152: Chapter 152 The hammer strikes the lamp of fate; what rings is debt, not a bell.

The moment darkness flooded over his head, the hairs on the back of Chen Fan's neck stood on end.

He could "see"—using his sense of touch, which had been amplified to the extreme by critical hits: every inch of air was floating with fine light particles, like fireflies outside a construction shed on a summer night, yet carrying a scorching heat.

Those were the remnants of drained soul fire, each particle engraved with a number: 701, 702, 713... Counting to 714, the fingertips of Su Shuang in his arms gently hooked his lapel.

"Shuanger?" His throat bobbed, his voice hoarse.

Su Shuang's soul fire was as weak as a candle in the wind, but that faint tremor was striking his heart, one beat after another, through the palm resting on her back.

He remembered three days ago at the Frost Moon Teahouse, when she was brewing osmanthus wine, her fox ears peeking out from her hair, saying, "Chen Fan, when this damned game is over, I'll take you to see the real starry sky."

Now, what he held in his arms was light more precious than the starry sky.

"Ding—"

His fingertip suddenly touched the edge of a soul lamp.

The critical hit system exploded in his sea of consciousness; the prompt "Tactile Critical Hit × 3.1" made his temples throb.

In the next instant, countless images flooded his mind like a tide: a girl in a ponytail being torn apart by a giant wolf in the Bronze Dungeon, blood spattering onto the novice sword she held up; the system prompt sounding piercingly, "Soul Fire Purity 92%, Standard Met"; the girl's eyes were still open, but they were vacant, her soul body being dragged into the void by an invisible hand...

"Damn it!" Chen Fan's eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

He raised the hammer of the thunder god, his muscles taut as cast iron, the spirit body of the hammer vibrating as it cleaved toward the array of lamps. With a crisp "crash," dozens of soul lamps shattered, fragments of pale blue soul fire scattering. Some landed on the back of his hand, scorching red marks—that was the last warmth of the players drained dry by the system.

"...Fire... cold..."

A faint whisper struck his ears.

Chen Fan stopped moving, immediately squatting down to press Su Shuang tighter against his chest.

Her soul fire had been like a star just now, but now it was almost extinguished, so cold he could feel it through his clothes.

He gritted his teeth and circulated the spirit body compressed to its ignition point within him, slowly injecting it into her body through his palm.

"Ding—Chain Critical Hit × 5 Triggered!"

Simultaneously with the system prompt, Su Shuang's soul fire suddenly brightened for an instant.

Chen Fan "saw" that point of light bloom in the darkness, like an extremely small blue lotus.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, his blurry outline reflected in her pupils: "Don't believe... the light in the lamps..." Before she finished speaking, she closed her eyes heavily again, and the soul fire dimmed once more, even weaker than before.

Chen Fan's throat felt bitter.

He knew the system's tether was wrapped around Su Shuang's soul fire, tightening like a steel cable pulling construction materials on a worksite.

"The fire! It's sucking her dry!"

Suddenly, faint noises came from overhead.

Chen Fan looked up sharply—the iron bars of the ventilation shaft had been pried open, and the Quiet Fire Child crawled out, face covered in soot. The fire temperature compass in his hand was vibrating wildly, the needle almost spinning off.

This child was only twelve or thirteen, usually maintaining a stern face while guarding the Heart-Burning Altar. Now, his eyes were red, and his voice trembled: "Like... like burning offerings on the Heart-Burning Altar! The Echo Sacrifice says... only igniting the life lamp can interrupt the pulling..."

"But the person who ignites the life lamp... will burn themselves up."

The last few words suddenly became hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against iron.

The Quiet Fire Child's pupils turned grayish-white, and dark red runes surfaced on his forehead—the remnant soul of the Echo Sacrifice had possessed him.

He stared at Chen Fan, his gaze piercing the darkness: "The Administration Bureau uses life lamps to trick people. Those who ignite them think they can save their loved ones, but in reality, they become new fuel, extending the system's life even longer."

Chen Fan fell silent.

He remembered what Mysterious Lady had said: the life lamp was the voucher for the priest's transaction with the system; he remembered the bloody handprint of the old miner in the Gold Dungeon, clutching his trouser leg as he died, saying, "Don't believe the light they give you"; he remembered Su Shuang peeling lotus seeds at the Teahouse, suddenly saying, "Chen Fan, I always dream that my clansmen's soul fires are being extracted, like pulling up radishes."

In the darkness, he touched Su Shuang's hand.

Her fingertips were bone-chillingly cold, but her pulse was still beating, one beat, two beats, synchronized with his own heart.

"Hammer," he suddenly spoke, his voice low and husky.

The Quiet Fire Child was startled and instinctively handed over the compass.

Chen Fan didn't take it, instead driving the hammer of the thunder god fiercely into the ground.

The moment the hammer tip touched the earth, a muffled sound came from the earth vein, like some ancient mechanism being triggered.

He closed his eyes and drew out the last spark of fire within his body—the blue flame—that was the precious light left in his spirit body after the last critical hit, more valuable than a diamond.

The blue flame crawled up the hammer handle to his wrist, scorching his skin, the pain causing cold sweat to bead on his forehead.

But he didn't stop, gritting his teeth and guiding the blue flame toward his heart—there, the life lamp was suspended quietly, like an unlit pearl.

"Ding—life lamp Ignited, Critical Hit Spirit Body × Infinite? —Preload 75%."

The moment the system prompted, Chen Fan "heard" it.

It was the frequency of Su Shuang's soul fire, clear and crisp, like the bronze bell in the Frost Moon Teahouse.

It was also the sound of his own heartbeat, one beat, two beats, resonating with her soul fire.

He laughed, blood seeping from his bitten lip: "This old man isn't asking for eternal life, only that this one strike can smash out a world that doesn't lie!"

The light from the burning life lamp spread out.

Su Shuang's body temperature slowly rose, and the soul fire's tether snapped with a "crack."

Chen Fan could feel her fingers hooking his lapel again. Though the grip was light, it was like a rope, firmly tying him to this world.

But just then, mechanical roaring echoed from the depths of the reclamation zone.

The sound was like a pile driver on a construction site, heavier with each strike.

Chen Fan "saw" nine silver beams emerge from the darkness, each wrapped in a cold metallic aura—they were the Scavengers, the system's executioners.

Their silver armor glowed with a faint blue light, and the soul-locking chains were coiled like snakes in their palms, each link engraved with the rune for "Recycle."

"Chen Fan! Run quickly!" Mysterious Lady's voice came from outside the entrance, choked with sobs, "The system located you the moment the life lamp was lit! The earth vein passage will collapse in half an incense stick's time!"

Chen Fan bent down and hoisted Su Shuang onto his back.

Her head rested against his neck, her breath brushing his earlobe, ticklishly.

He touched the handle of the hammer of the thunder god; the spirit body vibrated within the hammerhead, vaguely showing the words "Infinite."

"Run?" He laughed, a touch of wildness in his voice, like a laborer just off work holding a cigarette, saying, "I can carry this brick ten trips," "This old man just lit the lamp, I haven't even clearly seen who you guys are yet."

The nine silver-armored Scavengers raised their hands simultaneously.

The one in the lead, his soul-locking chain suddenly straightened, drawing a harsh screech in the air—like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.