Chapter 57: First Entry into the Chaos Era (Part 1)

Lin Fan had just taken a step when he suddenly realized his body was unable to move, as if tightly bound by an invisible force.

At the same time, the world-breaking pendant emitted a rapid, ear-piercing, and unsettling alarm.

A line of red text quickly popped up on the holographic energy screen: "The time dimension span is too large, exceeding the load limit."

"What's going on?" Lin Fan asked anxiously.

Xiao Du activated the maintenance settings of the world-breaking pendant; it slowly unfolded, revealing mysterious matrices and various intricate parts linking together.

While adjusting the equipment, she said annoyedly: "It's all because the world-breaking core wasn't completely finished! Lin Yue snatched away the old laptop, and with the core algorithms missing, the load is now seriously exceeding the limit. We're in big trouble!"

"Then what should we do?" Lin Fan pressed.

"We must return immediately! As long as we don't cause any impact on this timeline, the load on the world-breaking pendant will drop to the minimum, ensuring we can return safely."

Lin Fan frowned, deep in thought about a countermeasure, while the team members behind him said almost in unison: "Okay! Let's return first!"

Lin Chen stood where she was, her expression complex, her light green eyes faintly glistening with tears. She gripped the corner of her clothes tightly and finally said softly: "Alright, let's return first."

Lin Fan noticed Lin Chen's reluctance and sadness at a glance, and his heart tightened.

"Wait, if we go back now, we have no chance of winning this war. These vanguard troops are just testing the waters. If we don't take this opportunity to gather more intelligence, future battles will only become increasingly difficult!"

Hearing this, Xiao Du's expression grew even more solemn. She pressed her hands to her forehead and said helplessly: "Fine, if you just observe and don't interfere with history in any way, the load upon returning won't increase… but—"

She paused, "I'm afraid you won't be able to help yourselves! If you disrupt the timeline, the consequences will be unimaginable! To be honest, I think returning now is the safest option."

Lin Fan scanned the people around him with a stern expression, yet his gaze held an unquestionable certainty: "I know the risks. But if we don't even dare to risk gathering this bit of intelligence, how will we win in the future? Don't worry, we won't act rashly."

Xiao Du sighed: "You'd better be careful. The load on the world-breaking pendant is already near the critical value. If the load increases further, we might never be able to go back!"

Lin Fan nodded: "Understood. This time, we only look, we don't act. Everyone follow orders; unauthorized actions are strictly forbidden!"

The world-breaking pendant flickered slightly, casting a faint light screen, rendering their figures invisible and their presence undetectable.

The group slowly walked along the bustling street ahead, surrounded by a completely unfamiliar scene.

The tall buildings on both sides of the street were arranged in a picturesque manner, exuding an exotic atmosphere. Various lights intertwined, making the entire street look dreamlike.

Pedestrians were endless, diverse in race—there were mages in robes, warriors in armor, and even some massive Demonic Beasts used as transport tools moving through the crowd.

A tall, burly Minotaur walked from the center of the street.

Lin Chen subconsciously held her breath and leaned slightly behind Lin Fan.

However, the Minotaur seemed not to see them at all and walked straight towards them.

The next instant, that massive body actually passed through Lin Fan and Lin Chen, as if they didn't exist at all.

"Am I… have I become a ghost?" Lin Chen stared blankly at her hands and shook them subconsciously, only to find that she was still perfectly fine, just completely unable to make any contact with the outside world.

Xiao Du chuckled softly: "Hehe, inside the super stealth shield, everyone will be completely hidden. This technology is thanks to our yunchi ship."

"Oh, so that's how it is!"

Lin Fan's gaze had already turned to a spot not far away, "Look over there."

The group followed his gaze and saw, at the edge of the street, a Zerg man with small antennae on his head trading with a Human Race woman.

The woman was wearing a simple linen coat; although her features were pretty, her skin was slightly sallow, showing that her life was not wealthy.

She had a cautious smile on her face and was whispering to persuade the Zerg man to buy the items on her stall.

On the stall were many handmade items woven from golden bamboo strips: cups, stools, fans, and storage boxes. Each one was crafted exquisitely and delicately, revealing a unique sense of beauty.

The Zerg man wore a high-quality silk robe with a smooth texture and dazzling color, clearly of extraordinary origin.

He had his hands behind his back, examining the items on the stall with great interest, his antennae swaying gently as if sensing something.

"This Zerg looks like a wealthy merchant," Xiao Du analyzed in a low voice, "But why would he come to such a small stall? Generally speaking, this kind of transaction is rare."

"Perhaps to hide his identity," Lin Fan replied in a low voice, his eyes fixed on every move of the Zerg man.

The Zerg man casually flipped through the items on the stall and finally rested his gaze on a bamboo hat.

This bamboo hat was woven from golden bamboo strips, its edges sturdy yet nimble, the overall design simple but extremely practical.

The Zerg man nodded slightly to indicate satisfaction, took out a few energy crystals glowing with a cyan luster from his sleeve, and handed them to the Human Race woman.

A look of relief appeared on the woman's face; she quickly took the crystals and handed over the bamboo hat with both hands.

After the transaction was completed, the Zerg man put the bamboo hat on his head, and the wide brim of the hat perfectly covered the two antennae on his head.

Afterwards, without even looking at others, he strode away with long legs, moving calmly yet with a hint of vigilance.

Lin Chen muttered softly: "Did he buy the bamboo hat really just to cover his antennae? It doesn't look like an ordinary transaction."

A flash of deep meaning crossed Lin Fan's eyes as he said in a low voice: "The identity of this Zerg man is probably not simple. Keep observing; perhaps we can find more clues."

The group nodded, making no sound, and silently followed the Zerg man's footsteps while in their stealth state.

They followed the Zerg man silently and turned onto a secluded path.

The path gradually led away from the bustling street, and the houses on both sides became sparse, with only a few scattered households.

The deeper they went, the more desolate the surroundings became; the soil on the ground was mixed with gravel, and one could even faintly see some withered yellow weeds poking out from the roadside.

"It seems very few people take this road; many might not even know it exists."

The Zerg man's steps were steady as he kept walking forward, as if he were extremely familiar with this path.

His tall figure and the swaying bamboo hat appeared particularly conspicuous under the sparse sunlight.

Hidden under the light screen, the group followed closely, not daring to make a sound.