark about the 'old hag'.
For a moment, no one dared to even form a stray thought. If this entity could hear them across dimensions and deliver punishment, who was to say she couldn't read minds as well?
A wave of sorrow washed over them. Their boss… surely he wouldn't die so young, all because of one careless comment?
The members of Ascending God felt their hearts sink as they redoubled their efforts, trying to pry their leader from the wall to check if he was still breathing. Unfortunately, Ye Tian was wedged in far too tightly; he wasn't coming out anytime soon.
"Don't worry, your boss is fine," Haruto offered, a hint of amusement in his tone. "He was just slapped unconscious."
A collective sigh of relief swept through the group. If their leader had truly died in such an inexplicable and pathetic manner, they wouldn't have the first clue how to explain it to the rest of Ascending God back home.
Seeing that the others were still struggling, Haruto stepped forward to help. With a single, sharp tug, he unceremoniously yanked Ye Tian from the wall like a cork from a bottle.
The members of Ascending God immediately swarmed their leader, frantically pouring various recovery potions down his throat.
Before long, Ye Tian slowly stirred. Shaking his still-dazed head, he was helped to his feet by his teammates. A faint but clear red palm print lingered on the left side of his face, a rather conspicuous mark.
"Wh-what just happened? Who ambushed me?" Ye Tian clutched his cheek, his eyes scanning the area with indignation, but he found no one.
His team members exchanged awkward glances, unsure how to break the news. Could they really just say, 'Boss, you got slapped from across another dimension because you have a big mouth'?
"Show yourself if you have the guts—"
Ye Tian was just about to issue a challenge when his secretary lunged forward and clamped a hand over his mouth. If the opponent could knock their boss unconscious from another reality, taking his life would likely be just as easy. That slap had clearly been an act of mercy.
The other members of Ascending God, jolted into action, quickly gave him a brief, whispered explanation of what had transpired. Ye Tian was stunned into silence as he listened. But seeing the dead-serious expressions on everyone's faces, and receiving a nod of confirmation from Haruto's group, he had no choice but to believe the absurd story.
His teammates continued their earnest persuasion.
"Boss, whatever you do, don't be impulsive. We can't beat her."
"Yeah, yeah, we know you're strong, but the opponent is clearly an ultimate hidden boss! Whatever you do, don't say anything stupid again. She can hear you!"
"Boss, you have to stay calm. If something happens to you here, the others will tear us apart when we get back…"
They were genuinely terrified their hot-headed leader would get worked up and throw his life away for nothing.
"Only commoners indulge in momentary bravado," Ye Tian declared, his expression turning serious as he sheathed his greatsword. He waved a dismissive hand. "True invincibility comes from constantly surpassing oneself, not from mindless suicide. That is simply unwise."
"Well said, Boss!" his team members applauded, all while secretly breathing sighs of relief. As long as their leader was alright, nothing else mattered.
However, Ye Tian was now intensely curious about the entity that had slapped him into next week. He sidled up to Haruto and lowered his voice.
"Brother Haruto, is it convenient to disclose where this parasol came from? Which dungeon? And that person who attacked just now… what exactly is their background?"
"It's not from a dungeon," Haruto replied simply. "If I had to describe it, you could think of it as an isolated small world. And she is the creator of that world."
Not a dungeon boss?
Hearing this, not only Ye Tian but also the members of Ascending God who were shamelessly eavesdropping felt a fresh wave of shock. They knew that many strange powers existed outside the Death Game's system, but an entity who could hear someone badmouthing her in a sealed dungeon and then reach in to deliver a punch was beyond ridiculous.
"Then this umbrella of yours…"
"I swiped it while she was sleeping," Haruto said with a shrug, his tone so flat it was as if he were discussing the weather.
Swiped it?
The members of Ascending God had only one word echoing in their minds: Impressive.
Their own boss had nearly been slapped into a forced restart just for one bad word. This guy, on the other hand, had directly stolen her property and somehow managed to reach a subtle, harmonious balance with that heaven-defying existence.
On the journey that followed, they no longer encountered swarms of tiny insects. Instead, the smallest they saw were the size of a human head. Ye Tian fought with exceptional ferocity, his greatsword a blur of righteous fury, as if the consecutive blows to his pride had ignited a fire within him.
It was also worth mentioning that the spider monster seemed to still be shadowing them. From the rear of the team or the ceiling above, faint scuttling noises would occasionally break the silence.
Before they knew it, the group had reached the end of the passage.
The space opened into an empty chamber, containing nothing but a solitary glass dome. Inside, a finger-sized larva lay curled up.
Everyone's gaze fell on Lin Xuelao, but she simply shook her head.
"This is the end. At least in the vicinity of this passage, there are no other paths."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions turned strange. Surely this tiny grub, not even the size of a thumb, wasn't the Broodmother they had been searching so hard for?
Xia Ye stepped forward, cautiously scrutinizing the creature through the glass. The larva was curled up and motionless; it didn't look threatening in the slightest.
"Get back!" Haruto suddenly sensed a spike of danger and shouted a warning.
But Xia Ye's reaction was a beat too slow. The larva abruptly lunged—the glass dome had been nothing but an illusion.
Ye Tian, however, trusted Haruto's instincts implicitly. The moment the warning left Haruto's lips, he had already charged forward. In the nick of time, he kicked Xia Ye clear, sending him tumbling away as the larva shot past, missing its target.
Xia Ye rolled several times across the stone floor before finally slamming into a corner and coming to a stop.
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