From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Inside the deep stone gate, it was pitch black, with only faint, ethereal sounds, like the melody of a flute guiding souls, leading the two forward.

The air was filled with an ancient and damp atmosphere, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression that made it almost impossible to breathe.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Lin'an dared not be careless and stepped into it cautiously, taking each step with extreme care, as if they were stepping on an abyss.

Darkness, like a giant monster, greedily devoured everything around them, including light and even the courage within their hearts.

"This place is eerie, a bit like a scene from that tomb raiding game I played before," Yan Ruyu said in a low voice, trying to ease the tense atmosphere with a light tone. However, her slightly trembling voice betrayed her inner unease.

Xu Lin'an gripped his sword tightly, his deep gaze fixed ahead, and his thin lips parted slightly: "Be careful, this place is probably not so simple."

The two continued on their way, and the surrounding darkness seemed to grow thicker and thicker, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently. Then, huge cracks spread out like a spider web, and scorching flames spewed out from the cracks, illuminating the dark space and the terrified faces of the two people.

"Holy crap! What's going on? Are they playing this high-stakes game?!" Yan Ruyu exclaimed, pulling Xu Lin'an aside to avoid the danger.

The flames, like a roaring beast, lunged at them with bared fangs and claws, the scorching heat almost burning their skin.

The surrounding temperature rose sharply, and the air became distorted, as if we were in a giant furnace.

"Watch out!" Xu Lin'an quickly shielded Yan Ruyu behind him...

He brandished his longsword, its sword energy like a rainbow, carrying a chilling aura, drawing a graceful arc in the air.

In the blink of an eye, a crystal-clear ice wall rose from the ground, resembling a giant ice mirror, radiating a dazzling light.

The surface of the ice wall is shrouded in cold air and sparkling with ice crystals, as exquisitely crafted as a work of art, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Holy crap! Xu Lin'an, you have this skill too? That's so cool!" Yan Ruyu's eyes widened in disbelief, her gaze filled with stars, as if she had discovered a new continent.

"It's practically a human-shaped, self-propelled air conditioner! I won't have to worry about getting warmer when I go out in the summer anymore!"

The roaring flames crashed against the ice wall, making a sizzling sound and rising into thick white mist, like boiling water.

The flames were blocked from advancing even an inch, and could only lick the ice wall in frustration, unable to budge it in the slightest.

The scorching heat was neutralized by the power of ice, the surrounding temperature gradually decreased, and the previously distorted air returned to calm.

Yan Ruyu gripped Xu Lin'an's arm tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white, revealing her inner tension.

Despite the protection of the ice wall, she could still feel the scorching heat of the flames, as if they were right next to her.

Xu Lin'an felt the force on his arm, looked down at Yan Ruyu, his eyes full of tenderness.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." He gently patted the back of her hand, comforting her softly, his tone filled with boundless affection.

"A mere flame cannot harm you in the slightest."

His voice seemed to have a magical quality, gradually calming Yan Ruyu's tense emotions.

She looked up and met Xu Lin'an's deep gaze. A warm feeling welled up in her heart, as if the darkness and danger around her were no longer so frightening.

The originally gloomy and terrifying environment seemed to soften considerably because of the warmth flowing between the two.

The chill emanating from the ice wall intertwined with the scorching heat of the flames, creating a strange balance, as if forming a painting of ice and fire blending together.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew from deep within the stone gate, extinguishing the remaining flames on the ground and dispersing the surrounding mist.

Darkness enveloped them once more, and something seemed to be stirring within the deep stone gate.

"Wait..." Yan Ruyu suddenly grabbed Xu Lin'an, her eyes warily fixed on the front. "Did you hear anything?"

A rustling sound came from afar, like countless insects crawling, or like countless feet stepping on withered leaves.

In the darkness, several blurry black shadows gradually appeared. They moved extremely fast, as elusive as ghosts, making it difficult to capture their true form.

"What the hell?!" Yan Ruyu exclaimed, instinctively hiding behind Xu Lin'an and tightly grabbing his sleeve.

Xu Lin'an's eyes sharpened, and he drew his longsword, its cold light flashing, forcing the approaching shadowy figure back.

"Be careful, these things are very strange!"

The number of shadowy figures increased, surging in like a tide and surrounding the two of them.

They are incredibly fast and move unpredictably, like maggots clinging to bones, making them impossible to guard against.

Xu Lin'an brandished his longsword, his sword energy crisscrossing, slicing the approaching shadows into pieces. However, these shadows seemed to be immortal, their fragments quickly reassembling and continuing to attack them.

"Damn, this thing is even more troublesome than an unkillable cockroach!" Yan Ruyu complained as she pulled out a handful of talismans from her system space, chanting incantations. The talismans instantly ignited, turning into beams of golden light that shot towards the dark figure.

However, these talismans seemed to have no effect on the shadowy figures; they moved through the golden light like invisible ghosts, unharmed.

"These guys, are they the legendary 'physical immunity'?!" Yan Ruyu couldn't help but swear. As the dark figure got closer and closer, she was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Just then, Yan Ruyu suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Wait! I think I've discovered something!" she said, pointing to the dark figures. "Look, they seem to be afraid of light!"

Xu Lin'an followed her gaze and indeed found that when the firelight shone on the shadows, they would instinctively flinch.

"what do you mean……"

"That's right! It's light!" Yan Ruyu snapped her fingers. "System, give me a 'Super Invincible Cosmic Thunder Flashbang'!"

A blinding white light burst forth instantly, illuminating the entire space like the midday sun.

The dark figure let out a shrill scream, then melted away like ice and snow, turning into specks of black mist and disappearing without a trace.

"Beautiful!" Xu Lin'an looked at Yan Ruyu, his eyes full of admiration. "She truly is my little rascal!"

The white light gradually dissipated, and the surrounding environment gradually became clearer.

Just then, they discovered a huge ball of light ahead, emitting a soft glow, like a bright moon in the night sky, illuminating the road ahead.

"What is that?" Yan Ruyu pointed at the ball of light, her eyes full of curiosity.

Xu Lin'an shook his head. "I don't know, we'll find out when we get there." He took Yan Ruyu's hand and walked towards the ball of light...