Hourglass Project - Chapter 12

BEEP! BEEP!…

The alarm screamed!

The man grabbed the Ring I and jumped out the window. As other guards rushed in, he took off running, only to be blocked mid-way by other players!

“F*ck your mother!”

His Ring I was snatched away! He had worked so hard to get it this time!!

Amid the chaos, the man shouted hoarsely and joined the pursuit of the player who had stolen the ring, while guards also swarmed in.

Probably because it was the final day, five players were now fighting over the ring. With the guards’ involvement, the scene turned into utter chaos.

The double Huang had been observing the situation, waiting for the right moment to swoop in. But too many unexpected players showed up midway.

A woman in a short skirt, loose top, and high boots, her long hair tied into mismatched low pigtails that didn’t suit her delicate face, stood emotionless. Her glassy blue eyes were fixed on them.

“Sh*t, where did this one pop out from?” Huang Yuhan muttered under her breath, then whispered to Huang Jijun, “Junjun, you go grab the ring, I’ll handle her.”

Huang Jijun nodded. “Okay. Be careful.”

She turned and darted between buildings. The woman saw her flee and immediately gave chase. Fast! Clearly, she intended to intercept her.

But she didn’t make it halfway before a flying blade stopped her!

“Don’t even think about touching her!”

Huang Yuhan’s voice came from behind. The woman dodged the blade on landing and followed up with a nimble backflip to evade another slash! She then quickly spun around and blocked a kick with her arm, but the force still knocked her back three meters. As soon as her toes touched the ground, she sprang toward Huang Yuhan!

Seeing her so composed, Huang Yuhan dropped her playful grin, now assessing the opponent’s strength.

Behind the museum was an open area, normally devoid of NPCs but now it was filled with guards and players.

When Huang Jijun arrived, she saw a man fighting Lin Yi for the Ring I. Other players, outmatched, couldn’t get involved in such a high-level confrontation.

Lin Yi stepped back as the man reached out to grab the ring. She flicked her right hand, sending the man flying sideways.

Other players tried to seize the opportunity. As she struggled with their interference, she spotted Huang Jijun out of the corner of her eye and shouted:

“Junjun! Catch!!”

A flash of silver arced beautifully through the air.

Huang Jijun leaped back and caught the ring mid-air. But no sooner had she landed than a wave of guards rushed toward her, she turned and ran.

But after a short sprint, she stumbled over nothing, an air trip. Thankfully, she reacted quickly and flipped back up with a hand on the ground.

The next second, a sudden wind surged behind her!

Sensing danger, she twisted to dodge a sneak attack from a dagger, grabbed the attacker’s arm, and flipped them hard into the ground!

Ignoring the player’s screams, she glanced ahead, only NPC territory remained. With nowhere else to go, she slipped into the alleyways to hide.

Seeing this, Lin Yi began disrupting other players’ searches, picking off anyone who came too close. Luckily, none could beat her.

Compared to the game of hide-and-seek on that side, Huang Yuhan’s direct combat was much tougher.

The woman was way too strong! She couldn’t beat her!!

And it wasn’t just physical combat—she had abilities too! Even though the woman used no weapons, Huang Yuhan still couldn’t gain the upper hand!

That alone showed how powerful she was. At best, she could hold out two more minutes before the woman broke free and chased the ring.

Huang Yuhan took a breath and stared at the woman ahead. The woman stood tall and calm, not panting at all. Huang Yuhan tried to gauge how much stamina she had left.

As she calculated, she summoned her blade again. Just as the woman tried to bypass her and head for the museum, she made a quick gesture—her blade slashed toward the woman!

The woman sidestepped, narrowly dodging it. Huang Yuhan suddenly dropped her hand as if giving up.

Shhk!

The woman, finally caught off guard, looked down at the cut on her arm. Frost had formed on the torn fabric. She looked up, but Huang Yuhan was already gone.

She stood in place for half a minute before moving. But just as she lifted her foot, an ice wall shot up before her!

Crunch!

She slammed into it! Her hands turned into black cat claws to catch the ice blade, straining under the pressure.

Tao Luo glared coldly at her and suddenly twisted the blade to the side! The woman let go, only to be met with another sudden stab from a hidden blade!

Blades clashed intensely. The battle raged for almost a minute before both sides backed off again.

The catwoman still faced the museum.

“Did you get the ring?” Huang Yuhan asked, slightly out of breath, fingers twirling her blade.

“Got it. Junjun’s evading the other players,” Tao Luo replied, keeping her grip on her dagger and eyes on the catwoman.

Hearing this, Huang Yuhan relaxed a little and smiled. “So we just need to keep this… pigtail freak here?”

Tao Luo: “…Hopefully.”

But Huang Yuhan knew better. One of them couldn’t handle this pigtail woman alone. Even the two of them together… she wasn’t sure.

As for Yaoyao—she had no idea.

And so she felt an overwhelming sadness:

‘This damn power gap!!’

Li Moyao’s peach blossom eyes curved into a smile as she glanced at the two of them, then turned her gaze to the lingering smoke that hadn’t dissipated yet, and asked with a grin, “Want to see the results of my refinement upgrade?”

Just as the words left her lips, a figure suddenly lunged right in front of the three of them,nearly scaring Huang Yuhan into swearing out loud.

Once they realized it was the catwoman, both of them froze.

Aside from her limbs and ears, which had transformed into feline features, the rest of her body still retained a humanoid form. She had been immobilized by a Boundary Art technique, unable to move. Only her blue, glass-like eyes were still fiercely glaring at Li Moyao.

The veins on the catwoman’s neck throbbed violently, as if she were on the brink of exploding but couldn’t.

Once again, the two girls felt the overwhelming sensation of being crushed by someone from a higher dimension.

Well, of course—Li Moyao, after all, was someone with over 300 years of experience.

“What a naughty little kitty~” Li Moyao chuckled as she looked at the catwoman, speaking words the other clearly didn’t understand. “Seems like a fish’s memory isn’t so bad after all~”

Tao Luo and Huang Yuhan looked at her in silence.