The King of Black Fog

Li Changzhou didn't hold high expectations for Li Qianxia's words.

Once, she claimed to have won ten consecutive games and even sent him a screenshot. Just as he started to believe and feel surprised, he saw the screenshot. It looked like top-secret files from the United States, mostly black squares with occasional victories mixed in (it was a super long image to make up the ten wins).

"How impressive?" He only showed slight curiosity.

"Try hitting me," said Turquoise Pool.

A black hand broke free from the ground, palm slowly rising, five fingers spread out to enclose her, then slowly closing.

"Your move certainly has a strong sense of oppression," Turquoise Pool remarked, looking around.

Her figure was graceful though not short, yet she appeared petite and delicate within the black hand.

When the black hand was still half a meter away, the air rippled with colorless, transparent water waves, as if space were being compressed.

The black hand couldn't close.

"What skill is this?" Li Changzhou was genuinely interested now.

The power of the black hand could crush solid ice, which was rumored to 'never melt' above the Abyss, every piece of ice weapon considered legendary.

"It's not a skill, it's 'Great Power'!" Li Qianxia corrected his mistake first, then explained, "This is a Hogwarts magic—'Obstacles Overcome'. Anything that could harm Turquoise can't get within half a meter of her. Of course, air may age the body, but it doesn't count. This is an intelligent version of 'Obstacles Overcome.'

"Everything but the name is true," Turquoise Pool said.

"It's also not real in origin," Yang Qinglan added with a light laugh.

"Brother, do you understand what I mean?" Li Qianxia suddenly leaned over, eyes fixed on Li Changzhou's eyes.

She wore only a wrap around her chest, slightly leaning forward, her curves were captivating, her exposed snow-white shoulders tempting one to touch and feel their smoothness.

Li Changzhou didn't move, feeling nothing.

"What's the side effect?" he asked.

"The side effect is that anything capable of harming her also can't get close to her, meaning this skill, whoops! This 'Great….', this black magic is beyond her control, akin to a passive skill—do you understand what I mean?"

Li Changzhou glanced at Turquoise Pool, then at Li Qianxia, who edged closer.

"What do you mean?"

"It means——" Li Qianxia said, emphasizing each word slowly, her voice rising.

"Another yellow topic?" Yang Qinglan seemed to have already guessed.

"That's right!" Li Qianxia suddenly exclaimed, "Turquoise is still a maiden, so, brother, you can't——"

A black wall rose between the siblings, then transformed into a black hand, pressing Li Qianxia back onto the sofa.

With his view cleared, Li Changzhou asked, "Just this one?"

"Other 'Great Powers' also can't get within half a meter of me," Turquoise Pool pouted, resting a hand on her temple, looking slightly helpless.

"Have you tried staring into the Abyss?" Yang Qinglan asked.

"I'm still young," said Turquoise Pool.

"What about the camp's agreements?" Li Changzhou asked.

"I've tried, they can't do anything about it, but all 'Great Powers' have side effects, collecting too many will only harm us. Keeping those people around is also useful as their goal is the same as ours, exploring the Abyss."

"What about the harsh cold outside?"

"Anything that can't freeze hurt me is effective," answered Turquoise Pool.

Li Changzhou nodded, roughly understanding.

"What about the butterfly and Little Carrot? What are their 'Great Powers'?" he continued to ask.

"The butterfly itself has become a 'Great Power' with self-awareness," Li Qianxia eagerly responded, "Brother's leg got broken, sister found a dog's leg and put it on him. If the butterfly flaps a wing, it can attach the dog's leg to brother's leg, allowing him to run fast with it, becoming a real 'dog's lackey.'

Two black hands, normal human-sized, pinched Li Qianxia's cheeks from left to right, starting to pull.

"Hmm——" Li Qianxia leaned left wasn't right, leaned right wasn't right either, forward, backward, upwards or downwards, it hurt both ways.

Li Qianxia brought trouble upon herself, so to avoid wasting time, Yang Qinglan continued asking Turquoise Pool: "And Little Carrot?"

Turquoise Pool was very fond of her Flat Peach, not for its value, but because of a sense of loss when a collectible is damaged. So she always had some issues with Little Carrot.

In her opinion, they should lock Little Carrot in the "Yin Qi Coffin" for a month or two—letting her out for a day when entering the game is necessary.

This served both as a punishment and allowed Little Carrot, being female, to cultivate, achieving two goals with one move.

Unfortunately, Li Changzhou pled on her behalf, and beauty can be a man's downfall.

But now, hearing Yang Qinglan inquire about Little Carrot, Turquoise Pool actually showed a bit of a smile on her face.

"She has also become a 'Great Power', if you have her, you can alleviate or accelerate 'side effects'. This house," Turquoise Pool looked up at the seven-meter-high ceiling, "was built thanks to her."

"Oh?" Li Changzhou finally shifted his sitting position, "So, the 'Black Flame Dragon' and 'Perception of Everything'..."

He looked towards Si, also pondering the blind man with the golden eyes.

"If you reclaim these two 'Great Powers', I'll reveal everything between us," Si said.

"..."

The three fireplaces blazed, and Li Changzhou in the middle felt a bit flushed.

"I thought I made a pretty good joke," Si surveyed the four, "I guess not."

"...This Abyss sure is terrifying, haha," Li Changzhou forced a chuckle, "what are the side effects of the butterfly and Little Carrot?"

Now was not the time to sweat the small stuff, Li Qianxia stood poised.

"The butterfly's side effect is..."

"What thing?" Yang Qinglan leisurely interrupted Li Qianxia.