"Besides the countdown time, this watch itself has other mechanisms that can trigger 'Erasure'..."

When he said this, Administrator 4444's tone was firm and powerful at first, but it unconsciously weakened halfway through.

Obviously, he realized belatedly—

If even the [Time-Limited Instant Kill] couldn't harm this Li Ku...

Then, he might not be afraid of real Erasure either!

However...

If he isn't afraid of real Erasure, why did he suddenly rush out of the apartment?

Perhaps he had another purpose?

Administrator 4444 quickly completed his mental preparation and added emphatically:

"I refuse to believe you are truly unafraid of Erasure."

"After all, life is only given once. If you gamble and lose, you will pay the price with your life!"

This kind of alarmist talk naturally couldn't frighten Li Ku, who had weathered great storms.

He remained silent for a moment, only asking, "Besides Erasure, are there any other drawbacks to this watch?"

4444 was momentarily speechless.

Li Ku asked again, "What I'm more curious about is, how do you recognize this watch?"

"Have you seen it on other players? Or is there some other reason?"

Administrator 4444, having failed to achieve his goal, appeared gloomy.

After a moment of silence, he stated bluntly, "If you are willing to lend me the watch, then I am willing to answer all your questions."

This was negotiating terms.

Li Ku's darkened hand rubbed the Prison watch on his left wrist, sometimes touching it, sometimes not.

He was originally just considering whether to agree to this administrator minor BOSS's conditions.

However, this rubbing actually allowed him to discover something different...

When Moon People players are in the Land of Exile, unless they die, the Prison watch will vanish along with them.

Or with a [Time-Limited Instant Kill], the Prison watch will detach for 3 seconds.

Under other circumstances, Moon People players cannot remove the Prison watch no matter what.

It's like a brand of sin stamped upon them.

But at this moment...

In this instance space as understood by Li Ku...

He actually felt that the Prison watch here seemed like it could be directly taken off!

This...

This brand of sin could actually be removed in this hidden space!

Li Ku looked again at "Ji Zixuan."

The players in this hidden space clearly did not have Prison watches.

They lived freely...

But the bizarre thing was—

The watch the Moon People players wanted to remove had, here, seemingly become a treasure!

Li Ku quickly figured it out—

Because this watch allows players to move freely through the mist.

And because this hidden space does not contain Sun People players.

Without the most fatal risk of being arbitrarily Erased, the Prison watch had actually become a good thing in this hidden space!

To be honest, if he could completely escape the control of the Prison watch, Li Ku would naturally be willing.

But he had two concerns in his heart—

One, he would inevitably have to leave this hidden space sooner or later.

Returning to the mist-filled Land of Exile, he would still need the Prison watch, otherwise he would be unable to move an inch within the mist.

The other concern was that mechanical eyeballs could directly copy the corresponding player information by wearing a Prison watch.

This was equivalent to: taking someone else's Prison watch allows you to copy their identity!

If he really lent out his Prison watch...

Wouldn't this administrator be able to directly copy him?

Just copying his Glyph Pattern Ability would already be powerful enough.

If his Death State was also copied...

Then what was left for him to play with!

Therefore, this Prison watch thing, much like an ID card in modern society, clearly could not be casually lent to others.

However, it can't be lent to strangers.

But someone trustworthy, perhaps the effect could be tested.

Li Ku himself had already been seized by the Witch Gui Jiang Ye.

So compared to body seizure, lending a Prison watch was actually not a big deal.

Thus, after a bit of consideration, Li Ku deliberately glanced at "Ji Zixuan," then said to Administrator 4444:

"Lending the watch is possible, but I want to test the specific effects of lending the watch on one of my own people first."

4444 was silent for a moment, his eyes coldly sweeping over "Ji Zixuan."

When his gaze returned to Li Ku, he resumed an agreeable posture: "Fine, I'm also curious about the watch's effects."

So, after a brief discussion among the three, Administrator 4444 retreated behind the front desk in the lobby.

The tentacles threatening "Ji Zixuan" quickly dispersed.

Leaving Li Ku and "Ji Zixuan" standing about ten meters away from the front desk.

Li Ku slowly, carefully attempted to remove the Prison watch.

