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Chapter 392 Star Source: Panoramic Observer

[Explorer Assessment: Abandoned Factory]

Chen Kong squatted on the ground, looking at the broken wall that had suddenly appeared in front of him, his brows furrowed.

Five minutes ago, when he passed by here, it was clearly a smooth path. How could there suddenly be a wall here?

Thinking of this, Chen Kong subconsciously aimed the beam of his flashlight at the wall.

In an instant, not only was the moss in the cracks between the bricks clearly visible, but even the fresh soil clinging to the edges of a few bricks was clearly seen by Chen Kong.

It was as if this broken wall had been there for a long time, and the so-called 'unobstructed passage' was just his imagination.

But was he really seeing things?

Actually, a long time ago, Chen Kong had quite a few doubts about this assessment called 'Hide and Seek'.

Because he doesn't understand why an assessment primarily focused on 'survival' would involve something like 'teaming up'?

It's important to understand that if you choose to conduct the assessment individually, you can not only eliminate the external factor of relying on others, but also more directly see the potential of the person being assessed.

No matter how you look at it, it's much better than so-called team formation.

Unless this so-called 'teaming up' has another meaning.
Thinking of this, Chen Kong suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Brother Cameraman, it seems we've been watched for a long time."

The cameraman nodded.

Now that things have come to this, he clearly understands that the raccoon keeper's so-called 'location scan every five seconds' is nothing more than a half-truth.

The way it identifies and judges candidates is far easier and more unique than they realize.

Thinking of this, the cameraman said, "Since we can't escape, let's try to prolong the time we're being captured as much as possible."

"If my deduction is correct, then I think I have found a way to pass the level."

Chen Kong was stunned for a moment after hearing what the cameraman said.

He only guessed that the entire assessment area was probably the 'domain' of the raccoon keeper.

But what are the core rules of this field, and what are its effects?

He hadn't even figured it out, let alone cleared the game.

The cameraman didn't say much, but first fully revealed his Star Source - Panoramic Observer.

【Name: Panoramic Observer (Second Awakening)】

[Type: Mechanic]

【Effect 1 - Global Lens: Defaults to 360° all-around environmental scanning. The range increases with the intensity of star energy (base 50 meters, maximum 100 meters). It can automatically mark star beast tracks, trap locations, and hidden passages. The marking results are presented in the user's field of vision as light blue dots.】

【Effect 2 - Audience Perspective: After activation, the scene captured by the 'Global Lens' can be synchronized with designated teammates (up to 3 people) in the form of 'Shared Perspective'. During the sharing, teammates can adjust their field of view angle independently, observing the battlefield like 'viewers' watching a live broadcast.

Additionally, shared vision grants a 'calm aura,' reducing the effects of fear on teammates by 50% and counteracting the interference of illusions on consciousness.

[Awakening Effect - Scene Rewind: Consumes a large amount of Star Energy (30% Star Energy consumed per use) to perform a 'scene rewind' on a designated area, rewinding up to ten minutes of footage.]

After learning about the cameraman's Star Source effect, Chen Kong seemed to understand what he was going to do.

The cameraman didn't say much, and immediately rewound the footage of the dead end that had appeared not long ago, sharing the rewound process with Chen Kong.

This allows the two people to witness firsthand what happened here not long ago, from the 'perspective' of a television viewer.

Ten minutes ago, this path was deserted.

Suddenly, countless black mist dots appeared in the air, surging towards the center of the path like a tide, and slowly coalescing into the shape of a broken wall.

The broken wall is so realistic that it even "replicated" the moss and cracks in the brick seams, making it so lifelike that no one could see any flaws.

Upon seeing this, Chen Kong suddenly understood.

No wonder he always felt that this assessment scenario was a bit 'strange', but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

It turns out that those seemingly natural broken walls and vines were actually illusions created by someone using black mist. After learning of the existence of the 'black mist,' the cameraman activated his 'lens' at full power, tracing the distribution of the 'black mist concentration' in the vicinity.

Before long, the cameraman locked onto an area and said confidently, "That's empty. The pursuers should be there. Find a way to get away from that area."

Following the direction of the cameraman, Chen Kong quickly noticed a huge black fog shrouding the factory gate.

Furthermore, the concentration of black fog in this area was more than ten times higher than where they were, and there were even faint golden specks of light flickering within it.

Without a doubt, those so-called golden specks were the bells around the raccoon's neck!
In that instant, Chen Kong understood everything.

"No wonder you said you found a way to get through. If we know where the pursuers are, we will indeed have more ways to deal with them."

With the panoramic viewer's scan, the raccoon's location was clearly marked, like a marker on a map.

In this way, it is much easier for them to avoid each other than before.

Hearing the conversation between the two, the little girl behind them curiously looked up, her milky white pupils gazing in the direction of the factory.

"Big brother, what are you looking at?"

Although he couldn't see the shared view, he could feel the 'uncomfort' in the air.

That was the oppressive feeling brought by the black fog.

Upon hearing this, Chen Kong squatted down, patted her head, and spoke in a very low voice.

"It's nothing, we're looking for a safe way out, we'll be leaving here soon, don't be afraid."

The little boy also came closer, the scales on his arm gleaming in the flashlight beam.

"Um, I know there's a small cave up ahead. I've been there before when I needed shelter from the rain. It's very well hidden."

Upon hearing this, Chen Kong smiled and said, "Then you can take us there."

The little boy nodded vigorously, took the little girl's hand, and ran into the depths of the woods.

Strangely, they changed direction multiple times during this process.

Sometimes, it even looks like they're going around in circles.

But from God's perspective, they are indeed moving further and further away from the raccoon keeper.

[Remaining time for the assessment: 02:30]

[Current number of eliminated players: 0]

More than two minutes have passed, and none of the three, including Chen Kong, have been eliminated.

However, the two-minute period of calm does not mean that it will continue in the future.

[Above the gate of the Explorer Assessment Factory]

The raccoon perched atop the chimney, watching Chen Kong and the others run into the depths of the woods, the golden bell jingling softly in the wind.

It could sense that its black mist illusion was being broken.

"To be able to see through the essence of the black mist... that camera envoy's ability is quite interesting."

With a gentle flick of its paw, the raccoon caused the surrounding black mist to begin to flow rapidly. The fog that had been hanging over the factory slowly split into countless tiny droplets, spreading into the woods.

"However, the methods of control used by the Eternal Nightmare are not limited to 'faking illusions'."

Black specks of mist swarmed toward Chen Kong and the others like locusts, some burrowing into the soil, others clinging to leaves, slowly altering the surrounding stellar energy fluctuations.

The raccoon's voice echoed through the mist, carrying a hint of mockery.

"Although you have seen through the falsehood in the 'scene,' can you see the falsehood in the hearts of 'people'?"

(End of this chapter)