End of Days Game: I'm the Only One Who Can See the Hidden Cues

With Jeremy's help, Major Joseph barely managed to evade the monster's attack.

Before Major Joseph could even react, he felt a sudden surge of tension as numerous shadows materialized around him. The shadows completely enveloped his body.

"Don't panic! This is a necessary measure! There are far too many monsters, and even if we give it our all, there's no way to eliminate them all!"

Jeremy's calm and reassuring voice came from nearby.

Major Joseph finally understood—the sudden appearance of these shadows was the result of Ritchie's shadow manipulation skill.

Ritchie was not far from Major Joseph and Jeremy at that moment.

Under the protection of the shadows, the three of them successfully evaded the monsters' attacks.

The monsters gathered together, thrown into a state of confusion. They seemed bewildered, unable to comprehend why their targets had suddenly vanished.

The monsters searched the area for a while but failed to locate Jeremy and the others. Eventually, they decided to disperse and head to other parts of the underground drainage system.

Once the monsters were gone, Ritchie dispelled the shadows.

"Why did you suddenly come running up from behind us? I thought the number of monsters chasing us had increased because of you," Ritchie asked Major Joseph with a hint of frustration.

To Ritchie, Major Joseph's unexpected appearance had brought unnecessary trouble to him and Jeremy.

With an apologetic expression, Major Joseph explained in a calm tone.

"I'm truly sorry. I didn't expect my arrival to cause you such trouble. After we split up, I followed one of the main drainage tunnels forward.

After walking for a while, I heard footsteps ahead of me. I assumed the footsteps were yours. So, I ran in the direction of the sound, and that's how the earlier scene unfolded."

Major Joseph elaborated on his actions.

After hearing his explanation, both Jeremy and Ritchie could understand his reasoning.

"In any case, at least we've managed to reunite in this situation! Now, Ritchie and I don't have to wander aimlessly like headless chickens in the underground drainage system," Jeremy said with a smile. Your next read awaits at empire

"So, where exactly are we now? Which direction should we take to get out of this drainage area?" Ritchie asked, following up immediately.

Major Joseph took a deep breath, calming himself quickly.

He then carefully observed the surroundings.

"We've reached the edge of the third section of the underground drainage area. All we need to do now is follow this drainage tunnel forward, then take a left at the third valve to enter the third section of the underground drainage system."

Under Major Joseph's guidance, Jeremy and the others soon entered the final section of the underground drainage area.

Here, they finally saw some advanced technological facilities.

The air was noticeably clearer as well.

"It's definitely better in areas with high-tech facilities! In the other sections of the underground drainage system, all I could smell was the stench of decay. But here, I can even smell the fragrance of fruit," Ritchie remarked, sniffing the air carefully. He was convinced he could detect a fruity scent.

Jeremy, however, had a very different opinion.

Without hesitation, Jeremy activated the abilities granted by The King of Time and Space.

In an instant, he teleported himself, Ritchie, and Major Joseph out of the third section of the underground drainage area.

Both Ritchie and Major Joseph were caught off guard.

They looked at Jeremy in confusion.

"The scent you thought was fruit wasn't fruit at all. What you smelled was a highly advanced toxin. If inhaled too much, it causes rapid paralysis throughout the body," Jeremy explained, his tone grave.

Jeremy had previously received information about this kind of toxin from the Goddess of Life, allowing him to make an immediate judgment.

After saying this, Jeremy's eyes fixed intently on Ritchie.

The intensity of Jeremy's gaze filled Ritchie with unease.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look strange to you right now?" Ritchie asked nervously.

"Don't you feel anything wrong with your body? Can you still move your hands and feet?" Jeremy asked pointedly.

Only then did Ritchie realize something was amiss. He tried to move his hands and feet.

As Jeremy had predicted, he couldn't move them at all.

"Damn it! You're right—my hands and feet aren't responding. The fruity scent I smelled must have been the toxin," Ritchie admitted, his voice trembling with panic.

Ritchie was now in a state of complete distress.

