Chapter 860: Transportation Platform

860. Transportation Platform

The Golden Staircase was not a continuous set of stairs, but rather a series of suspended, translucent golden platforms. The material of the platforms was unknown, each measuring two meters in length, half a meter in width, and less than a millimeter in thickness.

The gaps between platforms and their height differences were both around one meter, making it difficult for ordinary people to climb the staircase quickly. One careless step and they could easily fall.

“Don't worry, I can help reinforce you.”

Lin Ye intended to use spiritual energy to reinforce Rex's body, but he discovered that atop the Golden Staircase, spiritual energy became extremely difficult to control.

However, after spending a bit of time, he still managed to resolve Rex's problem.

“I've become a spiritual energy user?”

Rex let out an incredulous voice.

“Just a low-level spiritual energy user. Hopefully, there won't be stronger restrictions on spiritual energy further up, or else I'll have to carry you both up.”

Lin Ye jumped onto the second step. He could clearly sense that the spiritual energy here had become noticeably heavier.

It wasn't just spiritual energy; there were other changes as well, though they weren't particularly obvious.

Von and Rex also climbed onto the second step. Rex didn't feel anything, but Von sensed the change too.

“If we keep going up, we won't get suppressed into ordinary people, will we?”

Von said with some concern.

“Being ordinary would be fine. We might even get suppressed into plant people.”

Lin Ye wasn't as optimistic as Von.

“Then what do we do? If that really happens, we might not be able to come back down.”

Von didn't want to be stranded in midair.

“It's fine, I can just jump down.”

Lin Ye tried reaching his hand outside the staircase, but he didn't feel any difference.

The three of them ascended along the Golden Staircase. The first hundred steps were no problem, but at step one hundred, Rex couldn't climb any further.

The staircase restricted each of them to different degrees. The stronger the person, the greater the restriction. However, because Rex's foundation was too poor, this was already his limit.

“…You two go on ahead. I can crawl up bit by bit. If you can make it back, please help my family.”

Rex lay sprawled on the platform, speaking as if half-dead.

“It's fine, I'll bring you back.”

Lin Ye activated the parasitic organism he had implanted into Rex's body earlier. Under the parasite's control, Rex quickly regained his vitality.

Like a spider, he moved on all fours, constantly leaping from one step to another, and quickly jumped ahead of Lin Ye.

“…How about you give me a boost too?”

At this point, Von was already feeling somewhat strained. The suppression he was under was far stronger than what Rex experienced.

“Suit yourself. It's no trouble anyway.”

Lin Ye casually activated the parasitic organism inside Von's body. Von also lay down on the step and began bouncing forward.

“Thanks, this is much easier now.”

Von didn't care at all about the parasite in his body. If Lin Ye wanted to do something to him, he wouldn't be able to resist anyway.

With the two dead weights taken care of, Lin Ye started sprinting up the staircase. The two spider people hopped and bounded along behind him. Before long, they had climbed to the 499th step.

Lin Ye stopped in his tracks. Beyond the 500th step, there was something strange.

It was a handcart piled high with goods. Sitting beside the handcart was a Dark Shadow.

“So people actually come to this godforsaken place?”

The Dark Shadow looked at the three of them, its gaze lingering on the two spider people for a few seconds.

“You're selling things in a place like this?”

Lin Ye didn't rush up. He suspected that the creature had never encountered any customer other than them.

Which meant it definitely wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

“Mm, the more dangerous the place, the easier it is to get your hands on valuable stuff. It's like selling grilled sausages at a tourist spot... What do you all need?”

The Dark Shadow studied Lin Ye carefully. It usually recommended products to customers, but it couldn't see any needs from Lin Ye.

As for those two spider people, they didn't even qualify to be customers.

“I don't need anything. Though maybe you could give me a grilled sausage. I've got quite a few things I collected from down below. If you're willing to buy, I can sell you some.”

Before setting out, Lin Ye had made full preparations. Unless the creature had goods capable of opposing a deity, he had no needs whatsoever.

“The staircase attracts a lot of dangerous things. The closer to the top, the more dangerous it gets. Maybe you need some self-defense items.”

The Dark Shadow pulled out a grilled sausage and handed it to Lin Ye.

“Thanks, but I really don't need any.”

Lin Ye took the “grilled sausage.” It was a purple smoked meat stick. The grilled sausage was just the system's corresponding translation.

“Too bad... I want a few Abyss Crystals. I'll trade for those.”

The Dark Shadow tossed Lin Ye a golden card.

Lin Ye caught the card and immediately received its usage instructions. He could tear the card to skip a section of the Golden Staircase.

“Can I get a few more?”

Lin Ye pulled out several black crystals and tossed them to the Dark Shadow.

“Each person can only use one card during the climb. If you use the cards for them, they won't be able to use their own.”

The Dark Shadow explained.

“Thanks. If we run into each other again, I'll buy something.”

Lin Ye led the two onward, quickly leaving the Dark Shadow and its handcart behind.

That “grilled sausage” tasted pretty good, though the aftertaste was a bit strange.

As the altitude continued to rise, Lin Ye soon encountered the “dangerous things” the Dark Shadow had mentioned. They floated outside the staircase, yet they could still affect those climbing.

But for Lin Ye, these things weren't dangerous enough.

It wasn't until he reached the 1999th step that Lin Ye stopped once more.

The 2000th golden step connected to a horizontal path that extended for several hundred meters, where a large, dilapidated platform lay.

The platform was huge, filled with all kinds of vehicles. Behind those vehicles stood a building resembling a terminal.

Not only were there common vehicles like cars and airplanes on the platform, but there were even massive spaceships. This made Lin Ye want to go over and take a look.

He'd never flown a spaceship before.

“Could this be some kind of shortcut? Though I don't really seem to need a shortcut...”

Lin Ye thought for a moment, then decided to keep climbing. He could still run up a few thousand more layers, so he had no need for transportation at all.

Just then, a driverless bicycle came speeding along the path and stopped right outside the Golden Staircase.

“It can come over on its own?”

Lin Ye walked over to take a look and found that the bicycle required a QR code scan and payment. Every minute of riding cost one trade point.

“Damn, it's a shared bicycle... If shared bicycles are this expensive, wouldn't a shared spaceship cost an arm and a leg?”

Lin Ye very decisively paid for half an hour's worth of riding time.