"Is this cross... an unclaimed item?"

"Or..."

Li Ku looked toward Lin Dong: "From your perspective, does this cross have any special features?"

Lin Dong's gaze was fixed intently on the cross.

After a long silence, he finally spoke:

"In my vision, behind this black cross, there is a giant cross-shaped phantom."

"Besides that, from the reliefs on the 7 sides, there are invisible black iron chains spreading toward the giant cross phantom..."

"It looks like those chains are trying to imprison the cross phantom!"

Imprison it?

Jiang Ye was thoughtful.

Li Ku immediately said: "So, you're saying this cross itself cannot be easily taken away?"

As he spoke, he walked straight over, reaching out to grab the cross he could see with his naked eye: "Let me try."

Sure enough, just as he said, his hand grasped the cross but couldn't move it at all.

Li Ku was somewhat disappointed: "Indeed, opportunities like these aren't something just anyone can pick up for free."

As he spoke, he was about to withdraw his hand.

But Lin Dong suddenly spoke up: "Wait. Try again, hold onto this cross."

Li Ku did as he said.

Lin Dong's eyes seemed to see something again.

"Although you couldn't move the cross, the phantom behind it is indeed shaking!"

"It looks like it's trying to break free from the chains spreading from the reliefs!"

Chains?

A bold idea immediately occurred to Li Ku.

He picked up the iron chain shackled to his foot...

"The chains we got from the Blood Pool might be somewhat useful..."

He hesitated for a moment, then tried to wrap the excess part of the foot chain around the cross.

However, to his naked eye, the cross showed no reaction.

But Lin Dong said: "The giant cross phantom behind it seems to be shaking even more violently!"

Indeed! The chains were useful!

Li Ku tried changing the angle at which the chain wrapped around the cross, attempting to completely cover the entire cross with the chain.

He even directly summoned those hair-like black threads from the scars on his body.

Then, using the black threads combined with the iron chain, he wrapped them together around the cross.

Lin Dong observed his actions while also watching the shaking of the giant cross phantom.

Suddenly, he suggested: "Perhaps... try not using the chain, just use your black threads to completely wrap up this cross!"

Li Ku immediately complied.

He withdrew the chain and used the black threads to completely wrap the cross.

Lin Dong simultaneously said: "The cross phantom is shaking even more violently! It looks like it's just a little bit away from breaking free from those chain phantoms..."

But the problem was, it was just that little bit short.

At first, both Lin Dong and Li Ku thought that the missing "little bit" was just a matter of time.

But after waiting for quite a while, Lin Dong realized: "That missing bit probably isn't a time issue."

"If we keep waiting like this, that missing bit will still be missing."

Li Ku frowned: "Then what should we do? Can we think of another way from the relief angle?"

Before Lin Dong could answer, Zhang E from his team couldn't help but mutter: "By the way, is the cross phantom breaking free from the chains necessarily a good thing?"

"Could some uncontrollable situations occur?"

Starting with Zhang E, Lin Dong's other teammates also said:

"Yeah, our original intention was just to stop at each floor of the elevator, take a look inside, and record the reliefs."

"Now, messing with this cross feels a bit risky."

"Wouldn't it be safer to continue exploring downward? We can come back to study this cross later if there's a chance?"

Lin Dong didn't say anything, just looked at Li Ku.

Li Ku thought for a moment: "Alright."

As he spoke, he prepared to retract the black threads wrapped around the cross.

However...

It was this very act of retracting that caused a problem!

Li Ku's black threads were wrapped around the cross in several layers.

The outer layers were smoothly retracted back into the scars on his body.

But the innermost layer...

seemed to be frozen on the cross, unable to be retracted no matter what!

"Hiss..." Li Ku frowned, "This is too weird! This thing seems to have sucked onto my hair!"

Zhang E and the other players who wanted to retreat instantly looked grim: "This... can't you just cut off these hairs?"

"Obviously not." Li Ku didn't give up. He kept contracting those hairs, so the scars from which the hairs emerged and the cross holding the hairs got closer and closer.

Lin Dong suddenly made a surprised sound, then said: "I have a feeling... this cross might be directly absorbed into your scars?"

"Directly... absorbed... into the scars?" This statement shocked Li Ku.