Although he had already awakened and was a powerful player in the Apocalypse Game, Ritchie found himself completely helpless in his current immobile state.

Without the ability to move, he couldn't guarantee his safety, especially now, when they were in the midst of a dire crisis.

At this moment, Major Joseph quickly spoke up, "If the area ahead is filled with that toxin, we should take another route out of the drainage system. Let's move in the direction of the valve on the left.

Once we bypass two main drainage pipes, we'll find a vertical shaft leading directly to the surface. Climbing up that shaft will get us back above ground."

Major Joseph, while not particularly strong, excelled at thinking on his feet.

He was keenly aware of the dangerous predicament they were in, and he understood that they needed to leave the underground drainage system as quickly as possible.

After hearing Major Joseph's suggestion, Jeremy's expression turned hesitant.

He understood why Major Joseph had made such a proposal.

There were two main reasons for it. The first, of course, was the toxic gas they had encountered, making it impossible to leave through the third section of the drainage system.

However, that was only the surface-level reason.

The deeper, more critical reason was something Jeremy himself had mentioned to Major Joseph earlier: he suspected there was a hidden instance beneath Valley City. All the monsters had emerged from that hidden instance.

The underground drainage system was likely very close to this hidden instance, which was why Major Joseph felt an overwhelming sense of danger.

However, Jeremy believed there was a high probability that his earlier assumptions had been completely wrong.

"We shouldn't head back to the surface just yet," Jeremy said firmly. "During our actions earlier, I was continuously using my King of Time and Space ability to investigate the underground.

I can say with absolute certainty that there is no hidden instance beneath Valley City. That means all the monsters must have come in from outside the city."

Jeremy's statement left Major Joseph utterly shocked.

"Impossible!" Major Joseph exclaimed, his tone filled with disbelief as he tried to refute Jeremy's claim.

"It's impossible! If the monsters came from outside the city, I would have received an alert. Even though Valley City's defenses aren't perfect, they're not so weak that they wouldn't detect anything at all," Major Joseph said, abruptly stopping mid-sentence.

His expression darkened significantly.

At that moment, Jeremy let out a bitter smile.

"I think you've already figured it out, haven't you? The only way these monsters could enter Valley City without triggering any alarms is if someone intentionally let them in!"

As Jeremy finished speaking, Major Joseph's face turned even more grim.

Deep down, he didn't want to believe Jeremy's conclusion. But he couldn't deny that it was the most logical explanation.

Ritchie, who was paralyzed by the toxin, also looked deeply troubled upon hearing this theory. However, in his current state, he couldn't say a single word.

"So, what should we do?" Major Joseph asked slowly after a moment of silence.

Jeremy sighed heavily. He didn't know what they should do either.

Given the current situation, it was clear that, besides the monsters, there were hidden enemies in Valley City. Those enemies were undoubtedly targeting Jeremy and his companions.

If Jeremy returned to the surface now, there was a high chance they would be ambushed by those enemies.

But if they stayed in the underground drainage system, they would eventually succumb to the toxic gas.

After thinking for a while, Jeremy finally decided to seek help from the Goddess of Life.

"Wait here for me for a moment. I need to seek assistance from someone else!" Jeremy said before walking a few steps away.

He didn't go too far, staying within the sight of both Ritchie and Major Joseph.

Jeremy chose to step aside because he didn't want anyone else overhearing his conversation with the Goddess of Life.

After ensuring he was out of earshot, Jeremy initiated contact with the Goddess of Life.

Jeremy drew a magic circle, channeling its power to establish contact with the Goddess of Life.

The current state of the Goddess of Life was far from ideal.

In a prior battle, the Goddess of Life had faced off directly against [Moon]. Although both wielded the forces of life, [Moon] had inflicted severe damage on the Goddess of Life using the desolation powers under their control.

Although some time had passed since that confrontation, and the Goddess of Life had regained some of her strength, her recovery was incomplete.

It was now impossible for the Goddess of Life to offer Jeremy any direct aid. All she could do was provide him with guidance and advice.