Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 82 The Victor Returns

At that moment, Stone Shield roared and charged forward, covered in blood, his fists wrapped in earthen power. He slammed his fist into the stiff Bai Ling, shattering both the illusion and the body at the same time.

Eliminated: Bailing

The air was still, save for heavy breathing.

Shi Dun turned his head, his eyes fixed on Xu Yan.

His energy was burning like fire, almost dragging him to the brink of exhaustion.

"...Kid, it's just you and me left."

There was not a trace of mockery in his tone, only the ruthlessness of tearing until the last drop of blood was drawn.

Xu Yan's fingers stiffly traced the camera; he could feel the empty pain throbbing in his shoulder blades.

But his gaze was calm, even tinged with sadness.

Ghosts can be suppressed by rules.

But the cunning and ruthlessness of the human heart are more dangerous than any evil spirit.

"Perfect," he replied softly.

At the last moment, the two attacked simultaneously.

The stone shield crashed down like a mountain collapsing, and the force of the punch tore through the air; Xu Yanju's arm trembled violently as he forcibly gathered the little mental energy he had left.

"Crack!"

The price of the flashing beam was a burning sensation in Xu Yan's nose, a trickle of blood, and an instant blankness in his mind, as if even the act of "thinking" itself had been taken away by the sound of the shutter.

Stone Shield's figure froze in mid-air before being taken away by the system.

Xu Yan could no longer hold on and knelt heavily on one knee, pressing his forehead against the cold camera body, gasping for breath like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood.

Eliminated: Stone Shield

The corridor fell into dead silence.

Xu Yan's arm trembled slightly, and he almost staggered.

But when he saw Chen Zhiwei in the observation tunnel, her hand was tightly covering her lips, her eyes were red, as if she was trying hard to resist the urge to hit the screen.

At that moment, a power he had never felt before surged in his chest.

This is not a victory for him alone.

This is also her answer to standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

[Sole survivor: Xu Yan]

The transmitted light receded like a receding tide.

Xu Yan stumbled and stepped back from the illusory world filled with shattered mirrors and bloody killing intent into the cold, hard alloy floor of the emergency response center.

The intense sense of disorientation made him dizzy.

One second, he was still locked in a life-or-death struggle with Bai Ling's phantom; the next second, he was surrounded by a deathly silent hall, and countless gazes cast upon him, a mixture of shock, fear, and scheming.

The system notification sound gradually faded away. There were no cheers, no applause, only cold stares in the hall.

Here, the victors are not heroes, but simply those who survive.

The old wound on his right scapula and the burn mark left by the Mirror Ghost on his cheek stung at the same time, reminding him that what he had just experienced was not an illusion.

He instinctively gripped the Soul-Sealing Camera in his hand, which was his only anchor point to reality.

In the midst of this oppressive and cold atmosphere, a figure suddenly burst through the air and rushed in front of him.

"Inkstone!"

Chen Zhiwei's usual composure was gone, replaced by pure worry and lingering fear. She said nothing, but her hands gripped his arm tightly, which was holding the camera, her nails turning slightly white from the force, as if she wanted to confirm his presence through the tangible touch.

She looked up at him, her gaze like the most precise scanner, etching into her heart the burn marks on his face, the pupils that had shrunk due to his depleted mental energy, and the subtle gesture of him subconsciously protecting his right shoulder.

All the words stuck in his throat, finally turning into a trembling voice: "...It's over."

Xu Yan looked at her, too weak even to twitch his lips. He nodded very slowly, resting his weight on her hand.

Chen Zhiwei immediately noticed the unnatural stiffness in his body when his center of gravity shifted—it was a lingering effect of the spirit of the Earthbound Ghost, which she had read about in her grandfather's training notes.

She didn't say anything, but instead held his hand more firmly and resolutely.

Just then, the hatch of the recovery pod next to them slid open with a "whoosh".

The stone shield, as imposing as an iron tower, rose from within, and a clear dagger mark was clearly visible on its thick breastplate.

He shook his massive head, his gaze piercing through the crowd and locking precisely onto Xu Yan.

He raised his hand, making a crude throat-slitting gesture, but then a nearly ferocious expression appeared on his rough face. He pounded his chest and nodded in Xu Yan's direction.

The meaning was clear: Kid, I've remembered this, but this time, you're good enough.

On the other side, Bai Ling seemed to have been re-rendered from ink painting, her figure transforming from ethereal to real.

She still wore that charming smile, as if the life-or-death struggle in the mirror room was just an insignificant game. She approached lightly, a black information card of a special material between her fingers.

"Excellent 'photography' skills, Mr. Xu." Her voice was soft, yet like the spitting of a viper. "Your 'work' is very valuable for collection."

She handed the information card to Xu Yan. In the instant of the handover, her fingertips brushed against his wrist. A very faint external spiritual force, trying to detect his energy fluctuations, pierced through like a needle, but was instantly dispelled by the chill of the "Abyss" that was running in Xu Yan's body.

A hint of surprise flashed in Bai Ling's eyes, then her smile deepened: "Perhaps later, we can discuss more 'realistic' themes?"

Her tone was suggestive; clearly, the camera's unusual nature hadn't completely escaped her information network.

In the shadows at the far edge of the hall, the masked woman codenamed "Shadow" slowly materialized.

She didn't look at anyone, but just before her figure completely disappeared into the darkness, she slightly turned her head and glanced back at Xu Yan.

That look was no longer the pure, cold gaze one would give when looking at prey, but rather an extremely calm scrutiny as one looks at one's own kind, or assesses an opponent worthy of one's full attention.

Then, she vanished without a trace, like a drop of ink falling into the night.

The losers reacted differently, but they all outlined the cruel rules of this world—here, strength is the only passport.

"Xu Yan".

A cold, emotionless voice broke the undercurrent in the room.

The chief examiner, "Leng Guang," had arrived before us without us noticing; his dark gray uniform was impeccably sharp.

She was holding a tablet, and the screen displayed the evaluation report marked with a red "Δ" symbol.

The surroundings fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on this.

"Congratulations on advancing." Her voice held no congratulations, merely stating a fact. "Your 'methodology'... is quite unique."

She deliberately paused almost imperceptibly on the word "unique," imbuing it with a profound weight.

"The second phase of the assessment will be held in forty-eight hours." She raised her eyes, her icy gaze sweeping over the scars on Xu Yan's cheek and his still slightly trembling fingers. "Make good use of this time... to recover."

She pronounced the word "recovery" with exceptional clarity.

This serves as both a warning of his poor condition, suggesting that he has revealed all his cards and his cards have been seen through; and perhaps, it also contains a subtle, almost imperceptible reminder.

Meanwhile, in that perpetually dimly lit monitoring room.

The judge adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting the image of Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei supporting each other on the screen. His voice was hoarse but carried an undisguised excitement:

“The data doesn’t lie. Under pressure, his activity level… even surpassed that of Xu Haoyu back then.”

(End of this chapter)