However, after a bit of thought, he felt—

Although this was the most risky, it also seemed like the only attempt they could make now.

After all, the hair emerging from his scars indeed couldn't be cut off.

So it seemed they could only try to directly absorb the cross into the scars...

But the previous attempt was to move the cross.

And now...

the cross wouldn't move, so he would move the scar fissure over, trying to use the moving scar to swallow the stationary cross...

To retract the hair, Li Ku's face was already very close to the cross.

He took a deep breath and said to Lin Dong: "Then I... will try?"

Lin Dong: "Then try it..."

So, Li Ku's scar completely pressed against the cross.

Visibly, the cross was indeed swallowed into the scar fissure!

At the same time, Lin Dong exclaimed: "Indeed! That's exactly the missing bit!"

"It really can be swallowed! Try swallowing the entire cross; the giant cross phantom should be able to completely break free from the chains!"

The conclusion seemed settled.

But honestly, what would happen after the cross phantom broke free from the chains was anyone's guess...

Yet now, there seemed to be no other choice.

Li Ku silently continued using the scar on his face to swallow the cross.

Perhaps because it was wrapped with the hair threads emerging from the scar.

The black cross was swallowed by the scar very smoothly.

When the entire cross completely disappeared into the scar on his face...

Lin Dong also said: "Indeed! The chains on the cross phantom... have broken!"

After saying this, Lin Dong froze.

Or more accurately, his teammates also froze!

Because in their normal vision, they also saw—

Li Ku, who had swallowed the cross with his scar, for some reason suddenly assumed a posture with his arms spread wide, standing perfectly straight, head held high looking up at the sky!

This posture...

made his entire person look like a pitch-black cross!

And in Lin Dong's vision, he saw—

The giant cross phantom that had broken free from the chains charged straight toward Li Ku, who was in the "cross" posture!

At that moment, in Lin Dong's vision, it seemed as if endless darkness was rampaging through Li Ku's body, as if it could tear him apart at any moment!

It even looked like Li Ku was really being torn apart!

The scars on his body were visibly stretched larger...

so large that his entire person completely lost human form, becoming entirely composed of cracks!

And as the cracks continued to expand...

Li Ku's entire person completely "blackened"!

From head to toe, not a single piece of flesh and blood could be seen; he had turned into the Pure Black Version!

This pure black appearance...

seemed similar to what He Yuliang described in his previous life, the Pure Black Body transformed in the auditorium?

Only this Pure Black Body seemed to take on a standard cross shape?

Just as Lin Dong thought Li Ku would ultimately, like He Yuliang described in his previous life, obtain a Pure Black Body...

He saw Li Ku in the Pure Black Body gradually return to his original appearance.

The darkness seemed to be continuously absorbed by the scars on his body.

Flesh and blood regrew on Li Ku's pure black body.

It also looked like those wildly expanding scars were constantly shrinking...

Before long, Li Ku completely returned to his original form.

His entire person also returned to normal from the arms-spread, head-raised state.

He raised his hand and clenched his fist, seemingly feeling his new body and power.

Lin Dong and the others watched in astonishment, about to ask something...

When they saw Li Ku suddenly switch back to the Pure Black Version!

Lin Dong and the others were even more surprised.

And the next second, Li Ku switched back again.

This time, they understood—

"Is this... your body has gained a new state that you can switch at will?"

Li Ku didn't explain, but switched to the Pure Black Version again and said to Lin Dong: "Now, try attacking me?"

Lin Dong roughly guessed Li Ku's situation but still cooperatively extended his [Hidden Hand] toward him.

That was Li Si's [Hidden Hand], with extremely strong corrosive power.

However, when that black hand grabbed Li Ku, it was like grabbing empty air!

Lin Dong wasn't surprised and immediately retracted the [Hidden Hand].

Zhang E and the others were even more astonished: "What does this mean? In this Pure Black state, can you become immune to all damage?"

Li Ku was silent for a moment, then switched back to his original form and explained:

"This Pure Black state is called the 'Death State.'"

"Meaning in this state, I myself am already 'dead.'"

This explanation made Zhang E and the others even more shocked and incredulous!

"Already dead... doesn't that mean you're directly immune to all death? Because you're already dead?"

