The dim realm vibrated intensely, its speed performing some vigorous action before abruptly calming.
The process seemed intricate and profound, yet it only lasted an instant.
Following this, a membrane of light quickly swept past everyone, then vanished into the horizon.
After it swept by, the grass turned emerald green, the sky regained its azure hue, and all colors seemed to become more vibrant, instantly shifting from a horror movie aesthetic to a travel advertisement.
Everyone knew this signified that the world they inhabited had returned to normal!
As the world normalized, the bald undead stiffened, and thick black smoke billowed from its body, rushing towards the sky. It was far more conspicuous than smoke signals, and countless streaks of such black smoke could be seen across the vast plateau.
Suno's eyes lit up. He sensed the bald creature's movements had stopped. Seizing this golden opportunity, he activated his hand cannon ability.
To prevent any mishaps, he didn't aim for the monster's tough skull, but rather its neck. With a loud bang, the bald undead's head flew off. He then panted, staring at the headless corpse.
Based on his experience fighting his way through, these monsters might not die even without their heads.
However, this time, after the bald undead died, nothing unusual happened. It died cleanly, and the smoke emanating from its body became ten times thicker, quickly vanishing into the air.
Seeing that the monsters were dead, those protected by Suno collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Some laughed uncontrollably, some lay on the ground unwilling to move, and some wept in each other's arms. However, few paid attention to Suno, who had just endured a fierce battle.
Because the strange space had disappeared and they had gained safety, they no longer needed Suno's protection.
Suno, clutching his aching arm, harbored no particular thoughts about this.
This was only human nature, and he wouldn't become overly sentimental about it.
A delicate hand clasped Suno's arm, and a sweet fragrance filled his nostrils, somewhat soothing his pain.
Turning around, Suno saw Hu Youling holding his arm and smiling at him.
"You've passed."
"Passed?"
In normal circumstances, Hu Youling's closeness would have made him blush and his heart race. But now, Suno simply grinned and then fainted into Hu Youling's embrace.
Hu Youling gently patted Suno's back, her moist fox-like eyes curving into crescent moons.
A few hours prior, the monster the team had encountered was indeed powerful, but it had only barely approached disaster-level and was no match for Hu Youling.
After she dealt with the undead, she feigned weakness, transformed into a small fox, and hid on Suno's person to observe his reactions.
This was Wen Wen's order; he wanted to see Suno's choices under such circumstances to determine if he was qualified to be a containment specialist.
Of course, the qualification was not for Suno to fight the undead to the death.
As long as Suno’s mindset didn't become extreme after Hu Youling weakened, didn't treat ordinary people as dirt, and remembered his past promises, he would be qualified.
This escape was part of Wen Wen's preparations to develop the Mirror Maze's story mode.
The story mode wouldn't be exactly like this because the Mirror Maze's scope wasn't large enough, but some lessons could be learned from this escape.
However, Hu Youling found Suno's final choice extremely manly and decided to put in a good word for him with Wen Wen.
All of a man's excellent qualities greatly captivated Hu Youling.
Well… being impervious to seduction didn't count.
...
After the snap of fingers, only a few seconds passed before everyone saw the dim realm rapidly contract and finally disappear within Wen Li's body.
Watching Wen Li's actions, Wen Wen was momentarily stunned. Why did this fellow snap his fingers? Was he imitating him?
Facing the clear and bright heavens and earth, everyone was somewhat bewildered. The disappearance of the dim realm was a good thing for the Hunter Association, but if the enemy did it voluntarily, the situation would be vastly different.
Subsequently, Wen Li pointed at Wen Wen, and a spring with a diameter of over ten meters materialized at Wen Wen's feet. The situation within this circle was identical to the dim realm, and it enclosed everyone around Wen Wen.
Following this, chains of bloody energy erupted, sealing off the area around Wen Wen. In the final moment before these chains merged, a small-eyed man wearing a headscarf squeezed through the gap.
This small-eyed man was Wang Duobao, the intern accompanying Sun Shanxing.
Wen Wen attempted to teleport out of this area but immediately found that the space within the circle was sealed. He could still get out, but it would take some time.
Then Wen Wen looked at Wang Duobao. This fellow wasn't very strong; why did he also squeeze in? Did he know what was truly happening inside this circle?
Before Wen Wen could figure it out, Wen Li snapped his fingers again. Previously, the dim realm was retracted; this time, it was released!
The membrane of light moved at extreme speed, so fast that even Sun Shanxing and the others couldn't react.
Whether they were superhumans fighting nearby or the wounded lying on the ground, upon contact with the membrane of light, their bodies vanished without warning.
When the membrane of light had fully spread, besides the few people around Wen Wen, only the undead and Timir, who were on the same side as Wen Li, remained in the vicinity.
Then Wen Li waved his hand, and the energy chains surrounding Wen Wen disappeared.
Wen Li grinned sinisterly at Wen Wen, "Now that no one is disturbing us, it's time for everything to be settled."
"What happened to them?" The scene just now was exactly like Wen Li snapping his fingers and killing Sun Shanxing and the others. This put immense pressure on Wen Wen.
Wen Li chuckled, "Don't worry, I merely excluded them from the Void Realm. I don't want outsiders disturbing our matters."
As he spoke, the surrounding scenery began to change.
Red moonlight, peeling plaster, cracked flooring, and chilling rooms... This was clearly the mental hospital from before, except it seemed to have been magnified tens or even hundreds of times, covering a large area near Tianzhu Mountain.
"This Void Realm is one of the rewards I received upon completing the Ruler's trial."
"The dim realm that enveloped the entire Qingji Plateau was simply because I asked Lord Yogmoth to forcibly enlarge the realm. When I retracted the realm and returned it to its original state, those people were naturally excluded."
"Speaking of which, although this world is no different from other worlds, it is unexpectedly difficult to enter."
"Even if Lord Yogmoth sent me in, I can only operate within the realm's boundaries."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to go to such great lengths to lure you to my side..."
"So don't waste my efforts. Let's end this... Wen Wen!"