End of Days Game: I'm the Only One Who Can See the Hidden Cues

With a loud, rough voice echoing through the forest, a figure over two meters tall emerged. This individual, with the head of a crocodile and the body of a man, carried a long spear that shimmered faintly with a purple glow.

Holding the spear horizontally, the crocodile-headed bandit blocked the road ahead of the caravan completely.

Upon seeing the caravan's flag, a vicious and greedy light flickered in the bandit's beady eyes. "Gem merchants? Haha, this is a big score!"

Inside the carriage, the moment Heber saw the crocodile-headed Sinner, his small eyes widened in shock.

A voice filled with despair and regret escaped Heber's lips in a groan, "The Crocodile Gang, Crocodile Zack! Jeremy, we're doomed. This is an awakened Sinner!"

With a loud slap, Heber struck his own face, filled with regret. "If I'd known we would encounter Crocodile Zack, I would have listened to you, Jeremy!"

...

In fact, shortly after Heber's caravan entered this dense forest, Jeremy sensed something was amiss.

The forest was thick and lush, with verdant foliage on either side of the road stretching as far as the eye could see, making it an ideal place for an ambush.

As the caravan ventured deeper into the forest, Jeremy once again felt the unsettling sensation of being watched, a feeling he'd experienced not long ago.

As Jeremy's spiritual awareness approached a significant milestone, his perception had become extraordinarily sharp, almost like the proverbial "The cicada senses the change before the autumn wind stirs.."

As the caravan continued to delve into the forest, Jeremy's sense of being watched grew stronger, and he could feel a palpable malice from the unseen observer.

After a moment's hesitation, Jeremy spoke to Heber, who was in the same carriage, "It seems someone is following us."

Heber dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand, "Just some petty bandits. In the Land of Eternal Night, small-time crooks are everywhere. No need to worry, Jeremy."

Jeremy shook his head, his tone becoming serious, "I don't think those following us are just petty crooks."

Heber laughed heartily, "Jeremy, don't underestimate my guards. While they may not be as strong as you, their average level is over 40. Apart from someone of your caliber, there's no real danger."

Seeing that Jeremy wanted to say more, Heber patted his shoulder, "Relax, old friend. I've traveled far and wide for years and have never encountered any real danger."

Heber then pointed to Bonnie, who was not far away.

"Besides, taking this route is the quickest way to Dawn City, and the poison in this young lady can't be delayed."

Outside the carriage, a cheerful voice from a dog-headed guard rang out, "Mr. Jeremy, don't worry. We've traveled this road many times and know it well. There won't be any surprises."

Another rabbit-headed guard added in a slightly low voice, "And even if there are any surprises, isn't Mr. Jeremy here with us?"

Hearing this, Jeremy nodded and said no more.

...

Beside Heber, Jeremy had already used The Eye of Omniscience on Crocodile Zack blocking their path.

[Note: Sinner Zack, Awakened Class: Storm Striker, Level 55. Weakness: Interrupting Crocodile Zack's skill casting deals 300% damage and puts him in a stunned state for 3 seconds.]

This was Jeremy's first encounter with an enemy of an awakened class.

Moreover, given Zack's weakness, this battle looked winnable!

At the same time, the caravan guards seemed to recognize the intruder as well, their faces mirroring the same despair.

It was clear that the so-called Crocodile Gang, and especially Crocodile Zack, had a fearsome reputation among these Sinners.

In a state of panic, the dog-headed Sinner driving the carriage instinctively lashed out with a fierce whip on the beast of burden.

Instantly, the colossal creature let out a thunderous roar and charged forward uncontrollably.

While generally docile, the three-meter-tall beast of burden, coupled with the massive carriage it hauled, evoked the image of a runaway juggernaut from another realm.

As the ground trembled and the mountains quaked, the beast of burden barreled directly towards Crocodile Zack.

In that moment of sudden upheaval, Heber and the others' faces lit up with joy, "Crush him to death!"

To their astonishment, Crocodile Zack, facing the unstoppable beast of burden, remained unmoving and unflinching.

With a contemptuous smile, he abruptly raised his spear, as thick as an average person's wrist, and pointed it at the charging beast of burden.

Crocodile Zack softly uttered, "Thunderous Wind Piercer!"

In an instant, threads of purple lightning as thick as fingers and visible gusts of wind appeared out of nowhere, enveloping Zack's spear.

