Chapter Forty-One: The Soul-Suppressing Nail

"Don't want me to open the locker, do you..." If that’s the case, my chances just increased by another twenty percent, because having thoughts means it’s rational.

He shifted his feet slightly, gun in his right hand, and with a sudden tug, wrenched open the lock of the second row’s topmost locker with his left!

[Illusion attack detected, automatically immune!]

“Heh, so that’s your one trick.” Although he still couldn’t see where it was, its threat level had sharply dropped. Mu Chen remained vigilant, carefully inspecting the contents of the locker.

“Acquired [Gold Ore] x5, transferred to backpack.”

So, this place was originally used to store rare ores.

His eyes flickered.

The lockers were arranged in five rows high and eight columns wide, totaling forty compartments. At this rate, it would take a fair amount of time to open them all.

“Bang...”

A faint sound echoed from below him.

It was the sound of something striking metal, coming from one of the middle lockers in the third row...

Mu Chen’s expression grew somber.

“Such a sneaky creature!” He fired three shots at the locker, blasting the door to pieces.

“Huff...” Just as he was about to check inside, a sudden breath sounded behind him, chillingly close, as if someone were exhaling right onto the back of his neck. He could feel the cold air, unmistakably real.

“Who’s there?” Mu Chen broke into a cold sweat, whirling around, but saw no one.

“Bang!”

Suddenly!

The battered locker behind him was knocked open, and a pale child’s arm clamped tightly around the arm holding his gun.

Mu Chen’s face changed drastically; he struggled, trying to fling off the eerie appendage.

[Illusion attack detected, automatically immune!]

“Relentless to the end!” This was the fourth illusion attack.

At that moment, Mu Chen noticed a black, barbed spike embedded in the arm clutching him—it hadn’t penetrated deeply, but it was there.

This thing could hurt it!

With a sudden shift of thought, Mu Chen slammed his left hand down onto the spike!

“Aaaah!!!”

A child’s shriek exploded overhead!

His right arm was abruptly freed, and as he shook off the shock of the scream, he looked up and finally spotted the culprit’s hiding place.

The ceiling lamp that had once hung overhead was gone, replaced by the severed head of a young boy dangling upside down. Only the jet-black hair was visible, which was why Mu Chen hadn’t noticed it before.

...

The atmosphere grew tense.

Yet this uneasy calm only made Mu Chen more unsettled.

The thing on the floor was its severed arm.

Therefore—

The rest of its body must still be in the lockers! It didn’t want me to get close because it was trying to break free from its seal, perhaps... Maybe there had once been a spike in its head as well, but it managed to wrench it out!

But now—

Its main body had been exposed, which made things easier. Whether or not he found all the spikes could wait; Mu Chen decided to first lower the creature’s intelligence.

At that moment—

A pair of pitch-black pupils stared intently at the head on the ceiling.

At first, the boy’s head met his gaze, but after a dozen seconds, the head grew visibly agitated, and suddenly lunged at Mu Chen!

“Bang!!”

The sound of metal being struck rang through the shelter.

“This brat’s a bit more irritable now that its intellect’s been sapped...” Mu Chen dodged the attack, then dashed to the exit and slammed the iron door shut.

“Let’s see where you run now!”

On the floor, the boy’s face twisted with rage, his eyes bulging as he glared at Mu Chen, as if about to shout, “What are you staring at?!”

Yet Mu Chen’s own dark pupils stared back just as fiercely, wordlessly replying, “What are you gonna do about it?”

After half a minute, the boy’s head shriveled like a deflated balloon, shrinking down and falling still.

[You have slain Evil Resentment Entity: Head.]

The familiar voice echoed in his ears.

Huh?

That’s it?

By all rights, this thing’s level was pretty high.

Mu Chen guessed he hadn’t leveled up because he’d only destroyed the head.

With five minutes left on his skill timer, he turned his attention to the arm on the ground.

Fifty seconds later—

[You have slain Evil Resentment Entity: Right Arm.]

Level up to Lv7.

Gained 1 Potential Point.

“That’s more like it. As my level increases, it makes sense that the required experience rises too.” Not wanting to waste time, Mu Chen moved quickly, pulling open every locker door.

“One arm, two legs, a torso...”

Sure enough, each part had a black, barbed spike driven into it.

He gathered the body parts together for efficiency.

[You have slain Evil Resentment Entity: Left Arm.]
[You have slain Evil Resentment Entity: Right Leg.]
[You have slain...]
Level up to Lv8.
Gained 1 Potential Point.

To level up twice in such a short span—he hadn’t expected that before falling into this shelter.

He took out his workbench...

“Acquired [Resentment Crystal] x50, transferred to backpack.”
“Acquired [Source Stone of Magic (Damaged)], transferred to backpack.”
“......”

Not a single Murky Source—this was the first time Mu Chen had seen such a result.

But looking at the four long spikes on the floor, his eyes brightened.

[Soul Suppression Spike]
[Soul Item]
[Usage: No cost, deals standard physical damage. Target struck will have one of the ‘Five Senses’ randomly sealed.]
[Full Set Effect: When all five spikes are embedded in the target, they will lose all ‘Five Senses’ and have one ability sealed.]

“There’s supposed to be five—why are there only four here?”

Mu Chen stroked his chin, scanning the room.

“Better collect all the stored items first.”

“Acquired [Soul Suppression Spike] x4, transferred to backpack.”
“Acquired [Mithril Ore] x26, transferred to backpack.”
“Acquired [Gold Ore] x31, transferred to backpack.”
“Acquired [Refined Iron Ore] x57, transferred to backpack.”

After putting everything away, he began feeling along the walls.

“......”

No secret mechanisms...

Where was the fifth Soul Suppression Spike?

Now, only the scattered tables and chairs, three plainly dressed skeletons, and the lockers remained...

He took out his workbench again.

“I refuse to believe I can’t find it if I disassemble everything in this room!”

He did enjoy puzzles, but now wasn’t the time—there was still a mountain of problems waiting for him outside.

“Acquired [Wood] x8, transferred to backpack.”
“Acquired [Iron Ingot] x17, transferred to backpack.”
“Bang!”

As the lockers vanished, a metal box dropped to the floor.

“Heh, so there was a hidden compartment.” Mu Chen rolled his eyes.

The box wasn’t locked, and as soon as he opened it, there was the fifth spike.

...