When the watch lay flat in his palm, he himself was almost unaffected.

His Data Panel was still there, his Glyph Pattern Ability was still there, his Death State was still there.

But after the Prison watch was placed on "Ji Zixuan's" wrist, "Ji Zixuan's" entire person instantly changed appearance.

This feeling...

It was like putting on a [mimic mask]!

Instantly transforming from one person into the person recorded by the [mimic mask].

Yes, "Ji Zixuan" became Li Ku!

But not the Li Ku covered in scars.

But a normal Li Ku.

A Li Ku without scars, without the Death State, with normal eyeballs for eyes, his entire body presenting as normal flesh and blood.

Or more accurately... like an initialized Li Ku?

That face, that appearance, might already be so distant and unfamiliar to Li Ku himself.

Thus, even in his Death State, which lacked facial features, he seemed to be staring dumbfounded at this "self"!

And Jiang Ye, the moment he transformed into Li Ku, felt—

Another real Li Ku had become his clone!

And in this apartment era, Jiang Ye's Clone Skills were actually usable!

This...

Did this mean his main body was still in this era??

Jiang Ye pondered slightly, then suddenly asked Li Ku, "Do you have a mirror?"

Li Ku created a water curtain for him.

Jiang Ye looked at his current "self's" image in the water curtain.

He couldn't help but be inwardly startled—

The effect of the Prison watch in this era...

How did it seem to have been weakened into a [mimic mask]?

It really did seem like the effect of a [mimic mask]!

Apart from this face looking exactly like Li Ku's, his current Data Panel still displayed Ji Zixuan's Data Panel.

It was as if he had simply put on a [mimic mask] made from Li Ku's face!

This...

With this effect, Jiang Ye even began to doubt—

Could he really move freely through the mist while wearing this watch now?

Uncertain, so naturally he couldn't take the risk himself.

The results of this "lending the watch" experiment were clearly apparent immediately.

Administrator 4444 spoke up again: "You've seen the effect now. What do you think?"

"This watch is essentially a [mimic mask] with the function of traversing the mist."

"As long as you agree to lend me the watch, I can promise you—for however much time you lend me the watch, I will later recharge double that amount of time into your watch!"

However, even after confirming that in this "hidden space," the watch wouldn't take away his abilities,

Li Ku was still not very willing to lend the watch to a stranger.

Especially since this administrator was clearly not a benevolent type.

Fusing apartments at the slightest disagreement...

Including throwing out a [Time-Limited Instant Kill] upon meeting...

Such a person clearly had no principles or credibility.

As long as conditions favored him, would he really keep his promise, return the watch, and even recharge double the consumed watch time?

Li Ku didn't believe it.

He was just thinking about how to negotiate with this administrator.

Then he saw Jiang Ye take off the watch, transforming back into Ji Zixuan's appearance.

Using this Ji Zixuan identity, he addressed Administrator 4444:

"Agreeing to lend you the watch is possible, but I have one additional condition."

Administrator 4444 was first surprised, then frowned: "Can you decide this matter?"

Jiang Ye casually gave Li Ku a look.

Li Ku understood and chose to believe: "He can."

Administrator 4444's eyes flickered, and his tone toward Jiang Ye became much more polite: "Then what is your condition?"

"I want a deputy work badge for Administrator 4444, a [mimic mask] of Administrator 4444's appearance, and an additional Skin Sand prop."

A deputy work badge for an administrator, plus a disguise mask of an administrator's appearance...

Administrator 4444's first reaction was: "You want to impersonate me?"

Jiang Ye thought to himself: Think bigger!

However, he deliberately made this request to let the other party misunderstand his purpose.

Otherwise, if he only asked for Skin Sand and a disguise mask, the other party couldn't guess his purpose, and with all sorts of divergent thoughts, complications would inevitably arise.

Now, as long as Administrator 4444 could accept being impersonated, he should be able to agree to this condition.

Of course, calling it impersonation was really just an appearance impersonation.

And the deputy work badge would lend a bit more credibility to this impersonation.

But could he really do anything bad by taking advantage?

4444 thought for a long time and felt that even if the other party impersonated him, they couldn't really cause any trouble.

