Beating Instances through Words Left by the Dead

Chapter 556 - 270: Apologizing by Exposing Your Belly Is Common Sense (Part 2)

The group led by Sword Star was completely unaware of the final time freeze in the dungeon’s collapse. They couldn’t tell if it was because the dungeon was specifically designed by the Painter to test Wu Chang, or if the gap in their power levels was just too vast.

Once operations resumed, Director Gao immediately rushed to the elevator, leading a few others to the sixth underground level.

This was Wu Chang’s first time entering the sixth underground level, and contrary to his expectations of a cold, oppressive containment area, it was elegantly arranged. The showcases had a strong sense of design, balancing security and aesthetics, resembling a meticulously curated museum.

The only drawback was that it felt somewhat empty, with several display cases containing only description plaques, devoid of any actual items.

As he gazed at the vast emptiness of the sixth underground level, Director Gao let out a wail very much like the Painter’s.

"No!"

The disappearance of the Gate of All Realms shattered Director Gao’s defenses. Under normal circumstances, such an event would have left him despondent for months since it was the Wanghai Branch’s most significant source of income.

Yet now, he adjusted his mindset in just a few minutes.

Director Gao gave Wu Chang a meaningful glance, patting his shoulder, then called everyone back above ground, somewhat gloatingly, to check for any other losses.

Wu Chang scratched his head, looking at Director Gao in confusion. Was Director Gao trying to comfort him? In what way?

The subsequent investigation was quite simple. The Painter didn’t care to cover his tracks at the Wanghai Branch, openly conducting his business right under the surveillance cameras.

Due to the Painter’s "transparency", it took less than an hour for them to piece together the entire sequence of events.

By linking the surveillance footage of the wild Transcendents being manipulated by the Painter, they quickly concluded that the Painter had targeted the Gate of All Realms on the sixth underground level from the start.

Many of these wild Transcendents were under the Painter’s control, unsuspectingly implanted with his abilities.

The Painter manipulated them to cause disturbances, drawing the attention of the Wanghai Branch, using some unknown methods to bypass detection of the abilities he had planted within these wild Transcendents and get them underground.

Once enough energy was gathered, Yu Siyi, fully brainwashed and controlled, would trigger the prearranged power, breaking through the spatial barrier of the Bureau’s underground, and then the Painter would descend in the flesh.

With the event’s sequence clarified, the staff at the Wanghai Branch breathed a sigh of relief.

The Painter’s entry into the Bureau’s underground wasn’t due to their negligence. Instead, it was due to oversight in detection systems within the Bureau itself. Now that the root of the problem was found, it was clearly due to inadequate design by the central Bureau.

Not only did they manage to deflect blame, but Director Gao was also preparing to file a complaint, demanding compensation from the central Bureau for the losses suffered by the Wanghai Branch.

Even if they couldn’t be compensated with another Gate of All Realms, it should at least be of comparable value.

"What, you say the Wanghai Branch bears no responsibility at all?"

"What a joke, that’s the Painter we’re talking about, a monster that even the combined force of the Four Major Organizations couldn’t defeat. The Wanghai Branch not only defended Wanghai City’s safety against the Painter’s assault but also achieved the miracle of no casualties."

"Responsibility? Accomplishment!"

They had to proudly claim their achievements.

After reviewing the surveillance, another issue arose.

Having confirmed those wild Transcendents’ actions stemmed from the Painter’s guidance and control, it warranted leniency in their sentencing.

Like Xie Wei, who hadn’t caused any adverse effects, once his mental state was confirmed to be normal, he could be released immediately.

For those who faced severe penalties and were destined to be thrown into high-difficulty Projection Dungeons as cannon fodder for intelligence gathering, their charges could also be reduced, giving them a chance for redemption.

The only challenging case was Yu Siyi.

Yu Siyi’s actions were exceedingly egregious. Even if she had been deceived and enticed by the Painter, she theoretically only deserved one more chance for redemption. If she managed to accumulate enough merits during her explorations, she could choose to join the Bureau as special auxiliary personnel.

However, unexpected developments occurred with Yu Siyi. Not only had she completely forgotten Lu Langfeng and everything she had done, she also awakened a powerful force within her.

This power’s uniqueness attracted Professor Shi Ning’s attention, who wished to transfer Yu Siyi to Yanjing to assist with his research.

While Director Gao and the others couldn’t discern Yu Siyi’s capability, Wu Chang saw clearly that after being discarded by the Painter, Yu Siyi, like Fang Hui, awakened the Power of Root.

Unlike Fang Hui’s desire-rooted power, Yu Siyi’s root was love.

A talent born with the Power of Root, this innate ability alone was enough to erase all her previous misdeeds.

Moreover, she’d been brainwashed and controlled by the malevolent Painter, now having forgotten everything.

After negotiation and exchanges of interest, Director Gao finally agreed to send Yu Siyi to Yanjing. That night, she was secretly airlifted away by helicopter without delay.

On the helicopter, Yu Siyi cowered in a corner, head hung, her demeanor full of anxiety and helplessness.

Yet when she lowered her head, her eyes sparkled with pink heart shapes, brimming with love.

"Mr. Lu, you’re not that easy to forget after all—I will find you again. But first, I must become stronger. The next time we meet, I won’t let you leave me so easily."

The Painter tried to repair the Origami House, feeling a chill down his spine, sensing he was being watched by something sinister.

After a hectic night, the Wanghai Branch finally completed the cleanup.

Despite the heavy losses this time, their opponent was the Painter after all—losing to him wasn’t shameful. Surviving was an accomplishment in itself.