125: Chapter 125 What is that thing in the sky?

The "sun" in the sky was the first thing to catch Li Taiping's attention.

The sky was a hazy gray, devoid of clouds or blue—just a deathly, stagnant grayish-white that felt suffocatingly oppressive.

And right in the center of that grayish-white hung a luminous body.

To call it a sun didn't feel quite right.

Its light wasn't blinding; instead, it carried a gentle, slightly dim quality, such that Li Taiping could look directly at it without any effort.

He squinted, carefully sizing up that "sun."

As he watched, an extremely bizarre thought bubbled up from the depths of his heart.

Why... why did he keep feeling like there was a blurry human silhouette in the center of that thing?

Was it an illusion?

He shook his head, trying to cast aside the absurd notion.

But at that moment, another even more mystical sensation surged within him.

From the light radiating from that "sun," he actually sensed a faint, indistinct aura of familiarity.

That feeling was as if... it was the same source of power as the [Immunity to All Poisons] Talent dormant within his own body.

No, it wasn't exactly the same.

The aura emanating from the "sun" in the sky felt far more advanced and pure than his own [Immunity to All Poisons].

It was like... the difference between an authentic product and a high-quality knockoff.

This thought caused Li Taiping's heart to sink suddenly.

He began to re-examine this so-called "Peaceful Period."

Su Jie had said that during the daytime "Peaceful Period," certain rays in the sunlight would weaken the monsters.

Could it be that because this thing in the sky emitted a higher-tier [Immunity to All Poisons] energy field—one strong enough to cover the entire city—it was able to drive away those sinister Ghouls and Infecteds?

Just what was the origin of this dungeon?

"Hubby, what's wrong? What are you looking at?"

Su Jie's voice came from beside him, interrupting his train of thought.

She cautiously leaned half her body out, following Li Taiping's gaze toward the sky, her face reflecting several notes of confusion.

"It's nothing." Li Taiping withdrew his gaze and shook his head.

He refocused his attention on the ruined city before him.

His vision swept over the broken skyscrapers and rusted cars, finally fixing on two massive structures on the horizon in the far distance.

When he clearly saw the silhouettes of those two buildings, Li Taiping's pupils constricted abruptly, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

To the left was a towering Bronze Bell Tower.

He estimated the tower to be at least a hundred meters tall; the diameter of the massive clock face was likely over twenty meters, and the entire structure radiated an ancient, weather-beaten aura.

Though it was far away, that familiar silhouette instantly overlapped with a memory deep in his mind.

Wasn't this the tilted Bronze Bell Tower he had seen in the Deep Sea Ruins?

It was identical!

The only difference was that the one before him was perfectly intact, standing straight like a silent giant.

Li Taiping's breathing became somewhat rapid as he jerked his gaze toward the right.

There, a massive divine statue, also a hundred meters tall, stood tall.

The statue wore heavy armor and leaned both hands on a greatsword nearly as tall as its body, quietly gazing upon the silent ruins.

Unlike the statue in the Undersea Ruins, this one had a head.

Though its facial features were unclear, its complete form caused Li Taiping's soul to tremble.

A clock tower, a divine statue... wasn't there also an obelisk missing?

Before entering this dungeon, in those Deep Sea Ruins, he had seen a third landmark building besides the clock tower and the headless statue!

It was a Crystal Obelisk emitting a faint blue glow!

Serial number 004!

If seeing the clock tower and the statue only shocked him, then at this moment, a deduction that made his scalp tingle surfaced clearly in his mind.

This so-called [Abandoned City] dungeon wasn't randomly generated at all!

It was constructed using the last memory he had before entering the dungeon—those Deep Sea Ruins—as a blueprint!

The city before him was the complete appearance of those Undersea Ruins before their destruction!

This realization made the blood throughout Li Taiping's body feel as if it had frozen.

He spun his head around, staring fixedly at Su Jie beside him.

If this world was generated based on his memories...

Then what about her?

What was this woman, who had a face identical to Su Mei's and showed him such extreme tenderness and dependence?

Was she also a dungeon fake, an NPC fabricated out of thin air based on his memories?

Once this thought emerged, it was like wild grass growing out of control, instantly occupying his entire brain.

Yes! It had to be!

This explained why she looked exactly like Su Mei!

This also explained why she possessed the [Immunity to All Poisons] Talent effect! Because Su Mei had it too!

This explained even more why he felt that inexplicable sense of familiarity and desire to protect her!

Because when the system generated her, it directly copied his emotional data regarding Su Mei!

Everything made sense now!

Everything here was fake!

This woman was also fake!

Li Taiping's eyes instantly became cold and sharp; his gaze toward Su Jie was like he was looking at a piece of lifeless program code.

Since it was all fake, what did he have to worry about?

He entered this dungeon to clear it, to get rewards, and to upgrade the third-rank duozi duofu hao!

He only needed to stay here for 24 hours to be teleported out.

Therefore, he had absolutely no need to care whether this NPC lived or died!

But...

Why?

Why did his heart feel bursts of needle-like pain when he used this cold, rational logic to analyze everything?

That feeling was as if he were about to personally discard his most precious possession, making him feel so miserable he could hardly breathe.

Had I... really depended on this woman named Su Jie for a long time, as she said, and had many, many intimate relations with her?

No! Impossible!

This is a dungeon! An illusion!

Li Taiping roared at himself frantically in his mind, trying to use reason to suppress those untimely emotions.

"Hubby? What's wrong? You look terrible."

Su Jie looked at Li Taiping's shifting expressions, her eyes filled with worry.

She thought Li Taiping had remembered those terrifying memories again, those whispers, and was suffering from "Amnesia."

"Are you remembering those nightmares again?" she asked with concern.

Without waiting for Li Taiping's answer, Su Jie had already stepped forward, opening her arms and giving Li Taiping a firm embrace.

Naturally—one could even say habitually—she gently pressed Li Taiping's head against her soft, warm chest.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here..."

Her voice was so tender it could practically drip with moisture.

However, this time, Li Taiping did not submissively accept this comfort as he had last night.

His body went stiff, and he abruptly pushed her away.

...