CHAPTER 236: CHAPTER 222

But don’t worry, you now have ***’s blessing. She permits your approach, indulges your exploration, and the awakening bell entwined in her hair will safeguard you, granting you immunity from all mental control when opening ***.

Note: This item is limited to one-time use, cannot be taken out of the map, and cannot be stored in the equipment reserve slot.

Wen Nan accepted the wooden hairpin, thanked Yu Shouling, and bent down to kiss her cheek.

Since Yu Shouling’s hair can counter the hypnotic effect of that secret door, then... does she also have a way to open that door?

Thinking this, Wen Nan directly asked.

But Yu Shouling shook her head at this moment, "What’s behind that door is left by my father. I am only responsible for guarding it, I have no right to open it."

Wen Nan and Yu Shouling have had in-depth exchanges before, and he knows Yu Shouling’s depth well.

Yu Shouling doesn’t lie. For questions she doesn’t want to answer or can’t answer, she will choose silence. But since she said she has no right to open it, it certainly means there’s really no way to open that secret door.

Wen Nan did not continue to ask.

Yu Shouling’s slender arms wrapped around Wen Nan’s neck, her lips lightly touching the stubble on his chin, indicating her intentions clearly.

Wen Nan embraced her waist, whispering as they nuzzled against each other, mentioning that he had run out of his personal items and might not be able to explore in-depth as before.

Yu Shouling shook her head, smiled, kissed the corner of Wen Nan’s lips, and whispered, "No need."

With such words, Wen Nan naturally had no reason to refuse and engaged in a "simple and plain" discussion with Yu Shouling without any personal items.

After it ended, Wen Nan gave a gentle kiss on Yu Shouling’s sleeping cheek, then stood up, tiptoeing towards the door.

As his hand was about to touch the doorknob, Yu Shouling’s voice came from behind: "Forcing your way into that door, the price you pay may be more terrifying than losing your life."

Wen Nan paused, turned back, but saw Yu Shouling still lying there, sleeping soundly.

Sleep talking?

Wen Nan smiled helplessly, turned around, and pushed open the door to leave.

...

...

Back in the guest room on the sixth floor, locking the door, Wen Nan walked back to the bed, looking up again at the secret door embedded in the ceiling.

On that secret door, a total of 12 runes were engraved, like evolved versions of 12 zodiac symbols. The 12 symbols were arranged in a vertical line, looking like the shape of a magic wand from afar.

Wen Nan’s gaze swept over the 12 runes, finally stopping at the Pisces rune.

It was an axially symmetrical pattern, composed of two parallel "∈" shapes.

Staring at the "∈" symbol with a curved tail, after a while, Wen Nan felt his eyelids grow heavy, an overwhelming drowsiness consuming him. Just as he was about to fall asleep again, the wooden hairpin in his palm suddenly emitted a blinding light, like a burning tungsten filament bulb, becoming scorching hot, and then—

"Buzz—buzz—buzz—"

A sharp whistle echoed in Wen Nan’s mind.

Pain from the wooden hairpin pierced his palm, the alarm sound deafening, Wen Nan gasped lightly, flicking his wrist, waking instantly.

The system alert quickly followed—

9527: [Awakening bell of the Guardian item activated for you successfully. Item activation time: 1 minute.]

9527: [Item activation time remaining: 60—]

9527: [Item activation time remaining: 59—]

That’s right.

It had been the same as before. Whenever he stared at the Pisces rune, every time he realized why that half "∈" was so familiar, this secret door would force Wen Nan into sleep for self-protection—

It was at that moment of realization that the secret door, not wanting to be opened by the player, caused Wen Nan to fall asleep.

And when Wen Nan saw the "∈" symbol, he was already very close to finding the "key" to open this door.

Now, with Yu Shouling’s wooden hairpin, he was no longer affected by the mental control type items on the secret door, and could finally clear his thoughts completely—

Why was the "∈" symbol so familiar? Because it was identical to the symbol at the center of the circular golden harness rune on Wen Nan’s palm.

In this game world, there were only two such golden harness runes, one printed on Wen Nan’s palm, the other printed on the back of Yu Shujun’s neck.

The center of both runes had two identical "∈" shapes. Combined, they exactly matched one of the 12 symbols on the secret door—a symmetrical Pisces rune.

The size, luster, and shape were completely identical, perfectly fitting like a lock and key.

Why?

Because the two harness runes engraved on Wen Nan and Yu Shujun’s skin were transformed from that piece of the Divine Staff Fragment.

In this game world, there were exactly 12 pieces of the Divine Staff Fragment, corresponding perfectly to the 12 symbols on the secret door.

The piece Wen Nan accidentally obtained in the trial map, a fragment possessing the "Soul of Replication" ability, corresponds to that Pisces on the door.

Wen Nan boldly speculated that the secret chamber behind this secret door was so powerful because it was a container, a container capable of accommodating all 12 pieces of the Divine Staff Fragment.

Thus, if the game world designed such a container, then...

If all 12 pieces of the Divine Staff Fragment are collected, could he summon a dragon? Then again, he himself is a dragon, so maybe there’s no need to summon one.

Wen Nan shook his head, pulling back his thoughts that had flown too far—

Regardless of whether he collects all fragments, that’s all future talk. The urgent matter now is, he can confirm that the golden harness rune on his palm is one of the "keys" to open the secret door before him.

With this "key," he could easily enter the secret chamber behind that door.

But according to Yu Shouling, that chamber filled with powerful energy is a terrifying place for players, from which there is no return.

Once he goes in, what he loses might be more than just his life...

In his mind, the system alert kept flashing—

9527: [Item activation time remaining: 10—]

9527: [Item activation time remaining: 9—]

The wooden hairpin in his hand made a crisp cracking sound, gradually breaking into pieces as the countdown dwindled, wood chips continuously falling from Wen Nan’s fingers.

As the item description said, this awakening bell can only be used once.

Even if Yu Shouling had a lot more hair to "pull," the wooden hairpin she carefully wore on her head was the only one. Once broken, it won’t exist again.

Meaning, this is his only chance to enter the secret door clearly.

If he gives up now, Wen Nan might never have the opportunity to enter that mysterious container again.

Enter or not enter?

9527: [Item activation time remaining: 7—]

9527: [Item activation time remaining: 6—]

Wen Nan squatted, jumped in place.

With a "slap," his palm pressed on the rune of that secret door.

Entering was a given.

To have a hole and not enter, he would no longer be called Wen Nan.

The "∈" at the center of the harness rune perfectly matched the Pisces rune.

A flash of golden light, spreading like wildfire, illuminated the entire secret door in an instant.

From behind the secret door, radiated dazzling brilliance, like a splendid explosion, engulfing Wen Nan’s body in a moment.

Wen Nan felt his body lighten, and he was sucked into the secret door.

The door behind him closed seamlessly, and Wen Nan’s body fell to the floor, the piercing brightness around him fading away.

As he opened his eyes again, the scene before him left Wen Nan stunned.

This place... he had actually been here before?!