Just as his mind was relaxing, Jiang Ye deliberately added:

"After you put on the watch, it's equivalent to being able to impersonate Li Ku."

"Then as an equivalent exchange, isn't it fair for Li Ku to impersonate you?"

4444 pondered for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement: "Fine! I agree!"

"But since it's an equivalent exchange, then when I return the watch, you must also return my deputy work badge and disguise mask to me."

Jiang Ye smiled and nodded: "Of course :)"

Li Ku actually didn't know what Jiang Ye was up to.

But he still chose to trust him.

Just as the transaction between the two sides was about to be finalized, Jiang Ye couldn't help but ask Administrator 4444:

"Actually, I'm very curious—"

"Aren't administrators unable to leave the range of their own apartment?"

"By wearing this watch, can you not only traverse the mist but also leave the apartment's range?"

4444 was silent for a moment, only saying: "I have my own methods."

Then, he put on the watch, transformed into Li Ku's appearance, and flashed toward the direction of the apartment's main door.

It seemed he really did have a prop that allowed him to leave the apartment's range.

Jiang Ye also remembered that [Carefree Dao Stone] Lin Ling had shown him before, which was a prop that allowed an administrator to leave their assigned apartment.

Only after Administrator 4444 left did Li Ku look at Jiang Ye again, tentatively asking:

"Will that administrator really keep his promise and return the watch?"

Jiang Ye shook his head with a light laugh: "Not important."

At this time, Apartment 4869 and Apartment 4444 had already achieved fusion.

The entire fused version of the apartment automatically operated using Apartment 4444's template.

And this situation clearly contradicted one of Jiang Ye's conjectures—

Against the backdrop of the entire Doomsday Apartment, it seemed neither administrators nor the apartment boss considered Apartment 4869's number to have any special significance.

4869, this was just an ordinary, random number.

Including when fusing with Apartment 4444, it directly defaulted to the fused apartment continuing everything from Apartment 4444.

So now, Apartment 4869 simply ceased to exist.

Replaced by Apartment 4444.

But earlier, Jiang Ye had clearly deduced that the number 4869 might also have special meaning.

Yet the current apartment system seemed not to acknowledge this special meaning?

However, after thinking more carefully, Jiang Ye quickly discovered the problem.

Perhaps, the "special" recognized by the apartment system and the "special" recognized by the behind-the-scenes organization he envisioned were not based on the same criteria.

Within the apartment system, 4869 truly was not special.

But that behind-the-scenes chess player moving pieces across the entire world had additionally defined 4869 as a special apartment.

Like a number that has no meaning in mathematics.

But after being defined by humans, it gains a meaning detached from mathematics.

The apartment system's standard for "special" is the mathematical sense of special.

But an organization composed of people can naturally define a special number detached from mathematical meaning.

4869 is such a number.

Thus, perhaps we can deduce—

From the 49th floor of the Blood Pool Elevator in the prison era, arriving at Apartment 4869 in the apartment era...

The reason it's Apartment 4869 is because this passage was also artificially created, separate from the apartment system?

Then, under artificial creation, did they consider the possibility of Apartment 4869 disappearing?

Like now.

Including Li Ku, he also had thoughts on this aspect: "After the apartment fusion, has the difficulty of us returning increased?"

Jiang Ye didn't answer, instead asking Li Ku: "What image did you see of the apartment within the mist?"

"During the apartment fusion period, did the image of the apartment you saw change?"

Li Ku stated directly: "My vision is severely obstructed within the mist."

"So I can only see that standing apartment main door within a 3-meter range of the apartment entrance."

"In the mist, this apartment door has a kind of luminous quality."

"But other than the door, everywhere else is deep black, just like..."

He thought for a moment, finding an accurate description: "Just like the Black Mist at the roots of the World Tree!"

As he said this, he became more certain of his earlier guess: "So this world is indeed an underground world similar to the 'underworld'!"

"..." Jiang Ye didn't argue with him either.

He directly put on the administrator's mask, bound the deputy administrator work badge to Ji Zixuan's body.

Then, using the deputy administrator identity, he opened Apartment 4444's... underground Burial Ground...