With a "crackle," a flash of lightning blinded everyone, and Crocodile Zack's spear vanished.

Immediately after, the massive beast of burden collapsed with a thud, as if a towering mountain had fallen.

Upon closer inspection, a fist-sized charred and bloody hole had appeared on the beast of burden's forehead.

Through the hole, one could see the gaping chest of the dog-headed Sinner and the shattered remains of the carriage.

With just a single strike, Crocodile Zack had snuffed out the hope that had just ignited in Heber and the others.

"Boss is invincible! Boss is invincible!"

A large group of varied Sinners, brandishing their weapons, charged out from the dense forest, surrounding Heber's caravan.

In a panic, Heber muttered, "It's over. The entire Crocodile Gang is here. We're finished."

Jeremy picked at his ear, looking exasperated.

"Just forty or fifty Sinners, and Heber's already given up." he thought, shaking his head.

Jeremy reached into his storage space and retrieved a Bone Spear.

Heber, astonished that this newly acquainted player would dare to act after witnessing Crocodile Zack's power, hesitated for a moment and then grabbed Jeremy's arm.

"Jeremy, this is all my fault for dragging you into this. But don't act rashly, I do have a way out."

With a pained expression, Heber pulled a small, clear, and colorless gem from a pouch at his waist.

He thrust the gem into Jeremy's hand. "Jeremy, take this Chaos Teleportation Gem. It will help you and your friend escape."

Startled, Jeremy instinctively used The Eye of Omniscience to examine the gem in Heber's hand.

[Note: Chaos Teleportation Gem: Upon use, randomly teleports the user 500 meters in any direction. Possibility of teleportation to underground, high altitudes, or other hazardous locations. Tip: Reciting "up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A" before use allows direction specification.]

Jeremy's eyes lit up, and he swiftly grabbed the Chaos Teleportation Gem.

Heber, suppressing his look of immense pain, pulled out another Chaos Teleportation Gem from his waist pouch and said, "Brother Jeremy, when you manage to escape, remember to find me in Dawn City."

Jeremy was taken aback and then replied, "Escape? When did I ever say I was going to run?"

With that, Jeremy flicked open the carriage door with his Bone Spear and stepped out.

Heber stood there, dumbfounded, watching Jeremy as he exited the carriage.

Outside, the caravan guards gripped their weapons tightly, facing the Crocodile Gang with expressions of despair.

However, judging by their trembling, it was clear that relying on them was futile.

Without wasting any words, Jeremy pulled out his Skeletal Staff. With a wave, he shouted coldly at the minions, "Wind of Calamity!"

"Whoosh!"

A violent black whirlwind materialized out of thin air, stirring up a storm of dust.

In an instant, the black whirlwind grew larger, creating the impression of covering the entire sky.

With a mere thought, Jeremy controlled the massive black whirlwind, which seemed to possess a life of its own, avoiding Heber's guards and enveloping the surrounding Sinners, who were barely level thirty.

Countless horrific screams filled the air instantly.

In just a brief moment, the screams grew faint and then vanished entirely.

With another wave of his staff, the black whirlwind dissipated as abruptly as it had appeared.

Everyone looked back at the once-arrogant Crocodile Gang minions.

Now, where the black whirlwind had passed, not a single living being remained.

Each bandit, resembling a withered mummy, stood frozen in place with expressions of utmost agony, as if everything within them had been hollowed out.

Someone swallowed hard and muttered, "So...so powerful!"

Meanwhile, Jeremy, the instigator of this devastation, calmly put his Skeletal Staff back into his storage space.

Crocodile Zack, witnessing the scene, glared fiercely, his eyes burning with rage.

"You bastard! You dare to kill my men? You have quite the guts!"

Crocodile Zack slightly bent his body, his back arching, exuding an aura of savage brutality.

"Go ti the devil!"

"Domain of the Storm!"

With a furious shout, a light cyan storm burst forth from Zack's body. Beneath his feet, a circle adorned with wind patterns flickered into existence, gradually growing brighter.

Crocodile Zack sneered, "Kid, today I'll show you what an awakened class truly means!"

Heber snapped out of his daze and said anxiously, "Jeremy, run! Years ago, during the Crocodile Gang's clash with the Black Cloak Society, Crocodile Zack used this Domain of the Storm to kill over a hundred Sinners, all above level forty! Its power is unimaginable!"