Chapter 421: Elevator malfunction
"Can doing good deeds affect luck?"
Andrew also took out his weapon while absorbing the spiritual energy from the surroundings.
"Of course not, but this way you can artificially control other people's luck and experience the feeling of making someone else's luck better."
Lin Ye took out a small bag;
the things inside weren't just biological samples.
The elevator stopped at floor 3154. The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing an elevator lobby identical to floor 2976.
There was no one in the lobby, nor any anomalous entities.
Andrew carefully observed the situation outside, while Lin Ye pressed the door close button.
"There's a Mental Mark over there."
Andrew pointed at the wall directly facing the elevator doors.
"The person who pressed the button is probably hiding, maybe observing us through that Mental Mark right now." Lin Ye didn't plan to destroy that Mental Mark. If the other party could set up a Mental Mark opposite them, they could also set up fatal traps outside.
The elevator doors slowly closed. Even as the elevator continued its ascent, the person who had pressed the button never appeared.
"...The position of that Mental Mark is a bit off."
Lin Ye suddenly spoke up.
"Huh? It was positioned directly facing the elevator doors. What's the problem?"
Andrew asked, puzzled.
"That position was too obvious, as if deliberately meant for us to notice. If the goal was to monitor the inside of the elevator, it could have been placed in a much more concealed location. Of course, that Mental Mark could also be part of some kind of trap. But if that were the case, the other party could have definitely set up some traps to attack inside the elevator. Yet, until we left, they never launched an attack. That's very abnormal."
It was only after the elevator started ascending that Lin Ye sensed a trace of something unusual.
"Then what was their purpose?"
Andrew already had his weapon ready.
"They wanted to ride the elevator with us, but didn't want us to notice them. That's why they placed that very obvious Mental Mark, so we would think they were hiding inside a room on that floor and wouldn't pay further attention to the fact that someone had pressed the button... I suggest you come out on your own. Your concealment method is indeed extraordinarily effective;
even I can't find your position. But there's only so much space here;
you can't run away. Right now, we can still coexist peacefully. But if you randomly press floor buttons, then there's no room for discussion."
Lin Ye looked toward a corner of the elevator. There was nothing there.
Spiritual energy swept gently like threads through every inch of space in the elevator. However, fearing he might accidentally touch the floor buttons, Andrew didn't dare to wildly swing his spiritual energy threads.
"Got you. You'd better not resist, otherwise I'll dismember your body immediately."
Lin Ye spoke toward that corner.
"I'm over here. I have no ill intentions;
I was just afraid you would attack me."
A short figure appeared behind Lin Ye. One of its hands was pressed near the button for floor 3400, cautiously observing the two men.
"So you were bluffing him? I thought you were omniscient."
Andrew hadn't expected Lin Ye to make a mistake sometimes too.
"I wasn't bluffing him. Not facing his direction was to make him relax. If he hadn't come out in time, he'd be a pile of minced meat by now."
A large number of pitch-black tumor-like structures suddenly appeared in every corner of the elevator. The figure was also covered in crawling tumor-like structures, which pulled him in front of Lin Ye. Only now did he realize he couldn't move anymore.
Tumor-like structures could perfectly hide within an eighth-tier spiritual energy user's body. It was very difficult for ordinary people to detect tumor-like structures in their concealed state.
"...If I said I knew it would be like this all along, would you believe me?"
Andrew lifted the obviously oversized brown hooded coat on the figure, revealing the short stature beneath.
It was a short humanoid creature less than 1.5 meters tall. She had two ears resembling a fox's, covered in fine fur. Her hair was pale blue, her eyes were ginger-yellow vertical slits, and she had a long, furry tail at the back.
"Woo..."
As the coat was lifted, the other's body trembled.
"What is this thing? A beastified human?"
Andrew draped the coat back over her.
"Probably some kind of humanoid creature. I can let you go now, but you'd better not make any moves that could easily be misunderstood, otherwise I'll dismember your body immediately... Your fur is quite beautiful, by the way."
Lin Ye warned the other party, then retracted the tumor-like structures. However, he left enough lethal backup plans within her body.
"What kind of creature are you? Do you have a name?"
Andrew communicated with her by transmitting spiritual imprints. He didn't like talking to weaklings, but she looked somewhat similar to a pet he used to have, the fluffy kind.
"I am human, I just underwent Alienation. You can call me Bessie."
Bessie nervously huddled in the corner of the elevator. She always considered herself a smart person, but after encountering Lin Ye, that belief wavered.
Lin Ye had completely anticipated her thoughts. When Lin Ye spoke toward the other side, she did relax a bit.
"You don't need to worry about us doing anything to you. As long as you don't cause trouble, I can take you out along the way..."
Lin Ye glanced at Andrew, then continued:
"Alright, my companion seems to have some... not-so-great ideas about you. I hope you don't mind."
"Don't make it sound so creepy! I was just reminded of my dead pet, feeling a bit emotional, that's all! I would never have any ideas about a little thing like this!"
Andrew said, slightly agitated.
"I can understand that. If my subterranean mawed worm died from overeating, I'd be very sad too."
Lin Ye said empathetically.
"I feel something's not quite right about this..."
Andrew certainly knew what subterranean mawed worms were.
"The elevator can only reach floor 3941. Something above might be blocking the elevator's ascent."
Bessie suddenly spoke up.
"So that's why you wanted to follow us. Is there anything else you need to say?"
Lin Ye didn't look down on this seemingly fragile Alienated human. Being able to survive alone in a place like this meant her survival skills were far superior to Andrew's.
"I know some information about certain floors, and I know the numbers of some dangerous floors... Can you give me some food? I haven't eaten in several days."
Bessie curled up in the elevator corner, looking utterly pitiful.
"I can give you food, and I can take you out of here. But after we get out, you have to tell us all the information you have about this place."
Lin Ye took out a large portioned boxed meal made by Wendy. Her culinary skills had clearly improved a lot recently.
"Okay."
Bessie immediately agreed to Lin Ye's condition. She was well aware of her own situation;
she had absolutely no qualifications to negotiate terms right now.
Lin Ye opened the meal box, took out three sets of utensils, and also produced several bottles of high-end drinks.
These were things Lin Ye had taken during the previous end-of-the-world gathering.
"Now, let's talk about our situation. Can the elevator be repaired? How do we deal with the anomalous creatures in the emergency stairwell? Are there other methods to go up?"
Lin Ye speared a piece of meat specially shaped like a heart and bit off both the left and right ventricles below in one mouthful.