Penelope Bloom had originally wanted to speak up, not only to defend Su Qi but also to assess the current situation.

This city... from the moment they entered, had exuded a bone-chilling coldness, as if dangers lurked all around and behind them, causing an unsettling dread.

Now, the Paradise System had vanished, and the city had become even more bizarre. Instead of competing for the uncertain prize of one hundred million points, everyone should consider escaping from this city, this region.

It was not only him feeling and thinking this; players from other top clubs also had an extremely grave expression, not relaxing in the slightest. They trusted their instincts, their subconscious judgments.

And then, at that moment.

Behind every person, by everyone's ears, a voice suddenly arose.

"Can you... help me...?"

The voice was genderless, sounding as if someone had scorched their throat with fire and nails, twisted, hoarse, and low—an intonation that did not seem human.

Everyone stiffened, their eyes bloodshot.

It was like being trapped in a nightmare, with consciousness being crushed by 99%, leaving only a fraction clear, feeling as if an infinite weight suffocated them.

It grew dark, and dim as if drowning in this horrific nightmare!

After that sentence was spoken!

Everyone seemed to awaken from the dream! Faces turned extremely pale! Some even staggered, unable to support their bodies, and sat on the ground.

"What's going on?"

"Is someone speaking behind us?"

They felt as if someone was standing behind them, that unsettling fear chilling everyone to the bone.

But turning around with pale faces, they saw nothing.

"Why did I hear someone asking for help?"

"You... heard it too?"

"Yes..."

"...and it was incredibly creepy and unsettling," someone panted heavily, "I felt like my heart and consciousness were about to stop!"

All players realized it wasn't just them hearing it, which brought a bit of sense back amidst immense fear.

This horrifying situation... it's not the strange that frightens, but the fear of being alone in it.

"You heard it too?"

"Yes."

Ghost-faced Magician and others looked extremely grim and disturbed. At the moment that voice had sounded, they felt as if a terrifying force had targeted them, the deadly chill instantly expanding by hundreds, thousands of times, as if stuck in quicksand, unable to escape.

Even as they tried to adjust their mindset, their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

Moreover, they had immediately activated their Investigation Skill... but there were no traces, nothing existed behind them.

Ethan Dawn, pale-faced, trembled, "What exactly is this voice... why does it need help?"

Su Qi didn't answer, but pondered, "So, the voice you just heard was asking for help?"

Ethan Dawn widened his eyes, looking at Su Qi, "You didn't hear it?"

"Well, it's like this."

Su Qi paused, then pulled out an old camera, "While you guys were shivering and panicking just now, I was taking your photos."

"???"

Ethan Dawn was full of questions. Everyone had just been caught in some horrific, bizarre incident, and you were unaffected.

And what's more important!

When you noticed something was wrong with everyone, shouldn't you have been observing urgently, seriously, and gravely?

And you were actually taking photos!

"Ladies and gentlemen..."

Penelope Bloom spoke gravely, "The voice just now was extremely strange and frightening. The information from the Paradise System has also disappeared. Everything is declaring that this city is deadly and dangerous. Right now, the most pressing matter is to find a way to leave here!"

"Leave?" Hidden Blade's young man [Zero] looked somber, "It's not that simple..."

"Indeed." The woman in the trench coat [Luna Fern] also trembled slightly as she held her cigarette, looking around, "The way back... not only is it guarded by a Seventh Rank Monster, but have you noticed? The streets around us are subtly changing."

"The Twisted has enveloped the entire city," Tattooed Youth [Xuanwu] spoke gravely, "Apart from that voice just now, dangers likely lurk everywhere..."

Su Qi was not new to such experiences, having seen such twisted spaces in Linyuan Land before.

However, he now focused on the names of these players; with the power of the Paradise dissipated, everyone's IDs had been exposed.

The few who had just spoken were among the top ten in the fantasy rankings, but if placed in the previous overall rankings, they were outside the top one hundred.

Of course, they were also considered super rookies, players with great strength and potential, given the fierce competition among too many players globally, making even the top one thousand noteworthy talents.

And the highest...

He looked at Ghost-faced Magician.

Ranked 47th in the overall leaderboard.

At that moment, Ghost-faced Magician also looked slightly pale, his face half-concealed, but still unavoidably displaying emotions not his own.

That was fear.

"We must leave here now, no matter what... I have a premonition," he rasped, "If we stay here any longer, something unpredictably horrifying will happen soon!"

Just the voice alone, the creepy chill it brought had already affected everyone's spirits and condition.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com