"So is this state of yours the same as monsters?"

Before Li Ku could figure it out, Lin Dong said with certainty:

"I'm afraid it's not quite the same."

"Like Li Si said, so-called 'monsters' are actually 'living in a different way'; they are essentially still alive."

"They should also still be able to die."

"But Li Ku's current situation uses a most unique method to completely eliminate death!"

Zhang E and the others understood: "So... Li Ku will never die again! This... this state, can others find a way to obtain it too?"

Clearly, such a great state, they wanted it too!

Unfortunately, Lin Dong shook his head: "For now, probably not possible."

Zhang E sighed, somewhat wistfully: "That cross really was an opportunity after all."

"However, it seems tailored for Li Ku. Even if others came here, they probably couldn't take it away."

Sighing, his gaze toward Li Ku grew increasingly complex.

Not just him, even Lin Dong's look at Li Ku became exceptionally complicated.

Jiang Ye, however, thought...

The effect of the [Reincarnation Key] was indeed incredibly powerful.

But it seemed...

to be completely countered by the Light faction!

Generally, sufficiently powerful dark-type players facing the Light faction weren't guaranteed 100% death.

They would first be infected with the fatal Lightburn, then die from it.

But after binding with the [Reincarnation Key], it was practically instant death upon seeing light!

So Li Ku's situation...

Although binding the [Reincarnation Key] was a good thing.

As long as the Light faction existed in the world, he would be incredibly easy to kill!

However...

for Li Ku now, there was no need to consider that far ahead.

And what Jiang Ye was more concerned about was actually—

That giant cross phantom that crashed into Li Ku's body...

Could it be the Cross-shaped Tombstone from the later Reincarnation Graveyard?

Li Ku has now obtained the [Reincarnation Key], so what about the Reincarnation Graveyard opened by the [Reincarnation Key]?

Has he already obtained the Reincarnation Graveyard but chosen to hide it?

Or, has he only obtained the [Reincarnation Key] for now and hasn't discovered the Reincarnation Graveyard?

Cross-shaped Tombstone, Reincarnation Graveyard...

Because of the unique effect of Lin Dong's eyeballs, Jiang Ye didn't think too much about it.

And the group soon decided to return to the elevator and continue exploring downward.

Afterward, the 45th, 46th, 47th, and 48th floors...

The spaces on these four floors were still empty, with nothing happening.

Lin Dong smoothly recorded the relief patterns of four more floors.

And when they reached the 49th floor...

Lin Dong said: "This floor also has something strange."

The strangeness on the 18th and 44th floors was thrilling but safe.

Even Li Ku obtained an incredible opportunity from the 44th floor.

Now, hearing the word "strange" again, this group wasn't as resistant as before.

However, Lin Dong turned his back to the elevator door, looking in the direction opposite the elevator door, and said:

"This time, the strangeness isn't behind the elevator door, but over here..." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Behind this unopened door, there seems to be some kind of energy fluctuation."

Hearing this, Jiang Ye was shocked!

Because back in the Doomsday Apartment era, in the red-lit elevator of Apartment 9999, there was also a hidden space, on the 49th floor!

Li Ku was also shocked, looking at the surface Lin Dong was facing: "But this surface has no exit."

As he spoke, he tentatively touched that surface with his hand.

"The texture is smooth, no gaps, no mechanisms..."

Lin Dong also tried touching it, with the same result.

Zhang E and the others, seeing this, also touched it and finally said: "Even if a hidden space exists in this direction, it seems unreachable for now."

Li Ku nodded, also indicating they should temporarily abandon exploring this direction.

However, after some thought, Lin Dong spoke to Jiang Ye:

"In this direction, our players' physical bodies indeed cannot pass through."

"But monsters might be able to pass through."

This...

Actually, even without him saying it, Jiang Ye had the same thought.

Coincidentally, he was hesitating about whether to explore that hidden space.

Choosing to explore meant splitting up from this group of players.

And facing a completely unknown situation.

Not choosing to explore...

He couldn't be sure if this kind of hidden space would be encountered every time they reached the 49th floor.

In short, the opportunity was rare.

Just as he was pondering, Li Ku suddenly said: "Perhaps I can also pass through in my Death State..."